A Third Path to the Future

by Vimesenthusiast

Rescued from the Negative Zone by the Fantastic Four, Harry Potter discovers he is a mutant and decides to take up the cause of equality between mutants and humans (among other causes). How will a dimensionally displaced Harry Potter, one who is extremely intelligent, proactive and not afraid to get his hands dirty effect the marvel universe? Pairings: Harry/Jean/Ororo/others pos.

30. Stepping Into The Unknown

February sucked. It just totally sucked, not only work but having to help my older brother flip a house he'd just bought for him, his girlfriend and her family. Worse this chapter occasionally fought me kicking and screaming to get my attention. Despite that, I think the final product will be worth the extra week's wait.

I would like to thank Kathryn518 for her work as the big idea girl and general flow queen. I would also like to give a big thank you to Mordreek, for his help in the Asgardian/Asatru segments. He was a major help, and a lot of the Althing portion is his work or has felt his input.

Last chapter Summary (sorry I do sometimes forget this):

In the aftermath of the battle against the Draugr, more questions are asked about the geis apparently controlling the Asgardians, with Hela feeling the effects of running into its limits on her mind and memory. The group, including Hela, throw an impromptu feast to celebrate the fact they lived as well as the souls of the children twisted into Draugr being collected for eventual return to the Great Wheel. Harry and Hela talk, dance and make merry, with Hela becoming closer to Harry, Jean and Ororo. She receives a communication mirror, but doesn't yet get the green light for her and Harry's courtship to go forward given she hasn't met with Emma yet. Before she can even rest back in her realm Hela is attacked by Those Who Watch Above in Shadow, her memories of the time spent with Harry erased, along with Garm's though they miss the memory of the smells with him. He also takes the mirror hiding it, while Odin takes their attention being on Hela as an opportunity to send out a kind of simulacrum, though he is unable to do as much with it as he hoped before they finish with Hela.

Several hirings go on at Magical Minds while the Custodes gear up for the battle against Magneto, including one Redhead from New York. Plans in space continue to go forward, and T'challa meets with Ororo, horrified by the fact she has forgotten him and begins to make plans believing she is being influenced against her will by Potter.

Sinister's hand is felt in various areas of the world, as other forces against the idea of Mutant/norm equality begin to act, while Harry and co. realize that something has gone wrong with Hela but have no means or time to devote to finding out what.

Thanks to young Wendy nee Stinger, the Custodes find the Savage Land, launching into a campaign against Magneto's faction. The battles are hard with many wounded, but end with Magneto's death along with Exodus at Harry and Jean's hands respectively, with the local Shamaness backing Magneto dying to Ororo. Much of the Acolytes and Brotherhood is wiped out, while others, including a few Acolytes, agree to surrender peacefully thanks to Wendy talking to them and a few others being around to bring the hammer down. Harry is now the ruler of the Savage Lands by right of conquest, and Shanna the She-devil and others welcome his occupation so long as he agrees to leave their lands alone, which he agrees to.

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Chapter 30 Stepping Into The Unknown

For every action there is a response, every act causes ripples. At times, those ripples are obvious to everyone, sometimes only obvious in hindsight. And sometimes, they create ripples that few mortals could even fathom. So it was with the death of the mutant Magneto. Even as Irene collapsed once again, the future changing irrevocably and that change hitting her almost like a physical force, so too did Death feel it.

When those ripples hit her Death was personally taking the souls of the dead from a planet where they had no gods, no local agent for her to work through. A plague had occurred here, wiping out 98% of the population in great agony. For such like this, death was a release and on such a scale, Death was obligated to oversee events personally. Yet even so, Magneto's end distracted the personification of the ultimate reality.

It is interesting, she mused, to think that such a small out of the way planet could create such ripples that I can feel them even when my concentration is elsewhere like this. That small blue gem of a world was important, not just to its inhabitants which went without saying, but to the rest of the galaxy. The impact of that world on galactic affairs was only just beginning but it would grow.

The cold fire in Death's sockets dimmed slightly as she recalled what had happened to one of her servants on that world. She was not supposed to have favorites, but if pressed by a being who could do so, of which there were only four in all existence, then Death would admit to Hela being such. Which made it all the more irritating that Death could not help her.

Those Who Watch Above in Shadow feared her of course, in fact far more than mortals did. Those who were not used to thinking in terms of dying were the most horrified by the idea.

She could have stopped Hela's mind-rape. She could have, if she was allowed, but she wasn't. Death was not allowed to interfere in mortal affairs, even if those mortals were not technically mortals. She was not allowed to interfere, not in any of the material realms. She was a caretaker, the end of things, she could not judge, could not take part. That was not her roll as given to her by He Who is Above All.

She had gotten away with it the last time, Harry Potter's gift to Hela had after all been meant both for her and for Death, her mistress. But this last time she could not have stepped in without making it obvious she was doing so, and that was not allowed.

And so she watched, and waited, because in the end, Death always wins. In the end, even those who thought themselves above her power, who dared to interfere with her chosen servants, would they themselves come to judgment.

OOOOOOO

Late that evening Harry was still smiling at Jean's news despite everything that had happened that day as he walked through the halls of Magneto's citadel. Next to him Piotr and Amara followed, talking quietly about the sculptures and paintings scattered around as Harry stopped to look out the windows as the ascended to the tallest portions of the citadel.

"What is it with megalomaniacs and wanting to stare out at all they survey?" Harry asked rhetorically, stopping at one particular window which faced towards the distant mountains of the Savage Land. Seeing those white-capped peaks, their backs blending into the side of the massive cavern in the distance, truly put the size of the Savage Land in perspective for you.

Nearer at hand Reed was at work near where Magneto had attempted to utilize a few of his hoarded nukes against Harry with some kind of odd device which looked like the bastard love child of a vacuum cleaner, aero-spray can and a Geiger counter. Despite Magneto having modified the bombs to be somewhat clean, they were still nukes, and Harry's shields had only protected him from the radiation, not the area around him.

"Harry," Piotr said, smirking. "You live in a castle and have rooms in the highest tower of said castle. You have a quasi-throne room set into an asteroid where you can look down upon the entire Earth. I do not think a man who lives in a glass house should throw stones, yes?"

"In my defense I took Babylon from Magneto initially, and that's not a throne room any longer but a control room there's a difference. As for Camelot, exactly how much time do I spend there staring out the windows lording it over my peons?" Harry retorted, smiling back at the large Russian.

"Touché," Piotr chuckled, patting his shorter friend/leader on the shoulder. "But enough procrastination tovarishch, get a move on."

Harry sighed, and started moving once more while Amara and Piotr followed, linking their hands together for a moment as they did. They both knew Harry didn't like making speeches, especially in front of strangers but it was necessary.

Moments later the trio walked into the room that had been devoted to the prisoners they had taken in battle that had already been sifted through by Jean and Emma and the group who had surrendered or wholly come over to their side thanks to Wendy's efforts. Wendy herself was there sitting among them along with Amelia, and Harry sent the blue-haired girl a respectful nod before letting his eyes move on.

Morph was there too, standing at the back of the room with Rogue and Scott. Nikolai had already informed Harry how well he had done in combat and even Dani had sung his praises. Since the two of them were three of Harry's sort-of field lieutenants their words carried a lot of weight for Harry which was added to Harry's own opinion of the fellow.

Besides those worthies there were nine others, the converts from Wendy's mission and prisoners alike. Emma and Jean were still sifting through the minds of four other prisoners, but the trio of prisoners Harry had taken from the harbor had already been sentenced and executed by the locals, a task Harry had allowed them to take care of given the crimes they had committed here in the Savage Land.

Two more prisoners taken in battle Harry had also quietly executed.

The trial for one, the werewolf-like Feral, had gone on for hours. She was eventually executed for murdering several of her family members as well as carrying out various assassinations for Magneto over the years. Harry had felt Feral's murder of her father and mother were committed in self-defense, and could have used their abuse of her, and apparently her mutant sister who was not among the Acolytes but was supposedly still alive somewhere, as leading to her later violent tendencies. On top of that more than a few of her victims had frankly needed killing in the tribunal's opinion.

But she had also killed both her younger brother and sister, pushing one down the stairs and letting the other fall to his death. And Feral had also killed several prisoners taken in Magneto's campaigns here in the Savage Land.

Whatever her upbringing no one was willing to site mitigating circumstances for those, and Harry had executed her personally with the sword of Gryffindor. As the leader of his faction and the new 'ruler', of the Savage Land, he had felt it his duty.

It had been one of the most disturbing things Harry had ever had to do, and he knew it might give him nightmares in the future. Harry had killed numerous times in combat, and even executed unconscious opponents during the clandestine war against Voldemort when he and his friends had to pull out of a combat field. He had never killed a woman like that, and the fact she was awake and glaring at him only made it worse.

The other case had been far clearer cut and lasted barely half an hour, and Harry knew his execution wouldn't bother Harry a bit. Rakkus had been a follower of mutant supremacy for longer than he had known Magneto, and didn't honestly see 'flatscans' as people, seeing killing them as no more important than killing cattle.

None of the other prisoners had committed crimes which Harry felt warranted execution. Katu seemed actually repentant, and had been sentenced to the same asteroid prison Dr. Banner had been placed in initially for two years. Projector was not regretful, much like Pietro and Toad, and their stay in prison would be quite lengthy.

Shoving those thoughts aside Harry made his way to the front of the room, conjuring up a chair and looking around at everyone as he sat down. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I won't say we're meeting under the best of circumstances, I won't say there are no hard feelings. We just fought a bloody war with some of you, and if I said that, and you believed it, I would try to sell you the Humber Bridge."

Some of the tension in the room seemed to fade at his attitude, and Harry leaned back looking at the prisoners and possible converts before him thoughtfully before going on, his voice soft but carrying. "My first memory that I can remember was my parents dying from an attack by a Dark Lord, a flash of green, and my mother's scream. That's the only real memory I have of her of either of them. I was raised by my mother's sister and her family, or rather hidden with them, they didn't really try to raise me exactly. I learned more about life in general going to the library then from them. My home was where I went to be abused most of the time, slaving away for them in various ways."

He stopped speaking, looking around the room making eye contact with each person in turn, refusing to elaborate on any of that, letting the simplicity of his statement and the truth in his tone do his work. "I know a lot of you have similar stories, or equally hard ones in various ways. And I bet your reasoning was much the same as my mother's sister gave for allowing her and her husband and her fat slob of a son to abuse me: that I was a freak."

More than one person there flinched, and Harry nodded. "'A freak', 'unnatural', 'you shouldn't have been born Potter!', 'should've left you out on the curb'. I heard those words and more for the first 11 years of my life, and then heard them on every summer when I came home from school. But let me tell you the secret of such words, of having such feelings towards another person."

He leaned forward, and many of his listeners, even the oldest there like Amelia and the other blue-haired woman, surprised themselves by leaning forward as well. "Those words, they have nothing to do with you. They have nothing to do with your powers or how you look, or how you act, or what you can or cannot do. Those labels were put on you by people who fear what they do not understand or that which is different. It harkens back to the cavemen, when different meant 'enemy', or danger."

"When you give in to similar feelings towards your abusers, they win. When you return hate with hate, you're playing their game. You're allowing them to control the playing field, to control your actions even your own emotions. I did not let my relatives win, and I will not stand by and let racism, bigotry, elitism or hatred, to win."

"I called Magneto a Nazi practically the moment we met, and while I've learned since that Eric had his reasons; his means and methods marked him out as nearly as bad as Hitler. Planning to use nukes to wipe out large portions of humanity? Training you all as soldiers in a war against humanity, not to defend yourselves, but to kill your so-called oppressors in billions of numbers including people whom you had never even met before? Slaughtering his enemies here in the Savage Land for no reason but to take their land and transform them into his mindless foot soldiers? What moral person could say those were the acts of someone trying to simply fight for the rights of his people?"

Harry fell silent once more, looking around him at his listeners, who frowned, looking at one another. But even the two mutates among them couldn't argue that Magneto had acted with anything but ruthless ambition, and said nothing.

"Now, I have no doubt Wendy's passed on what information she has about my own activities, and I bet you'd all heard rumors before that. Though I can't say that all of the rumors you've heard are true, that would be rather silly wouldn't it? How tall is Guardian supposed to be in those rumors anyway?" Harry asked.

"About as tall as your friend over there," Morph said with a grin stretching his features to look like the Cheshire Cat, which seemed to be one of his favorite morphs. "I think we've all got a handle on the Custodes Mundi and the X-men's activities. But according to Wendy you're also supposed to pushing mutant equality via economic means as Harry Potter what's all that about?"

"I've tied the sales of my potions, and yes they are magical potions, but you don't have to be magical to have them work for you, to whether or not a country is making progress in mutant/norm equality. I've developed new technologies with Mr. Fantastic and Phoenix and will be linking the selling of those technologies to the same thing."

Harry's eyes hardened noticeably. "That doesn't mean I'm a soft hand. You've no doubt heard about Moses Magnum, and his activities. I went public with the opinion that he should be executed for that crime, and if you abuse your mutant powers. If you cause death and destruction, you are no better than a murderer or rapist in my eyes, and should be dealt with accordingly." He watched as more than one of the women there flinched, and a few of the men looked away. Evidently they knew about some of the things that had been going on here.

Mastermind had not been the only abuser among the Acolytes. Mastermind was the only one to prey on their own comrades, but Shanna wasn't the only attractive native woman, and more than a few of the Acolytes had abused their prisoners, men and women both.

"I also have been pushing the idea that humans and mutants have no reason to fight one another when there are bigger and more dangerous threats out there. Aliens exist, have been to Earth, have fought Earth's heroes, have attacked Earth in a military campaign that only myself, the Fantastic Four and Dr. Doom stopped within the last month. Given all that, why the hell is humanity still embroiled with internal conflicts likes this?"

"Wait," said one of the ones Harry had been introduced to briefly, Orator Harry thought his name was. "You mean to tell us you got the Fantastic Four and Dr. Doom to agree to work on something together?"

"Yes," Harry said simply. "I brokered separate agreements with both of them, though I will say doing so with Dr. Doom was much harder and that agreement has a lot more caveats, But even Dr. Doom has recognized the exterior threat and is wholeheartedly behind the idea of humanity banding together against exterior threats. What does that tell you about hate groups on either side of the mutant human divide?"

"And then there's that whole speech you made about how humans and mutants are both just strange offshoots of monkeys!" Morph said with a laugh. "I liked that one."

"You would," Harry said with a chuckle of his own, leaning back deliberately shaking his head and when he spoke his voice was much less intense than it had been. "So, that's my sales pitch for my side of things. Now, what does that mean for you all? Well you have several choices to make. If you want to join up with my faction, you can, though I would insist that you finish your educations if you already haven't at the same time. Avalon Academy offers mostly elementary education but Charles Xavier is willing to put up a few more people at his mansion."

Harry hadn't actually cleared that with Charles except in the case of Wendy but he figured Charles would be good for it. Even if he required help to enlarge the mansion Harry was more than willing to do that. "We also have access to the Internet, and thus distance courses for college-age students who want to take them. You don't have to join up to get that of course, you'll even find my student loans are quite reasonable."

There were two or three interested looks at that, though for the most part most his listeners didn't look interested in continuing their educations. "If I let you out and about like that at Charles', realize you will have minders. The X-Men live there after all, and they will be watching how you interact with the non-powered locals."

A few heads turned to where Scott was leaning against the wall by more, with Rogue leaning against his shoulder lightly, still looking rather exhausted after the battle. Scott nodded grimly, while Rogue simply waved a hand lazily. "Don't worry ya'll. We're just gonna be looking for if ya keep yer powers in check, we're not gonna watch if you want to step out with one of the locals, not our business."

"Socks," Scott said nodding his head firmly. "A sock on the door knob is your friend under those circumstances."

There were several startled laughs at that, while Harry chuckled, doing his best not to beam like a proud big brother at the leader of the X-Men. Damn Scott's now making his own jokes, I'm so proud of him!

"Anyway," Harry said after a moment, gathering everyone's attention back to him. "If you want to join up with the Custodes Mundi or X-men, that will be a decision made by myself and Cyclops based upon your combat ability and if we decide we can trust you in a combat situation. We tend to handle the big things after all, and that's not for everyone. But if you don't make the cut for that, there is always the retrieval team."

"That is the other thing we've been doing," Amara said, stepping forward and looking around at the others grimly. "How have you been recruiting members here since retreating to the Savage Land?"

A few of them looked confused, but the oldest woman in the room, who Mystique had identified as 'something' Cortez, Harry couldn't remember her first name shook her head. "We haven't been of course. There was no need for it when we were converting the locals I suppose, and Magneto seemed concerned about exterior influences after a while. Now I see that it was not exactly a good sign but what exactly are you getting at?"

"We have certain magical devices in place that allow us to find mutants, once their powers activate, who are in danger. Of course that's mostly helped us with finding lots of little kids, with only a few teenagers thrown in so far, hence why Avalon Academy is more of an elementary school than anything else." Harry explained.

"And home, a training area, laboratories, oh, and all of it an ancient castle under monstrously powerful magical defenses." Amara said, smirking over at Harry.

"Quiet you." Harry mock growled before going on. "However, we're hugely understaffed to try and cover the entire world. Most of these days we don't see too many names go from red to black, but there have been more than a few, and that is hard to deal with…" Harry's said shaking his head his earlier humor disappearing in an instant as both he, Amara, Piotr and even the two X-Men in the room looked grim now.

"It is very hard," Harry said again, "To watch a name appear for a few moments then go black an instant later and then to disappear, knowing what that means."

Emily stood up quickly, throwing her arm in the air as if she was a student trying to answer a question from the teacher, reminding Harry once more of Tonks at her hilarious best.

"I'll sign up for that right now!" she said firmly. "That is the heart and soul of what I want to do, I want to help mutant kids who are in trouble for no more reason than they have powers!"

There were a few other nods among the other Brotherhood members and Harry nodded too. "Like I said if that's what you want to do you can do so though again you'll have to prove that we can trust you out in the big wide world. But you have to choose in the next few days. Until then, you'll remain here, not prisoners, though a lot of the locals aren't happy with any of you who wear that uniform so I'd suggest changing clothing as soon as possible."

There are some more chuckles at that but Ms. Cortez, and Harry made a mental note to learn her first name again, held up her hand. "What about those of us who want to join the Custodes Mundi and you don't feel like we make the cut who don't want to help round up kids? I understand that's a noble goal, but I just don't think I'd be well used in that role."

"Wait for a few days," Harry said with a frown. "I want to talk to a few of my people about some other ideas I've been thinking about, but understand, if those plans go through, I will be watching you. Go back to your old ways, and we will have… problems."

The woman nodded, unable to look away from Harry's emerald-eyed gaze for a moment until he nodded and turned away himself.

With that Harry left the room with Piotr and Amara though Scott and Rogue stayed behind to answer some questions. Morph however followed Harry out, smiling at him and the others. "What about me? Can I join the Custodes Mundi?"

"If you want to, your fighting with us in the campaign here made for a bloody brilliant audition. Though I will tell you the training is really hard, and ongoing." Harry warned.

"I'm not afraid of hard work!" Morph said sounding rather affronted, his nose sticking so far up in the air it looked more like a beak for a moment before he turned back to normal, shaking his head with a faint smile. "You did pretty well in there, more jokes would've been better in my opinion, but that's always my opinion."

Harry laughed, reaching over to thump the other man's shoulder before directing him to follow the other two down to where the rest of the teams were gathered, waiting to head back to Camelot for the night. He was greeted with smiles and nods all around, while Harry made his way down to where Reed was looking over the computers in the citadel's basement, or rather the lowest level of the basement, since there were several of them.

He stopped however when Emma's voice reached his mind. "Harry, we've run into a bit of a situation with the last two prisoners we've been mentally interrogating. You'd better get up here."

A few moments later, Harry joined Emma and Jean in the interrogation room. His smile returned as he saw Jean, and she returned the gesture, laughing as the love Harry felt for them both flowed through the link as he let his hands rest gently on her stomach.

Emma too smiled at the gesture, somewhat over her negative reaction to about Jean having a child. Her emotional response still reared its head occasionally, but not often. Family no longer meant what it did to her, and she was happy for it. The physical changes Jean would be going through still gave her the willies though.

With a sigh Harry turned away with Jean still in his arms, to look at the man tied to the chair in front of him is askance, then over to where another woman slumped unconscious against the wall. Both had no physical sign of their mutations, but Harry knew the woman fired blue bolts from her finger tips, and the other had a certain amount of super strength and dexterity. "SHIELD agents? You're positive they're both SHIELD agents?"

"Positive," Emma said with a nod.

Jean moved out of Harry's light hug to hold up a small device, only the size of a cufflink shaking her head. "This has got to be from Tony Stark or someone similar, it masks their deeper thoughts, acts like a natural seeming defense against telepathic scan, though it wouldn't have stood up against a real probe from that Exodus bastard. I don't know if Mastermind was strong enough to overcome it, but I guess Exodus never had cause to try."

"Well that's not good," Harry said with a frown. "Did Shanna say anything about either of them?"

"No," Emma said shaking her head. Shanna didn't implicate them in anything outside the actual combat. From their own memories they didn't revel in the combat, but they did participate in terrorist activity elsewhere before joining the rest of the Brotherhood here."

"Thank goodness for small mercies on the local front. Your recommendations?" Harry asked looking at both women. "My first inclination is to just hand them over to Fury along with Magneto's head to make certain he understands that yes, Magneto is dead. Whatever crimes they're guilty of to keep their cover will then be Fury's to deal with."

"The paranoid bastard might actually get a kick out of that one, but then he'll remember that means you're strong enough to kill Magneto in the first place," Jean said with a chuckle, before looking over at Emma herself.

