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Chapter Text

        "Father!" Thor cried out in terror and confusion as lights flashed around him. He curled in on himself and closed his eyes as fierce wind whipped at his hair and buffeted his clothing. The boy screamed, wishing in that horrible moment for anyone. Father. Loki. Even Algrim. The air around him abruptly changed and Thor peeked out from behind his arms. A mound of trash hurtled at him and the boy curled back in on himself as he hit it. He rolled through various pieces of metal and torn fabric, coming to a slow stop at the bottom of the mound.

        What- What had happened? Where was Asgard? His home, his family? Thor brushed the disgusting bits and pieces off himself before he pushed himself up. There was only trash for as far as his eyes could see. He looked to the skies - strangely colored portals hung there. More broken things fell from them. "Father?" Thor called out. This was not right. He... he had been in their palace. Preparing to intercede and rescue father from their grief maddened advisor. Had Algrim somehow teleported him away?

       Thor began to pick his way through the disgusting mounds when an alarm startled him. He looked off to his right - a massive grey and red ship of some kind headed towards him. The boy looked around the mounds nearest to him. A sword, surely there had to be a sword somewhere here! Anything to defend himself with! There was nothing. Strange little metal pieces and more torn bits of fabric. No weapons or anything that looked like one. The strange ship settled down on a relatively clear spot ahead of him.

        Thor hesitated as several strangers in long clothing and masks stepped out and started towards him. What if they were hostile? Or, he thought with sudden hope, what if they were friendly? Either way he was a son of Odin - he could defend himself if need be. Decision made, Thor started slowly toward the group. He raised his hand in greeting as a stranger dressed in red and grey removed his face covering. A pale face looked out at him.

        "Are you a fighter?" The man asked. "Or are you food?" Food? What madness did it speak?

        "I am Thor, son of Odin." Thor introduced himself. "Please, I have need of your assistance." He needed to return to Asgard! Algrim had to be stopped and made to see reason!

        "Food, then." The stranger said.

        "What? No, I-" The older man leveled a strange looking weapon at him and fired it before Thor could even think to evade. A net wrapped around him and small devices sent horribly painful shocks through him. Thor fell the the ground as he shook and his vision blurred.

        "Look!" He was dimly aware of another stranger shouting. A hard breeze and a grey shape passed overhead. Whatever it was landed beside the first ship. Thor tried to turn to see what it was but his tightened muscles wouldn't let him move. The strangers were speaking, something low and threatening. Then flashing blue lights slammed into the ground around him. The strangers disappeared into clouds of dust and little chunks. The pain from the net abruptly cut off. Thor sagged as he tried to catch his breath.

        The boy pushed at the thick netting and wiggled out from under it. A tall woman approached. She was unlike the others, wearing fine fitting clothing and well done face paint. She had saved him from them! Thor took a breath as he stood, intent on thanking her- She tossed something at him. Thor winced as the small thing slapped against his neck and tightly dug in. The woman held a small device up and smirked at him as she pressed it. Agony tore through him from the thing attached to his neck and Thor fell back to the ground as he convulsed. The boy couldn't even draw breath to scream as his muscles locked and his vision blackened.

        Thor slowly came to. He shook his head and blew his hair out of his face. He reached up- What? Thor looked down. His hands were bound by massive shackles, larger than any he'd ever seen. He tried to lift his arm again. Nothing. The chair he was bound to shuddered forward as a woman's voice spoke from the dark ceiling.

        "Fear not, for you are found," she began. "You are home, and there is no going back." No! Horror settled deep in Thor's gut. This place, whatever it was, was not his home!

        "I am one of Odin's sons!" He called out to the voice. She continued to speak over him.

        "No one leaves this place." But he must! "But what is this place? The answer is Sakaar." The darkness around him changed then. Specks of light whizzed past and Thor's eyes widened as planets appeared. A cheerful music began to play as the woman continued. "Surrounded by cosmic gateways-"

        "Please!" Thor implored her. "I must return home! Asgard is on the brink of war!" 

        "-is the collection point for all lost and unloved things. Like you." He was not unloved! Why would the woman not understand that his family needed him!

        "I am Thor!" He called out to her. "Son of Odin! My place is at Asgard for I am one of her princes!" The music got louder as bright colors streaked around him. Thor shifted in unease. "Please, you must help me!"

