AS THEY FLEW OVER SVARTALFHEIM, JANE CONTINUED TO LIE DOWN FROM EXHAUSTION AS THOR PLACED A COVER OVER HER BODY.

Loki sighed. "What I could do with the power that flows through those veins."

Astrid pushed his shoulder in annoyance. "Trust me, it would consume you."

Loki gestured to Jane. "She's holding up alright, for now."

Astrid nodded. "Women have a much higher pain tolerance than you men. Even for a human, she's managing much better than even Thor could do."

Thor nodded from his place next to a passed-out Jane. "It's true. She's strong in ways you'd never even know."

Loki tsked. "Say goodbye."

Thor furrowed his brow at his brother's words. "Not this day."

"This day, the next, a hundred years, it's nothing. It's a heartbeat. You'll never be ready. The only woman whose love you've prized will be snatched from you."

Astrid knew it was true. Jane is mortal, Thor is not. It's a doomed love story, destined for death and grief. Even immortals are not immune to the harsh truth of death. Death can come knocking at anyone's door, unexpectedly or not. "And will that satisfy you?" Thor asked Loki gravely.

"Satisfaction is not in my nature."

Thor nodded. "Surrender is not in mine."

Loki scoffed gently. "The son of Odin-"

"No, not just of Odin! You think you alone were loved by mother? You had her tricks, but I had her trust!" Thor yelled.

"Trust. Was that her last expression? Trust? When you let her die!" Loki fought back.

"What help we're you in your cell?" Thor questioned out of anger.

"Who put me there? Who put me there?!" Loki yelled.

"You know damn well!" Thor shouted. He raised his fist to punch Loki but Astrid intercepted by moving to position herself between the two brothers.

"I didn't know I was travelling with fools!" Astrid nearly screamed in anger. "Do you think your mother would be proud of this display of hatred?" The two brothers remained silent, ashamed. "Well?"

"No." They answered in unison. "She wouldn't exactly be shocked though." Loki joked causing both Thor and Astrid to smile.

"I wish I could trust you," Thor spoke.

"Trust my rage." Loki retorted.

Astrid sighed under her breath at the spectacle, her casting back down to Jane knowing that if the mortal were conscious, she would be experiencing the same sort of annoyance that Astrid was. "Men."

· 　⠀⠀✧. *　　 * ⋆ 　 .

· 　　 ⋆ 　　　 ˚ ˚

JANE'S BROWN EYES gradually peeled open as the group continued to fly over Svartalfheim. Though rather than her usual dark brown irises, her eyes were overtaken by darkness - clear that the Aether was taking over her body. She crawled up from under the blanket over her body to look over the Svartalfheim horizon. 

After landing, they walked over to sandy dunes to secretly watch Malekith and his men in the distance. "All right, are you ready?"

Jane and Astrid nodded as Loki said. "I am." The three gods' stood, revealing themselves to Malekith. "You know this plan of yours is going to get us killed?" Loki continued referring to a plan they made whilst travelling to their current destination. 

"Yes, possibly." Thor agreed. 

"And you're sure this will work?" Astrid furrowed her brow as she watched the approaching Dark Elves. 

Thor shrugged his shoulders gently with an unbothered turn of his lips. "Probably."

Astrid sighed heavily. "I'm very reassured that the state of our universe is in your hands, you oaf."

Loki chuckled and tried to clap his hands at Astrid's name-calling, however, it was proven difficult with his wrists still bound with cuffs. "You still don't trust me, brother?"

"Would you?" Thor commented with a smile. Regardless of his words, he still released the cuffs restraining Loki. 

Loki grinned as he looked back at the approaching elves. "No, I wouldn't." Suddenly he pulled out a dagger and plunged it into Thor's abdomen. Jane screamed as Thor tumbled down the sandy cliff. She chased after her wounded lover as Astrid stared in shock. 

That was until she felt the cold metal at her throat, threatening to slice the skin open and ruin her armour with gushes of blood. "Hello, my love. It is so nice to be able to touch you again." Loki whispered in her ear as his free hand travelled around her waist, securing her to his chest. "Not having to share you with that slick bastard." He sneered, referring to when Fandral had caught her from the ship. 

Astrid struggled in his grasp. "I didn't realise you were so possessive." She grunted out as Loki moved them down the cliff towards Thor and Jane. 

"Over you? I'd have to be a madman to ever let another try and claim you." Thor smirked against her ear. He used his magic to wrap chains around her body as well as magically seal her mouth shut, rendering her immobile. He threw her to the ground and grinned at the sight. "Gorgeous. I'll deal with you after I've dealt with my brother."

Loki turned his attention away from Astrid to focus on his bleeding brother. "You really think I cared about Frigga, about any of you?" Loki spat as he kicked Thor in the stomach. "All I ever wanted was you and Odin dead at my feet!" Thor groaned as he raised his hand, prepared to summon his hammer but Loki cut his hand clean off before he could. The blonde God screamed out in pain as Astrid's cries of fear were muffled behind sealed skin. 

Jane rushed over to help Thor but Loki grabbed her and threw her towards the Dark Elves who now stood before the Gods. "Malekith! I am Loki of Jotunheim and I bring you a gift!" Gesturing to the discarded Jane at their feet. "I ask only one thing in return - a good seat from which to watch Asgard burn."

The horned monster beside the white-haired elf leader who killed Frigga spoke in his native tongue to Malekith, possibly referring to Loki being an enemy of Asgard and a potential ally to them. Malekith was convinced by his words as he approached the cowering Thor. "Look at me." He ordered as he used his foot to turn Thor over. He then suspends Jane in the air, withdrawing the Aether from her body - the red residue of the element hanging in the air for the taking. 

