I'm not sure how well I'll do the Dark Elves justice, so please allow some grace. I don't want to copy the movie, so I really don't want to use the Aether storyline. However, I wanted an enemy to fight. I wanted to lay some groundwork for the more complex sequel I hope to write over the summer. Sorry for the delay in this update. I had to travel out of state to attend a funeral. It took up my normal writing times. School is out, though, so updates should be better. There may only be 2 more chapters or so left in this story. Thanks for your support and enthusiasm.

For those who have not watched Thor 2: The Dark World, the Dark Elves are an ancient enemy that Odin's father defeated long, long ago. They are evil malevolent and not at ALL like Legolas!

Chapter 23: Dark Elves

*****Svartalfheim, home of the Dark Elves *****

Algrim, loyal servant of Malekith the king of Svartalheim's realm, was determined to get his king to challenge Odin, the All-Father and guardian of the Nine Realms. Algrim was haunted by dreams. A victory was within their reach a voice in his head assured him. The image of his own father, who'd died at the hand of Odin's father taunted Algrim. The voice had grown so loud that some days he was convinced it wasn't just in his head. At these times, Algrim thought his father had come back from the dead. Soon he realized it was a dream, an almost waking nightmare. His father's spirit was seeking vengeance from beyond the grave. Algrim must get his king to act or he'd never know peace. His father would forever haunt him.

"We must reclaim the darkness," Algrim said to him. "Too long has the All-Father ruled. He is old. His son Thor shows no eagerness to claim the throne. Rumor of fighting between brothers has reached my ears. Odin is preoccupied. Now is our time to catch them off guard. Thor barely managed to put down the rebellion in Vanaheim. They grow weak. We can strike and weaken their position."

"We cannot win without the aether," Malekith replied. The aether was a weapon without equal. It changed all matter into dark matter. It gave its host incredible power. Power that would easily rival the All-Father—at least for one that knew how to wield it. And Malekith knew how to. Once he had done so with ease. He grimaced as he recalled the former glory he once enjoyed. It had been too long. Algrim was right. He deserved to see the Asgard king brought to his knees.

"You will find it. Let us bloody them now while the opportunity is here," Algrim said.

"Heimdall is on guard. His defenses are formidable," Malekith stated. It was not easy to get into Asgard uninvited.

"Yes, but I have uncovered a way past their defenses. We can bring down their shields from the inside," Algrim said, smiling eagerly.

"How?"

"I will get inside Asgard. I will lower their shields, and you may strike!" he said confidently. He knew he could do so by going to another realm and getting on a prison transport.

Malekith smiled finally. "Let us begin," he announced.

It had taken a few weeks of careful planning. All the pieces were in position now. He was within sight of Asgard's own castle. Odin was somewhere nearby. His king would be victorious. Algrim was going to make sure of that. The image of his father smiled with approval next to him.

*****Back With the Scoobies and Company****

Odin stood to his feet. "You are not leaving! I forbid it!" he proclaimed, getting angry at his daughter's stubborn insistence. At times, she reminded him of his late brother, her biological father.

Atali stood also. "I'm sorry to remind you, Father, but I am a grown woman! You cannot tell me what I can and cannot do!" she exclaimed angrily.

Buffy had known this moment would arrive. She glanced at Angel, who gave her a slight nod. He stood as she rose to her feet. Spike and Illyria followed his example. The others soon followed.

Tony gave Bruce a wary glance. "Careful, Big Guy. We don't want to do anything before it's necessary," Tony said.

"Don't worry. I'm in control. As long as Buffy isn't threatened or I'm not attacked, the Big Guy should behave," Bruce assured him.

"I will reduce your kingdom to rumbles!" Illyria boasted to Odin.

Odin looked annoyed and said, "Do not presume to speak to me, Demon. Even when you had your full powers, you could not hold onto your kingdom and yet you dare to challenge me! Be gone!" He pointed his staff at her, hitting her with a wave of power. In a blink, Illyria was gone.

"You shouldn't have done that," Angel said with a sigh.

"She is fine. I just moved her a short distance away," Odin said, not bothering to look at Angel. He kept his eyes on Atali. "Do you really want your friends to engage me and your people?"

Atali glanced around the table and saw her friends prepared to do battle. She saw Loki's grin and Thor's tension and worry. She saw his Avenger friends equally tense. The situation was explosive.

"Father, I need to speak to you, Mother, my brothers, and Buffy in private," she said.

Odin looked at their guests. "Will you excuse us?" he asked.

They all began to disperse. Dawn squeezed Xander's hand. "Let me talk to him. He does less posing if there's no audience," she whispered. She kissed him.

He nodded. "Come on, Will," he said. "We should go find Illyria anyway."

