Nat was honestly amazed it took them as long as it did for the guards to come get her. Had she been in Odin's position she would've taken her to some sort of protective room from the get go, to be under lock and key until they figured out what to do, or until Malekith got there again. Obviously it was what they were waiting for. Why not just throw her in the same cell as Loki and be done with it? He'd kill her, the Aether would disappear, or if not then at least they'd keep him vastly entertained watching as he tried to hurt her while the toxin, or whatever, in her blood kept her safe. Hell they might even finish each other off, and wouldn't that be for the better?

She had been alone for far too long if she was having thoughts like this. Not even Thor had gotten to come see her, and though she missed his company it did give her a good handle on the situation and a chance to look back at it. After the funerals for the rest of the Asgardians who had passed she'd snuck down to Loki's cell to give him the news, and though his reaction was not quite what she'd been expecting, he hadn't caught the lie. For that she was grateful. That night was spent in Thor's arms, feeling him shudder around her both with nightmares and with half-broken sobs. She regretted that she wasn't able to help him any more than she already had. All this power within her, and what good could it do? Nothing. Why was it that men like Loki craved it if it brought nothing but anxiety and trouble, death and suffering of those around them?

'Heavy is the head that wears the crown.'

The door opened to reveal the guard with her dinner, and she shook her head. Why on earth would she be hungry then? She'd hardly had a stomach since getting off the bifrost, hardly had time to think about it.

There came a clatter from the other side of him as the guards all fell, standing behind them was Sif. The dark haired woman gave her a quick up-down, smiling as she watched Nat immediately spring into action, picking off a couple of the smaller, more concealed weapons to add her already acquired arsenal of three knives she'd already pickpocketed when she was first brought there.

"You are the Midgardian that Thor worked alongside to bring down Loki?" Sif asked as they walked briskly down one of the many elaborate halls.

"Yeah. Loki tried to taunt me when he was in one of our holding cells. I found out his plan from that," she gave a small shrug as though it was nothing. Honestly she was used to dealing with megalomaniacs and getting them to spill their guts to her, though Loki had been something of a surprise at just how quickly he'd broken down and revealed it all. She'd really thought he'd be more guarded, but vanity got the best of some people she supposed.

"You're brave to have stood up to him. I know many an Aesir who are terrified of making him angry."

"I can handle him," she promised. Sif's look turned appraising, if not intrigued.

"Let's hope so," she murmured, dipping her head so that Nat turned her attention to what was in front of them. Bold as brass stood Loki, chained but grinning as he bantered with a not so easy looking Thor, the blond drawn as he turned to look over at Natasha. The depth of his smile didn't go unnoticed by either Sif or Loki, the former nudged Nat and rolled her eyes, teasing a quick smile of Nat's own, unable to help it. Loki's expression, however, was tight for the briefest of moments before his lips quirked up in a smirk of his own, though his eyes stayed hard and fixed on Natasha as he grew closer.

"You know when Frigga said to take care of us I don't think she meant it-."

Nat's fist connected with his jaw, before her knee connected with his groin, making him double over in shock and pain, hunching over far enough that she could lean in and whisper, her lips pressed against the shell of his ear and breath warm against his cool skin: "That's for bringing up Agent Barton."

Thor's eyes were wide, looking from Nat to Loki, body tense as though he wasn't sure what to do, while Sif just looked impressed.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you, Agent Romanov," Loki said, wincing a little as he forced himself to stand upright, forcing a grin onto his face. She just rolled her eyes. She hadn't hit him that hard, there was no need to act as if she'd crippled him for life. From the other side of the hall Nat could hear the sounds of guards coming, and as Sif and Thor seemed to be discussing the same thing Loki tipped her head over to face him once more.

"So, you have taken my brother's bed. How interesting," he smirked as he moved a thumb over one of the marks that Thor had left on her throat, the bruise still purple and bright she was certain despite it having been some time since they'd last had sex.

"None of your business, Loki. You turned down my offer for comfort," she said, lips tight and eyes narrowing as his own expression turned gleeful.

"And if I said I'd take you up on it?"

"I'd tell you there's not exactly time to be fucking around." She turned back to Thor. "Are we going or fighting?" She asked, pulling one of her daggers out and staying Loki's hand when he went to grab one of her others, not bothering to turn and look at him. Idiot. His low laugh was all she got for a response. Thor nodded his agreement, leading the way. Nat dipped her head towards Sif to thank her for her help, while the warrior goddess pressed her blade up to Loki's throat, hissing a threat about betraying Thor and how it would end badly for the trickster. Nat smirked to see him present his throat to her, almost as though he was used to it. Familiar with taking such a submissive role. How interesting.

There wasn't much more time to think it over as Thor beckoned them on, Nat's grip tightening on the dagger as she heard the telltale "shing" of swords being unsheathed and shouts of the guards as they caught sight of the retreating trio. They didn't have much time, and though Volstagg, the next friend of Thor's that they encountered, promised to do his very best at defending them, Nat couldn't help but be skeptic. He was a rather large man, certainly, and Thor trusted him, but they needed time.

It wasn't as though Thor knew how to fly the craft that they were stepping into. When Nat opened her mouth to offer assistance, however, Loki was quick to cut in.

