Carol stood beside Loki as they stared out the window, looking down at the planet they were orbiting. She had visited many worlds during her time within the Kree military, but had never seen a planet quite like this.
She felt a shiver go down her spine, feeling a deep sense of unease as she continued to stare at it. It was a desolate, broken world, with deep fissures and rivers of molten lava, creating a web of ember-like veins all across the planet.
Towering black spires of jagged mountain ranges dominated the land, casting long shadows over the barren planet lit up by the occasional flash of lighting.
"Loki," Carol asked, looking at her captor. "What are we doing here?" she asked softly, getting a deep and foreboding impression the more she looked at the planet.
"This is Svartalfheim," Loki replied, turning to face her.
"The place the Collector told you about," Carol remembered. "The place he said you could find the stone."
Loki nodded, returning his gaze back down to the planet. Somewhere, hidden on this dead world, was the reality stone, and the next step on his path to building his kingdom.
He recalled the memories he'd taken from Odin, how his father, Bor, fought and defeated the Dark Elves, and how the rest of the known universe had avoided this place ever since.
Now that he was looking at the planet, he could see why, feeling a deep sense of unease from the shattered world.
"Scan the planet Mimir," Loki ordered. "Find me the reality stone."
"Scanning… Scanning… Scanning," Mimir replied as a three-dimensional image of the planet appeared in front of them.
"You aren't thinking about going down there, are you?" Carol asked, wrapping her arms around herself with a shiver.
Loki raised an eyebrow, looking at Carol curiously, noting how she almost seemed frightened.
"I don't like it, alright," Carol said abruptly, seeing the look on Loki's face. "Don't pretend you don't feel it, too."
"Scan inconclusive," Mimir interrupted.
"What's the problem?" Loki demanded, returning his attention to Mimir.
"My sensor suite lacks sufficient power to penetrate the bedrock," Mimir replied.
Loki growled in frustration, now understanding how the Reality Stone could have remained hidden for so long. 'Clever,' he thought, seeing the wisdom of his adopted grandfather in choosing this place to hide the stone.
Carol felt a moment of relief at the news, actually grateful to the AI for once, but the moment was short-lived as she heard Loki's next command.
"Find a solution," Loki snapped. "We didn't come all this way to leave empty-handed."
"Acknowledged Creator," Mimir replied, starting a new scan of the planet.
Loki stared down at the planet. When the Collector told him he could find the Reality Stone here, he hadn't considered the scope of the task, and just how large the planet was.
The stone could be anywhere. Countless ancient ruins of a once vast civilization dotted the entire planet, making it impossible to even determine where to search.
"I have detected several ships on the planet," Mimir said. "Many of their computer cores are still intact, and their sensors are capable of penetrating deeper in the bedrock than my own."
"Can you network with them from here?" Loki asked.
"…Negative," Mimir replied. "A hard connection is required to interface with them."
Carol got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she listened to Mimir, her unease growing by the second. There was just something about this place, this planet. It prickled at the edges of her senses. Glancing at Loki she could tell he felt it too, even though he was too stubborn to admit it.
"Take us in," Loki ordered. "Put us down as close as you can to the most powerful ship."
"Initiating descent," Mimir replied, firing thrusters as they broke orbit and descended to the planet below.
"Let's go," Loki said, taking Carol's arm and pulling her to the door.
"Loki," Carol hissed, digging in her heels, but it did no good as Loki easily pulled her along. "Damn it Loki!" Carol shouted. "Can we at least talk about this? Do you even know what else is down there? What if it's dangerous?"
"You have nothing to fear," Loki dismissed confidently, pulled her into the bedroom. "Everything on that planet is long dead."
"You don't believe that," Carol denied. "And neither do I. Is the stone really that important? Why can't you just leave it? There's more of them out there, isn't there?" She accused.
Loki paused, looking at Carol. "It's not that simple," he replied. "Every stone I leave behind is one more that Thanos will find and use against me."
"Let me stay here," Carol asked. While she still wanted to escape, she learned her lesson the hard way on Knowhere. This place, whatever Loki called it, wasn't the place to attempt an escape.
"I think not," Loki replied, going to the chest and unlatching it. "Who knows what mischief you'll get up to on your own, especially without Mimir to watch over you."
"I'm not a child!" Carol growled. "And there's something wrong with this planet, and you know it too!"
"All the more reason for you to come with me," Loki said, tossing Carol a dress. "Put that on, unless you prefer to visit Svartalfheim as you are," he added with a leer.
Carol glowered at Loki before looking down at the dress. It came as no surprise that it was just as revealing as the last one she wore. This time it was ivory white, with golden threads woven into the material in detailed and intricate patterns. When she turned it over, she saw the same hole in the back, just large enough for her plug to poke through.
She huffed, putting on the dress, unwilling to risk Loki following through on his threat of taking her to the planet naked.
"Put these on as well," Loki said, handing her a pair of white leather boots. Carol took them, grateful they didn't have heels this time. She put them on, noting they fit her like a second skin, reaching to her upper thighs.
