K, this is essentially a tribute to both Terminator 2 and the Thor universe, but will be set entirely within the later and have no actual crossover of lore or characters. Why? Because James Cameron is a genius director and T2 is one of the best scifi-action films of all time.
PROLOGUE
In the year 2013, the Aether was destroyed on the dark world as it tried to enter the realms.
When it left its human host, for a long moment its existence was torn; it was both in the word and in the void – the space that howls, empty and echoing, in between. In that forgotten place, a fragment was cast from the burning carcass. Drawn by Malekith's designs on earth, it travelled in its death throes to that small world, populated by the sons and daughters of mankind, even as the Aesir and his companions fought for our deliverance. It came to me then, that cinder, and attached to the nearest living thing it could find. But its strength was not enough to consume even my small body. The Aether drew on the magic of the Drow, the dark elves, and created something altogether smaller. Nothing more than a spark of life, into which it poured the last of its being. Once it was within me, I could not resist the pull of the convergence, and fell through the fluid walls. Looking back on it now, I should have considered myself lucky I remained on earth at all.
I was thirteen.
Asgard, the Present
"Did you really think your power greater than mine, frost giant? That you could truly carry the sceptre of the Allfather?"
"Well you always made it look so effortless, father."
"Dispense with these pleasantries. You do not consider me your father and you are certainly no son of mine."
The frost giant in question doesn't wince; ignores the feeling like being gored as if he has another body to put it in. If he ignores it enough, it will go away. It grows duller each day, in any case.
"Very well, Odin." He says evenly, as if this is a conversation about the weather. "Shall we discuss the state of your realm? Because I see it so clearly; the way it crumbles about us in the state of war and chaos you left it in."
He spits this last bit; he sees the Allfather's face change as the blow lands.
Unfortunately for Odin, there is little he can actually say: the realms are at peace. Asgard is being rebuilt. The threat is, for the moment, gone. Add to that the various minor improvements to small areas, particularly the focal points of Asgard's magical fields for which the 'Allfather' was graciously thanked by the Circle of Seers.
Not that Loki hasn't always known himself to be a competent and fair king.
Odin glares.
Ever prepared to bring war to peace. Death and destruction where order might be had instead. Loki has come to terms, in the aftermath of the Drow incident, that on earth he might have acted with emotion and caused more chaos than order. After observing his procedure. But he has accepted this and endeavoured to improve. All systems need refinement, including his own impulsiveness. He has conquered it (unlike Odin). And now the fool stares him down as if Asgard's true king has not just shown him how it's done.
"Your pathetic attempts to usurp the throne end here."
"Pathetic attempts? Now that's just a little harsh, is it not? After all, I did succeed."
"And now you stand before your Allfather as if I have not thwarted you! Inducing the Odin-Sleep was clever, but not even you, Loki, could hold me under for so long!"
It is true that Loki planned to have more time before this inevitable confrontation. Yet he has had months – time to have emergency plans at least. Things to hang over Odin's head…
He was going to kill him. This was the original plan.
Get rid of the problem permanently.
Solve many additional problems.
Actually, it was only after…well, he changed his mind, as his mind is wont to change. He looks over Odin now and feels the black blade of revenge rising again in his blood – for the man that caged him, that denied him, that kept him from saving –
And like that the blade blunts against something else; a conversation, not long after Thor's return. The oaf needed comforting, and posing as the Allfather, Loki had been forced to oblige. So they had spoken…about…Frigga…
How that had resulted in his inability to terminate Odin, he couldn't make head nor tail.
"I will have your head on the great spire!"
"After all Thor has spoken of me?" He makes to sound genuinely shocked. "By now all of Asgard knows of my heroic sacrifice. Oh – and how will you explain to your beloved son that his engagement must now be called off, a mere week after you so joyfully gave your blessing."
He smiles as Odin goes white.
"Tell me you did not…"
"I did not."
The Allfather stares.
"But you did, wherein remains the current problem."
The colour comes back a very unflattering shade of half-exploded tomato.
"She is here?"
"Yes, of course. In light of recent events and her services to the nine realms, you invited her. With gratitude."
He expects this to make Odin more furious, but instead something…odd…happens. He stares for long enough that Loki becomes sincerely concerned – concerned that the old man has spotted some sort of flaw. Then seems to snap out of it.
"You…" the strong jaw tightens. He doesn't seem to have words ready for this and Loki cannot predict what they would be. It is almost as if a battle is taking place between Odin's sentiments, though why should he promote a conflict of priorities? The old man stutters and goes redder, before finally whirling dramatically back.
"You will remain in a cell whilst I clean up this mess!"
What?
Odin takes him there personally. As if he's trying to hide him. Loki might have complained – might have shouted at him for his sheer incompetence – but…and if plans must change…did Odin honestly believe a hastily reassigned cell with no official guard would actually hold him?
The deceiving of the Allfather had led to the nine realms' belief that Asgard was strong, and to Asgard's belief that Malekith's rage was defeated. But on the fringes, something remained. Not even Heimdall could see clearly what it was. It moved in whispers, riding the crest of the convergence. Every night he listened. And waited.
"I thought the Aether was destroyed – I saw it burn up!"
"As did I, my love. Cannot these readings be false?"
The seers looked at one another, and Heimdall shook his head.
"Tis the same power that took you. And it is on earth," He paused. "But not your earth. While the convergence holds, it distorts time as well as space. We believe the Aether has awakened in your earth's recent past."
"But if that's happened, won't it change stuff? Like, right now?"
Jane wondered (again) what they'd been thinking allowing Darcy to tag along.
"Not immediately." Heimdall's deep voice filled the hall. "It will take time for ripples of change to reach us, but when they do it could be catastrophic."
"Like a paradox!"
He fixed the intern with golden eyes.
"At best, we may stop the Aether, though not in time to save earth." Jane glared at him in horror. "At worst, the disruption to time itself will cause the walls between times to rift and fold upon themselves. A chain reaction that will destroy the nine realms, as well as any evidence that they existed at all."
Silence echoed loudly in the chamber.
"Well, that doesn't sound good!"
"Darcy –"
"We must stop this! We must travel to where the Aether is and destroy it before it can be unleashed!"
"And how do we do that?"
"While the walls are still blurred, I can take you there. The bigger question is, what will your father say to such a venture. I assume you mean to go yourself?"
"Of course."
"And your companions?"
"Yeah!"
"Father will see the urgency of this mission –" Nevermind that the brief respite of his good mood seemed to be over. "– and we will succeed!"
But the Aether's awakening was not only known to Asgard. Across the universe, heads were turning. Whether to lay claim to that ancient horror or to salvage what the dark elves left behind, it was hard to say, but one thing was for certain.
They were coming.
The only question was what they would find – and who would get there first.
A.N: Really shouldn't have started a new one, but hey, shoot me :) Got this idea in my head and it just sort of took shape after watching Thor 2 and then Terminator 2 again. Bit of stretching and individualising the magic and the physics (again, shoot me) but other than that, this is all the Marvel universe and the Thor characters. The framework for the story pastiches/celebrates the other film.
I love reviews. I always like to know what people reading my work are thinking...and also I have an ego about writing to stroke before it wakes up and decides to attack my feet :P