""I think we can wipe their minds of the Savage Land's entrances, as well as anything else we don't want them to know." Emma said tapping her lips with one finger as she thought. "Though I think we should let him keep the memories of the Savage Land itself. Unless they have a telepath or some other truth detecting means, it'll sound too fantastical to be believed really. And incidentally, when you're done talking to everyone else, I demand a tour of this place."

"That's fine," Harry said blinking a little at the sudden topic change. "Any real reason why?"

Emma blushed looking away. "I've always liked dinosaurs," she mumbled, then blushed as Harry reached over pulling her into a hug and Jean gurgled in laughter.

"We'll see to that immediately then," Harry said decisively, pulling Emma towards the door. "Besides, I'll want you with me when I talk to Mystique. Keep the two of them unconscious for now, I'll drop them off with… a new friend tomorrow."

Jean continued to laugh, knowing who Harry was talking about and rather amused at the idea, even as she gestured lifting the two prisoners up and moving them out of the small room they had taken over for the interrogation process. With that done, she left them there for a moment before going to look for Reed.

They found Mystique quickly, as she had been looking for them, and she spoke before Harry could. "I got a call from Dennis, apparently Irene collapsed again, though this time she was prepared for it, and it didn't hurt as much. You've presumably changed the future again Potter."

"Sour grapes?" Harry asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

Mystique shrugged. "More just irritation that I was in there when she collapsed, really. I was hoping to get someone to take me back though, I don't think I'm doing much here right now."

"I mentioned when you joined up with us that I'd like to put together a covert team, to handle covert-ops type missions." Harry commented.

Mystique eyes gleamed eagerly. "Yes! Does that mean you're going to give me the go-ahead to start recruiting from the people we just converted, or whatever you want to call it?"

"Not just yet, I want to observe them all for a few days, and you can give me some reports about their personalities and what you know of them before I give the okay. Morph wants to be one of the Custodes Mundi, but I can see no reason why he couldn't also work for you occasionally. But he and Wendy are the only two whose personalities and loyalties I am certain of."

"Your remit will be to undercover uncover things, follow up on hints and clues that Dennis has found of crimes against mutants or non-powered, specifically to try and see if you can figure out if there was someone else stirring the pot lately, or if it really was Magneto somehow. I'm getting the distinct impression here it wasn't Magneto, which means we have someone else out there."

"Agreed," Mystique said with a nod. "There were some rumors about something going on in China to, though they are just that rumors that Dennis' contacts in Japan passed on. We should get more penetration in Asia generally speaking, as well as the subcontinent and Africa."

"Then that will also be your first task: recruiting more agents who are willing to pass on information rather than anything more overt. Dennis has done a good job there, but you're right, even with Emma's assets in that area we're still sucking wind when it comes to boots on the ground."

Emma nodded too and frowned thinking. "I think I'll take part in the discussion of China. I have some ideas of my own in that area, and a few clues that we might wish to talk about in Egypt in particular, both as targets of interest, and as areas where we need more agents. Africa and Asia, those are different matters entirely, I'll have to do some more research on those. Say this weekend, meet up for lunch in New York?"

"So long as you're paying that's fine," Mystique said with a smile shaking her head at the other woman.

"But understand this," Harry said, staring into Mystique's eyes. "Your team will still be working for me. That means that I will back you to the hilt in any of your endeavors, none of the normal disavow all knowledge shite. But if you try to do something I wouldn't agree with, or do something behind my back, I will end you, understood?"

Mystique nodded. That was simple enough, and more than most black-op teams got. "Understood, and agreed."

"Good, now if you'll excuse me, Emma requested a bit of a tour." Harry replied before asking Cory to appear and take Mystique back to Camelot. Moments later, Harry and Emma were flying through the air of the Savage Land on one of the magic carpets since it was much more comfortable for Emma than him carrying her either magically or in his arms.

"Flying along in your arms is a romantic idea Harry, but not for the entire night," Emma had said before asking Harry to have Cory pop in with the carpet.

They flew over the Savage Land, heading away from the area where the battles had occurred, deeper and deeper into the underground cavern over the jungle. They stopped as a heard of Brontosaurus moved through the forest, hovering in the air between a few of them as Emma stared around her at the peaceful herbivores in shocked happiness.

"Reading dinosaur books was part of my childhood you know, my older brother read the first few to me, then he helped me learn my vocabulary words from a few others. Dinotopia was my favorite for years. The artwork can take your breath away when you look at it, and the storyline was good too." Emma murmured, seeming reluctant to speak as she looked around them.

"I remember that one, I thought it was a fun book too," Harry said with a nod, putting his arms around her. Like that they continued to float through the Savage Land, seeing none of the local inhabitants save for animals and dinosaurs at this point.

After a few moments Harry sighed faintly, shaking his head. "I've been neglecting you lately. I mean we've gone on dates but we haven't really spent a lot of time besides them and at night together just for the two of us, rather than as a group."

"Harry, enough self-deprecation, you haven't been neglecting me," Emma said bluntly, shaking her head and removing his hands from around her waist so she could turn and address him face-to-face.

She allowed her legs to move around his waist grinding slightly watching in amusement as his eyes began to narrow at the sensation. "I do love you, and I know you love me, I know it, I can feel the emotions through the link we share, just as much as I can feel Jean and even some of Ororo's."

"In terms of spending time together…" Emma shrugged. "I am much more of an introvert than Ororo or Jean. I prefer to spend time on my own, and what with my businesses and my little sister, I don't get much of that as it is. That's why I spend so much time just reading or curled up with a movie with you all, it's down time, I don't need as many actual moments of affection like Jean and Ororo do. "

She laughed. "Think of me like a cat, I will take affection and love when I wish, and then I will go my own way."

Harry laughed, shaking his head at the image those words conjured of Emma dressed up in a cat suit towards Emma through that the link she and Jean had somehow forged between their minds. In reply Emma laughed patting his cheek tenderly. "If you're very good boy I might dress up like that at some point, but you'd have to be a very good boy indeed."

"However," Emma went on more briskly, lifting up and away so she was no longer grinding her core against Harry's lap. "That doesn't mean that I am not a little irritated at the three of you. Your interactions with Hela concern me, especially since I can tell you and Ororo at least are interested in her."

She put a hand over Harry's mouth when he made to sneak. "Don't bother denying it. I can't say without calling myself a hypocrite to say that you can't look elsewhere, considering how late I came into this relationship. However I want your word that you won't start anything. No more flirting with her, no more trying to see if you're compatible, you can talk to her of course, but I want final say in whether or not this attraction you both feel goes anywhere."

"Agreed," Harry said instantly nodding his head after Emma removed her hand. "We weren't going to try and go behind your back you know that we know this is an equal relationship, and all of us have equal say in it."

"I know, I felt that up here, but I needed to hear the words from you in person," Emma said, tapping her for head and then leaning forward to kiss Harry lingeringly on the lips. She pulled back after a second, shaking her head. "And after you drop those two agents off, I expect you to try and set up a meeting with Hela again, and if she doesn't respond again, that will concern me."

"I know," Harry said with a nod. "Ororo and I had decided that already, but we wanted to get Magneto out of the way first."

"Good," Emma said then leaned in again and kissed him. "But tonight, all of your attention needs to be on me, understood?"

"When hasn't it been when we're alone?" Harry asked, rather offended.

Emma laughed throatily, once again grinding her center against his waist. "Exactly," she murmured, then leaned in once more to kiss him.

OOOOOOO

The next day, Harry traveled to New York touching base with Charles about what had gone on the day before, going over the injuries to the X-Men team, and generally helping Scott explain the battle as it had gone on before heading over to drop off the two SHIELD agents. As they finished Charles sighed, sitting back from the table and setting his teacup down. "I have to say I am sorry that Magneto died, but listening to how far he was willing to go for his own beliefs, I suppose I cannot argue with your methods."

Harry nodded, not saying anything. He didn't see why anyone would be happy Eric was dead, but then he hadn't known the man when he was younger and possibly had some decent point to him.

"By the way," Charles said in an effort to change the subject, "I understand there is going to be an announcement from Magical Minds soon? I believe it's actually tomorrow at lunchtime correct? You're going to announce a new breakthrough?"

"Yes," Harry said with a nod, and it must be said. a smirk. "A little joint project between Magical Minds and Reed Richards has come to fruition, as my chief PR rep puts it."

"Oh my that should indeed be interesting. If you had shareholders they would be ecstatic," Charles replied dryly, while Scott snorted.

"As the sole shareholder I am ecstatic," Harry said grinning and sharing a laugh with Charles.

"How are the newcomers handling what happened?" he asked Scott more seriously.

"Ups and downs sir. The Proudstar brothers have handled it the best, they had both been in fights before, even real combat occasionally apparently against poachers and other groups trying to hunt on Native American land, and one time a rabid bear of some kind. Same with Alex."

"Lorna on the other hand is having issues, as is Evan if for very different reasons." Scott sighed, shaking his head. "Evan has requested time off the team, which I've granted him, and Charles had our new live-in teacher Ms. McTaggart, drive him up to his family's for the rest of the summer. Lorna though… I sent to Dr. Strange to spend time with her half-sister. She has some major anger issues to work out."

"As for said half-sister," Scott shuddered. "According to Kurt and Nikolai who I touched base with, she was pretty damn vicious against Piotr. That worries me long term, but at least she seems willing to be happy he's just locked away for the rest of his natural life rather than try and find him and finish the job."

"Or until he realizes he was an asshole and should have followed his father's path whichever comes first," Harry replied shrugging shoulders. "I can't say I'm sorry that the other mutants from the Brotherhood died in the fighting. They had a chance to escape from the brotherhood, from Magneto's control, they didn't take it, and instead followed him into a war against the Savage Land's original peoples and wiped out many of them."

"They were so young though," Charles shook his head sadly. "It always bothers me when young people die regardless of their crimes."

Harry shrugged. "We were able to convince several of them to convert, and I'm not holding fighting against us while under Magneto against them, but that only gives them a reprieve now, I wasn't about to cripple my team by asking them to use non-lethal means in a campaign like that. As for the 'silver-haired daddy's bitch' as Wanda calls him, he's still going on about how he's going to avenge his father's death against me personally, so yeah he's going to stay locked up for a while."

"Good," Scott said seriously. "I never liked him, but I don't want him dead either, even after we heard from Logan and the others what he and the Brotherhood and Acolytes did in their Savage Land campaign." That Scott didn't regret being a party to Blob's death in combat went unsaid, as did his implicit approval for Harry's position regarding that campaign.

Charles sighed again sadly, but seeing neither of the other men seemed to understand his point of view he went on. "What about this unknown individual who got away?"

"Danielle was able to use her power to see who it was, and we know the guy's name was Gambit. But he showed a bit more power than he was supposed to have, and was blocking too much of his thoughts and emotions for her to get a read on the area he somehow teleported out of. She could tell that there was someone else there with him, but that's all."

"There is someone else out there then," Charles shook his head sadly. "A lieutenant of Magneto's perhaps, moving on his own after being left out in the cold too long?"

"Or a complete unknown," Scott said shaking his head. "We can't afford to think that we'll understand either the motivations or the long-term goals of this person Professor, don't get locked into the idea that he's trying to pick up where Magneto left off, or was somehow too extreme for him."

"Agreed," Harry said with a nod. "I could wish that Dennis could concentrate full-time on trying to find whoever it is, but there are a lot of other things that I have him working on. Sage is too tied up with the business side of things, but until Mystique and her team are ready we won't have enough field agents for clandestine ops."

"I want to observe her choices for a time before I decide to let them out into the wild once again." Harry stated firmly.

"No doubt a good idea. I have to wonder about how much freedom you'll allow them anyway. While I would be the first one to say that Mystique has her own sense of morality, it certainly isn't in keeping with a normal individual's, and it has led her to dark deeds in the past."

Now it was Harry's turn to sigh. "Charles, I can't be everywhere at once, I don't have the manpower, and most of the people on that Custodes Mundi aren't built mentally or physically for spy work. She proved her worth in hunting Magneto down. Without her, we would still be wondering where that neo-Nazi was. She's proved her worth, and I'll give her the go ahead. It's the others that concern me hence the waiting period."

Charles nodded. "You certainly have proven yourself a good judge of character before this, better than myself it must be said. Speaking of, will you be here tomorrow for when the other new students arrive? They should know who our support is coming from."

"No they shouldn't, not right away. If you want to drop my name as one of your backers sure, do it, but I don't want them knowing Potter is Guardian. Not until all of them have mental defenses in place so that no one of ill intent can make that connection without us knowing about it."

"And finally, have you decided what to do with Eric's young clone?" Charles asked.

Harry looked over at Scott, who shrugged, not having realized that Harry had wanted to keep that a secret from the older man. He hadn't, not really, but he wasn't about to just hand the boy over which he was perceptive enough to know Charles wanted. "He is staying at the Castle for now, he seems like a normal young boy physically, but we haven't, um, decanted him from the cryogenic tube. That will come this evening actually, but we'll see. I'm certainly not about to paint him with the same color as his possible clone father."

He didn't mention the fact that Reed had literally threw a massive hissy fit when looking at the cryogenic tube and some of the other machinery in it. Cloning like that should be well beyond human technology, making even Reed's similar areas of interest seem small. But when Reed looked through the computer, they found them dead, everything stored on them gone as if the damn things had been hit by an EMP.

"Good," Charles said of the side and a nod. "Good. I knew you wouldn't, but… Eric made so many mistakes. But someone with his powers and intelligence could do so much good, it would be a crime to miss this opportunity."

"Understandable Charles," Harry replied, though he thought defining someone just by their powers and what they could achieve with said was rather sad. Yet it was just so Charles he couldn't find it in him to be surprised.

"With that though I have to get going, Charles, Scott." Harry said getting to his feet, reaching over to clasp forearms with Scott. "I have a meeting with a new friend, dropping off a few problem children you might say." Harry's lips quirked, but he didn't reply to Charles' raised eyebrow.

After unshrinking his Huayra Harry drove off, zooming through the streets far faster and without stopping than any normal car could have. Around three hours later, Harry had was zooming through the outskirts of Boston searching for a specific address that he had been given a few weeks ago by a certain Captain. Steve Rogers.

Finding it, he pulled up to the front of the house, a nice two-story house in a very nice neighborhood, but nothing really special until he parked his car in its driveway. Getting out, he moved towards the doorway, ringing the doorbell quickly while also activating his car's Notice-Me Not array while casting a few sensory spells out.

Steve Rogers answered the door, obviously having been interrupted while exercising. His eyes widened in surprise at seeing Harry standing there. "Harry? Or are you here in your other persona?"

"Harry for now, did you know you're under surveillance?" Harry asked absent-mindedly, staring first one way and the other as his spell came back with two individuals with intent watching the house.

"Yes, the CIA apparently likes to keep a handle on me for some reason, and they're watched in turn by Army Intelligence, and SHIELD agents," Steve said with a shrug. "Unless you did something to them all though, they're going to know you're here so I hope your visits important."

"They'll be able to figure it out after a little while, but I clouded their senses a bit with a Notice-Me-Not. Don't worry, it covers my car too."

Steve nodded, looking over Harry's shoulder at said car shaking his head. "Probably a good thing. That looks like a crotch rocket."

"A what?" Harry asked blankly.

Steve chuckled wanly. "Don't worry about it, before your time obviously."

Then he looked down at Harry's hand, and Harry held up a six-pack of beer. "I come bringing gifts."

Steve chuckled more naturally and let the other man in. Inside the house was almost as normal as the outside, except the sofa in the sitting room was were slightly heavier, and larger to fit's Captain America's larger than normal frame, and the exercise machines were similarly more durable and high tech looking.

Sitting down, Steve reached forward, taking a beer from out of the container, smiling appreciatively. "I don't think you're here for a house call, though the beer is welcome. Micro-brewed, nice."

"Made a stopover in Pennsylvania for those, Logan said you liked that brand."

"Yes well Logan would know," Steve said shaking his head. "When I first heard that the Wolverine was still operating in this day and age, that threw me for a loop I have to say. Is he all right? I tried to get in touch with him after learning about that, figured he could help me acclimatize to this new age I found myself in but no one knew where he'd gone."

"That's is actually part and parcel to why I'm here." Harry held up a beer, saluting the air between them as he conjured up a chair for himself. "To fallen comrades."

Steve looked at him seriously, then held up his own beer clinking it with Harry's. "To fallen comrades."

The two of them sat sipping at their beer for a moment before Harry began again. "Logan was following Magneto, you know who he is?"

"A mutant turned Neo-Nazi because of his fear of mutantkind being the next prosecuted minority like the Jews were in World War II. Understandable in a way, but his methods marked him out just as bad as the one who forged him." Steve responded bluntly.

"Exactly. Well, after following a lot of different leads the Custodes tracked Magneto down to his secret hiding place. We just had it out with him yesterday," Harry said, figuring just to get it all out in the air immediately. "Magneto's dead, as are a lot of his followers. We took about dozen prisoners, many of whom we'll keeping in one of our own facilities."

"I wish I could argue with that," Steve mused. "But there aren't that many prisons which could accommodate mutant powers. How many can I ask?"

"Around six of them we're keeping under wraps, though honestly only a few of them are dangerous enough to concern me. The others worry me more because of their zealotry than because of their abilities." Harry said smiling slightly.

Ororo and Emma had both been worried about how Steve would react to the news that Magneto was gone for good, and the way which Harry and his group dealt with them. But he knew that Steve was foremost a soldier, and in wars people died on both sides. The battle between them hadn't been a war per se, but it had been something similar.

"But on a similar vein, I am afraid something else came up during our after-battle investigations."

"You say investigations I assume you mean interrogations?" Steve asked sighing and shaking his head. "I know it's necessary, but I've never been sanguine about that kind of thing."

"Nor am I, which is why we use Veritaserum if we have to and telepaths the rest of the time. No pain necessary unless they are somehow able to fight the telepathic process."

"Duggan said something about your truth serum leading to proof that the Red Skull was around," Steve said with a nod and a frown. "We've not seen anything of him of late, though we're getting some really interesting reports out of the former USSR countries and Dr. Doom's ongoing expansionism there."

"I imagine you are, let's just say that the Red Skull did something to intensely irritate the not-at-all good doctor, and he has decided to retaliate."

"I won't ask how you know that," Steve said, staring at Harry over the top of his beer bottle again. "Get to the point Harry."

"SHIELD somehow implanted two spies in among the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants," Harry said bluntly. "I have them, and I'm going to return them to you to hand over to Fury. That man doesn't like me already, showing up somewhere on SHIELD property with two of his undercover agents would probably be a bad thing."

Steve snorted then shook his head sadly. "I don't want think I want to know what those two had to do to keep in good with those terrorists. I've never been happy about all this covert nonsense. That's much more Nick's area of expertise these days than it was ever mine."

"Give me a straight fight any day." Harry said with a nod. "But as for your question, as far as we can tell they didn't go full native, but then again they weren't the only ones among the brotherhood that had problems with how Magneto was doing things. I've even let them keep their memories mostly intact, though whether or not Fury believes their stories, that's up to him."

Steve nodding leaned back in his sofa, staring at Harry thoughtfully. "That can't be the only reason you're here. You could've figured out some other way of getting them to Fury after all rather than using me as a veritable mailman."

"Postman please," Harry said with a smirk, before he too leaned back. "I wanted to open up more communication between us, and through you to the Avengers." He held up his hand out, sliding a small communication mirror over the table. "That's a magical and untraceable communicator. If you're ever in trouble, or if the Avengers are ever in trouble give us a call."

Steve laughed, shaking his head. "Tony and the others won't like the idea that we need help, but all thank you anyway."

"We all need someone to lean on Steve, at least from time to time," Harry said with a faint smile. Then his emerald eyes hardened. "I've also heard some rumors I wanted to talk to you about."

Those rumors had come from Emma a few days ago, but Harry hadn't had time to follow up on them since. "There are rumors that Tony Stark is making androids, like the Sentinels only smaller, and to answer to SHIELD, or perhaps an AI created for SHIELD."

Emma had learned about that through several of the Hellfire club members, who dealt with high end electronics, metals and other items of that nature. Stark Enterprises had been paying for and taking in a large number of shipments of said in the past two weeks. It had taken that long for word to reach her, and it was very worrisome that there was nothing visible yet to explain away said shipments.

Steve scowled. "As far as I know that project was cancelled, I was told by Nick it was cancelled the moment it came to light. I've talked with Tony, and despite his… attitude… to certain things, I think I convinced him it was a Bad Idea. Warfare and fighting should always remain in the hands of humans lest we forget how terrible it can be. As for the AI, I think Tony got lucky with Jarvis, and doesn't realize it could have gone wrong very easily. He seems convinced that AIs are not as dangerous as people think."

"It's the army of robots that concern me more than the AI. Don't tell anyone, but I have an AI working for me, and I carefully limited his area of control. That and constant interaction with people has made Pinoptes as much of an individual as Jarvis. Yet at the same time, I did carefully limit his area of control." Harry said, shaking his head. "And I hate to say it, but I've heard rumors that might mean Tony hasn't stopped the program. Either that or he's decided to go into the weapons business again solely for SHIELD."

"I see…" Steve said, then gulped the last of his beer down, shaking his head. "I can't say the second idea doesn't sound good but I'll make some inquiries."

Harry nodded, and the conversation turned to other things, the two friends simply taking some time to talk again for a time. Eventually Steve finished the six-pack only to frown, realizing that Harry had only taken a swig from one before setting it aside. At his quizzically look, Harry laughed. "Jean's expecting, and myself and Ororo," and Emma "decided to cut alcohol out of our own diets."

"Congratulations!" Steve said with a grin and it must be said a pang of jealousy. Moments later he walked Harry to the door, watching as he sped off before looking at the two unconscious individuals which had just been popped into his kitchen. "Hmm… should I call in my watchers, or just take the two of you directly to work with me in my van. Both could be fun, but which would piss Nick off the least?"

OOOOOOO

Despite Steve's attempt to soften the blow Nick Fury was once again furious later that day. He stared angrily across his desk at Agent Winters and Mackel, who were looking somewhat sheepish. "A jungle, a giant prehistoric, underground jungle? Why do you think this is at all believable?!"

