Chapter 20: The Corporate Vault – Acquisitions, Audits, and an Unexpected Visitor.
[XANDAR – NOVA CORPS HEADQUARTERS]
Loki, briefcase in hand, stood calmly in the gleaming, hyper-modern office of the Nova Corps Vault Manager, Commander Dey. Outside the reinforced viewport, the sky flickered with the deadly chaos of Hela's audit.
"Commander," Loki began, his voice polite yet unwavering, "we are under a tight deadline. The Treaty of Cosmic Resource Allocation, Section 7-B, stipulates that collateral seizure must be completed within the hour to mitigate environmental and galactic portfolio depreciation."
Commander Dey, a Xandarian official whose face was etched with pure, bureaucratic horror, pointed a shaking finger at the viewport. "Your 'Enforcement Officer' is destroying our fleet! We are talking about billions of credits in defense assets!"
"Minor overhead," Loki dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Consider it a Compliance Fee. Now, the collateral in question—the Orb—must be transferred to my possession. Immediately. Failure to comply shifts the situation from a civil seizure to a hostile, multi-planetary bankruptcy claim."
Loki opened his briefcase, revealing the glowing, fake legal document. The sheer weight and complexity of the document, combined with the explosions outside, was a lethal combination for Xandarian procedure.
"We cannot simply hand over a power source that could destroy a world!" Dey protested weakly.
"And yet, you risk your world's economic standing by resisting a perfectly legitimate acquisition," Loki countered, leaning forward with a predator's smile. "The choice is yours, Commander: procedural disaster, or total, hostile annihilation."
Dey looked at the document, then outside at the terrifying display of Hela's power, and finally wilted. He contacted the vault. "Prepare the Orb for transfer. This is under duress, logged as a Section 7-B involuntary forfeiture."
The Acquisition
Moments later, the Orb was brought into the room—a smooth, metallic sphere pulsing with contained energy. It was beautiful, dangerous, and now, finally, within reach.
Loki opened his briefcase again. He didn't touch the Orb directly. Instead, he pulled out a heavily padded, enchanted silk glove (a gift from the newly stylish Dark Elves). With a practiced motion, he secured the Orb and placed it inside a specialized, rune-scribed compartment in his briefcase.
Just as the metal clasp clicked shut, securing the Power Stone, the entire building rattled violently. Not from Hela's assault—this was a different kind of impact. Deeper. More targeted.
"What was that?" Loki demanded, his composure finally fracturing.
Commander Dey, looking relieved to have a new problem, pointed frantically at the viewport. "Another vessel! It bypassed our defenses entirely! It's heading straight for—"
A highly advanced, dark vessel—unmistakably belonging to the forces of Thanos—slammed into the adjacent tower, deploying three massive figures clad in heavy, black armor.
"They're here," Loki whispered, recognizing the scouts from Odin's vision. "They tracked the Bifrost signature."
Unexpected Visitor
Loki didn't hesitate. He grabbed the briefcase, gave Commander Dey a curt nod, and phased through the nearest wall using an illusion spell. He sprinted through the lower levels, aiming for the roof to signal Hela.
He was stopped in a deserted equipment hangar by a low, guttural voice.
"Leaving so soon, Asgardian?"
Loki spun around. Standing there, blocking the exit, was a massive figure who hadn't come with the original invasion force. He wore heavy armor and his face was concealed behind a frightening mask. But Loki recognized the aura of raw, focused destruction.
This wasn't a grunt. This was a Thanos lieutenant.
"I advise you to step aside," Loki said, summoning two daggers into his hands. "This is private property now, subject to an ongoing litigation."
The figure chuckled—a dry, rasping sound. "We are not interested in your petty squabbles. We are interested in the Stone you just stole."
The figure raised a gigantic, hammer-like weapon, ready to strike. Loki knew he couldn't fight this thing and protect the Stone. He needed Hela.
He quickly sent a psychic pulse through the connection they shared: Hela! New target! Vault level. Hostile presence!
Before the giant could move, Loki threw an illusion clone at the attacker while he phased around the corner. The giant smashed the clone into dust.
"Come and face your death!" the lieutenant roared.
"Gladly," a cold voice responded.
Hela. She had arrived instantly, recognizing the signature of a true threat—a servant of the one who coveted her cosmic claim. She dropped directly from the ceiling, landing with a devastating, obsidian-shattering impact between Loki and the lieutenant.
She didn't use a spectral sword. She simply extended her hand and ripped a massive piece of the Xandarian architecture—a giant, glowing antenna—out of the wall.
"You dare trespass on my brother's territory during a sanctioned audit?" Hela snarled, her voice vibrating with genuine rage. "You are a distraction."
She swung the massive antenna like a twig, slamming it directly into the lieutenant's armored torso. The force sent the Thanos scout flying through three concrete walls and across the hangar.
"The briefcase," Hela commanded Loki, pointing at the still-flying scout. "Get to the Bifrost. I will ensure this one does not report back."
Loki didn't need to be told twice. He nodded, gave his sister a look of genuine, terrified respect, and phased out.
Hela turned toward the hole in the wall, her eyes burning with pure conquest. She was finally fighting a battle worthy of her.
Escape and Retreat
Loki burst onto the highest remaining section of the Nova Corps headquarters, contacting Asgard.
"Father! Open the bridge! Immediately! We have the collateral! And we have a problem!"
Odin's voice, strained but audible, came through the Bifrost control crystal. "Understood, my son. Prepare for transport!"
Loki stood ready, briefcase clutched tight. He looked down into the devastated cityscape. He saw the flash of dark green and black as Hela engaged the lieutenant, the sound of their clash echoing across the city. She was holding her own—more than holding her own. She was enjoying it.
As the Bifrost column of light descended, Loki saw Hela look up and give him a brief, chilling nod of acknowledgment. She was not fleeing the fight; she was covering his escape.
Loki stepped into the light, vanishing from Xandar just as the sounds of Thanos's secondary forces began to arrive, drawn by the carnage.
[ASGARD BIFROST CHAMBER – MOMENTS LATER]
Loki reappeared in Asgard, slightly winded but triumphant. Odin was there, looking grave.
"The Orb is secured, Father," Loki announced, placing the briefcase on the pedestal. "The Power Stone is ours."
"And Hela?" Odin asked, his eye focused on the space where the Bifrost had closed.
Loki glanced at the pedestal, then at his father. "She is... handling the compliance issues. She should return soon. She found a worthy opponent."
Odin sighed, resting his forehead on the butt of Gungnir. "May the fates forgive us for what we have just unleashed on the cosmos."
Loki opened the briefcase and looked at the contained, shimmering power of the Orb. "Father, we didn't just unleash Hela. We unleashed the most potent weapon in the universe: corporate bureaucracy backed by divine violence."
To Be Continued...