Chapter 26

As we walked through the portal, our suits activated their airtight seals.

"Why not inside?" Carol asked.

"I don't know what type of security measures they have. Its best to play it safe. They know how to place magic runes so be prepared for that," I answered.

"Great…" she said. We activated our suits thrusters and slowly approached the structure. It was really beautiful. Our helmets shaders activated the moment a view of the neutron star came into view. The lights that the star emitted were something that captured both of us.

"That's quite the view," Carol said.

"It really is," I said agreeing with her. As we got closer to the rings, I noticed an opening resembling a hangar bay of sorts. I pointed to it and Carol nodded.

"Let me lead. If there are runes in place, I should be able to detect them and hopefully disarm them," I said.

"That's reassuring," Carol said. We got in through the hangar and I was surprised that it was that easy. I figured it there would a force field, but nothing was there.

"Let's just take it slow," I said as we started to walk slowly into the large corridors.

"If they are dwarfs, then why are the hallways so large?" Carol asked.

"To us, they would be considered giants," I answered.

"Great…" Carol whispered.

As we continued to walk, I released several nanites to scan. They would be able to copy everything they scan. It'll come in handy if anything happens. We saw interesting rooms, but we could not find their purpose. Eventually, we found a room that looked like a smith's workshop.

"Is that it?" Carol said pointing at a large square block.

"I think so," I said as I got closer to it. The workshop looked empty. A strange feeling rose up as I stopped.

"Wait…this doesn't feel right. Why haven't we seen anyone?" I asked.

"We shou-" I attempted to say before I felt an overwhelming sense of danger coming to my right. I turned to see a shimmer of light disappearing, revealing a dwarf in armor swinging a hammer at me. I brought my arm up and braced for the impact as the hammer hit my armor. When it came into contact, several ripples came out of the contact and I was suddenly overwhelmed by the force. I was hurled towards one of the walls and hit it hard. I struggled to get up and looked at my right arm. That hammer managed to dent my armor. The wall didn't any damage either.

"Intruder!" The dwarf yelled. By the time I lifted my head, the dwarf had already stomped his way to me and had his hammer above his head to strike at me.

"Lydia!" Carol yelled. She brought her arms up and unleash a powerful energy blast. The dwarf didn't get a chance to dodge and got hit on the back. He was pushed into the wall and landed hard on the floor.

"Well, so much for sneaking around," I chuckled.

"Not funny," Carol commented.

"Sindri! You'll pay for this!" Another dwarf appeared in the large doorway.

I activated my powers and pushed him back. I placed the Space stone into my left hand and felt the power running through my body. It's intense energy automatically made me enter my energy shroud. I lifted the dwarf I pushed back to the ceiling and slammed him on the floor to knock him out. I closed my eyes to sense anything magnetic around us. There were a number of new magnetic waves that I was not familiar with but there was one signature that was really weak. I looked to see that it was coming from the hammer the other dwarf name Sindri hit me with.

"This is made from Uru," I said touching the hammer.

"Great, just take it," Carol said.

"No. They might have placed runes in there to track. We need the material. I know how it feels now. Let's go," I said and went to the direction where I felt a similar feeling like the hammer. I levitated myself and Carol activated her powers. I flew fast towards the location of where I felt the unique magnetic waves.

"Here," I said and stopped at a large door. I waved my right hand and the force slammed open. When we entered, we saw large chunks of metallic material. I saw several rune writings on some of the material, but it looked incomplete. There were books and designs on several of the desks. I didn't have time to really inspect it all, so I manipulated the Uru to gather at the center of the room. I released some nanites to scan the area and record everything.

"Lyd," Carol said as she was stepping away from the large doorway.

"I know," I said as I could feel the numerous stomps getting closer and louder.

I used the Space stone to create a portal and levitated everything at the center towards the portal. I was in a rush, so I simply forced everything in. The portal led to the hangar on the ship so it would have enough room for everything going through. The stomps were getting closer and closer now as I continued to move everything through the portal.

"Carol, go through," I said calmly.

"What about you?" she asked.

"I'll be right behind you," I said. She nodded and flew towards the portal. Just as she was about to go through, I felt a shiver down my spine and instinctively put my arms up to block and created a shield at the same time. A large explosion erupted above me as the weapon destroyed my shield and hit my armor. I was on one knee from the force applied on me. I looked up to see a dwarf in gold armor wielding a hammer with a spike at the other side of it.

