The Before [Prequel- Part 1]

Sakaar

~~~Loki's pov~~~

"Scrapper 142 just brought in a new contender." I heard one of the servants murmur a few feet from where I was standing in the foyer.

I felt sorry for whoever that poor person was... Scrapper 142 wasn't exactly a pleasant woman to be around. She's quite violent.

I sighed sadly as I looked around the walls of the Sakaarian palace. This place both intrigues and frightens me.

Even after being here for three weeks, I still haven't gotten used to the chaos of it all, which is saying a lot coming from me. I usually prefer chaos over anything else, but the only thing I wanted at that moment was for Catherine to be safe in my arms.

After Thor idiotically called for the BiFrost, forcing me away from her, and our sister pushed me out of said BiFrost, I landed here on Sakaar.

This planet is basically a glorified junkyard. Thankfully, it is a glorified junkyard with an odd time paradox which makes my life easier.

One second on Earth translates to a week and a half here, meaning that Catherine has only been injured for about two seconds. It has given me much time to plan my escape and gain access codes to a ship so that I can leave this place and get back to her.

Don't get me wrong, if I could teleport off this planet, I would. But the strange atmosphere of this place won't permit me to. My best chance of getting back to Catherine before she bled out was to fly above whatever was blocking my teleportation and teleport back to her as soon as I did.

As I continued to ponder my escape from this place, the foyer suddenly filled with people. Wealthy nobles and servants alike.

The Grandmaster must be presenting his new contender for the Contest of Champions.

The Contest is a series of fights between prisoners that the Grandmaster keeps in a dungeon far away from here. I'm not sure where exactly. All I knew was that the Grandmaster's Champion was terrifying.

I had never seen him in person before, but the stories I had heard were enough to make my stomach churn. No one has ever survived a fight with him. No one.

I was lucky enough not to be considered as a possible contender. When I landed here, the people and Grandmaster saw my battle armor, assumed I was someone important, and let me basically do whatever I wanted.

The rules here are odd...

Was I going to admit to who I was? Of course not. Do you know how many enemies I have made over the course of the last thousand years?

I explained that I was a traveler that got lost on the way back to Asgard and the Grandmaster let me stay in his palace. His one condition? That I put in a good word for him with Odin.

Apparently, he had failed to gain the Allfather's favor last they spoke, and he wanted me to rectify that.

What he doesn't know is that Odin is long dead.

Let's just hope he doesn't figure that part out.

The room was now extremely crowded and I could barely hear myself think over all the noise.

From what I could see from my spot in the room, the Grandmaster was introducing himself to the new fighter Scrapper 142 brought in. I still couldn't see who it was though, as the chair they were stuck in was faced away from me.

That was until...

"Loki. Loki!"

My eyes quickly snapped up and I saw Thor.

That oaf had gotten himself captured. Of course. Why wouldn't he?!

"Over here!" He called over to me, a grin on his face.

He's going to blow my cower.

I quickly walked over to him, the large crowd blocking me from the Grandmaster's view at the moment.

"You're alive!"

"Yes, of course, I'm alive." I furrowed my brows at his odd question. How long has he known me for? "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm stuck in this stupid chair. Where's your chair?" He continued to struggle with the restraints that kept him in place.

"I didn't get a chair." I said, believing this was better than saying, 'I didn't get a chair because I decided to be smart and not announce my identity the second I landed here, as I am sure you did.'

"Get me out of this one."

"I can't."

"Get me out."

"I can't."

"What? Why?"

Because I don't feel like getting executed today.

"I've made friends with this man. He's called the Grandmaster." I explained, looking around anxiously, afraid the man would spot me.

"Oh, he's crazy."

He's not wrong.

"Well, I've gained his favor." I shrugged. "The BiFrost brought me out here weeks ago."

"Weeks ago?"

"Yes."

"I just got here."

Yes, congratulations Thor, on stating the obvious.

"What are you whispering about?"

My heart jumped inside my chest as I turned and saw the Grandmaster standing there.

Where did he come from?!

"So, you know this, uh, you call yourself Lord of Thunder?" He gestured to Thor.

"God of Thunder." My brother insisted. "Tell him."

"I've never met this man in my life." I chuckled, shaking my head.

Sorry, Thor.

"He's my brother!"

"Adopted."

"Is he any kind of fighter?" The Grandmaster asked me, but Thor answered for himself.

"You take this thing out of my neck and I'll show you." He glared at the man.

"Now, listen to that. He's threatening me." The Grandmaster laughed. "Hey, Sparkles, here's the deal. If you wanna get back to Ass-place... Assberg..."

"Asgard!"

"Any contender who defeats my champion, their freedom they shall win."

"Fine. Then point me in the direction of whoever's ass I have to kick!" I could tell Thor wanted to stop Hela as soon as possible. But that was going to take a while.

"That's what I call a contender!" The Grandmaster smiled. "Direction would be this way, Lord." He then pressed a button that made Thor's chair move from the room and out into the hallway.

That was.......interesting.....

But now, before I get a chance to leave this place, I have to make sure Thor has a way off too... This just got much more complicated.