The rigid snow planet of Contraxia was a destination of many. Loki and Oveaus had begun to lose track of how long it had been since they left Alfheim but their lead was strong. Their ventures led them to the ice planet, which Loki seemed to be handling the best out of the two of them, given his Jötun blood was a formidable aid in the cold.

Contraxia was a gathering place known for its population of passing Ravagers. During a messy visit to Knowhere, the pair caught word of a group of Ravagers that had found and stashed a fractal with them after leaving another neighboring planet. This was their chance after many failures. If they could secure at least one before returning to Alfheim, there would be more hope restored.

Following the Ravagers had brought them to Contraxia, and their destination led them to the brothel known as the Iron Lotus. Even from a distance, Loki and Oveaus could see the groups of people flocking in for relaxation and pleasure. It was a dirty business and even the two princes masked repulsion the best they could. It was pleasure for Ravagers. Nothing about the Iron Lotus was appealing to them.

They stood outside of the entrance, gathering their bearings before stepping inside. Loki spoke. "Do you remember the description of their clan leader?"

Oveaus, fighting a shiver from the cold wind, hid his hands beneath his cloak but stood tall all the same. "He is of the Lem species, rumored to be a sorcerer and leads four other members in the Krugarr Ravager Clan."

"Good. We can split up to start and congregate again within the hour."

Oveaus nodded. "I can agree to that. But can we avoid action before we've reunited? I'm not exactly sure how powerful this Lem sorcerer is."

Loki took in Oveaus' words. He was more than aware about his personal lack of magic since banishment from Asgard, but Oveaus had been scarce with his own use of magic as well. While it was clear Oveaus possessed some, Loki wondered why he wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary. This made it difficult for him to understand the elf entirely and that frustrated him.

"I won't be making contact with the fractal without you if that's what you're implying," Loki replied. They both had come to the decision that since Oveaus was the only one with magic, he should handle the fractal. It was a difficult surrender Loki had to come to terms with but he managed.

"Just wanted to make sure we are in one accord." Oveaus said, his voice smooth and showing no hint of fear. The trembling in his hands was still obvious but it was likely from the dropping temperature.

"May we be successful," Loki breathed, and the two of them split as they entered the Iron Lotus' main hub.

The temperature was noticeably warmer in the hub and Loki lifted back the hood of his own cloak upon entry. He didn't fear being recognized as he didn't expect anyone to know who he was. There were dozens of Ravagers, some huddled around tables, laughing and playing cards, while others sat at the bar drinking their fill. Loki winced at the smell of alcohol and sweat that filled the space. Asgard's ale never smelled so bitter and the sweat was foul, but no one else there seemed to mind.

Up ahead in the back of the hub, the Iron Lotus' famous Love Bots were performing on a stage for hollering Ravagers. The drunkenness was obvious as the catcalling rose above the noise. Despite the sound, Loki remained focused and thought about how he would stay blended within the crowd. He couldn't take on the form of a Ravager without his magic but his skill in stealth remained. Scanning the crowd was his best bet to begin with. Oveaus was likely doing the same. Clans usually remained banded together so if they found Krugarr the Lem, they would find the rest.

Approaching the bar, Loki observed the appearance of all who were seated. None fit the description of Krugarr but maybe he would overhear helpful conversations that would spur on his search. He tried to ignore the eyes that noticed him as he took a seat on an empty stool. Sitting there, he ignored the bartender and sharpened his ears. There had to be something he would hear, some sort of information he could use.

Laughing, shouting, discussions of a recent pillage… none of it was immediately helpful but he kept on listening. It didn't seem like the place where Ravagers would spill secretive information, yet he continued to wait. He focused and kept his ears open to every word that grazed them.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

The unknown voice was louder than the rest and it broke him out of focus. Had the question been directed at him?

When he turned, a woman had taken a seat next to him, a small stack of credits already on the table. Her eyes hardly held any emotion but her poise was assertive.

Loki huffed. "Shouldn't I be the one to offer you a drink? That is the proper order of things."

"Let me buy you a drink." Her metallic voice was equally devoid of personality in the demand. She shoved the credits towards the bartender without breaking eye contact.

