Thor stood there, his face a shifting canvas of joy and grief, tears glistening unshed in his eyes. He didn't seem likely to pull himself together anytime soon. Hong Fei stepped past him without ceremony, turning his back to survey the war-torn expanse of Asgard.
In less than half an hour, vast stretches of the realm had been consumed by fire. The blistering heat had ignited nearly everything flammable in sight.
The same flying ships that had been locked in mortal combat with the Dark Elves moments ago now served as rescue vessels. They dipped into the lakes, scooping up tons of water to dump on the raging infernos below. Where the flames were quenched, thick plumes of smoke coiled upward into the sky.
Asgardian warriors rushed to tend the wounded, comfort civilians, and organize the dead. The only silver lining was that the Dark Elves had focused their assault on the Heavenly Palace—casualties elsewhere were minimal, though the fires had spread unchecked. Soon, a pair of warriors jogged toward them.
Hong Fei moved to intercept.
"No help needed here. Go where you're useful."
The men hesitated, exchanging glances. One of them peered past Hong Fei at Thor.
"The King's asleep," Hong Fei added sharply, "and Thor's guarding him. What exactly are you hoping to see?"
The warriors flinched, hastily bowing their apologies before retreating.
No sooner had they left than Sif arrived.
"Thank you," she said without preamble. "For earlier."
"Small favor. You'd have won anyway."
A faint smile touched her lips, but then she swayed slightly, her gaze flickering to Thor behind Hong Fei. Before she could speak, Hong Fei raised a finger to his lips—quiet—and gave a slight shake of his head.
Sif blinked, then mimed tears with two fingers beneath her eyes, pointing subtly at Thor. Hong Fei's mouth quirked—no confirmation, no denial.
But she understood. Her silent smile mirrored his. Then her eyes dropped to Hong Fei's battered armor, dust-streaked from the fight, and his empty hands. After a beat, she flipped her sword and offered it hilt-first. Her gaze was startlingly earnest, bright with unspoken trust.
Hong Fei shook his head, but before he could refuse, Thor stirred behind him. When Hong Fei turned, the prince had composed himself—mostly. Still, he couldn't quite meet Sif's eyes, his head bowed slightly as he asked, "Where's my mother?"
"Earth."
Thor's eyebrows shot up.
"You can teleport that far? Magic?"
"Magic, yes. But this time, luck. The Nine Realms' convergence made it easier." (Otherwise, the energy cost would've been staggering—not that Hong Fei lacked reserves, with the Dragon Power humming through him.)
Thor exhaled roughly.
"And Jane?"
"Hidden."
Hong Fei jerked his chin toward the distant forest.
"Under a leaf."
Without another word, Thor swung Mjolnir and flew over. Hong Fei turned his head to look at Odin and couldn't help but shake his head: Your son abandoned you!
"Why won't you take it?"
Sif pressed, still holding out her sword.
Hong Fei sighed. "You need a weapon too."
Her lips pursed.
"I know you're better than me. You'd wield it better than I ever could."
"I knew you'd activated and used divine power that belongs to me," Thor said, his voice tinged with both frustration and admiration. "It's a power I still struggle to control, even now."
The revelation was unexpected. Sif, being roughly the same age as Thor, likely faced similar challenges in mastering her own divine abilities. If Thor was still more of a 'hammer-god,' Sif's understanding of her power probably matched his.
Hong Fei shook his head firmly.
"Then I can't take it. You need it more than I do."
Sif had no rebuttal. The two stood in silence for a moment before Hong Fei turned and said, "Let's get His Majesty the King back first."
Leaving the All-Father of the Aesir sprawled unconscious on the Bifrost Bridge was hardly fitting.
With a gesture, Hong Fei summoned his Dragon Power, gently lifting Odin into the air. Sif glanced up—she couldn't fly. Hong Fei extended his hand again, and the Dragon Power enveloped her, carrying her aloft as they made their way to the Heavenly Palace. The palace's bedroom wing was vast, its scale almost overwhelming.
The damage from the black hole grenade had been limited to a small section of one room; Odin's private chambers remained untouched. Thor arrived moments later, carrying the still-unconscious Jane. He led Hong Fei to Odin's bed, a seemingly ordinary piece of furniture that immediately radiated a protective, luminous glow as Odin settled onto it.
"What's your plan for what comes next?" Hong Fei asked abruptly.
Thor's brow furrowed as he shook his head.