As Jane's body plummeted to the ground, Thor shouted to his brother. "Loki! Now!"

Their plan had worked. Loki made a convincing traitor which came as no surprise, but keeping his word on the plan was a pleasant one, Astrid would admit. Loki's illusion wore away as Thor's hand and Astrid's mouth reappeared. Thor conjured lightning and aimed it at the Aether, though he did not see Astrid double over in agony at his actions. When he started his attack on the element, a pounding headache erupted in her skull causing a tormented scream to slip from her mouth but she was unaware of why. Loki rushed to her side, covering her crumbling body with his larger one, cradling her to his chest. 

"Astrid?! What's happening?" Loki fretted, wiping the loose hair from her updo from her sweat-drenched forehead. Just as she was about to respond, Thor's lightning destroyed the Aether leaving Loki's question unanswered as Astrid fell unconscious in his arms. "Astrid!?!" Loki cried in panic, shaking her form desperately. "Wake up! Please!" He begged. 

Loki looked back to Thor to see the Aether destroyed and shattered into shards around his brother's feet. However, the shards slowly rose into the air once again. Astrid groaned as she peeled her eyes open. "Loki?" She whispered. "What are you doing?" She gazed up at his teary eyes as she realised his tightly cradling her to his body. 

"Darling, you passed out. Are you alright?" His eyes scanned over her features, taking note of the white glow of her necklace flickering every so slightly. Something that had never happened before far as he is aware. 

Astrid sat up in his embrace causing the raven-haired God to sit back slightly though he never took his hand from her back. "I'm fine... I think. Did the plan work?" She looked over at Thor surrounded by the Aether once again.

"Not quite." Loki sighed, helping her to her feet. 

The group helplessly watched Malekith absorb the Aether from the shards. And then he turned and walked back to his ship without another word. His men, though, walked menacingly towards the Gods, posed to attack. Thor held them off with his hammer effectively as Astrid gathered her energy to focus on Malekith. 

But as she was distracted, the horned monster threw a vortex bomb towards her - creating a black hole that sucked everything in its radius up. But Loki pushed her out of the way of the blast, putting himself in danger path to save her. Before Loki would be sucked out of reality, Thor flew up and knocked him out of the way, sending both of them crashing to the ground. 

Thor hastily stood up and flew off over to Malekith. "Dear, are you an idiot?!" Astrid scolded Loki as she helped him up before they were surrounded. 

"For saving you?" Loki furrowed her brows. "I expected to be showered in praise and affection for my heroics, not ridiculed!" 

Astrid spared a crooked smile at his words. "Perhaps later when you don't get yourself killed again, hm?"

"Promise?" Loki smirked as he moved her behind his shielded body. 

He began ushering her away as she said. "Promise." She ran over to Jane who remained on the ground. "Excuse my impoliteness, Lady Jane, but hopefully you'll understand." Astrid put both of her legs on either side of Jane's body, keeping the fragile mortal protected under her as she turned to the fleeting ship. 

"N-no, it's alright!" Jane spoke with a flustered expression. Astrid smiled down at her as she raised her hands in the air. She focused her mind on the flying craft as she tried to manipulate the energy surrounding it. Though she was still weak from her earlier in the day and from passing out, she still managed to falter the aircraft - keeping it suspended in the air and unable to retreat as they wished. 

The goddess breathed out a shaky breath as she put all her focus into controlling Malekith's ship. Her eyes quickly looked back to Loki who slashed his way through all of the Dark Elf soldiers that Malekith left behind. She nearly lost concentration as her mind became flooded with her affections and attraction to the God of Mischief. Watching him fight caused a blush to rise to her cheeks. Jane noticed and commented; "God! You're not attracted to that monster, are you?!" 

Astrid's eyes widened as she brought her attention back to the ship which was thankfully still stuck in the air. She didn't know how to respond so she didn't. Instead, she watched as Loki killed the last elf and made his way over to Thor and the horned monster. Catching the elf off guard, he stabbed the monster through the chest with a long blade. 

Astrid smiled at his sneak attack but her smile soon dropped as the monster turned to Loki slowly. The deformed elf grabbed the mischievous god by the shoulders and rammed his body to his, causing the blade to pierce through Loki's chest. 

Astrid screamed in terror at the sight, her focus on the ship long gone as she ran towards Loki and Thor. As she approached, the monster noticed a blinking device attached to his hip - a vortex bomb left by Loki at the moment of impaction. Before the monster could remove it, his body blew up and sucked in on itself, leaving nothing behind. 

Astrid slid herself hastily over to Loki's side, bringing his head up his hands and cradling him to her chest like he had done moments before. "Please tell me this is another horrible prank. I won't be mad if it is. Please tell me."

"Astrid," Loki choked out as he stared up at her, his breath cutting short. Astrid sobbed as she clutched onto him harder. "I'm sorry."

"Shut up." Astrid seethed. "Why couldn't you be selfish like you usually are? Why did you have to be so heroic? Thor could've handled himself." She whispered. 

Loki chuckled weakly. "I thought I did something right for once."

Astrid sighed as she looked down at him. She brought a gentle hand up to rake through his damp locks. "You did. I'm sorry. I'm being selfish. I... I just thought we'd have more time together."

Loki leaned into her touch. "I'm sorry, my love. W-when we meet again, I will spend the rest of my a-afterlife making it up to you."

Astrid smiled through her tears. "Promise?" She cried. 

A tear slid down Loki's cheek. "I swear it." He tried to raise his hand to caress her cheek but it fell back down to his chest as the life slipped from his grasp. Astrid cried into his chest as Thor came to comfort her. The two wept as Loki's lifeless body turned icy blue, revealing his true Frost Giant form.