Sutton pushed herself up off the cot as she attempted to bolt out of the room the moment the main crew were out of sight. There was no time to waste on things like medical care or rest at a pinnacle point like this!
"Wait, miss!"
A nearby nurse reached out just as she was stepping away from the cot, the woman's arm shooting out and catching Sutton right across the ribs before Sutton could dodge or soften the blow.
Fire erupted and flared across her muscles and bones and she saw stars.
The pain was so sharp, so consuming, that all Sutton could do was gasp sharply for breath. It felt like all the air had been knocked from her lungs, and she practically crumbled while gapping like a fish out of water.
"Oh dear; that's not a good sign! Have a seat, I need to have a look at that."
Sutton sat because the pain made it hard to function and she didn't stand a chance against a nurse who'd clothesline her right where it hurt, accidentally or not. The medical team were quick to inspect her ribs, meaning her view of the doors was blocked by a curtain and her shirt was all but pulled off.
"Get me ten ccs of Terakine," the nurse called out behind her.
"Aspirin 's fine," Sutton wheezed. "I mean, I'd ask for a Vicodin but I need as much of my wits as I can manage right now. Not saying I have a lot, I just need what I do have."
The nurses, much like ones in any universe, ignored her and did their job as they knew best, but Sutton was just about fed up with hypo-sprays to the neck when they had no payoff. The nurses managed to wrap her ribs with what amounted to an ace bandage, put a sturdy brace on her knee, and re-bandage the fingers on her right hand in an efficient amount of time. There was nothing they could really do about the bruising by her eye or on her limbs. The moment they finished and backed away to put away their supplies, Sutton made a break for it again. Generally she was able to move a bit faster, but the brace made it a tad bit more difficult. Still, she made it out the door and started down the corridor this time before the nurses could catch up to her.
Sutton continued hurriedly down unfamiliar hallways and passed curious members of the crew as she limped by.
She still had time. She still had time, right?
Khan was locked in the brig now and Marcus hadn't arrived yet. There were still precious minutes open for possible action.
But enough time to put a wrench in Khan's plans and get her case of souvenirs back?
She tried to believe that there was.
Maybe she appeared to know where she was going, or maybe people couldn't leave their posts, but she wasn't exactly stopped as she tried to find her way around the Enterprise. It was harder to navigate than she had anticipated. There was no signage posted on the walls giving directions, no nice holographic blinking boards announcing "BRIG THIS WAY" or "LEFT TURN FOR THAT STUFF YOU NEED". And honestly, at this point, some help would have been really nice.
The brace on her knee was making it difficult to move as quickly as she felt she needed to and only added to her mounting frustration and anxiety. The corridor finally opened at a lift and Sutton hurried to it with renewed determination.
She reached the doors causing them to open and moved to walk through them just as Bones stepped around the corner from the right. Sutton barely managed to not run into him, twisting on her right foot in a circle to avoid hitting him and trying to dodge into the elevator.
"Whoa!"
"Hey, what are you doing out here?"
Sutton tried to get around the doctor but he blocked the door and she wasn't able to pass him before the frosted glass doors slid shut.
"Sorry, but I have to stop him on my own if you won't help!"
In his hand Bones held what Sutton knew was a blood sample from Khan, and he tucked it in a pouch on his belt in order to reach for her.
"The only thing you have to do is rest," he snapped. "You obviously don't even know where you're going."
He was able to snag the black, Starfleet-like shirt she still wore, but Sutton scampered in the direction he'd come and was able to break away before he got a good grip on her.
"Just tell me where the brig is and I can- I can, well I can figure it out when I get there!"
His gray-green eyes flashed in annoyance and his lip curled up with it and Sutton figured that he wasn't going to give her reliable directions anytime soon.
"I'm a doctor, not a babysitter da-"
Sutton was already moving onward past the lift, deciding that she could take her chances on this floor and find another lift on the way.
"Get back here! You don't have clearance for-"
[Calling Doctor McCoy to the bridge immediately. Doctor McCoy to the bridge.]
Breathing a small sigh of relief that she wouldn't have to run from Bones at the moment, Sutton noticed that the further she went down the hall, the less people there seemed to be. Before there had been a bustle of blue and red shirts alike, and now there were mostly red shirts, and more had phasers strapped to their sides than not.
