Earth-717: Thor Vol 1
Chapter 3: Septicaemia
Rubbing the back of her neck, Jane vainly tried to massage the throbbing in her muscles along her spine. After a couple minutes, she sighed and picked up her medical satchel, slinging the strap over her left shoulder. Brushing off the front of her blue paramedic outfit, she then turned and looked out the windows along the front wall of the hospital lobby. They showed off the New Mexico sunrise.
Having just finished a thirteen hour shift, Jane was more than ready to go home to her tiny, nondescript apartment, with its mostly empty fridge, barely working faucets and far too old computer. Her hands in her pockets, she then felt her phone vibrate against her left palm. Pulling it out, she flipped the phone open and looked down at her new text message, knowing it could only be from one of her three contacts.
-NEW MESSAGES: (1)-
-DR. KEITH KINCAID-
"hey, were still on for that cup of coffee tmrrw, right?"
With her free hand, Jane scratched her short brown hair, which was done in a small up-do low bun, as she considered the message. Biting the inside of her lip, she thought back to the other day, when Keith had originally asked her about this. She and Keith had worked together for years, but she never really thought of him as her type. However, after realizing that she had not dated anyone for almost half a decade, she had decided to give a tentative yes.
While part of her was happy to receive the attention, another part wondered if she was just anxious because it had been so long since she even thought about dating. Either way, she was more confused and self-reflective than genuinely interested. Not that there was anything wrong with Keith per se, but she still felt like a real spark just wasn't there.
Then she felt like she was thinking about this way too much. It still was just a damn cup of coffee. She then typed in a response and sent it off.
"yea. see you then."
Closing the phone and stuffing it back in her pocket, Jane then walked through the automatic doors of the hospital and out onto the street. She walked alone for a couple minutes, lost in her own thoughts. She was concerned about a great many things, such as how she felt that she had been stuck in the same routine for so long, how she had virtually no social life, and how she was upset that she totally deserved that raise she didn't get.
She also wondered whether or not Keith actually liked her, or was experiencing the same sort of romantic drought that she was. Jane was so distracted by her own thoughts that she almost didn't notice a small metallic orb falling from the sky towards her.
Looking up in surprise, she then jumped backwards as the orb smashed into a van that was parked on the road next to her. Landing on her ass, Jane then quickly scrambled off the sidewalk and ran around to the other side of the parked van, which had been essentially totalled by the extraterrestrial object.
"Ow!"
Jane gasped upon seeing that there was a man who was in the driver's seat, who was grasping at his arm in pain. He was wearing a plaid shirt, worker jeans and a red baseball cap. Instinctively reaching out, Jane yanked open the driver's side door and looked at the man.
"Sir! Are you hurt?!"
"Yeah," he moaned. "My damn arm . . . . I, I dunno if it's broke, or . . . ."
"Let me."
Jane reached into the vehicle and helped the man out, laying him down on the pavement. Pulling off her medical satchel and crouching next to him, she then looked over his arm, internally sighing with relief upon seeing that it was only badly bruised rather than broken. She quickly opened her phone and dialled the hospital.
"Hello, this is . . . ."
"Cathy, it's Jane. I got a man injured here on Rodeo, just down the street. Arm banged up pretty bad."
"Got it. Someone's on their way now."
Jane closed her phone and put it down.
"Thanks."
"No problem. It's my . . . ."
Jane's attention was then drawn by seeing the orb that had fallen from the sky, wedged into the road nearby. Taking a moment to look it over, she realized that it was not metallic, but actually formed of some kind of translucent crystal. Within the orb was a reddish, glowing liquid that writhed and flowed within its confinement.
She felt irresistibly drawn towards it. The man looked at her with confusion as she felt compelled to reach out for it. As the red glow of the fluid started to cloud her vision, she noticed that the orb was cracked by the impact, and that the fluid started to seep out of it. Without warning, the fluid then leaped towards her, latching itself to her outstretched arm.
"AHHHH!"
Paralysed by the sudden attack, Jane's body convulsed as the fluid phased into her body. The veins in her arm then glowed bright scarlet through her skin. The man yelled in terror as he watched her collapse to the ground, frothing at the mouth. Her body continued to vibrate as two of her fellow paramedics arrived on the scene.'
Malekith turned to face his disciples, looking upon them with a mixture of feelings that he could not place. They all stared up at their master, seemingly unable to speak due to being so shocked at the change in their predicament. Then, a large, three metre tall Dark Elf, with charred armour and a set of tusks, approached Malekith. He had red war paint on his face, and a twin set of curved horns emerging laterally from his temples. Malekith looked upon him and gently touched his forehead.
"Algrim."
Kurse growled under his breath in response. Malekith exhaled and lowered his hand.
"Then it is real," said Malekith. "We have awakened."
"Yes," replied Kurse.
