Loki vs. Ana

- - - - -

Amora sat on the throne, leisurely enjoying herself. It hadn't been long since the boys and Ana left her to supervise Asgard with the Warriors Three and Skurge. She had told Skurge to clean up the mess in the observatory, who was more than willing to comply to her words, and gave Volstagg the responsibility to return the three back on Asgard by manning the Bifrost controls. Amora wasn't keen on seeing Loki again, knowing she would have to adhere to his commands in order to survive. A small part of her hoped he would be trapped on Earth, and that Thor and Ana returned. She preferred those two more.

It was obvious that she was interested in getting to know Ana more. After all, she was the daughter of a man she once spelled into loving her for a time. In truth, Marcus had never given her a second glance because of her mischievous nature, and that only made her want him more. Fast forward a few decades, and the Sentinel broke free of her spell by sheer will. She was curious to find out if Ana had the same strength of mind.

Amora was shaken from her thoughts when she heard the Bifrost start up. She teleported to the observatory, hands on her hips as the green cloud of smoke dispersed into the air. She had a small smile on her face, watching as the Bifrost lit up with the colours of the rainbow. Volstagg glanced to Amora as she circled behind him, pressing his lips into a thin line. He wasn't a fan of hers.

Fandral openly eyed Amora up and down, resting his elbow on his leg that was propped up on the pedestal Volstagg stood upon. She didn't bother acknowledging him, and instead waved an elegant hand at Skurge who paused with his dusting to send her a fond smile, before ducking his head and getting back to cleaning. She didn't have to spell Skurge into loving her — he did so on his own free will.

"Skurge, my love, hurry." She voiced, "Our friends will be here soon."

"Thor is no friend of yours, Enchantress." Volstagg blunted said, keeping his eyes at the entrance of the Bifrost. "All you've done is torment him."

Amora clasped her hands on front of her. "Now I'm different. I've changed for the better. No more shall I afflict any of my magic unless it is for the greater good."

"Can I ask what made you change your nature?" Fandral questioned.

"Years in isolation." Amora replied. "And a certain demigod that I've recently befriended."

"Who?" Fandral pressed.

Amora wasn't going to reveal Ana's name without her permission in fear of her safety. She didn't help her fake her death for nothing. "All in good time, Fandral."

All inside the observatory looked to the Bifrost once it pulsed with energy. They anticipated the faces of Loki, Thor, and Ana, only to back away when an unknown woman appeared with a crack of thunder. Unknown only to the men. Amora knew this face. Hela, the Goddess of Death stood in Asgard, relishing in the energy that flooded throughout her body. She curled her hands into fists, eyes shut as she hummed at the familiar feeling of power.

Fandral and Volstagg drew their weapons when Thor was nowhere to be seen, beginning to engage in an attack. "Who are you? What have you done with Thor?" Volstagg demanded.

Amora flinched when Hela launched two daggers at Fandral and Volstagg. Two of the Warriors Three fell with pained groans, clutching their stab wounds, while Hela strutted forward. "I'm Hela." She revealed, and finished them off with another round of daggers. Amora's eyes were wide when their bodies hit the ground.

"Long time no see." Hela chuckled, looking at Amora. She glanced to Skurge, who cowered away, eyes down.

"I'm just a janitor." He weakly told her.

"You look like a smart boy with good survival instincts. How would you like a job?" Hela proposed, raising her chin when Skurge finally looked at her. She noticed the way his eyes flickered at Amora, who was preparing to flee. Hela acted immediately, and raced across the room to grab her by her throat and lift her high into the air. Amora's green energy disappeared as she clawed at Hela's hand, struggling to breathe. Hela tipped her headdress back, dark eyes piercing Amora's frightful blue ones.

"Choose now, Enchantress. Death or survival?"

"You know what? I'm so down with that."

