Welcome to Asgard

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There wasn't a single drop of rain falling in the immediate area where everyone stood, but outside of it, heavy rain poured down relentlessly.

The contrast created an eerie sight.

Everyone quickly noticed the anomaly and began looking around in confusion.

Jane turned her head, and that's when she saw him—a figure standing not far away, clad in shining silver armor with a red cloak billowing behind him. It was Thor. After all this time, he had finally come back to Earth.

The moment she saw him, Jane couldn't help herself—she ran toward him.

And as she moved, something even stranger happened. The circular, rain-free zone moved with her.

Kai immediately realized something was wrong and cast a quick rainproof spell over everyone's heads, keeping them dry. That's when they all understood—the anomaly wasn't centered on them. It was centered on Jane.

Following her direction, they finally saw Thor standing in the distance.

Thor's face lit up when he saw Jane. "Hey, Jane!" he called out warmly.

What he didn't expect was the slap that landed squarely on his face.

The impact made his head tilt slightly, and he blinked in surprise, completely stunned. He looked at Jane in disbelief, unsure what he had done to deserve that.

Jane realized that her reaction might have been too much and quickly explained, "I'm sorry. I just needed to make sure you're real. Everything today has been... strange."

Thor was about to say something when—

Smack!

Jane hit him again.

Thor was left even more stunned.

Now, she was angry. "Where have you been? Why have you been gone so long?"

Thor frowned but asked his own question instead. "Where did you go just now? Heimdall couldn't see you!"

Jane misunderstood. "I've been right here. Where we last saw each other. I waited. I cried. You said you'd come back!"

Thor sighed. "I did say that. But the Bifrost was destroyed, and the Nine Realms fell into chaos. I had to restore order first."

Jane's anger softened slightly. "If that's really what happened, then I guess I can understand."

Their eyes met. The frustration, longing, and affection between them hung thick in the air. Slowly, their faces inched closer. They were about to kiss when—

"Hi!"

The sudden interruption startled them both.

They turned to see Darcy standing there. She gestured around them and asked, "Did you do this?"

Only then did Thor and Jane realize that the rain-free area still surrounded them. The moment Thor noticed, the rain suddenly stopped altogether.

Kai approached, explaining the situation to Thor. However, Thor was against taking Jane to New York for testing. He had a different plan.

He turned to Kai and asked, "Do you want to come too?"

Before Kai could answer, Thor pulled Jane into a tight embrace.

Kai reacted instantly, grabbing Tony and pulling him in close. A moment later, beams of brilliant, multicolored energy descended from the sky, enveloping them.

In the blink of an eye, they vanished from London.

All that remained was the shimmering imprint of the Bifrost on the ground.

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Asgard

When they emerged from the Rainbow Bridge, they found themselves in the grand control room of the Bifrost. Heimdall stood before them, his golden eyes assessing them calmly.

Kai, Tony, and the others greeted him. Heimdall nodded and said, "Welcome to Asgard."

Thor wasted no time. He took Jane and headed straight for the healers, with Tony and Kai following close behind.

As they walked, Tony took in the scenery, impressed. "So this is the legendary Asgard? Not bad. It's got that whole ancient mythology meets sci-fi thing going for it."

Kai nodded in agreement. It was his first time here, and everything felt new and fascinating. However, now wasn't the time to explore. Instead, he simply followed Thor to the medical chamber.

Once inside, Asgardian healers began examining Jane. A projection appeared, displaying a visual of her internal body.

What they saw was unsettling—a dark red, fluid-like mass, shifting and writhing inside her.

Thor's expression darkened. "This isn't from Earth. Have you seen this before?"

The healer shook his head. "Never."

Thor turned to Kai and Tony, but they both shook their heads as well.

"But the energy inside her is dangerous," the healer warned. "It could be fatal."

Kai stepped forward. "This energy should be..."

Thor's gaze snapped to him. "What is it?"

Kai took a deep breath. "It should be the Aether."

"What?"

At that moment, Odin strode into the room, his presence commanding. He scolded Thor, then ordered the guards to take Jane back to Earth.

But the moment a guard reached for Jane, the Aether reacted.

A violent pulse of energy erupted from her body, sending the guard flying. Jane collapsed, unconscious once more.

Odin approached cautiously and examined her. His expression shifted into one of deep concern. "This is impossible."

Kai spoke up. "The Aether inside her is protecting her."

Odin glanced at him. "No. It's protecting itself."

Kai bowed slightly in acknowledgment.

Odin turned and said, "Follow me."

They followed him to a grand hall filled with ancient books and artifacts.

Odin gestured to a large, open book. "There are substances left over from before the universe took form. The Aether is one of them."

He turned the pages, revealing old illustrations. "The Nine Realms are not eternal. They have dawn and dusk."

"As the universe was forming, darkness ruled the cosmos. And with that darkness came the Dark Elves."

Tony exchanged a glance with Kai, curious to see how Odin's version of history compared to what Kai had told him.

Odin continued, "Their leader, Malekith, forged a weapon from the darkness itself—the Aether. It does not simply destroy; it converts all matter into dark matter. It inhabits a host and draws energy from their life force. Malekith sought to use it to return the universe to its original darkness."

Tony shot Kai a knowing look. So far, Odin's story matched exactly what Kai had told him earlier. Tony couldn't help but be impressed—Kai really knew his stuff.

Odin's expression hardened. "But my father, King Bor, waged a long and bloody war against them. In the end, he was victorious."

Jane, who had been listening quietly, asked, "How did he win?"

Odin met her gaze and said with finality, "He destroyed them."

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