While Earth entered a new year, with Superman Clark Kent taking a rare vacation to celebrate the arrival of 2013 with his family, a desolate star system far away was stirring. Among the barren planets in this system was one called Svartalfheim.
Svartalfheim was one of the Nine Realms and had once been part of Asgard's domain. But since Asgard had closed itself off from the rest of the universe, Svartalfheim had been long forgotten.
In truth, even if Asgard hadn't closed its borders, it likely wouldn't have cared about Svartalfheim. To them, it was a dead world, devoid of life or activity.
This desolate state was the result of Asgard's past conquest of the Nine Realms. As a conqueror, Asgard wasn't seen in the best light, especially by the subjugated civilizations. However, conquering Svartalfheim could almost be considered a service, given the chaos it once embodied.
Now, however, the once barren and lifeless planet was showing signs of activity. Deep within the planet, someone long defeated but not killed by Asgard had been awakened.
That someone was Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves, a powerful figure whose name had once been feared across the Nine Realms.
But Malekith had lost, and the Dark Elves with him. They had resisted Asgard more fiercely than almost any other race, and this had nearly driven them to extinction.
Despite the long years of rest and recuperation, the Dark Elves had not recovered. Only a handful of them remained—so few, in fact, that even a small village would have had more inhabitants than the once proud Dark Elf race.
Few knew that the Dark Elves had a glorious past. Their legacy stretched back far beyond Malekith's rise to power, reaching even to the earliest days of the universe.
The Dark Elves were born from the primordial darkness of the universe. They were a race that existed before most other civilizations, far older than Asgard's history or even Earth's. They were naturally gifted with extraordinary powers and were once the sole rulers of the dark corners of the universe.
But as the universe evolved, light spread across it, shrinking the territories where the Dark Elves could thrive. After suffering defeat after defeat, they were reduced to their current pitiful state.
Why did they keep suffering these defeats? Because from the moment light appeared in the universe, the Dark Elves had been trying to return the cosmos to the age of darkness.
In their quest for darkness, they had tried many things, including the destruction of certain civilizations, the annihilation of stars, and even the creation of black hole weapons to consume planets.
But stars and planets were vital for most civilizations, so naturally, these civilizations fought back. In many cases, the Dark Elves were beaten mercilessly for their actions.
Asgard's invasion of Svartalfheim had come as a response to another such effort. When they learned that the Dark Elves had discovered a powerful artifact called the Aether and used its fragments to create a group of Cursed Warriors, Asgard attacked without warning, launching a surprise assault that caught the Dark Elves off guard.
Even though the Dark Elves had been powerful and had possessed many Cursed Warriors, they couldn't withstand Asgard's sudden attack. In the end, only Malekith and a few Dark Elves survived, hiding in the shadows.
But with so few Dark Elves left, rebuilding their race was impossible. So Malekith went into a long slumber, waiting for the right moment to reclaim the Aether, the artifact stolen from his people. With it, he intended to plunge the universe back into darkness, restoring the Dark Elves to their former glory.
The Aether, as Robert had learned from the Black Order, was one of the Infinity Stones—the Reality Stone.
The Reality Stone had the power to ignore all logic, natural laws, and scientific principles, turning imagination and fantasy into reality. It could make fiction real, in the truest sense of the word.
In the past, Malekith had failed to appreciate the full potential of the Aether. Instead of using its ultimate power, he had focused on creating Cursed Warriors to conquer the universe by force. But after his defeat, he realized his mistake. He should have used the Aether's full power to achieve the Dark Elves' ultimate goal of plunging the universe into eternal darkness.
"The time is near. The Nine Realms will soon align, and space will no longer be a barrier. Asgard, you may have hidden the Aether, but do you really think I can't find it? How laughable! Once darkness falls over the universe, I will show you what true despair is!" Malekith's eyes gleamed with excitement as he sensed the approaching convergence of the Nine Realms.
"Should we wake them?" Malekith's lieutenant, Kursed, asked, interrupting Malekith's reverie with his poorly-timed question.
Malekith shot Kursed a sharp look, momentarily silent. If not for the fact that there were so few Dark Elves left, he wouldn't have bothered with such a simple-minded subordinate.
Although the Dark Elves worshiped darkness, their long years living underground had left them with pale, white skin. In fact, their entire bodies, including their hair and facial hair, were white, though a few individuals had darker skin tones, like Kursed.
Kursed lacked the noble bearing of the other Dark Elves, and he often seemed foolish. Still, Malekith had no choice but to use him—there simply weren't enough Dark Elves left to be picky.