Loki took Carol's hand, leading her to the airlock. Even though he didn't say it out loud, he privately agreed with Carol about this place. It felt like death, even after all this time.
But he couldn't risk leaving her behind on the ship, not because he feared she would escape, but because it was only a matter of time before Thanos tracked him down, and one look at Carol, and he would know why he took her. He would take her from him in a heartbeat, and use her to carry out his insane plan.
Carol stood in front of the airlock, feeling an even deeper sense of foreboding now that they were on the planet. She cast an uneasy glance at Loki, feeling envious at how composed he looked.
It wasn't just arrogance; she had seen for herself how powerful and intelligent he was. It was the way he carried himself, making her realize why her ancestors had confused his race for gods.
She turned her head, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she spotted a floating ball of light turn the corner, stopping in front of them. "What's that?"
"Mimir," Loki replied, opening the airlock. "He'll be coming with us."
Carol stared at Mimir, her mouth agape. It had been one thing when Loki fit an AI into the ship. Difficult, but possible, but fitting it inside a ball no larger than her fist seemed impossible. "How?" She asked, staring back and forth between Mimir and Loki.
Loki smirked, seeing the look on her face. "Your people have barely scratched the surface of what's possible," he explained.
He had cheated, of course, using the mind stone along with Asgardian magic to create Mimir, but he saw no reason to reveal that fact to Carol just yet.
Carol could only nod, staring out at the planet's surface. The fist thing that hit her was the dry heat wafting off the river of lava in the distance, carrying the scent of sulfur, and a faint metallic tang.
She followed Loki, stepping out of the ship and onto the rocky planet, feeling Loki's hand slide down her back, and grip the base of her plug firmly.
Unlike on Knowhere, she didn't feel the same sense of anger, or indignation, but a surprising feeling of relief and safety, despite the possessive nature of Loki's actions.
Reflexively, she clamped down on her plug as they walked, looking off into the distance. She could feel the heat on her skin, uncomfortable and heavy, making it hard to breathe.
The ground underneath their feet felt rough, the volcanic rock crunching underfoot. She could see the ruins of the once great civilization all around them, the remains of buildings, and half melted statues, making the planet feel both alive and dead, all at the same time.
Mimir floated a few feet in front of them, lighting the way, casting eeiry shadows on the desolate landscape. Before long, she saw it. At first she thought it was a shadow, but as they got closer, she could see it for what it was, an enormous cave.
It stood nestled against the side of the mountain, partly concealed by jagged rock formations. As they stepped inside, she felt the temperature drop sharply, a relief against the burning heat of the planet.
Mimir flew higher into the air, glowing brighter as it lit up the cave. That was when she saw it. The ship Loki wanted to find. It was large, clearly ancient, and seemed to be mostly intact. 'The mountain must have protected it against the elements for all these years,' she thought before furrowing her brows, wondering how they would have got it inside the cave in the first place.
As she stared at the oddly smooth cave walls, she finally understood. The cave had formed around the ship. The mountain wasn't a mountain at all. It was a dormant volcano. The ship's shields had protected it against the lava flow, creating a protective barrier around it.
It was mind-boggling to think about. The shields must have stood for decades. The amount of power the ship had to generate. It went far beyond anything the Kree had ever conceived of, and the ship was already thousands of years old.
She watched as a beam of light flew from Mimir to the ancient ship, followed by a deep rumbling. She gasped, subconsciously pressing herself closer to Loki as they watched the airlock grind open.
"Let's go," Loki said, leading Carol into the Elven ship as he looked around cautiously. It was larger than he expected, and far more intact than it should have been after five thousand years.
"Interfacing with ship's systems," Mimir said, hovering in front of an access panel. "Connection established…. Main power unavailable…. Switching to secondary power unit…Ship system's active," the AI said as the lighting flickered on. "Locating bridge… bridge found," it said, floating down the hallway.
"Let's go, Carol," Loki said, tightening his grip on her plug as they followed the AI down the corridor.
Carol looked back and forth as they walked through the corridors of the ship, her unease intensifying with each passing second. She pressed herself tightly against Loki, naturally leaning into his protective embrace as they descended deeper into the ancient ship.
"Look," Carol said, pointing ahead at the remains of a dark elf, her eyes locking on its skeletal remains.
Loki nodded grimly, sparing a glance at his people's ancient enemy. It was clear they had died fighting, most likely at the hands of one one of his adopted ancestors.
They finally reached the doors to the bridge, seeing more dark elf remains scattered along the way. The deep gouges, and holes in their armor making it clear how they died.
Loki and Carol stepped onto the bridge, finding even more Dark Elf remains, that combined with the eeiry silence, making the ship feel even more foreboding.
"Accessing main systems," Mimir said, breaking the tense silence. "Connection established…," it said as the alien consoles came to life for the first time in thousands of years. "Bypassing security measures…. Activating Main Power… Networking to all Dark Elf Ships within range. Network Engaged… Beginning Scan."
