Okay guys, here is the next story in the Guardians Series. Woohoo!
This one is not really a full length story as my others have been, but more of a novella-a bridge from Castle the King to the next part of the...would this be a saga by now?
The story is set five years following Castle the King. Darcy is a little bit more grounded (I hope) and I'm looking at how their relationship may have developed in the meantime and where it is going to go. We pick up right at the beginning of the events of Thor: The Dark World, but that's pretty much the only thing that is really part of the canon.
I do hope you enjoy.
-CA
Darcy spent half an hour trying to convince a policeman that she wasn't completely insane and another half hour arguing with August about the merits of knocking said officer out while they canvassed the area with magic. Though Darcy was taller and had more weight to throw around, August was clearly the powerhouse of the two. Without a doubt, August could knock Darcy into her literal next week and then some. Still, reason had eventually won out in the end and Darcy was able to keep August from doing anything more than glaring at the police officers as they went about securing the area.
Jane had been missing for far too long and Darcy had long since begun to worry about her friend and sort-of-boss. Though she was a genius, Jane had a way of forgetting the world around her, bumping into telephone poles and falling up stairs while working on calculations. Her mind was always somewhere else and Darcy was concerned that her absentmindedness had finally taken its toll and gotten her seriously hurt. Darcy could see Jane lying with a broken ankle after a fall or trapped behind a fallen wall—all situations that were entirely possible, given her track record for dropping into the impossible and somehow getting far too involved.
So, it was with mild (read: a lot of) frustration that Darcy stomped up to Jane and demanded to know where she'd disappeared to for so damn long. Her friend seemed off, dazed and not a little confused. Glassy eyed, Jane looked as if she'd taken a substantial head injury while she was gone and Darcy was just about to call the paramedics when thunder sounded from every angle. Growling a little at the rain, Darcy was about to launch into a well rehearsed rant when Jane's focus got even hazier. Following the line of Jane's vision, Darcy took in the sight of Thor watching from a distance. She sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to get anything coherent from her for a while. Working her jaw, Darcy watched as Jane approached the thunder god. Thor looked tired, concerned, but alert for danger. Darcy hoped he'd stay long enough that she could get the latest scoop from Asgard.
As the rain pelted her from above, Darcy sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, her mild frustration taking on a resigned hue. Then, she glanced around, looking for a dark head of hair and cheekbones that could cut glass. Loki had been gone for almost two weeks, his last visit an overnight between meetings with his father's council and whatever else gods did while at their ancestral homes. She remembered how tired he looked, almost as tired as when she first met him, had first invited him into the love nest in Tony's living room. Asgard was hesitant to declare Midgard a protected land despite Thor's advocacy for the cause. They had little interest in developing relations between the two worlds. Darcy literally couldn't care less about their politics, as long as they didn't go the way of every sci-fi movie and decide on outer realm domination.
Loki, himself, was unwilling to be dragged into the argument, but again Thor insisted. He sat every day by his brother's side as leaders of their home world debated whether or not to share the secrets of the universe with beings they considered below them. And, since both brothers were currently either married or dating one of those low beings, the conversations could get rather heated. Darcy could imagine the little games Loki would play with them, talking them through their own arguments and leading them right into the gaping holes. She wanted to be present for every zinger he sent their way, every biting sarcastic comment that stopped them cold.
Mouth falling into a frown, Darcy realized that Loki was nowhere to be seen. She tucked her chin into her chest and pretended that she wasn't hurt by it. The low feeling in her gut lurched when a loud crack whipped through the area. Darcy looked up to see an officer laying several feet from Jane, apparently thrown to the ground with not a little force. Her magic sparked with the danger, unfurling as a protective measure. It reached out tentatively, recoiling at the electric sensation saturating the air. In the atmosphere, she could taste something dark lingering. It was acrid and sour, tasting like the smell of bleach. Darcy wanted to spit.
Without preamble, Jane was whisked away on the rainbow bridge, leaving the mark of Asgard in her wake.
