Svartalfheim.
Three hours after the Dark Elves set out to search for Jane Foster, a blue-and-white spaceship descended slowly through the clouds, landing on the desolate terrain.
Alan donned his Emperor Armor, while Gwen equipped her Venom suit. The four of them exited the ship, their footsteps meeting the silence of the barren land. The oppressive stillness of the planet was palpable.
"What is this place, Alan?" Gwen asked softly.
Alan glanced at the horizon. The surroundings were covered in yellow dust, resembling an endless desert.
"This is the planet where the Dark Elves live, though they haven't returned here in a long time," he explained.
He instructed Red Queen to locate Jane Foster. However, even with her advanced capabilities, she couldn't detect Jane's presence from such a distant planet.
"This place is too barren. I can't pinpoint her location," Red Queen admitted, visibly disheartened at her inability to fulfill Alan's request.
Alan gently patted her head. "It's alright. We'll find her ourselves—I have a plan."
"What plan?" Gwen asked.
Alan pointed to several moving black dots in the distance. "Those Dark Elves—they can sense the Aether. We just need to follow them."
The group began heading toward the Dark Elves. Along the way, Alan explained how to distinguish between different ranks of Dark Elves.
"The Dark Elves have a hierarchy. There are captains, soldiers, and sorcerers. Regular soldiers aren't much of a threat, but you must be careful of the sorcerers—they wield dangerous magic. And above them all is the Dark Elf King, Malekith."
"Is he that powerful?" Gwen asked.
Alan nodded. "Yes, as the ruler of Svartalfheim, one of the Nine Realms, his strength is formidable."
As they spoke, Alan suddenly raised a hand, signaling everyone to stop. Looking ahead, they saw a group of Dark Elf soldiers holding devices designed to detect the Aether. The soldiers had paused, seemingly at a loss.
Through his Green Lantern Ring, Alan overheard their conversation, translated directly into his ears. His expression grew grim.
"What's wrong?" Wanda asked, worried as she noticed Alan's serious demeanor.
Lowering his voice, Alan said, "They can't detect the Aether. I don't know why, but I'm certain Jane Foster is still here."
Although the Aether remained undetectable, Alan was determined to find Jane. Motioning to the group, they left the current Dark Elf team and headed toward another.
---
After what felt like an eternity, Alan's team had ruled out several groups of Dark Elves unable to find the Aether. Only five teams remained. Alan set his sights on one group led by a Dark Elf sorcerer and decided to follow them.
Svartalfheim had no day-night cycle, so Red Queen's calculations were their only way of tracking time.
"It's been a full day—12 hours in Earth time," Red Queen reported, tilting her small, holographic face up toward Alan.
"A day?" Alan quickened his pace. If Jane Foster had been here for an entire day, her safety was far from guaranteed. She could already be in grave danger—or worse.
Ahead, the Dark Elf sorcerers were conversing in their alien tongue. Thanks to the ring's translation, Alan learned they had detected traces of the Aether up ahead.
...
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