Hey guys, sorry this is so late. I really have no excuse to be honest. I have been working all summer and I was on vacation, but I just didn't have motivation for a while to finish the chapter.
Thankfully I finally got to it last night.
Also real quick, I found a glaring mistake in chapter 6 that I went back and fixed which might confuse some of you guys later on, so please, just note that that has been fixed.
Disclaimer: I own nothing other than Eliza and Kayin, everyone else is owned by Disney and Marvel.
I could hear voices speaking nearby. Muffled and garbled, but they were there. Speaking in low tones that I couldn't really understand yet. I tried to move, but everything felt heavy and weighted down. I couldn't see either, but I assumed that was because my eyes were still closed. I struggled to open them, feeling every muscle as I concentrated on the simple task.
When I finally managed to blink open my eyes, I was met with the sight of two figures bent over me. I tried to scuttle out of the way, having been more than a bit surprised by their close presence, but I still couldn't move.
"Oh mate, don't move yet, you're still weak," the one on my right spoke. I tried to focus on who it was, before remembering the giant rock creature, Korg, from earlier. His companion looked like some kind of pill bug in a robotic exoskeleton.
"What...what happened?" I coughed, my throat incredibly dry.
"Oh here ya go," Korg quickly grabbed a metal cup in one of his massive hands and held it out to me, "Good thing that guy convinced the guards to let you have some water."
I gratefully took the cup, hands shaking a bit, and began gulping the contents down.
"Guy? What guy?" I asked between gulps of water.
"Oh the guy that came and helped heal your burns," Korg gestured to my lower body.
I remembered then. The fight, the fire, getting my leather pants basically burned into my flesh. I quickly looked down, expecting it to be much worse than it was. My leather pants had been cut to the knee, and my calves had been wrapped in white bandages. Now that I thought about it, I didn't really feel any pain.
"Who was it?" I asked.
"Tall guy, uh dark hair, I'm trying to- Miek you remember anything else about him?" Korg looked at his pill bug companion. The creature chattered in a language I did not understand in the slightest. "Yeah, he was the ghost from yesterday, talkin' to Thor."
"Yesterday? How long have I been out?!"
"Since the end of the fight. You got zapped and the guards dragged you back here," Korg gestured to my neck as he spoke, "You missed New Doug's fight. He almost beat The Hulk, but then he got zapped too so y'know." Korg shrugged and trailed off.
I slowly managed to shift my body weight into a better position, my muscles screaming at the movements, "So wait, hang on. Loki came in and healed me?" I rubbed at my temples.
"Is that his name?" Korg asked.
I nodded.
"Yeah. He didn't come until the end of New Doug's fight, probably watching of course, and by then your legs were pretty bad," a few of Korg's rocks tumbled off his body as he shifted. "He had the guards bring water and he poured it on your legs. You got magic too or something? 'Cause the water did some weird mojo when it touched your skin, but not enough apparently, 'cause ghost guy had to wave his hands and mutter and then there was some green glowing and yeah, you were healed."
I leaned forward as much as I could and rubbed at the bandages. I felt numb there, but I imagine that was due to the fact I hadn't stood in gods know how long.
"Did he give a reason for healing me?" I unwrapped the bandages as I spoke, curious to see how well Loki's magic had worked.
"No not really," Korg said, "He actually kinda ignored us, didn't he Miek?"
Miek chattered in agreement, his scissor hands opening and closing.
I managed to unwrap the bindings and found normal skin. I rubbed my hand along my calf, feeling nothing but smooth undamaged skin. His magic had done much better than anything I could have done.
"Pretty sure you wouldn't be able to walk if he hadn't come and helped," Korg offered, probably concerned by my lack of speech.
"Nothing I could have done would have fixed it," I muttered as I struggled to stand.
"Whoa, whoa," Korg reached out to catch me as I stumbled forward. He had a surprisingly light touch for a giant rock, "You can't get up yet. You gotta stay sitting, 'ts not good for ya to move."