Loki was amused. She didn't appear to be one of the many Love Bots prancing around, although her physique was quite robotic. The blue and purple hues of her skin gave away that she was of the Luphomoid race, making the robotic figures intriguing. Loki didn't know much about Luphomoids but didn't think they were keen on making cyborgs of themselves.

Accepting the freshly poured drink from the bartender, Loki took a sip before raising the glass towards her in thanks. He was sure to keep his eyes on her as often as he could. It was essential that suspicions remained low but he was also unwilling to let her out of his sight. Something was amiss and he hardly trusted her presence.

"I do wish to thank you formally but I don't even know your name," he finally said, hoping to get her to identify herself before he was forced to vacate his position for safety.

The woman received a drink for herself and tipped the bartender, refusing to reply for a moment as she took a swig from the bottle. It was at this moment she allowed the eye contact to break, as if he wasn't there trying to speak with her. Loki almost wondered if she was looking for something, making sure someone she knew wasn't around before speaking again.

"You're not wearing a Ravager badge," she finally said.

Loki knew he would be at a disadvantage without his illusions but he had to play it off. "I was under the impression that this place was not for Ravagers only." He eyed her up and down, stone faced. He noticed her lack of a badge as well. "I'm also not too fond of hypocrites myself."

She hummed and looked impressed by his remark, soon taking another swig which turned into a gulp from the bottle. "I notice new faces. When they don't come as a Ravager, I get curious."

"I'm not interested in pleasure if you're trying to offer that." Loki tried to leave but she called after him.

"I can help you find what you're looking for." She smirked when her words halted his tracks, even if he was untrusting of her. Clutching the bottle, she too stood from her stool. "Word spreads easily out here."

Loki watched as she motioned for him to walk with her. He was hesitant, wondering if this was a trap or if she really had followed their lead to help find the fractal. Despite his worries, he did begin to follow her, thinking that as long as they stayed near the crowds, she couldn't stab him in the back. Not easily.

"My name's Nebula." She began once they entered a new corner of the hub where the Ravagers were so drunk they wouldn't be able to comprehend a single word spoken between them. "I know who you're looking for. I picked up your lead back on Knowhere and figured we would end up at the same place."

It discouraged Loki that information was spread so easily but maybe this was a blessing in disguise. "And I'm supposed to trust you?"

"That's completely up to you. But, I am curious why you and your friend are after Krugarr. We could be on the same team or enemies right now."

"What do you know of Krugarr?" Loki wasn't about to offer information so easily. This was already a hiccup in his mission. He was surprised he was entertaining this in the first place.

"I know he's found something very powerful that could be a danger in the wrong hands."

Loki's heart skipped. That sounded like the fractal. Someone else knew about Krugarr having the fractal.

When Loki didn't respond, Nebula continued, "I'm looking for him myself. I don't know why you want him but if it's to remove what he's found from his possession, then I'm here to do the same. He doesn't know what he's found, it should be destroyed."

"That is why we're here," Loki replied. "And you are correct in saying he is clueless to what he possesses. No being should have access to power this great." When he saw satisfaction glimmer in Nebula's black eyes, he continued. "How do I know you will help me?"

Nebula chuckled. "I don't have anything to give that would prove my credibility. You just decide how badly you want Krugarr to rid himself of this… fractal."

The words were said. Loki's heart raced. "Have you seen him here?"

Nebula pulled out a pocket tablet. "I put a tracker on his ship. His clan should have arrived just a few minutes ago. The only way we'll get it is to fight for it. He won't be betting it away."

"And you will help us fight him?"

"Trust me, I want this fractal out of the hands of Ravagers as much as you do, probably more." Nebula put the tablet away after confirming Krugarr's destination. "He knows I'm here. I set up a meeting to lure him on Contraxia where I planned to fight him myself, but after I heard about you and your friend… my plan grew."

"Clearly." Loki wanted this to be legitimate. It was so hard to trust but what other choice did he have? At this point, refusing her help would pit him and Oveaus against her with the Krugarr Clan. That wasn't ideal. "So you lure him… and we help you fight?"

