Natasha forced Clint around the corner, down two more corridors, and into an elevator that took them to the sub-levels. Even without the map, it would've been easy to tell they were near the slave pens. The closer they got, the stronger the smells of sweat and blood (and probably several different alien versions of the same) became, all layered on top of the ever-present garbage smell.

Only when they were almost to the place where the fighters were kept did she drop the act. She tapped the screen of her bracer and Clint's cuffs popped open. With a wince, he scratched around the disk on his neck and tugged his gag free. "You had way too much fun doing that," he complained, massaging his jaw.

"I'm not the one using a Star Wars character as my cover identity," said Natasha, passing him his blaster and gadgets from her satchel.

"You can't expect me to pass up an opportunity like this," he said defensively, holstering the blaster and strapping on his bracer. "Cooper would never forgive me."

That was probably true. Clint's boy had gotten a toy lightsaber for his seventh birthday two months ago and still never went anywhere without it.

"Okay, time to see if Urizen is as good at sabotage equipment as he is at translators," said Natasha. She pulled up the activation screen and shot Clint a slightly nervous look.

"He sounded pretty confident that it would do the job."

"Yeah, but it seems like the kind of thing that he should get in a lot of trouble for selling if it actually does what it's supposed to."

"That's why we didn't tell him what we're using it for, and probably why he didn't ask."

Natasha smirked and nodded. She took a deep breath, then punched the activation button.

There was a rumble from overhead and the floor shook.

X

As Cull's fists pummelled him into the ground, Thor reflected that it had been, perhaps, unwise to goad him into such a rage. There were other ways to make a fight last.

He used his position on the ground to kick out at the nearer of Cull's legs, which buckled out from under him. Ears ringing, body aching, and left arm covered in blood, Thor jumped somewhat ungracefully back to his feet and stuck his hand out for Mjolnir. Cull, too, reached for his weapon, which was still embedded in the arena wall. At the last moment, Thor jerked his hand out of the way so that Mjolnir caught Cull full in the stomach. He folded around it, the breath whooshing out of him and his weapon falling out of his fingers.

Thor summoned the hammer again and closed in, but Cull made a great swipe at the ground, flinging dust and dirt into Thor's eyes. Thor recoiled and Cull was able to seize his weapon. They fought in close quarters for a few moments, kicking up even more dust. Thor could scarcely hear the crowd over the blood pounding in his ears. He jumped to avoid the low sweep of Cull's hammer, bringing him high enough to clock Cull across the jaw. Cull went sprawling into the dirt, and Thor decided it was time to take ranged attacks out of his opponent's arsenal.

He spun Mjolnir and hurled himself skyward. As he had hoped, Cull gave his weapon's handle a twist and unleashed the chain grapple feature again. Thor waited until the last moment, then swung his hammer and smacked the claw end out of his path. Before Cull could retract it, Thor unsheathed the Dragonfang strapped to his back and brought it down in a great arc. It cut through the chain as if it was made of butter, and Thor let out a laugh on the way back to the ground, the severed claw attachment thudding down behind him. He hoped the Valkyrie would forgive him for borrowing her sword. He'd always wanted to try one in a battle.

X

The Grandmaster was on the edge of his seat. This was some of the best entertainment he'd had in his arena since its debut. It was good that the Lord of Thunder seemed to be enjoying himself, because this would not be his last battle. Things were really looking up. He had his fat payout from the big purple guy, a new champion, and soon he would have Scrapper 142 back, along with an intriguing new plaything. After all, he'd only promised to retrieve the Lord of Thunder's brother from Wrinkles for him, not to let either of them go. Letting them stay together in his service was better than anyone else got. Who could ask for more?

"Hey, boss," came Topaz's voice from the console beside him.

"Not now!" said the Grandmaster impatiently, watching the Lord of Thunder walk off yet another full strength punch from Scales and retaliate with that magic hammer.

"There's been an explosion in the control room. We've lost our surveillance and I'm getting reports from guards all over the city that the obedience disks have failed."

"What?" said the Grandmaster, very unhappy to have to pay attention to what she was saying. "Well do something about it! Get the prisoners with jobs rounded up until we can fix it!"

"Right away."

He was going to have to have words with her about her testy attitude lately. But later. After the fight.

X

"Shit, I thought that thing was an EMP!" said Clint. He had to shout to be heard over the alarms blaring through the halls, but as apprehensive as he was about how the Grandmaster's legion of guards were going to react to this, they did at least know it had worked. Two seconds after the explosion, the obedience disk had detached from his neck and clinked to the floor. He hadn't bothered to pick it up. That thing was freaking creepy.

