Chapter Seventy-Six: Journey to Wartheim

Thor piloted the Dark Elf starship, carrying Arthur, Loki, and Jane Foster as they burst out of the palace hall, heading westward across Asgard.

“Why won’t you let me fly? My piloting skills are clearly better than yours!” Loki protested to Thor.

“Oh, really? Then which of us can actually fly?” Thor retorted. Loki fell silent.

The ship flew over the Asgardian city, causing an uproar among the people below. Was it the Dark Elves invading again? They still remembered the attack two days before. The guards at the watchtower spotted their ship and opened fire with anti-aircraft cannons. Thor had no choice but to steer the ship into a canyon, dodging the barrage.

Suddenly, Jane Foster’s body gave out and she collapsed. Arthur rushed to check on her.

“Heavens, is she dead?” Loki asked.

“Jane!” Thor called out anxiously.

“She’s too weak. We have to find a way to get the Aether out of her as soon as possible,” Arthur said as he helped Jane up.

“I’m fine! Don’t worry about me,” Jane replied weakly.

Their ship continued across Asgard, but five Asgardian skiffs soon appeared in pursuit, firing at the Dark Elf vessel. “They’re gaining on us!” Loki warned. Thor pressed forward, but the enemy fire struck the ship multiple times, sending it into violent shudders. Navigating through a massive gate, the blade-shaped wings clipped and toppled a stone statue at the entrance.

“Well done! You just beheaded your grandfather,” Loki sneered.

“Shut up!”

The ship reached a dam, but the Asgardian skiffs stayed in pursuit and more anti-aircraft fire erupted from ahead—the situation was dire.

“Brilliant plan! We stole the most conspicuous ship in the universe, tried to escape in it, crashed into everything in sight, and now the whole city’s after us! Well done, Thor!” Loki mocked loudly.

“Ah…”

Without warning, Thor opened a side hatch and shoved Loki out. Activating the autopilot, he grabbed Jane and jumped after him, with Arthur following suit.

Below, Volstagg was waiting, piloting an Asgardian skiff to extract them. Thor, Jane, and Arthur landed directly on the skiff, while the Dark Elf ship sped away, drawing the Asgardian pursuers with it.

“Still as elegant as ever after so long in the dungeon, eh, Loki?” Volstagg teased, watching Loki’s disheveled landing.

Loki scrambled up, eyeing Thor in surprise. “You tricked me? Impressive!”

“As long as you’re satisfied. Now keep your promise—take us to your secret passage,” Thor said.

Loki piloted the skiff at high speed toward a mountain. Arthur noted the route with suspicion—was Loki’s secret passage different from the one he knew?

Another Asgardian skiff appeared behind them, opening fire. Arthur muttered, “How troublesome! Even now they still found us!”

“Volstagg, it’s up to you!” Thor called.

“For Asgard!” Volstagg declared, tying a rope to the skiff and leaping off. He swung like Peter Parker onto the enemy skiff to deal with their pursuers himself.

“Was that really necessary? I could have just blasted them with the energy cannon,” Arthur said with a shrug.

“I agree with him,” Loki chimed in.

“They’re Asgardian soldiers!” Thor replied. He refused to harm his own people, preferring Volstagg to simply knock them out.

Volstagg easily dealt with the soldiers and signaled success to Thor.

Loki accelerated the skiff toward a massive rocky mountain.

“Loki? Are you insane?” Thor shouted.

“Perhaps,” Loki replied expressionlessly.

The skiff hurtled toward the mountain and, in an instant, passed through the rock into a narrow passage. The path grew darker and darker.

Suddenly, their surroundings brightened—they burst out of the tunnel into a land of black stone and sand. They had arrived in Svartalfheim, the world of the Dark Elves.

Inside the Dark Elf warship, the Accursed Warrior approached Malekith, who was receiving treatment from his subordinates. “We must act at once!” he urged.

“No! There’s no need to go to Asgard—the Aether is coming to us,” Malekith replied, sensing the Aether had arrived on Svartalfheim.

Loki piloted the skiff toward the Dark Elf stronghold.

“What couldn’t I do with such power?” Loki eyed Jane Foster covetously.

“You’d be devoured!” Thor warned.

Dream on, Arthur thought, glaring at Loki. You want the Aether? Did you even ask me?

“She’s fine—at least, for now,” Loki said, glancing at the weakened Jane lying on the skiff.

“You can’t comprehend the power it contains,” Thor said.

“I must remind you, Thor, destroying the Aether is impossible. You know it’s an Infinity Stone—your power alone can’t destroy it,” Arthur said.

“I have to try!” Thor insisted.

“No need. Leave it to me. When Malekith extracts the Aether from Jane, I’ll seize it, and you kill Malekith!” Arthur declared.

“So you want the Aether too?” Thor asked.

“Yes. Only with it can I counter Thanos and his Power Stone,” Arthur replied.

“Very well. I trust you,” Thor said, looking Arthur in the eye.

Upon hearing Thanos’s name, Loki fell silent.

Their ship passed through the ruined Dark Elf citadel. In the distance, they spotted a massive Dark Elf warship—Malekith had arrived.

Thor led Jane and Loki up a hill. Not far off, the warship’s doors opened and Malekith emerged, flanked by the Accursed Warrior and over a hundred Dark Elf soldiers.

“Are you ready?” Thor asked Jane. She nodded.

“I’m ready too,” Loki said.

The two stood, looking down from the hilltop at Malekith and his host below.

“This rotten plan will get us both killed,” Loki muttered.

“Perhaps,” Thor replied.

Loki held out his hands to Thor, indicating he wanted his cuffs removed. “Don’t you trust me?”

“Would you trust yourself?” Thor asked, but he unlocked Loki’s shackles.

“No,” Loki said as the cuffs came off. Suddenly, he drew a dagger and stabbed Thor in the abdomen, shoving him down the slope and leaping after him.

“Thor! No!” Jane cried out, hurrying down after them in desperation.

“Did you really think I cared about Asgard?” Loki sneered, kicking the fallen Thor.

Thor saw his hammer lying nearby and reached for it—the hammer started flying toward him. But in that moment, Loki swung his dagger and severed Thor’s right hand. The hammer crashed to the ground as Thor howled in agony. Jane rushed over and cradled him.

Malekith stood nearby, watching impassively.

Loki seized Jane and hurled her at Malekith’s feet.

“Malekith! I am Loki of Jotunheim, and I bring you a gift! My price is simple—let me watch Asgard burn to ashes!” Loki proclaimed.

“He is an enemy of Asgard—I saw him imprisoned in their dungeons,” the Accursed Warrior explained to Malekith.

Malekith strode up to Thor and kicked him over. “Look at me! In the end, it is I who will triumph!”

Malekith raised his hand, and Jane Foster was lifted into the air.

...

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