The Hybrid

A blank expression fell over the man's face. There was no doubt about it. That's Fandral. That is my Uncle Dash. Mother told me all about him. I met him years ago when I was a mere babe. But he still stared a hole through me.
"How do you know who I am? Most Midgardians don't even know who I am" Fandral frowned at me.
"I'm not Midgardian," I assured.
"Why did you bring her here, Thor?" Fandral cut me off. Thor was right. He is a delight.
"Because I thought you should meet her, too," Thor defended me, "This is Aurora. She's apparently a product of Layla and Volstagg," Fandral looked me over, then back at Thor, who nodded and then back at me. I'm sure he is looking for some family resemblance.
"She belongs to Volstagg?" Fandral pointed to me.
"Yep." Thor and Sif nodded.
"the hair and the eyes match and that pout too" Fandral frowned at me again "Are you sure she's Layla's daughter?"
"I still don't even quite believe it" Thor admitted. Sif sighed, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"I'm Layla's daughter!" I confirmed, rolling my eyes. I swear, that by the time I kick the bucket, my eyes will be in perfect circles. Fandral moved closer to me. Seeing Thor go for his axe put me at ease.
"You don't smell... Asgardian"
"Are you sure that you knew Layla?" I licked my lips. Fandral kept his mouth shut "If you recall, My mother was a Frost Giant"
"she was?" Fandral glanced at Thor and Sif, who both nodded "I didn't know"
"How could you not know?" I frowned. I'm starting to think that this wasn't the man that I knew to be Dash. This man was a bonafide idiot.
"Layla had the ability to look like an Asgardian" Thor confessed. I pinched my lips together and nodded once "She was the one who taught my brother to look like he does. Only he was never able to revert back to Frost Gaint form"
"You're a Hybrid?" Fandral's jaw dropped. God, This man is an idiot.
"Unfortunately" If I had to, I wouldn't be afraid to give him a demonstration like I did with Thor. Fandral's eyes turned much more empathetic, backing the fuck off.
"Do you not like being a half-breed?"
"Not all Hybrids are lucky enough to come into the world with joy and happiness" I stood my ground, ready to fight if I had to, "Not all of us wanted to be cast out of our homes. To be called monsters. It's a shitty existence"
"We should head inside" Sif spoke, patting my shoulder "We don't know if anyone is looking for you or us"
"Right," I ran over to a large rock and I put my mirror shard under a rock just in case it worked both ways. I don't need someone to check on me, find me gone, and see me in this realm.

If only my mother could see me now. Someone like me walking the halls of her childhood friend's home. I wonder how this is going to play out. Fandral brought us into the drawing room and continued to look me over like I was some kind of monster.
"Keep staring and you will find my blade in your eye" I warned, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"I would pay to see that," Thor chimed. Fandral and I both glared at him.
"Aurora, Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Fandral finally spoke. I nodded.
"I would be surprised if you didn't. Just so you know, Nothing is off limits" I crossed my arms "Also, I have questions for you"
"Then ask me first,"
"You knew my father, correct?" I stared at Fandral. He nodded and gave the same answer as Thor. That he fought side by side with Volstagg "Do you think he was capable of... of raping my mother?"
"Hell no! Volstagg was a pig but he honoured and fought for women's rights. He only slept with people he cared about. And if he did lay with your mother against her will, he would have died twenty years ago instead of... when did he die?" Fandral glanced at Sif and Thor, who glanced at each other.
"About 6 years ago. We were in the Dark Elves realm and he got stabbed with a sword from behind. At first, I thought he was joking but when the tip of the blade pierced through his chest, I knew he was gone" Thor looked at the floor "I should have protected him"
"Then you would be dead too" Sif hugged her husband. So that's four against three. Maybe I should start believing that Volstagg wasn't a dickhead like I originally thought.
"My turn. How did you find Thor and Sif?" Fandral began.
"I have a portable Bifrost mirror that gets me back and forth between wherever Thor may be and where I have been staying lately."
"And where is the other side?" Fandral sat in a chair by a large fireplace.
"If I have a Bifrost in my pocket, where do you think I have been staying?" I rolled my eyes. Fandral shrugged. Thor and I both pinched our noses while Sif said she would make us some drinks "Asgard," I spoke with a slight hint of sarcasm. Fandral tensed up "I've been living there for the last month"
"You need to be careful there," Fandral warned me, "The Queen of Asgard is a full-on raging bitch" I giggled a little.
"Oh, I know. And for some reason, she absolutely fucking adores me. Why? I don't know, but she does."
"You're living with Hela?" Fandral gasped. I nodded with a smile.
"She found me in Jotunheim during her last raid and took me in."
