Home | Loki [Book Two]

Chapter Thirteen

"Over here!" Thor said although he was confined to a chair. 

Loki was shocked for a second, but he quickly regained his usual charming aura. "Excuse me one moment," he said, offering me his arm and walking over to Thor.

"Loki!" Thor said angrily. 

"You're alive?" Loki asked after shushing him.

"Yes, of course, I'm alive." Thor scowled. "I'm stuck in this stupid chair. Where's your chair?"

"I didn't get a chair."

"Get me out of this one."

"I can't."

"What?"

"I've made friends with this man and gained his favor."

"How?" He noticed me standing there. "Who's that? Where's Delta?"

"Well..." 

"What are you whispering about?" the Grandmaster asked.

"Ah!" Thor said, startled. 

"You call yourself 'Lord of Thunder'?"

"God of Thunder," Thor corrected, then looked at Loki. "Tell him."

"I've never met this man in my life," Loki responded. 

"He's my brother!"

"Adopted," Loki and I said at the same time.

"Is he any kind of fighter?" the Grandmaster asked.

"So-so," I said as Loki shrugged, agreeing. 

"You take this thing out of my neck and I'll show you," Thor threatened. 

"Oh, look, he's threatening me," The Grandmaster said uncomfortably. "Anyone who defeats my champion can have their freedom."

As Thor was led off by some stupid-looking guards, Loki turned to the Grandmaster. 

"What is this about defeating a champion?" he asked. 

"Mayhem didn't tell you? The Contest of Champions is the crown jewel of Sakaar, other than me, of course."

"When is it?" I asked. 

"I'm throwing another competition tonight." The Grandmaster gasped as if just remembering a good idea. "You both should attend! I'll have Topaz come get you later."

"Thank you, Grandmaster," I said, leading Loki away. "What are we going to do? We haven't found Valkyrie yet, and--"

"Calm down. If we can trick Thor into being overconfident, he could be stopped from winning by the Grandmaster."

"How do we do that?"

"Leave it to me."

We took the elevator back up to the West Tower, where I happily threw the shoes that had been giving me blisters against the wall. As I was about to sit down on one of the chairs, the palace at Asgard took over my line of vision. 

"I never told Thor," Odin mused to Frigga. 

"Never told Thor what?" she asked, standing beside the throne.

"That Hela is my firstborn." He faded into millions of specks of light.

I was back at Sakaar faster than I could process it with Loki crouching worriedly next to me. 

"Hela is his firstborn?" he asked. 

"How'd you know?"

"Not sure. I can ask if Thor also knows, though."