Spoiler Artist in Marvel

Chapter 48: Chapter 45: Jane and The Aether



Any given weekend, at Jane Foster's house, she and Thor were sharing breakfast as they did every morning.

Since Thor had moved to Earth, he had adopted a surprisingly normal routine for someone of his lineage. Far from war and Asgardian intrigues, he enjoyed a simpler life—though not one without purpose.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.

"Are you expecting someone?" Thor asked, his mouth still half full.

"No… are you?" Jane replied as she stood to answer the door. Thor shook his head.

When she opened it, her face lit up with a smile.

"Loki. Natasha. Come in, please."

The two visitors stepped inside without hesitation. Upon seeing them, Thor rose immediately, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"Brother! What a pleasant surprise."

Since settling on Earth and Loki's move, Thor had rarely seen his brother. And when they did meet, it was usually for serious matters. Loki had never been one for family visits, and if he showed up unannounced, it meant something important—typically related to Asgard's future or their ongoing search for the Aether.

Jane, for her part, had become deeply involved in the search. As a scientist specializing in astronomical phenomena and unusual energy signatures, she had been fascinated when Thor explained the concept of the Convergence. Her involvement wasn't just scientific curiosity; finding the Aether could revolutionize her field. Everyone had something to gain.

Loki, now living with Natasha Romanoff, had also shared what he knew. As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Natasha was aware that "space was getting thinner." And considering S.H.I.E.L.D. had studied the Space Stone for years, it hadn't gone unnoticed that something was coming.

The convergence of the Nine Realms didn't occur in a single location—multiple sites on Earth would act as portals. Some were even spatial fractures… gateways to nothingness. It was believed that the Aether was hidden in one of these.

That's why Loki had gone to S.H.I.E.L.D. for help. If any organization could gather intel from every corner of Midgard, it was them.

"Any particular reason for your visit?" Thor asked once he released Loki from a warm embrace.

"Do I need a reason to visit my brother?" Loki replied with his usual smile, that mix of disdain and theatrical flair.

"Yes."

"Yes."

Jane and Thor replied in unison. Realizing they'd spoken at the same time, they both laughed.

Loki pulled a face of annoyance.

"This is why I don't come more often."

Natasha spoke for the first time, her tone direct.

"We're here for something serious."

Their hosts immediately stopped joking.

"We found the Aether… more or less," Natasha said firmly.

"Where?" Thor asked instantly, standing up.

Neither Natasha nor Loki answered. Instead, they turned their gaze to Jane.

"Me?" Jane asked, bewildered.

Natasha took out her phone and showed an image.

It was a painting.

In it, Jane stood in an unfamiliar setting, filled with red and dark tones. Before her floated a liquid mass of crimson energy. She was touching it with her hand, and the substance seemed to be absorbed at a specific point—the center of her palm.

Thor frowned, clearly worried.

"Jane… you?"

"I'm fine," she replied quickly. "That's never happened. It must be another vision of the future."

"What a shock," Loki muttered sarcastically.

"Do you recognize the place?" Natasha asked.

"No idea," Jane admitted with a shrug.

The silence that followed reflected a mix of disappointment and resignation. Of course, they knew it hadn't happened yet—but part of them had hoped for a clue.

"At least now we know I'll find it eventually, right?" Jane tried to lift the mood. "I just have to keep researching."

"The Aether isn't something you can stumble upon without consequences," Thor replied. "It's lethal. If you make direct contact, you could—"

"Die," Loki finished.

Natasha cut through the tension with a practical suggestion.

"Let's not start with doomsaying. We've changed the future before."

She turned to Jane.

"Could you show us your research? Maybe there's something useful."

Jane nodded. Soon after, they made their way to her lab.

Since it was the weekend, there was no staff—just a couple of guards at the entrance who let her in immediately. The facility, secretly funded by S.H.I.E.L.D., was equipped with cutting-edge technology.

As they passed the entrance, a light scanned Jane.

"Welcome, Dr. Jane Foster."

She smiled with quiet pride and looked at her companions. The system didn't greet them, but with her clearance, they were allowed in.

However, the system's voice surprised everyone as Natasha crossed the threshold.

"Welcome, Agent Natasha Romanoff."

Jane turned to her, half amused, half annoyed.

"Seriously?"

Natasha just raised an eyebrow. Jane sighed and let it go.

"Doesn't matter. I already suspected this lab had S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fingerprints all over it."

She led them to a wall of screens. Dozens of maps, energy readouts, and marked locations flickered before them.

"These points show anomalous spatial fluctuations from the past few months. There are at least twenty locations with abnormal energy levels."

Seeing their confused faces, Jane elaborated:

"Portals to the Nine Realms share a specific energy signature. These sites have something else. Something that makes them… unstable."

"So the Aether could be in any of these?" Natasha asked.

"Yes. But we're still six months away from the Convergence. There'll be more by then."

"Is there any way to narrow them down?" Loki asked, already growing impatient.

"Only if we analyze the sites in person. The fluctuations are too complex to study remotely."

Despite the setback, her answer seemed to energize them.

They wouldn't have to face the task alone—they had a global network of agents, a whole organization ready to do the legwork.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was stepping in.

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