Chapter Sixty One
Ada had never felt more relieved to be back in the warehouse than the moment she felt the familiar damp London air. She sucked in a deep breath, relishing the familiar fresh air that filled her lungs. It was strange to think that she had been on not one, but two different worlds all on the same day. Returning to Earth had been their primary mission, but now, she wasn't sure what to do from there. They had to stop Malekith from unleashing the Aether, but unless they were able to figure out where he would do that, they were helpless.
"Your leg looks as if it's almost healed," Jane remarked after noticing that Ada was no longer limping.
She blinked in surprise until testing her leg to prove Jane's theory. Truthfully, the adrenaline of being back on Earth kept her mind off of the pain. She wasn't expecting to find that Jane was right. As she put weight on the injury where that monster attacked her, she didn't feel the familiar bolt of pain. She almost grinned at the realization that her powers had kicked in again. Though, the grin faded almost immediately as she thought of how she could have saved Loki, and countless other people.
"I don't even know how my powers work," she admitted with a heavy sigh. Jane looked at her thoughtfully when Ada found herself glaring down at the floor. "I thought I knew the extent of them, but just when I seem to crack the code, something new comes up."
"Your powers seem to adapt to whatever situation you're in," Jane pointed out. "I'm not a scientist who knows about enhancements, powers or even mutants, but I'm willing to bet that's why they keep changing on you."
"I'm beginning to wonder if these powers are worth keeping around," Ada muttered under her breath as Thor finally joined them. He frowned when he noticed how uneasy both Ada and Jane looked. "Sorry… it isn't fair for me to keep complaining when all of this is happening."
She gestured around all three of them as if to prove a point. Malekith was still on the loose and he posed a threat to the universe. Then there was the problem regarding how she would deal with Tony when this was over. He wasn't going to let her live it down that she ended up in two different worlds. He'd never let her leave the Tower or the mansion again if he had his way. It wasn't fair to keep bringing everyone down with her when there was still so much to worry about.
"With everything that has happened, I find no fault in your behavior, Lady Stark," Thor reassured her with a solemn look.
She simply returned the gesture with a grateful nod. Since Jane had grabbed the keys to the Jeep that Darcy dropped through the portal, all they had to do now was find the vehicle itself. That wasn't as hard as Ada expected. It hadn't been impounded like she would have thought, and it was still parked in the same spot where they left it. Jane quickly climbed in the vehicle, with Thor sitting beside her and Ada sitting in the passenger seat.
She pulled out the phone from her pocket, feeling her shoulders sag as she scrolled through the dozens of messages left by Tony while they drove back to the apartment. A small part of her dreaded the conversation that would follow when she called him back. Her battery was almost dead, which gave her some time to think of what excuse she would make. Fortunately, the drive to their apartment didn't take too long. Ada would have trusted Jane's driving over Darcy's any day.
"We're gonna have to explain to everyone what happened while we were there," Ada murmured when they pulled into a parking space.
Rain had begun falling over them as they all climbed out of the Jeep. Ada shivered from the sudden cold and tried to ignore it as Thor reached her side. Jane made a face at the thought of having to explain everything that happened. It would take hours for them to tell the whole story, and something told Ada they didn't have hours.
"We need to keep the story as subtle as possible," she sighed in annoyance. "Darcy's going to freak as it is knowing that we were on Asgard, let alone how she's going to react when we tell them about Malekith."
Ada grimaced at the thought of how Darcy of all people would react to that bit of news. Darcy was one of the best friends anyone could ever ask for, but she also had a tendency to overreact. She could understand why Jane needed some time away from Darcy's boundless energy. Though, she would never admit out loud that Darcy was one of the many reasons she'd agreed to stay with them when she was given the chance.
"Jane! Ada!"
Before they could make it to the door, it suddenly opened to reveal an over-excited and relieved Darcy. Ada rose an eyebrow in surprise when Darcy gave them both bear hugs, ignoring the groan of annoyance from Jane.