When the room cleared out, Atali looked at her family. "You've got to find a way to reconcile who I am now with who I was," she told them. "Father, I've been gone from Asgard for an insanely long time. Generations have passed on earth. I don't remember my time as the Key. I only remember my time as Dawn Summers. That part of me is still there. It doesn't matter that the memories were planted." She reached over and took Buffy's hand. "This is my sister. The past nine years were very real. I lived them with her and our friends. We share the same blood. She died for me. Do you get that? The only reason she's here now with me is because Willow is a kick-ass witch. But as you said, she and Xander are human. I don't know how much time I have with them. You, Mother, and my brothers have many human life times ahead with me. You can't expect me to abandon my earth family."

"I do not expect you to abandon them. They can live here with us," Odin said as if that solved the dilemma. "I will make her an Asgard, so you will never have to lose her to human frailty and mortality. As a human she has no equal. She will be a worthy addition. She can even wed Thor, and we'll make her someday queen of Asgard." He smiled, liking the idea more and more. Would she hold on to her slayer powers as an Asgard? The thought intrigued him further. Asgard had never had a queen with power that could stand so equally next to the All-Father.

"What?" Buffy exclaimed, incredulous. "Are you insane? There will be no wedding!"

Thor groaned. "Father," he said in a tone that made his opinion clear.

Loki just laughed while Frigga gave him a disapproving look.

Atali sighed. This was going to take a while.

*****The Asgard Prison*****

Illyria clenched her fists in anger as she realized that the All-Father had teleported her to the prison. She glanced around. At least he hadn't actually placed her in one of the cells. However, she understood the implied threat by her sudden relocation. A commotion broke out at the end of the hall. She walked toward the noise and saw some creature fighting with an Asgardian guard. Although she was pissed at the Asgards, she knew that her friends would expect her to help defend Dawn's people. Always liking a good fight, she moved forward to lend a hand. As she engaged the intruder, the prison cells began to open. Frowning at the sudden development, she looked back and saw one slip out of the corridor, looking smug. Now there were more guards and more prisoners fighting. Grinning, she knocked out one and reached for another. Finally, Asgard was becoming much more interesting. Easily, she took out her anger at Odin's insult on the unlucky prisoners.

*****Back in the Palace*****

Steve, Clint, Bruce and Tony were waiting outside the dining hall while Xander and Willow went with Spike and Angel to locate Illyria.

"Do you think I should put on my suit?" Tony wondered.

"Probably," Bruce said. "I have a feeling things could go either way."

"Preparing for a fight probably isn't the best plan," Steve said.

"Being ready to fight is always the best plan," Clint said, grinning.

They stood there a few minutes at loose ends. None of the men except for maybe Banner handled waiting very well. Finally, Tony said, "So what's been going on with you guys? Anything good? I know I've had to have missed something besides Loki, the god of mischief, conning his way out of jail."

"Wasn't that enough?" Bruce asked dryly.

Steve opened his mouth a moment, hesitating. Then he closed it, unsure. Not since Bucky had he had a real confidant. His friendship with these men were still new, and he found himself a bit unsure.

Tony, however, caught his hesitation. "What? Tell us!" he urged.

"Well," he said hesitatingly. "Last night Buffy kissed me."

"What?" Clint asked, giving his friend a sharp look.

"Seriously?" Tony asked eagerly. "Where? How was it and if you had children would they be superpowered, too?" He glanced at Bruce who instantly knew his thoughts.

"Our friends are not science experiments, Tony," he said with disapproval.

"Hey, Steve was the government's," Tony reminded them with a wink.

"Focus," Clint said in annoyance. He took a breath, trying to sound casual. "So what happened?"

"Well, I couldn't sleep and ran into her in the queen's garden. We chatted for a bit. I don't think we've ever conversed in private," Steven remarked. "When I said goodnight, she jumped up on the bench and grabbed me and kissed me."

"Really? She grabbed you?" Clint asked in disbelief. He'd thought Buffy had felt a connection between them. Although Clint knew she'd been a bit star-struck by Captain America like most were, he hadn't realized it went any deeper than that. Disappointment filled him.

"No surprise. This is not a woman that would be afraid to go after what she wants," Tony said with a knowing grin.

"And she wants you," Clint stated, working hard to keep his personal feelings out of his expression.

"Who knows? Modern women are so confusing. The setting was romantic. She shared some things with me. Maybe she just got caught up," Steve remarked.

"The question is how do you feel?" Bruce inquired.

"I feel unprepared to court a woman like Buffy Summers," he admitted. But then a small smile broke out on his face. "However, she is extraordinary."

"Yes, she is," Clint said, nodding in agreement. "I'd kiss her if given the chance."

Steve looked askance. "I'm sorry, brother. Did you fancy her? I would never take a woman from a friend," Steve assured him.

Clint shrugged, trying to appear casual. "Not a big deal. She's amazing. If a woman like that wants you, you'd be a fool to walk away," he said, speaking the truth. Steve was a great man. The most honest and true man Clint had ever met. He was his persona. Having spent so much time cloaked in darkness and deception, Clint knew when a person was genuine. Buffy deserved a man like Steve. Steve had lost everything. Surely, he deserved a woman like Buffy much more than Clint ever would.

