Ragnarok [6]

Fugitives

Chapter 11

To say Bruce was freaking out was an understatement. As Thor and Abi led him through the brightly coloured streets of Sakaar, he was trying, and failing to process the news.

"Oh, shoot." He stopped and sat down on a step.

Abi and Thor shared a look before sitting down either side of him.

"You need to stay calm." Thor said.

"Calm? I'm on an alien planet!" He whisper-shouted at them.

"It's just a planet. You've been on a planet before." Thor said, once again ignoring the look Abi shot at him.

"Yeah, one!"

"Now you've been on two. That's a good thing. It's a new experience." Thor said.

"I've been here for over two weeks and I'm still standing." Abi tried.

"My neurons they're firing faster than my brain can handle the information. The whole thing is totally different this time." Bruce carded his hands through his hair. "In the past, I always felt like the Hulk and I each had a hand on the wheel. But this time, it's like he had the keys to the car and I was locked in the trunk."

"All right, well, you're back now. That's all that matters." Thor said.

"No, it's not what matters. What I'm trying to tell you, is that if I turn into the Hulk again, Banner may never come back." Bruce glanced around. "And we're stranded on a planet that is designed to stress me out."

"We're not stranded." Thor rested his hand on Bruce's shoulder. "I'm going to figure out a way to get the three of us home."

"Thank you." Bruce said.

"Not your home, though. Asgard. My home."

"What?"

"From where we can get home." Abi clarified.

Thor continued. "Listen, my people are in great danger. You, Abi and me, we have to fight this really powerful being, who also happened to be my sister."

"Okay, that is so wrong, on so many levels. I don't want to fight your sister! That's a family issue." Bruce said.

"No. She's an evil being."

"I don't care what she is. I'm not fighting any more beings, I'm sick of it."

"What?"

"I just told you. If I turn into the Hulk, I am never gonna come back again. And you don't care." Bruce accused.

Abi sighed, this was getting them no where.

"No, no. I'm putting together a team." Thor tried. "The Hulk is the fire."

"Wait, you're just using me to get to the Hulk."

"What? No!"

"It's gross. You don't care about me. You're not my friend." Bruce turned his back to Thor.

"No! I don't even like the Hulk. He's all like 'smash, smash, smash! I prefer you."

"Thanks."

"I think," Abi shot Thor another look. "What Thor is trying to say is, that when it comes to fighting evil things, the Hulk is very powerful and useful."

"Who's side are you on?" Bruce turned to look at her. "Banner's powerful and useful, too."

"Is he though?" Thor asked.

"How many PhDs does the Hulk have? Zero. How many PhDs does Banner have? Seven."

"Fine!" Thor conceded. "You don't have to fight anyone."

"Great, glad that's finally sorted. We're exposed here, we need to move." Abi said. "And you, need to cover your face." She grabbed a shall and threw it at Thor's head.

"Do I need a disguise?" Bruce asked.

"Not really."

"I'll be Tony Stark." Bruce pulled out a pair of Tony's sunglasses.

"What?" Thor asked as he draped the shawl over his head.

"Yeah, Tony, an angry lady and a gypsy." Bruce gestured between them all.

"No, no, no. You're not Tony. You're Bruce. Bruce Banner." Thor said.

"Then why did you dress me up like Tony?"

"Because you were naked. Now can we please move!" Abi said. "What are you doing?"

Bruce adjusted the crotch of his trousers. "Tony wears his pants super tight."

"Stop it!"

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you being so weird?" Thor asked.

"I don't know. Maybe the fact that I was trapped for two years inside of a monster made me a little weird." The veins on Bruce's neck turned green and his voice deepened.

"Okay, okay. Calm down. Let's move." Abi started walking, the other two following her.

"Listen, we're gonna go to Asgard and you're not gonna have to think about the Hulk ever again." Thor said.

They rounded a corner and Bruce was immediately hit in the face by a green powder bomb. Bruce spat it out and took of his glasses as a parade of people walked past cheering, carrying very large papier mache Hulk heads and chanting 'Hulk'.

"Oh. This is bad." Thor muttered, pulling the shawl closer around his face. He turned around and both Abi and Bruce had disappeared.

Abi had been swept up in the crowd, losing sight of both Bruce and Thor. She resisted the urge to use her telekinesis, knowing it would just draw attention. She closed her eyes and tried using her telepathy but there was so many people and their thoughts were so loud. Frustrated, she opened her eyes and started looking around. She finally caught sight of Bruce being roared at by a very large creature. She reached him just as Thor appeared and pushed Bruce behind him. But they both looked on in shock as the device in the creatures neck sent it flying to the floor, revealing Valkyrie.

"Hi." Thor smiled.

"Hi."

"I was gonna do that." Thor pointed to the creature.

"Yeah, well, I did it first."

"That's good."

"Is there something going on between those two?" Bruce whispered to Abi.

"I honestly couldn't tell you."

"What are you doing here?" Thor asked, standing in front of Bruce as Valkyrie tried to look at him.

"What are you doing here?" She countered. "I thought you were leaving?"

"I got side-tracked."

"What's with the-" She pointed to the shawl.

"It's my disguise."

"But I can see your face."

"Not when I do this you can't." Thor pulled it over his face. "Your hair looks nice. I like what you did with it. Change it? Washed it maybe?"

Abi rolled her eyes in time with Valkyrie. "Did you want us for something?"

Valkyrie inclined her head to say follow me.