Goddess Collector: Every Hole is a Goal

Title: To Heven

Dark hair loosely fell over his frail shoulders while thick strands covered the bandages over his eyes. His cheek remained sunken and despite wearing a loose robe to cover his naked body, his terribly shivered form still peeked through every now and then.

*Tlk*

*Tlk*

His body bobbed due to the movement of the Aragorn beneath him while a transcendent female warrior that claimed grace and ferocity, both, held the reigns of Aragorn, slowly leading across the wide grassy scape. She walked beside Aragorn while the frail man barely sat straight on the horse.

There was no road or form of civilization and the group parted the thigh long swatches of weeds and other flora. But even wildflowers looked far more beautiful than any rose present on Earth and a subtle scent made the air around them more refreshing.

"Huh? Ah, apologies. I must have dozed off again," the man spoke up. Despite the raspiness of his voice, the blonde shieldmaiden in navy blue tights and strapped armor nodded slightly.

"It is of no matter, Nikshrat," she continued calmly, "Have you recalled anything about your life?"

"Aside from my name, my origin, and the torture unleashed by the goddess of death, I remember naught," the blind man sighed before his voice drowned in a coughing fit.

Brunnhilde stopped and so did Aragorn as Nikshrat almost coughed his lungs out.

"P— *cough* please, do not slow down for me. Nothing brings me shame greater than being an unnecessary load to someone."

Brunnhilde stayed silent and observed the frail being in front of her. It was true that after being 'saved,' she did feel that Nikshrat became quite a liability but she would be a disgrace if she did not return the favor by saving Nikshrat from whatever ails him and considering that the cause of Nikshrat's injuries was none other than Hela, there were only a few who could reverse the effects.

"You need rest until we find help. We must be stranded quite far but there is a risk in flying," Brunnhilde stated while 'Nik'shrat knowing the various dangers of flight due to Thor's memories he managed to read back in the hellicarier sighed softly and bit his lips. His lips dry enough that crimson blood rolled down as he put more pressure over his lips.

"The Flying Bisons are quite the danger, yes... if I had my sorcery... alas," he looked down, and even if his eyes remained covered, it was obvious to Brunnhilde that the man in front of her felt helpless— one of the most brutal feelings for any proud Asgardian.

"You said that malicious parties approached Hel," Brunnhilde changed the subject.

"Yes. I did not make any contact with them," Nikshrat slowly lied on Aragorn's back and continued with a grunt, "I do recall one thing, however. These entities, or entity, entered Eljudnir."

Brunnhilde furrowed her brows and her shoulders turned tense, "You escaped Eljudnir? Is that the prison that held you?"

With Eljudnir being infamous for holding the worst of the souls of nine realms, it was quite a reasonable reaction but Nikshrat seemed to be blind to her reaction...

Instead, he spun his tale calmly, "Yes... I hoped to win the affection of the undead queen by surpassing her labyrinth of life but... where my heart lay in the ecstasy of companionship, she deluded herself over some lost pride. Feeling insulted that I managed to surpass her tests, she caught me and still alive, locked me in Eljudnir...

My skin crawls as I recall that dungeon... the one who took my eyes away," he slowly traced his bandages while Aragorn neighed softly. His man tickling Nikshrat as he smiled and stroked Aragorn's graceful and muscular neck.

"He likes you," Brunnhilde finally sighed softly. Either the person in front of her was an extremely proficient liar, bordering towards the level of the god of liar and mischiefs or he was honest. Either way, she couldn't tell anything at the moment so she accepted the fact that this person saved her to also save himself. A mutually beneficial relationship with her own turn to return the favor.

"I am honored," Nikshrat chuckled but his chuckles turned into coughs yet again.

'Where is Heimdall's support?!' Brunnhilde groaned. They were stranded in Asgard with a being that needs medical attention but despite trying everything, she still couldn't get Heimdall's attention!

---

"Heimdall, any news on Loki?"

Within an ethereal dome where glowing forms of spatial energy coalesced, a dark-skinned man dressed in golden armor and a golden helmet with long curving horns, akin to a bull's, stood straight with his hands over a broadsword pushed into a platform. The bridge of Bifrost could be seen extending out of the dome and in front of this armored individual stood Thor in a casual robe.

