"Oh, Boris, Boris, Boris... I expected better from you." The Grandmaster scolded condescendingly. Loki, Mobius, and Bloodwing all stood before him, chained up together. Loki's detective hat and sunglasses were removed beforehand, his face no longer disguised.

"I wish I could say the same!" Loki retorted. "And it's 'Mr. Ouroboros.'"

"Oh semantics schmantics! I hired you to stop an assassin, yet you attempted to aid him, you plotted to start a rebellion, and you called me 'psychotic.' I'm hurt, fellas."

"Oh, you're hurt?" Loki scoffed. "You're the one who didn't tell me about your little hobby of trafficking people into slavery and forcing them to fight to the death for your amusement!" Loki's eyes narrowed and shifted to Mobius. "A crucial fact I was never made aware of until after we started the job."

"...sorry." Mobius mumbled.

"No, not 'slavery!' Heh, not a fan of that word. Let's not use those outdated terms: it is the 16th century after all; 'forced recruitment' is the term your looking for!"

Loki scoffed. "Now that, if anything, is a case of semantics!" Then he turned to their feathered ally. "This man had every right to try and kill you!"

"Hey, are we going to blab about politics all day or am I getting paid sometime today?" The female scrapper in blue interrupted.

"Oh, of course, of course! You're the best, Scrapper 142!" The Grandmaster praised. "Isn't she the best, Topaz?"

"Yes, she is a pest." Topaz responded.

"No, I said 'best,' not 'pest!' Topaz, your hearing isn't the best today. 142 is theeee- say it with me-"

"Greedy no good drunk."

"If I may, I believe Topaz's description is more accurate." Loki chimed in.

"Kiss-ass." Topaz grunted.

"That one, I agree with." Scrapper 142 stated.

"I am not!" Loki angrily protested. "I just dislike her as much as you do!"

"Hey, I know something else that she is, that neither of the others do!" Mobius told Loki.

"And what's that?" Loki wondered somewhat unenthusiastically.

"She's a..." Mobius looked around, wanting to tell Loki discreetly. He started humming Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries," knowing no one else there would understand the hint hundreds of years before the song was written. After a moment, Loki recalled the classical song of Midgard and understood the hint Mobius was giving him, though still quite surprised to hear a Valkyrie survived the massacre he'd heard stories about as a child. The Scrapper Valkyrie looked confused, but not worried.

"Ooh, are we starting a singalong? Those are my favorite!" The Grandmaster began. "But unfortunately, I don't have the time for that now: I've got my scrapper to pay, traitors to imprison, you know how it is. Go on, Topaz, pay up." As Topaz transferred many units of currency to Scrapper 142, Loki's eyes lit up with an idea. He spoke to her quietly as she passed by him.

"I know your secret. You're not the only one here from Asgard."

The Valkyrie stopped in her tracks.

"Her name's Brunnhilde." Mobius whispered in Loki's ear.

"How about a compromise, Brunnhilde: I'll keep your secret from these two, if you can help us out."

The Grandmaster peeked over at them. "Hey, are you two whispering secrets?"

Brunnhilde turned around and glared at Loki, stepping inches from his face, but out of his shackled arms' reach. "Look, just because I don't go around telling everyone about my past doesn't mean I'm afraid of anyone knowing." She quietly threatened. "You, on the other hand, have much more to lose than I do, like your pathetic life, so you'd better learn you place fast!"

Loki's eyes widened, and then he made an exaggerated horrified face at her, gasping loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, "What?! No, Topaz is not a withered up old hag! That is just rude!"

"That's it, you little booze hag-" Topaz grabbed a staff-like weapon and stomped over to her rival, who drew a small blade to defend herself.

"Ladies, break it up!" The Grandmaster groaned. "Fighting each other to the death is these guys' job, not yours! Break it up!"

In the chaos of the scuffle, Loki touched the back of Topaz's head, and he smirked deviously as a green glow from his hand enveloped her.

"Nice." Mobius mouthed.

The fighting slowed to a stop as The Grandmaster swiped the staff from Topaz's hand. "Not worth my time." Topaz huffed as she returned to the Grandmaster's right side. He turned his attention to Loki, who still wore a smirk on his face.