"I need to think, but I don't want to fight the Dark Elves here on Asgard. A barren wilderness, devoid of life, would be ideal. Malekith will undoubtedly sense the Aether Particle within Jane. If we leave Asgard, he'll follow."
"Do we have time for that?"
Hong Fei pressed, pointing to Odin.
"With His Majesty unconscious, Malekith could strike at any moment. And even if you find a suitable location, how do you plan to defeat him?"
As Hong Fei spoke, Jane groaned softly in Thor's arms. Her body twisted in discomfort, her face contorted with pain. Beneath her skin, a dark red light pulsed like waves crashing against a shore. Hong Fei shook his head grimly.
"She doesn't have time either."
Sif, sensing the tension, stepped forward.
"We need to re-establish our defenses immediately. Those Dark Elves will return soon."
Thor hesitated, caught between decisions. Hong Fei cut in bluntly, "We need help—real help. Ordinary assistance won't make a difference against the Dark Elves' forces."
Thor's gaze sharpened as he stared at Hong Fei, a flicker of realization crossing his face. Hong Fei nodded silently. Sif, growing anxious, demanded, "What are you two scheming?"
"My people are on Earth," Hong Fei explained. "They're strong, and the Avengers are temporarily under my command."
Thor's eyes widened in surprise.
"Really?"
Hong Fei nodded again.
"Earth is Midgard. The convergence of celestial bodies has already caused anomalies there. Before I left, I instructed them to remain vigilant."
Thor fell into deep thought, and at the same time said, "Hong, your suggestion is good, but Earthlings are fragile. I'm worried..."
"Your worries are unnecessary," Hong Fei interrupted. Thor looked puzzled. Hong Fei continued, "Asgard is the first and strongest line of defense for the Nine Realms."
"The Dark Elves dared to attack Asgard, which means they've already prepared for most contingencies. Finding a deserted place to settle the battle might seem like a good idea, but we lack the combat power to face them head-on. Staying on Asgard isn't ideal either—it's just been attacked, and the Dark Elves hold the psychological advantage of having won the first round."
"Earth, however, is different. It has the reinforcements we need, and many nations there would likely join forces to expel the Dark Elves. If the Dark Elves win, Earth and humanity won't escape unscathed either."
Thor paused, deep in thought. Hong Fei gestured toward Jane, whose skin flickered with increasing frequency, and urged, "She's running out of time."
"Fine, we'll go to Earth! But first, we need to solve Jane's problem."
"It's simple—hand her over to Malekith. He's more desperate than anyone to extract the Aether Particle from her."
"But what about her safety?"
"Leave that to me. You and Jane will act as bait, while the rest of us stay hidden. The moment the Aether Particle leaves her body, we strike. And… I can resurrect mortals."
Thor cut him off impatiently, "Then let's move! Can't you teleport? Let's go now!"
Hong Fei shook his head.
"No, the last teleportation drained all my energy. We'll have to use the Bifrost Bridge."
The spear! The spear is still stuck on the Bifrost Bridge! I can't teleport, damn it! The three of them stepped outside. Thor noticed Sif trailing closely behind and frowned.
"Sif, you should stay…"
"There's no point in me staying. There are enough people here, and I want to help too."
Without waiting for a response, she strode ahead, her pace quickening as if to avoid being told to stay again. Thor sighed and gave Hong Fei a wry smile.
"You'll have to look after her."
"Don't worry."
A short while later, they approached the Bifrost Bridge hub. Hong Fei suddenly asked, "By the way, when I fought Malekith and that brute beside him earlier, I felt my attack power was lacking. Does Asgard have any powerful weapons lying around?"
"Absolutely! The treasure vault is full of them. What do you need?"
"The treasure vault? Forget it. That's Odin's vault, not yours."
Thor nodded thoughtfully. After a moment's hesitation, he handed over his hammer with a pained expression.
"Here, I'll lend it to you!"
Hong Fei's face twitched.
"Did you forget? I can pick it up, but I can't hold it for long, let alone use it. And I'm not exactly skilled with hammers."
I'm touched you're willing to lend it to me, but I'm annoyed you're blind to the massive, glowing Eternal Spear right in front of you.
"Then…" Thor glanced around anxiously until his eyes landed on Gungnir, still embedded in the side of the bridge. Hong Fei had deliberately ignored it earlier when he returned Odin. Thor's face lit up. He rushed over and pulled out the spear. For a moment, hesitation flickered across his features, but after a fierce internal struggle, he brought it back to Hong Fei.
"Here, take it!"