Asgardian Twilight

Recovery and Realization

The first sensation to greet Thor was not pain. His Asgardian physiology took great care of that following his battle with Hulk. In fact, the pain had transitioned to that of a dull, throbbing ache that was receding by the second. The nurses who tended to his body found that there wasn't much to tend to. The cuts had healed, the bruises had faded.

Dean.

Thor could feel his mind becoming more clear, and Dean was at the center of things. In the wake of loss and trauma, he yearned for Dean's touch. That yearning became a fear for Dean's safety, for it was very clear that the Fair One was a prisoner like him, though a different kind. Anger appeared now. The thought of another touching Dean's flesh, using him- it infuriated Thor.

He bolted upright and the nurses stumbled backward in the midst of tending to dressings on his bare chest and abdomen. He began to stand up as they retreated, unaware of their lingering glances at his powerful, naked upper body.

"Come on, Percipia!" One of the nurses grumbled as she grabbed the girl's hand.

"Just one more glance!" Percipia implored, her eyes raking across Thor's magnificent upper body before she was tugged out of the room.

Where am I? he asked himself as he looked at his surroundings. It certainly wasn't Valhalla, that much he knew. No, he was still on Sakaar. He looked around at the strange room. Red and white panels of color adorned the walls, floor and ceiling and a massive window dominated the far wall, displaying the skyline of Sakaar. As he walked about, he could feel the pain being replaced with increasing vigor. He looked at the distant bed, massive and adorned with the skull of a massive creature.

Splashing in a dark corner of the room alerted him to the presence of another in the large room. He looked into the steaming shadows and watched as Hulk's head and shoulders emerged from within a hot tub. Relaxed and at ease, Hulk conveyed no anger. This was a new sight for Thor, for Hulk was always angry until he was Banner.

"Are we cool?" Thor asked as he held his hands up in a display of peace.

Hulk simply grunted and leaned back in the tub.

Thor shook his head. "Hulk in a hot tub. How long have you been like that?"

Hulk scowled, confused by his words. "Like what?"

Thor gestured toward Hulk. "Like this.     Big, green...stupid."

Hulk huffed. "Hulk always Hulk."

Not having the desire to argue over trivial matters, Thor simply accepted this and walked toward the window. He looked out into the distance and shook his head. He watched as ships traversed the skies and took in the sight of one ship emerging from a distant wormhole as another disappeared within it.

That's it, he thought. If I can get into one of those wormholes. But which one?

"How'd you get here?" he asked as he looked over his shoulder at Hulk.

Hulk laughed. "Winning!" he offered.

Thor laughed in return. Though he didn't care to argue and waste his time, the proud warrior in him found this irresistible. "You mean by cheating? Were your opponents wearing one of these obedience discs when you won?" he asked as he pointed at the damned device still embedded on his skin. "How'd you arrive here?" he asked, rephrasing his words.

"Quinjet," Hulk replied as if it were the simplest thing in the world. He then mimed a plane landing in water.

Thor grinned broadly. "Yes! Where is the Quinjet now, Hulk?"

Hulk stood up in the water, his naked body greeting Thor's sight. Thor rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. "That's naked. He's very naked. It's in my brain now."