The last two districts we have to visit are Hala and Asgard – Districts 8 and 12, respectively – which are the champions' districts. Since Veers has been signed over to Asgard as our champion, my home will be our final stop. Then the Champion Tour will be over and I can speak with Gamora about finally running away.

I can only hope she'll still want to.

Hala is covered in skyscrapers, a bustling, futuristic metropolis. I remember Veers telling me, before the Contest began, that it was built up, and I can see what she was talking about. The Statesman lands in a hangar bay, which is empty of any other ships. It's most likely a Starforce hangar, judging by the couple Kree I see waiting in the green spacesuits both Veers and Yon-Rogg wore in the Contest, their Starforce uniforms.

Veers stiffens as the ship sets down, and I glance over at her. It dawns on me for the first time that this is the only place she truly remembers as home, and this is the first time she's been back since the Reaping.

What is it like, for her to return here? After they signed her off to Asgard? Her face is stony but I can see flickers of emotion in her eyes.

"Hala at last," Minn-Erva sighs. "It will be back to Starforce, after this last night." She glances over at Veers. "But not for you."

"I know," Veers mutters.

"Let's get ready for the event," Ronan says. "Veers, since you fought in the Contest as a Kree contender, you do get to enjoy a Kree celebration, as our champion."

"But you signed me over to Asgard," Veers reminds him quietly.

Ronan is silent for a moment, just looking at her. "Yes, Hala did. You did kill one of our own, not to save your own life, but to save his." He looks at me, his expression dark. "What is Starforce's motto, Veers?"

"For the good of all Kree," Veers, Minn-Erva, and Korath say simultaneously. Hela grins mockingly and rolls her eyes.

"Exactly," Ronan replies, his tone low and with an ominous edge to it. "Killing Yon-Rogg was not for the good of all Kree. Therefore, you may have won, as a Kree, but you failed Starforce. That is why the Supreme Intelligence chose to sign you over to Asgard."

"But I am still Kree," Veers insists, her eyes flashing. I see her fingers clench into fists. "I was not trying to kill Yon-Rogg, I was trying to simply stop him. It just ended up...ended up resulting in his death. I had made an alliance with Loki, on a previous occasion, and Starforce protocol dictates all Kree honor such arrangements! No matter what I did, I am Kree."

"You are," Korath says, his tone tinged with disgust. "But you killed one of our own, one of your fellow Kree. To make it worse, you killed the Kree whose blood courses through your veins. And then you and the Asgardian both lived. So yes, the Supreme Intelligence deemed it wise to give you to Asgard. You won in alliance with him, after all." Korath fixes his dark eyes on me.

And there it is. Both of our problems are caused by the survival of the other. If Veers had died, I wouldn't have Thanos breathing down my neck. If I had died – which I am glad I didn't – Veers could have stayed on with Starforce.

But hey, relocation isn't nearly as bad as execution. She should lighten up. I'm the one who got hit with the death sentence.

It doesn't matter, not for much longer. We'll be in Asgard tomorrow.

Veers still looks defiant, a slight glow issuing from her fists. Ronan notices this, for he trains his eyes on her face and says, "Control it, Veers. What was given can be taken away."

I see Veers flex her fingers, the glow diminishing slightly. Korath steps away for a moment, his head tilted as if he's listening to something as he touches his cybernetic implant, then he looks to Ronan. "Ronan, the Supreme Intelligence wishes to commune with both Veers and Loki."

Hela lifts her head, her gaze flickering. "Why?"

Korath just looks at her. "We do not question the commands of the Supreme Intelligence."

"I do," Hela counters. "Ask them why. Veers is one thing, being Kree, but Loki is not Kree at all. Why should he have to commune?"

"I suppose the Supreme Intelligence wants to come face to face with the one Veers chose over Yon-Rogg," Minn-Erva commented. "And not even you, Hela, wish to go toe to toe with the Supreme Intelligence."

Hela scoffs. I look to my sister, who is now exchanging a glance with Ronan, her gaze sobering. Then she turns to me. "All right then, let's get the communing out of the way before the event."

Korath gestures for Veers and I to follow him as Hela, Thor, Valkyrie, and the rest of the Kree and our entourage follow another Kree out of the hangar. Korath takes us on a train to the Supreme Intelligence building. None of us speak for the entire ride over, and when we arrive, Veers goes into the communing room first while Korath and I wait outside.

"You will see the person you most respect, when you commune," Korath says unexpectedly. "That is how the Supreme Intelligence appears to you."

I don't reply, but I can't help wondering who I will see.

After about fifteen minutes, Veers exits and Korath gestures for me to enter. I step into the room as the door closes behind me, glancing around. There's a dark mat in the center of the floor, and I hesitantly step onto that.

Dark, slimy cords twine up from the mat, pricking my skin as they slip into my flesh. I barely restrain myself from shuddering as the cords insert themselves into my fingers, and my eyes close involuntarily.

When I open them again, I'm standing in an empty chamber. Walking toward me is a familiar figure, but it still takes me a moment to place them. When I do, I'm deeply disturbed.

"Well, look who has decided to upset the entire Balance." The Supreme Intelligence, wearing the guise and voice of Hela, stops several feet away from me, adopting my sister's slanted stance, leaning slightly to one side. "You don't know how I look forward to seeing Thanos kill you."

"I'm not dead yet," I say quietly, unsettled by the appearance of my sister there. Korath said I would see the person I most respected, and I thought that would be my mother, perhaps, but instead it is Hela. I know I respect my mother more, at least I should, and yet it is my sister, flamboyant and deadly, who stands in the place of the Supreme Intelligence, like she belongs here.

"Why did Veers kill Yon-Rogg for you?" the Supreme Intelligence demands. "Who are you to warrant his life? His blood, which was her own blood, spilled for yours?"

"You'll have to ask Veers," I reply steadily.

"I did," the Supreme Intelligence tells me. "You know, the thing is, she doesn't know why you were so important in that arena. I was hoping you might know."

"I assure you, if I did, I'd tell you," I lie smoothly.

The Supreme Intelligence looks at me with Hela's dark-shadowed eyes, and dismisses me.

Because this is a champion's district, there are no speeches to give. Instead, there is just the feast and the event. Veers is on edge all night, but makes an effort to keep up the couple charade, which I've already given up on. We dance several times, not speaking but swaying close together. The lack of space between us feels like a punishment, since neither of us wants to be here.

Well, she does – just not dancing with me. And I'd give almost anything to be dancing with somebody else.

Toward the end of the night, as Veers and I walk off the floor, I spot Hela and Ronan standing together, speaking. Focusing all of my attention on them, I manage to pick up what they are saying.

"Everything went well," Ronan is saying.

"Oh, very well," Hela says with a malicious, sly smile. "It all went very well, indeed."

What went very well?

But I don't get an opportunity to ask, for shortly after that Jane is having us bid farewell to the Kree, both to the Emperor who serves as the public face of the Supreme Intelligence and to the other Kree champions, who will be remaining behind on Hala. Then we are bundled back onto the Statesman, Veers casting longing looks back at the Starforce hangar and the green-suited Kree.

There is only one last destination of the Champion Tour.

Home.