A Second Chance // Thorki

Chapter Thirty Six

"This planet can't be the new Asgard."

The statement was simple, but heavy. The room was silent around him.

Heimdall seemed to almost nod in agreement, and Valkyrie simply looked confused. Bruce didn't even look up, knowing exactly why Thor had shared those words, fiddling with some small metal part in his hands.

"Why? You seemed so sure that this would be the right place, what changed your mind?" Brunnhilde almost sounded a bit sad, leaning against the throne with her arms crossed, looking down at the empty chair, before looking back up to the king who stood before them. "You do realize this could be one of our last possible places to go? Why throw that away?"

Thor didn't respond, not immediately, at least, eye shifted down to the ground, heart thumping in his chest. He almost looked /nervous/.

Bruce was the first to speak, after Valkyrie's strong words.

"There was... a negative reaction, from one of the... the citizens. We suspect it was the pollen we carried on board, after being stranded..." Bruce uttered, obviously hesitant at first, though soon enough the words came easy. Thor looked to him with rather relieved smile, giving him a gentle nod, almost encouraging him. Banner continued, "Even if it was just one person, it could mean that after a longer duration of exposure to the pollen and various microbes of the planet, it could have lasting effects on everyone, and not good ones."

Heimdall offered a small smile. "I'm very glad you were able to make such a difficult decision, your highness. Now, let us hope it is for the best. If we can't find a reliable food source soon, we won't be able to survive much longer without drastic measures being taken."

"Why don't we just stop somewhere and trade for food?"

"What do we have to trade?"

There was a silence, a long one. Truly, they had nothing. They were a refugee ship, with nothing of value.

"Who was effected, anyway? I don't remember anyone in the sick bay other than Loki and a few with- oh."

Another silence. Thor felt sick to his stomach.

Bruce spoke for him once again, and god, was Thor ever so glad. "If Loki experienced such a... a crazy reaction to the pollen, then who knows what long term reactions the rest of the population my experience? I mean-" he took a pause to gather his thoughts and steady himself, before he continued, "I have environmental allergies, when it comes to the pollen on m...Myde guard?"

"Midgard," Thor whispered to him.

"I have environmental allergies to the pollen on earth, and that's after hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, adapting to the environment around us... We have no idea what the reactions could be to the pollen on this planet. Sure, Loki's so far the only one to have anything actually happen to so far, but we don't know what longterm affects could be for the general population. For all we know, the pollen could cause serious issues like an increase in cancers, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal issues and even damage to the central nervous system.... after seeing such a dangerous result after just a day or so of contact, Loki might have lasting issues that we can't even begin to fathom."

Another drawn out silence, only broken by a familiar voice that seemingly came from the empty throne. "As much as my health matters, this planet could be our last hope."

Every head turned to the voice, Brunnhilde jumping back from the throne, weapon out and aimed towards the vacant space.

"Loki?"

When he did finally materialize, he looked absolutely ghastly. He hadn't bothered building up a facade, and it showed. His skin was ashen and pale and his cheeks hollow, the circles under his eyes dark and prominent. His hair was a mess, tied back into a low-effort bun, his clothes looser than usual to hide just how thin he'd become, his outfit entirely composed of black. He knelt on the throne, leaning on his hand, resting on the back of it.

"Asgard is in danger, and that matters far more than me." Loki gave a slow sigh, avoiding meeting any of the eyes that were locked on him. "It's our only chance, is it not?"

Another silence, long, uncomfortable.

"Earth."

"We can't go to earth," Thor practically laughed, looking between the men and women in the room with him, eyes lingering on Loki's pale frame just a second longer, "Midgard won't... it can't just let us fly down and start a new civilization... can it?"

"You'd probably have to, uh... assimilate, into M... Midgardian society," Bruce spoke soft, hesitantly, as if he was walking on eggshells, just waiting for someone to snap at him. "Or, we could probably find an... an uninhabited island somewhere, and make it a new Asgard. With your technology, I'm sure that you could regulate the temperature and all that, and protect it from the outside world."

"Do you think we'd be able to... to live in peace, there?"

"It... it could be possible, but it wouldn't be without risk."

They lapsed into silence once again, and Thor closed his eye, pressing a hand to his face. Oh, what a decision he had.

Asgard had... what, twenty days of food left? No, far less than that. And as it was, they were starving themselves. Thor has lost a significant amount of weight, giving most of his meals to Loki, who definitely needed them while he was still recovering. The Trickster had always been thin in nature- when he was on sakaar, he'd gained weight, packing on more muscle than he thought he ever could, but after everything that had happened... he was practically skeletal, and only just now recovering, starting to gain back some muscle and fat. His skin no longer cling to his ribs, his collar, and his hips. He was filling out, and god, was that a beautiful thing to see. However slow, he was recovering. And there was a light at the end of the tunnel once again.

Thor was snapped out of his thoughts when invisible hands wrapped around his chest, gentle arms caressing him as the jotun hugged him from behind, the cool press of his body on Thor's the most comforting thing the king was sure he'd ever felt.

He relaxed then, looking up at the people in the room, offering a soft, careful smile. "We'll consult the people, and... we'll see. Let's bring the throne back to its original place, and... we'll see."