"I thought you knew how to fly this thing?" He snarked, watching as his brother accosted every visible inch of what must've been the control panel. She looked out the side, heard the clattering of swords on armor, grunts and shouts as they realized where the others were. Heard Volstagg doing his best to hold them back, laughing as they fought as if he was having a grand old time. The loon. She surveyed the rest of the ship, the two brothers bickering in the background about whether or not Thor was pressing or hitting the buttons on the dashboard. With a whirl the machine came to life beneath them and she felt the air leave her lungs. Thor gave a cry of success as the machine lifted from the ground, Loki just snarking that he couldn't have hit more columns if he'd tried. As if it was helping. It was good to hear the banter, though, reminding Nat of Clint whenever they'd go on a mission together. He always picked at the smallest of things, the tension between them more comforting than it should've been, she supposed. The vehicle lurched forward as Thor maneuvered it through the wide halls, and Nat had to backtrack slightly to catch hold of the side before she toppled over, the wind still knocked from her lungs. She felt the eyes of one of them on her and caught Loki's gaze when she turned back.

"Shut up," she growled, turning back around. "I'm fine." But she knew she wasn't. The Aether was taking a lot out of her, clawing its way from her skin as it felt the dark elves' ship around her, trying to get back to its source, as if it could sense that there was a more powerful creature or being out there and was desperate to get to. She gritted her teeth together. She'd show them what was powerful enough, though she hunched down to give Thor a better view rather than standing in front.

Thor made a great mess of things, Nat had to admit, and though Loki was quick to comment on everything Nat had hope that there was a greater plan than this. She had to. He wasn't stupid, after all.

Loki, it seemed, wasn't as confident. "You oaf!" He shouted. "This is a fantastic plan. Steal the largest, most obvious ship there is, wreak havoc as you go through the city to cause mass panic, get us followed by the palace guards who'll have your and my head for being out of my damn cell-it's brilliant, Thor! It's fucking-." His shout made her turn around, amazed to see his body fly out through the opened door. Wait. What? Thor was standing at her side a moment later, hoisting her into his arms before looking down and jumping. She choked on a shout herself, burying her face in his shoulders as he held onto her and landed, with surprising finesse, on the deck of another ship, this one manned by the blond friend of his, named Fandral if she wasn't mistaken. Loki was scrambling up to his feet, groaning at the ache from being thrown out. Above, the now empty ship was being pursued as it veered off to the right.

"I see your time in the dungeons have made you no less graceful, Loki," Fandral quipped with a grin as Thor moved to sit Nat down at the very front of the ship, her eyes wide. She took his hand in hers.

"Please don't do that again," she said, just loud enough for him to hear, sure she was paler than normal. Steve and Thor might have a thing for falling out of aircrafts without a parachute, but Nat? No way in hell.

Thor just smiled and pressed his lips to hers quickly, before looking over at Loki. "Take us through the secret path."

Loki's gaze hardened, jaw set tight, before he nodded and took over what Fandral had, until moments ago, been using to steer the ship. The displeasure that had set his lips in a tight line disappeared quickly, though, replaced by a grin as the ship responded to the slightest of his caresses on the steering rod. His fingers seemed to caress the rounded metal, shackled together though his wrists were, and it almost purred beneath his careful touches. There came the sound of guns being fired at them, the water splashing around the lowered ship as the beams of energy hit its blue surface, before Loki lifted the ship upwards. Thor called out to Fandral, who nodded his head and with an almost amused cry of "For Asgard!" the man took hold of a length of rope and jumped off the side, passing onto the ship underneath them without issue to knock out its crew and give them safe passage for the rest of the way.

It was no wonder Thor felt so at home on the Avengers when he had a crew of his own that were so willing to help him when he needed it, no matter what the cost, and she was sure it would be great for going strictly against the king's orders.

With that last ship off their trail, Nat turned her attention to the mountain they were quickly coming up on, her hands tightening into fists.

"Loki!" Thor shouted as he looked back at his brother. Nat did the same, though she was oddly distracted by the way his long fingers kept caressing the handle.

"If it were easy everyone would do it," Loki snarked, his eyes masked with determination, mouth hanging an inch or so open as he moved the ship in ways Nat wasn't sure she could fathom.

"Are you mad?" Thor demanded.

"Thor, just let him work," Nat said, taking his hand and squeezing, before the man huddled down over her, trying to protect her with his body as Loki steered the ship through a minute crack in the mountain. The edges of the ship scraped against the hard rock, sending sparks flying as Loki tried to keep them from hitting all of the jutting edges and difficult jags of the crevice. A rainbow light shot out in front of them and with a sarcastic "Ta-dah!" from their pilot they landed on what looked like a barren wasteland, the sun blotted out by a larger orb in the sky, high winds picking up as they skimmed the surface of the new planet.

Nat couldn't help but wonder why anyone would stay on a planet such as this.

"Sleep," Thor murmured above her, feeling the way she'd started to tremble, and pressing his lips to her forehead. "Rest for now. I know not when the chance will come again."

She nodded, thanking him for the affection as she cupped the side of his face and kissed his cheek, before tucking her arm under her head and closing her eyes.

Neither of them noticed how Loki stiffened or the harsh line set in his face at the affection shared between the two of them.

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and for all the encouragement! You're stunning people, each and every one of you, and I love you for it.