Carol looked around the bridge, hearing the soft hum of the computer core as alien text filled the consoles.
"Who were these people?" Carol asked. "What happened to them?"
"My grandfather," Loki explained, moving to the command chair and pulling Carol into his lap.
"He did this?" Carol asked, looking around at all the death and destruction, aghast. "An entire race? An entire planet? Why?"
"That is a longer explanation," Loki said with a sigh, leaning back in his chair.
"Please.. Master," Carol added, setting aside her pride, and hoping it would be enough to coax Loki into revealing more.
Loki looked at Carol, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. He could see Carol's ploy for what it was, but he did enjoy the sound of that word on her lips. She had done it unprompted as well, and the last thing he wanted was to discourage that.
"Very Well," he said, wrapping his arm around Carol's waist with a smirk. "The Dark Elves were an ancient race, even by Asgardian standards, born when the universe was still young, before the stars had even formed. They were creatures of darkness that thrived in the primordial past."
"Their leader, Malekith the Accursed, had a singular obsession, to return the universe to its original state of darkness, and cold. T-"
"What? Why?" Carol interrupted, unable to contain herself. She couldn't even fathom how many lives would have been lost if he succeeded.
Loki regarded Carol, eyebrow raised as he stopped his explanation mid sentence, amused more than anything at her interruption.
Carol looked at Loki impatiently, waiting for an explanation. The silence only interrupted by the beeps from the computer as the scan continued in the background.
Then it hit her, what Loki was waiting for. "…Master," she added, realizing then that it may have been a mistake to stroke his ego like that earlier.
Loki smirked before continuing. "To them, light was an abomination, a violation of their perfect, shadowed domain," Loki explained.
"They sought the reality stone, the same stone I'm searching for now, to do just that, and they would have succeeded if not for my grandfather, Bor. He waged war on them, decimating their entire race to stop them."
"It's that powerful, Master?" Carol asked, beginning to understand why so many people were obsessed with finding the stones.
"No one knows for certain," Loki admitted. "But there is a cosmic event that happens every five thousand years or so, a mystical alignment of the nine realms. He planned to use it then, when the barriers between realms were at their weakest, when bridges form between the realms, connecting them, as if they were one entity. Unleashing the power of the reality stone then, he could conceivably plunge the nine realms into darkness."
"How long he could bend reality has been debated," Loki added, sensing Carol's next question. "How long he could channel the power of the stone before it consumed him, but even a few moments would have been enough to snuff out most, if not all, life in the nine realms."
"Why do it then?" Carol asked. "If he'll end up dead, and the change isn't even permanent, Master?"
"You would have to ask him to know for certain," Loki replied. "Perhaps desperation or arrogance. Maybe he wanted the universe to feel the same pain his people felt every day, even for a moment."
"Lifeforms detected," Mimir said, interrupting Loki.
"Where?" Loki demanded, his eyes widening. "How many?" he asked, standing up from his chair.
"Fifty lifeforms detected aboard this vessel," Mimir replied. "Three hundred and thirty-seven detected on nearby vessels."
"Why didn't you detect them before?" Loki demanded, looking at the screen. "Where are they coming from?"
"They are awakening from hibernation," Mimir replied. "In stasis, they did not register as alive."
"How long before you complete the scan?" Loki asked.
"Scan is 22% complete. Approximate time to completion two hours, twenty-seven minutes," Mimir replied.
"Are they… Dark Elves?" Carol asked, looking over Loki's shoulder.
Loki nodded, "apparently grandfather didn't wipe all of them out."
"We have to go," Carol said urgently.
"No," Loki shook his head. "They're already on the way here, and I won't leave without the stone."
"What good is it going to do you if we're dead?" Carol demanded, grabbing his arm. "Do you really think you can beat all of them?"
Loki looked down at the screen, cursing. Even more of them were waking up. It took an army of Asgardians to stop them the last time, and as powerful as he had become, he was no match for all of them. "Lock down the ships, scramble their access codes. Whatever it takes to slow them down!" Loki ordered Mimir.
"Acknowledged Creator, deploying counter-measures," Mimir responded.
"It won't be enough," Carol said, looking at the screen as well. "They know we're here now. They'll break down the doors if they have to. We have to go!" she said urgently.
"No," Loki replied stubbornly. "I will not leave empty-handed. I've come too far to give up now," he added, getting an idea. "Mimir, re-route all power to the scanners. I don't care where you get it from!"
"Warning! Diverting all power will overload computer core, probability of cascade failure resulting in destruction of multi-ship network 97%," Mimir replied.
"Do it," Loki ordered, betting on Mimir, finding the stone before it came to that.
"…Loki," Carol said, her eyes glued to the screen as the hum of the engines turned to a sharp whine. "They're coming."
Loki looked up, hearing a loud banging on the door. It may have been designed to keep out attackers, but he doubted it would be enough to keep out a contingent of Dark Elves.
"Over there," Loki said, pointing to a darkened corner of the bridge. "Don't move, don't say a word," he ordered Carol.
