Brunnhilde landed the ship in a concealed part of the building. Bruce had been ordered to stick around until they came back, since he had no way of knowing how to navigate the area.
Both women paused as they came to a fork in the hallway.
"We meet back in ten," Brunnhilde said.
"I'll see you back at the ship," Anya nodded.
The Valkyrie didn't have to walk far. She was closer to her destination out of the two. Aiming the weapon at the blank wall, it fired to create a hole. Those inside the hull were surprised by the sudden blast. As the smoke cleared, Brunnhilde entered and deactivated the discs on their necks. The male contenders were freed from their enslavement.
"I'm looking for Korg," Brunnhilde said.
"Who's asking?" the Kronan spoke up. "Well, I know you're asking. Just, is anyone else asking? Or is it just you?"
She gave him a sly grin. "The Lord of Thunder sends his best." Tossing him the blaster in hand, the alien caught the device, powering it up.
"The revolution has begun!" he proclaimed.
All of the contenders in the room cheered in response.
Meanwhile, Anya had to go through a few of the Grandmaster's guards in the process. The Aether was happy to run free, coating the hallway and swallowing them up in its wake.
"This should be it," the young woman spoke.
Tendrils of the dark matter ripped open the door. Those near scrambled away in fear. When Anya stepped into the room, many grew fearful at the sight of the champion, free, without restraints.
"Silna?" she called out.
The Amphibian came forward, "What's going on?"
"Change of plans."
Anya pressed a button on the device in hand, thus freeing everyone.
"The Grandmaster has been challenged. Thought all of you might want to help out. Cause a little mayhem. Maybe even some payback."
"Why?" Nusal dared to ask. "We are your enemies."
"We were all enemies. For survival. But now, none of you need to fight to survive in the ring. You can fight for yourselves now. Your own causes. Not for someone's entertainment. A mutual friend is setting free the other gladiators. How would you all like to join the revolution?"
Silna stepped up with a grin. "Sounds like a great plan to me. No reason for us to fight amongst ourselves anymore."
Others began to agree.
"Good," Anya said. "While a revolution is needed, I suggest that all of you leave and start new lives elsewhere. To be safe."
"And how are we supposed to do that without weapons?" Bainea managed to speak. Standing towards the back out of fear in Arcane's presence. "What you're asking of us is a suicide mission.
The Aether lifted to reveal a sack on her back.
"I've brought you all gifts," Anya said.
Tossing it at their feet it was full of weapons that were eagerly collected up. Even Bainea and Nusal joined them.
"Happy hunting."
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Alarms blared throughout the building. With the break out of the contenders' people ran for safety. Guards gathered to arm themselves. And all looked for direction on how to handle the threat that was whispered through the halls.
"Revolution?" the Grandmaster questioned nervously. "How did this happen?"
He walked swiftly down a hall, Topaz at his side.
"I don't know," the woman answered. "But the arena's mainframe for the Obedience Disks have been deactivated and the slaves have armed themselves."
"Oh, I don't like that word," he stopped her.
"Which? Mainframe?"
"No. Why would I not like 'mainframe'? No, the 'S' word."
She sighed, "Sorry, the prisoners with jobs have armed themselves."
A smile spread across his lips. "Okay, that's better."
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As Thor and Loki snuck in to access the hidden hanger where the Grandmaster kept his airships, they remained vigilant to guards that were swarming the facility. Finally, they came to the desired doorway, accessing the panel. The God of Mischief began to punch in the memorized code.
"Hey, so, listen," Thor spoke up. "We should talk."
The god's fingers paused for a moment before continuing.
"I disagree," he answered. "Open communication was never our family's forte."
The door between them slipped up out of place, gaining them access to the private area of the building.
"You have no idea. Been quite the revelation since we last spoke." Blasters in hand, the two entered to face down the unsuspecting guards in place. "Hello."
Their heads snapped around in surprise.
"Hi," Loki greeted.
The two opened fire to mow down all the aliens out in the open. Some managed to duck behind corners just in time, but many weren't so lucky. A few more guards rushed from the other halls, Thor and Loki taking refuge behind separate corners to their entrance way.