"I second that! No bowing out now!" Tony said happily. Then he gave Bruce a mischievous grin. "What about the Big Guy? Would he go nuts if Buffy was with a guy? Would he be jealous and come out to defend her honor?"

Steve looked horrified at the suggestion and turned to Bruce, waiting for his response.

"It's not like that," Bruce replied, rolling his eyes. "The Hulk is pure rage for the most part. There's nothing sexual about his response to Buffy. He just senses she is worth protecting. It's not like he wants to club her and take her to his cave."

Tony snickered. "Now that'd be a scene I'd pay to see!" he said.

"Do you remember what he feels?" Steve inquired.

"Not usually. Not ever at first. But the past year or so as I've gotten a better handle on controlling him, I've found that when I allow him out like when we fought Loki in New York, I am not completely blacked out," Bruce explained. "The hellmouth in Ohio, though, was different. He was in complete control. I don't recall anything."

"So how do you know how he'd react to Buffy having a boyfriend?" Tony pointed out.

"It was one kiss. I'm not her boyfriend," Steve stated.

"I know because the Hulk isn't a man like we are. He's a creature of rage. He knows only destruction. His reaction to Buffy is an anomaly," Bruce admitted. "But when I'm around Buffy I don't feel an attraction to her. As much as I'd like to deny it, the Hulk is a part of me. He fought with you all in New York because he sensed you were my friends. I sense that Buffy is important to him. I know that if she's in danger I won't be able to control him. You'd never hurt Buffy, so I don't think you should worry. If I know that, then he will, too."

Steve nodded, looking thoughtful. "Well, there's enough going on now. We don't have time for romance," he reminded them.

"Speak for yourself," Tony said with a smirk

"What do you think's going on in there?" Steve speculated, looking at the closed door.

"None of our business," Bruce said. "Let's go find the others." Guards walked by in a brisk pace, looking like they had some place they needed to be. "What's going on?"

"Something," Tony observed as he saw a guard approach and knock on the dining door. The guard didn't even wait for a reply but went in.

Inside, Odin listened to the guard's whispered words. "Assemble the Guard. I will lead them to battle," he said. The guard nodded and quickly left. "A riot of some kind has broken out in the prison. Some have escaped."

"You didn't happen to send Illyria over there?" Buffy inquired. By Odin's expression, she got her answer. "We better go deal with it."

"Loki, you and your sister stay here and keep your mother safe. Thor and I will handle this. We will finish this when I return," he said.

A few minutes later, they were headed across the court yard. Before they made it to the prison, they were frozen at the sight of a ship above them. Buffy saw Xander and Willow fighting a group of armed creatures several feet away before the entrance of the building holding the prison. She ran toward them, not waiting for the Asgards. As she approached, she saw Clint and Steve engaged in a similar battle several yards away. Bruce was there, so far managing to keep calm.

"Glad you could enjoy the party," Xander said to her as he ducked, dodging a blow. He was unarmed and handicapped with his one eye. Willow had been mostly protecting him as Spike and Angel engaged the elf looking things. "What are they?"

Buffy looked as she kicked out and knocked one to the ground. "They look like elves."

"I thought elves were good and mostly pacifists and lovers of nature and stuff," Xander said in confusion.

"This isn't The Lord of the Rings, Xander," Willow said as she decided to simply empower her own body and fight that way. She used telekinetics to disarm on of the elves and began using his weapon to fight the new threats.

Looking at Thor's dress as he drew near them, Xander replied, "You could've fooled me. I think this being Middle Earth would explain a lot!"

Thor made it to their side. His father quickly went ahead to the prison with his soldiers at his heels. A few hung back to clear a path for them. "It looks like the Dark Elves have somehow gotten past our defenses," he said, stunned. This had never happened in his living memory. He stood next to Buffy and began to fight. Together, they helped Spike and Angel cut through the remaining elves while Xander mostly hung back feeling useless as he watched Thor in awe. How could Dawn ever be satisfied with him?

When the last foe died, Thor turned to him, "You should go back to the castle where it's safe."

"Yes, you need to let Dawn know how serious this is. It's not just a prison riot," Buffy said.

"There's more ships," Angel said, pointing upward. They looked and saw Tony in his suit flying around, blasting the ships as they approached. One exploded.

"You should go find Banner," Thor said to Buffy. "Keep him calm. We don't want to unleash the beast unless it's necessary."

"They're over there," Xander pointed. Thor saw and nodded.

"An invasion by evil elves may be a good time for the Green Giant to come out and play, don't you think?" Spike said with a grin. He charged toward the prison, hoping Blue left him a few to kill.

Xander nodded at Buffy. "Be careful," he said to her and Willow. Then he turned and walked quickly back toward the castle and Dawn. Although he knew she was now more capable of protecting herself than he was, he still worried for her. If trouble was about to explode all around him, he wanted to be by her side.

******To Be Continued******