I can't move. All I can do is stare at the cyborg, a girl I grew up with. She just hangs there, arms spread out like she was caught in the middle of freefall, completely immobile. Nebula's eyes are trained straight ahead, not flickering at all. I don't know if she can see us or not, if she's at all...aware.

The helmet clatters to the floor as my fingers lose their grip on it, making a loud clang that makes both Veers and I flinch. She's equally stunned, her fists clenching as her eyes flick from Nebula to me.

"Nebula," I murmur, and then I feel Veers' fingers curl around mine, as if in reassurance. Nebula doesn't seem to hear or see us, and Veers and I exchange pained glances, my hand tightening around hers.

The elevator doors slide open behind us and I hear Valkyrie, Hela, Jane, Selvig, and Darcy getting off the elevator. Like us, they stop in their tracks when they see Nebula.

"Oh, my," Jane whispers, her hand going to her mouth.

"Damn," Hela observes, moving forward and around us. She knocks into my shoulder as she does so. "Thanos is most definitely making a statement to the two of you."

"What?" Darcy asks. "What is he trying to say?"

"Never mind that," Valkyrie says darkly. "It doesn't make much difference now, does it?"

"Go to your rooms," Hela orders. "Get changed, then come out. We'll...I don't know, throw a blanket over the cyborg or something."

Jane ushers Veers and I further into the space, past Nebula, and Valkyrie trudges after us, heading toward the bar. I hurry to my room, my heart throbbing painfully as I lock the door behind me and remove my armor.

Thanos imprisoned and immobilized his own daughter just to get back at me. Yes, Nebula is in no way his favorite, but still. He calls her his daughter, and yet does this to her. It's hard to swallow past the lump in my throat, thinking of her sightless eyes, her stiff limbs. I'd known Nebula for many years – she'd been raised alongside me. She'd given me my Yggdrasil pin, the one that she told me had served as a reminder to Thanos. Did he know where it had come from? That my symbol had once been his?

I take a few moments to compose myself before leaving my room. We all eat in quiet, Nebula's presence in the other room killing any effort at conversation. Even Flash and Ned are sufficiently quiet, for once. The silence spills over into our watching the entrance ceremony recaps. My disappearance act now seems pitiful, not impressive, although the crowd still cheers like before.

Sleep refuses to come that night, so I pad out of my room with the intention of heading out to the balcony for some air and perspective. But the sight of Nebula stops me, and I'm drawn toward her.

For a long while, I just study her, unable to really think. All I know is that Thanos intends to say something by this, that this vulgar demonstration is meant to scare me, to remind me how little and powerless I am. But all I see is a tortured daughter, not even safe from her own father. No one is safe from Thanos, and never will be, for he does not discriminate between victims.

Well. Not most of the time, anyway. I'm feeling pretty targeted, right now.

"You're supposed to be a message," I whisper. "But all I see is cruelty from the Titan who claims mercy. No matter who you are, he will get to you. That's what he wants me to see here, but I don't. There can be no Balance in a universe ruled by a monster like him."

I guess I fall asleep, sitting out in the living room, because Hela shakes me awake the following morning. "Keeping Nebula company, are we now?" she asks me, nodding toward the frozen daughter of Thanos. "Shall I inform Gamora your affections have once again switched to a new girl?"

Angrily, I shove Hela away from me as I stand, smoothing down my tunic. "Shut up," I snarl. "What do you care? I'm with Veers now, aren't I? That's all you've ever cared about, for some damned reason. Me and Veers. Don't worry. One of us will be dead soon enough."

Hela lifts an eyebrow. "Loki, my concerns involve more than simply you and your girlfriend. You began all this with appearances, and so you must finish it under those appearances." She steps closer to me, her presence suddenly menacing and stifling. Darkness seems to fall across her eyes, her features, wreathing her in an aura of fear and fate. I'm cowering back before I'm even aware of what I'm doing, cringing away from her. "You, more than most, should understand the power of illusions. The illusion of you and Veers, no matter how false in reality, is compelling. An Asgardian boy, a Kree girl, separate worlds, separate cultures...bound together by love? In a game where there are no ties? How do you not see it?"

Her presence is so overwhelming, I'm forgetting to breathe. I hear something, some sort of croaking, but it comes almost from a distance. All of my attention is fixated on her, my frightening sister who occupies the entire space of reality, her power stretching across worlds, solar systems, galaxies. Darkness clouds out the living room, Nebula, the sun rising beyond the window. I feel tendrils brush my skin, nicking like tiny knives, damp and smelling of rot.

