All Hail The King // Loki - Book 2 ✓

Chapter 35

JANE HESITATES for a moment, then rushes after Anna, shouting over her shoulder to Selvig, "We're out of time."

"Jane," Selvig calls after her. "Jane!"

The cloud of Aether turns completely opaque just as Anna reaches it, the black and red swirls masking her from Jane's vision. Wind whips Anna's brown hair around her face, the feeling of a thousand knives hitting every exposed inch of her skin as she struggles to keep moving toward the eye of the storm. Toward Malekith.

Jane hesitates, turning back toward Selvig, as they rush to find another option. The Aether is too strong, and they're unable to penetrate the outer layer of the cloud. Rounding a corner, Jane sighs with relief to see a familiar red cape.

"Thor," she calls out, causing him to turn. "We're too late."

Selvig frowns, "The Convergence is at its peak."

"Can those things stop him?" Thor asks, nodding toward the equipment Darcy and Ian staked into the ground.

"Not from here," Selvig answers.

Jane adds, "We can't get close enough."

"I can," Thor says, taking the equipment from Selvig, and jogging toward the Aether's maelstrom.

"Thor!" Jane cries out after him, causing him to hesitate. "Anna's in there. She disappeared into the Aether, and we couldn't get to her."

He grimaces and nods. Taking off for the Aether once more, he speeds up as he approaches. Hopefully Anna is still alive inside the storm. If he can reach her, he might be able to protect her from Malekith's rage. Together, perhaps, they can stop him. No matter what, they have to try. It's the least he can do for Loki.

"Anna!" Thor's shouts disappear into the swirling red, and he's practically blinded by the crimson clouds.

Not far ahead of him, Anna continues to push toward Malekith. The force of the Aether has driven her to her knees, so she crawls forward - fighting with everything she has against the pull - and forces herself to keep moving. She can't hear anything, see anything, or feel anything. All of her senses are overwhelmed, completely engulfed by the Aether, and the only way she knows she's still alive is the thought of Loki's smile. Fueling her progress, she pushes herself to her feet and see a faint outline of Malekith ahead of her.

It's time.

"Malekith!" Thor's voice sounds faint behind her, drowned out by the Aether swirling around, and suddenly he appears at her side.

Malekith turns to face them, "Darkness returns, Asgardian. Have you come to witness the end of your universe?"

"I've come to accept your surrender," Thor spits back, adjusting his grip on the equipment and heaving one of the spikes toward Malekith.

The Dark Elf snags it with ease, holding it in the air above his head, and Anna smirks. Seconds later, it beeps and emits a flash of blue light. Weakened the Aether, the flash of blue is localized to Malekith's right side, and his arm disappears instantly. Thor takes advantage of Malekith's surprise and hurls the second spike, watching as it pierces Malekith's opposite shoulder before disappearing in another flash of blue light.

"You think you can stop this?" Malekith asks, both of his arms gone. "The Aether cannot be destroyed."

"But you can," Thor says, holding out his right hand in a subtle motion that Anna recognizes as calling Mjölnir.

He breaks into a run, feet hammering into Earth, before leaping into the air. Arm outstretched, Mjölnir flies toward him - illuminated with a vivid white burst of lightning - and Thor catches it just before he reaches Malekith. He sends the final spike home in the center of Malekith's chest, bringing the hammer down to force it through Malekith's armor.

The impact sends all of them flying. Malekith hits the base of his ship with a loud thud, while Anna and Thor are sent in the opposite direction. The Aether diminishes slowly, and Jane catches the signal of the final spike on her handheld device with a satisfied grin before twisting to activate it. A final burst of blue light illuminates Malekith, before his body disappears into oblivion.

His ship begins to crumble, the base weakened from the impact, and Jane's eyes grow wide as she realizes what's happening. Rushing onto the lawn, she spots Thor's red cape in the dirt and runs toward him.

"Thor!" She cries, falling to her knees beside him and trying to revive him.

He doesn't respond, so she flips him over and tugs at his arm - failing completely to move him - while the ship continues to fall toward them. Anna is in the dirt, also unconscious, less than three feet from him.

"Jane!" Selvig cries, watching in horror.

Unwilling to move away, Jane takes one final look at the falling ship before turning back to Thor. She grasps his chest, squeezing her eyes closed as she braces for impact, and holds on tight as the ship rushes toward them.

However, the impact doesn't come. The ship disappears in a flash of blue light, following Malekith to wherever he disappeared and crashing on top of him in a heap.

Selvig smiles, holding up the device Jane discarded when she saw Thor, "Everybody okay?"

Now Playing: "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy.

*****
AUTHOR'S NOTE

Did you think I was done? Double update, just for you. We're just getting started.

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