Chapter: 109
"So what's the plan now?" Andrea asked. "Do we just fire the Biforst now? Or do we check out Asgard first?"
I pondered for a second. The city was full of zombies, but none of them were even close to as strong as Fenrir was and I one shot him. So overall, there wasn't much danger. Whoever or whatever created all the zombies also wasn't currently in the city. This was a golden opportunity. Both figuratively and literally.
"Let's rob the place!" I blurted out.
"W-What!" Sif sputtered out. "Rob the place!?"
"Oh! Nice! That's a great idea! I can plug Jarvis into the archives of Asgard and let him download as much as he can as well." Andrea said before withdrawing a USB looking device from her pocket. It was kind of funny to think that was where she was keeping Jarvis but she refused to separate with him. Everything else of hers that wasn't nailed down in her bunker had been stashed in my inventory.
"You can't just steal from Asgard! Even if it's not our Asgard!" Sif exclaimed with a cute pout. "It's wrong!"
"Everyone's clearly dead though…so…" Andrea trailed off as she gestured to the lifeless city on the horizon.
I was also in agreement. This dimension was kind of fucked. Earth was gone and now so was Asgard. We might as well take what we could before firing the Bifrost and leaving this place forever.
I reached over and cupped Sif's cheek gently. I noticed her shiver slightly at the contact. I leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Come on, Sif. Do it for me?"
"O-Ok." Sif said with another shiver.
"Alright then!" I smirked. "I'll open a portal to the palace. We shouldnt dawdle though, just in case whatever did all this decides to come back."
…
"Is that Gungnir? It's just sitting there on the floor?" I asked no one as I walked through this dimension's Asgardian throne room.
Something bad had gone down here. The floors and walls were covered in blood strains. There were no corpses to be seen anywhere though. What immediately drew my eye though, was Gungnir casually laying on the bloodstained ground. Someone had slaughtered their way through the palace and left the weapon of Odin himself on the ground as if it was garbage. "Yoink." I said with a laugh as I dumped it into my inventory. Now, Mjolnir had a friend in there as well!
I hadn't even hit the treasury yet and had already scored big.
…
–Andrea Stark–
"OK Jarvis. Here we go." Andre said as she inserted the drive holding his AI into the Asgardian console. Layla had asked Sif to take Andrea to Asgard's archive room.
Sif had commented that the layout of this palace was relatively the same as her own dimension's.
"It will take me a few moments to download all of the data here. Luckily there doesn't seem to be any firewalls whatsoever." Jarvis replied.
Andrea turned towards Sif who was looking around soberly. "So what's your dimension like?" Andrea asked.
Sif sighed. "To be honest, I don't entirely know. I thought I did, but I'm not sure how many of my memories are actually trustworthy. I haven't even stepped outside of the nine realms more than a handful of times in the past thousand years."
Andrea raised her eyebrow at that. Sif was apparently a very sheltered Goddess. "Is there a reason for that? Didn't you go on adventures with Thor?" Andrea asked.
Sif shuffled a bit. I didn't go on as many adventures as people would think. There's a reason we were referred to as the Warrior's three AND the Lady Sif. I spent quite a bit of my time actually with Queen Frigga learning from her on how to rule. Everybody expected Thor and I to be we'd. It was never to be though." Sif said.
Andrea nodded before smiling slyly. "But you're happy with Layla now aren't you? After all, Jarvis told me that he had to stop you two from getting it on last night." Andrea said with a smirk.
Sif blushed. "Yes… I am happy with Layla. Although I am not her only paramour. There is also the new Queen of Asgard Hela and another woman known as Natasha. I have yet to meet her.
"Natasha!?" Andrea exclaimed in shock. "As in the black Widow?"
Sif nodded. "Layla said something along those lines when she mentioned her. She had some longing in her voice. Apparently Natasha has been away on numerous secret missions searching for a Hydra. Tis a noble hunt! Hydra's are fearsome beasts after all!" Sif said.
Andrea didn't correct Sif on the fact that she completely misunderstood what Hydra was. She was too blown away by finding out that Layla had actually hooked up with Natasha Romanoff! "Wow, I guess Layla gets around huh?"
Sif nodded with a sigh. "My love is just too beautiful to resist…"
Andrea laughed. She wasn't wrong. Andrea wasn't into girls but even she could admit the Fallen Angel had her questioning herself when she laid eyes on her.
"Is there anything you want to take with you while we're here?" Andrea asked. "Maybe check out the other Sif's quarters. She could have a spare sword lying around." Andrea suggested.
Sif seemed to ponder that before she sighed. "I suppose I could use a new blade and set of armor. I'm not a fan of having to borrow either. Hopefully her quarters are in the same location as my own were." Sif said.
A few minutes of small talk later Jarvis finished plundering all the technical knowledge of Asgard and the pair headed towards the alternate Sif's room. Luckily, Sif was able to immediately tell by the spare weapons and armor sets adorning the walls that they were in the right place.
Andrea waited outside while Sif changed. After that, they were supposed to meet Layla in the treasury.
…
Is that what I think it is? And it's just sitting out in the open?" I muttered while using [Observe.]
[The Tesseract→An Asgardian relic designed to control and contain the Space Stone.]
