five - "what the hell are you doing here?!"

Mira woke up to someone shaking her gently. She groaned as she sat up slowly and heard Cora shuffling around in the room. Rubbing her eyes open, she yawned.

"Morning, Cora," she waved. "Why do I have to wake up again?"

"Because," Cora said patiently. "You just have to. Plus yesterday, we missed one of the Grandmaster's fights and he was a little upset." Mira rolled her eyes. Today Cora was wearing a another light pink dress that was more plain but somewhat more elegant than the last. It was asymmetrical, the skirt was a bit longer in the back, and had long sleeves that tightened on her wrists. She was wearing small gold earrings, her hair was pulled up in a half bun, and she had silver sandals. It was very chic.

"I don't want to go to any of those things, though!" Mira protested. She honestly had no interest in the Grandmaster's gladiator tournaments. "I want to explore the city! Or something." She swung her legs out of the bed.

"Mira, be reasonable," Cora said, knowingly. "You know you can't get off this planet, so might as well go to the competitions." Mira shook her head.

"I'm definitely getting off this crap planet," she grumbled.

"It's not so bad," Cora said softly. Mira looked up and saw the magician's face was downcast.

"I'm sorry, Cora," Mira apologized. "It's just...not my home. You know?" Cora nodded, but Mira still could see a little doubt in her eyes. "Hey, you can make me especially fancy for this competition if it makes you feel better. I'm ready to be Neville Longbottom-ed."

"What does that mean?"

"Sorta like to become hotter." Mira grinned.

"Oh. You are already pretty, ma'am," Cora smiled. Mira feigned a British accent.

"You are too kind, darling!" They both laughed.

After trying on some dresses for the tournament later on in the day, Mira flopped onto the bed. The dress vanished with a wave of Cora's hand, and Mira was dressed in her sweatshirt and jeans once again. Cora held the elaborate gown in her hands and hung it on a nearby rack.

"Hey do you think we have time to explore the city? You can show me around and stuff," Mira asked. Cora thought.

"Maybe. If they let us out of here."

"Wait, they keep you in here? 24/7?" Cora tilted her head.

"What does 24/7 mean? And yes, I've stayed here since I was eligible for Ladyship."

"It means like always. Every hour of every day."

"Oh then yes. I stay here every day. I sometimes go out with the other Ladies to shop for the Grandmaster's various needs, but most of the time, the Scrappers do that for him."

"That's kinda messed up," commented Mira.

"How so?"

"You don't have any freedom! To explore! And have fun!" Cora shrugged.

"I had to get used to it. Alright back to dresses." Mira groaned and rolled off the bed.

"Ow."

"That was completely your fault."

"You are a great friend."

~

Lots of laughs later, Mira finally picked a dress that she liked. She turned around in front of the mirror, and Cora smiled.

"I think this is the one, Mira. You looked very pretty," she complimented.

"Thanks, Cora. You're always too sweet. Reminds me of Bruce Banner." Mira smiled to herself at the thought of the green teammate. She missed the Avengers and wondered where Bruce was now. He had flown off in that airplane after Ultron, and they didn't really know where he went. She hoped she was ok.

"Do you think the dress is nice?" Cora asked. Mira snapped out of her thoughts and gazed at the dress again. The dress was a pastel yellow and was sewn in a lacy pattern. It matched her golden bracelet splendidly and didn't have straps but hugged her body instead. Like the orange dress, the yellow one had small slits on the side and a slit in front of her right leg. She grinned. Cora had remembered their last conversation about Angelina Jolie.

"It is absolutely gorgeous, Cora. Thanks!" Cora blushed a bit and bowed.

"Thank you ma'am. I think the competition is starting very soon. Want to go out? Maybe we can meet up with Bruna!" Cora light up at the name of the other girl. Mira laughed and nodded.

"Let's go! Hopefully I don't trip over this skirt," she said as she looked down and picked up the skirt.

