North Star

by Lucky Strike's alter ego

Emma Rogers has settled into a peaceful life after the events of Hydra. Her and Peter's relationship is stronger than ever, she has her father back in her life, and she still keeps in contact with Steve. She's finally found some peace among the horrors of her past. That is, until she bumps into Thor and Loki one afternoon. Nothing will ever be the same again. *SEQUEL to STNS*

14. Chapter Twelve

Author's Note: So this one is a long chapter which is why I felt like it took me forever to edit. I was really nervous about this chapter because I'm not sure how some of you will react to certain things that occur in this one but I knew it was important for me to write this storyline because it's part of Emma's character development.

I also want to mention I've been feeling really inspired for Matter of Time lately. The real-world celebrity STNS AU fanfic I have. I haven't updated in forever but I think I might work on that next. The next chapter is close to being done so I just need to finish it.

I'm just going to answer a quick inquiry about my TASM fic idea.

Guest: I'm so not ready to release the first chapter of TASM AU. It needs some serious work and I might wait to until the No Way Home storyline because I think the AU would take place post NWH. Thanks for the interest in it. I'm so happy that it's something a lot of you are interested in.

Thanks for all the reviews last chapter! Please let me know what you think of this one.

---

It was so ethereal.

The orange glow that came over the ball of blue energy Emma held in the palm of her hand. Then there was the orange glow that shimmered over Emma's entire-being every time she used her newfound powers. Something that Loki had made sure Emma did every night when they returned to their adjoined apartment. He called it her training.

Emma thought she had enough training to last a lifetime between Hydra and the Avengers, but Loki wouldn't take no for an answer. Not after witnessing the power Emma held within her. Ever since that night when he brought all those powers to the surface.

And it was power.

Way more power than Emma had ever felt before.

She could feel it surge within her every time she put it to use. Emma didn't even have to think about it anymore. It was sort of ironic. In the past months since the Hydra base, Emma had to overthink it. It seemed no matter how much will power she had; she could never bring out that side of her.

Not until Loki unburied what had been hidden within her since she was a little girl. That was three weeks ago, and Emma was still not used to this strange new power she had. It made Emma feel more alive than she had ever felt before. It was the same feeling she had whenever Peter kissed or touched her, but this feeling was near constant. The power gave her a high that both scared and thrilled Emma.

It thrilled her because as someone who had felt so powerless at one point in her life, it felt nice to finally be the one with all the power.

On the other hand, it frightened her because she knew it would be easy to feel drunk off this power. That's when people made mistakes. Emma had seen it happen to people far weaker in control than her. Rumlow had been one of those people. Someone who had gotten a small taste of her power and it had driven him madder than he had ever been before.

That was saying a lot too.

He was crazy to begin with, after all.

The one thing Emma couldn't seem to get over was how effortless it felt to her. All this new power was at her fingertips, and she had never felt truly as confident in her own abilities until this moment. It was strange. It was like whatever Loki released from within her also freed her from all her fears. Emma now felt ridiculous for ever considering ignoring her power.

It was like she needed this.

Now Emma felt like all her problems and fears from before were nothing. It seemed so silly now how she fretted over being on Sakaar and everything with the Avengers back home. Her newfound abilities would be able to protect her from not only the Grandmaster on Sakaar but Ross on Earth.

Could Ross truly ever hope to control her with these newfound powers?

Maybe before when she was just a superior version of Steve and her father, but she was beyond that now.

If she went home tomorrow, Ross could never throw her in Raft. Tony couldn't even punish her for anything she did. He took away her suit, but Emma didn't need the suit anymore, did she? The suit was never what made her Viper. Emma was Viper all along. She had this power inside her all this time, and she didn't need anyone's protection because of that.

Emma could take care of herself.

Better than anyone else could.

She realized that now.

"What are you doing?" Loki asked her and Emma finally glanced away from the blue energy orb in her hand to look at Loki. Even Loki seemed wary of her now. Yes, he was fascinated by her power but even after learning everything about her, he was not so stupid as to try anything with her. He knew Emma sensed his apprehension too. She didn't hide her smugness about it. Emma seemed to have the upper hand against him, after all, so he made himself useful to her as both a mentor and a friend.

He was much smarter than Emma ever gave him credit for.

"Rehearsing my evil villain origin story in my head," Emma said jokingly. She knew she sounded like an evil villain right at the point where they turned evil, but Emma hadn't meant it that way. She just felt more empowered and capable than she ever had before, and it was a foreign feeling to her. Especially when it came to her powers.

"And what origin story is that?" Loki asked in amusement and Emma willed away the blue orb from her, causing both the orb and the orange glow to evaporate into thin air. Emma shrugged.

"About how I'm done letting men weaker than me push me around all the time," Emma declared, looking quite pleased with herself. "This is the part where I take control of my own life, and no one will ever take that from me ever again. Not Ross, not Tony, not Steve, and not even Peter. It's my way from here on out."

"And what about men stronger than you?" Loki asked and Emma smirked.

"There are no men stronger than me," Emma told him confidently, but Loki doubted that. He knew of one being that was absolutely stronger than Emma as powerful as she turned out to be. It was not someone that Loki would've liked her to have met. "You're not stronger than me and I think you know that."

"Don't get too intoxicated from this newfound power," Loki warned her, and Emma rolled her eyes even though she knew he was right. It was just all very exciting and new to Emma. "I would have no such issue in taking you apart, darling. My experience surpasses any of these new abilities of yours, I assure you."

"You want to test that theory, Loki?" Emma challenged as she raised her eyebrows at him. Loki glared at her. "You've been helping me a lot with my powers, but I think what might help most is actually using them in a bit of sparring."

"Perhaps you have a point, but I would rather you test your own theory on the Grandmaster or one of these other horrid beings on this hellish planet than myself," Loki confessed and Emma laughed at him. "You already accidently killed Ferrick and all his men with these powers. I would not like the same to be directed at me."

"That's what I thought," Emma said, knowing that Loki would never go against her. Not now. He had too much logic to do something that stupid. "I think you'll make a lovely sidekick for me now."

"Excuse me?" Loki questioned, eyebrows furrowing as he tried to understand her meaning. The phrase was foreign to him. Emma smiled and nodded.

"Yes, a sidekick," Emma told him with smugness that Loki thought was quite unbecoming for a young woman of her age and beauty. "You know…sidekick. Someone who's inferior to me and who does all my dirty work. Basically, a nicer title for bitch."

"Your sense of humor is truly hilarious," Loki muttered, choosing not to argue with Emma. Emma just smirked. "Well, the sooner we figure out the extent of all these abilities of yours, the sooner we can get off this awful planet."

Emma's smirk faded at Loki's words.

The mention of actually leaving Sakaar.

It's not that Emma loved Sakaar but she'd just grown used to being there. Emma was quickly discovering that Sakaar wasn't completely bad. Yes, it was a foreign alien planet with really weird people, but Sakaar was also not Earth. Earth with all it's rules and laws. Earth where all of Emma's problems still remained. Problems that Emma was going to have go back to if she were to ever leave Sakaar.

She knew she said before she could return to Earth and stand unopposed with these newfound powers but that didn't mean Emma was actually serious about it. A part of her was frightened to return home and it had nothing to do with her new powers. It's not like she could actually stand against Ross and Tony. She was sure Steve and Peter wouldn't really like that.

The best-case scenario upon her return to Earth was being forced to go on the run with Steve. Especially with all the damage she'd left in her wake. Going on the run with Steve wouldn't be fun either. He'd only be disappointed in her. In all the stuff she did to undermine the Avengers. There would be lecture after lecture from him.

Tony would be beyond livid with her and take away her Viper suit forever.

Not to mention the disappointment she'd get from Peter. Him asking how she could ever do anything like that. His disappointment might've hurt her the most because he was Peter and he always believed her in no matter what.

Her father might not have been disappointed in her, but Emma would still feel bad just the same for putting him through even more shit. He didn't deserve that, and Emma would hate herself for causing him any pain.

For causing any of them more pain.

But it was just who she was.

She couldn't help herself.

Emma was always going to be this way and she doubted she would ever change. If it was possible for her to change then Peter would've attributed to that, but he failed were many others had failed before him. Emma wasn't changed and no matter how much she wanted to change; she didn't think she would. Four years since leaving Hydra and Emma was still self-sabotaging her own happiness.

It was why Emma didn't want to go back to Earth.

Emma wanted to stay on Sakaar where no one would ever be disappointed in her. Where there was no rules or laws that could make it possible for Emma to disappoint people. All the people she cared about weren't even on Sakaar. They were back on Earth which made it impossible for her to hurt anyone else.

They were better off on Earth and she was better off on Sakaar.

Sakaar was the perfect place for Emma.

No rules and no repercussions.

Emma belonged there with all the other misfits, outcasts, and assholes.

"Loki…" Emma trailed off after a moment once she was finally pulled away from her thoughts. He gave her a curious look. "What if we didn't leave Sakaar? What if we stayed here?"

"I don't understand," Loki told her, and Emma swallowed hard before bringing up something that had been on her mind ever since she discovered these newfound abilities of hers.

"What are we really going back to if we leave Sakaar?" Emma asked him and Loki just stared at her. "I'm in a shit ton of trouble back on Earth. You saw everything in my head, so you know what I'm facing if I return. I don't really have much to go back to. Other than a whole bunch of anger and Raft probably. And what do you have, anyways? People on Earth hate your guts and the gig's up on Asgard as far as I can tell…if there's even an Asgard to go back to thanks to Hela."

"Are you suggesting that we stay here?" Loki asked and Emma nodded, seeming certain in her decision. Something she had given much thought over during the past week or so.

"Would it be so bad if we stayed?" Emma asked him and Loki considered her words thoughtfully. "We won't disappoint people here. Nothing we do here matters on Earth or Asgard. We can be ourselves here…in whatever capacity that means."

"Won't your beloved Stark, father, and grandfather all miss you?" Loki asked her mockingly. Emma bit the inside of her cheek. "Won't your precious little spider miss you as well?"

"I cause too much trouble for them. Our little telepathic session made me realize that I cause them too much pain and suffering," Emma told him sincerely. There wasn't a point in lying to him anymore when he already knew everything that was inside her head. Peter didn't even know that much about her. Not compared to what Loki had now seen. "They would be better off without me. Especially Peter. I've hurt him so much and I think it's better for him, for all of them, if I never go back to Earth. They'll move on. It'll be easier without me there."

"Easier for them or easier for you?" Loki questioned and Emma realized that he had a point. She just shook her head.

"If you could completely cut yourself off from Thor, would you?" Emma asked the dark-haired man. Loki smirked.

"If you know a way, please show me how. Don't be shy," Loki quipped, and Emma gave him a doubtful look.

"When you did what you did to me, I saw some things too," Emma explained to him, and Loki smirk faded. "For a fraction of minute, I could see you inside your head like you saw into mine. I didn't understand all of it but I know you care for him like I care for all of them. You feel guilty for causing him pain and suffering too. You're not as evil as I always hoped. It's actually very disappointing how not evil you are."

"It's too late for Thor and me," Loki told her shortly and Emma gave him a perplexed look, but she didn't push him on the subject. It was clear he didn't want to talk about it.

"So, you understand why I don't want to go back?" Emma asked him quietly and Loki just sighed. "Why it's better this way."

"You truly don't see the hurt you'll be causing them if you never return?" Loki asked her, knowing how much all the Avengers cared for the young woman. He'd seen it in her mind. He knew she meant the world to all of them.