"And get the fractal away from the Ravagers. We can talk logistics later. Right now, we need to bring Krugarr away from the hub and figure out if he's hidden the fractal or if it's on his person."

Loki breathed deep, forcing something inside of him that he wasn't used to forcing. "I'm in. Where are you luring him to?"

"The back of the hub, outside. It'll be in the cold but away from most people."

"Those conditions won't bother me, trust me."

Nebula was pleased. She straightened and although she didn't smile, Loki could see her excitement. Their space was soon crowded more than before which gave Nebula a chance to slip away. A new objective entered Loki's mind. He had to find Oveaus, explain the conversation he had and try to trust it, even for a minute.

His hood returned to his head as he squeezed through a growing crowd. Glass shattering distracted him for a moment but he continued to look around, wondering if Oveaus was wearing his own face or disguised under some illusion. As he looked, Krugarr and his clan entered the hub. It would be soon. He had to find Oveaus.

They found each other around the central fire pit. Oveaus had been hiding under an illusion as another Ravager until now as he eagerly warmed his hands. When Loki joined him, he was happy to see that those who were nearby were leaving. It was oddly convenient, but maybe it was another magic trick at play by the elf. There was much Loki still had to learn about him.

"I have a lead," Loki began, still under his cloak's hood.

Oveaus' brows shot up in surprise. "Have you?"

Looking around once more to make sure there was no one in earshot, Loki leaned closer to Oveaus. "Someone else caught word of Krugarr and his clan having secured a fractal. They're also here and are looking for them as well. I spoke with her just now."

"You gave us away?!"

"Shh!" Loki looked around himself again to solidify that no one was there. "Look, we would be fighting against her if we didn't admit ourselves to be on her side. Do you expect that I want more trouble than we're already in? Of course not. I think through things."

"No need to be impertinent."

"We've been at this for months. I'm not feeling very cheerful at the moment." Loki huffed.

Sighing in masked annoyance, Oveaus left his spot at the fire pit and began walking towards the back of the hub. Loki followed. They waited to speak further as they passed other meandering groups. Wind blew hard against them. The temperature dropped further and snow swirled around the brothel site.

"You really think that what she said was true?" Oveaus let his annoyance shine through this time when he spoke.

Loki looked baffled. "Of course I do! What, you think I would blindly follow someone? Don't you know me by now?"

"It's only been three months. I've seen people bend under exhaustion and that's what you are, my friend."

Loki didn't want to admit it but Oveaus was right. He was tired, physically and emotionally. There was so much energy spent on this months-long search and the anxiety that came along with each of their failures was crushing. He thought about Jennica often, about Thor and the situation at hand.

"This will work," Loki said. "I assure you."

As they rounded the back of the hub, voices halted them in their tracks. They hid behind the corner of the brothel, peering around to see who it was. Instantly, Loki knew. He could see Nebula under her own fur cloak, speaking with Krugarr and his clan.

"Is that them?" Oveaus whispered.

Loki nodded. "She told me she was luring them as a trap."

"And she wanted us to help fight them?" Oveaus looked over at Loki, remembering his lack of magic. "What have you gotten us into…"

They could hear Nebula speaking in a foreign language, hard to interpret but they could make out the basics of what was being said. Krugarr clicked back and seemed agitated. This went on as Loki and Oveaus watched, waiting for something to happen. Kruggar's clan mates grew more on guard as Nebula continued to speak. One of the clan members seemed to threaten Nebula. She drew her weapons.

These actions appeared to be the cue and the pair revealed themselves. They turned the corner, meeting the eyes of Krugarr and his clan, who were startled and drew their weapons at the sight of two unknown persons.

"What's going on?" Loki asked as he and Oveaus stopped approaching.

"They're not going down without a fight," Nebula replied, refusing to look away from the clan in front of her. "I don't think they're too happy to see you guys, either."

"What a surprise," Oveaus retorted. "We need that fractal. Guess we'll have to fight."

Loki's eyes met with Krugarr's. The way they were so hostile proved to him that they were in possession of the fractal. It was only a matter of time before they would take it out of their grasp.

Nebula, knowing that they would be successful, let a smile tug at the corners of her lips. She clicked her tongue in Krugarr's language one last time saying, "Show me what you got."

