CHAPTER 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except my own. Also, this is more of an experiment, so the characters might not always be on point.

CHAPTER 1 Daughter of Loki

At first no one noticed her lounging there at the edge of the bar of former Stark-Tower. The Avengers spilled into the room one by one, Bruce passing through the living room without looking left or right. Hulking out was more tiring than it looked like, eating up the energy he conjured over the day. Thor hadn't arrived yet, choosing to look after the well being of Jane first.

Of course JARVIS had noticed her. He had noticed her the second her foot hit the floor. No one gets by JARVIS without being noticed., she thought with a grim smile. Only problem being that the young woman had effectively evaded all his attempts to keep her outside until he had given up. Or more like decided to let his inventor deal with her.

Tony entered from the patio without his armour. "Welcome back Sir," JARVIS greeted his master. "You have a guest." Tony lightly scoffed: "I know. They are called the Avengers and are living here. Are you alright JARVIS?" She almost laughed out loud. He should know his own inventions better than that…

JARVIS did not like being mistrusted with such simple tasks, she felt that much. The machine was wired to know every occupant's signature, which concluded that naturally he knew who the Avengers were – and who wasn't, but was still calmly sitting at the bar. So it took Natasha stepping into the living area behind Steve and Tony to notice the young woman. Albeit being more than tired from the fighting, the master assassin instantly turned her attention on the occupant at the bar.

The intruder could feel a sharp gaze graze the back of her head. It was an effort to not brush over her ink black curls to soothe the burning sensation. Black Widow inclined her head slightly towards her, trusting Hawkeye to have her back. The soft swish of the bowstring drawing back caused the girl to turn her head, greenish eyes instantly zooming in on the assassin duo. She smiled lazily upon finding both, arrow and guns, pointed at her.

"Sir, I'm very sure that you have a guest. An unknown intruder to be precise," JARVIS insisted. "Who are you?", Natasha questioned. Out of the corner of her eye, the girl saw Steve and Tony turn around to see what the ruckus was about. Both men stared wide-eyed at the intruder and if you listened closely you could hear Steve muttering, "I can't remember you allowing them to be this young", to Tony. The young woman's lips stretched even wider, turning her smile too wide to be considered anything but a baring of teeth. Deliberately slow, not letting herself be bothered by any of the weaponry, she swung around in her chair. She noticed Tony pulling at his watch until his hand was covered in an iron glove, pointing that thing, already glowing, at her as well. Well, this should be fun., she thought to herself. "I am Hel. Of Asgard. I am burdened with-," she broke off, lowering her chin slightly allowing the glow in her eyes to take over, "Well, I suppose you are familiar with the rest."

They stared at her for a second. Clint tightened the hold on his bow, knuckles turning white, his jaw firmly set; Natasha warily narrowed her eyes at the girl. Tony however was the first to find his voice again. He gave a short, barking laugh: "You can't be shape-shifting reindeer games. Loki has been gone for months now. No one knows where he is, not even his own brother!"

"Loki is missing," echoed Steve with a thoughtful look in his eyes. The girl rolled her eyes. "Was," she corrected them. "Loki was missing. But now he's back." She smiled cheerfully. "And to set things right: I am not Loki with a new, breathtaking and absolutely flawless illusion. I am his daughter." Gasps could be heard in the room, followed by heavy silence. "What the hell?", Tony finally muttered. "Language," the other three automatically chided. "Actually, it's Hel. With one L and a long E," the girl said cheekily. Natasha and Clint kept staring at her, albeit not with their weapons raised anymore. A potential child of Loki cannot be trusted, huh?, Hel revelled at the thought. At least they're not giving me any reason to attack them and end this game prematurely.

After another tense moment of silence, Clint went behind the bar and fixed himself a drink. "How can you drink in such a situation?", Steve wondered. Clint gave him a blank look: "The better question is: How couldn't I?" Natasha slowly walked over to Clint, accepting the drink shoved her way, then returned to her former place to face Hel. She didn't take a sip, choosing to look the young woman before her up and down. "If she really is the daughter of Loki, we need to inform Thor about this."