"They'll get over it eventually," Emma said almost as if she were trying to convince herself instead of him. "Papa has Darcy, Tony has Pepper and the Avengers, Steve has his own team, and Peter…well, Peter will move on. He's perfect and there's girls much nicer than me out there. Girls that deserve him and girls who are normal. He'll realize that."

"I don't think it's that simple," Loki told her, voicing his opinion. "I've seen him, the spider boy, in your thoughts. I see the appeal. It's his light that you love so much. The reason why you don't believe you deserve him and how he deserves someone you deem normal."

"Well…yes," Emma admitted, blushing because it was still weird to her that Loki knew her so intimately. He knew all her thoughts and memories. No one else knew her that well.

No one.

It frightened her.

"I've seen the way you look at him because I've been in your innermost thoughts, but you lack how the world, how this spider boy, sees you because you can't see what he sees but I do," Loki informed her, his eyes never leaving her face. Emma swallowed hard at the intensity of his gaze. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. She had almost hypnotized him. Emma couldn't explain it. "Do you not see that no other woman would compare to you? I'm not talking about your beauty either. There are millions of beautiful Midgardian women that he could have his pick from, but it's not looks. I see your appeal the way he does. How you challenge him, excite him, adore him, infuriate him, and interest him. There will never be another like you in his poor, dull Midgardian existence and deep down he knows that. That no other woman will ever satisfy him, and he'll always be disappointed in each and every woman that crosses his path. You've cursed him for the rest of his life. You'll sentence him to a life of boredom if you never return."

Emma was a bit floored by Loki's words. She hadn't expected him to speak so honestly. Not Loki who was the most manipulative, conniving asshole that ever existed. Emma supposed that night, he brought out her powers, bonded them in more ways than one. She just wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing yet.

"Everyone thinks they want exciting and interesting but it's not so great. I wasn't a good girlfriend to him, and I would've been a terrible wife someday," Emma told him, trying to ignore this new weirdness between Loki and herself. "Nice and boring is good. He'll learn that."

"I don't agree with that theory," Loki told her, not believing her words at all. Emma just shook her head.

"I'm not going back, Loki," Emma said, refusing to reconsider her decision. "You can leave if you want but I'm staying here. I don't want to go home."

"You want to stay here and do what?" Loki asked her, still not understanding how this girl had completely changed her mind about going home. Now she seemed to not want to go home at all when it was all she could think about a couple weeks ago.

"Overthrow the Grandmaster and rule Sakaar ourselves…like we've discussed before," Emma informed him much to Loki's disbelief. "We'll be the ones calling all the shots and this whole shitty ass palace will be ours. With my new powers it'll be nothing."

"You do realize in doing that there will be no going back to the Avengers," Loki told her honestly and Emma didn't seem fazed by his words. "There's nothing noble about taking a planet by force and ruling over its population."

"I've never been noble," Emma told him, not looking bothered by Loki's words. Loki shrugged.

"It doesn't seem like something Captain America's relation would do," Loki added, and Emma gave him a cold look. "Nothing that would make him proud."

"Let's not pretend that I'm something I'm not. I'm nothing like him so don't compare me to him and I won't compare you to Thor," Emma told him in annoyed tone and Loki narrowed his eyes at her as he tried to read her. He attempted to see if she was truly serious about this or if it was a way to avoid her problems facing her back home. Maybe it was both. Emma seemed bound and determined to never return to Earth but who was Loki to stop her? "I'm going to stay and kill that badly dressed moron if it's the last thing I do. This whole place will be mine and I'll do whatever the fuck I want from now on. There will be no Sokovia Accords and no Avengers. I only ask that people have a good time and mind their own fucking business."

"I'm with you," Loki declared after Emma told him her plans for Sakaar. She smiled at him. Emma would've tried to do it on her own, but she knew she'd have a better chance with Loki on her side. "I don't have anywhere else to go. Not anymore."

"Good. Now that we have a plan then we just need to gain more favor from the Grandmaster," Emma said excitedly, and she wondered if this made her the bad guy now. It occurred to her that no one bad ever really thought of themselves that way. Emma didn't but she knew she must be straying away from the morals of Steve and Peter because she knew there was no part of this they would ever approve of. "It shouldn't be too hard. The Grandmaster's an idiot and he's easily flattered."

Emma started pushing away all thoughts of Steve and Peter and what they'd think of her right now. It no longer mattered. Emma wasn't going back home and that was final. It didn't matter what they'd think of her anymore. Their disappointment had become insignificant. Emma was staying on Sakaar and she was going to live her life to the fullest. No more rules and no more accords.

She was a free woman.

Emma was going to enjoy every moment of her newfound freedom.

Even if she had to force herself to.

---

"I know what you're going to do and don't do it," Carol told Emma. It was a dream. Emma couldn't remember the last time she saw Carol in her dreams. It had been a while. "I know you think everyone is better off this way but you don't need to push everyone away. It doesn't have to be this hard. It's only hard because you're making it hard."

"I can't go back home," Emma told her softly and Carol just stared incredulously at her. "There's too much damage."

"You can't run away from your problems," Carol tried to tell her, and Emma wasn't having any of it.

"I'm not running away," Emma said as though she were trying to convince herself of that information. Not just Carol. "I'm just trying to not cause any more problems."

"It's running away, and you know it," Carol accused, and Emma swallowed hard because she knew she was right deep down. She just didn't want to admit it. "What are you going to do? Take over a planet? Prove that you're not a hero? Put on a show for your new friend?"

"Being a hero is being something I'm not. This is who I am," Emma told the other blonde. She didn't want to discuss this anymore. She already discussed it enough with Loki. "I'm tired of pretending to be someone else."

"Doing the right thing doesn't mean you have to be this thing everyone wants you to be," Carol said, glaring at her. "Superhero titles are all a bunch of bull shit. It doesn't matter. Any of it. The only thing you can do with these new powers is make the right calls. It won't be easy but that's all you can do."

"I don't know how to make the right call," Emma told her, shaking her head furiously. "That's not me."

"Well, taking over a planet isn't you either," Carol argued, and Emma clenched her jaw. "I know you've convinced yourself you're this gigantic asshole who deserves to be punished. Yes, I know that's what you're doing. Instead of trying to redeem yourself by saving people like some of your friends, you're punishing yourself."

"I don't care what you say," Emma told her. "I've made my decision."

"Pushing people away doesn't work," Carol told her sincerely, but Emma was done listening at this point. "I know that better than anyone."

"It's too late."

---

Emma's eyes shot open as she woke up from her dream about Carol.

She couldn't explain what woke her up.

Just that it was this sudden sickness that washed over her. Emma immediately covered her mouth with her hand and raced towards the bathroom. She barely made it to sink before she started heaving her guts.

Tears escaped her eyes as she clutched onto to the edge of the counter for dear life as everything, she ate for dinner, just a few short hours before, came out of her. Emma didn't understand this. This was sixth time she's thrown up during her whole stay on Sakaar. Emma had never vomited in her life but for some reason she hadn't stopped since she arrived on Sakaar.

Could it be her newfound powers?

No, Emma remembered she vomited when she first arrived on the planet.

Some sort of alien disease? Was she infected with something?

Possibly.

It's not as if Emma had ever traveled into space before. Maybe humans like her were exposed to alien diseases on far and foreign planets. Emma couldn't explain why she was throwing up this much. She shouldn't. This wasn't possible. Emma wasn't supposed to get sick.

Yet she was.

Emma stopped puking and rested her hands on the counter. She only noticed then that the edge of the counter, which she'd been clutching, subsequently crumbled on to the floor. She looked on in bewilderment.

Was that a new thing too?

Somehow, she managed to crush the countertop in her grip.

Emma had always been strong, but she was always in control of herself. She couldn't believe she managed to do that. Her strength had always been above average but usually it would require a bit more effort to be able to do something like that. Even with her new powers.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she bent down to grab a piece of the countertop. It was made from what must've been material equivalent to marble. Emma looked mystified as she stared at the fragment.

What was happening to her?

Not only did she have her new powers but now she was getting sick all the time, not to mention sleepy, and now there was this too. Losing control of her own strength. It shouldn't be happening. It didn't make any sense. She was quickly spiraling out of control and Emma had no idea why.

The new powers, yes, but if she were being honest, the sleepiness had been going on a lot longer than her arrival to Sakaar.

Emma went to set the piece of countertop down but found that she couldn't. Her eyes widened as she realized that it was seemingly stuck to her hand. The blonde stared at the piece of countertop as she continuously tried to shake it from her hand but to no avail. It wouldn't budge.

What the hell was happening?

After a few more attempts, Emma was finally able to shake it from her hand. It dropped on to what was left of the counter with a loud clang. She just stared bewildered at it before returning her gaze to the palm of her hand which looked totally normal.

Emma swallowed hard before washing up.

She didn't know what was wrong with her and she really didn't want to find out.

It's not like she needed anymore problems to add to the list.

---

Tomorrow was the big day.

The Grandmaster's game day.

It was something that sounded quite similar to gladiator games which were barbaric and a thing of the past back on Earth. The whole thing seemed so odd to be a popular event on Sakaar. Not to mention it was the Grandmaster's use of slaves. All his so-called champions were slaves. Practically everyone on the planet were slaves too if you thought about it. No one could leave the planet under the Grandmaster's rule.

Emma heard about the tournaments.

They were a popular thing on Sakaar. A football game but much more barbaric and gorier than that. She even heard that some of these tournaments ended in death. Emma wasn't one to shy away from a little blood, but she thought it was a disregard for life for it to be shed for the sake of a silly game.

Emma took off the night gown she was wearing to slip on the dress she had picked out for the day. She was supposed to join Loki in the Grandmaster's throne room for some pre-game day celebrating.

It was a long gown that was green to go with the rest of her wardrobe, but it was perhaps the most revealing article of clothing Emma had ever worn. Emma who loved her skirts and sweaters but never dared to wear something beyond any of that. Tony wouldn't have put up with it. She knew that much but she allowed herself to daydream a little about Peter's reaction. Emma then felt sadness when she remembered that she probably wouldn't see Peter ever again and she forced herself to think of literally anything else.

She was about to put on the gown when she noticed something in the mirror.

Emma almost thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Did her stomach look a bit rounder than it usually did?

Emma glanced down at her stomach, hoping the mirror was playing tricks on her. To her horror, she did seem a bit rounder there. It shocked her. Mostly because Emma was never one to put on any extra pounds. Her metabolism was fast. Emma could eat a couple pizzas and burn it off fast due to her super soldier serum. It had always been that way.

It was why it horrified Emma to see a rounder stomach.

When had that happened?

Emma hadn't noticed until just now but to be fair her mind had been preoccupied lately. Between the breakup, Sakaar, and her powers, Emma was busy. Maybe it had been going on a lot longer than that. Emma was just so distracted that she never noticed.

She was gaining weight.

But why?

Was her metabolism not fast anymore? Was she not burning off the calories quickly? Emma wasn't sure but something told her it must've had something to do with how sick she'd been recently with all the puking. Not to mention the weirdness with the countertop the night before.

Wait…something wasn't right here.

The way the piece of countertop stuck to her hand and wouldn't come off. She'd seen that before. Or heard of it, at least.

But where?

Emma then froze in shock when she remembered something Peter told her a long time ago. Before they'd even started dating. Emma asked him about his powers, and he divulged everything to her.

"When I first got my powers, it was weird. It was like all my senses were dialed to eleven," Peter explained to her as Emma listened curiously. "The worst part was that everything stuck to my hands at first. Everything. You can't imagine how hard it was going to the bathroom. The toilet paper was a nightmare."

