'Have you ever had a Luthomoi critter?' Nebula asked, tapping her thumbs against the labelless box in her lap.

'Can't say I have,' Loki replied. His eyebrows drew up as Nebula peeled off the lid and revealed about half a dozen crimson coloured critters floating in brine. Despite their spectacular colour, Loki found it hard to embrace Nebula's excitement. Food shouldn't have both coarse hair and so many legs. 'They aren't sentient, are they?'

'Who do you take me for?' Nebular replied. 'Here, watch me.'

She grabbed one of the critters and deftly pulled off the tail, then peeled off the shell, taking the critter's legs and hair with it. She popped the leftover fleshy bits into her mouth and bit off about a quarter. A child-like smile spread over her face and she motioned for Loki to try a critter himself. His work wasn't half as speedy or neat, but he did manage to extract the fleshy insides. When he tasted it, however, he nearly spat it back out from sheer surprise. He had anticipated something akin to a crawfish or a prawn. This thing was as sweet as honey.

'It's very... edible,' he muttered and worked his way through the rest of the critter. Nebula had brought up the idea of having their midday meal together up on the rooftop of the rehab complex. More humbling yet, she had shared a delicacy from her home-world with him. He didn't want to appear ungrateful.

Nebula scoffed down her second critter with relish and peering up at the violet sky dotted with asteroids, she said, 'I wish I remembered the proper name for them. The traders call them Luthomoi critters. That's definitely not the term my mother used.'

'Have you ever been back there?' Loki asked.

'No.'

'Probably the smart choice. It's best to look forward, not back.'

Nebula considered his words for a moment before she spoke. 'Sometimes it's not a matter of choice.' She hesitated, then when on. 'What about you? Are you following your own advice?'

'In regards to?

'Have you thought of what you want to do here long-term? I can speak to my father on your behalf. He is always in need of intelligent men to take command. Or you can become a combat instructor. You'd be good at it.'

Loki reached for his water bottle; the sickening sweetness of the critter lingered in his mouth. 'You think so?'

'You've taught me a few things, between the snarky remarks.'

'The snarky remarks are why you like having me around,' he replied.

Loki's heartbeat quickened as he considered the offer. He had sought Nebula out in order to get to Thanos. Now that the opening he had sought lay open before him, he longed to flee back to Asgard and bury himself in the minutia of royal governance. And, perhaps, it would be too suspicious to jump on Nebula's offer. Or he was being a fool. He pretended to be a lost man searching for a purpose in life - Nebula's offer was a chance of a lifetime for a person like that.

He hedged his bets.

'I've been here for three weeks now,' he said. 'Still, I don't think I understand your father is trying to do.'

'It's not that complicated. He wants peace in the universe.'

Loki sighed. 'So I heard. That's what drew me out here. Except nothing here looks like peace. You, your sister, everyone practises their combat skills endlessly. In the outer areas, they seem to be producing armour, artillery and transport ships. This is not peace. These are preparations for a military campaign.'

'Sometimes, to assure peace you need to prepare for war.' Nebula pulled another critter out of the brine and peeled it. 'Titan, my father's home planet, is a wreck. He warned the leaders of his people of approaching disaster, but they refused to listen. They exiled him, fought a civil war between themselves and in the end, destroyed everything. He doesn't want the same fate to befall other worlds.'

'So he conquered your planet and your sister's and however many others. And how many yet remain? The universe is too large a place for any one man to conquer.'

'If we take enough planets, the rest will see it is better to accept to the inevitable and surrender to my father's will.'

'That'll still take a lifetime, many lifetimes,' Loki said. He reached to take another critter, but then thought better of it. He ran his fingers over the tribal markings on his forehead. 'I came here in hope of escaping war. I was born in the middle of a war and was left to die when my parents thought victory was more important than their child. The enemy found me, took me and brought me up hating my birth kin. Once my true identity was discovered, the people I grew up among turned on me. And the fighting continues, despite the centuries that have passed since the wars began, and I'm stranded right in the middle of it.'

Nebula was silent for a long moment, before she said, 'Why did your family take you in if they dislike your kind?'

