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What Lies Beneath

Chapter 32

Entering the place that the girl, who Felicity could quickly tell, was younger then her, though not by much, at least as far as looks go, had led them to, Felicity found herself looking around. There were spirits here too, though they were much different from what she'd just experienced, and it was enough to make her shake with almost fear of the unknown. The girl stopped in this grand hall, though there was nothing grand about it. The palace around them seem to be falling apart, it was dark and dismal. The table before them had food, though it wasn't much, and it seemed that everyone that was there was attempting to get just a bite.
“Do you know who I am?”The girl asked, turning to look at Felicity.
“No, but I'd like to know now.”Felicity answered quickly, staring down at the little girl, ignoring the bugs that crawled across the floor, or the shadows that seemed to dance around them. This place just flat gave her the creeps.
“I am Hel,”The girl introduced herself,”And this is my home, I am the queen of the underworld.”
“Wasn't I just...in...the underworld?”Felicity asked, looking around cautiously.
“No, the underworld is where the inglorious dead go to rest.”Hel explained,”People who simply grew old, or were sick, children, things of that nature.”
“Oh.”Felicity said, sucking in a sharp breath,”Why did you bring me here?”
“I told you before, I have a plan, and your the key to it.”Hel answered,”Now you must stay here...and do me a favor....try very hard not to fade into oblivion.”
“Do what?”Felicity asked, her eyes going wide, but the girl was already gone.
Felicity wasn't so sure how she was suppose to do anything right now. She was afraid, she was alone, and she was absolutely clueless as to what this girl was up to. Queen of the Underworld? Why did that sound so terrible as Felicity let the title roll off her tongue. She shrugged her thoughts away and walked forward for a moment, before the crying of little infants froze her in her steps. She sucked in a sharp breath, hating how haunted this place felt.
Entering the halls was unfamiliar to Hel. She had only been here a few times in her life, and she'd been so young the last time she'd entered this place. She was almost too aware of where she needed to go. She had two stops to make, and the first had her shaking, scared, and worried. She slipped by, keeping herself to the shadows until she heard voices, three very familiar and then there were some that were not. She smiled softly as she listened, recognizing those three as family. Oh how she still loved them, still wished to be with them. She knew however, that where she had been placed, was the best for her, because of her mother. She grimaced at the thought, before stepping out of the shadows, making herself known. She heard the gasps, and what part of her flesh that wasn't rotted or blue much like her origins, blushed lightly.
“All Father.”She said softly, as she continued forward.
“My child,”Odin said, his voice soft, full of affection, though wary at the same time.
She looked up to see three standing there, a woman with lovely red hair, and two men, gaping at her as if she was a foreign object to be almost feared. She smiled at them, and held her head high, her hair falling down her back, curling just so at the ends. Had she not such a terrible mother, she'd be the envy of Asgard. She'd been told so by many.
“I need your help.”She said, her eyes staying on Odin, worry filling her features.
“You mustn't be here, your mother will seek you out if she even thinks you might have left,”Odin warned, sounding saddened by his words.
“I am aware,”Hel said, with a nod of her head,”It does not matter, my mother, if I must, I will face myself.”
“What brings you to these halls, Queen of the Underworld?”
“I request the body of the fallen mortal.”She said simply, getting down to business despite her longing to be here in Asgard, among her family.
“You know that her soul is in the fields by now.”Odin answered, sounding sad still.
“Is it?”Hel asked, a ghost of a smile on her lips,”Have you turned a blind eye to the fallen, All Father?”
“You have retrieved one that should have been left.”Odin said sternly, frowning at her,”You know what will happen...”
“I am aware, unless her body is given back to her.”Hel said with a small laugh,”She wasn't meant to die today, and you know that better then anyone,”
“Who are you to decide such things?”Odin asked, as he moved towards her,”Hel you have made a grave mistake doing this.”
“No, I haven't.”Hel replied,”You of all people should have been fighting to find a way, why is it that I, the disgrace of these halls, be the one to step up?”
“Child, don't speak such things.”Odin said, shaking his head.
“You don't exactly invite me over.”She pointed out,”If you will not do what is needed, then I will, for I have as much control of the dead as you do.”
“What will you tell him?”Odin asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Whatever I have to.”Hel said simply,”He needs to come anyway, because this might not be nearly as perfect as what I'm hoping for.”
“Uh...what's going on?”Tony asked, looking between Odin and Hel, though he wasn't sure of the creepy undead girl's name.