"All Urizen said was that it would take out any tech in a twenty-foot radius," Nat yelled back. "He didn't say how."

They held their blasters at the ready and ran for the entrance to the pens. The guards at the doors were too busy shouting for the slaves inside to pipe down to see them coming.

X

The small portion of the screen on Thor's bracer that was still intact flared green. A grin spread over his face. He was probably going to need to spend some time in Eir's healing room when they made it back to Asgard, but Barton and Romanoff had completed Phase 1, which meant this battle was about to end.

Cull was charging for him again. He closed his eyes.

X

Gladsheim, Three Mornings Ago

"I think we should act on this as quickly as possible, Father," said Thor. "These lieutenants will not long be separated from their master, and we cannot allow Thanos to gain the strength of another army."

"Agreed," said Odin.

"I spent time on Sakaar in the other timeline," Thor argued. "We will have the advan—" He broke off, blinking, Odin's words registering belatedly. Loki raised his eyebrows at Thor and smirked from across the glimmering projection of Yggdrasil. "Wait, you agree?"

"Of course. This intelligence will not hold its value for long. We should not let the opportunity go to waste." Odin eyed Thor, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Did you think I would object?"

"I—well," Thor spluttered, "it is only that Asgard hasn't moved against Thanos since you expelled him from Yggdrasil's borders."

"Yes, and for all this time, it seemed an effective strategy. Three of the six prizes he seeks are inside those borders and beyond his reach. In light of your experiences, I regret not taking a more offensive position against him sooner." He raised his hands to both princes' shoulders and gripped tightly, and his voice became low and dangerous. "I will not allow him another opportunity to take one of my children from me."

"Another?" said Loki sharply.

Odin's jaw clenched. "Hela," he said. "He tried to win her to his side. What better partner for his foul schemes than the Goddess of Death?"

"Tried?" said Thor, more surprised than ever. "Then she refused him?"

"Hela was and is every inch the ruthless conquerer I was in my youth," said Odin, walking around to the other side of the glowing console, hands clasped behind his back. "While she cared little for the suffering of other peoples when it was to Asgard's benefit, this realm has never had as fierce a defender as its Crown Princess before the Aesir-Vanir war. Where Thanos erred was in expecting her to help him enact his plan against Asgard itself."

"Hela killed well over half of Asgard's people by her own hand!" said Thor, almost shouting. "Why should she care if Thanos wants to do the same?" The very idea of his genocidal sister actually living up to her responsibilities as royalty in the past rankled. Why then and not now?

"Asgard loved and respected her then," said Loki, eyes on their father, watching his reactions. "When she returned, it was to a people who had forgotten her and stood between her and her goals. She would have considered it treason."

"Yes," said Odin. For a moment, he looked incredibly ancient and full of regret. He had shown his sorrow over Hela before, but this was the first time Thor recognized in him a father who missed his little girl. "Thanos stood no chance against Asgard with Hela leading our armies at my side."

That calculating look was back on Loki's face. Thor made an effort to control his anger before it could start affecting the weather. His father and brother had not witnessed the slaughter wrought by Hela, as he had. They had not lived for weeks on a ship filled with the grieving survivors of her wrath. What did it matter if Hela had fought Thanos in the past when she had practically handed Asgard over to him two thousand years later? Why could Father still not admit that the only way to protect their people was to destroy her, and why did Loki keep acting as though he wanted to find a different solution?

Thor breathed slowly through his nose. Losing his temper now would accomplish nothing, and he still had a request to make of Father that he would surely deny if he failed to prove that he was capable of mastering himself.

"Then as with the Crown Princess before," said Loki, "if we begin with strong, swift action led by the Crown Prince, half the work of persuading the people that this is a worthy war will already be done."

"True," said Odin. "It may also smooth our path to an alliance with Jotunheim."

"Common enemies are quite useful that way," said Loki.

With that, the discussion returned to the topic of Thanos's lieutenants, and Thor repeated the information he had given them before. Based on Heimdall's descriptions, they would be dealing with Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian if they went to Sakaar. Away from Thanos's side, they shouldn't be too difficult to defeat, but Thor would be a fool to go after them as he was now.

They concluded their business with the intent to discover how quickly they could reach Sakaar and whether it would require Odin to draw upon his stores of dark energy. Remembering what a toll that took on Odin to transport only Thor as short a distance as from Asgard to Midgard, Thor would see if the transporters Jane, Erik, and Banner were building could serve instead.