Malekith then looked back to his army of followers. He slowly walked into the crowd, touching each of their foreheads as he passed them. They lowered their heads in honour to allow him to perform this action.
"My followers, my people . . . . to see you all animate again, is the only thing in this universe that could bring me joy."
He then saw a small group of ten Light Elves, each of them with a sigil on both of their cheeks.
"My friends, the ones who forsook their own kind and chose to become my kin, because they were gifted in magics that the Ljosalfar shunned as demonic witchcraft, it is truly good to see you well."
The group of Light Elves bowed out of respect before Malekith, and he returned the gesture. He then looked up to see the gargantuan dragon gazing upon him. The beast was covered in thick, patterned scales, with two lines of triangular, leathery dorsal fins etched along its back. Its massive wings were covered in battle scars from the numerous wars it had participated in, with three talon-like claws attached to each one.
The dragon slithered its neck through the crowd of Elves, drawing its head up to Malekith. He stared directly into its orange, reptilian eyes. The beast had a crest with dual horns atop its regal head, and a lengthy, fleshy tongue to compliment the full set of serrated blades that were its teeth. Sniffing Malekith twice, it then lowered its head, simulating a bow.
Grinning, Malekith reached out with both hands and placed them on the dragon's snout, feeling it breathe a few times.
"Zedonius," said Malekith. "Loyal to the last."
Zedonius let out a guttural sound in response before pulling away and standing tall on its back legs. Having greeted everyone in the orb, Malekith then stood back up on what was left of the altar, ready to address his followers.
"My people . . . . for fifty thousand years, we have been laid to rest, an ancient legend that the cosmos thought long dead."
Malekith ran the tips of the fingers on his left hand along the iron on his face, feeling the grooves of the metal over his bones.
"Even our own kind, who placed this infernal curse upon me; half of my self no longer alive, now made of that which is our greatest weakness. Even they have forgotten us . . . . but now, we live again."
"How?" asked Kurse. "The Aether . . . ."
"Bound us to this place," answered Malekith. "But it has been moved by someone, somehow. I know not who or where. Not yet."
Kurse tilted his head as he watched Malekith close his eyes and focus his concentration. The rest of the Elves then began to talk amongst themselves, rekindling old friendships and remarking upon their unexpected return. They expressed gratitude and relief that they were finally able to move and speak again, and to be amongst what remained of their family and friends.
Kurse stood at Malekith's side, waiting for his master to speak. After a few minutes, Malekith's eyes opened again.
"I can sense the Aether," said Malekith. "I can feel its energy, its presence . . . . and the presence of another."
"Where?" asked Kurse.
Malekith sneered.
"Midgard."'
At the end of the Bifrost, otherwise known as the Rainbow Bridge, lies a large, spherical nexus through which travel between realms and dimensions is facilitated. This nexus is at the precipice of the great cosmic waterfall, and overlooks the edge of Asgard, giving the 'God of Observation' the perfect place from which to act as sentinel and guardian of the golden realm. This god is Heimdall, and while his other senses, such as smell and hearing, cannot extend beyond normal range, from within the nexus he can see to anywhere in the universe, as long as he knows where to look.
As Heimdall stood watch, a group of his kin walked into the nexus. The group was formed of Odin, Thor and Sif. Heimdall turned to face them when they arrived.
"Why have you summoned us, gatekeeper?" asked Odin.
"I have witnessed a disturbance that must be addressed, my King," answered Heimdall. "On my watch, I noticed something out of place in the realm of Midgard."
"And what is this disturbance you speak of?"
"An ancient artifact not of that world. Per my study of the cosmos and its mysteries, this artifact appears to be none other than the Aether."
Thor and Sif looked at each other with surprise at the mention of the name. Odin furrowed his brow. Thor then turned back to Heimdall.
"Are you certain, gatekeeper?" asked Thor. "The Aether?"
"No other object in the known universe matches its description so."
"The Aether has not been seen for fifty thousand years," said Sif. "It was buried with Malekith the Accursed in a place no one knows of, right?"
"Indeed, dear sister," replied Heimdall. "Even I know not where Malekith's tomb resides. However, this is the Aether, and its power is far too great to remain unchecked. The people of Midgard are ill prepared to navigate such a danger."
Odin turned to the side and appeared to be deep in thought. Thor, Sif and Heimdall all stood silently, waiting for the word of their king. After several moments of contemplation, Odin turned back around to face them.
"Where on Midgard is the Aether now?"
"It has arrived on the western side of the planet," answered Heimdall. "It has since infected and situated itself within the body of a mortal woman."
Thor's eyes widened upon hearing this.
"The Aether's power is far too great for any mortal to contain! Father, she may be destroyed by it, or changed in some way we cannot anticipate. We must recover her!"
Odin nodded.
"I agree, my son. This must be dealt with, immediately. You are to go to Midgard. Find this woman, and bring her back here. We must discover a way to extract the Aether from her and contain its power."