Carol wanted to argue, but without her abilities, she was as good as dead, and they both knew it. She ran to the corner, ducking behind one of the consoles.
"Scanners operating at maximum capacity. Scan efficiency increased by 48%," Mimir said. "Power drain unsustainable, core overload in twelve minutes."
Loki kept his eyes locked on the door, hearing the strain of metal before the heavy doors crumpled inward, letting off a shower of sparks. He watched as a Dark Elf strode through the opening.
"Asgardian," The Dark elf hissed, his voice low and venomous. "I thought Bor's lapdogs had all but forgotten about us."
"Dark Elf," Loki quipped, casting an illusion on Carol to keep her hidden. "You've been asleep for a long time. Bor's time has long since passed," he added, stalling for time. "I was under the impression he exterminated your kind long ago."
"A fool to the end then," The Dark Elf hissed. "He thought he could erase us from existence, but we endured, biding our time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike."
"The Convergence?" Loki asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's what you've been waiting for all this time? Hiding like cockroaches? You're still a few years too early, I'm afraid."
"Who are you?" The Dark Elf demanded, narrowing his eyes.
"Loki, grandson of Bor," Loki replied, knowing it would get a reaction out of the Dark Elf.
The Dark Elf's eyes widened, its nostrils flaring. "Well, this is a surprise," he said, his lips curling into a dark smile. "I couldn't kill your grandfather boy, but I can certainly kill you."
"Ah, the infamous Malekith," Loki replied, guessing the Dark Elf's identity as he looked him up and down. "It's funny. I'd always assumed you were taller from the stories father told."
Malekith glanced at the console, seeing the scan in progress, and how it would soon overload the ship's core. "What are you searching for?" He demanded, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"What makes you think I'm searching for anything?" Loki bluffed, knowing the game was nearly up.
"The Aether, it's here isn't it?" Malekith deduced, his eyes gleaming. "Clever," he conceded. "The one place I would never think to look. I should thank you, Asgardian. You've saved me a great deal of effort."
"Don't celebrate too soon," Loki warned as the lights flickered, the strain on the computer core becoming more evident. "It won't do you much good when you're dead," he said, a pair of daggers appearing in his hands.
"Pathetic," Malekith said with disdain, a pair of daggers appearing in his own hands. "I've been fighting long since before you were born Asgardian, and will continue to do so, long after you are dead," he said, lunging forward, his twin daggers flashing in the dim light.
Loki reacted instantly, raising his own daggers to parry the attack, sparks flying as steel scraped against steel, the clash of their weapons echoing across the bridge.
Carol watched the fight from her spot behind the console, still not used to being left on the sidelines. Malekith was stronger, striking with relentless power and precision, his movements cold, and calculated, each slash aimed to maim or kill.
Loki met Malekith's attacks. He was faster, but only just, his daggers weaving in an intricate patter as he deflected and parried Malekith's strikes, never taking a full blow as he countered with impossible grace.
The two fighters moved like a blur, sparks flying each time their blades struck as they danced around each other.
Unlike with Ronan, Loki didn't attempt to distract Malekith, exchange words or taunts, focusing his full attention on the fight, knowing that any misstep on his part would be his end.
Loki twisted to the side, dodging a vicious stab aimed for his chest, countering with a sweeping slash that narrowly missed Malekith's neck.
Malekith pivoted quickly, using the momentum to attack with a backhanded slash of his dagger.
Loki ducked under the blade, rolling to the side before quickly rising to his feet, slashing at Malekith's legs, only for the Dark Elf to jump, dodging at the last second.
Malekith snarled as he landed. The Asgardian was more skilled than he appeared, and just like him, wielded twin daggers, his experience shining through as he anticipated his attacks, putting them at a tense standoff, one that unfortunately favored the Asgardian as the computer core continued to overheat.
As much as it pained him to admit it, he would need to change his strategy to defeat the warrior in time.
He channeled his magic into his daggers, the dark energy crackling on his blades as he jumped into the air, bringing them down on the Asgardian in a brutal downward strike.
Loki raised his daggers, crossing them to block the attack, but it still drove him to his knees. Malekith's strength was monstrous, even more so now that he was channeling his magic into his daggers.
Loki smirked, a glimmer of green light covering his hands. The Dark Elf's proximity creating the opening he needed to counter with his own magic, shoving him backwards and creating some much needed distance between them.
His illusions had been watching the battle from the start, studying Malekith's attacks, searching for patterns, and weaknesses in his form, but until now his attacks had been flawless, making the Dark Elf his most formidable advisory by far.
He doubted he would have lasted even this long without enhancing his mind and reflexes with the mind stone, along with Odin's memories to guide his battle strategy.
With no other option, he threw one of his daggers at Malekith, the blade spinning end over end as it cut through the air like a deadly comet.
Malekith's eyes widened, caught off guard by the Asgardian discarding one of his weapons, but he was moving again in an instant, sidestepping the attack, but not fast enough to avoid it entirely as it grazed his shoulder, leaving behind a shallow cut.
