DC Heroes in Marvel

Click! Click!

Above their heads, the sound of crumbling bricks echoed, accompanied by the violent trembling of the space where the three-person research team was trapped. It was endless—like the relentless buzzing of a mosquito in the dead of night, disturbing their dreams.

Yet, instead of fear or irritation, the team felt a surge of excitement.

Movement was good!

As long as there was movement, there was hope. It meant someone was trying to reach them. If there was only silence… wouldn't that mean they were doomed to die in this sealed stone chamber?

Their anticipation grew as a faint light from above became increasingly visible.

Click! Click! Click!

The sound of breaking stone became sharper, clearer.

The three of them watched as a small crack in the ceiling suddenly expanded, spiderwebbing outward before bursting apart like an explosion.

Their faces paled in an instant.

"Shit!"

Eric Shaweig's voice was filled with terror. "Get back! It's about to collapse!"

"Damn! Stop whatever you're doing up there! It's coming down!"

"What do we do?"

"Are we really going to die here today?"

Desperation set in. Even though they could now see the light above, if the ceiling collapsed entirely, they'd be buried beneath a mountain of rubble.

But whoever was up there clearly wasn't listening.

BOOM!

Another violent impact.

Click!

The ceiling finally gave in, breaking apart into jagged chunks of rock that came crashing down.

The three huddled in a corner—but it wasn't enough. Too many stones were falling straight toward them.

"Damn it!"

Hopelessness consumed them as they braced for the inevitable.

And then—

WHOOSH!

A powerful gust of wind blasted through the chamber, rushing in from the opening above.

Time seemed to freeze.

Before they could even comprehend what was happening, the falling debris shattered midair—not just breaking apart but turning into dust, reduced to nothing but fine white powder.

The rocks were gone.

But the powder? It coated their faces, filled their lungs, making them cough violently.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

Covered in dust, their expressions were still frozen in shock. Their eyes were wide, their minds reeling.

And then, standing before them, illuminated by the light from above, was—

Superman.

That unmistakable costume. That legendary presence.

They had seen him before, countless times—on news reports, in flying headlines.

Their pupils contracted, their hearts pounding wildly.

Superman had saved them.

Wayne Enterprises actually sent Superman to rescue them.

That was beyond incredible.

Their shock turned into exhilaration.

But before they could even speak, Superman's eyes suddenly ignited with a blinding, almost divine light…

Superman's eyes seemed to emit X-rays, scanning the three of them.

A chill ran down their spines. It felt as though they were being scrutinized while completely exposed, sending a numb sensation across their scalps.

For Jane Foster—who was infused with the Aether—this feeling was particularly intense.

Boom!

Without warning, Superman waved his hand sharply.

A powerful gust of wind erupted, seemingly summoned by the mere motion of his hand. It blew away the fine dust covering them, but the force was so strong that it nearly sent them tumbling.

The two women's hair was thrown into disarray, while the lone man—Dr. Erik Selvig, well into his sixties—ended up looking even more disheveled. His lack of hair, at least, spared him from the worst of it.

"Come with me..." Superman said calmly. "The three of you are in trouble."

"Huh?"

The trio exchanged bewildered glances.

It was simple.

After Anton became Superman, his heightened perception allowed him to scan the entire Dark World in an instant.

Fortunately, this realm had long been abandoned by the Dark Elves, leaving little life behind. The research team—consisting of three members, including Jane Foster—happened to be close enough for him to locate immediately. 

Otherwise, even for him, pinpointing their exact location would have been more time-consuming.

Once he found them, rescuing them was the logical next step.

Through his enhanced vision, he immediately recognized the strange energy within Jane Foster—it was the Aether, or more precisely, the Reality Stone.

However, Jane didn't appear to have the ability to control it.

The Infinity Stones were mysterious artifacts, and not everyone could wield their power. Many had tried, and most had suffered the consequences.

Take Red Skull, for example—the first nemesis of Captain America, Steve Rogers.

When Red Skull came into contact with the Tesseract—the Space Stone—he was instantly overwhelmed by its power. The stone judged him unworthy and banished him to Vormir, where he became the eternal guardian of the Soul Stone, never able to leave.

Then there was another case—one that hadn't happened yet but was soon approaching.

In Guardians of the Galaxy, it was explicitly stated that the Power Stone could not be touched by mere mortals.

Yet, in the film's climactic moment, Star-Lord held the Power Stone in his bare hands, shocking audiences everywhere. This feat even drew the attention of his estranged father—Ego the Living Planet, a member of the Celestials.

These cases proved one thing: the Infinity Stones did not allow just anyone to wield them. Only those with great power or exceptional lineage had a chance of resisting their destructive influence.

Of course, there were exceptions. Many had handled the stones and survived—Loki, Captain America, and Captain Marvel, to name a few. 

And, of course, Thanos, who casually plucked the Reality, Power, and Soul Stones with his fingers before placing them into the Infinity Gauntlet.

Looking at it from this perspective, it seemed as if the Infinity Stones had a certain arrogance—they bowed to strength and looked down on the weak.

So why had Jane Foster, an ordinary human, been chosen by the Aether?

Perhaps it was fate. Or perhaps, fate had simply decreed it so.

After all, the Aether—or the Reality Stone—had been sealed away for thousands of years. It was Jane Foster who inadvertently broke that seal, allowing its power to resurface. This was no coincidence. It was fate—a predestined event woven into the fabric of reality.

The Sacred Timeline had decreed it so. No matter how unreasonable it seemed, it was not a flaw, nor could it be dismissed as a mere accident.

Yes, the Infinity Stones had their own will. They bent to power and disregarded the weak.

And so, with the Aether's awakening, the Dark Elves, who had slumbered in the far reaches of the universe, began to stir—waiting for the moment destiny had set in motion.