Surprisingly, it wasn't too tight and Mira could walk easily in it. She was glad for that. Cora twirled her fingers, and a pair of white sandals appeared on the Asian girl's feet. She looked down and saw a light blue purse in her hands. There was a slight pulling in her hair, and Mira turned to see blonde highlights. Cora had also added light makeup to frame Mira's face.

"Aw thanks! But are these permanent?" said Mira. She raised up locks of her hair. Cora shook her head.

"Not if you don't want them to be. One more thing." Cora waved her hand one last time, and Loki's necklace appeared on Mira's neck. It was green for a second, then turned a dark purple to match the dress. Mira grinned, and her whip sparked a little.

"Off to a gladiator competition we go!"

The two walked out into the colourful hallway, and the door slid behind them. Mira was still trying to map out the place, but it had too many hallways and turns. Cora seemed to know it all by heart, which lowkey amazed Mira. She had observed that all of Sakaar seemed very colourful and a bit chaotic. She wished that she could got down into the city, but Cora hadn't let her the day before.

"Almost there," said the red head. Mira looked up and bumped into someone promptly.

"I am so sorry!" she said putting her hands up awkwardly. The other person grumbled a bit but then smiled a bit.

"Hi Cora," the other person said. Cora looked up, and her face flushed red at the sight of Bruna. Cora smiled and gave a small laugh.

"Hi Bruna. Um...what are you doing here? In the hallways?"

"This is where I stay, Cora." The other girl nodded and blushed more.

"Oh r-right. So sorry. We were on our way to the competition!" Mira nodded. Bruna looked her up and down.

"Nice. Say hi to the big guy for me if you see him. I'll see you two around." Bruna waved, pushed past them, and walked into a green trimmed room. Cora sighed.

"Do you like her?" Mira asked after a pause when they continued walking. Cora stuttered.

"Oh! B-bruna? N-n-no! We are...we are friends! Just friends! I wouldn't l-like her!" She fidgeted with her sleeves, and Mira grinned.

"It's no problem. You two are kinda cute. Now which way to the competition?" Cora pointed to the next corner, they turned, and Mira saw a wide opening full of Sakaarian people. She gulped, and Cora pushed her through encouragingly.

All of the aliens were dressed in the same elaborate outfits, and Mira got the idea that these competitions were very important on Sakaar. There were different Ladies walking around serving neon drinks on silver platters, but they were the Ladies who had escorted Mira to her room the first day - the ones dressed in yellow and hair pulled up in poofs. Cora quietly explained that they were more part of the servant division for the Grandmaster, and she was in a different division. Mira nodded, distracted at all the brightness around her. The room was smaller than the party room, and she guessed that this room was the equivalent of a VIP lounge. So I'm a VIP now. Nice. She wondered if they served those little shrimp drink things like they had in the Incredibles. Suddenly, she felt someone touch her hand. On instinct, she pulled back quickly but saw the grinning face of the golden-clad Grandmaster.

"Scared the crap out of me..." she murmured under her breath. The Grandmaster's grin grew.

"Ms. Goddess! So nice of you to join us!" he said loudly. Some of the Sakaarians clapped and then went back to their drinks. Mira smiled nervously.

"Hi. Nice to uh be here. This place looks pretty cool." Mira looked around once more as the Grandmaster laughed. Cora bowed her head.

"Why thank you! Come this way, there's someone I'd like you to meet." He gently pulled her waist in the direction of a large couch in front of an even larger window.

"Um who?" Mira asked. She looked behind her to give a pleading look to her maid. Cora just nodded in reassurance and then walked a little ways away. Mira rolled her eyes and reminded herself to tell Cora that she was lucky that Mira didn't burn her dress down for leaving her alone with the Grandmaster.

"Just someone special," he said dismissively. "Alright one second...TOPEZ!" he yelled and then walked off. Mira winced at her ear.

"I swear I'm going to go deaf on this planet," she muttered. She wandered around towards the big couch and saw it had the graffiti look on the back but had white and blue cushions on the inside to make it look more classy. Mira walked next to the big window and peered out of it carefully. The window was crystal clear, so she could see everything. Her stomach turned a bit as she looked down.

