A GODS WEAKNESS [l.laufeyson]

THIRTY SIX

     There were muffled voices surrounding Astrid. She was still unconscious and couldn't remember much of what happened. The muffled voices started to become clearer, she recognised one of the voices to be Thor's. The others however, she could not identify.

"You seem to know a great deal about Thanos." Astrid had started to wake when Thor mentioned the name of their attacker. She stirred in pain as she slowly lifted herself up.

"Astrid! You must take it easy." Thor ran to her side to help the girl up. She held her stomach again which seemed to be stitched up. She looked puzzled as six strangers stood before them. Mantis went over to check her out as she was the one who helped clean up her stab wound while the others continued their conversation ignoring Astrid.

"As we were saying... Gamora, is the daughter of Thanos."

That name seemed to trigger Astrid as images came flashing back to her head. The ship under attack. Her, Valkyrie and Korg helping civilians escape. Proxima Midnight. The Tesseract. The Gauntlet. Thanos.

Loki.

The scene of him being killed replayed in Astrid's mind as she ran around the room looking for her husband while calling his name. Thor grabbed ahold of her making her look at him. Her tears were now streaming down her face, she had no control.

"Thor, where is he?" She already knew the answer but refused to believe it. Thor only looked down to try hide his own tears while Astrid stood there shocked.

"No." she whispered. "No. No. No!" She shouted louder before her legs caved in as she screamed.

"I'm so sorry, Astrid. I wish I could have done something." Thor only held her close trying to comfort the broken girl the best he can. He felt he had failed his dear sister.

~

Mantis sat with Astrid at the side of the ship while Thor carried on with his conversation with the Guardians. It had taken them ages to calm her down and Mantis had taken her to the side to alter her emotions to help her settle. Mantis had never felt so much loss and sadness in one before. She spoke up to say something before realising she shouldn't. That was until Astrid decided to speak up.

"You know, my husband and I are expecting our first child." Astrid held her knees to her chest while Mantis rested her hand on her arm. She had learned that was a way of comfort. Astrid still refused to believe Loki was truly gone. She kept looking at the corners expecting him to walk out and hold her again.

"A child?" Mantis never had to deal with children before so didn't know much about them.

"Yes. A boy for the matter of fact. Our little Prince." Astrid placed her hand back on her stomach rubbing it. She was finding this incredibly difficult to talk about but she had to say something.

"May I?" Mantis brought her hand towards Astrid's stomach without touching it wanting her permission to feel the baby. Astrid lightly nodded at Mantis while she brought her hand to Astrid's stomach. She sat there a little while focusing on the baby. But she couldn't feel anything.

She thought maybe her powers didn't work on unborn creatures. Astrid was waiting for Mantis to tell her how the baby was doing when she saw Thor heading to the pod. She instantly got up heading towards him.

"Thor! Where are you going?"

"Nivadellir. Eitri the dwarf king can make me the weapon I need. The rabbit here is joining me on my quest." Rocket questioned Thor calling him a rabbit but Thor ignored him. "I hope you will be joining me."

Thor stepped inside the pod expecting Astrid to join him, but she just stood there. She turned to look at the remaining guardians deciding on what to do. She had heard them speak of going to Knowhere to stop Thanos from retrieving the reality stone, and that is what she intended to do.

"No."

"No?" Thor questioned her intentions.

"I will be joining these people. I want to help stop Thanos."

Thor thought for a moment, but didn't argue. Unlike Loki, he was more chilled out about letting Astrid make her own decisions. He had seen the warrior she was and knew she could defend herself. That didn't mean he wasn't worried though. They were now at war.

"Are you sure?" He questioned her once more hoping she would join him.

"Thor, that monster had just killed your brother. My husband. I want to make sure he suffers. If we don't stop him now, this little one and I have nothing to live for." She placed her hand on her stomach again as Thor looked down to the bump of his nephew. He walked up to her embracing her in a hug.

"Please be careful. If anything happened to you, Loki would return to haunt me." This made Thor and Astrid both smile tearfully as they separated. Astrid walked back to the guardians as Mantis placed a hand on her shoulder while Thor returned to the pod with Groot and Rocket.

"I bid you farewell and good luck, morons. Bye." Thor waved the group off gaining a smile from Astrid. She turned to look at the guardians before speaking up. She was determined to avenge her husband.

"So. What's the plan?"