'Why did Thanos take you?' Loki replied. 'Both your father and mine believe they live to do great and just deeds. Perhaps once in a while, when they stand knee-deep in enemy blood, that conviction wavers and they have to convince themselves they are not monsters.'

'My father is not a monster,' Nebula said so sharply Loki nearly winced.

He had been too provocative there. He knew Nebula had turned on her father eventually, but in all the time they had spent together over the past weeks, he had caught no evidence she doubted her father's cause at this point in the time-line.

'It's only a thought. What am I to know? I've never met your father,' he back-peddled.

'That's right. My father orders people to be killed only when he must and unlike some, he doesn't relish it. And he's seeking a way to avoid further conflict.'

'How would he do that?'

'I don't know the details,' Nebula quickly replied. Too quickly. Loki had picked up the obvious after two days of knowing her - Nebula was a poor liar.

Would it be too suspicious to press the question?

Probably.

'Whatever it is,' Loki said. 'I hope your father finds it. This universe is overrun with war and death.'

A shadow fell over them. When Loki looked around, he realised that one of the larger asteroids had drifted overhead, obscuring the edge of the dwarf star that gave tepid light to the Chitauri System. Soon it would obscure the star altogether, plunging Theta-Three into a brief darkness.

'I can't quite get used to the days here,' he said. 'Sunset three times a day and a sunrise twice a night. Never mind the eclipses.'

'The sky here has its own beauty. So many pinks and violets.'

'Sure, though I think I like blue better.'

Nebula chuckled, but her good mood seemed to sour a moment later. 'I ought to warn you. I may not be around to train with you tomorrow. My sister is due to return tonight. Father will probably want us to spend time together and I seldom come out well after such days.'

These news actually suited Loki just fine. Brunnhilde wanted his help on a scouting mission she had planned for the evening and he had a feeling it would turn into a whole night affair. Chances were, he wouldn't be at his best come morning.

He nodded, but his curiosity got the better of him. After a momentary pause, he shifted his body so that he faced Nebula. 'When you say you don't come out well, what does that mean? Is your father -'

'My father? No. My sister and I spar. Sometimes upgrades have to be made.'

'Upgrades?'

Nebula gestured vaguely over her body and Loki found himself grimacing. When one looked, it wasn't obvious where Nebula's real skin ended and the synthetics began. But Loki had felt the difference when they grappled and worked on hand-to-hand combat. He would have been surprised if more than a quarter of her body remained organic.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

'I'd assumed you were in some horrid accident and this was a life-saving measure,' he said.

'No. Only proof of my natural inadequacy.'

Your father is an abomination.

'You'll show your family what you're worth,' Loki replied. 'Perhaps sooner than you think.'

'Are you a prophet now, Baugi?' Nebula scoffed.

'No. I've just seen you fight.'

Nebula muttered something under her breath, then fished another critter out of the brine. Loki reached for one himself. Thanos had done a thorough job on Luthom; they might as well relish what little remained.

----------------------------------------

'Are you sure you need me for this?' Loki said once he heard out Brunnhilde's plan for their night in full. 'This sounds like a one-person job.'

'It's doable without help, but I'd rather have someone watch my back,' she answered.

As they walked down the street, Brunnhilde's gaze never settled on a spot. The Chitauri marching by, the open doorways, the water trickling into the drain - she took in as quickly as Loki did. Never be complacent enough to believe the enemy doesn't know you're coming. It struck Loki that although he had been raised and educated in a different millennium to Brunnhilde, many of their lessons had to have been the same.

And now that he has questioned the plan, he waited for the predictable Asgardian response: a line questioning his courage and a quip about his lack of manliness. Even Sif - no, Sif more often than anyone else - has revelled in those moments.

'You're paying for me to be here,' Brunnhilde said. 'I presume you don't want me to become a person of interest to Thanos' men.'

Swallowing his surprise, Loki chuckled. 'It would be an irritating complication to my day.'

'I'm glad we are clear on the bounds of our relationship.'

A couple of blocks down, Brunnhilde pointed to an alleyway to their right. Reeking of rotting vegetables and potted with disintegrating pavement, the narrow space was a rare departure from the orderly conditions of the heart of Sanctuary City. It was also a shortcut to the back wall of the Palisade - the sprawling complex where Thanos' centre of operations resided.

