Garfield put on an innocent expression.
"You can't say that," He replied calmly. "Even if the chance is one in a million… it still happens."
Hela pointed straight at him.
"What kind of orange cat can speak?" She snapped. "And with such clear logic, no less."
…Oops.
Garfield sighed inwardly.
Forget it. No point hiding now.
He gauged the distance between Odin's sealing array and the lightning barrier, floating lightly into the air until he was level with Hela's gaze.
"Fine," He admitted. "I did come here on purpose."
Hela's eyes gleamed.
"Orange cat." She said slowly, "Release me, and I will take the throne of Asgard."
"I will make you my honored beast. Every cat in the royal courtyard will be yours."
Garfield turned around and started to leave.
"…" Hela froze.
For the first time in over a thousand years, panic crept into her heart.
She had been sealed here for more than a millennium. Now, finally, someone capable had appeared.
On the surface, she remained calm.
Inside, it felt like a hundred orange cats were clawing at her chest.
"Wait," she said quickly. "Orange cat. Stop."
Garfield did not stop.
"How about this," Hela added, voice tight. "I'll grant you full control of Asgard's inner court."
Garfield finally paused.
He turned back slowly and looked at her with open disdain.
"You idiot," He said flatly. "Where did you get the idea that I want to be some kind of kingmaker?"
He shook his head.
"Do you have any idea what you're saying? That's an insult to a king." He raised a paw.
"So here's my declaration. You can stay here another eighty or a hundred years."
He smiled faintly.
"Or I can go outside and have a friendly chat with old man Odin about using the Cosmic Cube as the permanent energy source for your prison."
"You'll be trapped here forever."
Hela's expression changed instantly.
Rage.
Fury.
Madness.
She slammed her hands against the glowing prison wall, lightning flaring violently.
"Damn you, orange cat!" She roared.
"Don't you dare mention that bastard's name!"
"When he needed me, I followed him across the universe, conquering world after world! And when he decided to play the benevolent king, he sealed me away!"
She laughed bitterly. "Abandoned. Is there such a father?"
"Asgard was born to rule! Destined to unify the universe's great existence!" Her voice rose through the cavern.
Garfield clicked his tongue. Time to hit her where it hurts.
He turned back and floated closer, looking at her the way one might look at a particularly loud, stupid pigeon.
"Stupid old woman," He said casually.
"Do you know why old man Odin suddenly decided to become a 'benevolent king'?"
"Why he gave up half the universe you conquered and crawled back to his little corner of Asgard?"
He leaned in slightly. "Drinking, feasting, having children… pretending to be civilized?"
Hela froze.
"…Why?" she asked.
She was belligerent, but not foolish.
Garfield smiled. "Because he met someone he couldn't afford to provoke."
"And some very powerful beings warned him, very clearly, that if he kept going…"
Garfield's eyes gleamed.
"Asgard would be erased down to its most primitive molecular state."
For a moment, silence filled the cavern.
"Hahahaha!" Then Hela laughed.
"Impossible." She said. "There is no one in this universe stronger than Asgard."
"I am Asgardian royalty."
"I am a god."
Garfield sighed. "Stupid old women."
"You're over two thousand years old, and I reject this rebuttal." He turned away again.
"Don't you want to hear the inside story?" He added lightly,
After being annoyed by Garfield, Hela's teeth itched with fury.
She longed to bite the orange cat, then, just as strongly, to pull him into her arms and knead him mercilessly.
After all, a woman's nature was said to lean toward gossip and stuffed creatures, and Asgard's madwoman Hela was no exception.
Garfield sat cross-legged before her, resembling the large orange llama next door in the church.
With the same air of seriousness, Garfield began his tale.
"Legend says the creator of the universe is always an orange cat."
Hela "…?"
"Sorry, I got off track." Garfield scratched his head.
"In this universe, there are five primordial creator gods… Eternity, Infinity, Death, Oblivion, and the Devourer of Stars."
"Each governs an incomparable power. Long after their existence, after countless ages, the World Tree was formed. After many more ages, the Nine Realms came into being, and from them, the Asgardian race was born."
The vast sweep of cosmic history poured from Garfield's mouth, and it took a long time before he finally finished.
He licked his dry mouth and said, "Alright, that's the story. I'm leaving now. You can continue being punished here."
"Don't go yet." Hela spoke quickly, stopping him.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Phantom your way through a treasure trove of chapters waiting on P@treon!
PhantomDream