Hela saw the SHIELD agents beginning to surround her even as she got up from the ground, brushing down her silver armour, smoothing her cape, composing herself. The magnitude of the situation she shoved away desperately, focusing on the practicalities, composing herself before she was reached. No mortal was to see her crying.

  So it was that when a man came forward to talk to her, she was her usual self when talking to anyone she considered beneath her - that being anyone except Loki and Frigga. Haughty and icy-cold - she was half Jötun after all.

  The man had dark brown skin, an uncommon feature among Asgardians, a bald head and an eyepatch like Odin. She instantly disliked him for the similarity. "Who are you?"

  Hela ignored him, raising an eyebrow and looking around at the SHIELD agents. "Quite the welcoming party. I'm almost flattered."

  She could almost see his mind working as he noted the similarities. The green, the eye and hair colours, the Asgardian armour and cape, the tone of voice and the proud sarcasm. "You don't happen to know one Loki of Asgard, do you?"

"Funny that you should assume such a thing." She swept her emerald cape around herself and gave a mocking, melodramatic bow. "Hela, daughter of Loki, at your service - or rather, not."

  "Ah." She noticed the shift of his hand to the holster of his gun. "And what is your purpose here... Hela?"

  She smiled. "Lady Hela, if you don't mind. And my purpose here is to exist until my fool of a grandfather and a king revokes my banishment."

Fury crossed his arms. "How do we know you're not helping him take over the world?"

"Please," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's his turn to be the distraction. Although I wish I had helped him the first time, then I wouldn't have to be in this miserable place, Director Fury."

"How do you know who I am?"

"Thor - or should I say, my quite delightful uncle - goes on and on about you. The Avengers this. Midgardian technology that. Fury this. Stark that. Rogers this. Hawkeye that. It gets rather repetitive."

Fury gave her a look. He had no idea what to make of the girl. His hand went to his earpiece. "Get me to the Avengers Tower, we have a situation up here."

*

"Kill her," said Natasha flatly.

  "She didn't ask to be here," Steve pointed out. "We can't kill her for it."

  Clint shrugged. "She also said she'd willingly help Loki take over the Earth."

  Hela sat, a wall of glass in place between her and the Avengers. Just to annoy them and make the connection obvious, she had her silver horned helmet shimmer in and out of existence. "Thor will never work with you again if you kill me."

  Bruce nodded. "That's a point. What if we need him in future, and he finds out we murdered his niece?"

  "She's the daughter of the man who took over my mind." Clint seemed the angriest. "I say we neutralize the threat. With something large and heavy, preferably."

  "You know, that seems a little bit harsh." Tony tapped on the glass, drumming an annoying rhythm. "Coming from the spy who kills people for a living. At least go for something sharp."

"You are not to kill Lady Hela."

Everyone turned to see Thor enter the room. Most of them seemed shocked, but Hela merely sighed. "Let me guess. Odin sent you to make sure I don't make mischief."

"Perhaps." Thor looked around at the Avengers. "All of you, Hela may be Loki's daughter, but she is my family and she will not be killed by my friends. I will be joining you whilst Hela accustoms herself to your ways."

"Loki's daughter is going to be here? Living in our Tower?" Bruce asked warily.

"No, I'm not," Hela said automatically. Living with mortals, several of which wanted her dead? No, thank you. Then she remembered she didn't have much choice nowadays.

  Thor nodded. "Yes."

This was really bad. I'm sorry.