"Isn't it? After all, there was the Mole Man, and we know there are other races out there, Namor's people for example." Steve asked from where he was leaning against the wall, along with the Dr. Pym, currently in his normal size.

Pym had been taking copious notes about the number of animals, technology and other races that the two agents had seen, while another secretary, a woman who Steve didn't know well, but assumed was highly ranked on the helacarrier, had done the same at a desk nearby. She had occasionally shaken her head with something approaching relief more than once as the tale of the battle from the agent's perspective went on and the list of dead mutant terrorists grew.

For their part Fury and Steve had been more interested in what the spies could tell them about Magneto's activities and his faction. That had been a lot, but of course it was mostly old information now. How the Custodes had fought against them however had been very interesting to Fury.

At that Fury reined in his anger, nodding his head to Steve and the two agents. "All right, I suppose I can believe you about that much and your memory of the battles there. The fact that Magneto had conquered that place and now it's in Potter's hands however is a major concern."

Steve cocked an eyebrow at him shaking his head. "I don't see a problem with it. Harry might not be connected to the American government or any other existing government, but he's certainly proven he's on the side of the angels."

"You're too trusting Steve," Nick said, letting his anger further drain out of them. It hadn't really been anger now that he came to analyze it further, but shock, disbelief and growing worry.

Potter was too powerful by half already, and now this. The fact that the Custodes Mundi was also becoming so trusted in the media after its activities in Japan against Moses Magnum was another aspect too, not even mentioning the meeting Rogers had been invited to and the fact his agents in the US marines and Navy had stated that many who had been invited to that had begun to make plans involving ongoing communication with Potter.

"You like him," Nick said, shaking his head. "You're obviously biased."

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Point to something that Harry has done which shows he's our enemy, or is a threat to world peace." Steve countered.

"Harry Potter is quickly becoming the most powerful man in the world, with secret bases both on Earth and in orbit, a growing but already powerful foundation and a wellspring of support too. And none of it connected to any nation or under any kind of oversight!" Nick said, shaking his head. "Just because he isn't a threat now doesn't mean it will always be that way. That's why we spy on our allies as much as our enemies."

Steve stiffened at that, not liking that idea at all. "Does that mean you think I'm a threat too?"

"Don't be an idiot Steve! I spy on you because other people are doing the same thing and I want to know what they're doing and why. There's nothing personal in it, hell I even spy on the directors of various intelligence agencies both here in America and elsewhere, even those allied with America or just SHIELD."

"Pity Harry doesn't seem to play the same game," Steve said coldly shaking his head. "Regardless, Harry also told me he's seen reports that tell him Tony might still be working on that Iron Man army of his. Any thoughts on that?"

"It's not a robot army. Tony's seen the error of his ways and has decided to go back into the weapon making business for SHIELD." Nick replied promptly, almost as if he had been expecting it though Steve didn't notice that. "I convinced him that was the best way he could help us and work towards world peace. The robot army idea was a white tower concept if ever there was one."

"I'm glad to hear that." Steve said with a smile. "In any event, that was all I had to say about my discussion with Harry. So unless you have anything else for me…?"

"No. not right now, I'll call you in tomorrow though, I'll want your opinion on a few possible additions to the Avengers." Nick said, then watched as Steve walked out the door, sad he'd had to just lie to one of his best friends.

Because even though Tony had indeed agreed to make some weapons for SHIELD, he hadn't stopped construction on his robots. The Ultra Project was one way Nick thought they might be able to counter the Custodes Mundi when they proved themselves a threat, and for that, he was willing to lie to anyone. That was what he did, and he knew it was only a matter of time until Potter proved himself a threat.

He turned back to the two agents. "Now, what to do with you two…"

OOOOOOO

Mary Jane smiled as she left her small office to join her immediate employer in the hallway. Thomas Wallace was an elderly gentleman of the same age group as Mr. O'Cairn, Magical Minds manager, though of a much better build, and happily married to boot.

He was not as mentally flexible as Mary Jane had thought he would be working at a company like this, especially given the rather unusual manner in which Jean had conducted the job interviews. But, Mr. Wallace knew his stuff and was highly connected in the journalist field both here in the UK and abroad. Mary Jane had learned a lot from him already, not only about networking and who was who in the world of public relations but also about public speaking and how public speeches and other events like that could be controlled in a way that she had never really considered before.

But it wasn't as if she was the only one doing any learning here. For all his knowledge and connections, her boss was not as well up on what he called nouveau technology: the Internet, and what it could mean as it continued to grow and expand. Texts, e-mails, cell phones, all of these things were still growling still becoming more and more important, and he simply could not keep up.

MJ could, and did. She had been a major part of getting the word out about this new announcement. She had even begun working with a website developer to create a website for Magical Minds and its subsidiaries which the public could access, rather than just the internal network. Since they didn't sell directly to citizens, or single citizens, it wasn't as important as it could be but it definitely helped in the PR department area, making the company seem more personable. The higher ups had approved the plan based on that within a few hours of her submitting her plan.

Mary Jane's thoughts about her job skidded to a halt as several small bodies flitted down the passageway, one of them almost smacking into her before she dodged aside. "Hey! I didn't know it was bring your kids to work day." She said laughingly, reaching out quickly to grab the young black boy's shoulder holding him still.

The small black-haired girl who had chased after him also stopped, as four others gathered around her and Thomas, who was chuckling at them all. As a father himself he was used to such antics. "Do you mind telling me what you lot are doing running around here?

"We couldn't all fit in one elevator, and then James said we should play tag, and we sort of left everyone behind." Said the redheaded girl.

"I did not! That was your idea!" the African boy said, his English having a distinct accent to MJ's ears, as did the girl's though it was a different one to her ears. "I said we should wait for Ms. Brown!"

The girl glared at him, and Mary Jane chuckled winking at the boy, "Lesson one in dealing with girls kiddo: always try to take the fall for a bad idea even if it wasn't your idea originally."

"Come on," she said, gathering up all six of the little kids with a wave of her hands as Thomas did the same. A few moments later they were in front of the elevators waiting for the children's minders as Thomas questioned them, learning they had come here with Ms. Munroe and several others from a school they called Avalon Academy. That was all they said about it, and given Ms. Munroe's involvement that was enough for both Thomas and MJ.

The elevators, all three of them, soon opened, to reveal Jean and several other kids, their minders and Harry Potter along with the gorgeous looking black woman herself. MJ smiled at seeing Jean, though her eyes flicked over to Ms. Munroe for a second before she straightened her shoulders and tried to stand more assertively. She had met the slightly older African woman only twice before this, and she sort of intimidated MJ. Not her position in the company, which was rather mysterious, but her actual presence. Harry did the same thing though in a different manner.

All three of them are laughing, looking up at a little girl perched on Harry's shoulder, her head almost scraping the ceiling as they exited the elevator. When he turned MJ's way, to look at the kids with her, Mary Jane had to stifle a gasp as those emerald eyes of his landed on her for a brief moment. Good grief! I knew he was handsome but damn those eyes are just unfair on a guy! Shaking her head quickly Mary Jane got rid of that thought in gestured around the kids. "I take it they're all yours?"

"A school I sponsor has decided that the kids needed a day out, and since we're heading right there after this, they decided it was best to bring them straight from here." Harry replied as Jean smiled at the other redhead and Ms. Brown moved forward with deliberation toward the kids around MJ.

Even in the castle you couldn't keep people from becoming bored after all, even in a castle like Hogwarts and the last day trip they had to Disney World was a few months ago. Harry planned to take the kids to an Althing, a gathering like the ones the people he and Jean had met at the concert, though not the one they had mentioned, later that day. The reason they were here was so the teachers could make certain they all understood how to act in public before taking them to the outdoors Althing. Needless to say it hadn't gone all according to plan so far.

"Thanks for corralling them MJ," Jean said, shaking the other older redheads hand for a moment as she glared at the group. "Do you want to lose your privileges to come to the Althing this afternoon?"

Several little heads shook their heads, and Harry chuckled. "Come on, let's go get this over with."

To MJ's bemusement Reed Richards followed quickly out of another one of the elevators, his own boy on his shoulder, as Susan followed, laughing and smiling down at the children.

"This would be a very important school then," MJ murmured. Her eyes widened then as she saw looked closer at one of the little girls around Ms. Munroe. "Is, is that…"

"Best not to think about it." Harry said as an aside while Thomas, a UK native, stiffened as well seeing the young princess here.

Putting her worries about the princess' presences MJ fell in step with Jean smiling down at the little blonde girl between them, who had grabbed one of Jean's hands. "And who are you?"

"Illyana Rasputin," the girl said, stopping for a moment curtsying prettily before moving on. MJ nodded her head, smiling at the girls poise. But then she cocked her head at Jean had yet to answer her earlier question. "So this school…"

"It's not a normal school by any means , but a fun one anyway." Jean laughed, but didn't elaborate further as the cavalcade continued. The teachers and the kids broke off soon, moving in one direction towards a room MJ knew had several dozen computers set up for workers. She supposed they had been set up for the kids use for today.

As an intern, Mary Jane did not have one of the seats in the auditorium, rather she had to stay at the back with a few of the cameramen. As she watched from that vantage point Harry smiled and moved toward the podium, nodding his head as the cameras came on. "Ladies and gentlemen, you all were told to expect a major announcement, so let's get right to it. We are here to announce a major breakthrough in medical technology made with the help of Reed Richards. However, to talk about this further I will turn this meeting over to Betsy Braddock, one of my employees."

There were some murmurs at that from the UK locals, the identity of Captain Britain wasn't exactly secret after all. The foreigners however didn't react, simply watching as the very pretty, almost runway model pretty in MJ's opinion, purple-haired woman made her way to the podium. MJ had to nod lightly, impressed by the other woman's poise, though her attention was slightly diverted as a few of the cameramen shifted next to her. She frowned looking at them for a moment, noting that there cameras looked different from the normal sort somehow, though she wasn't familiar enough with cameras to say how.

Shaking her head MJ turned back the front of the room watching as Betsy began to talk. "My name is Betsy Braddock, and until Reed Richards helped me, I was blind. I was not born that way, it was not a medical condition but a result of an attack on my person, where my eyes were quite literally gouged out of my head."

Many of her listeners blanched at that, but then began to frown, leaning forward as they stared at her seemingly normal eyes. They certainly looked natural, and there weren't even any scars visible around her eyes.

"The eyes you see in my head right now are not real, they are cybernetic. They work, they feel they act, exactly like my real ones. Reed Richards designed these for me, and they work like this..."

She began to explain how her eyes worked through use of a few slides on the screen behind her. MJ couldn't follow much of it, but several of the audience Thomas had vetted for this announcement clearly could. Judging by the rising excitement though her eyes were defiantly passing muster but again MJ's attention was diverted to the cameramen around her. A few of them had shifted lightly again, a few of the other cameramen's movements catching her attention for some reason.

And it wasn't just her who had noticed, Jean seemed to have noticed two, and occasionally looked in their direction.

OOOOOOO

"Are you sure? There are all androids?" Harry asked.

"Or something similar Harry, they don't have minds I can find." Jean said telepathically, staring at the six cameramen along the far wall that had grabbed her attention as she did one of her routine area of effect screenings. "I thought at first they had some kind of defense, but when I tried a direct assault, I still couldn't find anything."

"Did Betsy discover them as well?" Ororo asked down their link. As always her telepathic voice was slightly fainter given her mind's natural 'electric fuzz' defense', but deep and vibrant for all of that to Jean's telepathic senses.

"No, I don't think she noticed them before walking up there, and you know she has a problem talking aloud and concentrating on what her telepathy is telling her." Jean replied. "I'll ask her what she senses when she's done speaking."

Jean and Betsy's telepathy worked slightly different, with Betsy's always being on like radar, while Jean had to concentrate sending hers out like a pulse before narrowing down her attention. "In all honesty she should've noticed them before me, but I suppose she was too anxious about her part of this announcement to notice what her senses were telling her. did you know she was so worried Harry had to use a Cheering Charm on her this morning?"

"Public speaking isn't for everyone, but that isn't really important right now is it?" Harry said. "I wonder if they are just here to spy, or something else?"

"I don't know, but we should be ready for anything, I've already contacted Wyatt, Dani and Piotr." Jean replied, speaking of the three Custodes already here in Magical Mind's HQ. "I'll pass the word along to Susan verbally, and she'll pass it to Reed, but you're on again Harry."

Harry nodded slightly, hopping to his feet and moving towards the podium as Betsy finished answering questions about her eyes. "Good catch and well thought out response love."

"Ahh, those last few questions I should probably answer for Ms. Braddock." He said aloud taking over swiftly from Betsy and smiling at the crowd. "These eyes were actually developed several months ago, but there were, as Mr. Gerome asked about, problems with the programming, and there was a danger of external access with the first few versions. Both of which have now been solved entirely. There is now no external way to access the eyes or how they interact with the patient's brain. And the eyes now see as naturally as normal ones."

"In terms of production, there we ran into several bottlenecks, but only one really matters at this point: that being the lack of medical knowledge of surgery required to emplace them and the corresponding synaptic connections. Again with the help of Mr. Fantastic, and with Doctors Tonas and Rao this problem has been solved. The medical facilities here at Magical Minds are now fully capable of handling this procedure, as well as our other advancements in prosthetic technology."

Harry began to flip through a few screens, showing arms and legs prosthetics, on par with the eyes Betsy had showcased a few moments earlier in how well they acted almost as well as the original. Over the next few moments he answered several questions, turning them over to Reed Richards when they got a little too technical for him, then took the podium again to talk about the prices.

Here he made another surprise announcement: "I realize that even here in in the UK that is a bit pricy. However as I have mentioned before I am a veteran myself, so I have a special deal for war veterans. For the next four months any vet who wants these will get them, both the prosthetics and the operation, at 2/3rds the price regardless of their nationality."

That drew some actual applause from the audience. But after that the questions turned to business side of things. Several of the reporters asked whether or not MM would be selling the prosthetics and the process itself to other hospitals only to be told no. Others asked about whether MM would set up other hospitals the world over to handle the procedure, to which Harry replied no once more. The technology and procedures were both proprietary and would remain so. All the while Harry's eyes were moving around audience, but his attention was on the six androids at the back of the room.

"Betsy says she's ready to go, and Dani, Piotr and Wyatt are outside in the hall," Jean sent.

"Good, and if anything does start happening Jean, you hit the ground and stay there, understood?" Harry sent back, his worries and concerns coming through clearly down the link. Ororo's words echoed both his order and his worries a second later.

Jean scowled. She really didn't like being treated like she was so fragile. "Harry, you covered me with every defensive spell you know before we left Camelot, and I'm wearing my Phoenix suit underneath my normal clothing!"

"Doesn't matter love, I still don't want you involved in any combat." Harry replied firmly, again echoed an instant later by Ororo.

Barely restraining from sighing physically Jean sent an affirmative back as Wyatt entered the room, opening the door at the back silently and moving to stand within the crowd of cameramen. He was talking into a phone quietly as if he had been held up for something or other, a small press pass dangling from his neck just like those of the cameramen. Jean noticed MJ look his way, giving the Native American man a once over of approval before turning her attention back to the podium, though Jean was surprised to note that she too had looked in the direction of the four androids before doing so. Maybe their body language is wrong or something?

Jean put those thoughts out of her mind, watching with pride as Harry began to finish with the announcements, putting her concern about the androids to the side for a moment. This would be a major boon for Magical Minds.

And all this because of projects that Reed had on the back burner while he was devoting most of his time to her space-based stuff she thought to herself shaking her head mentally. Most of it had been done by Reed's computers and other systems in the Baxter Building, but the think tank that Harry had put together for the medical side of things had really come through for them as well for the actual operation side of things. And none of us had to even be part of the process up until this point, things are really taking shape all around.

Just then a question came from a tall middle-eastern looking man, with a sallow face and a surly expression. "Is it still your policy to not provide your medical advancements to countries of the Islamic faith that will not meet your ridiculous societal demands?"

Harry smiled grimly, not backing down from the question. "Magical Minds and its subsidiaries will not sell, allowed to be sold second hand, or in any way allow or products to be sold to countries that sanctioned terrorist activities within their borders, or that have not taken a stance on mutant/unpowered equality, or have spotty track records in the area of human rights. This is my personalpolicy, and all of my companies will adhere to it. I have said before and I will state again, humanity has more enemies out among the stars that we need to unite against. We cannot allow this internal division, which is wholly of wool cloth rather than fact, to allow it to divide us when there are so many forces out there that would love to take us down. And frankly how women are treated in many Middle East countries is personally abhorrent to me."

"You are holding your medical technology hostage, forcing your opinion on mutants down our throats just as much as any terrorist does when they take a hostage!" The man spat back angrily. "Do you think the world will continue to allow this?"

"I think you don't have a choice," Harry said bluntly. "If you want my companies medical breakthroughs you must meet my price, and my price isn't just monetary."

The man scowled, but sat down as Harry stared him down. However that seemed the cue for things to go pear shaped.

The androids at the back finally did something, all of them pushing a button on their video cameras the front of which suddenly changed, the wide lenses shrinking down to a point and becoming what looks like laser weapons of some kind. "For Allah, death to those touched by Shaitan!" said one of them, causing the man who had questioned Harry to twist around in shock, staring at the androids as their weapons began to thrum, pointing towards the podium. Shaitan was the name for Satan in the Islamic faith, and the hatred of mutants in Islam was justified by saying they had been touched by him.

Several blasts went off, but Harry wasn't there having leapt to the side and rolling away. They impacted the dais where he had been standing destroying the podium and the wall beyond the platform.

The crowd began to scream but Mr. Fantastic stretched his hands out pushing them down and lying over the entire audience with his rubbery body, over which he wore the unstable molecule suit he had developed to stretch with his powers, and which Harry had reinforced via runic arrays. This left the androids at the back of the room, MJ, Wyatt and a few others standing at the back of the room now alone.

Harry and Betsy immediate made for them over Reed's body as Susan went invisible and Ororo pulled Thomas to the floor, rolling way with him. Jean on the other hand pulled out a small handgun from her purse set below her chair, pulling it out and drilling one of the androids through the head with a high velocity bullet.

A bare second later had to roll aside once more from more fire as Harry and Betsy did the same, the blasts impacting Mr. Fantastic's body and causing him to grunt but doing no real damage. Jean's roll halted when she lashed out with a kick against the wall bringing herself to a halt and staring.

MJ didn't know what she was doing. She should've just simply ducked and run for the door. But she was close by one of the people with the guns, so it just seemed like a good idea to try and take the fight to them.

The next thing MJ knew she had grabbed one man's arm, twisting it around and hammering out a punch that should have laid him out with a broken jaw. She knew quite a bit self-defense after all sometimes a girl had to defend themselves.

But the man didn't drop instead acting as if he barely felt her punch, his arm coming off of his weapon to smack her aside with surprising force. MJ got her arm up to block the blow, and felt herself actually hurled away by the blow. It was only the fact that she had instinctively rolled with the blow that allowed her to keep her forearm from being broken.

Wyatt however had much better luck than MJ. Sweeping one leg out he caught two of the androids dumping them to the floor, as his other hand came up holding one of Cold Steel's tazer weapons set on high as it moved toward another android's face. The tazer sizzled against the android's chin, actually short-circuiting the android's brain and depositing him on the floor.

One of the androids he had tripped let go of his rifle and grabbed Wyatt's leg pulling him to the ground, rolling with him to push the Native American down. Wyatt against tried to bring the tazer to bear, but the android's strength overwhelmed him for a moment, and he didn't have his Coyote armor on.

Then Dani and Piotr were there, banging the door open and getting in among the androids before others could pile on Wyatt or continue to fire at the oncoming Betsy and Harry. Sigyn's Gift came up as a heavy short knife slicing into one android's neck while Piotr took another android to the floor, his hands also filled with Cold Steel type tazers. The android couldn't keep both of them away from its head, and it joined Wyatt's first target, spasming on the floor.

Harry and Betsy joined in too, tagging another android as MJ rejoined the fight, trying to tear the android pinning Wyatt down off him. She got just enough of its attention for Wyatt to grab his tazer and shock it in turn.

At the same time the few other people at the back and , whose presence had stopped Harry from using his magic up to this point, finally dropped to their faces and Harry dealt with the last android, banishing it's head off its shoulders.

As Mr. Fantastic pulled his body back into its normal shape releasing the audience Jean walked forward quickly, helped Mary Jane to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"I, I suppose," MJ said shaking her head. "What was all that about?"

"I don't know, but will find out. But you were looking at those androids, what gave them away?" Jean asked, checking her over.

"They were fidgeting with those cameras of theirs too often I suppose, and… I don't know, they didn't seem to blink enough if that makes sense."

"It does, seeing as they are, you know, androids." Jean leaned down, her fingers gripping the front of one of their eyeballs and pulling out a small lens made to look like the front of an eyeball. Behind it was a small video camera, short-circuited like the rest of the droid's head, but rather eerie looking set into its very human looking face.

"Now I've seen everything," MJ murmured as she stared down past Jean's shoulder.

"If you spend any time at all around here, you'll understand never, ever, tempt Fate wit that phrase again," Jean said dryly,

"They were not with me!" said the man who had spoken up against Harry's selling policy a moment ago, looking at Harry angrily. "Do not even think about questioning me on this. They were not with me!"

Harry cocked an eyebrow at him as he stood up from where he had crouched, having rolled there as the action began. He looked subtly over at Betsy, the closest of the two telepaths, who was already moving forward to help the rest of the audience to their feet.

"He's telling the truth Harry, he wasn't with them. Oh, he doesn't like us, and he's got some views on women that make me want to gouge off his bollocks and serve them in a curry, but he's no terrorist." Betsy replied, having caught his gaze towards here.

