[Surprised by Death] (Patreon)

Naruto was used to being unpredictable, he prided himself on it, so when a army comes knocking at his door, a death goddess staying at his home. What’s the most unexpected thing to do? That’s right, he ended up marrying her. (NarutoXHela) (Naruto/Marvel)Please leave me lots and lots of NICE reviews.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Marvel, or any other anime I use in this story. They belong to their respective owners.

Surprised by Death

Hela was surprised.

Something that didn't happen in her long, long life was that she was surprised.

She had seen many things that would surprise others. After all, she was the goddess of death, the firstborn child of Odin the all-father and rightful ruler of Asguard in the years to come. She could wait, she had the time. And in the time she had been alive, she had seen many things that would leave others to kneel at their knees. She had witnessed all the eight realms that they conquered had to offer. She witnessed the dark elves of Svartálfheim, the frost giants of Niflheim fall and she had even seen her all-powerful father clash with and seal the great giant Surtr's power.

But she hadn't been surprised by those events, she knew that they were inevitable, as nothing would stand the greatest might of the legions of Asgard.

No. What she was surprised by, was the resistance they had met within Midgard, supposedly one of the weakest of realms.

It was to be no bother for her, a peasant's task she would not deign to act upon, so she had sent her army with her most fit solider and lieutenants to deal with the backwater realm. They had met resistance, that was not unexpected, even the lowest of realms had chosen to fight back against their empire. She even anticipated a few casualties, which was acceptable, she would just replace them given enough time, and it wasn't like their deaths didn't make her stronger.

But, what she didn't expect was for her army to be defeated… without a single casualty.

That was what truly surprised her, was the fact that her army had met with such a resistance, that they had even been able to be subdued without a single death on their side. All information from her subjects was useless, no matter how long she tried to wring it out of them. All of their testimonies were the same, they were defeated… but a golden blur. Something not even their eyes could witness as they each fell one by one. A simple task for someone of her caliber, even she could dispense of all of her army if she wanted to, they must have just encountered something that was above their level, not something she needed to worry about.

That line of thinking led to the second moment she had been surprised.

Choosing to lead her army once again to the realm of Midgard herself, not bothering to inform her father of her defeat, although it was likely that he already knew. She went to reclaim her army's lost grandeur. They had been enthusiastic as well, having been sorely defeated the first time, they had been all but prepared to get their vengeance. She had allowed them, it was more canon fodder she could throw in the way of their enemy.

Unfortunately, it seemed it was all for naught, as, right before her very eyes, she was left to witness her army being defeated one by one. Thousands of her soldiers we being dispensed she saw but a single orange light pivot its way through her men like a sunrise, leaving her men defeated in its wake.

She had been furious then, but surprise surely came when she had been struck down by the orange blur as well. Even though she had not been able to see such a speed coming, what she did witness was what shocked her.

She saw a man bathed in golden light, one that smiled at her as he struck her down.

"Sorry, but I can't let you, or any of whoever you people are, invade my home." He spoke, as she was left to witness why her powers over life hadn't affected him.

He didn't have any fear of death to speak of, which was strange, all mortals had a trace of death, death was in all things, and fear more so. But this man… No, this god in the form of a mortal had somehow found a way to escape her.

No one escaped her grasp.

That had been what intrigued him to her.

Truly, Hela of Asguard had suffered a mighty defeat that day, one that shocked the realms.

XXX

Naruto would say he was surprised.

Not for the first time.

At first, he had been surprised when he had sensed with Sage mode that a large army was coming, one that the Shinobi Nations wouldn't have been able to defend against with so little prep time, he had mobilized himself instead.

He had assumed that it had been the Otsutsuki that Hagoromo had mentioned, although thankfully it wasn't, although that didn't give credit to the army he had encountered. They were strong, about as skilled as the average Jonin every one of them, and that didn't do them service. The problem was that he had surpassed Jonin a long time ago, being one of the few shinobi who would eclipse even the great Madara in his prime.

He had dispatched them, without killing a single one of them. Not wanting to feed into the cycle of hatred that Nagato had preached to him so long ago. Sending them to their homes with their tails between their legs, wherever they came from.

