3 Fate

Drüin laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling intensely. Odin had requested him to do what he could or wouldn't do, take care of Hela. The Allfather seemed rather quick to he rid of his favorite daughter. Then again he still doesn't know how to raise a child. The God of Might still remembered how his childhood was, how his mother had been there when his father was not.

{Flashback, Three Thousand Years Ago}

"Drüin?" Called a black haired Asgardian woman, she walked over to a teenaged Drüin who had a black eye. He looked up at his mother and gave her a wry smile. "Hello mother, how are you this evening?" Drüin greeted, and watched as his mother frowned at him. The two were within a garden of sorts, one that had a pond. The young prince of Asgard had gotten into a fight with his twin, one that ended in a draw. A sigh left the woman's lips as she slowly sat down beside her son. She placed her arms around him and had him lay his head on her chest.

"You must stop fighting your sister." She softly scolded.

"I do not want to fight her, she wants to fight me."

"Then why is it that you are the only one suffering injuries from her?"

At that Drüin went silent, keeping his gaze lowered. The woman laid her head on her son's head beginning to understand why now. "You are taking pity on her, allowing her to believe that her strength exceeds yours."

Drüin nodded slowly, getting a soft sigh to leave his mother's lips. She moved a hand to gently caress her son's head, allowing her fingers to move through his short hair. "Drüin, you cannot always do this with her", His mother began to say, "There where come a time when you must show your value, to show your father that you are every bit of his son. I know that your father does not see you as such, but you must make him see you this way."

Drüin frowned, but said nothing as he listened his mother's council. Had he not been reincarnated he would have believed in his mother's words. Yet, from what he knows when he was Victor, Odin had changed only a little when it came to raising children. In the original timeline, he favored Hela and forgot that she was still his child. When Thor was born, he kidnapped Loki and raised him, but still chose favorites when it came to Thor. The old king never admitted his faults and would rather hide them until he died.

"Drüin." His mother called, and had him look up at her. She was tall for a woman, though that was due in part to her half blood self. Not all knew this, but the woman that he was sitting with was half Jotun. Not to be confused with the the Frost Giants, the Jotuns were a dying race who had been conquered by the Asgardians centuries prior. To ensure that their race would not die out, their queen who was of half blood married Odin.

'Freyr, Goddess of the Hunt, and Queen of the Vanir', Drüin thought to himself, 'How come she didn't give birth to the movie version of Thor?' At that thought, a sickening feeling came over Drüin, realizing that she may have died and paved way for the future Frigga.

"My son, you are strong, but to be strong you must stand up for yourself", Freyr advised, "I will not always be here to comfort you as your mother. You must expand your circle, make allies, find valued companions, and perhaps even a lucky woman." Drüin smiled, a bit embarrassed by that last suggestion.

"When the days comes for my passing, do not grieve, for it was fate that ensured it. All I ask for you is that be sure to look after your sister. Your father is fully capable of looking after himself, but your sister is not. Be there for her when others cannot, aid her when others abandon her. That is all I ask of you, my precious boy."

{Present Day}

Drüin smiled sadly at that memory, before closing his eyes and thinking more on a single word. One that is as terrible as Destiny itself, "Fate".

Was it Fate for his mother to pass before her old age aught up to her? Was it Fate for himself to become who he is today? What is his Fate, and will it give him a bad hand?

The questions mounted up, becoming more and more bothersome. Until he heard a knock at his door. Drüin sat up then began to move out of bed. As he came to stand on his two feet, his body going commando once again with only wearing his undergarments on. His door was opened to reveal Hela wearing a nightgown on the other side of the door. The Asgardian prince raised a brow at his twin as she entered his room, then closing the door behind her. "Brother-"

Before Hela began to speak, she noticed that he was hardly wearing anything. So she folded her arms over her chest and gave him a deadpan expression. "When will you stop sleeping like that?" She questioned, to which Drüin responded with a shrug. She sighed and approached him, and ultimately sitting at the foot of his bed.

"Brother, I intend to leave Asgard", Hela said then held up her hand to stop Drüin from speaking, "It is suffocating here, we Asgardians were born for battle, and the only ones that I tolerated were you and father. However Frigga has taken away that our father had, that hunger for battle that I adored. It was awe-inspiring, intoxicating...but now he wishes to rule with what he has now. Why stop at Nine, when we could take the Tenth, Eleventh, all of them!"

Drüin stared at his sister and kept up a neutral glare. That was what he showed on the outside, on the inside, he was unsure on how to proceed. Why was she telling him this? What does she get out of telling him about her plans?