"Odin brought us together," the God of Mischief stated. A blast hit the edge of his hiding place, making him press further back. "It's almost poetic that his death should split us apart."
When a lull came in the barrage of blasts the Asgardians began to move through the room. They worked in harmony by watching one another's backs. At the other side of the room, the prince guarded their position, Loki tossing away his blaster to type in a new code.
"We might as well be strangers now," he continued. A panel closed, blocking them from the room to give him time to work on the door. "Two sons of the crown, set adrift."
Thor tossed away the blaster. The door opened, the God of Mischief entering first, only to quickly backtrack with an, "Oh," and raised hands.
An alien had been waiting on the other side of the elevator and held the Asgardian at his mercy. With inaudible words, the creature backed Loki up, Thor ducking just out of sight to make the guard think he was alone. The second the blaster came into view, the prince slapped it down and it fired at the floor. The alien went sailing into the air, Loki's eyes following its trajectory.
"Thought you didn't wanna talk about it," Thor pointed out. The prince waltzed into the elevator, while the unconscious alien body hit the ground.
"Here's the thing," Loki said. He stepped over the figure to enter the compartment and they traveled up. "I'm probably better off staying here on Sakaar."
"That's exactly what I was thinking."
The God of Mischief's brows pinched. He had expected the need to defend his argument as always only to be surprised that wasn't the case this time. "Did you just agree with me?"
"Come on, this place is perfect for you. It's savage, chaotic, lawless. Brother, you're gonna do great here."
"Do you truly think so little of me?"
Thor turned his head away from the window to look at his brother without an ounce of disrespect.
"Loki, I thought the world of you. I thought we were gonna fight side by side forever. But at the end of the day, you're you and I'm me. I don't know, maybe there's still good in you. But let's be honest, our paths diverged a long time ago."
A bit speechless from Thor's sincere words, Loki nodded at first to collect himself.
"Yeah. It's probably for the best that we never see each other again."
"That's what you always wanted," Thor smiled.
Patting his brother's back in an encouraging manner, the dark-haired god gave a nod in agreement, lips pressed together.
"Hey, let's do 'Get Help'," the blonde prince offered.
Loki's face fell at the offer. "What?"
"'Get Help'."
He quickly shot down the idea, "No."
"Come on, you love it."
"I hate it."
"It's great. It works every time."
"It's humiliating."
"Do you have a better plan?"
"No."
"We're doing it."
Loki shook his head. "We are not doing 'Get Help'."
The doors opened to the desired floor. The God of Mischief may have expressed his resistance to the idea, yet he went with it because much to his annoyance Thor had been right. He didn't have another plan. The prince dragged his brother out of the compartment, a limp arm over the shoulders and him holding on tightly to carry his weight.
"Get help! Please!" Thor shouted.
The passing guards turned their attention towards the brothers in confusion.
"My brother, he's dying!"
The group approached to assist in some way.
"Get help! Help him!"
Once close enough, Thor changed his grip to throw Loki sideways into the group. The force knocked them to the ground unconsciously.
"Classic," Thor grinned.
Loki groaned in annoyance, pulling himself off the pile, "Still hate it." When he got to his feet, the god pulled his top back into place. "It's humiliating."
"Not for me, it's not. Now, which one's the ship she told us to get?"
"The Commodore." Loki pointed to a ship on the far side of the hanger. Unlike the others that were bulky in size, this one looked flat in comparison, complete with a gold and red sleek design.
"Right. Let's get moving, the others will be waiting."
The brothers made their way through the hanger to commandeer the desired craft. "Though I feel it won't make much of a difference."
The prince paused, glancing over at his brother. But when he didn't meet his eyes, Thor gave a sigh and the shake of his head, "Oh, Loki."
In the other direction, the real brother stood at a panel.
"I know I betrayed you many times before, but this time it's truly nothing personal. The reward for your capture will set me up nicely."
A finger pressed a large button to activate the alarms in the hanger. It'd only be a matter of time before the guards rushed towards their position.