Ana had her arms crossed over her chest, jaw clenched at she watched Loki trail around the shelves of weapons in front of her. He had his eyes on her the entire time he picked up weapons, smirking. She was all for the battle. She could finally avenge those who he killed, ruined, and damaged in his reckless and immature plan to take over the Earth. That reminded her to talk to him about why he did what he did.

"Do you prefer a gentle slice with a blade or a tender knock on the ribs with a hammer?" Loki asked her in a light tone, as if the question wasn't as menacing as it sounded.

Ana threw her hands into the air. "Go crazy, Loki. It won't matter, I'm still gonna beat you."

Loki considered her words, before settling with a gold sceptre. A familiar weapon. He twirled it around in his hands, weighing it. "Maybe. Maybe not. Strength doesn't always win in a fight you know." He told her, silently referring to Marcus.

Ana picked up the hint, and laughed. "Strength isn't my only ability."

"Newbies, you're up!"

Wardens suddenly swarmed all around Loki and Ana, dragging them to their preparation stations. Ana was forced back into a chair where the guards strapped her hands and feet down with metal bands. There was an elderly man, someone who made her squint at the feeling of recognition, and he advanced on her with a huge whirring razor on his hand, smiling wide.

"Just a little trim will define your face. Trust me, I do this all the time!" He chuckled heartily, and began chopping almost half of her hair off.

"Get your hands off me!" Ana shouted, snapping her gaze to the guards who idly stood by and watched. "I'm gonna knock your heads together when I get out of here..."

She growled, clenching her teeth when an electric current hit her out of nowhere. Her eyes were glassing over as she glared at the woman with the remote, wishing she had heat ray vision to obliterate her on the spot. Instead, Ana tried to lift her fingers, and muttered a spell in-between the gasps for breath.

The woman was knocked off her feet by an unknown force and Ana smirked. "Ha! Still got some fire in me-"

The words stopped when the woman stood with speed Ana had never seen, and before she knew it, a fist collided with her cheekbone. It wasn't hard enough to knock her unconscious, meaning she had to deal with the throbbing pain on her face. She gave Brunnhilde a death glare while parts of her hair brushed against her exposed arms as they were cut off. The elderly man finished and made an Italian chef gesture with his fingers, kissing them and tossing them away as he observed his work.

"Nuff said!" He cheered, before disappearing into the room.

The wardens pulled her out of her seat and pushed her along. Ana wheezed out a cough when a bag was thrown at her chest, catching it before it could fall. She looked inside and her eyes squinted at the material. She was forced into a changing room that consisted of a torn and bloody sheet hung up in-between stalls. She grimaced when she accidentally stepped into a puddle of dark liquid, shuddering out of disgust. She back away from it and peered down at her jeans and shirt, before picking up the suit they supplied her with.

It looked like a militaristic suit. Mostly a deep blue with silver accents. Hardened armour on the chest while the arms and legs had elastic ballistic nylon for easy movement. She quickly changed out of her casual clothes and put the suit on. She liked it. It was breathable and fit her perfectly. When she looked into the bag for footwear and gloves, she noticed another piece of fabric. It was black, with a shimmering star-field design. A cape. Ana scoffed, and dumped it back into the duffle. She had seen The Incredibles many times.

"No capes."

- - -

Thousands of spectators were out of their seats, waving their hands, posters and ribbons around, cheering excitedly for another battle to come. The Contest of Champions was an event that ensured unwilling fights to occur between beings from around the galaxy. The Grandmaster stood in the centre of the stadium as a projection, dancing to the music that boomed from the speakers, getting his crowd enthusiastic.

Brunnhilde sat in her spacecraft that hovered over the area, drink in hand and binoculars in the other. She had placed a large wager against Loki, believing Ana would best him in the battle with ease. She had also informed the Grandmaster that her name was Marcy, a nickname she used to annoy her father with when he was alive. They had been close as protectors of Asgard. They fought against Hela when she had risen to power. Soon after Hela's imprisonment, Brunnhilde left the realm, an act that upset the Sentinel. They hadn't spoken for centuries. And when the Sentinel mysteriously disappeared from Asgard, and died on Midgard, Brunnhilde went into another wave of drunken despair.