"Besides, android technology like this is well beyond most terrorist groups, especially with Hydra having been hammered so badly pulling in its tentacles from the various terrorist groups it'd been sponsoring thanks to the attacks on its heartlands by Dr. Doom." Jean broke in.

"I believe you," Harry said aloud, nodding. "You'll still have to convince the police of that, and I'm not going to stand in their way, but I won't have my own security question you. But my point still stands, human rights violations, mutant human quality, equal rights between men and women. The reason I do not sell to nearly any Middle East country goes on and on. Terrorists are just the most obvious of them."

"Jean, grab one of those androids as you're leaving, leave the other five for the police to look at, I want one of them for our own people to deconstruct. I'll confound the witnesses' minds to let them think there were only five, and have Sage alter our security cameras accordingly."

Assigning Piotr, Wyatt and a few of the actual security guards to deal with the police, as they arrived, Harry, Jean, and Ororo met up with Sage in her office on the top floor. Dani went back to the kids, along with the Fantastics and Betsy.

"I'll go down in a moment once everyone else's been questioned, but considering I'm the victim here, that shouldn't take too long." Harry said, pacing lightly as the three women who had been with him already set down in various chairs while Sage leaned back in her own chair looking at her employer. "But I want to know where these droids came from, how many there are within Magical Minds, and how we didn't detect them. The Trust Me arrays should've come up with no answer to them, which should've been an answer in itself!"

"It was, and it is, indeed until you hired me your hiring people were turning them away." Sage said calmly. "I made the decision to hire a few of them however and to follow their movements. They have not been able to discover any of Magical Minds secrets. They are all low-level functionaries hence this attempt at escalation. We should be happy to know that whoever is behind this apparently has no idea about our abilities, since there is no way they should have thought such a small scale attack would work."

"It would've caused a lot of casualties if not for Mr. Fantastic and our knowing it was coming." Ororo said grimly. "From what they knew this would've resulted in a massacre, so I am not inclined to see anything to be happy about Sage."

"They also apparently wanted to pin it on terrorist groups, though I am uncertain if it was meant to be a red herring, or someone particularly foolish simply added it on to the end of their planning session. It's too damn obvious." Jean said.

"We'll ignore the terrorist angle for now," Harry said with a nod, stopping his pacing and staring at Sage. "You made the decision?"

"Yes," Sage nodded. "It made good counter-espionage sense. Because of that we were able to discover a lot about how the androids communicate with one another, as well as several of the ways they communicate with their overseers. We've even discovered the nearest communication hub."

Harry nodded slowly. He wanted to come down on Sage for making that decision on her own, but he had hired her because he wanted her to make such decisions on the business side of things. He couldn't come down too hard on her for this, especially since he wanted to build up to the point where all his lieutenants could act like that.

So he simply nodded. "Alright, I understand that, though you should have still told us that androids like that could pass the Trust Me arrays. We would've been ready for the reporters and their followers being a possible danger that way. If not for Jean spotting them this could have been very bad."

"Agreed," Sage said with a nod. "But you placed me here in not just to run them, but also to streamline your espionage services and help expand them is much as I could. That means I must make counterintelligence decisions too, which this was."

"Very well," Harry said with a nod. "So, any lead on who they are?"

"Aim, 98% certainty on that. No other terrorist group has the means to create such lifelike androids, except perhaps Dr. Doom, who lacks the motive, and HYDRA, who lack the means at present."

"Expand on that," Ororo asked. "I'm sorry, means? What does that denote in this case?"

"Both the knowledge to create them, and the infrastructure to not only use them, but to do so without worrying about the resources being wasted, not good," Harry said answering the question before Sage could. "I thought AIM had been hammered by SHIELD too much to throw resources away like this."

"That assumption is incorrect. SHIELD has indeed struck several other bases in South America Canada and even Asia, but their European presence might still be strong. In fact, they could have expanded their network as HYDRAs has been forced to retreat to protect its main holdings." Sage replied.

Harry frowned, thinking hard. While his people could hammer any single AIM installation, they still didn't have enough boots on the ground as it were to find them. It would be several weeks at least before Mystique and her black ops team was ready to go, and frankly Dennis' ongoing recruitment for their espionage activities even with Emma and Sage's help hadn't really helped much on the actual agent side of things.

He would stack their computer networking skills, both espionage and counterespionage, against any other group in the world and be confident they'd not only come out ahead but having stolen the opponent's own network away from them. But they just didn't have enough agents on their own, which forced them to use the existing intelligence agencies contacts, and if they didn't know things, then of course Harry and his group didn't either.

"All right," he said at last. "This has to be responded to, but in a way that can't be traced back to the Custodes, I don't want any possible like between the team and Magical Minds. You said that you knew where their local base was?"

"Yes."

"Good. Ororo, go take the kids back to Camelot, I'm afraid we won't be heading to the Althing today. As for AIM, here's what we're going to do…"

OOOOOOO

Later that day, Mystique fixed her hat slightly, staring across the rain drenched road towards her target building. It was a large apartment complex which had unbeknownst to any of the locals been bought out entirely by AIM.

How the hell Sage was able to figure that out just by the height of the people coming in and out of the building I don't know since there was nothing in the local computers that could lead to that conclusion, she thought, shaking her head and not incidentally shaking the rain off of her parka and large hat, before glaring up at the sky overhead.

They said this would be of downpour, but they didn't mention anything about it being a torrential one! You'd think having a mutant on our team that could control the weather would be useful in times like this, but no. She refuses to manipulate the weather patterns like that these days, saying it would damage the balance of the planet. I think it's just a copout, freaking tree hugger, volunteering to take the kids sight-seeing in the Savage Land instead of to the Althing.

Not mind you, that Mystique could altogether blame Ororo for doing that. Ororo, like Emma was fascinated by the Savage Land, though in Ororo's case it was the people there as well as the geography, whereas Emma was fascinated by the dinosaurs.

The shape shifter chuckled under her breath, remembering the look on Emma's face after she had come back from that date with Harry on his magic carpet. And I can't believe I am now so used to magic that the idea of a magic carpet doesn't make me think of I'm living in a Disney movie or something.

The spy in Mystique was quite happy with this weather however. Not only did it make hiding much easier, but it was so bad there was no one out on the road.

Moving backwards from her original position, she made herself small as only a shape shifter could, her body turning into a young pre-teen version as she ducked, Once she was out of sight, she raised a hand underneath her hat to tap the com-bead in her ear. "See anything?"

"Negative," Nikolai's voice said from his vantage point on a rooftop several blocks away. With this rain visibility was cut down tremendously, but thanks to his position he'd still be able to fire into a few of the windows facing his current position from the apartment complex. "I see a few people in there, and, get this two of them at least are wearing that yellow uniform AIM is supposed to use."

"Bizarre," Mystique noted, before shrugging her shoulders. "It could be a sign of indoctrination, wouldn't be the first time I've run into something of that nature. Anything else off about the interior?"

"I can see a wall of gadgets on the far side of one room, and what looks to be a staircase where there shouldn't be one judging by what we found on the apartment's building plan. We'll have to be aware that they might have changed up the layout inside."

"Never go by plans like that," Mystique said, her tone professional. "Making a plan ahead of time is all well and good, but you can't be wedded to the idea that you'll know the layout of any building like that."

"Understood," the Russian replied. His voice was calm but understanding her critique was in fact a critique.

"Morph, Paige, are you ready to go?" Mystique said. No code names on this mission. In fact even Paige's presence at all was pushing things, but given the number of spells she had on her person it was doubtful anyone would connect her to her Custodes persona. Especially since she hadn't been seen with the team in Canada or Asia.

"Ready," said Paige's voice, while in the background Morph could be heard to mutter 'no still too tall, no, ah that's better' getting his form right to match his 'date'.

"Shadow Cat?"

Mystique was rather ambivalent about bringing Shadow Cat along on this mission, but her various abilities made her ideal for covert ops, at least this kind of espionage work anyway. The girl would never have the stomach for wet-work, which was frankly fine by Mystique. Kitty was worth a lot more to their cause for her mind than for her physical abilities. Plus, if anything happens to her under my watch Ororo would probably tear me to pieces and use those pieces to feed the fish. Potter might be more understanding, maybe. Huh, no when did I start thinking about it being our cause rather than just Potter's?

"Ready to go, I'm waiting on the roof down the street," the young girl's voice replied. "I've got disillusion, Notice-Me-Not and muffling charms on my feet too."

Mystique nodded, wondering if their backup was in place, but not wanting to insult their allies by asking. Especially since Harry was nearby, and he was enough of a hammer under more circumstances even if they weren't.

Breathing in, Mystique then moved quickly from her original point backwards, swinging up onto a fire stairwell until she was hidden once again behind a series of vases set out to water. There she crouching, making certain there was no one in the apartment to her side before pulling out her own rifle as her body returned to normal. Setting the rifle down between the parts so that only the tip of it could be seen pocking out from between them she set her eye against the scope, watching the doorway across from her. "Morph, Paige, go. Repeat the operation is a go."

Within moments, Paige and Morph were racing down the street. They looked to be like a normal couple caught out in the rain, complete with parkas, and a large umbrella.

The umbrella was pulled out of the man's hands as she watched, swooping away through the wind until it was crunched under the wheels of a passing car. Just as they did, the small HUD on her screen turned off for both of them, and Mystique nodded, understanding they had turned them off. Radio waves like that would give the game away.

The man looked all for keeping going, but the woman had been drenched by the sudden loss of the umbrella, and since she was wearing a dress it was quite obvious. A second later her heel broke as she tried to run on, and she pulled him to a stop, limping towards the front of the apartment building that was their target, banging on the door and hitting the buzzer constantly.

"Jimmy come on," she shouted, "we need to get out of the rain for a bit."

The door quickly opened, and a middle-aged man let them in, smiling affably at them and shaking his head. "What the heck were you two doing outside anyway?"

Morph shrugged his shoulders gesturing to Paige. "Blame this one, she didn't want to cancel our date."

"Oh don't give me that!" Paige said, her English coming out with a Scottish accent rather than her normal Kentucky twang. "I didn't see you complaining when we were at the restaurant!"

"That would be because the restaurant was… oh I don't know… dry," Morph said, his own voice a Yorkshire drawl.

The man chuckled, though his eyes if you looked at them closely were much harder than the rest of his face as he looked at them both. "You can take a seat over there and get a little dry, I'll check with the tenants and see if any of them have a umbrella that they would be willing to sell to you if you're in a hurry."

"Thank you sir," the woman said, smiling and patting his hand for a moment. "It's nice to see a real gentleman these days."

Morph rolled his eyes, then moved over deliberately away from the woman and leaned against the wall while the man the older man chuckled, patted the younger girl on the hand and moved off. His eyes glanced up at something over the doorway, and Morph tensed, but the man didn't do anything, simply moving away entering his office which was set along the one wall across from a series of mailboxes.

Now alone the young couple went back to their wrangling, as Paige made a show of trying to get the water out of her hair and dress. Even as she did so however, Morph's eyes were moving, taking in the area. It was an open hallway, not too big and not too small, with two elevator doors at the far end. There was a stairwell sat next to them, and everything was lit with overhead lighting.

All in all it looked like a typical apartment complex, nothing about it could tell anyone that it was being used by a terrorist organization. On the other hand, it also looked like a perfect killing zone if someone had set up weapons at the far end of the hallway. There was no cover anywhere except for the door leading into the apartment manager's office/room, and Morph would be willing to bet that door was heavily reinforced. He also noted that a few of the lights didn't seem to be actually creating as much light as it should, which probably meant that there was some video cameras in them as well, probably trained on them right now.

So Morph was ready when the door when the two elevator doors opened, and instead of normal elevators there appeared to large Gatling guns of the type that could have been found on a jet fighter. Instantly Morph hardened his body, and Paige swiftly pulled out a shield stone, hurling it forward as she began to rip skin off with the other hand, revealing her metal form underneath.

"I'll never get used to seeing that," Morph said, shaking his head as the shield stone went off. It created a magic shield in front of them for a few moments as the whizzing purr of the cannons began to fire thousands of rounds impacting the shield, the pullets banging off in all directions as the once quiet hallway became a battlefield. It only lasted a few seconds, but that was enough for Morph to be ready, while Paige ducked behind him.

"Compared to some of the weird shit we've seen this is nothing!" said the Kentucky Belle, then she looked up abruptly as something came out of two of the light fixtures above. "Gas!"

Thankfully in her metal form Paige didn't have to breathe, and Morph quickly sucked in a lungful of air, expanding his body and his lungs so that he could go for a few more minutes without it. At the same time one of his hands morphed into a heavy mace, slamming backwards shattering the entrance way out as a signal to the others that they had been blown.

Outside Mystique of course saw that, and scowled angrily. "Fire!" She shouted, and suddenly several of the windows facing her direction came under fire from the shooters. With the defenders thus pinned down, she leaped down from her hiding place, pulling off her sniper scope and switching from single shot to full auto as she raced across the rain drenched road.

At the same time two trucks zoomed down the road, the lights automatically changing the favor them as they came, and she smirked. SAS Special Projects Team, there's no one better. "Shadow Cat, go!"

"Gone," Shadow Cat said having already leaped onto the roof of the target apartment. She hadn't learned how to apparate just yet, but her normal athletic ability was well up to this task.

Mystique beat the two trucks across the road by a few seconds, but by the time she was inside the target building, Morph and Paige had cleared the two Gatling guns and smashed the door to the manager's office down. Paige was pinned there at present, a high grade laser shooting down from the stairwell that led up from the managers apartment up into the rest of the apartment complex.

"Fire in the hole!" shouted a voice behind her, and Mystique ducked out of the way as one of the SAS men came forward, hurling a grenade up into the stairwell before diving into the protective cover besides.

"Good afternoon miss," the person who had tossed the grenade said, his voice muffled by the baklava he wore over his face. All of the SAS men wore them, their features entirely obscured, as was normal on this kind of operation. After all, SAS people were routinely sent against enemies that wouldn't have any particular qualms against targeting their families, friends or even acquaintances for revenge for.

"Captain, assign one troop to each stairwell!" Mystique barked, "Paige, keep going that way Morph, take the other stairwell with troop two. Agent Red, how are things going out there? "

"We've got them bouncing," said the sniper shaking his head internally at his call sign on this mission, and in the background she could hear his gun and several others going off. "SAS troops three and four are en-route. No other responses, though two gun turrets just opened up on the roof. We are moving. No other response from anything nearby."

Mystique smiled a shark's smile. Always nice to work with professionals, especially when they can give you the numbers you lack.

Moving forward, Mystique joined Morph in charging up the stairs, only to run into their first real hurdle. Six massive men, easily taller than Piotr in his Colossus form and even more powerfully built dressed in the traditional yellow and black AIM outfit charged down towards the attackers. On their wrists they had heavy bracers with built blasters which they used immediately, opening fire on the attackers. "For AIM!"

Grenades flew over Mystique and Morph's head as she dragged Morph back down the stairs, lifting him up easily and hopping down from one level to the next, before dropping him and firing up into the stairwell at the defenders while watching the grenades go off. Behind her the SAS men had already taken cover, teams of two firing while the others ducked back into cover, cool and professional.

Behind them, one of their snipers who had been given a laser weapon for this operation set up, firing over his fellow's heads at the first of the bruisers to come down into his range.

The grunts or whatever they were had shaken off the initial assault and moved forward not even noticed the fire from the normal guns, but that one lost his leg to the laser beam, the beam slicing cleanly through at his kneecap and dumping him forward down the staircase. One of the other SAS man took the opportunity to fire on full auto through the AIM soldier's facemask, which eventually shattered under his fire as did the face behind it.

Seeing that, Mystique dropped her rifle and pulled out her plasma handgun, firing up. It too was a laser, one of Jean's toys. Small bolts of plasma impacting some of the AIM bruisers, they had to be the AIM equivalent of the Hellion troopers of the same name, though where they came from she didn't now.

Then she had to stop firing as Morph leaped up into the midst of the bruisers, smashing them aside and hurling them down the stairwell. He had morphed again into full on combat mode, his suit gone, one hand replaced by a mace, the other coming down to a maul like point. This he thrust hard into one bruisers' faceplate mask, pinning him against the far wall as it began to die.

Mystique leaped up, dodging past the two remaining bruisers along with three of the SAS man to take up position on the next level. Kicking the door open she hurling grenades in both directions before following them out firing on full auto as more defenders made their way towards them.

OOOOOOO

The top floor of the apartment had none of the frantic activity of the lower levels, mainly because the three AIM troops or scientists that been there when the attack began were now unconscious. Shock stones would do that to you.

At a computer Shadow Cat sat, her fingers dancing over the keyboard, as she uploaded the virus Sage had created into the system, which connected it to the AIM network worldwide.

They even seem to have their own satellite systems! Well, Harry will deal with those, she thought to herself chuckling evilly. "Sage, Mystique, I'm done."

"Roger that," Sage said back in the Magical Minds headquarters, watching her own computer as the virus began to do its work, highlighting areas of interest on a holographic globe on her desk as she began to follow its progress, smirking as it gave her more and more access to AIM's network. "Good job girl, now get out of there and let the rest of the team do their bit."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Shadow Cat murmured, phasing out up through the roof and dropping down onto the street.

She passed by Nicolai and the SAS shooters who had abandoned their initial position to move in close to join the assault into the apartment complex. All of them gave her a high five as she passed and she grinned back, before trotting down the street, phasing to let the rain pass through her harmlessly.

OOOOOOO

"We had to deal with ten more musclebound types and the SAS people took some injuries," Mystique reported later to both Harry and to Major Trenton, the commander of the SAS Squadron that had been seconded to her command. "But other than that, it went off without a hitch, Sir."

She was on her best behavior here. Trenton was not one of those who had approved of what he thought of as amateurs being given command of this operation, but he couldn't argue with the results and so simply nodded his head, smirking over at Harry. "So, are you going to be in charge of taking all of these other AIM bases down?"

"No, I'm going to pass them on to the locals." Harry responded

The SAS major nodded his head at that. He knew Cold Steel was in the process of discussions with the bigwigs about selling some of its more offensive-capable weapons to the British Army. With those and a few loaned laser weapons the Special Air Service could handle the two other AIM the bases that seemed situated in the United Kingdom with a smile on their face and a song in their hearts.

The rest were a question however. "Ireland will no doubt be very angry to learn that they have four terrorist bases operating within their borders, but the Irish guard will handle those as well, and the Swiss' reaction doesn't bare thinking about. The rest though… Italy? Germany, Greece? France? Poland, Spain? I'll give you that GIGN could probably handle them, if they get the okay from their higher ups to do it, but the others?"

"This is a test," Harry said simply. "I want to see how corrupt the governments are, and how connected the AIM group is to them. If we see the bases haven't even been abandoned, or that the locals don't try to attack them, we'll know because of Sage's little virus."

"I see," the man said grimly then nodded his head. "All in all, an excellent joint operation."

"One of many, I hope," Harry said, raising his teacup to the other man who returned the gesture.

OOOOOOO

The next day however, Harry set aside his concerns over AIM to turn his attention once more to more interesting things, in this case the Althing and the Asgardian mysteries. Getting up quietly, he slipped out of the bed, one hand gently stroking down Ororo's side smiling at his African goddess before heading off to take a quick shower.

She had come in late the evening prior with a few of the kids after giving them a tour of the Savage Land to find him up and waiting for her. A permanent runic doorway between Camelot and the Savage Land was already nearly finished thanks to Kitty and Dr. Druid. Harry would only need to give it a once over before setting it up in the Hall of Doors.

Emma and Jean weren't there. Neither of them had been very interested in the idea of the Althing, or rather Emma hadn't been interested at all, while Jean had initially. But she had joined Reed the evening prior to go over some designs for various ship-based weapons systems and had checked telepathically last night to say she wouldn't be making it. Nowhere near as good as Reed was at designing things from scratch she was excellent at pointing out where designs could be simplified, and was a good go-between for Reed and the scientists of Carol's think-tank who to a man were intimidated by Reed's abilities.

The kids however had been looking forward to going to the Althing since the teachers had mentioned the kids needing an outing away from Camelot. Camelot offered a lot, but it was no real substitute for dealing with strangers, something all of the kids would have to get used to. After all, they couldn't live their entire lives stuck in Camelot or even the Savage Land, and those who had physical mutations could cover them easily enough via image inducer.

Since they had so many teachers to the kids, it had been decided to take them all along. Melody was ecstatic, and it had been she who had decided which Althing they would go to. There were after all several of them going on at the moment scattered across America and even more in Norway.

But they decided to go to one being conducted in Michigan, because she had found a website advertising it and a 'concert the likes which had to be seen to be believed', advertised this entire week . It turned out this particular Althing was such a large gathering it was expected to run for 2 weeks minimum, possibly more depending on how long or contentious the major debates went, or even just how long they decided to keep going. The website stated this was going to be a massive undertaking, the largest in their history.

So Melody had decided on the day when the most bands and singers would be performing. The music loving Melody couldn't pass that up and Harry had no reason to refuse, since he had no way of knowing if one day of the Althing would be better for information gathering purposes than any other. The group might have been open and friendly when he met them outside that country concert, but Harry doubted he'd just be able to waltz into their major debates off the street. But then again, that's what spells were for.

He was also happy to have her along so he could test out a few new spells he'd come up with to allow Melody out and about without being overwhelmed by the different 'songs' her mutant power forced her to perceive in the people and things around her.. The new spells acted to limit the number of 'songs' Melody could see, rather than simply blank them out en masse, it blocked different 'songs' by type. It was a very finite difference, and had taken quite a bit of tweaking in Harry's rare spare time over the past few months, but it was ready now and should allow his daughter to go out into the world with more ease than she could ever hope for previously.

Coming back from his shower, Harry he leaned down, and began kissing Ororo on the lips gently, then down her throat to right between her breasts, his smile growing as she began to stir before coming up to give her a lingering kiss on the lips. "Your turn in the shower love, I'd guess the little monsters'll be in here shortly to wake us up if we're not out of here quick."