"Never one for sentiment, were you?" the prince said.
The god shrugged. "Easier to let it burn."
In response, Thor held up a square device in hand. "I agree."
The smile on Loki's face dropped instantly. He glanced about to find no sign of what he sought, only to remember the pat on the back in the elevator. Perfect opportunity. His body seized from the electrical currents, unable to control himself and dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks.
"Oh, that looks painful," Thor stated. Approaching his brother, the prince kneeled down beside him. "Oh, dear brother, you're becoming predictable. I trust you, you betray me. Round and round in circles we go."
The dark-haired god looked to his brother, the only action he was capable of doing at the moment. The obedience disk continued to do its job.
"See, Loki, life is about growth. It's about change. But you seem to just wanna stay the same. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you'll always be the God of Mischief, but you could be more." He waved the device over Loki's head, "I'll just put this over here for you," and then tossed the box a good distance away.
There was no possible way for him to reach the object now to free himself. Loki looked at Thor like he had lost his mind.
"Anyway, I've got places to be, so good luck, I guess."
The god tried to speak, unable to do that without biting off his tongue in the process. For once, the prince had actually left him behind. Thor had wasted enough time in the detour. He walked briskly towards the aircraft and climbed into the cockpit.
"All right, I can figure this out. It's just another spaceship."
At least the dashboard looked somewhat familiar to the quinjet, unlike the craft he had to man that belong to the Dark Elves all those years ago. He swiped up on a panel to activate the thrusters. The ship dropped through a tunnel before exiting the facility.
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Chapter Inspiration: Sakaar Chase by Mark Mothersbaugh
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"Loyal Sakaarians!" The Grandmaster's hologram appeared once again for all to see outside the building. "Lord of Thunder has stolen my ship and my champions. Sakaarians, take to the skies. Bring him down. Do not let him leave this planet."
Ships were quick to lock onto Thor's location and pursue. He took heavy gunfire, which were deflected by a shield. Though judging by the warning noise and lights that came up on the dashboard, it wouldn't last long.
A new set of gunfire rained down on the ships working for the Grandmaster. Immediately some perished, while other quickly fell away to avoid their own demise.
Valkyrie swooped in with her aircraft, Bruce in the passenger's seat and Anya gripping at his chair to remain standing behind him.
"Good shot!" Bruce praised.
"Thanks," Brunnhilde grinned. Her fingers tapped against a panel beside the seat to link the coms between the ships. "Open the doors."
"Okay," the god answered. Thor activated the sides of the aircraft to open up.
The female in the driver's seat turned her attention to Bruce.
"I hope you're tougher than you look." Their ship pulled up under the Grandmaster's ship.
"Why?" Bruce asked.
She never answered. The seat he sat in ejected, throwing the man into the air. A cry of surprise escaped him, causing the females to laugh in response. Bruce's back hit the ceiling inside Thor's ship and nearly rolled out the other side from the trajectory.
"I've got him," Anya reassured.
The dark matter crawled down the young woman's arm. She moved into position where the glass of the cockpit had been blown away from the ejection seat. The tendrils whipped up towards the open door to wrap itself around the edges. Her body leaned back like a slingshot being held taunt to catapult herself up into the cabin.
"Impressive," Brunnhilde commented.
Anya gripped Bruce by the back of the pants to drag him safely inside.
Another ship bore down on their position from above. It made the two ships separate, the Valkyrie pulling the airship back to cover their blindside. Topaz sat at the helm leading the charge. She had been longing for the day the Grandmaster would give her permission to shoot down Scrapper 142.
"Shouldn't we be shooting back or something?" Bruce asked, making his way to the front.
"Yes, we should," Thor agreed. But he didn't see a button to activate the defense system. "Where are the guns on this ship?"
"There aren't any," Brunnhilde answered. "It's a leisure vessel."
"What?" the scientist asked.
"Grandmaster uses it for his good time, orgies and stuff."
The three looked at one another a bit grossed out. "Did she just say the Grandmaster uses it for orgies?" Bruce questioned.
"Yeah, don't touch anything," the Asgardian said.
