The Ties That Bind Us

20

at the academy

We walk up the steps together in silence. I forgo knocking and just open up the door. "Who the fu- Isa!" I hear Madison first who runs over and hugs me. I smile and ruffle her hair which makes her roll her eyes. "You're back already?" Queenie asks, "well if you don't want me here..." I trail and she just pulls me into her arms.

"Who's your... friend?" Zoe asks as she pulls away from me. I turn my head to see Hela standing behind me looking tense. Her eyes never leave me as I back up a little to stand next to her. "Hela" I hear muttered quietly from across the room. I turn to see Delia at the base of the stairs, looking between us.

"Guys, this is Hela. Hela, this is Madison, Zoe, Queenie, Nan, Misty, Mallory, Coco, and... D-" "Cordelia Goode" she interjects. I sigh to myself as I already have and idea of where this is going. "Girls, rooms. Now" Delia orders, "but-" "now" she states. They all make their way upstairs, doors closing one after the other.

Once we're alone Cordelia, having never taken her eyes off me, opens her mouth to speak. "So..." she prompts, "well I took your advice and... now we're here" I gesture my hands in the air. "As much as I love having you here, why is she here" Delia asks defensively. I understand, she has a good heart but Hela did hurt me. I suppose others hold a grudge longer than you do.

"Let's just sit down and talk about it-" "I can leave" Hela speaks up. "I didn't say you have to leave. I just asked why you're here" Delia clarifies. I turn to Hela and give her a reassuring smile which I'm not sure helped much. "We have some things to discuss and I needed somewhere safe to stay" I explain, "apothecary" she states and I nod.

'Apothecary' is a word we use around others, almost like a safe word. Essentially it means that we need to have a talk; a private moment if you will. Typically taking place in the greenhouse over a calming tea, hence the name. "Hela, go get some rest ok?" I suggest, "but I'm not-" "please" I mumble.

She stares at me for a long moment before nodding. Glancing at Delia with a wicked look in her eyes, I know she's jealous of her. "Last door on the left" I tell her and she walks up the stairs without a word. Cordelia and I enter the kitchen, not speaking yet. She brews the tea and pours two cups, we both fix our own before heading out to the greenhouse.

Once we're settled, she sips her tea and waits for me to speak. "Ok so quick summary. Odin, Hela's father, tied our fates together after he... you know. Which means Hela and I naturally gravitate toward each other. Not only that but he bonded our life forces meaning if she dies, I die. Oh and also, she now draws her power from me instead of Asgard. So that's where we're at" I sigh.

"He... what?! That man is out of his fucking mind. Excuse my French" she says rolling her eyes. "Yeah, but we knew that. Anyways, he thinks Hela is still trapped. He doesn't know I broke her out and he's sent an execution order. When he finds out she's not there, I didn't want to be anywhere near that. I also couldn't just leave her there as it would defeat the purpose of me saving her" I explain and Delia nods.

"Ok so here's where I need help. Once Hela finds out what he did, she's going to be absolutely furious. She'll probably turn Asgard to ruins and honestly, I wouldn't blame her. Now that I know she no longer draws her power from there, there's no reason for me to save it. However, we need to come up with a plan. A good one" I say.

"I mean... since Hela knows her home the best, I'd say your first step is to tell her. Let her blow off some steam first and then work with her to form a strategy. Now, I don't condone violence of any kind but in this scenario I'd say it's warranted. My only concern is for you... witnessing such destruction again" she admits.

"Think of it as... reparations. I aim to give them ample time to escape, I'm not going to kill them all. Just Odin. Everyone else is somewhat innocent" I answer. "I can get behind that" Cordelia agrees and I nod, glancing down at my hands. "What is it?" she asks hesitantly, "my powers... they've gotten stronger" I mumble.

"That's great!" she exclaims, "I'm scared, Cordelia" I confess. She sets down her tea and takes my hands in her own, looking me directly in the eyes. "Remember what I told you? As long as you are mindful of them, they will not overpower you. I know you have a hard time with emotions but as long as you're trying, that's all that matters" she promises.

"When I went to rescue Hela... it was like the darkness was calling to me. I fought, I fought really hard. Then I just got so... angry. That... guy—it just pushed me over the edge and I didn't even recognize myself" I admit, "well of course you don't, sweetie. We've discussed this before, the you that you know... that's not who you really are" she smiles sympathetically.

"You're on a journey of discovery, it's not going to be easy or comfortable. Tell me about what happened" she asks, her thumbs gently making circles on the backs of my hands. I explain to her all that I remember and what it looked like to me. "But I wasn't even aware of it. I know Hela saw it all and she looked—scared of me. Hela isn't easy to frighten and it just worries me" I sigh.

"I'm sure she wasn't scared of you. I think the situation she found herself in was just out of her element. Based on what you told me about her... she's hyper-independent. Needing saving isn't exactly in the realm of comfort for a person like that, something we both can agree on. Despite my lingering... disdain for her—I can see how much she aims to protect you. Flipping the roles might've made her feel less than" Delia presumes.

"You're probably right..." I agree, "of course I am" she giggles. I roll my eyes playfully and she pulls me into a quick but meaningful hug. "Now go see to your girlfriend" she says, "we're not together..." I remind her. "...yet. You will be though" she says and I can't completely deny that.

We say our little goodbyes as I make my way to the house and she stays to tend to some plants. I place our cups in the sink and head upstairs. Stopping in front of the door and taking a deep breath.