His smile turned into a grin as she swatted him playfully. "They're lovely children Harry Potter," Ororo said before reaching up to pull Harry down into a deep kiss before releasing him. "Let them have their fun. All too few of them have come from a life where fun was an everyday occurrence after all."

"True enough," Harry said with a sigh and a sober expression. After all that kind of thing could be said for the two of them and their early lives too as well.

He sat down on a nearby chair, pulling on his trousers before staring shamelessly as Ororo got up from the bed, stretching and cracking her neck lightly before smiling at him and shaking her head. "We don't have time for that," she said with mock censure but she still gave her hips an extra bit of swing as she entered the bathroom, looking back at her man with a saucy smirk on her lips.

Harry sighed, leaning backwards and wondering not for the first or last time how he had gotten so lucky to have the love of such woman, and not just Ororo, but Jean and Emma too. All of them were magnificent beautiful inside and out, and all of them, for some reason were in love with him as he was with them.

Of course, there might be a fourth too, Harry thought, his thoughts turning serious once more, If Lady Hela was sincere about her interest and still intending to follow up on it.

He pulled the communication mirror twinned to the one he had given Hela towards him from where he had set it on the table, activating it once again, his magic senses on high as his fingers remained on the activation runes, feeling the pulse of magic in the device. His mutant power tried to activate too, but Harry kept it at bay.

Nothing. The other mirror isn't responding. There was a brief moment of connection when he could feel the spell reaching out for its counterpart, but the other mirror didn't pick up the signal.

"There could be any number of perfectly logical and understandable reasons that she hasn't contacted us, or can't respond to our attempts to open contact... Aaand I don't believe a word I just said," Harry muttered with a frown, leaning back and looking over at Hedwig, who alighted onto the armrest beside him.

He gently stroked her feathers, smiling slightly at her while inside he didn't feel like smiling at all. "You always know when I need you, don't you girl?"

Hedwig precked complacently, satisfied that her human was properly aware of how much she took care of him. But even though her eyes closed halfway in pleasure from the pampering her gaze remained focused, hard and intent on Harry's face. She too was worried about the masked one, especially after the message those two irritating ravens had passed on before escaping her just rev-justice for the many trials they had put her through. But despite that message, Harry and the others simply had no way of knowing what was going on in Asgard.

Sighing he sat up, conjuring some writing equipment quickly and jotting out a note to Hela, before putting it in an envelope and handing it to Hedwig. Hedwig took the letter with her usual grace, and Harry watched intently as she left her temporary perch, flying around the room as she seemed to orient herself on where she needed to go. Then she slowed down moving back towards her perch and lighting down, her eyes narrowed and feathered fluffed now in irritation. "PRECK!"

"You can't sense her at all?"

"Preck." Hedwig replied, still ruffling her feathers in affronted dignity.

"is it because she's in a different dimension?"

"Preck," Hedwig replied shaking her head in the negative.

"Could you find Balder perhaps, go from wherever he is to wherever Hela is?"

"Gwah," Hedwig shook her head.

Harry got the impression that there was some kind of barrier in the way here that was blocking Hedwig's ability to find her destination, not just a case of the distance being too great. Given Hedwig's unique mode of transportation, even dimensional travel wasn't an issue, so that made sense. "I see… in that case, we need a way to break through that barrier somehow, or force open the connection between the mirrors."

Hedwig bobbed her head once, and Harry's fingers again began to gently caress her feathers as he thought before he conjured up more paper. Hedwig hopped to the back of his chair and Harry began to write out plans for an amplification array that he could use on the mirror to try and force a connection through them. It might be dangerous and burn out the mirrors, but it's definitely necessary at this point. Someone is playing silly buggers here, and I refuse to let Hela be the one getting buggered.

He was almost finished when the alarm he had put on the door alerted him to little people outside, just as the door opened. He frowned at it then looked at Illyana one eyebrow raised as she raced in at the head of several of the other kids. "You undid the lock?"

Skidding to a halt she nodded happily, and he smiled back. "Good, we will start formal instruction next week then."

The lock had been a little test for her, which, after several days of attempting to give them what the adults called their morning attacks, the would-be witch had finally succeeded in passing. She was still a little young to start her magical education in terms of Harry's original dimension, but he didn't care about that. She was ready mentally and physically, that was the only thing that mattered to him.

"Hello father," Melody said skipping out of the group and hopping up into his lap. "Are you ready to go?"

"I take it that means you all have had breakfast?"

The kids nodded, and Harry chuckled, standing up with Melody in his arms giving her a hug before setting her down. "All right, we'll meet you all in the great Hall. Gather the teachers and the other kids, and then we can go."

With Hedwig's help Harry and Ororo had already scouted out an area for them to teleport into, a rather important bit of information as the not so small tent city/dock that had sprung up on the coast of Lake Huron in Michigan was big enough that a careless apparition or teleportation could cause havoc. Within minutes of gathering everyone who wanted to go to the Althing together they were in Michigan, where despite Ororo's smoother means of transportation, a few of the teachers and kids had a negative reaction to this most useful but stomach-turning magic. They took a few moments to get everybody settled and then began to make their way to one of the several entryways into the Althing.

Harry made certain to count heads, and ensure that all of the kids who needed the image inducer had them on, and double checked that everyone's emergency portkeys were powered. Then he nodded at the teachers, handing over control of the cavalcade to them. Ms. Brown took over quickly, laying out the ground rules with a certain air of experience, before clapping her hands. "And remember, have fun and be respectful! That's it."

With that the many of the kids charged forward with sounds akin to the battlecry of a horde to Harry's mind. The adults quickly followed, walking quickly to keep pace with the charging horde, and more than one of the people also making their way to the target entrance looked at them, and shook their heads.

A man shouted out, "A school outing of some kind? We don't normally get those here, most schools don't want to be seen as promoting alternative religions, not ones for children that young at least from what I've seen." The man wore a miniature hammer on a bracelet that suggested that this was a genuine member of the Asatru Kindreds and not a curious seeker.

"Private school," Harry said, waving his hand, amused that the man didn't recognize him despite Harry not having covered himself in a notice-me-not for this. "The kids all did really well on their last state tests, and they picked the Althing as their school trip."

The man laughed and nodded his approval before making his way back to the others of what was apparently his group, many of whom were equally amused by the rampaging youngsters, some even going so far as to cheer them on and call out "They're getting away, don't let them escape," to the adults, who laughed.

It didn't take them too long for Harry and the others to make their way to the closest entrance, while they had appeared a ways away from said, the Althing was large enough there were plenty of entrances around its outer edge. As they approached the gate Harry was actually surprised to see a rather professional looking ticket booth. There was a relatively young woman there with various tickets and the like with two large and fit men by her sides, wearing armbands that had a stylized hammer similar to the one on the bracelet he'd seen a moment ago

I'd wager 5 galleons we just got our first peek at the local security force Harry thought to himself appraisingly, and if I'm not mistaken, those are the tazers Emma and I put into production...that's rather amusing. The tazers in question were set on their belts for easy access, in exactly the way a policeman would wear them. The men acted friendly enough, making eye contact with the various people ahead of Harry's group as they paid their fees and got their proof of entrance, but the 2 men were very clearly keeping a sharp watch.

The ticket maid, who was dressed in period costume which reminded Harry of Dani's description of Sigyn, was overjoyed to see so many children at her booth. "It's always good to see children eager to learn and explore. While I can't give you a discount per head or for scholastics, I can offer these pamphlets with some of the highlights and-Oh, can't forget the maps, we did our best to keep things organized and neat but it's still very easy to get lost if you aren't careful."

One of the guard stepped forward and between the two of them they quickly organizing the large amount of purveying she was about to do.

"Not a problem," Harry said with a chuckle, pulling out his wallet and paying for each of the kids to enter the Althing along with the rest of the teachers and adults who had come with them, Amara, Piotr and Dani and a few other people, including Kitty.

He hadn't actually realized there would be this kind of organization to this Althing. But he figured that the locals could also use this to spark some interest in their beliefs if what he'd been told about their refusal to proselytize had been true, and raise a bit of cash for themselves. He had no problems with either of those, as it showed a certain amount of pragmatism that Harry could relate to, and happily handed over the equivalent of 400 pounds or so in American dollars for all the kids and another 150 for the adults. Each kid eagerly waited in line and went off to the side once they got a ticket, and one of those little wrist bands that proved they'd been cleared along with the small bundle of pamphlets from the helpful security guard.

The guard, a tall, fit man with a russet beard, leaned down and made eye contact with each child in turn as they got their wrist bands. "Make sure to read the rulebook young ones, all the rules and boundaries inside are there for a reason. We did our best to make the Althing safe for everyone but you all need to watch out for yourselves and eachother anyway, ok?"

Once he was sure that all the kids had agreed the guard gave them a broad smile, "Excellent, then be sure to enjoy yourselves and if you have any questions or problems, look for these armbands." He said, gesturing to his fellow's arm.

After that, the rest of the group got their accoutrements and such from the booth and re-gathered off to the side past the booth itself for a last minute huddle. Harry and the other adults once again did a headcount of the kids and Harry cast a quick notice-me-not so they could have some privacy. Once that was done, Harry clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Okay you lot, we've got the whole day to explore this Althing, so let's get those maps out and decide where and when we meet for meal times and when we're about to leave. Remember, if you run into trouble, you all have Portkeys back to the castle although based on first impressions, we might not actually need them."

It didn't take them long to pull out what was a simple and yet clearly detailed map of the widespread area that the Althing had basically claimed for the duration. Several pages were devoted to each section of the Althing, clearly delineating sections that were devoted to one specific focus like music or crafting. While Harry originally thought that it would all be a hodgepodge with various bits mixed in, he had to admit this made a great deal more sense and also reinforced that the organizers for this had put an immense amount of thought into the setup.

They all quickly found the spots that focused on food, which were spread out at conjunctions to the other sections, and held a quick consensus on where to eat. Ironically, the lunch spot was decided to be the 'Gildihǫll' which literally translated to 'feasthall' if one squinted at it. Dinner was at the 'Spakr lax' aka, the 'Quiet Salmon' because Melody liked the name and the other kids quickly agreed. Where they were now was decided on where they'd regather to head home, no sense in confusing the matter after all and as they wrapped that up, Harry could see the younglings were getting impatient with the slow adults, even the kids who had been the most leery about being out like this around normal people.

"Alright, looks like we're all set now. I know you're all eager to get going but remember to pay attention and obey the rules! That being stay safe, be respectful and have a blast..." Harry paused here with an evil grin on his face that made Ororo roll her eyes in exasperation, "Now, my pint sized minions, CHARGE!"

And once more the miniature invasion, in more ways than one, was let loose. Although thanks to the spells Harry had put up, it did startle a few people to have a bunch of extremely energetic children come out of nowhere.

Melody, the little princess and Ororo went in one direction towards the designated 'Bragi's Field' area, the dancing and music center, interested in the music already being played in the background, which they could hear from here over the tumult of the crowd. It sounded almost but not quite Scottish, a high skirling sort of tune played on some kind of string instrument Harry thought. The other kids raced off in different directions as the teachers somehow managed to keep them organized by what they were interested in leading them one way or the other despite Harry's little prank.

Amara decided she wanted to check out the docks, to see if the ships there resembled anything that the stories of the Varangian Guard were said to use. The idea of longboat races also intrigued her in how different they were from the stories of the Greek Galleys her people used to sail in. She 'dragged' Piotr behind her, even though he was more interested in the contests of strength and wrestling going on elsewhere.

Kitty had taken one look at the area devoted to crafting, carving and games and practically squeed. After all the time spent as Harry and Ororo's apprentice she had picked up a passion for crafts and even just simple carving, not even anything related to runes. Plus she recalled Dr. Vorlus mentioning that the Ancient Scandinavians had had their own version of chess that had been around a long time before chess itself had made its way to Europe even if she had been too drunk to remember the name.

Harry was left to his own devices for a moment along with Dani, who had of course been interested in the Althing and had been almost as excited as Melody about coming here. Harry wondered if she was thinking of converting from her own Native American religion to Asatru, and if so what Gods she would choose to follow, but wasn't going to pry.

Dani wasn't thinking that actually, there were enough parallels between her current belief and the Asatru faith it wasn't really necessary in her mind. But she did wish to become even closer with Lady Sigyn, who had impressed her immensely, and thought learning of the faith built around her pantheon was one way of doing it.

Now the younger girl grinned at him, linking her arm with his for a moment giving him a far too innocent smile. "So, does this mean you're my date Mr. Potter?"

"I don't think so luv," Harry said with a grin. "My date card is completely full, and I don't think I'm your type anyway."

"Nope, though your relationship is." Danielle said with a smirk, before adding somewhat more seriously. "Any pointers?"

"Openness and communication is a must," Harry said as they began to meander through the Althing, smiling at the small stalls which were set up here and there and the people in period costume, all of it looking hand crafted, and in a few cases excellently so. A few of them matched Dani's descriptions of Sigyn like the maid at the booth.

Others had possibly the most realistic looking Viking armor Harry had seen. Many others were in more modern outfits but had patterns, images or sayings on them which made it clear that they were just as much a part of the culture on show here as those in costume. None of those ridiculous helmets with huge horns here I see. Harry noted wryly.

A few of the kids had already stopped by a stall near the entrance that was offering to do up their hair in styles similar to what the Ancient Scandinavians were said to have worn, but luckily Anechka wasn't among them. Harry doubted that her hair would react favorably to being toyed with like that, at least not by a complete stranger. Harry did make a mental note that maybe finding a book on the styles could be a good gift for the girl.

He paused, looking down at Dani curiously. "Are you still sore about Piotr deciding he was a one-woman man?" He hadn't thought so, but it was best to make sure, given some of the blow ups he had seen at Hogwarts back in his old dimension.

"No," Dani said firmly, shaking her head quickly. "I'll admit I was extremely interested in joining Piotr and Amara, but their friendship means more to me than my romantic interest in them. But I am well…" She blushed looking away, not wanting to say it aloud.

"Interested in both men and women?" Harry supplied with a nod, his voice low so that the passersby couldn't hear them talk. "You know I'm not going to judge you for that kind of thing."

Harry obviously wasn't bisexual himself, but his ladies all were, though Emma was the only one who had recognized that before meeting the other two women. Ororo had found women attractive but had never acted on it, while Jean had never had feelings like that toward girls until merging with the shard of Phoenix Force she held in her and getting to know Ororo and Emma.

He gave a light 'hrm', as he worked out what questions to ask Dani to help her work this out. "Are you interested in flings, or something serious?"

Dani paused thinking about it as they passed through a series of families, all the kids done up in period costume supplied by one of the other booths they had passed complete with foam weapons for them to flail at each other, with the adults chattering about some local scandal or other. Harry took a moment to notice that most of the adults he could see seemed to be carrying firearms, pistols of course, at their sides.

He had to approve, these people obviously believed in looking after themselves. Some, both stall keepers and Althing goers, had peace bound melee weapons of many different kinds and makes. Axes and swords seemed to be the most common, many having intricate work done on them in what Harry had grown used to thinking of as the "Scandinavian scrollwork."

There'd even been a sign as they entered park Harry and two people looking over other people's guns to make sure that none of the pistols were hot loaded, with a bullet in the breach, and that the magazines were not in the actual gun. As Harry and Dani watched one entrant go through the process, they could overhear that the magazines could be on the person but not in the guns, and everyone also had to have a viable state-issued ID. One person who didn't have their ID had to leave their weapon with the attendants after a brief disagreement and received a receipt of some kind for the person in question to exchange for the weapon when they were able to provide their ID as proof he wasn't carrying illegally.

Harry supposed that was some kind of compromise on firearms safety with what he was gathering was a societal touchstone that all members of their culture/faith be reasonably armed as law allowed, and had to approve both that and the fact that they had them in the first place. One of the things Harry most liked about America was that they had the right to bear arms. After all, criminals would have no qualms about breaking any law against it, and frankly, a lot of mutant powers were lethal, and you couldn't rightly outlaw them.

It didn't hurt that he heard similar conversations around him in the hubbub, most likely started by others seeing the same thing he and Dani had, and one saying Harry heard "A locked door will only keep out an honest man." was a truism that Harry was determined to remember and share when he could.

Harry was already thinking in terms of laws in the future for the Savage Land, which was the first area of his little kingdom. He had started to need to think of himself as a king before this, thanks in no small part to Jean and Hela's conversation in Niflheim, but now he had an actual kingdom if one that was more than a little wild around the edges. His thoughts began to turn to the absent goddess once again, worry drawing over his face-

"I think I'm interested in something permanent." Dani finally said, bringing Harry's attention back to her and away from Hela. "I don't think I'm interested in the normal teenage angst, I had enough of that at the high school I went to before meeting you all. I look at you and your ladies, and that's the kind of thing I want for myself."

"I can understand that of course," Harry said with another nod. "I went through my own dating period. But meeting with Ororo, then Jean and Emma, well they made an honest man out of me I suppose you could say." One after another, bloody hell, if you look at it all together we really did have a very weird courtship didn't we?

"I suppose I could say that Harry yes," said Dani said with a laugh, smacking his arm lightly before nodding at a woman who was selling maple and honey candy, the smell wafting over them and Dani eagerly bought some. Her eagerness got an amused smirk out of the vendor and Dani shrugged sheepishly she stuck it a piece of maple candy in her mouth. "Even so I'd like some advice on, what to do, both before and after starting a poly relationship." Even as she said that however, her and Harry's attention was grabbed by a few visible mutants moving through the crowd.

"I think the mistake that most teenagers make is they equate physical attraction and emotional connection with long-term compatibility. That and the assumption that changes in life and oneself won't affect the relationship. " Harry mused, while he watched the crowd around the trio of young mutants.

Some of the people were looking at the mutants askance, but judging from their clothing these were locals who had come out of curiosity or interest. The actual Asatru didn't seem to bat an eye when the trio, each of them sporting a different sign of some kind of bird-based mutation walked past them.

Smiling Harry turned his full attention back to Dani. "Those are good starting points but you have to ask' can I see myself becoming a better person with this person next to me. Can I see us growing together, or will we grow separately?'"

"That makes sense," Dani mused, sucking on her next piece of candy as she considered what Harry said. "Certainly you and your ladies have all grown and prospered thanks to your relationship."

Harry nodded then he smirked at her. "So~, any other prospects beyond Piotr and Amara?"

"Not just yet," she said, shaking her head. The only one she might have considered was Rahne. But the Scottish were-mutant was still working through the teachings that had been literally beaten into her by the priest who had abused her at her orphanage. She still had issues with Harry's relationship and his magic for goodness sake!

At that point the duo came to a crossroads with rough wooden signs pointing in various directions. Harry and Dani looked at each other before looking at the signposts, which had the destinations in several languages Harry was happy to see, before looking at each other again, "Any ideas Harry?"

Harry hummed to himself as he pulled out his map, flipping through the various 'districts' before settling on a part of the merchant area that sold books and other literature. "I think I'll browse the local bookstalls, see if I can pick up anything more that could help us with the issues we've been having with our otherworldly friends. Plus, I should see what books on fairy tales and other stories they have available."

While Camelot had plenty of books already he wanted to make sure his twins, and wasn't that a thought that still shook his world, had plenty of memories of Harry and their mothers reading to them all kinds of stories. That was the sort of memory he wished he had of his own parents.

Dani nodded. She knew impending father-dom often weighing on Harry's mind more often now, but she didn't pull out the pamphlet that she'd been given and instead decided, "I'll go with you for now."

OOOOOOO

As she made her way down the lane with one hand holding onto Victoria's hand Ororo kept the young princess and Melody close. Illyana had gone off with Ms. Brown quickly, having spotted a stall with some kind of activity she wanted to take part in. But Victoria simply wanted to explore, never having been able to go to a fair like this before, more because of paparazzi than actual security reasons, and Melody wanted to head to the, admittedly giant area devoted to music and music instruments.

It didn't take Ororo long to see how unrestrained a people these Asatru were as a whole. Yes there were many that were content to keep to themselves and their interests, some carving instruments, others simply sitting off to the side and letting the music surround them. But many more were actively engaged in discourse over music and genre and more, some debating band preferences or album hierarchy. But some had a less concentrated focus and were more than willing to debate with each other or outsiders over an immense variety of subjects albeit relatively quietly so as not to disturb those around them.

If they did get overly excited, others around the debaters would ask or tell them to go to the 'meeting halls', and it would either be taken or the debate would quiet down. Those that still refused to 'keep the peace of the Althing', either Kindred members or causal seekers, would be warned once more before security was called. Ororo nodded. Freedom of speech was good, but so was being polite to those around you.

Although she didn't deliberately eavesdrop on the many and sometimes loud conversations around her, after her years in Cairo and beyond had sharpened her awareness. Ororo was amused by the amount of, call it carefree boasting the Asatru were doing. They all seemed to wish to show off their wares with boisterous flair when they were behind the stall, or engaging in contests of boasting and tale telling if they weren't much like the flyting that she had read about at one point. And of course there were several cases of people getting tipsy and letting their good sense get left behind when they took off boasting.

More than once the three of them saw a few obvious mutants moving among both the Althing goers and vendors. Like Harry and Dani, Ororo noticed the Asatru didn't seem to be bothered by any physical mutations or treat those bearing them with the disdain and disgust that made those here for the first time so obvious. They were treated like any 'normal' person was, and if the particular Asatru had an interest in the mutation in question, they'd be polite but still interested in the mutation and its affects. Many of the mutants so questioned or approached were often nervous by the attention, but seemed to settle down.

Pity, had we known that we could have let Sergei and the others go around with their image inducers turned off. It would have done them a lot of good, though I imagine simply watching other mutants be treated so well will have an effect.

