S142 and Loki were brought before the Grandmaster, who tripled the amount of protection around him.
"I'm upset!" He spoke to them. "I'm very upset. You know what I like about being upset. Blame. Right now, that's the mindset that I'm in. And you know who I'm blaming?"
Loki spoke first. "Grandmaster, I"
"Hey!" He barked at Loki. "Don't interrupt me!"
Topaz brought in the melting stick to him. "Here you go."
The Grandmaster was confused. Why would he need that to melt his newest hunk? "Why are you handing me the melt stick? He was interrupting. That's not a capital violation." He regained focus. "My precious champion has come up missing and it's all because of that Lord of Thunder. It's all because of him." He eyed Loki. "Your brother. Whatever the story is. Adopted or complicated. I'm sure there's a big history." He eyed S142. "And YOUR contender."
"My dear friend," Loki spoke with his silver tongue. "If you were to give me twelve hours, I could bring them both back to you."
"I can do it in two," S142 quipped.
"I could do it in one," Loki negotiated.
The Grandmaster liked being fought over like this. "You know what? I woke up this morning thinking about a public execution. But for now, I'll settle for this sweet little 'who's gonna get him first?' So you're on the clock."
The two exited in a hurry. Loki followed behind her. "What have you done?!" He had things planned out and now this. He also wanted to know how loyal she was to the Grandmaster.
S142 reversed and placed him against the wall. "I don't answer to you, lackey."
"It's Loki," he corrected. "And you will answer to the Grandmaster." He moved to reverse his position. They broke away. He drew his daggers as she drew hers. The two started to fight one another until she slammed him into the wall. "Why would you help my brother escape with that green fool?"
"I don't help anyone," S142 made it clear.
He took this time to observe her for any weakness. He found one. It was a surprise. The marking on her wrist, the marking of a Valkyrie. "You're a Valkyrie. I thought the Valkyrie all died gruesome deaths?" He knew that was not the whole truth but she has been gone so long, that she wouldn't know how the rest were doing.
This caused S142 to rage inside. She attacked him, placed her bladed against his throat, ready to slice through any moment.
"Choose your next words wisely," she seethed.
"Terribly sorry, must be a very painful memory," Loki could see the intensity in her eyes. It was the same when Sigyn thought she lost him. The anger, the morose, and the guilt. He knew that feeling all too well. He struck a nerve with this woman. He decided to use that against her. He casted an illusion on her to distract her. S142's eyes cloud over with darkness and tears started to stream down her face. Loki was curious about that memory. He wished he could see what had truly happened.
It was the battle between the famed Valkyries against Hela. Dead women and winged horses lay on the bloodied grown with the black sky. Hela was advancing to her, THE Valkyrie. However, she was frozen with fear and with indifference. Many before her failed and now she would fail too. The portal behind was still open to the throne room. She needed to guard it, but her life was insignificant. At a last-ditch effort, a blond Valkyrie came striding through and took the finishing blow from Hela, guarding the one she loved. She shoved S142 into the portal, fleeting happiness that she was safe. Blood dripping from her lips as she watched her lover, S142, fall safely away. S142 watched the life disappear from her lover's eyes. The relief that she was safe now dull. S142 scrambled to her feet trying to get back but the portal closed on her.
S142 fell to her knees. The memory she was suppressing for so long came back. It hit with such force it was like she was reliving that moment all over again. Loki did not know what to say. S142 got out of the enchantment and knocked him out. She started to chain him up. S142 sighed. She had to bring this guy back to her apartment or he was going to escape and ruin everything. She started to chain him up even more, when he started to wake in her apartment.
"My apologies for that," he was sincere.
"Why do you care?" She didn't look at him.
"I know what it's like to lose someone you love," he stared at her.
"Why do you have the protection of Valkyrie on you?" That was one of the first things she noticed about him. She eyed him. Loki was not going to reveal that. "How did you end up with that protection?" Since he did not want to speak, she started to leave.
"As the Grandmaster spoke, I am Thor's brother," Loki eyed her.