"Balls," Darcy breathed, wondering just how she was going to get back to Stark Tower now that her ride, and the keys, were MIA.
Digging her boot into the dirt, Darcy bounced a little before forcing a smile onto her face. She turned to regard August and Belinda huddling under an umbrella. Belinda had pulled her hood up to cover her hair, August stood defiantly damp.
"Suppose we should pack up and head home," Darcy said, wiping her glasses on the sleeve of her jacket.
August looked up at the sky, "Mind tellin' me what in the hell that was?"
"Rainbow bridge, dude," Darcy quipped. "Like a wormhole in space. It's the only way to Asgard from here."
After a moment of pondering, August shrugged and looked to Belinda. The girl was probably the meekest of the bunch and Darcy hadn't really heard more than a few words from her. But, her work was excellent, more than excellent. Not one of the myriad of staff persons in the building could recall and assimilate information like Belinda could. Darcy was prone to think that, underneath that timid face was a girl who had the potential to either be a superhero or an evil genius. She was reserving judgment for when Belinda finally cracked through her shell.
Back at the tower, the three separated ways and Darcy took the elevator down to one of the lower levels. The tunnels were still pretty creepy but if the lights were working properly she could just manage to keep the heebee jeebees at bay. In the last five years, Darcy had developed her magic to the point where she could kick some serious ass, but their enemies had been known to border on the superhuman and she didn't like to take chances. Loki often said that she was a magnet for danger and that he would like to keep her locked away on Asgard. Darcy liked to counter that she could take care of herself, thank you very much, and that she still carried her taser just in case.
The lab was quiet, for once, the amigos of science hunched over some kind of laser. Darcy smirked at them as she approached, pulling her hair back and away in case of fire. Explosives, more often than not, were par for the course for Tony despite Dr. Banner's repeated attempts to direct his friend's attentions elsewhere. Granted, Tony had used Guardian power to develop the walls of the lab—they could resist all but the most powerful spells and explosions.
"New project?"
Dr. Banner looked up from above his glasses, "Sort of."
Tony was concentrated on calibrating the device, a tiny wrench in his nimble hands. Darcy peered closer, trying to work out what they were doing.
"Alright," Tony said, leaning back. "Show time."
Darcy hopped away, ready for anything. She then spotted a glass canister at the far end of what looked like a runway. Upon closer inspection, Darcy saw that the canister was filled with dry noodles in water. They were making lunch.
"Don't you guys have anything better to do?" She laughed, folding her arms across her chest.
Tony smirked, "With our slave driver off on a second honeymoon, we mice will play."
"Hey," Darcy barked, pushing her glasses up her nose, "Just because Jane is dedicated doesn't mean she is a slave driver."
Dedicated did not nearly do justice to the level of work Jane put in on a daily basis. She could go for days working on a hunch, sleep less than two hours at a time, build the components to a trans-dimensional highway. She could also completely miss the sarcasm reverberating in every word of Darcy's gentle reprimands and forget to eat. Director Fury paid Darcy to make sure one of his scientists didn't completely collapse from exhaustion. For the last five years, she had been able to see what every conspiracy theorist would cream their pants to get a look at—she had fought evil, and won. Take that college professor who didn't think she would amount to anything.
The laser was turned on and the pasta was heated from a distance, Dr. Banner keeping time on his watch. He gave a little wave of his hand and Tony powered down the machine, leaning over to observe the results.
Thinking that they looked adorable perched over their experiment, Darcy commented, "Even college students aren't this desperate to get noodles."
Dr. Banner put on his glasses, squinting into the container, "It's for science, Darcy."
She scoffed, "Yes. For science."
