Thor sighed, he was starting to get a bit sick of this.
So many creatures, yet none of them were of any use to them as the Chitauri and other bigger aliens had no real mind of their own, so none of them could be used as a guide.
At one point Loki and Thor finally agreed to at least try, but the Chitauri they had managed to drag into a corner very litterately self exterminated once it realized it had been compromised. It bit down and then just died in Thor's arms rather than being forced to act on enemy command.
These things literally had no free will and would act according to their own programming.
Yeah, Thor more than ever started to appreciate the value of an actual plan…
Thor and Loki were taking a break, sitting on the floor, sharing a package of these cracker-like things Thor had found.
They were nasty… Only by dipping them in water was it possible to chew them, of course any water here did have a kind of murky color, so that was another piece of nastiness and Thor started to wonder what the heck he was even doing accepting this thing into his mouth that would turn into a nasty paste in his mouth that was impossible to swallow and just stuck to the back of his throat.
"There has to be someone controlling all these creatures," Loki muttered. "Someone with the actual ability to think."
Thor sighed. "Aye, without a leader or general the Chitauri are useless," he admitted, trying to suppress the memory of Loki leading them all.
"Whoever did that work on the prisoners must have a certain capacity for thought," Loki commented.
Thor shivered slightly.
"You are not going to get sick again, are you?" Loki asked, glancing at Thor.
Thor shook his head. "No."
Loki looked questioningly at him.
"I swear," Thor assured. "I just… got a bit surprised, that's all."
"Right." Loki didn't sound entirely convinced. "You would think with all the death you've seen you would have a tougher stomach," he commented.
Thor sighed deeply. "Aye," he admitted. "I suppose this place is getting to me a bit,." he admitted.
"Don't tell me you're scared," Loki asked with a slightly teasing grin.
"To be honest, Loki," Thor replied. "I am terrified."
"Oh." Loki blinked, for a few seconds there was silence.
"Does that surprise you?" Thor asked.
"No, not really," Loki admitted, leaning back. "I am more surprised you would be so honest about it," he admitted. He bit his lip.
"Loki?" Thor asked.
"Heh… I'm shaking too," Loki admitted. "This place… is not nice."
Thor smiled softly, though also kind of defeated. "No, it's not," he stated just as a new pair of footsteps sounded, quickly Thor put on his helmet and Loki put on a glamour as they both stood up.
It was just one person walking, light steps, quick.
Thor peered out to have a look, and his eyes widened! A woman! A woman with blue skin, black eyes, robotic appendages. It was Nebula! Though with an angry face.
Loki stood still, he seemed to get it.
Thor held out a hand again, as if to signal for Loki to stand back, they waited, waited for Nebula to come to their hiding spot and the second she was next to them Thor reached out and grabbed her, pulling Nebula inside.
At once Nebula's eyes widened and she would have screamed if Thor hadn't covered her mouth with his hand, twisting her arms with the other.
"Friend Nebula!" Thor said.
Nebula quieted.
"Listen to me, I know this is going to be hard to believe," Thor said. "But, in another reality, another timeline, you are helping me."
Nebula's eyes narrowed.
"I know that deep inside you desire to see Thanos go down. We are on the same side, please help us. I swear to not tell anyone!" Thor implored.
Nebula was standing still, absolutely still.
"Oh… Okay, I am letting go," Thor stated, the second his grip on Nebula loosened just the tiniest bit, Nebula spun around and kicked Thor right in the stomach.
"UF!" Thor was stumbling back.
"How dare you speak such words to me about my father?!" Nebula asked. "My father is the grandest of all, and I shall never betray his trust!" she stated, pulling out knives and running at Thor.
Then Loki intercepted with his own daggers and blocked Nebula, pushing her back. "Thor! If this is what you call a friend, you seriously need to reevaluate how to pick friends!" he stated just as Nebula came back at Loki full force.
Thor grabbed his hammer and swung it at Nebula but she dodged and then tripped Thor, then blocked a knife Loki threw at her as she screamed. "GUARDS!"
Well they were royally screwed now…
Loki seemed to arrive at the same conclusion as stealth and silence were now out of the window and he blatantly threw daggers at Nebula which she blocked, only to follow up with a magic blast that hit Nebula square in the face and she tumbled back, Thor now coming with his hammer, Nebula blocked it but it sent her to her knees and she groaned. Then Thor swung it again and Nebula was sent straight into the wall with a big boom, then she fell down as she groaned.
