Asgardian Twilight

Hitching a Ride

Loki lay on the floor of the hangar, his body continuing to thrash and convulse from the electrical shock of the obedience disc. Despite the sting of discomfort and the sting of having been tricked by Thor of all people, he had to say that he was impressed. He never would have imagined Thor could be so canny.  Perhaps his time among the mortals wasn't such a bad influence after all. Dean himself had shown he was capable of trickery, a quality Loki had always begrudgingly admired. It also occurred to him that perhaps he had also had something of an influence on Thor.

Still, admiration of Thor's deception would not save him from his current predicament. The alarms were blaring and he was helpless. Any moment now, a squadron of the Grandmaster's guards would find him. His mind began to work in overdrive, concocting all of the possible things he could say to garner favor. Though, he had to admit, the situation was rather bleak.

The remote was terribly close. If he could just make his body move toward it, he might stand some sort of chance.

The elevator directly across from his prone body hummed and the light above the doors flickered, signaling that the elevator car had reached the level he occupied. Loki groaned with pain and despair as the doors slid open.

A group of gladiators emerged from the car, each of them brandishing various forms of weaponry. Loki's spirits lifted. This was a fortuitous turn of events.

One of the warriors, a Kronan, walked forward and pointed at the massive ship just beyond Loki. "There is is. Our ticker out of here." His eyes scanned down to Loki and he scowled. "What is this?"

Loki watched as the Kronan walked up to him and knelt beside him. He observed Loki's convulsing body, then looked just across from him to see the remote laying there. He reached out and picked it up, de-powering the disc.

"There you go," the Kronan said. "Better?"

Loki rose to his feet and dusted himself off. "Much. Thank you." He looked at the collection of warriors as they moved in and surrounded him. His crafty mind began to quickly maneuver a scheme. "I have to thank you for your generosity. I had thought Sakaar had stamped out all of the goodness in its denizens. I am grateful to you."

The Kronan shrugged his shoulders. "No one should suffer those obedience discs."

"Indeed," Loki said. "I would venture to say that none should have to suffer this planet, either."

The Kronan smiled broadly. "I am Korg. My friends and I were just about to hijack that massive ship behind you. Would you like to join us?"

Loki smiled gratefully. "I would be in your debt."

As they boarded the ship, Loki began to scheme all of the places he could go. He was free. Yet, despite the liberation, he found that his conscience, a frequently unused part of his psyche, was flaring up.

Asgard. All he could think about now that he had the opportunity to get away was going to Asgard and helping his brother. Though he knew he wasn't Asgardian, that world and the people were his world and his people all the same.

"Blast it," he whispered to himself before turning to the Kronan. "How would you like to help free another world that has been enslaved?"

The Kronan looked to his friends, all of whom appeared to be spoiling for a fight. "We would be happy to lend our services."

Loki smiled. Perhaps Thor had influenced him too.