As Thor piloted the ship, quickly retreating from Asgard's defenses, Loki quipped, "Why don't you let me drive? Clearly, I'm the better pilot."
Thor shot back, "You're the only one here who can't fly, so how good could you possibly be?"
Loki glanced at Charles, knowing that Thor's comment about flying was referring to him.
Suddenly, Jane collapsed onto the floor.
Loki, startled, exclaimed, "Oh no, is she dead?"
Charles knelt down to check on her and said, "Thor, Jane doesn't have much time. We need to hurry."
Jane while lying on the ground, said, "I'm fine."
Thor trusted Charles's assessment more, and he pushed the ship to move faster.
Meanwhile, Asgard's defenses, including several warships, began firing at them and chasing their ship.
As Thor navigated through the attacks, the ship collided with numerous buildings, causing destruction along the way.
From the back, Loki sarcastically commented, "Nice job. You just beheaded your grandfather."
Hearing this, Charles couldn't help but chuckle. In a recent close call, the ship had accidentally decapitated a statue of Bor, their grandfather.
"Brilliant plan, Thor," Loki continued mockingly.
"We steal the most noticeable ship in the universe and fly it all over the city, crashing into things so everyone knows exactly where we are. Genius."
Charles found Loki's jabs amusing but chose not to intervene.
Thor, however, had enough. He opened the side door of the ship and unceremoniously pushed Loki out.
"Ahhh!" Loki screamed as he fell.
Thor then set the ship to autopilot, picked up Jane, and turned to Charles.
"Time to change vehicles."
The three of them jumped from the ship, landing on another smaller Asgardian ship piloted by Fandral, who had been waiting for them below.
Seeing Loki's less-than-graceful landing, Fandral laughed, "Still as elegant as ever, even after being locked up for so long, Loki."
Loki stood up, brushing himself off.
"You tricked me. Well done," he admitted to Thor.
Thor, focused ahead, replied without turning around, "I'm glad you're impressed. Now, keep your promise and take us to your secret passage."
Loki took control of the ship and altered their course. However, before they could get far, another Asgardian ship locked onto them and started firing.
Charles asked, "Do you need me to handle this?"
Fandral shook his head, "Leave it to me. We'll need you for Malekith later."
"For Asgard!" Fandral shouted as he leapt onto the enemy ship, engaging the three soldiers aboard.
As he fought, he casually called out, "Nothing personal, guys."
It didn't take long for Fandral to subdue them, and he waved to Thor, signaling that it was clear.
Meanwhile, Loki steered their ship toward what looked like a mountain rising from the sea.
Thor, seeing their trajectory, shouted, "Loki?!"
Loki, accelerating, answered nonchalantly, "If it were easy to find, anyone could have done it."
Thor yelled in disbelief, "Are you insane?"
Loki smirked, "Maybe!"
In the next moment, Loki piloted the ship into the mountain's cave, where it scraped against the walls before entering a wormhole, transporting them to another world.
"Welcome," Loki remarked as they arrived.
…
Meanwhile-
Aboard the Dark Elves' mothership-
Algrim addressed Malekith, "We must attack immediately."
Malekith waved his hand dismissively, "No need to go to Asgard. The Aether is already on its way home."
He had sensed that Thor and his group had arrived in the Dark World.
…
Loki glanced at Jane, lying unconscious on the ship, and commented, "Imagine what I could do with that power."
Charles interjected, "Don't even think about it. Once the Aether is extracted, I'll be the one keeping it safe."
Thor nodded in agreement, "It would consume you, Loki."
Frustrated, Loki retorted, "She seems fine. And you're not giving such a powerful relic to your own brother, but to an outsider?"
Charles turned to Loki with his sharp gaze, "Do you think you can take it from me? Want to test that later?"
Loki, knowing he was no match for Charles, awkwardly laughed, "Just... consider that the ramblings of a recently freed man."
He quickly shifted his attention back to Thor, saying, "You might want to say your goodbyes to her."
Thor shook his head, "Not today."
Loki pressed on, "Today, tomorrow, a hundred years... What does it matter? It's all fleeting. You'll have to let go. The one thing you truly care about will eventually be taken by time."
Angered by Loki's words, Thor snapped, "And that would satisfy you, wouldn't it?"
Loki, with a cold smile, replied, "I'll never be satisfied."
Loki then glanced at Charles, who had been observing the exchange, and asked, "Does she have the potential to be a sorceress?"
Charles shook his head, "Unfortunately... no."
Thor, with determination in his voice, declared, "I will never give up."
Loki scoffed, "Of course you won't. You really are Odin's son."
Thor countered, "I'm more than just Odin's son. Do you think our mother only loved you? She taught you deception, but she taught me trust."
Loki sneered, "Trust? Was that her parting gift to you, when you failed to protect her?"
Charles frowned slightly, confused.
Frigga wasn't dead. What exactly did Thor tell Loki?
Thor, also frowning, tightened his fists but then relaxed.
'Should I be angry here? But Mother's fine,' He struggled to maintain his composure.
"She wouldn't want us to fight," Thor finally said.
Loki, still defiant, muttered, "I'm sure she's used to it by now."
Charles couldn't help but imagine the future scenario where Loki, disguised as Odin, would find out that his mother was very much alive.
'His face will be priceless', Charles thought with amusement.
Loki might even drop his shapeshift in shock.
Thor looked at Loki with sincerity, "I wish I could trust you."
Loki's eyes darkened, "Trust in my rage."
As the tension between the brothers settled, Charles spoke up, "I'll go invisible from here on out. We don't know when Malekith will arrive, and it's best if he doesn't detect me. It'll make our plan easier."
Thor nodded. "We'll rely on you."
Charles placed a Hiraishin mark on Jane Foster's shoulder, ensuring that when Malekith extracted the Aether, he could safely teleport Jane away from the battlefield instantly.
After completing the preparations, Charles's form vanished from sight, leaving no trace behind.