"Fandral, Is that a bad thing?" Thor asked, getting a little nervous.
"That's a very bad thing," Fandral confirmed.
"Is it? Is it really?" I thought it over for a moment or two.
"Yes, Aurora," Fandral took a much more authoritative tone, "Hela is a stone-cold bitch, by anyone's standards. I would rather fuck a Muspulhiem than touch her with a 10-foot pole. If you value your life and your quality of life, you need to get away as soon as possible"
"What if I told you I had her plans for her next move?" a huge grin stretched across my face.
"Excuse me?" Fandral froze, "What did you just say?"
"Do we need to dunk your head in the river, Fandral? Did you not hear what she just said?" Thor stood by my side, just as excited to hear what I had to say.
"I know exactly where Hela's army will be heading next," I reiterated, "I could tell you everything she has got planned from the attack strategy to what shoes she plans on wearing that day," I smirked. Fandral suddenly moved and was very close. I could feel his breath on my nose.
"How does someone like you win her over so quickly?"
"I'm a charming little shit when I want to be. But for whatever reason, she trusts me. And she's completely and one hundred per cent on my side. I saw it with my own two eyes when I sat in her war room earlier tonight" I sighed as I moved away from Fandral "I have Hela and Skurge on my side and then there's Morbius. Stupid vampire. I think he hates me. Although, I think the sucky ass vampire is starting to come around, especially when I upstaged Hela earlier tonight"
"You upstaged my sister? And you lived?" Thor grinned, chuckling once. I smiled as I nodded "Definitely Layla's daughter. Volstagg couldn't charm his way out of a wet paper bag"
"There is a flaw to your plan" Sif spoke as she came back into the room "If only the four of you know Hela's plan, they're going to know they have a leak somewhere"
"I know. As much as I hate to say it, all fingers are going to point towards me" I didn't like to think about what that outcome would be. My mind instantly went to Loki's current fate. That will be me "But what do we have to lose? I've been living on borrowed time since the day I came out of my mother's womb. What risk do I really have?"
"Why would you do that? Why risk your life for those who have cast you out time and time again? Why would you save them?"
"Why not? It doesn't matter where I live. It's all the same. The realms and their people have their flaws... Like some major flaws. But that does not mean it's not worth saving. Not all of them are fucking insane. The Light Elves are alright, they make some mean ass booze. Some of them do want to see the world get better. And you have proof of that right now. Right here." I point to everyone in the room. Sif smiles at me "You lot are the people who didn't want me dead for the simple, yet uncontrollable circumstances of my birth"
"I didn't want to end you straight away" Thor mumbled.
"Oh please! I know damn well when you found out I was a Hybrid, you wanted to take that wooden axe and use it to take my head off my shoulders. I don't fight for the ones who cast me out. I fight for the ones who want to keep moving forward." Thor sat back, avoiding all eye contact with me. The room fell silent. The kind of quiet that makes people feel queasy. Only this time, my words were what caused it. Then, a little smile graced Fandral's face.
"Maybe you are a Volstagg's brat after all. The same amount of bravery and stupidity"
"That's what my mother told me," I shrugged. Mother said that I would always go out and blow the world up. And boy, was she right "And I'd trust her with my life"
"You and me both," Thor agreed, as did Sif and Fandral "So, Aurora, where are we going?"
"Hold on" Sif stopped me before I could speak "There's no way it would be that easy. Aurora was in that war room on accident."
"Hela wanted me in there. She said I could offer a fresh perspective and pick up on things they've missed" I crossed my arms. Fandral started pacing "Over the last month, She's seen me fight Booskans and Frost beasts. A few rogue Frost Giants too. She knows that I'm a force to be reckoned with."
"And I have no doubt she wants to use that to her advantage." Thor sighed.
"This has to be a test," Fandral pointed out, "And not just by Hela, but by the one who hates you"
"Morbius" I groaned. Fandral and the others nodded "What do you know of him?" I wondered. Would be great to get a bit more intel on Morbius.
"Aggronant prick. Driven by blood and power. Since Hela likes you, He will see you as a threat" Fandral admitted "He always was up her ass" I tapped my chin with my pointer finger "He will be the one you need to watch out for"
"No, I think I have Hela wrapped around my finger. For now" I corrected him "As surprising as it may seem, Skurge is the one I need to be worried about. Over the last month, I have seen Hela play some fucked up mind games. Skruge is rather kind. Too kind if you ask me. I've known him less than a week and he just stays quiet unless he is on his own. If this is a test, it wouldn't surprise me if it came from him. His kindness is a facade. And it's fucking horrifying."