The stickiness.

It was familiar to Emma because it was something Peter did. That was how he crawled up walls and across ceilings. Something in his powers gave him the ability to just stick to surfaces. Emma never asked too many questions about his abilities and how they worked. Not like Peter did with her. She didn't really care that much. Not beyond getting to know him as a person.

So, she knew the explanation behind the stickiness and where she'd seen that before, but Emma couldn't do that. Just Peter. So how was she suddenly able to do it?

Did Peter give her some sort of sexually transmitted spider disease when they had sex.

Well, they did have unprotected sex, but Emma always thought since neither of them had sex with anyone else, that there was no risk of disease. However, she never thought she get some weird spider disease from him. Something that seemed to give her an ability that was the same as his.

Could this happen with super people?

Emma wasn't sure.

She and Peter were really some of the first super people to have sex. It wasn't like there was a lot of people before them to test theories like this. She supposed it was entirely possible that she could've contracted some weird disease from him since they did happen to have unprotected sex that one time. The last time, actually.

Emma tried to remember when she started experiencing the weird symptoms. She had been drowsy a lot lately. Way before she arrived on Sakaar.

It's not like she could be pregnant because Emma had taken the Plan B pill. She and Peter had unprotected sex, so it seemed like the smart thing to do. So, Emma couldn't be pregnant.

In fact, she just had her period…

Shit.

When was the last time she had her period, anyways? She hadn't had one since she arrived on Sakaar and she definitely didn't have one the month before that after she and Peter had sex. The last time must've been that week before she and Peter had sex for the last time. Emma couldn't remember having it after that.

She hadn't thought of it in so long because she'd been so distracted. So much had been on her mind that Emma had never even thought of it until now. Now that everything had been so weird for her.

It couldn't be.

No.

Emma had taken the Plan B pill. She'd done exactly what she was supposed to do. She'd even taken the pill right away. Emma knew that it lost efficiency once you were outside the twenty-four window. That's why she took it literally minutes after Darcy had gotten it for her.

It was supposed to work.

It was only then that Emma remembered that time that Steve had given her the safe sex talk. About how she and him were both more fertile than the average human due to their super soldier serum. It was why the accident that was Emma's biological father happened back in the day. Emma was sure it was how the accident that was herself happened too. Accidental pregnancy seemed to run in the family. It was why Steve begged her to be careful.

Emma just thought the Plan B pill would fix everything but maybe it didn't work on people like her. It's not like there was an experimental trial where they tested it on super people. It might've worked on the average human woman, but Emma wasn't average.

It should've worked but it obviously didn't.

Because she was late.

Emma was extremely late. Probably late by more than nine or so weeks. Give or take. That only meant one thing. Combined with all the sleepiness and the vomiting. How certain smells made her want to throw up right where she stood. Not to mention the rounder stomach. There was only one explanation to all of this. Especially given the time she and Peter had unprotected sex. It wasn't the powers or Sakaar that was making her sick.

Emma even doubted that Peter gave her some weird disease.

Well, he did give her something, but it definitely wasn't a disease.

She was pregnant.

She had to be.

If she hadn't gotten her period by now, then she was never going to get it.

How could she have been so stupid and careless? Having unprotected sex with Peter and depending on some ordinary human contraceptive to work on her when Ibuprofen couldn't even do anything for her. Of course, she ended up pregnant.

Emma didn't even know if she could get a test on Sakaar. She didn't know what the equivalent of a pregnancy test was there. Even so, Emma didn't really need a test to tell her what she already knew. There was no other explanation.

She was seventeen, pregnant, and stuck on an alien planet.

This was the nightmare to end all nightmares.

She really couldn't go home now.

This was definite.

If she somehow managed to get back home, then she was dead. So was Peter. Her father would kill Peter, but Steve and Tony would kill her. Teenage pregnancy would be the icing on the cake upon all the other shit she got up to when she last left Earth. She thought she was in trouble before, but this was bad…really bad. Emma promised Steve she would be safe, and she did something idiotic.

Emma could just picture his disappointed expression. He wouldn't make her feel bad about it, but it would all be there in the way he looked at her. Emma could see it now.

Wait…she was pregnant.

What was going to do?

This meant that she was around nine weeks pregnant. If Emma did her math right, then it meant the baby would be here in December. If she was even going to keep it.

She probably wasn't.

She knew in New York the latest she could get an abortion was twenty-four weeks so even if Emma made it home, she had a limited time frame to do it. It had to be a special case if it was anything past twenty-four weeks. However, Emma really didn't want to go back home. She was afraid of someone finding out about the pregnancy.

No, Emma couldn't go back home like this.

She'd have to get rid of it on Sakaar somehow.

Could she get rid of it?

She knew she was seventeen and even if she was older, Emma didn't think she was in any position to be a mother. Emma didn't have one maternal bone in her body. She barely remembered her own mother and it's not like Emma really had any maternal figures in her life. None that she was close to. She'd be a terrible mother. Emma wouldn't be the sort of mother you'd see in those heartwarming movies. The kind who baked their kids' cookies, held them in comfort, and tucked them in at night.

Emma didn't have it in her to be like that.

She'd be the worst sort of mother and no kid deserved that.

Not to mention she suspected the stickiness she experienced was due to the child and not Peter. Which also meant it was already showing signs of being like Peter. That was incredibly dangerous. The baby would be in danger if it was born.

The right thing to do was get rid of it.

Yet…Emma didn't think she could do it without having Peter there with her. Without telling him about the pregnancy and without having his input. Emma knew from MJ's many lectures that it was a woman's choice and not a man's, but it still didn't feel right to get rid of it behind Peter's back. It wasn't like Peter was some random guy she slept with. He was Peter. Someone she loved and had been in a relationship with for a very long time. Emma couldn't get rid of it without telling him.

He deserved to know.

Fuck…Emma had no idea what to do.

She knew she had to get rid of it, but she knew she couldn't do it without Peter.

Emma swallowed hard, throwing on her dress as she tried to push all thoughts of a pregnancy out of her head. This was really the last thing she needed. Someone really seemed to have it out for her. As if her life wasn't already fucked up enough now, she was seventeen and pregnant.

The only thing was that Emma needed to figure out was what to do and fast.

---

Emma remained quiet as Andora worked on her makeup and Vora worked on her hair. It became a common occurrence with how close Loki and Emma had been getting to the Grandmaster. Loki said they were practically part of his court now, but Emma thought that sounded stupid. She just hoped they'd overthrow the Grandmaster soon. Emma was running out of time.

Especially now that she was apparently pregnant.

Emma still couldn't quite believe that.

Now that she realized that most likely pregnant, Emma was suddenly self-conscious. Her dress didn't leave much to the imagination. The neckline was plunging, and she had to use a ton of tape to keep from having a nip slip. It seemed like the clothing of Sakaar was a lot more provocative than what was the norm on Earth. At least, for girls her age. There was also cut outs on the sides that left more skin exposed. Emma worried that people would be able to see how round her stomach was.

She couldn't believe she panicked over thinking she gained a few pounds. Emma would've gladly taken a few pounds over being knocked up.

Apparently, there was a God and they really seemed to hate Emma.

It was the only way to explain how more and more fucked up her life was getting.

"You're going to look gorgeous today," Vora told her, giving Emma a knowing smile. "Your paramour won't be able to keep his hands off you."

"Yeah, totally," Emma said sarcastically, feeling grossed out at the very idea of Loki putting his hands on her. Not that he was unattractive, but she still only had eyes for Peter. "So…I'm just trying to understand the culture of Sakaar. You know…with being human and all. I'm super curious about all the space stuff. It's really fascinating to me."

That was a lie.

Emma could really give a shit less about space and aliens. She hated the weirdness of this place even if she had plans to stay there. She just needed to find some information.

"It must be quite strange to a Terran like you," Andora told her, looking amused by Emma.

"What would you like to know?"

"Do guys have pets on Sakaar? You know, like dogs and cats? Maybe some guinea pigs," Emma inquired, she didn't want to seem suspicious by right away asking about abortions. "On Earth a lot of people have pets. I mean, I don't really like animals but to each their own."

"Pets not so much," Vora answered her. "I know it's customary on other worlds to have pets but anything you would consider a pet would be considered food on Sakaar."

"Yum," Emma said sarcastically yet again but sarcasm seemed to go over their heads. "There's another thing, I've been a bit curious about. Especially since I don't see too many kids around the palace. Where are all the children?"

"You won't see any children in the palace," Andora informed her, and Emma listened curiously, hanging on to her every word. "All the women and men in the palace are required to take their injections. Otherwise, the Grandmaster would be siring many children and he won't have that. He doesn't particularly like children."

"Injections?" Emma questioned and Andora nodded.

"Yes, birth control," Andora confirmed, and Emma was still confused. "The only children on Sakaar are the ones the slaves have. The Grandmaster prefers that. More future contenders and more slaves for future generations. The slaves do not take the injections."

"What if the injections don't work?" Emma asked them and both Andora and Vora were visibly mystified by Emma's question.

"What do you mean?" Vora questioned and Andora nodded.

"Yes, the injections always work," Andora told her, and Emma just stared at them. She knew on Earth that there was no one hundred perfect guarantees in birth control. Nothing was one hundred certain. They might've worked for the most part but there was always a rare chance that they wouldn't work. There was always that tiny percentage that something would go wrong.

"So, there's no unwanted pregnancies then?" Emma questioned them. "No reason to terminate pregnancies?"

"Abortions are illegal to have on Sakaar," Vora told her in a grave tone…almost as if she was even afraid to be overheard talking about it. "There's no need for them with the injections, anyways. The injections always work."

"What do the slaves do?" Emma asked them, desperately trying to see if there was some way to terminate a pregnancy. She didn't want to without Peter there, but she might not have a choice, after all. Because really didn't think she could have a baby. "If they want to terminate a pregnancy?"

Andora took a deep breath before answering. It was clear it was terrifying for her to even discuss this. That's how much they feared the wrath of the Grandmaster. Emma always thought of him as silly and ridiculous, but she knew he was still a person to be wary of. The man was insane. Very insane and that could be very dangerous.

"They have their own ways of doing it. A person they go see," Andora answered her as Emma listened to her. "It's very illegal to do. Not to mention very dangerous. Many women have died from attempted abortions and even if they succeed and the Grandmaster were to find out…well, it's an offense punishable by death. For both the woman and the person who performs the abortion."

"I thought there were no laws on Sakaar. No rules," Emma said, knowing that she was very fucked. She thought things were messed up back home when it came to a woman's right to decide what happened to her own body. This was so much worse. Botched abortions seemed like a thing of the past. Not something that would still happen on a planet so far away from her own.

Emma thought alien planets would be more advanced than this.

Apparently not.

"The Grandmaster will always need more people to serve under him," Vora said sadly. "The slaves provide that."

This shouldn't have surprised her this much.

The Grandmaster was insane.

He had people killed for trying to escape Sakaar. Of course, he'd have people killed for having abortions. Emma didn't know what to do now. She obviously couldn't have a botched abortion and not to mention she could end up being sentenced to death for it apparently.

She could try to go back home but Emma didn't want to go home.

Not with what was waiting for her back there.

"Sorry if you're not supposed to be talking about this," Emma said, trying to hide away her fear. "Things are so different back on Earth. I was just curious about how everything works here."

"That's okay," Andora assured her with a small smile. Vora nodded but gave Emma a stern look.

"Just don't go around asking about that anymore," Vora warned her. "The Grandmaster doesn't like to hear that sort of talk. He despises it."

