The Aftermath

[Thor]

Thor stepped out of the fountain. Blurred shapes moved around him growing no less or more clear with their relative proximity. He did not like dying. Not because it was painful, for he had never had a problem dealing with pain, and not even because it was a sign of failure. His father's last lesson had taught him the value in such things. No, Thor's problem with dying was that it made everything become annoyingly confusing. Both times he died he ended up having a confusing dream only to wake up in a fountain that he knew was surrounded by people, yet he could see none of them clearly and none of them seemed to be able to see him clearly. It was all very frustrating. At least he could make out the gates clearly enough. He began walk toward the gate to the Ashen Steppes. It was a long and dull walk as the walk to the gates always was, but eventually he made it to the doorway that would take him back to the lava filled wasteland where he hoped to find the dragon slain and Red-Hood waiting for him. A new thought accrued to him. Red-Hood was probably not his actual name. Thor should ask him if he had another. 

Thor stepped through the portal - Back into the Nexus. Thor looked at the portal behind him. It was definitely the portal to the Steppes. Thor walked into the portal again, and again he found himself standing in the Nexus. The portal would not let him through! What Trickery of Omni was this! He was being kept from his allies, but what for? Could it be that the fight was not over? That Thor could still lend his Hammer in aid to his allies? He ran at the portal over and over, each time having to twist around and run through again. Each time he grew angrier, until finally Thor had gone into a full roaring rage. Thor did to the gate what he did to everything that made him angry. He threw his hammer at it. Mjolnir flew into the portal and right back out almost quicker than it had gone in. Thor knew his Hammer well enough to know this was not a return flight. The Hammer was not returning it was being spat back at him. Thor took his hammer and slammed it into the empty whiteness beneath his feet. He would not be getting back to the dragon that way. Omni would pay for his transgressions. 

Thor looked back at the fountain. The burred shapes had apparently cleared and become people during his rage. He would return to the fountain and see if any of them might know a different way into the Ashen Steppes. Perhaps he could even recruit some of them to help him and the others fight against the All powerful Omni.