Chapter 11
"How many of your people are on the surface?" Mackenzie asked the Ctul ambassador.
"No more than a thousand. We are not a numerous race. Many of our young die in their battles for status."
"It will have to be enough. Gather as many as you can and go create some chaos. Keep the Shi'ar military off our back."
The Ctul ambassador looked at Thor who nodded. He bowed to Mackenzie. "It will be done." With that he and his brethren rushed off toward the South-East.
"Are you sure that was wise?" Stark asked. "They might have come in handy breaking into the Palace."
"Maybe. But I get the feeling Spencer has already taken care of that problem for us."
"You think Spencer's ok?" Skye asked.
"I hope so Skye."
The group hurried off toward the Shi'ar palace. The entire area was devastated with gutted buildings and dead Shi'ar everywhere. Shi'ar emergency sirens screamed in the distance and the sound of combat could be heard from the South-East.
"It's kind of hard to believe Spencer is responsible for all this devastation." Hawkeye commented. "I didn't think he would be willing to do such things."
"If he wasn't willing, there is a good chance we'd fail. And then all of existence would end up looking a lot worse than this." Mackenzie replied.
The entire group paused as they neared the Palace. The giant structure was vibrating violently. "What the hell?" Stark asked.
"Tony, scout on ahead. See what we're facing." Captain Rogers said. Stark blasted off into the distance. Before he got to the palace there was a massive flash of light and a huge shockwave of energy radiated from the building knocking Tony out of the air. He recovered before he hit the ground and came to a somewhat shaky landing among the group.
"I repeat. What the hell?"
"Spencer." Mac whispered and started running.
"You think Spencer caused that?" Hawkeye demanded incredulously.
"It was either him or whoever he's fighting! We need to get there now!" Mac reached out with her mind, picked the entire team up, and flew toward the palace.
There were a dozen unconscious or dead imperial guardsmen scattered around the Palace gates. Most had been pummeled pretty badly and one poor guy had been stripped down to the Shi'ar version of boxer shorts.
"I'd say this gate is pretty thoroughly opened." Stark said. "Let's get in there and finish this."
"No." Mac said. "Not all of us are going."
"Mac, we need everyone we've got if we are going to stand a chance!" Hawkeye told her.
"Clint you have no idea how dangerous the thing we're going to face is. It mopped the floor with Spencer, Skye, and me at the same time. We cannot afford to have anyone go into this who can't hope to injure this thing and withstand one of its counter attacks. Otherwise it will just use the other members of the team as weapons."
"So what's the plan then? You and Skye waltz back in there and face off against this Nagel alone like you did last time? I will not lose you again!"
She reached out and touched his face. "It's ok. We won't be alone. Skye and I will go in with Thor and Loki. We'll find Spencer and then all of us will go confront Nagel together. I'd take Hulk but I'm not sure if I got all the back doors into his mind. I need you, Stark and everyone else to guard our backs! We can't afford to have the entire Shi'ar military come at us from behind. I'm counting on you!"
Barton stood looking into her eyes for a moment. Indecision written plainly across his face. Finally he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply for several seconds. When he broke the embrace he was trembling slightly. "You better come back to me." He whispered to her.
"I will. Nothing could stop me."
Mac reluctantly pulled away and started into the Palace. "Skye, Thor, Loki, let's go. We've got some wings to clip."
The Palace was deserted. They had expected to find signs of fighting all throughout the massive structure but there was nothing but empty halls. Well empty halls and stifling heat. The walls literally glowed red hot from whatever had caused the giant release of energy earlier. Thor led the way while Sky and Mac drained as much heat out of the atmosphere and walls as they could, storing the power for the upcoming confrontation.
"Do you think Spencer's already reached Nagel? It would make it so much easier if he got there, kicked that things tail up between its shoulder, and was on his way back with the M'kraan crystal." Skye said nervously.
"He would already be here if that were the case my love." Loki told her. "Most likely he is either still searching or has been captured once more and awaits rescue. Though I must admit he has done a marvelous job of clearing the Palace of any resistance."
"Spencer didn't do this." Mackenzie said absently. She was only paying partial attention to the conversation. Most of her attention was spread out through the Palace looking for signs of Spencer or Nagel.
"If it wasn't Spencer then who was it?"
"I don't know. I get the sense that the place was already evacuated."
"If it was already evacuated then maybe we're in the wrong place. Nagel might have taken the crystal someplace else."