That thought was further compounded with Ororo being witness to three different instances when fights almost broke out between a bigoted newcomer and a mutant they were lashing out at. Before Ororo could intervene the nearby vendors and other Asatru moved between them. Once that was done the racist would be taken to task verbally, and in one case physically, for 'breaking the peace of the Althing. The crowd and the security made it known in no uncertain terms that the racist was the one in the wrong, and the mutants were the ones behaving normally.

Needless to say the bigots had not been pleased at this, the last one in particular rabidly demanding that the security volunteers and other Asatru justify how they could consider the 'mutie freaks' anything like 'normal humans' as she was being dragged away, only to get four words that Ororo had learned defined the Asatru faith. "We are our deeds."...

To Ororo sights like this proved everything she'd said to Mystique in that long ago debate. Yes there were bigots and hateful people among humanity's ranks, that was a fact of life…but for every one of them, there were people like who fight against such hate. She felt their gods would be proud of them, once they were themselves freed of whatever geis was holding them.

Her musings were interrupted by hearing a different kind of music than what she had been following previously. While there were string instruments yes, these were of a much different type than what she heard before, lending themselves more to rolling, deep cadences. Ororo and her young charges found themselves by a dancing field that had a band giving a live performance, one called 'wardruna', and with several people either watching the dancers or dancing themselves as the music continued to play.

Victoria and Melody grinned up at her, and Ororo chuckled, holding out her arms. A second later, Ororo allowed the two girls to pull her out onto the field, joining the dance. With more enthusiasm in their case than skill it must be said, but it was all in good fun.

OOOOOOO

Sometime later found Harry and Dani still walking together talking quietly as they took in the sights. The area they were in right now seemed to be an area that focused on not only storytelling, with a few scattered 'skalds' telling tales, but also had spots devoted to question and answer sessions devoted around the Asatru faith and culture. Harry noted dryly that the teachers also seemed able to winnow out those just interested in it because it was 'cool' or because they thought it would allow them to act like thugs as he saw one teenager storm away angrily after being roundly mocked and chastised for his own apparent beliefs.

Beyond that section the two of them began to see different areas devoted to particular discussions, each discussion centered around a well=dug and constructed fire pit. But what really grabbed Harry's attention was the name of Stark. He moved in that direction with Dani following after him curiously.

He could only guess as to how the conversation got started, but from what Harry could gather someone had mentioned Stark's new tech coming out in the civilian computer market and how amazing it was, only to get the response that had gotten Harry's attention, "None of my Kindred or those near us will everbuy anything from Stark again, no amount of gadgetry can make us forget his past deeds."

Harry could easily tell who'd brought up the subject of Tony's new tech. Not only did the man in question look as if his jaw had unhinged in shock he was dressed in clothes that wouldn't look out of place in any office cubicle. He looked somewhat out of place surrounded by men and women in either 'period clothes' or casual clothes.

As Harry stopped within hearing range, a woman with dirty blonde hair and a handgun on her hip spat into the fire. "Nor any in mine, I almost lost my shop thanks to that drunken oath breaker's little 'recall' stopping the shipment I'd already paid for and the pittance that got tossed my way instead of a full refund. If it weren't for my friends chipping in and helping me make last minute purchases to replace the losses, I might've been forced to sell the shop."

Harry frowned at hearing that. He still had issues with Tony's stunt and subsequent dismissal of the issues it'd created, but this was the first time he'd realized that it had harmed the civilian sector as well as the military. I wonder if the good he's done as Iron Man has extirpated the damage he did?

Despite local opinion being against him Salaryman managed to respond. "But-but you heard what happened to him? He did the right thing pulling those weapons and stopping the shipments, maybe you didn't-"

"Maybe I didn't what? Didn't keep a receipt, didn't think about how horrible it is to sell-guns? Do not talk down to me, and as for him doing the right thing, bullshit! The right thing would have been temporarily freezing all shipments and dealing with the leak and issues with his company, which he could have prevented if he'd bothered to be anything more than a drunken idiot and actually run his company. With that done he could have tightened security."

"This would prevent the issues from before, allow him to 'stop making weapon' as he lied about wanting to do, and none of the crap that followed would have happened or leaving our soldiers completely shafted in terms of gear for a time."

"Wait, what lie, Stark didn't lie about not wanting to make weapons anymore! He shut down all his factories like he promised. And what do you mean about soldiers getting 'shafted on gear', aside from the fact we spend too much on the militaryyyyy….."

The man trailed of and Harry and Dani exchanged a grin as the man gulped at the looks Salaryman was getting. Yeah, talk about not understanding your audience mate! Huh, I wonder what Asgardian this guy follows? Is there a god of accountants and namby-pamby liberals?

While no one made a threatening move, it was clear that Salaryman was on very thin ice now. This was shown quickly by a man with a nasty scar on his arm that partially covered a tattoo of a longship. "Leaving aside that bit of idiocy at the end there, what else do you call him not just not making weapons but also stopping the creation of the armor, both flak and tank type he sold the military that kept our soldiers safe? Anything that had been consigned to the military stopped being made and sold for a long while. I talked to some old buddies still in service that work in logistics, and I can tell you that there was a half-year gap when SI didn't make good on any of their contracts thanks to that spoiled child."

The vet shook his head, and Harry frowned, not having realized it had been that bad, becoming very glad he'd decided early on to keep Tony away from his own interests as much as he could. "Stark made a mockery of not only every soldier who risk their lives in service, but those soldiers who died trying to protect him. I am willing to bet cash money that it was Pott's doing that Stark started making all non-weapon material again, and that's another point…even after he sees firsthand what happens when you blow off managing a multi-billion dollar company, he still refuses to do his job and instead spends his time making his new toys to become the so-called Iron Man."

Harry had to raise an eyebrow at the disgust in the man's voice at the mentioning of Tony's hero personae. All the points mentioned before were valid in Harry's eyes and he'd made some of them before. But he was wondering why the Asatru would hate Tony's 'alter ego'.

Despite being outnumbered, Salaryman stood his ground. "Stark was well within his rights to stop all military manufacturing and distribution no matter how much you harp about 'oath breaking' or anything like that. And how dare you try to get mad at him for making the Iron Man suit, he is a hero and a-"

"-A coward and a hypocrite!" the rant was cut off by a sharply spat out denunciation from the woman who'd mentioned her store almost going under. "He gets a bug up his ass because he saw combat and was captured by people using his own companies weapons., Okay, I'll give you that should earn him some empathy and understanding, but instead of solving the problem he decides to arm only himself in that damn suit! It isn't about being a hero or even atoning, it is about Stark not trusting anyone else with his weapons, and wanting to play at being a hero when he could do a lot more by giving weapons to those who could actually use them better! My brother's unit ran into a terrorist cell that had fucking lasers, and because of Stark they had to rely on Hammer Industries crap which promptly stopped working due to overheating in the desert! It's only a miracle, and air support, that my brother made it home!"

"Wow, these people really don't like Mr. Stark do they?" Dani had never met Tony, but she had been brought up to be polite. He was also quite handsome, but given his man whore status she would much rather look from a distance than let him anywhere near her body.

"Hmm, I'm reasonably sure Tony's sincere in his efforts as a hero, but I can't argue he's an arrogant ass sometimes. Emma mentioned a plan of his that made my hackles rise when I heard about it, can't imagine it would go over well here, though I also think I was able to set Steve on that early enough to stop it before it got too far." Harry said, frowning in thought, ignoring Dani twitching at how cavalierly he mentioned being on first name status with Captain America, too busy making a mental note to check up on that in a week or so. Given the scale of things and company bureaucracy that would be enough time to shut the project down and see some results of said via Emma's corporate spies.

Shaking his head, Harry came back to the here and now. "I didn't realize his decision to cut off weapons manufacture had hurt the civilian side of things so much though. Emma's talked about Hammer Industries weapons, but I also didn't think their products were that bad… Damn."

The damn was caused by the group of leaders voting on a boycott of all SE products by all the Asatru. It won't do much to Stark's bottom line, there isn't enough of them for that, but it's another sign these people believe in putting their lives, or in this case livelihood, where their mouths are. Interesting. And let that be a lesson old boy, it's not just their gods who take oaths and agreements seriously. Thank god I still have my own copy of the trade agreement!

About fifteen minutes later it was Dani's turn to spot something interesting. Nudging Harry hard, she gestured with her chin. "Look over there."

Harry did so, and his eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Along one area at the far right of the moot-pits as Harry had begun to call them was a series of interconnected discussions between some of the most belligerent and angry locals they had yet seen. Covering them both with a subtle Notice-Me-Not, Harry led the way over, stopping as the words of the discussion reached them.

"…and if the so-called Friends of Humanity think they can use religion to back up their xenophobic actions, I say we can do the same to treat them just as the murderers should be!"

"Okay, now that sounds promising." Harry mused.

"We are truly among friends here." Dani laughed lightly, her eyes glittering evilly at the mention of the Friends of Humanity, a hardness matched by the look in Harry's own emerald gaze.

The pair stayed silent, listening in on what amounted to a sort of war council pitting the Asatru against the Friends of Humanity. There were a few other local groups represented by one or two scattered members here, a Veterans association, a few policemen here unofficially, and several priests, who looked rather uncomfortable and out of place but game for all of that. They also looked just as angry at the FoH as the rest, incensed that the group had now totally cloaked its actions in the guise of religion. There was even a single young rabbi, who remained silent and watching for most of the proceedings along with his wife.

One of the main speakers was a man who Harry vaguely recognized, whispering to Dani that the man had been among the gawkers which had gathered after the attack on Kitty's family and the death of their neighbor Thomas.

"But at least 'Pastor Jones' was jailed for his part in that attack." The man said, shaking his head after talking about what had happened in the attack from his perspective. "There hasn't even been any arrests made in several attacks. The worse was…"

The man shuddered and Dani and Harry exchanged a grim glance. "The boy in Idaho," Dani murmured. "The one who's murder was recorded and later televised a few months back. Whoever orchestrated that has a lot to answer for."

Harry nodded grimly. "That's not the only death the FoH has caused, but it was the only one recorded like that."

"We can't do anything about hunting down the FoH after the fact." Said an old woman who looked as if she could have been Rosie the Riveter. "What we can do is prepare to defend any mutants that live in our communities or nearby."

"There is a motion in various states to demand the FoH, must open its membership books to state scrutiny but since they have sited freedom of religion it's doubtful it will go anywhere. But we can arrange for neighborhood watches, can we not?"

"Has Sir Dennis mentioned anything coming out of the Vatican?" Dani asked absently staring between the Roman Catholic priest and the Godhi, their Asatru semi-equivalents Vorlus had once mentioned.

"According to a message Steven passed on from a few old friends, Buddhism is behind equality now one hundred percent almost, except for a few groups who are more… nihilistic than Buddhist, very odd, let's not talk about them right now. Seriously, it made my head hurt when Strange and I talked about them." Harry said dryly, shaking his head. "The Vatican is still talking about the issue of gay marriage more than the mutant question. But Dennis has no sources within the church, so we're sort of blind there."

"Greeaaat…" Dani drawled, before turning her attention to the discussion, which had just become quite a bit more bloodthirsty. These people were itching to take the fight to the FoH, and only the police reps and their Godhis were keeping it under control. Their points that they couldn't take the laws into their own hands and act against the FoH first was not well received, but the bloodthirsty atmosphere calmed down somewhat.

"Yet even if we can't start anything, my associate Mr. Kincaid is right. The FoH's so-called 'legitimacy' comes from the fact that most who disagree with them aren't willing to do so verbally in their face. The size of the group and their violent tendencies scares people, it's as simple as that." one of the Godhi said calmly, but one of his hands had fallen to a remarkably evil-looking dagger at his waist. "By standing up to them wherever they rally or attempt to attack a helpless mutant we can show them that their opinions are in the minority and a hate-mongering minority will never make policy for America."

"No, instead it will be another sort of minority making policy." Quipped one of the other visible Catholics.

"Was that directed at our hosts or me?" The rabbi replied quickly, laughing. "Please don't anyone bring up the whole Zionist conspiracy theory right now."

That won a round of laughter while Dani and Harry looked at one another, shrugging incomprehension. "Never heard of it, must be one of those crackpot theory things." Dani said, while Harry concentrated on watching the crowd.

Despite the general attitude Harry noticed there were a few who were not entirely enthused by the idea of fighting for mutants. More than one man or woman sitting slightly apart from the others asked if this was a fight they should be involved in. They also looked askance at the non-Asatru speakers.

The two Custodes remained silent, watching for a time as this smaller group began a shouting match with the proponents of fighting for mutants. "Reminds me of a clip Dennis made me watch from the Ami C-Span channel, only with far more colorful speeches and speakers." Harry said after a few moments of this, moving through the crowd with Dani moving behind him.

He stopped, hearing a phrase he hadn't heard before from a young man who was simply listening in on the rest of the discussion. "Freaking nazitru," the youth said, practically spitting as he spoke for the first time since Harry and Dani arrived, glaring at a few of his counterparts sitting around the naysayers.

"Nazitru? Like, Nazi Asatru?" Harry asked, looking back at Dani. "Vorlus never mentioned such a group to me, at least not from what I can remember."

Dani shrugged. "I guess there will always be naysayers in any group, and I think I remember that the Nazi's were heavily interested in the supernatural, maybe there was some crossover inculcation back in WW2."

"Hmmm… and what would be the likelihood of this group getting in touch with the FoH?" Harry mused, thinking hard about that. "Dennis doesn't have anyone on the inside of that group, so even on the off-chance…" Harry trialed off, and began to cast tiny tracking spells at the people speaking for the dissenters, just in case. The spells would only last a few weeks, but it would turn out to be a good idea later on.

As he was finishing, Dani nudged Harry hard in the ribs gesturing to where a man had stood up to confront the group Harry had been tagging. Obediently Harry stopped to listen, only to smile once more. The man's words were rather Victorian era, but that didn't take away from the impact of them.

"For years we have searched for the lost mysteries, for any sign that our gods still existed beyond our own faith, that our magics and ways still had validity! And when that finally comes to past, when vindication is apparent in the world around us, when great and fell deeds abound you would council us to do nothing? This is the chance we and those before us have longed for, a cause worth fighting for, and I am not just talking about the mutant question, but the grater threats out there! Rembert the lights in the sky, remember the alien robot that attacked down in Florida! If we are to call ourselves ASATRU! We honor those before us and the gods of old, even if we are not fighters or beholding to the Aesir for fultruii we can still make a difference, we can still stand tall and make ourselves heard. Else how can we think of ourselves as anything other than a people of shame and false words?"

As the scattered guests clapped politely watching as Harry and Dani were the vast majority of the listeners cheered and shouted agreement. "That attack by the Kree was seen by civilian telescopes?" Dani asked in shock, looking at Harry.

"I hadn't actually considered that," Harry admitted. "I knew SHIELD had released a statement that it was a natural phenomenon, and I agreed with it at the time since too many sheeple might have panicked at the attack and the fact their governments had no way of protecting them. I knew we saw an influx of people coming into our hiring offices, especially down in Kentucky after that, but I hadn't made the connection between the two facts. Still, this does give me another idea for the long term…"

He smirked lightly as the 'nazitru' muttered to themselves before leaving, each of them magically tagged now, and Dani shook her head mock-reprovingly. "Normally I'd be against the idea of tagging your prey like that before hunting them, but in this case I think an exception can be made."

"Heh, hold that thought Dani." With that Harry slowly removed the spell covering the two of them, making it as if the two had simply been in the background of the crowd the whole time. Harry moved forward, pulling out a few cards as he made his way toward one of the Godhis who had been most outspoken and listened to.

A few moments later he walked back to Dani, whose eyes had lit up with approval at what he had just done: given the man several dozen cards with a few phone numbers on it to Cold Steel. "That fifth column idea you've mentioned a time or two when talking about an invasion?"

"There's no reason that kind of thing can't be used in other circumstances." Harry replied in a butter would not melt in his mouth tone. Then his smile turned into a mix of Marauder mischief and pure evil. "Besides, the idea of a FoH attack running into a group armed with Cold Steel weapons warms the cockles of my heart. Now, let's go meet the others for lunch."

Dani soon found herself surrounded by a few of the kids, eagerly asking for tips about archery, having signed up for a competition in said for their age group later that day. She tried to answer their questions between sips of cinnamon mead and bites of fried chicken, while Ororo and Harry listened to a few of the other kids, with Melody and Victoria sitting on their laps. The British princess wore a new necklace, which she had apparently won in a dancing competition, and Melody was sporting a few clip on earrings won in a singing competition. The sight of Harry making sure they were indeed clip on had been an amusing one for the Cheyenne girl.

Amara, Piotr and Illyana were nowhere in sight. They had gone boating and would be having a meal out on the boat just the three of them.

When Ms. Brown and the adults took the kids off to get some of the rather excellent deserts being served elsewhere in the 'Gildihǫll' Harry turned to Dani, Kitty and Ororo, covering the quartet in a Muffilatio. "Alright, so, thoughts, impressions?"

Ororo gestured to Dani to speak first, gathering her own thoughts. Dani shook her head. "We've been getting an excellent bit of information about the people here, but I don't think we've run into anything stunning or important in terms of the Asgardians and whatever geis they are under. I think we need to go back to the moot-pits and look for any discussions going on about Thor. That could give us a clue or something anyway."

"The books and pamphlets on their religion were interesting but not ground breaking except I was able to confirm they had no knowledge of real runes Teach," Kitty said glumly. "Their crafts are amazing, and some of the children's books mentioned magical items and such like of course, but what few runes were shown were nothing, just scribbles."

"I realized that going in Kitty, no worries. And I agree, the original reason we were here doesn't seem to be panning out. It's been fun, and I have really enjoyed seeing this 'small' minority willing to almost en-masse stand up for mutant rights and defense. It's even opened a few doors long term. But the Asatru seem to be as in the dark about what happened to their gods as we were in the beginning. Their beliefs will make it easier to sift fact from illusion later, but that seems to be all."

Ororo spoke up then slowly, still thinking through her words. "I think there is actually a bit more here than that. I like the fact the Asatru believe in the phrase 'we are our deeds', but I think the important part here is belief. None of you are religious." She stated, looking at Harry then Kitty and Dani, who nodded agreement. "I however am. There is something here, some kind of… potentiality, which seems to be growing in the Asatru. It isn't magical, but it reminds me of the feeling you described about the Vatican Harry, except more muted. Like it was behind a closed door, or perhaps a dam. I felt it when I was dancing with the girls."

"I…" Dani paused, then nodded. "There is something like that in the air here. I thought it was just me, but it feels…like there was a storm on the horizon, you can feel it on your skin. I'm sorry I can't describe it any better than Ororo can."

"The power of faith isn't an area I've researched, wizards in my past dimension believed in ancestor worship, specifically worshipping Merlin in the UK. I know there is faith-based magics, and I can see runes being used in conjunction with it, like Blessings." Harry mused, nodding his head. "And if I was whoever is controlling the Asgardians I would try to separate them from their remaining worshippers as much as possible."

He chuckled dryly. "I'd be willing to bet they, whoever they are, never supposed the Asatru faith would still be around given how hard they tried to stamp the real thing out with the Christian missionaries. Still, that's for later. I vote we make one pass through the moot-pits Dani, then I think we can call it a day for the serious topics." He grinned suddenly, watching his daughter and the other kids making their way back to them. "After all I want to have some fun here too."

Dani chuckled and the meal continued for a few moments before they all split apart once more. It took Dani and Harry a few hours to get back to the moot-pits and when they did, they found most of them had already been lit for evening tide. The smell of meat burning on the spits over the fire reminded Dani of hunting trips with her grandfather, but she and Harry concentrated on sifting through the discussions going on around them for anything to do with Thor. Eventually they found one.

Around a single long fire pit sat several men and women. All of those present for this discussion looked serious and intense, and Harry and Dani noted that most of them also looked visibly older than most of the revelers even from the other Godhi they had seen.

Looking at them and the lack of onlookers, Harry frowned, and decided to cover the two of them with a Notice-Me-Not spell for a moment. This looked like a debate, and outsiders might not be welcome.

Dani however held up a hand when he was about to cast a spell. She too was hesitant to intrude but didn't want to just listen in without their knowing, thinking it rude to their hosts. She stepped forward hesitantly, bowing from the waist and one of the elders, a man with a long beard and craggy features wearing a period costume gestured to her to sit down next to his with a smile. She did so and the elder whispered softly to her in order to not disturb the discussion already going on. "True interest will not be turned away miss. Simply be respectful, and all will be well."

She nodded and looked back to find that Harry had disappeared under his Disillusion, only the feel of his hand on her shoulder telling Dani he was still there. Ass, putting me on point like this. Then again, I suppose I'm the one more interested in the Faith for its own sake, so it makes sense.

One man was talking now as the others listened intently. He seemed a bit younger than most of the others, but he had a United States Marine Corps tattoo on the forearm of one arm, and some kind of symbol on the other. Harry took a moment to decipher that it looked like a hammer, but it was so badly messed up by a series of scars he couldn't tell more than that.

"I subtly tried to mention his wife, and I literally saw no recollection in his eyes even though I spoke the name Sif a moment later and he knew and was friendly with a person by that name whose description mostly matches the old tales." The man was saying as Dani turned her attention back to the discussion. "I dropped the names of his children as well, claimed I had named one of my own kids Magni, asked his advice on if I should try to convince the wife that he should follow me into the Marines you know? Didn't see a single sign he knew the names.

The man frowned, then spoke up somewhat more hesitantly. "He was complaining about headaches the entire time too, I've never heard tales of Þór complaining of something like that. Whenever I mentioned anything from the old tales about his life or family the headaches appeared as if he was running into a wall mentally."

Harry's eyes narrowed from where he was listening in now, nodding down toward Dani, who found she could now see him, whereas no one else was reacting to his sudden presence. "Just like Lady Hela," she whispered, her lips barely moving.

Harry nodded, making no comment on the 'lady' part there, after all Hela certainly was a Lady, just like Emma and Ororo. "It's proof Thor is probably suffering under the same kind of control, as Hela, but we still don't know who is behind it!"