Upon receiving a censuring look from he who could be considered the most dangerous man in the world, Darcy held up her hands in defeat and dropped her gaze. It was better not to antagonize them while they were experimenting. Doing so was a surefire way to get pulled into their shenanigans and Darcy learned long ago that shenanigans could result in burned hair and an emergency visit to the hair salon. While they commiserated over cooking times, Darcy sat at her computer and drew up the latest data. She pulled up Excel and started to run the information through the formulas to create the charts Coulson always seemed to want. The guy was still the biggest badass agent Darcy had ever seen, but he was pretty damn particular about color schemes. She hadn't commented, but asked Claire later what their décor was like. Claire, in her usually diplomatic manner, had said that they were rarely home enough to warrant decorating. Darcy made it a point to ask occasionally how the paint was coming and was surprised Coulson hadn't caught on.
Data entry was not her favorite part of the job, but it occupied her mind that she didn't feel the first tingle. In fact, it wasn't until her body rocked with a full on vibration that Darcy shot straight out of her chair. She leaned over the desk to sign out and rushed from the lab, her feet stomping over the ground on a mission. The elevator took too long and so she took the stairs two at a time until she was pushing through the door to her living quarters. Her fingers struggled to tap out the security key on the key pad and her hands were clumsy with the keychain. But, eventually, and with breathless, hopeful anticipation, Darcy was able to fly through the door to her…empty apartment.
Cocking out a hip, Darcy regarded the space, reaching out with her consciousness to see if she had been wrong. There was no indication that he was currently or had been recently in the room. His coat was nowhere to be seen, no swaths of armor tucked into the corners. The lights weren't on. Darcy sighed and rubbed the beading sweat from her brow, reaching back to close the door behind her.
Instead of the cool wood of the door, Darcy's hand connected with soft wool and a lean, hard body. Turning, her expression brightened as she found Loki standing behind her, smirking.
"Hello," he said in greeting.
Darcy flung herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck, nose buried into his shoulder to pull in the familiar scent. She squeezed, feeling him pull her closer and lift her so that her feet no longer touched the ground.
"Too long," she ground out into the fabric of his shirt.
Loki chuckled, setting her back down, "I agree. But, negotiations are not always set to a schedule."
He was wearing a soft gray sweater, dark jeans, and sneakers, hair brushed away from his face. Even though he'd adopted some of the fashion of her world, Loki still looked otherworldly. She guessed that it had something to do with the too bright glint in his eyes and the way he could glide across a room effortlessly. And the occasional magic he threw out just for the hell of it.
Darcy could tell that he was tired, but his skin was still pale and beautiful, his posture regal as befitting his title. She pulled him by his hands deeper into the room, pushing him down onto the couch so that she could climb into his lap.
"Any chance they'll just give up?"
Loki shook his head, hands already slipping under her thighs and around her waist, "No. The Allfather's closest council is also composed of the oldest living Asgardians. They remember when Midgard was young and treacherous, too volatile to trust to its own devices."
"Better than the old fogies shaking their canes," Darcy murmured, not in the least bit irritated at the fact that despite millennia of progress Earth was still the baby in the family. Being the baby had its advantages.
"Indeed," Loki replied in that tone of voice that told her he had an opinion but didn't think it prudent to share.
They often disagreed about the differences between their races, humans the foolish younger sibling of the proud and ancient Asgardians. There was never a real resolution, just intense debate followed by frustrated exclamations and, usually, incredible sex. Darcy secretly brought up the subject on occasion, just to see how far she could push it. Loki was intelligent, perceptive, devious, but he never turned down an opportunity to debate with her and he certainly never turned down an opportunity to get into her pants.
"Did you see Jane?"
Loki glanced down at her, his eyes guarded, "Yes. That is why I came."
Darcy, seeing his expression turn softer, urged, "Well?"
"She is ill," he began, running a soothing hand down her arm. "What was it that you were looking for just before Thor arrived?"
Darcy, taking her sickness to be from interplanetary travel, answered, "I bet the Rainbow Bridge isn't as smooth as she thought." Then, "We were getting these weird readings and Claire sent us to check it out."
Loki lifted a brow, "What kind of readings?"
"Oh, you know," she sighed, "Spikes in electromagnetic fields and gravitational disturbances and a few things I can even pronounce. Why?"