I eased back against the wall, still standing, "I appreciate the concern Korg, but I still have one little issue."
"And that is?"
"I'm still stuck on this gods-forsaken planet," I chuckled humorously.
"Even if you had won, you'd still be here," Korg said, "But leaving would be nice, ya?"
"You have no idea," I said.
I paused then, looking down the curved corridor both ways, "Where's Thor?"
"Who?"
"New Doug?"
"Oh him," Korg said. "Yeah uh, no one's seen 'im since last night. Not sure, possibly dead."
Right, so one possible ally out of commission. I started pacing the corridor, trying to devise any type of plan to escape. I couldn't imagine that the Grandmaster had my room locked up or given to someone else, he honestly probably didn't care that much about it. If I could get out of here, to my room, grab my stuff and get to a lift I could probably manage to commandeer a ship out of here. I wasn't exactly a world-class pilot, but I was confident enough in my ability to keep one aloft long enough for me to get through the portal that would get me back to Earth.
"She's pacin', must be coming up with a plan," I heard Korg mutter behind me, most likely to Miek. My plan could work of course, I just had to figure out how to get out of here. If I had my obedience disk still on me, I wouldn't be able to get five feet before someone used to it to knock me out again.
"How do we get the obedience disks off?" I looked at Korg.
"How? Oh mate, you can't, not unless someone uses a controller to release it. And no way you'll get your hands on of those anytime soon." Korg shook his head.
"I have no way out of here and no way to get this stupid disk off my neck," I grumbled, "How the hell am I supposed to get out of here?" I kicked the wall, instantly regretting it as I sat down in pain.
"Maybe you should just relax friend," Korg said, "Let's get to know each other better, yeah? So you know I'm Korg, and this is Miek he's-" Korg stopped when Miek released some sort of...eggs? Feces? I wasn't sure and neither did I care because honestly it was a bit gross. Korg started up again, "Is that some sort of protoplasm, all the stuff that's coming out of you? Or are they eggs? Looks like eggs."
I was about to ask him to kindly be quiet when I felt a prick in my neck and something fell. I glanced down quickly finding a little circular disk lying there, useless. My obedience disk. I picked it up staring at it in wonder.
"Okay I'm not against the gods answering my prayers, but uh...what?" I stared at it as the door in front of Korg, Miek and I suddenly slammed open and in walked none other than Valkyrie.
Wait...what?
Korg stood up as she stalked in a massive gun in her hands.
"I'm looking for Korg," she looked directly at the rock, oblivious to the fact that it was him, or that I was there.
"Who's asking? I know you're asking. Is anyone else asking, or is it just you?"
Val threw the gun at him, "The Lord of Thunder sends his best."
Korg hefted the gun, looking around, "The revolution has begun..."
"Val," I piped up, rising to my feet.
She looked at me, clearly shocked by my presence, "Eliza."
I walked up to her, ready to thank her for releasing us, when I felt a stinging pain in my cheek.
"Ow..." I raised a had to my burning cheek. "What the hell Val?!"
"That was for being an idiot and getting yourself arrested and put in the arena! I saw the fight, you almost got killed! I thought you had been killed. Hell I went and got alcohol after because of it, and I met that stupid prince and- you know what, it's not important right now."
"To be fair, getting put in the arena wasn't my idea," I explained.
"I'm sure you did something stupid enough to warrant at least punishment," she grumbled. "You know what, we don't have time for this. If you want to get off this planet, I suggest you join these guys and get out."
I followed her out the door as Korg led the rest out. I briefly noticed the guards were all knocked out, as well as other doors lying open, which presumably meant that there were other holding rings like the one Miek, Korg, and I had been in.
"What about you? Hell, what even brought this on?" I asked as we all hurried down the corridor.
"It's a long story, and hopefully we'll both get out of here and never have to tell it,"
"That doesn't make any-"
"You have a chance at freedom, take it," Val said. "I have to go meet up with Thor, alright? We may never see each other again, so if not. Be safe alright? You weren't nearly as bad as I thought you would be."
