Living as a champion came with more benefits than what Anya witnessed from afar. No longer did the Aether have to keep a watch over her publicly while she rested. And the medical care was better after matches. There were attendants just like the escort had said. That came to take care of Anya in her private quarters outside of matches. Brought every meal and fulfilled all requests. The young woman's armor was upgraded as well. The Grandmaster came personally to deliver the gift. He liked to have his champions dress the part in a grand manner. To really sell it to the audience. There were even two chests full of weapons. Various ones that weren't worn or stained with blood. Brand new. The leader of Sakaar really believed in her capabilities. Unless...
"Is there something you want?" Anya questioned.
"What makes you think that?" the Grandmaster wondered.
"These are lavish gifts. And quite the upgrade in living quarters. You have other prized fighters. They aren't your champions, but they are good enough to bring in money for bets and a crowd on nights when Hulk doesn't fight. All of them had to work for that position. I jumped from the low tier to the highest one possible in a night."
"While you may have been living amongst the lower ranked gladiators, they were hardly in the same league as you."
"Then why continue to let me live amongst them, instead of promoting me sooner?"
"I had to make sure that you were the real deal. That the wins weren't a fluke. And the success in your matches didn't go to your head too much."
"That doesn't make any sense as to why you'd suddenly promote me to one of your champions. If you're really worried about success going to my head."
"I have decided to put my faith in you as a champion. You have brought in a lot of good press."
"And money in the betting pools?"
He shrugged. "What can I say, you are a surprise contender no one saw rising up in the arena. I'm willing to take my chances. If this success goes to your head, just try and hold off on losing for a bit longer."
"So you can save face with your high class citizens? Prove that you didn't promote a lemon."
He snapped his fingers before pointing at the human. "Ah, you get it. But I have all the faith that you won't lose so easily. I made you a champion for a reason. Work hard. Maybe you'll even be able to surpass the Hulk."
"I'm not that good, Grandmaster."
He laughed, leaving the young woman alone in her room once more. Anya tried on the armor first. It was a good fit. She wondered if the attendants had measured her body discreetly when they'd dress and attend to her injuries. Armored like this, the young woman appeared more intimidating than just being in the standard SH.I.E.L.D. uniform. The Aether came to the surface as if to observe the host's new appearance.
"What do you think?" Anya questioned. "There are plenty of nooks and crannies in this armor for you to hide yourself in without giving aways your movements."
The Aether began to alter its form to try out the new gear. It formed spikes along the shoulder, elbows, and knee plates. Latched onto the metal to further enforce its hold on the host. To pack more of a punch. Anya could feel its movements under the armor. Nearly undetectable to opponents as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.
"Satisfied?"
The dark matter made a noise in approval.
"Good. Because we're just getting started. The Grandmaster has big plans for us. And I've heard no news of an Asgardian in Sakaar. We also need to figure out how to get this thing off."
The young woman tapped at the device on the neck.
"While an escape plan isn't in the immediate future, it would be nice to know that you can move freely without me getting hurt. Because when we're ready to go, I'd like to leave a nice parting gift for all this trouble I'm going through."
The Aether hummed in agreement. It wrapped around the young woman's shoulders in a comforting manner. A hand reached up to almost pet the dark matter. It purred under her touch, like a kitten.
"I'm glad I have you here at least. Otherwise, this would've been a lot more terrifying. And I would've never made it out of that arena alive." She sighed, removing the helmet. "I miss Thor. And the rest of the team. Bruce may be here, but I haven't been able to see him yet. It'll be hard to talk to him with so many eyes and ears for the Grandmaster around."
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With the both of them being champions, Hulk and Anya never went up against one another in the ring. Not that it was out of the question. The young woman figured the Grandmaster would save a rematch for a rainy day in the future. She never went against the lower ranking gladiators. Which spared Silna from another match up. Instead, the human was fighting those in the tier just below her own. Fighters that wished to challenge the elected champions. None stood a chance. Especially those that went up against Bruce. The Hulk beat them into the dirt without hesitation with no hesitation in his kills. Whereas, the agent was more lenient still towards those unable to defend themselves further. Which was how Anya came to the conclusion that Bruce was completely dormant inside the green giant. He'd never accept this kind of brutality. Nor survive on Sakaar this whole time alone and in control of his body.
When at the training grounds, it was the only time Anya could converse with Silna. Sometimes they'd pair up to friendly spar. Yet the Hulk never came down. Then when did he train?
