C458 Spider-Man (Patreon)
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Brunnhilde, Odin, and even Hela herself froze upon hearing Peter's question. The notion of bringing an entire army, especially the Valkyrie, back to life was staggering. It dredged up their deepest regrets. Brunnhilde's guilt weighed heavily on her for leaving her sisters behind to die. Odin, in his role as a king and father, regretted ordering the Valkyrie to attack Hela, which ultimately led to their tragic demise. And Hela, well, she didn’t have any regrets…
Seeing Brunnhilde falter, unable to reply to his astonishing offer, Peter repeated himself, a hint of patience in his voice, "How do you feel about me resurrecting your sisters? Is it something you’d be interested in?"
Brunnhilde stammered, her voice trembling with emotion. “I-Is it truly possible?” Could he really bring her sisters back from the dead?
Peter nodded with conviction, his voice steady as he explained, "Thanks to Hela, their souls have been collected in the Soul Stone. I can choose to set them free to continue their journey to whatever afterlife, reincarnation, or dark void awaits us after death, or I can craft a ritual to bring them back to life, which won’t be easy, by the way."
The weight of Peter's words settled upon them, causing a stunned silence to linger among the group. Hela, who had so cruelly revived the Valkyrie as mere walking zombies, was now confronted with the possibility of their true resurrection. It was an unexpected twist that had her reeling in disbelief. After all, she couldn’t do what Peter was offering. With her affinity over death, she could only create undead creatures.
Seeing Brunnhilde's conflicted expression and sensing, Peter gently advised her, "Take your time to think it over. Give me your answer after we've dealt with Hela's punishment."
Instantly, everyone’s attention turned to Hela, who was still lying on the ground, defeated and glaring at them like an injured predator.
Odin, his stern demeanor unwavering, spoke up, "What do you have in mind for her punishment?"
Peter's mask hid the sly smile that tugged at his lips. "Before we get to the good part, we need to strip her of her powers, much like you did with Thor and Loki."
Hela, unable to move due to her weakened state, was forced to listen as Odin continued, "I can take her Asgardian powers as well as her dominion over death, but her ability to wield magic is beyond my reach."
Peter nodded in agreement. "I can take care of sealing her magic."
Nodding his head, Odin raised Gungnir, the spear's bottom end striking the ground with a resounding thud. “Hela Odinsdottir... You have lead an army to your homeland. Through your lust for power and destruction, you wished to open these peaceful Realms and innocent lives to the horrors of war.
The Allfather bangs Gungnir into the ground once again, watching as his daughter turns to him, a nervous look on her face. “You are unworthy of this realm, which you covet so dearly that you would kill your own family... unworthy of your title as Princess of Asgard...” He spoke as his stern demeanor turned a bit softer. “Unworthy of the loved ones who would have done anything for you... who would still do anything for you…”
Hela’s eyes widened upon hearing this, but her father wasn’t done. “I hereby take from you your powers.” Odin extends his hand towards his daughter. And suddenly, a black miasma exited Hela’s body and shot toward Odin, solidifying into a black shard of glass as it landed in the palm of his hand.
The power that coursed through Hela was gone, and she watched in silent despair as her Asgardian essence vanished, leaving her as a mere mortal woman. But, unlike her brothers, she wasn't banished since she was far too big of a threat.
Peter watched Odin with a shake of his head. ‘This guy has had to take all three of his children’s powers away… Was he that bad of a father, or is it just bad for kids to be born with enormous god-like abilities?‘
The shock of losing her powers left Hela deathly silent, and she looked down at herself, realizing the enormity of the transformation. She had been a goddess of death, feared and revered by all, but now she was nothing more than a vulnerable mortal woman.
Before she could fully process her new reality, Peter waved his hands, conjuring intricate golden spell circles in the air. The circles filled with runes and intricate linear designs, dancing with arcane power. He directed his gaze at Hela. “Welcome to the mortal club. You’re the last of your siblings to join, but I’m sure you’ll learn the enjoy it.” With a flick of his wrist, the spell shot toward her, sealing her ability to wield magic.
Odin observed his daughter's reaction as her eyes rolled backward, and she fell unconscious. She was now a mere mortal with no power left to her name. The reality of it all was just too much, causing her to faint on the spot. Brunnhilde smirked, savoring the beginning of Hela's downfall.
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Peter announced, "The first step of Hela's punishment is complete. Now, I just need to prepare a ritual for the second part."
As he spoke those words, he reached up to his necklace and pulled out a glowing green stone, which caught Odin's attention. ‘The Time Stone!’ Odin thought in shock.
Odin couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. He turned to Peter, his one-eyed gaze fixed on the glowing stone. "Where did you find the Time Stone?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. The very idea of someone possessing not one but three Infinity Stones was beyond comprehension.
Peter shrugged casually. "Oh, this?" He held the stone as if it were a mere trinket. "Found it on the side of the road. You know, like a lucky penny." His nonchalant demeanor left Odin and Brunnhilde utterly stunned.