"Excuse me? Where's your clearance?"
Sutton was forced to a stop as someone finally decided that she looked like she was up to no good. The man was probably security; behind him she could see a set of sliding double doors that looked to open into a large room.
"Who are you?"
The ensign was of moderate height, and by his stance he didn't seem to see her as a high level threat. He eyed her with inquisitive dark brown eyes as bright white light reflected off his skin and made it glow amber. Sutton hesitated to try and come up with an answer, and hesitated because she was trying to catch her breath.
"Am I close to the brig? Is it- I need to do... something."
The man squinted in suspicion.
"You can't go any farther," he said. "Are you- are you supposed to be in-"
There was a popping noise as the PA system for the ship crackled on and Kirk's voice sounded from surrounding speakers.
[Attention Enterprise crew: If anyone comes across a young injured female, please restrain her. She was last seen on Deck 7 and should be returned to med-bay. Described as short, pale, with brown curled hair and walking with a limp.]
The red-shirt cocked a brow at her as the PA system popped back off and Sutton winced at his vaguely amused expression.
"I guess that answers my question."
She was half convinced based off the all phaser-toting patrollers that she was near the brig, but Sutton knew that she wouldn't be able to outrun this guy. He was fit and too close already and she was winded as it was.
"Ok, ok, listen! Just listen! You don't know me, but I am trying to do the right thing, ok? That prisoner you got is way more dangerous than you think, alright?"
She tried to see around him, but couldn't see Khan or anyone she recognized behind the double doors.
A spot of black against the stark white and silver of the ship caught her attention, however. Sutton diverted her gaze to a set of cubbies outside the double doors that appeared to hold a bundle of black clothes. Her heart leapt up in a sudden hope and she craned to see around the guy in front of her.
"Are those his clothes? Is his coat in there?"
"You're going to have to come with me."
He grabbed her gently by the arm and Sutton began to fight against him as she kept her eyes locked on the pile of clothes.
"I need that case! He has my stuff!"
"Miss-"
He was stronger than her and successful in starting to pull her away back down the corridor. Sutton pulled back, despite the throbbing pain it caused.
"I need that stuff! Please, it's mine and he stole it! Just let me get it and I'll go with you; please! You can look inside or whatever, I just need it!"
Her struggling was going to strain something or deepen a couple of bruises, but the ensign at least paused to listen to her and shot a glance to the bundle of clothes she was adamantly focused on.
"I can't let you- can you please just -for the love of the Federation, do you promise to calm down if I look for it?"
"Yes!"
He sighed heavily and instructed her not to move as he went to the shelf and pulled out the long trench coat.
"In the breast pocket," she helpfully supplied, shifting constantly on the balls of her Starfleet member rolled his eyes as he dug inside the coat and Sutton could hardly breath as he pulled out a small metal case. He eyed it oddly before opening it and peering inside.
"This?"
Sutton nodded, her hair falling over her shoulders as she reached forward to try and take it from his hands.
"Yes, yes, that's it! That's my stuff!"
But he didn't hand over the case; he pushed her forward instead back towards med-bay.
"I'll have to run this by the captain," he said.
It was far from satisfactory, but it was better than running the risk of Khan getting it back the moment he was moved from his cell.
The red-shirt led her back to the room she'd just come from with a care she didn't quite anticipate. Generally this was the part where the person dragged her along and grumbled about what a nuisance she was; and she wouldn't exactly disagree with them. But this guy walked with a stride that she was able to keep up with and didn't complain at her pace or the panicked outburst she'd just displayed over obtaining the metal case. Sutton wasn't sure if people in Starfleet were just that nice or if he was just that happy to be away from patrolling his post.
"What's your name," Sutton asked. The man looked down in mild curiosity without breaking his stride and she waited for his answer while still gazing down the hall.
"Why?"
Why?
How could she explain it in a way that didn't make her sound mental? He'd never be able to understand the weight of the revelation she'd experienced these last few months. She couldn't explain the way her thought process had shifted since she began her experience through worlds. Still, she searched for some sort of explanation.
"Because you're an actual person," she said, "and I try to remember people who're nice to me."
He made a sort of pleased humming sound and looked to soften his posture from the rigid shoulders he'd previously been sporting.