"I saw that, you tricky little devil; see, you like to make people fight for your entertainment too, don'tcha?" Loki's smirk faded. "Well, I was going to pit your assassin friend against my grand champion today, but you've just got so much fight in you, maybe you'd like to fight my champion instead? You said on that recording you can do magic, and you've got that cute little itty bitty sword on your back; are you any kind of fighter?"

"Well, I am an extraordinarily powerful being beyond your comprehension, but... I see myself as more of a lover than a fighter. However, I will gladly fight your champion, if you agree to free my partner and I from your services and our bondage. Do we have a deal?" Loki reached out his shackled hand as far as he could.

"We sure do, my polite private eye!" They shook hands, and he had Loki's chains separated from Mobius's and Bloodwing's as he was escorted back to the fighters' chamber. Mobius and Bloodwing were then unchained and taken to the arena in the prisoner's part of the audience.

"What now?" The birdman whispered to his associate.

"Don't worry: I know that look on my partner's face: he's got a plan, and it's already been set in motion!"

Loki paced the room, ready to put his plan into action. "I don't believe for a second that pompous lunatic will allow me to win this match fairly." He silently thought. "I need only distract my bloodthirsty audience until my new underling disables these troublesome paralyzing devices. Then I'll be free to take down his precious champion, and our glorious uprising shall commence!" As he considered his plan, one of the fighters struck up a conversation with him.

"Whoa, you're a detective and a fighter? Talk about a double life: you're wicked cool, man!"

"Ah, the friendly Kronan from before, hello! I'm Mr. Ouroboros. What's your name?"

"Me? M'name's Korg: I just arrived here myself about a week ago. A week in Saakaran time, that is: dunno how long that'd be back home. Hopefully long enough that by the time I get back, my mum'll leave her new boyfriend: I really hate that guy!"

"Is he abusive?" Loki asked, a bit concerned. "Did he hurt you?"

"Yeah, he did bully me, a lot, but mostly with words. And one time he tried to smother me with a sheet of paper, but lucky for me, rock-paper-scissors rules don't apply in real life. Yeah. Lots of name-calling, though, and none of them nice ones."

"That's terrible. My adoptive father was emotionally abusive and distant as well." Loki sighed. "Yet I would give anything to be able to see him again."

"Yeah, it's the emotional pain that can be the most hurtful, even if you're made of stone."

Loki nodded. "Did you come here to escape from your mother's boyfriend?"

"Nah man, I got sent here against my will because Mum and her boyfriend didn't approve of my plan to start a revolution, so maybe I can start one here!"

"That is a splendid idea, my friend!" Loki complimented. "In fact..." Loki quickly looked around him to make sure no one was listening this time. "...I was thinking the exact same thing, after I defeat the champion, that is!"

Suddenly, an armored insect creature with blades for arms came up to them and screeched.

"Uh, yeah, we both did." Korg replied. "You want to join Team Revolution?"

The creature nodded. Then it made some happy insect noises.

"He's in. Nice to meet you, Miek. I have a feeling we're gonna be best mates! Oh, here they come: you're up, man! Good luck!"

"Thank you." Two guards escorted Loki to the weapon rack, but he shook his head, as he had all the weaponry he needed already. They gave him a blue and yellow Sakaaran battle outfit to wear, which he switched with his detective clothing. They also offered him a gladiator's helmet, but he refused that too.

"Do you have one with horns?" They dug through the helmets and found a beautiful gold and silver horned helmet. "Excellent."

Loki stepped out onto the open arena, trying to spot Mobius in the crowd, who was mixed in with the prisoners beneath everyone else. The Grandmaster was still making his way towards the top to his seat, looking behind him.

"Topaz, where are you going? You're gonna miss the fight!"

"Gotta use the loo."

"Alright. I'll save your seat. Or do you usually stand? I'll write your name down somewhere to umm... sit, stand, squat, all that good stuff..." The Grandmaster rambled on as Topaz snuck away towards the control room. Loki unsheathed his sword, Lævateinn, and a large holographic image of the Grandmaster appeared before everyone to announce the match.