Or how, which is even more worrisome given how powerful the Asgardians are. This proves that there is something actively blocking them from being as they should be, or forcing them to stay in a mold that whoever is doing this devised. Harry will definitely want to hear about this.

"We talked a while about duty, about stories he could pass on to his Fultruii, and he had a few stories to share that I can definitely say match with details of his legends, most of them fact for fact," the man was saying. "But again, about his own family he knew nothing. And for some reason, he called the Trickster his brother rather than uncle and spoke about a falling out occurring because Loki found out he was an ice giant of all things. Note he didn't say Jotun which would have been odd if still within reason, no he was very specific about how Loki was apparently a true ice giant that had been adopted by Odin after a war…anyone else here find that particularly strange? Oh and neither Loki nor Odin seem able to change their shape or form, and I was laughed at albeit without malice for suggesting the idea."

Heads around the fire pit nodded in agreement, and Dani found herself among them. Sigyn was quite clear about how her husband had been a Fire Giant with the ability to change his shape, a skill Odin shared with him and that they'd sworn themselves as brothers by blood long before she and he had been wed.

Even Harry knew that was simply wrong judging by what Vorlus had told him about Loki. This is so divorced from what we know is true. So, his wife split, her body stolen, her soul hidden away from whoever is behind this, and Loki's most significant powers stripped from him. Someone really feared the Trickster didn't they?

As Harry and Dani watched the man shook his head, visibly distraught in a way, which Harry somehow knew was foreign to a man like him. "I don't understand it. The more time I spent with him, the more I became convinced that, his yellow hair and strange mode of speech aside, which let me tell you even Shakespeare would have told him to tone down, that this was Þór! He has this presence, it's, I don't even know the words for it."

A woman from across the fire spoke up. "It was uplifting is what it was, it was like being around him empowered you, as if you could take on any challenge and win. I thought at first it was simply that he was charismatic, or perhaps we were being blinded by his legend, but it wasn't anything like that. If anything, Þór isn't what you'd consider to be classically charismatic in person. He's not self-effacing of course," she smirked as she said the words, and more than one man or women around her laughed while Dani held back a giggle, having heard many a flyting that day and knowing how justified pride in self was important in this culture. "But when you use the term charisma, you automatically think of someone who would be willing to step up and lead, who could incite you to follow him with words along. Þór wasn't like that."

"He would lead by example rather than making decisions for others or expecting them to follow him," said another man thoughtfully. "Is that what you mean? Someone who would charge the enemy rather than tell everyone okay we're going to charge. He would simply charge and assume everyone would go along with it. And if not, say screw it I'm charging anyway. I do recall that was something the old tales tended to agree on, else why would you go fishing for your greatest foe in a rowboat?"

The woman seemed to think about that for a moment, her head bobbing from side to side as she thought then nodded slowly. "Yes I suppose so something like that anyway. I'm not trying to say he had some kind of air of divinity or something like Christian Angels are supposed to have, but there was some kind of power coming from him that when he was gone you could feel you the absence of it."

Murmurs of agreement reached her as people began taking slices of the roast and eating it, creating an impromptu break for thought, Dan shook her head when offered, but quickly stood up, taking the part of server as the youngest person there. "They're as confused as I was when I met the Lady Sigyn," Dani murmured, again her lips barely moving as Harry moved with her for a moment before stopping moving away, having modified the spells covering him for a moment. "Glad I'm not the only one."

"You didn't report any feeling of that nature, or did you…" Harry mused, then nodded as he considered, "The feeling of power yes? It was much more discernable in your first meeting when she got angry than later on when she was happy."

Dani nodded then looked at him somewhat askance. Hela had the same kind of thing. Though I suppose you might not have noticed since you kind of have the same sort of aura about you my jarlshe thought sardonically.

However she was pulled from her reverie by the conversation starting up again attention back to the debate. "We were in town for one of the battles against that escaped creature, the one the media called the Grey Hulk. He fought the way I would assume Þór would fight, though admittedly not as powerfully a berserker of old should have."

Harry had heard about that after the battle had finished and nodded as Dani frowned, not having heard about it. Apparently someone connected to the defunct Hulk Busters had tried to recreate the same experiment that had resulted in the Abomination, but with a few differences. The Grey Hulk kept much of his intelligence, but lost any kind of moral inhibitions and had tried to take over the city by simply taking the local city hall hostage. Thor had stopped him in a battle that had raged for a few hours before he slew the ex-soldier.

This sparked a brief discussion about Banner's history and how this latest debacle completely discredited Thunderbolt Ross. That was sad given how he had been a war hero, but no one could argue with the fact he was culpable both for the original Hulk's creation and the monsters which had come after.

"His weapon, what about Þór's hammer?" asked one man who had not joined in the previous tangent. "We still have to decide whether or not this Thor is the real Þór, or an, an alien construct of some kind. We've all heard that Potter fellow and the Fantastic Four warning everyone that there are alien threats, and there was that robot that attacked Florida. Could this be one of them?"

Dani raised an eyebrow at that. She'd not expected to see bits of Harry's first public statement so long after the fact. She and Harry exchanged a glance, wondering how the world seemed to work sometimes, but said nothing as they continued to listen.

"For my part I believe he is the real Þór, though if there is something wrong with him or our histories are wrong is a question, albeit one I'm inclined to think is more the former with how he was genuinely reacting if not recalling the bits of the histories I mentioned to him. And his weapon is a sticking point for me as well." The former marine replied musingly. "All the tales told about that, not just a few of them, say that Mjöllnir should be made of stone, and I have to admit to being concerned. The handle was much too long for how the story of its creation said it should be, also It doesn't look like a warhammer, even a short one, it looks like a…movie hammer, all flash and sharp edges and shine, like what you'd get if you asked a Hollywood prop maker to create Mjolnir. But I think he is the real Thor. Does that mean we should follow him? That I don't know. Nor will he be around for much longer."

"What do you mean?" asked one of the others sharply, as everyone present became intensely focused on the marine veteran's words.

"According to the 'man' himself, Lord Odin has ordered him home on pain of permanent banishment. He didn't want to leave his mortal lover…" the man paused as more than one of the women there growled or shook their heads, before moving on. "But apparently tensions are rising between Asgard and some of the other realms there. He mentioned dark elves, which is rather odd rather than the Dökkálfar, and one he called Malekith the Accursed in particular."

There were some mutters about that and the man went on slowly. "By this point he's probably already left."

"Shit," Harry said bluntly, unheard by any save Dani.

Dani frowned, her hands clenching unclenching at her side. "They recalled him, whoever they are. Whoever is behind this is getting worried. Worried about him slowly breaking whatever power is over him?"

"Probably, remember Hela seemed almost able to break from it when we were talking to her in Thor's hall." Harry said shaking his head. "We need to figure out a way to get there, the Asgardians are definitely under some kind of external control, even their king, this act is a sign of that for certain."

And isn't that a fucking frightening thought. Everything Vorlus told me or I've learned about Odin tells me he's an entirely different kettle of fish than most pantheon heads. He is not there just because he's strongest, but because he's damn sneaky. But if those ravens Hedwig tangled with are the best he can manage, that's a level of mental dominance and power I've never seen before. Not Mephisto, not any mortal enemy, maybe even on the level of those Celestials.

Okay so Build on that idea, Potter. I bet that Hela could deal with any physical threat, particularly in her own hall, but what about her mental defenses?

Assume they are almost entirely astral beings then. Or… could it be something in their blood? Blood based mental control? Darkest of evil magics that, but also hard to break and fucking painful to do at all from what little I know about them. Makes Voldemort's little tattoo-work look like a child's toy. Harry grimly thought to himself, turning his attention entirely away from the debate which had turned to the mutant question, and whether or not Thor mentioned anything about that.

Dani however continued to listen in as the conversation went on. To her delight, it turned out that the 'Blonde Thor' had indeed mentioned mutants, and likened them to blood gifts, a conclusion which many of the Kindreds had already reached and which made them respect mutants rather than revile them. Others saw sit as just a formal naming of something they'd already accepted, but that a seeming of one of their greatest gods supported this outlook was a boost that many around the fire pit were grinning in a bloodthirsty manner about. They made it clear that this was the nail in the head of the efforts of the Nazitru, who apparently considered this Thor to be as he was meant to be, and had hoped to use his words to turn the Asatru into just another branch of the FoH. That just wasn't going to happen now, a fact Dani was profusely grateful for.

As she listened, the conversation then turned to the various efforts by the FoH to either go after mutants in the areas the gathered Kindreds lived in or to pressure others into supporting them or their actions. There was also discussion about the subtle and not-so-subtle disdain mutants faced even without the FoH getting involved.

One of the leaders spoke out, standing up and looking around at the others. "There is a young mutant in my family," he said simply, "a nephew of mine. He is a young boy, a scrawny sort who has a good head for math. Not exactly a contact sport sort of person, which, since most of you know him, I don't have to tell you was a disappointment to my brother."

There were some laughter at that, but it went over Dani's head obviously as well as a couple of others though they still laughed, evidently knowing the type.

"When puberty hit, which I understand is the normal time for mutations to appear, he developed a massive increase in his sense of smell and taste. His tongue also enlarged for some reason, and because of that he has started to be ostracized at school and in public." The man clenched his fists briefly in anger before continuing, "Just because of that, a random event he could not control. Now you tell me, is that right? Should someone like that be treated like a freak for something outside of their control? For something that is no danger to anyone else? When you look at the mutant, whatever their

mutation, remember they have to live with it, and not all of them are super-strong or powerful or can send use energy blasts from their eyes like those X-Men from the news over in Asia can. Remember they're people, and labelling groups only takes away your ability to remember they are all individuals."

For a moment the rest of the people around the fire pit fell silent, taking that in and nodding slowly or frowning. Then one of the women spoke up, smirking slightly. "So the boy's got an extra-long tongue? Don't worry, his being unpopular won't last long once that gets around to the girls and they realize what that might mean."

Dani blushed slightly as ribald laughter when up all around, then looked at Harry, who smirked down at her. "I think we've heard enough here." Dani however waved him off, remaining sitting and listening.

Harry nodded and moved off still unseen, listening to snippets of conversation, homing in on any talks about the Asgardians in general terms, and their feelings about Thor in particular not really getting any new information unfortunately. Vorlus had been a source of general information already, even if he hadn't figured out anything about that belt they'd found. But this did give him insight about some of the better known tales, and in particular how important Thor was among the Asatru which would be important later on. He also 'tagged' several other nazitru as he went, just in case.

Dani for her part got up during another lull, thanked everyone for letting her listen to the discussion and quickly moved towards where she saw an archery competition beginning, or rather continuing, since it apparently went on every hour. It and other events like axe throwing were very near the Moots and debates so it wasn't that long a trip and would make for a good shortcut to catching up to the others for dinner.

She stumbled to one side however as an ancient-looking man bumped into her, knocking him to his rear as she stumbled sideways. "I'm sorry grandfather," she said quickly, addressing him as she would a Native American of the same age, turning and taking his hand pulling him to his feet and helping him pick up his staff. His hands were pocked with age but he was a solid sort of fellow, not the skin and bones Dani had thought he would be under that cloak of his.

"It's quite all right child. It was partially my fault for not looking where I was going. I don't suppose you could help an old man like me over to the chairs over there?" he asked gesturing to where several chairs had been set so people could watch the archery competition.

"Of course grandfather," Dani replied politely, talking his hand in one of her own and moving in that direction. Taking in his appearance once more she laughed. "I like your costume sir, though the eyepatch doesn't seem to match, and I didn't think that Gandalf the Gray was part of the Asatru culture."

"The eyepatch is the only part that isn't a costume. An old war wound, but such things give the survivors wisdom. As for my costume, where do you think Tolkien got the idea for Gandalf?" The old man asked archly. "Honestly we should probably ask for royalties."

Dani laughed lightly at the jab at Tolkien's having been massively influenced by Norse tales and legends which was something Jean had noticed quickly after meeting Hela and looking at the books again. The elderly man chuckled, patting her hand companionably. "But come child, you are of the Native American peoples, yours is the faith of totems of various animal gods and great spirits. What are you doing here?"

"Oh just on my own journey for wisdom grandfather."

"A sensible woman then." the man said approvingly, to which Dani laughed again and the two moved around the archery section towards the chairs, talking quietly. Dani expressed interest in some aspects of the culture, and the old man answered her questions quickly, showing a knowledge that Dani would've expected from one of those involved in the earlier debate.

But he hadn't been among them. This old man was far too striking for her to have missed, especially in his costume, which was really incredible matching what she had always imagined in her youth Gandalf would look like. Well minus the eyepatch of course. Something about that eyepatch was nudging at her memory, some little tidbit someone had passed on to her, but she must not have been paying attention at the time.

She put it out of her mind, simply enjoying the conversation for now, helping the man along and letting him guide her instead to a darts competition set up to one side of the archery competition. When he tried his luck he didn't win anything, and frowned irritably. "What were you trying to win sir?"

"You see that giant bear? It was a gift for my wife to apologize for wandering off without her."

"Really?" Dani shrugged as he nodded to the affirmative. Old people often had strange hobbies, and collecting stuffed animals was a relatively harmless one. "Then I'll win it for you grandfather, just wait a moment."

The old man chuckled watching her with his single gimlet eye as she easily scored the twelve points needed to get the large stuffed animal. From there they walked quickly towards the benches the old man had indicated earlier, where Dani helped him into a chair, drawing smiles of approval from those around them, some of whom moved out of the way to allow the elderly gentleman to sit down. "Here Old One," said one man, standing up and moving aside as a woman curtsied slightly to the ancient man moving aside as well. Something about the amount of respect he seemed to garner also struck Dani as odd, but her concern faded immediately before she could grab onto it just as her thoughts on the eyepatch had.

The man smiled at them both, and sat down, setting the giant bear at his feet and fishing into his robe for a moment. "Here, a gift for a gift young one."

Dani held up her hand about to refuse, but the old man took her hand and held it palm up pressing the gift into it quickly. "A gift for a gift," he said firmly.

Dani stared into his one eye then slowly nodded. "I've heard it said one should not turn down gifts given like such, so I will simply thank you."

The man took the bear up again, and smiled broadly at her. "And thus the trade is completed," he said chuckling.

"Now go win your archery contest young Huntress, and when you can, give my regards to your young jarl."

Dani nodded, turning away and was out of the sitting area and in the crowd beyond before she paused thinking if she had ever mentioned actually being a hunter to the old man when they were walking around. I must have, right?

Waiting her turn to sign up for the next archery contest, Dani pulled out the medallion she had just been given. A second later just as she was about to put it away and take her turn on the lists, whatever power had been working on her mind faded. She turned quickly, staring into the sitting area to find the old man gone.

Riiiight… I am definitely going to share all of that with Harry the moment I can. She then looked down at the medallion again. It was an old looking circle, of greened bronze around a central stone of some kind. The outer circle had an intricate design of a snake eating its own tail, while the interior was of a mountain, or possibly a tree, the edges were so blurry it was tough to tell. Odd, I didn't think that the Vikings had had ouroboros in their mythology… hmm…

Unseen by any, the old man walked away from the Althing, disappearing to mortal eyes for now.

OOOOOOO

While Harry and Dani wandered for knowledge, Ororo had already moved on to wandering for fun, taking Melody, Victoria and a few of the others directly over to where a series of concerts were going on. Ororo found it interesting to listen to the various types of music, though she kept the children away from the areas which seemed to have become designated mosh pits. Ororo had never understood the allure of those. Their enjoyment was helped by the many pamphlets available by the concert venues that translated the various songs into different languages thanks to the extremely widespread attendance of the Althing.

A Dutch band called Heidevolk was very popular and its music style, while being what she would term as heavy rock or metal, was also distinct enough in its Asatru identity and style. It had a more primal feel than a lot of modern bands and the songs they played either focused on the Germanic tribe the Dutch were descended from, called the Batavi, and their struggle against the Romans. Others were songs like 'Nehelenia' which honored a goddess of travel and safe passage for explorers and traders of that people which Ororo greatly enjoyed.

Tyr was another band, named after one of the Aesir, but Ororo felt they sounded rather bland, while next to her Melody wrinkled her nose at them, shaking her head. "They think music is work, that's so sad!" Indeed, while the band was decent, its songs felt a touch rote and the band's impression of doing it as a job as Melody said affected the music.

Amon Amarth was a band that left Ororo with conflicting impressions considering their material. They seemed to be the musical voice for the portion of the Asatru which wanted to hunt down the FoH, and their songs were the most violent sounding, which Ororo didn't like. But considering who they directed their songs towards Ororo was willing to let the children listen.

For his part after leaving the moot-pit area Harry had quickly found a few of the kids, who had begun to tug him along on their play. He watched some of the kids enter the young children version of the archery competition that Dani had joined and crushed the competition in. Darts was a particular pastime of a few, while wrestling had drawn several of the boys. James and Ivan, the Russian boy with lizard-like skin, seemed to like that the most.

He stopped and chuckled lightly as he saw Illyana at another station, learning or possibly teaching embroidery judging from the exclamations of a few older matronly types who were running the stall. Nearby Ms. Brown was sucking on one of her fingers in irritation and a few of the other girls were following their directions diligently, embroidering little flowers and in one case a multicolored longship onto small handkerchiefs.

He exchanged nods with Mark Tuborn who was watching over the wrestling with a concerned eye along with two other men both of whom were wearing referees stripes before moving on. Soon after that he found Melody and Ororo among the music stalls, the young girl almost vibrating in place as her head moved with the music and Ororo talked quietly with a few women, as boys and girls of all ages raced around them, with Victoria having joined in a spirited game of tag.

"Father!" Melody said, seeing him coming through the crowd and racing towards him.

Harry laughed, reaching down and scooping her into a hug, before moving over to link an arm with Ororo. He kissed her cheek, and whispered, "Found some information, not a lot of new information, but definitely enough to make me understand the scope of what we might be dealing with."

"That's nice," Ororo said smiling politely for the listeners, leaning her white-haired head against his shoulder, looking up at Melody kissing her on the forehead before kissing him on the cheek. "However, the concert is going to start in a few moments. Perhaps we should round up the kids?

"Probably a good idea," Harry said, then switched his hold on Melody, perching her up on his shoulders before nodding to the women Ororo had been talking to. They all smiled at the young couple with their adopted daughter, after all, she certainly didn't resemble either of them, watching as they moved off.

Dani found Harry and Ororo like that, and quickly began to help them gather up the kids explaining at the same time what had happened.

"The wanderer is an aspect of Odin," Harry said grimly, their conversation once again behind a modified Notice-Me-Not, exchanging a grim glance with Ororo. For Odin to set something up like that meant something really bad might have happened.

"That sounds quite a bit like some kind of simulacrum up or one-shot golem, or it would if Odin was human. What a god could come up with that's similar I don't know. Interesting, and doubly interesting that he found you, rather than look for me. Maybe he was afraid that I would ask too many questions which it couldn't answer, or maybe he's trying to play on my curiosity, rather than appealing directly for aid? Regardless, I'm going to analyze that medallion he gave to you as a fare thee well Dani."

"You think he's a threat?" Dani asked, clutching the medallion. It was old but the workmanship on it was incredible, and frankly, she'd like to keep it.

"Doubt it, but Odin's a king. What he wants for his people might not be what I want for ours. And he wouldn't think twice about using us for his own ends so long as he thought the ends were important enough."

Dani nodded seriously then 'oofed' as one of the kids ran into her side with two of the teachers chasing after him and four other kids.

For of the next few moments Harry put thoughts of that out of his head, moving through the crowd quite a bit of which was following along or in front of them towards another area set up for another, somewhat smaller band.

By the banner the band called themselves 'Vigr' which according to the pamphlet they'd been given upon entering meant 'able to fight'. Harry was amused by that but considering the nature of their faith, it was a simple and catchy name which would appeal to a lot of the Asatru. As for more mainstream acceptance, well the name was exotic and simple and would resonate with angsty teenagers, who seemed to be the vast majority of that sub-group anyway.

The band had a definite punk or rebel feel to it that meshed surprising well with some of the 'pagan' elements in their outfits. The headliner for the band was a young-blonde haired girl, around 15 or 16 if Harry had to judge. Her blonde hair was spiky in places and her clothing looked like a mix between punk rocker and country singer.

"Good Evening to the Althing!" She called out with a voice that was almost musical already, a decent alto to Harry's ear. "This is Vigr and I am Dazzler, as in prepare to be dazzled!" There were more than a few groans at the pun, and she grinned, giving the audience the peace sign. Then without any further preamble she will launched into a fan favorite. It wasn't a personal song for her own, Harry recognized it somewhat, having heard a few of the lyrics before and knew that they came from a woman named Heather something. "Axes flash, broadswords swing, shining armor piercing ring, horses run with polished shield, fight those bastards till they yield!"

It was the sort of song that could get a crowd like this worked up quickly.

Then the girl launched into it her own work, which she dedicated to "those of us who are a little bit different, who march to our own little drums, who don't quite fit in for choice for reasons beyond our choosing."

Called 'War of Change', the theme of the song was independence and the need to stand out. It also called into stark relief what most people were already aware of and many feared, that everything was changing in so many ways that it wouldn't be long until they were all something completely new.

That wasn't as interesting however as the affect she began to create. Somehow as the crowd cheered, lights began to appear all around her and above the crowd. It was a magnificent display, the kind of light show that would have needed an entire stages worth of lights, disco balls, and everything else. It was well beyond what was there, and it all responded to Dazzler's gestures.

Melody laughed and clapped and waved her hands throughout it all, as did the other kids including Illyana who actually began to levitate off the ground. Harry quickly covered her with yet another Notice-Me-Not, but didn't stop her, simply keeping one firm hand holding her own until Piotr reached over and took up that duty.