"I'm Cadet Sayyid Karimi."
Cadet.
"Oh no, you're new, aren't you?"
His chest puffed out a bit in pride despite Sutton's sudden pallor.
"This is my first assignment," he said. "I got the Enterprise because I was one of the top of my class."
He grinned as if that should be impressive, which it probably was, but now Sutton had a name and a face attached to a fresh out of Starfleet Academy red-shirt. He might as well have taken out a family photo and told her about the loved ones he'd left on earth. The man had such a large target on his back that it would've been almost laughable when this world was nothing more than a film.
She deserved this. She deserved to know the very people she would be the downfall of. Her chest opened with that hollow feeling once again. Med-bay was just ahead now; Sutton breathed a stuttering sigh.
"Do me a favor would you, Sayyid?"
He tilted his head down at her in response and Sutton hoped at least one person would take her warnings to heart.
"Some bad stuff is about to go down, just- try to stay in the center of the ship, or something? Like, away from the outer walls?"
Sayyid's expression changed instantly from curiosity to concern. The doors to med-bay hissed open and he continued to walk her into the room as a few nurses rushed over and forced her back onto a bed.
"What do you mean?"
Sutton was a little busy fighting back nurses now, but she still heard his question even as one of the nurses shot her a dirty glare.
"If you do not comply we will be forced to restrain you, do you understand? Do you want to be strapped to the bed?"
That caused her to instantly still as she acknowledged Cadet Karimi once more.
"I mean that Khan is a bigger threat than any of you are anticipating and Admiral Marcus will be here anytime to shoot you out of space! So, please, if no one is going to take action, at least try to get out of harm's way!"
If she were future Spock she didn't doubt that they'd actually listen to her. Pity she was just a banged up, mystery woman.
The nurses calmed as Sutton sat still and sulking on the bio-bed, although one still put a passcode on the doors so that only those who knew the code would be able to leave. Cadet Karimi frowned at her profession, his fingers tapping idly on the metal case as he mulled the information over. Sutton's eyes snapped to the case when the movement caught her attention.
"I can prove it," she said suddenly.
Cadet Karimi and a couple eavesdropping nurses gave her their attention and Sutton pressed on.
"Your medical devices and tech don't work on me, do they? None of your medications work. It's because I'm from another dimension. There's a watch in that case, a fob watch. Well, more than that. If you open it you're tech will work on me. Please, there's not much time."
She watched as Sayyid looked over to the nurse in charge and the woman shrugged.
"She's not wrong. Our tricorders hardly even register as a living being."
The cadet hesitated a moment then sighed, his shoulders dropping as he opened the case.
"I'm so going to captain's mast for this."
With a couple shakes the fob watch fell into his hand and he pressed the button that popped the hinge and revealed the watch face. Sutton felt no different after the watch was opened, but the nurse in charge let out a surprised huff as she looked down at the device in her hand.
"It's working now," the woman said. "I can get a full body scan."
"Has your tricorder ever malfunctioned before," Sayyid asked. The nurse glared briefly as if personally insulted.
"Of course not. These are top of the line and fully operational. We maintain them regularly."
He shut the watch and the tricorder beeped.
"No new readings are coming in again."
The nurse's eyes widened after she fiddled with the tricorder, going over the readings she'd been able to take, and she quickly turned to another nurse beside her.
"Get me Dr. McCoy if you can, let him know we need a cardiologist immediately."
The lanky man ran over to a comm panel in the wall and Cadet Karimi dropped the watch back in the case and snapped it closed.
"We're going to be under attack? By one of our own admirals?"
"In a few minutes tops, yes!"
"Then we need to find the captain."
Despite the medical team's protests and some shouted insistences that Sutton could not over exert herself in her current state, Sutton followed the cadet, who obviously had seen the entered passcode, back out of med-bay and into the hall.
"Kirk should probably be back in the brig by now," Sutton panted. "They found bodies inside the torpedoes."
"What? That can't be true, that's insane!"
Sutton didn't bother responding. There wasn't time and she didn't have the energy. With Sayyid leading the way they reached the brig much more quickly than Sutton had on her own. At the secured doors, Sayyid entered a code and they slid open just as Kirk's voice rang out in the room.
"-ere a man in that torpedo?"
