Frigga remained silent, filled with remorse for letting Malekith snatch Sigurd from her embrace. Thor reflected on the mistakes he had made, thinking he was only trying to prevent the destruction of the universe.
Meanwhile, Ben remained focused and pushed the Aether towards Malekith. When Malekith took control of the Aether, he threw Sigurd, who was still crying.
Ben swiftly caught him in his arms. Sigurd was just a child, but he calmed down in Ben's embrace. It was the first time Sigurd had been held by Ben, and his body recognized the familiar embrace. The father and son bond remained strong.
"My dear Sigurd, you no longer need to fear anyone. Your dad will teach the bad guy a lesson, and you can witness it yourself," Ben whispered into Sigurd's ear.
Upon seeing Sigurd in Ben's embrace, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Their attention then shifted to Malekith, who was still adjusting to the Aether's power, creating tension. However, Ben had assured them that he would handle Malekith, so no one interfered. They were eager to see what he could do.
As Malekith felt the surge of energy from the Aether, he couldn't help but laugh maniacally. "Ben, thanks for granting me the power of the Aether, but now it's time to destroy Asgard!" he shouted.
As Malekith, fueled by the formidable power of the Aether, seething with frustration, attempted to regain control, he intensified the Aether's onslaught.
Malekith unleashed a barrage of crimson beams that streaked toward Asgard. The ethereal tendrils of energy snaked through the air, seeking to ensnare and obliterate anything in their path.
Buildings trembled as the destructive force surged, threatening to tear Asgard apart. Panic gripped the inhabitants as the destructive energy threatened their realm.
Ben, activating Alien X's power to its fullest, his eyes glowed with an otherworldly brilliance. With a mere thought, he summoned a protective shield that enveloped Asgard, deflecting the malevolent energy.
In an instant, the menacing red beams dissipated, leaving no trace of the impending danger.
Malekith, realizing his attempts were futile, resorted to dark illusions. He conjured phantom armies and nightmarish landscapes, attempting to disorient Ben and the Asgardians. The illusions danced across the battlefield, but Ben easily saw through the deception.
"Not allowed," Ben proclaimed once again, dispelling the illusions with a wave of his hand. The true extent of Alien X's power became evident as the illusions crumbled like fragile illusions before a cosmic wind.
Frustration consumed Malekith as he witnessed his every move countered effortlessly. Desperation gripped him, and he channeled the Aether's energy into a colossal, swirling vortex, aiming to unleash catastrophic destruction upon Asgard.
In response, Ben's eyes glowed brighter as he channeled the cosmic forces. With a gesture, he redirected the vortex away from Asgard, causing it to dissipate harmlessly into the cosmic void.
The onlookers marveled at Ben's mastery over the situation, and a hushed awe settled over the battlefield.
As Malekith's frustration reached its peak, he resorted to a dark art: reality manipulation. With a sinister grin, he wove a tapestry of illusions that depicted a grim aftermath.
The once vibrant Asgard now lay in ruins, its inhabitants strewn lifeless across the landscape. The sky darkened with an ominous hue, casting an eerie pallor over the devastated realm.
Aghast, the Asgardians stood frozen in horror, believing the illusion to be a twisted reality. Malekith reveled in their despair, savoring the moment before unveiling his ultimate triumph. The illusionary scene played out with haunting realism—the fallen structures, the lifeless bodies, and the palpable sense of defeat.
But then, in the midst of the despair, Ben's unwavering voice cut through the illusionary veil. "Not allowed," he declared with a command. In an instant, the once-deadly illusion shattered, and Asgard emerged unscathed, bathed in the light of its true existence.
The bewildered Asgardians blinked in disbelief as the illusion dissipated. Buildings reconstructed themselves, and the fallen regained life. The vivid resurrection unfolded before their eyes, a stark contrast to the bleak tableau Malekith had tried to impose.
Malekith, now robbed of his illusory victory, seethed with frustration. Ben's mastery over the cosmic forces had nullified even the most potent of manipulations.
As the Asgardians rallied behind their savior, Malekith, for the first time, faced a foe he could not outmaneuver.
Malekith, undeterred by the thwarted illusion, unleashed a new wave of malevolence. Red energy light emanated from him, weaving its way through the air like a sinister serpent
As it touched anything in its path, it ensnared them in its crimson glow, subjecting them to Malekith's control. The once defiant Asgardians found themselves succumbing to the puppet strings of Malekith's dark manipulation.
With an insidious grin, Malekith expanded the reach of the red energy light, methodically extending his influence over every corner of Asgard. Those touched by its glow became mere extensions of Malekith's will, their expressions vacant as they mindlessly followed his commands.
Yet, in the face of this relentless onslaught, Ben stood resolute. With a voice that echoed with cosmic authority, he declared, "Not allowed." The command reverberated through the very fabric of reality, reversing the tide of Malekith's insidious control.
The red energy light, which had been spreading like an unstoppable tide, abruptly halted. As if rewinding a tape, it retraced its path, converging back towards Malekith. The crimson glow, once an instrument of domination, now recoiled and gathered into Malekith's body against his will.