"Hey…"
They both greeted Darcy at the same time, neither sure how to react to her sudden entrance. Darcy threw them both a look that said neither of them were getting away with randomly disappearing on Asgard. Though in Ada's defense, she had been following her instinct. Jane was just taken to Asgard because Thor thought it was the right choice.
"Can I use your phone?" Ada suddenly asked when she showed how low on battery life her phone was.
When Darcy gave a nod and let her through, Ada let her shoulders sag in relief. She ignored the looks of surprise from both Ian and Erik Selvig as she reached for the landline phone. She silently prayed that Tony wouldn't answer the phone, but something told her that wasn't going to work in her favor. After seeing the dozens of messages that were left on her phone, she knew she was in for more than just an earful.
"Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"
Sure enough, Tony's voice sounded through the other line. Ada held back a sigh of frustration, biting her tongue as she struggled to explain why she hadn't been able to answer her phone for so long. She had been bracing herself for the long-awaited phone call that would more than likely end in a punishment of some sorts. Tony certainly didn't disappoint when it came to those calls.
"Dad, before you go into a tangent of how grounded I am, please just let me take care of some things," she replied as steadily as she could. "I ended up having to find a way back home after being on Asgard, and something worse came up. Oh, and Thor's back on Earth."
"One, you are grounded young lady," came Tony's response. Ada just rolled her eyes as she braced herself for that kind of outcome. "And two, how the hell is Thor back on Earth? Just what exactly happened?"
"Like I said, it's a long story," she sighed. She glanced at the others as Thor tried to settle into a domestic life on Earth. To her amusement, he hung his hammer on one of the coat racks while observing the small space that was their apartment. "It's gonna be another day or two before I get home."
Tony seemed to put some thought into her warning. If she knew him, Tony would have tried looking for any excuse to get caught in the crossfire. Not for the first time, she found herself begging silently that he would be smart enough to know this was one threat he couldn't handle. That he would have to trust her just this once and let her handle the situation.
"Alright," he finally relented. Ada had never felt more relieved to hear him say that simple word than at that moment. "By the way, Cap called yesterday. He says hi."
"Tell me you're joking?"
Ada's heart nearly skipped a beat at the mention of Steve. Was he really willing to reach out that easily? She knew that he didn't get along that well with Tony; their personalities clashed in the worst ways. Then again, she wasn't much better. The fact that Steve reached out at all was sweet, and showed her that maybe there was hope after all.
"Nope, not joking," Tony laughed as if that was the funniest response he'd heard all day. "Kiddo, don't ever forget how much I love you."
She couldn't hide the smile that followed. As irritating as Tony could be when it came to being overprotective, she loved rare moments like these. He didn't say those words often, and she almost wished the moment would last. The only consolation she had was that it wouldn't be long before they saw one another again. For once, she was actually looking forward to going home to see everyone again.
"Love you too, dad," she replied without missing a beat.
Once they hung up, Ada quickly plugged her phone into the charger and joined the others around the kitchen table. Jane had already finished getting ready and gathered whatever equipment she could. Ada rose an eyebrow in concern when she noticed that Selvig was in his underwear.
"Is there any reason you're in your underwear?" she asked curiously.
"He says it helps him think," Ian explained as Selvig shook his head.
"It's good to see you again, Ada," the older man greeted her, as if he was relieved to see a familiar face.
"Okay, now I know something's wrong with you," she pushed him away when he tried hugging her.
She suddenly remembered that Selvig had been possessed by Loki during the battle of Manhattan. Not for the first time, it was a wonder that the others who were under Loki's control didn't meet the same fate. The doctor just frowned when he noticed that she wasn't letting him anywhere near her. At least not until he changed into decent clothing, and possibly had his head examined. She caught Jane looking at her warily, and the blond just shook her head.
"We need to get everything together and ready before we plan this final attack," she warned everyone.