"There are men and women in all those torpedoes, captain. I put them there."
The sound of Khan's voice, low and subdued, had Sutton seeing black spots despite her efforts to remain focused. She couldn't breath. Her skin felt tight and her injuries flared in a sharp pain as if reminding her that they were there. She was suddenly back in that small room, a shadow over her that she tried not to see.
I am going to hurt you again and again, do you understand?
Broken beakers and ruined experiments, her only success in a struggle she couldn't win.
Only you can stop this.
His hands were so large, his fingers almost piercing with pressure, her skin burned.
There is no one to help you.
Pain in her side that didn't stop. Fingers popped and exploded while she twisted in vain.
You will tell me what I want to know.
"What are you doing in here?"
Sutton wheezed, laying a hand on her chest while trying to right herself as the room slowed. When had it even started spinning?
It was Spock who had spoken, he was looking sternly upon her and her escort, though it was hard to tell what he was thinking due to his lack of expressed emotion. Kirk frowned, clearly already frazzled without any additional issues to worry about.
"I said to escort her back to med-bay, cadet," he snapped. "This is obviously not med-bay."
"Sir, she says she's-"
"From another dimension? Yeah, we heard that part already now-"
"But the tricorders, they-"
"Cadet, get her back to med-bay immediately!"
Her head was already swimming as it was. Her stomach still ached and her thoughts were fuzzy. Sutton didn't have the time nor the patience to go through another argument when she now knew how much time she had left to act. She wasn't exactly thinking rationally when she reached over and wrenched the phaser from Cadet Karimi's holster and pointed it at her own chest. She was only marginally aware of the widening eyes and shocked expressions as she pulled the trigger without hesitation before the weapon could be wrestled from her grasp.
The phaser went off, a bright beam of light shot from the end of the nozzle and hit her square in the chest. Sutton stumbled back a few steps, a tingling feeling briefly stinging across her body, but she otherwise remained unharmed. It may have only been set to stun, but there was no doubt it should have at least knocked her out cold. A shocked silence rang through the room and Sutton handed back the phaser to a frozen Sayyid. She breathed deeply twice, her shoulders hunched and hair probably wild around her face.
"My name is Sutton Regan. I am from another dimension and you will listen to me. You only have moments before Admiral Marcus arrives to kill you all to start a war with Klingon. The man in that cell is Khan Noonien Singh and he also plans to kill you all and free every last Augment that are in those torpedoes. You have to act now."
Kirk was the first to shake out of his stupor, Spock was still staring at her with unblinking eyes as if trying to piece together what had just happened.
"Yeah," Kirk stammered out. "Right. Ok. Cadet; get out an announcement immediately that the crew should be prepared for a potential hostile encounter."
"Yessir."
Sutton caught Sayyid's sleeve before he moved out of reach and she shot him a pleading look while her jaw remained tense.
"Please. Stay away from the outer walls."
He nodded and, after a thought, passed the case of her things into her hands. The warm metal felt like it actually seared her skin as she mouthed a 'thank you' and let go of his sleeve, watching as he sprinted out the brig exit and booked it back down the hall.
Sutton kept her gaze determinedly off Khan as she refaced the room. She could see his figure from her peripheral vision, and that alone was enough to send her heart racing in a painful way.
"Are you trying to say that Marcus worked alongside this... Khan," Spock asked. As ever, his voice was even but Sutton could interpret that he was dubious of her claims.
"I'm saying that Marcus was using Khan to further his own agendas."
"Why would Marcus violate every regulation he vowed to uphold simply to exploit this man's intellect?" His already high brow ticked up higher and Sutton read it as the Vulcan equivalent of unimpressed disbelief. She could see the black shadow of Khan move to stand and pace around his cell as he spoke again.
"He wanted to exploit my savagery." His voice was cutting and scornful and unsettled more than just Sutton, if the stiffening stances were anything to go by.
"Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You, you can't even break-"
"Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You, you can't even break bone."
Sutton quoted the line in perfect unison with Khan, although her voice shook noticeably and she trembled as she did so. It succeeded in bringing the focus back on her before Khan could spiral the conversation away and distract them further.
"He's distracting you now," she said. "Marcus is a few lines of dialogue away. Get shields up, do something!"