Only for him to be shocked not a few weeks later when that same army returned, nearly doubled in size, although that hadn't been a problem for him. What was more worrisome was their leader, the one who he could sense had an immense amount of power in her. He took her down fast, not wanting to cause too much of a fuss given the fact he didn't quite have the authorization to go out on his own to take down an unknown foe.

But what he was even more surprised about was that the same woman who led those armies was right in front of him.

Laying eyes on her from the moment he entered his apartment as he laid witness to her once again. She was a pale woman with blackened hair that was only accented by her stark green eyes, shadowed by the darkness around her eyelids that only drew notice to her pupils. He could see that her lips were pink, a nice contrast to the dark colors of her outfit. Of which she wore a black and green bodysuit with many silver accents that covered her frame, only revealing her fingertips along her gloves, as well as her shoulders which were left bare. Now, being so up close to her when he wasn't fighting, he could tell that her outfit was skin tight, form-fitting her design as it absolutely hugged her body, showing every curve and every crevasse along her hips and bosom.

And believe him there were curves.

He would say she was beautiful now that he got a good look at her, noticing that she wasn't wearing that strange yet ominous crown-like headpiece upon her brow.

She had this alluring quality to her he would say, an aura of mystery. But he would also say that the mystery revealed enough clues for him, showing just how dangerous she was under her gaze. Green eyes that he could tell had venom to them as they saw him eying her up and down, she seemed satisfied by that fact.

So he had to ask, "Who are you, and how the hell did you get here?!" Raising a combat stance.

Hela was intrigued, having been defeated by a mere mortal who evaded even her domain she wanted to know who he was. And like many would have done she went to see the all-seer, who had documented the happenings that had appeared within Midgar. She had been particularly fond of the discovery of shinobi, all their wars and battles that had taken place. Of course, that was until…

Naruto Uzumaki.

That was his name, being born to Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, he was a fascinating individual. Being raised or loved by no one, but he rose to become the most feared shinobi to ever exist.

Sure, she could have gone without the peace-loving nature he held, but something was enticing about it as well.

The more she found out about him the more she wanted him more.

So here she was, within Midgard herself not for the first time, she she had found his place of residence and resided there. Getting there had been easy, she was the goddess of death after all.

Now she was before the man who had surprised her, he was handsome to be sure. Bright blonde hair, hope-filled blue eyes, and he was well proportioned, not like many of the orc-ish brutes within Asgard who coveted her body.

Though, she could still see that he wasn't without lust himself. And believe her, she could see her admiring her figure, he hadn't been too subtle in trying to hide it.

That worked towards her advantage, it had been her plan after all.

She nearly laughed at his question, asking who she was. Nobody within all the realms did not fear Hela the Vanquisher of Asgard, and yet here was a man who had not heard of her legends.

She did laugh when she saw him raise his fists at her. Truly, she did not come to battle, but if she did she was confident that she would put up a better showing than the last time. Now anticipating to encounter such a powerful individual. Not to mention the absolute abundance of mortals that Naruto seemed to care about in her vicinity she could use as collateral. But she figured that would only be a last resort.

Naruto saw the smile that graced her fine lips, one that wasn't out of malice or mockery but something he couldn't quite place. A soft laugh left the woman's lips, one that he had to admit sounded pleasant to his ears.

But the words he heard from her shocked him.

"What I want is you."

She answered, and she did want him. The deathless mortal who seemed to spark with life was someone who utterly fascinated her, and she wouldn't do with another person stealing him away for themselves.

She was the ruler of death, all things would fall under her dominion in time.

"W-what?" Naruto questioned, not expecting such an answer, nor the seductive tone she used with her voice. He could tell she hadn't come to fight, but had come for something else, he just wasn't sure what.

She only smirked at his reply, he was still quite innocent, a foundling in comparison to her age. But then again, that was what she liked about him.

"Did you not hear me? Your courtship is what I desire," Hela of Asgard told him, an offer she had given to no one, and planned to give to no one until she had met him.

"Uh Huh…" If Naruto had been expecting a response it wasn't that. But he had to be sure about something, "I'm sorry, but if this is about some sort of tradition because I beat you then my answer is no."

He had encountered a similar situation with a kunoichi from a Nadeshiko village. A place that had the peculiar tradition of sending their ninja out to battle on the condition that if they lost a battle they would be forced to marry that person to sire a strong child back into their village.

He was sure this was a similar situation.