Mackenzie stopped and closed her eyes. "No. The crystal is here. I can't sense Nagel but that doesn't mean anything." She opened her eyes. "He's already proven he has the ability to mask his presence from others." She started walking again. "He can shield himself from me but not the crystal, I could sense it anywhere, even if it was on the other side of the universe."
Mac looked over at Skye. "You can sense it too can't you Skye." Skye glanced at Mac and nodded.
Thor stopped as he came to a door twisted by what appeared to be a massive explosion. It looked like it was in the process of opening when it became lodged in the frame. It was still glowing a bight orange from the amount of heat that had poured through it.
He examined the piece of wreckage. "This is vibranium. What could have caused this kind of damage?"
Mac came up beside him. "I don't know, but we have to get through here." closing her eyes she reached out and ripped the door from the frame. A blast of heat hotter than a star roared out of the inferno inside the room.
Skye peaked around Loki. Mackenzie had just barely managed to shield them all from the incredible rush of energy that the room had contained. "Wha…what was that?"
Mackenzie stood behind a surprised and slightly singed Thor, hands outstretched holding up a powerful shield to repel the inferno inside the room she had just opened. "I have no idea! You might want to get up here and put that out though! We need to get through this room. I can feel the M'kraan Crystal calling to me on the other side."
Skye gulped. "Are you sure it's safe?"
"Skye you toss around stuff that makes this look like a kids birthday candle! Get up here and put this out!"
Skye looked sheepish. "Right. Sorry."
"You'll be fine my love." Loki told her. She gave him a big smile and nodded.
"What is burning in there anyway? I know of few things that could create such heat when aflame." Thor said.
"I think it's a who not a what. Someone caused this. Someone with the power to create heat rivaling Skye's."
"Nagel?" Loki asked.
Skye, who had been on the verge of touching Mac's protective shield gave an 'eep!' of surprise and jerked her hand back before running to hide behind Loki again.
"I don't think it was Nagel. This is the handiwork of a new actor." Mac replied.
"Someone who can cause this level of devastation will be a most dangerous foe." Thor said quietly. He almost sounded eager to face off against this new opponent. "Let's get in there!" He said excitedly.
"Skye, open us a path." Mackenzie told her.
Taking a deep breath, Skye once again reached her hand out to the barrier. When she touched it the flames roared up and flowed up her arm were she absorbed it into herself. "That's odd." She said.
"What?" Loki asked her.
"These fires were already dying. Whatever powered them ceased several minutes ago. I think we've just hit the aftermath of an attack."
They stepped into a huge room, the walls and ceilings had been warped by the intensity of the heat. Any decoration or furniture had been consumed leaving nothing behind, not even ash. Air rushed back in to fill the vacuum caused by the inferno. The room was nearly pitch dark, any lighting that had once been present had been destroyed.
"Give us some light would you Skye?" Mackenzie asked.
Skye nodded and closed her eyes. After a few seconds she began to glow, soon the entire room was illuminated with a soft, golden light.
"Thank you."
"I think I see a survivor of the inferno." Loki commented pointing a finger at a figure lying near one wall.
"Is it Spencer?" Skye asked in concern as they rushed over to examine the unconscious person.
They came to a stop next to the being. He had horrible burns covering his face and eyes going down to the skull in some places. Whatever his uniform was made of had partially survived the maelstrom but the damage to his head would take healing technology beyond anything available on Earth to repair. One thing was sure, it certainly wasn't Spencer.
Loki knelt next to the severely wounded figure frowning. "Thor…I THINK this may be Kallark, head of the Shi'ar Imperial guard."
"What?!" Thor also knelt and examined the fallen warrior. "How is this possible? I know of only a very small handful of beings in the entire universe who could stand a chance against him in combat!"
Loki nodded stunned. "And as much as it would once have pained me to admit it, you are the only one amongst our current group who falls among their number."
"Could…could Spencer have defeated him?" Skye asked.
Thor looked at Loki and they shared some silent communication. "No. He may have fought bravely but…I can't think of any way he could have gained enough strength to stand a chance against someone like Kallark."
"Then where is he?" Skye demanded. "We know he came in the Palace, and he almost certainly met this Kallark guy. So if HE didn't beat this guy who did?"
Mackenzie wasn't paying attention, she was staring in horror at the far wall. "Skye."
"What?"
Mackenzie raised a trembling finger to point at the far wall. Embedded in the vibranium was Spencer's armband. The metal walls had partially melted around the artifact trapping it about chest height in the surface.
