The Revengers

- - - - -

Ana had taken Thor and Bruce into the crowded market streets through the alleyways. She had been on the ground for weeks, so she knew her way around the city well enough to know where she suspected there wouldn't be any of the Grandmaster's guards. She only hoped she ran into Loki soon so that the four of them could find a way out of Sakaar. Their time together made sure that a very faint mutual trust and support developed. She needed him to keep the Grandmaster busy while she broke laws, and he did it, not asking for anything in return. Ana still hated Loki for causing the chaos back on Earth all those years ago, but the more she talked with him, she realised there was another version of the story. Another person behind the Battle of New York. Loki would never go into detail about it, though he left room for Ana's imagination to take over. And her theories weren't pleasant.

"How do you know where we're going?" Bruce asked Ana, trying his best to rearrange his jeans so that he didn't feel uncomfortable.

Ana looked at him over her shoulder briefly and stifled a laugh when she saw Thor massage Bruce's shoulders. "I've been here for close to a month now. And this isn't my first space rodeo. I've visited the galaxy many times." She said, ushering the two into an alley, sitting Bruce down on a porch in front of a building. He stared at Ana wide eyed. He definitely missed a lot. He groaned and slumped his head forward into his hands.

Thor still massaged his back, mumbling the lullaby. Bruce snapped his head at him, "Would you please stop?" He exclaimed.

"I just need you to stay calm." Thor retorted.

"Calm!? I'm on an alien planet!" Bruce shot back.

Thor scoffed. "It's just a planet. You've been on a planet before."

"Yeah! One!" Bruce argued.

"Now you've been on two. That's a good thing. It's a new experience." Thor continued.

Bruce ran a hand through his hair, breathing heavily. "My neurons, they're firing faster than my brain can handle the information. The whole thing is totally different this time. In the past, I always felt like Hulk and I each had a hand on the wheel, but this time it's like he had the keys and I was locked in the trunk." He explained.

"Well, he went for a crazy ride." Ana mumbled. "Won a few contests in the meantime."

"Alright, well, you're back now, that's all that matters." Thor told Bruce.

"No, it's not what matters. What I'm trying to tell you, is that if I turn into the Hulk again, Banner may never come back. And we're stranded on a planet that is designed to stress me out." Bruce looked around the place, and at the centre of an open area in the middle of the city. Sakaarians were celebrating the Hulk, dancing around and dressed in green, hoping to draw their champion out of hiding.

"We're not stranded, Ana and I are gonna figure out a way to get us home." Thor said.

"Thank you." Bruce sighed out in relief.

"Not your home, though. Asgard." Thor added.

"What?"

"We gave Hulk a speech. You don't remember?" Ana asked, watching as Bruce shook his head.

"Listen, my people are in great danger. The three of us, we have to fight this really powerful being who also happens to be my sister." Thor explained quickly.

"She took my sword." Ana grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Okay, that is so wrong on so many... I don't wanna fight your sister. That's a family issue." Bruce argued.

"No, she's an evil being. Ana's onboard." Thor nodded his head at Ana and she brought her thumbs up in response.

"I don't care what she is. I'm not fighting any more beings. I'm sick of it. I just told you. If I turn into the Hulk, I am never gonna come back again. And you don't care. You're just using me to get to the Hulk. It's gross. You don't care about me. You're not my friend." Bruce sulked away, and hung his head.

"No! I don't even like the Hulk. He's all like 'smash, smash, smash.' I prefer you." Thor assured.

Ana raised her eyebrow. She went to say something about his earlier statement on liking Hulk more, but Thor raised his index finger, signalling her to keep quiet. She smirked at him.

"Thanks." Bruce said.

"But if I'm being honest, when it comes to fighting evil beings, he is very powerful and useful." Thor elaborated, straining a smile.

"Yeah, Banner's powerful and useful, too." Bruce remarked.

"Is he though?" Thor shrugged.

"How many PhDs does Hulk have? Zero. How many PhDs does Banner have? Seven." Bruce stated.

Ana uncrossed her arms. "Yeah? And how many of those PhDs can beat up bad guys?"

"Fine, you don't have to fight anyone. But we're in danger here, so we have to move." Thor grabbed a scarf from a barrel next to him and put it over his head.

"What are you doing with that?" Bruce asked.

"We need disguises. We're fugitives." Thor grabbed another scarf and wrapped the blue material around Ana's head snuggly. She smiled in thanks and pushed her hair behind her ears underneath the scarf. She opened her hands behind her back and used her magic to transmute a pair of aviators. She put them on with a wide grin, ignoring Bruce's puzzled look.

"I need a disguise too." Bruce said.

"You are the disguise." Ana told him. "No one on this planet knows who you really are."

Bruce found a pair of Tony sunglasses in his jacket pocket, and slid them on. "I'll be Tony Stark. Yeah. Tony and the gypsies." He motioned to the three of them.