But the woman's smirk only widened at his words, finding them amusing. "Oh I can assure you, my desire for you is my own," she told him.

"I see…" Naruto said, trailing off.

"I figured I could stay here while I wait for you to accept my offer, after all, I have the time," Hela told him resolutely.

Another thing that surprised Naruto, "Well hold on, who said you can do that!" He told her; he wasn't going to have some stranger live in his house just because she wanted to marry him.

That's when her smirk turned devilish, "And you think you can stop me?" She questioned, having tipped her hand.

"I-I…" Naruto's mind was running over 100 miles per hour trying to think of a response for her. Sure, he could try to push her out of his home, but he wasn't sure Konoha would be left standing afterward. He could tell this woman was strong, and she would put up a greater fight than last time.

No, these situations required discipline.

He would play her game, and allow her to stay with him for at least a little while, while he figured out a way to get rid of her.

"Alright, I'll let you stay here—for now, Miss…?" He trailed off, not knowing her name, as he held out his hand.

The smirk upon her face turned satisfactory, "Hela, Hela Odinsdottir," she answered him, taking his hand within her cool palm. "I hope this can be a pleasurable experience for the both of us," the goddess said, shaking his hand.

A chill ran down Naruto's spine as she enunciated her words, something he did not let it get the best of him. All he had to do was remain vigilant, not letting this mysterious woman get the best of him.

Honestly… how bad could things be?

XXX

Things had gone wrong.

That had been the first thought that had popped into his head as the sun rose along the morning of Konoha.

It had been three weeks since Hela had decided to stay with him and in that time she had proven to him just what kind of person she would be. She was cruel, overwhelmingly so, with a vicious streak, one that only seemed to be hellbent on teasing him.

At first, it had been small, her warm breath along his skin, a touch there, a graze there. He had witnessed a lot about her in their time spent together that he wouldn't expected. He wasn't sure how she was able to sustain herself for so long with a lack of food. He knew she hadn't gone out, choosing to remain in his apartment at all times, even when he went out on the occasional mission.

But this last night she had really pushed his buttons, getting deep under his skin. Revealing things that only he knew about himself, how she had found out he didn't know. But he hadn't liked what she said about him, he wanted an advantage over her as well.

He snapped.

That had been the situation that led him to where he was now, the sun rising in the morning of Konoha. Within his warm bed under his covers, as another occupant lay under his sheets, no clothing to be had on either of their persons.

What had he done? And why had he done it? Well, of course, he knew why he had done it, it felt good, really good. Truth be told a small part of him wouldn't mind doing it again.

Those were the thoughts that Naruto Uzumaki held within his head as he contemplated his next move. Of course, this wasn't quite his first time getting laid, but the usual waking up first to make breakfast wouldn't help in this matter, he knew full well what Hela would say when they woke up.

He had spent so long lost in his thoughts, that he only barely registered the dark-haired woman he shared a bed with starting to wake up. Slowly her eyes opened in their comfort, revealing those green orbs that instantly sparked with life. As her body started to lurch forward as she stretched her arms out, seeing as how they had gotten slightly worn out during their slumber.

It was at this moment he could see all of her.

He could see her, the goddess of death in her full glory in the morning. Her hair was messy, reaching down as it partially covered her face from their activities, a sight he didn't quite mind seeing as how he always thought it was incredibly sexy when her hair looked when it was down. Their shared white bedsheet covered her body, but even then he could see the stark white smooth skin of her shoulders, witnessing her collar bone, her cleavage. He could see the soft rising and falling of her bosom as she breathed in and out, a rhythmic motion he was entranced by, unable to take his eyes away.

Willing himself to do so, he forced his eyes back up to meet her eyes, as he knew he was caught like a lion witnessing a gazelle. The smirk that had just then formed along her lips was all too telling, he had been caught.

"Morning, Lover."

"Good… morning," Naruto nodded as well, before trying to deflect the situation, one of the only things he could do in that moment. "I thought you said you didn't need to sleep."

Hela's smirk only widened, as she lifted her head slightly, her hair covering even more of her face, "Oh, I said usually I didn't require slumber— but, seeing as how I vigorously you wore out my body from our activities I required a bit of rest to rejuvenate myself once more," she informed him, bringing the conversation right back to the topic at hand.

