This story is an OC centric Avengers fic. My OC is clearly overpowered, but it is going to take her a long, long time to fully develop and control her abilities, while simultaneously balancing character flaws I will introduce later in the story. There are going to be a lot of OCs in this fic. Also, this story is not completely Thor: Ragnarok compatible. I do intend to tie in some of those threads later, but until then, this is going to seem really out there. I'm playing pretty fast and loose with MCU cannon, so expect heavy divergence into AU territory as I do some world-building for the kind of mythology I'm working with.

Feel free to review! Happy reading :)

10,000 Years Ago. The Royal Palace. Asgard.

"My King," Hela murmured, leaning from her seat on the throne's steps to speak. "I have received word that the Valkyros is here."

Odin's expression didn't change, but his daughter knew him well; he was discomfited. And things rarely ever made the King of Asgard feel uncomfortable.

"I assume she is here to present the new Valkyrie offspring," he said. It wasn't often that the Valkyros came to Asgard, especially to the palace itself. While the queen of the Valkyries enjoyed bloodshed more than anyone he had ever met, she had never offered her forces for aid in Asgard's conquest of the other realms. Sorna Sydras Valkyros had no interest in aiding men, and therefore she eschewed Asgard's male-only armies. Odin wasn't too bothered by her disdain. The Valkyries occupied the arid mountains to the farthest edge of the realm, as far from the throne as possible. They scarcely came into the city except for the greatest need.

Or for when the Valkyries had to introduce their rare and extraordinary offspring.

Odin tapped the golden arm of his throne in thought, his every move monitored by his daughter from the corner of her eye. It had been fifty years since the last Valkyrie daughter had been formally introduced to his court. It was a tradition Odin's forefathers had set, and one he intended to keep. Every Valkyrie daughter that lived past her sixth summer was brought to court by her mother and the Valkyros, so the Asgardian kings could meet the child. The common people and most royals believed the half-truth his forefathers had spun: since the Valkyries were so vaunted in lore and so little in number, it was a rightfully earned sign of respect for the kings to insist on meeting each new child. Odin, Hela, and Heimdall were the only ones alive that knew the entire truth: each Valkyrie girl was brought to court to be inspected by the king, so he could then decide if it was safe to let the girl-child live.

Only once had a child been deemed too powerful and dangerous to survive until adulthood. Hela had dispatched the creature at her father's order, sparing no thought for the child, thinking only of how best to protect Asgard from future threats. The death had been declared an accident; any child that young, even a Valkyrie with impervious skin, could be killed when a giant block of marble fell from its scaffolding and crushed the tiny body standing in the street.

The Valkyries were too stubborn and prone to violence to be left without some sort of check on their power, and so the weakest members of the race were targeted before they had a chance to mature into their full ability.

A herald entered the great hall and trumpeted everyone to attention. Once the people gathered for the evening meal had quieted, he introduced, "Queen Sorna Sydras Valkyros, known as the Scourge of Men, the Wyrm Slayer, and the Fair One!"

A woman stepped into the room, taller than any court lady present, except perhaps Hela. Her black armor absorbed the light of the thousands of candles, creating a dark void with her entrance. Her thick, platinum hair was bound in a mass of tiny braids. Fierce violet eyes glared at everyone who had bowed at her entrance, her face far too beautiful for such a cruel expression. Odin had never seen any other expression on her face besides rage, disgust, or complete apathy.

"Rise," Odin commanded of his people, still knelt before a queen of another race. He knew she would not tell them to rise, perfectly satisfied to let everyone kneel so long as she breathed. The King of Asgard despised the arrogance of her people, but he especially despised the unending arrogance of the Valkyries' Queen.

Queen Sorna raised her chin in disgust as she strode between the long tables laden with tittering courtiers. Women whispered to each other behind cupped hands as the Valkyros strode by, but Odin knew the woman's sharp, fey ears would hear and remember every insult. She approached the throne, eyes filled with hostility. They had been dealing with each other for thousands of years, neither fully concealing their hatred of the other. Although, the Valkyros did not even attempt to conceal her uncharitable feelings toward the Asgardian king. Odin was much more diplomatic; he at least pretended to be indifferent.

"Queen Sorna," Odin greeted, inclining his head.

"Odin," she replied, tipping her chin forward slightly. It was the bare minimum amount of respect she could show without incurring offense, but that had never stopped her before. She was trying to be respectful, or as much as her pride would allow. It made Odin suspicious, and from Hela's glance, he knew she felt the same way. His daughter and preeminent general leaned forward in anticipation and curiosity. They both pondered the same thing: why was the Valkyros even attempting to respect them when she had never done so before?

