Shattered

“Let’s go.”

“Hmm?” Hela asked, not moving her gaze from where it was focused on throwing the ball back and forth.

“Let’s go. Leave. I’m done with this place.”

This caught her attention. The ball soared past her hands and smacked her in the chest. “What?”

“Sakaar. The Grandmaster. I’m done with it. You’re right, we need to leave. So let’s go.”

“Wha- just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“What brought about this sudden change of heart?”

Brunnhilde shrugged, and took another swig of her drink. “Some bloke got melted today. Happens, like, every single day, but for some reason this one just hit harder. He’s a maniac, you know?”

“Yes, I’ve been telling you for the last month.”

“I know, I know. But anyway. We’re gonna leave. You got a plan?”

“See that ship out there? We should be able to get on, that’s what brought Hulk here. I was thinking I could just- break the glass. Or something.”

Brunnhilde raised an eyebrow. “Majesty, you’ve been telling me you have a plan for, like, a month, and that’s it? Break the window and hop on a ship?”

“What did you expect? It’s efficient.”

“There are so many ways it could go wrong.”

“No, there aren’t.”

“Where are you going to go once you’ve gotten to the ship?”

“The giant portal.”

“The devil’s anus?”

Her eyes widened (her lips twitched up involuntarily). “I didn’t know that it was called that.”

“Well, it is. That tiny ship won’t make it through, you’re going to have to take one of the Grandmaster’s.”

“Which you don’t have access to?”

“Nope.”

“That one.”

They both turned to Hulk, who was pointing at one of the smaller portals. “What?”

“That one. Hulk go through that one. Come to Sakaar. Go back to Earth.”

Brunnhilde turned around and peered at the portal. “Yeah, seems about right. And you’ll be able to get the quinjet through there no problem, we could even take my ship.”

She frowned a bit. Midgard hadn’t been a part of her plan- she’d assumed they would be going to Asgard. Did she even want-

“Hela?”

“Hm? Oh. Yes. Which one would you rather take?” Midgard had been part of her plan. Eventually. Once she’d gone to Asgard.

But why not now?

“Quinjet’ll probably be better stocked, I’ve got nothing but alcohol on mine. But mine will get through the portal easier, it was made for flying through space and that wasn’t.”

Hela nodded. “Ok. Ok, we’ll stop by the Quinjet, grab what we need, and run to your ship.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Right. Can I break the glass? I want to break the glass.”

“Go ahead. But, wait-” She unclipped the fob from her belt, and Hela tensed before relaxing again. Once the button had been pressed, she tore it off of her neck and crushed it under her boot. “Alright. Now do it.”

Hm. How to- ah, that could work. “Hulk, could I have that ball?”

He grunted and handed it to her. It should be heavy enough to- ow.

Brunnhilde and Hulk both laughed, and she scowled up at them from where she’d been knocked on the floor. By the ball. “Shut up, you two.” She kicked at where the ball had made a crack, and the glass gave in.

“Alright. We’ve got limited time before the Grandmaster figures out that his champion’s gone missing, so we have to be quick. Once we get to the Quinjet, we’ll put on some sort of disguise. Or something. Hulk may be an issue. Maybe we should’ve thought this out more.”

“Too late now. How are we going to get down?”

“We’ll have to- woah!”

Hela’s stomach lurched as a large hand grabbed her around the middle and picked her up. Looking to her right, she could see Brunnhilde in the same position. Hulk grinned, and jumped out of the window.

--------------------

After she’d gotten picked up, Brunnhilde decided that she was just going to close her eyes and hold on for dear life. There wasn’t much else she could do.

The ride was over in a matter of seconds, and Hulk skidded to a stop. She opened her eyes to find Hela stumbling to the ground, looking a bit sick. Hulk let her down next to the Quinjet.

“Alright,” she gulped once she’d regained her footing. “Let’s go get some shit.”

“Yep,” Hela gasped. Then, her eyes focused on something behind Brunnhilde.

“What-”

“Get down!”

Brunnhilde got pushed down, face smacking into the gravel. She heard Hulk roaring, and bones crunching. Groaning, she got up. “What- what happened?”

“Bad man.”

She squinted at the mound on the ground near Hulk. There was a crumpled heap- wearing Scrapper clothing. Those damn things.

“Ugh. Alright, well, we’ll just have to- Hela. Where’s Hela?”

She looked back to where she’d fallen.

Oh, shit.

“Hela!” Her voice sounded a bit desperate, but she didn’t care. Hela was sprawled out on the ground, a bullet wound in her shoulder and blood pooling around her. She got down to her side in an instant and tried to stop the bleeding. Hela groaned.

“Ow…”

“Don’t talk. How do you stop this-”

“‘Rn’t the Valk’rie s’posed to be trained ‘n healing?”