He took her hand, threading his fingers through hers. Darcy leaned back away from him to get the full spectrum of his gaze, trying to read him. She repeated her question.
"Jane is ill, as I have mentioned. Something is inside her, something we thought was long destroyed."
Darcy had to work to keep from freaking out, knowing that more often than not these sort of things could be cured with a little magic and a lot of orange juice. She squeezed his hand, wordlessly asking him to continue.
"Long before your kind came into existence, there was a population of beings called Dark Elves. They lived in darkness, worked magic the likes of which haven't been seen since their eradication by Asgard. In their wake, they left a weapon. The Aether."
Darcy sounded the word out in her head, thinking that it sounded like one of those mixed drinks that bartenders set on fire.
Loki looked up, as if remembering the words from one of the huge tomes he sometimes read next to her in bed, "It is chaos made physical. It is a force that has the power to destroy whole worlds. And it is killing Jane."
She was immediately standing and rushing over to her backpack, turning it over and emptying the contents. Flying to her closet, Darcy stuffed the bare essentials into the pack, sliding her tablet and make up bag on top. Slinging the pack over her shoulder, she regarded Loki with a firm gaze.
"I'm ready. Let's go."
Loki stood and smiled at her thinly, "We have our best healers working on her."
"Don't. Care." She pronounced through her teeth. "Let's go."
Knowing that he was fighting a losing battle, Loki relented and Darcy threw up a triumphant fist, her triumph minimized by the anxiety over Jane. She was getting her way, so her fears were placated somewhat, but there was going to be no delay in seeing her friend.
As Loki pull her closer by her hips, Darcy smiled, "I don't know why you even argue with me when it comes to these sorts of things."
His returning smile was filled with a mixture of love of mischief, "You love it when I argue."
"Only because you're sexy when you're being devious," Darcy replied, running her hands up his chest to hook around his neck.
"I only seek to please," he replied, "You should hold on."
Without warning, Darcy was vaulted so violently that her stomach threatened to turn inside out. She squeezed to Loki's body with all her might, eyes shut tight against the blaze of light blossoming around them. The ground beneath her feet fell away, the world she knew so well fell away. And then all was still. The air, which sizzled across her skin, was at rest and Darcy could once again breathe. She loosened her hold, surprised to find that Loki was holding her several inches above the ground.
He let her down, but stayed close, observing her intently. Darcy blinked, aware that they were standing in a room that was wholly unfamiliar. Yet, when she turned to examine it, there were things that she found she knew. Tomes that had once littered her floors were stacked on a desk made of a heavy, dark wood. The helmet which had terrified millions was perched on a stand next to a set of wicked looking knives. The décor was swanky, but more reserved than her previous visit, greens, browns, and ambers floating in and out of the color scheme.
"You changed rooms," Darcy murmured to herself.
Beside her, Loki nodded, "I thought it might be best to drop your things off before visiting Dr. Foster."
The mention of Jane had Darcy dropping her bag on the cushion of a large, plush couch that she would enjoy testing the dimensions for the best fit later. She turned and made a motion with her hands.
"I dropped off my bag," she announced. "Let's go see what kind of trouble Jane's gotten into now."
Jane had, in fact, gotten into a veritable heap of trouble. Darcy walked with her, noting the pallid tone in her skin, the slightly sluggish gears of her usually quick mind. Thor hovered around her as if she would break at the slightest provocation. It was Loki's expression that worried her most. His face was still as stone, his jaw set against some unnamed thing. She knew that look, knew that he was hiding some kind of forbidden secret—a secret that did not bode well for her friend.
They moved as a group into an inner chamber, the halls darkened. Darcy felt her body go on the defensive, the architecture a special kind of creepy. Low arches and high columns made the ceiling seem vast and the dark shadows endless. She kept near Loki, finding comfort in his sauntering gait. The hallway opened to a large room that looked like some kind of meeting room, a stone table dominating the space.
