Asgardian Twilight

Forming the Team

Thor slowed his movement to a walk as he approached 142, Bruce trailing just behind him. "Whatever you're doing here, I don't have time for it," Thor growled. "Dean is going to be executed-"

"Yes, I know!" 142 sighed. "Listen, I thought about what you said." She paused, her gaze seeming to glaze over as she recalled memories. She shook her head and looked back at Thor. "Dean and your brother are being held at the amphitheater. If we work together we stand a better chance of freeing them."

Thor and Bruce picked up the pace as 142 turned and began to run, calling for them to follow her. As they moved away from the landfill and back into the city, the distant sounds of mayhem could be heard. Ignoring this, Thor looked over at 142. "Why? Why are you helping me now?"

142 shook her head and smiled. "I guess you touched a nerve. Look, I've spent years in a haze trying to forget my past. Sakaar seemed like the best place to drink and forget and to die one day."

They had just arrived at the road that led directly into the amphitheater where the sounds of roaring animals and shrieking men grew louder.

"I was thinking that you drink too much, and that probably was going to kill you," Thor grunted as he grabbed Bruce and leaped over the wall and landed on the other side.

142 landed beside him and the three of them took in the sight of a large quanity of creatures attacking the Grandmaster's guards. "I don't plan to stop drinking, but I don't want to forget," she continued as she gestured for them to follow her along the perimeter and toward what appeared to be a collection of cells in a corridor just off of the open area. "I can't turn away anymore. So, if I'm gonna to die, well... it may as well be driving my sword through the heart of that murderous hag."

"Good," Thor said. "Because that's what my plan involves."

Bruce tugged at Thor's arm and stood on the tips of his toes to whisper in his ear. "What are those markings on her eyes? Are those for the people she's killed."

142 shook her head and laughed. "Who is this guy?"

"Who? Me? I'm Bruce."

142 eyed his suspiciously. "I feel like I know you."

Suddenly a row of armed guards ran at them from the opposite end of the corridor. 142 jumped forward and quickly began handling them on her own, her blade flashing as it bore into her enemies.

"Is that a Dragonfang?" Thor asked excitedly as he threw himself into the fray, his fists connecting with various soldiers, knocking them senseless with ease. He kept an eye on the sword in her hands all the while. The weapon was the famed weapon of the Valkyries.

"Yes," 142 confirmed. "So, I want to  be on the team, whatever it is your calling it," she grunted as she kicked one of the enemies in the chest, sending him flying backward and into Thor's waiting fist. "Has it got a name?"

Thor smiled. "Yeah, it's called the Revengers."

142 raised an eyebrow. "Revengers?"

Thor shrugged. "It's as good a name as any. Because I'm getting revenge. You're getting revenge. Do you want revenge?"

Before Bruce could answer the question, Loki bounded down the corridor. Thor reached for a discarded, half-full bottle on the ground and quickly tossed it, hitting Loki in the head.

"Excuse me?" Loki glowered as liquor dripped down his hair.

Thor shrugged. "Can't be too careful with you."

Loki made a show of wiping the liquor from his hair. "Well, perhaps you shouldn't throw things at me, considering I come bearing a gift."

Thor's eyes widened as Lockjaw suddenly rounded the corner with Dean laying draped over his back. All was momentarily forgotten as Thor lunged forward and pulled Dean off of Lockjaw and held him close. He watched as Dean's chest rose and fell.

"He's quite safe, I assure you. His obedience disc was activated just after he subdued the Grandmaster."

Thor looked up at him. "He subdued the Grandmaster?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes, that's what I said."

"And what of this out of control zoo?" Thor asked with a proud smile.

Loki looked over at Lockjaw. "That is apparently this one's doing."

Thor reached over and patted Lockjaw. "Nice work."

"We should get out of this area, now," Bruce cautioned as he watched both sides of the corridor for more enemies.

"I can't say I disagree with that," Loki said before turning to 142. "Lead the way?"

"So, last time I saw you, you were trying to kill everybody. Where are you at these days?" Bruce asked in a cautious voice as he sat in a chair in 142's sparsely-furnished apartment. That wasn't entirely true- she'd certainly done a fair job of decorating her abode with liquor bottles.

Loki leaned against the wall, his arms folded over his chest. "It varies from moment to moment."

Bruce shook his head, then turned to the others. 142 was sharpening her sword while Lockjaw lay at her feet and watched. Thor held Dean close to his chest like a sleeping baby. "When do you think he'll wake up?" Bruce asked.

"Hopefully soon," Thor said. "But it doesn't matter right now. He's safe. That's what counts."

When they'd gotten safely to 142's apartment, she'd quickly removed his and Loki's obedience discs.

"So if we're looking to get to Asgard it's going to take some time," 142 explained. "Our best bet is a wormhole just outside the city limits. We can go through it, refuel on Xandar and be back in Asgard in around 18 months."

Thor shook his head and walked over to the window. He indicated a massive, chaotic wormhole in the distance. "We're going through that one."

The others stared up at the wormhole, taking in the sight of the swirling, tumultuous tornado it formed.

"The Devil's Anus?" 142 asked, surprised by Thor's choice.

"Er...yes?" Thor replied, amused by the title.

"That looks like a collapsing neutron star inside of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge," Bruce remarked.

142 shook her head. "Then we'll need another ship. That would tear mine to pieces.

Thor nodded. "She's right. We need one that can withstand the geodetic strain from the singularity."

"And has an offline power steering system that could also function without the on-board computer," Bruce chimed in.

Loki cleared his throat. "I don't mean to impose, but the Grandmaster has a great many ships. I may have stolen the access codes to his security system. And in exchange for codes and access to a ship I'm asking for safe passage...through the anus."

Thor regarded his brother with suspicion, his mind already working in overdrive to suss out deception before it could present itself. "So that is why you secured Dean. For leverage."

Loki clenched his teeth. "Do you want my help or not?"

"You're telling us you can get us access into the garage without setting off any alarms?" Thor asked.

Loki rolled his eyes heavenward. "Have you all forgotten who I am? I am nothing if not the ultimate schemer. Of course I stole the access codes and of course I can get is into the garage.

Bruce shook his head. "I don't like it. Trusting him seems like a bad idea. Wasn't long ago he tried to kill us."

"Tried to kill me earlier," 142 said. She smiled indulgently at Loki. "Tried."

Thor nodded. "He has me too. On many occasions." He paused and looked down at Dean's unconscious face. If there was any chance of escape, he had to take it. Because the thought of Dean being stranded on this planet, the thought of leaving Asgard's people to Hela's mercy, was too much to risk.

"Fine," 142 said, sensing that Thor had already made his mind up. "But we'll need to create a diversion."

Thor grinned. "That's going to be easy."