"Wake them. Though we still have a little time, waiting until the Nine Realms fully align would be too late. If Asgard notices and sends someone to stop us, we'll have trouble," Malekith said, shaking his head and turning to the stasis chambers around him.
"Yes, my lord," Kursed responded quickly, moving to awaken the other Dark Elves. As Malekith watched his small remaining force come to life, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
When the Dark Elves were defeated, they didn't just lose people—they also lost much of their technology. Otherwise, there might have been more of them left by now.
"I still have one remaining shard of the Aether. With it, I can create a new Cursed Warrior. Who among you will become a Cursed Warrior and sacrifice your life for the Dark Elf race?" Malekith asked, his voice heavy as he looked at the few Dark Elves standing before him.
The Dark Elves fell silent. While the Cursed Warriors were powerful, the title of "cursed" wasn't without reason. Their power came from fragments of the Aether, but at the cost of their lives.
Becoming a Cursed Warrior meant death was certain. The only reason Malekith and a few others had escaped Asgard's assault was because of the Cursed Warriors. Those who hadn't died in battle had soon wasted away and died before the eyes of their fellow Dark Elves.
This was why the group hesitated when Malekith brought up the Cursed Warriors again, recalling the tragic deaths of their predecessors.
"I'll do it," one Dark Elf finally stepped forward. His eyes shone with determination as he looked at Malekith. "I'm the strongest among us now. Only I have a chance of enduring the Aether's power and maintaining it for long. The others wouldn't be able to fight effectively."
"Algorim, you will become the last Cursed Warrior. When we succeed, your name will be remembered forever in the history of the Dark Elves!" Malekith placed a hand on Algorim's shoulder, though he didn't immediately use the Aether shard. The time wasn't right yet. Once the Nine Realms began to align, the Cursed Warrior would be needed.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, no one knew what was happening on Svartalfheim. To Earth's civilizations, the planet didn't even exist, and it was too far away for them to have any contact.
On Earth, Robert, Clark, and their friends had extended their holiday break, enjoying Christmas and the New Year. Some of the Avengers also took a break to rest.
While increasing their strength was important, they couldn't keep their guard up constantly. Many Avengers had families to spend the holidays with.
This included Steve Rogers, who had been spending less and less time with Peggy Carter since joining the Avengers. If he skipped out on the holiday too, Peggy might just find another old man to dance with.
Yes, in this timeline, Peggy Carter was still healthy, able to walk and run without being bedridden. This was thanks to the help of Tony Stark and Martian Manhunter, among others.
Although they couldn't replicate the Super Soldier Serum without flaws, they had managed to create a treatment that kept Peggy active and lively. This gave Steve peace of mind, though he still had to deal with Peggy's questions.
At the moment, Steve, Peggy, and Bucky Barnes were all at Peggy's home in London. Yes, Bucky was there too, and it wasn't the first time he had joined them for a holiday. By now, Peggy had grown used to Bucky's presence.
After all, Bucky was one of the only people their age left. Even though he looked young, they had all been through the same era. The only awkward part was that people sometimes mistook Bucky for their son when they went out together.
"Let's go for a walk. You haven't taken me out in a while," Peggy suggested to Steve after dinner.
"I'm a bit tired. I think I'll take a nap. You two go ahead," Bucky said with
a knowing smile, clearing the dishes to give the couple some alone time.
"Sorry, I've been so busy. I thought I'd be retired by now, spending all my time with you. But before my painting career could take off, they pulled me back in…" Steve said apologetically, looking at Peggy.
"But the world has become so dangerous now. If we weren't still here, maybe we wouldn't have to worry about these things. But since we are, we have to do our part…"
"I don't blame you. I just wish I were younger, so I could help you carry some of that burden," Peggy said gently, shaking her head. "Besides, without the treatments you developed, I'd probably be bedridden by now. How else could I walk with you through the park?"
"Too bad the Super Soldier Serum isn't a fountain of youth, or I wouldn't have aged like this…" Steve sighed softly.
"Oh, please. It's not like I want to work overtime with you. I worked my whole life, and now I want to enjoy myself. Come on, let's go…" Peggy rolled her eyes and took Steve's arm, leading him outside while Bucky stayed behind to watch the house.
"Why do I feel like I've become their son?" Bucky muttered with a wry smile as he watched them leave, feeling the strange dynamic.
"Well, whatever. It's rare to get some downtime. I'll finish up the dishes and relax. This year has been just as eventful as any…"
"Spider-Man and the others can still improve. They've got training rooms to help them get stronger. But Steve and I are at our limits. No matter how much we train, it's hard to push our strength any further…"
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