Long And Lost (Book II)

Ch.16: No more dreaming of the dead

Thor hadn't spent half a day in Sakaar and already he has been attacked, shot at, electrocuted, microwaved, tortured and sold as a slave.
His father was dead, his hammer destroyed. Asgard was under the control of his evil sister and he was stuck on this planet on the edge of the universe. At least Loki was alive, but right now he doubted he could be of any help.

He knelt in the cell, facing the wall. He thought of his parents. He had lost them both in such a short time. Frigga's death was still fresh and painful, no matter how beautiful her ceremony was, her death was untimely. His father at least had chosen to go on his own terms, but he had been away from home.

"Odin..." Thor started, doing the only thing he could do at the moment to honor his father's memory and to bring some relief to himself. "I bid you take your place in the halls of Valhalla... Where the brave shall live forever. Nor shall we mourn but rejoice," he breathed out. "...for those that have died the glorious death."

"...for those that have died the glorious death." Loki finished the prayer with his brother.

Thor turned around and sat against the wall, staring daggers at Loki.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Loki said. "Being lied to. Being told you're one thing and then learning it's all a fiction."

Thor picked up some of the stones that littered the floor and threw them at his brother. They went right through. It made Thor rolls his eyes. Loki groaned.

"You didn't think I'd really come and see you, did you? This place is disgusting."

Thor still said nothing, and kept throwing stones to a less than amused Loki.

"Does this mean you don't want my help?" Loki taunted him. "Look, I couldn't jeopardize my position with Grandmaster, it took me time to win his trust. He's a lunatic, but he can be amenable." Loki put his hands behind his back and studied Thor. He knew Thor wanted to go back, and whether he liked it or not, he also had to go. "I know you're thinking of going back." Thor looked at Loki curiously this time. "I'm just trying to make sure you understand what it is we're up against here: Our sister destroyed your hammer like a piece of glass. That makes her stronger than both of us. As you are, you don't stand a chance. Do you understand what I'm saying to you? You aren't in a position of kicking your way back."

Thor just scowled. Maybe he does understand what Loki is saying, but plotting and scheming weren't things Thor was inclined to do in any situation.

"Fine." Loki said, sort of defeated. "If we are going back to Asgard--"

"You want to go back?" Thor finally spoke. Loki just raised an eyebrow. "After all you did?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let me see... You faked your own death, you stole the throne, stripped Odin of his power, stranded him on Earth to die, releasing the Goddess of Death." Thor said. "Have I said enough, or do you do you want me to go further back than the past two days?" He buffed. "All of this is your fault, as usual."

Loki's eyes burned. For once, he wished he was in that disgusting cell, just to punch Thor in the face. Thor stared coldly at him.

"Of course you'd say that." Loki said, composing himself. "Anyway... I've tried to find out about this champion you're supposed to fight. But the only information I've gathered is that he is massive, deadly and savage. Do me a favor and don't die."

Thor hurled a particularly big stone at Loki's head. The illusion disappeared as the rock sank on the opposite wall.

"You do have anger management issues."