"Harder! Faster! KEEP MOVING!" Hela's voice echoed across the training grounds.

Odin watched from the top balcony, adorned in his golden ceremonial armor. Hela drilled the Berserkers mercilessly, and anyone who was unable to keep up was demoted to the standard Einherjar around the castle. Hela was goal-driven, fast, effective, and fiercely loyal to the glory of Asgard, leaving no room for error in her designs. Her army was at peak-performance, and Odin was unsure what Hela's goals would be once she exhausted what resources the small kingdom had to offer. She was itching to fight, to conquer, to rule. She would be a strong queen, but she was a restless and irrational princess. Odin wouldn't be able to control her for long.

~*~

Hela stalked through the open doors of the throne room and approached the throne. "Father. I have come to speak with you."

Odin opened his mouth to reprimand his daughter, but shut it quickly to keep from swearing as he spotted a red book in Hela's hands.

"I believe you know this book?" Hela asked, holding it up.

Odin nodded. "I do."

"I came across it looking for new battle formations to learn from the ancient armies. It seems these Eternals created the land of Asgard for us, and set us as rulers over the other nine Realms. And here I wonder why we did not keep our word."

"That deal ended when they left us to die. My brothers and father died in battle with complete faith in the Eternals, without any one of them lifting a finger to help or rebuild in return."

Hela opened the book and walked the first staircase to the throne, displaying the last page. "Do you not see Asgard's symbol burned in agreement?"

"Do you not see theirs?"

Hela snapped the book closed. "It was not the first king who signed this, it was Asgard. We have a duty to honor our word. We have not only the means but also a duty to rule over the Nine Realms. Do you forget the consequences the Eternals imposed? Do you forget Ragnarok?"

Odin took a silent breath to keep calm. "That is an invitation to die for a group of people who have no loyalty to us."

"When they break their word, are we to do the same and become as weak as they?"

Odin's hand clenched around his staff. "We are not conquers!"

"Are we not to show our strength and superiority?"

"We lack strength."

"Do you not see my men training tirelessly day after day to take on the weakness of the other Realms? We are fierce in battle, and capable in strategy. The only one who lacks strength is he who does not use it."

"My father and his army had strength."

"Yes, but they died. We will not. Not now that I have accepted the Eternals Blessing."

Odin froze. "You did what?"

"I took the Eternal's blessing from where it was hidden beneath the castle."

"That does not belong to you." Odin whispered.

"Yes, it does," Hela retorted. "It belongs to anyone loyal to the Eternals in Asgard. Anyone who wants to make this kingdom as glorious as it was supposed to be."

"No one has taken that blessing since it was given to the first king of Asgard. My grandfather, King Buri."

Hela rolled her eyes. "Buri did not take the blessing. He hid away the eternal flame, rejecting the blessing of the power Alpha Eternal gave him. Bor didn't take it because he had too much faith the Eternals would save them!" Hela laughed. "And you. How did you expect to deal with those with power as the Eternals, if we did not have their blessing? Just imagine..." Hela walked the rest of the way up the stairs. "Imagine having worlds at your feet, and a perfect reason to make them that way."

~*~

"How much longer must this carnage last?" Odin's heart grew heavy with all the death that his daughter seemed to revel in.

"There are more worlds out there. Worlds that belong to the Eternals in the hands of usurpers. Just imagine how much power we will have over those inferior Realms, and in gratitude to us from Alpha Eternal, we will keep them."

"The Eternals care nothing of us! They give us their power only to do their bidding."

"Then even better; we reign unchallenged." Hela spread her arms out, basking in glory, and inflating her chest full of air.

Odin looked at her, standing on the floor, from the throne. "The Einherjar is exhausted. We can no longer wage war."

"Can't we? My Berserkers are still fit and strong. We are capable of conquering the universe."

Odin shook his head. "You have grown too ambitious my daughter."

"Wishing for what is not possible is ambitious. Taking what is available..."

"No. We fight no longer."

Hela's face fell. "You are growing weak, Father."

"Not weak enough. I know you already sent out the Berserkers to an unknown world. They will not come back. Heimdall was instructed to not let them back through the Bifrost."

"You think," Hela's voice turned scathing, "that I cannot let them back through myself? You are more foolish than I thought."

"You cannot do that from Hel. I, Odin Borson, as King of Asgard, revoke the blessing given to me by the Eternals, and banish you to Hel."

~*~

Thousands of years later, a woman with dark hair, leather jacket, and glowing, cursive 'L's on her face dropped to the floor of the Asgardian throne room. Guards around the perimeter were immediately on alert, throwing spears and thrusting swords bound for her head and chest. She parried and dodged them all with her long swords, slicing spears and wrists with expert speed and skill before throwing a force of energy at her attackers that hurled them backward into the wall. Odin stood up, pointing his scepter at her, but she spoke first.

"My name is Alpha Legend, and I am the daughter of Alpha Eternal."