“I am going to undo this mess, and make things right.”Hel answered, before looking at Tony,”Why should a mortal question things so?”
“They are friends in these halls,”Thor spoke up,”You should speak with more respect.”
“You should have taken better care of what was clearly so fragile.”Hel snapped, smiling at Thor,”But I suppose, what's done is done.”
“So what are you going to do exactly?”Tony asked, as he turned to face the girl completely, looking nothing less then suspicious of her.
“I am going to reunite body and soul, though I must hurry before Oblivion takes her soul, and she's lost to us forever.”Hel said, sounding both impatient and frustrated,”Why can't you just let me do this, and be grateful someone is trying to save her?”
“Because you're creepy.”Tony said plainly.
“I'm sure my father will appreciate hearing you say that.”Hel hissed, and shook her head.
“Who's that?”Tony replied, raising an eyebrow,”And why should I care?”
“Because my father is Loki,”Hel said, smirking at the look on Tony's face,”That's why you should care.”
She turned and looked at Felicity's body, before looking up at Odin, raising an eyebrow, waiting for him to finally give her permission. She'd steal the body if she had to, she wasn't against it really. The clock was ticking, and time was running out to make things right. She wasn't going to watch her father slip away as he had in the past, she wasn't going to watch him return to being the monster he had been. That wasn't going to happen, not today, not ever. She'd make damn sure of it.
“Guard, fetch Loki.”Odin finally said, looking down, knowing he had no other choice or say in the matter, despite his clear distaste for what was about to happen.
“Thank you All Father.”Hel said after a moment of silence.
“What if something goes wrong?”
“That is the reason he must be present,”Hel said with a nod of her head,”She regained her memories, and they went straight to my father, so it would only make sense that he be there when she awakens back in her body, just in case.”
“I certainly hope you understand what you are doing.”Odin said softly.
“There will be one to make up for her soul returned.”Hel assured him.
“You have only a single night to replace the soul, you know the laws.”
“I do, I have many centuries to read them over and memorize them.”She said with a nod of her head.
A few moments later, the guard returned, and Loki was trailing behind, looking a little less then happy about being called back. He looked at his father, his eyes never once gazing towards Felicity's dead body. He couldn't bring himself to do it, not right now. He then turned and his bright eyes widened in shock. His youngest, his daughter, stood there, staring at Odin. What was she doing here?”
“Hel,”He said moving towards her, sounding confused.
“Father, you must return with me,”She said promptly,”The woman's body as well.”
“What are you doing?”He asked, caution clear in his tone.
“Fixing this mess.”She answered, being a little less then clear, as any good daughter would be when she's up to something.
“I don't think...”Loki started before Hel put a hand up, telling him to be quiet. Loki raised an eyebrow and snarled his lip, not appreciating that his daughter would do such a thing.
“Father, I'm not giving options, not this time,”She said sternly,”Now, you're coming back with me, and so is she...I'm fixing this, don't argue.”
“And what if it doesn't work?”Loki asked, taking a deep breath and resisting the urge to just send her back alone.
“It has to, and we're running out of time, now come on.”Hel said as she moved towards Felicity's body.
“Running out of time for what?”Loki asked.
“I pulled her out of the Fields, and she is in my home now, we've got very little time before Oblivion takes her.”Hel explained, looking at him,”So please, stop being so...pushy...and just let me help.”
Loki frowned and looked down for a moment, trying very hard to figure out what he wanted. Did he really want Hel to do this, return Felicity's soul to her body? He had heard of terrible things happening with that. He glanced towards the dead woman, though her face made it look as if she were merely sleeping. He didn't want to lose her, but he didn't want her to suffer either. He returned his gaze to his daughter, his eyes steady as she seemed to wait for his answer.
“She was gravely injured, Hel, how might you go about fixing that?”He asked simply,”She'll only suffer.”
“I spoke with Idun the moment the tragedy struck, I know what I am doing.”She said simply.
“Why go to her?”Loki asked, trying very hard to wrap his mind around what his daughter was up to.
“Father, please give me just this ounce of trust.”Hel begged, her eyes pleading with him despite her terrifying looks.
Loki swallowed hard, not sure how he can really trust any of this, but he simply nodded his head. He then closed his eyes as there was a bright blinding light, and he was pulled through it. He stumbled when he landed, and looked around. He glanced down to see that Hel had indeed brought Felicity along, though she was no longer in the casket made of glass and gold she'd been in. Her body laid perfectly on the ground. He frowned as he looked down at her before looking up at Hel. The girl was searching and looking around, and he wondered idly if Felicity's soul was here.