"What brings you to my father's court, Queen Sorna?" Hela asked. The Asgardian princess's deep blue eyes were narrowed wickedly, but the Valkyros was unflinching. General Hela was known to be vindictive and vicious, but the Valkyros was a different creature entirely. Valkyries were not taught to fear.

"I came from our stronghold to uphold tradition," the Valkyrie queen answered. "A daughter has reached her sixth summer and so has been brought to meet the Asgardian king."

"Well? Where is the girl, then?" Hela questioned.

The Valkyros's eyes flared with animosity, finding insult in Hela's flippancy. "Do not think to trifle with me, girl," the Valkyrie hissed, lips peeling back from white teeth to reveal inhumanly sharp canines. The court shuddered, exclaiming quietly as they realized the Valkyros was more beast than woman.

Hela stood from her throne abruptly, offended. "I don't care who you are, Valkyrie! You will not enter these halls and disrespect who you should grovel before!"

The Valkyros snarled, "I will not be insulted by a woman who willingly chains herself into the service of men, and especially not by an Asgardian!" Her hands curled at her sides, sharp claws lit with blue flame.

"Enough, Hela," Odin interrupted before his daughter began a fight she could not win. Hela, enraged, sank back into her seat obediently. The Valkyros sneered at Hela's subservience, but turned her attention back to the king. "Bring the daughter forward, then," Odin said, gesturing with one gauntleted hand. He wanted to get things over with so the monster before him would leave his lands as soon as possible. He held no love for the Valkyries, least of all for their tyrant queen.

"Chimaeria!" The Valkyros called without turning her eyes from the king. The violet held emotions Odin had never seen from the woman before, stoking his suspicions further.

A young girl entered the hall, her face devoid of expression. The Valkyries endeavored to train their daughters in the ways of both mental and physical battle from the moment they left the womb. Every child that had been brought before Odin had had the same apathetic arrogance as the adult Valkyries he knew. It made him wonder how exactly they trained their daughters, cloistered in their secretive mountain stronghold.

The only sign the girl gave was the minute flickering of her eyes as pointed ears listened to the surge of whispered comments from the courtiers. She approached the throne and stood beside the Valkyros, shoulders straight. Her gaze met Odin's evenly.

Odin was always unnerved by the Valkyries' daughters. They did not act like children he knew in Asgard. There was no mischief or laughter in their eyes, only distant disdain. They did not fidget and whine, but stood stoically silent beside the Valkyros and their mothers.

The king frowned and looked to the entry, eyes searching for the girl's mother. No other Valkyrie awaited introduction.

"Where is the girl's mother?" Odin asked. Never had a girl come with just the queen. The Valkyros always came to act as the traditional guardian of the young child and mother, while the mother was the one who would formally introduce her daughter to the king. It was a tradition that had been kept for thousands of years, unbroken. It was not like Queen Sorna to eschew tradition for a trivial reason, so Odin straightened as his suspicion increased.

"I am her mother," the Valkyros said.

None could conceal their surprise. Valkyries rarely gave birth, and only to females, never males. Judging by how often Valkyries had been to his great hall in the past centuries, Odin had surmised the birthrate was dwindling. It used to be a new child was brought once every few decades, then it was once a century, and now the first Valkyrie child he had met for 250 years was the queen's own daughter.

Queen Sorna gestured to the girl, who moved to stand in front of her mother, facing the royals. Her mother's hands clasped her shoulders. "Chimaeria Synsara Valkyros Kallistos, the next Valkyros."

Odin nearly jolted in his chair. Valkyros wasn't just the title of the Valkyrie queen; it was also Queen Sorna's family name, passed from woman to woman. The Valkyries had named their highest position after the most ancient and potent bloodline among them. Sorna Sydras Valkyros was the most powerful Valkyrie alive, the latest in a long, unbroken line of Valkyrie queens.

Yet, her daughter had a different last name.

"Why has she not taken the last name Valkyros, as is custom?" Odin questioned, thoroughly stunned. The Valkyries were a proud race of warrior women; they had never taken the name of another before. Odin did not like to be left in the dark. He felt that a great shift in the realm was happening just before his eyes.

"I married," the queen answered simply. "My daughter took my husband's name. She may regain Valkyros in full if she wishes, when she ascends the throne."

"You?! You married?!" Hela demanded, agog. Even the courtiers, who knew very little of the Valkyries beyond legends and what few they had seen, understood how unexpected the news was. The warrior women were fiercely independent and did not believe in marriage, as they would never allow themselves to be subservient to a man.

"Yes, and it is not a concern of Asgard," Queen Sorna replied frostily. She refused to entertain questions about her private life. Asgard knew nothing of what life was like among the Valkyries within the Stronghold, and she intended to keep it that way. Any slight bit of information would be like gold in Odin's greedy fingers. The Valkyries did not trust the Asgardians, a feeling which was mutual.