His eyes narrowed, burning wfith fury as the Asgardian drew first blood, but he didn't have time to dwell on it for long as Loki charged him with his remaining dagger.
Malekith raised his own dagger, catching the blow on the flat of his blade, a loud clang echoing across the bridge as sparks flew. Despite his anger, he found himself impressed by the Asgardian's strength. Against a lesser opponent, the attack would have worked, skewering him.
He twisted his wrist, forcing the Asgardian's dagger aside as he created the opening he needed to land a vicious kick to his unprotected side.
Loki stumbled, taking the full brunt of the kick, as he felt his ribs crack. Fighting through the pain, he flicked his wrist, conjuring a second dagger as he got into a defensive stance.
Carol bit her lip with worry as she watched Loki stumble. She could tell he was more injured than he let on, and in a prolonged fight Malekith would now come out on top.
She glanced at the monitor, showing the progress of the scan, but it had only now crossed the halfway mark, making her wonder if they even had enough time to leave the ship before it exploded.
Carol returned her attention to the fight, watching as it grew more chaotic as both Loki and Malekith weaved magic into their attacks.
Loki used his illusions to distract Malekith, creating multiple copies of himself, and attacking from every angle, while Malekith responded with bursts of dark energy, tearing through his illusions as if they were made of paper.
Malekith slashed at Loki's side, finally discovering the real one as he sliced through the Asgardian's armor, drawing a thin line of blood. He snarled viciously, finally able to return the favor.
Loki hissed in pain, but continued his attack, retaliating with a spinning heel hick that caught Malekith in the chin and sent him staggering back. He followed up with a flurry of dagger strikes, each one faster than the last, putting Malekith on the defensive for the first time in the fight.
Malekith, not to be outdone, channeled a surge of dark magic into his daggers, his blades glowing with an ominous black light as he swung them in a wide arc, his magic extending the reach of his daggers.
Loki lept backwards, but not fast enough to avoid another strike as Malekith's dagger cut through his armor, leaving behind a gash on his stomach.
He retaliated, throwing both his daggers at the Dark Elf, one dagger striking his arm, with the other embedded itself in his thigh.
Malekith roared in pain, his eyes blazing with fury as he tore the dagger from his thigh, hurling it back at Loki, who deflected it with a conjured shield of green light.
He glared silently, impressed by the precision of the Asgardian's attack. He had struck the joint in his armor, wear its protection was the weakest, and all during the heat of battle.
Loki grinned savagely, finally understanding why Thor craved battle so much. It was exhilarating, being pushed to your absolute limit by your opponent. Despite his injuries, and the growing intensity of the battle, his confidence remained unshaken as they circled each other, each waiting for the other to make the next move.
Carol watched Loki from the sidelines. It was the first time she had seen Loki bleed, the first time she saw him fight an equal in battle, and while she learned he wasn't invincible, she couldn't shake the growing suspicion that even with all her abilities returned to her, she wouldn't stand a chance against him.
With the injury to the Dark Elf's leg, the battle slowly turned to Loki's favor as he used his superior reflexes and speed to avoid his attacks. He read Malekith's movements, picked apart the patterns in his attacks, predicting how and where he would strike next.
Malekith growled. He may be bloodied, but he was from beaten. He lunged forward with a deadly slash, aiming for Loki's chest.
Loki sidestepped, already knowing the perfect counter as he caught Malekith's arm mid-strike, twisting it as he used the Dark Elf's momentum against him, and in the blink of an eye plunged his dagger deep into his side, slipping his blade between his ribs, where his armor was the weakest.
Malekith gasped in shock and pain, his strength faltering, but Loki didn't let up, twisting his dagger, and drawing out a scream of agony from the dark elf before yanking it free in one swift motion.
Malekith stumbled back, his dagger clattering to the floor as he clutched his wounded side, his breathing labored. He tried to channel his magic through his remaining dagger, but his magic faltered, weakened by pain and blood loss.
Loki, unfazed, conjured a second dagger, then slashed at Malekith's chest, slipping his blade between the segments of his armor, stabbing him in the chest this time.
Malekith staggered back, unable to believe that it could end like this. His eyes flickering with desperation as he shakily raised his dagger to block the next strike.
Loki raised his daggers, poised for the killing blow, but paused, tilting his head to the side as he considered another possibility. "So much knowledge, so much history. It would be a shame to allow it all to die with you," Loki mused, his voice calm and calculating.
Malekith snarled, trying to lunge at him again, but Loki effortlessly sidestepped his clumsy attack.
Before Malekith could recover, Loki raised his hand, the mind stone appearing in his palm as it glowed with golden light, illuminating the bridge, the searing intensity making Malekith falter, momentarily blinded.
He couldn't have risked using the stone in battle. The distraction could have easily cost him his life, but now that the fight was all but over, it left him with an opportunity that was too tempting to resist.
"Don't struggle," Loki advised, bringing the power of the mind stone to bear as his daggers dissolved in a shimmering green light, their purpose served. "This will all be over soon, for you at least."