Hel sighed a bit and disappeared from sight for a few moments, apparently not happy with the fact that whatever she was looking for was not there. He crossed his arms over his chest before looking around at the place his daughter was forced to call home. It was because of her mother. The crazy Jotun that he'd made the mistake of having three children with. He shrugged the thoughts away, not wanting to worry about things like that right in this moment.
“You need to come on.”Hel said, as she motioned for Felicity to follow,”You want to follow me.”
“I'm fading...I'm like...I look like what a ghost should look like...why would I follow you again...look what you've done!”Felicity cried as she looked down at herself.
“That's why you must come on,”Hel said impatiently,”Please.”
Hel sighed and closed her eyes before Felicity grumbled the word fine, and Hel started forward. Felicity felt weak, she felt tired. She hadn't felt like that at all since she'd died. She didn't like the thought of understanding that she was dead, but she was accepting it the best she could. Hel came to a stop and looked around for a moment before sighing and returning her gaze to Felicity.
“Walk in there.”She said simply.
“Okay.”Felicity said, giving Hel a suspicious look.
Hel waited until Felicity had gone in, before closing her eyes for a moment. If she could get Felicity back into her own body, then it would be Loki that would have to retrieve what Idun promised Hel. Felicity had proven her worth, or at least Hel was sure of it, but she had no physical attachment to Felicity, that was her father, and that meant Loki would have to do the hard part. Hel sighed a bit as she entered and paused as she watched Loki and Felicity staring at each other.
“Why are you here?”Felicity asked, sounding both happy and sad at the same time.
“At the request of Hel,”Loki answered, his eyes betraying the pain he was shoving back.
“I'm sorry Loki.”Felicity said, and if she could cry, she would have been.
“What were you thinking?”Loki demanded, his own eyes brimming with tears.
“That I wasn't going to let that slut ruin everything...or hurt people.”Felicity answered honestly, before looking down,”I guess I wasn't thinking so straight, it seemed like such a full proof plan.”
“You should not have returned, Felicity,”He said softly, wishing that he could reach out and touch her face,”Though I feel as if I'm the one to blame here.”
“No,”Felicity replied, shaking her head,”You're not, my pride is.”
“Okay, as much as it seems you two want to talk this over, you can do that when she's alive again.”Hel said with a nod of her head,”Felicity, I need you to simply return to your body.”
“How?”Felicity asked, though her eyes never left Loki.
“Will yourself back in...use whatever power you've got left as a spirit and push your way inside.”Hel answered honestly, watching the two as they never looked away from each other. It was odd to see her father so fixated on anything.
Felicity nodded her head, and slowly moved away from Loki. She was getting weaker, and she knew it. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she was almost certain it had to do with that comment about Oblivion that Hel had shot at her before just disappearing. Felicity looked down at her body, and it was almost surreal. She felt like she was staring into a mirror, only this was much creepier. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, before leaning down and touching her own arm. There was a tug, and Felicity gasped, but didn't move away. That had to be a good thing, right? She continued to try and concentrate, feeling herself being tugged and pulled, stretched and yanked around. She could hear voices, mainly Loki's though she had no idea what they were saying.
There was that darkness again, and silence. Felicity was trapped, she was sure of it. She'd failed. She then felt pain, a very tightness that reminded her to open her mouth, and in the next instance, she took a breath, gasping and coughing. Felicity started to roll away from this pain, but there was two cool arms on her shoulders holding her down. She opened her eyes and stared up at both Loki and Hel. She, however, just stared away.
“Who are you?”She asked them, blinking in surprise at these strangers

Comments

I'd love to read a sequel to this story!
It's really great
drakkya drakkya
11/20/13
Please update I'm addicted I need more
larasong larasong
5/5/13
I love this story!!! Please update soon!!!!
JKinzz JKinzz
3/2/13
Saw your footnote in chapter 8 - you're welcome! :) I feel bad for Felicity and how she has to start moving around just as she got settled in. Can't wait for the next update!
thatsrealjazzy thatsrealjazzy
1/23/13
Woohoo! I love when you update! Please do so more frequently, because I'm anxious to see how this turns out. :)
thatsrealjazzy thatsrealjazzy
1/22/13