"Thanks?" I was pretty sure my face was a mixture of confusion and slight offense. Before I could say anything else, she ran down a different corridor.
"How close are we to the hangar?" I asked Korg as we headed down the hallway followed by the rest.
"Oh I dunno, we're at the bottom of the arena, the hangar is somewhere closer to the entrance. We should be quick about it, don't want to get caught again."
"I'll meet you guys there," I turned towards a lift and ran to it.
"Where you going?"
"I need to grab some things," I said by way of explanation before running into the lift and punching the button for my floor.
"Alright then, stay safe," Korg waved a hand as the doors closed and I lifted up to my floor. I would have to be quick, the Grandmaster was probably already informed of our escape and would send guards after us. Hopefully I wouldn't need to confront anyone, so I needed to be quick.
I ran down the hallway once the lift reached my floor, punching the door open. I ran in relieved to find my room the way I'd left it last. I quickly grabbed a large bag and started throwing things in it. Everything that I had brought with me when I fell: my pencils, my pens, the photograph, my camp necklace where I'd buried it beneath other things, and of course my trident ring. I quickly slipped it over my pointer finger, feeling safer already with my weapon on me. I ran to my closet and grabbed some clothes to change into. It felt good to put my old orange camp shirt back on, even if the words and the symbol of Pegasus had gotten pretty faded over the years. The comfort it brought me would never change, no matter what happened. I slipped on a pair of tights stretchy enough for moving in agilely, and a pair of boots, before running to to stuff a few more things in my pack and brush my short curls out of my face. As soon as I was done I dashed to my door, not once looking back as I flew down the hall and back into the lift. My hand reached out to punch the button for the level that would take me to the hangar when I stopped. I felt my mind wander to Kayin, wondering what would happen to him if Val and I left. He was a friend, or as much as a friend as one could have in a place like this. He'd been so kind and treated me warmly, I couldn't leave without at least a goodbye, and a thank you. I owed him that much. I quickly pressed the button for Kayin's floor, bolting out the door, directly into the room. Thankfully Kayin owns the entire floor, so no running down hallways for me.
"Kayin, are you here?!"
I dashed around the room, looking for him.
"Eliza?" Kayin came bursting through a bead curtain, his eyes filled with concern. "Thank the gods you're alright! I thought you were done for last night!" He grabbed me in a brief hug which I gladly returned. "You were so badly burned I thought-"
"It's a long story," I cut in. "But right not we don't have time for that."
"I'll say," Kayin looked around worriedly. "I assume you know then that the prisoners have escaped."
"Clearly, otherwise I wouldn't be here," I readjusted my bag.
Kayin noticed this right away, "You're leaving?"
"Do you really think the Grandmaster will be at all benevolent if he catches me?"
"Well no of course not but, perhaps we can convince him-"
"Kayin, I have to go home," I said. "I have friends and family, and I've been gone from them too long. I finally have a chance to leave, I am taking it."
"So this is goodbye." Kayin, said after a moment of silent staring. He kept his face neutral as he looked at me.
"I suppose so," I said, smiling sadly. "I...wanted to say goodbye and to thank you for everything you've done for me. You've been a friend to me this whole time, I hope you know that."
He smiled faintly, "I'm happy to hear that," He hugged me. "I will miss having someone to try on my new clothes for me."
I rolled my eyes, "You'll find a girl much better suited for it than I ever was."
"If I get to keep my position." Kayin said.
"What do you mean?"
"...What if the Grandmaster comes looking for you?" Kayin asked, "He knows you and are friends, he may send me to the arena if he thinks I helped you." He looked worried even more. "I won't be able to design anymore." He seemed to think about it. "I have to go into hiding, where they won't find me."
"Kayin, I don't think he'd do that-"
"The man is obsessed with his toys, I'm just higher-end," Kayin smiled sadly. "But if he tires of his toys, you know what he does."