Odin then reached out and placed his free hand on Thor's shoulder.
"I charge you with this task, Thor."
Thor held Mjolnir to his chest.
"On my honour, as prince of Asgard, it will be done."
Sif then stepped forward, standing at Thor's side.
"I will accompany you on this mission, if you'll have me."
Thor nodded at her. Odin held his sceptre in the air.
"Then it is settled. So says the All-Father!"
Odin slammed the sceptre on the ground. Thor and Sif then marched over to the opening of the nexus that led to the stars. Heimdall stood at the centre of the nexus, and placed his great sword, Hofund, into its slot. The nexus began spinning at an accelerated rate, as the cosmic energy needed to use the Bifrost was generated. As the nexus was nearly fully powered, Thor looked back at his father.
"Good luck," said Odin.
Thor nodded at his father and looked forward again. At that moment, the Bifrost fired a brilliant white beam into space. Both Thor and Sif were pulled into it, launched across time and space, towards the blue and green planet at the centre of the World's Tree.
Opening a pack of watermelon-flavoured chewing gum, Alex walked out of the hospital's automatic doors and pressed his back against the wall to the side. Popping one of the pieces into his mouth, his attention was then drawn by an aurora of rainbow-coloured light appearing in the sky above him. The aurora then transformed into a beam of white light that struck the pavement of the parking lot.
The beam emitted a thunderous clapping noise and a shockwave of energy that caused several parked cars to activate their alarms. The light beam dissipated, and Thor and Sif walked out of it. The piece of gum fell out of Alex's mouth as his jaw dropped upon seeing them. He watched them as they walked past, but once they were inside the hospital, he shrugged and put another piece of gum into his mouth, resuming his chewing.
Thor and Sif did not interact with anyone as they walked through the lobby. All eyes fell on them, with many people gasping or exchanging whispers with each other about the strange appearance of these two intruders. They brushed right past the waiting desk, and the woman behind it stood up.
"Hey, hey! You can't go in there!"
Thor and Sif ignored her, marching straight past her and into the wards. They arrived at Jane's room and saw that the door was closed. A thin window in the door showed that Jane, in a hospital gown, was lying in the bed. She was talking to a man with glasses and a grey suit who was standing next to her. Thor gestured towards the door, and Sif then kicked it down.
Jane yelped in surprise upon hearing the door smashing against the tiled floor. The man in the suit turned around, but was too stunned by Thor and Sif's appearance to say anything.
"What the hell?!" yelled Jane.
"Are you the woman who was infected with the Aether?!" demanded Sif.
"What? Who?"
"Answer the question, mortal!"
"Huh? M-Maybe? I don't . . . ."
Thor looked down at Jane's arm, and saw that her veins were still glowing scarlet through her skin.
"It is she," he said. "Take her."
Sif nodded and reached into the bed, pulling Jane off of it. She started to wildly scream as Sif slung her over her shoulder.
"Hey, hey! HEY!"
The man in the suit finally snapped out of his dazed trance and held out a SHIELD badge.
"Excuse me! I'm Jasper Sitwell, agent of SHIELD! Release the woman and identify yourself!"
Thor looked at him and tilted his head slightly. Sif walked out of the room, carrying the wailing Jane with her.
"I am Thor Odinson, prince of Asgard, and I am afraid I cannot comply with your request to relinquish this woman. The All-Father himself has decreed she be taken to the golden realm."
"Golden what?"
Thor looked to the side, and saw Jane's paramedic outfit and her medical satchel on a chair in the corner of the room.
"Those are her possessions?"
"Uh, I think so?"
Thor nodded and picked them up, carrying them with him as he followed Sif out through the open doorway. Sitwell then shook his head and chased after him.
"Hey, wait!"
Sif, who was now walking through the lobby, shoved a security guard out of her way as she marched out of the hospital. Jane was fruitlessly pounding her fists against Sif's back.
"Lemme go, you crazy bitch!" shouted Jane. "The hell is this?! Lemme go, dammit!"
Thor followed after Sif, and Sitwell ran after him. Thor and Sif returned to the place in the parking lot that the Bifrost had left them, with Jane still helplessly struggling against Sif's grip. Sitwell pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Thor.
"That's enough! Halt!"
Paying him no mind, Thor held Mjolnir high above his head.
"Heimdall! Portal!"
The aurora of the Rainbow Bridge appeared again in the sky, and the white beam consumed Thor's group. Sitwell was so close to the beam that he was blown back by its force as it pulled Thor, Sif and Jane into the cosmos. Landing on his back, Sitwell groaned in pain. He then looked back up into the sky, seeing that they were gone.
"Ugh."
Pushing himself off the ground, Sitwell saw that Alex was still standing in the same spot, wordlessly continuing to chew his gum. Shaking his head, Sitwell looked at the sky again.
"Why do I always get the crazy assignments?"