It seemed to be the largest outside auditorium Mira had ever seen. It reminded her of high school football games, but 1000 times bigger. Oh, and there were aliens not stupidly confident teenagers. The stands were filled with thousands and thousands of screaming Sakaarians. Many of them held big signs or masks of a strange green monster. Mira wondered if that was one of the popular champions. It sure seemed like it. There were also people watching above on flying ships. The whole stadium was lit up with bright, white, almost Earth-like show lights. Below the stands, there were tall walls that enclosed a sandy ground. She could see small blood stains, and she shuddered.

"Quite a sight to see, isn't it?" Mira jumped a couple inches into the air at the voice. She turned around quickly to see a lady shrouded in a large cloak. As if by magic, the hood fell of her head and Mira smiled nervously. The lady looked and felt like pure magic. She had ruby red lips and jet black hair that framed her seemingly perfect face. It was as if a queen had come to Sakaar. Which was a bit confusing to Mira, but she smiled again at the strange lady.

"Hi. And yeah. It is. Not a very good seat if you're scared at sights though," she commented. The lady laughed. It seemed a bit rough. Mira wondered where she came from.

"Yes. Very true." The two sat in a silence until a flash of gold appear.

"Ladies! You've met! Great!" the Grandmaster said with another flashy grin. The other lady nodded, and Mira jumped a little again as she saw that the lady's cloak had disappeared and that she was wearing a long dark blue gown that shimmered. Mira saw a sheath hanging on a silver belt. So she was armed. Interesting.

"Yes. Is this the goddess?" the lady said. Mira nodded.

"Uh yeah, I am," she answered, trying to seem bold. "I'm the goddess." The lady looked her up and down.

"I'm Lady Acacia. Pleasure," Acacia said and she stuck out a slender hand.

Damn, can this girl be any more perfect? Mira thought internally. Outwardly, Mira smiled brightly and shook her hand.

"Mira. Goddess of explosions. And fire." Mira cleared her throat, and Lady Acacia nodded, a little unimpressed.

"Let's watch this competition, shall we?" the Grandmaster interrupted. He grabbed both of their waists and ushered them. Mira twisted out from under his grasp quickly and then sat down. Lady Acacia did the same. "I have my grand champion today for you two." He grinned. "It'll be a good one." Mira tried to laugh.

"Sounds fun."

The two women sat across the couch, away from the Grandmaster. He didn't seem to care. The competition began with a huge hologram of him in the auditorium, grinning and laughing as usual. The crowd went wild. He announced that the competition was a very special one as two goddesses were in the audience: one of fire and one of magic. Mira suddenly widened her eyes and looked over at Acacia. The raven haired lady just smiled at her.

"I know you're not a real goddess," Acacia whispered. Mira gasped under her breath.

"Uh...I'm...what...you're a..." she stuttered. The other woman laughed lightly.

"It's ok, I won't say anything," she said, kindly. "Now say hi to the audience."

"What?!" said Mira. Acacia grabbed her hand and waved it. Mira realized that she and Acacia were being shown as holograms also. Acacia smirked at the audience like a real figure of royalty. Mira just sort of tried to make a shape with her mouth as best as she could. She never really was one for public stuff (being the class president, speeches, stuff like that).

"They like you," Acacia mumbled. The crowd had indeed started cheering at the sight of the two.

"Yay," Mira said, a bit weak. The Grandmaster put his hands up, and the stadium quieted. Acacia and Mira sat down. Their holograms disappeared.

"Today, the grand champion will fight!" the Grandmaster said loudly. The crowds screamed with excitement. "Let the grand champion out!"

A sudden roar was heard. The people cheered so loud that Mira could hear them clearly through the glass window.

"Jesus, they must love this champion," she murmured. Acacia nodded.

"Sakaarians love these competitions. They are amusing."

"So...you come here often?" Mira asked awkwardly. She wondered if she could get any more awkward.

"No."

"Oh. Uh cool." There was a pause. More yelling was heard from the crowd. Mira assumed that the champion had come out and begun the gladiator fight. She turned her eyes and focused on the white cushions. "Um...so you're the goddess of magic?" Acacia nodded her head.