"No," Heimdall coughed softly.

Thor grew silent and his gaze turned distant.

'God damn! Fuck off, man! I don't need you jamming on my shit,' 'Heimdall' rolled his eyes as he observed the somber Thor slowly leaving.

Once he was sure that Thor had left, Heimdall sighed and his appearance shifted.

"Ahhh, it's hard to act like Heimdall, the man is complicated!" The flaming-haired, red-skinned devil groaned. His crimson cape fluttered as he looked distinctive in the ethereal dome.

"But an astute judgment to control the eyes and ears of Asgard after taming the king. After all, even a king falls without an obvious source of information," the figure spread his arm put dramatically but soon, his shoulders slumped.

"And no one is here to bask in my glory... sigh. Asgard makes me weak... I want to return to my hell," he groaned, recalling the screams of the ones he so happily tortured.

"Jose, Krisinski, Linda... ah, Peter. He's so good, that boy. Never would have thought that such a mess-up can grow so attractive. Not good, if I won't responsibly play with him, he'll break... hmm, let's turn into his uncle next time and then commit suicide... hehe, that oughta shake some feathers~!" Mephisto chimed and laughed within the post held by Heimdall.

Meanwhile, Heimdall? His fate remained unknown.

---

"So... Jennifer really wasn't interested, huh..." Nik sighed in remorse. They were leaving Hel, finally, and as promised, he teleported Spider, Poole, and Janet back once again. But after hearing that it would be yet another 'conquest', Jennifer refused to take part in the vacation.

"Well, it's her choice," Nik shrugged. It was understandable that not everyone would even like the possibility of enslavement of others. Maybe Janet, Spider, and Poole weren't alright with it too and joined in just to adventure into a whole new land.

At this moment, Morgan stood beside Nik. She had cooped herself inside the Dream Core for a little over a week. Of course, a week was, in no way, a long period to make any concrete changes or observations but she handled the effects of the Technique to break the limits of soul received from Strange— the inheritance of Sorcerer Supreme.

However, she also conducted a research by the side with one of the Niks in the Dream Core to create a tracking spell to locate the rest of the infinity stones.

Tracking spells always need something or someone connected to the intended target and with three infinity stones already in Nik's grasp, the tracking spell was coming down wonderfully. Of course, they designed the spell based on many known spells to Nik but due to the overly large energy signature of the infinity stones, the changes needed to be made were plenty.

"Or, you could just design a universal tracker?" Came Susan's advice and with that, the Fantastic Four began to design the tracker based on the energy signature measured by Susan in the Dream Core.

So it was either the tracker by the fantastic four or the spell, but Nik's desire to gain all the remaining infinity stones was going to be fulfilled soon enough.

"Go ahead, think of any location in Heven," Nik smiled as he held the oval blue gem in his fist. He could feel the sheer energy stored within the infinity gem miraculously contained due to some sorcery that even he wasn't capable of understanding yet.

Hearing his words, Angela closed her eyes and recalled the Floating City of Angels. Her memories surged while Sera continued to stand far away.

Unlike other living beings, she couldn't leave Hel without severe consequences.

After all, she had died and was marked with the curse brought by the sisters of Norn. The moment she steps out, others— more powerful beings— would notice and despite whatever he said, Nik wasn't willing to attract more trouble because of a single soul. Until he got a better grasp of the realms other than Hel.

And given the fact that Angela now had a personal vendetta against her supposed killer, Nik didn't need to motivate one of the strongest fighters in his arsenal.

Holding Angela's hands, Nik activated the space stone. It was simple enough. Only an intention was needed since the gem was a source of power in itself. A foggy blue portal appeared within the throne room instantly as Hela and Leah watched from the sidelines. The two would of course keep order in Hel. After all, Hela is the strongest in her own realm and she could bring an army of the dead that even Asgard would feel cautious about.

"Heven, hmm, let's see what the mythical angels really are about," Loki narrowed her gaze.