There was a knock at the door one morning. The only part of the day where Anya had off. It was a servant, someone she hadn't seen before.
"You've been requested to come to the private training hall," the purple skinned alien spoke.
"Private training hall?" Anya questioned. "By who?"
"The Hulk."
He had asked for her? Since when could Hulk talk? Unless the theory had been wrong about Bruce being dormant...
"Give me a moment."
Anya quickly dressed in lighter gear for training and brought along the batons in a weapon's belt. The attendant led her to an unfamiliar part of the facility. This training hall was larger and nicer than the one typically used on the lower levels. Hulk was there lifting oversized weights. And he wasn't alone. The alien bowed before taking her leave.
A woman stood there beside the green giant as a coach of sorts.
"Come on, is that the best you've got?" she questioned. "I saw you lift twice as much last week. Don't tell me that Troll Lord actually gave you a hard time."
Her head turned and noticed their guest.
"Huh, you actually came. You know, when big guy here told me he wanted to invite someone into his practices, I thought he was joking. Obviously, I now owe him some units because I didn't believe him."
She had a dark skin and the build of a warrior. Her black hair was tied back out of the face, where there were white markings around the eyes and forehead. She wore black armor with various weapons on her person. Anya didn't doubt that there were a few hidden items as well.
The woman held out a hand. "Scrapper 142."
"Arcane." The agent shook her hand in greeting.
"Nice to meet you in person. I've seen a number of your fights. You're rather good for a Midgardian. I'm impressed."
"Thanks. Wait, scrapper, do you wander the junkyard?"
"When I'm looking for a good catch for the Grandmaster."
Hulk finally sat up to set the weights down on the floor. He wiped the sweat on his brown and smiled over at Anya.
"Magic girl," he greeted.
The young woman's brows flew up in surprise, jaw going slack.
"You can talk?" she questioned.
"Hulk learned," Hulk answered.
"How long?"
"Since left in flying machine."
The quinjet. But that had been over two years ago.
"And you've been in this form ever since?"
"Yes."
Bruce had been dormant for two years. Incredible.
"And you've been in this form ever since?"
"Yes."
Bruce had been dormant for two years. Incredible.
"How did you get to Sakaar?"
"Space. Bright lights. Crashed."
And being on such a hostile planet in a situation out of his control, of course the Hulk would remain in this form. To protect the host, Bruce.
"Did you come out of a wormhole like him?" Scrapper 142 questioned.
"Something like that," Anya answered.
"Where did you train?"
"Work."
The woman smirked. Both of them were careful individuals. Only giving away what was needed at the given time. Having just met, neither trusted one another. And Anya had more reason to be suspicious. She was a scrapper for the Grandmaster.
"So how do you know big guy here?" the woman nodded towards Hulk.
"Work acquaintances," Anya answered. "Teammates even for a time. Though it's been a while since we saw one another. Now I finally know where you've been hiding."
"Not hiding, fighting," Hulk protested. "Winning!"
Tell that to Natasha, Anya thought to herself.
"Quite a feat, to become a champion so soon after your debut," Scrapper 142 said. "Sure, big guy here became one in half the time, which isn't surprising, but he's right. You are magic girl with those tricks of yours. I haven't seen anything like it."
"Trade secret," Anya said.
"Very well then. I'll allow it."
The human cocked a brow in her direction. Allow it? That was rich.
"Hulk here wants to train with you in this private area. Twice a week."
"Why doesn't he just train with the others?"
"Because then the other gladiators would get an itch to try and challenge him. And big guy here has a short fuse. Thus, leaving the Grandmaster with no more contenders. Thought you knew that, working together in the past."
"I didn't realize the Grandmaster gave Hulk the luxury of his own training grounds."
They watched the green giant stack a few weights on a moveable piece of equipment. The kind that football players used on Earth in the gym.
"Is Hulk expecting me to spar against him?" Anya wondered.
"No," Scrapper 142 said. "I think he's just looking for some company. I'm not here all the time. The two of us do spar. We're probably the only two people that can handle his punches to an extent. Wouldn't mind going a few rounds with you either. If you're up for it."
"Maybe another day. I have a fight tonight and need to be in good shape. Don't want to strain myself."
Scrapper 142 shrugged. "Suit yourself. You're welcome to leave or stay if you like. Big guy and I are going to grapple in a bit."
Anya chose to stick around. Watched the two individuals from a corner of the room. She wished to speak to Bruce– Hulk in private. Though with the scrapper present, that posed to be a challenge. Even more so if she came along every day to train with the green giant.