Kirk was suddenly moving, taking long strides until he broke out into an actual run.
"Lieutenant," he said passing a nearby red-shirt, "move Khan to med-bay, post six security officers on him."
"Wait! Not that!"
Spock was on Kirk's heels as they exited the brig and he glanced quickly back at Sutton as she tried to keep up with them before he caught the attention of the same lieutenant.
"Ensure she makes it back to med-bay as well."
Sutton's pace staggered as she gaped at the Vulcan.
"What? No, I –you can't!"
Gold and blue disappeared through the automatic doors as the men disappeared from sight and Sutton felt a pressure at her elbow.
"This way, miss."
A red-shirt began leading her towards the doors, and Sutton could see others cuffing Khan before they allowed him to exit the cell. Her entire body stiffened when his boot stepped passed the barrier and out into the open. Although she was not forced to walk alongside Khan and the troop of guards, she could still feel his presence hot at her back as they made their way down halls that were starting to now grow familiar.
When she reentered med-bay for what she hoped was the last time, everyone turned to look and the head nurse pointed an accusing finger at Sutton as if she were the criminal here.
"There she is! Doctor, you saw, those scans showed every sign of rapid degradation. If it continues to progress-"
"I know how heart failure works, thank you."
Bones was back, wearing a different set of doctor's scrubs for some reason and he was torn between the tense conversation now happening on the bridge and the new mass of people invading his station. And as Kirk and the admiral began to speak, with their exchange being broadcast throughout the ship, Sutton suddenly knew.
There was nothing about this moment she could change.
This conversation would go the way it had originally, no bits of knowledge or action on her part would be able to help. Because when push came to shove Marcus had a giant death ship with guns at the ready and no qualms with killing innocents for what he saw as "the greater good". If anything any insight or foreknowledge from her would only make the man that much more eager to pull the trigger on them.
"Sit down, kid. Over here."
Bones diverted his attention long enough to gesture to the bed farthest away from Khan, which still wasn't far enough for Sutton's liking. Even with the six guards posted on him and the handcuffs, Sutton knew that he was a force to be reckoned with.
But Bones' sort-of pet name, although lacking all sentiment and said with a gruff distractedness, reminded her of the Avengers and only served to endear the doctor to her even more. Sutton had always liked Leonard McCoy, even if she'd never actually met him before now. She pulled herself up onto the bed he'd designated; her entire left leg burned and that was probably one of the least of her injuries.
The screens in the room displayed the conversation going on up in the bridge and Sutton briefly noted that Khan declined to watch the interaction and sat with his ever straight posture while facing the doorway. Even if the admiral was no better than Khan in the end, she couldn't make herself feel bad for any discomfort the Augment might be feeling at the moment.
Marcus was a harsh looking old man. His pale, white wrinkled skin and receding hairline spoke of the wear of time and years of a consuming career. One might try to say he looked frail, but that description wasn't quite accurate. It completely ignored the sternness of his posture and the shrewd cut of his eye that only a man who was used to giving orders and being obeyed possessed. He made Sutton uneasy without even being in the same room as her or knowing she existed in the first place. He didn't frighten her in the same way Khan did, she didn't have first hand interaction with him, but he was unsettling in the way a politician who had garnered too much power was.
Bones' moved around her with his own tricorder while he kept an ear on the conversation.
"This isn't working."
The nurse from before gestured to Sutton.
"Open your watch again."
Sutton clutched her case tighter in her left hand, bringing it close to her chest without actually touching her ribs.
"No."
She got frowns all around for that, though it didn't phase her.
"D*****, you're going to die," Bones said. "I can't help you if you don't let me."
"I have someone looking for me. I can't risk it. Anyway, it's not important right now."
Bones jerked backwards while one of his brows arched high on his forehead in disbelief. He glared at the nurses behind him.
"Oh, not important," he mimicked. "It's not important!"
Sutton set her case in between her legs before reaching out and quickly gripping Bones by his shirt and pulling him close. If he wasn't grumpy and disgruntled before, he was now.
"What the-"
"Get more of his blood."
"Excuse me?"
She let go of him, letting her hand drop into her lap when she saw that she had his attention. Her next words were spoken lowly as if to not be overheard.