"That sounds like a band." Ana laughed.

"No, no you're not Tony. You're Bruce Banner." Thor stated.

"Then why did you dress me up like Tony?" Bruce questioned.

"Because you were naked." Thor mentioned, shrugging.

"Okay, I'll give you that." Bruce stood up and started adjusting the pants at the crotch again, making Thor and Ana grimace uncomfortably.

"What are you doing? Stop doing that!" Thor demanded.

"Tony wears his pants super tight!" Bruce exclaimed.

"Why are you being so weird?" Ana asked him.

"I don't know. Maybe the fact that I was trapped for two years inside of a monster made me a little weird." Bruce's face had tinges of green and his voice morphed into Hulk's for a split second. Thor clamped his hands on his shoulders, calming him down.

"Hey. It's okay. You're good. Calm down. Come on. Listen, we're gonna go to Asgard and you're not gonna have to think about the Hulk ever again. All right?" Thor promised as Ana gently nudged Bruce in front of her.

"All right." Bruce sighed, shooting them a little smile. When he turned to face the front, he gets nailed in the face with a chalk bomb. A green chalk bomb. Some of the chalk landed on Ana's jacket, and she groaned down at it, brushing it off. She looked up, and her eyes twitched. Thor and Bruce were nowhere to be seen. They had been swept away in the parade for Hulk. The crowd marched around, throwing chalk bombs in the air and paraded around the city square, cheering for their champion — the Incredible Hulk.

Ana twirled on the spot, trying to find her friends in the chaotic crowd. Suddenly, she was taken off her feet and carried over someone's shoulder who moved through the crowd briskly. She let out a small grunt when her stomach pressed into their shoulder, and lifted her upper torso, glancing at the person manhandling her.

"Valkyrie?" Ana coughed, waving her hands at the smoke that blew up in front of her face. She had recognised her hairdo.

"That disguise doesn't fool anyone, Michaels." Valkyrie smirked, hooking her elbow behind Ana's knees, stabilising the Warrior on her shoulder. "Now, where's Hulk?"

"What's a Hulk?" Ana lied pathetically.

"Let's ask your best friend then." Val narrowed her eyes when she spotted Thor and an unfamiliar man being confronted by a huge, hostile gladiator in the middle of the square. She elbowed through the crowd, uncaring if she hurt someone. Ana was abruptly put down, causing her to stumble into a group of Sakaarians. She apologised quickly, and was forced to Val's side when the Asgardian pulled her by her wrist.

"Cool it, Xena." Ana remarked, taking her hand back.

"Hi." Thor greeted Val nervously, stepping in front of Bruce to hide him from her view.

"Hi." She said back, placing her hands on her hips. "What's with the..."

"It's my disguise." Thor finished.

"But I can see your face."

"Not when I do this, you can't." Thor lifted the end of the scarf and wrapped it over his face, "Your hair looks nice. I like what you did with it. Change it? Washed it maybe?"

Val only rolled her eyes and tilted her head towards a Sakaarian apartment building close by, gesturing for them to follow her. Ana shrugged when Thor gave her an uncertain look, and walked behind Val with her friends. Bruce took Thor's scarf and wiped the green chalk from his face as they entered the building. Ana let her scarf fall and folded her aviators on the neckline of her shirt.

"What are those things on her eyes? Are those the people that she's killed? She's so beautiful and strong..." Bruce rambled as he observed Val.

"Who is this guy?" Val asked Ana, pointing at Bruce.

"He's our friend. He's a scientist with seven PhDs." Ana told her, smiling.

"I'm Bruce." Bruce introduced.

Val stopped and turned to face him. She paused briefly to look him over and said, "I feel like I know you."

"I feel like I know you too." Bruce responded, as they all followed her into her own apartment. They arrived at her door, but before they entered, she stopped and glanced at the three of them in front of her. The third of the Avengers planted smiles on their faces, hiding any signs that told her they were on edge.

"Look, I've spent years in a haze trying to forget my past. Sakaaar seemed like the best place to drink and forget and to die one day." Val informed them.

"I was thinking that you drink too much, and that probably was going to kill you." Thor offered his input.

Val shook her head. "I don't plan to stop drinking, but I don't want to forget. I can't turn away anymore. So, if I'm donna to die, well... it may as well be driving my sword through the heart of that murderous hag." She said.

Ana brought up her fist, "Love your enthusiasm."

"Yeah. So I'm saying that I wanna be on the team. Has it got a name?" Val asked.

The three Avengers let out unsure sounds and glanced at each other for help. "Yeah, it's called the, uh, Revengers." Thor stated.

Ana mouthed their team name, pulling a satisfactory expression on her face. Not bad.

"Revengers?" Val echoed, eyebrows raising.

Thor nodded along. "Because I'm getting revenge. You're getting revenge." He looked to Bruce. "Do you want revenge?"