"And here I actually thought he was having performance issues… I can't help but be amazed that reindeer games could find a female willing to keep something – like this."

"You just gestured to all of me." The girl said with a raised eyebrow. "Which I suppose is due to the magnificence of what you see and your unwillingness to accept that my father is capable of 'all this'" With a laugh Hel copied the motion of Tony on herself. The man of iron narrowed his eyes, pursed his lips. "I just wonder how he magiced his way into the bed of a woman," he clarified. "I honestly don't doubt anyone would voluntarily bed the trickster. He has this wicked charm and some really go for that, but keep the trick? Or is it a treat? Hard to tell." Trick or Treat? Is he trying to insult me?, Hel's right eye twitched slightly. No, don't let that bother you. Dad told you he was kind of difficult to handle.

Hel let her eyes drift shut for a moment, crossing her legs over one another. Two can play that game, man of iron., a wicked smile ghosted over her lips too quickly for anyone to notice. "Not going too well with Pepper, huh?", she taunted. "Keep Pepper out of this," he hissed through clenched teeth. Oh? Did I hit a nerve? Hel ignored him: "Or maybe some hidden charms for Daddy?" Even the tilt of her head was patronizing. A talent she had perfected over time. The other Avengers stilled all their movements, looking between the two of them as if it was a tennis match. "I don't know what you mean." Tony forced an arrogant half-smile. "It doesn't mean anything except that I can see what some women might see in Loki. Very destructive love though."

"You'd know," she purred, eyes half-lidded. Oh, how Hel loved these games. Threatening Midgardians until they couldn't form a single coherent sentence was fun and all, but teasing them to the brink of an anger attack was even more fun. Maybe that's why she had helped Banner a bit this afternoon to find the motivation to transform?

The man now opposite her gave another smile, trying to keep his cool against her taunting, his friends watching on in rapt fascination. "I don't know what you mean." Hel's grin broadened to a wicked smile: "Oh, you know exactly what I mean, man of iron. You're probably just too proud to admit it." Clint looked up from whatever he was doing behind the bar. "What is she talking about?"

"I'd like to know as well." Natasha crossed her arms over her chest. The glass in her hand tilted dangerously, but nothing spilled out. "Isn't it that everything you love slowly rots away?", Hel tasted every word sweet on her tongue. "Isn't that why you always play around? Why Pepper was your first love?" Tony's muscles visibly tensed, his smile slowly falling off his lips. "Is there anything you want to allude to or are you just trying to annoy me, girl?", he wanted to know. "Because if not, I'd appreciate it if you left us alone." Hel's laughter was as soft as chiming bells. "Oh, but I am trying to make a point, you see, Stark?", she fixed him with an intense stare. "I am trying to tell you that apparently your love is just as destructive as my father." She sighed, "Well, at least he didn't stand by idly while his parents were killed."

That was the last straw. With a snarl Tony flung himself towards the young woman in the chair, raising his glove already glowing with energy. Fortunately, probably for him, Natasha and Steve caught his arms before he reached Hel, albeit at the cost of Natasha's glass, which shattered on the floor. The two kept Tony from attacking the smug looking young thing.

"My father always told me that you lot are fun to be around," Hel smiled. It was not as crooked as Loki's, but the resemblance was hidden there somewhere. One of her favourite smiles: The cat at the mouse. Tony was playing right into her cards. Now with him distracted by either her looks or taunting she could go on in her plan. "May I propose a bet?", Hel asked innocently. Tony, taken aback by the sudden change in demeanour, paused just long enough to see his chance. If he did this right he might get back at this young woman mocking him. In his impulsiveness and not seeing clearly he merely stepped closer to her, despite his friends restraining him. "What kind of bet."