"As stupid as it sounds, Khan's blood can cure death. Believe me, you need to pull more of it."
[][][][][]
Jane found herself hefted up by Loki and tossed on the sandy ground before Malekith as a sort of goodwill gift between two evil parties. And then, to her horror, she was levitated off the ground and the Aether was sent humming through her blood and up right under her skin. Her arms fell out to her sides as the element coursed through her and she opened her mouth in a silent gasp. She could feel it as the Aether fled from her veins to attach itself to a more suitable host. It flowed like liquid smoke up and bled out of her mouth and eyes, pulling and draining until she was empty of its presence and was dropped carelessly back to the ground.
She was dazed and disoriented and suddenly things were happening quickly around her. Jane's eyes searched for Thor only to find him standing and completely whole, his hammer held to the sky while lightning crackling hotly over him. And then she was being pushed down into the ground, shielded, as a blinding light leapt forth and exploded within the Aether itself. Shards of blood red crystal sprayed out around them and the battlefield seemed to disappear outside this moment.
Jane peeked out from under the green and leather sleeve of Loki to see the Aether pieces spin and twist. The crystal pieces were pulling themselves back together and it was turning fluid once again, seemingly obeying Malekith's silent beckoning. Thor was tense off to the side, gripping Mjolnir's handle with white knuckles before looking behind him.
"Father!"
Loki stood, pulling Jane with him, and shuffled them both off out of the direct line to Malekith. The Dark Elf was standing with arms outstretched upwards, staring at the powerful substance above him with a dark, triumphant glee as it began to flow towards him. Through the haze of the planet's atmosphere and the chaotic movements of the raging battle, it was hard for Jane to truly see anything; but Odin's gleaming armor managed to stand out against the gray-toned landscape. In his hand was Gungnir and he wielded it without hesitation, swinging it forward and aiming it directly at Malekith. A bright, golden blast shot out of the spear and slammed directly into Malekith's chest. The elf had been distracted by his prize, and the blast sent him flying backwards several yards. Everything was so fantastical and had happened so quickly that Jane truly expected him to get back up, to rise bruised but majorly unbothered and fight back. But his form was still, wisps of smoke rising from his body as it settled into the dirt.
The Aether above their heads, however, was not so still.
It convulsed and spiked in the air, as if it were a living thing and angry about the death of its host. There was a malice to its movements, sharp, twisting motions that reminded Jane of an angry cornered predator. Next to her, Loki threw up his hands and a green aura manifested around them. More green appeared in the air, twisting around the Aether and trying to box it in. Thor was fighting more elves as they came rushing in. His blows were no less harsh than previously, but his face was alight with an enthusiasm that it had lacked before.
"Thor! The container! I can't hold it forever!"
"Well hold it a bit longer! I'm busy at the moment!"
Jane could see a glint of something that had previously been hidden by Thor's cape. A small rectangular case was clipped to his belt and it seemed to Jane that the box was the only real option for trying to contain the Aether on hand. Jane scrambled to her feet while trying to fight through the layers of silky skirt that fell around her legs; her eyes were locked on Thor as she took off across the battlefield. Her sandaled feet dug into the loose dirt as she managed to dance around Asgardian soldiers and duck under incoming attacks. One masked elf made it too close while Thor was busy fighting off four others, and Jane could feel bile rise in her throat before something blurred across her vision and the elf dropped instantly. Her head whipped around to see what had happened only to see Loki with one arm outstretched while the other still reached upwards to contain the Aether. He shot her a look that said all it needed to.
Hurry up.
Jane fell into Thor as he threw his hammer across the plain, hitting several elves and felling them in one go. Her fingers were cold and jittery with nerves as she tried to unclip the container from his belt while he was still moving. Thor glanced down at her, eyes softening before shooting back up to take in Loki's state. He helped her with the clasp and almost caught Mjolnir as an afterthought when it came hurtling back to him.
"Take it to the Allfather," he told her. "And Jane, be careful."
Jane nodded while clutching the box, breathless even before he pulled her close for a short searing kiss. Her eyes fluttered when they separated, a small grin pulling at her lips before the noise of warfare crept back in and Loki's irritated voice rose above even that.
"Any time now would be nice!"