I placed a hand on his arm and squeezed gently, "Kayin I'm so sorry."
"It's not you're fault, Eliza," Kayin said. He glanced around, "But you should go, if you stay much longer you'll be in more danger."
I could hear alarms going off inside and outside in the city. The Grandmaster was on the search for his gladiators. If the other gladiators and I wanted to leave, it had to be now.
"Fly safely," Kayin said, hugging me again. I smiled as I backed away after a moment, looking around the gaudy room and thinking how much I would miss it. All of Kayin's talent, gone to waste now. I turned and headed for the lift before stopping in my tracks.
"Kayin," I said, spinning around.
"Yes?" He was daintily wiping tears away.
"Come with me," I said.
"I'm sorry?"
"Come with me, to Earth! You want to get away from the Grandmaster as much as I do. If you come to Earth he can't reach you."
"But, my clothes, my designs-"
"Can be made on Earth," I said wondering why this was just now coming to me. "Hell, designers are highly respected where I'm from. The number of famous celebrities and the designers attached to them are huge. There's literally a fashion week."
He looked curious, "I could keep designing?"
"Hell yes! I mean it'd take you a while to get started, but trust me when I say your slight eccentricities in designs would be loved back home."
"I'm eccentric?"
"In the best way possible," I grinned. "Come with me Kayin, and I'll even help you get a business started."
He stared at me for a few seconds, then looked around his rooms.
"Alright," he said. "I'll come. But let me grab a quick bag. I can at least bring some fabric with me to get started," He smiled and dashed back through the bead curtain.
"Just be quick!" I grinned.
I fidgeted a bit waiting for him. I knew I couldn't tear Kayin away from grabbing what he wanted, not after promising him a happy life on Earth.
"I'm ready!" Kayin now had a large knapsack thrown over his shoulder, and I could see the edges of a few bolts of fabric peeking out.
"It was hard to choose what to take, but I made it quick." He smiled, joining me as we entered the lift. "I chose my best of course, and grabbed sewing needles and threads, I mean I'm sure Terra has what I need, of course. But at least I have a starting point."
I grinned, quickly hitting the button for the hangar, praying that we wouldn't get caught on our way down. After what felt like an eternity, the lift doors slid open and Kayin and I rushed into the hangar. I searched around for the other gladiators, hoping we hadn't missed them.
Thankfully they hadn't, I saw Korg towering over most of the others, he was so tall.
I grabbed Kayin's wrist and dragged him after me to where the others were standing. They were milling before a massive ship, a cruiser or something and seemed about ready to board.
"Korg," I called out to the rock alien, pushing my way through the throng of freed gladiators.
"Oh, Eliza there you are," Korg waved, "We were getting' worried and-oh hello, who's your friend?"
"Korg, Kayin. Kayin, Korg," I did a quick introduction. "Please tell me we're taking this ship,"
"Oh yeah, just about to get on." Korg nodded, "Hey, so we picked up a new passenger, he'll be hitchin' a ride with us."
"Yes well, giving your band of misfits a leader is the least I can do after you saved me from my brother's...prank,"
I'd heard this smooth voice so many times I was pretty sure I'd developed a fight or flight reflex towards it.
"Loki?!" I looked over my shoulder at the man.
The god in question looked completely at ease, his eyes dancing with the same sense of mischief I'd come to know him by. He had a lazy smile on his face as he sauntered past me to stand between myself and Korg.
"If we want to get out of here before the Grandmaster arrests all of us, we should leave immediately," Loki said, glancing at the large cruiser that was our getaway.
"Yes, we should, but without you," I said. I glanced at Korg, "Don't trust this guy, he's a good for nothing charlatan,"
He had the audacity to look offended, "A charlatan? M'lady I am not a charlatan, I'm more of an...opportunist-"
"Who's almost gotten me killed a few times now and has taken advantage of my drunken state to rifle through my personal things."