"No…" Skye whispered. She rushed over to the object, Mackenzie right on her heels. "He may have just left it here when he was done! He…" She grabbed the armband and fragments of bone that had been protected inside the artifacts curve, all that was left of Spencer, fell to the floor.
Skye clung to Loki as they continued down the halls of the Shi'ar Palace. Tears ran down her face and she clutched Spencer's armband. Loki did his best to comfort his grieving love but it wasn't having much effect. He looked over at Mackenzie and all he saw was a mask. She hadn't said a word since they found the armband, hadn't cried, nothing. He could almost feel the cold rage emanating from her.
"Dr. Arden, you must calm down!" Loki told her. "He would want you focused on the future so we can succeed. If you don't Spencer died for nothing!"
Mackenzie froze. Slowly she turned to face Loki and he felt his body start to strain as her gaze brought her power to bear upon him. "Your meddling is what brought him to this end in the first place you vicious snake! Your arrogance sent him off to be captured by Nagel. You are directly responsible for having his mind broken! He wouldn't have run off on his own if it weren't for you!" She was screaming at him now and squeezing him telekinetically.
Loki was on his knees gasping in agony as he felt every bone and joint splintering under Mackenzie's enraged assault. He couldn't see or hear anything beyond the sound of his heart racing as the agony continued to build. Then suddenly it stopped and he collapsed face first on the floor.
Skye was grabbing Mac's arm sobbing. "Please stop Mac! Don't kill him! I need him. WE need him."
Mackenzie stared at Skye. "I'm…I'm sorry Skye its just…He might as well have killed Spencer himself!"
"I know that but I can't do this without him! Please Mac."
With an inarticulate cry of rage, Mackenzie shoved Loki away then turned and stalked past Thor toward their destination. Skye knelt beside Loki and began to heal the damage.
"Will you be alright Dr. Arden?" Thor asked as she stalked past.
She paused, fists clenched at her side. "I don't have much choice do I. We have to get the Crystal back or everyone and everything is dead!" She turned to glare at Thor. "Just keep your brother out of my sight. Next time, Skye or no Skye, I will tear his heart out." She turned and walked off.
The door to the throne room was well over three hundred yards tall. Made of solid vibranium over three feet thick, those doors were the last defense for the Emperor or Empress of the Shi'ar and thought to be the next best thing to impenetrable.
"So…any ideas on how to get these open?" Skye asked.
Mackenzie examined the doors closely then shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I wasn't really expecting something like THIS to be blocking the way. I'm not even sure you could burn through it Skye."
"I would really hope we haven't come all this way for nothing." Loki said somewhat warily. He didn't want a repeat of Mackenzie's earlier attack.
Mac just glared at him before turning to examine the door once more. "Nothing for it but to try and open it. Thor, see if you can budge these."
Thor nodded and approached the massive gates. Stretching, he reached out and grabbed the doors, set his feet, and gave a massive heave of his shoulders. He nearly went over backwards as the gates swung silently open with no effort.
"Well that was certainly unexpected." Mackenzie commented.
The four of them entered the throne room and just stopped in amazement. Even Loki and Thor were shocked at the sheer scale. Well lit with hovering lights the far end was just under a mile from their current position. The ceiling stretched in a giant dome made possible by the incredible durability of vibranium. The throne, which seemed tiny from where they were standing was mounted on a dais over a hundred yards tall with hundred of steps leading to its foot. There were dozens of platforms on those steps large enough to accommodate hundreds of people with those closer to the throne placed based upon their social prominence in the Empire. Battle trophies from literally millions of conquered cultures and worlds lined the throne rooms walls in honor of past victories. On the far wall statues of the Empire's greatest rulers loomed over all those present like enormous reminders of past glory.
A glowing red gem, no larger than a child's fist floated above the distant throne. It was visible, even where they stood, because of the warm light it produced, shining brighter than all other sources of illumination. It seemed like there was a pull towards the crystal. Subtle but definitely there.
A figure stood up from its seat on the throne and stretched out a pair of beautiful wings before leaping into the air and soaring toward them. It covered the distance in seconds and came to a delicate landing twenty feet from the group.
"Ah! I had wondered if there would be an audience for my ultimate triumph over the One Above All!" Nagel exulted. "I am so glad you made it past Kallark. His nobility was beginning to grate." His smile was like the rising sun though it chilled to the core of their being.
Mackenzie strode forward. "This ends now Nagel! We will stop you and reverse whatever you have done to the M'kraan Crystal!"
