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Chapter Seventy-Two: The Devil's What?

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The door slid open with an echoing clang, and I shot up from the couch, to see Thor, Bruce, and Brunnhilde.

"Surprise," Loki's voice pulled my attention to the other side of the room, where he was sitting quietly bound in chains on his stool. He hadn't woken me, despite that he himself had woken up. I didn't know how to feel about the fact that he'd seen me sleeping. Hopefully I hadn't snored.

Thor picked up a can, his eyes locked on Loki as he tossed it at his brother's head, skeptically. He hadn't even noticed me there.

"Ow." Loki only glared.

"Just had to be sure," Thor frowned at his brother, as Brunnhilde strode passed me to the opposite side of the room. Thor followed her with his eyes, and that was when he finally saw me. Hi expression peeled back into surprise.

"Alivia," he spluttered, stumbling over what I assumed was an apology and several excuses, all of them bad.

"Surprise," I repeated Loki's words with a flat smile, pushing myself up to stand.

Bruce's head swivelled in my direction, and he smiled nervously. I slanted my eyes and strode toward him, slamming the length of my forearm into his chest, and shoving him violently against the wall.

"Alivia," he said nervously, and I could feel his heart accelerate, "Nice to see you too."

"You better have the excuse of the century," I said lowly, leaning in with a scowl, "For leaving her."

I turned my attention to Thor, "As for you," I said, dropping Bruce and jabbing my finger at Thor, "Tell me you weren't planning on stranding me on an alien planet."

"Look," Thor said, putting some distance between us, "Asgard is in danger and I didn't have time—"

"For me?"

Thor looked around nervously. "Alivia, there's something you need to know."

"There's nothing I care to know from you," I said bitterly, dropping my hand, and waltzing toward Brunnhilde. I glanced briefly at her. Before turning, my eyes on Loki. "She knew my mother. My mother fought with her as—"

"As a Valkyrie," Loki finished with a soft smile. "I tried to tell you. That ring you gave me, it has a sigil that is identical to a Valkyrie blade kept in Asgard's vaults. I knew the moment I saw it."

A small smile curled at my lips, and I couldn't help but to glance at Thor. He wore a nervous smile. "I am happy for you, my friend. Truly. And know that I would not have stranded you here. I would have come back for you."

"Why leave me at all?" I asked quietly.

Loki and Thor exchanged nervous glances, and as Thor opened his mouth to say something, Loki gave him a look of warning, shaking his head slowly. I frowned. "What?"

Thor sighed, locking eyes with me. "We couldn't risk being discovered by the Grand Master coming back for you. Asgard needs us. Now."

I nodded my head, trying to let myself believe that his words were true. That he would have come back for me.

I swiveled my attention to Bruce, who'd barely made it three steps inside. His attention was focused on Loki, who only smiled darkly at him. "Hello, Bruce," Loki greeted him in a deep voice. No doubt trying to scare him. But I knew that Loki would most definetely be wearing the same expression Bruce wore now, were Bruce taller, greener, and much angrier.