"You will not escape thieves!" the dwarf said.

"Sorry…" I said slowly and gathered energy to push him. He was thrown towards the wall but used his hammer's spike to slow down. The floor shrieked as the spike created a large opening.

"…but we can't stay too long," I said and quickly jumped backwards to be next to Carol. I grabbed her and activated the Space stone. I created a portal behind us and stepped backwards. I quickly closed it once we through.

"Well that was fun," I said chuckling. Carol did not look amused and blew a strand of her hair from her face.

"What are you going to do with this stuff anyways? You said they had to use the power of the neutron star just to melt it," she asked.

"I'm sure we'll find a star similar to that. The nanites are still scanning their structure so I will be able to copy their design," I answered.

"Wouldn't they know the nanites are there? They found us," Carol made a good point.

"True, however a tiny machine is different from power houses like us. They are also capable of shrinking further so it'll be harder to detect them," I said.

"Well, they saw how we look now. Do you think they'll search for us?" Carol asked.

"Actively search? I am not sure. We did take quite a bit of Uru from them," I paused as I looked at all the material around us.

"You not me," she said crossing her arms. I had my hands up in defense.

"Okay okay. I think they'll likely tell the Asgardians. I doubt they can search for us though…" I said. I began to think of other methods they could track someone.

"I feel like there's an 'unless' coming," Carol said sarcastically.

"We need to jump now," I said teleporting to the Central. I rushed to type in commands to perform an emergency jump. I selected a nearby system and engaged the stealth systems. The ship shook violently as it didn't have the proper time to adjust for a jump.

"Ma'am?" Tessa rushed inside after a few seconds.

"We're being tracked. We have to be very careful now," I replied.

"Who's after us?" Carol said coming through the door.

"The Asgardians," I said.

"Who?" Emma said as she walked in.

"At this moment, just consider them really powerful enemies," I replied.

"Tessa, once we exit jump, orbit a habitable planet and make sure stealth systems are fully engaged," I said. I hope that it would work since the dark elf's managed to sneak in that way too.

"Yes ma'am," Tessa replied.

"Lydia?" Carol asked concerned.

"Get ready to fight. This coming battle will not be easy," I said in a serious tone. I was racking my brain to think of a way to get out this. I was also trying to figure out how many they would send for us. If we're lucky it'll be just Thor or maybe some other Asgardian. If it's a group, it'll be a tough fight.

"How tough are they?" Carol asked.

"If Thor comes in, pretend you're fighting me when I'm serious," I said.

"Okay, so tough," Carol said.

"Exiting jump," Tessa said.

We all got into a shuttle and went to the nearby planet. It was desert like planet with some water mass in some areas of the planet. It looked much like Mars except the water. We exited the shuttle and waited for something to happen. A few minutes passed by as we waited.

"Maybe they aren't looking?" Emma asked. Just as I was about to respond and light from above hit the ground. The light lefts burn marks and it looked like rune markings at first glance. I looked upwards and saw Thor, Loki, and his band of friends. I mentally cursed. Of course, they would send them as well.

"6 versus 4…seems fair," I whispered. Carol snapped her head at me with an angry look. I held my hands up slightly and laughed.

"Return what you have stolen thief! Or face the wrath of the mighty Thor!" Thor exclaimed. I couldn't help but snort.

"Does he always speak like that?" I asked looking at Loki. The other members also looked embarrassed by his antics.

"Unfortunately," Loki said with a sigh.

"How about a duel?" I asked facing Thor.

"You, the mighty Thor, will try to best me, a poor and unfortune young maiden," I played out a dramatic voice. It was Carol's turn to snort and hold her laughter.

"If I win, you let me go free and stop chasing after me. If you win, I will return what I have stolen and submit to whatever punishment your king gives," I said again in a dramatic voice. Loki narrowed his eye and caught on quickly.

"Don't agree brother. Father asked us to bring her in and what was stolen," Loki whispered to his brother. I was able to hear them with my sensitive senses.

"Ah worry not brother, this will be quick," Thor said cheerfully. I smiled.

"Do you agree?" I asked in a sweet voice.

"I accept you duel! It saddens me that a beautiful maiden such as yourself would do such crime but worry not. I will not cause serious harm," Thor said in a loud voice. My face turned serious and calculating. The sudden change in the atmosphere surprised him.