"What I have done?" Nagel asked in amusement. "I have done nothing except prepare the gem to open. It is what is inside that will destroy all that has or ever will exist. Such an elegant solution don't you thing? Using the One's own creation to undo existence. Delicious is it not? As for stopping me, I and the green one will defeat you with ease and then nothing will be left to save this filthy creation from its rightful cleansing!"
Nagel's face contorted into something hideous as he proclaimed his ultimate victory. "Now, where is he? Where is the green one who will aid me in destroying you?"
Mackenzie just stared at Nagel for a moment then broke out laughing. "You really screwed up this time didn't you? We left him behind because we knew he was contaminated. The four of us are all that are coming and we'll be more than enough to end you!"
For the first time in millennia Nagel knew doubt. He took a step back glancing from face to face of those arranged against him. All he saw was determination. Then his gaze fell upon Loki and paused there. "You think you've beaten me! I have existed for longer than your pathetic species was even a glimmer in the mind of the One Above All! I survived the death of one universe and the birth of another! You are LESS than insects before the power and magnificence I wield!"
He pointed in defiance at Mackenzie. "And I can find allies even among the four of you!"
The lance of psychic power was totally unexpected and Mac barely had time to throw up a shield against it. Too late she realized that the attack wasn't directed at her. With a cry of despair Loki slumped to his knees clutching his head in agony.
"All evil, everywhere serves me and those like me. And you brought that evil here to my aid." Nagel gloated.
With a cry of rage Thor charged the vile creature before him and swung a powerful overhand blow of Mjolnir directly at Nagel's head. Nagel's wings came up in defense and easily took the hit. Thor stood in shock as Nagel simply pushed the hammer back with his wings. "Did you really think I would fall so easily to the likes of you?" His wings flashed out and struck Thor full in the chest sending the mighty Asgard flying into the wall.
While Thor attacked Nagel physically, Mackenzie struck a powerful psychic blast at the vile creature's mind. The Cursed One repelled this attack as easily as he had Thor's hammer. Do you really think you have enough power to overcome me? You are all weak worms next to me! Mackenzie screamed in agony and fell to her knees from the force of Nagel's counter-attack.
Skye was oblivious to the battle raging between Mac, Thor and their enemy. She was too busy trying to help her love as he writhed and screamed from the assault on his mind. "Loki! It's ok! I'm here just stay calm!"
Skye continued to cradle the thrashing Asgard as Mac and Thor battled behind her. "What did he do to you my love?"
Loki shuddered one last time and was still, his eyes stared vacantly out into space and foam flecks dried on his lips. "Loki? Loki! Please no! Don't die. You can't die!"
Thor flew threw the air over Skye's head and left a dent in the thick vibranium doors. With a yell of rage he leapt back at Nagel, hurdling the sobbing form of Skye cradling Loki. She never even noticed.
Loki gasped and coughed then his eyes focused on Skye. "Oh!Oh thank God! I…I though I had lost you!" Skye hugged the Asgard to her and tears flowed down her face.
"Skye?" Loki looked at her in confusion.
"What is it my love?"
"Skye I'm sorry."
A look of confusion came across her face. Before she could ask what he meant his sword blade rammed through her body and out her back.
Mjolnir flashed down in blow after devastating blow. Lightning flickered and crashed but each hit was met with the seemingly indestructible wings of Nagel and every blast of electricity was absorbed by the creatures feathery defense.
Mackenzie meanwhile continued her mental battle. Whatever angle of attack she attempted was either blocked or deflected. She refused to read his mind again, not after the cesspit she had discovered during their first meeting. Preying on his fears was useless, Nagel was a creature who FED off fear, even his own. Switching tactics, Mac gave Nagel a powerful telekinetic shove.
Instead of flying through the air Nagel redirected the attack back at Mac, something she didn't even know was possible. The shove caught her in the chest and she was hurled toward the far wall. Reacting on instinct, Mac reached out with her mind and cushioned her flight so instead of being crushed she was merely stunned by the impact with the nearly unbreakable surface.
Staggering to her feet, Mackenzie raced back to the fight. With a grunt of effort she reached out and pulled at Nagel's wings telekinetically just as Thor brought his hammer down once more. The move surprised Nagel who had expected Mackenzie to be killed by the impact, he tried to dodge the hammer but received a glancing blow to his left forearm which shattered under the power of Mjolnir.
