Chapter 13 - Jack Frost and Thor vs. Malekith

The storm we had summoned raged around us, snow flurries and lightning intertwining in a chaotic dance. Before us, Malekith stood at the heart of the chaos, his body radiating the energy of the Aether, a cruel smile on his lips. He did not seem worried. He reveled in the power he wielded, as if the entire world was nothing more than a playground he would soon reduce to dust.

Thor and I exchanged a glance. No words were needed—we knew what to do.

With a leap, Thor launched himself first, Mjølnir vibrating in his grip as he charged at Malekith like a meteor. I followed in his wake, my hands summoning a raging snowstorm that reinforced Thor's thunderous might. The impact of our combined assault struck Malekith head-on, forcing him backward under the intensity of our elemental onslaught.

The ground trembled beneath us as Malekith struggled to regain his footing, but we didn't give him the chance. Thor hurled Mjølnir at him, and at the same moment, I summoned a powerful gust of wind to accelerate the hammer. The projectile's speed doubled, and Malekith barely had time to raise an arm to absorb the attack. He managed to divert part of the force, but the sheer power sent him crashing into a stone pillar, which collapsed under him.

I dove toward him, wielding my staff with precision. A thin layer of frost coated the air around me, and with a sharp strike against the ground, I sent jagged ice spikes at him, forcing him to dodge. He rolled to the side and retaliated with a blast of Aether, but Thor slammed Mjølnir into the ground, creating a shockwave that dissipated the dark energy before it could reach me.

We were in perfect sync. For the first time, Malekith seemed overwhelmed.

Thor leaped again, landing directly in front of him and delivering a titanic blow with his hammer, while I unleashed a fierce ice storm that held him in place. Frost began to creep up his legs, slowing his movements, and Thor took advantage of the moment to slam Mjølnir into his chest once more.

Malekith roared in fury. With a scream, he unleashed an explosion of Aether that shattered the ice and forced us to retreat, but we were already preparing our next move. The sky above us roared, Thor's thunder and my blizzard merging into a devastating tempest. Blue lightning crackled within the icy air, every gust amplified by the storm's fury.

I raised my staff, swirling the storm, drawing moisture from the air to condense into a freezing vortex that spiraled toward Malekith. Thor lifted Mjølnir high above his head, channeling the storm's power into a single, concentrated lightning strike.

The explosion rocked the battlefield, sending Malekith hurtling backward. We had the upper hand.

But it was too good to last.

Then, the ground beneath us fractured.

The portal of the Convergence opened beneath us, and before I could fully grasp what was happening, we were pulled into it.

We were hurled through space and time, passing through landscapes at an incredible speed. I glimpsed Asgard, then Vanaheim, before we were violently flung onto a dark, desolate land.

Svartalfheim.

Thor and I tumbled across the rocky ground as Malekith landed with unnatural ease. My eyes caught a troubling sight—Mjølnir, separated from its master, disappearing through another portal, out of Thor's reach.

"Not good," I muttered.

Realizing his advantage, Malekith extended his hand, unleashing a surge of Aether that struck Thor, sending him crashing into a rock. He collapsed, his breath knocked out of him. Clenching my teeth, I surged forward, staff raised.

"Jack!" Thor called out as he struggled to rise. "Don't let him use the Aether!"

Easier said than done. Malekith gave me no respite. He charged at me with terrifying speed, each strike pulsating with ancient, malevolent power. I barely dodged a blast of energy, letting the wind carry me midair as I spun above him to reposition myself.

Thor refused to stay idle. Without his hammer, he pushed himself up, determination burning in his eyes. He lunged at Malekith, using his sheer strength to land a solid punch to his face. Malekith barely flinched before retaliating, sending Thor skidding across the battlefield.

Seizing the opening, I swung my staff wide, summoning a storm that sent razor-sharp ice shards hurtling toward Malekith.

He deflected the attack with a mere flick of his hand, the Aether reducing my projectiles to dust.

But this time, Malekith was ready.

With a simple motion, an invisible force slammed into me. I was sent flying, hurtling through another portal before crashing onto an icy surface.

Jotunheim.

The cold bit at my skin, but this time, it didn't bother me. On the contrary, it embraced me like an old friend. I inhaled deeply, feeling a surge of newfound strength course through me. Here, on this frozen land, my magic was stronger—more fluid, more alive. I lifted my staff, and instead of a mere frost blast, a bolt of pure ice shot from its tip, striking Malekith head-on.

The Dark Elf staggered, his body instantly coated in crystalline frost. I didn't give him a chance to recover. Stepping forward, I summoned a storm fiercer than anything I had conjured before. Swirling blizzards roared around me, freezing the very air at an astonishing speed.

For the first time, Malekith looked uncertain. He raised a hand, trying to absorb my attack with the Aether, but I didn't let him. I stepped closer, directing another barrage of icy bolts at his chest, intertwining them with the raging storm.

He grimaced, his blackened skin covered in thick layers of ice. I had the upper hand.

Then, a monstrous roar echoed behind me.

I turned just in time to see a massive frost beast emerge from a cavern, its fangs gleaming in the pale light.

"Oh, great… Exactly what I needed," I muttered.

The beast charged. I rolled aside just in time, but before I could react further, another portal opened beneath us. The creature and I were flung back into the dimensional vortex, crashing into the heart of London.

Panicked civilians, already fleeing from the chaos caused by the Dark Elves, froze in shock at the sight of the monstrous beast. A second later, sheer terror erupted across the streets.

I had no time to deal with it. I needed to find Thor.

As the beast rampaged through the city, my gaze locked onto Thor, who had reappeared on the other side of town. But instead of charging into battle, he was… getting on the Underground?!

"You've got to be kidding me," I groaned as I rushed toward him.

But this time, instead of waiting, I decided to act.

I leaped into the air, carried by the wind, streaking straight toward Malekith. He stood atop the Convergence Arc, concentrating the Aether to unleash the destruction of the Nine Realms. I wasn't about to let him.

Diving into the battlefield, I wiped out the last Dark Elf warriors guarding their master. I froze them in place, stripping them of movement before hurling them through the remaining portals. Malekith, finally disturbed from his focus, looked up in mild surprise.

"You again?" he growled.

"Oh, you know, I'm pretty persistent," I replied with a smirk, stalling until Thor could arrive.