Starlight › Marvel [1] ✓

032. on the run

"It seems that the criminally seductive, Lord of Thunder, has stolen him away." The Grandmaster continued and eventually, Raleigh got lost within the crowd of people. He tried to look around the thickening area, but he quickly realized how disoriented everything was. 

People were rushing around, heaving giant wooden heads of the Hulk and throwing around green powder. Everyone was screaming, yelling their love for their visitor, and talking over one another. No one took much notice to Raleigh as he was shoved aside, eventually causing him to lose his sense of direction.

Knowing he didn't have much time, he forcefully drove through people, calling out for the blond Asgardian.

"Thor?!" He yelled over everyone, though his voice drifted away with the others. "Odinson?!"

He stubbornly continued exclaiming for the male, shoving his way through the abundance of people, despite the difficult since they were moving in the opposite direction of him. He wasn't even sure if the God would be here, but something was telling him that Thor would also get caught up in the festival. So, even though the logical side of him was signaling him to search elsewhere, he continued following his instincts.

A sharp shoulder suddenly nailed Raleigh into the side of his arm and the boy was shoved to the side. The man, who had obviously done the act, didn't stop to apologize as they continued moving forward, thrusting their sign in the air. A stampede of people rushed through and Raleigh remained pinned next to the wall. He stood on his toes and peered over the crowd, while continuously crying out for the hero. He froze when he discerned a familiar buff figure. They had a scarf wrapped around the top of their head, but their face was exposed and Raleigh recognized him with ease.

"Thor?!" He yelled desperately and resumed trying to push towards the blond. Thor was also looking around for someone while calling out their name and hadn't heard Raleigh. "Thor?!"

Thor snapped his attention in his direction and as the two pairs of blue eyes met, Thor's widened in recognition.

"Raleigh?" Thor whispered to himself. He hurried through to the boy who was nearly being swallowed by the festive people and grabbed his reaching hand. He pulled the small body to him and led them both towards the wall. A sense of relief covered both of them. "You're safe—" He breathed out and Raleigh nodded. "What happened?"

"I had to leave. Some guards broke into my room when I wasn't there and they weren't exactly happy when they found that out." Raleigh fixed the hood on his head. "Actually, I don't think they're happy with you stealing Hulk." He glanced around the busy alleyway. "What are you doing? Where is Hulk?"

"I'll explain later." Thor noticed something just behind Raleigh and before the boy could figure it out, Thor grabbed his wrist and gently kept him by his side as they ran down a staircase. He squinted at Thor and then at where the man's attention was and realized why they were hurrying. 

Just ahead of them was Bruce Banner—not Hulk—and he was cowering as a giant bug-like alien towered over him.

"Banner?" He dropped Raleigh's wrist and moved Bruce behind him. Raleigh hurried to them and stepped beside the famous scientist and doctor.

The alien growled at the three of them, hot spit flying across their faces. He remained hiding behind Thor but kept a readied stance in the case he needed his assistance. Fortunately, he wasn't needed because not a second later the creature cried and fell the ground in convulsions. Electricity sparked on his body from the small round obedience disk on his neck. Behind the downed creature was the same woman who kidnapped both of them.

Her annoyed expression watched Thor closely.

"I-I was gonna do that," Thor told her.

She stared down at the creature. "Yeah, well, I did it first."