A GODS WEAKNESS [l.laufeyson]

FORTY FOUR

     Rocket and Bruce hop on the Benatar to Norway, they get a lift the rest of the way to New Asgard in a pick-up truck.

"Kind of a step down from golden palaces and magic hammers." Rocket jumps out of the pick-up followed by Bruce while the truck tilts back up from it being weighed down.

"Have a little compassion. They lost Asgard, then half their people. Maybe they're just happy to have a home."

"You shouldn't have come."

"Hey Valkyrie! Great to see you, angry girl." Banner smiles as Valkyrie approaches them, still looking angry from her incident with Astrid.

Banner goes for a hug. But Valkyrie doesn't, she takes a step back studying the half Bruce, half Hulk. "Uh huh. I think I liked you better either of the other ways."

"Oh right, this is Rocket." He points to the small raccoon that had been hidden away behind him.

"Hey."

"They won't see you. Trust me..."

"We didn't say we're here to see-" Banner scoffed.

"Great. Then you can hose out the gut buckets." Valkyrie pointed to a pile of gross looking buckets as Banner and Rocket screw their noses at the sight.

"We're definitely here to see them!" Rocket couldn't bear the thought of washing out manky buckets.

"Yep, well too bad."

"That bad?"

"We only see Thor once a month, when he comes in for his... supplies." She gestures to a dozen beer kegs stacked outside a pub.

"What about Astrid?"

"Don't even get me started on her." Valkyrie scoffs as she turns to walk away. "If I were you, I would turn around and head on home."

Rocket and Banner shared a puzzled look as they watch Valkyrie walk away carrying a net, supposedly for fishing.

~

Banner and Rocket knock on the door to a cabin, but there was no answer. Banner opens the door to see pizza boxes and liquor bottles littered on the floor.

"Something died in here." Rocket recoils.

"Hello? Thor? Astrid?" The two look around the place but couldn't see anyone.

They suddenly hear some shuffling behind them and turn around as a rather large figure scurry past. "Are you here about the cable?"

They follow the person into the living room. "Thor?"

He turns around to the two people. He reveals himself, showing his scraggly long hair, his bushy beard and a rather... large belly. "Bros! Bring it in!"

He hugs Banner and turns to Rocket who steps back. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Hulk, you know my boys, Korg and Meik, right?" Korg and Meik sit on the couch playing the Playstation 4.

Rocket and Banner share a worried look as Thor was busy shouting at some poor kid down the mic. Banner looks around to see if he could see Astrid, but there was no sign. Thor hands the headset back to Korg before offering his friends a drink. The two only stare as Thor pulls a beer from the fridge and whacks the cap against Stormbreaker.

"Hey, buddy? Are you alright?" Banner gently pushes the bottle that Thor was holding out away from his face.

"Yes I'm fine, why?" Thor's voice breaks a little. "Don't I look alright?"

"You look like melted ice cream." Rocket interjects but Thor only laughs at his comment.

"So what's up? Just here for a hang?"