Hela glanced at Thor out of the corner of her eye. With his brawny physique and not-so-bright expression, he _really_ didn't look like the sharpest tool in the shed.
And yet—he was a god.
Hela seriously doubted Thor would make a good ally.
Asgard had _her_ and _Angela_. That was more than enough.
As for Thor?
Honestly, his existence seemed _unnecessary_.
"Fine, whatever," Hela scoffed.
If it weren't for Emperor speaking up on Thor's behalf, she _definitely_ would've killed him without hesitation.
"Wait a minute!" Thor stepped forward, positioning himself between them.
"Emperor, are you _teaming up_ with Hela to attack Asgard?!"
He found it hard to believe that Emperor would do something like that.
So he _needed_ an answer.
Alan sighed and rubbed his temples.
_Attack Asgard?_
Where did _that_ come from?
This was clearly _Hela's_ doing—she was the one determined to _hand over_ Asgard's throne to _him_.
"This has nothing to do with Emperor," Hela interjected.
"I was _always_ meant to rule Asgard. As its queen, that makes Emperor the _king_."
Wanda frowned slightly.
"Emperor never agreed to stay in Asgard," she pointed out.
"He won't be tied down to any one place, so don't think you can use a _throne_ to chain him here."
Alan had always refused to be _restricted_ to a single place.
He had said it himself—his goal was the _vast sea of stars_.
Hela just shrugged.
"Doesn't matter. Wherever Emperor goes, I'll go too."
Thor frowned in confusion, but as he pieced things together, he finally understood—
Hela had _handed over_ Asgard to Emperor.
He had no doubt in Emperor's abilities, but judging by his _reluctant_ expression, he _clearly_ didn't want to accept it.
This wasn't his decision.
Hela had _forced_ it on him.
"So," Thor continued, "you completely _infuriated_ Thanos, provoked him into attacking Asgard… and now, here on the moon, you're about to _kill_ me.
Who exactly is supposed to _run_ Asgard?"
Thor just wanted to know—_who_ was currently in charge of the kingdom's military and defenses?
"Odin's _other_ daughter—Angela."
Alan, seeing that Thor and Hela were no longer at each other's throats, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Heimdall trusted Thor more than Hela, and with Thor returning, he could help _reassure_ the Asgardian warriors who _feared_ Hela's rule but had no choice but to obey her power.
"These are things you'll understand when you return," Alan said, turning away.
He had decided to _follow through_ on the Ancient One's advice—
Using the _honey trap_.
Placing a hand on Hela's shoulder, he gazed into her slightly flushed face and spoke seriously:
"Hela, Asgard is the source of your _limitless_ power."
"But in reality, only by _protecting_ your people can you _continuously_ draw from that power."
"You _must not_ let Asgard be destroyed. Work _together_ with your siblings and _defend it_."
Hela was stunned.
His words… deeply moved her.
So, Emperor _did_ care about her!
"Alright. I understand what I need to do now."
She nodded, her gaze softening.
"Emperor, even though Thor doesn't seem all that smart… I promise you, I won't do anything to him."
Thor sweatdropped.
_So I'm just an afterthought?_
If it weren't for Emperor, Hela wouldn't have hesitated to _kill_ him?
That realization _stung_ a little.
But then, a _very_ important question struck him.
And with Emperor _right here_, he might finally get an answer.
"Hela, what about _Father_?!"
"Where did you send him?!"
At the mention of Odin, Hela—who had just been smiling—slowly darkened.
The resentment in her heart was obvious.
"He's not _dead_," she snapped. "So why do you care?"
She glared at Thor, annoyed.
She had _already_ spared his life, and now he _dared_ to push his luck?
...
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