Imagine her surprise when word spread of his lone daughter travelling through the galaxies as a Guardian.

"Hello, hello!" The Grandmaster began, "Wow, how is everyone tonight? Welcome! I hope your having fun, because I sure am. Tonight's gonna be another special event. Two very strange beings have arrived to show us what they can do. And just between us, I can sense some unfinished business between them. You know what that means? A fight to the death!"

The crowd hungrily hooted, causing an unsettling feeling to grow in Ana's stomach as she peered through the bars that separated her from the arena. She went without weapons. Without any help. She consciously reached up with one hand to feel the obedience disks on her neck. She wasn't sure if they would allow her to use the full extent of her Mystic Arts, but she was sure going to try.

"In one corner, give a warm welcome to Marcy of Midgard!"

Ana gulped, stepping back when the gate lifted, allowing her safe passage into the arena. She didn't even pay attention to the introduction the Grandmaster had given her.

"And in the other, Loki, the God of Mischief!"

On the other side of the arena, Loki stepped out, hearing the roars of the crowd. Ana walked out not long after him, and they met eyes. Loki couldn't recognise Ana from the distance between them. Her uneven hair lined up with her neck, and they had smudged silver paint over her eyes as a makeshift mask. All he got was a new suit to fight in and vertical stripes of black paint on his face. He carried the lightweight sceptre in his hand, gripping it tightly when she approached him slowly. Loki met her halfway.

"Wanna give 'em show?" Ana asked, stretching her arms over her head.

Loki eyed her torso as it lengthened with her movements. He glanced at the VIP room the Grandmaster was in above the arena, watching their interactions with his hand on his chin, before responding with a laugh. "One that they will never forget." He added, nodding.

Ana released a long breath, getting the nerves out of her system. She hopped on her feet and wrung her hands like a boxer. "Alright, where do you want it-" Ana began to say but was interrupted when Loki's fist bashed into her nose, forcing her head back.

The crowd let out similar sounds of surprise. Ana heard the crunch, and concluded that her nose was broken. Loki had strength, she'll give him that. She gently shook of the hit, twisting her mouth to help with the pain dispersion. She lowered her head back at eye level, and brought a hand up to wipe the blood that trickled down her lips. She glanced at the red liquid on her thumb, before she caught Loki's gaze.

And he swallowed thickly at the look in her eyes.

"Don't hold back on me now." She whispered, before performing a roundhouse kick, hitting him square in the jaw. Loki flew metres away from her, skidding along the sand face first.

Then, the crowd notched their volume up, screaming their approval. Ana looked up at Brunnhilde's place in her spacecraft, before preparing for Loki's sudden recovery. He ran at her, sceptre up and ready to strike. He thrusted his weapon at her stomach, only for Ana's Eldritch Whip to entangle it. She ripped it out of his grip and launched it across the arena. He brought his last dagger up in the air, but she was faster, and grabbed the hilt, removing it from his grip. She elbowed him in the face, and discarded his last weapon. Ana noticed the slight electric current that flooded through her body when her Eldritch Whip appeared. She knew what it meant. It was a warning. She couldn't get to involved with her Mystic Arts. But she wasn't going to let Loki get the best of her.

Loki chuckled deeply, wiping the blood from his mouth. "I almost forgot how fast you are. You like tricks, right?"

Ana backed up when a semicircle of Lokis suddenly materialised. They moved around, confusing her on which one was real. An agitated sigh let her lips, before she crouched and kicked each of their legs out from underneath them. She squinted when they all vanished.

"What?"

Loki had retrieved his sceptre once Ana was occupied with his doubles. He came up from behind her and placed the end of it at the base of her head, making her turn rigid. Ana held her breath.

"Any last words?" Loki muttered, pressing the blade and cutting into her skin, drawing blood.

"By the Mists of Munnopor..." She recited softly, eyes closing.