"Good people of Sakaar, are you ready for another exciting match, in which our brave contestant has traveled all the way from another universe to fight our grand champion- and die a glorious death for our entertainment!"

The crowd roared a mix of cheering, jeering, and more. "Today I introduce the one and only sword-fighting detective who does magic tricks, Mister Aurora Borealis!"

"Better than 'Boris' at least." Loki set his sword ablaze as his butchered alias was called, but the only ones who cheered were from the prisoners' section, the others booing to support the home team. "Eh, more adulation than I usually got on Asgard." He thought.

"That's a neat little trick! And on the opposing side, we have a noble warrior with a real electrifying personality! He may not be much to look at, but boy is he something to look out for! His weapon of choice?" Loki's eyes bulged as a mighty axe of uru crashed through his opponent's door, spun in place, and returned to its owner on the other side.

"What?! Is that-?"

"-it goes without axeing! Ha, see what I did there? Anyhoo, ladies and gentlemen, I give you your champion!" The audience stomped in rhythm as a figure in a majestic red cape, silver armor, and a winged helmet flew to center stage, propelled by his battle axe, and halted momentum to face his foe.

Loki blinked at his opponent, his mouth gaping open. "Wh-what in Odin's name-?!" The caped fighter stared him down with terrifying, blank white eyes. His figure crackled with electric energy.

"Put your various appendages together in thunderous applause for... Beta Ray Bill!" The equestrian-like warrior in Asgardian armor received his promised applause as he stood unflinching.

Loki gaped at the orange alien in Asgardian armor. "A horse variant of Thor? Did he give himself an alias, like Sylvie did? But that's not his hammer. Who is he?"

"Ohhh, this is bad!" Mobius muttered. "He shouldn't have that axe or Thor's powers yet: must be a branched timeline!"

"All right~ let's get this match HAPPENING!"

"Wait... his face resembles that of a Korbinite! I know the Asgardians have had some history with them in the past, but how did this one acquire Thor's powers and armor?" Loki brooded. "Hm... another mystery for me to solve!"

Loki's opponent flew at him, propelled by his battle axe, but he quickly sidestepped away. As Bill brought his feet to the ground to change course, Loki called out to him. "How did you get that axe? It's made of uru: that's meant to be forged for Asgardians! And why are you dressed like Thor?"

"A battle is not a good time for personal questions." Beta Ray Bill answered before charging at his foe once more.

"On the contrary!" Loki stood his ground and met Bill as their sword and axe clashed in a beautiful shower of fire and lightning. "Battle can be one of the most opportune times to get to know someone. As a matter of fact, it seems like my older brother and I had our most profound conversations in the middle of physical conflicts!"

"Alas, but we are not brothers."

"You do speak similar to an Asgardian." The two fighters' weapons clanked backward, and their wielders took a flying step back as the audience cheered.

"You are Asgardian?" Beta Ray Bill hurled his axe at Loki, who vanished into thin air. The crowd gasped as Bill looked around him. "Nay, methinks, or thou wouldst be female, for Asgardian males do not rely on sorcery in battle."

Loki appeared behind him and fired a green energy blast at him, making him stagger. "No, I'm not, but I did live there for a great deal of time, and I am very well aware of that narrow minded stereotype. Besides, that's quite an ironic statement coming from someone whose first name is 'Beta.'" Loki mocked. "And you still haven't answered my question!"

"I do not answer to monsters who wield flaming swords!

"Monsters? Have you seen your own reflection?"

Beta Ray Bill spun his axe and raised it to the sky. A lightning bolt struck down from the open arena sky, and Bill aimed it straight for Loki, whose teleportation proved quicker than the oncoming bolt. Bill called down another lightning bolt and struck the ground this time, which Loki couldn't escape from. Electrified and knocked off his feet, he lost his grip on his sword, which skidded several feet away from him. Bill walked up to Loki and prepared to strike him down. Fortunately for him, Loki had gotten used to his own brother's shocks enough that he could handily shake off lightning's paralysis. As the numbness in his hands began to quickly wear off, Loki closed his left fist, halting the electrified axe less than an inch from his face. Simultaneously, he touched his right hand to the equestrian champion's forehead, looking into his memories.