"You and Gamora...simply another illusion, with no place in the arena. Veers must be your Gamora now, brother, or it will cost you your life. Otherwise, you both will pay the price, and that favorite daughter of Thanos will find the ground cut out from under her feet." Hela smiles. "Do you understand me?"

Vaguely, it crosses my mind that something important was just said, something I need to grasp, but it's gone before I can even begin to think. The distant croaking has turned into gasping, but my mind fails to seize on it, fails to recognize it as the flickering of life. I can't even see Hela now, just feel her cloaking presence surrounding me, draining me. The nicks at my exposed skin have increased, every inch of my body crying out with pain. But it's so distant, like the gasping, that I barely register it. I can't move, can't speak, can't think. Everything's been snapped out of existence.

"Maintain the illusion," Hela insists, and her words coil around my lungs like a snake, curling tighter and tighter. I don't even hear them, but they still sink in somehow. "You and Veers. In training, in the arena, forever. Master it, Loki." She places her hand around my throat, shoving me backward, and suddenly everything snaps back into focus, my eyes zeroed in on Hela, the gasping issuing from my own throat, and my head slammed back against the wall from the strength of my sister forcing me back.

As she lets go of my throat, I drop to my knees, choking and shuddering as I struggle to inhale. The darkness is gone, along with that strange aura that cloaked her a moment ago. Instead, my sister stands over me like the bat out of hell she is, tapping her foot as she rests her hands on her hips, her black hair falling back down around her shoulders.

"What was that for?" I demand, struggling to my feet. My voice rasps, and I cough as I speak, barely able to get the words out.

"I needed your absolute attention," Hela tells me. "I don't think you understand the complexity of the situation you're in, Loki."

"Oh, I understand the complexity, all right," I snarl. "Because of your mentoring in my first Contest, because of my actions there, I've been sentenced to a second go in the arena, where I can guarantee that Thanos will do his utmost to kill me. You think I want to die, Hela? Huh? No, I would like to live, thank you very much! But what are the odds of that, now?"

Hela lifts an eyebrow at me. "You don't understand anything, brother. I got you out of the first Contest alive, didn't I? I can do it again, but only if you cooperate. With everything I say. Understood?"

Silently, I regard her for a long moment, remembering what Odin had told me before slipping into the Odinsleep. "Father did say you knew how the play the game," I admit grudgingly.

"Did he now?" Hela sounds amused, and just a touch thoughtful. "Interesting. In what context did Father say this?"

I scowl. "When he was telling me to talk to you about the Infinity Endeavor."

Hela smirks. "I'd love to help you, little brother, but I need you to listen to me to do that. Can you do that? Even if it seems to go against your better judgement?"

Reluctantly, I give a brief nod. "I shall try, Hela." What else am I to do? Whatever she says can't be worse than what I already know, right? Besides, Veers and I have our pact. That's all Hela wants, isn't it? And once I'm in the arena, once I'm in the final couple of champions, then it will just be up to me to do whatever I have to in order to win.

"All right then. For now, keep up appearances with Veers. Continue your lovers routine, for you two shall remain allies in the arena. You also need to scout out possible allies among the other champions. No matter how much you dislike them, Loki, make alliances. They will be key in this Contest, even more so than in the last one. And it'll be to your benefit to have them lined up ahead of time. Got it?"

I nod. "Got it."

When Veers comes out for breakfast, Hela repeats the same instructions, waiting until the Kree nods before allowing us to enjoy our breakfast, as much as we can, before heading down to training.

Once again, Vulture is the head trainer, and the other instructors are already at their stations, waiting for prospective pupils. Bruce, Ava, Eddie, and Annie are already there, and Veers and I join them as we wait the official start.

Several other champions join us before Vulture declares the training in session, and we all split to go to separate stations. I head off to an information panel as Veers heads off to the fighting mat, next to Bruce and Eddie.

The information panel contains knowledge on the six Infinity Stones, discussing strengths and weaknesses of the individual artifacts. I review them all, since the Endeavor will be pulling from all six for arena and challenge inspiration. As I'm finishing up, Tony Stark waltzes up to the station and leans idly on the table next to me, peering at my computer screen.