Well, there it was. Not even a few steps into Asgard's treasury–which was unlocked by the way–and I'd already majorly scored.
My first infinity stone!
XXX
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Chapter: 110
"Yoink!" I exclaimed once again as I grabbed the Tesseract.
[Did you just say 'Yoink' again…]
I ignored the system attempting to shame me; I was in too good a mood. This was my first Infinity Stone, after all. Also, the System didn't say anything when I said 'Yoink' and grabbed Gungnir!
[There's a difference between a gaudy golden spear that shoots lasers and the physical form of one of the six fundamental forces of the universe…]
I ignored the sarcasm because I was literally holding an Infinity Stone. I couldn't wait to play with this thing back home! I wonder how it stacks up compared to my Sacred Gear? I mean, it's an Infinity Stone, it has to be able to do more than just open portals. The MCU just made it seem like a less cool sling ring after all. When it was not being used as a battery…
[Well, I hate to ruin your mood, but that stone will only work in this dimension. Taking it with you will be pointless…unless.]
I frowned upon hearing that. Well, that sucked. All my plans immediately went down the drain.
'Unless what?' I asked.
[Unless you feed it to your Second Sacred Gear. Even I'm not quite sure what that will do, but it should allow the stone to somewhat function in another dimension not linked to it.]
I glanced down at the Tesseract in my hand and shrugged. What was the worst that could happen? I moved the blue cube towards my chest. It started to sink into my soul, and I could feel my Orb of Anywhere growing—excited? That was the best way to describe it.
[The worst that could have happened was that your artificial Sacred Gear rejected the Infinity Stone, and you exploded…]
'That's something you're supposed to mention beforehand, System!' I lamented. What was with this dimension and trying to make me explode!?
I felt the Orb inside me swallow the Tesseract, and then…nothing. I stood in the treasury and waited with baited breath for a few moments more and still nothing happened.
"Well…that was a letdown." I said out loud. "It had to have done something right?"
[It should have…It was an Infinity Stone after all. Unless…]
'You've been saying -unless- a lot.' I noted. 'Unless what?'
[What exactly did Azazel make the Orb of Anywhere out of?]
"Huh?" I pondered that for a moment. I never asked. It didn't really seem that important.
[I'd wager it was pretty important considering whatever it was just gobbled up an Infinity Stone with no issues at all.]
I shrugged. There's no way to no unless I ask him. I'm sure whatever he used as a base for the sacred gear wasn't too dangerous. Or at least I'm hoping it's not considering the thing is now permanently fused to my soul…
A few moments later as I was making myself familiar with the objects in the treasury, I heard a pair of footsteps coming down the stairs. Sif and Andrea had arrived. I smiled at the pair of them and spread my arms wide. "Welcome!" I said with a laugh. "Welcome to the royal treasury of Asgard! Would you like the tour?"
Andrea laughed back. "Sure thing, Layla. What are these things?"
"Well," I started off pointing towards a blue casket. "Over there is the casket of ancient winters which can call forth terrifying blizzards." I pointed to another object. "Overthere is the Warlock's eye. No idea what that one does but it looks fancy."
I noticed Sif facepalming at my antics. "Layla, the Warlock's eye can mind control almost any being in existence. It's only surpassed by the Mind Stone in power." She explained.
I nodded. That sounded interesting. I wasn't exactly a fan of mind control though so that would be staying here. "And what's that one?" I said pointing at another weird eye-looking object.
"THAT…" A new, yet very familiar, voice called out. "...Is the Tuning Fork. It can call forth an Eldritch creature from outside our Universe Known as the Lurking Unknown. I recommend NOT touching it." I turned and gulped as I saw Hela stride into the room. In her hand she held the crown of Sutur which she casually tossed to the floor. "I leave for only a few hours to go and put down a rebellious fire Demon and I already have rats breaking into my palace and treasury!" Hela seethed out. She was looking at us with pure hatred.
"Hello Hela." I said to the angry goddess.
A flash appeared around Sif nearby. She was immediately donned in a new set of silver armor and had a new sword strapped to her waist. I feel like she was jumping the gun a bit. We didn't have to fight Hela here. We could talk this out.
[She literally caught you robbing her…]
'Yeah, but she killed everyone in Asgard…' It's not like I was robbing a Saint here…
Andrea once again ran over and took cover behind me.
"So you know the identity of Asgard's new Queen and you still dared to steal from me?" Hela asked coldy.
I shrugged. "Are you really the Queen though after killing all your people? The whole palace was covered in bloodstains." I pointed out.
Hela glared at me with hatred in her eyes. Her own armor and helmet materialized over her. "Those traitorous beings refused to bow down to me. Of course I killed them all. I also killed my foolish step mother and younger brother as well when they did the same. I am Hela of Asgard and this kingdom is my right!" She exclaimed as she conjured a pair of black swords in her hands.
[Talking really worked out great there huh?]
I used observe on Hela to see what I was up against here. Her level was about what I figured it to be. As someone who had single handedly wiped out Asgard, it made sense that she'd be a decently high level. I figured the 50's was where most Ultimate Class beings started.
[The Goddess of Death Hela. Level 55: Years of isolation on Helheim have left this Hela deranged. She will kill anyone who stands against her.]
Before yesterday, that level would have made me nervous. But now? I could take her.
XXX
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