Thor nodded and Jane took off back the way she'd come. It seemed word of Malekith's fall was making its way around the battlegrounds, because more and more Dark Elves were pouring in with new aggression. A few noticed Loki's struggle and vulnerability and decided to target him, and his only defense was his fellow Asgardian soldiers as he began to quake under the strain of restraining the Aether. Jane was able to spot Odin near his adopted son, fighting alongside his people. She reached the king just as the tremors in Loki's arms and legs became worryingly visible and he put all his weight on one leg as he leaned back as if being pressed upon by a giant pressure. One hulking figure in the distance paused near Malekith's still corpse, looking down on it with a growing fury as the revelation that their leader was dead sunk in. With a bellowing cry it reached for something on its person and crushed it in their fist. To Jane's horror whatever the elf did was changing it, transforming it in the most painful looking way into an even larger looking monster.
Jane held out the clear container while her eyes darted back to the action before them. The monster of an elf was now heading their way, and Jane would rather not be in its way when it reached them.
"Here!"
Odin hardly even glanced at her as he took her offering and faced the still churning Aether. Loki was loosing control of it, and it wouldn't be long before it broke free of his magical barrier completely.
He held the box up in the air with one hand, his other raising up and joining in with Loki's magic to begin to direct the Aether towards him. Loki obviously felt the tug of the additional magic, he glimpsed back at Odin and shifted his stance to be facing the king and seemed relieved to be finally be directing the force instead of just resisting it.
Jane did not know the mechanics of the container or the science behind why it was capable of containing an element too powerful to even be destroyed. No doubt she was curious, but now was not the place for inquiries or curiosity and she merely watched in awe as the two men worked to bring the largest part of this battle to an end. The red substance still fought against them, twisting and pulling away even as they began to force it into a more concentrated space. Eventually enough of it had been forced into the container that Loki was able to let up on his magic and he panted where he stood as Odin pushed the Aether the rest of the way in and shut the lid with what sounded like a definite click. Jane breathed a sigh of relief with them.
And then Thor's voice rang out to meet them, high and frantic.
"Father! Look out!"
The brutish, disfigured follower of Malekith had reached them and he was more frightening up close, with dark bulging skin that seemed to split in some places and colorless eyes that looked out from a thick skull. He was thundering straight for Odin, his eyes locked on the contained Aether as he growled viciously from deep in his chest. Off to the side, Loki shifted. In the flurrying dirt and harsh wind he almost seemed to flicker as Jane watched him twist and move towards the Dark Elf. In his hand was one of his short daggers, and he leapt onto the elf just as Odin swiveled to meet the enemy.
Gungnir was already firing, hitting several other elves in the vicinity while arcing towards the main enemy.
"No! Wait!"
Jane's warning came too late. Odin could not stop his momentum and his weapon did not distinguish between friend and foe. Both the Dark Elf and Loki were hit with the mighty weapon's blast. Thor's cry rang out over a now silent battlefield. The Asgardian soldiers were already outnumbering the elves, but the fall of their leader and their giant spelled out their end.
Thor ran across the dirt, falling next to Loki and crouching over his body as tears already spilled down his face. Odin was frozen next to Jane, his face was blank except for a sort of shocked disbelief that was easy to read in his one good eye and in the way his stance sagged at the scene before him.
Jane ran forward and came to a stop only feet behind Thor. She wanted to comfort him, but didn't know how. To her surprise, Loki was not instantly killed. Thor held his brother's head in his large hand as his other hovered over the smoking wound on his brother's side.
"Hold on," he choked out. "Just hold on. We'll get you back to the healers. They'll-"
Loki coughed while shaking his head weakly. His skin was already going pale and it was clear he was struggling to form words.
"No, Thor."
Jane saw that Loki had managed to bury his dagger into the side of the elf's temple before being hit. Her feelings about Thor's brother hadn't changed, but Jane still felt her breathing hitch at his act of heroism and what it had cost him. Thor's face was crumpling as he was forced to come to terms with the fate his little brother couldn't escape from.
"Father saw. He'll know what you did for him. What you did for all of Asgard."
Another gurgling cough rasped up out of from Loki's chest and he was able to give his brother one last small smile.
"I-I didn't do it f-for him."
Jane's trembling hand came up to cover her mouth as Loki let out one last rasping sigh and then went still in Thor's arms.