"I'm just a superhero," said Mira. Acacia nodded again.

"I know. I can tell," she smiled. Mira turned a bit more towards the goddess. Her necklace glinted off of the bright lights from the room. Acacia drew in a breath, and the colour in her cheeks receded a bit. Mira touched her shoulder.

"Are you ok? You look pale! I mean, you still look great but like..."

"No no," Acacia cut her off and pointed to the necklace. "That necklace is strange magic. It seems...familiar. May I?" Mira nodded, and Acacia touched the gem lightly. She recoiled. "Loki..."

"Oh...that old guy," Mira said nervously. "He uh yeah. You know him? He's um..." her mind blanked, "green?" Acacia chuckled.

"Yes. Green. And yes, I know him. I taught him some of his magic."

"Really? You're an Asgardian?" Mira said with wide eyes.

"Yes, Mira. I am. I'm a goddess remember?"

"Oh right right. Sorry." Another pause and another yell from the crowds. Mira finally decided to look down. She almost fell out of her seat when she did. "Holy shit!" Some of the Sakaarians looked over at her. She muttered apologizes, but then looked back down at the auditorium.

"What is wrong?" Acacia said, confused.

"That's Bruce!" Mira almost shouted. "Down in the stadium! Kicking that guy's ass!" Sure enough, below them, a huge green person in metal armor tore apart a smaller alien and roared. The crowd cheered.

"Who?" the Grandmaster asked. Mira jumped at the golden man. He seemed to appear out of nowhere. She hesitated but then shook her head. Natasha had always said to never give away one's friends until they knew it was safe. That advice had gotten Mira through the age of Ultron.

"Nobody. Just thought I saw someone familiar." She laughed it off. The Grandmaster nodded and then walked off joyfully. Acacia raised an eyebrow.

"Not telling the truth at all, are we?"

"Uh...I mean...sorta?" Mira tried. Acacia gave her a look. "Hey! Don't give me a look!" Suddenly, Acacia grabbed her hands. "Um...what are you doing?"

"Mira," the goddess said with a harsh tone.

"That's my name. Or you can call me Dynami-"

"Be careful for Loki," Acacia interrupted. "He is a dangerous one."

"Yeah, I think I'd know that," Mira scoffed. Acacia's grip tightened. "Damn, you must be good at handshakes."

"Mira! Loki is coming!" Acacia's dress had started to glow a light blue hue.

"Wait what?!" A thousand thoughts ran through Mira's head. "How do you know? Where is he? Why are you glowing?!" Acacia looked down and then smiled.

"He will meet you." She let go of Mira's hands. "Goodbye."

"What?! Acacia! Miss Goddess lady! Wait no!" Acacia suddenly washed away, and Mira felt herself being shaken.

"Goddess! Goddess! Ma'am!"

Mira woke up with a gasp and saw a bunch of colourful faces around her, Cora's tan one in the front. The red head looked very worried. Mira also could vaguely see Bruna watching also but then walking away. She wondered when Bruna had arrived.

"Cora? W-what?" Mira looked down and realized she was on the ground. "Why am I on the ground? And why does my head hurt like hell?" Her skull was pounding, and she could hear Tony's voice yelling at her to stop asking so many questions. She groaned. The Grandmaster's face appeared as he pushed away other aliens.

"Is she ok? Is the goddess ok?" Cora nodded at him, and he sighed in relief. "Thank the heavens above! We thought you died when you fainted!" He grinned again. Mira slowly sat up, holding her head. Cora helped her up gently.

"I fainted?"

"Lady 132," the Grandmaster said. "Why don't you take the goddess to her room? She does not seem fit for the rest of the competition." Mira widened her eyes. The gladiator match. Bruce!

"Banner...there..." she mumbled as Cora pulled her up.

"Not right now, Mira," Cora whispered. "We can talk after." Cora led Mira out of the room and into Mira's own room, where they both sat down on the bed.