"Hela likes to play games, too, though," Thor argued, "I'm almost confident that's how she won our father's favour. That would be how she conquered Asgard with ease. No matter how slight it may have been, she got in his head. He was a senile old fool."
"No matter what Hela's plans are, we can't act on them. Not yet anyway." I ran a hand over my hair. My finger getting caught in a knot "Ow"
"Where are they going, Aurora?" Thor didn't give a shit. I knew I liked him.
"The Jotunheim village of Sanda is their next target," I told him, "But Sanda is going to be a preview of things to come. After they leave Sanda, they're going to go back to Jotunheim and seal it off. When other countries send in mercenaries to take Jotunheim back, they'll only be walking into a trap and the soldiers that lose their will to fight will be turned into slaves or 'willing' workers"
"They believe the Frost Giants will be the easier targets" Fandral questioned. I nodded "Then they are in for a shock"
"If they take Sanda then it might be possible for the realm to be fully under Hela's control. The King is not the warrior he used to be" I sighed.
"Who's the King again?" Sif asked.
"Byleistr. Son of Laufey. Brother of Loki and Helblindi" I stated. Fandral looked at Thor.
"Thor, didn't you say that Odin had other sons other than you and Baldr? Could they not contest the throne?"
"There's Vídarr and Vali. Maybe a few more. My family history is warped and after 1500 years... I lost count of family members. But I haven't seen them in a thousand years. Loki is the only consistent brother and even that's been ten years" Thor shrugged, running a hand over his face "Loki is adopted. According to him, He is the stolen relic of Jotunheim. Or so he believes. So, no. There is no one to contest the throne other than me"
"Anyway, getting sidetracked! Back to the main story... You need to be careful with Hela and her main idiots, Aurora," Fandral warned me.
"That's a given" I rolled my eyes. Man is stupid.
"Hela will make you think you're in control until you're not. It will not end well if you go toe-to-toe with her."
"Oh, believe me, I know. I've seen firsthand what happens when you cross Hela... As did your brother that she has locked away in her dungeon."
"Loki?" Sif asked, "She's keeping him in the dungeon? What is her gain behind that plan"
"The only thing that keeps Loki from getting killed will be his words. Loki has a silver tongue. He can charm most people. It is why Odin sewed his mouth shut for 500 years once. Hela is likely looking to put together an army that will be unstoppable" Fandral assumed, "Hela should not have that kind of power."
"No one should" Sif spoke.
"Maybe our first move could be to liberate your brother?" I suggested, keeping my voice down.
"Who is to say that snake won't turn on us?" Thor argued "Loki has done it once before"
"Agreed. Loki has form" Sif added.
"He won't" I swore. Someone had to defend Loki "Loki will help us"
"So, what you're saying," Thor figured, "is that he likes you?"
"He loathes Hela," I hid the flames burning in my cheeks "Look, all that matters, he will help us. If you don't trust him, trust me. If he has the opportunity to take out Hela, he will do it in a heartbeat"
"It's worth a shot" Fandral agreed.
"So we pull this off, We will have a snake, a Hybrid, A god of Sparkles and Sif"
"Is that really the nine realms' final defence?"
"We have to free Loki first," I pointed out, "The best time to get him would be late in the morning. That way, Hela and everyone else will be asleep. The guard in the dungeon is afraid of me because of my ties to Hela. If anything happens to me, he will be turned to ash"
"We'll get him" Fandral gave me a nod "Meet us here as soon as Hela and the idiots go to bed or leave the palace. We won't move without you"
"Wonderful," I then looked to the door. The sun was still a few hours away but I couldn't risk not getting caught "I should be getting back. If someone realizes that I am gone, I'm fucked"
"I need to hunt for some food before tomorrow. I'll walk you out," Fandral joined me before Thor moved. That was unexpected. But I wasn't going to turn him down.
"Ok." Thor shot me a quick look, making sure I was fine with it. I put my thumbs up. It's not like I wouldn't be able to take him. Granted, he is a much more experienced fighter, but I have years of kicking the shit out of assholes flowing through my veins. What would be one more notch in my knife handle? And so, the two of us started walking toward the front door.

Although, I didn't understand what Fandral's endgame was. I was under the impression that he wasn't a fan of mine. Then again, Thor wasn't either and not two minutes ago, he was ready to fight for me on the off chance Fandral wanted me dead. He must have come around. What did Sif say to him? Saying that, If Fandral didn't like me, why would he have the manners to walk me back outside? Why would he want me alone?
"Aurora," Fandral spoke, "I have a confession to make."
"Yes?" I wondered, my guard still up. As I moved to pick up my fast travel thing, He moved into my ear and whispered to me.
"I do remember you, Blue" A little gasp escaped my throat. This was my Fandral.