"Noted," Emma said with a tight-lipped smile. A million thoughts went through her head all at once. She was sure she'd get a headache from it all. This new information did nothing to make her feel better. In fact, she felt more terrified than before.

Mostly because there was only one option she had.

To have the baby.

---

I can't have a baby.

I can't have a baby.

I can't have a baby.

It was the only words that went through Emma's mind. She couldn't think of anything else. Not when realizing that she was seriously fucked.

There was no way to get rid of it.

Not on Sakaar.

Even if Emma wanted to go home, she didn't have a way back. Not until she and Loki found a way to overthrow the Grandmaster and there was no telling how long that would take. By the time she made it back to Earth, she could already have the kid by then.

She'd give everyone a heart attack if she came back home with a baby Spider-Brat in her arms.

Why was she so selfish and stupid?

When Peter told her he didn't have any more condoms she should've just not had sex with him. But no…she was going through an existential crisis and wanted to have him one last time before everything went to shit. Emma had only been thinking of herself and her needs. Now she was stuck pregnant on a foreign planet where abortions were illegal.

Emma had no clue what to do.

She was only starting to show right now.

Eventually, people would realize her condition and she didn't think it would bode well on Sakaar. Andora and Vora informed her that no one in the palace got pregnant. It was unheard of. What would the Grandmaster do if he found out she was pregnant? Take her baby away and make it a slave?

Emma might not have been maternal, but she'd die before she let that poorly dressed asshole get his grubby hands on her and Peter's baby.

Peter's baby.

Emma felt the wind knocked out of her. It was the first time she ever called it what it was. Peter's baby. Not just hers. This thing inside her. This thing, that must've been the size of an olive, was a part of Peter. Just as much as it was a part of her.

Somehow her insides turned to mush when she realized it was Peter's baby.

Peter who she loved so much.

Did she even want to get rid of something that was a part of Peter? Especially if she never returned to Earth. If she was forever stuck on Sakaar then at least she would have a piece of Peter with her.

No, she couldn't think of that right now.

There was already too much on her plate and she needed to sort out all her priorities.

The Grandmaster was her number one priority. He was something she and Loki needed to deal with and fast.

Emma just didn't know what to do but it seemed like the only thing she could do now was just come up with a plan to overthrow the Grandmaster. She needed to focus on that and worry about the pregnancy stuff later. For now, it was all about the Grandmaster.

Kill the Grandmaster and worry about the rest later.

That's all she could do for now.

"Of course, my father was just as much of a dull, witless oaf as my brother," Loki drawled out as he told another one of his stories to the crowd that surrounded himself and Emma. Emma had grown very tired of the sound of her friend's voice, so she long learned how to tune him out. The guy really did love to talk, after all. Emma was so caught up in her thoughts and panic that she couldn't have paid attention to his story even if she wanted. She just pretended to listen when she was really trying to formulate a plan to kill the Grandmaster…with or without Loki's help. "He really picked the least convenient time to wake up from his slumber."

"No, Loki," Loki said in serious voice, doing his own impersonation of his father. "And I realized that no matter all the great and valiant things I did for Asgard, my father should never appreciate them. Not in comparison to my perfect brother."

Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

Here was another sob story about Odin's unfair treatment of Loki.

Emma didn't know whether or not to tell Loki this, but he had some serious daddy issues. She thought if anyone needed therapy it was definitely him. This man was over a thousand years old, and he was still whining about the unfair treatment he received. Well, Emma had it tough too being in Steve's shadow, but she never took it out on him.

"My brother seemed very smug, knowing he captured me and made me look like a fool in front of all of Asgard. I imagined he would've paraded me around Asgard to gloat, but I wasn't about to have of that," Loki said, smirking as everyone hung on to his every word. Everyone except Emma. She seriously doubted Loki's story went down the way he said it went down but if making shit up made him feel better then that was his business. "There was a wormhole in space and time beneath me. And at that moment, I let go."

Everyone started laughing, clearly charmed by Loki and his exaggerated tales. Emma sighed heavily. She considered Loki somewhat of a friend now, but he could be fairly annoying at times. Especially when she had shit, she wanted to get done and he was over here drinking booze and making up dumb stories to tell a bunch of idiots. Probably the only people in the galaxy who would ever believe him.

Emma didn't have time for this shit.

They needed to kill the Grandmaster and soon.

No more fooling around.

Emma couldn't afford to waste another minute. Not with Parker's little Spider-Brat hanging out in her womb.

"Loki! Loki!" Emma heard a voice shout from across the room, breaking her out of her thoughts. Emma turned to see where the voice was coming from, and she was surprised at what she saw. "Emma! You're alive!"

There sat none other than Thor.

Thor who Emma had thought was dead.

Who she hadn't seen since the Bifrost.

God…that felt like ages ago. In reality, it had only been around five weeks. So much had happened between then and now that it felt like years instead of weeks. Still…Emma couldn't believe it was Thor. How was he alive?

The last time she saw him he was fighting Hela.

Wait…if Thor was here then where was Hela?

Did he fight her? Did he win?

"Thor…" Emma trailed off, clearly still in shock over seeing his familiar face.

The grin fell off Loki's face as he quickly excused himself from the others and got off the couch, walking over to Thor. Emma had no choice but to follow him. Mostly because she was curious about how he ended up here on Sakaar. Emma always assumed he would've made it back to Asgard. Perhaps even defeating Hela despite how powerful and terrifying she seemed.

He was Thor, after all.

Thor always seemed so strong and powerful to her from the time she met him. Like nothing could ever beat him. Emma had always been so certain that he was undefeatable.

"Over here!" Thor said, gesturing for them to walk faster. Loki chuckled awkwardly while Emma didn't know how to feel. She was glad he was alive, but she was also worried about why he was there. Especially since he seemed confined to the chair Emma knew was only intended for contenders for the Grandmaster's contest of champions.

It was quite alarming to say the least.

"Loki! Emma!" Thor yelled impatiently to get them hurry. Loki strode over with Emma right behind him. The dark-haired man immediately hushed his brother as he looked around cautiously, worried someone might see him interacting with Thor.

"You're alive?" Loki stated, glancing over his brother in disbelief. Thor scoffed.

"Yes. Of course, I'm alive," Thor said, not knowing why Loki would think otherwise.

"What are you doing here?" Loki questioned and Emma nodded as she crossed her arms. She also wanted to know how Thor got here of all places. Even if he survived, she would've thought he'd be on Asgard right now. Not on Sakaar.

What happened to Hela?

If Thor was here did that mean she was still out there?

Still a current threat?

This day was definitely not getting any better.

"Where's Hela?" Emma asked demandingly. Thor looked between the two of them in bewilderment. It didn't escape his notice that they were dressed quite differently than they'd been dressed when he last saw them in the Bifrost. Emma was dressed in a lavish green gown with an intricate braided updo hairstyle to match. Much different than what she'd been wearing what must've been an hour ago. Loki was also wearing much different clothes much to Thor's shock.

"What do you mean what am I doing here?" Thor said, bickering with his brother. Emma just rolled her eyes. She really forgot how annoying Thor was. She knew Loki was adopted but maybe annoying ran in the family. "I'm stuck in this stupid chair. Where's yours and Emma's chairs?"

"We didn't get chairs," Loki told him, and Thor seemed taken back by that.

"Well, get me out of this one," Thor demanded from them. Emma didn't like being ignored and he just ignored her question about Hela. Enough with the bickering, Emma wanted to know where Hela was.

"I can't," Loki told him seriously. Thor gave him a look of disbelief.

"Get me out," Thor demanded once more before processing the fact that Loki just refused to help him. "What?"

"We can't get you out," Loki told him again much to Thor's dismay and shock. He glanced at Emma who managed to give him an apologetic look. "We've made friends with this man. He's called the Grandmaster."

"Oh, he's crazy!" Thor said in horror and Emma nodded. That much was clear to her at this point.

"Emma and I have gained his favor," Loki explained to his brother. "The Bifrost brought us out here weeks ago."

"Weeks ago?" Thor questioned in disbelief. He looked for Emma for an explanation. "You're telling me you and Loki have spent weeks together."

"Pretty much," Emma confirmed, and Thor wasn't sure what was more terrifying. Ending up on this barbaric planet that meant to enslave him or finding out Emma and Loki had apparently spent weeks together.

"But I just got here," Thor said, trying to understand how this odd planet worked. He didn't understand how Emma and Loki had been on Sakaar for many weeks while he had only just gotten there. It didn't make any sense.

"What are you whispering about?" The Grandmaster questioned as he looked between the three of them in amusement. Topaz stood behind him with her usual unamused expression. Thor grunted as Loki and Emma both stepped back suddenly.

"Time works real different around these parts," The Grandmaster explained. "On any other world, I'd be, like, millions of years old."

He paused and Emma raised her eyebrows.

If time moved more quickly on this planet, then she couldn't imagine the Grandmaster's actual age.

"But here on Sakaar…" The Grandmaster trailed off awkwardly while Emma forced a smile and pretended to find him amusing. Thor and Loki exchanged awkward looks with the man before looking away.

She was going to kill that tyrannical asshole.

Maybe not today but she was going to do it and soon.

Mark her words.

"In any case," The Grandmaster said, changing the subject. "You call yourself Lord of Thunder?"

Emma might've hated the asshole, but she couldn't refrain from smirking at the incorrect title. She always loved watching the deflating egos of proud men like Thor and Tony. It was the sort of entertainment she lived for.

"Tell him," Thor said with an amused smile, gesturing Emma and Loki to speak up. Yeah, Emma was so not going to do that.

She knew if Thor was here then he would want to escape Sakaar. He'd probably want to take her back home and Emma really didn't want to go home anymore. Emma refused to go home so she wanted to keep her distance from Thor.

Loki chuckled.

"I've never met this man in my life," Loki denied, and Thor glared at him before glancing at the Grandmaster.

"He's my brother," Thor told him pointedly. Loki shrugged.

"Adopted," Loki corrected. Thor then shook his head at his brother before glancing over at Emma.

"Lady Emma knows me," Thor said, giving the blonde a hopeful look. "Tell them, Lady Emma."

"I don't know you either," Emma denied, shocking Thor. Emma didn't feel entirely good about throwing Thor under the bus, but she wasn't going to help him get out of there. Not if it meant going back home.

"I've fought many battles alongside her grandfather. We've saved the world together multiple times," Thor explained to the Grandmaster while glaring at Emma. "I've known you since you were a very young girl."

"Yeah, but you're my grandfather's friend. Not mine," Emma told the Grandmaster, trying to distance herself from Thor. "In fact, I haven't seen you in years, so I really don't know you that well. We didn't really hang out a lot. I honestly always found you really dumb…and annoying. Especially annoying."

"You won't even help me?! I expected this from Loki but never you," Thor questioned in disbelief and Emma just stared at him blankly. Loki tried to hold himself back from laughing at Emma's disregard of Thor. "If your grandfather could see you now-"

"Yeah, well, he's not here, is he?" Emma shot back at him. "Besides…the last time I helped you it didn't work out so well for me so excuse me if I don't feel so inclined to help you again. You can rot in that chair for all I care."

"You're a cruel girl. Just as cruel as you were when we took you from that base," Thor accused but Emma seemed unfazed his insults. "Your grandfather would help me if he were here. He would do the right thing."

"Well, I'm not him, am I?" Emma snapped, glaring at him while he glared back. The Grandmaster chuckled awkwardly as he glanced between Thor and Emma.

"I'm sensing some hostility here so let's wrap this up and get him out of here," The Grandmaster said before glancing over at Loki. Thor was clearly pissed at Emma, but Emma didn't care. She wasn't going to help him, and she wasn't going home.

