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The crime scene was definitely one of the bloodiest ones Vers had ever found herself coming across in her short stint so far as a member of Starforce.
Well, at least from what she could remember so far. Yon-Rogg had told her that she might never recover her memory, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still a crucial part of Starforce. It certainly did not feel like it, being assigned to the murder of an Asgardian, of all people.
An important one, nonetheless. The seal found on the woman marked her as one of the Valkyrior, the elite guard the Asgardian king had. It meant in addition to being assigned to being assigned outside of special ops, Vers had to work out what had happened with the head of the Valkyrior herself. Great.
She tried to remember what Yon-Rogg had told her before she had received the assignment; to simply focus on finding the killer and she would be back in the field before she could even imagine destroying Kree-Asgardian relations any further than what they were considered to be.
“Besides, it’s most likely a Skrull and you will be considered a hero, Vers. You’re doing your civic duty..” Yon-Rogg had joked with a twinkle in his eyes. Now that she thought about it, he probably wasn’t joking. Lovely.
“Vers!” A voice called, allowing Vers to come back to reality and exit her thoughts. Vers looked up and noticed Yon-Rogg beckoning her over. By his side stood an imposing woman with hair as dark as the sky above pulled back into many braids. She wore imposing grey and gold armor, probably made with the Asgardian metal Uru.
To put it plainly, she was stunning.
Vers strode over, noticing the way the woman was clutching her sword within its sheathe. She was angry, too. She wanted to be in this partnership as much as Vers did. Vers could already tell they were going to have a lovely time together.
“This is Valkyrie, the head of the Valkyrior. You will be working with her for the duration of this mission. Valkyrie, this is Vers, one of my more promising lieutenants. We will everything we can do to find the Valkyrior’s killer,” Yon-Rogg promised. He appeared unfazed by Valkyrie’s defensive manner.
This only caused Valkyrie to frown more prominently for a second before her face became carefully blank. “I appreciate it, Commander, but with all due respect, I can handle the investigation myself. There’s no need to for Vers’ assistance. I can look into Hildegarde’s death myself.”
Valkyrie began to walk away from Yon-Rogg, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword more tightly than before. Interesting. She viewed Yon-Rogg as a potential threat.
“With all due respect,” Yon-Rogg began, mimicking her words. “You are currently a guest of Hala, and without Vers you may be attacked. The Kree generally aren’t so kind to strange Asgardians.”
Valkyrie froze for a second before turning around and facing Yon-Rogg. She looked between Yon-Rogg and Vers repeatedly, as if she was trying to figure out how to approach the topic while politely telling Vers and Yon-Rogg to piss off.
Yon-Rogg stared into her eyes, not accepting defeat. They stood there like that for what seemed to be ten minutes before Valkyrie's shoulders slumped. She had given up.
"Fine," Valkyrie snapped. "Vers, come with me. Let us find a witness to this."
Vers nodded her head in agreement as she fell into step with Valkyrie. She could already tell that this assignment was going to be a pain.
"Is this your first time on Hala, Val?" Vers questioned, determined not to let this assignment bring her down. It was part of any job, having to deal with bureaucracy and some bullshit.
Valkyrie looked back at her, a puzzled look on her. She obviously was not pleased with the nickname, not that it mattered much to Vers.
"Val? My name is Valkyrie. And yes, it is my first time on Hala. It's quite different from Asgard or Valhalla." Valkyrie responded, her grip still tight on her hilt.
She obviously wasn't comfortable on Hala, not that Vers blamed her. There was infighting about Kree blood that happened every night. Who knows what would happen if those same fanatics saw an Asgardian walk so freely among them.
"Valkyrie is too long a name to say every time I want to address you. Besides, it can't be your real name. No one is named after their group. Otherwise, I would be called Starforce." Vers attempted to joke. She wanted Valkyrie to feel more comfortable at the very least and not feel inclined to bring out her sword at the slightest interaction.
"I do have another name, but Valkyrie is my chosen name. There's no need for two names." Valkyrie responded. She obviously was not amused by Vers' joke.
"Well, what's the fun in that? Don't your family or significant other call you by your other name? Surely you don't want to be addressed by your title among friends." Vers asked, slowing her stride to match the Valkyrior's. It wouldn't do to be going faster than her when Vers didn't know where she was going.
"I don't have family or a significant other." Valkyrie stated. Her tone was irritable and stilted. She was done with their conversation.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Where are we going?" Vers asked, looking at the warrior.
