Chapter 113: This Is My Plan

The battle was exceptionally fierce. Perhaps due to a need for intelligence, neither Thor nor the Dark Elf’s Kursed warrior played their trump cards, instead testing each other’s limits in a series of brutal collisions. Or, perhaps, this Kursed warrior was merely a pawn in Malekith’s scheme.

Setting aside certain logical inconsistencies, in the film, those Asgardian soldiers often struggled for quite a while against a Kursed warrior, sometimes even failing to defeat him; ordinary soldiers were frequently dispatched in an instant. A single Kursed warrior was arguably worth two and a half Thors. Even Odin’s wife, the Queen of Asgard, was killed by one while protecting Jane. Yet, under these exact circumstances, Thor was currently trading blows with the warrior on equal footing.

This had to be Malekith’s conspiracy.

"That Thor seems a bit weak," Sindragosa murmured to Roald through their telepathic link. She felt something was off.

"Thor is powerful—at the very least, he holds a high standing within the Nine Realms—but he has not yet reached his peak. Moreover, this Dark Elf Kursed warrior is not as simple as he appears," Roald explained through the link. "Why would that Dark Elf reveal that orb in front of everyone, and why the transformation process? The discrepancy in his strength before and after holding that orb—it is likely all part of their leader’s plan. Perhaps the goal is to draw the attention of Odin or Heimdall, ensuring that once he is captured by Thor, he will be taken to Asgard."

"Would Odin fall for such a trick?" Sindragosa was skeptical. She had learned a bit about this world and felt that Odin was not the type to make such errors.

"Yes, he would. Because the Dark Elves have reappeared after such a long absence, and given the nature of the Aether, he would be desperate to understand the cause. He needs to capture a living Dark Elf warrior to extract information. But he is also arrogant—arrogant in the strength of Asgard’s defenses, believing his kingdom could never be compromised from within."

"And so?"

"And so, many are watching from the shadows, and it won’t be long before that Dark Elf warrior feigns defeat."

Once the Aether merged with Jane’s body, the only way to remove it was through Malekith; only he knew how to extract it from Jane Foster. Thus, Jane’s entry into Asgard was inevitable. Even if only to monitor the Aether, Odin would have Thor bring her to Asgard. Otherwise, would a mere human woman truly be allowed into the realm of the gods? Odin did not believe Jane was qualified to be Thor’s partner.

Furthermore, Jane’s entry into Asgard was a plot point that had to happen. Roald intended to use her; if he could create an opportunity to enter Asgard, all the better. If not, she could serve as a tool—a way to diminish the power of Asgard and Odin, and as bait to lure out the Dark Elves.

This was killing three birds with one stone.

When Malekith used the Kursed warrior to devastate Asgard and eventually attempted to extract the Reality Stone from Jane in London, the Reality Stone would be his. Combined with the Mind and Space Stones already in his possession, Roald would hold three. If Thanos wanted to collect all the stones, he would have to come to Earth to find him; he would deliver them right to his doorstep. There would be no Infinity Gauntlet in this world. Perhaps, instead, a new, powerful sentient consciousness would emerge from the stones.

As for Odin’s claim that it was dangerous to keep all the Infinity Stones in one place, that might well be a lie. Roald currently held two, and nothing bad had happened. As for Odin’s power, after this, he would likely be dead anyway.

Moreover, the soldiers of Asgard seen in the films, along with many of the aliens, possessed strength that was frankly bizarre. Ordinary grunts could be slaughtered by standard Earth heroes. Take Asgard: light-based technology, the strongest warriors in the universe—yet, in *Thor: Ragnarok*, the skeleton soldiers resurrected by Hela could tear through Asgardian guards, only to be wiped out by a substitute gatekeeper with two submachine guns. It was beyond absurd.

And then there was Thor. His durability seemed selective. In a fight, he could take blade after blade without dying, yet Loki’s tiny daggers could always find their way into his kidneys. If that wasn't love, what was? Roald felt that Asgard’s reputation was built entirely on the backs of a few powerful leaders.

As for the problem of Hela, it was easily solved. You are Death, and I am Death—we are family, after all. As long as Roald mastered the Eternal Flame in advance, Hela wouldn't be such a difficult issue. If pushed to the brink, he could just unleash the Fire Giant in Asgard.

The plan was clear. Now that the bait, Jane, had appeared, all Roald had to do was wait for the fish to bite. Sure enough, just as Thor and the Kursed warrior were trading blows, the Dark Elf brute suddenly wilted and was knocked unconscious by a strike from Mjolnir. As Thor prepared to finish off his enemy, he heard the call of his aged father.

"Thor, we need intelligence."

Retracting his hammer, Thor looked at the unconscious Jane and pondered. "Father, about Jane..." He wanted to bring her to Asgard.

"Bring her back. I have my ways."

With the Aether inside Jane, Odin could not leave her on Earth for the Dark Elves to find. It wasn't just to prevent them from activating the Aether; more importantly, Odin wanted to test Jane, to see if she was a suitable partner for Thor and to see if Thor had matured. The poor old father, worrying himself sick over his child.

Soon, the Bifrost descended from the heavens. Thor, carrying Jane and the captured Dark Elf warrior, vanished from sight. After a flash of brilliant light, Roald—observing through the psychic connection—saw that his vision was filled with brightness. Amidst the rapidly shifting shadows of the architecture, he saw Thor arrive at a palace with Jane. To avoid being detected by Odin, Roald decisively severed the connection to Jane’s mind.

As Thor disappeared into the Bifrost with Jane, the hidden Dark Elves also retreated. Malekith’s plan had succeeded; the coordinates for Asgard were acquired, and his pieces were in place. Both he and Roald were waiting for the fruit to ripen. According to the film's plot, Malekith would next execute his plan in London.

Roald prepared to wait quietly. He was an expert at utilizing the battlefield, and after all, wherever the Dark Elves were, that was their home. He had seen Asgard’s Bifrost "base-rush" tactic many times. This time, he wanted to do something big. If Asgard loved using the Bifrost to strike at homes, he would choose their home as the battlefield this time and see how they fared when the tables were turned.

The Dark Elf warrior he had sent out first was, naturally, for reconnaissance and to plant a beacon.

"Begin, Lieutenant!"

Aboard the cloaked Dark Elf warship, Malekith, who had been observing the situation, ordered his second-in-command. "Once the coordinates are confirmed, we will use our stealth to launch a surprise attack."