It was his fault she was here, anyways.

She helped him that last time and look where it got her.

Emma refused to get involved in anymore of Thor's problems. He was on his own from now on. She had enough problems on her plate without getting into any trouble with Thor.

"Well, is this God of Thunder any kind of a fighter?" The Grandmaster asked Loki and Emma. Emma thought that was the understatement of the year. Thor laughed arrogantly.

"You take this thing out of my neck, and I'll show you," Thor threatened which only seemed to amuse the Grandmaster. The poorly dressed man laughed.

"Now, listen to that. He's threatening me," The Grandmaster said, smirking at Thor. He was clearly not threatened by Thor whatsoever. "Hey, Sparkles, here's the deal. If you want to go back to Ass-place, assberg-"

"Asgard-" Thor interrupted in annoyance. The Grandmaster didn't seem to care either way.

"Any contender who defeats my champion…" The Grandmaster informed Thor, pausing for dramatic effect. It was enough to make Emma roll her eyes. "Their freedom they shall win."

"Fine!" Thor finally relented, looking annoyed and ready to fight his way out of this one. Emma didn't think it would be that easy. While she and Loki had never attended one of these games before, she knew this champion the Grandmaster had was very powerful. No one had ever beaten him before. This champion could even prove challenging to someone of Thor's strength. "Then point me in the direction of whoever's ass I have to kick!"

"That's what I call, contender," The Grandmaster said, grinning happily at Thor's frustration. "The direction would be this way, Lord."

The Grandmaster waved his scepter and Thor's chair immediately started moving towards the exit of the room. Something that Thor didn't seem comfortable with. Emma and Loki just watched him zoom off in silence, making no move to help him.

"Ah!" Thor shouted in alarm, having no idea where they were taking him. "Loki! Emma!"

"Don't worry, Thor. Loki and I will be at the game totally supporting you!" Emma called out after him, smirking as he disappeared around a corner. She then promptly turned back to look at Loki. "We're definitely betting against him, right?"

Loki smirked.

"Oh, I definitely think so."

---

"There it is," Loki told Emma as he assisted her with her new powers.

It had become a common occurrence between the two of them since they unleashed her powers. They were focusing on controlling them so Emma could escape the Grandmaster's notice. If he knew about her powers, then she'd be his newest contender. Emma made it known to Loki that if she was going down then she'd take him down with her, so he was more than willing in assisting her in learning her strengths and limitations.

Emma shot out the blast of blue energy from her hands but this time she didn't manage to disintegrate the tacky chair Loki had set up as target practice. She only managed to send it flying against the wall. The chair burst into a million pieces but she didn't disintegrate it this time and that was progress.

"Now draw it back," Loki instructed her, and he kept close watch over Emma who was now enveloped in the familiar orange and blue glow. The glow seemed to encompass her every time she used her powers. Loki asked her if it hurt but it didn't. Emma couldn't remember ever feeling calmer than when she was enveloped in the glow. It almost felt like a warm blanket wrapped around her tightly. "Almost there."

Emma bit her lip in concentration before she was finally able to draw the blue energy back within herself, willing it with her mind. She withdrew the blue energy and as soon as it was gone, the orange glow evaporated into thin air.

Emma and Loki stood in the middle of the living space in silence. It was almost like nothing had just occurred. The blue energy and the warm orange glow were both gone, leaving the pair in darkness.

"That was easier than before," Emma admitted, and Loki nodded.

"It seems to take practice," Loki replied as he stepped away from her, glancing over her to see any trace of the orange glow that had just enveloped her, but he could find no evidence of it. "Just like with any sort of thing."

Emma took a seat on the couch and Loki plopped down next to her.

There had been something on her mind for the past couple weeks. Ever since that night Loki unleashed her powers. He'd been very silent about it so Emma decided not to bother him, but she could no longer put off her own curiosity. She had to know.

"Remember the night you unleashed my powers?" Emma asked him and Loki gave her a curious look.

"Of course," Loki said, giving her an odd look. "It's not something one is likely to forget."

"You said something to me that night," Emma reminded him, locking her gaze with his. "About that we now had more to worry about than the Grandmaster. Someone worse than even Hela that would be interested in my new powers."

Loki took a deep breath and Emma analyzed how pale he'd become.

As if something frightened him.

It scared Emma because Loki didn't seem like the type to scare easy.

"I can recall," Loki said shortly, and Emma swallowed hard as she continued.

"You wouldn't say anything else, but I think I have a right to know what you meant," Emma informed him, looking determined to get an answer out of him. "It concerns me, after all. Who were you talking about?"

Loki grew quiet for a minute, refusing to answer. Emma was about to get up and storm away at his stubbornness. However, she stopped when he finally spoke up.

"There are beings in the universe much more powerful than the Grandmaster or Hela," Loki said quietly as he tried to explain the universe to her. "More powerful than Thor or myself."

"Beings like who?" Emma questioned and Loki sighed.

"When I fell off the rainbow bridge years ago," Loki told her, and Emma was already familiar with the story. How Loki fell from Asgard after fighting Thor and being shunned by his father. She knew at some point after that, he ended up on Earth with his Chitauri army. However, Emma didn't know the details of what happened between the fall and his arrival on Earth. "When I fell into that dark abyss…I became at the mercy of a powerful being named Thanos. Some call him the Mad Titan. He is one of most feared beings in the entire universe. He's slaughtered millions. Perhaps even more. Destroyed entire worlds. Well…half of entire worlds. He conquers planets and slaughters half their population which he sees as a mercy. Something he called balancing the universe."

"Thor's never mentioned anyone like that before," Emma said, trying to take in Loki's words. It seemed alarming to her that someone like that was roaming around the universe and the Avengers were entirely oblivious to it. It wasn't as though there was much the Avengers could do about it, but it would've been nice to be prepared for an attack like that.

Loki scoffed.

"Thor is arrogant," Loki told her honestly. "He's barely aware of Thanos' presence. Probably thinks of him as a simple war lord but I assure you…he's much worse. Thor's been on Midgard quite a bit or across space searching for those infinity stones that he shall never find. He's ignorant of the power Thanos has accumulated these past few years. He grows stronger and stronger each day."

"This…Thanos. He helped you after you fell from the bridge?" Emma asked Loki and he nodded grimly. As Emma began to piece everything together. She gasped when she realized something. Thanos was the missing piece in between Loki's fall and then Loki's arrival on Earth. She knew from conversations she overheard with Steve and Tony that Thor thought Loki didn't act alone in the Battle of New York. They dismissed Thor's beliefs as wanting to see good in his brother but maybe Thor was right. Loki didn't act alone. "It wasn't your idea to attack on Earth, was it? It was never your idea."

"Thanos gave me an army and my scepter which as I know you're aware contained the mind stone…one of the six infinity stones," Loki explained to her and Emma just stared at him in disbelief, learning information from Loki that not even the Avengers were ever aware of. "He knew the Tesseract was on Midgard and he wanted me to retrieve it. In doing that, he promised me Midgard. I was so angry at Thor and wanted revenge by claiming a planet I knew he adored. As long as I provided him with the Tesseract which contains the space stone."

"But you lost…" Emma said, and Loki nodded.

"I not only lost but I also lost him the Chitauri army and the mind stone as well," Loki said, chuckling darkly as he leaned back in his seat. "And I also didn't retrieve the Tesseract."

"I imagine he's not very happy about that," Emma told him, and Loki shook his head.

"Definitely not," Loki confirmed. "I didn't mind being imprisoned on Asgard after attacking Midgard. Asgard was far out of his reaches, and he was quite wary of Odin. When I cast my father out and disguised myself as him, I was hiding from Thanos. Very successfully too until Thor showed up."

"You're afraid he'll kill you," Emma stated, and Loki just smiled sadly.

"Death would be a kindness," Loki said, denying Emma's prediction. "He promised me a fate worse than death. A new kind of horrific suffering is what he called it."

"He's the one that will come after me if he finds out about my powers?" Emma questioned but she was still confused. "But why would he care about me when he could just take the Tesseract for himself?"

"Thanos collects children," Loki informed her which caused Emma's eyes to widen. "Little orphans from races he's conquered. You would be his greatest asset. Especially with your abilities. None of Thanos' children have anything close to that."

Asset.

There was that word again.

The same thing she and her father had been called during their time at Hydra.

Well, Emma refused to be someone asset again.

Never again.

"Thanos has a plan to find all the infinity stones. All six of them," Loki explained to Emma who was still in shock over this new information. "He believes that with all six, if the legends are true, he could make half of the population of the universe disappear without having to go from planet to planet and doing it himself. It's his whole ideology about a balance in the universe. It's also how he got his name…the Mad Titan. It's truly madness and I would know madness better than anyone."

"Would that even work?" Emma questioned, feeling fear spike up in her heart at the thought of some crazed alien out there with plans to get rid of half the universe. "A bunch of magic stones that'll just magically get rid of half the universe?"

"The stones are powerful," Loki countered. "You know all too well what some of them can do. I would say…yes. It would work."

"Do you know how many stones he has?" Emma questioned and Loki shrugged.

"He used to have the mind stone when I saw him last, but I lost him that one," Loki answered her, not seeming too happy about screwing over one of the most insane beings in the entire universe. "As far as I'm aware he has none. I know the Tesseract is on Asgard and we both know the mind stone is with the android on Earth. As for the others…I truly have no idea."

"So, it'll basically be the end of times if he gets his hands on any of these?" Emma questioned and Loki nodded.

"It seems like it," Loki replied, and Emma shook her head.

She really didn't like this.

Any of it.

"This is bad," Emma whispered, her thoughts flooded with how much the Avengers were out of their depth. They fought beings like Loki and Ultron…each other but could they go up against someone like Thanos?

Thanos who was powerful and crazy all wrapped up into one.

"I know," Loki whispered back.

"You think the Avengers stand a chance?" Emma asked him and Loki glanced back at her. It took him a moment before he slowly shook his head.

"No."

And Emma had her answer.

---

The world was getting worse and worse the longer Emma stayed away from Earth, but Emma was still not inclined to return home. There was the huge mess she left on Earth, Sakaar, her new powers, her apparent pregnancy, and now Thanos. Thanos, an insane alien, who would want her for her abilities if he ever found out she existed. Thanos who also wanted to steal a bunch of magical stones to kill half the universe.

Well, Emma didn't have time for this shit.

She wasn't cut out for it,

She had been trained as a spy and an assassin.

Not to go up against aliens.

Maybe Thanos wouldn't even do it. Maybe he'd just give up and change career paths. Maybe Loki's stories were a bunch of bullshit. Thanos was more of a what-if problem right now and Emma only had time for definite problems. It's not like he could get to her on Sakaar. No one seemed to want to willingly come to this shit hole, so Emma was probably safest on Sakaar.

Away from the Avengers and away from Thanos.

At least that's what she kept telling herself.

"And now without further ado," The Grandmaster announced as he gave his pre-game speech. Emma and Loki strode into the Grandmaster's private room overlooking the arena. Emma made sure to wear a gown that better concealed her stomach than the one yesterday. Emma knew she wasn't showing that much but she was convinced that people would be able to look at her and be able to tell what she was hiding. This dark green gown had a high neckline and actually left a lot to the imagination seeing as it didn't display any skin with its long billowing sleeves paired with its floor length. Emma was feeling very self-conscious about the baby bump. "It's main event time."

Someone offered her a drink as she and Loki walked towards the huge glass window. She politely refused the drink. Emma honestly didn't know what she was going to do about the baby thing yet, so it was better not to drink.