"Too late," Anya answered.
Her tongue stuck out from a gag in the process. With the way they were flying, she couldn't let go of the handle in the back for fear of being thrown about the cabin.
The prince wove them through the buildings in an attempt to shake off Topaz's attacks, Brunnhilde close behind. But no matter what they did the Grandmaster's lacky stayed on them.
"I'm going topside!" Anya shouted to the cockpit. Before either of them could protest, she swung herself out to the top of the ship.
One of the blasts destroyed an engine on Brunnhilde's ship, which made it impossible to outrun the pursuer. Topaz focused her attempts on the scrapper's ship, peeling away from the Grandmaster's leisure vessel, who followed from behind. Brunnhilde unstrapped, collecting up her weapon to climb up to the roof of the aircraft.
"No! No!" Bruce winced.
Topaz didn't show any mercy and obliterated the ship.
"No!" the men shouted.
From the smoke and explosion, a body flipped through the air in their direction. Thor kept their trajectory and Brunnhilde came flying in just managing to grip the outer edge of the cockpit window. The hold was a finicky one when a tendril of dark matter wrapped around the wrist.
"I've got you!" Anya shouted.
The Valkyrie glanced back to find the human on top of the ship, waist wrapped in the dark matter that latched onto the structure to hold her in place. Movement behind the young woman drew her attention to a new problem at hand. Topaz had returned and this time flanked by other ships. The Aether reared up to protect its host in a half dome from the blasts that rained down on them, at the same time the ships outer defensive barrier reacted to protect the structure.
"Get inside!" Thor shouted.
"In a minute!" Brunnhilde answered back. She looked over a shoulder to Anya. "Bring me up!"
The Aether retracted, tight hold making sure to not allow the Valkyrie to fall.
"Thanks."
The Aether turned the young woman around to face the threat.
"Give them hell," Anya grinned.
"You as well."
Brunnhilde took a running leap off the back of the Grandmaster's ship to fall towards the nearest ship. Rolling across the top, Dragonfang stabbed through the metal and ripped it open with her consistent movements towards the back. She jumped off the back for the next one, Anya watching the largest of the ships explode and loose altitude.
An arm whipped out to catch a smaller ship on their left to be consumed by the dark matter. The pilot screamed, jumping out before it was too late. Some of the blasts began to then hone in on her position from the right. The other arm extended to wrap a tendril around the offending aircraft and swung it into another. The explosion not only took out the two that collided, but another behind them as well. Anya's body jolted forward from the energy that rushed through the Aether having consumed the whole ship.
"Oof, that's a lot of power," the young woman muttered. The red in the irises glowed brightly from the surge.
The Infinity Stone made a pleased noise and separated into multiple parts. As if an octopus had attached itself to the human's back. Those giving chase sat stunned by the display. Captains able to pulled back to give them distance, but those that didn't react fast enough fell under the Aether's rage.
"I should probably go and help," Thor said. "Here, take the wheel."
"What?" Bruce exclaimed. He watched the prince get up from the seat, leaving the cockpit empty. "I don't know how to fly one of these?"
He was forced into the chair to take the wheel. "You're a scientist. Use one of your PhDs." The Asgardian rushed for the open hatches before the man could protest,
"None of them are for flying alien spaceships!"
Thor stepped off the edge of the open hatch to fall towards the ship that dropped under their position earlier to escape Anya above. His hand gripped at the top of an engine and ripped it free. Immediately, the aircraft began to pitch to one side. Thor set his sights on the next one.
They left the banks of Sakaar behind them, flying over the junkyard and out of the open stretch of water. Topaz zeroed in on the Grandmaster's ship in a way that made Bruce pull away from the pack. Anya wavered at the top from the moment, watching how Brunnhilde and Thor grew smaller in the distance as they moved in a different direction.
"Bruce! Turn back!" she shouted.
The scientist couldn't hear her though.
Brunnhilde watched the Grandmaster's ship move off. Thor and her had to deal with the ships that were left to help the other two. She landed on the roof of an aircraft and gripped the top gun that fired in Thor's direction to get rid of the prince. The alien inside didn't care that they were firing on another Sakaarian. Breaking it from the dolly, the Valkyrie turned it on the ships behind them.