Hulk no longer fought with sheer brutality, thoughts only on smashing things in his wake. He actually had some form now. Knew how to use positions and holds to his advantage in a calculated manner. Surprisingly, Scrapper 142 gave the green giant a run for his money. She had impressive speed and strength. It reminded Anya of Sif, someone she missed dearly.
Anya decided to stop by the private training area whenever the Hulk was present. On top of making an appearance in the communal one among the other fighters. She split up her workouts and spars more to not overwork herself. Some of the gladiators saw the young woman's lack of work ethic as a sign of weakness. Thought that theory was immediately proved wrong in the arena the following nights when Anya continued to win every match up.
The young woman stretched as she exited the bathroom after a shower one evening, muscles aching a bit. That boar-like demon had done a number on a shoulder. Even required medical attention to stitch up the gash inflicted by its horns. While the advancements on Sakaar were impressive, it didn't completely get rid of the ailment. Tony's tech was better.
The muscles were sore and bruised. The skin having turned different colors in response around the angry red line that was left. She was about to request a servant get her a bag of ice when there was a knock. However, it didn't come from door to the room. It came from the wall opposite the window. Her brows pinched in confusion. She stepped closer to observe the wall design in place. It didn't look like a door. Maybe the young woman had misheard and checked the hall. No one was there except the guards.
The knock came again. Who was knocking on a wall?
Once close enough, Anya noticed a seam nearly undetectable due to the wall art. She felt around before a section of the wall lit up. For a palm print. Touching it, a doorway opened. Who stood on the other side surprised the agent.
"You're my next-door neighbor?" Anya said.
The Hulk bent down to peer inside.
"Magic girl," he greeted.
His room was ten times the size of her own. Not just to accommodate his towering figure, but to also spoil the Grandmaster's favorite champion. Anya wasn't complaining. She wouldn't know what to do with all this space.
"It's nice to finally catch you alone," the young woman said. "Without having to worry about someone overhearing."
"Angry girl, nice," the green giant said.
"She may be nice to you, but she's still a scrapper for the Grandmaster. I don't trust her just yet."
Hulk grunted in reply.
"I was really worried about you, yah know? We all were. You've been gone for two years, Hulk. We worried that you had died."
"Worried about Banner. Not Hulk."
Her head shook. "We were worried about the both of you. No note. No in person goodbye. Just vanished right after Sakovia." The young woman smacked his lower arm, which surprised Hulk. "Natasha deserved better."
"Got pushed–"
"I know, she told me. I know you wanted to fight. I know Banner didn't. Bruce isn't here right now to defend himself, so I'll make sure to give him an earful later, but if you hadn't been there with her, the team would've been in worse shape. More people would've died. As a member of a team, you can't be selfish when you feel like it."
"Lost control."
"In Wakanda?"
He nodded.
"We all saw. And that wasn't your fault. All of us lost our minds because of Wanda."
"You didn't hurt."
"No... I got lucky. Because if anyone had been around me, if I had been in Wakanda like you... it would've been lethal. Everyone on the team is capable of hurting those we're sworn to protect. You are not alone in that."
"No one like Hulk."
"That's not true."
"You no want me out."
Anya gave him a deadpan look. "You tried to punch me through a wall in the training room when Natasha was trying to find a way to calm you down. Forgive me if I was a little iffy of you in the beginning."
He huffed in response.
"I didn't have the protection of the Aether back then. Though after our little fight in the arena, I'll say that I can now hold my own against you. You've also grown yourself. You're not always angry. I hope you know that I'm proud of your growth."
Hulk smiled at the compliment.
"Are you protecting Banner?"
"Yes."
"Good. I don't think Bruce could survive here like you have."
"Why you here, magic girl?"
"I fell from the Bifrost. I was with Thor... and then I wasn't. Landed on Sakaar. Being trying to survive ever since."
"Will you stay?"
"I'm not sure."
"Why? It good here. Grandmaster like us."
"You're the favorite, Hulk." She tapped the device still on the neck. "I'm not going anywhere till this is gone. And there's still a chance... that Thor didn't make it either. He could be here too. Lost."
"Don't know?"
"Unfortunately, not," she sighed. "We were separated."
But even if Thor didn't fall from the Bifrost, the young woman knew he wouldn't stop looking for her. Even if Sakaar didn't show up on any map at their disposal of the galaxy.
"Do you like it here?" Anya asked.
"Hulk like fighting," he answered. "Winning."
"So I've noticed. Your fights are impressive. You have good form now as a warrior."