With a cry of rage Nagel shoved Thor away with a sweep of his wings then sent a blast of telekinetic force Mac's way. Mac deflected the push and swept Nagel's feet out from under him with a swift counter attack. She could feel the shock in the evil thing's mind at her application of his own techniques against him.
"Don't show your secrets if you don't want someone to learn them." She muttered. With a roar of rage, Nagel pinned Thor against the wall with his mind and rose to his feet.
Mackenzie never knew what caused her to roll forward when she did. She sensed no aggression. Felt no spike of determination. There was nothing outward to warn her. She just dove forward and Loki's sword sparked across the floor where she had just been.
Leaping to her feet, Mackenzie turned to face this new threat. Loki stood ready, his face was blank but tears streamed down his face. She saw blood on his sword and her heart skipped a beat. "What did you do?"
"I…I didn't have a choice! This is my nature and he just stripped away the armor keeping it in." With that he leapt at her, sword weaving in a complicated attack pattern.
Mackenzie dodged and rolled avoiding the razor's edge by eyelash widths at times. Behind her Thor was losing his fight against Nagel. Without the distraction of her mental and telekinetic attacks Nagel began to press the Asgardian back, delivering devastating blows with his wings as the feathers cut Thor's armor and flesh like daggers.
Mac sent a brutal psychic attack directly into Loki's mind but something Nagel had done rendered him immune. She dodged another swipe of his blade before bludgeoning him with a telekinetic assault. The blow shoved him violently into the nearest wall where he flipped to push off it with his feet, shoving himself back in her direction.
Atounded by Loki's acrobatics, Mackenzie found herself off balance both physically and mentally. She tried to gather herself for another attack but their wasn't time and she knew she couldn't dodge. She threw her hands up to ward off the attack, knowing that she had failed in her quest when Thor came flying through the air and bowled his brother over. It would have been a more dramatic rescue if Thor had been in control of his flight. Nagel's last attack had shoved the Asgardian prince into Loki by accident. With the horribly wounded Thor now distracted by a battle with his foster brother, Nagel turned his eyes towards Mackenzie once again.
Nagel sent a psychic shock into Mac's mind followed by a telekinetic shove. Mackenzie blocked the mental assault and barely deflected the telekinetic blow. Unfortunately both attacks were just distractions as Nagel closed the distance between them. Striking her with his wings, Nagel knocked Mac to the ground. Only a last instant telekinetic shield prevented Nagel from crushing her skull with the powerful blow. Instead she was knocked unconscious by the strike. Nagel stood over Mackenzie, wings drawn back to deliver the death blow.
Thor was in serious trouble and he knew it. For the first time he faced off against Loki and knew he couldn't beat him. Loki's sword was everywhere blocking every thrust and swing of Mjolnir and the wounds he had received at the hands of Nagel slowed his movement to a crawl. The blade kept sweeping closer and closer and his hammer couldn't keep up. Loki delivered one last overhand blow towards Thor's head and as the heir of Asgard brought Mjolnir up to deflect it, Loki struck out with his foot. Thor went down flat on his back and Loki's sword swung around cutting into his leg and crippling him. Loki then brought the weapon up to press against Thor's neck.
"Why brother? You betray your kin, your friends, and the woman you love. What made you choose a path of such treachery?"
The tears continued to stream down Loki's face. "Nagel broke my bond with the only person I ever truly cared for. He made me kill her and now your oblivion will sate the hurt and fury in my soul. You stole our father's favor and now I will steal your life!" With those words Loki began to thrust his weapon into Thor's throat.
A blast of fire swept through the air and physically blew Loki into Nagel before either one could deliver their death blows. A bloody and enraged Skye staggered forward engulfed in liquid flame, the very essence of righteous fury. The eruption of pure energy split in two and pinned both Loki and Nagel to the wall. She went after Loki first.
Tears of fire dripped from her eyes as she confronted the man she had loved. As a descendant of Jotunheim, Loki had an incredible resistance to fire. His very nature was ice, that nature was the only thing that prevented him from being consumed by Skye's fury. Even so his skin was beginning to char in the incredible heat. "Why? I loved you! I shared the very essence of my being with you and you tried to kill me!"
Loki looked into Skye's eyes. "It was the bond we shared that made me love you. Nagel freed me from your trap so I could pursue what my heart has always desired. Vengeance on Thor for receiving the love our father should have given me!"
Skye looked stricken by Loki's confession. Her lip trembled and she took a staggering step back. Then with a cry of despair she focused all her power on erasing the fallen prince of the Asgard. She should have concentrated on Nagel.
