Survivor's Guilt ~ A Marvel Story

~ 12 ~

I stood at the machine that was constructed to open the portal. My energy would help it stay stabilized throughout the time it was opening the portal.

I kept my palms steady as a beam of light shot into the sky. A dark wormhole began to open and a sound that resembled thunder cracked across their bright, beautiful sky. It was times like these when I thanked Heimdall for this ring. I hadn't felt tired throughout my entire time on Earth.

As the army flooded from the crack in the sky, I let my palms down and watched as they poured into Midgaurd. My army.

I watched as they began the inevitable war. Things have to be destroyed to be rebuilt better. Stronger. They would be thankful for this war when peace engulfs their world.

I grabbed onto one of the flying Chitauri and controlled it to drop me off on the ground level. The wind ran through my braided hair as we flew through the waring city. 

My boots crunched the fallen debris as I looked around, my energy thrashing with eagerness to be used. 

"Astird." My ears twitched when I heard my name spoken so softly. The warm voice brought an unwanted familiarity. 

I turned to stare at the boy with sandy blonde hair. I couldn't do anything but shake my head.

Chaos bloomed around us. The Chitauri flew past, shooting everything that moved in their wake. Smoke from toppled buildings and vehicles surrounded us in a heavy blanket. Their world was collapsing but once Loki and I won, I knew we could rebuild it better than they could've ever dreamed. Sometimes, you have to lose to win and it frustrated me that mortals didn't understand this. They will lose today.

Why Rune was here didn't matter. I just needed him to leave.

"Why are you doing this?" His voice was panicked and exhausted as he held a meek sword by his side. His armor wouldn't protect him and his force fields would look like chainmail when I'm through.

We paced around each other in a circle, building the anticipation of our fight we both knew was coming.

"Like you care," I spat angrily. "You're in service of the man who forced me here."

I knew my words pained him. Yet, my sword could make him bleed. I wanted to see the crimson leak from every limb of his body. A warm shiver crept through me.

"Odin wants nothing more than to see you and Loki return to Asgard. To return home!"

I scoffed, looking towards the sky before my eyes fell back towards the Asgardian. "Why? So he can make me look weak once again? So he can lock me in my room till he might have use of me?" I realized then how much I'd felt like Loki when he found out about his heritage. Locked away until an appearance needs to be made.

"What happened to you?" He stared at me like a lost dog.

"Go home, Rune," I snap as annoyance rises through my throat. 

"You know I can't leave this." He waved his hands around desperately. 

"This," I spat, mockingly waving my hands around. "Is victory. What is rightfully mine."

His face looked so defeated. "I don't want to fight you."

I shrugged and quickly shot out my sword. It cast a pale blue glow around us, building the tension. "I don't either but if you came here to stop me, I have no choice."

"Then I don't either, my princess." He raised his sword and charged at me.

The last time we fought, I was put on bed rest for days. This time, it would be he who walks away broken.

I swung my sword effortlessly, clashing with his. Our swords made an X in front of our faces. Sparks from my sword flew around us and I grit my teeth and pushed him down. 

His arm flew up, throwing a force field at me. I slid back, one knee on the ground as my hand caught me. I flicked my head up. 

I screamed as I ran toward him, quickly sliding down and swinging my sword below his knees. It knocked him to the ground. His armor clattered against the asphalt of the road.

"You've gotten stronger," He groaned as he attempted to get up. I smiled and twirled the ring around my finger.

"Stay down, Rune." I put my boot on his back, pushing him back down. "I know my father sent you."

"He wants the best for you-"

"You don't know what he wants!" I screamed. "You have no idea what being a daughter in his family is like. You have no right to speak to me about that."

He stared up at me with fear in his eyes. 

"Go home," I lowered my voice. "Now."

I turned my back to the Asgardian and began to walk through the smoke and fire of the falling city. I needed to find Loki and finish this battle.