With that thought in mind, Ada quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes after getting in the shower. It suddenly felt as if it had been days since she had a decent shower. She wasn't sure how much time had passed since they were in Asgard. The messages on her phone suggested that it had only been a couple of days, but it felt longer than that. She tried pushing the thought aside. With so much going on at the moment, thinking about it wouldn't get her anywhere.
Once she was finished getting ready, she walked down the stairs to see that Jane had everything set up on the table. Selvig was hovering over the notes that Jane dotted down while discussing what they would do with Thor. Darcy looked both bored and interested at the same time, if that was even possible. She slouched on one of the kitchen chairs while listening to them talk about the Convergence and how Malekith was planning to use it as a means of destruction.
"Malekith is going to fire the Aether at a spot where all the nine worlds are connected," Jane explained after making sure that everyone was listening.
Ada stood across from where she and Thor were standing, studying the map that was spread across the table carefully. Unless they were able to figure out the location of Malekith's next attack, everyone was at risk. She wanted nothing more than to make sure that he was stopped and that the Aether was taken care of properly. Odin's lie was what had gotten them into this mess, and now they had to clean it up before it got any worse.
"He's using the Convergence as a way of amplifying the Aether's power," she put in warily. "And if he manages to succeed in his plan, it'll mean the destruction of several worlds at once."
"Right, the nine worlds aren't just the only ones affected by the Aether's powers," Selvig nodded in agreement.
Ada chewed the bottom of her lip as she realized just how much the universe was relying on them to stop Malekith. Billions of lives were at stake. She suddenly felt as if a huge weight as on her shoulders when she thought of how risky this was. How many people were going to suffer because of one man's greed for power?
"Well, the alignment is only temporary," Thor warned them. "He must be in exactly at the right place at the right time."
"How do we know where that is?" Darcy asked curiously.
"We follow the directions. This has happened before, thousands of years ago, and The Ancients were there to see it," Selvig told her. "All the great constructions: the Mayas, the Chinese, the Egyptians, they made use of the gravitational effects of the Convergence. And they left us a map." Ada watched curiously as he began pinpointing the different locations of each ancient civilization. As much as she hated to admit it, his theory did make sense. All of those locations sounded as if they had something to do with the Convergence. "Stonehenge. Snowdon, the Great Orme. These are all coordinates taking us… here."
"Greenwich?" Ada asked skeptically.
"The walls between worlds will be almost non-existent. Physics is gonna go ballistic. Increase and decrease in gravity, spatial extrusions. The very fabric of reality is gonna be torn apart," Jane warned them.
"Well, this should be exciting."
Ada crossed her arms at the thought of how they would handle the situation. Physics going nuts wasn't necessarily her favorite cup of tea. She had enough issues with her powers as it was without physics working against them.
"I better get my pants."
That comment was enough for Ada to raise an eyebrow in disbelief. She was saved from having to ask what he meant by that when everyone was herded out of the apartment. They needed to reach Greenwich as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, time was against them.
Fortunately, it didn't take them long to reach their destination. Once they arrived, Ada could see that things were already starting to get chaotic. Several people were looking at the group curiously when they noticed the odd equipment Jane pulled from the Jeep. She handed the tools to everyone playing a part.
"We need to clear the area to avoid any casualties," Ada called through her earpiece.
She jogged over to a path that was located between the library and the main courtyard. The problem was, there were civilians everywhere. They weren't even aware of what was about to happen. Ada's heart sank at the thought of what would happen if they got caught in the crossfire. She couldn't let that happen, especially if they were capable of doing something about it.
"I'm all ears if you think you have a good idea of clearing the area," Jane retorted in exasperation.
Ada nearly rolled her eyes when an idea came to mind. It was risky, and it would involve exposing her powers. But, it would clear the area faster than she could imagine. She tried to keep it as subtle as possible when flames appeared at the palm of her hand. it only took a few seconds for the grassy area to catch on fire, causing people to flee just as the smoke became visible in the air. Once the area was cleared, she quickly doused the flame with what little water was available.
