Resurrection

Chapter Eighteen: Toxic Love

Chapter Eighteen: Toxic Love

Titan was a mess. Most of the population was dead, and those who weren't were dying. Of course this amount of death would attract the attention of one important deity.

Hela, who was fairly new to the job, strolled through the Titan city, invisible to the eye. She brought a few reapers with her, but she was the one doing most of the reaping. It was a rather depressing job, but someone had to do it.

She was in the middle of collecting a soul and readying it for its journey to Valhalla when a purple Titan approached her. At first, she ignored him since nobody could see her, but then the alien spoke.

"Who are you?" the Titan asked.

Hela stood up from her spot next to the most recent soul's body. She turned around, confusion written on her face. Nobody could see her unless they were dead or dying. This particular creature was neither. He was perfectly healthy and alive.

"You can see me?" she asked. The Titan was much taller than her; she was as tall as his knee, so she had to crane her neck to look at him.

"Yes, and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful you are," the Titan responded.

Hela paused. She was quite young at the time, and she didn't know how to respond to an almost grown Titan calling her beautiful.

"Thank you?" Hela said.

"You are welcome." The Titan paused. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Thanos." He extended his hand.

Hela hesitated before taking it. "Hela, the Goddess of Death, and I'm rather busy at the moment..."

Her voice trailed off as Thanos bent down and kissed the back of her hand. She blinked and pulled her hand away.

"I...don't...what?" Hela choked out. "You seem rather calm for someone who is losing neighbors and friends to starvation."

"I gave them a solution, but they refused to let me help," Thanos stated.

"Oh?"

"Have you heard of the Infinity Stones?" Thanos asked.

"Yes," Hela replied. She had some idea of their power, but she was too focused on the task at hand. She tried to walk away from him, but Thanos joined her by her side.

"I suggested collecting all six Infinity Stones," Thanos said.

"It takes immense power to hold even one Infinity Stone; how will you manage all six?"

"I will have a special gauntlet made to hold them. Once I collect all of them, I will save the universe with a single snap of my fingers. The problem of starvation and lack of resources isn't just my people's problem, it's everywhere. If I kill half the universe's population, then there will be enough resources to go around for the other half. The survivors will have to learn from their mistakes and build a better society so they don't use up all their essential resources."

Hela stopped walking, her green-gray eyes wide with shock. Thanos' plan was utterly insane. She had to get away from this madman.

"Well, t-that's...wonderful," Hela muttered. "I-I must be...going."

Thanos smiled lovingly down at her. "Will I see you again?"

"Oh...yeah," Hela said, although she didn't mean it. She hoped never to see his ugly, purple face again.

Unfortunately, life had a funny way of ruining her hopes.

Thanos thought she loved it when he presented dead people and creatures to her. Hela had no idea where Thanos got the idea that she liked seeing dead people and wanting people to die, but she hated it.

It started nearly a year after they first met. She was busy reaping their souls when Thanos presented a pile of dead bodies to her. Naturally, she was disgusted and buried all the poor people once he had left.

As much as she tried to dissuade him, Hela couldn't shake the insanity from Thanos' head. It was hard to change his mind, so Hela gave up on him in hopes that by ignoring him, Thanos would leave people alone.

It had worked, until recently. The Stones were supposedly kept hidden away and safe from Thanos, but the Mad Titan still found them and accomplished his goal.

It was the year 1643. Hela was walking through a deserted planet. The brown dust blew gently in the wind. The dark sky and the dull glow of the sun were unsettling. Vincent, Hela's trusted reaper, kept pace with the queen.

"Are you sure that this is a wise choice, your highness?" Vincent asked and nodded toward the necklace Hela had around her neck. An orange glow shone from the circular pendant on the silver chain.

"It's the only choice we have. Vormir is deserted and hidden away from all cosmic travelers," Hela said.

"But are you sure that Thanos will not find it?" Vincent pressed.

Hela turned to look at him. "Nothing is for certain, but this will at least slow him down." She turned back and kept walking. She stopped at the top of a tall cliff. The cliff looked out over a large circular stone ground. The wind blew Hela's long, black hair away from her face.

"It is time," Hela said and took the necklace off. She opened the locket and the Soul Stone floated out. Hela grabbed the stone from the air and whispered an Asgardian spell into it. She finished and threw the stone as hard as she could to the center of the circle. Orange light enveloped the circle and shot up into the sky. The light faded, leaving Asgardian symbols carved into the circle.

Hela and Vincent stared down at the ground below them.

"Wouldn't the stone be safer in Valhalla?" Vincent asked, breaking the silence.

"I cannot risk the souls there. The Soul Stone would go insane and trap all the souls in Valhalla and Helheim in it. I can't let that happen. No, it's safer here," Hela answered and put the necklace into her pocket.

"Assuming the spells work, and it will, what will happen if someone is willing to risk a soul for a soul?"

"Nobody in their right mind will be willing to sacrifice a loved one for the Soul Stone. They might think they are strong enough, but they will change their minds. If not, then overwhelming regret will consume them. People always wish to go back and undo their mistakes and regrets to get rid of the guilt. The Soul Stone is cursed. It is safe here."

Another clarification, Thanos is in love with Hela. (Based on comics-Thanos loving comics-Death, instead Hela is Death in this story). It's really one-sided because Thanos is a pervert.