The alleyway ended on a desolate patch of land, bounded by the twelve-foot-high wall on one side and a clump of derelict buildings on the other. A fire had swept through the area some months ago, but the reconstruction works hadn't yet begun. As a result, there were few people about and the Thanos' men paid little attention to the area. Brunnhilde believed this was their best entryway to Thanos' inner lair.

'Shit,' Brunnhilde muttered. 'Bad timing.'

The guards patrolling the perimeter weren't quite here, but they were on their way. Their heavy uniforms didn't permit them the luxury of quiet movement, so their approach was no surprise. Loki started to retreat to the safety of the alleyway. Brunnhilde pulled him towards her and pressed her mouth over his.

Her lips were chapped and her grip on him not at all gentle. In another moment - when the stench from the alleyway didn't threaten to overwhelm his senses and there weren't four of Thanos' soldiers heading in their directions - he might have been eager to respond. But not like this. Nothing about this was romantic or a turn on.

Loki met Brunnhilde's tongue with his own, then wrapped his hands around her and pulled her with him, positioning her so her back was flat against the derelict building. Brunnhilde pressed still closer to him. Her hand trailed down along his hip, then ventured further down. Loki's breath caught as her thumb slid between his legs.

He pulled his head back as much as he could. 'Didn't think you were-'

'I can be versatile,' Brunnhilde whispered into his ear and before he knew it, her tongue traced the line of his jaw.

He shuddered.

Loki nudged her chin back up and drew her into a kiss. A real kiss this time, not the half-hearted one Brunnhilde had endured from him earlier. All too quickly, however, she drew back and rested her head on his shoulder.

'They're gone.'

'That was rather more than necessary,' Loki replied.

'It had to look real. I didn't offend your princely sensibilities, did I?' Brunnhilde pulled his hand away from her buttocks, which was somewhat of a surprise for Loki. He hadn't made any conscious decisions about the placement of his limbs. 'Let's go.'

Loki cleared his throat as he followed Brunnhilde to the base of the wall. The neighbouring houses stood too far away to jump across nor were there any trees in the vicinity they could climb, so Brunnhilde had made sure to bring a rope. She had done this type of thing before - the hook on the end found its target on the first attempt.

'Go first,' Loki said. 'I'm just here to watch your back, right?'

Brunnhilde didn't contradict him. And he was glad that by the time she reached the top and climbed over to the other side the discomforting tenderness in his nether regions had receded. He climbed up, then jumped off, taking the rope with him.

He found himself in a sad imitation of a garden. An asteroid belt was a poor place for vegetation. What yet lived, were mostly twisted branches and spikes. Brunnhilde had made a prior excursion here so she confidently led him to the top of a segregated pavilion. From there, if one craned one's neck, one could see the guards stationed by the back of the Palisade's main building.

Loki made himself as comfortable as possible on the little exterior platform they were to occupy while they waited. Brunnhilde took up a spot opposite him.

'To be clear - what happened, it's not an invitation,' she said.

'Understood.'

'I hope your princess isn't expecting you too early tomorrow. We'll be here a while yet.'

'In fact, we are in luck.' Loki cocked his head until he could see the guards; they didn't look like they would be going anywhere any time soon. 'She told me not to expect her. Nebula's delightful family is likely to keep her occupied tonight and it'll probably not end well.'

'Poor girl.'

'Yes. She doesn't deserve to be her father's daughter.'

Brunnhilde choked down a laugh. 'Careful there. I've heard the bards tell this tale before. The young hero enters the enemy keep on a secret quest to kill the evil king, but soon enough he and the king's innocent daughter are smitten with each other. It always ends in tears. Sooner or later, she must choose between her father and the young hero.'

'I'm not a hero and she's not a princess and this is not the lurid fantasy of a dim-witted bard. Besides, what do you care about what happens to her?'

'I don't,' Brunnhilde replied, 'but I think you are starting to.'

Loki offered her a non-committal grunt in reply. Brunnhilde had never so much as caught a glimpse of Nebula, let alone conversed with her. Everything she had to say on the subject of Nebula was derived from fantasy.