"Keep your suits activated. I suggest you keep your distance," I told everyone behind me. I levitated and slowly traveled further away from the group. I arrived at a flat area and waited for Thor who was still with his group. Loki was still trying to talk him out of this, but he smiled and started to spin his hammer and flew towards me. He stopped by dragging his feet on the ground to stop in front of me.

"Let's start," I said.

I lifted my left hand and harnessed the power from the Space stone that was still attached. It felt natural for the stone to be there now. It didn't cause any stress on my body as I drew its power. I activated my shroud to its highest and quickly covered the distance between us. Thor was surprised as I launched a kick to his stomach. As my kick connected, I felt the armor absorbing most of the force. Thor was pushed back several feet, but he dug his feet into the ground to prevent from flying backwards.

"You are stronger than you seem," Thor said. He started to spin his hammer and I could feel the energy gathering above.

"But you are still not a match for me!" Thor said loudly as he pointed his hammer at me, and a lightning bolt struck me. I was already bracing myself for this attack. The lightning bolt hit my body and my suit was overflowing with energy. I knew that Ironman performed a similar action against him when he got hit with this attack.

"Doesn't work on me," I said. Small lightning remnants started to surround me as I channeled the energy and flew towards him.

He was again surprised and was not prepared for the fist the face. The force created a small shockwave and this time he was sent flying towards a nearby mountain. He skidded across the ground and landed harshly on the mountain side. He let go of his hammer along the way. I teleported quickly above him and dropped. I began to pommel him with my fist, each one creating a small shockwave. As I kept hitting him, the force of the punches began to create a crater. I saw his hand extend as if reaching for something and I quickly tilted my head. The hammer narrowly missed my head as I jumped away to create distance between us. There was dust that was hovering around him and he swung his hammer violently to the side to blow it away. When the dust was blown away, it revealed Thor's angry face with some blood coming from his mouth.

"So, a god can bleed," I said mockingly. I wanted to fight more in close combat against him. While he is a heavy hitter, I believe in my flexibility to dodge and counter his attacks. Fighting him from long range would just be a stalemate. He could use his lightning and I could use my telekinesis for attacks from no one would really do any serious damage. My provocation worked as he screamed and charged towards me.

He swung his hammer, with no technique, to my head and tilted my head slightly to dodge. The hammer passed by and continued. As his arm was up, it revealed an opening for me. I channeled some more energy and with my left hand launched an attack to his side ribs. A small shockwave was created, and he grunted from the pain. He staggered and I launched another attack with my right to the stomach. Another shockwave came as he staggered backwards. He dropped his hammer to hold his stomach as the pain quickly spread. I took this chance to get around him and place him on a chokehold. He was desperately trying to get me off as I began to squeeze as hard as I could. He lifted his hand to grab his hammer, but he fell to his knees as I continued to squeeze.

"Give up?" I asked.

"N-Never!" He managed to say as I squeezed his throat.

He lifted his hand call his hammer to him again, but I tried to kick him on his ribs. It didn't work as I planned as he grabbed my legged and held it in place. With his other hand, he called his hammer to him and he was able to grab it. He desperately tried to swing it to hurt me, but I was on his back and he soon realized that he could not reach me. He let go of my leg and threw his hammer forward. The hammer then came flying back and quickly he moved his head as much to the side as he could. He got slightly hit on his side of his head, but I took the full force of the hammer to my face. The sheer force was enough for me to let go of him. A large shockwave erupted as the hammer hit my helmet. I skidded across the ground before finally stopping several feet away from him.

"Ow…" I said as I slowly got back up. Thor was coughing as he was trying to clear his throat. I saw the hammer next to me on the ground.

"Come on big guy. Can't we call it? I really don't want to hurt you more," I said smiling.

"Y-you will not win today," he managed to his in between his coughs. He called his hammer back and got ready to fight.

I turned my back on him and created a small portal using the Space stone to the Power stone. I grab the container it was in and opened it. I lifted my right hand and got close to it. Little nanite tendrils extended outwards to grab the stone and integrate it with the suit. As the Power stone's energy flowed through me, my body didn't lock up this time. I did flinch from the pain.