At the opposite end of the table stood a man wearing armor that gleamed in the low light. Pale hair, pale skin, and, to Darcy's amusement, a metallic eye patch in the same color as his armor. She fought to keep the smile off her face, the gravity of the situation sinking in as the pale haired man dropped a massive book onto the table in front of them.
Loki leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Odin Allfather."
Her brows hit her hairline and Darcy reflexively pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She hadn't seen him up close at the ceremony, though the eye patch should have been a dead giveaway. It was a testament to the events of the last five years that such an imposing figure could be swept from her immediate memory. Impatiently, she listened as he told a story about dark creatures they called Elves and their weapon called the Aether. He talked about the power it held, the chaos it could create, and how they had fought a massive war to keep their darkness at bay. Like the Guardians, Asgard worked to keep a balance between light and dark, protecting not only their own people, but the rest of the universe. In the telling of the story, Darcy gathered that the Dark Elves were some seriously badass opponents. Their magic was legend, as was their ruthlessness.
Jane, in her usual danger prone way, had somehow absorbed the power of the Aether, and it was killing her in the process. Like some kind of parasite, it was eating her from the inside out, draining the life out of her. Darcy shivered despite the fact that it was pretty warm in the room, the summer of Asgard near constant. It seemed that the tables had turned, where once Darcy was touched by darkness, now Jane was being grabbed at from planets away. Resolute, Darcy decided that she would help get the weapon out of Jane, no matter what she had to do.
After Odin gave one last ominous declaration about how the Aether and any remaining Elves needed to be eradicated, Darcy was led out of the room and into the light. Thor and Jane drifted off to speak privately while Darcy continued to worry. She pulled at her hair, leaning on the low stone wall as she watched her friend with the one she loved. Jane was taking the news exceptionally well, looking unruffled by the fact that she was housing literal death inside her. Darcy squinted, wondering if the Aether had somehow addled her already wonky mind.
"We have faced this enemy before," Loki said, resting on his elbows next to her.
Darcy glanced at him, "Yeah, but Jane isn't Asgardian. And she doesn't have magic like mine to protect herself."
He tilted his head to the side, "She has Thor to help her fight. And you to stand beside her."
"This is different."
Taking her hand, Loki pulled her into his side, "No different than defeating demons."
Darcy shook her head, "This feels different. This feels like… like it won't be enough."
A tall, regal figure took her attention, blonde hair and startlingly piercing eyes that seemed to see everything. She approached Thor and Jane with a smile and even from a distance Darcy could see Jane having an internal panic attack. Flustered and blushing, Jane spoken to the woman, who continued to smile warmly at the pair. A memory from almost five years previous moved to the front of her consciousness and she recognized the face. Frigga had not changed, still filled the air with her presence, still pulsed with knowledge and magic. Then, with barely a hint of movement, Darcy caught the woman's stare. It struck her physically and she could feel her internal magical core rise to greet the gaze.
Moving with liquid grace, the woman beckoned Darcy forward. She could feel Loki's hand tighten around her fingers and it occurred to her that, while she had been in Frigga's presence during the wedding, they hadn't actually exchanged words. With their relationship so new at the time, Darcy hadn't wanted to announce it so publically. Loki's mother knew, of course, but diplomacy and a mother's intuition had kept her from broaching the subject in Darcy's presence.
"My son," Frigga said in a tone that pronounced her love more deeply than any words.
Loki greeted his mother with a nod, allowing himself to be held briefly. Darcy could see that he was keeping watch on the people milling through the halls, checking for stares and the notice of others. She wondered if this was out of reflex, a habit borne out of years spent keeping an eye on his surroundings, keeping watch for danger. With a mother like Frigga, Darcy couldn't imagine that Loki would need to protect himself. One stern glance from her would have been enough to stop a hoard of gremlins in their tracks.
"And Darcy," Frigga added, taking her hand.
A small amount of magic moved fleetingly up her arm, a greeting between fellow spell workers. Darcy returned the unspoken salutation.
