We know what's coming but will Dalla survive what is to come?

Also, I am sorry for the long wait. I have to get into a new-old routine at work and have hit a block for inspiration. Also, I'm working on handwriting my Bucky story that I promised on TikTok. It will be an Exes to Enemies to Lovers. Please keep a look out for it once I settle on a start. I think going between two stories right now is enough with everything going on in my schedule, but once I get things settled at work, I'll get back to posting chapters.

Differences in this chapter: It's closer to the end of Thor: The Dark World, but with Dalla included, along with the changes from the previous chapters. However, we won't be seeing the battle, unfortunately, nor the exchange between Thor and Odin.

Dalla stood next to Jane. It was common knowledge throughout the nine realms she always took part in Loki's plans. The only difference this time was she didn't know the plan. She had shut out any and all distractions to keep Jane comfortable and safe. She didn't have time to listen to two idiots fighting. She had been unable to protect her mother, she wasn't about to fail her friend, holding onto her more to comfort herself than Jane.

"Do you trust me?" Loki asked, turning to Thor.

"Would you?" Thor asked in return.

Dalla looked at her siblings in confusion. She and Jane shared a look. Seeing the black and blue change in her eyes caused Dalla some worry, as did the conversation between her brothers. She gave a small, reassuring smile before looking back on Thor and Loki.

"No," Loki answered, "I wouldn't."

Both women yelled out as Loki stabbed Thor and threw him down the cliff. They ran after the brothers as Loki attacked Thor. Dalla helped Jane at times, but they weren't fast enough to stop Loki.

"You think I cared for any of you?" Loki yelled. "Dalla understood, but then you just had to change her! Taking everything! All I wanted was you and Odin dead at my feet!"

Thor reached out for Mjollnir and just as it was flying through the air, Loki cut off his hand, causing Thor to scream in pain. Jane went to Thor as Dalla went up to Loki.

"What in Hel are you thinking?" she asked. "Loki, now is not…"

He quickly told her about the plan, giving her a sad look. It all took a second, but he stabbed her as he said, "You left me, sister. Though, I do not know if I can call you that anymore. You sided with them."

She held her stomach as she fell to the ground, crawling to Jane and Thor, but she wasn't fast enough. Loki harshly pulled Jane off the ground. The twins looked at each other in understanding.

"Malekith!" Loki called out as the Dark Elves approached. "I am Loki of Jotunheim, and I bring you a gift!" He threw Jane to the Dark Elf leader. "I only ask one thing in return, a good seat to watch Asgard burn."

The Dark Elves conversed. With Loki fighting alongside Asgard, she didn't see how he could convince them, even with his silver tongue.

"You fought against us," said the general.

"To get close to Odin," he said. "The royal family doesn't trust me after a failed attack." He looked at Dalla. "One where my partner betrayed me, left me for sentiment."

Malekith came up to Dalla and Thor, stopping next to them and saying, "Look at me."

He kicked them over. He extended his hand so that Jane lifted into the air. He began to extract the Aether from her, the red looked black as it became a mass again. They watched as her eyes became normal once more, but unfocused. When all of the Aether was extracted, Jane fell to the ground breathlessly.

"Loki," Thor gasped out. "Now!"

Loki removed the illusion on his siblings. Thor called Mjollnir to him while Dalla went to protect Jane. Dalla felt Loki protect both of them as Thor aimed lightning at the Aether. There was an explosion, sending dark dust over them. The siblings hoped this meant the end to the Dark Elves' plans.

But watching the Aether rise from the ground, Dalla knew the battle was far from over. She looked at Loki, despair filling her and her heart sinking. They saw that Malekith was calling the Aether to him. The plan had failed.

Despite the pain in her ribs, Dalla stood up and joined her brothers in fighting the Dark Elves. The General threw a grenade-like object towards Loki and Jane. Loki pushed Jane to safety but got caught in the gravitational pull of it. Luckily, Thor saved him, allowing Dalla to focus fully on the battle at hand. One threw her so that Dalla landed on a rock and a crack could be heard. She had to hold back a scream as a rib broke.