The glow of the mind stone intensified as Loki channeled its power directly into Malekith's mind. The dark elf froze, his body trembling as the mind stone pierced his consciousness.
Loki closed his eyes as a torrent of memories flooded his mind. Applying the same technique he used on Odin, he began sorting through Malekith's thoughts and experiences.
He saw Malekith's war against Bor, his mad obsession with using the Reality Stone and the convergence to shroud the nine realms in an eternal darkness. He gleaned details of the Dark Elves long history, their advanced technology, their magic, and Malekith's own mastery of combat and strategy. He absorbed it all, every scrap of knowledge now part of him.
Malekith gasped, his body convulsing as Loki withdrew from his mind, the golden light of the mind stone fading. He collapsed to his knees, his strength gone, but his red eyes still blazing with fury.
Loki looked down at the dark elf, his expression unreadable. "Fascinating," he murmured. "You've clung to your madness, your obsession for millennia, never evolving beyond it," he said, thinking about the parallels to his own life, seeing even more clearly the path to ruin he had been on himself. "It's pitiful."
Loki watched as Malekith growled, the only response he could muster. His anger was still present, but hollow, knowing that his plans had unraveled.
Loki crouched down next to the dark elf. "Your time has passed," he said, his voice soft and final as the dark elf clung to the last vestiges of life.
He paused, his gaze falling to Malekith's twin daggers, searching his newly acquired memories. They were no ordinary weapons, pulsing faintly, almost as if they were alive.
"Kurnathar," Loki murmured, the name coming to him as he picked up the daggers, feeling the raw power radiating from them. They shimmered like liquid obsidian, appearing as if they had been carved from the void itself.
He turned the daggers over in his hands, feeling their power hum in his grip, feeling almost as if they had chosen a new master.
While his own conjured weapons were versatile, they lacked the raw power of the dark elf's weapons, something he sorely needed when he finally came face to face with Thanos.
"Thank you," Loki said, surprised by his own sincerity with the dying elf. "I have learned much from you today."
Malekith's eyes flickered with rage, but his body was too weak to retaliate as Loki pressed the point of his dagger into his chest, slicing through his armor with ease as he piercing his heart and put him out of his misery.
Loki stared at the Dark Elf, watching quietly as the light left his eyes before he stood up again. He twirled the daggers in his hands, getting a feel for them, and the immense power they held as he tested their balance and weight.
They were impossibly light, yet incredibly powerful, not merely destructive, but adaptable, capable of channeling, and even amplifying his magic. They felt like extensions of his own being, resonating with his essence.
He could tell the blades were ancient, predating even Asgard's early days, a blend of dark matter and arcane sorcery harnessed by the Dark Elves during their golden age, at a time where their dominion over the darkness seemed eternal.
"…Mimir," Loki called, remembering he still had a job to do. "Where are we on the scan?"
"Scan is 90% complete," Mimir answered. "Core overload in seven minutes."
"There's more of them coming," Carol said, coming out of her hiding place.
Loki nodded, sheathing his new daggers. "It won't matter. None of them will survive this. Mimir," he ordered. "Get the ship back into orbit. We'll leave as soon as the scan is complete."
"Acknowledged," Mimir replied. "Scan 97% complete, 98%… 99%… 100% complete. Reality Stone location found. Core overload in two minutes."
"How are we supposed to leave in time?" Carol demanding, looking at the screen again, seeing the dots representing the Dark Elves getting closer, and closer, filling the hallways, and blocking the only exit.
"With this," Loki replied, pulling out the space stone and activating it. The room shimmered, space distorting around them as it activated, just as a contingent of Dark Elves appeared in the doorway, opening fire.
Carol yelped as she suddenly found herself on a mountain top beside Loki, Mimir hovering in front of them. Before she could even demand what happened, a series of explosions lit up the planet's surface, making her to fall silent as she watched the destruction of the Dark Elves ships.
".. Are they all dead?" She asked, her voice distant, never having witnessed the extinction of an entire race before.
"Yes," Loki nodded solemnly, standing beside her. "It had to be done. If any of them had survived, they would have picked up Malekith's cause."
Carol nodded stiffly. She could see Loki's point. She'd seen the madness in Malekith's eyes for herself, how he would have sacrificed billions of lives, just to restore a small part of the universe to what it was before.
"Let's go," Loki said, gripping the base of Carol's plug as he turned them around, leading her to the mouth of a cave at the top of the mountain.
"So, this is where it is?" Carol asked, as Loki lead her into the cave. "This is where your grandfather hid the reality stone?" she asked.
Loki nodded as they stepped inside the cave, finding themselves inside an ancient chamber. From the design, it seemed to be some sort of temple, honoring their ancient and forgotten religion.
That was when he saw it, sitting atop a pedestal, a swirling vortex of red energy. His eyes fixated on it, a mixture of reverence and greed flickering in his gaze. He was one step closer to his goal, his kingdom, his birthright.
