Loki sighed deeply, lazing in his chair with his head propped in his hand, looking at the woman in front of him with a deadpan look.

Really, Loki thought, he should have seen this coming. Nothing ever went right in his life, so why in the All Father's name should anything go right in his death?

Yeah… He was dead, choked to death by the Mad Titan, Thanos. And he had been lucky at that. If Thanos had had the time, no doubt he would have stayed true to his promise to let Loki face a fate worse than death.

Death at first hadn't been too bad, he had been leading his people to Valhalla… Those Hela had killed and those Thanos had killed. They had hailed him as their Prince and willingly let him go in front, guiding all of their souls. But then suddenly Hela had been blocking his way - damn the woman - claiming all the lives she had taken herself would belong to her!

A Prince's duty was to his people, and so a deal had been made… Hela had not killed Loki; he wasn't among the people she counted as belonging to her. A trade was agreed upon - Loki's soul for all the Asgardians she herself had killed.

Hela was delighted; she blamed Loki for her defeat. He was the one who had put Surtur's crown into the Flame of Life… It felt good in the moment, being a true hero rescuing the souls of his people.

But yeah, now he was stuck here for eternity with her… Yay.

Hela was the Goddess of Death. She was also dead… But being a Goddess of Death itself granted her special powers. She was not forced to follow the same rules of death.

Between Loki and Hela was a chess board, they had been playing a couple of games. Surprisingly their skill seemed pretty evenly matched, which was good. Then at least something would be happening at this dreary place where everything was gray and their only company was the tortured souls floating around them.

"Your turn, little brother." Hela murmured.

"We are not related." Loki simply stated moving his piece.

"You were my replacement, Odinson." Hela stated moving her own piece.

"No I wasn't." Loki moved another piece. "Odin never intended for me to have the throne, it was a lie. And ever since my origin was revealed, it is Laufyson apparently." he muttered.

"Yet you had it." Hela stated as she considered her next move. "You were king of Asgard." She moved her bishop into place. "Check."

"Always in spite of Odins wishes, never because of them." Loki moved a rook, removing Hela's bishop, thus destroying the check position. "And people would always claim trickery was involved… Not really unreasonable." he smirked, amused. "Because it was."

"He chose you over me." Hela seethed, moving a pawn.

"He left me to rot." Loki replied grabbing his rook. "He promised me the world, filled my ears with assurances that if I only worked hard enough I would win his favor… But it was never enough. Any task he gave me, I fulfilled to perfection! Any obstacle he would let me face I was willing to take on, all to win his favor… But it was never enough. And it was never going to be." and he slammed down the rook. "Check mate." then he flicked Hela's king over with his finger and looked up.

Hela metLoki's eyes. "It was the golden prince he wanted, wasn't it?" She asked.

"I kind of feel sorry for Thor." Loki admitted. "Only now do I realize, he had no chance to live up to expectations either. It was always an impossible standard to begin with."

Hela laughed. "Oh, you have no idea, baby brother of mine."

Loki raised an eyebrow.

"If you could see him now," Hela shook her head, "wasting away in self pity. It is pathetic."

Loki shuffled slightly in his chair, he didn't feel comfortable about this and yet… He wanted to hear more. Hela never told him about what was happening with the living, and he really wanted to know. If nothing else, it would distract his mind; this eternity in Helheim was boring.

"He cries at night, sobbing like a little child. It's pathetic." Hela snorted.

Loki held back his breath, stopping himself from jumping to Thor's defense. Since when had he become defensive of Thor anyway? There was a time he would have rejoiced in the big oaf's misery. That was then though. Before they had faced such misery together.

"New game?" Hela asked.

Loki shrugged. "Anything else to do?" he asked. "You have not given me any books or anything, one would think you are trying to make my stay miserable on purpose."

Hela smirked slightly amused as she swept the board clean, then started to put the pieces back. "I am unhappy, baby brother." she stated putting up the pieces.

"Geeh, with your bright smile it is so hard to tell." Loki rolled her eyes.

Hela's eyes bored into Loki's with fury and she all but hissed "Don't test me."

"What are you going to do? Steal my soul?" Loki asked sarcastically.

Hela snorted as she placed the pieces. "Asgardians who die dishonestly, they rightfully belong to me." she stated.

"And the one single thing I managed to do right was dying an actual honorable death. Yet here I am!" Loki held up his hands.

"Thanos succeeded." Hela informed. "He did the snap."