She couldn't move or breathe without pain. But when she turned her head, she watched her brothers fighting the general and some soldiers as the ship flew away, disappearing as it became camouflage. She fought to get up, despite the pain, wanting to give aid where she could. Loki became surrounded as Thor handled the general, both holding their own. That is until Thor had a boulder thrown at him and Mjollnir was hit so that it was flung into the side of a cliff. Loki finished his battle before he used a spear to stab the general from behind. She couldn't hear what was being said as she was still too far away, holding herself in such a way as to not injure herself further or let the rib move.

Yet, all pain was forgotten when Loki was impaled with the very spear he had used. She ran to Loki's side, barely registering the general being destroyed by one of his grenades. All that mattered was her brother. Thor was there at Loki's side at the same time as her, having only gotten up after the general had disappeared.

"No," Dalla cried. "No, no, no."

"You fool," Thor said with despair. "You didn't listen."

"I know," Loki said. "I'm a fool. I'm a fool."

"Stay with me," Dalla pleaded, gripping Loki's hand.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Thor hushed him, his pain mimicking Dalla's, though he didn't let the tears fall like she did, though he said, "It's okay. It's alright. I'll tell Father what you did here today."

"We both will," Dalla agreed.

"I didn't do it for him," Loki said softly.

"We know."

She pressed their foreheads together for a moment before pulling back. They watched Loki to his final breath, his skin as dark as the sands around them. Thor screamed out his denial and Dalla sobbed into Loki's now still chest. Jane walked towards them, but kept some distance to give the twins space to grieve.

But soon, a sandstorm caused them to have to leave. Dalla held her ribs, refusing comfort from Thor.

"Jane needs more help than I," she said. "I'll be fine for now."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I can't lose you too, Dalla. I can…"

"I am the Goddess of Fire and a protector of Midgard. It is our duty to protect those of Earth. So you will do your duty and protect your mortal. I am fine, brother."

He nodded and helped Jane, with Dalla a step behind in case any of any enemy straggled behind. She tried not to take shallow breaths so as not to breathe in the sand on the wind or to send pain through her from her ribs. They made their way to a cave for shelter. Dalla sat down and Thor examined her as best as he could while Jane also found a seat, explaining what the Aether revealed to her.

"He's going to unleash it," she said. "Not just on Asgard or a star. Malekith is going to destroy everything."

Thor stood and looked at her, asking, "How? Jane, how?"

"I saw him on Earth. Why would he go to Earth?"

"The Convergence," Dalla groaned.

"Oh, God. None of this would have happened if I hadn't found the Aether."

"Then Malekith would've only possessed it that much sooner," comforted Thor.

Jane looked at him. "I only found it because I was looking for you."

He began to run his hand over her hair. "Jane…"

"And now we're trapped here."

Suddenly, a sound could be heard. Jane recognized the noise. Dalla pulled out a phone she acquired just before they left. She smiled, remembering he had wanted her to call him should she be to go back to Earth. She heard Thor deny the noise was him, so Jane looked at her own phone, answering it. Dalla looked at Thor as Jane talked to a Richard. Dalla stifled a laugh when Thor looked at her.

"Not a word, sister," he whispered to her.

"Careful or Jane might see how jealous you are, brother," she whispered back.

They watched her, slightly confused as to what was going on, seeing her examine and pick up a set of keys. She mouthed to them to come with her and the next thing they knew, they were on Earth. Dalla got into the back of a car and laid down, dialing the only number on her own phone.

"Dalla?" came the most wonderful voice she could ever ask for at that moment. "When… where…?"

"Steve," she said as they began moving through the streets, ignoring Thor and Jane's conversation, "I don't have time to really talk. Yes, I'm back but I don't have much time and I don't know how long I can stay on Earth. After everything that's happened."

