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People began to run and scream as Malekith's ship became visible. It moved toward the shoreline, showing no signs of stopping or slowing down. There was a massive thud as it crashed into the paved walkway that boardered the shore, and I met Darcy's eyes from across the courtyard.

"Loki—"

"Got it," he said, wrapping an arm around my waist and hauling me off before I could even tell him to run.

He made for the building to our left, pulling me so fast that my feet hardly skimmed the ground. He only stopped once we'd reached the wall. Behind us, Malekith's ship slowed to a stop in the direct centre of the courtyard.

"You know, I am capable of running myself," I shot to Loki, who leaned against the wall.

"Please, you hardly come up to my chest," he responded, "You never would have outrun that."

"I hate you."

I kept my eyes trained on the ship as Malekith got off, trailed by a large group of Dark Elves. He looked to the sky, and I followed his eyes. There, torn through the clouds overhead, was a portal. A portal between worlds.

There was a crack of thunder, as Thor shot up from the ground, coming to land directly in front of Malekith.

"My brother, always the drama queen," Loki rolled his eyes, as the two of us jogged over to back him.

"He does have a thing for grand entrances," I remarked.

"You needn't have come so far, Asgardians," Malekith said. "Death would have come to you, soon enough."

"Not by your hand," Thor shot back.

"Your universe was never meant to be," Malekith said, raising his hands. The Aether began to materialize around him. "Your world, and your families, will be extinguished!"

With that, the Aether jumped out at us. We each tried to defend against it, but it knocked us off our feet, launching us back several paces. I felt the air leave my lungs and I gasped, pushing myself back to my feet. Beside me, Thor and Loki did the same.

No sooner had we done that, did the Aether come at us again, this time shooting us back a few meters. The Aether was intertwined with lightning and fire—me and Thor's meager attempt to defend ourselves.

I covered my head as I hit the ground once again.

Thor was on his feet before I could even recover, and Malekith launched the Aether at him again. This time, Thor managed to keep upright, merely skidding back through the dirt.

"You know with all that power," Thor said, wiping at his bleeding lip, "I thought you'd hit harder."

"Great idea, Thor." I shoved to my feet. "Poke the bear."

"I don't plan merely on poking him," Thor said, as Malekith raised his hands for another attack at us.

Before he could launch the Aether, Thor threw his hammer, and it struck Malekith square in the chest, throwing him back into the building to our right. He smashed through a column and flew into the parkinglot.

I grinned. "That went better than I thought it would," I said, dropping into a fighting stance to take on the approaching Dark Elves, as Thor launched himself into the air to take on Malekith.

I closed my eyes. Pictured my wall. Let that one thought resonate: this power is mine.

And I brought a blade of flame to my hand.

Loki and I cut through the advancing Dark Elves, both wielding our weapons with expert precision.

Above us, a crack split the sky as a portal opened directly overhead. And then another above it. They looked like layered disks suspended in midair.

I surveyed the field for Darcy, Jane, Erik, anyone. The Convergence was almost in effect. Finally, my eyes landed on Darcy, who met my gaze and gave a thumbs up as she and her assistant charged to safety, away from Erik's poles. I prayed to God this plan would work.

"Brace yourself," I warned Loki, just as the pole nearest to us released a high tone. Loki tackled me out of the way as a portal manifested around it, taking with it a number of the Dark Elves we had been fighting. "Didn't think today I'd be testing how many times I could get thrown to the ground before I break I rib," I groaned, as Loki rolled off of me.

He threw his dagger to the side before either of us could get up, and it planted itself in the neck of an advancing Dark Elf. Its corpse landed right next to us.

I pushed to my feet. A few of the Dark Elves were making for Darcy and her assistant, while the rest were coming for Loki and I.

I made a move to attack them, just as another pole let out a high tone, creating a portal. It swept across the courtyard, taking the Dark Elves, Darcy, and her assistant with them.

"Shit," I cursed, turning to take on the remaining Dark Elves, "That's not great."

I could feel my energy begin to deplete as I carved through them, but I forced myself to keep going.

I charged forward towards one, brandishing my sword.

But suddenly, my surroundings fell away, and were replaced by the barren fields of the Dark World.

"Loki?" I called, turning in a circle. I was alone.

I began running blindly ahead, hoping to find another portal. And I did. The ground fell out from under me, and suddenly, I was far above the courtyard. I noticed a few fighter jets circling Malekith's ships as I plummeted to the ground.

"Alivia?" I heard Loki shout from below as I hurtled through the air.

I braced myself for contact with the ground, but it didn't come.

I shot through yet another portal, and began to fall horizontally. I groaned when my body slammed into something hard. I looked up. A tree? I was enclosed in a dense forest.

Behind me, the leaves rustled, as a number of Dark Elves entered through another hidden portal. I cursed. I couldn't use my powers here, I'd burn the whole forest to the ground.