Hela quieted beneath Odin's quelling gaze. "Well," he said, deciding to think more on the stunning revelation later, "I am eager to meet the next Valkyrie queen." His words were a blunt command to continue the tradition. He would meet this young girl, the next in line to the throne, and treat her as if it was a normal, traditional meeting.

All eyes turned to the girl. She stepped forward, eyes of an unearthly metallic gold holding steady. Odin curiously noted the strangeness of the girl's features in comparison to any other Valkyries he had met.

The child's eyes were a startling shade of bright gold, ringed in darkest black. On a whim, the king shifted in his seat, allowing the radiant candle light to hit the golden throne. It cast a dazzling arc of light at the girl. Her pupils tightened into slits at the brightness, and Odin restrained the urge to frown. No other Valkyrie he had met had slit pupils, or the long, black claws that tipped each finger. Her thick, platinum hair was identical to her mother's, containing shades of white, silver, and the palest gold. But it was the eyes that held his attention, their unique oddity holding him hostage.

"I am Chimaeria Synsara Valkyros Kallistos, daughter of Queen Sorna Sydras Valkyros Kallistos. I have come to meet the Asgardian king," the child introduced herself.

Odin inclined his head. "Well met, young one. How do you manifest?" It was typical to ask how the Valkyrie child manifested their individual power, both to keep track of how powerful the girl would become and to note the danger she could one day pose.

"I have multiple manifestations," she said. Her voice was childlike, high and lilting, adding an even more disconcerting quality to her manner.

Odin felt Hela tense beside him. The child she had executed at his command had had two manifestations, power over healing and over water. While those two manifestations were nonthreatening compared to some others he had seen, such as power over lightening and power over all beasts, it was the combination that had been dangerous. Valkyries were already impervious to most weapons; nothing could break their skin to draw blood but a silver blade. They were also terrifyingly fast and strong, the ultimate race of warriors. Killing a bloodline at the root once it started to develop more than one manifestation was logical. He could not allow the Valkyrie species to gain too much power. While Asgardardians and their Valkyrie cousins had never gone to war against each other, Odin knew tensions had run high for millennia. He would not risk beginning a war he did not know the definite outcome of, and any war with the Valkyries he could not predict.

"How many do you have?" he asked, maintain his calm, genial façade. He was always nice to the children, even though the Valkyros grated on his every nerve.

"Three," she answered.

Her fate was decided, then. It was unfortunate to kill the princess, but Odin was confident Hela could make it look like an accident once more.

"What are they?" he asked leadingly. "Perhaps a demonstration would be in order."

The girl, Chimaeria, looked to her mother. At the queen's nod, Chimaeria shut her eyes and inhaled. When she opened them, she raised her hands to show Odin the black flames curling around her fingers, interspersed with strands of gold. It matched her eyes perfectly.

"Hell fire," Hela identified.

The king's wariness deepened. A strange child with eyes the exact color of the hell fire she controlled? It would not be borne in his realm. He would never allow such a risk to exist, especially not within the borders of his own realm.

He began to wish the Valkyros had come at a different time. The courtiers gathered would gossip over the meeting for weeks. Dispatching the child would be an obvious play, but he knew he had little choice. Once the Valkyries left the city, they were nearly impossible to track. Entering their stronghold was completely unheard of. He would have to have the child executed as soon as possible, risking the ensuing drama his court would stir up over the diplomatic nightmare of the Valkyrie princess dying days after meeting the King.

"Show me the next one," Odin commanded. He wanted the farce over with so he and Hela could plan the execution. The other manifestations no longer mattered, even with her having two other ones to reveal. Hell fire was lethal to any who touched it, except for those who could summon it. He had seen an entire planet scorched to ash and rock when a vengeful sorcerer had unleashed his power.

Chimaeria looked to her mother once more, who again granted permission, clearly bypassing the king's authority. The Valkyries were always careful to ensure they only acted under the order of their Valkyros, ignoring the King of Asgard, even though they lived in the realm of Asgard. Hela hissed at the insult.

The girl loosened the ties on her tunic, so that one thick strap down the middle of her back and connected to the hem on each side was all that kept it on her body. A wet crunch and slide of rent flesh broke the silence as Chimaeria continued to stare silently at the king. From over her shoulder emerged the two points of unfolding wings, arcing over her head in an inky display of feathers.

"Shapeshifting," Hela identified. "Can you fly with those?"

Chimaeria nodded.

The child was far too powerful. Odin would be much relieved when she died.

The wings slid back beneath her skin, healing over without a blemish.

"Are you trained?" Hela questioned. Discussing the Valkyrie's training was unusual for such a meeting, but Odin allowed it, curious as well.

"She will not answer that," The Valkyros snapped. "It is not Asgardian business to know."

