Disclaimer—I do not own Marvel Comics or the MCU and/or Harry Potter, nor the characters therein. Sadly, I make no moneys from the writing or posting of this story.

Here's the next chapter everyone! Hope you like it. Enjoy.

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Chapter Fourteen

"Have you ever noticed just how blue the sky is after a storm?"

The words had Tony blinking and stirring out of the daze he was in. Looking around he found himself on a beach, sitting at a café table under a palm tree, and a drink in his hand. Looking over to the woman next to him, he saw that it was Hermione.

She watched him a moment, seeing that he was gathering his wits about him. When he finally realized what had happened, he got to his feet and was looking himself over as best as he could.

"I died!" he exclaimed.

"In the movie, yes you did."

"But…but I'm not dead!" Tony looked over to her. "What the hell is going on?!"

"It's a complex thing," she told him, as she slowly got to her feet. "It involves breaking the fourth wall of the movie you were in, explaining things you may not care to listen to, and ultimately finding and/or creating loop holes a big rig can drive through."

It was with hands on his hips he snapped, "What?!"

"Anthony Edward Stark is a comic book character created by the late, great Stan Lee. Tony Stark wasn't created for the big screen, but rather a comic book series ages ago. He has had a life and a history that spans for longer than I've been alive. They, meaning the movie makers, have taken the character and made him their own—thusly ignoring decades worth of cannon in the offing." She went up to him, patting his shoulder. "In other words, Tony Stark may have very well perished on the big screen, but he, or I should say you, are very much alive elsewhere. Specifically, the comics upon where the Marvel brand started and fanfiction—just to name a couple avenues of creativity where you exist."

"You're making that up!" he accused her.

"Tony Stark was played by Robert Downing Jr. He didn't want to continue playing the role that he'd been portraying for about over a decade. So, they, meaning the MCU and the studios involved in the making of the films, did away with him. But that doesn't mean that Tony Stark is dead. That just means that person playing the part is no longer working for them in the capacity of playing the role of Tony Stark."

"Which means I'm not dead?" He looked confused by this.

"Yeah," she muttered, glaring at the writer. "This feels weird to me as well." She went over and sat down at the cafe table once more. "They killed off Tony Stark in the movies. But in official cannons, specifically the comics and animation, he's pretty much the only one that lives to old age."

"What?" He walked back over again.

"You'd need to read a few different comics, watch a couple of animated movies, play a few video games, and read a few fanfictions to know what the fans are getting out of all the forms of cannon Marvel is throwing out there for them to know what I'm speaking of," she told him, just as a box full of comics dropped next to him, along with a tablet. "I'll wait."

"I am not going to read or watch all that!" he snapped. "Just tell me! Am I or am I not dead?!"

Worrying her lower lip, she told him, "You're like that cat."

"Cat? What cat?"

"Schrödinger's cat," she told him, just as a hot coffee popped up in a mug in front of her. Picking it up, she took a sip and went on to say, "It's a very tricky place you've been put into. You're dead in the movies, you're alive in the comics and fanfictions. We cannot forget the video games and whatnot as well."

"Whatnot?"

"One must never forget the whatnot."

He got to his feet. "I'm out of here!"

"Where are you going?!" she called out to him.

"Fanfiction! It makes more sense than you ever will!"

Deadpool walked over and sat down where Tony Stark had once been, asking, "You're not going to tell him that this was a fanfiction?"

"Chances are he'd be put into a mental ward if I tried," she sighed.

"So, what now?" he asked her, wondering when he was going to be getting a coffee of his own (hint, hint!). A carafe of coffee was dumped over his head in that moment.

"Deadpool, you're in what amounts to the room of requirement of the story. You can't be thinking for something you want that hard. It's chaos when you do, didn't you know that?"

"I do now," he sighed, pulling off his mask as he licked it. "Hmm, good coffee!"

Laughing, Hermione served him up a mug and handed it to him.

"Thanks," he answered. "What's the plan now, Sweet Cheeks?"

"I suppose our job here is finished," she replied.

"What about my lifetime supply of Mexican food and sex?!"

"The writer will get those foods to you the way she usually does. As for the sex, well, there's always fanfiction, I suppose." Smiling, she asked, "Did you hear that Disney bought Marvel?"

"Everyone heard that," he sighed. "Goodbye rated R comic book movies."

"You never know," she told him. "Don't count your ratings until the movies are made, I say." Setting down the coffee, she went over to him. "I'm going to miss your hands on my bum."

Tossing the mug, he got to his feet and put his arms around her. "Me too."

Pulling back, she smiled as she said, "Well, I'm off to another story. I don't know if the writer will use us as a pairing again."

"That would be a shame," he said. "These stories are fun. And frankly, everyone needs that right now, don't you think?"

She nodded, but frowned and asked, "If she sticks me into another dead-end story…?"

"I'm not the hero you're making me out to be, kiddo! I'm the crazy one that eats too many carbs and speaks to people that are only in my head."

With that they went their separate ways. That is until Hermione saw what was waiting for her in the next story where she was Mary Poppins' replacement for unknown reasons. Turning on her heel, Hermione apparated away. Yeah, there's only so many things even a fanfiction character will put up with.

TBC…

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Just the epilogue to go! Yeah, I know. You would have thought it was finished too, but trust me! One loose end to go and it's…Well, you know. Over, done with…you get the point.