Growing Pains

Twenty Two

Thor led Helena to the infirmary, where she was instructed to lay down on a table and stay still. The Asgardians worked around her until Odin came storming into the room.

"What's happened? What's going on?!" He demanded.

"Father, Helena is not right, she's... sick with something." Thor said.

Helena moved to sit up, but a nurse tried to stop her. The touch on her arm startled Helena and the red force blasted out of her again, knocking the nurses back a bit.

"I'm so sorry! I can't help it!" Helena cried.

Odin was watching her now with something in his eyes. Fear. But Helena didn't understand it at first.

"I'm sorry." She repeated.

"Follow me." He said gravely.

Helena got up off the table and followed Odin and Thor out of the room. She gave confused looks to Thor, who merely shrugged. He didn't know what Odin had planned either. Odin led them to a room with books in it.

"What lies in Helena predates the universe itself. Before Asgard, the Dark Elves reigned absolute and unchallenged." Odin said.

Helena shuddered upon hearing their name. Odin flipped open a book and Thor looked on with a frown.

"I've heard stories, Mother told us about them as children." Thor said.

"The leader of the Dark Elves, Malekith, made a weapon out of a dark relic called the aether. While the other relics often appeared as stones, the aether was fluid. It changes matter into dark matter. It seeks out host bodies, drawing strength from them, along with... their life force." Odin looked down, and now Helena knew why he was afraid.

He wasn't scared of her, he was scared for her.

"Malekith sought to use the aether to turn the universe to one of darkness, but after eternities of bloodshed, my father, Bor, finally triumphed. He ushered in a peace that lasted thousands of years."

"The D-Dark Elves... they came here looking for something. That's why they- they killed Frigga." Helena said, "They were looking for the aether, weren't they?"

"I believe so." Odin said gravely, "But it wasn't here yet."

"Is there anything in the book about how to get it out of her?" Thor asked.

Odin shook his head.

"Oh." Helena said, voice small.

"We will find a way." Odin promised her, "Until then, stay here in Asgard where it is safest for you."

He left the room without another word, and Helena looked to Thor, scared.

"What do we do?" She asked him, teary eyed, "I- I don't want to die, I need to see Wanda again, I need to tell her- tell her so much!"

"You will see your sister again, Helena. I will not let you die, that much you have my word on."

"Okay." She said unsurely.

Thor paused a moment before leaning in to speak quieter to her.

"Helena, we need to leave Asgard." He began.

"But Odin said-"

"We need to leave in secret then." Thor said, "The Dark Elves will find you here, we need to stop them."

"You have a plan? A way to hide from them?"

"Not exactly..."

"What then?"