THUNDER RUMBLED THROUGHOUT THE SKY AS THOR AND ASTRID SOARED THROUGH THE NIGHT SKY. They flew overhead of the jet, Thor's powers creating thunder storms to roar in the air. Thor released Astrid, both landing silently on the plane. Lightning struck down toward the plane but narrowly missed.

"I will not miss this time," Thor spat out, lifting his hammer once more to send a bolt of lightning down into the plane. Astrid jumped down, clinging onto the edge of the closed ramp. With her godly strength, she ripped open the ramp and both her and Thor jumped into the plane.

They were met with a tied up Loki sitting on the side seats. Standing was the man she guessed was Captain America, a man in a metal red suit and a ginger woman in a black suit flying the jet. The three strangers gawked strangely at Thor and Astrid as Thor grabbed Loki by the throat and hauled him from his seat. Together, Thor, Astrid and a bound Loki jumped from the plane and flew off.

Holding Loki, Thor flew ahead of Astrid. She turned her head to see the man in red flying after them. Using a blast of energy, she blasted Thor and Loki further, speeding them up as she stayed behind to distract this stranger.

The suited man slowed down, using hers in his armoured hands and feet to keep him in the air. Astrid followed his actions, instead using her magic to keep her afloat. The man raised his hand, aiming whatever weapon he had stored there at Astrid. "You have no idea what you're dealing with, lady." The man spoke, condescendingly.

Titling her head, she narrowed her eyes and copied his actions. "Oh, trust me, I know plenty, boy." She sent a blast towards his hand, damaging the canon he planned to hurt her with. She spotted another being jumping from the plane. Astrid squirmed seeing it was Captain America. "Who's stronger? You or him?"

The red suited man looked over his shoulder to see Captain America jumping out the jet with a parachute. He scoffed. "I am, clearly."

Astrid squinted once more. "I doubt that," she scoffed slightly.

The man scoffed as well. "Excuse me, I'm Iron Man."

"And?" Astrid raised a brow at Iron Man.

He was flabbergasted. "Listen, lady, I just need Loki."

"So do I," she countered back. "You people are clearly don't know what you're dealing with. I do."

"I'll be the judge of that," Iron Man sneered. He whizzed past Astrid, scoffing her downward. She grunted in anger, pushing herself up and following after him. The two flew, the first trying his hardest to keep ahead of the god behind him.

Astrid watched as Iron Man interrupted Thor and Loki's conversation by tackling Thor. They crash over the cliff where Loki remained.

Astrid landed on the cliff, peering over to see Thor and Iron Man still tumbling down. She turned her head to Loki to see him already looking at her with a timid smile. "Astrid, you look just as amazing as you did—"

"Oh, as I did the day you 'died'? Or the day you left me to die in Jotunheim?" Astrid stalked toward the raven-haired god, a menacing glare settled in her eyes. "Which is it, Loki?"

"I missed you too."

"I thought you dead," Astrid scoffed, her face up close to Loki's.

Loki had the audacity to grin at her words. "Did you mourn for me?" She glared, gripping Loki by the collar of his leathery armour. "Aww, you did, didn't you, Astrid?"

"Why did you do it?" She quietly spoke, needing answers.

Loki paused as he proceeded her voice. Put together but a hint of brokenness as her voice chipped in her throat. "I did what had to be done."

"Was it because I didn't want to rule with you when you asked? Because I think leaving me for dead to the Frost Giants is an extreme reaction to that."

Loki chuckled. "I needed them to trust me," he spoke. "And I knew you'd be fine, you're here now, see?"

"I've been besides myself for a year. You made me feel guilt, anger, disappointment, loss, heartbreak. All by not taking my hand," Astrid listed, her anger peaking. "Was gaining their trust really worth more than losing mine?"

The exiled prince paused once more. He remembered that day. He remembered looking at the beat up Astrid and seeing the tears being held back in her eyes. He remembered feeling guilt, something he never usually felt. He remembered not taking her hand because he did not feel worthy of her forgiveness, her love, her hand.

"Well?" She asked, her impatience showing through her distraught as she released his collar and moved from him. "When Thor came to me telling me you lived and that you're attacking Midgard, again, I didn't believe him," she started. "I didn't believe you would trick me again after leaving me heartbroken before."

She stopped again as her brain forced her to ask her next question. "Was I just a game to you? Did you feel nothing at Freyja's party? Or in the garden?"

Loki wanted to answer. To tell her the truth. The real truth.

But would she believe it?

Unlikely.

"I-" Loki started but was cut off when something caught his eye. Captain America diving from the sky, aiming to tackle Astrid. Loki grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. She fell into his chest as she realised what happened. "Aww, still falling for me, I see?"

"Shut up," Astrid seethed as she pushed Loki away from her. "Where's the Tesseract, Loki?" She asked, deciding to push her remaining emotions to the back of her brain.

"I don't have it."

"Don't lie to me anymore," Astrid clenched her jaw as she watched Loki's grin grow.

"I don't have it," Loki stated again. "You need the cube to send me home, but I've sent it off I know not where."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "I'm done listening to you," she stated. She waved her fingers in the air, tendrils of golden magic wrapping quickly around Loki's figure. Using her magic, she lifted Loki in the air and jumped down the cliff, his levitated body following after. She stopped before Thor, Iron Man and Captain America. The latter two lying on the ground. No doubt due to the crash of lightning that he sent down moments ago.

Astrid turned to Thor and the two humans, gesturing to Loki who was struggling against Astrid's restraints.

"Are we done here?"