A part of Emma was worried about all the drinking she did two weeks ago when she was unknowingly pregnant. All the damage that could've done.

Wow…maybe she did have a maternal instinct, after all.

"No drink for you?" Loki teased, thinking there was a different reason why she wasn't drinking tonight. "Learned your lesson from that night I take it?"

"Yup," Emma said shortly. She didn't want to reveal the true reason behind her refusal of alcohol.

Emma hadn't told Loki about her pregnancy suspicions.

He'd already seen too much inside her mind and she didn't want him to know about this part too. Emma also didn't know how he'd react. If he were the sort of guy to confine her to her room or if he'd refuse to go through with the Grandmaster plan and demand to take her home. Or maybe he wouldn't give a shit. Either way, Emma wasn't going to tell him.

She couldn't barely admit it to herself.

The loud cheers from audience whisked her away from her thoughts as she and Loki moved their way to the seating area in front of the window which had the best view of the entire arena. It seemed she and Loki arrived just in time for Thor's match. Something that she knew would take her mind off the pregnancy thing. Emma was grateful for the distraction.

Even if it was some creature kicking Thor's ass.

"Making his first appearance, though he looks quite promising…got a couple of tricks up his sleeve," The Grandmaster told the audience, his holographic appearance facing them even though he stood not too far from Emma and Loki. Emma didn't think she'd get used to the weird alien technology. Not in a million years. "I'll say no more. See what you think."

The doors to the arena slowly opened, revealing Thor as he strode out with confidence towards the center of the large arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…" The Grandmaster announced loudly, pausing for dramatic effect. "Lord of Thunder."

Emma smirked.

She knew Thor wouldn't like that.

The arena filled with sudden booing from the audience as Thor stood still and looked around. Emma analyzed his appearance, noticing that his long blonde hair had been cut off and red paint had been smeared across his face. Emma couldn't deny that the short hair was a good look for him. A look that she was positive that she hadn't seen before.

"Watch out for his fingers. They make sparks," The Grandmaster said tauntingly. "Okay, this is it. Let's get ready to welcome this guy. Here he comes."

Green powder was shot out across the arena as the audience went back to cheering. Emma was aware this champion of the Grandmaster was a favorite of everyone. It seemed like this champion was the one to root for.

"He is a creature. What can we say about him?" The Grandmaster questioned as the arena shook. Emma saw the other arena door vibrating and knew what ever was on the other side would be no easy opponent for Thor. It was big. "Well, he's unique. There's none like him. I feel a special connection with him."

Thor put on his helmet as he prepared for battle. Emma stood still, curious as to what creature Thor was about to face. She knew this creature had never been defeated before, but she also knew it had probably never met someone like Thor either.

"He's undefeated," The Grandmaster went on as Thor continued to prepare. "He's the reigning…he's the defending…Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…"

Loki grinned from his place next to Emma, looking excited to see his brother get his ass handed to him. Emma was merely curious. Everyone seemed enthused as the arena doors started to open.

"Your incredible…" He drawled out and before the arena doors could finish opening, the so-called creature burst out and Emma's eyes widened in shock at who she saw.

For a moment she thought she was imagining things.

It couldn't be.

But it was.

The Hulk standing in all his glory, decked out in armor and weapons. Roaring ferociously as he left what was left of the doors in his wake. It couldn't be anyone but the Hulk. There was no other being that came close to the Hulk, after all.

As far as Emma was aware.

"What the fuck," Emma said, eyes unable to leave Hulk's form.

"Hulk!" He yelled as he approached Thor who looked just as shocked as Emma.

So, it was the Hulk.

Emma had so many questions.

She hadn't even seen Hulk in real life. Only in videos. Emma had only known Bruce Banner. Emma was fortunately never acquainted with the Hulk. She'd only heard stories. It was almost hard for her to believe that the Hulk was a part of Bruce. Especially from seeing the mild-mannered doctor and his quiet, awkward nature.

"Yes!" Thor cried out in joy which stunned the audience.

Emma still couldn't believe Bruce was on Sakaar. Is this where he'd been all this time? Emma always assumed he went into hiding after the Ultron thing. She never would've guessed he ventured out into space.

One thing was for sure.

Natasha was going to be in for a surprise.

Emma finally glanced up at Loki who seemed much more pale than usual. The smug grin on his face was now gone and replaced with an expression of panic. Emma smirked because she remembered stories about the Battle of New York.

Tony had kept the Loki sized dent in Avengers' Tower as a tribute to him getting the shit knocked out of him by the Hulk. In fact, Tony kept a recording from the security footage of Loki being smashed and smashed into the floor of what used to be Tony's penthouse. Something he always played on the anniversary of the event much to Bruce's embarrassment.

She was all too aware that Loki was no fan of the Hulk.

It was thrilling to see Loki so terrified of him.

"Why do you look so glum?" Emma questioned teasingly as Loki slowly started to back away, his eyes glued to the Hulk. "Aren't you excited to see your old pal?"

"I have to get off this planet," Loki stated as he started to run away and Emma laughed, shaking her head. Loki didn't get too far before the Grandmaster stopped him. "Hey, hey, hey. Where are you going?"

Emma returned her gaze back to the arena as the Grandmaster led Loki back to the window, forcing him to take a seat. Emma sat down next to the clearly disturbed looking Loki. The Hulk seemed to enjoy the attention of the audience. He threw his arms out as they chanted his name. Emma was certain she'd never seen anything so entertaining in her life.

"Hey! We know each other!" Thor called out to the Grandmaster, explaining his and the Hulk's familiarity. The Grandmaster looked confused as he sat on the other end of couch. Luckily, he was quite a distance away from Emma and Loki. It was good because Emma really couldn't stand the idiot. "He's a friend from work."

It was hard to hear what Thor was saying over all the audience's cheering but with her enhanced hearing she managed to make out the words.

"Where have you been?" Thor asked him and Emma was also curious to know this. "Everybody thought you were dead. So much has happened since I last saw you."

Thor paused briefly as Hulk turned back to look at him. Emma frowned when she saw the angry look on his face. She might've been wrong, but he didn't seem as happy to see Thor as Thor was happy to see him.

"I lost my hammer," Thor said as he began to list off all the recent events that had happened. "Like, yesterday, so that's still pretty fresh. Loki. Loki's alive. Can you believe it? He's up there."

"Loki! Look who it is!"

Thor happily pointed towards Loki who started to sink in his seat at Hulk's attention. Emma refrained from laughing at the terrified God of Mischief. This game was becoming more and more fun the longer she stayed.

"And Lady Emma's here too. Look at her. She's all grown up now," Thor said as he then pointed at Emma and Hulk glanced at her. "Lady Emma, can you believe this?! It's Banner!"

Emma waved awkwardly at Hulk, wondering if he would recognize her even if she technically never met him. Given from the way Hulk's eyes lingered on her, she could tell that he did have some of the Bruce's memories.

Good to know.

"Banner, I never thought I would say this but I'm happy to see you," Thor said sincerely as he looked back at Hulk. Hulk didn't seem to appreciate Thor's words.

"Hulk! Hulk! Hulk!" The audience continued to chant.

"Banner," Thor called out, trying to get his attention again. Hulk seemed slightly distracted. "Hey, Banner!"

"No Banner," The Hulk said angrily as he glared at Thor. "Only Hulk."

"What are you doing?" Thor asked in confusion and Emma swallowed hard. Yeah, this didn't seem like it was going to end well. Thor was pissing off Hulk. "It's me. It's Thor."

Hulk snarled as he suddenly lurched forward, moving in to attack Thor. Emma's eyes widened as Thor narrowly escaped Hulk's weapon and rolled away from him. It was clear that Hulk wasn't very happy to see him.

The next dodge from Thor's weapon wasn't as successful as it landed right in the middle of Thor's chest, sending him flying back from its sheer force paired with Hulk's strength. Thor managed to stick his landing and withdrew two of his swords, glaring at Hulk who roared at Thor's defiance.

The Grandmaster looked positively delighted at Hulk's fury as he clapped his hands, a big grin on his face. Loki looked over at him worriedly, but Emma kept her gaze focused on Thor and Hulk. Out of all scenarios she imagined for Thor, she never imagined he would be facing Hulk in some weird gladiator battle on an alien planet.

Hulk growled, clanging his two weapons together. Thor just shook his head. He hoped that he could ease the tension in between Hulk and himself.

"Banner, we're friends," Thor said sincerely as he tried to reason with Hulk. "This is crazy. I don't want to hurt you."

This only seemed to piss off Hulk more as he growled in fury before going in for another attack, enraged by Thor's words. Thor could barely fend him off with his swords as Hulk seemed powered by his own anger.

Thor struggled under the Hulk's brute force which rivaled his own. Hulk took advantage of his struggling and sent him flying once more with a kick to the stomach. Emma watched in astonishment as Thor sailed through the air as if he weighed nothing.

Maybe he did weigh nothing to someone as strong as the Hulk.

Thor landed with a loud boom as he hit the arena wall. Emma winced as she watched the crater sized dent Thor left. The cheers from the audience were deafening and Emma thought she was probably right in betting against him.

Thor didn't seem like he was going to win this one.

"Here we go," The Grandmaster said excitedly as he beamed. "Here we go."

Hulk grunted as he threw one of his weapons at Thor.

Thor narrowly dodged it as he seemingly gathered his bearings, jumping from the arena wall. Emma was surprised he was still standing up after that. God of Thunder or not. Thor made a quick move to grab Hulk's discarded weapon which was sticking out of the wall. Hulk made a move for him, lifting his arm up with the other weapon in hand.

Thor pulled out what looked like a Hulk-sized meat tenderizer and smacked Hulk right in face before Hulk had the chance to land the first blow. The force behind the swing was enough to send Hulk flying across the arena, taking down a majority of the arena wall as he went. Emma figured that Hulk must've destroyed at least half the arena.

"What?" The Grandmaster questioned in bewilderment, not believing his eyes. That the man who supposedly could shoot sparkles from his finger managed to land a serious attack on his beloved champion.

Emma could believe it.

It was just that she didn't know who would win in a fight.

Thor or Hulk.

It was an argument that Peter and Ned had always debated on heavily, never thinking it would happen in real life. Emma knew they'd be besides themselves with joy if they were to see a battle like this play out in front of their very eyes. She, on the other hand, could do without the suspense and dramatics.

Emma just wanted it to end.

Hulk shook his head, trying to regain his balance as he slowly got up from the ground. It was clear Thor had managed to land a significant blow against him. Emma narrowed her eyes as she witnessed Thor walking very slowly over to Hulk.

"What is he doing?" Loki asked, looking equally as confused by his brother's actions.

Emma could no longer hear Thor as he spoke in a very low voice. She could only see his lips moving as he spoke to the Hulk. She then saw his hand reaching out towards Hulk as he moved slowly. Emma resisted the urge to laugh as she realized what he was trying to do. Hulk's lullaby was no secret. It was something Tony had relentlessly teased Bruce and Natasha about during their time at tower.

"He's trying to do the lullaby," Emma whispered softly so that the Grandmaster wouldn't overhear. It's not like he was paying attention, anyways. He was too focused on the battle going on in front of them. Loki gave her a confused look. "Romanoff had a certain way of calming down Hulk, so he'd turn back into Banner."

"And it worked?" Loki questioned just as quietly, and Emma shrugged.

"That's what everyone said. I wouldn't know. I only ever met Banner. I never met the Hulk," Emma told him honestly before smirking. "Only I don't think Thor will be as successful."