With a sigh of relief, Ada quickly set up the devices and gave the all clear. Jane and the others were already at their location trying to clear the area before the battle started, though Ada noticed that was with mixed success.
"You needn't have come so far, Asgardian. Death would have come to you soon enough."
The way Malekith spoke sent shivers through Ada. She wasn't sure if it was the air of confidence he reeked of, or the fact that he didn't seem to care how many lives would be taken with his need for power. She had no doubt he wouldn't feel any remorse for killing so many innocent lives. Wiping out half the universe wasn't even going to be enough to satisfy him.
"Not by your hand!" Thor shouted back.
He had been waiting at the center of the courtyard for Malekith's arrival. And like a moth drawn to the flame, the Dark Elf had arrived just as everyone finished setting up their devices. Ada just hoped that Jane's plan would work.
"Your universe was never meant to be," Malekith sneered, "Your world and your family will be extinguished."
Is that what happened with the Aliquid? Ada couldn't help but wonder as she thought of what Heimdal told her. She blinked when Malekith looked in the direction where she had been hiding. After seeing the destruction he and his people left, she didn't plan on letting hurt anyone else. Flames danced along the tips of her fingers as Malekith narrowed his eyes, looking as if he was ready to charge after her. That didn't stop Malekith from firing the Aether in Thor's direction, causing him to fly back towards where Ada was hiding.
She ignored the warning look Thor threw her when he tried standing back up. Malekith was responsible for everything that had happened. And she sure as hell wasn't going to let him get away with it. The Dark Elf just looked smug with the fact that he was standing there when she suddenly charged after him, throwing a fireball in the process. Malekith managed to dodge the first couple of throws, but a the last two hit him square in the chest. Even with all of her firepower, nothing seemed to work.
That only infuriated her further. She was about to punch the smug look off his face when something happened. Before she could reach Malekith, the world suddenly changed around her in a flash, and seconds later, she found herself landing next to a building where Ian, Darcy and Selvig were standing outside of. It only took Ada a few seconds to process what just happened.
"So that's what it's like getting sucked into those portals," she groaned after struggling back to her feet.
"You know, that was pretty bad ass the way you went after him," Darcy commented with a smirk of amusement. "Just try not to make it a habit."
Ada couldn't hide the sheepish smirk that followed when Ian helped her back to her feet. She wondered for a moment where Selvig was when she guessed that he had been taken by the portals. Everywhere she looked, chaos seemed to surround them. Dark Elves were everywhere, but the moment they got close enough was when they disappeared in the blink of an eye. She saw Thor's hammer fly around once or twice, going through one portal and opening up in another.
Another group of Dark Elves suddenly appeared just seconds after the portals activated again. Both Ian and Darcy were trying to get out of the way when they were suddenly replaced with Selvig. Ada sucked in a breath when she realized that the portals were becoming more active by the second. Jane hadn't been lying when she said physics would go nuts. At that point, she tried bracing herself for just about anything that might happen.
"Ian?" Selvig asked in surprise when he noticed the three of them standing together.
"Selvig!"
By now, Ada's mind was spinning with confusion as she noticed the intense energy being created by the portals. Several things were happening at once.
"Meowmeow!" Darcy suddenly shouted when Thor's hammer swung by for the umpteenth time. Amusement gleamed within Darcy's eyes. It amazed Ada at how even during a situation where everything was on chaos, Darcy found some way of bringing amusement into it. "What? Everyone else was doing it."
"Thor!"
Ada turned in time to see Jane standing across the courtyard with two of the devices in her hands. Even after all of the attacks Thor launched at Malekith, he couldn't stop the Dark Elf. Ada felt her stomach twist with anger as she spotted Malekith standing in the middle of the courtyard.
