I am back from a four month break you guys! Thank you for those who stick to this story even as its updates are more and more irregular and you've probably given up hope!

Explanations will be needed but you'll see at the end Btw I love writing Hela what do you think of her? And I am trying to make Loki more the trickster he is in the comics but it's very hard so I hope you like it!

I realise that some of you may be confused, don't worry, the big reveal is once the trial really starts, until then, the only thing I'm giving are bits and pieces!

"Seeing you once every couple of centuries would be more than enough." Hela sighs, as she shakes her head and the beautiful, young, living side of her face wears a pretty frown and her deceased, rotting half wears an ugly scowl yet it doesn't contradict each other, it makes her just all the more confusing for anyone to look at her.

"How did you even get past Garm anyway?" she asks, half curious.

"I mean, she's not one to just let someone like you slip past. I also heard your magic has quite weakened, that's the thing about sudden power, when it's gone you're as good as empty."

She narrows her eyes as she says this and picks a piece of fruit from the table and watches it as it shrivels up and rots.

Beside her Tyr's eyes are narrowed as well and his hand is clenching his sword like he's planning on breaking it in two with his bare hands. His entire posture leaves no doubt about his intentions.

"Hela let me just kill him and be over with it, that favor he owes you, in this state it's worth nothing." He tries.

"I'll make it painful." He adds, like it's some kind of bonus.

He's staring at the person before them like he's imagining what kind of painful things he could do to him but Hela shakes her head.

"Wait I see now!" she exclaims in mock happiness and fake realization.

"You're not even here." She says as she nods and throws away the rotten piece of fruit and one of her skeleton warriors grapples it only to be disappointed when he eats it as it just falls through his ribcage back on the ground.

"But to transport your illusion, all the way to MY domain, what is it you want Lysmith? "

Loki looks around for a second and then smiles.

"Why Hela I just came here for the amazing company!" Loki bows briefly and flashes a smile toward Tyr.

The green flames around them rise as if to showcase Hela's ire and the skeleton warriors quickly inch back as their Mistress eyes fill with anger.

"NO GAMES!"

Her patience was already thin to begin with anyway.

The flames roar higher and the entire place starts to shake, even Tyr takes a step back cautiously.

"Okay , okay!" Loki lifts his hand in a disarming gesture.

"Sheesh, I thought we'd be friends, you know, after we went through so much together but you're not the type to make friends." He takes a few steps back.

"Well, since I'm obviously not welcome here, I'll be off!"

He is stopped however when he feels his back is pressed against something.

"Oh." He says, glancing upward to the gigantic wolf beast standing in his way, growling at him, spit dripping from its jaws and its eyes glowing red with bloodlust.

"I supposed this is the Garm you were talking about huh? She's very… big…"

Suddenly Hela appears behind him and the illusion that was once Loki doesn't flicker anymore and Loki can feel from his cell that Hela has strengthened the bond he shares with this illusion to such an extreme that he can't disappear anymore, that his illusion is bound to physics as much as he would have been had he been there personally. It's what he usually does, since it enhances his abilities but here, in Hela's territory he had laid off on the magic supply so he can disappear whenever he wants but that's no longer possible now.

So naturally that means he can die easier, he's put so much into the illusion already if it's killed so is he.

"But hey, that's a good thing for a guard dog!" he quickly says as she advances on him but he can't back away anymore since the dog's behind him.

She suddenly lungs at him and he jumps away, escaping her grasp barely but she's got what she wanted.

"Your tricks used to be so much better Loki, I wonder what happened, oh wait I know. You di-"

"Okaaaay, well you're right Hella, my tricks aren't that good anymore but my deals are still the best!"

Loki interrupts glancing around again as he tries to grasps the tome Hela is holding but a sudden growl from the beat behind him makes him quickly snatch his hands away, cradling them to his chest for a moment with a look of relief when he sees they're still attached.

"A deal?" she asks, laughing. "What could you possibly offer me? You already owe me so much." The illusion of one face falls when she laughs once again and the rotten part of her face looks more like it is grimacing.

