video + action.

[rebuildyourruins]

Who: Thor + you
Broadcast: video, fleetwide
Action: the Blue Fish
When: now

video.
[The video opens on Thor. For those who've met him, it might take half a second to realise that, because his appearance has markedly changed. His long hair has been hacked short, and he's wearing an eyepatch over his right eye. It's weird. It doesn't even have a strap. Even his armor is different, much less flashy and looking worse for wear than the other silver set he'd had previously.

The look on his face is a bit harried, but he starts off with a long drawn out:]

So... [This just had to be his first address to the network, didn't it. Thanks, fate.] Hello. I had heard before that people in this place could fall asleep and end up back home for a while. It seems I now count myself among them. I have to say it's much more confusing to experience yourself. I think it's been only a few days here.

[He rubs at his chin a bit, looking off to the side in thought for a moment. This whole business on top of everything else makes him feel downright exhausted.]

Doesn't feel like it, though. [Thor returns his attention to the communicator, with a little shrug and less of a pensive look.] I'll add it to my list of grievances against the Atroma. I'm sure we'll have a library's worth to throw at them before the end.

If anything has happened in the last few days, I would be glad to hear it. If we haven't yet met, I am Thor, son of Odin, God of Thunder, and king of Asgard.

[It still sounds strange to him, though he trucks through it as gamely as he can.]

Rogers, Natasha, I need to talk to you both.

Oh-- [He smiles a bit, though it's a shade deadpan.] And happy new year.

action.
[Later, Thor sets about re-familiarising himself with the Blue Fish again, poking around the rooms and going through the kitchen cupboards. He could honestly use the distraction that pointless busy work can give, or conversation with anyone he happens to run into.]

Comments

[rebuildyourruins]

[It was a new experience for him as well. Thor had never known anyone to drop out of the bridge while it was in motion. Until himself.]

I was flung to the far ends of the galaxy, to a planet called Sakaar. I'd never heard of it before... it wasn't pleasant.

[outstandingbalance]

While your sister had run of Asgard.

[Considering Odin was dead and Thor and Loki (for whatever he's worth) both tossed aside.]

[rebuildyourruins]

Yes.

[Run, and ruin. Thor drags a hand back through his hair, still stopping short for a moment when he runs out of it faster than he's used to. He puts his hand back on the table.]

I knew I had to get back and deal with Hela, but getting out of Sakaar proved difficult. I got captured by a woman who sold me to the madman in charge of the place, who ran forced contests of power between his prisoners. The only way he would allow people to leave is if they beat his champion in a fight.

[Thor doesn't have much of his usual flair for the dramatic when it comes to relaying this story. There are no flourishes or enhancements of the exciting moments. It's too close to home still, and it may never be a tale he chooses to tell with enthusiasm.]

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha notices the lack of embellishment, even if his manner is still flowerier than most reports she'd get from a teammate.]

So you won the fight? Who's going to beat the god of thunder in a fight.

[rebuildyourruins]

Natasha. His champion was the Hulk.

And of course I won.

[Very important to note that.]

[outstandingbalance]

[She won't argue about whether or not he won. Not right now. That sounds questionable, though.

More importantly:]

You found Bruce?

[rebuildyourruins]

Yeah - I wasn't expecting to find him on another planet, of all places. He got there on the quinjet, it seems. At least that's what the Hulk said. He wasn't very specific.

[Carrying out full conversations with the Hulk is still a problem.]

I'm bringing him back to Earth with me.

[outstandingbalance]

But he was okay? Even if he's trapped on—you said Sakaar?

[Not that it makes a difference to Natasha.]

So you and him, you fought?

[rebuildyourruins]

Yyyes. Mostly. He's kind of the Hulk again at the moment, and doesn't really change back all that easily? But other than that he's fine.

[None of that is fine, just comparatively better than... literally everything else going on.]

We did. The contest was rigged though and they knocked me out before I could properly end the fight. So I had to escape another way.

[outstandingbalance]

Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt.

[She frowns. This is... this is complicated. Very complicated.]

So now you're unconscious with the Hulk on another planet.

[rebuildyourruins]

It's all right. We all wondered what had happened to Banner.

[And he imagines Natasha most of all. It doesn't surprise him that she would ask.]

Yes. Eventually I was able to stage an escape with Banner once he changed back, and with the woman who had caught me earlier. She was Asgardian, and came around to the idea eventually. We stole a spaceship and headed for Asgard to stop Hela.

[outstandingbalance]

And Loki? Was he with you, or...?

[Does everyone thrown out of a magic gateway to Asgard end up in the same place?]

[rebuildyourruins]

Loki did end up on Sakaar too. He was with us for a while, but I left him there when he acted up again.

[There's a lot more to it than that which he leaves out. He scratches at his neck, seemingly unconcerned.]

I didn't have time to deal with that sort of thing.

[outstandingbalance]

Fair enough. I can see why it wouldn't be the time.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Thor's not sure there ever would be an ideal time. It worked itself out in the end, at least. And he's coming to the crux of the story at last.]

I fought with Hela while the others tried to get the remaining people to the Bifrost to escape. She had it guarded though, and that could have been the end of it, had Loki not arrived then with a spaceship large enough to take them all.

[It's still a good feeling even now to know that Loki had come back of his own accord to help. Whatever else happens, Thor will remember that for a long time.]

[outstandingbalance]

[...Thor, at some point, your family drama just becomes incomprehensible.]

So you were able to evacuate?

[rebuildyourruins]

[And to think this is the cliffnotes version. He taps a couple of fingers on the table, restless.]

Yes... we got them onto the ship. But Hela was still coming. Even if we escaped, she would come after us. She would go after all the Realms, and everything beyond.

I couldn't defeat her. None of us could.

[It's odd how readily he admits that. Thor isn't one to accept he's outmatched. Yet even he couldn't ignore the reality of the situation... it's one of many ways in which he's had to mature. He exhales, feeling tremendously tired.]

There was only one way to truly stop her.

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha crosses her arms pensively, taking in his manner. She can tell he's not comfortable with this story, but not because he's embarrassed to have lost.

Which is markedly different from the way he shies away from the fight with Hulk.]

And that was?

[rebuildyourruins]

[Here it is at last. He pauses for a beat, then says it with little ceremony:]

Destroying Asgard, with her on it.

[outstandingbalance]

[Even if they were able to evacuate every single survivor, that's still an unimaginable toll.]

That worked?

[She really hopes it was worth t.]

[rebuildyourruins]

It did. She's gone. And that is where things stand, right now.

[A ship full of the remains of Asgard's people, and Thor in charge of what to do next. He rubs his thumb absently against the edge of his eyepatch.]

[outstandingbalance]

I'm sorry to hear that. It's a lot to go through. Even more when you're shuttled back here and no one else realizes you were gone.

[rebuildyourruins]

Well, they know now.

[He might be reluctant to talk about some things with everyone, but that part of it he's upfront with.]

All of this happened only a few days ago to me. I hadn't anticipated being sidetracked in this way from what I need to do now.

[outstandingbalance]

You mean taking care of your people.

[It's not a question. That answer is obvious.]

It might be a little more than sidetracked, though. You know how this works.

[rebuildyourruins]

I do. That doesn't mean I'm not still angry about it.

[Eventually he's going to take the Atroma to task for all of this. He was mad about it before, and now even moreso. It's easier than focusing on his stress.]