"An opportunist who has saved you from being immediately killed by a madman, and who gave you a fighting chance at life. As for the second acquisition, you and I are playing a game. And I've merely been taking advantages where I see them."
I was getting ready to slap him when Kayin piped up, "Can you two please kill each other once the rest of us have gotten on that ship?"
I glanced over my shoulder to look at my friend, his face pinched in worry. I breathed a sigh, trying to release my pent up emotions in a non-violent, calm manner.
"Kayin is right, we should go," I brushed past Loki, "I'll deal with you later."
I heard him chuckle, "I look forward to it."
Most of the other gladiators had boarded the ship by this point. Blowing a lock of hair out of my eyes, I climbed the ramp up into the belly of the ship, followed closely by the other three.
This ship was massive, probably the size of a small cruise ship back on Earth. I would find time to explore later, but at that moment we all headed for the bridge, where most of the activity for takeoff would be.
"Does anyone know how to fly this thing?" I asked.
"Yeah a few of us," Korg said, "But how hard can it be to fly one?"
I snorted at that in amusement, almost toppling over when I felt the ship jerk.
"Oh, here we go," Korg said. "Glad to be finally getting' outta that place."
"Agreed," I sighed, walking across the length of the large room to a tall window looking out. The ship was rising out of the hangar and into the city sky above. We were already high up and I could see the portals in front.
"Head for that one," I gestured to the one leading to the Bermuda Triangle.
"Oh, particular reason?" Korg asked.
"Yeah, that's my home."
"We're not going to Midgard," Loki said.
"Why not?" I looked at him. "None of you have to stay, just drop Kayin and I off and we'll be out of your hair for good."
"My idiot of a brother has taken the valkyrie and the green beast to Asgard," Loki said. "I do not know if he has told you, but our sister Hela has taken over Asgard and cast us out. My brother means to retake our home and save our people. However, the fool decided against getting aide and will most likely fail. We're his reinforcements and we're taking that portal to Asgard." Loki pointed to the massive portal in the center of the sky. "If we were to waste time by taking you to your home, we most likely will not make it back to save anyone. So, you're coming with us."
"Oh, the Anus?" Korg said.
"Anus? Whose anus?" I frowned.
"The Devil's Anus," Korg said, as if that was all the explanation I needed.
Loki sighed, "Yes, the Anus. We'll be taking that to Asgard."
"I didn't sign up for this," I said, "The plan was to leave, go somewhere safe where no one has to fight anymore."
"Plans change," Loki said, "And as leader, I give the commands."
"Oh yeah? And who, pray tell, made you leader?"
Korg coughed off to the side, "Well, he seemed to know what he's doing. Besides, Thor's helped us, I think we can return the favor."
I looked around me. All the other gladiators were nodding along with Korg's words, agreeing with him. Loki, for his part, had his face set in stone, his expression unreadable.
"Are we really doing this?" I asked.
"Aren't you the one who believes in protecting the innocent?" Loki leveled a glare at me, "For all your talk about what happened in New York, and you being a good person, you certainly seem willing to leave an entire race to be annihilated because of your own selfish desires."
I scoffed, "Look, in New York those were my people, humans that needed saving. Asgardians are not my people, I hold no attachment or obligation to them."
"Or perhaps you're not the saint you think you are," Loki said.
We stared each other down until he finally looked away, "Let's get a move on. We're going to Asgard."
The others all filed past me, getting into different positions as our cruiser made its way towards the looming portal in the sky, leaving me standing there, feeling nothing but guilt and regret, and maybe just a hint of dread.
Hello again, real quick I just wanted to let you guys know, that if y'all are interested in seeing what Eliza looks like I have a lot of art of her up on my Instagram, TheWhovianTrekkie, so same name as here. If you guys wanna see what she looks like, and her back tattoo, you can check that out.
I will be leaving for college in about 6 weeks, so I will try to get more of this out before I start school since I'm moving and it'll take me a while to acclimate to my new environment.
Hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll see you all next chapter.