"We're going to a bar. It's one of the last known places she was seen before her death and someone might have seen something." Valkyrie stated, looking at the signs along the walkway.
"Why was she on Hala in the first place?" Vers questioned, following Valkyrie into a dingy bar. She was surprised it was still open, considering its current state.
It was nearly empty, the only occupant seeming to be a bartender more concerned with the book in his lap. The walls and beams were full of cracks, giving the bar a squat appearance that seemed to indicate its upcoming collapse. The lighting was barely existent, the brightest light in the room being right above the bar itself.
The bartender nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the two women enter the bar. His lips curled inward when he saw Valkyrie. "A Starforce member and a Valkyrior walk into a bar. That seems to be the beginning of an awful joke. How can I help you ladies today?"
"Well, you can start by telling us if you've seen this woman." Vers told the bartender matter of factly, laying down a picture of the deceased Valkyrior.
"The Valkyrior? Came in last night. Wanted a drink. I wasn't going to refuse her coin, no matter her being a dirty Asgardian. Have you seen this place? We need every last bit we can get."
Valkyrie frowned at the bartender, looking at him with distrust. She obviously didn't believe him, but neither did Vers.
"What's your name, sir? Did you see her leave with anybody?" Valkyrie asked.
The barkeep shook his head. "No. She bought the one drink and left. The name's Sor-Rel."
"We'll be in contact." Vers informed him as Valkyrie began to walk outside the bar.
***
The following weeks passed much the same way. Nobody knew anything of the Valkyrior, or refused to say a word to the pair.
It had began to frustrate Valkyrie, causing her to pace Vers' apartment late into the night.
Even with the relationship they had began to develop, nothing Vers could say could get her to sit down.
Vers hadn't expected Val to slip into her bed late at night, telling her that she couldn't sleep alone, nor the kiss they had shared several nights ago.
It had all felt so easy, so domestic that Vers knew it wouldn't last forever. It would come to an end when they solved the murder.
However, that didn't stop Val from telling her stories of Asgard, of the golden prince and the Bifrost which Heimdall protected, of what the Valkyrior had sworn to protect.
Val had even began to trust her enough to tell Vers her own past.
Asgard had a history of violence, that was no lie. More so than the Kree, Odin had fought enough wars in his lifetime to permanent change the populations of the Nine Realms.
The worst, according to Val, had been his own daughter Hela. No longer satisfied with being Odin's executioner, she had caused a civil war within Asgard.
"The Fall of the Valkyrior had been the worst battle," Val had begun, the words struggling to come out of her throat. "We lost many warriors that day, and I lost my love."
Val told Vers the story of two girls raised together as warriors that had become so much more.
Val had turned away for just a moment to fight Hela's soldiers, and Hela had pierced her heart. She had fallen off her horse into a ditch, dead before she hit the ground.
Before she could reach her however, Odin had arrived and with Val's assistance, had forced Hela and Fenris Wolf back into Hel and into Odin's trap.
"We won, but at a great cost. One hundred of our finest Valkyrior had been killed in the battle. I carried her back on her shield that day, and I will never forgive myself for not being able to protect her."
In return, Vers had told her of her memory problems, of the way she would wake up in a cold sweat with the screams of a woman echoing in her ears. Of the one word echoing inside her head frequently: DANVERS.
They took turns holding each other at night, and little by little, it had gotten better.
But now, Vers knew it was over. They had finally gotten a lead and Val would begone before the week was out. She could feel it.
"What do you got there, Vers?" Val asked, leaning over her shoulder to see the manifests on her lap. She gently peppered Vers' neck with kisses before she could respond.
"Well, they're flight manifests. I figured we could possibly find your girl on them and find out why she was here," Vers answered, becoming distracted by her kisses. It would be so easy to just pull her in for a kiss on the couch, and forget this ever happened. Just stay here with Val forever, but Vers knew she would never forgive her for it.
"Did you find anything?" Val questioned, sitting down besides her and reading the manifests spread over the couch.
Vers nodded, pulling one for a ship called the Raza out. "Yes. She's listed as a passenger on this ship headed to Terra, but she never got on. Can you guess who else is listed?"
Val cocked her head curiously at her. "Who, Vers?"
"Sor-Rel."
A grim look settled on Val's face as she saw his name on the Raza's manifest.
"Let's go get that son of a bitch."
