Hela's POV
When Jean asked that question, I actually paused. "Going to other worlds," huh?
[Day Three Hundred Ninety-Seven – Portal to Another World (By choice)]
Yeah… today's reward. But the thing is—it looks like a one-way ticket. And honestly? That screams bad idea. Too many risks, way too soon.
More importantly, it's just too early. My kingdom isn't even a full day old yet! I haven't even handled half the mess around here.
What if time keeps moving after I leave—which is, let's be real, very likely—and something goes horribly wrong while I'm gone? I can't just abandon everything. There's too much to consider. At the very least, I need another similar reward so I can actually come back.
"It's going to take a long time," I said casually, "but don't worry. Time is the one thing we've got plenty of. As long as we don't do something suicidal, we can probably live till the end of the universe. So there'll be time to explore other worlds—whenever we feel like it."
Jean nodded thoughtfully. She's really changed since I first met her. Then again, who could blame her? My charisma is basically a divine force of nature.
She tilted her head. "So, what now?"
"I'm going to deal with the Hell-Lords," I said like it was just another day at work. "I need to merge all the versions of Hell. I cannot stand the idea of some other underworld existing outside of mine, and my Hel being incomplete.
"Later, I'll deal with the likes of Hades eventually too—even if that means burning Olympus to the ground. There should only be one Hell Lord in this universe. That's me, of course."
I swear I saw her eyes sparkle when I mentioned destroying Olympus. Like... seriously sparkle. Don't tell me she wants in on that?
"So, how exactly are you planning to merge all these different dimensions?" she asked, skipping right over the Olympus thing like I hadn't just dropped a bomb.
Some people might've thought she was just ignoring the destruction part, but nah—this girl's totally into it.
I sighed internally. "Basically, dimension lords can make pacts with living beings and lend them power. What I'm gonna do is… well, steal that power. Entirely. Then I'll take control of each of their domains."
"It may take some time, I don't know exactly, but during my absence, I want you to keep an eye on everything here, but not intervene unless it's something you judge worth it."
She nodded, all serious. Even though she hasn't awakened the Phoenix Force yet (which, by the way, I'm still waiting on), she's strong enough to hold the fort. Aside from that one guest I let sneak in for fun, she can handle pretty much everything else.
Plus, if things really go south, the Ancient One will probably help just to earn a favor from me. Most likely something about Ethernano.
That thought made me smirk, and I snapped my fingers—the Thanos way.
Instantly, Mephisto, Blackheart, and some others popped into existence. The difference this time from the first time they appeared is that they looked like demon beggars.
But they have their reason to be alive until now, unlike the ones I vaporized earlier—those whose territories became unclaimed as soon as I killed them, and I can own them anytime I want.
But this can't be done to Mephisto, Blackheart, and some demons: they're tied to specific aspects of reality. Killing them isn't always permanent, which is annoying.
So instead, I'm going to do this the direct way—take the source of their power, then lock them up. Even if they somehow escape or die later, I already own their territory by that time. What can I say? I'm merciful like that. A real gentlewoman.
Jean eyed Mephisto, studying him closely, apparently having some doubt about him. "Is he the Mephisto? Like, the one from Faust?"
She didn't even flinch at his towering figure. Guess watching me curb-stomp him earlier made him seem less intimidating.
"Don't look at him like he's harmless," I warned. "You remember our fight, right? He's not weak. If we'd been in his domain, it would've been a whole different story." He would have lasted through my beating for a longer time.
The Marvel Universe has a bad habit of letting overpowered characters lose because of their own arrogance. I'm not letting Jean fall into that trap.
She's finally become her true self—no more locked-up emotions or certain aspects of her personality sealed by Charles. She's not that self-sacrificing saint anymore; she's whole now.
That includes the arrogance, yeah, but it has to be the right kind. Confidence is fine. Underestimating someone like Mephisto? That's how you end up toast.
