Hela sat on the throne trying to get comfortable, headdress and cowl off. Skurge stood at the foot of the throne looking uncomfortable, Hela's butcher guards standing nearby waiting for orders. There were the sounds of shouts not too far outside of the palace.
"What is that noise?" Hela asked.
"The common folk aren't exactly falling in line. There's a resistance trying to knock down the front gates." Skurge admitted hesitantly. Hela sent her butcher troops to deal with it, Skurge watching with furrowed brows.
"Tell me about yourself, Skurge." Hela said.
"Well, me dad was a stonemason, me mum was..." Skurge started.
"I'll just stop you there." Hela interrupted. "What I meant was what is your ambition?"
"I just want a chance to prove myself." Skurge admitted.
"Recognition." Hela nodded. "When I was young every great King had an executioner. Not just to execute people, but also to execute their vision. But mainly to execute people. Still a great honor." Hela's face became solemn. "I was Odin's executioner." Hela held out her hand and used her powers to form a double sided obsidian axe which she offered to Skurge. "And you will be my executioner." Skurge took up the axe, testing it weight in his hands, his eyes troubled. "Let's begin our conquest." Hela with Skurge following, left the palace and arrived at the Observatory, army in tow. Hela eyed the center of the Observatory. "Skurge, where's the sword?" The Bi-Frost sword was missing. "That sword is the key to opening the Bi-Frost." Hela thought for a moment, seething. "These people you mentioned, the ones who aren't falling into line. Round them up."
-0-
Boots running across the shallow water of a trickling mountain creek, a family of refugees from the city make their way through the forest. Father, mother, son, and daughter flee for safety away from Hela and her troops. Hot on their heels were a pair of Hela's sinister Butchers, hunting like a pack of wolves.
After scrambling through a grove of trees the family make their way through a narrow pass. The Butchers are still in pursuit, their growls getting louder behind them when the son ran right into a tall, immovable object. The rest of the family arrived soon after, desperation and fear etched into their faces.
"Excuse me." In one swift motion Heimdall drew the Bi-Frost sword, stepped forward and slashed through the butchers.
Another set of butchers came up behind them but were stopped short by Vanessa as she stepped forward, her hand stretched out. She brought them forward and slashed through them with her Psionic knives reducing them to dust.
"There are more coming." Vanessa through back her blue long hooded scarf with the tails reaching down to the back of her knees, her hair pulled back in a long French braid. She wore a black leather body suit, a pair of boots with a gold design on them that matched her forearm length fingerless gloves, and her black belt.
"Sorry about that. These bloody things are everywhere." Heimdall turned to the family and gestured for them to follow. "Come on."
They led them through the forest up the side of a mountain and into a large crevice, a deep gorge between two ledges under the mountain.
Vanessa and Heimdall approached the steep face of the mountain and carved into the rock was Yggdrasil, the world tree. Heimdall kept watch as Vanessa kneeled, whispering a few words under her breath as she ran her fingers over a symbol on the ground causing it to light up, and then a huge section of the mountain face split open revealing a set of doors that protected a stronghold. Hundreds of Asgardians who fled the city after Hela's invasion were living there. Men, women, and children. Strong and weak, young, and old. Heimdall turned to the family, even managed a smile.
"You'll be safe here." Heimdall ushered them inside as Sif came out.
"How many did you encounter?" Sif asked.
"To many for my liking, they are swarming the forest." Vanessa said wearily. "We need to get back out there."
"You need to rest, you're no-good dead on your feet." Sif said.
"I'll be fine." Vanessa swept forward back toward the forest.
"She does this to keep her mind from worry." Heimdall said.
"Can you see them? Thor, Loki, and Rhea?" Sif asked.
"Yes." Heimdall looked up to the sky.
-0-
The room had been split up between Hulks domain including a very large bed sunk in living room, shelves filled with drinks, and the hot tun the Hulk was currently soaking in. The other side of the room was clearly devoted to Rhea's comforts.