"I'm so sorry for crinkling your dress, Cora," Mira said as she looked down at the lace. Cora waved her hand, and the dress disappeared. A comfortable silk nightgown with quarter sleeves appeared on Mira instead.

"It is no problem at all," Cora said with a smile. "It is magic, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Magic," Mira murmured. "What happened exactly?"

"Well you and the other goddess were talking a bit and then you said something about the competition and then you fainted," explained Cora. "We were all worried. I think the Grandmaster screamed a little." She laughed. Mira smiled and rubbed her head.

"Oh ok. Where did Lady Acacia go?"

"She just vanished after you fainted. She looked troubled. Something about thunder." Cora shrugged. "The Grandmaster said that Asgardians do that all the time, so..."

"Right." There was a pause, and Mira sighed.

"Can I go out to get food or something?" Cora nodded.

"We can go and explore a little. Everyone is busy right now anyways. Here!" Cora waved her hand, and Mira's hair was pulled up into an elaborate headpiece. A thin jacket appeared on her shoulders. Mira grinned.

"Thank you!" Cora helped her up, and the two walked around for a little, Mira thinking about what had happened.

Acacia, the goddess of magic, had warned Mira about Loki. Something about him coming soon? Mira shook her head to herself. That wasn't possible. He was off fighting Hela or whatever!

"Is something wrong, ma'am?" Cora whispered. Mira noticed Cora got more quiet the more they went out into the open.

"No, I'm good. Wanna go over there?" Mira pointed to the room where the Grandmaster was and where she had been a few minutes later. Light was seen spilling into the also bright hallway.

"Your choice." Mira nodded. She still wanted to see if Bruce was ok and if that had been real, not a dream. The two walked towards the room when all of a sudden, they heard distant yells. They jumped back in instinct. Mira's necklace started to heat up a little, and she wondered why.

"What is tha-" Cora was interrupted by someone falling to the floor of the party room with a thud. The two ran in and saw aliens running away in horror.

"Well this is strange," stated the Grandmaster. Mira pushed away some women and widened her eyes for what seemed like the thousandth time today.

In the middle of the room, slowly getting up with a groan, was Loki Laufeyson himself.

"Shit!" she cursed loudly. Loki flicked away some of his black hair and looked up at her. In his all green apparel that she had last seen him wear, he looked quite powerful. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Why hello ther-" Before he could finish, Mira struck out her whip and knocked him unconscious. All the Sakaarians looked up at her confused.

"Um...he...was my..." Mira tried to think up of an excuse. "My ex lover! Arrest him!" The guards stood still but looked over at the Grandmaster. He looked unfazed but then waved his hand. The masked guards grabbed Loki and dragged him away to what Mira hoped was a prison.

"An ex lover?" the Grandmaster said, also confused. "What is he doing here?"

"He must have been looking for me," Mira suggested. "I uh am not feeling well. Lady!" She nodded towards Cora, and the redhead escorted her out of the room.

"What just happened?!" Cora whispered furiously as they walked. Mira gulped, head spinning. Where was Thor? Where was Hela? What had happened? Why was Loki there?

"I have so much to tell you."

~

alrighty! wow! sooooo much happened! i hope you guys enjoyed!!!! i loved writing this chapter which was so long, but i guess it makes up for the two weeks i didn't update whoops (sorry also)

so woot! loki is here and together mira and loki are going to f some stuff upppppppp

jk jk not yet but #powercouple

another super important note! the beautiful lady acacia is actually not my character!! she is from the AMAAAAZING thecrxziestfriend whom i love 💖 GO READ HER BOOK DOYENNE! ITS SUPER GOOD SO FAR, AND THIS WAS JUST A LIL TEASER FOR IT (mira will also show up in a scene for her book later on so yay!!)

I LOVE YOU ALL AND HOW ARE MY EDITS LMAO MIRA IS UP AT THE TOP IN THAT GORGEOUS DRESS OMG (it's supposed to be like a photograph lel) AND THEN HERE'S A SORTA BAD ONE I MADE OF CORA YAY

OK BYEEEEE!! HOPE YOU ALL LIKED THIS! SORRY IT WAS LONG