"Even if we're able to keep all the Dark Elves at bay, it's useless without stopping Malekith," Ada sighed in frustration.
She caught the knowing look Jane threw her as they all met up.
"We're too late," Jane muttered solemnly.
"The convergence is already at its peak," Selvig put in.
Thor finally caught up with the rest of the group, looking as if he'd had enough with Malekith and his army. After going through dozens of portals, Ada couldn't blame him for feeling so exhausted. When he reached them, he eyed the devices Jane was holding thoughtfully.
"Could those things stop it?" he asked.
"Not from here," Selvig replied with a shake of his head.
"We can't get close enough," Jane put in after frowning at the thought.
"I can," Thor said once he put some thought into it.
Ada glanced at Thor warily as she realized what he was planning. The dark vortex forming around Malekith told her it would be difficult to penetrate, even with the power Thor contained.
"Are you sure you can do it on your own?" she asked warily.
"I must." She was tempted to point out that she could easily help him if he allowed it. But the look written across his face told her that was the last thing he wanted. "Your father would not be happy if I put your life in danger… again."
She let out a heavy sigh of frustration after she realized he had a point. As much as Ada hated to admit it out loud, Tony wouldn't be thrilled if he found out that she tried stopping Malekith by helping Thor. The only thing she could do was stand on the sidelines with Jane and the others.
"Just try not to get yourself killed," she muttered under her breath.
Thor gave a solemn nod of agreement and took hold of the devices. With Thor approaching Malekith, Ada stood between Darcy and Selvig while keeping an eye on the Asgardian. Her hands were clenched into fists as she watched the scene unfold.
"Malekith!" Thor shouted to gain the Dark Elf's attention.
Malekith turned at the sound of Thor's voice, a grin written across his face. A shiver swept through Ada at the look. She hated seeing how confident Malekith was. The only thing she could hope for was that Thor knew what he was doing at that point.
"The darkness returns, Asgardians," Malekith sneered. "Have you come to witness the end of your universe?"
"I've come to accept your surrender," Thor replied.
Just when Malekith's face twisted in confusion, Thor suddenly threw one of the spikes at him. Ada watched through narrowed eyes as Malekith caught the device with ease. Jane activated the device once Malekith caught it, causing his arm to disintegrate seconds later. Thor threw the second device, and when Jane activated the device again, the same thing happened with his other arm. Malekith didn't even look alarmed by the fact that his arms had been destroyed.
"Do you think you can stop this?" he demanded in another sneer. Ada knew that Thor was planning to use the third and final device to inflict the worst damage. She could see him hiding it from Malekith as the Dark Elf observed the Asgardian closely. "The Aether cannot be destroyed!"
"No. But you can," Thor replied.
He summoned Mjölnir and flew into the air before Malekith could make sense of what he said. Once he was high enough, Thor dove back towards Malekith and threw the device towards his back. Ada watched in amazement as Thor used Mjölnir to create a whirlwind that hurled Malekith into the ship he'd used, impaling him. Helicopters were beginning to fly all around them as Jane activated the third device.
As quickly as the battle started, it was over. Malekith was gone. Ada's shoulders sagged in relief when she realized that the worst of the battle was over. Though there was still the mess of the portals to deal with, everyone had enough time to relax and figure out what to do from there.
AN: I'm sorry it took me so long to post this update. I've been busy trying to figure out how to work this part of the movie out, but I just sort of lost inspiration towards the end... which might explain why it seems so rushed. At any rate, big thanks to UltimateFan-girl15 and MarvelousMe102 for reviewing! Reviews are always appreciated :)
So, one thing I wanted to do was warn readers that it may take a while for the next few updates to be posted. I'm branching off the movies for a little bit, which means the chapters might be a little shorter (it depends on how much I can squeeze into one chapter without making it too boring). And I've been running edits in some of the earliest chapters. I realize that I left a lot out during the first Iron Man movie, which is partly why I'm going through some of those earlier chapters and editing them.