Hela noticed her brother's silence and let out a sigh. "Drüin, you are the only man, the only Asgardian that I trust. You have been at my side even while father ignored you. Do not think that I did not notice brother, while father may have failed to notice it, I have seen what you are truly capable of. You are noble, but capable of such savagery that I only despise it when you turn that noble attitude unto me. I am a warrior, and a warrior's purpose never ends."

Drüin remained silent as he stood near her. His blue irises remaining affixed upon his sister as he mused over her words. 'She....she actually trusts me this much?' He began to think to himself, then let out a deep breathe that he had been holding.

"Hela, what do you fight for?" Drüin slowly asked, his tone a soft yet cautious one. Hela raised a brow at her brother and gave him a confused look. "Is it not obvious?", she questioned, "To be the strongest, to be the top."

"And what will you then once you become that?"

To this Hela went silent and furrowed her brows. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words cane out. She was stomped, for the first time in her life she didn't know what to say. She had a goal, a goal that she wanted to accomplish, but her goal seems to have no end in sight. One that she had never thought about until now.

Drüin nodded his head, figuring that she didn't know what to do. So he unfolded his arms and sat down beside his sister on his bed. "Do you even want to rule Hela?" He questioned, to which she looked to himself unsure.

"Yes...no...I am not sure." She replied.

"There are many responsibilities you know, to rule over a populace", Drüin advised, "You would have to put aside the warrior within you to serve the people-"

"They live on the account of us, of our rule."

"Yes, but who would follow you into battle if you cannot rule them with a just hand?"

Hela paused on her response, before speaking once more. "Those who fear our power, fear our strength."

"And how long would that fear last until someone resists?"

"Then we slay them."

"And what happens if they all resist?"

Hela opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself realizing what her brother was getting at. She could kill a few, she could kill hundreds, thousands of people to stop them from resisting. Yet, none would be left if she killed them all.

"With the mindset that you have sister, you would be cold and unjust", Drüin pressed, "Killing all who questioned you, disregarding everything that is told to you, would that truly fit in what you wish to become? Are you truly prepared to head down that road and end up just like father? An imitation of what he has become?"

Hela nearly scowled at her brother, hearing those words, "an imitation". Yet, she thought a bit more on it, finding that some of what she's done in the past up to now was actions that Odin had done. Now a frown was plastered on her face, one of uncertainty. "Brother, is it that you are telling me?"

Drüin gained his own frown before gently placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "Hela, you may or may not have realized this...but you are vile, sadistic, cruel, and cold", He said honestly, "You take pleasure in the deaths of your enemies, you despise when your allies suffer from their wounds, you hate to admit defeat even when it is being beaten into your skull. That is only what I can see on the outside of you. Inwardly?"

Drüin grimaced, feeling that she wouldn't take kindly of his observation of her. However, Hela raised a brow and gave him an expecting glare. "Go on." She demanded rather coldly.

With an exasperated sigh, Drüin continued speaking. "Inwardly dear sister....you are afraid."

Hela scoffed at this, then rolled her eyes at her brother. "Come now, what do I have to fear?"

"Who are you trying to prove yourself to?" Drüin quickly asked, giving her a knowing look.

"No one." She answered rather quickly.

"Truly?"

"Yes, I do not need to prove myself to anyone."

"Hela....you fear that you will fail to meet our father's expectations."

"I. Fear. Nothing."

"You fear...that he will abandon you."

That was when Hela lashed out, reaching out with her nails to gorge out her brother's eyes. Drüin was quicker though, moving his head to the side to dodge her strike. Then with his hand that was still on her shoulder, he got a good grip on her, and flung her forward onto the floor. Hela snarled as she rolled over to land in a crouched position. She called forth her signature jagged swords into her palms, then got ready to lunge at her brother. Drüin was already rising to his feet, giving his sister a blank glare. As Hela lunged forward, poised to skewer her brother, she watched as Drüin didn't move. Her anger subsided at the horror just as her blades pierced into him. She tried to halt herself, keep her blades from doing anymore harm. Sadly the damage had been done, her blades exited out of Drüin's back, making him hunch over to her.

Drüin winced as he placed both of his hands onto his sister's shoulders. His piercing blue eyes, locking onto her seducing emerald irises. Her hands trembled, she tried to remove her blades from him but she stopped herself. Unsure as to if that would cause more harm than good. "What is the matter...this is what you want." Drüin slowly said, causing her to look up at her brother. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth as he gave her a wry smile.

