Another Crisis
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Selvig looked surprised at Jane's request. "All of them?"
Jane nodded firmly. "Yes, all of them."
Without wasting time, she turned and got to work.
Meanwhile, Thor approached Selvig. "Are you alright, Erik?"
Hearing his name, Selvig turned to see Thor standing before him, his red cape draped over his armor. "Hey, Thor."
As Selvig moved in for a hug, he suddenly hesitated. "Wait… your brother didn't come this time, did he?"
Before Thor could respond, Loki emerged from behind him, grinning. "I'm so sorry to disappoint you, but here I am again!"
Loki intended it as a joke, but to his surprise, disgust flashed across Selvig's face. Without thinking, Selvig slapped Loki across the cheek.
Loki, caught off guard, instinctively moved to retaliate, but Thor quickly stepped in, pulling them apart before things could escalate. Judging by Selvig's expression, it could have easily turned into a real fight.
After a moment, Loki pulled free from Thor's grip and huffed, "I hate him."
Shortly after, Tony and Kai entered the room. Seeing them, Selvig quickly composed himself and led them to seats. "Come, sit. You've had a long journey."
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*Asgard*
Odin listened intently as his warriors reported back. They confirmed that Thor and his allies had engaged in battle within the Dark World, but they had since disappeared. With no further information, Odin could only wait.
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After changing into her normal clothes, Jane hurried out to find Selvig. Tony, who was also well-versed in certain scientific fields, joined their discussion.
"Malekith plans to unleash the Aether at a location where the Nine Realms align," Jane explained.
Tony nodded. "That would amplify its destructive power exponentially."
Selvig glanced at Tony. "Exactly. The energy will increase with each additional realm. If successful, it will threaten the entire universe."
Thor furrowed his brows. "But the Convergence is temporary. That means he must strike at the right place and the right time for it to work."
Darcy raised a hand. "So… how do we know the right place?"
"Greenwich," Kai answered without hesitation.
Everyone turned to him, puzzled.
Tony stepped closer. "How do you know that, Kai?"
Kai sighed, realizing he had to explain. "Ancient civilizations left behind clues. The last time celestial bodies aligned, the great nations of the time recorded the event. By mapping these records, we can pinpoint the center of the Convergence."
He unrolled a world map and connected key locations. The final intersection point was—Greenwich.
Jane's face grew pale. "The barriers between realms will weaken, the laws of physics will collapse, gravity will destabilize, space will be compressed… Everything will unravel."
The thought was terrifying.
Thor summoned Mjolnir, gripping it tightly. He turned to Kai and Tony.
Kai met Tony's gaze. "Tony, we need to contact the Illuminati and get everyone together. This is a world-ending crisis."
Before Kai even finished speaking, Tony had already signaled J.A.R.V.I.S. "Jarvis, contact everyone. Tell them to meet at the villa. Kai will pick them up."
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The next day, Kai and Tony returned to New York to rally their allies, while Jane, Darcy, and Selvig went ahead to Greenwich to set up Selvig's equipment in the town square.
At the villa, Steve frowned. "Kai, why the sudden urgency? What's going on?"
As Tony fine-tuned his armor, Kai explained the situation.
The Avengers listened carefully as he recounted the ancient war between the Dark Elves and Asgard. But when he reached Malekith's plan, their expressions turned grim.
"The leader of the Dark Elves, Malekith, has reclaimed the Aether," Kai said. "He plans to use it to destroy the universe, plunging everything into eternal darkness so he can rule over the remnants."
"The Convergence's focal point is in Greenwich," he continued. "That's where he'll strike."
Natasha spoke up. "I've already sent word to SHIELD. They're mobilizing forces to assist."
Kai nodded in acknowledgment.
Just then, Tony emerged, his suit fully repaired.
"So," Kai said, glancing around. "Is everyone ready? We're about to face another world-ending crisis."
The Avengers exchanged serious looks before nodding.
Kai wasted no time. Channeling his abilities, he opened a portal, teleporting the entire team to Greenwich.
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As Darcy and her interns finished setting up Selvig's equipment, strange ripples appeared on the lake nearby.
A massive, invisible shape shimmered into existence—the dark elf warship.
It had already arrived.
The ship descended directly into the town square. As it landed, the terrified civilians fled in all directions.
The vessel's doors opened, and Malekith stepped out, flanked by his elite warriors.
From above, Thor and Loki arrived, landing directly in Malekith's path.
Malekith smirked. "Asgardians… You needn't have come so far. Death was already coming for you."
His gaze then fell on Loki, his expression darkening.
Loki tensed as he realized Malekith hadn't forgotten how he had deceived him before. If Malekith got his hands on him now… The consequences would be dire.
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