"Goddammit, Brunnhilde, someone's looking for you—a fucking rare Centaurian!"
The guard's voice cut through the air just as Brunnhilde was still thinking about her latest catch. She lifted her head and shot a dismissive glance toward the noise.
"Tell him to get lost!"
"Yeah, well, that's exactly what I said. If a red Yaka Arrow hadn't been pressing right up against my third heart, I wouldn't have brought this shit to you at all."
The guard was backing in through the bar door as he spoke, the door swinging open ahead of him, while a razor-sharp arrow with a flickering red glow on its tailfin hovered right in front of his chest, quivering without pause.
In the space of a breath, everyone in the bar was on their feet, weapons drawn. Only Brunnhilde stayed right where she was, smirking as she tossed a mocking remark at the guard and at Yondu.
"Tsk, tsk. It's been a long damn time since anyone dared stir up trouble on the Supreme's turf. This is a real novelty."
She rose lazily, pulling an energy weapon from the holster strapped to her bandaged thigh. Gun in hand, Brunnhilde strode coolly toward the entrance, casually snatching a cigarette right out of someone's mouth and popping it between her own lips. She took a deep, satisfied drag, blew out a smoke ring, and then, with her free hand, stubbed the cigarette out against another hunter's arm.
No one dared interrupt her—not the poor bastard whose smoke she'd stolen, not the one now getting used as an ashtray. They all knew Brunnhilde's temper. Leave her be, and the world was just fine. But piss her off...
Watching Brunnhilde's mounting fury, more than a few men shivered. Their gun hands weren't so steady now. It felt like black clouds were drifting in from the sky, settling right over their heads. In a blink, lightning flashed, stinging their eyes, and the next second thunder would split the sky. So, as one, everyone seemed to shrink down a size.
Amid that tense atmosphere, the one person who could still laugh suddenly did.
Yondu laughed, his gravelly voice rasping out, "Only you lot call him the Supreme. Why don't you just use his proper name—Grandmaster? Tsk, tsk."
"Because this is his planet, his territory. Every single one of us here eats from his hand!" Brunnhilde shot back with a cold sneer. She stopped in front of Yondu and casually shoved the pitiful guard aside.
"So you're the Brunnhilde I'm looking for. You planning to put that Yaka Arrow through my heart?"
As she spoke, she reached out and clamped her hand hard around the Yaka Arrow. The arrow instantly thrashed, struggling.
"Yee-ooow!!!"
Yondu let out a sharp whistle. The Yaka Arrow tore free from Brunnhilde's grip in a flash. Her expression stiffened. She lifted her hand to her eyes, almost without thinking. Her left palm was a bloody mess! But the blood soon vanished, and the wound disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The Yaka Arrow drifted back to Yondu, and he casually tucked it away into its sheath. At the same time, he softened his tone, just a little. "Relax. I didn't come here for a fight. I just wanted to meet you. As for the rudeness earlier... well, what was I supposed to do when they wouldn't even give me a chance to see your face?"
"Oh?"
Brunnhilde laughed, holstered her pistol against her thigh, and turned straight around to head back to her seat. She spoke lightly over her shoulder.
"I didn't know I had a suitor like you. Tsk, it's been too long since anyone sought me out. Usually I'm the one going after those sorry bastards. But let's be clear: everyone I meet becomes a star in the arena. The only difference is, some are stars for life, with their faces carved into the Grand Arena itself. And most? Most only shine for a single moment, the day they step into that ring. Though that day, they shine real bright—blood all over the place!"
She didn't turn around. "So, what do you think? Which kind are you? And what's your business?"
"Heh, I sure as hell don't want to be some spectacle for people to gawk at in that arena. The reason I came looking for you is to ask a few things about Asgard...!!!"
BOOM!!!
CRASH!!!
Yondu never got to finish. Brunnhilde spun around and slammed a brutal fist right into his face! In an instant, Yondu was blasted clean through the bar's wall and onto the seldom-traveled street outside.
Inside the bar, everyone stared at Brunnhilde in terror. She just wiped her right fist in irritation and said, "You dare bring up that damn place to me? Heh. Everybody knows there's nothing that makes me sicker than Asgard! That's the one place I've never managed to snatch gladiators from—they guard their own too damn tight!"
Her expression settled back to calm. She resumed her seat in the booth and looked on idly at Yondu as he got back to his feet.
Yondu wiped his mouth, clearing away the steady trickle of blood. "A real spitfire, ain't you? Heh. If I weren't long past my prime, I'd damn sure take you for a ride, haha!"
He roared with laughter, then gave a soft whistle. The Yaka Arrow shot out of its sheath, aimed straight for Brunnhilde.
But in that exact moment, a blue streak of light slammed in and intercepted the arrow mid-flight.
"Starhawk, you're still so damn fast. I've always said that ain't manly—a real man shouldn't be so quick!"
Above the blue figure, a teasing voice came from a tiny ship. Then, the crystalline man, Charlie-27, and Major Victory Astro all leaped down after him.
