Chapter 12 - The Beginning of the Convergence

We quickly returned to the London apartment. As soon as we stepped through the door, Darcy and Ian greeted Jane with relief while Thor carefully placed Mjolnir on the coat rack. I held back a smile as I saw Ian raise an eyebrow, visibly perplexed.

Erik Selvig arrived shortly after, and I had to blink in surprise when I saw him without pants. Ian, clearly used to this, simply shrugged.

"It helps him think."

Thor, despite his surprise, greeted him with respect. But when Selvig asked if Loki was with us, a shadow crossed the God of Thunder's face.

"Loki is dead. Kurse killed him," he declared gravely.

Selvig seemed relieved, almost satisfied. Thor didn't hide his disapproval, but he also knew that Selvig had suffered because of Loki. I couldn't help but mutter:

"Funny… I'd bet he'll reappear just to annoy someone."

"He better not," Erik grumbled. "That guy made me look like a lunatic in front of the entire world."

Darcy crossed her arms and looked at Thor. "So, you show up after two years without a word, and now it's the apocalypse? Do you always go for the dramatic, or is this an Asgardian tradition?"

Jane sighed. "Darcy…"

"What? I'm just saying, it's starting to become a pattern!"

Thor shook his head with an amused smile, but Jane quickly regained her seriousness and explained the situation. Malekith planned to use the Aether during the Convergence to plunge the Nine Realms into darkness. Erik, despite his odd attire, immediately launched into complex calculations to determine where it would happen: Greenwich.

"If we want to stop him, it's now or never," he declared.

Thor grabbed Mjolnir. Selvig finally put on his pants. As for me, I turned to Darcy and whispered softly:

"If you're ever in danger, call me. Like a prayer. Think of me really hard, shout my name in your mind. I'll probably hear it."

Darcy raised an eyebrow. "You mean you can read my thoughts? Because if that's the case, I have a lot of questions."

I couldn't help but laugh.

---

The Battle Begins

Arriving in Greenwich, everything escalated quickly. Jane, Erik, Darcy, and Ian rushed to set up the gravitational spikes. Meanwhile, Thor watched the horizon, ready to fight at any moment. I stayed on the move, using well-placed gusts to push civilians away from danger.

The first screams rang out as Malekith's ship sliced through the clouds. Pedestrians froze, some pulling out their phones to record the scene. Moments later, the Royal Naval College trembled as the enemy vessel crashed into it. The Dark Elves emerged, their dark silhouettes moving with deadly precision. Panic erupted as civilians fled in terror.

But just as some of the elves chased after them, something invisible struck them head-on.

I moved through them like a gust of wind, slamming one elf against a brick wall while sending another sliding across the ice forming beneath his feet. Some tried to counterattack, but their weapons cut through the air without hitting me. To the civilians, the scene seemed supernatural—enemies taken down by a force they couldn't even see.

"Ghosts!" a man screamed as he ran away.

"Did you see that?!" a woman shouted. "Something's attacking them!"

In a corner, a group of children watched the scene in fascination. One tugged on his mother's sleeve, pointing toward where I was fighting.

"Mom, look! There's a boy fighting the monsters!"

The woman, busy gathering her things and fleeing, shook her head. "Don't say nonsense, there's nothing there."

"But there is! I swear! He's flying and making snow!"

Another child nodded excitedly. "I see him too!"

The adults, too distracted by the chaos, didn't believe them. But I heard them. And that simple fact gave me a surge of energy.

As I continued protecting the civilians, a call echoed in my mind. A voice, weak, uncertain.

"Jack…?"

I frowned. It was Darcy. She had actually tried. She had really attempted to call me as I told her to. And I heard her.

"Jack, if you can hear me… I'm in the courtyard behind the fountain, and I have a huge problem! I don't even know why I'm trying this—I didn't think it would actually work!"

I didn't hesitate a second longer. Carried by the wind, I rushed through the ruins of the college and materialized just in time to see a Dark Elf approaching Darcy, blade in hand.

"You're right, it's crazy that this works," I said, sweeping the elf away with a burst of snow, slamming him against a wall.

Darcy, panting, shook her head with a nervous smile. "Okay. Rule number one: always listen to the Winter Spirit when he gives weird advice."

I extended my hand to her. "Ready to move?"

She grabbed it without hesitation. "Oh, hell yes."

"Yeah, a Christmas ghost who decided to fight," Darcy joked, though her nervous smile betrayed her anxiety.

"I'm not Santa Claus—he's way more badass than me," I replied, referencing Rise of the Guardians, before diving back into battle.

---

The Storm Breaks

Thor leaped into the fray, Mjolnir striking with the power of thunder. I followed, unleashing a freezing storm to slow our enemies.

"Too bad they're not the kind to celebrate Christmas," I remarked, blowing a gust that sent several elves tumbling.

"I doubt they appreciate festivities," Thor replied, slamming his hammer into the ground, launching a wave of enemies into the air.

I was holding my own. My staff spun in my hands, striking here, freezing there. Every hit was met with a smirk, every dodge with a light laugh. The Dark Elves, clearly frustrated, tried to land a blow on me, but I remained untouchable.

Meanwhile, Jane and the others planted the gravitational spikes. Several times, I had to intervene to repel elves attacking them. Erik, absorbed in his calculations, didn't even realize I had just saved his life by freezing an enemy who was about to slit his throat.

Then, the sky changed.

The Convergence was reaching its peak. An arch appeared in the sky, vibrating with pure cosmic energy. I felt the distortion of space around us, the very air bending under this strange force.

Malekith materialized atop the arch, his body radiating the energy of the Aether. He raised a hand and unleashed a wave of glowing red power. Thor barely blocked it with Mjolnir, but the impact sent him flying backward.

I spun my staff and summoned a freezing blast to counter the shockwave. Ice and dark energy collided, creating a dazzling spectacle.

Thor stood up and met my gaze.

"Ready?" he asked.

I grinned. "Always."

He gripped Mjolnir. I tightened my hold on my staff.

The storm erupted.

The sky swirled violently as my blizzard and Thor's lightning intertwined in a celestial catastrophe. Snow and thunder danced together, creating a one-of-a-kind storm. The ground trembled beneath us as the combined power of our elements was unleashed.

Malekith narrowed his eyes, sensing the rising energy. He knew he had to strike now. But we weren't going to let him.

"On three," Thor murmured.

I smiled. "One…"

"Two…"

And on three, we attacked together, unleashing an assault so powerful that even reality itself seemed to waver.