And yet... despite what I said, she just shrugged like it was nothing. What she said next made me pause.
"No matter how strong he is, you'll protect me, right?"
Oh. That's where her confidence comes from. Me.
So I'm the source of her arrogance now? Am I gonna have to play the role of the overpowered elder who bails her out every time she offends some young master?
…Honestly? Kinda flattering.
It's nice, y'know? Having someone trust you that much. Someone who sees you as their absolute safety net.
---
While Jean and Hela were deep in their mysterious little chat, the newcomers to Hel weren't exactly just standing around twiddling their thumbs.
Up in the sky, you could spot Magneto and Storm gliding like elegant hawks, scanning the area from above to get a sense of the lay of the land—joined, of course, by a few other flyers who couldn't resist showing off their altitude privileges.
Meanwhile, back on the ground, the group had already tracked down the stash of food Hela mentioned earlier—shoutout to the mutant with the upgraded super-sniffer who led them straight to it.
Strangely enough, not a single animal was in sight in front of the food despite the odor. Even weirder? The food was just there, sitting in pristine condition like it had just been prepped by divine caterers.
Meat, rice, veggies—you name it. Enough to feed everyone for at least a week. The freshness was top-tier; the quantity was simply insane just from the look.
Everyone stood there, jaws slightly ajar, taking in the mountain of perfectly preserved food. But of course, reality kicked in fast.
"Uh… so how exactly are we supposed to serve this stuff? No plates, no utensils, no plan…?" someone muttered.
Pietro, who heard the question, instinctively looked at his sister. "Or… um… maybe we ask Ms. Hela for help?"
But Wanda immediately shook her head, all serious-like. "If we have to run to her every time we hit a minor inconvenience, then what's even the point of us being here?"
Cute and harmless as she may look around Hela, Wanda wasn't naïve. She knew better than to annoy the Hela over something this trivial—definitely not because Hela is sometimes lazy.
Just then, a woman with the exact same fiery red hair as Wanda strolled up, looking way too casual for someone who'd clearly been eavesdropping.
"I don't know what kind of bond you have with the goddess," she said coolly, "but asking for her help over food seems like a bad call. And also… why are you calling her by name like that without any respect?"
She was staring straight at Pietro now. He didn't answer, but the way he and Wanda tensed up said enough.
They knew who she was. How could they not? They'd seen the old footage back when they were at Charles's school—the famous battle between Magneto and the X-Men and SHIELD, of which this woman was the second-in-command.
Yep. Natasha Romanoff. Black Widow herself.
Of course, she didn't "just happen" to wander over. She'd been looking for them. After all, from her information from SHIELD before coming, there were suspicions about the bond between Hela and the red-haired teen.
But she kept it smooth, as any good spy would.
"Relax," she said, flashing a practiced smile. "I'm Natasha. I was just passing by, heard you guys talking. That's all. Don't worry, I'm here in peace, nothing more."
It was the kind of lie so polished it almost sparkled. Typical Romanoff charm. But as the saying goes: no matter how slick you are, there's always someone slicker. And no matter how shameless you are, there's always someone more shameless waiting in the wings.
Cue entrance: a voice just dripping with mockery.
"Well, well, if it isn't Ms. Romanoff. Looks like you're back in shape already," said a woman with an eerily identical face to Natasha, stepping into view like a perfectly timed insult.
Natasha's eyes narrowed the moment she saw her. Of course it was her. She didn't say anything—too much emotion might give her away. But inside, there was a strong desire to rip the woman in front of her apart.
Mystique gave her a bored look, clearly disappointed Natasha didn't rise to the bait. Still, she decided to quit while she was ahead. After all, poking too hard and triggering a fight wouldn't just cause a mess—it might also land her squarely on Hela's bad side.
And even Mystique wasn't that reckless.
.....
Sigh, here's today's chapter, by the way, do any of you have a tip to concentrate when writing because I'm easily distracted when writing, and don't forget to vote guys.