At a significant look from him, Loki departed the council chambers, leaving him alone with Odin.

"The evening we spoke to Loki about his heritage, he asked me to remove the enchantment I placed on him as a baby to prevent him returning to his native form under his own power. Am I right in thinking you wish to make a similar request of me now?"

Thor swallowed. "Yes, Father. I hope you will believe that I do not seek greater power for my own glory."

"You lifted the hammer, did you not?" said Odin with a bit of a smile. "What reason have I to doubt?"

Thor's throat tightened. Mjolnir or not, he wasn't sure he deserved such praise.

Odin laid a wizened but still strong hand over Thor's heart, and tendrils of golden seidr began to swirl around his fingers. "You carry a heavy burden, my son. I fear I am only adding to it now, but you give me cause to hope that for all the sins of my line, Asgard's doom is not assured."

X

Thor's eyes flew open. His vision flashed blue-white and lightning surged up unrestrained from within him. He drew back his fist and slammed it forward with all his strength. Cull had built up too much momentum to change course, but the blaze of light forced him to turn his head to shield his eyes. His blade missed Thor by a full two feet, and Thor's fist landed directly in the center of his chest. There was a clap of thunder and Cull tumbled backwards head over heels, landing in a twitching heap halfway across the arena, a faint line of smoke trailing from him.

X

The Grandmaster let out a delighted laugh while Ebony Maw watched in horror as Cull steadily lost ground to the man who had inexplicably transformed from an irritatingly skilled opponent into lightning incarnate. Bolts of the stuff arced off his skin and spilled from his eyes as he bore down on Thanos's strongest enforcer. The wild roaring of the crowd, loud as it had become, was lost to the rolling peals of thunder from a storm that had not been there moments ago.

Maw had been arrogant. Thanos himself had not triumphed over Odin and his daughter. Why had he been so quick to assume that a single servant of Thanos could best another of the pretender god's children unassisted? Even Maw might have had difficulty with the brother if he hadn't been drugged for easy retrieval.

He would have to warn Thanos of this resurgent threat, and he would have to personally answer for the loss of Cull Obsidian. Whatever his master deemed a just punishment for this failure, he would submit to without complaint.

"Hey Wrinkles," said the Grandmaster with undisguised glee. "Looks like it's about time for you to pay up. It would be rude to keep my new champion waiting for his prize."

Maw snapped. The spears of all the guards in their box freed themselves from their owners' grips and flew straight at the Grandmaster, piercing him from four different angles.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Horror and regret over his loss of control warred with satisfaction and spite in Maw's breast.

"Wow, someone's a sore loser," said the Grandmaster. He looked down at his wounds and pouted. "And I had this outfit made special for tonight." He gave Maw a reproachful look and started pulling the spears free of his body one by one and tossing them back to their owners. There wasn't a drop of blood on any of them, and nothing but smooth skin was visible through the fresh holes in his clothing. What was more, the guards made no move against Maw, only watched him with narrowed eyes, waiting for orders. They recognized an enemy, but not a threat.

Maw hadn't questioned why Thanos was willing to meet the Grandmaster's terms to acquire the Sakaaran army rather than simply making Sakaar his next target and taking it by force, but perhaps he should have. He had made another terrible error. He fell to his knees. "Forgive me. You are right, of course. We did not capture the warrior or his companions as we agreed, and we are in your debt. You must collect it as you see fit."

"Ooh, that's nice," said the Grandmaster, looking amused. Maw's entire being seethed with loathing. How could a creature so petty and so ruled by whims of the moment be this powerful? It was wrong. "I'm not really into forgiveness, though. You owe me a new fancy outfit."

"Of course," said Maw, his brain working frantically. "I will bring you the mage and the Scrapper at once." A desperate plan began to form, but it could work. It had to. "With your leave, I will deliver them directly to the arena from my ship."

Don't worry, we'll get back to Loki PoV stuff next time.

I've been looking forward to Maw losing it and attacking the Grandmaster. He didn't demonstrate any unusual abilities in canon, but there's no way he'd stay in charge on Sakaar for long if he didn't have something good up his sleeve. (I'm not going by the comics with him. That would be a little OP for my purposes.)

Originally, the flashback with Odin was only going to be about him unblocking Thor's powers, but I realized that was a really good place to introduce some details of the Odin vs. Thanos conflict and complicate Hela a bit. A couple of astute readers picked up on the "filial loyalty" hint last chapter. :)