        "-loves you more than the Grandmaster," she continued on as if he hadn't spoken. "He is the original, the first lost and the first found." A shadow of a man rose to his left and Thor flinched back as best he could in the large chair. The shadowy figure turned to watch as strange buildings sprung up behind it. Sudden images of various fighters flashed past as the woman spoke of some 'Contest of Champions'. He was not interested in contests! His home as on the brink of war! The music slowly died out as the area around him darkened. "You are the property of the Grandmaster. Congratulations!" Thor was no one's property! Indignant, the boy struggled against his restraints as the lights bled together and changed. Brightening and whirling about. Madness!

        Thor shrank back in the seat, panic rising in his chest as the lights brightened and flashed faster and faster- Thor's scream died in his throat as a room of warriors suddenly appeared around him. They stood in utter silence and watched him. Thor clenched his hands to hide their shaking. An older man dressed in bright gold and red sat in front of him. Two women were behind him. A guard in yellow and black and- The woman from before!

        "He is cute as a button." The finely dressed stranger spoke. "It... is a he?"

        "It is a he." The woman who had captured Thor assured him.

        "I am Thor," Thor began for what felt like one too many times. "I am the son of Odin, a prince of Asgard!" The woman's eyes widened in shock as she looked at him. The older man chuckled and rubbed at an ear.

        "I'm sorry, kiddo. You're going to have to speak up." The man smiled, his look so insincere that Thor's skin crawled. "What was that? Ass-guard?"

        "Asgard." The boy corrected him. The man turned in his seat to look up at the yellow and black clad lady.

        "I want to get closer." She obligingly pushed at the back of his seat and the three of them drew nearer. "Now," the man turned back to him, "who did you say you were again?" How was this possible?

        "I-" He swallowed and spoke a touch slower. "I am Thor. Please," he pointedly moved his arms against the restraints, "I do not know the means by which I arrived here, but I must leave!" The man unexpectedly chuckled.

        "Ha, leave." The stranger sat forward and reached out to tap him on the nose. "Yup, cute as a button. The crowds are going to love you!" What crowds? He did not have time for this! Thor strained against the mighty shackles that bound him. They didn't budge in the slightest.

        "I..." The woman from before hesitated. "I'll take two million."

        "Done." The man replied with a grin. What? He was not some possession to be bought and sold! Asgard needed him! "Well," the stranger angled his grin down at Thor. "How about a tour of your new home?" Thor struggled in the seat as it turned to follow after the man.

Chapter Text

        Loki woke with an indulgent yawn. The man lazily stretched in his bed before slipping out from under the covers. He made his way to his dresser and picked out his morning clothes. He'd just finished changing into what he'd selected when his door shook with heavy knocks. The pounding were so hard the his door shuddered more deeply with each blow. Feeling weary, Loki materialized a knife and held it tight behind his back.

        "May I help you?" He called out. There was no answer. Frowning, the god quietly slipped over to the door and stood off to the side as he opened it- The dark skinned scrapper waiting outside ducked his slash and curled a strong hand around his throat. She knocked the blade out of his hands and kicked the door shut as she walked into his room.

        "You! I have done my best to ignore your presence, Loki Odinson, but you have gone too far!" Loki clawed at her hand and then wheezed when she turned and slammed him up against the wall. "Release Thor from whatever spell you hold him under!" Thor? Thor was here?

        "I-" He scrabbled at her hands and gritted his teeth when his nails didn't break her skin. "I... don't know-"

        "Liar!" The woman accused him. "Sakaar may be beyond word of Asgard, but I know you, god of mischief. Release him!" He reached for her face but she easily leaned back to avoid his touch. "Now." There was another knock at the door. They both turned to look. The door opened and the Grandmaster's enforcer peered in. She raised an unimpressed eyebrow at them.

        "Am I interrupting anything?"

        "No," the other woman said.

        "Yes!" Loki gasped out.

        "I don't care," she said. "You." A finger was jabbed in Loki's direction. "Come. We've got a new match going on and the Grandmaster wants you to attend." Loki winced as nails dug into the skin of his neck. The Scrapper clearly considered her options. The god of mischief gasped as he was let go only to flinch as her hand closed around the back of his neck. The woman's grin had far too many teeth.

        "It's been a while since I attended. I'll join you. After," she glared at him, "we'll continue our... chat." Loki wisely decided on silence as she marched him out of the room.