"You..." Nebula hissed. "Will pay..."
"Be quiet," Loki demanded, kicking her in the head and finally knocking Nebula out cold, but of course it was far too late as the chitauri came running from both sides of the narrow hallway.
Thor and Loki stepped together so they now stood with their backs pressed up against each other, both facing their own swarm of enemies.
"So… We'll just take down the entire building regardless," Loki commented.
"When there is no other choice." Thor lifted his hammer. "Watch my back!"
"Heh, you watch my back!" Loki replied and then they came and Thor and Loki began, skulls crushed with the hammer, necks slit open, bunches of incoming foes roasted with lightning, dozens at a time blasted back by pure magic.
The corpses piled up in both directions… and they kept coming.
"Is… Is that really all?" Loki asked, gasping for air.
"I know, this is nothing," Thor replied, also gasping. "Just a mere warm up." And he swung his hammer again to crush another skull.
"Aye, they ought to take us seriously at least," Loki commented, throwing another knife with precision which planted itself into a chitauri neck. "Where's the real army?" he asked.
Thor laughed, even if it was a rather defeated laugh. Loki replied with a grin in kind, readying himself for the next wave, just as a grand voice shouted.
"HALT!"
Both Thor and Loki stiffened, then the attacking chitauri… started to crawl back. Confused, Thor looked around, as did Loki.
Footsteps sounded, a figure… in front of Thor. Loki turned to have a look and then another woman came.
A woman with green skin, long dark hair ending in red tips, knives on her hips, then she stopped in front of Thor and Loki, she glanced at the piles of corpses around them, then at the unconscious Nebula before she looked up at them.
"You sure are strong," The woman commented. "Though what is strength when you are acting this stupid?" she asked.
Thor tightened his grip on Mjolnir as he lifted it.
"Desperate situations call for desperate measures," Loki finally replied.
The woman smirked. "You really must be desperate to come here willingly," she said, crossing her arms. "So, did you come to rescue a friend?" she asked. "Or perhaps to gain revenge? Tell me, what are two such fine warriors doing in Thanos's keep?"
Thor and Loki exchanged glances, then turned back to her.
Thor sucked in a breath. "Thanos has an item in his possession, a scepter! With a blue tip, able to control minds. We need it," he stated.
The woman laughed. "You're here to steal one of Thanos's greatest treasures?!" she asked. "How stupid are you?!"
"The question is not how stupid, but how desperate." Loki replied. "Surely at least someone around here must have realized, the universe is collapsing… Worlds are vanishing. We know how to stop it, but we need that scepter."
The woman looked at them with a stern gaze. Thor stepped forward.
"It's the truth!" Thor stated. "I know no stars are visible in this place anyway, but if you leave.. You'll see. The worlds, they are gone!"
Then the woman stood up. "I know," she admitted, and Thor halted. "I saw… "
"Then help us!" Thor asked.
The woman smirked. "All right, I'll tell you how to find the scepter," she stated. "However, I won't lead you there. You'll fetch it on your own."
"That's fair," Thor agreed.
Loki's eyes narrowed. "It can't be that easy, you have an ulterior motive, don't you?"
"Well, just maybe I have been planning to leave for quite a while," the woman commented. "Perhaps it is indeed the case that I would welcome a distraction, a distraction that would earn Thanos's attention so I can run the other way while he is too busy to see me."
"Oh, we have a runner I see," Loki commented. "Ms...?"
"Gamora," The woman stated. "Thanos's daughter… I hate the man! Take his stupid scepter, make him angry. I want you to hurt him!"
Loki chuckled, amused. "Issues with your adoptive father? Know the feeling," he stated.
Gamora smirked. "The scepter is..." she began.
"There is no need," Loki assured as he stepped forward, then put his fingers to Gamora's forehead. "Let's not waste time, just show me."
Gamora smirked. "Then look," she asked, closing her eyes, only a moment went by and Loki retrieved his hand before turning to Thor. "I know where it is. Come on. Quick!" he started to run.
"Hey wait, LOKI!" Thor shouted, then he turned to Gamora. He shortly nodded his head. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet." Gamora smirked. "Thanos could still catch up to you," she said.
Thor swallowed, but turned and ran after Loki, as fast as he could as Gamora turned and ran the other way.