"Yes," she glanced back. "That's why you will be a peace offering. Stay here." She headed out to find the other two. Loki sighed as he watched her leave. He observed her living quarters, trying to figure out what type of person she was.
S142 found them amidst the celebration. She escorted the two through a street. She led them to her apartment. S142 wanted to be on the team. Thor allowed her to, but before they entered the apartment, she wanted to set things straight.
"Also, I've got a peace offering," she opened the door to reveal Loki chained up.
"Surprise," Loki jested. Thor tossed a bottle at his head, which hit its mark. "OW!"
"Just had to be sure," Thor was getting used to some of his antics.
"Hello, Bruce," Loki sneered.
"So, last time I saw you," Bruce eyed him. "You were trying to kill everybody. Where are you at these days?"
"It varies from moment to moment," Loki gave a vague answer.
Bruce decided to eye the mess around him. He gave Thor a worried look, but Thor gestured that they could trust her. S142 started to unwrap her sword from the Valkyries.
Thor noticed it. "Is that a Dragonfang?"
"It is," S142 confirmed.
"My God," Thor beamed. "This is the famed sword of the Valkyrie." He had never seen one up close. Sigyn never had hers on her. Loki had seen it though. He remembered that it was placed next to her Valkyrior armor.
"Sakaar and Asgard are about as far apart as any two known systems," S142 explained. "Our best bet is a wormhole just outside the city limits." She drew their attention to it. "Refuel on Xandar and be back in Asgard in around 18 months."
"Nope," Thor disagreed. "We're going through that one." He pointed to angriest wormhole.
"The Devil's Anus?" She was perplexed.
"Wait," Bruce could not understand the ridiculous names. "Whose anus are we going through?"
"For the record," Thor pointed out. "I didn't know it was called that when I picked it."
"That looks like a collapsing neutron star inside of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge," Bruce surveyed it.
"We need another ship," S142 got back on point. "That would tear mine to pieces."
"She's right," Thor agreed. "We need one that can withstand the geodetic strain from the singularity."
Bruce was surprised about Thor understanding science. "And has an offline power steering system that could also function without the on-board computer."
"And we need one with cup holders, because we're gonna die," S142 interjected. "So, drinks!"
"Do I know you?" Bruce felt a familiar feeling with her. "I feel like I know you."
S142 had the same feeling. "I feel like I know you, too. It's weird."
Thor directed to Bruce, "What do you say, doctor? Uncharted metagalactic travel through a volatile cosmic gateway. Talk about adventure." The two high-fived in agreement. "We need a ship."
"There are one or two ships, absolute top of the line models," S142 recommend.
"I don't mean to impose," Loki took this time to break his silence. "Grandmaster has a great many ships. I may even have stolen the access codes to his security system."
They all stare at him. S142 threw a bottle that smashed above his head. "And suddenly you're overcome with an urge to do the right thing."
"Heavens, no," Loki explained. "I've run out of a favor with the Grandmaster. And in exchange for codes and access to a ship I'm asking for safe passage, through the anus." I need to come back along with you to Asgard. My family needs me. Asgard needs me.
"You're telling us you can get us access into the garage without setting off any alarms?" Thor prodded.
"Yes, brother, I can," Loki almost scoffed. I will.
"Okay," Bruce did not want to toy with this any longer. "A quick FYI, I was just talking to him just a couple of minutes ago and he was totally ready to kill any of us."
"He did try to kill me," S142 was not fond of him.
"Yes, me too," Thor agreed. "On many, many occasions. There was one time when we were children, he transformed himself into a snake and he knows that I love snakes. So, I went to pick up that snake to admire it and he transformed back into himself and he was life, 'yeah, its me!' And he stabbed me. We were eight at the time."
Loki tries to suppress a smile. That was fond memory. He did enjoy his tricks. It was all fun and games.
"If we're boosting a ship, we're gonna need to draw some guards away from the palace," S142 warned.
"Why not set the beast loose?" Loki glanced at Bruce.