"Sweetheart, what happened? Talk to me."

Tears formed again. "My mother… Loki…"

"I'm so sorry, Dalla. Tell me where you are and I'll come to you."

"Honestly, I don't know right now. But I'll tell you once I know."

"I'll hold you to it."

"I miss you. So much."

"Me too. I love you."

"I love you too."

She hung up the phone and let tears silently fall. How she still had any after everything, she didn't know, but they didn't stop. She fell asleep during the ride.

Jane drove them to her apartment, Thor carrying his sister, careful of her side as she had been holding it. When the door shut, she jolted awake. She had him put her feet on the ground.

"Jane!" came another woman's voice, one Thor had said was named Darcy. "Hey. You can't just leave like that. The world is going crazy. All the stuff we saw is spreading. Did you go to a party?"

Then, ignoring Darcy, Jane said, "Erik?"

Dalla recognized him, despite the lack of pants, as he stood up and said, "Jane! How wonderful." They hugged. "You've been to Asgard."

"Where are your pants?"

A man neither twin knew said, "Oh, he, uh… He says it helps him think."

Jane kept her eyes on Erik's face. "Okay, well, I'm going to need everything you've got on this. All the work you've been doing on gravimatric anomalies, everything."

"Okay," agreed Erik.

"You are well, Erik," said Thor as Jane left the room.

Erik smiled and saw Dalla, saying, "Sorry about the machine."

"You weren't in control," she said. "All is forgiven."

"And your brother? Is he coming?"

"Loki is dead," supplied Thor.

"Oh, thank God!" Dalla gave him a shocked and angry look, Thor only looked confused. "I know he was pardoned and all, but he was the one who took over my mind, so not the fondest of memories. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," the twins said in unison.

Erik gave Thor a hug out of friendship, but when he gave one to Dalla out of sympathy, she had to fight to keep from falling to the ground.

"What's wrong with her?" Darcy asked.

"Broken rib," she said through gritted teeth.

"You need a hospital," said Erik.

"What I need is rest."

Thor took her phone and handed it to Darcy, saying, "Call the last number dialed. Tell whoever answers where she is and to bring Banner."

She left the room to make the call as Dalla became angry with her brother. "You can't get Steve involved, Thor!"

Even as she ranted, Thor made her lay down on the couch. "I can and will if you refuse to go to a hospital."

"Rape some damn bandages around my ribs with splints until this is over! What we are facing, we don't have time to wait for me to heal!"

"You are not going into battle while injured!"

"This is war and every soldier must fight!"

The twins glared at each other when Darcy came in, saying, "They're on their way. I was told to have her rest for now. They won't be to long."

Jane returned, having changed. At the same time, the sound of the Quinjet could be heard. Not long after, there came a knock. Darcy answered it, seeing Bruce and Captain America standing there. Erik was speechless.

"I'm Steve Rogers," said the Captain. "This is Dr. Banner."

"She's on the couch," said Darcy.

"I'm fine, Steve," Dalla called out.

He set down his shield and walked up to her, shaking his head and saying, "You broke a rib, Dalla. That's not fine."

"I've had worse."

"Not with me, beautiful."

"How long ago did you break it?" Bruce asked.

"A few hours," Dalla answered, avoiding Thor and Steve's gazes.

"Since the battle on the Dark World?" Thor's voice thundered. "Dalla…"

"Just use bandages and put a splint on me! We don't have the luxury…"

"You are not fighting, sweetheart," said Steve. "You can help plan, but actually fighting is out of the question."

"But…"

"He's right," said Bruce. "You could puncture a lung. We can't risk it."

"Dalla," Steve interjected, making her look at him, "for me, let Thor handle this. I just got you back."

She looked into his eyes before nodding and saying, "For you, Steve." She looked at everyone around her. "What do we know?"