"Yes." Loki says as he side steps to get out of the reach of the Hellhound but the stupid thing keeps following him.

"I do owe you and you know? That got me wondering, you see, what Tyr said is absolutely right and everything you said is also absolutely right! Quite some brilliant observations you two make you're a perfect team really."

He takes a step to the right only to take two to the left as fast as he can but Garm follows him like a shadow and for a brief moment he wonders how that thin can even fit in this palace but he shakes it off, like he cares, it's here now and she's looking at him like he's the best dish she's ever seen.

"I mean, my magic? It's a miracle I'm standing here you know, you see, Vanaheim rejuvenated me," he winks like it's the best joke in the world but Hela doesn't laugh so he continues, "but I'm still pretty weak."

"Great!" Tyr shouts as he takes his sword out and points it in Loki's direction.

"All the more reason to chop your head off before your tongue has the change to produce more tricks."

Hela motions with her hand for him to stand down and with a grumble he obeys.

"And I do owe you already so there's really no reason for you to accept any deal I could possibly offer so maybe you should listen to Tyr, I mean it's not like I know anything about Mephisto and his plans."

Hela's eyes narrow again, even the dead one seems interested.

"Mephisto." She repeats.

"Huh? Oh don't mind me, I mean you two aren't really friends but you're not enemies either so it shouldn't concern you anyway." He shrugs.

"He's just planning on taking over like always, so what if he's made some new friends, I mean, it's not like you'd need the help I could give you, you know the D-word."

The skeletons in the room looks confused, whispering amongst each other, no doubt their fragile and pathetic excuses for a mind or whatever is left, are trying to find out what exactly is meant by those words. Some seem to have suggested something quite indecent as the servant is engulfed in flames with a flick of Hela's wrist.

"You have no control over them." Hela proclaims.

Loki smiles innocently, Of course I do, the Dis-"Tyr's suddenly there and he grabs Loki by his neck and shakes him.

"Shut up, you want to bring misfortune on us? You want to summon them, huh?" he yells, shaking harder, like he hopes that, if he shakes hard enough, Loki's spine will break or something like that.

"Tyr." Hela's voice sounds cold and demanding. "That is enough." With a growl Tyr lets go, not after one more shake of course.

"Impossible." She says then, as an answer to his claims.

"Oh but Hela, you don't know what I did when I was in the Void do you? I mean I was gone for a looong time."

None of them in that room, even Loki included, know whether this is the truth or not but they all know it matters not. Who would care how he got them? How he is in control of them? As long as he is? He's only figured out he is on control of them for about a day or he would've used them a long time ago but now he can use them like this, he'll just have to make do.

"Your memory is deficient." She says. "And so is your brain, but no matter how many lies you dare say, this is something I know even you cannot lie about. Are you offering them to me then? I could order you to give their services to me right now for you still owe me."

Loki nods solemnly like he's been found out.

"True, true, I guess that means then that I don't owe you anymore? Now you have another bargaining chip, right there in your hand, it'd be a shame not to use it though." His tone is almost sad.

"And it's not even yours, you stole it when you came to Asgard didn't you? It was in possession of Thanos though, you must have bid your time, great plan. But I need it and like I said, it's not even yours anyway."

He eyes the dark book in her grasp, he can already feel the seidr inside.

"You want to trade this." She holds up the book with something akin to disgust, "for them?"

"Oh yes, and let's be honest, you never were that good with magic to begin with so I'll give you-"

"Don't say it you little rat!"

"The Disir."

XxXxXxXxXx

"We're not done talking Loki,!" Thor bellows as he launches himself at the enormous beast that had suddenly appeared before their eyes mere moments ago.

"My arrows aren't working!" Hawkeye yells as he lowers his bow.

"You shot only one arrow!" Tony yells back, circling the beast and in search for a weak spot.

"Yeah," Clint answers, backing away from the beast, "and it didn't work, I'm not wasting arrows."

