the game's end | thor

| The Monster's Keeper |

The crash that brought him startled the entire city. But what came out of the ship was terrifying. He was at least 15 feet tall and rippled with muscle underneath a thick layer of emerald skin. All of the Scrappers were sent in to contain him, but many were wiped out right away. Scrapper 142 and I were the ones responsible for taming him enough to be brought into the city, despite the skepticism of the others.

"What is he, Scrapper 157?" The Grandmaster asked from his chair as he examined the beast.

"We don't know what he is, just that he's very angry," I shrugged. The monster grunted and heaved with a deep rage.

"I just love him, he'll be a contender that's uh, that's for sure," the Grandmaster grinned and clapped lightly, "good job you two. Topaz, transfer them both their units."

"Thank you," 142 and I bowed.

"Sure thing, you guys are my best. Now, he seems to like you enough and judging by the shape my other guys are in you'd probably be the best candidates to train him, right?"

142 and I exchanged a nervous glance, "I would assume so," I nodded.

"Great," he clapped again, "I look forward to watching you," he said to the beast. We were instructed to take him back down to the gladiator's ring to prep for a fight later today.

"Alright, green bean, this is where you'll be staying okay?" I directed the monster into the gladiator's wing. He turned around and frowned, "it's all going to be alright."

"Hulk have to fight?" It asked in a deep, rugged voice.

"Sadly, yes," I nodded.

"Hulk no want fight," it said again and dropped to the ground in a rumbling defeat, "Hulk want to go home."

"Hulk? Is that your name?" I sat down cross-legged from him. He looked up and tried to sit like me.

"I am Hulk," he pointed to himself with one meaty finger.

"My name is Eira," I held out my hand which he looked at skeptically.

"You are dark," he gently grabbed my hand and then pointed to my hair.

"Dark?"

"Hair. Dark," he nodded, looking pleased with himself.

"Where are you from, Hulk?"

"Earth."

"Earth? What's that like?"

"Clutter, big cities, my friends," he frowned again.

"Do you miss them?"

"Hulk miss friends, friends don't miss Hulk," his eyebrows curled downwards as his anger started building up. I shot to my feet and went to grab his hands.

"I'm sure they do, but I'll be your friend here okay?"

"Friend," he grumbled.

"Green bean," I smiled.

| 20 years later |

My body jump started awake when I heard the sirens go off. Our prize had freaked out again. I shoved my armor onto my arms and torso and pulled my boots on as I ran out of my compound. I had a long sprint between me and the Grandmaster's tower. Once I was there I jumped in the elevator and jammed the button until the doors finally closed. A deep roar filled the space before I even reached the correct floor. Adrenaline seared through my veins as I sprinted down the hall near its room.

    "Woah there green bean," I held up my hands and came to a sliding stop. The monster was holding a guard in each hand and flailing them around like ragdolls.

    "Hulk don't like guards," he yelled down at me.

    "Yeah I don't either. How about you put them down and then they can leave alright?" He grunted, his nostrils flaring, "come on, they'll be gone as soon as you put them down."

    "Keep them out," he demanded and dropped them on their backs. I almost laughed as they scrambled to their feet and made a mad dash for the door. Hulk roared after them and then turned away. He stomped through his room, kicking his armor out of his way.

    "You cool now?" I waded behind him, making sure to stay out of the way of his flying objects.

    "I cool now," he nodded and collapsed onto the giant skull that was his bed. I grabbed a piece of fruit for him roughly the size of a small pumpkin and threw it. He happily caught it and began chomping away.

    "When do you want to start training?" I plopped down on the windowsill and watched him.

    "Not now," he demanded.

    "Okay sure, but you know we have to right?"

    "For little guy," he nodded.

    "Yeah the ruler of an entire planet, the little guy," I laughed. The Grandmaster basically made the entire planet where his race, the Sakaarans and all other banished, exiled, what-have-yous lived. The inner city was like any other metropolis but just outside the outer buildings it was a massive garbage heap where portals drop cosmic clutter. He was the reason I was living so well here. I was born on Asgard but my parents didn't know what to do with the child they received. So they sent me away to live on Xandar where I eventually teamed up with another ravager before getting lost on a mission and wound up here on Sakaar. After that I was brought to the arena to be one of the gladiators. After a few fights he saw my potential and brought me to his side.

    "When fight?" I snapped out of my reminiscing train of thought and looked up at the angry face of Hulk.

    "Your next fight is tonight buddy," I walked over and slapped him on the shoulder, "so you know what that means."

    "Train little," he nodded and bared a half grin.

    "Wow look at those pearly whites," I laughed, "come on, let's get a move on."