Carol looked back and forth between Loki and the reality stone, or the aether as Malekith had called it, surprised to feel a pull to it as well, mesmerized by the swirling red energy.
Her eyes widened as the aether suddenly streaked towards her. She took a step back, feeling a twinge of fear, then Loki was in front of her. She watched over his shoulder as the vortex of energy swirled around him, trying to get to her, but Loki had his hand extended, a look of concentration on his face as he held it at bay.
The swirling energy got smaller and smaller, compacting and folding in on itself until finally a red stone dropped into the palm of Loki's hand.
Loki breathed a sigh of relief, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead as he looked at the reality stone, then back at Carol. Just like her, he had been caught by surprise when the aether flew across the room toward her.
If not for the memories he took from Malekith, he wouldn't have known how to contain it, and the aether would have invaded her body. He breathed a sigh of relief as he tucked the stone away safely in his pocket.
'Mind, Space, and now Reality,' he thought triumphantly. He was almost there.
***
Carol looked down at herself as she trudged back onto the ship with Loki. She was covered in dirt and grime from the planet's surface, but all she could think about were the infinity stones.
She hadn't seen Loki use them, not until today, and it shocked her how he could just transport them from one place to another in the blink of an eye the way he did. She had assumed they were powerful, but not on a scale like this, and Loki now had three of them in his possession.
She thought about Thanos, the mad titan, and what he planned to do with the stones if he ever got a hold of all of them, feeling a shiver go down her spine as she imagined half the life in the universe disappearing in an instant, then the many deaths in the chaos afterwards.
She glanced at Loki, seemingly the only person trying to stop the mad titan, maybe the only one capable of doing it. It was strange, but she felt an odd sense of comfort at the thought of Loki with the stones, especially after seeing what Malekith planned to do with just one of them.
'How many others went after the stones?' She thought. 'How many were looking for them even now?' After hearing about Thanos's and Malekith's plans for them, she could only assume everyone else that wanted them had the same destructive impulses.
She didn't know what Loki planned to do with the stones either, but she didn't feel the madness from him she felt from Malekith, the destructive obsession that ultimately lead to the extinction of his people. It felt like he had a grander plan for them.
"Let's go get cleaned up," Loki said, sliding his hand down Carol's back, resting his palm on the base of her plug again.
Carol nodded quietly as they walked through the ship, arriving in the bedroom. She looked down at her clothes one more time, the once pure white dress now stained with dust and ash.
It was such a rarity for her to wear clothes, and now it felt constricting and uncomfortable when she did. She blamed Loki for it, putting her in this position, and taking away her clothes in the first place.
With a sigh, knowing there was nothing she could do about it, she slipped off her dress, along with her boots, waiting for Loki to do the same.
Loki smirked, enjoying the sight of Carol's nude form. Even filthy from traipsing around on a dead world, he still felt his cock stiffen at the sight of her.
After undressing, they stepped into the shower. It was large, with multiple shower heads positioned on the ceiling and walls. Loki turned on the faucet, steam quickly filling the room as all the shower heads turned on at once.
Carol sighed in contentment as she felt the warm water hit her skin, feeling the dirt and grime wash off her, one of the few perks of her captivity.
She looked at Loki out of the corner of her eye, first taking in the sight of his tall frame and hardened muscles, a sight that never failed to cause her heart to flutter with unwanted desire.
Then her eyes drifted to his injuries, seeing the large bruises on his chest and stomach. He was already healing, the bruises slowly fading before her eyes, but it was the first time she had seen him injured.
Without thinking, she reached out, touching his stomach. "Does it hurt?" She murmured, feeling conflicted. Loki was her captor, but he had also become her protector, even returning her stolen memories to her.
"I've had worse," Loki dismissed, gripping Carol's hand. "Were yo worried?" he asked, an amused smirk playing on his lips.
Carol growled in annoyance, turning her back on Loki as she pulled her hand free, annoyed with herself for thinking he would take this seriously.
Loki chucked lightly, wrapping his arm around Carol's waist, his smirk widening into a satisfied smile when she didn't resist him. He reached for the soap, rubbing it into Carol's pert breasts in slow circles, feeling her nipples harden under his touch.
His slave was willful, her mind rebelling against the idea of being his, but her body had no such inclination. He didn't even have to slip his fingers between her thighs to know she was already wet for him.
After viewing her memories, he understood why she reacted to his touch the way she did. After spending so many years suppressing her emotions, her desires, it was like a damn bursting when he captured her.
She was no longer bound by the expectations and the socials norms of the two worlds she had served, finally free to explore the truth of who she really was. She hadn't accepted it, not yet, but she was getting closer each day.
Carol couldn't help the groan that escaped her lips as Loki fondled her breasts, feeling his stiff cock nestled between her ass cheeks, and pressing against the base of her plug. She rubbed her thighs together in anticipation, feeling the slickness of her desire.
Between her dreams, and what they had been doing since leaving Knowhere she was finding it harder, and harder to resist him, a blush coloring her cheeks as she remembered all the times she took his cock in her mouth, sucking him until he exploded in her mouth. The feel of his talented fingers inside her pussy, never failing to make her cum.