As Skye gathered her power to consume Loki, Nagel broke free from her fiery grasp. A blow from one wing sent her broken form crashing to the floor. Her healing power kicked in but it was something that took time. Nagel stood over her, wings spread wide as he prepared to end her life. "Loki, you have served me well. Go. Take your reward and end Thor. I will deal with this wretched thing."
Nagel stepped forward placing his boot on Skye's throat. "You are powerful, but stupid. Love is the greatest lie in all existence. You should have used your hatred to defeat me rather than waste it on petty vengeance. Now, you will die with all you care for."
Nagel began to slowly build up the pressure on Skye's neck. Her vision narrowed to a black tunnel. All attempts to summon her fire and direct it at Nagel were smothered by the vile creatures mind. As her vision began to fail she saw Loki ram his sword through Nagel's back and out his chest. The pressure on her throat vanished as Nagel staggered forward, clutching at the blade penetrating his body.
Nagel spun around and swept Loki into the nearest wall with his wings. You could hear the bones crunch as the Asgardian hit and slumped to the floor barely alive.
Meanwhile Nagel tried to reach behind him to remove the sword shoved into his back but couldn't manage to reach it. Skye's vision returned as the air and blood resumed circulating. Gasping in several deep breaths, she gathered herself then blasted the stricken creature. Nagel was propelled three hundred yards across the vast room and his smoking body skidded to a stop broken and still.
Skye crawled over to Loki and laid his head in her lap. "Why did you come back to save me?" She asked him.
"I…" He broke into a coughing fit and spat up some blood. "I…realized…even…with…our…bond…gone…" He coughed hard and long again before taking a deep breath. "Even…with…our…bond…gone…" He looked her in the eyes. "I…still…loved…you." Skye began to cry as she rocked her love. Her body began to glow as she healed their wounds.
Mackenzie was just regaining consciousness. She rose groggily to one elbow and observed the tender moment between Skye and Loki. Because of this she saw the horrendously injured Nagel come to a landing behind Skye and bring his wings down to crush the life from her.
Thor's hammer caught Nagel in the legs, just below the protective wings and shattered both appendages. With a insane cry of rage, Skye pulsed out a gout of raw power hot enough to consume a planet. Mackenzie contained the incredible force of Skye's rage and directed every bit into Nagel. Even the Cursed One's wings couldn't withstand the force of Skye and Mac's combined power and as he began to burn, Mackenzie ripped his form into sub-atomic particles. The four brutally wounded comrades lay panting on the throne room floor victorious at last.
"Did we win?" Skye asked exhausted.
"Looks like." Mackenzie replied.
"Oh. Good. I'd like to take a nap now."
There was a roar from the far end of the throne room as the M'kraan Crystal opened. A vortex of unimaginable power began to suck everything around it towards a gravitational hole in all existence.
"Ah man! Do we have to deal with this now?" Skye asked.
"We were too late." Loki said. "Nagel won after all."
"Is there nothing we can do?" Thor asked from where he lay trying to staunch the flow of blood from his wounded leg.
Mackenzie gave a sigh. "Looks like it's up to us Skye."
The two friends staggered to their feet and made their way toward the vortex. As they approached, they noticed it's size was growing at an alarming rate and Mac was forced to use her power to keep from being drawn into the tear in reality. They made their way to where the crystal floated above the throne, the vortex hovering right above it.
"So…what do we do now?" Skye asked.
Mac stared at the crystal, her heart beating in time with it's pulsing rhythm. Slowly she stretched her hand toward the gem. "We do what we were born for Skye. On three." Skye took a deep breath then nodded. "One, two, three!" The two friends touched the jewel at the same time. Words and visions sprang into their minds. Knowledge of cultures long gone and species not yet born flowed through them. The M'kraan Crystal answered the call of the children of its master and with one last flash and a roar of wind, the vortex vanished. It was like the entire universe moved. Everything rippled, and wavered like water disturbed by a thrown stone. And suddenly it was still…except that things were not the same.
Those they had left outside were now in the throne room with them. The imperial guard were scattered around, lying injured or dead. And a Shi'ar male lay dead at Mac and Skye's feet. Loki and Thor, who they had left injured at the throne's doors, came up, free of all wounds, to stand next to them. "And thus dies the tyrant Dken. Emperor of the Shi'ar and madman. Victory is now ours." Thor said.
Mackenzie and Skye looked at each other in utter confusion.
"What the hell is going on?" Skye asked.