"Shut up," Thor demanded.
"You guys have a beast?" S142 was curious.
"No, there's no beast," Thor brushed it off. "He's just being stupid. We're going to start a revolution."
S142 unchained Loki. "I still don't trust you."
Loki glanced at her. "Get in line."
Thor and S142 discussed the plan and they split into groups of two. Thor and Loki headed to the palace at ground level. Loki enters codes to a door security panel.
"Hey," Thor wanted to talk to him. "So listen, we should talk."
Such a familiar line. What am I some young maiden you are going to break up with? Maybe that's how Jane dumped you, Loki thought to himself. "I disagree. Open communication was never our family's forte."
"You have no idea," Thor disagreed. "I've had quite the revelation since we spoke last." The door opened up to some guards. "Hello!"
"Hi!" Loki greeted as both of them blasted the guards before moving to another door. "Odin brought us together, it's almost poetic that his death should split us apart. We might as well be strangers now. 'Two sons of the crown' set adrift."
A guard tries to ambush him but Thor takes him out. "Thought you didn't want to talk about it?"
The two entered an elevator. "Here's the thing, I'm probably better off staying here on Sakaar," Loki gave a half truth. He probably better was but that was him without a family. That was him before he was with Sigyn again. If he could have his family here, with him, they could live here but it was not much of a place to raise a family.
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Thor agreed.
"Did you just agree with me?" Loki couldn't believe it. He did have a revelation.
"This place is perfect for you," Thor continued. "It's savage, chaotic, lawless. Brother you're going to do GREAT here."
Loki's heart felt like it was stabbed. Did Thor believe he would throw everything away for this desolate place? "Do you truly think so little of me?"
Thor paused. He did consider his brother, so much more than he led on. "Loki, I thought the world of you. I thought we were gonna fight side by side forever. But, at the end of the day, you're you, I'm me. I don't know, maybe there's still good in you, but let's be honest, our paths diverged a long time ago."
Loki was hurt that Thor finally discarded him; it was a fear Loki always had. Loki was always different from the outgoing Thor. Loki was always in his shadow and Thor shined too bright to ever notice Loki hid from it. Thor had his own way around but he finally got to discarding Loki. He knew better though. Thor always thought little of him. It stung but he always knew the truth.
"It's probably for the best that we never see one another again," Loki knew they were just going to go through an endless cycle of this. Thor patted Loki on his shoulder, trying to comfort him.
"That's what you always wanted," Thor finally saw it. Loki just wanted to be on his own. "Hey, let's do 'Get Help.'"
"What?" Loki did not like where this was heading.
"'Get Help,'" Thor repeated.
"No," he was against it.
"Come on," Thor teased. "You love it."
"I hate it," Loki was annoyed. It was Thor's idiotic plan to use everyone else as a tool.
"It's great," Thor defended. "It works every time."
"It's humiliating," Loki countered. Not that you care.
"Do you have a better plan?" Thor probed.
"No," Loki kicked himself internally.
"We're doing it," Thor was satisfied.
"We are not doing 'Get Help,'" Loki refuted again.
"We're almost there," Thor warned. "You have less than a few seconds to get ready." Loki groaned as he leaned against Thor, feigning a fatal injury. Thor draped his arms around him for stability. "You swoon that easily?" Thor teased. He placed the disk upon his neck.
Loki closed his eyes. "Shut it."
The elevator doors opened; Thor dragged Loki out. "Get help! Please! My brother, he's dying!"
Metaphorically and physically, Loki thought to himself.
A group of guards turn toward Thor and Loki. One aimed his gun at them. "Get help! Help him!" Thor beckoned. He then picked up Loki and hurled him at the guards. They tumbled to the ground with Loki on top. Thor stepped over to his brother. "Classic."
Loki stood up. "I still hate it. It's humiliating."
"Not for me, it's not," Thor disagreed.
Exactly, Loki thought. Because you only think about yourself.
"Which one's the ship she told us to get?" Thor glanced around at all the ships.