Romanoff sprints to the side and moves like a whirlwind, very fast, stabbing small knives in the creatures hairy flesh but it doesn't seem to do much.

"How many did you bring?" she asks, stabbing its leg only to almost be flattened by that same leg.

"I didn't bring any, the Queen gave them to me and I'm not sure how they work yet." Barton yells from his now relatively safe hiding space, his face is pale and he's breathing harshly.

With a roar that equals the gigantic ice monster's, the Hulk smashes himself against the monster.

"Hey watch where you throw the thing!" Tony screams as he narrowly evades the flying monster, its roaring makes the ground tremble .

Before the beast can land, Thor's there and with one mighty swing from Mjolnir he sends the beast flying once more, only now a lot further.

"Well glad we got rid of that one, the rest of this trip should go smoothly." Loki smiles as he sees the ragtag team of superheroes breathing heavily, scattered on the ground.

"LOKI! Why are we in Jotunheim? What could you possibly want here?" Thor's grip on Mjolnir tightens as he stalks closer to his brother, with full intent to grab him and shake him but Loki's illusion flickers as he's about to reach him and he darts away.

"Answer me, no tricks, no lies, why do I feel this seidr clinging to you? T'is the Void, is it not?"

"Why Thor, when did you learn to detect seidr like that? Does this mean you won't fall for my illusions anymore?"

He asks, pouting as if disappointed by that prospect.

"Well, to make sure you do not get a heart attack from all the strain your yelling has caused, and if I may add, also resulted in us getting attacked in the first place, I didn't go to the Void, I merely… got in contact with something that did."

"What?!"

"Ah look, we're there already." He suddenly exclaims as he point forward.

They all squint their eyes.

"What's there?" Rogers asks when he's given up, even as a superhuman he can't see anything but snow, snow and more snow.

"I see something!" Barton says, "Is that a castle?"

Loki nods happily.

"It is my brother's castle," he says.

"Not that one." He quickly adds as Thor is getting weird and curious looks.

"Helbindi, oh wait, he's King Helbindi now, isn't he?."

XxXxXxXxXx

"Following the Ancient Laws, the Representative of Jotunheim. King Helbindi Laufeyson."

It does not go unnoticed by anyone how the gazes are lingering far longer than they did when the other representatives were called out. The Jotünns have been silent for a long time now, longer than they have ever been, under Laufey's rule, even weakened because of the absence of the Casket of Ancient Winters, there force had not been one to be underestimated. After the destruction the Bifröst had caused however, no one is certain what has become of them.

No one dares to ask naturally and now, in this courtroom, under the protection that Asgard's All-Mother provides, the races have become bolder with their curiosity. If they expected a pitiful group of weakened Frost giants they are disappointed now, the Frost Giants bare their teeth and ice crystalizes in their hands, not yet the sword it can become but a warning nonetheless.

Most of the creatures assembled in the room bow their head or look away. The few that do not are most likely either Asgardians or Light Elves since they are the ones that have been least 'damaged' by the last war. The one people are starting to call "The Great War" though the Bloody War would be more fitting. The Vanir had been very close to extinction (except those in Asgard but by some they are not seen as Vanir anymore) and the Frost Giants had once again suffered great losses.

Helbindi supposes that's why it's called the Great War. There were Great losses, Great destruction and Great sacrifices made by almost every race in existence. When he sees the stares of the Ljósálfar he must squish his instinct to grab one of them and paint the walls a lovely mis

How dare they look this way? How dare they? The only reason they were not attacked as soon as we were is because they are weak, peace loving idiots who play in the snow or grass not worthy of anyone's time.

He catches the cool gaze Lord Frey is giving him but his face betrays nothing. Neither of them want to start another war right now because even Lord Frey looks tired and Helbindi almost smiles at that. If the Frost Giants must suffer humiliation and loss, at least Helbindi knows other races did as well.

As he stands he can feel himself calm down already, there are but few races who can say they are taller or more threatening looking than a full grown Frost Giant and he looks down on those who were staring earlier and even the boldest ones turn their gaze away.