Hel noticed Natasha tensing, readying to strike if the need should arise. "A bet to regain your honour," Hel proposed. "If you win, I'll be your personal maid for however long you want me around. I'll be obedient and do whatever you ask without question," she paused, then repeated suggestively, "Whatever you ask."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Clint said before taking a bite from the sandwich he had somehow procured from somewhere. "How can you eat in such a situation?", Steve asked him. Natasha just rolled her eyes: "How couldn't he?" They were unable to hear the negotiations going on between Tony and Hel under a spell of silence. Only when Tony freed one of his hands to seal the deal with her did they realise what had happened. "Then it's settled." Hel nodded her head. As soon as Tony released her hand, the young woman swung back around in her chair towards the bar and propped her black leather boots on the countertop. "Hey, down with those," Tony pointed. She leaned back in her chair, almost going into a bridge to give him an amused smirk. "Well, you do it as well, so why should there be different rules for me?"

"Because you're not me," Tony firmly stated. "Now, now." Steve rested his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Let us calm down and remove that glove for the moment. You had your entire floor fixed just a few months ago. And the windows." Reluctantly Tony complied, muttering under his breath about the worth of whatever he did before his home needed maintenance. This is so much fun., Hel grinned at their turned backs, noticing Clint noticing her smile and quickly turning it innocent.

Behind her back Natasha sighed, stepping away from the scene. Although the assassin wasn't entirely at peace with the situation – there was a potential child of Loki sitting in their head quarter, so how could she? – she told herself to at least stop standing around. So she took a place near the window, leaning against one of the sofas with her arms crossed over her chest. The young woman still had Clint with hidden daggers right in front of her. Which didn't seem to bother her all that much, but hey, Natasha knew she was able to fire her guns in a heartbeat should the need arise. Steve shot her a look that seemed to say her, he knew as much and was on the one hand appreciating the option, but on the other hand not quite willing to risk the life of a possibly innocent girl.

"What are we doing now?", Clint wanted to know. "Waiting for Thor to arrive. He'll be able to tell you who I am for sure," Hel explained. "Say, would you be so kind as to make me one of those cocktails?"

"First you insult me, then you are the cause of a broken glass and now you want to rob my bar?", Tony crossed his arms over his chest. "I am not sure you're entitled to that, girl."

"Name's Hel and besides, that glass was only a part of chain reactions that were not entirely apart from my actions, but not directly caused by them either." The girl tossed her dark hair back, waving a hand over the glass, which disappeared. In its place stood a new one on the bar. The Avengers stared at her. "Is it going to withstand touch?", Tony asked. Hel bobbed her head yes: "My father had me trained by the best teachers there are." Tony raked a hand through his hair. "That's what I feared." He went and fixed himself a whiskey. Hel noticed Steve stepping up to the window to keep an eye on the horizon. "Your drink," Clint shoved a glass her way, for which Hel thanked him properly.

Just when she was about to take a sip, there was a loud thud on the terrace and shortly thereafter, Thor strode into the living area. His friends held their breath, waiting for him to make the verdict. Tony downed his drink in one gulp, placing the glass back on the counter.

However, the god of thunder didn't seem to notice the girl any more than the rest had at first. Absentminded he placed Mjølnir on the coffee table, ready to pass his friends and rest in his room. "Thor," Hel purred over the rim of her drink. "Not this time Loki. We just had a fight and you're surrounded," he stared grimly ahead. At the words Tony shot the young woman a triumphant look, his lips curving into a cocky smirk. Hel merely rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Try again"

Sure enough, Thor stopped dead in his tracks. Slowly he turned around to look at the inky curls falling around a face that was similar to his brother's, along with the devilishly shining eyes. Only beneath all that… "Who are you?" The god of thunder stepped up to her close enough to stare the young woman down, which would intimidate anyone. Except this one. Hel looked up at him with dark promises swirling beneath the too wide smile. "I am the one everyone knows yet no one likes. I am the girl that lurks in the shadows, that draws closer at night and farther by daybreak. I live right next door to danger – and especially the man of iron has met me in person before." Her stare turned directly on Tony, sincere for the first time.