These thoughts flickered through Anton's mind as he observed the three people he had just rescued. His expression remained calm.

"I will send the two of you out of here."

As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Jane Foster.

At that moment, all three of them sensed something was off.

"What do you mean?"

Daisy Lewis looked alarmed. "You're not coming with us? And why are you taking Jane?"

"What are you up to?"

Erik Selvig, thoughtful as ever, considered the strange changes Jane had undergone. A realization struck him.

"It's because of... whatever is inside her, isn't it?" "Superman, what exactly is that?"

Anton's reply was calm, but firm. "It's difficult to explain. But what I can tell you is that the substance inside her is called the Aether. If it remains in her body, she will be in serious danger—in more ways than one."

Hearing this, the three exchanged glances.

They knew Superman had no reason to deceive them. If deception had been his goal, he wouldn't have saved them in the first place.

Besides, the Justice League was the most trusted organization on the planet. Superman, as one of its members, naturally inherited that trust.

This trust had only grown stronger due to Anton's control over The Daily Bugle and various media outlets. Superman's first public appearance had exposed and stopped a long-hidden Skrull infiltration on Earth—an event now widely known as the Secret Invasion.

Given all this, none of them doubted Superman's words.

But Jane Foster?

Her face darkened as fear crept in. She wasn't doubting Superman—but she was beginning to doubt her own future.

"Where are you taking me?"

Her voice was laced with apprehension. "Am I in danger?"

While she trusted Superman, she wasn't comfortable blindly following him without understanding what was happening.

"Asgard."

Anton answered plainly, not bothering to withhold information.

The situation had deviated slightly from his expectations, but it was still manageable.

"You should be familiar with that place."

He continued, "Thousands of years ago, Odin—the King of the Gods—defeated the Dark Elves and sealed the Aether away. Asgard has the knowledge and ability to extract it from you."

"Asgard? Dark Elves?"

The three of them immediately recalled their past encounters.

"Thor."

Jane exhaled sharply, finally understanding. "You're taking me to Thor?"

"That's right."

Anton nodded. "Do you feel reassured now?"

"Yes."

Jane didn't hesitate. "I'll go with you."

"In that case, I'll send the two of you back first."

With that, he guided them toward a spatial portal. Turning to Daisy Lewis and Erik Selvig, he added a final instruction:

"There are people waiting for you on the other side. If they ask about Anton's whereabouts, tell them he has already teleported to the Justice League base and will return soon."

"Understood."

The two nodded and stepped through the space portal, returning to Earth.

"How are we getting there?"

Jane Foster watched as her companions disappeared, then turned to Superman beside her.

"Simple—teleportation."

Anton placed a hand on Jane Foster's shoulder. A moment later, with a soft whoosh, the two vanished from the Dark World.

Meanwhile...

In the vast, endless expanse of space, a massive spaceship hurtled toward the Dark World at incredible speed.

But the moment Anton and Jane Foster left the Dark World, the ship abruptly stopped. It now hovered motionless in the void.

"Asgard..."

Inside the ship, Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves, sat in the captain's chair. His pale face twisted with hatred, his eyes burning with a vengeful gleam.

"Odin..."

His voice was low, laced with fury. Slowly, he turned his piercing gaze toward the warriors around him—dark elves standing tall, gripping their weapons, awaiting his command.

"Change of plans."

Malekith's voice cut through the silence.

"We go to Asgard. This time, we will not only erase our shame—we will make Asgard pay the price."

"Understood."

The warriors nodded, their spirits lifted.

They had waited for this day for thousands of years.

The Aether—the treasure of the Dark Elves—was theirs by right.

But long ago, Asgard had stolen it, sealing it away. Defeated, the Dark Elves had abandoned their home, drifting through space in a deep slumber, waiting for the day the Aether was unsealed.

Now, that day had come.

Their awakening had one purpose—to reclaim the Aether and take their rightful place as rulers of the Nine Realms.

They would tear Odin from his golden throne.

This universe would no longer belong to Asgard.

High above Asgard, Heimdall stood watch over the Nine Realms. His golden eyes, capable of seeing across vast distances, suddenly sharpened.

A surge of spatial energy pulsed through the air.

Someone was invading Asgard.

His grip tightened around the Hofund, the massive golden sword that controlled the Bifrost. Drawing it from its pedestal, he turned toward the source of the disturbance, his expression hardening.

A flash of light.

With a whirr, two figures materialized before him.

Heimdall's eyes narrowed. He recognized them instantly.

But despite their familiarity, he did not lower his guard.

"Mortals. Why are you here?"

His deep voice carried no hostility—only wary caution.

"The Aether."

Anton met Heimdall's gaze and said flatly, "You were careless."

"What?"

Heimdall stiffened.

He had never heard anyone speak to him this way—especially not an intruder.

"Careless?"

Pride surged within him, but Heimdall was not arrogant. He valued his duty above all else.

His eyes shifted to Jane Foster.

He knew of her. She had been among the first mortals to encounter Thor when he had come to Earth.

And now—something was wrong with her.

A realization struck.

His golden eyes flashed, peering deeper.

"The Dark World… Svartalfheim… The Aether… You've been to the Dark World."

Understanding dawned on him. "You unsealed the Aether."

Heimdall had fought beside Odin in the war against the Dark Elves thousands of years ago. He had seen the Aether's power firsthand. He had helped banish Malekith.

And now, it had returned.

Anton's voice was calm but firm.

"This is no longer a matter of debate. The Aether must be extracted from her immediately, or she will be in grave danger."

He continued, "Earth has no means of dealing with the Aether. Among the Nine Realms, only Asgard has the knowledge and power to remove it. That's why I'm here."

Heimdall said nothing.

He understood.

After a brief silence, he lowered his sword.

"Come with me."

…

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