Compared to Thor, Hela always felt that her other brother was sharper.

Thor was headstrong, predictable, ruled by emotion. Loki, on the other hand, seemed more like a man of schemes and quick wits. He knew when to strike and, even more importantly, when to run. If one of her brothers was willing to surrender, it would surely be Loki.

And Hela already knew exactly where he was.

Her pale hand rose, and from the folds of her dark green cloak she drew out a shimmering cube, the Tesseract. Its crystalline surface pulsed with a faint blue light, shadows of infinite space shifting inside.

At some point earlier, she had taken it from Odin's Vault.

Hela had judged the treasures with a critical eye. Most of what was stored there was useless trinketry, ornaments Odin deemed dangerous but worthless in her hands. Only two things mattered: the Eternal Flame, and the Tesseract.

The flame was inconvenient to carry, but the Tesseract… the Tesseract was portable power, the key to doorways across realms.

And she would not risk anyone else using it to flee.

Now, holding the cube in both hands, Hela's lips curled into a cold smile. With but a thought, the air before her rippled and tore, a dark blue portal yawning open. Without hesitation, she stepped inside, her cloak snapping behind her like the wings of a carrion bird.

The Tesseract was the Space Stone. Hela knew she could not draw out its true, infinite potential without the Infinity Gauntlet, but she needed no such perfection. A single use was enough. Twice, perhaps. Her body could withstand the strain.

And this time, her prey was close.

…

Asgard Palace, Odin's Vault.

Loki's steps echoed nervously across the ancient floor. His emerald robes trailed behind him as his eyes darted from relic to relic, searching desperately.

He had gone first to the royal treasury, but he didn't see Surtur's crown there. So he immediately rushed to Odin's Vault, heart pounding, clutching onto the fragile thread of hope that at least the Tesseract would still be here. With it, he could flee. He could survive.

If Hela was beyond defeating, and even Loki was not arrogant enough to believe otherwise, then escape was his only option.

But when he reached the pedestal where the Tesseract once rested, his blood ran cold.

The stand was empty.

The faint square imprint of dust where the cube had sat mocked him like a cruel joke.

"What?" Loki hissed, stepping forward, his hands trembling. "No… no, this isn't right. I saw it here with my own eyes. Who, who could have?"

His voice broke into a growl. His green eyes darted around, calculating. No crown, no cube, nothing left but worthless trinkets.

"Damn it," he muttered, clutching at his own hair. "What now? Return to the Bifrost? Hah! Madness. Thor can't win against her. To run there would be suicide!"

He paced in a tight circle, his long fingers twitching restlessly. His lips moved quickly, whispering plans and counters to himself like a gambler at a losing table.

"What to do, what to do…" he whispered again, panic slipping through his usual arrogance.

Then he stopped. His expression hardened, the decision made.

"There is… the passage. Yes. The hidden way out. Better a living coward than a dead hero."

He gritted his teeth, cursed Thor under his breath, and turned toward the shadowed archways at the back of the vault.

But before he could take three steps, the air in front of him shimmered. A dark blue portal flared open with a low hum. Loki froze, his heart plummeting.

From the portal stepped out Hela, her black-green armor gleaming in the vault's dim light, her antlered crown rising high above her like the shadow of death itself. Her boots clicked softly against the stone as she emerged.

Loki staggered back, nearly tripping over his own robes. His hands went up instinctively, conjuring a dagger in each palm even though he knew it was pointless.

"Y-you!" His voice cracked, his usual suave tone breaking into naked fear.

Hela's smile was slow, deliberate. She lifted one slender hand, and in it the Tesseract gleamed like a heart of caged stars. Its glow painted her sharp features in an unearthly blue.

"My good brother," she purred, her voice both mocking and affectionate, "were you looking for this?"

Loki swallowed hard, his throat dry. His daggers flickered uncertainly in his grip. He had no doubt she already knew exactly what he had intended.

…

Earth, S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.

On the open square before the building, the night suddenly split open in a column of rainbow light. Agents on watch staggered back, shielding their eyes.

Nick Fury himself, alerted by the commotion, strode out briskly. His brows furrowed. He had seen this before, the Bifrost. Thor's gateway.

The sight made his gut tighten. The God of Thunder hadn't been to Earth in some time. If he was arriving now, something was probably wrong.

The light faded, leaving behind a broken figure sprawled across the ground.

Fury's heart skipped. "Thor?"

The Asgardian lay battered and bloodied, armor shattered, his red cape in tatters. His hair was clumped with blood and dirt. Worst of all, his right eye was gone, leaving only a scarred hollow.

Fury cursed under his breath and ran forward, dropping to one knee. His gloved hand pressed quickly against Thor's neck. Immediately finding what he hoped for, a pulse, faint but steady.

"Still alive," Fury muttered. Relief flickered, brief but real. He jerked his head. "Hill! Get the med team. Now!"

Within moments, Maria Hill arrived with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best medics. They heaved the God of Thunder onto a reinforced stretcher, grunting under his sheer weight, and rushed him inside.

Fury followed, his coat flaring behind him.

Minutes later, in a fortified infirmary, Thor stirred. His one eye fluttered open. The moment recognition dawned, he sat bolt upright despite his wounds.

"Fury!" he rasped. His voice was ragged, desperate. "Nick Fury, Director Fury!"

Fury raised his brow. He had seen the prince be loud before, but never this frantic.

"I'm here," he said, stepping forward. "Calm down. You're safe."

But Thor pushed against the doctors trying to hold him down, staggering to his feet despite his injuries. His hands grabbed Fury by the shoulders. His grip was crushing.

"Please, save Asgard!"

The raw desperation in Thor's voice stopped even Fury for a beat.

"…Save what now?" Fury's tone was flat, incredulous.

Asgard, Thor's shining kingdom, his home. Fury glanced at the man's ruined face, his broken armor, and felt a chill. Whatever had done this…

He steadied Thor, forcing him to sit again. "You're gonna need to explain this. Slowly. From the start."

Thor drew in a ragged breath, his chest rising and falling. Then, haltingly, he spoke:

"My father is dead. With his passing, the seal that bound my sister, Hela, broke. She has returned. She has slaughtered our people. She has… taken my eye. She has killed Heimdall."

His voice cracked at the last name, grief flashing briefly across his face before being swallowed by anger.

"I fought her with everything I had. I struck her with Stormbreaker. It did nothing. Her power only grows, so long as she stands on Asgard. She is unstoppable!"

Thor's fists clenched until his knuckles whitened. "Heimdall saved many of our people, sent them here, to Midgard. But a part still remains in Asgard. And Loki… Loki is trapped there too." His one eye burned with urgency. "Fury, only you can save them."

The director stared at him.

"Me?" Fury's tone was skeptical, almost offended. "Since when do I have that kind of power? I don't command gods, Thor. I run S.H.I.E.L.D. At best, I can help your people settle here. But take down your sister who even you could not defeat? Not in my job description."

Thor leaned forward suddenly, his huge hand clutching Fury's shoulder with bruising strength. His voice was raw, nearly pleading.

"No. You do not understand. In this universe… you are the only one who can."

Fury blinked, his brow furrowing. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Thor's gaze was deadly serious now. His words landed like a hammer.

"Because among all the people I know your relationship with Luke is the best."

The room fell silent.

Fury's eye widened just slightly. "Luke?" he repeated suspiciously, he was really caught off guard.

What the hell did Luke have to do with all this?

…