"Aw monster, no."
Clint whimpered as red eyes glared at them from the darkness, the creature slowly emerging. It was hideously huge, with leathery grey skin, sharp and yellow-stained teeth with spikes that then ran up its' back and long, spindly neck.
"Oh yes!" Thor was clearly thrilled by the sight, "Now this is a challenge!"
"Is that a Hydra monster?!" Tony yelped, "I thought we were dealing with Norse mythology, not Greek? What the hell!"
Before anyone could question it further, the creature growled again and Clint patted Thor and Bruce on the back, "Good luck boys! I have fifty on big green being the first to take him down!"
"I'll take that bet Legolas!"
The conversation was cut short as the creature growled and stepped closer.
"I do not recall any of your lessons concerning creatures like these." Thor pointed out, as he avoided the sharp teeth that were determined to tear them apart.
"How were we meant to predict Greek mythological creatures?! TO YOUR LEFT! YOUR LEFT!"
Thor dived away, wincing as the fangs skimmed him, ripping the arm of his uniform.
"YOUR OTHER LEFT!"
"My apologies!" Thor called out cheerfully, glaring at the creature as it reared back and roared. Spotting a piece of rubble, he rushed over to it and threw it at the creature, hoping to try and knock it out.
Except, it caught the rubble in its' mouth, shattering it within seconds as a rumble echoed through the quarry.
"This thing is laughing at us!" Tony gasped over the speaker, "Are you guys hearing this?"
"Indeed, Man of Iron." Thor braced himself, grabbing the sharp fangs in an attempt to save himself. With a ferocious growl, he used all of his strength to throw the creature's neck to one side, giving him a chance to get to a safe distance.
But it was too late.
Something wet and slimy wrapped around his left ankle and he was thrown into the air… straight into the creatures' mouth, who swallowed him with a loud gulp.
"THOR!" Steve called out.
Up above, Loki winced, hand moving up hi own throat as the creature suddenly remembered the other heroes and roared, lunging forwards in an attempt to grab another bite for lunch… and then it stopped, seeming to frown in confusion, glancing down at its neck where something was struggling to get out.
With a sickening rip, its' head separated from the rest of its' body, and it fell to the ground, closely followed by a stunned Thor.
The other Avengers all raced forwards.
"Thor! Thor!" Tony held up two fingers, "How many fingers am I holding up?"
"… Four?"
"Good enough!"
"No." Natasha scolded, as she and Steve helped Thor to his feet, frowning at the thick, slimy blood all over him, "Come on, let's get back to the tower."
…..
Hel smirked from her vantage point.
The game was only just beginning.
…..
At the sound of rumbling behind them, the group slowly turned around, eyes wide in alarm.
"That doesn't sound good." Tony whispered, before turning to Clint, "Take our word for it."
"Fuck you, I can hear that!" Clint whimpered, watching as the body of the creature rose, three heads replacing the decapitated one.
"SCATTER!" Steve yelled, all of them diving in different directions as the battle started up again.
Steve and Natasha focused on getting civilians out of the way, as Clint kept any rogue heads from eating them in the process. Thor, Hulk and Tony blasted and ripped off heads… really, it took them far too long to notice that every time that happened, three more heads took their place.
Soon, heads were all that they could see.
"STOP RIPPING THEIR HEADS OFF!" Natasha screamed into the comms, finally losing her almost, unlimited patience.
"I do not recall this being covered in basic training." Thor stated matter-of-factly, as they continued to battle.
One by one, the heroes were pinned to the ground, Clint and Natasha under one clawed hand, Tony and Steve under another and the Hulk under the other two… as two were needed to pin the raging creature down.
The only one left was Thor, and he wasn't faring much better, practically pinned up against the last standing building in the area, unable to go anywhere, without bumping into a head or two.
…
"My favourite part of the game." Hel whispered, as all the heads rose up into the air in unison, fangs at the ready, "Sudden death."
…..
Thor wasn't about to let himself be eaten. Thinking quickly, he slammed his fists against the brick wall, the shock causing the creature to let his team-mates go free just as the building starting to crumble and fall all around him.
"THOR!" Steve coughed, the dust from the collapsed building entering his mouth, "WE NEED TO HELP THOR!"
"HOW?!" Tony grabbed Steve's arm, pulling him back as the dust cleared. All that remained of the building was a large pile of bricks and metal beams. The only sign that there was even a creature, was the clenched, clawed fist sticking out of the wreckage.
"THOR!" Clint cried out, "QUIT PLAYING AROUND THOR!"
They all ran over to the wreckage, Tony desperately scanning for signs of life.
…..
Hel smirked from her vantage point, "Game. Set. Match."