The blonde sighed, "Right… look, I'm sorry, about what happened last night."

"Sorry?" She repeated. "I don't think you require any apologies, believe me, you were quite good, the way you ravished my body was akin to a pleasure I had not felt in quite some time." Even more than killing. Believe her, she enjoyed the night they spent together, and she would not be dropping that notion.

"I see…" He said a slight amount of pride in his voice. Although the fault wasn't entirely his own, he knew no man would hold pride in the fact that they had satisfied a woman in bed. Admittedly, he would say that the previous night had been one of— No, probably the best night of sex he had ever had.

No other woman had compared to her, not any of the women in the brothels that Jiraiya had taken him to, not even his little stint with Ino they had for a while. That's why it was so hard to refuse the woman in front of him…

"Look, I think, no matter how good last night felt, we can't continue this," he told her firmly, and with a determination that would not leave many questioning his authority.

But, instead of complying with his words, Hela did the unthinkable, "Oh, and what if I were to refuse?"

Instantly Naruto's eyes widened, "Huh?"

"You heard me, I refuse your pleas," The daughter of Odin spoke, her smirk widening even further at his stupor. "After all, it's not every mortal who gets to sleep with a goddess of death, it was a special privilege you have taken. Although, I will— however you midgardians say— force you to 'take responsibility'."

"I'm sorry, what?" Naruto asked, not liking where this was going.

"Why, courtship of course," Hela answered him, her cards fully on the table.

"Huh?"

"It will be a simple matter, an opportunity no man has ever received within all the realms."

"I don't—"

"After all, you don't plan to disgrace me so harshly as to turn away my offer, after you so selfishly claimed my body."

"I-I…"

Naruto wasn't sure what to say, he had expected alot of conversations, but it certainly wasn't this. Sure he had slept with other women before, but none of them had demanded his hand in marriage. They knew what they were getting into when they had done the deed, but now? Now everything was so uncertain, so lines hadn't been laid, and now he was paying the price for it. On the one hand, in the weeks Hela had stayed with him she hadn't done anything to betray his trust, awaiting him calmly in his home. She had been amicable, so he knew there was reasoning with her, and yet, now he realized how much she had a way with words.

She knew how he was, and knew that no matter who the person was he wouldn't turn them away, and she had taken advantage of that. And now… he didn't quite know what to do. Turning her away would always be a problem, while her strength might be a problem, he didn't quite know if he would be able to allow himself to do so.

He felt as if he would be breaking his code, his nindo, his ninja way. As, even if they hadn't spoken any words, a promise had been made amid their passion.

That was why he felt so poorly because he realized she knew this would likely happen, at least partially. After all, she knew if she asked for his hand in marriage, he couldn't quite refuse her.

She seemed to know him very well, too well, But how? He didn't know.

All he knew was that this had been planned, likely from the very beginning.

So, with a large inhalation, taking in all the oxygen he could within his lungs, he breathed out and gave her his answer.

"Alright… I'll marry you," he told her, resolving to live up to his word.

"Good, I hope our union will be… enjoyable," Hela spoke, having watched the rollercoaster of emotions that had befallen his face, as she enjoyed every minute. The thought of him under her reign, from the moment she had learned of him she knew it was what she desired, and now she was closer than she ever was before.

The thought excited her, making her a little wet as well.

It was then that Naruto felt something snake near his leg under their covers, reaching right for his groin. As he looked up to see her, he saw the woman adjusting their bedsheet, letting it fall below her chest, revealing her breasts, as he saw her very erect pink nipples.

"You know, I wouldn't mind showing you another preview— of how our wedding night will be that is."

He heard her say, but he couldn't quite pay attention, as her hand kept fondling his now-hardening member under the covers.

"Honestly, you're insatiable, Hela," he couldn't help but say, as he let out a slight moan as her fingers rubbed against his tip, much to her satisfaction.

That only caused her to smirk more.

"Naruto, you will soon learn… I always get what I want."

As soon, as they celebrated their incoming courtship.

XXX

Tsunade Senju was surprised.

Not something that had happened often in her long life as both an active and inactive shinobi. She had invented countless medical techniques and studied thousands of medical procedures. She had traveled to every country within the elemental nations and gambled (and lost) in them all. Although she wouldn't say that she never got surprised because she did, namely with things involving one Naruto Uzumaki.