This spell created a mist that blinded an opponent. As soon as the words left her lips, a cloud of grey mist grew all around Loki, trapping him inside. Loki was caught off guard by the sudden change in atmosphere, and retracted his sceptre, entering a defensive stance. He circled on the spot, anticipating Ana's attack.

The crowd all rose from the seats, trying to spot Ana in the expanding mist. It covered almost half of the massive arena floor, concerning the spectators. The Grandmaster stood at the window, looking down. He was all for spontaneous instincts. His finger traced the rim of his cocktail cup, contemplating to pull Loki out if Ana wouldn't show herself.

Loki's head snapped to the side from a hit he didn't see coming. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ana's figure retreat into the mist that was now lessening. He grunted, and raised a hand to caress his jaw. Ana swiped the sceptre from his loose grip, and twisted it behind her, pressing the weapon on her back.

"What's the matter, Loki?" Her voice drifted away. Loki shook off the bruising hit, and walked towards her voice, growling. "I thought you liked tricks."

Loki spun. Ana had her fists ready. She punched a fist at his stomach. The force of the strike making him fly into the air. Ana wouldn't allow Loki to wield the sceptre. She knew he only picked it because it resembled the weapon he used to invade Earth, the one that carried the Mind Stone. She also didn't appreciate the fact that he was ready to send the sceptre into her head.

"You are one messed up god, you know that?" Ana hissed at him when he stood, dusting his clothes off.

"You finally realised?" Loki countered.

Ana huffed. She raised the sceptre, and launched it at him. He ducked for cover, and made two doubles materialise behind her. Each grabbed an arm and held her still while Loki did a run-up. Ana waited for the ideal moment to strike. She wasn't worried. Once the real Loki got close enough, she jumped up and nailed his chest with her feet, the action affecting them both. He soared into the wall of the arena that encased the grounds. The doubles vanished once again, leaving Ana to dive backwards. She landed on her side, and grinned to herself when she saw the way his body peeled off the indentation of the wall. He fell like a sack of potatoes to the ground.

Loki clambered to his feet, struggling to breathe. He clicked his fingers, and smirked. Mystical chains locked Ana's arms and feet down. She kept her balance before she could trip over. Loki advanced on her, sending his shoulder into her sternum. The force behind the move sent Ana tumbling. She struggled to free herself from the chains, and acted instantly when he brought his foot up to crash it down on her chest. She opened her palm and created a mystical shield, preventing the damage he wished to inflict. She pushed the shield upwards, knocking him in the face with it.

That caused his concentration to crumble and the chains to break. She found her footing, and tackled him to the ground. She noticed his cape sprawled out over him, practically begging for her to take it. She grinned when the idea came to mind. First, she punched his face, drawing blood.

"I am not afraid to say that this feels good." Ana laughed, pounding her fist at his face. "Finally getting some payback for all the horrible things you've done to me and my friends. Especially Clint. And Phil."

"Funny that you will never see them again." Loki bit out. His words made her falter, and he acted.

Loki broke the hold she had on his shoulders, and head butted her. He switched their positions, straddling her. Ana's chest heaved up and down. Their eyes met, and Ana used her legs to wrap around his waist. A famous Black Widow move. She used her strength to crush his ribs. Loki tried to keep a straight face, but it wavered when they both heard something crack.

He pressed his hand on her stomach, and grunted. Ana wheezed when his hidden dagger pierced her abdomen.She mindlessly opened her palm, begging for her Sword of Light to appear. When it never came, realisation washed over her, and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

Ana overcame his grip on her hands, and kicked her legs at his torso, sending him over her at a 180 degree angle. His fell on his back and became dizzy, allowing Ana to stand and grab the end of his cape. She dragged him to the centre of the arena, wiping the blood from her mouth.

"That just ruined my mood. You're giving me no choice, pal." Ana coughed out. "Now I have to make a fool out of you."

Loki wriggled around, trying to reach for her hands. His eyes were wide. He knew what was about to happen. "No! No!" He exclaimed.