Director Nick Fury's office was unusually silent.
Phil Coulson stood in front of Fury.
"Boss, it's serious. Soren's warning wasn't vague or speculative, he's certain. We're dealing with something way beyond what happened with Loki."
Fury didn't flinch, but the lines on his face deepened. Dark Elves. Aether. Asgard being out of options.
The fact that Soren Macaluso, a man who was practically a walking miracle in his own right, sounded the alarms meant this wasn't a drill.
"You're telling me the same people who shook Asgard to its knees are about to land on Earth?" Fury fingers steepled beneath his chin.
"Yes, sir. And Soren believes this isn't just another New York. This could change the Universe itself."
Fury exhaled slowly, then rose from his seat. "I'll notify the Avengers. Get them here now."
"Doesn't matter where they are or what they're doing."
Coulson nodded. "Already started the retrieval protocols."
"Good. Because if what Soren's saying is true… the rest of the world's forces won't matter. Not even ours."
But that didn't mean inaction.
Minutes later, in a secure subterranean chamber beneath the surface, Fury stood before a reinforced wall console marked with the number "410" a priority line reserved for catastrophic emergencies.
He inserted a biometric key and pressed his palm to the panel. A green light flashed, and the encrypted line crackled to life.
"Director Fury." came the voice of the President of the United States.
"This line is only for global existential threats. What the hell's going on?"
Fury didn't waste a second. "We're on the verge of another alien invasion, sir."
"The Dark Elves of a Dark Realm led by a dark leader called Malekith. Soren has reason to believe they're planning to use a dark artifact during the Convergence of the Nine Realms to end our planet."
"We have days before confrontation."
There was a beat of silence.
"Dark Elves!? I thought Asgard was handling that sort of thing."
"They tried. They failed. Now it's on us."
"And I recommend an immediate civilian evacuation of Greenwich. If Malekith's using the Convergence point there, we don't have much time."
"Consider it done. I'll speak to the Prime Minister directly." The President's tone turned urgent.
Within the hour, under heavy secrecy, operations were launched on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the UK, high-level officials were briefed under tight clearance protocols.
The Prime Minister took the call personally and gave orders to evacuate Greenwich and surrounding areas under the guise of a "gas leak and military drill."
In the U.S., the military signed off on Emergency Protocol E-17, cooperating with S.H.I.E.L.D. forces to provide support logistics and airlift services.
Nationwide, defense readiness was silently raised to DEFCON 2. Civilians, unaware of the true threat, complied with government mandates and news bulletins that offered little explanation but urgent commands.
Only a handful of people in the highest echelons of power knew the truth. And they had been sworn to silence under code black protocols.
Meanwhile, as the day waned and the orange sun dipped low over the city skyline, Soren stood in the Everlife Medical Center's observatory, surrounded by floating glyphs and flickering lines of celestial data.
The calculation was complete.
"The convergence will begin in exactly seventy-two hours."
"It will last less than fifteen minutes. That's the only window Malekith has to unleash the Aether. If he succeeds... the universe will drown in darkness."
Then, a knock at the front door.
It was polite. Formal.
Soren's senses extended. He paused.
"…The President?"
Outside the Everlife Medical Center, an unassuming black car sat idle.
It looked no different from any luxury model on the street, unless you were trained to notice the reinforced undercarriage, blast-proof doors, and mounted defensive protocols hidden in the wheel hubs.
The man who stepped out wasn't flanked by a long motorcade or an extravagant security detail, only three Secret Service agents in low-profile suits. This wasn't a political stunt.
The President of the United States stood before Soren's door.
No speeches. No press.
He knocked twice, then stood silently, hands behind his back. There was no arrogance in his posture, only the quiet recognition that this, whatever this was, was beyond his control.
When Soren opened the door, the two locked eyes. There was a long pause.
"Mr. President, I admit, I'm a little surprised by your visit."
Soren personally opened the door, greeting the most powerful man on Earth with a calm smile.
The President, ever composed despite the storm brewing behind the scenes, offered a polite nod and a warm smile tinged with concern.
"Soren Macaluso, it's been a long time."
"Indeed. Please, come in."
Soren led him through the quiet, serene corridors of the Everlife Medical Center. They entered a private lounge, minimal in décor but calm and dignified.
Soren gestured to a chair. "Your Excellency, please have a seat."
With a soft chuckle, he handed the President a simple porcelain cup filled with steaming tea.
"I hope you don't mind, I prefer tea, and there's not much else stocked here. After all, it is a hospital."
The President took it without hesitation. "Tea's just fine."
Then, his voice turned serious. "Soren, the government is taking your warning very seriously."
"We've initiated full cooperation with the British authorities. Evacuations around Greenwich have begun under high-level secrecy. But I'll be blunt, what else do you need from us?"
Soren took a moment, gazing out the window at the slowly setting sun.
"Thank you, Mr. President. But I don't need much more from the government."
"When the time comes, I'll handle it myself. Asgard will also send their warriors. And... there are other forces, ancient and hidden ones, who have chosen to remain unnamed, but they'll fight too."
"I trust you understand why their involvement must remain in the shadows."
The President nodded solemnly. "I understand."
"Their discretion will be respected. No leaks. We'll ensure silence."
After a brief exchange of polite words and mutual respect, the President took his leave.
He had come to gauge the heart behind the warning, to see if Soren believed in what he was saying. And as he left the Everlife Medical Center, one thing was clear.
The doctor's confidence was real.
It gave him hope, in the chaos to come, perhaps the world would stand a chance after all.
After escorting the President out, Soren returned to the lab with a content smile.
"Not a fighter, that one." He muttered to himself.
"But far better than those power-hungry fools who crave war and banners."
With the final calculations complete, Soren relayed the confirmed Convergence timeline to Tony Stark and the Ancient One. Then, he made a detour to Macaluso Island, a hidden paradise cloaked in illusion, where his personal alchemical garden bloomed.
There, he harvested fully mature medicinal herbs, knowing full well that every second mattered.
Back in his lab, Soren entered 'Crazy Pharmacist Mode."
Beakers clinked. Vials glowed. Symbols shimmered as magic and science fused.
He crafted with precision and urgency.
Healing Potions
Mental Enhancers.
Power-Enhancing Boosters.
And a host of advanced tonics, enough to bolster an army of heroes.
When he finally emerged two days later, he hadn't slept, hadn't eaten, but he didn't need to. His body had long since surpassed such limitations.
The laboratory, too, had changed. As a reward for his success in completing the first integration-level challenge, it had upgraded: more potent formulations, increased efficiency, and new lines of alchemy unlocked.
He tested a stack of new potions. Combining multiple types at once nearly doubled his physical and mystical prowess.
"It's almost time."
A moment later, a bright Bifrost portal shimmered into existence, and Thor stepped out with his iconic hammer Mjolnir in hand.
The medical hall's atmosphere shifted. One by one, the other Avengers began to arrive, their expressions focused, their bodies ready for war.
Captain America, clean-shaven and shield gleaming.
"Soren, we're ready to move. If we head to Greenwich now, we can set up before Malekith even makes a move."
Soren glanced at the wall clock, then shook his head slightly.
"Patience, Captain. We're still waiting on one more friend."
His voice was relaxed.
Then~a knock at the door.
Soren turned toward it, a quiet smile forming.
"Come in."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream