AFTER GETTING READY WITH ZITHARA'S HELP, ASTRID SAT UPON HER THRONE. Wearing a long gown the colour of a sea of blood, a deep red paired with accents of silver complimented her garnet jewellery. She sat, leaning her hand against her cheek as she listened to the Menvollrian council droned on and on about events that she had to attend.

But a flash coming from behind them caught her eye. The Bifrost.

In came Thor, a look of panic set upon his features. "Astrid!" He rushed forward, pushing through her council members who grumbled at the intrusion.

"Thor? What's wrong?" She leaned forward in her throne, happy for interruption as she was bored to death before he arrived.

"It's Jane," he breathed out. "Something is wrong with her. I think you'll be able to help. There's some type of energy trapped inside her."

Astrid nodded getting up from her throne, halting when she heard her council speak up. "Your Majesty, we have pressing matters of our own! You should focus on Menvollr, not that of Asgard."

She furrowed her brow. "But we are allies, Asgard would help if we were in need, and I expect us to do the same."

"But for one person?" One of the council members sneered.

Astrid nodded. "Yes, for one person. Because who knows? Saving her might save us all. It sounds serious, does it not?" The council member quietened down, having been silenced by their queen. "That's what I thought."

She approached Thor. "Oh also, Odin has requested for Loki to be held in Asgard once more. Mother has managed to turn his perspective on the matter."

Astrid nodded, yet a part of her heart wanted to deny the request. But one cannot go against the Allfather's requests. "Very well," she ordered Jinx and Janus to collect Loki from his cell, chained up. A few minutes later, her guards returned with a smirking Loki clad in his black and green leathery armour between them, chains bound around his hands, linking down to his feet. His blue eyes devoured Astrid's figure as he approached.

"Ah, My Queen, so ravishing, though it's no surprise," he complimented her appearance with a low voice, his grin growing as he noticed her blush grow up her exposed collar and neck, resting on her cheeks. He eyed her neck seeing the makeup laying over the dark bruised that he bestowed upon her that morning. "Brother," he finally turned to Thor, a tinge of distant in his voice. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"The Allfather has ordered your return. You'll remain in Asgard's Dungeons."

Astrid watched as Loki's face fell from smug delight to distraught. He was more than happy remaining in Menvollr. The dungeons at Asgard, though pleasant, where nothing compared the lavishness of Menvollr's. Though there was not much in his cell, there was still art on the ceilings, a comfortable-enough bed, all the books and food he could ever ask for. And don't get him started the late-night activities he can get up to. Asgard had nothing like that. There was no Astrid there.

Loki turned his eyes to Astrid, his blue eyes swirling with desperation. Desperation for her to intervene, for her to stop Thor and Odin, for her to keep him to herself, to claim him for herself.

But he knew she could never go against The Allfather's orders. No one could. Not unless they were as unhinged as himself.

He nodded. He decided to hide his distraught behind sarcasm. "He misses me already?"

· 　⠀⠀✧. *　　 * ⋆ 　 .
· 　　 ⋆ 　　　 ˚ ˚

THE THREE GODS ALONG WITH THE HOD TWINS ARRIVED IN ASGARD. Once inside the Royal Palace, the Asgardian guards took Loki off the Hod Twins hands and dragged him towards the dungeons below. Thor guided the Menvollrians towards a medical room where Jane Foster laid upon an examination table surrounded by Asgardian nurses.

The nurses fiddle with the copper-tinted projected mechanisms enveloping Jane as she watched curiously. She reached her hands out to touch the golden projection of herself lift above her. "What is that?"

"Be still," the head physician ordered gently.

"This is not of Earth. What is it?" Thor asked on the watching nurses.

"We do not know. But she will not survive the amount of energy surging within her."

The nurse approached the table once more to help with fellow physicians. Thor turned to Astrid. "Is there anything that can be done?"

Astrid shrugged with concern. "I'll have to examine myself." The Queen approached the physicians who stopped their work briefly to bow but she quickly told them that it wasn't necessary. The head physician allowed the Queen to look at Jane through the mechanism, called the Soul Forge.

"Hello again, Miss Foster," Astrid smiled gently, hoping to ease any worry settled within Jane's bones.

"Astrid?" She questioned, receiving a nod of confirmation back. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see if I can help you out of this... sticky situation," Astrid affirmed, closing her eyes and hovering her hands over Jane's heart. "You should thank Thor for retrieving me. This energy is familiar to me, but it's hard to pinpoint." Jane's eyes squinted ever so slightly at the thought of Astrid and Thor together, a deep belief that Astrid was far more worthy of Thor's attention than she. Oh, how wrong she was. Astrid's ears pricked up at the sound of doors opening and closing yet she did not stop her current task at hand.

"My words are mere noises to you that you ignore them completely?" The familiar boom of Odin's voice echoed through the small room is what Astrid halt her actions. He waved his hand, dismantling the Soul Forge to stop all procedures. Astrid helped Jane sit up at the arrival of the Allfather. Thor responded to his father's question by stating Jane was ill. "She is mortal. Illness is their defining trait."

"I brought here because we can help her." Thor answered back.

Odin scoffed. "She does not belong here in Asgard anymore than a goat belongs at a banquet table."

"Did he just...?" Jane asked Astrid who nodded in return. "Who do you think you are?"

"I'm Odin. King of Asgard. Protector of the Nine Realms."

Jane shut her mouth quicker than she ever had before. "Oh, well, I'm-"

"I know very well who you are, Jane Foster." Odin interrupted. "Queen Astrid. It's no surprise you've come to help."

Astrid clenched her fist slightly at the small dig. "Thor called for me. I help friends in need."

He sighed, deciding not to question a fellow leader. "Did you at least bring Loki with you. You know how The Allmother is." Astrid nodded, confirming that he was back in Asgard's dungeons.

"Something is within her, Father. Something I have not seen before," Thor said, diverting the subject back on course.

"Her world has its healers, their called doctors, let them deal with it. Guards, take her back to Midgard." Odin barked the order. Two guards approached Jane and grabbed her but red energy rushed out of her body, pushing the guards off their feet and crashing into the wall harshly. Astrid ducked out the way of the blast, rising once more to hover over Jane who had collapsed back on the examination table. Thor rushed over too.

"Miss Foster, are you alright?" Astrid asked, smoothing out Jane's hair. Odin approached, inspecting the energy force running through the mortal's body.

"That's impossible." He uttered in disbelief as he watched the energy flow under her skin.

The head physician approached behind Odin to inspect too. "The infection... it's defending her."

"No, it's defending itself." Thor uttered.

"Astrid, what was your analysis of the energy?" Odin asked quickly.

Astrid furrowed her brow. "It's an energy I've felt before but I could not tell you what it was. Why, Allfather?"

Odin staggered back slightly. "Then it's true," he muttered. "Come with me."