No matter what Anya did, Topaz managed to avoid the Aether's attacks. Her movements were swift to avoid the whips and shot at the dark matter to prevent it from latching on. The Infinity Stone screeched, not because it was in pain, but because it was being held back. They weren't getting anywhere out here so the young woman directed the Aether to drag them inside. She moved towards the cockpit where her teammate sat.
"What are you doing?" Anya asked.
"What?" he wondered.
"You left Thor and Brunnhilde behind."
"We have to get away from that crazy woman."
"But by peeling away from them we have no support."
"Oh... well what about the Aether?"
"Her blasts are more precise and rip through my tendrils before they get close."
The ship jerked forward from a blast to the back defenses. "Can you drive, please?"
She grinned. "I thought you'd never ask." The two switched spots. "Buckle up."
He didn't dispute the order, knowing how the agent was as a pilot. Anya wove them through the debris with accuracy, angering their pursuer that it had grown harder to hit them. She pulled a maneuver to rotate them through a low hanging structure, Topaz cutting hard to the left to avoid. Unfortunately, that didn't deter the woman in the slightest.
"Oh okay, come on there's gotta be a gun on this thing," Bruce said.
He frantically searched through all the buttons on the dashboard before seeing one on the other side of Anya.
"That looks like a gun," he pointed out.
The button had an explosion looking icon on the face.
"Hit it!"
The agent did as told. They had nothing to lose. "It's my birthday!" came blaring through the speakers, a light show going off in the hold. It made both of them jump from the sudden display before a small prerecorded hologram of the Grandmaster with a mix turntable appeared on the dashboard between them. "It's my birthday! It's my birthday!" he continued to sing. But the real show happened outside.
Multiple mini fireworks went flying out the back, littering the air with so many bright colors it left Topaz dazed. And a bit frozen in shock. It blinded her, unable to clearly see the position of the airship. Anya headed straight towards a massive wing of a destroyed airship that stuck halfway out of the water. She cut it so close that it made Bruce a bit nervous, pressing back into the seat. The young woman pulled them to the right just in the nick of time. Topaz went barreling through the structure, demolishing the craft in one go.
"Yeah!" the scientist shouted, watching her crash land into the water below. "Nice flying!" The two of them slapped palms in a high five.
Thor landed on the remaining aircraft. The pilot glanced up through the glass, watching the god rip it off before throwing him out. Brunnhilde joined the prince, taking control of the wheel to steer them closer to the Grandmaster's ship. Anya slowed down just a bit in order for them to keep up and the two of them leapt inside the open bay doors. The young woman closed the hatch quickly and punched it.
"Guys, we're coming up on the Devil's Anus," the scientist warned. They had to make their move. Now. [song ends]
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The revolution had been a success. Korg, Silna, and the other contenders stormed the Grandmaster's residence and took it for themselves. But even with their success none of them wished to stay on Sakaar to risk being thrown back in the ring. Miek led them towards the ruler's personal hanger where an array of ships sat at their disposal. But there was only one that the Kronan wanted to use to fit all of them.
"There she is," Korg pointed. "Our ticket out of here." The massive blue transport sat in the largest bay.
"Let's get moving," Silna said. "We don't know how long the soldiers will be gone and Arcane told us to get off this planet as soon as possible."
Korg's foot accidentally kicked something on the ground, looking down to find a square device. "Hey, what's this?" Scooping it up, a finger tapped at the button on top.
Further away, a noise of relief gained their attention. Loki had finally been freed by the obedience disk's assault and struggled a bit to roll over.
"Thank you," he breathed out.
"Hey, man. We're about to jump on that ginormous spaceship. You wanna come?"
Tempting. Since his plans with Thor hadn't worked out nor his back-up plan to manipulate himself back into the Grandmaster's graces, what did he have to lose?
"Well, you do seem like you're in desperate need of leadership," Loki said.
Korg grinned. "Why, thank you."