"It is good to see you again. You have been away too long."
The second part was said with a meaningful glance to Loki. He had the good sense to look down and away. Darcy smiled and gave a little nod, her eyes drifting back to Jane. The warm light of Asgard suited her. She looked more alive here than she had on earth despite the fact that she was on her way to death. Thor had obviously arranged for her to get some new clothes and, Darcy had to say, Jane was rocking the Asgardian fashion. She looked so comfortable in the chest plate and draping fabrics, where Darcy knew she would be tripping over herself. Frigga drew her attention, moving smoothly between the couples.
"Supper will be served shortly," she announced. "And then we will talk strategy. I want no worried faces at the table."
Her pronouncement might have been heeded if a dark shape hadn't sprung from the rolling clouds, slamming into the side of the building. Thin, metallic, and thoroughly alien, Darcy watched it slide through an opening a floor above, fire bursting outwards. Loki bent over her, shielding her body from the falling debris. She clung to him, jaw dropping in shock.
"Shit," Darcy breathed as she was huddled inside.
Thor was immediately on guard, hammer in hand. Loki, after having made sure she was secure, moved to stand next to his brother. Frigga, warrior queen that she was, burst into action right along with them.
"Come with me."
Darcy hustled along behind Jane through halls that twisted and turned. Frigga's blonde hair swayed with her heavy stride, Jane's robes billowing out. From an outside perspective, they probably both looked like heroines rushing into battle. In comparison, Darcy probably looked like the jackass that kept getting in the way. She ran into a few people as she worked to follow Frigga's longer gait, until they were turning a corner and pushing through a heavy set of doors.
Once inside, Frigga closed the doors and bolted them with a precision borne out of practice.
"Now, I want you to do exactly as I say," she whispered hoarsely. "No deviations. The elves will be coming and they will not take you."
Darcy nodded, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for orders. Jane would be hidden away in a back room, a double brought to life by a quick spell. Darcy would wait with Jane, a last line of defense. As she spoke, Frigga took a lock of Jane's hair and severed it with a sharp knife, throwing it into a large bowl. She poured from the line of crystal vials sitting on a silver tray, reaching over to grasp a candle. With a little blow, the flame pulsed to life and the whole mixture was set ablaze. Frigga waved a hand over the smoke, fanning it in Jane's direction. After a moment, a form began to appear in the rapidly growing fog. Another Jane looked out with the same eyes, the same face.
For the second time, Darcy stood agog at the happenings around her, "That is awesome. You have to teach me how to do that."
Frigga's smile was intuitive and pleased, "Another time, dear. Now, away with you."
Ushered into an alcove protected by a heavy curtain, Darcy stood next to the real Jane, breathing deeply. From all around the sounded of a fight rocketed through the palace. Walls that looked solid enough to withstand an earthquake shook, elegant golden light chandeliers swung back and forth with the momentum. Darcy instinctively drew out a protection circle, the familiar glyphs giving her a little bit of comfort.
"This is so bad," she breathed.
Jane nodded, "This is really bad."
"This is worse than the first time."
"Yep, definitely worse."
Darcy looked to her friend, "If I go down, you have to get out."
Jane's expression hardened, "I'm not going anywhere without you."
Turning, Darcy grabbed Jane by the shoulders, "Were you listening in there? If those Tolkein knock offs get a hold of the thing fucking up your insides, the whole universe is gonna, like, explode."
Hands sliding around Darcy's wrists, Jane set her jaw, "Together, like always."
The time for talking ended when the sound of the doors being forced open echoed into their little alcove. Darcy strained to hear the conversation before the clang of metal against metal sounded. Feet danced around on the stone floors, air whipped from clothing, weapons, hair. Darcy pressed her hand to the corner, peering out through a crack in the curtain. Frigga was one badass motherfucking queen, and she just kept getting better by the second. Not only was she swinging the blade around with finesse, she was just as good as the Dark Elf acting as the aggressor and her opponent.