“Well, in case you hadn't noticed, I’ve spent the last several years of my life trying to wipe all of that out of my mind!”

“Fuck.”

“Why did you have to get yourself shot, you big idiot?”

“Death Lady hurt?”

She looked up at Hulk. His face was scrunched up, as if in deep concentration. “Yeah, big guy, she’ll be fine. You’ll be fine, right?”

“Mm. ‘ve gotten sho’ befre.”

“Not encouraging.”

“Death Lady needs help?”

“Hulk, buddy, you can’t help right now, just- stay back, alright?”

Hands trembling a bit, she pressed down on the wound. She had no idea what she was doing- alcohol had muddled up her brain, and all memories of healing were far off in the distance. She’d never paid much attention to those lessons, anyway, always making room for weapons and combat training instead. It hadn’t seemed important, at the time.

Damnit.

“Hulk help!”

“No, bud- shit. Are you alright?”

Hulk was stumbling around, shaking his head. He collapsed down to the ground. “Shit. Shit, shit, shit- Hela, stay conscious, please, I can’t have both of you knocked out-” Hela made a small noise of affirmation.

“Hulk, what’s going on?”

He didn’t answer, still shaking his head as if trying to dislodge something. Brunnhilde took a deep breath and turned back to Hela. “Alright, come on, let’s get you on the ship. Maybe they’ve got some medical supplies in- what the fuck?”

Hulk was shrinking. Right before her eyes. Growing smaller and smaller and less green. She watched the transformation with awe until, instead of Hulk, a man stood in his place.

“Who the hell are you?”

The man whipped around and his eyes widened when he saw her. “Who are you?”

“I’m Brunnhilde. Angry Girl. What did you do with Hulk?”

He paled. “Oh, god. Oh- where am I? What’s happening? What is- why are we surrounded by trash? Who is- oh, god, is she dying? Who is she? Why am I here? What year is it?”

Oh. Right. Hela. She grabbed his arm and pulled him down. “Forget all that. Help her.”

He still looked incredibly bewildered, but blinked a few times to focus himself. “Right. Dying person.”

“She’s not dying!”

The man leaned over and examined the wound. “No, you’re right, she’s not dying. We have to get her- is that the quinjet? Please tell me we’ve still got- here, help me carry her. Grab her legs.” She did so, and got Hela into the quinjet, setting her on a stretcher. “Alright. There should be some supplies in that drawer over there- yep. Grab the scalpel.”

“Why- oh. Oh, god.” She wasn’t nearly drunk enough for this. She hadn’t had to watch a medical procedure in- in years.

Taking a steadying breath, she picked up the scalpel.

-------------------

Ow.

Hela blinked open her eyes. “Wha-”

“Oh my god, she’s awake. Can you hear me?”

“Hela! Hela, sit back down, I swear to the Norns if you get shot one more time-”

“Who- where am I?”

“The Quinjet. Remember?”

Her eyes adjusted to find Brunnhilde extremely close to her face. “Oh. Right. Where’s Hulk?”

Brunnhilde relaxed, and collapsed back down into a chair. “Good question. Where is Hulk? You haven’t explained that.”

“You haven’t asked.”

“Fair. So….”

Hela squinted up at the man in the background. He was wearing a strange shirt and was fiddling uncomfortably with his sleeves, “Er. I’m Bruce. Bruce Banner. I’m-”

“You’re Banner? You’re the bloke that Hulk’s always talking about?”

“Ah. Yeah. The oth- Hulk. He’s, um… it’s hard to explain. I did an experiment, and it went wrong, and- whenever I get mad, he comes out. He’s kind of like an alternate personality. Except- he’s never been this in control before. I don’t even know how long I’ve been in there. Or why he let me out.”

She frowned. That- actually made things a lot easier to understand. And raised way more questions, but it did clear some things up.

She looked at Brunnhilde, who was scowling a bit and tapping a finger on her glass. “He let you out because he wanted to help,” Hela realized. “He told me that once. That you could help the team in ways that he couldn’t. You’re a healer? Why- oh. Right.” She’d gotten shot.

Why had she gotten shot? She couldn’t quite- ah. That’s why Brunnhilde wasn’t looking her in the eye. Had she- had she jumped in front of her? 

She was growing soft.

“Could I get some answers? Who are you people? Where am I?”

She sighed, and looked back over at Brunnhilde, who lifted her gaze long enough to nod. “You’re on a planet called Sakaar.”

“I’m on another planet?”

“Yes. My name is Hela. I’m Thor’s older sister, I believe you know him?”

His brow furrowed. “Thor never told me he had a sister.”

“He didn’t know. My father locked me up before he was born and never told him of my existence.”

“Oh. That’s. That’s messed up.”

