Jotunheim

[ngm_miscellaneous]

The portal from Vincent's magic opened on one of the middle levels of the Norse universe. Snow crunched under boots and bare feet as the Avengers assembled in the realm of giants. The sharp, craggy land was as welcoming as an ice pick between the shoulder blades. But out there in the cold and blowing landscape was a young girl waiting to be rescued.

Comments

[the4thblackknight]

There was s sudden and powerful urge to cheer like a kid on a roller-coaster as he sailed through the air. Belatedly, he realized that the landing was going to be hell on his ribs. Nothing for it now.

He hit with a groan and rolled almost immediately to his feet, drawing his sword. Then he charged at the dragon. Hopefully the tail would miss him in all its flailing.

[vincent_amora]

Vincent finally stabilizes, and heads back at the dragon. This time, he turns invisible first, and tries to get behind the beast's head. Once he's in position, he lets loose an acidic burst.

[wateronthebrain]

And Erin being very vicious aims a hot water lance at the center of the dragon's back after she recovers from landing.

She thinks after this she might pass out though. She is still very tired.

[ngm_villains]

The dragon hisses. Then Vincent will feel something tugging at his senses. The dragon isn't fully real.

Something about it just isn't actualized. It is an illusion that can still hurt them. It has enough of the Trickster's power to use a kind of magic. It is limited but still painful.

The deeper Bruce goes the more he will be made aware of how bone chilling this place is. Thankfully he will have some light to see by. Somehow that keeps this place from being too creepy.

[lil_hulk]

Jay made it through the snow easily with his big, snowshoe-like feet and to the mouth of the cave. He took a deep breath and plunged in after Bruce.

"Good thing you're a Glo-Bot, Bruce," Jay muttered to himself as he chased after the team leader. Hopefully there would be no walls to knock down between the two of them.

[the4thblackknight]

Marcus charged at the dragon, swinging his sword. It wouldn't cut the beast, but it should do some nice neural disruption. At least, he hoped so.

[avengingwarbird]

For the briefest of moments, Roxie considered dropping her mace and using her Kree-given abilities to melt the dragon down.

But no. Never again. The seventh sense was one thing. Using all of her other powers? Something else entirely.

She let out a cry and charged the dragon, yanking her mace out and swooping out above it. When she was above it's head, she started playing whack-a-mole with the dragon.

[comic_awareness]

"Why do I feel like I'm about to be in a remake of some horror movie?" Bruce muttered to himself.

He pushed forward.

[vincent_amora]

Vincent locks his jaw. If he's wrong about this... no, he can't be wrong. Not now.

"If this doesn't work, get Audhild home no matter what."

And he flies straight into the beast's maw, before letting loose the rawest and most powerful abjuration he can. "DISPEL!!"

[wateronthebrain]

Erin is about to strike the beast again....

[ngm_villains]

But it vanishes!

Vincent had been right.

Bruce is getting closer. There is cursing coming from deeper within the cave. He should be able to hear it.

"Your dear mother will pay for what she did. But don't worry little one.... I will not hurt you. Now be still," comes the voice of Loki. He sounds a bit roughed up. This might make a direct confrontation easier.

[lil_hulk]

Jay pounded after Bruce. He was moving in as straight a line as he could make it. Woe be it to any wall that got in his way. This was a Hulk-powered inevitable steamroller.

[comic_awareness]

This was... probably not good. Carefully and stealthily, Bruce crept along the wall until he could see what was going on.

[the4thblackknight]

Marcus's swing went right through thin air. The dragon was gone. Well. Alrighty then.

"I hate this place," he muttered and turned to head toward the cave's entrance. He needed to catch up to Bruce and Jay.

[avengingwarbird]

Suddenly, there was nothing to play whack-a-mole with.

But she heard the words coming out from the inside of the cave. Mace at the ready, Roxie glided into the cave, her feet not touching the ground.

Less sound that way, on her end, at least.

[vincent_amora]

Vincent finds himself tumbling into the snow as the illusion is beaten. It takes him a moment to find his feet before he can follow the others towards the cave. He appears somewhat shaky, as if the spell took more out of him than expected. He almost fumbles the casket before tucking it under one arm like a football and sprinting in behind the others.

[wateronthebrain]

"Oh for crying out loud," Erin grumbles then trudges to the edge of the ledge the dragon had been on and tries to figure out how to join the rest.

[ngm_villains]

"I said be still," Loki said raising his voice. But then a crystal pulses and he growls.

It looks as if he knows the Avengers are about to get here.

[comic_awareness]

Bruce poked his head around the corner, catching sight of Loki. He didn't like this. Didn't like this at all.

Keeping flat against the wall, he edged himself into the room, hoping to remain unseen. If he could get Auhild, the others could distract Loki.

[lil_hulk]

Bruce might have been trying to be stealthy, but the eight-foot tall Hulk barreling through the cave was not. Jay was a distraction on massive tree-trunk-like legs.

Jay was running for wherever Loki's voice was coming from. He owed a trickster god a pounding.

[avengingwarbird]

Roxie is right behind Jay, as quiet as he is loud. If Jay can catch all of Loki's attention, then Roxie can play stealth-girl and attack him that way.

[the4thblackknight]

Marcus was a bit behind them, especially on foot, but he was close enough to hear the sound of Loki's voice and the noise Jay made as he closed in. He had his sword drawn, using its glow to light his way.

[vincent_amora]

Stealth for the second half of the party entering the cave is all but a moot point. Vincent draws in a breath and then gives a magically augmented war-cry.

"LAUFEYSON! YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES THIS DAY!"

[wateronthebrain]

And Erin is bringing up the rear now. Vincent's shout at Loki makes her wince. He sounded much louder than he needed to be. But she wasn't going to complain about it.

[ngm_villains]

"It seems, little girl, that you have a bunch of would-be heroes running to your rescue," Loki says with a sneer.

Then he seems to teleport around the large area the cave opens up into. Each time he appears another Loki takes his place.

"The question is will they know who they are fighting," the ten Lokis say at once.