Loki's Mortal Gift

Part 13

Someone had raised the alarm in the few moments after leaving the artillery room. Hulk weaved skillfully through this corridor and that, swiftly leading the charge in search of your dark prince. He set a brutal pace, so much so that even the most brawny prisoners were sweating with the effort to keep up, but not you. Or maybe you were struggling in some way but there was no room for thoughts of pain or slowing down. There was no looking back or time to be afraid. You must find Loki and get off this horrible planet for good, and quickly. For you knew the Grandmaster was a powerful, merciless man and if the revolution should fail there would be zero chance for a peaceful, diplomatic resolution.

You worked your way up from the dungeons to the second floor of the castle where most of the noble's bedchambers were located, including your own.  As you reached the top of the steps chaos immediately irrupted. Rebels fanned out into smaller groups to pursue the Grandmaster's guards. You saw several toss the torches they had been holding into nobles rooms as they ran by. Servants and nobles scattered for their lives, all seeking shelter from the rebels and guards as they clashed violently in every hall and in every room. Their screams echoed repeatedly as the overwhelming smell of heavy smoke reached you, burning your nostrils. 'Finally,' you muttered to yourself with a smirk, 'Sakaar is burning.'

The Hulk and you, along with 5 other rebels pressed on to search for the Grandmaster himself, driving swords and axes into any enemy that had the unfortunate luck of finding themselves in your path. You head been effectively sheltered by your fellow rebels and verdant friend, holding stiffly to your small sword, which was really less sword and more dagger, but much to your relief you hadn't been given any real chance to use it.

You followed your companions as they turned left down a wide hallway that forked at the end. The left fork would take you to the grandmaster's private quarter's, and the right was the main entrance to the thrown room. For a moment you all hesitated, unsure which way to choose. There was so much mayhem it was hard to focus on exactly what to do. You all stood there for a few seconds discussing it when suddenly you noticed a large group of servants barreling down the the right hallway towards you, clearly headed for the nearest exit. You were about to turn away, and tell Hulk to head left when you stopped with a jolt. There was a familiar face in that crowd desperately groping for safety. Very familiar, indeed.

"Hold her," you shouted at Hulk, pointing to the woman, "the blonde in blue, don't let her by!"

A brief look of confusion passed over the Hulk's face as he took in your sudden tone of insistence and anger, but quickly followed your arm to where you were pointing, and snatched up the traitorous servant girl who had betrayed you to the Grandmaster. Everyone swiftly made their way to the other side of the hall to avoid the rest of the stampede.

Once safely out of the way you looked up to see the Hulk clutching a very tearful and very panicked young girl around the waist with his obscenely large green hand. It was almost comical. Still, back-stabber or not, you didn't want the poor girl to be crushed to death or pass out before you could question her, so you quickly motioned for him to set her down.

Before her feet could touch the ground you snatched a handful of her long silky hair and gripping it fiercely whirled her up against the wall. She was so stunned she simply sank to her knees, sobbing and pleading incoherently. She stopped as you suddenly raised your sword to her, at eye level she looked fearfully at the cold steel and then she looked up at you and cried, "Please, please don't! I'm sorry, please, please.."

You starred down at her and felt the hot rage wash over you, remembering her betrayal and the cruel assault that followed. Part of you wanted nothing more than to cut her down right here in this hallway, but there was a bigger part of you that knew the kind of life she had endured and the desperation that kind of life will nurture. Yes we are all responsible for our choices and surely she had made the wrong one, but we are all driven to survive too.

You knew right away you would exercise mercy and not only spare her life but re-frame from extracting unnecessary revenge under what were already harsh circumstances. You were better than that, but first, you would get the information you needed from her. With a steady voice, you finally asked, "Where is he? You know where he is, just tell me and I'll let you go."

"I don't know! I swear I do-," before she could finish you swiftly flipped your sword around and brought the handle down on her face in a short but powerful jab.  There was more shrieking and babbling as blood promptly began to pour from her nose, running down her chest, soaking the front of her dress. 'well, nobody's perfect,' you thought to yourself. 

Calmly you knelt down and pointed the blade back in her face, "Let's try this again, where is he?"

"I'm not sure- we were in the throne room, preparing for tonight's celebration.  They both burst through the doors so suddenly.  They were screaming and fighting with each other.  Guards came rushing in and started fighting too.  It was pandemonium.  We all just ran! They were still in there when I looked back and.."

You dropped your sword as you stood up leaving the girl on floor still muttering and motioned for Hulk and the others to follow you down the hallway leading to the thrown room, and hopefully to your beloved.

Hulk lead the cavalry down the corridor, roaring like a Titan in battle.  There were rebels everywhere engaged in there own forms of liberation.  They fought ruthlessly with guards and nobles, but when they saw the direction your small brigade was headed they immediately abandoned their task and joined your troop, knowing that your mission was the only one that really mattered. Whatever it cost; the Grandmaster must be defeated.

Finally the top frame of the bright red throne room doors came into view, but you could see little with the bulky forms of the rebels running in front of you.  What you could see were brief flashes of green through their shuffling movements and it filled you with a profound sense of reassurance knowing you had such a formidable warrior on your side.

You were very close when abruptly the men in front of you stopped and raised their swords.  You peered cautiously around them and both your heart and sword dropped as you saw 20-30 of the Grandmaster's guards stationed in front of the entrance to the throne room.  You were clearly out numbered, but you were quite sure given his size and strength the Hulk could easily take on two thirds of these men.  Still, it wouldn't be easy. The Hulk was looking back now, scanning the faces in his army before resting firmly on yours, he started impatiently motioning for you to join him.

As you made your way to the front, the familiarity of the room jarred your memory and you suddenly remembered something very important.  Something, you hoped, that might help.

You pushed past the final line of rebels, all ready for the Hulks signal to charge the grandmasters guards. He turned and opened his mouth to say something but you insistently cut him off with a wave, "I know another way into the throne room! There's an access door on the floor above us, the Grandmasters entertainers use it during performances."

"Good, Hulk can't keep you safe here. Go up and wait for my signal. My friend go with you," he finished, pointing to a creature standing beside him. He was a large fellow, wearing only tattered brown slacks and a large machine gun of some kind. You couldn't be sure but, it almost appeared this bloke was entirely made out of rocks as well.

"Ello, I'm Korg," he confirmed with a sweet smile and short wave that sent a small cascade of pebbles tumbling down his chest.

You smiled back with a nod and motioned with sword in hand to follow you back through the mass unit from which you had come, but  before leaving you turned back to the Hulk and shouted, "Be careful!"

Hulk grinned warmly down at you and said, "Girl be careful; Hulk smash."

You turned finally and with your new sedimentary friend ran back through the soldiers standing ready for battle. You knew the small alcove that contained the staircase leading to the access door was up ahead but you couldn't exactly remember where. You glanced left and right never slowing your sprint but for a moment you felt a small spasm of panic that maybe you had been mistaken; maybe the staircase was in another corridor all together. You had only a fraction of a second to think about it before the dark door frame standing against the white stone walls of the hallway suddenly popped out before you, you almost passed right by it. "There!" You cried out.

You and Korg simultaneously made a hard left and as you started barreling up the stairs you heard the Hulk finally release his berserker battle cry.  You held your breath and sprinting for your life tried to block out the savage ringing of metal and screaming men that followed you up into the dark shaft.