The Girl Who Held the Universe in her Hands | marvel [1] ✔

SIX

CHAPTER SIX
' I REALLY WANT
TO KILL YOU . '

"I thought I would find you here." His voice broke Ash's concentration as she stared out over the sea surrounding Asgard. "You should be at the infirmary, resting," Thor continued.

A sharp gust of wind shot through her, the mountains trying their best to make her move on. Ash remained quiet for a moment, palms rubbing together as she moved her head slightly to catch him in the corner of her eye. "Rest is not what I want," she replied, looking back over the water.

Thor watched her, his black cloak whipping around with the violent air. "And what is it that you want?"

"What I want?" Ash repeated. She rose to her feet, turning to face him. "Thor, that man devastated your kingdom, killed its Queen and started a revolution. Why the hell are you asking what I want?" Her voice became softer. "You're a King, and I'm a warrior. Revenge is all I know. You know damn well what I want."

Thor looked away at the mention of his mother, hair covering his face and hiding his expression. Ash remained silent, and she carefully studied him. "And how would you get what you want?" he asked eventually, voice quiet.

She lifted her chin, jaw clenching. "He can track the Aether, meaning wherever we take Jane, neither she nor that world is safe. That thing he has, that soldier, he's otherworldly. He's not an elf. He brushed off my power like dust, and he clearly managed to drag himself out of that rubble in time to drive a sword through Frigga's torso. Jane can't hold the Aether in her forever. The longer that thing stays in her, the closer she is to dying. So we get that thing out of her, and we move it to where he - or anyone else - can't find it or better, we destroy it."

"And could you remove it from her?"

Ash shook her head. "Not me, not here. If I had time and more experience maybe. Jane's a human, one wrong move, and I'll kill her and everyone nearby." She suddenly became quiet. "Fuck." As she turned away, Thor stepped towards her, eyebrows pulling into a furrow.

"What?"

"I can't remove it, but I know someone who could."

"Where are they?"

Ash looked back at him, eyes unreadable. "Probably planning the next attack on Asgard."

\_|_/\_|_/\_|_/

When Thor walked Loki out of prison, a frown formed on Ash's face. She kicked off the pillar she leant against and moved to meet them halfway. "This wasn't part of the plan."

"This wasn't part of your plan," he corrected.

"Yeah," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "Because my plan didn't need any more reason to fail. You've just halved our chances with that."

Loki smiled at her. "Lovely to see you again, Astrid."

Before he could realise it, she threw him against a pillar, fist clenched around his shirt and pinning him. "I really want to kill you." Her voice was quiet, almost a hiss.

His smile remained. "I bet you do."

"How can you wear that smile when you told him exactly where to go?" Her irises darkened, lips pulling back to reveal her snarl. She shoved him against the wall again to further her point. Loki's smile dropped slightly, he went to push her away, but her magic curled around his wrists and stapled them to his sides. "Oh, how sweet terror looks in your eyes, Loki, and we haven't even begun-"

Thor ripped her away from his brother, moving to stand between them before Ash could pounce again. "-Enough," he commanded. Ash's glare didn't lessen, fists clenched at her sides as Loki pulled his collar away from his neck, mirroring her look of hatred. "I brought you with me to help contain him," Thor continued, gaze moving back to Ash. "This plan needs both of you. Don't make me have to choose who to leave behind. We all get something out of this, so focus on that."

Loki hummed, recovering from his moment of weakness. "This is so unlike you, brother. So clandestine. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just punch your way out?"

"If you keep speaking, I just might," Thor mumbled as he turned away, the others following him.

Loki smirked. "Fine, as you wish. I'm not even here." He morphed into an Asgardian guard. "Is this better?"

"It's better company, at least."

"Still, we could be less conspicuous." Loki turned back into himself but turned Thor into Sif.

"Jesus, you look fit," Ash drawled, a smirk playing on her lips for a moment.

Thor, or Sif, looked at her with a glare as he looked down at his body and then replied in his own voice, "It will hurt no less when I kill you both in this form."

Ash clicked her tongue as she spun and walked backwards, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "I wouldn't complain."

"Very well. Perhaps you prefer one of your new companions, given that you seem to like them so much." Loki then turned himself into Captain America. "Oh, this is much better. Woah. The costume's a bit much, so tight. But the confidence, I can feel the righteousness surging. Hey, you wanna have a rousing discussion about truth, honour, patriotism? God bless Amer–" Thor grabbed hold of Loki and put his hand over his mouth. He pushed him against the wall, Loki turning back into himself. Ash ducked next to them. "What?"

Thor looked to the side as two Asgardian guards walked away.

"You could at least furnish me with a weapon. My dagger, something!" Loki continued. A dagger appeared against Loki's neck, and he thrust himself further against the column.

"More comfortable?" Ash questioned in a mockingly sweet voice as Thor stepped away, letting Ash face him directly. "Takes you back to old times, huh?"

"At last, a little common sense-" Loki looked down at his cuffed hands as Thor chuckled.

Ash leaned in, a smile growing on her lips. "Shame I don't get to play with my dagger more often," she whispered, tapping him on the cheek with it. "I learnt from the best, of course." She moved the tip to dent into his neck before pulling away and following Thor nonchalantly.