"Why not?" Loki asked her and Emma gave him an amused look.

"Well, Thor doesn't exactly have red hair and a pair of big tits, does he?" Emma quipped and Loki just rolled his eyes before returning his attention to the battle. He didn't really have it in him to find amusement in Emma's crude remarks. Not with the Hulk a short distance away.

Loki still remembered the last time they met, and he would rather that history didn't repeat itself.

It was almost shocking as Hulk began to reach for Thor's extended hand. Something that mystified Emma. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it did work if Natasha wasn't the one to do the lullaby. Emma was almost convinced that Thor had become successful in calming down the Hulk.

She was almost convinced until their hands actually did meet and instead of Hulk turning back in an awkward, nerdy scientist, he grabbed Thor's hand roughly before lifting Thor up as though he weighed nothing. Emma gasped as Hulk began slamming Thor's body against the ground over and over again, causing the God of Thunder to look little more than a child's rag doll. When Hulk was finished, he tossed Thor's body across the arena as if he were yesterday's garbage.

Hulk screamed in victory.

Yet no one looked happier than Loki.

"Yes! That's how it feels!" Loki yelled happily as he stood up from the couch and pumped his fist in the air. Emma raised an eyebrow. The Grandmaster looked over at Loki in alarm and Loki chuckled nervously. "I'm just a huge fan of the sport."

The Grandmaster seemed to accept his excuse, but Emma didn't.

"Nice save, Loki," Emma said sarcastically, and Loki playfully glared at her.

"Don't act like you didn't also enjoy watching my brother's defeat at the hands of that beast," Loki retorted, and Emma nodded.

"Yes, I enjoyed it but unlike you I can contain myself and express my excitement like a cool person instead of a giant dork like you," Emma threw back at him. "It's actually really embarrassing. Just learn to control yourself better next time or I'll pretend like I don't know you."

"I'm not a dork," Loki said, horrified that she would call him such a thing. "What is a dork? I assume another ridiculous Midgardian phrase."

"A dork is a word for a very lame person which is what you are," Emma said, giving Loki a teasing smile. Loki gritted his teeth. He couldn't believe he was engaging in such a petty, childish argument with her.

"I shall have you know that I've killed people who have insulted me far less that you, Little Rogers," Loki told her, and Emma didn't seem bothered by his words. Maybe most people would. Especially since this was Loki but Emma wasn't. "You should have more care as to how you speak to me."

"I'm not afraid of you," Emma told him, not backing off. "Remember? You work for me now."

"I do not work for you," Loki said, scoffing. Emma nodded.

"Keep telling yourself that Loki if it makes you feel better," Emma replied before returning her attention to Thor and Hulk. Loki gave her a look of disdain for a moment, not liking her cockiness, before also returning his gaze to the game.

They continued to watch Thor and Hulk battle it out.

Both were strong individuals in their own right so Emma thought it could go either way at this point. Thor seemed pissed. He didn't seem willing to be nice to Hulk this time around. Emma didn't blame him.

Thor just got his ass handed to him.

There was a small part of her that really did enjoy this.

The audience certainly seemed to be eating it up too.

"I know you're in there, Banner!" Thor called out after he split Hulk's gigantic axe in half. "I'll get you out!"

Thor lunged for Hulk, landing another blow to his head.

Thor seemed to be under the impression that he could beat Banner out of the Hulk.

Emma didn't see how that logic fit.

This only seemed to piss off Hulk more.

"What's the matter with you?!" Thor shouted at him as Hulk knocked the weapon from his hand and Thor retaliated with a fist to his face. "You're embarrassing me! I told them we were friends!"

Everyone in the Grandmaster's private room seemed to be on the edge of their seats as they watched the battle play out. Even Emma was intrigued. The Grandmaster seemed to have thought this would be an easy match. Hulk would annihilate Thor and that would be that.

Only…it wasn't looking to be that simple.

The Grandmaster looked nervous.

More nervous than she'd ever seen him.

Thor threw himself on to Hulk's back, trying to get his old friend into a chokehold but Hulk wasn't having it. He threw the both of them back and body slammed Thor into the hard ground. Thor rolled out from underneath him and desperately grabbed for his weapon. He quickly lunged for Hulk, preparing to strike him again but Hulk was ready this time.

Hulk grabbed the weapon mid-air.

Everyone leaned forward in their seats in intrigue.

Hulk then landed a harsh punch to Thor's face, sending the large blonde man flying towards the opposite end of the arena. Emma winced. She really felt that.

Hulk lurched forward, landing on top of Thor. It seemed that Bruce's alter-ego wasn't done with him yet. Something about Thor's previous remarks about Banner seemed to really piss off Hulk because Hulk landed a flurry of punches against Thor's face. Emma knew if Thor had been an ordinary human man, he would've been a pancake by now.

Emma inhaled sharply when Hulk started beating his fists against Thor's chest with full force.

Yeah, Thor was lucky he wasn't ordinary.

That much was clear to Emma.

Hulk returned to punching Thor's face. Even though Thor wasn't human, Emma still knew this would hurt him. It would've been impossible if it hadn't hurt him. God or not, Hulk's strength was not something you wanted to be on the receiving end of. Emma had enough sense to have never had any desire to meet the Hulk. Even before Bruce ran off after Ultron.

Emma always knew Hulk was the last person she wanted to meet.

Fueled by anger and being overwhelmingly large weren't exactly traits Emma looked for in new friends.

Emma was broken out of her musings by something that was very peculiar. She was almost convinced Thor had lost. It was obvious from the way he laid out flat underneath Hulk. Hulk seemed to have gained the upper hand and didn't seem anywhere close in forfeiting it.

It was only when Emma noticed sparks of light enveloping Thor's body.

Almost like electricity.

Something she had never seen from Thor before. Only his hammer. It shocked Emma to her very core as she watched Thor regain his strength, encouraged by the sparks of electricity surrounding him.

Thor grunted as he punched Hulk, his fist encased in those same electric sparks, sending the giant green creature flying backwards. He landed on the ground with a ground shattering thump, his metal helmet flying off from the impact. Everyone in audience gasped in shock.

Even Emma was shocked.

The Grandmaster stood up from his seat while Loki stared in bewilderment. Emma glanced at Loki curiously for his reaction. It seemed as if this newfound ability from Thor was even new to his brother.

Thor stood up, glancing down at himself and the sparks of electricity that flowed over him. Maybe it was lightening. Thor was the God of Thunder and didn't thunder and lightening go hand in hand? Emma observed the way Thor's eyes seemed to glow as the power washed over him.

Hulk got back up, his chest heaving with anger as he glared at Thor. This seemed to finally tear Thor's attention away from his newfound abilities. The tall man smirked smugly at Hulk who looked ready to go in for the kill.

Not a second later, Thor and Hulk started running at each other.

A way more confident Thor looked ready to fight back against Hulk and finally gain his freedom. Emma never would've imagined what happened when they collided. Thor landed another lightening filled punch to Hulk's face which caused some sort of energy blast between the two of them.

It sent the both of them reeling.

The audience began to change their tune.

"Thunder! Thunder! Thunder!" They chanted as they realized there was a contender that could give the Hulk a run for his money. It was ironic considering not even ten minutes before they were all booing Thor and now, they were his biggest fan. "Thunder! Thunder! Thunder!"

Hulk shook his head, still in a daze from Thor's attack. Thor was already on his feet and ready to attack again, leaving Hulk with no choice but to defend himself. Thor clenched his jaw as he moved towards him again.

Emma bit the inside of her cheek nervously as she prepared for the inevitable punch.

Just when Thor raised his fist to attack, he didn't.

Emma raised her eyebrows and watched as Thor twitched a few times before falling to the ground. She shook her head in disbelief before turning and noticing a device in the Grandmaster's hand. A device which likely controlled whatever chip got implanted in Thor's head when they captured him on Sakaar.

The blonde rolled her eyes.

What a cheat.

What was even the point of this whole thing if you were going to cheat? It made everything so boring and uninteresting. Just when Emma didn't think she could hate the Grandmaster enough. He went and did something that only made Emma desire to kill him more.

She really did hate that guy.

"What's he doing?" Loki said breathlessly and Emma saw what he meant.

Hulk threw himself up in the air, making his way towards the highest point in the arena. Well past the private room where Emma and Loki were currently sitting. The both of them lifted their heads up to look at him. It was both incredible and terrifying to see him like that.

Emma couldn't decide on which.

Hulk then threw himself down, aiming for Thor. She didn't think she could watch. It was too stressful.

When he landed, Emma was sure you could feel the aftermath all across Sakaar. The walls shook and she realized it would be quite some time before they could repair the arena. Especially with all the damage those two left in their wake.

"If there anything left of him?" Emma asked Loki in reference to Thor. She really didn't want to look down and see a Thor-shaped pancake. Her nausea was getting worse and worse these days. Emma didn't think her stomach could handle much at this point.

Damn little Spider-Brat.

"He'll live but it might hurt for a while," Loki confirmed, and Emma nodded.

"Good…that's good," Emma said in response. She didn't really know how to process what she just witnessed. Not only did Hulk and Thor battle it out but Emma learned that this was where Bruce had been all this time. On Sakaar…in space.

How the hell did that even happen?

Emma had no clue.

But she really wanted to find out.

"Looks like the show's over for now," The Grandmaster declared, grinning at the both of them.

"Time to celebrate."

"Celebrate?" Loki questioned in confusion and the Grandmaster nodded.

"Yes, of course. The after-party," The Grandmaster told them cheerfully and Emma really hated this guy. She wanted to kill every part of his joy and bask in his ruin. She wanted to see him miserable and in pain. Emma was also realizing that she was spending too much time with Loki. He wasn't a very good influence. "What's the point of my champion winning if I can't celebrate it. Of course, the after-party is only reserved for us people. Wouldn't want those other people there. It tends to bum everyone out."

"Other people?" Emma questioned with a raised eyebrow. "You mean the slaves?"

"We don't tend to use that word around here," The Grandmaster informed her, making a face of distaste at Emma's wording. "It's so morbid."

"What do you call them then?" Emma retorted, giving him a harsh look that seemed to go over the Grandmaster's head. He shrugged.

"Other people…workers," The Grandmaster replied, clearly uncomfortable with this conversation. "Something like that."

"I'll remember that for next time," Emma said sarcastically. Something that also went over the idiot's head.

She hated the fact that slavery was an accepted thing on Sakaar. That people were forced to do things they didn't want to do. There was still slavery on Earth, but it was more of a black-market thing.

Emma knew what it was like.

Being forced to do things you didn't want to do…being a tool for other people to use. It infuriated her to see other people subjected to the same thing. She didn't want to admit that she cared but she did. Emma knew that when she and Loki took over, there would be no more slavery. If people wanted to leave then they would leave. If Loki didn't like that then the spoiled, whiny little prince could fuck off for all she cared.

"Anyways, the after-party will take place on the Commodore," The Grandmaster informed them, changing the subject. "You two have already been aboard the Commodore before. Well, that was for one of my more tame parties. This one will be a bit more…different."

Emma knew what that meant.

Everyone was aware of the weird orgy parties that the Grandmaster had on the Commodore. She definitely wasn't going to one of those. Watching that old man bone a bunch of people was enough to make her throw up right here, right now.

Pregnancy or no pregnancy.

"Understood," Loki said, forcing a smile although he also seemed disgusted to Emma. She was a bit surprised. Emma would've thought Loki was pretty kinky. Orgies should've been the norm for him.

"Well, I'll see you two soon," The Grandmaster told them with a sly grin before walking away. Emma waited until he was out of ear shot before she turned to Loki.