None of the Avengers liked that hungry gaze. It didn't fit the seemingly young thing at all. "Wait. Isn't Hel the name of the goddess of death in Norse Mythology?", Clint cut in. Thor furrowed his brows: "I don't know. I only know that Hel is a nice old grandma back in Asgard."

"Oh, you mean this," Hel shimmered for a second before a visibly aged version of her sat in the chair, mischief sparkling in her eyes, "This nice, old grandma?"

"Okay, but when did my brother find the time for," Thor gestured vaguely. "How old are you anyway?" She tilted her head in mock-curiosity: "How long have you ignored my father?" Her uncle visibly flinched. "So, Thor, is she his daughter or not?", Steve wanted to know. Thor nodded slowly. "I see him in her, no doubt," he mumbled, scratching his chin in thought. "Though I still don't know when and how that happened?" Hel threw her head back laughing. "You didn't think he would lend himself a hand forever now, did you uncle?" Thor's jaw almost hit the floor at her blunt words. Bright eyes focused on Tony, who hadn't moved since the revelation that this girl was indeed the goddess of death. "I think you owe me."

"What is your real appearance?", Natasha spoke up. Her eyes were narrowed still, hands now close to her sides in case she needed her weapons. The girl threw her a brilliant smile. "Excellent question," she praised the assassin. "Unfortunately, I am unsure, whether or not you can take it." Black Widow straightened her back, levelling the girl with a look that promised to be the calm before the storm. "I believe I've seen worse in my life than a girl with horns or whatever you're hiding." The ice in Hel's eyes melted for a second. "I know," she replied softly. Natasha's eyes widened slightly at the admission. A look of bitterness crossed her face. Then Black Widow shut down, every emotion leaving her face. Clint cautiously stepped out from behind the bar. Without a comment he went to stand beside his friend. "I'm sorry for your loss," Hel went on as if nothing happened. Steve clenched his fists, forcing himself to stand still and not strangle the daughter of Loki for her overall behaviour. It would most likely not end well anyway.

Hel and Natasha stared at each other for another second, then a shimmer rippled over Hel's frame. Her fair skin took on an icy blue hue, her green eyes clashed with sunset red. The only thing now distinguishing her from the Jotuns Thor knew, were the missing tribal marks along her forehead, cheekbones and chin – and wherever else the frost giants had them. Another ripple and she was just another green eyed, black-haired kid.

"What are you doing in Midgard?", Thor fully turned to his niece. "Do you know where my brother is?"

"Loki?"

"No, the other green and golden maniac with an affinity for destroying my tower, who almost conquered New York," Tony sarcastically commented. "Uncle Thor could be missing one of his brothers in arms, how should I know he meant his adoptive brother?", Hel retorted sharply. Before Tony or anyone else could respond, her eyes turned glassy. "What's happening?", Steve questioned. "Is she hurt?" Thor scrunched up his nose, then shook his head. This was nothing he was accustomed to. Loki had never had such attacks. He had always been right behind him, quick on his feet, a sassy comeback at the tip of his tongue. The hint of a smile ghosted over Hel's features. "I am eighty-eight percent sure I won't like what comes next," Tony groaned. "You're right." Clint ground out between clenched teeth. "It looks as if she's talking with someone in her mind." Natasha pulled out her weapons: "And it shouldn't be too hard to guess, who that is." No one questioned how Clint knew.

Hawkeye made his way back behind the bar, where he left his bow and arrows. Safety first. Hel might not have attacked them until now, however if her father planned to make an appearance it was better to be safe than sorry. Especially with Banner most likely knocked out in his bed for the next couple hours. Thor called his hammer, which landed in his hand with a soft thud. Hel jolted in her seat. Suddenly her eyes were clear once more. Startled the young woman stared at the drawn weapons surrounding her. After a second, a smirk pulled at her lips. "And here I thought we were getting along. I even tried to stick to your Midgardian rules of hospitality," she pouted. "If my father hears about this."

"Hears about what my dear?", a new voice asked.

And just like that, Loki had arrived.