I was harmonizing the Space stone and the Power stone as the energy flowed. My helmet retreated and I could feel my veins turns slightly purple from the influx of power. I turned to look at the hammer and walked to it. Thor was steading his breathing as the coughing stopped. He got into a stance and waited for me to attack.

"So be it," I said angrily.

I started to walk casually to him. He started to spin his hammer and motioned to hit me with it. I dodged but kept my distance as it kept spinning it. He launched another lighting attack towards me. I stood still and let the suit absorb the free energy. I didn't want to drag this out longer than it needed to be, so I decided to do something his sister, Hela, did. I smiled sweetly and waited for him. I left my body full of openings for him to attack. Like an idiot, he took the bait.

He leaped forwarded and swung his hammer with lightning streaks following behind. I channeled both stone's power and concentrated it to my left hand. I extended my hand out and stopped the hammer. As the hammer hit my hand, the suit took most of the impact creating a large bright shockwave. His face was in utter shock as I stopped his attack.

"Don't die," I whispered. I crouched slightly and with my right arm, I hit his stomach. A purple colored shockwave came as the result from the attack. The hammer fell to the ground as he moved his hands to cover his stomach. His mouth was wide open, but no sound came out. He fell to his knees and desperately tried to breath. The armor on his chest was shattered as purple energy streaks spread around his chest.

I took this chance to use my left arm to throw a jab across his face. He was pushed to the ground from the shockwave. His eyes were closed as he laid on the ground. My right hand started to shake as the Power stone started to become harder to control. I quickly took it out and placed it on its container. There was a large relief from the stress it was putting on my body. I was surprised that the Space stone has perfectly melded with my own energy. I felt no pain or exhaustion from using it.

I levitated him off the ground and I walked to his group with him following behind.

"I believe I won," I said as I dropped Thor in front of him. His friends all rushed to see how he was. The woman with the sword looked furiously at me.

"Sid right? You can relax. He is just knocked out," I said. She looked surprised.

"How do you know my name?" she asked. I ignored her question as I looked at Loki.

"Loki, will you honor his word," I said pointing to Thor. He looked at Thor and sighed.

"I will. I am not sure if Odin will honor it," he said smiling and went next to the group. He looked up at the sky.

"Heimdall!" he shouted, and a bright beam of light shot from the sky down to them. They quickly disappeared from where they were.

"I doubt they'll leave us alone," Carol said as she looked at the location where they were.

"I know. Let's just hope they don't send an army," I said. I crouched down to look at the runes that were burnt into the ground. I recognized some of the letters, but the rest were probably Asgardian dialect.

"So, what just happened?" Emma asked.

"And what was that light?" Carol asked.

"You can think of the light as a transportation device. It allows them to go anywhere in the universe in a matter of seconds. It's mixed with magic, as you can tell from the lettering on the ground," I commented. I scanned the letters and saved them for later.

"Let's go, I'll explain what happen to the two of you on the way," I said as I headed to the shuttle.

The ride to the ship was rather quiet. I informed Tessa and Emma about the Asgardians and the events that took place while they were resting. Watching my fight with Thor was also an eye opener.

"Do you think I could take him?" Carol asked as we landed inside the ship.

"Yes, it'll take more punches, but you have the fighting advantage. For someone who lives for so long, he has not developed a fighting technique. He relies on his hammer a lot. If he ever awakens his turn potential, he'll be a tougher opponent," I answered.

"Where to now?" she asked.

"Your call," I said smiling.

"Mine?" she asked.

"I think that you should take command. I'll be absorbing more of the Power stone and creating a fake one as well. I'm sure if I follow you, we'll eventually meet some of the people we need to get rid of," I explained.

"Are you sure?" she asked again.

"Yes. Emma, Tessa, follow her command now. Understood?" I asked. They both acknowledged my orders. Carol decided to visit several Kree bases to sabotage them and free any planet that did not want to be with the Kree.

"Carol, do you know anything regarding the Shi'ar empire?" I asked. I was wondering if they existed here.

"Yes, the Kree are at war with them again. It's been on and off and a lot of broken peace treaties," Carol said. I guess that answers that. I bit my nail as I was trying to recall what I knew about them.

"What's wrong?" Carol asked. She placed her hand on my shoulder.

"There are too many possibilities to think of…" I answered.

"We'll take it one step at a time," she said and grabbed my hand.

"Come on, let's go cause trouble!" she said cheerfully.