Hela's face tightened in anger. "Perhaps I am just curious, Queen Sorna."

"You may be curious as much as you wish, but prying into the affair of my daughter's skills will not be tolerated." Sorna looked to Odin, dismissing Hela. "Is there anything else before we leave?"

"I need to see her last manifestation," Odin answered, "then you may depart."

"Before she shows you her third manifestation," Queen Sorna interjected before her daughter made a move, "I have a question."

The queen's rigid back and casually blank face alerted Odin to danger faster than a drawn sword. He gestured for her to continue, wary.

"Do you intend to see my daughter dead?"

Odin widened his eyes in innocent surprise as the courtiers gasped at the insult. "No, I would never wish your daughter and heir dead. Are you concerned for her safety? I can assign you a guard until you are five miles past the city, if it would ease your worry."

Queen Sorna looked down at her daughter. "Well?" she asked.

"Lie," Chimaeria whispered.

"You dare accuse the king of falsehood?" Hela coldly questioned.

"Her third manifestation is knowledge of truth," the Valkyros answered. "Chimaeria always knows when a lie is told."

Hela was stunned into silence, unaware of how to proceed with being caught out in the middle of the court. Odin was bristling with rage, but unable to find a way out of his own mess. He dearly wished the room was empty but for them.

"You intend to kill my daughter," Queen Sorna said quietly, tilting her head. Her violet eyes pierced Odin to his throne. "Did you also kill the other child I brought, centuries ago?"

"I did not touch her!" Odin snarled, hands fisting. The guards stationed against the walls limbered their spears in preparation.

"Did you order for her to be killed?"

He bared his teeth in answer.

Queen Sorna looked to Hela. "Did you kill the girl?"

"Yes!" Hela hissed savagely, unrepentant. Her hands slicked back her ebony hair, transformative magic working so a spiked war helm branched from her temples. Queen Sorna sighed loudly at the display and turned to her daughter.

"Truth," Chimaeria whispered at her mother's unasked question. It was the answer Sorna had expected.

The guards marched forward, spears at the ready, when Hela waved a hand. Queen Sorna looked at the half circle of bristling weapons askance and then turned to Odin.

"You will let us leave this hall and city," the Valkyros threatened, "or I will kill every child in this room in retribution." The courtiers shifted at her words, fear causing them to clutch their children closely. Their wide eyes looked to Odin for protection. He couldn't look those Asgardian children and their terrified parents in the eye. He knew the woman would do as she threatened. Queen Sorna had no soul, just an endless void that consumed violence and bloodlust like it was ambrosia.

"Allow me to command the guards," Hela whispered desperately to her father. "I can kill them myself!"

An Asgardian child whimpered, holding his father's sleeve as the Valkyros summoned blue fire into her palms. He ignored his daughter. "Go," he told the Valkyries, coldly furious that the courtiers' presence had left him unable to act. They turned and strode out, unhurried and unflustered. The doors to the great hall closed behind them and the room shuddered collectively.

"Leave us!" Odin bellowed at the silent nobles as they breathed deeply in relief. They fled like a flock of fragile birds, pecking and squawking their way into a different part of the castle, their fear no doubt disappearing before the greedy gossipers like bird seed.

Hela turned on him angrily as soon as the last guard had left the room and taken his post outside. Odin halted her with one hand, his single eye blazing. "Not a word, Hela! Just the child would have destroyed this entire realm, given the chance."

"I had my dagger in hand beneath my dress!" Hela snarled, uncaring of how she treated her father and king at the moment.

"Her mother is a thousand years older than you, and much faster. Sorna also has complete control over that blue fire of hers. She would have incinerated you before you finished the thought." Odin had no patience to focus on soothing Hela. His daughter was wildly ferocious and vindictive; her quarry escaping her did nothing to improve her attitude.

"Well, now that tiny monster is leaving Asgard as we speak, and that bitch queen knows we intend to kill her evil spawn. Our best chance of destroying the girl was within the city itself. What now, my King? We storm their heathen Stronghold, which no one has ever taken?"

"You will not speak to your King in such a way, Hela!" Odin thundered, the weight of his power and authority slamming into his wayward daughter. Despite her disrespect, his general brought up good points. Odin had to figure out how to kill the girl, while her mother and her sisters did their utmost to protect her. He wished he could just do away with the entire race, perched on the other side of his realm like predators lying in wait.

But what if he did exactly that? His forefathers had never considered it, but with Hela, the most powerful general Asgard had ever seen, it might succeed. He now had access to scores of off-realm troops he could sacrifice without care, rather than wasting Asgardian lives. Odin abhorred starting wars he knew he could not win, but with the might of all the conquered realms behind him? His chances were good.

"Hela," he said, a smile curling his mouth, "how do you feel about another war campaign?"

Her smile was blinding.