Veronica Barnes: Trained to Kill

XXVIII.

Date: 02/24/2018
Location: Sakaar

Hulk stood at the center platform of the room, Veronica and Thor concealed behind a shelf. Valkyrie appeared on the other side of the barrier, escorted by two guards, one on each side. She kicked one of the guards' staffs, making the end flip up as she walked into the room.

"Angry girl," Hulk spoke, beating his left hand on his bare chest, holding the hammer down against the floor.

Valkyrie laughed, running forwards to him up the stairs, sliding under his hammer as he went to hit her. She stood, kicking his side as she laughed, sending him to the ground. "What's going on? What are you..." her eyes moved up, fixating on Thor and Veronica as they stood side-by-side in their battle armor, staring at the girl.

Thor leaned his hand against the shelf, fumbled a bit and moved it down awkwardly before just holding it in front of his body, holding it with his other hand as Veronica shook her head at his hopeless smile.

Valkyrie stepped on Hulk's leg, earning a small groan from him, then laughed as she stepped off, walking towards the two, Veronica moving out of the way over to where Hulk clambered off the ground, knowing it was Thor she was going to argue with. "You're so thick-headed that you can't tell when someone's hiding all the way across the universe and wants to be left alone."

"We need to talk," Thor replied, walking after the girl as she walked towards the hall. Veronica sighed, sitting down on Hulk's bed as he walked over to her.

"No, you wanna talk to me," the girl replied, turning around to face him, then continuing her walk out of the room.

"Uh..." Thor began, turning to Hulk. "I need her to stay."

"Stay?" Hulk ordered, pointing at her as he ripped off his headboard made by a huge jawbone. "BLOCK." He threw it in front of her, the girl stopping in her steps. "STAY...please."

"Please," Thor continued, staring after the girl.

She turned to face them, lips parted slightly, two jagged lines of white paint on her eyelid, continuing under her eye. "All right." Hulk through his ball at the wall, it coming back into his hands as he did it repeatedly, Veronica smiling at him as she listened in to Thor and Valkyrie's conversation. "Here's the deal. I'll listen to you..." she pulled a bottle of liquor off the shelf in front of her, holding it up, "...till this is empty." She uncorked it, pressing it to her lips.

"Asgard is in danger and people are dying. We need to get back there. I need your help." She finished the entire bottle which was almost the size of Hulk's hand. "Wow."

She sighed. "Finished. Bye." The bottle slipped from her hands, shattering against the floor as she began her walk back to the barrier.

Thor paused, looking after her. "Odin is dead." She stopped. "Hela, the Goddess of Death has invaded Asgard."

"If Hela's back, then Asgard's already lost." She turned her head to him.

"I'm going to stop her."

She widened her eyes at him, parting her lips as she turned her body to him. "Alone?"

"Nope. I'm putting together a team. It's me, you, the girl, and the big guy."

Hulk stopped throwing his ball. "NO. NO TEAM. ONLY HULK." He threw his ball again.

Thor sighed. "Its me, you, and the girl," he corrected.

"I think its only you and the girl," she replied.

"Wait. Just listen," Thor protested, stepping forward and grabbing her arm, finding herself standing in front of her. "The Valkyrie are legend. Elite warriors of Asgard sworn to defend the throne."