Bruce smiled. "I'm undecided."

Thor pointed at Ana, waiting for her response. She lifted a shoulder. "I'm here for my friends."

Thor beamed at her and lifted his hand for her to high-five. "Good answer."

Val opened her door as they slapped hands. "Also, I've got a peace offering."

They walked inside to find Loki tied down with multiple of chains around him. After he had entered Valkyrie's mind without her permission, and bringing up painful memories of her fallen friends, she knocked him out and took him to her place where she could keep an eye on him. Loki sat in the centre of Val's room, and smiled at them. "Surprise!" He sung.

Thor picked up a trinket he found on a table by the door and threw it at his brother. It rebounded off his forehead, and Loki released a whine. "Ow."

"Just had to be sure." Thor said, moving further into Valkyrie's room.

Ana twirled to face Bruce and pointed at him. "Don't freak out and grow out of Tony's clothes. He's gonna want that shirt back." She pleaded. He nodded slowly, glancing over her shoulder at the God of Mischief. He stayed close to Thor as Ana walked to Loki.

"Hello, Bruce." Loki drawled.

"Last time I saw you, you were trying to kill everybody. Where you at these days?" Bruce questioned Loki, who's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"It varies from moment to moment." Loki answered, voice low.

Ana flicked his forehead, an action that made Bruce gasp. He half expected Loki to attack Ana just for touching him, but was surprised when he only rolled his eyes at her. Bruce also noted how casual Ana was around him, and suspected she had to spend a lot of time with Loki since they were stranded on Sakaar together for weeks.

"But I'll always be there to destroy those moments when they arise. Right, Loki?" Ana grinned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Otherwise, how are we supposed to get you to turn over a new tree?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "I suppose. You do have tremendous timing. And there's that thing you do with your fist that could potentially break my face."

Bruce pursed his lips when the two chuckled softly.

Ana sat on the top of Valkyrie's table in the middle of the room, and faced Thor when he picked up Val's Dragonfang sword, holding it in his hands delicately as he examined it with utter fascination. Ana had to admit it looked beautiful. White hilt with a metallic blue blade. Very unique. She wondered if there were anymore Valkyrie's in the universe. Val seemed to have sensed her thoughts and looked right at her, picking up a case of bottles. She set them down on the table beside her, and cleared her throat, "Do you carry your father's sword?" She asked.

Ana clenched her jaw. "Hela took it from me when she escaped her imprisonment. When we get to Asgard, I'm taking it back. I'll pry from her cold, dead fingers if I have to."

Val raised a bottle. "Atta girl. It's rightfully yours after all."

Ana looked at her through her lashes, "So... you want to tell me about dear old Dad?"

Val was quick to shoot the question down. "Nope." She mused as Ana slapped the table in defeat. "Sakaar and Asgard are about as far apart as any two known systems. Our best bet is a wormhole just outside the city limits. Refuel on Xandar and be back in Asgard in around... eighteen months." Valkyrie suggested. Thor and Ana whipped their heads in her direction, as the latter let out a scoff.

"Yeah, sure. Eighteen months. That oughta give Hela some time to think about her actions. If I had my Sling Ring, I could get us there like that," She clicked her fingers. "We gotta get there now."

Thor joined Ana, nodding in agreement. "We are going through the big one." He pointed at the giant, nightmarish looking wormhole in the sky over the ocean with Val's Dragonfang. The wormhole pulsed like a tornado, spewing out space junk like bullets into the water.

Valkyrie placed her hands on her hips. "The Devil's Anus?" She named, raising an eyebrow.

Ana frowned to herself. "Who the hell named it that?"

Bruce looked up from the food he was eating, perking up at the peculiar name. "Anus? What anus?" He asked, walking towards Thor as Ana slid off the table.

"For the record, I didn't know it was called that when I picked it." Thor mumbled.

Bruce pointed at the wormhole. "That looks like a collapsing neutron star inside of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge."

Valkyrie moved around, collecting necessities for their trip. "We need another ship. That would tear mine to pieces." She found a rolled up suit, glancing over at Ana briefly, before stuffing it inside a bag.

Ana looked to her team. "Well, ever since I was released from my obedience disk — thanks to Loki." She offered Loki a thumbs up, who in turn bowed his head. "I've been busting my back trying to pull spaceships from the junkyard and fly them into the wormholes, only for all of them to combust, almost killing me in the process. Whatever we find, it's got to be strong, and fully capable of flight, because I'm not going back to those greedy engineers on the streets."

Loki smirked at her words as Ana shivered, letting out a sound of disgust. They both knew what kind of people the Sakaarian engineers were.

"We need one that can withstand the geodetic strain from the singularity." Thor explained, making Bruce throw his a quizzical look.

"And has an offline power steering system that could also function without the on-board computer." Bruce added, starting to feel giddy.

"And it better have a weapons system." Ana added. "What's a ship without a massive gun?"