Lost Our Minds |5| The Ascension

Chapter Twenty Five: Ragnarok - It's A Small Universe

Three years later...

Once again wrapped in chains at a sickening height and sharing a cage with a desiccated skeleton, Thor sighed. "Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Oh no! Thor's in a cage. How did this happen?' Well, sometimes you have to get captured just to get a straight answer out of somebody. It's a long story but basically, I'm a bit of a hero.

"See, I spent some time on earth, fought some robots, saved the planet a couple of times. Then I went searching through the cosmos for some magic, colourful Infinity Stone things... didn't find any. That's when I came across a path of death and destruction which led me all the way here into this cage... where I met you." He was talking to the skeleton, which was, he realised, a distressing new habit. "How much longer do you think we'll be here?"

Suddenly there was a loud clunk, followed by the unmistakable sound of metal gears turning. Then there was silence for a moment until the bottom of the cage dropped out and Thor plummeted towards the ground. Finally, before he splattered on the ground like a depressing end to an ice cream, his chains cinched and held him dangling six feet above the floor. He could feel the heat radiating off the ground in the cavern he now found himself in, and he pitied the young woman who lay trussed up on it now, rolling her mismatched eyes.

"Thank God he's stopped monologuing," she sighed, sounding bored and weirdly unbothered by the situation.

A loud, booming voice spoke from behind Thor, making the woman look in its direction. "Thor, son of Odin," it greeted.

She scoffed. "Oh, right, so I don't get a fancy greeting, then? Fuck you."

Thor's chains turned to reveal an eighteen feet tall fire-fleshed demonic skeleton, complete with spiked horns. The Asgardian blinked, recognising the creature. "Surtur! Son... of a bitch, you're still alive! I thought my father killed you, like, half a million years ago."

"I cannot die," Surtur boomed. "Not until I fulfil my destiny and lay waste to your home."

"You know, it's funny you should mention that because I've been having these terrible dreams of late," Thor commented. "Asgard up in flames, falling to ruins, and you, Surtur, are at the centre of all of them."

"Then you have seen Ragnarok, the fall of Asgard. The great prophecy—"

"Hang on. Hang on," Thor interrupted. His chains were turning very slowly, and he now was facing away from Surtur. "I'll be back around shortly. I really feel like we were connecting there."

The blonde woman let her head fall back to hit the ground dully. "Oh God, somebody kill me already."

After a beat, Thor was facing Surtur again. "Okay, so, Ragnarok. Tell me about that. Walk me through it."

"My time has come," Surtur rumbled. "When my crown is reunited with the Eternal Flame, I shall be restored to my full might. I will tower over the mountains and bury my sword deep in Asgard's—"

"Oh, hang on. Give it a second," Thor said, again turning very slowly. "I swear I'm not even moving, it's just doing this on its own. I'm really sorry."

"Hey, how come I don't get spinny chains," the blonde complained. "It's really hot down here and I swear to God if I have to throw out another pair of jeans because people can't even imprison me in style I'll start the end of times myself."

Thor smiled slightly, seeing that together, they were beginning to annoy Surtur. "Okay, let me get this straight. You're going to put your crown into the Eternal Flame, and then you'll suddenly grow as big as a house?"

"A mountain!" Surtur corrected, insulted.

"The Eternal Flame that Odin keeps locked away on Asgard?" Thor checked.