"Yeah, I'm not going to that fucked up party," Emma told Loki bluntly. "The only penis I want logged in my memory is Peter's. It's bad enough I saw Thor's once. That was enough to give me nightmares for life. I have a name for that thing he calls a penis…Cockzilla. Poor Jane Foster. I don't know how she's still alive after playing with that thing."

"If we don't go to the party then it'll look suspicious," Loki replied, ignoring her remark about Thor's penis, and Emma shook her head.

"You go," Emma told the tall Asgardian. "By yourself. Make up an excuse for me. I am human, after all. We do get sick easily."

"But you are no ordinary human," Loki pointed out and Emma smirked.

"Well, that moron doesn't have to know that, does he?" Emma retorted and Loki noticed a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. "But you're not going there to have fun, Loki. I think I have a plan in mind. Something to do with our aspirations for this little hell hole of a planet."

Loki met her gaze with a curious one of his own.

He looked positively interested in her plan.

"What sort of plan?" He questioned and Emma shrugged nonchalantly but it was clear she was planning something. Something good.

"The Commodore is one of many ships the Grandmaster has, right?" Emma questioned, remembering Loki mentioning something similar to her some time ago. "There's plenty more of them?"

"Of course," Loki stated, giving her a confused look. "But I thought you didn't want to leave?"

"I don't," Emma told her friend. "But whoever has possession of Sakaar's fleet of spaceships, has all the power. Don't you think? So, when we finally reduce that old asshole to nothing more than a pathetic sniveling life form, he'll have nowhere to run to."

"I love the way you think," Loki said adoringly, grinning at Emma. "You will truly make a terrific queen when we finally overthrow the Grandmaster."

"Thank you," Emma told him, and she knew that Loki thought he would be her king, but he wouldn't. She liked him but not that much. Emma was thinking of him in terms of a sidekick. "Now do whatever you have to find a way to steal the Grandmaster's ships."

Loki smirked.

"Consider it done."

---

"Did you do it?" Emma questioned as she rested on the couch in her and Loki's adjoined apartment. Loki had only just come in through the door. She had been waiting for his return for the past few hours.

It must've been early morning hours.

Emma wished he could've come back sooner. She hated being left alone with her own thoughts. Especially now that she was about eighty percent sure she was pregnant. She was already stressing herself out enough about everything else, a pregnancy was the late thing she needed.

Whether it was a scare or the real thing.

Who was she kidding?

It wasn't a scare at this point.

It was the real thing.

"If you mean did, I manage to obtain the Grandmaster's access codes to his security system…then yes," Loki said smugly, grinning at her. "Yes, I did. Your brilliant plan worked very well."

"We make a good team, don't we?" Emma told him. "I come up with all the genius plans and you do all my dirty work."

The grin fell off Loki's face at Emma's words.

"I'll have you know, darling, that I've been coming up with brilliant plans long before your eldest ancestors were ever born," Loki informed Emma, not wanting her to get too cocky. In his opinion he was the one who held all the power in their strange new friendship. "I don't do your dirty work. I only do my own."

"Well, if that were true then you would've taken over several planets by now," Emma pointed out to him. "I'm seventeen-years-old and I'm about to take over this one. If you're a million-years-old and taking over your first planet then clearly you've been doing something very wrong."

"You have quite a mouth on you," Loki told her, glaring at the blonde. Emma smirked.

"I know," Emma said arrogantly, and Loki just shook his head in disbelief. "Today was pretty shocking by the way. Who knew Bruce has been on Sakaar all this time?"

"Yes, that was a very shocking revelation," Loki said in agreement, deciding to put his annoyance over Emma's bossiness to rest…for now. "I certainly did not ever expect to see that beast again."

"Wimp," Emma name-called him before moving on with their conversation before Loki could make a retort. "What are we going to do about Thor?"

"What do you mean?" Loki questioned and Emma sighed heavily.

"Obviously Thor is going to want to leave Sakaar to go save Asgard or whatever," Emma explained to him. "And obviously he's going to do that really annoying noble thing where he tries to bring me back to Steve and I really don't want to go back home right now. Maybe not ever at this point. So, you can see how that might be a problem for me with Thor being here."

"Ah, yes, the ever so valiant Thor," Loki said sarcastically before rolling his eyes. Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Why are always such a dick about Thor? I get how annoying he is but he's your brother, right?" Emma asked him, genuinely curious about his relationship with Thor. Loki scoffed.

"Adopted brother," Loki corrected, and Emma shook her head.

"Adopted…blood…who gives a fuck," Emma said, not knowing what he was such a drama queen about Thor. "I'm just saying that you grew up together, yet you've tried to kill him so many times and ruin his life. I mean, I wouldn't even do that to Tony and Tony's way more annoying than Thor."

"Thor wasn't always the Thor you've come to know," Loki said bitterly, and Emma gave him a curious look. "Our father always favored Thor over me. Thor pretends to have changed from his old ways, but I still remember the way he used to be…before he went to Midgard, before he fell in love with that woman, and before the Avengers. He knew father favored him and he basked in father's adoration. He gloated about it."

"Are you really still hung up about that?" Emma questioned, not looking very sympathetic. Loki just stared at her.

"What?" Loki said in confusion. Emma rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you're still on about that after all these years. God, I thought I could hold a grudge," Emma said honestly. "It pretty sad if you ask me. Thor's out there being an Avenger and probably getting laid all the time by hot human women while you're over here sulking and trying to take over but not really ever achieving it. It's pretty pathetic."

"What do you know, anyways?" Loki questioned, glaring at the blonde girl. "And for your information, I have no problems…getting laid if your odd Midgardian phrasing means what I think it means. And I will take over your precious Midgard someday. You'll see."

"Yeah, right," Emma said, not looking like she believed him. Loki glowered.

"I thought you would understand," Loki confessed, capturing Emma's interest. "You and I are not so different. You have your own Thor, don't you?"

"My own Thor?" Emma inquired and Loki nodded.

"The Captain," Loki stated and Emma wanted to laugh. She knew that she in no way felt towards Steve was what Loki felt towards Thor. It was entirely different. "You live in the shade of his greatness just as I lived in the shade of Thor's. We're the same."

"We are not the same," Emma snapped, crossing her arms. She hated being accused of holding anything but love for Steve. "I don't envy Steve. I don't try and ruin Steve's life like what you do with Thor. I don't set out to hurt him. He's my family. That actually means something to me unlike it does to you."

"I've seen into your mind," Loki reminded her. "I've seen the way you look at him. It's not all love and admiration like you claim. There's other feelings…of contempt and sadness."

"You don't understand what you saw because you have the emotional maturity of a baby," Emma threw back at him. "The contempt and pain wasn't for Steve. It was for me."

Loki's gaze softened in realization that what Emma felt for Steve wasn't at all similar as to what he felt for Thor.

Emma clenched her jaw as she continued to glare at him.

"Because he's great, brave, selfless, and full of goodness," Emma told Loki and she knew then that she and Loki weren't alike at all. She was the master of self-loathing and Loki didn't know anything about that. "And I'm none of those things and I never will be. People expect me to be like him and they compare me to him all the time. They look so disappointed in me when I mess up because Steve would never make all the mistakes I make. It's not envy I feel towards him. It's the knowledge that no matter what I do, I will always fail him. I'm a poor excuse for a family legacy."

Loki grew silent for the first time in a while as he watched her.

"I will never live up to him and I'll always be a failure in everyone's eyes," Emma told him sincerely and she knew he could use this information against her, but Emma didn't care anymore. She had nothing more to lose. She already lost everything. What more could he do to her to hurt her? Nothing. "You and I are nothing alike. I would never do to Steve what you've done to Thor. That's why I'm not going back."

"I see," Loki said quietly, not having any other words. He didn't know what to say to her. Maybe just that she was right.

They weren't alike.

Not like how he previously thought.

"Just because you've looked into my head doesn't mean you understand everything about me," Emma told him in annoyance. "Don't pretend that you do or that I sympathize with your childish feud with Thor. He's still your brother and that should mean something to you. I don't care how much of an evil asshole you are, it shouldn't erase the fact that he's your family and the only one in the universe who gives a shit about you. You should've seen how sad he was when he thought you were dead. He doesn't care that you're an evil asshole. He still loves you."

"I…" Loki trailed off, not knowing what to say to that. He thought about making some snide remark, but he couldn't come up with anything. It had been a long time since someone talked to Loki like that…since someone told him the truth. Perhaps not since his mother died. Mostly because anyone else would've been frightened to stand up to him but not Emma Rogers. "I've gone too far this time. Thor doesn't trust me anymore."

"Thor finally got it through his thick skull that he can't trust you because you stabbed him in the back a million times. He got smart…well as smart as someone like Thor can get," Emma replied, and Loki just watched her. "Just because he's not stupid enough to trust you anymore, it doesn't mean he hates you. You're still family. I know it might mean something different on Asgard but on Earth family tends to forgive."

"And you're sure you don't wish to return Midgard?" Loki asked, recognizing the longing in her eyes. Emma gave him a lot to think about when it came to Thor and their relationship, but he could also tell she was also doing some thinking of her own. "Because once we execute this plan then there's no going back. I won't be able to return you back to Midgard if you change your mind."

"I'm sure," Emma said although the thought of not returning scared her.

Never seeing anyone ever again was terrifying. She would be saying goodbye to all of them. Peter, Steve, Tony, and her father. This wasn't going to be a vacation; it was going to be permanent. Emma just didn't see how she could return at this point. Not with all the things she'd done before she left and topped off with the fact that she was probably pregnant.

Emma couldn't face Steve or Peter's disappointment if she returned, nor could she face her father's. They all believed in her so much that Emma was filled with guilt over having let all of them down. She never wanted to, but Emma made a gigantic mess that could probably never be cleaned up. It was easier to stay on Sakaar where none of her problems mattered. Well, all except one.

The little Spider-Brat parasite that was nestled inside her.

That was one problem Emma couldn't run away from and it was also a problem Emma didn't think she could solve.

No, Emma definitely couldn't return pregnant.

She knew deep down that Peter would respect any decision she made about the baby. Whether or not she kept it or got rid of it, but she also knew that he'd probably want her to keep it. Emma knew she'd keep it if Peter wanted her to because she loved him so much and always gave into him. That wasn't the issue. Emma knew that if she returned and kept the baby then it would ruin Peter's life. He was so smart and had his whole future ahead of himself. Peter wanted to go to college and work in a lab someday. He couldn't do that with a baby.

Emma wasn't like him.

She fooled herself for a while thinking she had a future ahead of herself too. It was easy to see with Peter at her side but after spending time with Loki on Sakaar and getting away from it all, she realized how stupid she'd been. To think she could anything more than her past. That she could go to art school, marry Peter, and live a normal life.

It was so stupid.

No, she had to stay here on Sakaar. Not just because she was afraid of facing everyone but because it was what was best for Peter. He could live his life the way he was always supposed to. It didn't matter to Emma if she didn't get to live that life too because she was probably never meant to, anyways. There would be less damage and catastrophe if she stayed.

This was the only way.

"I can't go back," Emma finally told Loki, looking confident in her decision. "It's too late."

Loki nodded although he still didn't understand her reasoning. Not when she had so much waiting for her back home. He'd looked into her mind, and he knew how she missed everyone. He still wasn't one to question it. Loki knew what running away from your problems looked like, but he wasn't about to advise her against it.

Loki didn't want to be a hypocrite.

He was many things, but he refused to be a hypocrite as well.

"Then let our plans for the Grandmaster commence."