She let out another groan as she felt one of his hands drift lower, down her navel, until he was between her legs. She shuddered as she felt him rest his finger on the tip of her slit, gently teasing her.
She tilted her hips, pressing her dripping sex against his fingers. "…Please, master," she moaned, needing more. The word just rolled off her tongue. She didn't even realize she said it until the word was out of her mouth, but the part that surprised her the most was how right it felt in the moment.
Loki smirked, tracing the tip of his finger along her pussy lips, but didn't slip a finger inside her, wanting to draw this out and enjoy his slave's slow surrender.
Carol bit her lip hard, hoping to give herself something else to focus on, other than the lust and desire coursing through her body, but it was difficult to concentrate on anything else when Loki got like this.
"Uggghhh!" she moaned as Loki pressed his lips to her neck, sucking gently as he rocked his hips, his manhood sliding between her ass cheeks. Her breath hitched as she felt the heat of his skin against hers, his battle hardened muscles pressing firmly against her back as she melted into his touch.
"Show me how much you want this," Loki whispered into Carol's ear, his voice husky as he pressed himself more firmly against her ass, coaxing another mew of pleasure from his unwilling slave as he lowered his hands.
Carol groaned in disappointment, feeling the loss of Loki's touch. She felt almost drunk with desire as she turned around, her eyes locking with his, seeing the same lust reflected back in his eyes.
She looked down, licking her lips with anticipation at the sight of his stiff cock standing at attention just for her. She dropped to her knees, her lips just inches from his cock, her eyes lidded with desire. Leaning forward, she kissed the head of his cock before taking him in her mouth, sucking gently.
She started out slow, tasting his essence as she twirled her tongue around the head of his cock. She had learned from the many times she'd done this, just what he liked, relishing the opportunity to turn the tables on him, and take some small measure of control back as she took charge of his pleasure.
Loki grunted with approval as Carol licked his cock, marveling at how attuned to his desires his slave had become. It was something that couldn't simply be taught. It was something innate, a deep-seated desire to please him, and be pleased by him.
Carol leaned forward, taking half Loki's length in her mouth as she bobbed her head, keeping her lips sealed around his cock, feeling a tingle of desire go down her spine as Loki gripped her hair tightly in his fist.
Her pussy was practically weeping as she sucked him, her body demanding more. She briefly considered slipping her fingers between her thighs before quickly dismissing the stray thought, knowing from experience that Loki would know the moment she did, and the punishment that followed wasn't worth the risk.
She could feel the head of his cock bumping against the back of her throat, demanding entry as Loki pressed his hips forward.
She relaxed her throat, feeling the head of his cock slip into her throat. Leaning forward, she slowly took him deeper inside her until she finally had his full length sheathed inside her.
Feeling a tug on her hair, she looked up, meeting the eyes of the man that not only defeated her in battle, but took her prisoner, returned her memories to her, and was now her protector.
The feelings she had for him were complex, both hating and desiring him in equal measure. He had taken everything from her, but also showed her just how dangerous the universe truly was, stripping away her arrogance, and exposing the lies she had been fed for years.
Loki breathed out, loving the sight of his former warrior on her knees with his manhood buried in her throat. He let out a satisfied groan as he felt Carol's throat ripple around his cock, adding to his pleasure.
Carol stared up at Loki as she squeezed her throat around his cock, slowly milking it as she held his gaze, remembering how she had done this for Loki in her dreams, and how much he enjoyed it.
She felt her lungs burn, but held on until she felt light-headed before slowly leaning back, Loki's cock popping out of her throat. She controlled her breathing, bobbing her head as she breathed through her nose, feeling Loki's cock twitch and throb in her mouth.
Pushing forward again, she took his full length in her throat, knowing that Loki was close when he tightened his grip on her hair. She bobbed her head, taking him in her throat each time as she picked up the pace, hoping that Loki would make her cum next.
Loki hissed, using every ounce of willpower he possessed to hold himself back, but it was like trying to hold back a bursting dam. "Get ready," he warned.
Carol sealed her lips tightly around Loki's cock as she continued to suck him, her own desire for release increasing with each passing second. Then it happened. She felt his cock twitch, then he erupted inside her.
Carol's cheeks swelled as Loki's seed filled her mouth, the salty-sweet taste of his essence dancing on her tongue. She swallowed, savoring his taste as she licked his cock clean before finally leaning back, his cock popping out of her mouth.
She stared at his cock, amazed that he was still hard after he came, feeling a desire to take him in her mouth all over again, but Loki seemed to have other ideas as he pulled on her hair, guiding her back to her feet.
She stared at him curiously, wondering what he was up to, but he said nothing, leading her out of the shower, and back
***
Hi! Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the new part. Loki has taken another step closer to achieving his goals. By defeating Malekith, he's has grown that much stronger as he prepares for his inevitable battle with Thanos. Any guesses on what stone Loki will go for next?
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Jumpin