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Within the depths of the dungeons of Asgard, a lone Dark Elf activated a cursed stone to initiate his grim transformation. The Dark Elves created the "Kurse" warriors by utilizing Kursed Stones, which were magical, crimson, grenade-like objects.
By crushing such a stone, a Dark Elf, like Algrim, consumed the latent energy, triggering a metamorphosis that drastically increased their physical size, raw strength, and durability. These stones are forged from the Aether, the Reality Stone, providing immense power at the ultimate cost of the one's life.
Kurse has fully manifested in the flesh and broken through the confines of his own prison cell. He proceeded to slaughter the Einherjar guards by siphoning their life force directly, and then released all the other prisoners to create a chaotic distraction.
Thor arrived shortly after to contain the violent outbreak and was eventually successful.
Meanwhile, the Dark Elves have successfully infiltrated the kingdom of Asgard using their cloaked ships. Their primary objective was to seize what was hidden within Jane Foster: the Aether.
Malekith himself had arrived to seize Jane Foster, but Queen Frigga intervened, nearly ending the Dark Elf's life. However, Kurse arrived just in time to save his master.
Though Frigga had successfully protected Jane by casting an illusion so perfect that even Malekith was completely fooled, the effort ultimately cost her, her life.
The encounter resulted in her tragic death at the hands of Kurse. When Thor arrived a mere moment later and witnessed the fallen Queen, he hurled Mjolnir with all his righteous fury toward the invaders.
Kurse stepped forward to take the brunt of the attack; though the hammer failed to kill them, the lightning's discharge was powerful enough to severely burn the side of Malekith's face.
With Odin now cradling his dead wife in silent grief, Thor remembered what had occurred with "Son of Coul."
When the agent had died, he had been brought back from beyond by Ethan Park.
There was a way to save her yet, Thor realised.
Without elaborating further to the mourning All-Father, Thor started spinning his hammer and took to the stormy sky. He arrived in his royal chambers a minute later and retrieved the ornate wooden box Ethan had given him. Inside it rested the kunai.
When Ethan materialized within the grand hall of the Asgardian Royal Castle, he found Thor standing alone, his eyes visibly moist with unshed tears.
Ethan immediately spread his senses; he could perceive the presence of many fallen warriors throughout the palace. The aftermath of the invasion? he thought grimly. Does that mean...?
"Where is she?" Ethan asked directly, wasting no time on pleasantries.
If there was a chance he could save the Queen, he was determined to take it.
Thor looked taken aback for a moment. "How did you... This way!" He quickly shook off his surprise, focusing entirely on what mattered most.
They arrived at the scene where Odin was still clinging desperately to his wife's cooling form. "Father..." Thor spoke softly as he pried his Father away from her body.
Odin looked toward his son and then at Ethan, the grief etched into the lines of his aged face.
"Ethan is here... He can help. He brought back a mortal from the very grasp of death; he can bring back Mother," Thor said, his eyes still damp even as a hopeful smile touched his lips.
"Every case is unique, my friend. Do not give him hope just yet," Ethan added immediately, his eyes downcast as he assessed the situation.
Tora manifested from Ethan's shadow, standing eight feet tall. With a silent command, the shadow transmuted a large, round table in the center of the room to serve as a makeshift surgical platform.
And levitated Queen Mother's body and placed it on the platform all in a single motion.
Shortly after, Jane arrived; she gasped at the sight of Queen Frigga's body and moved to Thor's side.
Ethan prepared to perform a high-level of Reverse Cursed Technique (RCT) on the All-Mother.
"Partially Summoning: Chimera Samsara," he incanted.
The Wheel of Harmony materialized above his head. He usually kept this wheel concealed within his shadow when in public, as it functioned exactly the same way in his shadow.
Odin was looking at the wheel above his head with an unreadable expression.
Ethan began outputting massive amounts of RCT through Frigga's wound, within a few minutes, sealing the external lacerations and mending any internal damage the cursed blade might have caused.
Click. The wheel spun once.
And Ethan felt it—a resistance he hadn't encountered when he revived Agent Coulson.
The realization struck him a second later: this was an Absolute Point.
He looked towards Thor hopeful eyes and back at his hands again.
Mahoraga could adapt to this resistance...in around a dozen rotation, Ethan concluded.
Ancient One had explained years ago that an Absolute Point is a fixed, immutable event in time that cannot be altered, even with the Time Stone, without risking the destruction of the universe.
Ethan hadn't argued with her then; after all, he had seen it with his own eyes in the What If...? series in his previous life.
Strange Supreme had destroyed his entire reality by breaking an Absolute Point, using immense dark magic to resurrect Christine Palmer.
