Malekith's face darkened as he observed the colorful beam of light appearing in the distance. There was no doubt—Asgard had sent someone.
As the light dissipated, a powerful figure wielding a silver hammer emerged before them.
"Thor!"
Hawkeye and the others were overjoyed.
Thor nodded in acknowledgment before turning his gaze to Malekith and the other Dark Elves, his voice firm. "Malekith, take your forces and leave Earth. You are not welcome here!"
Malekith replied, "If you hand over the Aether, we will leave."
Before Tony Stark and the others could inquire further about the Aether, Thor instinctively refused. "That's not going to happen. The Aether is currently in the possession of my brother; it doesn't belong to you—it belongs to my brother."
Upon hearing this, Malekith and the other Dark Elves froze momentarily.
"Your brother?" Malekith inquired, clearly taken aback. He was familiar with Thor, knowing him to be Odin's son.
"Your brother, the one called Loki?"
"The Aether is in his possession?" Malekith asked, astonished.
"No, it's in the hands of my other brother," Thor replied, with a hint of pride. "I suggest you leave quickly. With my brother's power, you won't be able to retrieve the Aether from him. It would be wise to avoid embarrassment and retreat."
Malekith relaxed upon learning the Aether's location.
He looked at Thor with a mixture of amusement and disdain, as did the other Dark Elves. The idea that Thor was advising them to leave, claiming they could not take the Aether from his brother, seemed laughable.
The Dark Elves couldn't take the Aether from a mere individual? Even if Odin himself were present, they would still be able to secure the Aether. They planned to teach their opponent a lesson and scare him into handing it over.
Malekith thought, "Which of Thor's brothers could he be referring to?"
As the Dark Elves pondered this, Captain America and the others began to piece together the clues.
In the next moment, Captain America asked, "Thor, is your other brother the one in white?"
The only other figure who fit that description was indeed the "man in white" they had heard about.
Thor nodded in confirmation.
Stark and the others were stunned.
Their gaze toward Malekith shifted to one of peculiar intrigue.
Bystanders and some other superheroes began to murmur.
"Are these aliens out of their minds, trying to challenge the man in white?"
"The Aether is in his hands, and they dare to try and take it?"
"Oh my God, I must be hearing things..."
Malekith and the other Dark Elves were momentarily stunned by the humans' remarks.
What were these insignificant Earthlings talking about? Did they really believe they could not take the Aether from a single person? Did they think the Dark Elves were as weak as these humans?
Absurd!
Even more absurd was the belief that one person could stand against their entire army.
Malekith found the situation amusing, and so did the other Dark Elves. They disregarded Thor and shouted, "The one carrying the Aether, we know you're nearby!"
Tony Stark and the others were taken aback.
The man in white was nearby?
Before they could ponder further, footsteps were heard approaching.
Everyone, including Malekith, turned to see the source.
Aside from those present, Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the gods Odin and Heimdall in Asgard, all noticed the scene.
A figure dressed in white slowly emerged from the shadows.
Tony Stark and the others recognized the figure.
"It's really the man in white?"
"An Omega mutant?"
Everyone, including Stark, other superheroes, and Nick Fury, was shocked.
The situation was indeed related to the man in white, who was really nearby?
In the Asgardian palace, under Odin's influence, an image of the scene appeared. Odin's expression was complex as he observed the figure, while Frigga's eyes were filled with hope.
However, as it was only an image, they could not sense the figure's divine aura or powers. They would need to see him in person to fully perceive his identity.
Despite only being an image, Frigga couldn't shake her worry. "Can this child really handle all these Dark Elves and Malekith?"
Odin, noticing her concern, gave her a reassuring look, signaling that he would intervene if needed.
As all eyes were on him, Syd stepped forward.
Malekith and the Dark Elves looked on with surprise.
"So you are Thor's brother, the man in white?" Malekith asked with a steely gaze. "Hand over the Aether!"
"Refuse, and you'll face consequences you won't want to see!"
Malekith gestured, and immediately, the Dark Elves and their ships raised their energy weapons, aiming at Syd.
Syd remained calm and composed, observing the situation.
Tony Stark and the others were alarmed.
If these forces attacked, the ground would surely be torn apart.
Seeing that Syd did not immediately surrender the Aether, Malekith's expression grew colder.
"Destroy him!"
With that command, the air erupted with noise.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Red energy blasts and laser beams were unleashed toward Syd.
Tony Stark and the others were stunned as they watched the onslaught.
End of Chapter