Tally Marks

Chapter 10 - Unsanctioned Combat

"Are you sure you want to proceed this way?" Natasha asked Clint as they stood together in the room he had been given for the trip.  "They said no fighting outside the arena.  You'll get us both disqualified at the least."

"As if you care about fighting in this stupid Russell Crowe Gladiator remake.  I don't want to believe either you or Steve is right about this, but I can't confirm it unless I see the man for myself.  And I'm not waiting for the arena to do that," Clint responded.  He checked one of his guns before he concealed it beneath his jacket.  Guns were not his normal long range weapon, but Loptr would see him coming a mile away if he brought his bow; so he had to settle for the pistol.  Natasha had a gun as well, and between them, they had eight knives.  This was not a mission to kill; this was tactical assessment that was going to involve violence.

Loptr was allowed to appear at the banquet that night.  Two astounding victories in a row meant that the Grandmaster had to show him off.  The other contenders and their realms sponsors all kept a distance from him and watched him with suspicion.  He did not mind.  He saw the captain from Midgard standing with the doctor from Midgard.  The captain saw him and made an attempt to approach, but the warrior skirted around him and a group of other people before he left the banquet hall entirely.  He caught a glimpse of Brunhilde, but he knew better than to talk to her.  They were supposed to only be together when the Grandmaster said so; although Loptr knew that Topaz suspected that they were together anyway.  He was not about to put his needs over Valkyrie's safety.  

Loptr was walking down the hallway when he felt someone approaching from behind the columns.  He could not really explain it, but he sensed their mal-intent.  Loptr spun around and brought his forearm up in time to stop a knife from penetrating the back of his head.  Clint was surprised.  The man did not seem to notice or care that there was a blade protruding from his arm.  Instead, he grabbed hold of Clint's wrist and used him as a shield against Natasha, who came from the opposite direction.  It was only her quick reflexes that kept her from seriously hurting her partner.  However, she did knee Clint quite hard in the side and bruise several of his ribs.  Loptr flung them both away and looked at the knife, finally drawing it from his arm and studying the blood on it.  "Was this meant to kill me?" he asked quietly.

"Not necessarily," Natasha answered as she drew a baton and came in.  Loptr twirled out of the way, finding himself in a deadly dance with the two assassins.  On one side, he had Natasha with her metal baton.  On the other, he had Clint with another blade.  Up close, Clint could see the resemblance to Loki, and it was starting to infuriate him.  The nose, cheekbones, and lips were the same.  The eyes might be red and the hair white, but he could easily see the rapist of his mind in that man.

"You bastard!  Do you have any idea what you've done to me?!" he yelled.  By this time, they had an audience, but nobody seemed interested in stopping them.  The Einherjar had merely formed a protective circle around the combatants, keeping the audience at bay.  When the other Avengers saw what their friends were doing, they panicked.  

"What are they doing?!  This is insane!" Bruce exclaimed before he felt Tony pull him away.

"Deep breaths, big guy.  Don't want you Hulking out on us here," the genius whispered as he led the scientist away.  Steve turned to the Grandmaster, determined to soothe him over to lessen the consequences for Clint and Natasha.  

"They'll withdraw from the tournament.  This is disgraceful behavior and I'm very sorry for this," Captain America said to En Dwi Gast.  

"By all means, have them pull out of the championship.  They wouldn't have won anyway," En Dwi Gast responded before he turned to Topaz and Brunhilde.  "Bring him to me when he's finished with them," he whispered to Topaz.  He lightly touched Valkyrie's hand before he walked away.  She was not paying attention to him.  She was focused on her lover engaged in a visceral battle with two Midgardians.  Valkyrie saw the way Loptr was fighting and knew that he had emotionally distanced himself from the fight; detached himself from any feelings whatsoever.  He would kill them if she did not stop him!  Valkyrie was about to step forward when Natasha landed a blow to Loptr's head, turning it to the side.  That was when Clint slashed at his side, tearing through the leather material of his bodysuit.  Loptr dropped down and slid his leg out, tripping Natasha, but Clint was able to avoid it.  Clint attacked again, this time using his free hand to get a grip in the gash he had made in Loptr's suit.  Loptr pulled away and it tore, revealing the pale expanse of his side but that was not all everyone saw.  Clint froze when he beheld the intricate little scars that covered every inch of skin that was visible.  They looked like they were tally marks in row, after row, after row.  They marred the fair skin like ugly little mountain ranges.  The cuts were neat and healed neat, but they would always be there.  

Clint was so wrapped up in the sight that he completely missed Loptr coming towards him with the knife.   "Stop!" cried a voice and Valkyrie got in between Loptr and Barton.  The blade was a mere two inches away from piercing her side instead of Clint's.  The distant look in Loptr's eyes vanished and he looked like he was going to shout at Valkyrie for what she did.  His lips became a thin line and his eyes narrowed.  "The Grandmaster wants to speak with you," was all Brunhilde said.  Loptr pulled away immediately, his eyes solely focused on Brunhilde.  He flipped the knife in his hand, giving it back to Clint Barton hilt first.  The archer was visibly stunned by the gesture, but accepted the weapon back.  Loptr then turned on his heel and followed Valkyrie away.  Clint glanced at everyone with a puzzled expression on his face.  Thor opened his mouth to say something, but Odin beat him to it.

"Both you and the Black Widow are disqualified from the tournament," the All-Father stated.