"As the representative of Jotunheim I swear to abide to the Ancient Laws and to accept the outcome of this Council."

He lets his gaze fall upon everyone in the room as he sits back he manages not to look too smug. His subordinates don't have that problem though and they're smiling at everyone who still dares to look.

XxXxXxXxXx

"Helbindi?"

"Hey, he's asking now. I think, I haven't seen him since…"

Loki just skips another step toward the castle that at first looked quite close but apparently isn't.

"Well, I haven't met him… ever." He says.

"Wait a minute you have a brother?" Captain America asks, looking quite confused.

"Great, is he as nice as you are?" Tony snaps irritably.

"I've been keeping my mouth shut because I don't want to cause trouble,"

"Wow, would you look at that!" Rogers exclaims

"But," Tony continues as if not interrupted, "this has gone on long enough, you tell us now Loki what are your plans huh? For all we know this is all a setup or something."

"A setup? Come on Tony what is he going to do from a prison cell, you're exaggerating bit." Bruce sighs.

"Oh so you trust him? What if he got his memories back already huh? Decided he wanted some sweet revenge since he's gonna die any-" He doesn't get the chance to finish the sentence because then Mjolnir is smashed into him and he crashes into a heap of snow.

"You dare talk like that in front of my brother, man of iron, I do not care how many battles we have fought you will not speak in such a way."

He's still swirling Mjolnir around.

"Calm down guys, you'll cause an avalanche if you keep this up."

Tony wants to get back up and punch Hawkeye's face even though he knows it's not really fair to do so. He can't punch Thor's since he's pretty certain that's not gonna have much effect. And he's definitely not punching Banner. He's just put on another shirt Tony is pretty sure he doesn't want to rip this one apart just yet.

"Look I'm just saying what everyone's thinking." He snaps.

"No you're not, you're saying what YOU're thinking." Steve shakes his head.

"The one thing we don't need, is this, we need to stick together, we're on a strange planet with nowhere to go but where Loki points us to, we need to trust him and we need to be a team."

He takes a deep breath as if to prepare himself for a very tedious and exhausting task.

"I know that we're all tired, it doesn't matter what kind of magic those people used when we were in those cells, those were still quite a few days, spent awake just waiting, we're all exhausted but we don't need this right now, we need to make up our minds right now, from the start we've been like this to both Loki and Thor." He looks at them, Loki is studying the snow like the conversation holds no meaning to him but it's very apparent that's he's listening.

"If we want to succeed, we need to make a choice now. Either we trust Loki, completely and genuinely or we do not, there's no third option." He looks them all in the eye and none of them looks away.

"Everything that's happened, everything that went wrong was because we weren't a team, not really." He tries not to look at the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents but he can't help it and neither look away or look angry.

"Right now. Either we're a team or we're not and this isn't a dictatorship, we will vote about this but if any one of you has doubts, isn't prepared to be content with the decision that is made here maybe the Avengers isn't the place you're looking for."

Another long pause.

"Maybe the Avengers are better off without you. You can go, without judgement or hard feelings, this isn't a laughing matter and no one will blame you, this is an individual choice. Stand if you want to stop now, if your loyalties, or your thoughts don't align with the team's."

No one speaks up, the silence is deafening, doesn't matter that there's a howling wind the fact that nobody speaks is heavy enough.

"Good." Steve nods.

And then someone stands up.

So his chapter is going to demand some explanation for those who have not read the Fear Itself comics. First of all Garm is just as described, a Hellhound that stands guard in Helheim for Hela. The Disir are a group of, some sort of spirits cursed by Bor, to roam the Space-In-Between forever feeding on the shadows of lost Gods or something like that. They come when they are called (or their name is spoken) and Tyr doesn't like them and basically no one likes them unless they're fighting for you. In the comics Loki managed to control them somehow and gave them to Mephisto, in exchange Hela got to rule some part of hell after Ragnarok. Those problems aren't presented in my story since Hela already rules over Helheim. And the rest, you'll see for yourself in the story.

WHO STOOD UP? Any ideas?