Loki looked away from the scene, unwilling to admit that his heart clenched in grief.
….
"Nothing… there's- "
Before Tony could finish the sentence, a creaking noise filled the air, and everyone turned to the clenched fist of the creature, with many normal citizens starting to panic, believing that the creature had survived the collapse.
However, when the fist unclenched, fingers falling open, a familiar figure stumbled to freedom.
"THOR!"
Almost immediately, the rest of the team were swarming around him, helping to support him as Thor tried to wave them off. As the crowd cheered all around them, Thor beamed at his friends.
"I could get used to this."
"Well… you did win by a landslide after all."
"Clint!"
"That was funny!"
…..
Loki couldn't help but smirk from his vantage point, quietly clapping as Hela ranted and raged behind him.
…..
From then on, it seemed as though Thor could do no wrong.
The city was thrilled at the new addition to the Avengers. Almost every newspaper was desperate for an interview.
Thor's days were full of signing autographs or fighting whatever threat the Avengers had to face that week. Girls flocked towards him, and all the toy stores were bringing out action figures that looked exactly like him.
Schools put on little plays, and almost every child wanted Thor 'Light-up' trainers or the new sports drink.
The months passed and Thor slowly started to get used to it.
At that precise moment in time, he and the other Avengers were having their handprints' immortalised on the pavement outside the Town Hall.
Life was good.
…..
Life was not good.
High above the Town Hall, a spike shattered a plastic toy, as Hel growled at the event she was watching.
"I can't believe this!" She threw her hands into the air, "I throw everything I've got at him and it doesn't even- "
She paused, hearing a squeak near Fenrir. Glancing down, she clenched her fists in pure anger. "What. Are. THOSE?!"
Fenrir glanced down at his paws, "Umm… they make these for dogs now?"
"I've got twenty-four hours, to get rid of my darling baby brother, before the entire scheme I've been setting up for eighteen years, goes up in smoke… AND YOU. ARE WEARING. HIS. MERCHANDISE!"
A spike was seconds away from going through Fenrir's throat when Hel heard the slurping sound. She turned and focused on Jor, who was curled around a large drinks cup, slurping the liquid through the straw, before stopping with a stunned look.
"Ummmm…. Thirsssssssssty?"
The pair were sent running as spikes threatened to impale them.
Clearly amused by the whole situation, Loki pushed himself to his feet and smirked, heading over to the edge to watch, trying to ignore Hel staring at him, almost daring him to piss her off as well.
"I've been going about this all wrong." Hel suddenly announced, "I think I need… a different plan."
Knowing instinctively that she was looking at him, Loki rolled his eyes, "Don't even go there."
"He has got to have a weakness, because everyone has a weakness! We just need to find out what it is!"
"You have two minions for that! Try snake venom, it tends to weaken most people!"
Fenrir and Jor glanced over apprehensively, sighing in relief when Hel shook her head.
"They can't handle it… no, I need someone who can handle him as a man."
Loki rolled his eyes yet again, "I swore off handling men, for good."
"Which might have been a good excuse, if it weren't for the fact that I own your soul."
Loki just shrugged.
"Alright." Hel sighed, "How about this? If you give me the key to bringing down Thor, then I will give you what you desire most in the whole cosmos…. Your freedom.
Hel didn't even bother to hide her smirk as the young man inhaled sharply at the thought.
Hook. Line. Sinker.
…
"I hope you were watching Father!" Thor cheered, staring up at the living statue of Odin, "I have wrestled with minotaurs! Grappling with gorgons! This hero business is fun!"
Odin smiled, "YOU'RE DOING GREAT SON, YOU'RE MAKING ME PROUD. ALL THE GODS ARE WATCHING YOU."
"I am glad to hear you say that Father." Thor beamed up at the statue, "I have wated for this day for quite some time."
"OH? WHAT DAY IS THAT?"
"The… day I become a God?"
Odin winced, "YOU HAVE DONE WONDERFULLY SON… BUT YOU ARE NOT QUITE THERE YET. YOU HAVE YET TO PROVE YOURSELF A TRUE HERO."
"But- "
"- BEING FAMOUS, IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING A TRUE HERO."
"Well, what more do you want me to do?"
"THAT IS SOMETHING YOU WILL HAVE TO DISCOVER FOR YOURSELF."
"But how can I- "
"- LOOK INSIDE YOURSELF. YOU WILL FIND IT."
Without giving Thor a chance to say anything more, the statue moved back into position, there was a flash of light… and Thor was a statue once more.
Thor screamed, slamming his fists down on the floor and shattering every tile in the room.
"I do not need you." He hissed, "I never did."