For example, she had been surprised when she had initially met him as a kid and he learned the legendary jutsu of the fourth Hokage in just under a month. She had been surprised when all of the remarkable genin made their way out alive against some of Orchimaru's top bodyguards. And she had been surprised just three years later when she had won her bet with Jiraiya when she had bet against him to lose his life. However, she wasn't surprised when Naruto became the hero of the war, uniting all the nations together and helping stop the infamous Madara Uchiha.

It was safe to say, she had tried to keep an open mind when it came down to all things Naruto Uzumaki.

But what she hadn't expected was this…

"So let me get this straight, you encountered a mysterious army of ancient warriors not once but twice in only a month. After that, you found this woman who was likely a threat to the entire village within your apartment and you then proceeded to have sex with her and decide to get married to this woman who just so happens to be a goddess of death. Do I have that right?" Tsunade asked from behind her desk.

As Naruto looked towards the woman he would say resembled his grandmother, a beautiful blonde woman who appeared to still be in her youth despite being well into her sixties. She also had an enormous rack, as Jiraiya would say, but that was not relevant at the moment.

"Nope, that about sums it up," Naruto stated.

"I believe this ruler of your village of leaves has analyzed the situation superbly," Hela stated from behind him.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, so if we can get about 50 of the shinobi in the village to have the day off in about three months—"

"Two months should be an adequate amount of time to prepare."

"Right, two months so we can have our wedding, that would be great," Naruto corrected himself, seeing as how he wasn't the one planning their wedding, that would be his bride-to-be.

"I see…" Tsunade said nursing her temple, this was alot to take in, and a large amount of new information to process.

"You ought to feel honored, after all, it is no small occasion to see so many Midguardians be transported to the halls of Asgard," Hela told the old woman, even though she was much older than the woman before her in actuality.

"Uhuh…" the fifth Hokage said from her desk, looking at the two of them in front of her, the world's greatest shinobi and the goddess of death for Kami's sake, two people who would be getting married.

Only someone like Naruto would pull something off.

And that left only one thing for Tsunade Senju to say…

"I need a stronger drink for this."

Reaching into her drawer and retrieving her most secret stash of booze that had her highest alcohol count in it.

XXX

Naruto was surprised.

Standing before him were two figures he knew very well.

One was a man with similar bright blonde hair to his, blue eyes, and tanned skin. The other was a beautiful woman with long red hair and violet eyes who had a similar face to his own.

His parents, who had been long dead for some time.

Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki were surprised.

The last thing they remembered was taking the full brunt of the Kyuubi no kitsune's claw as they shielded their newborn. Both of them had perished that night, Minato from using the reaper death seal, and Kushina from the strain of a jinchuriki losing her Bijuu. There was no hope for a return…

And yet, here they were.

"I-I, I don't understand," Minato couldn't help but remark, he knew this was as different as the edo tensei in the war, where his soul had been placed in an immortal corpse against his will. No, this wasn't like that, because he knew at this moment they were well and truly alive.

"S-souchi?" Kushina couldn't help but exclaim, tears welling up in her eyes as right before them, stood their son, all grown up without them.

"M-mom? D-dad? Y-you're here? But how? But why?" Naruto said in disbelief, not knowing how his parents could well and truly be alive again.

"I don't know but…" Kushina started, before giving Naruto a big hug, Minato soon followed suit. "I don't want this to ever end," she told him.

As Naruto well and truly embarrassed both his parents for the first time, it was a tender moment.

As a new voice made itself known to them, "This would be my doing," Hela said, still standing from where Naruto had previously been.

As the three for a good look at her, his parents truly take her presence in.

Kushina raised an eyebrow, "Oh, and just who are you?" She questioned, wanting to thank the person who did this for them, even if she was a little suspicious.

"Isn't it obvious, I'm your offspring's betrothed," she answered her future mother-in-law, showing her the ring Naruto had gotten her. A black metal ring with shards of jade crystals in it, made from chakra metal and the fragments of the first Hokage's necklace that Naruto had given her as his wife-to-be. Of course, it wasn't the most valuable piece of jewelry in her collection, but the fact that her future husband cherished it so made it worth keeping in her finger.

"H-Hela? You did this?" Naruto said, surprised.