        "Oh!" The strange man snapped his fingers as he guided Thor's chair down long, winding hallways. "I never introduced myself, did I?" Thor was not interested in introductions! "I'm the Grandmaster, owner of this humble little abode and the arena in which you are going to unwillingly participate." Thor shut his eyes and fought back desperate anger. "Now normally," the Grandmaster continued, "we'd give you some time to adjust and get to know your new home. However, my champion is going to face another contender tonight so I'm figuring hey, why not throw you in as warm-up for the crowd?"

        "I am not a 'warm-up'!" Thor told the man. "Release me at once!

        "You've got spirit, kid." The older man leveled another creepy grin at him. "I think you're going to do great! I mean," he shrugged, "if you mess up and die, at least I'm sure it'll be entertaining." Thor shivered at the unwavering glee the man had. To speak so trivially of death... "All right! Well, your stop is here." The chair obligingly slowed and the boy looked around. A larger hall was off to their left and he could see more people dressed in armor gathering there. "Good luck, kid, you'll need it."

        "Hey!" The chair unlocked and dumped him out onto the floor. The Grandmaster winked at him before turning to walk back the way they'd come. "I am not done with-!"

        "Yeah," a new voice began, "he can be like that sometimes. Don't worry, it's just how he is." Thor pushed himself up and turned to look at who was speaking to him. A truly strange creature stood before him. It was some rocky thing with slow movements. "My name's Korg," it introduced itself. "I'm kind of like the leader in here." A leader? Good!

        "You must tell me how to leave this place!" He encouraged the thing.

        "Well," the creature rubbed at its chin. "I guess you could face the Grandmaster's champion, but you don't want to do that."

         "What? Why not?"

        "Whoever faces the champion perishes." The creature sounded sad enough that Thor hesitated to insist otherwise. "That's what I've been trying to tell Doug, but he just won't listen." Doug? What strange kind of name was Doug? No, that did not matter! Thor had to focus! There had to be some way out of this bizarre place. "Anyway, we've got some weapons over here. You'll want to pick one out before your fight." Korg, was that what it, or he, had said his name was? Korg hadn't lied. There was many a fine weapon available for the taking. Thor took up a sword and sheathed it. "Oh, so you're another sword guy?" He looked up at the rocky creature.

        "I am." Though it was difficult to think of drawing the sword now that he'd put it away. Thor could remember all too well the warm weight of Surtur's sword. How it had burned with power and hunger as he wielded it- The boy shut his eyes and felt his stomach turn as he remembered the frost sentry's dying screams. This sword was not that sword, he had to remind himself. He could draw it and not endanger the lives of those around him. Korg stepped back as several brightly dressed guards approached.

        "You've selected your weapon, fighter?" One them asked. Thor nodded. "Then come."

        "Don't worry," the rock giant called out to him as they passed by. "You probably won't die on your first fight! Good luck!" Thor gritted his teeth as the guards herded him towards large double doors. They shoved him through the opening doors and the boy stumbled forward. There was a light at the end of the tunnel and he could hear distant cheers. Thor licked his lips, his hand tightening on the hilt of the sword. He was a son of Odin. He could do this. Thor headed for the exit and his eyes widened as he stepped out into the largest arena he'd ever seen. A crowd of thousands cheered when they saw him. Off to his distant right was a large viewing room - he could just barely make out the glittering form of the Grandmaster and several other people.

        Loki and the scrapper's trip down to the arena was a little too fast for his liking. Loki put on his best smile as he entered the Grandmaster’s observing room. The woman's hand tightened on the back of his neck as she guided him inside.

        "Loki!" Loki forced a grin as the Grandmaster entered behind them. The scrapper immediately let Loki go. The man's attendants bowed to him as he passed. Loki took the far side of the Grandmaster's couch, careful to sit only after the man had done so. "I've got great news! My scrapper just got me the cutest little fighter!" He could feel the woman's glare at his back.

        "I...see."

        "He's just adorable," the other man continued. "I've decided to bet in his favor tonight; it's why I've arranged for some light competition before the main show. Oh, look!" The Grandmaster pointed down below as a touch of excitement entered his voice. "There he is!" Loki frowned down at the small figure that walked out onto the arena floor. He sat forward and squinted down at the boy. Thick brown boots, blue pants, the silly red jacket. The stupid, long blond hair with one bound section. He recognized that appearance, but it couldn't be-

        "Thor?"