Book 2: Phantasm [Thor]

Chapter 27

Malekith was very pleased. Looking up at the sky he could see the nine portals that connected the worlds slowly moving into alignment. It was nearly time for the universe to be cloaked in darkness once more as the Aether began to materialize around him.

Felling the last of the soldiers in the courtyard, the agent felt a bit breathless. They just kept coming, and while a few managed to escape, the corpses that littered the grass had been no easy task. She slightly hissed at the sight of her bleeding upper left arm. A shot from the enemy drew too close and grazed the patch of skin as the area stung something terrible. She didn't stare long though as movement across the small field drew her attention away. Anya cursed at the sight of Malekith, realizing that Thor was nowhere to be found. With her weapon out of ammo she rushed around the dead bodies to look for another suitable blaster.

The Dark Elf stalked towards the ship, where a section of the ground protruded from the assault on the area. It became an excellent place for him to stand just below the portals. The Aether's matter began to further materialize into a swirling cyclone around him. Anya rushed towards the danger without pause and gripped the new gun tightly in hand. It was growing difficult to see as her surroundings began to be covered by the thickening dark matter and a violent gust of wind. One in particular nearly knocked her over as the young woman righted herself and began fighting against the currents. Slowly drawing closer.

Jane and Erik were breathing heavily as they finally found the courtyard once more. Both were exhausted from running for their life over the last few minutes only for the air to be further sucked from their lungs when noticing the situation before them. Malekith hadn't been distracted long enough as massive threads of the Aether began expanding from the cyclone and reaching high into the air towards the portals linking the Nine Realms. Not only that, through the red and black haze they watched as Anya struggled to move closer.

"Anya!" Erik shouted.

It fell on deaf ears from the roaring wind that blocked all sound from the outside. Still, he called out again trying to stop her when the matter around the two became too thick and consumed them completely. The Aether continued to grow in size at that, crawling up the sides of the ship and wrapping half of it inside the swirling wind.

"We're out of time," Jane whispered.

Glancing around the courtyard her eyes landed on two of the man's devices in sight and her eyes widened as a plan came to mind. Rushing across the grass her actions startled Erik as he then shouted her name.

"Help me rip them out of the ground!" she shouted.

Squinting through the fragmented matter Anya began to wonder if she was even traveling in the correct direction anymore. She lost sight of Malekith as time went on and though her heart pounded in her chest because it grew increasingly difficult to breathe, she pressed on. Finally, the agent caught sight of the Dark Elf and raised the weapon, aimed and fired. It hit Malekith square in the back, yet didn't seem to affect the enemy in the way she hoped. The agent should have expected that given the Aether was at full strength. Still, it gained his attention as his cold eyes trained on her.

"Shut it down, Malekith!" she threatened.

"I grow bored by your interruptions," he said.

His voice had changed, sounding deeper and more menacing. Anya didn't back down or show weakness, continuing to keep the weapon trained on him.

"You are powerless to stop me and I will enjoy ripping the life from your body once and for all."

Without the motion of his arm the Aether lashed out knocking Anya to the ground and the weapon from her grasp. The young woman wheezed from the pain that shot through her chest watching as a tentacle of matter hovered over her in a threatening manner.

"You are weak, mortal. Give up and surrender to the darkness."

The Aether shot forward and pierced the agent's chest causing the area to explode in agony. A scream tore through her throat, body tensing up forcing her shoulders to lift from the ground as her head craned backwards. Malekith relished at the sound of her anguish. She could feel the matter crawling over the shoulders as the tendrils tickled at the young woman's jawline. The familiar screeching noise in her ears dulled the sound of the wind and her screams as fear took over.

At first, Anya couldn't remember the last time she felt something close to this. That was when her memories from the desert began to surface. The terror of knowing it was all going to end one way or another. And no matter what scenario it wasn't going to be painless. Yet through all that fear Anya recalled another emotion that followed after a period of time wandering. Acceptance. While walking through the desert as dehydration set in, death was going to be a long process. She refused to stop moving though no matter how much it hurt to go on. The young woman wouldn't give up until her body did. By accepting the situation at hand it made thinking of death easier. The fear slowly left so it was simpler to walk and think of all the good. So the last thing she remembered was home and not the terrors she witnessed.

Anya couldn't accept the growing darkness spread through the universe. But she could accept the sacrifice she was making to distract Malekith. The Aether running through her chest hesitated digging inside for a brief moment as the agent panted, desperately for air. Slowly, the pain lessened, her screams stopping. This instance reminded her of the first time she came across the Aether. Now that they were touching again it felt as though the matter was eager. Feeling her presence and recognizing the host lying on the ground it merely followed the orders of its old master. Anya felt it trying to crawl back inside of her, forcing its way in and even though she never wanted its power there was a sense of desperation. As though it wanted her instead of Malekith. The mere thought of that made the agent think she was slowly slipping into insanity. What did she have that was so important over the Dark Elf, someone who craved darkness and wished to bring destruction upon the realms?

That was something the young woman could never stand for. The exact opposite of what the Aether was created to do. The matter would consume her if allowed in, but if it would stall Malekith... Eyes opening she stared up into the center of the cyclone, barely catching sight of the portals hovering above. Watching as Asgard started to become consumed. Anya completely relaxed and accepted the Aether for what it was once more.

Malekith grinned at the fact that the mortal's screams silenced as he continued to stare up at the portals above with raised arms. Everything was going according to plan, watching the realms begin to fall one by one.

The tentacle running through Anya lifted the agent's relaxed form into the air chest first. Now it was easier to breathe, head lifting from its craned back position and opening her eyes to glare at Malekith's back as she continued to float inches from the ground. Her pupils blazed red in color and seemed to be glowing as bits of matter circled her form on its own. Hand lifting, Anya looked to the palm before reaching up towards the portals and gripped tightly at something invisible mid air.

The Aether's movements spilling into the Nine Realms slowed and some tentacles stalled completely causing Malekith's brows to furrow in confusion as to what was happening. With his arms still raised his head turned and stared in shock at the sight before him. Why wasn't she dead yet?

"This ends now, Malekith," she stated in a voice not her own.