"Of course I did, I am the goddess of death, and reviving them was no simple matter, but I figured this may be an exception. We are courting after all." She explained it hadn't been easy, not even a god could normally revive someone once they had fully parted. But she could tell her action had been worth it.

Naruto, in his excitement, walked up to her, "Thank you!" He said as he kissed her, straight on the lips for all to see.

Hela smiled at his action, as she pulled back for just a moment, "you are most welcome," she told him. The goddess then kissed him once more, this time going even further and pushing her tongue into the mix. Wrapping her arms around him and her right leg as she leaned forward to get even more leverage in their apparent lip-lock.

"You think they still remember we're here?" Minato asked his wife, not wanting to interrupt this moment.

"Shh, be quiet, I want to see the girl who our son chose to be his wife," Kushina said, as they both eagerly awaited to get to know their daughter-in-law.

XXX

Their wedding had been a grand event, probably one of the grandest events of that millennium.

Being held within the golden halls of Asguard they had invited several people, both shinobi and Asguardians alike. Hela had been outfitted in a pure black dress made from the finest of cloths, Naruto in a tux much the same. Sasuke had been his best man, and Minato and Kushina had been there to witness the event.

Odin had been surprised, being the one to walk his daughter down the aisle, an occasion he never thought he would ever be able to do.

Sure, when he had first heard the news of Hela's betrothment he had been a little skeptical, but those feelings eventually wore off after he tested Naruto's valor, something he had in spades. Hela had chosen a fine husband for herself, one that he approved of, and nowadays Naruto and Odin got along splendidly. Naruto for the most part bonded with the man over their shared journeys and missions they had been on during their lifetimes. Naruto even had a drink with the man and his own father, the first time he had ever had such a thing with his biological father. And although the blonde did tend to make jest at Odin's expense given he had found out the man was another old pervert who had entered his life, they both knew that they enjoyed their time together.

Naruto's marriage life was also going along splendidly, something that Odin would have never thought possible previously. But he could see that Hela had changed a bit, for the better, and although she was still as devious and maniacal as ever, she had lessened her tendencies more towards the ones who deserved it, rather than all who earned her ire.

But even with the ability to see glimpses into the future Odin would have never expected things to happen like this.

He was surprised.

"So… you've decided to give peace a chance, father?" Hela said with an impassive voice.

"Yes, Naruto and I have been talking for a while now, and I think he's convinced me that peace is the best way to rule our kingdom. I don't think we should remain conquers any longer," the old man with a single eye said, slightly pivoting on his feet. He had fought countless giants and dark elves, but it was at this point he was the most nervous.

Why? Well because he knew how his daughter was. They had fought on the battlefield for centuries, conquering the realms and expanding the Asgardian empire. He knew how bloodthirsty his daughter was, and how she would react. He expected an outburst, and in the worst-case scenario, a full-on battle, he didn't want to have to do it, but he had also prepared a prison where she could be kept so they could get her to see reason. That had been why he had allowed Naruto to be here when he told his daughter of his plan, he hoped her husband could reason with her, lest they do something they all would regret.

But, even with everything he expected to happen, he never expected this…

"Very well then," Hela stated as if it were the most nonchalant thing he ever talked to her about.

"W-what? You aren't going to disagree," Odin was in full-on disbelief, how could his brutal bloodthirsty daughter change so much?

"Why? It is of no consequence to me, I am the goddess of death, all shall entire my realm eventually for me to rule them, I can't wait that long," She told him, shrugging.

As Naruto neared her, kissing his wife on the lips, "That's Hel-chan, I know you know this means alot to me, and I'm glad you can see my side in things," he told her, wrapping her up in his embrace.

"Do not fret, perhaps this 'peace' that you so desire might not be such a bad thing…"The dark-haired woman smirked, shifting her weight on Naruto, the blonde reacting as he placed both his arms along his wife's ass cheeks to regain his balance, much to the woman's delight. She was the only woman that he would be able to do something like this to, and he was the only man she would allow to even touch her.

"After all, with all this time we will have with my lack of conquests, I say we shall put it to better use. What say you and I sire a few children for use to look after for the next few centuries?" she asked him seductively.

Naruto knowing full well what that meant, quickly dragged his wife into his arms as he flew towards their palace.

Odin's previous worries about his daughter being quickly forgotten.

The End.