Starhawk glanced back at them, then casually tossed Yondu's arrow back into his hand. He flew up to Yondu and growled, "We came here to ask for help, not to start a fight. Have you been a space pirate so long you've forgotten the manners of a free man?!"
After that sharp rebuke, Starhawk went up to Brunnhilde and gave a small nod. "Greetings, Brunnhilde. We're the leaders of the Ravagers and the Free Folk. We came only to see you."
"Hmph. Finally, someone who knows how to talk!"
Brunnhilde smiled, satisfied, and asked the stone-faced Starhawk, "I've heard of you. Big influence over in the Centaurian system, territory all through the Milky Way too. But what's that got to do with me? Normally I wouldn't bother with you, but I'll be honest—I'm a little curious why you're here. Let's hear what you're after. Maybe we can make a deal."
Starhawk nodded approvingly. Then he shot Yondu a hard look before speaking to Brunnhilde. "The blue-skinned guy among us—please forgive his offense. He's so on edge because his son is sitting in a prison cell right now!"
"Heh, I think I get it."
Brunnhilde laughed. "Sounds like his son got grabbed by some idiot and thrown into the Supreme's arena! Haha!"
Brunnhilde laughed hard. She reached out and jabbed Starhawk rudely in the chest. As his expression grew more and more displeased, she spat out contemptuously:
"That's your own damn problem! I don't get mixed up in that kind of shit. Go see the Supreme yourselves! But I suggest you don't bother. The Supreme's been restocking the arena with fresh blood lately. His last batch of fighters? Every last one of them fucking died!"
She finished, then whistled at Yondu. "You hear that, moron? All dead. Chances are your kid's in there too!"
"Cease your guessing, Lady Brunnhilde. His child was not taken to the arena on Sakaar!"
Starhawk cut in, explaining loudly to Brunnhilde. "Consider why we came looking for you specifically. His son is locked up in an Asgardian prison! That's why we need you to help us set foot in that realm with a legitimate reason. After all, you're their Valkyrie, you—!!!"
BOOM!!!
CRASH!!!
Starhawk was sent flying backward. The one who'd launched him, Brunnhilde, was so worked up her hair practically floated around her head.
Before anyone could blink, the grounded Starhawk leaped back up—only now, his entire form had shifted into the female shape of Aleta!
"Leave it to me, you idiot, Starhawk! Let me teach this bitch a lesson. I've been itching to knock her down!"
Aleta roared, charging straight at the Valkyrie. The two instantly locked into a furious brawl.
The whole situation flipped. Everyone on Sakaar who'd been keeping an eye on the area came rushing toward them.
Yondu's laughter grew louder as the enemies closed in. He hollered, "This place is crawling with slavers! You don't mind if I take a few out, right? Ha!"
"Don't kill too many. Make it quick!"
The crystalline man spoke as he acted. Countless ice crystals materialized out of thin air, enclosing the entire bar and sealing it off. No one inside could get out, and no one outside could get in.
Major Victory seized the moment to pull a vibranium shield from his back. It was an exact match for Captain America's. Leaping high into the air, he shouted, "Subdue Brunnhilde—Sakaar's most notorious slaver—fast! We need to get the hell out of here. Otherwise, just the gladiators the Grandmaster has tamed will be more than enough trouble for us! I'll guard the ship. You'd better be back before I can't hold out and before our ship gets blown to pieces!"
The battle flared white-hot in an instant. Brunnhilde was surrounded by Yondu's crew of four. Yondu's Yaka Arrow zipped through the area inside the ice crystals and dropped every enemy in seconds.
Charlie-27 locked his massive arms around Brunnhilde, pinning her in place while Aleta hammered punch after punch into her dark face.
The crystalline man, still maintaining the ice barrier, warned them, "Speed it up! I'm counting over eighty ships closing in!"
"Don't worry, I'll give her one last smack. It's been a damn long time since anyone laid me flat. Fuck, just... fuck!"
...
Just like that, the scavengers of Sakaar, helpless against the ice barrier, could only watch as Yondu and his crew kidnapped poor Brunnhilde.
When Brunnhilde woke from the beating-induced stupor, she was already aboard a ship headed for Asgard. Beside her, the crystalline man was peeling a piece of fruit he'd swiped from Sakaar, using an ice blade.
Still peeling, he offered a piece of advice. "If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut. After all, nothing you say will change the fate that's waiting for you. Your little outburst just confirmed you're a Valkyrie. And that's all we need—your identity. Think about it. When the Asgardians question us, we hand over the Valkyrie who betrayed them ages ago and turned slaver for the Grandmaster. With that, we trade for our child, easy."
"You...!"
Brunnhilde struggled fiercely, but a lattice of ice crystals held her fast. Seeing her defiance, the crystalline man chuckled. "Don't bother. There's no escape. My ice can trap even Galactus for a few seconds. What chance do you have?"
He stood up with a smirk, peeled fruit in hand. "The ship will reach Asgard in seventeen days. Prepare yourself to meet your All-Father Odin again. I have to say, I'm actually looking forward to it. It'll be my first time laying eyes on that great god."
/-\
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