The Girl Who Held the Universe in her Hands | marvel [1] ✔

TEN

CHAPTER TEN
' THE  REAPER  IS
STANDING  IN  FRONT
OF  YOU . '

Ash paced across the grass outside the library with her hands folded behind her back. A small ball of black mist sat in her palms, and she bowed her head for a moment, stopping.

"What's she doing?" Jane shifted next to Thor, the duo watching her silently.

"Sensing for the Aether and the alignment," he answered, eyes narrowing.

Ash turned suddenly, throwing one of her arms and launching a ball towards the river. It soared through the air before exploding and creating a transparent outline of the ship. Her other hand moved to join the other, and she pushed forward, feet digging into the ground as the Malekith's ship materialised above the River Thames. It continued, battling against Ash's magic before it stopped, her force winning.

Malekith and his dark elves stepped off the ship, and Ash recovered her stance in front of him, glancing behind her to see Thor had taken Jane away. "You needn't have come so far, Celestial! Death would have come to you soon enough," he shouted, stopping a small distance away from her, his elves flanking him.

Ash didn't react for a moment. "Rather, on the contrary, Malekith. The Reaper is standing in front of you."

"Your universe was never meant to be. Your world and every other will be extinguished."

"Why?" Ash looked around for a moment. "I see no fire."

Malekith drew his power, as did Ash, the black balls forming in her palms and ribbons wrapped around her wrists. He launched his force at her, which Ash managed to narrowly dodge, throwing her own energy at him as soon as she recovered. Malekith stopped her magic, it hovering in front of them before it suddenly disappeared.

"I fucking hate reality-altering," she grumbled quietly, straightening with a sigh. Malekith attacked again, throwing energy at her, and Ash blocked it and forced it away with her own. Slowly, Malekith gained ground, making his way towards her. He suddenly threw his hand sideways and cast Ash across the floor. Just in time, she stabilised herself, launching her hands downwards and combatting his force and letting herself slowly stop moving backwards. She gritted her teeth, black enveloping her eyes slowly. "Shit."

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Ash stumbled suddenly to her feet, shaking her head and whipping around. Jane, Erik, Ian and Darcy stared at each other before turning their attention to her as she pushed her hair away from her face, revealing a cut on her cheek. Mjolnir appeared and flew a few inches from her face causing her to stumble back, turning to watch it continue to soar away.

"What the fuck?" she whispered.

Darcy pointed at it. "Meowmeow!"

Ash massaged her head briefly before she turned and sprinted towards the grass again. Her eyes widened, her mouth falling open as she looked up at the Convergence. The awe blocked off the fact that Malekith readied the Aether. Her eyes shifted to him, and she mustered her power to throw at him again. This time, it hit home and sent him sprawling through the air and into the wall. Ash rushed forward, using his moment of weakness to bombard him with her magic. Her fingers curled, and he rose into the air, blackness surrounding him. The red in Malekith's eyes grew angrier as he thrashed in her grip. It manifested in his palms, mimicking Ash's.

With gritted teeth, Ash's hands began to shake, and an explosion of black erupted from her. Her irises shifted from black to red, a dazed look appearing in them. The blackness surrounding Malekith turned crimson, and as he lowered to the ground, Ash rose in his place. She hung limply in the air, arms moving to spread by her side and her mouth falling open in a silent scream. Red, tinged with black, began to exit her body, twirling in ribbons up and towards the Convergence.

"Thor!" Jane rushed to his side, the others behind them. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," he replied, staring at the event unravelling before them.

"He's using her." Erik stopped a little in front of the group. "She's a vessel."

"We're too late," Jane finished. "The Convergence is at its peak."

Thor looked back at Ash before he returned to the gadget spears in Erik's hand. "Can those things stop him?"

"Not from here," he denied.

Jane shifted. "We can't get close enough."

Thor looked at her. "I can." Thor took the spears from Erik and rushed off towards Malekith.

Ash's fists clenched at her sides, black forming in the corner of her red eyes, with the marbled effect still plaguing the blind one. A storm formed around them, growing with volatility and wrenching Ash's hair around her face. Slowly, she lowered back to the ground, falling to her knees before Malekith.

The sound of Thor shouting his name reverted his attention from her. "Darkness returns, Asgardian. Have you come to witness the end of your universe? You have brought it upon yourself; bringing along a weapon of destruction-" he gestured at Ash- "has made me stronger than before."

"I've come to accept your surrender." Thor threw one of Erik's gadget spears at Malekith, and he caught it. Jane used the gravimetric tablet, which made his arm disappear.

Slowly, awareness seeped into Ash's eyes, the red diffusing as Thor continued transporting pieces of Malekith away. She collapsed forward, heaves of breath escaping her. Her eyes landed on an after-effect of the Convergence, causing her to cast a look at the duo battling. Just as Thor made Malekith's torso disappear, she took the plunge and leapt towards the portal.