"Do you feel like something's off?" Steve asked, frowning as he glanced at Tony during the flight back.
"Isn't it normal for our rockstar villain to give up after getting a beatdown?" Tony shrugged, leaning back casually in his seat. "You know, old guys like you tend to overthink. That's how insomnia starts."
"Old guy? Insomnia?" Steve raised an eyebrow, clearly not amused.
"Okay, okay, my bad. I shouldn't question your ability to sleep—especially after you spent seventy years as Captain America's popsicle." Tony's voice had a bite to it.
There was still some tension—especially after Steve had once chosen his shield over Tony during a tough decision.
That stung.
Still, deep down, Tony had grown up on tales of Captain America.
He remembered telling his dad as a kid, "Someday, I'm gonna be just like him."
Steve, of course, had no idea that the man throwing sarcastic jabs at him was actually a closeted fan who just needed a little attention—and maybe a bit of reassurance.
Steve kept his tone firm. "Fury didn't say you'd be joining."
"Yeah, well, there's a lot Fury doesn't say." Tony turned his face toward the window, the mood shifting for a moment.
Suddenly, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a booming thunderclap that rattled the plane.
Loki, still seated and silent until now, flinched.
"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" Steve asked, eyeing him.
Loki narrowed his eyes. "I'm not overly fond of what follows."
He looked at Ethan right in the eye, "You should know who I mean."
He was clearly talking about Thor. Loki had let himself be captured—but definitely not so Thor could drag him back to Asgard like a misbehaving child.
"He's talking about Thor," Ethan cut in calmly. "I know him. Used his hammer once."
Outside, the storm intensified. Lightning danced across the clouds. Then, a heavy thud echoed from the top of the jet.
A second later, the cabin lights flickered and exploded from an overload. The control systems sparked and whined.
"It's Thor. He's here," Ethan said, his voice steady as he looked up.
Tony stared out the window at the brewing chaos.
"Okay... definitely Thor. And he's not holding back. Time to suit up." With that, he slipped his helmet on.
The jet jolted as the hatch blew open.
Wind roared in, and a towering figure stepped through the swirling darkness—messy blond hair, eyes glowing with fury, and a red cape fluttering behind him.
"I am Thor, God of Thunder, and I come in the name of Asgard!" Thor's voice boomed through the cabin.
Tony switched to night vision and blinked at the sight. "Wait, this is Thor?"
What he saw was... unexpected.
Shirtless, hair wild, and looking like a cross between a Viking and someone cosplaying after way too many drinks.
Tony blinked again. 'Okay, I'm in next-gen armor. Why should I be scared of a dude in a medieval armor with drapes, holding a hammer? The lightning must've just been... dramatic timing.'
Feeling emboldened, he stepped forward.
"WHAM!"
Thor's hammer met Tony's chest with punishing force, sending him flying across the cabin.
Groaning on the floor, Tony muttered, "Yep... definitely Thor. Strong as hell."
But Thor didn't spare him another glance.
His focus was on the real prize—Loki.
He grabbed his mischievous brother like a sack of potatoes, spun Mjolnir, and with a thunderous whoosh, vanished into the sky.
From the beginning to the end, Ethan sat calmly in his seat, completely unbothered by the chaos around him.
"Hey," Steve leaned over and nudged him. "You know Thor, right? So why didn't he even glance at you just now?"
Ethan barely looked up. "I don't know him when the lights are out," he said with a shrug. "But even if he were just a shadow, I'd still recognize that hammer of his—same way I know your shield."
Steve instinctively held his shield closer, a strange sense of attachment creeping in, like someone was about to take his most prized possession—something he'd carried for seventy years.
"And even if I do know him," Ethan added, glancing toward the cabin, "do you really think that tiny connection is going to stop him from grabbing his brother and flying off? You think he's going to pull up a chair and chat about it over coffee?"
Tony scoffed and stood. "Then stop him."
Ethan looked over, expression unreadable. "You sure about that? I'm not scared of Thor, but if we go head-to-head, this plane's going down first. Wouldn't it be smarter to just let him take Loki outside? We can always catch up."
Tony paused. "Okay… that actually makes some sense."
He nodded begrudgingly, but then shook off the moment and powered up his suit again.
Despite being knocked around by Thor earlier, he felt fine now—nothing a little pride couldn't fix.
"Stark, we need a plan of attack," Steve called out, trying to stop Tony from going off,
Tony paused, and looked back, "I have a plan. Attack."
Determined to try again, Tony shot out of the plane at full speed.
Ethan stretched lazily, got up, and strolled toward the cabin door.
Without hesitation, he stepped out, turned his back against the exit and freefall into the air,
Seeing them both go, Steve grabbed a parachute pack.
"Captain, maybe sit this one out," Natasha called back from the cockpit. "They can all fly."
But Steve shook his head.
He hadn't forgotten choosing the shield over Tony earlier.
It made sense at the time, but it still weighed on him.
He wasn't going to let Tony face this alone.
Meanwhile, Thor had landed atop a cliff, tossing Loki roughly to the ground. "Tell me, where is the Tesseract?"
Loki, sprawled across the rocks, grinned. "Did you miss me?"
Despite the harsh landing, he wasn't angry.
He knew this version of his brother well—loud, brash, and never gentle.
"We all thought you were dead," Thor said, helping Loki up and brushing the dirt from his shoulders without thinking.
"Really?" Loki's expression faltered. His voice dropped. "Did you mourn me?"
"Of course I mourned you," Thor said softly. "So did our father."
That last part killed the moment.
Loki's smile vanished.
His gaze turned cold. "Your father," he snapped, backing away. "We're not even blood related."
Thor didn't flinch. "I don't care. We grew up together, Loki. You've always been my brother. Doesn't any of that matter to you?"
Loki's voice trembled as his eyes reddened. "I only remember living in your shadow."
It had always been Thor—Thor the strong, Thor the favored, Thor the heir.
Loki knew Thor cared for him, but that protection was suffocating.
He didn't want to be sheltered. He wanted to stand beside Thor, not behind him.
He dreamed of walking into the Halls of Valhalla as equals, of finally being accepted by the realm, of being crowned—not out of pity, but because he earned it.
But Odin had written the ending long before Loki ever had a chance.
So he resisted.
He carved his own path. But Thor's return from Earth ruined everything.
"You want to protect Earth? Your little human girlfriend?" Loki spat. "Then I'll take everything you care about down there!"