A big guy in the back caught her attention. Stony and massive, he sat like a total creeper watching the fight. While Frigga was busy knocking the Dark Elf on his ass, she sent a little spell to knock Creeper Stone Guy on his. He hit the ground with a resounding thud, drawing the Dark Elf's attention for just long enough that Frigga got him on his knees with her blade against his neck. Creeper got up and Darcy could see that he was advancing on Frigga too fast for her to deal with both adversaries.
Decision made, Darcy threw herself into the fight, dropping spells with rapid succession and filling the room with her power. From the floor, the Dark Elf rose and Darcy could feel his own power shift and tumble. It radiated from him, gathering in a coil that had Darcy backing away a few steps in fear. He was furious, mouth turned down as he took a step towards her.
From the far door, footsteps sounded and Thor's hammer flew through room to hit the Dark Elf at his hips, sending him sprawling. It swerved to smash right into the Stone Creeper, holding him to the wall with all of its strange magical power.
"Talk about timing," Darcy quipped, hands still up in case the palest man she had ever seen thought to strike out again.
Behind his son, Odin strode into the room, sneer on his lips, "Malekith."
"Allfather," the elf replied with just enough sarcasm that Darcy could make an educated guess at bad blood.
Loki ran into the room, taking in the scene, his eyes immediately finding Darcy and looking for injuries. She gave a little nod to signal that she was fine, her focus still on their enemies.
Odin drew to his full height, "Once again you have failed."
Malekith's eyes were filled with icy hate, "The vessel is dying. Even I can see she fades."
The vessel in question was actually an illusion, but the real Jane was not far away. Thor had sought her out, running his hands over his wife's skin. Jane gave him low assurances, her nervous eyes flicking around the room.
Thor looked to Malekith, "You will tell us how to save her."
"Of course," Malekith replied, hands balling into fists. "I will save her myself… I will take the Aether from her."
Odin's growl was audible, "You will not."
"Father," Thor ventured, confusion clearly written across his face.
With barely a hesitation, Odin approached the elf still kneeling on the floor, "He would take the Aether into himself. He would turn himself into the ultimate weapon."
Darcy watched him lean down, as if to examine Malekith more closely.
"You cannot control it," Odin intoned sagely. "It would tear you apart just the same. As it tore your planet apart, as it destroyed your people."
If he hadn't just tried to kill the Asgardian queen, Darcy might have been impressed by the way in which the elf defiantly held Odin's stare. Malekith held himself upright, appearing much taller than any kneeling man might. Darcy reached out tentatively with her power, finding solid walls where before she had felt the electricity of his magic. He had closed up tightly, possibly in an effort to protect himself.
Thor stepped forward, "There must be another way."
Loki shifted, reminding the room that he was still present, "There is."
All eyes turned to the sorcerer, Darcy craning her neck to look up at him.
Frigga smiled, pride filling her expression, "Tell us."
Eyes lifting to the ceiling, Loki recited as if by rote memory, "A cask can be controlled by those in the bloodline of its maker. In the absence of such a being, an Earth Mother can be called to bind a coven of sorcerers together and to subjugate the unbridled power into a proper vessel."
Jane pushed her hair behind her ears, "What's an Earth Mother?"
"An ancient being," Odin replied curtly as he circled his enemy, "Immortal and very rare."
"One in a millennia, if that," Loki finished, acid in his voice. Darcy could see the rising defeat in his gaze, his anger.
In her usual practical way, Jane asked, "Do you know of one?"
Frigga laid a hand on Jane's arm, "There hasn't been one since the fall of Svartalfheim. And finding one in the vast populace of the universe…"
The sentence hung in the air, heavy. Silence dropped over the room, weighing down the occupants.
Darcy kicked at the floor, feeling frustrated that they had two impossible solutions—one that would save her friend and doom the universe, and the other that required a mythical creature with the rarity of a unicorn.
"Balls."
As always, let me know what you think.