Loki was quiet… Then he looked down. "I suppose it was rather inevitable." he murmured. "Thor, the HULK and I were all there and yet we..." he halted.

"He took half of what yet remained of Asgard after his slaughter aboard that ship." Hela seethed. "Yet those souls… They have not been sent here, they have not been sent anywhere! They have gone missing!"

"Tough luck I suppose." Loki pouted.

"I want them back!" Hela stated.

"We all want things we can't have." Loki rolled his eyes. "So Thanos did the snap, what do you want to do? Kill him?"

"No need, Thor already has. Thanos is dead." Hela informed.

Loki blinked. "Really?" he asked.

"Too little too late." Hela informed him, still setting up the board, she was clearly fuming.

Loki was quiet, he honestly didn't like what he was hearing. "You say Thor killed Thanos?" he asked.

"Oh yes." Hela smirked. "For once I could see the family resemblance! Decapitation by axe! He would have made a fine executioner indeed."

Loki looked at Hela, his eyes narrowed.

Hela looked up at him, imperious in her anger. "I want my souls back!"

"And how exactly, do you think to do that?" Loki asked.

Hela huffed. "Sadly, I can't enter the realm of the living on my own any more, but… I could send an agent."

Loki lifted an eyebrow.

"Your soul belongs to me Loki, you are to do what I tell you to do. I want you to go to earth." Hela informed.

"Oh." Loki stated. "Deary me, are you letting me go back?" he asked.

"On a condition." Hela informed. "I'll give you life once more, if you promise to get my souls back… Thor is the key. If you fail, I shall have to retrieve you."

"And if I succeed?" Loki asked.

Hela was quiet.

"Come now, you need to give me an incentive here!" Loki stated. "Why would I even bother doing my best?"

"Fine, you may live out your new life to its natural end." Hela stated.

Loki was quiet.

"Or you may stay here and do nothing, while our so-called brother wastes away in self pity."

Lokis hands clenched… Thor…. What was happening to Thor?

Then he looked up. "How is this going to work?" he asked.

Hela smirked. "Your old body has been lost to space, it is now useless. I'm afraid you are going to need a new body."

Loki groaned. "Don't tell me I have to go through all the pain of growing up again?!" he asked.

"Don't worry." Hela smirked. "Your new body will be fully grown in just ten months!"

Loki looked up. "Really?" he asked skeptically.

Hela nodded. "Indeed! Yes, you shall have to be re-born so to speak, but your body will indeed be that of an adult in ten months, you have my promise."

Loki mulled that over for a bit.

"Or you can stay here forever." Hela offered.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Not like I have a choice, you literally own my soul."

Hela grinned, the pieces on their chess board now all in place, she offered Loki a hand. "A deal then."

Loki frowned but accepted the hand. "Fine! A deal. What choice do I even have."

And Hela grinned. "Listen to me Loki. There is one chance, only one to get the souls back! In a year from now exactly the man who talks to ants will re-emerge. Your job is to make Thor ready for that day; he is one of the key players! Right now he is wasting away. You need to make sure he is ready to face the past. One year! Twelve months! That's all you've got! If you fail, the souls will be lost forever. Thor will be lost and you will be taken straight back here."

Loki smirked grimly his hand still tight in Hela's. "Bring it."

So…. Loki was back on earth, and like Hela had promised. He was newly born, just having escaped his mother. Also he had four legs, a tiny little tail… He was blind at the moment but could use his magic to get a feel… a feel for a body covered in fur. Instead of hands he had paws, the teeth that would soon grow would become fangs…

His new mother was purring and licking him clean with a rough tongue.

A cat… he was a fucking cat…. When Hela had assured him that his new body would be fully grown in only ten months, this was not what he had imagined. He had thought he would get a magically enhanced body or something, but nope! CAT! Bloody… cat!

Well at least he was alive, Loki supposed, though he was pathetically weak right now.

Just then a voice shrieked joyfully, a child's voice.

"MOM! Mom they are here! The kittens!"

Loki hissed trying to turn away.

"Look at that one, it's all black!" The child continued, the shrill voice sounded like a little girl's. "It's so cute! Hello! Hello little kitty!" she cried happily - and far too loudly, in his opinion.

Go away! Seriously. This is bad enough already!

"I'm going to call you Mister Mittens! Hey Mister Mittens, welcome to the world!"

…. Okay seriously Hela can go to Hel! Of course she was already there... Hope you're having fun Hela! Because I am going to get you for this! Somehow, someway! You are going to pay!

Chapter edited by: Origami_Roses