"This is the path that you now walk, the price for being at the top...is that you will have nothing..."

Hela's eyes widened before shaking her head at her twin. "Do not speak, I need to get you to the healing chamber!" She exclaimed then moved out of Drüin's grasp and got under his right arm so that he could lean on her. Drüin watched her but said nothing, her worry for him making him question what he believed Fate to be.

'Shouldn't she be more happy that I could die by her hands?', Drüin thought, 'What changed? Does she actually care about me?'

{One Hour Later}

Hela watched as the properties of the healing chambers helped her brother. Behind her were over a dozen Asgardian guards standing at attention. Not long after, Frigga and Odin came rushing in staring wide eyed at the state that Drüin was in. "What happened?" Odin questioned, then looked to Hela and see her trying to speak. Her mouth gaped, opened and closed, yet no words came out. Odin narrowed his eyes on his daughter, giving her a stern glare as he spoke once more.

"What. Happened?" He questioned more menacing now, causing Frigga to give him a concerned look.

"A training accident..." Drüin spoke up, sitting up and gaining his family's attention. Frigga quickly got to his side, trying to have him lay back down. Yet Drüin wouldn't budge an inch.

"Training, at this time of night?" Odin asked with a raised brow and skeptical tone. Drüin simply smiled at his father and nodded his head. "Hela had felt that her defeat by Surtur's hands was...unacceptable."

"So she had you spar with her, that is what you are telling me?" Odin frowned at his son, already knowing that he was lying.

"Yes father, she caught me unawares and this is what caused my new scars." Drüin gestured to his now recently healed wounds.

Hela remained silent, staring wide eyed at her brother. "Is this true Hela?" Odin asked as he looked to his daughter now, though she lowered her gaze before answering. "Yes father..."

The Allfather nodded slowly, not sure if he understood the full truth, but knew that something had happened between them. With a turn, he began walking away just as Frigga made sure that Drüin's wounds were truly fully healed. "Then I bid the both of you goodnight."

Drüin watched as Odin and Frigga walked away and out of the healing chambers. They were soon followed out by the guards, and once they were all out, Hela turned on her brother. She gave him an annoyed look before stomping her way over to him. Right as she got to her brother's side, she glared down at him before she gave him a mixture of concern and anger. "Why?" She simply asked, causing Drüin to raise a brow at her, unfazed by her stance to him.

"Why what?", Drüin asked acting clueless, "Why did I allow you to stab me or why did I save your dignitiy?"

"Yes to both!"

"Is it not obvious?"

"What?"

"Hela you are my sister, and as your brother I am only doing what I must to prevent you from suffering."

"I can take anything."

"No you cannot, Surtur proved that to you, father did, mother, and even I did", Drüin pointed out, "You lashed out because you wished to satiate your impulse to anger. Words do not help you, they would never have allowed you to see the truth."

That was when Hela widened her eyes at her brother, finally understanding what he did. "You let me stab you, so that I could understand what I would be losing if I accomplished my goals..."

Drüin nodded, giving her an impressed smile. She slowly chuckled while shaking her head at him, then helped him off of the healing table. "What if I had killed you?"

"Please, I have suffered far worse than simple stab wounds."

Hela outwardly laughed, then slowly hugged her twin, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head gently on his head. Drüin stared at her wide eyed, not expecting this response from his sister. Though, he did eventually return the hug to her. After a moment, Hela released her brother and stared up at him with a smile. "I understand what you were trying to tell me brother, and worry not, I will not lead us all to ruin."

Drüin smirked and raised a brow at her. "Well I hope not, otherwise I will be coming for your head."

Hela smirked as well before turning on her heels and beginning to walk away. As she did, Drüin just watched her, even as she left the healing chambers.

'In truth, her stabbing me didn't exactly mean death', Drüin thought, 'My pain tolerance and endurance wouldn't allow that.'

{A Few Moments Later}

Drüin was back in his room now, laying in bed and gazing back up at the ceiling. His arms and hands folded behind his head as he thought about the recent events. 'You know what, what did drive Hela to be attacked by the Valkyries?' Drüin suddenly hought, trying to remember how that happened. Once he couldn't figure that out, he shook his head and closed his eyes, preparing to sleep. Unbeknownst to him however, he was being watched. The same entity who had sent him to this universe was smiling.

"Look at you changing fate, had you done nothing and followed Odin's words then Hela would have been slain by your hands", the entity said going unheard by Drüin, "I wonder what you will do once you encounter the trails that I have prepared for you. You haven't a clue as to what will change just because of you..."