Beyla ~ (Loki)

19.

 As the Asgardian physicians study Jane and the force within her. "What's that?" Thor watches with one of the nurses as they examine Jane. "She is a prize, Thor." He smiles down at me, nudging me with his arm. "Thank you for helping her here." I stare at the energy surfacing through Jane's body. I walk up to the examination inspecting the red dust atoms. "This is not of Earth," I say looking at its movements.

"We do not know what it is, but she will not survive the amount of energy surging within her." The nurse turns and walks away as Thor looks at Jane with worry. Odin enters the room as Thor looks on to Jane as she is being examined. "My words are mere noises to you that you ignore them completely?" Thor looks towards his father without care. "She's ill." "She is mortal. Illness is their defining trait."

"I brought her here because we can help her." "She does not belong here in Asgard anymore than a goat belongs at a banquet table."

Jane sits up and looks at Thor. "Did he just...? Who do you think you are?" I cover my eyes huffing. She really did not.

"I'm Odin. King of Asgard. Protector of the Nine Realms."

Jane cowers back. "Oh, well I am-" "I know very well who you are, Jane Foster. " Jane turns to look at Thor. "You told your Dad about me?"

"Something is within her, Allfather, something I have not seen before," I say interrupting the conversation.

"Beyla, your world has its healers, their called doctors, let them deal with it. Guards, take her back to Midgard." As two guards approach Jane and go to grab her, suddenly the energy force within her sets off again throwing the two guards aside.

"Don't touch her," Thor says as he leans down and tenderly touches Jane. "Jane, are you alright?" Jane nods her head, Odin inspects the energy force running through Jane's body and realizes it's the Aether. "That's impossible." "But is it, Allfather?"

"The infection, it's defending her." I watch the red Aether run through Jane's veins, guarding her. I shake my head in disagreement, "No, it's defending itself."

~

"Come with me," Odin calls for Thor Jane and me. "There are relics that predate the universe itself. What lies within her appears to be one of them. The Nine Realms are not eternal. They had a dawn as they will have a dusk." Odin shows us an ancient book. "But before that dawn, the dark forces, the Dark Elves, reigned absolute and unchallenged."

"Born of eternal night, the Dark Elves comes to steal away your light. They were these stories mother told us as children." I nod in remembrance of the tales.

"Their leader, Malekith made a weapon out of that darkness, it was called the Aether. While the other relics often appeared as stones, the Aether is fluid and ever-changing. It changes matter into dark matter and seeks out to host bodies, drawing strength from their life force. Malekith sought to use the Aether's power to return the universe to one of darkness. But after eternities of bloodshed, my father Bor, finally triumphed, ushering in the peace that lasted thousands of years."

"What happened?" "He killed them all."

"Are you certain? The Aether was said to have been destroyed with them and yet here it is." Odin replies, "The Dark Elves are dead."

"Does your book happen to mention how to get it out of me?" "No, it does not."

~

Fandral and Volstagg return to Asgard with several prisoners, including the masked Algrim; sent by the Dark Elve king himself. Loki watches them from his cell as they come in. "Odin continues to bring me new friends. How thoughtful."

"The books I sent, do they not interest you?" Loki turns and we see Frigga is in Loki's cell. "Is that how I'm to while away eternity, reading?" "I've done everything in my power to make you comfortable, Loki."

"Have you? Does Odin share your concern? Does Thor? It must be so inconvenient them asking after me day and night."

"You know full well it was your actions that brought you here."

"My actions. I was merely giving truth to the lie that I had been fed my entire life, that I was born to be a king."

"A king? A true king admits his faults. What of the lives you took on Earth? Those are Beyla's people, they live freely under her guidance." "A mere handful compared to the number that Odin has taken himself." "Your father..." Loki: shouts, "He's not my father!"

Frigga looks at him sadly. "Then am I not your mother?" Loki hesitates for a moment. "You're not. Frigga smiles at him with tears in her eyes, she knew her son was stubborn. "Always so perceptive about everyone but yourself." She takes a step towards him and extends her hands, Loki goes to touch her hand but his hand goes through hers and we see that she's a hologram, Loki looks at Frigga with sadness and her hologram disappears.

In his cell, Algrim pulls out the rock that Malekith had placed in his stomach, he crushes it in his hand, transforming himself into a Kursed, he breaks free and releases the other prisoners, Loki watches all this from his cell, then Algrim walks up to Loki's cell and he looks at Loki for a moment before turning and walking away.

"You might want to take the stairs to the left." Algrim turns and looks at Loki before walking away again.