I can do something similar using Mahoraga's adaptation, Ethan realized. That is why she warned me... She must have seen this exact moment in the future.
He closed his eyes shut tight and ceased the output of Reverse Cursed Technique.
When he opened them again, he looked toward Thor and noticed that more people had arrived while he was performing RCT ;
The Warriors Three and Lady Sif were now standing within the hall as well.
"I am sorry, Thor... I can't heal her," Ethan added solemnly. He knew he could not choose one single life over the safety of the entire universe.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T!!" It was the All-Father who spoke next. His voice boomed through the chamber as he swung Gungnir toward Ethan's neck in a flash of gold.
Ethan caught the length of the spear, matching the All-Father's strength and stopping the tip mere inches from his throat.
There is no killing intent behind this attack... Just a grief-driven reaction, Ethan analyzed, holding his ground as he locked eyes with Odin. I will let this one slide.
"Father, No...stop this !" Thor quickly jumped in, moving to intervene between the two.
Odin let go of the spear and rushed back toward his wife, caressing her face as he sobbed openly.
Thor turned back toward Ethan, his expression a mix of confusion and mounting dread, and asked, "What happened!?"
"Your mother's death is an absolute point in time. Changing it forcefully could unmake the universe as we know it," Ethan added softly, his voice carrying the weight of a heavy truth.
Thor looked at him a long moment before asking.." Isn't there another way?".
Ethan shook his head and said " i am afraid not."
Thor turned and stormed out of the room, the Warriors Three and Lady Sif following close behind him in a silent, grim procession.
Jane remained behind; she looked toward Ethan, then at Thor and followed soon after.
Jane foster knew that in the wake of the Battle of New York, Ethan's face became a global phenomenon.
He was recognized worldwide not as a combatant, but as a miracle worker capable of healing illnesses or injuries that current medical technology couldn't touch.
Few had witnessed him in the heat of battle, and fewer still had seen his frontline Shikigami in action; to the public, he was defined by his Rabbits and Deers.
It was only in the quiet, grim aftermath of the invasion that his identity solidified in the collective consciousness as a healer.
However, the stories didn't stop there. After May 4th, an influx of people from every corner of the globe came forward, claiming to have been saved by him.
Though Shield has kept the resurrection of Agent Coulson underwraps, there was no containing the other miracles.
Ethan turned to leave, casting one last, lingering look toward Queen Frigga's body before stepping out of the room.
Once outside, Ethan focused on his shadow. Hundreds of Chimera Samsara manifested, scurrying toward the Asgardian soldiers who lay near death in the wake of the Dark Elf invasion.
Later that day, Asgard held a massive, funeral ceremony for those fallen in the invasion.
While Ethan had saved many soldiers on the brink of death, none were like Agent Coulson—none had been brought back from the beyond.
Ethan had been present during the ceremony; Sif had informed him that Thor himself had insisted that he be there.
Though the number of fallen had been reduced significantly, the casualties still numbered in the hundreds.
As Ethan watched the final funeral boats drift across the Great Waterfall, he looked toward Thor, who motioned for him to follow. His friends and Jane followed suit, trailing behind the God of Thunder.
Shortly after, they arrived in one of the palace's private drawing rooms. Volstagg and Fandral immediately reached for the wine decanters, while Thor sat at the far end of the room, arms crossed, with Mjölnir resting at his side.
Ethan approached him.
"Today, we would be sending many more boats through that waterfall if not for you. Not just I, but the whole of Asgard is grateful," Thor said, pressing his hands together in a gesture of profound respect.
"I am sorry about your mother," Ethan added quietly.
"No... her safety was her own to decide, not mine or yours. She could have hidden herself, yet she chose to fight that wretched Malekith," Thor answered with pride, as the low rumble of thunder echoed in the distance.
"She resides in the halls of Valhalla now... as do they all!" Volstagg's voice boomed as he raised his cup in a solemn toast.
"What is our next move?" Lady Sif asked, her eyes sharp.
Thor stood up and walked toward Ethan. "I know I am being shameless..." he began, but Ethan raised a hand to silence him.
"This Malekith sounds like someone who will not be satisfied with Asgard alone. He will come for Earth eventually. I am simply snipping a threat in the bud," Ethan stated.
"Actually, Malekith intends to bring about eternal night using the Aether," Fandral added. "At least, that is what the legends say. He will undoubtedly target Midgard."
Jane Foster watched the exchange with mounting dread, Does that mean there will be another Alien Invasion?
Ethan moved toward where Thor was previously sitting, his back turned to the group. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's go kill this bastard."
He turned sharply, extending Mjölnir toward Thor.
The room fell into a deafening silence.
Until, Volstagg burped loudly.
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A/N: So how was the chapter?
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