A GODS WEAKNESS [l.laufeyson]

FORTY SEVEN

     At first when the trio arrived on Asgard, Astrid is unsure of her whereabouts. It must've been deep beneath the palace because she could swear she had never been here before.

Rocket lead the group forward to where he could see light. Thor shuffled around nervously, his anxiety really getting to him. Astrid followed while looking around curiously, she wanted to take in every detail of her former home.

"Right up ahead, I see some stairs-" Rocket was interrupted as Thor pulled him and Astrid up against the wall, he heard footsteps and instantly realised where they were.

They look up at the figure walking past and it suddenly clicked who it was and what day it was.

"Oh no." Astrid took a step forward and Thor instantly understood her concern.

"Hold up! Was that you?" Rocket spoke a little too loudly and Thor shushed him. Before she could answer, there was a loud crash coming from the cell just up ahead. Thor looked over to Astrid as to ask what she had said to upset the prisoner. After the noise had died down and the prisoner seemed to settle, Astrid slowly made her way to the cell knowing exactly who was going to be there. She knew it would be Loki.

"Today is the day, I told him about my arranged marriage when my father sold me." Rocket paused and looked to the ground uncomfortable. He didn't know the full extent of Astrid's past. "It's also the day of the attack."

Thor's thoughts rushed back to that day. He remembered it all too well. He had lost his mother that day. He placed a hand on Astrid's shoulder to urge her on as he walked ahead with Rocket. They both snuck past Loki as Astrid was hesitant to emerge from the corner to see her husband, but when she did, her body suddenly froze. He was actually there...

Her palms became clammy, her breath was hitched in the back of her throat, and her legs felt they could buckle beneath her. Five years she hasn't seen him, and now he was there.

If she wanted to she could run up to that force field and take it down with a flick of her wrist, she could embrace him and hold him for the rest of her time here. But that couldn't happen. It wasn't her Loki. This Loki belonged to herself from the past. But was she still selfish to want him?

Before she knew it, her legs had started making their way to his cell. She felt she had no control but she didn't try stop herself. Loki was still unaware of her presence as he was busy tossing his cup in the air.

Before she could make it any closer, Thor had grabbed her waist and drag her out. She wanted to scream and wriggle out of his grip, but she knew he was right. Seeing him again wouldn't be fair on anyone. After he made his way out of the dungeons with Astrid, they met Rocket in the hallway. It was quiet and there wasn't many people around which was perfect. Thor placed Astrid down on the floor where her legs had instantly buckled beneath her.

"I'm sorry, Astrid." Thor whispered. She quickly regained herself though thinking how stupid the idea was and stood up.

"No I'm sorry. It was a silly of me to imagine being with him again."

"The husband?" Rocket didn't take his gaze from up ahead as he scouted the area.

"...yes." She shifted uncomfortably. She knew Rocket had a habit of making fun of people and wasn't looking forward to him making digs at her dead husband. Rocket only hummed in response.

~

"For you, Lady Jane." The three turn to the voice to see an Asgardian maiden handing over a dress.

"That's Jane."

"Okay, here's the deal. Astrid you're going to keep watch, Thor is going to charm her, and I'm going to poke her with this thing, extract the reality stone, and get gone lickety-split."

Thor looked off in the other direction. "Um, I'll be right back. The wine cellar is just down there."

He trailed off and Astrid could only roll her eyes at him. She suddenly had a sense of someone approaching but when she tried telling the two, they didn't listen.

They hear the doors open and the three of them hide. They slowly peak round to see a small group of women. One woman in particular was talking about Loki and instructing the others to get him soup and some more books. Astrid's heart breaks at her mother figure. When she found out she had died, she felt she lost her mother all over again. She then remembers Thor is stood beside her and she feels awful. She still thinks she could've done something that day, only if her father hadn't gotten in the way.

"Who's the fancy broad?" Rocket seemed a bit lost at the two.

"That's Queen Frigga. Thor's mother."

"She dies today."

In the meantime, Thor is having a panic attack and Rocket is trying to calm him down. But Astrid's eyes are still following Frigga. She ends up in a daze as she's remembering everything good about Asgard. Sure, not everything was perfect. She's had her struggles in life, like with her father. But it was the people here that helped her get through it. The people on Asgard helped her survive.

"Okay let's go." Rocket pulled Astrid out of her daze and starts walking beside him to Janes chambers as Thor nervously trudges behind.

"Alright heartbreaker, this is our shot." When they hear no response from the God of Thunder, they turn to realise he's nowhere to be seen.

"Thor?" Astrid called down the corridor but there was no sign.

"How about we kill him, and say the elves did it?" Astrid couldn't tell if Rocket was joking or not.

~

"Okay well looks like you're gonna have to distract her. Think you're up for it?" Rocket and Astrid gave up looking for Thor and decided to do it themselves.

"Well turns out I never really got to know her, so here's my chance." Astrid joked nervously as she walked up to the door and knocked on it. Jane opened the door to greet Astrid and invited her in as Rocket slid in and hid behind the chaise lounge.

"So I hear you're getting married? Must be exciting!"

"Yes, it's definitely a new chapter for me." Astrid cringed at the thought of Inez. But then she remembered what he had coming and felt satisfied.

There was an awkward silence and Astrid could tell Jane wanted to ask something but was holding back, until eventually she spoke up. "I'm sorry to hear about Loki. Thor told me about you two and... I couldn't imagine what it must be like."

Astrid was unsure on what to say about that situation, remembering it all too well so only smiled at Jane. "Why don't you take a seat? You look exhausted."

Jane didn't argue and knew she was tired so sat on the chaise lounge in the corner where Rocket was waiting.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Jane asked confusingly.

"For this..." Rocket shot up from behind her and raises the extraction device over his head to jab her.

"Hey!" An Einherjar soldier barges in hearing the commotion to catch Rocket with the device sucking out the Aether and Astrid standing by as an accomplice.

"Uh oh..." was all Rocket could say.

"Time to go." Astrid swiftly flicked her wrist to knock the guard out against the wall. Apologising as she ran out with Rocket only to be encountered by a bunch of guards outside.

"Lady Astrid?" They asked in confusion.

"Not exactly."