“Mm. I’m aware. But that’s not important- what’s important is that we’ve wasted time here, and we need to get to Brunnhilde’s ship and get off of this stupid planet.”

“Hela, you got shot, that’s not a waste of time.”

“Whatever. Hu- Banner. We’re going to Midgard, and we’re bringing you with us.”

“Wh- I mean, I- I don’t have a problem with that, but-”

“Come on- oh Norns.” She had gotten up, only to feel pain lancing through her shoulder. 

“Hela, you’re in no state-”

“I’m fine. Let’s go.”

----------------------

This was insane. This was crazy. He was in space. Bruce Banner. Firm citizen of Earth and happy to stay there, thank you very much, until the other guy had apparently flown to an alien planet and become a gladiator (Brunnhilde and Hela filled him in as they walked.) And now they were going to go get a ship and fly through a wormhole to get back to Earth, where hopefully it had only been a couple of years and not decades. 

They were weaving through the city, Brunnhilde taking the lead and Hela in the rear. Hela had shoved on a pair of Tony’s glasses and one of Nat’s old jackets over her armor and called it a disguise. 

She didn’t look very much like Thor. Loki, definitely, they both had the same dark hair and affinity for green, but not Thor. But she acted a bit like Thor had at the beginning, when he’d been angrier and laughed at them all for being petty, tiny humans. Except worse and better at the same time. She was more haughty, and looked much more dangerous, but there was something quieter about her. He wondered if she’d been angrier before but calmed down. He wondered why.

Brunnhilde kept glancing back at him, as if trying to reconcile his image with that of the other guy’s. It must have been weird- like how seeing Hulk was strange for people, but the opposite. He wondered how much Hulk had told them about him, and whether or not it was good.

“IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!” He let out a bit of an undignified squeak at the loud voice echoing over the street. The boom of fireworks went off behind him, and he looked up just in time to see a spaceship hurtling across the city. The fireworks scattered on the windshields of other ships, seemingly chasing after that one, distracting some and causing them to crash into nearby buildings.

“What’s that?”

“That’s the Grandmaster’s private ship!”

Hela frowned. “Why is it being chased?”

Brunnhilde squinted up at it. “I think- oh, Norns. It’s your brother. I can’t think of anyone else who would have access. Or who would decide to steal the orgy ship.”

“I’m sorry, the what?” Bruce squeaked. 

“The Grandmaster uses that ship for his good times, orgies and things like that.”

“Right. And my brother knew how to get onto that ship because…?”

Brunnhilde shrugged. “He was a guest of the Grandmaster. He didn’t have to join in, but it’s, ah, highly encouraged. I doubt he’ll be invited again, though.”

“Citizens of Sakaar.” Bruce jumped again when a huge hologram appeared on what seemed to be the palace. “Someone has not only stolen my beloved champion, but my favorite ship as well. Not to mention, the prisoners have started a terrible insurgency! That Lady Death is behind it all- take to the streets. Find them, and bring them back to me, and you will be rewarded.”

“That’s the guy we all used to work for?” Bruce demanded.

“It’s the Goddess of Death,” Hela grumbled.

“I need way more alcohol for this,” Brunnhilde muttered, taking another sip from her bottle.

Bruce sighed. Why did he get stuck with these people?

“Alright,” Hela breathed, running a hand through her hair and adjusting the pack of supplies on her back. “Come on. We’re almost to your ship, we can make it if we hurry.”

“What do you think we’ve been doing, Majesty, taking a leisurely stroll?”

“Shut up and walk, Brunnhilde.”

He couldn’t figure them out. They seemed a bit like Steve and Tony- always fighting, always arguing, always making quips at each other, but with the same team spirit. You couldn’t fake the horrified look Brunnhilde had worn when Hela had gotten shot.

Some people, he decided, just liked tough love. They must be some of those people.

--------------------

“Alright. We’re here.”

Hela breathed a sigh of relief. The last few minutes of their walk had been tense, with people screaming in the streets and Banner looking more and more anxious with every passing second. Much as she preferred Hulk, it would have been a disaster if he’d appeared in the middle of the street, so she was glad Banner was able to keep calm.

“Good. Brunnhilde, why is there so much alcohol on this ship?”

She rolled her eyes. “Why do you think, Majesty? Come on, clear a seat and sit down. Dump the stuff on the floor.” Hela winced a bit at the chaos of it all, but managed to find a relatively clean section of the ship and made herself comfortable.

Banner shifted uncomfortably before sitting across from her. Joy.

“Alright. Everyone buckled in? Good. Let’s go.”

Her stomach lurched as the ship jerked into the air. “Sorry! I like to take her a bit rough.”

“Lovely.” Banner looked a little sick. Wordlessly, she picked out a mostly clean sack from the mess on the floor and handed it to him.

Oh, Norns, this was going to be an interesting trip.