Astonished gasps filled the air as the Asgardians witnessed the unexpected turn of events. As the red energy light dissolved into Malekith, the balance of power shifted decisively in favor of Asgard and its unwavering defender.
"You have used all of your chances; now your child's play is over," Ben's voice echoed. With a commanding presence, he raised his hand, and with a mere movement of his finger, he began extracting the Aether from Malekith's body.
Malekith, panic-stricken, could only watch helplessly as the potent force that once fueled his dark ambitions was forcibly taken from him. The very essence that had granted him dominion over reality now slipped through his grasp, leaving him powerless against Ben.
As the Aether flowed into Ben's hand, a vibrant red hue illuminated the battlefield. The swirling energy condensed, taking on a tangible form. In a mesmerizing transformation, the Aether solidified into a stone, held firmly in Ben's grasp.
The Asgardians, witnessing the spectacle, marveled at the sheer display of cosmic control. The once formidable Malekith now stood defeated, stripped of the Aether's might.
As the realization dawned upon the Asgardians that the Aether was, in fact, the Reality Gem, a collective gasp swept through the onlookers.
With the Reality Gem now in his hand, Ben tossed the radiant gem toward Odin, the Allfather and his father-in-law. "Father-in-law, this is my gift to you."
Malekith, now rendered powerless, could only watch as the very source of his dark ambitions sailed away from him.
Odin, catching the Reality Gem with a solemn nod, found himself not only holding a powerful artifact but also a symbol of his son-in-law's unmatched abilities. Ben had not only secured Asgard but had gifted Odin a cosmic marvel.
"Ben, my son-in-law," Odin spoke with a blend of gratitude and admiration. "You have not only blessed us with Sigurd but also proven yourself a guardian beyond measure."
Ben's actions had not only quelled Malekith's threat but had brought unexpected joy to Odin's heart. As he observed the scene, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in having Ben as a member of his family..
However, Odin couldn't help but wonder about Ben's decision to relinquish the Reality Gem, one of the most potent artifacts in the universe. He approached Ben and asked, "Why, my son-in-law, would you give away such a powerful artifact? It holds immense potential and is a force to be reckoned with."
"Maybe the Reality Gem is a powerful artifact, but in my eyes, it was just a weapon," Ben explained, as he looked toward the cosmic gem, he continued, "I never believed in weapons; they are worthless to me. I believe in myself, I believe in my own powers, and only in my physical prowess."
Odin, hearing Ben's words, couldn't help but feel a sense of joy and pride. The conviction in Ben's belief, prioritizing his innate abilities over the allure of cosmic artifacts, resonated deeply with the Allfather.
"Ben, my son-in-law," Odin spoke with genuine admiration, "your belief in your own strength is a rare and admirable quality. It shows a resilience that even the most potent artifacts in the cosmos cannot sway. Your physical powers are a testament to the indomitable spirit within you."
Odin's praise echoed through the Asgardian, and those who witnessed the exchange couldn't help but share in the reverence for Ben's principled stance.
After handing the Reality Gem to Odin, Ben's focus shifted decisively onto Malekith, who still stood bewildered by his defeat. In Ben's strong embrace, Sigurd, the two-year-old with a cosmic heritage, had remained safe until now.
"Now, Malekith, you wanted to harm my son. Let's switch things up a bit. How about my son dealing with you instead?" Ben's words carried a challenging edge, and a smirk played on his lips.
Leaning down to Sigurd's ear, Ben whispered, "Baby Sigurd, use your fire and ice powers. You are a Tennyson, born dangerous. Now, show and release the danger on Malekith."
Two-year-old Sigurd, though not fully comprehending his father's words, felt the resonance of his command. With an innocent yet determined expression, he raised his little hands.
In an enchanting display, one hand emitted a playful cascade of fire, while the other conjured a delicate dance of frosty ice. The contrasting elements converged and descended upon Malekith, who now faced the unexpected whims of a cosmic toddler.
The onlookers, torn between awe and amusement, witnessed the unique spectacle—a two-year-old Tennyson exhibiting powers that defied his age.
Malekith, once a formidable foe, now found himself at the mercy of a toddler. He, desperate to escape the onslaught of fire and ice unleashed by two-year-old Sigurd, attempted to evade, but the cosmic toddler's powers proved relentless. His Slow Regeneration power, typically a source of resilience, now became a curse, intensifying his pain with each successive burn and frost.
The battlefield echoed with Malekith's anguished screams as the cycle of burning, freezing, and healing repeated ceaselessly. His attempts to resist were futile, and the sheer unpredictability of baby Sigurd's powers left Malekith in a state of perpetual torment.
Astonished onlookers could hardly believe what transpired before them. The cosmic display of a two-year-old wielding elemental forces left them in awe.
In the midst of the chaos, Malekith's suffering reached a crescendo. The relentless assault pushed him to the brink, and with a final, agonized scream, he departed from this universe. Vanquished by the unbridled power of a Tennyson toddler, Malekith succumbed to the forces he had dared to challenge.
With the immediate threat seemingly resolved, the lingering Dark Elves observed the situation with grim expressions, uncertainty etched across their faces.