When they arrived in Asgard, Daisy was still holding tightly onto Lock's arm.
Lock gently reminded her, "We're here."
Seeing the Asgardians approaching to receive them, Daisy reluctantly let go, though her fingers trailed along his sleeve for a moment longer than necessary.
Thor immediately took Jane to the healing chambers, instructing Daisy to stay with her. The healers of the Golden City examined Jane carefully, their glowing instruments running over her body as they studied the ether's influence on her.
Once Jane was settled, Thor joined Lock, Odin, and Queen Frigga in the palace temple.
Lock did not waste time with pleasantries. "All-Father, the ether particles have awakened the Dark Elves. It won't be long before they come for Jane—and they will try to take her."
Odin frowned, clearly expecting that the meeting would focus on saving Jane, not discussing ancient enemies.
"You know of the Dark Elves, Prince Lock?"
"I know enough," Lock replied evenly.
Thor blinked, puzzled. "What do the Dark Elves have to do with Jane?"
The All-Father exhaled, his single eye dimming with memory. "That… is a long story. It goes back to your grandfather's time."
He turned to the gathering.
"The ether particles were once the sacred weapon of the Dark Elves. Their true form is the Reality Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones, capable of turning thought into reality itself."
"Dark Elves thrive only in shadow. The light of the cosmos is torment to them."
"In the early days of creation, before the stars had formed, the universe was shrouded in darkness. That was their golden age. But when the Celestials came, they forged stars in the void and brought light to the universe. For the Dark Elves, it was the birth of their eternal nightmare."
Lock's gaze flickered for a moment. The mention of Celestials reminded him of the one still gestating deep within Earth's core. If that were to happen, the entire planet would be destroyed like a bursting shell, and humanity would be wiped out.
But that was a problem for later—one he would face when he was stronger. Perhaps, with the Eternals' help, he could prevent that apocalypse.
Odin caught the brief shift in his expression. "You know of the Celestials as well?"
"I know a little," Lock admitted. "But let's deal with the threat in front of us first."
Another thought occurred to him—perhaps Asgard's very structure, a flat world suspended in space rather than a planet, had been designed to prevent a Celestial from gestating within it. It was an intriguing theory, but one to explore another time.
Odin continued, "The Dark Elves retreated into the hidden realm of Svartalfheim to escape the light. Thousands of years ago, Malekith, their king, discovered the ether and sought to use its power to extinguish the stars, returning the cosmos to darkness."
"My father, Bor, your grandfather, led the first great war against them. He prevented the catastrophe and brought peace to the Nine Realms for millennia."
"Wait," Thor interrupted, "how exactly did Grandfather win?"
Odin's expression hardened. "Bor slaughtered them."
Thor fell silent, troubled. His nature was kind, and though thousands of years had passed, the thought of annihilating an entire race made him uneasy.
"But if Grandfather wiped them out," Thor pressed, "why does Lock say they'll come?"
"Because Malekith survived," Odin said grimly. "And so did a remnant of his people. If Lock says they will come, then they will come."
The All-Father's tone grew even graver. "And this is not our only problem. The Nine Realms are entering Convergence—the rare alignment of the realms upon Yggdrasil, the World Tree. It happens only once every five thousand years. During this time, the borders between realms grow thin. Travel between them becomes dangerously easy."
"If Malekith regains the ether during Convergence, its power will be magnified a thousandfold. He could plunge not only the Nine Realms, but the entire universe, into endless night."
Lock stayed quiet, but the thought unsettled him. In the original timeline, Asgard had been caught completely off guard when the Dark Elves struck. They had even breached the palace defenses and destroyed the energy core of the Bifrost shield.
But now that he had warned them, Asgard could prepare. Malekith would find no easy prey this time.
While Odin, Thor, and Lock discussed Asgard's defenses, Queen Frigga sat quietly, her hands twisting the hem of her gown.
Lock noticed her unease and, after a moment, he understood.
In the original timeline, Frigga died on the day of the Dark Elves' invasion.
The Queen had seen her own death long ago. Even when Thor of the future traveled back to warn her, she had calmly accepted her fate. Not because she was fearless—but because she dared not change it.
Frigga had peered into the timestream, had glimpsed the Sacred Timeline and the forces that guarded it. Perhaps she had even tried once to change her destiny, only to bring about an even darker outcome.
Whatever the reason, she had chosen to accept her end rather than risk Asgard itself.
But now, Lock was here.
"Your Majesty," Lock said softly, "what you saw in the river of time does not have to come true. Stay with Jane for the next few days. I will remain here as well. I won't go out to fight—I will be here, by your side."
Frigga's eyes softened, a glimmer of hope returning to them.
Lock was not merely a powerful warrior—he was the one person who might change Asgard's fate. If he stayed with her, perhaps the outcome would be different this time.
Thor was deeply moved by Lock's words. He clasped his friend's shoulder. "Brother, I leave my mother and Jane in your care. But it's a shame—you won't even get to fight. I'll have cleared out the enemy before they come near the palace!"
Odin's voice was stern. "Thor, you must think like a king. Do not charge headlong into battle like a common warrior. Rule requires wisdom as much as strength."
Thor only grinned. He didn't care about wisdom right now. The coming battle was all he could think about.
For the next several days, Lock stationed himself outside Jane's chambers, senses extended, monitoring every ripple of energy across the palace.
Queen Frigga remained with Jane, which deeply touched the mortal woman. Jane had feared being looked down upon here, but instead, the Queen of Asgard herself stayed at her side, and Lock guarded the door as though she were Asgardian royalty.
What annoyed Jane was that Thor rarely came to see her. Of course, he could hardly tell her that he was preparing the city's defenses against an imminent invasion by murderous elves.
Daisy stayed with Jane as well. To strengthen the room's protection, Frigga summoned Sif to stand guard alongside Lock.
That made things complicated.
Though Daisy had been relatively restrained since arriving in Asgard, Lock could feel the subtle tension between her and Sif. Even a man as oblivious as he was could sense their quiet rivalry.
Neither woman could openly stake a claim on him—neither had that right—but the unspoken challenge in the air was unmistakable.
Then, in the middle of a quiet watch, Lock's eyes snapped open. He turned his head toward the Bifrost chamber and whispered,
"They're here."
Though it was little more than a murmur, Heimdall heard it across the golden city.
The Gatekeeper planted his great sword into the Bifrost control pedestal and called on his power, scanning the edges of Asgard's space with all his might.
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