"Angry girl help."
"I noticed. And you have quite the fanbase."
That made him even happier. "Hulk have fans. Fans like Hulk."
Anya smiled. While she was still peeved at Bruce and the Hulk for the stunt they pulled on Natasha and the team after the defeat of Ultron, she was happy Hulk had found himself. It would always be a struggle for him to find acceptance on Midgard. Since his latest actions had been a very public display in a bad light. It had been over two years though. The minds of the public could change if he returned to show such growth.
"Hungry?" Hulk asked.
"I could go for some dinner if you're offering," Anya said.
It became another ritual between the two of them. Where every other night, the two of them would have dinner together. Sometimes they talked. Other times, there was silence. Especially on nights after tough matches. There was one thing Anya noticed about Hulk. He wasn't bashful like Bruce. She made sure to avert her eyes when he'd walk towards his large bath while wearing a towel. Since the green giant would just drop it to the ground without warning. Embarrassingly, the young woman managed to catch a glimpse the first time it happened since there had been no warning.
Finally, after an extremely long night where Hulk and Arcane were the main events, swapping in and out of the arena against multiple opponents, the Grandmaster called for an audience. All the young woman wanted to do was drag herself back to the living quarters and sleep off this growing exhaustion.
"Ah, the great Arcane!" the man greeted upon her entrance. "Come in, come in."
Topaz was there with a rather grumpy expression. Must've lost big in the betting pool. The Grandmaster was in the middle of a lavish dinner, based on the spread before him.
"To what do I owe the pleasure to an audience with you?" Anya asked.
"I wanted to congratulate you on a job well done. You've done a marvelous job adapting to the arena, and being a champion seems to be treating you well. I'm glad I made the investment. I was wrong, I'll admit. You're the real deal like the Hulk. A fighter. And a good one at that. The gamble was worth it."
"I'm glad that my performance has pleased you."
"Very much. Which is why I want to reward you."
Anya felt a little apprehensive as to what that may be. He pressed a button on the table. There was a beeping noise on the obedience disk before the item fell away to the floor. The young woman couldn't help but raise a hand to feel at the area. This wasn't a trick. The disk was gone. She was free.
Topaz gripped the staff in her hand tightly. Warry that the champion may attack the Grandmaster. That's probably what put her in such a mood. She disapproved of this decision.
"Ta-da," the man said. "There, that must be better."
"Thank you, Grandmaster," Anya said.
While it was true that the Aether could easily floor both individuals before they had a chance to react, now wasn't the time.
"Ah, ah, don't thank me just yet. Removing that disk comes with some, uh, stipulations. Now that you've become a member of this society, and a hot commodity amongst Sakaarians, you need to be more social."
"What, you want me to go down to the streets and join the parties?" Anya asked.
"No, nothing like that. You'd be mobbed the moment you stepped outside the facility. And I do not want fans to trample you in their excitement at seeing the amazing Arcane. We have our own parties here. Ones that will be more of your speed."
The elite parties. For the rich and famous of Sakaar. For the sponsors. For those that liked to kiss the Grandmaster's ass to worm their way to the top.
"On nights were you're more... presentable..." his hand motioned towards the state of her uniform, covered in dried blood and dirt, "you will mingle. Woo the guests with your charm and tales of victory, glory, whatever works."
"To bring in more sponsors or is there another reason why you want me to charm a crowd that already likes the champions?"
"She's smart, I told you, Topaz, she's got a good head on her shoulders," the Grandmaster said. The woman's expression never changed. "The goal is to enjoy yourself, Arcane. You've earned it."
That seemed... too easy of a task. There had to be an underlining reason to suddenly integrating her into the higher society. But the man didn't want to spill.
"Will Hulk be there?"
"Ah, no, he's got a certain... touch, as you may say. Doesn't know his own strength."
Meaning that he didn't want to release the green giant getting too wild in a social setting where he may lose control. If in the presence of liquid courage.
"I have him participate in meet and greet events now and then over social settings. But he prefers to interact with fans from a distance when they are cheering him on. Now then, enjoy the rest of your evening. I'll have this wonderful dinner sent to you so you can enjoy once you clean up a bit."
"Thank you, Grandmaster. Have a good evening."
Anya knew to be on her toes once the man saw fit to invite her to an event of his. There was no telling what would happen behind closed doors. Sure, the young woman had heard rumors of the events... but rumors could be wildly misconstrued. Unfortunately, the agent knew she would just have to see for herself.