The Ravager clan began to attack, three of them shooting stun blasters while Krugarr had his own plan of attack. Loki, while trying to dodge whatever bullets came his way, immediately began to observe the attack patterns of those around them. He had no magic of which to fight with and so he relied on his physical skills alone. Thankfully, those with the blasters paid more attention to Nebula as if she was the higher threat.

Oveaus put his magic to work, immediately coating them with a shield so that no one from the Iron Lotus could see them or their fight. Avoiding confrontation from the outside was essential and he utilized his illusions to that advantage. Now, it was time to confront Krugarr.

Krugarr was a valuable Ravager, known for his sorcery and abilities to use magic beyond what anyone else could in that corner of the galaxy. Oveaus was delighted to have this challenge and to be the only challenger with Loki out of sorcerer commission. The Lem had the fractal on him, he could feel it. They met eyes and charged each other, magic at the ready.

Nebula fought off the clan members with her electroshock batons. Stunning one to the cold snow ground, she then felt his pockets for a sign of the fractal, quickly before having to fight off another Ravager. The fight continued. She ducked under a shot from the stun gun and zapped it from the hands of the attacker.

Loki became a good distraction at first, just running to and fro to dodge stun bullets but he soon became clever in his attack patterns, adapting to his lack of magic. His trusted daggers soon began small spears with which he aimed at the shoulders of the two remaining Ravagers who were defending Krugarr. Now, his plan was to snatch a stun gun if Nebula was successful at knocking one away and keeping it functional. Her batons had shocked the others out of commission.

Oveaus felt as if he was in his own battle fighting against Krugarr the Lem. They battled in magic, defending against each other's telepathy and telekinesis. Krugarr was good at bending the physical but horrible at the mind games. He was easy to distract and Oveaus was good at that.

Jumping over Krugarr's worm-like tail, Oveaus tried to will the contents of the Lem's pouch to his hands but he was repelled. Krugarr spun around, attacking him with a blast of magic. Oveaus dodged and shot back, his blast absorbed in the other sorcerer's hand.

"Loki!" Oveaus shouted about the fighting. "I could use a hand!" He felt his energy depleting as the fight went on. Krugarr was a good match and Oveaus was still weakened, his reserves he had saved from Jennica's fractals beginning to lessen.

Krugarr snarled and held him up by the neck with magic. Oveaus levitated, choking on the invisible hands that held him up. He could see Nebula continuing to fight off in the distance, distracted by her own task at hand. Loki was nowhere to be seen.

The wind blew and he felt as cold as ever, now. He could hear Krugarr clicking, teasing, laughing as Oveaus choked on his own breath. He was waiting for the magic to grow tighter around his throat. His own magic wasn't strong enough to fight back. The corners of his eyes watered from the cold and little oxygen.

A blast from a stun gun knocked Krugarr to the ground, Oveaus being released and falling to the snow also. Loki stood, holding the steaming gun next to a triumphant Nebula, who had knocked down the remaining Ravager clan members. Oveaus was tired already, but he gathered his remaining energy and wasted no time rushing over to a now unconscious Krugarr.

He rummaged through his belongings, feeling for the energy of the fractal, searching for where it was hidden… and then he felt it brush his fingertips. The energy shocked him and he held his breath as he drew it into the palm of his hand. Pulling it out from a satchel that Krugarr had been wearing, the bright red fractal pulsed with a beautiful glow.

"I wonder which one you are…" Oveaus mumbled, feeling its energy to understand its abilities. He could feel it strengthening his own illusion magic, his ability to create what is not truly present. It was a true descendant of the Reality Stone.

"You have it?" Loki approached, dropping the stun gun.

"We have it, my friend." Oveaus couldn't help but smile, even through exhaustion. "Alfheim will have its hope when we return."

The three months of traveling seemed like nothing, now. They had a fractal. One of many, of course, but it was a step closer to accomplishing their goals. So much time had been spent with no progress made, and yet, this was light in the darkness. It was their hope that they could win.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Nebula's voice came from behind, startling the two of them. She now held the stun gun and took her aim. "I'm on a mission to kill my father. That fractal belongs to me."