"What were you doing? You could have really hurt him." Rhea snapped as she paced in front of the Hulk. She was wearing a loose-fitting crop top green distressed sweater, a long black tank top underneath, a pair of black tights, and a pair of green converse. Her jaw length hair was still slicked back, her eyes were smoky black, and her lips were green. She found it served as a reminder to anyone who approached her who her guardian was and the connection to her father's colors was a comfort to her as well. "You let your anger control you too much."
"It was fight." Hulk argued watching her pace with his arms crossed.
"It was my Uncle and your comrade." Rhea faced him, arms crossed as well. "You only beat him up because he mentioned Bruce and you got mad when your fans started to chant for him." Rhea sighed placing a hand on her forehead. "You are not just some big angry fighting machine! You are a person that can solve things in other ways that just beating them until you feel better."
"Hulk sorry." He murmured.
"I know, I know…" Rhea frowned, squatting down she was at eye level with him. "You and Bruce need to come to an understanding and stop squabbling like children. You may not like it, but you are one person, to halves of the same being." Hulk averted his eyes uncomfortably. "And I know that even though neither of you will admit it you do care about each other. Why else would you save uncle Bruce from himself or why would he let you out for so long without fighting it?"
Hulk was saved from contemplating her words when Thor came to with a grunt. Hulk and Rhea looked to the couch where Rhea had laid him out to tend to his wounds. He had been bandaged and cleaned by Rhea with the help of her two Sakaarian gladiator nurse's. They had fawned over him more than helped, but after he was comfortable, she shooed them off.
Finding himself in a strange area Thor freaked out a bit, scrambling and falling a few times to get off the couch. Wincing he managed to get to his feet moving slowly as he looked around the giant room with stark graphic patterns on the walls.
"Don't move to much uncle, took us a while to put you together again." Rhea commented as she came over to him.
"Rhea." A bright smile lit up his features as he pulled Rhea into a bear hug. "I'm glad you're ok."
"I'm glad to see you as well." Rhea hugged him back just as tightly. "The Hulk has been protecting me since I came here."
Thor looked from Rhea to the Hulk keeping his arm around his niece relieved beyond words that she was safe. He stared at him quizzically noting that Hulk wasn't angry, but relaxed and he was not turning into Banner.
"Then I thank you Hulk." Thor nodded stiffly in gratitude to the Hulk. "So, are we cool?" Thor asked and Hulk grunted with a shrug. "It's Hulk in a hot tub." Thor eyed they green behemoth relaxing in the tub. "How long have you been like that?"
"Like what?" Hulk asked.
"Like this." Thor gestured to him. "Big, green, ...stupid."
"Hulk always Hulk." Was his reply.
"On that note, I'm going to find my dad and make sure he's not...you know...being him." Rhea sighed as she waved over her shoulder. "You two play nice."
-0-
Rhea was in her workshop gifted to her by the Grandmaster to create special affects for her shows. It was stacked with various things she had scavenged from the surface. She had not stopped her exploration of combining her magic based powers with the pure energy of an arch reactor. The new technology she had encountered had accelerated her research to the point of completion. All she needed to do now was test it out.
"You've done well for yourself here." Loki commented as he looked through her collection.
"Yeah, I just did what you always told me to." Rhea pressed her goggles back on top of her head. "Ingratiate myself with the leaders and if I can't do that raise some chaos to get them out of the way."
"You make me proud." Loki beamed as Rhea smiled. "Your Uncle and I are trying to come up with a way to get out of here. I talked to him while he was in the gladiator holding room. He's going to try working from the inside to gain a footing, we're in charge of the outside."
"The grandmaster is not completely oblivious to everything around him, but I think he will still be fairly easy to overcome." Rhea mused. "It's getting off this planet and back to Asgard that's the trick. Any one of these portals could get us there, but not close enough." Rhea frowned down at the worktable. "It will take time we do not have."