With a dismissive wave of his hand, Peter continued, "Anyway, while you're all dealing with this, I'm going to work on the second part of Hela's punishment. Make sure to secure her in a prison cell, and gather all the Valkyrie remains, just in case…" He said as he walked off toward the palace, leaving Brunnhilde to come to a decision.
…
..
.
Hours passed, and while Peter was gone, the Asgardians worked diligently to clean up the battlefield. They collected the remains of the Valkyrie, carefully preserving the fallen warriors. Repairs to the outer parts of the city were underway, a testament to the resilience of the Asgardian people.
Meanwhile, Thor, bearing the responsibilities of kingship, personally thanked the Avengers who had come to their aid. He even offered them payment, as a gesture of gratitude. Most of them declined, with Hulk, Blonsky, and Charles being notably humble in their refusal. Magneto, however, had no qualms about accepting payment, especially when it came in the form of a hefty chunk of unrefined Uru metal ore.
With the Avengers ready to return to Earth, Thor escorted them to the Bifrost, which delivered them safely back to their home planet. And Magneto left with a triumphant smile, his newfound treasure in tow. He had Vibranium and now he has Uru, truly he would stand among the strongest Magneto’s in the multiverse.
Inside the palace, outside Hela's prison cell, Brunnhilde stood guard, refusing to allow her to escape. She still contemplated the idea of killing Hela, but thankfully, she trusted Peter enough to stay her hand. At least for the time being.
A few steps away, Frigga and Odin were in the midst of a heartwarming reunion with their recently returned son, Loki. Frigga embraced Loki, her love and relief evident in her hug. Odin, too, smiled warmly, extending a hand to clasp his son's shoulder. They were blissfully unaware of Loki's slight of hand in the palace vault during all the commotion, his illusions replacing the few artifacts he had taken.
Frigga smiled warmly. “It’s so good to have you back.” She says as she brushes a piece of hair out of Loki’s face. “The palace is so quiet without your mischief.”
Odin turned to his wife, an incredulous look on his face. “Don’t encourage him… The last thing we need is more of Loki’s mayhem.” He said, though a warm look return to his face. “But it is good to have you back, son.”
As the family gathered and chatted, a visibly tired Thor joined them. Odin couldn't help but smile at his son's exhaustion, glad that he was no longer burdened with the responsibilities of kingship.
“Enjoying the thrown, my son?” Odin asks, a sly smile on his face.
“Ugh…” Thor grunted in reply as he collapsed into a nearby chair.
Soon enough, their conversation was interrupted by Peter's return, the Time Stone still in hand. “Alright, open up the cell and I can get started.”
Frigga, protective of her step-daughter despite her past actions, asked, "What are you planning to do with Hela?"
Peter waved off her concerns. "Don't worry, I won't harm her. It's going to be a surprise." He said, smiling under his mask.
After some deliberation, they agreed, and the prison cell was opened. Peter stepped in, immediately starting on a fairly complex ritual, which took him about an hour to set up, the Time Stone placed at the center.
Laying Hela's unconscious form within an intricate circle beside the stone, Peter took his place and began chanting. “…Vorlathor thryntaros zynterix… Eldralith mystenox vorparix… Xyndralor, pyrthanos, althrosynth…"
(A/N: Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao!)
Soon enough, the ritual grew in intensity, and the Time Stone activated, casting a brilliant green light that engulfed the prison cell.
As the culmination of the ritual neared, Odin, Frigga, Thor, and Loki watched in awe as Hela's form began to shrink and de-age. First, she became a teenager, then a child, and finally, as the ritual concluded, Hela lay there in the cell as a newborn baby.
Peter approached the sleeping, evil baby Hela, carefully lifting her into his arms. He then stored away the time stone before walking over to Frigga and Odin, a warm smile on his face. "Congratulations," he said, his voice filled with a touch of humor, "It's a girl."
—————
Opening her eyes, as she felt someone touching her, Hela looked up to find herself in Spider-Man’s arms, with nothing but giants surrounding her. Instantly, she became alarmed and called upon her power, but Hela soon realized that it was all gone. Memories of her lose and subsequent punishment replaying in her head.
Suddenly, Spider-Man handed her off to Frigga, who scooped her up with a confused look on her face. "Congratulations," he said, his voice filled with a touch of humor, "It's a girl."
Suddenly, something clicked in Hela’s head, prompting her to look down at her hands, which were now tiny, soft, baby hands. And as she realized what happened, Hela tried to speak and shout, but all that came out was… “WAAAAAAHHHH!”
Witnessing the greatest joke of her life, Brunnhilde savored the delicious cries of the new baby Hela. “Hahahaha!” She couldn’t contain her laughter. This certainly wasn’t as good as killing her, but it was damn near close to it!
A/N: 1890 words :)