Survivor's Guilt ~ A Marvel Story

~ 11 ~

"What are you doing here, Astrid?" Thor asks me.

I keep my head forward, elbows on my knees. "Where's Loki?" I ask for what feels like the thousandth time.

Loki and I were separated once the enemies brought us onto another ship, this one bigger. Much bigger. I was put in a small room with a bench and dim lights.

"He won't be hurt," Thor ignores my question again. "Seriously, sister. I expect this of Loki. But you?"

I scoff. "No one ever expects anything of me."

I heard him shift in his seat. "But you're so... kind." Sincerity filled his tone.

"It's always the kind people that get stepped on, brother, and I can't take it anymore. I don't want to be locked up in the castle, expected to do nothing but obey my father until a marriage transaction is approved and then I'm expected to do nothing but obey my husband."

"Astrid that's not what people expect of you."

"Isn't it?" I scoff.

"You are a princess of the most powerful realm. You are a warrior. You could best any soldier father throws in a match with you. You doubt yourself."

"No!" I yell, standing up. "I don't doubt myself. Everyone else doubts me. But I don't doubt myself."

Thor puts his head in his hands. "Why are you doing this? Loki seeks a crown but you-"

"I seek respect." My voice was stronger than I'd ever heard it at this moment. Thor's kind words weren't going to stop me from gaining what I came here for.

The door to the room opens and an unfamiliar man. He wore a purple shirt and brown slacks. I glared at him for interrupting but Thor stood up and walked out of the room.

"She's a little scary," The man said to Thor as he walked out. 

"She typically isn't." The door locked between the two of them and I watched as my brother walked away with the man.

I banged my fist on the glass door but nothing happened. I wanted to scream but I knew there were eyes on me. A camera, probably. I wasn't going to give them a show. 

That's when I heard Loki's voice in my head. He needed me. I threw a glowing dagger from my palm at the camera, cracking it, before wielding a sword and thrashing at the glass door. It didn't take long for the glass to shatter.

Soldiers wearing black charged at me but they were dead almost instantly. Thor was right about one thing. I could best any soldier thrown at me.

I trusted my intuition into a hidden room with a large glass circle. I could tell the cage once held Loki but now held Thor.

I spotted Loki standing with his hands up defensively and his eyes met mine as a man between us pointed a large weapon at my brother. Thor looked at me as a silvery knife formed in my hand. 

A scream came from the man in front of me as my knife slid right through his chest. I saw the crimson drip off my knife before I made it disappear, stepping away from the dying man.

Thor screamed no, pounding his fist on his glass cage. 

I watched as Loki's hand pressed a button which opened a gate beneath Thor's cage, sending him tumbling to the ground below. We both knew it wouldn't kill him but it would get rid of that headache for a moment.

A meek voice spoke from our left. "You're going to lose."

Loki turned to the man I had stabbed. "Are we?"

"It's in your nature."

He stepped forward. "Your heroes are scattered. Your floating fortress falls from the sky. Where is our disadvantage?" I didn't know what Loki was talking about. The ship was falling? I decided to just go with it.

"You lack conviction," The man spoke. 

Loki goes to speak but I raise my hand to stop him.

"Shoot that gun and I'll finish the job." I keep my voice firm as I stare at the man.

"How'd you-"

"I always know," I bit back. For safe measure, I walk up to him and grab the weapon before throwing it to the ground. It shattered immediately. 

I sent one final blast in the man's direction knocking him out.

"Let's go," Loki said, leading us off the ship.