Chapter 112: Returning to Asgard

Jane slowly opened her eyes, gazing up at the unfamiliar ceiling. Where am I?

Meanwhile, nearby, Thor was on the phone giving instructions. "The funds have been transferred to your account. I'll be away for a bit, so you'll need to oversee the new Avengers base construction. Make it as large as possible—money's no issue. Eventually, S.H.I.E.L.D. can also operate out of it."

"Where did you get that kind of money?" Natasha's voice retorted from the other end. "Don't tell me it's from the research center. Even with Maya Hansen's contributions, there's no way that covers ten billion…"

"Relax, it's legitimate. No issues there."

It wasn't a lie. Wilson Fisk, on the surface a wealthy businessman, had donated the money through entirely "legal" channels. And in private, Fisk might be worth even more than Tony Stark.

"Oh, and one more thing—tell Nick Fury not to act on Sokovia until I'm back, unless he's prepared for casualties," Thor added. "Wanda's abilities are too unpredictable. Without someone strong enough to handle it, anyone who goes in could be at serious risk."

After hanging up, Thor turned to Jane, who was sitting up, still a bit dazed. "How do you feel? Any discomfort?"

Jane shook her head. "Just a little tired. I found myself in this strange, dark space, surrounded by silence. Before I blacked out, a red mist… it entered my body," she said, her voice uncertain. Then she looked at him anxiously. "Did I do something wrong? It felt like some sort of… sealed evil."

Thor chuckled at her imagination, shaking his head. "It's not your fault. That space you entered is likely connected to the Dark Elves—a race determined to expel all light from the universe and bring back eternal darkness."

Jane listened intently as Thor continued, "Ages ago, my grandfather Bor, the previous king of Asgard, led an army against them. During that war, the Dark Elves used a powerful artifact called the Aether to create cursed warriors. Though Asgard won, the Aether was lost afterward."

Thor paused, his gaze serious. "If I'm right, that red substance you encountered is the Aether. But it's also known by another name—the Reality Stone. Its power is to alter reality itself."

Jane, intrigued, leaned forward. She'd come a long way since her early days as a scientist, and now she knew something about the Infinity Stones from Asgardian lore. "If the Aether can alter reality, how did the Dark Elves lose?"

Thor smiled and tapped her lightly on the forehead. "Do you think one gem is all-powerful? Reality-warping is potent, yes, but it comes with limits. Otherwise, the other Infinity Stones would be pointless."

He continued, "The larger the change, the more energy it requires. When it's depleted, it drains the user's life force. The effects are also temporary. The Dark Elves' cursed warriors, for example, had only a short duration. When it ended, they died."

This limitation, he explained, was why Thanos needed all six Infinity Stones to accomplish his ultimate goal. The Reality Stone alone was insufficient for such a massive feat.

"To erase half of all life, the Power Stone provided the energy, the Space Stone extended the range to the entire universe, and the Time Stone made the changes permanent," Thor said thoughtfully. "I'm still unsure of the exact roles the Mind and Soul Stones played."

Jane's eyes sparkled with a thought, but Thor, noticing, grinned. "Don't get any ideas about loopholes. I checked already—when our lifespan becomes infinite, the Aether doesn't acknowledge it as valid."

Jane stuck her tongue out playfully, embarrassed at being caught.

"What's the plan now?" she asked. "I heard you mention leaving."

Thor gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm taking you to Asgard. The Aether isn't harming you now, but it's not safe to keep it in your body. We'll let the healers and sorcerers check you over."

Scooping up Jane, who was still feeling weak, Thor jumped out the window, calling to the sky, "Heimdall, bring us home!"

In an instant, a radiant light enveloped them, and they vanished, returning to Asgard.

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