HEROES | T. ODINSON 1

TWELVE

As soon as we'd said our goodbyes in the apartment, I knew I was on my own. I wanted to prove myself, not only to the rest of the team - which Thor had decided to name the Revengers, because apparently we all wanted revenge for whatever reason - but most of all, to myself. I wanted to know I could do things I'd never done before and wasn't going to go down without a fight. 

I didn't want to be a Becky in distress. 

Bruce managed to find one of Natasha's stealth suits on the abandoned Quinjet and had told me to put it on, saying it might 'come in handy' later. Either way, the fabric was way too tight and hot to wear on a planet like Sakaar where the sun seemed to be permanently shining. I could literally feel drops of sweat dripping down my back and into my squished underwear as I raced through the mass of people outside. Despite the warmth, I was grateful to be out of the sparkling outfit I'd been wearing before, as it stood out like a sore thumb in the crowd.

Thor had given me his cape before I left. He'd ordered me to put it on, telling me it would help me earn the trust of his friends in the dungeons. They had all seen him wear it, and seeing me with it would, according to Thor, prove my true intentions to them. The thing was way too long, but I did as told. The easier it would be to convince Korg and his friends to come with me, the better. We were running out of time, not a minute could go to waste. 

I made my way back through the city's crowded streets, coughing as I ran through thick puffs of green chalk people were throwing in the air to celebrate and honor the missing Hulk. I ignored their shouts of despair, the explosions of green fireworks, and the sounds of horns blowing, and elbowed my way through the scene as fast as my feet could carry me. 

I almost felt bad for these people. 

I snuck my way into the Grandmaster's palace, which - with all the guards outside looking for Thor and the Hulk - was surprisingly empty. Thankfully, there was no sign of Sakaar's unpleasant leader anywhere in sight, nor was I spotted by any of his awful minions along the way. 

The arena was adjacent to the Grand Palace, which stood right in the center of the city. I barely managed to sneak past two guards, who had their backs turned to me as they faced a large window overlooking the spectacle outside. After that, I managed to find the gladiator cells without much trouble. 

Dozens of alien-like creatures sat behind bars, all locked up probably for the remainder of their days. Most of them would fight each other to the death or be turned into the Grandmaster's slaves, a prospect that couldn't help but make me feel slightly sick to my stomach. 

It also didn't take me very long to find Korg, who stood over seven feet tall and had skin made up entirely of rocks and pebbles, clumped together to form a protective exterior layer over his body. I shivered when I saw the texture of it up close, but ignored it bravely and walked up to him anyway. The thought of my team, the Revengers, waiting for me to return with Korg in tow, allowed me to push all and any hesitation to the side.