***
It had only taken them an hour to reach the rundown bar, and Val had been twitching with nervous energy the whole time. Nothing Vers would say to her would get her to relax.
Vers didn't blame her for her mood, it was the man responsible for the death of her friend after all, but it worried her. There was no telling what Val was capable of in this state.
Vers entered the bar first and immediately noticed that it hadn't been cleaned since they had left. The floor was coated in dust and dirt had began to collect among the windowsills.
"I knew you would come." A voice called out. Vers looked in the direction of the words and saw Sor-Rel. His face was somber, and in his hand he held a phaser.
"I did kill the Valkyrior, yes. I admit that, but I didn't mean to." He stated, his voice raspy. It was almost as if he had been crying for days on end.
"Doesn't matter," Val replied. "You still killed her. Nothing can justify that."
Sor-Rel let out a hysterical laugh. "No. I guess it can't. I loved her. We were supposed to flee together, to Terra, but in the end she hesitated. She didn't want to leave her sisters, and we fought. In a fit of rage, I hit her with a glass. Repeatedly."
"You can fix it, though. Just turn yourself in." Vers called out, eyeing his phaser. She wasn't sure who he was going to use it on yet and didn't want to chance it yet.
Sor-Rel shook his head and rose from his chair. "No. I think not."
Vers heard the ringing of Val's sword as she unsheathed it.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Val said, stepping in front of Vers.
Sor-Rel nodded, a glint in his eye. "Yes. Isn't there honour in dying on the battlefield?"
"Not for cowards."
Sor-Rel raised the phaser and pointed it at Val. "Still doesn't affect my choice."
"Vers, run!"
Vers ran behind the bar, peeking over to just in time to see Val deflect the beam with her sword.
She felt intense heat in her hands and looked down to see her hands glowing red. "Yes!"
Vers jumped up to see Val attempting to approach the bartender and failing. Her only hope was to let Vers distract him.
"Hey, Sor-Rel! Over here!" Vers shouted, seeing him turn to face her. She ducked beneath the bar just in time to avoid the bright beam of light.
Without hesitating, she leapt over the bar and launched herself at Sor-Rel. She let out a yell as she landed on his body, and carefully punched him in the head, knocking him out.
"You didn't tell me you could do that!" Val shouted, sheathing her sword and walking towards the two.
"Call Yon-Rogg!"
***
‘’Thanks for your help on this, Vers. Even if it means one of your own is getting arrested for murder,” Valkyrie said as they watched Sor-Rel be taken away by Yon-Rogg. He didn't struggle in his grasp, and refused to meet the two women's eyes.
“It’s not a problem, Val. He committed a heinous act and was foolish enough to get caught. He deserved whatever he has come to him,” Vers replied. “ I simply was the one to help you catch him. You did all the heavy lifting.”
Valkyrie let out a laugh, amusement seeping into her tone. “As if. Your firehands managed to distract him for long enough for me to knock him out. Without you, he might have been able to get away."
"I'm sorry! I can't really control it. It's one of the things I'm struggling with." Vers apologized, her smile still as wide as it was before.
"Don't be sorry for something you are unable to control. At least, not for now," Val replied. She leaned her head on Vers' shoulder and let out a content sigh. "I'll miss you, you annoying Kree. We must see each other again."
Vers nodded in agreement, looking down at the head Valkyrior. She was more relaxed than she had been when she arrived, and Vers was sorry to see her go.
"Then you will have to come to Hala again, Val." Vers stated. She hoped internally she would, even if it was just for a mere second of time.
"No." Val pulled away from Vers, and shook her head in dismay. "Don't call me that. If we are truly to be more, it must be by my true name. Brunhilde."
Vers' smile widened as she nodded in agreement. "Brunhilde. It's lovely to finally meet you."
Brunhilde laughed, her voice seeping with affection as she looked fondly at Vers. "It is." She stated, drawing closer to Vers before kissing her.
Vers pulled her closer and wrapped her arms around the other woman. She returned the gentle kiss, hoping, praying that Brunhilde could tell how she felt. How she was one of the only things that had made her happy on Hala since the accident, and how much Vers wished she could go with her.
Brunhilde pulled away and gently cupped Vers' face in her hands. "I must go, love. I will see you again. I am sure of it."
"Yes,"Vers whispered, watching as Brunhilde stood up and began to walk away from where they sat. Even if she had to give up everything, she would see her again.