"And we will need a ship that can take it." Loki nodded in agreement.
"The quinjet that Hulk came in is here." Rhea told him. "I've been working on it and it should be able to get through." Rhea glanced at the time. "I should head down and input our flight plan, you better go keep an eye on the grandmaster, make sure he doesn't get suspicious." Rhea crossed her arms looking uncomfortable. "I'm really scared dad. Mom, our friends, family, and people are in such a great danger."
"If I know your mother, she will have things well in hand." Loki came over pulling her into a hug.
"I know." Rhea nodded burrowing herself into the safety of her father's arms.
"It's going to be alright." Loki pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You better get going and be careful."
"Where's the fun in that." Rhea smirked as she gave her dad one last hug. She swept her hand over arch reactor causing it to disappear before they went on their way.
-0-
Vanessa peered around the corner of the arch way making sure that the family she was guiding stayed just out of sight. Glancing over she nodded to Heimdall who joined them, but then he paused, getting a strange look in his eyes.
'Heimdall, I know you can see me.' Heimdall heard Thor's voice.
"Heimdall, what is it?" Vanessa asked.
"It is Thor." Heimdall told her.
'I need you to help me. Help me see.' Thor suddenly found himself in Asgard, his eyes the same gold as Heimdall.
Disoriented at first, Thor turned to see Heimdall and Vanessa hiding in the shadows. Heimdall harshly shushes him while Vanessa gestured for him to get up against the wall. Thor complied and saw the refugees that Vanessa and Heimdall had saved. After a beat a roving patrol of Hela's Butchers crept by through the street luckily not spotting them. Heimdall turned to Thor, speaking only in hushed whispers.
"I see you. But you are far away." Heimdall said.
"Are Rhea and Loki ok? Are they safe?" Vanessa quickly asked of Thor.
"They are well, both of them." Thor assured her with a small smile, but then looked around them. "What's going on here?"
"Come see for yourself." Vanessa said as she and Heimdall led the family out of the alley and dashed down the street. Thor followed, but then stopped. Looking around to see the occupied city of Asgard, emitting a smoky aura of chaos. Down the street, Heimdall gestured for the family to slow down. He sees something. Vanessa ushered them into an alcove.
Thor joined them just in time to avoid being seen by another roving patrol of Hela's Butchers. Heimdall again motioned for Thor to "shh" until the threat has passed.
"We are providing refuge in a stronghold build by our ancestors. But if the garrison falls our only escape will is Bi-Frost." Heimdall told him.
"You're talking about evacuating Asgard?" Thor asked.
"We won't last long if we stay." Vanessa said as Thor looked out on a ravaged Asgard, heartsick.
"She draws her power from Asgard and grows stronger everyday." Heimdall told him.
"Come on." Vanessa urged them, leading the refugees down a safe pathway:
"Hela is ravenous. If I let her leave, she'll consume the Nine Realms and all the cosmos." Heimdall turned back to Thor and approached him. "We need you."
"I'm working on it, but I don't even really know where the hell I am." Thor said bitterly.
Then two packs of Butchers arrived simultaneously and spot them.
"You're on a planet surrounded by doorways. Go through one." Heimdall readied his sword as Vanessa drew her psionic blades.
"Which one?" Thor asked as they ripped into the attacking Butchers, cutting them down.
"The big one!" Heimdall said before Thor was gone. After slashing through the Butchers, Heimdall moved toward the house where he hid the family while Vanessa was on clean up, tucking the bodies away out of sight. Abruptly he stopped and turned slightly seeing something.
"What is it?" Vanessa asked.
"We are being watched." Heimdall looked up, the Bi-Frost sword visible in his hand. Vanessa followed his gaze and saw Skurge on a palace tower balcony, surveying the city with Asgardian E-noculars. Skurge lowered the E-noculars, conflict on his face. He knew that he should report this to Hela immediately...yet he didn't spring into action.