"Ooh, Power Stone," Tony says, grimacing. "That one's a nasty piece of work." He takes a sip from his drink, which I hope for his sake isn't alcohol. If he's drinking this early in the day, at training, then he won't last long in the arena itself. Except no one expected him to win his own Contest, and surprise, surprise, he did. "Watch out for that one, Reindeer Games."

With a roll of my eyes, I concede my spot to Tony. "Go ahead, Stark, I was finished anyway." As I'm turning away, I catch his expression change from casually aloof to calculating, but I don't look back to see it finalize across his features.

I migrate to another station on more of the knowledge side, this on technology. Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne are already here, in the middle of an intense discussion. Hank breaks off on seeing my approach, and Hope gives me a frosty smile. "Hey, Odinson," she greets.

"Van Dyne," I return with a nod. "Pym."

Hank waves me off and turns to the computer screen, moving to another tab before I can catch a glimpse of what's on the screen. The instructor, who seems a little in awe of the fact that Hank Pym is at his station, brings me some materials and gives me a crash course on power sources, wiring, and how to use various gadgets. I listen attentively, knowing that I'll be going up against several tech and science geniuses in this Endeavor and wanting to be prepared.

Hank and Hope, meanwhile, are studying some pieces of alien technology – well, alien to Midgard, anyway. Hank mutters to Hope under his breath as he points out various things to her, with her nodding and making her own quiet comments.

Hela's reminder to scout out allies crosses through my mind, and I wonder if the father and daughter pair might be a possible addition to my team. It might help to have tech-savvy allies, and besides, these are Cassie Lang's people. Cassie was a good person, with a big heart, and Hank and Hope are close with her father. Hank even sponsored Cassie last year, despite almost never supporting anybody.

I glance over to get a better look at what they're looking at and am surprised to see a small box, metal slats making up the sides, with an aperture near the top of one side caused by the slats sliding back. It's a small bit of Asgardian tech, what the Defender used to be made of before Thanos ordered him melted down. It's extremely heat resistant, and channels intense bursts of fire.

"That's Asgardian." The words slip from my mouth before I can stop them, and both Hank and Hope look over at me. "The technology, it's from Asgard."

"I am aware," Hank says wryly.

"What did you use it for?" Hope inquires, her tone cool but less acidic than her father's.

"It made up a metal soldier," I tell them. "We called it the Defender. It guarded my father's vault, and could be sent into battle if necessary." I gesture to the metal. "Its blast was pure heat, said to cause disintegration."

"What happened to it?" Hope asks, after a moment of awkward silence.

"Reduced to scrap metal by Thanos," I say with a shrug.

We're quiet for a minute, and then Hank looks over at me. "You have my sympathies, Loki. We heard about Queen Frigga's death. I'm sorry."

"She didn't die," I say quietly. "She was killed."

Hank just holds my gaze. "I know." He clears his throat. "The queen was always very gracious to me on my visits to your district."

"To me as well," Hope adds. "I'm sorry for your loss." She presses her lips together. "I know what it's like."

As I look at Hope, realization sweeps over me. Of course. Of course she knows. Her mother was murdered by Thanos when she was just a kid, killed trying to keep him from getting the Tesseract. Janet Van Dyne had been the first Wasp, a mantle Hope had taken over during her Contest. Like Scott Lang had assumed the role of Ant-Man from Hank.

"Let's find another station," Hank suggests, standing and giving the overawed trainer a curt nod of thanks. "Join us, Loki?"

Hela did tell me to make allies. With that thought, I follow after the father and daughter, passing the elevated platform where the Children of Thanos and the new Grandmaster, Nick Fury, observe our training. This year, a thick piece of glass curves around the edge of the platform, shielding us from them.

"That's new," Hope comments. "Wonder why."

"Could be because they've just gathered the deadliest group of people together into a single chamber," Hank points out. "Extra protection."

"Or," I put forward. "It could be because I threw a spear at them last year."

Hank and Hope look at me, like they're not sure what to make of that. "What?" Hank finally asks.

"They were highly irritating," I say dismissively. "So I threw a spear at them. I suppose they didn't appreciate that."

"That glass is supposed to be able to withstand significant amounts of force," Hope observes casually. "But theoretically, if you focus the force in the right spot...it'll break."

Hank nods. "Theoretically, of course."

I nod, although I'm not sure what to make of that. Something is prickling in the back of my mind, and it feels like we're all talking in some sort of code. Why, though – that's what I don't know.

But until then, I decide to stick with Ant-Man and the Wasp.