The Wind Rises

"A senile old man?"

"Wide awake?"

Beckett was somewhat puzzled when he first heard Hela associate those two words with Odin.

"Because of that peace agreement?"

"Yes," Hela readily admitted.

The father she remembered was a powerful and domineering ruler, the god-king who raised her to be the executioner of Asgard when she was young, not the cowardly man who suddenly wanted to abandon his ambition of unification and give up.

To conquer Asgard —this is a concept, or rather a dream, that Odin has personally inscribed into Hela's very being for over twenty years.

Odin's decision to recall her and inform her of his ideals was undoubtedly a betrayal of his ideals.

Hela believed that her father Odin was probably just confused for a moment.

As the future heir to Asgard daughter of Odin, Hela Odinson has a duty to use her actions to bring Odin back to his former ideals after his momentary lapse in judgment.

"So you want the Mind Stone?"

What are you planning to do?

"Are you putting on a show of filial piety with your father?"

Beckett stopped twirling his pen, his brain, emptied by the phrases of self-criticism, immediately seeking something to stimulate his cerebral cortex.

"My current strength is too weak to achieve my goal of reminding my father."

"Therefore, I need the Mind Stone, Beckett."

Hela spoke with utmost seriousness.

Father Odin is going to Jotunheim tomorrow to discuss the so-called peace treaty. With her current strength, even if she goes there to cause trouble, she will definitely not be able to make any waves.

But if you had the Mind Stone, everything would be different.

The power granted to her by the Mind Stone on Planet Hala was undeniable. Hela was confident that once she regained that power, she would be able to lead her army to awaken her father, who had been inexplicably bewitched, and cleanse his heart, which yearned for conquest and unparalleled dominance, until it shone brightly once more.

"Sounds good." Beckett listened with great interest.

"But I refused."

Strictly speaking, the Mind Stone belonged to his adoptive father, Thanos, but was only temporarily stored with him. Beckett felt he had no right to lend the Mind Stone to Thanos on Hela's behalf.

What if they don't pay it back?

My father once said, "One should always be wary of others."

Even if Hela has already—

"I'll write your self-criticism for you."

Hela interrupted Beckett before he could even speak.

"What?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you were probably put in solitary confinement by your father and made to write a self-criticism because you went to Planet Hala without permission, right?"

"Judging from the number of papers, there should still be ten copies."

Hela crouched down in front of the table, her image passing through the sleeping orange cat's body, counting the number of papers, and affirming.

"I'll write it for you, and you lend me the Mind Stone for one day."

"I only need one day."

Hela stood up and raised her right index finger to indicate that her loan term was very short.

"I can guarantee that I wrote with sincerity. I know someone who is very experienced in this area."

"I will personally return the Mind Stone to you one day from now."

Beckett squinted, seemingly deep in thought. The lazy orange cat on the table yawned in its sleep, smeared its paws on its cheek, rolled over, and continued sleeping.

Sleeping is its only pleasure in this barren land.

"We've fought side by side as comrades, and this is the first time I'm making a formal request of you, Beckett."

"It's a pleasure to work with you."

Meanwhile, because they had ghostwritten Beckett's graduation thesis, TheOther and Woz, two species with completely different physical structures, were now sitting under the same roof on the Chitauri Prime, sighing and lamenting.

"His Highness Beckett is already good at academic subjects, but Lord Thanos still wants ten more. What are we going to do..." Doraemon Woz's round face was full of worry, and his usually adorable features were almost scrunched up. The Other beside him was also frowning.

Asgard, outside the royal palace.

After reaching an agreement with Beckett, Hela finally emerged from her chambers. Frigga, who had been keeping an eye on her, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Especially after she saw someone proactively order someone to cook dinner for her.

"Bring Kyl Martha to me now."

After dinner, Hela began the first step of her "Awakening Plan".

He sent one of his most trusted subordinates Kyl Martha, to see him.

Or rather, a former subordinate.

After Malekith, the Dark Elf King, was beheaded by Thanos, Kyl Martha, as the leader of the garrison at Svartalfheim, was promoted by Odin to be a general guarding the region.

The kind that commands a large army.

Thirteen minutes later, in Hela's bedroom.

"Your Hela."

Although he was no longer Hela's adjutant, Kyl Martha still held Hela in high esteem.

"Masha, take your army and head to Jotunheim tomorrow." Hela's attitude towards Masha did not change because of his position.

"Jotunheim?" The man was taken aback, unable to figure out what Hela was thinking.

"Hela Highness Hela, the King needs to—"

"Martha, I'm asking you, do you want this kind of humiliating peace?" Hela interrupted her former adjutant's doubts without hesitation.

The questions raised went straight to the heart of the matter.

"Your Hela..." Martha opened her mouth, staring blankly at the woman in front of her, unable to utter another word for a long time.

He vaguely sensed what Hela was up to, and cold sweat broke out involuntarily.

"Don't worry, I just want to wake Father up, to make him abandon this unrealistic idea and become the supreme monarch he once was."

She wanted to seize this opportunity and use the power of the Mind Stone to lead her army to conquer Jotunheim, this tough nut to crack.

After conquering Jotunheim, she believed her father would be able to return to normal.

"I think you won't refuse me, right?"

"Of course, Your Hela. Martha will always be your most loyal adjutant, forever!"

Moved by the prospect Hela described, Martha, who already had reservations about Odin's sudden advocacy for peace, knelt down and offered her loyalty.

In this regard, he drew inspiration from The Other, with whom he had met several times.

"Go and prepare."

Hela neither agreed nor disagreed, waving her hand to dispel the holographic image before her. Then, carrying the military token, she headed towards the garrison of her personal guard.

"Peace in Asgard was won through war. Father, this is what you taught me. Why have you suddenly forgotten it?"

Beneath the starry sky of Asgard, Hela's whispers drift away on the wind.

"Thor, what are you looking at from the rooftop?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to see Asgard from two thousand years ago, that's all." Thor, gazing at the starry sky, raised his bottle towards the Rocket under the eaves, squinting as he felt the wind brushing against his face.

Asgard, the wind is rising.