I began to run through the dense trees, hoping to find a portal that didn't drop me somewhere that my life would be in imminent danger.

Suddenly, the ground fell away again beneath me, as I sunk into a portal. I nearly fainted when I went from falling down to falling up. I got a grip on my bearings and looked around.

I was perched on the edge of a roof. Shit.

I looked below, locking eyes on Jane and Erik. Above me, I heard a crash, as a car fell through a portal. It was about to crush me.

"Jane!" I called, as the roof crumbled below me, and I slid off the side.

Frantically, she twisted a knob on her control panel, and a portal appeared below me. Again, I felt the disorientation of falling one direction, and then another. I crashed into something. No, someone.

"Christ," I exhaled in relief, resting my head for a moment against Loki's chest, "This is definitely worse than New York. You should take a page out of Malekith's book."

"As much as I'm glad to have you in my arms, I don't think now is an appropriate time," Loki said, pulling me to my feet.

"Since when do you care whether it's an appropriate time for PDA?" I asked. He didn't answer. His eyes were on Malekith, who strode toward his ship. Slowly, he raised his hands, funneling the Aether into a cyclone.

I looked up. Overhead, the Convergence was almost in full effect.

"Malekith!" I called to him, bringing the sword of fire to my hand again. The amount of energy it took out of me was astronomical. I could hardly stay upright in the force of the Aether storm.

Loki was at my side in an instant, propping me up.

"Ah, the halfbreed," Malekith smirked as he spun the Aether around us, higher and higher, "The arrogance you must possess to think you can stop this."

"Not arrogance," I said, eyeing Loki, "Just rage."

With that, I threw my sword forward at him. It ran him through the chest. He released a cry of pain, faltering slightly. The Aether storm thinned for the briefest of moments. Then, before my eyes, the gaping hole my sword had left knitted itself back together.

"You underestimate the power of the relics, mortal scum," Malekith said, continuing to push the Aether higher, through the portals overhead.

"How..?"

"Alivia!" Thor's voice came from behind us, "Loki!"

I turned. He was pushing through the powerful winds, making his way toward us. In his arms, he carried three of Selvig's metal poles. He handed one to each of us. "These can stop him," he said, "We must get close enough."

I nodded, pushing off Loki and standing on my own. I felt blood pouring from my nose again, and my head felt fuzzy and warm, but I forced myself to keep going. As I'd said to Loki, it didn't matter how I felt, if there was a fight, I would fight it.

"Malekith!" Thor called ahead, drawing the Dark Elf's attention again. He turned, slow.

"Darkness returns, Asgardian. Have you come to witness the end of your universe?"

"I've come to accept your surrender," Thor responded, nodding to Loki.

Loki nodded back, before hurling his pole at Malekith. He caught it without flinching. I smiled when it released that familiar high tone. And then, a portal appeared, taking his arm with it.

Thor looked to me next, and I launched my own pole. It embedded itself in Malekith's shoulder. Another high tone, and his other arm vanished. He screamed in pain.

"You think you can stop this?" Malekith shouted. "The Aether cannot be destroyed!"

"But you can," Thor said, opening his palm as he charged toward Malekith. He leapt from the ground, taking his hammer and flying into the air. He came down on Malekith with a thunderous boom, driving the final pole into his chest.

Malekith was knocked back into the base of his ship, and released a final scream, before Jane made him vanish.

Suddenly, the Aether storm around us stilled, and then disappeared.

I released a breath of relief, collapsing to my knees and finally allowing myself a break. Then I looked up to Loki, and smiled. Next, I moved my eyes to Thor, and my smile fell away. He wasn't moving.

Suddenly, Jane split across the field, dropping to her knees at Thor's side. Rubble began to fall from the sky and I looked up. The ship was going to fall. It was going to fall right on us.

I locked eyes again with Loki. He jumped immediately into action, scooping me up beneath my arms and dragging me out of the way.

Then he looked back to his brother, and Jane—who was helplessly trying to drag him to safety. He met my eyes, and I knew what he was going to do.

He pressed a kiss to my hand, before sprinting back into the courtyard.

"Loki!" I screamed, shoving to my feet.

He would never get them to safety fast enough. I was so going to kill him.

Despite the scream of pain my head gave in protest, I pumped my legs forward, dropping to my knees at Thor's head.

I gathered everything left in me. Every ounce of energy I had. My wall was strong and would not be broken. These powers are mine.

I lifted my hands, and couldn't help the scream of agony that left my lips.

Before me, the fire screamed too. I'd never summoned so much in all my life. It connected with the falling ship, blasting it to the side.

The ship continued to fall, and I prayed we were out of the way. But it turned out not to matter. I'd knocked it directly through another portal to the right. And it was gone.

I felt blood pouring from my ears, my nose, my eyes. I couldn't see a thing. My body felt cold as ice.

And this time, when my consciousness escaped me, I knew I would not wake up.

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