Loki pointed to the one they were supposed to get. "The Commodore." As they walked to the ship, Loki left a duplicate to follow behind Thor. He needed a head start to get back to Asgard. "Though I feel it won't make much of a difference." The actual Loki went to a security panel to activate the alarms palace wide.
"Oh, Loki," Thor sighed. He knew his brother was up to something.
Loki turned to see him not surprised at all. "I know I've betrayed you many times before, but this time it's truly nothing personal. The reward for you capture will set me up nicely." Loki just needed him as a distraction. He triggered the alarm.
"Never one for sentiment, were you?" Thor scrunched his brows together.
"Easier to let it burn," Loki suggested. He watched Thor hold up a device. That moment Loki knew that his brother got the upper-hand on him. His neck twitched where the disk was placed.
"I agree," Thor pressed down on the button and watched his brother fall to the floor jolting and writhing in pain. Thor approached him. "Oh brother, you're becoming predictable. I trust you; you betray me. Round and round circles we go." Loki was still in pain, his eyes seething at Thor. "See, Loki, life is about, it's about growth. It's about change. But you seem to just wanna stay the same. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you'll always be the God of Mischief, but you could be more. I'll just put this over here for you." He stepped away to place the device on the security panel, close enough to get but too far to reach. "Anyway, I got places to be so good luck." He left to get into the ship.
That dimwitted oaf! Loki laid in pain. He pulled a fast one. Growth? Ha! Change? Ha! Don't make me laugh. You finally grow and now you are looking down on others now that you had this revelation. Pitying me? I pity you that it took that long enough for you to change. You were always the brawn but used those around you like pawns. You are definitely you're father's son. Ugh! Why will this pain not stop?!
Loki tried to use his magic to get it, only to knock it off the panel. The pain was excruciating and he could not control it well.
Thor escaped with the ship and several vessels started flying after him. S142 and Bruce were in her vessel helping him escape while shooting down the enemy behind him. The group fought hard to escape. Bruce was thrown into the other vessel. S142 lost hers. Thor and her were fighting off the other vessels, while Bruce was trying to control the vessel.
Korg and Miek led a group of rebels behind them to see the vessel they needed. Korg pointed it out to the rest. "There she is. Our ticket out of here." He noticed the device on the ground. "Hey, what's this?" He picked it up only to notice a humanoid twitching pain. Loki pleaded with his eyes. Korg looked between the two. Loki tried his plea again. Korg finally understood. He pushed the button and the pain stopped.
Loki got up while dusting himself off. "Thank you."
"Hey man," Korg was happy to see another person. "We're about to jump on that ginormous spaceship. You wanna come?"
"You do seem like you're in desperate need of leadership," Loki sort of mocked.
"Why thank you," Korg took it as genuine. The group followed Loki onto the vessel. "My name's Korg, this is Miek. And behind me are the group of rebels who helped start the revolution."
"Indeed," Loki glanced at them.
"Ah, you're that ghost," Korg knew he saw him somewhere.
"It was an illusion," Loki corrected.
"An illusion, like magic?" Korg smiled. "Miek and I like magic tricks."
Loki just chuckled. They headed to the cock pit. There were some who knew how to fly. Loki ordered them where to go.
"So uh, where is our first stop in freedom?" Korg asked Loki.
"We're going to save Asgard," Loki informed him.
"That sounds like a nice place," Korg agreed.
Loki kept command over the vessel, telling others to get ready to continuing fighting and helping others to get on board the vessel once they reached Asgard.
On Thor's vessel, going through the wormhole had rendered them unconscious. They woke up as they entered back in Asgard.
"I never thought I'd be back here," S142 stared out the window.
"I thought it'd be nicer," Bruce thought out loud. "I mean, not that it's not nice. It's just, it's on fire."
S142 and Thor discussed about their next plan of action. Thor loaded guns onto the vessel before being left on the balcony. He did find an old Valkyrie uniform for her to wear. S142 headed off with the vessel.