Alert! Alert! Feels incoming! *sirens wail* *lights flash* *guards run to their stations*

The Avengers sat in absolute silence around the table. Clint, Tony, Natasha, Thor, Bruce and Steve.

"****," Tony announced.

  Bruce glanced around at the others. "I'm going to tell her."

  "Don't you dare!" Natasha protested.

  Steve glanced at Natasha awkwardly. "She has a right to know what's happened."

  Clint shrugged. "I say tell her." He was least affected by the news. That would be his hatred of Loki and daughter. "In fact, I'll do it myself."

  "Not a chance," Natasha countered instantly. "You'll enjoy her pain."

Clint met her gaze without flinching. "So what if I will?"

Natasha punched him in the face. Clint's hand rushed towards it protectively, cowering back slightly as blood trickled from his nose. "You idiot, Clint! Why can't you understand that it's not her fault for the mind control or anything else Loki did?!"

"Because - because she'd do exactly the same thing! You heard her, she wanted to help him take over, she agreed with him, she's got no remorse at all! She's a monster! She's no homesick little girl, this could all be a trap and you know it!"

Out of the air in the middle of the room shimmered the form of Hela. As usual when she used her powers, she wore her magic-strengthening Asgardian wear. Her pale face was cold, and her voice like ice. "Well, that's a little rude, don't you think? And no offence, but you do sound rather paranoid." With a flourish of her green cape she sat in the only empty space and glanced around at the rest of the room. "You should probably do something about that nosebleed, you know."

As usual when Hela was there, she had a rather unsettling effect. The room seemed colder, and the atmosphere brittle, as if one movement could shatter the world. It spread unease like a sickness and made people shift uncomfortably in their seats, no matter their power.

Thor glanced at Natasha and Bruce, who appeared to be the Avengers with the most compassion for the frosty princess. He wasn't sure what to say, but he couldn't not tell her. From the look of her, she hadn't been here long enough to hear the news. "Hela-"

"Yes, uncle?" She raised one perfectly arched dark eyebrow.

"My mother, Queen Frigga, your grandmother, has - has been killed."

  Hela blinked. Swayed a little on her feet. Uncomprehending. The only creature in the world who had ever understood even partly Loki or herself. Gone? Surely not. It could not be. Her voice was sharp. "By what? And if you haven't, I'll hunt it down myself and care not for your father's banishment."

  "That will not be needed, it has been destroyed," Thor said. He glanced at the others, before continuing, "Hela - in the destroying of it - Loki - Loki was also killed."

  Hela paled. In the artificial light of the room she was uncommonly pale, sickly white, her dark hair and bright eyes standing out in clear contrast. Her long, dark eyelashes fluttering to try and keep back the tears that sprang unbidden to her eyes and slid like rainfall down her face. Her entire body trembling. Then the soft shimmer in the air as she made herself invisible, hid her reaction from the world, a moment too late to keep it from them. Brushing softly against Natasha's side as she slipped away from the room.

  Bruce called, "Hela, wait!" She was already gone.

  There was silence. Then Natasha turned her full and darkest glare on Clint. "And that's a monster, is it?"

  Clint made no comment.

*

Dearest Hela,

I have no doubt that this letter will have made itself to you - it really was foolish of Thor to be right next to me for so long. Enchanting and hiding this note as usual was child's play, honestly.

  As you may have guessed, I am not, as I believe Thor will have informed you, dead. I am in fact currently masquerading as Odin Allfather. It is quite gratifying to have all this praise heaped upon me, and I am rather beginning to enjoy it, that and ruling Asgard.

  Do not fret, you will soon be brought back home. It would not be good to have one of us without the other ruling, would it? And tricking the others will be doubly amusing when they cannot realistically blame yours truly.

  But before that, you must of course finish what we have arranged. It would hardly be suitable to sinply give up on everything we have planned since you first wrote in secret, would it now?

Your father
Loki, son of none

  Hela smiled, and inwardly kicked herself for her fears and her tears. Of course Loki would not be killed. He was far too busy for that sort of rubbish. "As you wish, Father," she whispered.