Birthright

Justice

She crept slowly into the main deck. There, beside the console, lay Malekith. Dead.

"Fuck!" Asa swore loudly and bitterly. Her one reward for all this had been taken from her. But by whom?

She walked slowly forward, aiming the plasma lance around as she did so. The place was deserted. Through the large but disgustingly grimy windows, she could see, but not hear, the battle outside.

She saw the lightning, caught glimpses of Mjolnir taking out elves left right and centre. Thor. He'd come for Hela. Loki? Was he here, too? Did they even realise she was still alive? She had to make sure she gave them as much of a chance as possible.

She was so caught up in watching Thor's hammer that she didn't hear the footsteps. Didn't see the figure approach and stand directly behind her.

The first she was aware that she wasn't alone, other than the dead body at her feet, was a muffled cry and a sudden thump behind her.

Turning, she saw another dead elf. This time, she felt no joy. This time, she felt regret. Aethelred. A dagger stuck out of his chest. He wasn't quite dead. "You killed... arsehole?" He burbled a bloodied smile, looking at her with dying eyes.

Before she could answer, a voice above them laughed. "Her? No. It was me, you traitorous little shit." Asa looked up and saw Hela standing a few feet away. She'd tried to take Asa out but hadn't counted on the little bodyguard. Too bad. As far as she was concerned? A good elf was a dead elf. They were just so unreliable. Malekith included.

"He's dead." Asa whispered to the gasping elf. "Thank you." She smiled at him. It was all she could do. He gasped and burbled and was gone.

Hela cackled. "So. You're alive then. Not for much longer. And those annoying Boy Scouts will be joining you in Valhalla very shortly. Wouldn't want you getting lonely now, would we?"

Asa stood, eyes burning with anger and hatred. "You will never be Queen of Asgard. Thor and Loki and I will see to that. Don't even think that killing us will stop your downfall. If you cut us down? A hundred more will take our place. You CANNOT take Asgard. It is more than a place. It is our people." She raised the plasma lance as Hela looked at her. Asa walked around her, like a lion circling its prey.

"You know, I'm almost sorry to lose you. You sound like just the kind of woman I need to lead my Army. Pity, really. We could have been...." she stopped mid-sentence, eyes wide open. Distracted by her own hubris, she hadn't bothered that Asa had even raised a weapon. Big mistake. Hela may have been the Goddess of Death, but even she couldn't survive the wrath of a wronged Valkyrie.

A sword pierced her heart from behind. The plasma lance had been a mere distraction. Summoning her last remaining strength, Asa plunged her Dragon Fang up to the hilt. Hela fell to her knees, blood seeping from her mouth.

Asa walked round to face her. Looking down, she grabbed Hela by the hair and spat in her face.

"Go back to Helheim and stay there, you murdering hag. By the power given to me by Frigga, by the power of every Valkyrie before me and will come after me, I banish you. I. BANISH. YOU."

A black swirling vortex, accompanied by the sound of howling wolves, opened, and Hela, gasping her last, was sucked into it. Malekiths body turned to ash and was blown into the vortex.

It closed, and Asa fell to her knees, exhausted. Leaning on her Dragon Fang, she put her forehead on the hilt and prayed to Frigga for the strength to survive until someone found her.

She'd barely finished when she collapsed into strong arms. A voice in her ear sushed her and told her to rest. Her work was done. She was so tired, she would just rest for a little while. Just a little sleep.

Thor carried her carefully back out to the battlefield. Loki was waiting, directing as the few remaining prisoners were rounded up. Sif and the Asgardian forces had arrived once Heimdal knew it was safe to open the Bifrost.

"Brother!" Thor called across, and Loki turned. Immediately, he saw Asa limp in Thor's arms. He ran across.

"Is...is she..."

"Dead? No. But almost. She banished Hela and killed Malekith, it seems. We'll know the full story in time. For now? Take her home, Brother. I will see to things here."

He passed the limp form over into Loki's arms, and he looked at them both. "You need to make things right, Loki. You need to tell her we - you - dont blame her for mother's death."

"I know. I just hope I get the chance."

Loki gazed down at her, unconscious in his arms. She'd never looked so beautiful. He only prayed he would get the chance to tell her.

"Heimdal... when you're ready?" He shouted up to the Gatekeeper. The Bifrost opened, and they were gone.

Thor shook his head and walked away to speak to Sif. This was just the beginning of his reign as king. What the hell would come next?

It would take some time, but he would come to wish he hadn't asked the question.

Loki and Asa appeared in the chamber moments later. Heimdal nodded.

"Healers are waiting for you. I saw her injured so I prepared them." He didn't smile. Under the circumstances, it would have been wrong, but his voice was reassuring.

"Thank you, Heimdal. We'll go directly. " With that, Loki teleported them both away, leaving Heimdal alone with his thoughts. He knew Asgard was about to face a foe unlike any it had known. Hela was just the beginning.

Loki and Asa appeared in the healing rooms almost instantly. He laid her gently on the soul forge, and the healers began their work.

"I'm sorry, my Prince," one of them turned to him with a slight bow and a look of embarrassment. "We need you to leave? We need to... undress her."

"Oh. Right. Ok. Well, I'll be in the antechamber if you need me. Let me know the moment she wakes."

The healer nodded, and Loki retreated. Sitting on a couch by the balcony, he leaned back and rubbed his face with his hands.

"Oh, mother. Look after her. Please. Let me speak to her again. I have so much to say."

As darkness fell, he was still waiting.