Minutes bled one into another. Someone shouted intermittently in the distance and asteroids flashed by above them. Loki pondered his memories, picking out which were safe to give up and which had to stay privy only to him at all costs. Soon the purple hues of the day's last sunset faded, sinking Theta-Three fully into darkness.

'Tell me about Asgard,' Brunnhilde said. Her voice was a notch above a whisper, but after the long quiet, it seemed far too loud.

'What do you want to know?' Loki replied, abandoning the previous trail of his thoughts.

'What happened to Hela?'

Oh Norns. Is Thanos not enough to deal with?

Loki made the effort to keep his voice light. 'Who?'

'Your older half-sister.'

'Ah, her.' Loki was glad for their dim surroundings as he searched for a reply. His expression was sure to give away more than he would have wanted to. 'I don't know. Father isn't fond of discussing her. Wait, was Hela the reason you left?'

'It's generous for you to say I "left". For all you know, I could be a heinous criminal banished from Asgard for the rest of my life.'

Loki paved his way through life with lies and deflections. He had no trouble recognising one when he heard it. He could sympathise too. From what little he had seen in Brunnhilde's mind when he had made use of the skills he had learned in Thanos' service and awakened the memories Brunnhilde had been determined to bury, the instinct to flinch away from the past was understandable. But Loki's sense of empathy didn't run deep as deep as his itch to satisfy his curiosity. The memory he had dredged up back then had been only a fragment of the story.

What was your crime then?' he asked, none too gently. 'Did you kill my half-sister?'

'If only I had.'

'Really? You sure? You know, there was a story I read once. A princess and her loyal guard fall in love. They go through all sorts of trials and tribulations, but they remain strong together. Then, one fateful day, treachery befalls the princess and she loses her mind. In her last moments of clarity, however, she begs the guard to kill her rather than let her live like this. The guard fulfils her love's last wish, but -'

'Just shut up for a change, Odinson,' Brunnhilde hissed.

'No romance involved then?'

Brunnhilde scoffed, but Loki let the silence linger between them. That was an easy way of getting information out of a person - the longer silence reigned, the stronger the compulsion to fill the empty air between them. Brunnhilde didn't disappoint. After about a minute, she sighed.

'When your father sent us after Hela,' she said, 'she cut us down like we were children with wooden swords. I survived only because one of my fellow Valkyries protected me. At the cost of her own life, as it turned out.'

Loki sucked on the edge of his lip. 'So that's how it happened. The Valkyries featured in many stories my brother and I heard when were little. You were the personification of Asgardian virtues. I think my brother wanted to be a Valkyrie when he grew up, at least, until he realised all of you'd been women.

'I did find it odd that there were no more Valkyries around, but when I questioned it, I was told that Asgard no longer needed the Valkyries. That they were allowed to disband and live out the rest of their lives in peace. Not all heroic tales end at the doors to Valhalla - that's the way it was put to me.'

Brunnhilde muttered something, then spoke more clearly, 'We were always prepared for death, just not like that. There's no honour in a civil war.'

'It may be the frost giant in me talking, but I'd take my life over my honour any day.' Loki snuck another look at the guards by the main building and beckoned Brunnhilde over. 'Why are there more of them down there now?'

'That's not right,' she said as she checked the time. 'It's not a shift change; it's too early for that. Looks like they've doubled the guard. Do you think they know we -'

'If they did, they'd be actively searching the grounds for us.'

'They are on alert about something. I've been watching their movements long enough to know their standard procedures.'

Loki shook his head. 'Something's happened down there. We need to get out of here.'

'Come on,' Brunnhilde replied, 'we can take them down. In fact, I can take them on by myself.'

Beams of light ran through the garden and over the top of the main building. When Loki glanced up, his eyes watered at the intensity of the light emanating from the approaching ship. It was easily the largest ship Loki had seen since he had left Sakaar, but it moved quickly, the pilot confident in his skills. As it drew closer, Loki understood why. The ship was a refurbished Halla-class frigate and equipped with shields capable of shattering any asteroid or ship that drifted into its path.

Loki swallowed the bile in his throat. 'Thanos is here.'