But for the most part Harry, Dani, and Ororo kept an eye on the crowd for any negative reactions. There were a few, and a bit of a brawl broke out at the back as a few people tried to throw mud or stones at the stage, only for their neighbors to stop them. One of them shouted into the ear of the other one, and Harry surreptitiously cast a spell to allow him to hear the words. "Not here, not our own or children ever, you son of a bitch!"

Ororo smiled, her fingers twining around Harry's. "You see my love, the divide is slowly shrinking, racism and bigotry slowly faltering."

"We've got a lot of work ahead of us Ororo," he said, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek staring into her eyes as the song reached a crescendo. "But you're right, I think we've already had an impact."

Dazzler apparently saw this and used it as the launch for the next song, 'Sick of It'. This song sounded like a call to arms for those sick of the bigotry and hatred or the sheer pressure of society to conform and be less than they could be. She followed that up with 'Monster' and 'Circus for a psycho' that were also very clearly jabs at parts of society that seemed determined to label mutants as monsters and animals to be controlled as well as those mutants more than willing to abuse their own abilities and status without care.

The concert went on for six more songs. Dazzler seemed to be energized by the noise of the crowd and her own songs, which she shared with her bandmates. When she ended there was around of thunderous applause and stamping feet, which made Harry thankful that they weren't actually inside, the noise would've been a little too oppressive then.

The moment the crowd began to disperse to head out to other shows or contests Ororo quickly moved to the side of the stage. Cutting through the crowd easily she followed on the heels of the band as they pushed aside the canvas separating the back of the stage from the crowd.

Dazzler looked up as the statuesque African woman with the exotic hair that she had noticed at the edges of the crowd pushed her way into the changing area. Before she or any other fellow musicians could speak or protest Ororo held up a hand. "That was a wonderful concert young miss, and to you as well sirs," she said nodding her head towards the others. "However, I would like to talk to young Dazzler alone if that is alright?"

The rest of the band looked at Dazzler quickly, and Ororo surreptitiously held up a hand, bits of lightning appearing between her fingers. Dazzler's eyes widened, then she nodded as Harry and several of the kids entered behind the African woman. "Take a break guys, head out and find some fillies or whatever. I don't think this lady or her kids are any threat to me."

The drummer stayed with her though, gesturing lightly down towards the lightning in their guest's hand.

"Are both of you mutants?" the African woman asked as the canopy closed behind the man who had been with her as the other three band members walked past him. Something about his appearance looked familiar but Dazzler couldn't quite place it.

"Yeah, I'm Freddie, though I also go by Grettir, and you've already met Dazzler. Are you all are the same?"

Ivan and Sergei touched their image inducers, turning them off. Anechka waved her hands at her hair, which shifted into tiny metal hands which began to clap, before morphing into other things and then settling down.

"This one is also mutant of course," Harry said before Melody could speak, ruffling her hair gently, pulling her against his waist. "I am too, but my power's not one I can show so easily."

Dazzler nodded slowly along with Grettir and Dazzler suddenly remembered where she had seen the man before. "Y, you're Harry Potter! What the heck are you doing here?!"

"Having fun," Harry replied, simply, ruffling Melody's hair again and smirking at the other kids. He watched as Freddie's eyes bulged but for some reason he moved slightly in front of Dazzler. Why he was doing it towards Harry he didn't know but better safe than sorry anyway. "It's easier to go about at things like this if people aren't expecting me at them, which I rather like. Anyway, I don't suppose you'd like a job or be willing to accept my support? I don't own a music company yet, but I suppose I could find one that would help with your career easily enough."

"Heh, um…" Dazzler seemed hard pressed to regain her equilibrium for a moment, pulling back to have a whispered with her friend but eventually she turned back and they both shook their heads. 'No, we want to make our own way if that's all the same to you. I might eventually be willing to work for you, but I want to see if we can make a name for ourselves on our own first. Our riffs about independence weren't just for show, y'know?"

"Well said," Ororo replied, smiling at the younger girl and her friends. "However everyone needs help at some point. Would you agree to stay in contact with us, and maybe something to use in case of emergency? The more visible you are, the more dangerous it might become for you."

Dazzler nodded, though she and Grettir also exchanged a smirk. "That I'll agree to, definitely, though if anyone tries to cause trouble with us they better be prepared to get some back." Dazzler paused, ruffling her hair for a moment as she looked at Harry. "And um, thanks. Not for the offer, but for standing up, speaking out about mutant rights and everything. That, that means a lot to us."

Harry smiled softly, bowing his head. "You're quite welcome my dear."

Leaving the girl with a phone number straight to Sage and an emergency phone to the X-men Harry and the others made their leave. After that discussion, Harry and Ororo corralled the rest of their party as many of the children were starting to droop, Melody among them, cancelling plans to stay at the Althing for dinner.

The same woman there at her booth, looking tired but ecstatic at how the day had gone, giving them a wave when she saw them. They left the Althing behind, to process and work on everything they'd learned there.

OOOOOOO

Later that evening, Danielle stood by the doorway of Harry's magical lab watching with interest as he began to do some tests on the medallion 'the Wanderer' had given her. "What were those spells you ran on it before you teleported us back here?"

"I wanted to make sure there were no tracking spells that anyone could use to get around wards," Harry grunted, then blinked as the small, thin copper rod with a rounded end he had been using to tap the medallion did absolutely nothing that Dani could see. "Well that's interesting. It's not metal."

"What?" Dani asked, startled.

"It's not metal," Harry repeated, putting the copper rod down for a moment. He turned to Illyana, who was standing nearby, her eyes glowing with mage sight, a spell she had picked up in a few minutes after Harry had taught her it when they got back and she insisted on helping out here, eager to see more magic. "Illyana, could you please get me the book called "Obscure Magics and Minutia please?"

Illyana nodded rapidly, turning away and racing over to get the book while Harry placed the medallion on a plinth he conjured up into being for the purpose in the center of the room. The book Illyana returned with was an original book from the library here in Camelot, rather than one of the few that Harry had brought with him from his own dimension. The library was rather an esoteric sort of thing, put together in the last, dying months of a dying magical society, but it was strangely helpful at time, especially in the area of magical research like this.

After a few minutes reading Harry set the book aside, then began to gesture with one hand, and a spark of a color that Dani likened to a summer's day suddenly appeared on his finger, expanding until it enveloped the medallion, forcing it to hover in the air above the plinth for a moment. Then the light withdrew, but the hovering continued.

Harry began to walk all around the medallion as Ororo walked in behind Dani, with three plates of food. She handed one to Dani, who nodded her thanks and set the other two aside before leaning against the wall to watch Harry work.

At Dani's inquisitive expression, Ororo shrugged gracefully. "Gaia has never taught me any spell work that would deal with research like this."

"All right," Harry said after a moment's examination. "The inner face is stone, beryl it seems. This outer ring was from an animal of some kind, I'd guess a scale or maybe a nail from its composition, I can't tell any more than that however. There is degree of innate magic within it."

A second later, the medallion began to glow in ever decreasing spheres of color, one inside the other. The outer layer looked orange then there was something else there to, a dark purple sort of color, imbued directly into the object rather than in the aura around it.

"What is that purple color?" Illyana asked, confused. "It looks… weird." And it really did to her sight, flickering in and out as Harry cast the observation spell on his target.

"Weird, yes, that is a good way of putting it lovey," Harry muttered, reaching over with one hand to rub the top of her head. "That color denotes its inherent magical resistance. Whatever this thing is, it would make a basilisk or even a dragon's magical resistance look like that of a child. Rather scary thought frankly."

Behind Harry Ororo frowned, her eyes flicking from the medallion down to Harry's forearm where he still held the scar from the basilisk despite his dabbling with possible godhood thanks to draining the crystals from Cyttorak and the other Elder Gods of his pantheon. "I don't like the sound of that," she said mildly, knowing that only luck, prior planning and the Sword of Gryffindor had allowed Harry to get out of that battle alive. Ororo knew that present-day Harry would've dealt with the beast easily, but even so…

"Thanks for worrying love, but I'm not intending to take on this beastie, not in a straight up fight anyway," Harry muttered, then began to send Illyana around the work space to gather several objects for him.

These consisted of another rod, this one made of crystal coming to a sharp point, which Ororo recognized as one of the tools Harry had used to inscribe runes into his own body. The others were a twisty curly screw of some kind of dark black iron, and a pair of glasses of all things.

Dani watched fascinated as Illyana hopped from one place to another to grab the items Harry pointed out, before rushing back to her teacher, smiling at him as he began to explain what was going on. "What I'm going to do is remove this outer layer, sort of excise that magic away from the object."

"Why can't you just drain it?" Illyana asked, knowing that was Harry's mutant power.

"Can't control my mutant power that well I'm afraid, Illyana. I can stop the draining from happening at all, but directing it towards one specific spell on an item? That's a bit beyond me," Harry answered, then began explaining again. "The magic in the crystal rod will slowly separate the magical spell away then the iron twirl will harmlessly ground that magic off."

"A thought occurs, Harry," Ororo said. "Hela mentioned that Odin knew how to imbue magic magical runes into the various items, is that what we're dealing with here?"

"Not with the top layer," Harry answered promptly. "If we were, I wouldn't have been able to detect anything. No, this is something else. Though it's definitely from the same individual who laid out the mage trap and the original runic array on that hall."

"How can you tell?" Ororo asked, coming over to lay a gentle hand on Illyana's head and leaning close.

"Well, other than the fact Hela said that only Odin knew how to do that, and that the Wanderer was definitely some kind of… aspect avatar I'd guess, of his when he isn't actually in that guise completely , it has the same sort of feel as those initial runic arrays I felt before they faded out. But it's untainted from what I called the Dark runes which had been laid over them."

As Harry explained what was going on further he kept working, telling Illyana about what the magical tools were and why they worked, knowledge that wouldn't really be important for her for a while but which interested the child a great deal. Then, as Harry finished peeling off the orange looking spell, something changed in the medallion.

The central sphere of the medallion suddenly fell out of the outer ring and Illyana jumped forward, catching it quickly. Harry nodded at her but a voice boomed from the thing, taking his attention away from his young student. "You have unlocked the door Harry Potter, as I knew you would. Foreign magics were never my concern, but I had hoped you would be up to this task."

The voice was rich deep, commanding, and ancient beyond imagining, drawing a gasp from Illyana, Ororo and Dani, while Harry's eyes narrowed. That was not the voice of the wanderer aspect Dani had reported, but the totality of the skyfather Odin himself.

"You have questions," the voice went on, "Questions I am not free to answer as you no doubt have surmised. The aspect I released has unfortunately limited long-term thinking, and with little in the way of my memories it was the best I could do in the time Hela's sacrifice won me."

"Excuse me!?" Ororo said harshly, rearing up like an offended queen as lightning crackled down the arm that wasn't currently holding Illyana to her side.

Harry and Dani both also looked angry, while Illyana was looking from one face to another then at the medallion in consternation. This had seemed an interesting and fun magical exercise, but now it had got all serious!

"I had hoped to have more time, to imbue my aspect with more thoughts and memories, to truly work with you, but that could not be. Indeed, even instructing the construct to pass this onto your person somehow was almost hard beyond belief, and I risked much to do so. They were too swift with Hela, too brutal in forcing her back to compliance…and while my speech may be limited, know this oath, her loss and assault will be redressed."

Harry, Dani and Ororo all looked at one another, and Harry's eyes began to sparkle with his magic coming out, but he forced himself to calm down.

The voice, the voice of Odin, king of Asgard, sighed then went on in a weary but proud tone. "Even now I am constrained, bound by an oath twisted, a bond betrayed such that my own nature enforces my compliance in such a way that I cannot act without great cost and secrecy. My people are trapped in a cycle that does not end for the amusement of things too foul to name, my realm and the other 7 sundered from Midgard for centuries in a seeming that cannot be broken from within…but you King Potter are not bound by any tainted agreement's chains of sworn word, and I must ask…please, help me undo the betrayal of my people."

I cannot ask, I cannot beg. I am a king, such things are beneath me even in extremis. But if you wish to aid us and are able to succeed, we will aid you in turn when we are free to do so and those of your line unto 5 generations. More may be discussed in price but my time grows short, and perhaps yours too if they grow to notice you step from the light."

After that the voice cut out, its message delivered, leaving everyone who'd heard it to process the rather scant but still new information. Harry scowled, staring at the inner aspect of the medallion as it slowly began to turn to dust, its magic burned out by the spell on it. He let it happen then picked up the outer ring of the medallion, deftly controlling his mutant power as it started to activate to drain the object before setting it back down.

"A locator spell," he said simply shaking his head. "Based upon the magic of similarity."

Ororo shook her head. "I'm not familiar with that type of magic."

"I am," Illyana said with a laugh. "That type of magic always appears in old stories. Witches and wizards, if they find, you know a broken nail clip or tooth, they can find the individual, or control them.'"

"Voodoo magic?" Ororo asked curiously. There was still so much of magic she was learning even with her Goddesses instruction.

"Sort of ,"Harry said, shaking one hand from side to side. "Voodoo magic actually only works on people who believe it should, sort of like faith based magic and it takes good bit of magic to actually start up. Hair of course actually wouldn't work whatever non-magic users think, it's a dead part of the body and as such would have little to no connection to the person it fell from. Unless the individual targeted was highly magical himself, there's not enough in magic inherent in a person's hair to set the target out from other people. But a tooth, or in this case a scale, those are much more personable pieces of the target, and they can be used to locate an individual at least."

"The question then is, what exactly are we being led to here?" Dani asked, causing Harry to nod in both agreement and respect towards her. "We have more pieces of the puzzle now, but we still don't have the whole picture."

"With that, I think you need to speak to Dr. Vorlus." Ororo said firmly, her eyes still clouded with her mutant power. "I don't like how he said Hela's 'sacrifice' or how he described the 'assault' on her. That is giving me some very unpleasant thoughts, and I think we need to move on this quickly."

"Yeah," Harry said with a nod, his emerald eyes glittering darkly as Ororo's own went white, her mutant power activating in response to her anger. "Me too."

Harry then threw off his foul mood before looking down to Illyana. "For now though, I think it's time for lessons Illyana."

OOOOOOO

The next day Harry and Ororo had to the begin morning talking to the teachers, as the retrieval team had gathered in several more elementary level students from various European countries the throughout the day before. Apparently there had been several 'spontaneous', and boy did Sir Dennis pack that word with a lot of irony, rallies both for and against mutants, mutant supremacy and equality. There weren't enough of them yet to overwork the teachers, but integrating them into the existing classes was going to be a headache.

"So you think someone overplayed their hand here?" Harry asked as the teachers left, turning to Dennis over the dining room table.

"I am using Occam's Razor to even suppose there is a 'someone' to over play said hand Harry." Dennis shrugged. "It boggles the mind that so many flare-ups would occur the world over without someone pushing events along. Beyond that I have no idea, except that whoever it is might be playing both sides of things. There's nothing physical to indicate a connection between the pro-human groups and the pro-mutant supremacy groups, but the timing issue on these latest flare-ups… The timing is only visible if you have connections like ours the world over but even so…"

Dennis shook his head grimly. One of the flare-ups in particular down in Africa had been especially bloody. It hadn't involved any children, or at least mutants who had recently activated their powers. But it pitted a few older mutants and their allies, a local guerilla force, against another such force. There were reported to be as many as five hundred dead, and far more missing. The fact both groups practiced mutilation of their enemies made it even worse, as did the fact no one knew which side had actually won.

"And none of your sources, Sage or your contacts with the various intelligence agencies have been able to discover anything about how they're communicating? Any hint that there might in fact be some kind of organization behind all this?" Ororo asked not turning her attention from the news real playing on a small hard light screen projected onto the table in front of her.

"I've been chasing this for weeks now, and no I haven't! Did I not just say there is only circumstantial evidence of there being any one force or individual controlling this all?!" Dennis scowled, calming himself down slowly and bowing his head in apology to Ororo before going on. "None of the rabble-rousers captured by the locals apparently know anything, and those are very few and far between in any event. I'd like to get some people to various places to ask those few prisoners questions however."

"Which means it's my turn," Mystique said as she moved over from where she had been sitting with Irene. The elderly woman had recovered from her body's response to Magneto's death, and seemed stronger than she had been in a while, but that strength was a mask and everyone knew it.

Just like Peter's grandparents, she was fading fast. Though unlike those two, she still had some energy and could do more than simply sit outside or in her room. Harry hoped that his medical think tank would find what he hoped they would in terms of some kind of antigerone treatment in time to help her, but had no idea how long it would take them, and there was no magic that could reverse the age of a person who had no magical talent herself.

Harry looked at her then slowly nodded, thinking hard. "Maybe, but not for questioning prisoners. Let's see if we can get ahead of this curve. Morph, get over here."

Morph leapt up from the chair he had been dangling on trying to flirt with Paige and Danielle, both at the same time more to take their attention away from the news than in any real hope of a positive response. His clothing changed into some kind of Commissarial uniform complete with overdone cape as he came to a halt in front of the table, throwing up a swift salute. "Yes mien commander!"

"Knock it off," Harry said mildly, sending a color changing spell at the boy with a wave of one hand. For a moment the spell changed his skin into purple pink and neon dots until he regained control of his body and reversed the spell through the use of his own mutant power.

"I'm taking you off the Custodes Mundi for the moment. You're assigned to work with Mystique for now. Dennis, find a place to insert these two, I want them on the ground where you think is going to be another flare-up like these. I'll get with Jean and Reed, and see what we can get them kitted out with by the end of today."

Jean had yet to return from orbit, which, Harry reflected, probably meant she hadn't slept in two days. Again. Her enthusiasm for the space-based side of things was nice, but worrisome too.

Morph frowned. "Despite my power I'm not certain I'm really cut out to be a spy boss. I mean what you see is what you get in my personality you now. I never was very good at taking on personalities for long stretches of time when I was an Acolyte."

"Then we'll work with that," Mystique said promptly shaking her head. "It'll take a few days to create some background for us anyway, Dennis, Banshee and I will work with you on that. We'll handle it Harry, though I would urge you to clear Anne and a few of the others quickly. Banshee's decent enough, but he's also a possible known factor. I'd actually like to take Betsy, her telepathy would be a major help."

Harry frowned. He didn't like being pushed into that. The only two of the converts they had integrated into Camelot so far were Amelia and Wendy, and neither of them were interested in espionage work. Amelia had joined Una and between the two of them, Dr. Druid, Camelot's own resources both magical and scientific, Camelot now had the equivalent of a top notch hospital.

Wendy however had thrown herself into the retrieval team work, being involved in the work done yesterday. Harry planned to work with her in the future, see if she had it in her to become the retrieval team's field leader, but that would be in the future. She was at one of the other tables right now, boning up on her high school education with Kitty, and for some reason the Guthrie clan. For some reason the Guthries had welcomed her with open arms even more than the rest, though Harry wasn't certain why.

For now though… "Morph, who among the converts would you say were ready for some fieldwork?"

"Scanner and Neophyte are both ready for some fieldwork, but they don't have the temperament for this kind of thing." Morph mused. "You got them on your side the moment you let them talk to the kids when you took them to the Savage Land Ororo. Amelia would be perfect, but she would probably refuse. Anne Marie is a maybe, the others probably need more time to think about things."

"Why her? She is still a true believer isn't she?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Morph said with a nod. "But Anne's a thinker and she doesn't like violence overmuch, I mean she's willing to fight but she'd much rather see mutants become top dog through peaceful means, and these protests are anything but."

Harry frowned looking over at Ororo.

She shrugged, smiling slightly. "I'd already marked out Scanner as being someone who we could seriously help put in charge of the retrieval teams Harry, her mutant power is to find other mutants after all, that makes her a jewel beyond price us. Neophyte is too in a way. As for Anne-Marie, Emma cleared her, and I think actually likes the woman though it's like pulling teeth to get her to admit to it."

Harry shook his head at that while Mystique scowled, but his eyes were serious as he stared first at Morph then Mystique.. "Part of being a leader is knowing when you have to rely on other people to make judgment calls," he said slowly, "If you want Cortez, Mystique, you can have her on top of Morph and Betsy. Check with Mickail too, his power might be useful as a surprise, and he's somewhat more level headed then Illyich."

After that, the breakfast broke up, and Harry took Dr. Druid down to the Room of Requirements to run him through some tests on his rune work. The older man passed the test easily so Harry happily handed over the ongoing runic work, more Trust Me arrays, more defensive arrays for the Ravenspires, work on the protective arrays for the Savage Land, which Harry would then put up, to him. That took a lot of the small long-term projects up out of Harry's hands, something he was ecstatic about.

After that, Harry stopped in momentarily to see how Ororo was getting on with helping the new children integrate into their classes, before popping over at last to see Dr. Vorlus. The former pugilist turned from comparing a series of images to two of the murals on the wall of the cavernous hall, his eyebrow cocking as one of his students shrieked like a little girl at the sudden intrusion. "Ah Guardian, how nice of you to pop in."

"Dr. Vorlus, did I come at a bad time?" The Black and mask-clad Guardian asked, his body language literally screaming sardonic amusement for a moment before he wave the students away. "I need to talk to you."

Vorlus nodded and followed Harry over into one of the hall's corners, ironically the same one in which the belt had been hidden. "Have you discovered anything?" Harry asked without preamble.

"I've only been here for less than a month! We're still checking the veracity

of the murals we can do so with. Besides I already informed Mr. Potter, I haven't discovered anything, not even about that belt. Why the concern?" Vorlus asked, rolling his eyes.

Honestly, no one understood how much time archeology could take, it wasn't all like those Indiana Jones movies made it out to be after all. In fact until this last adventure Vorlus had only rarely had any kind of adventure while on dig sites.

For a moment Guardian simply looked at Vorlus before looking around. "Wait a moment." Vorlus watched as Guardian turned, covering the two of them with several other spells which Vorlus only saw as brief flashes in the air all around them. One of them seemed to banish the nearby shadows and another muffled the sounds of his students and his assistant continuing their work all around the hall.

When he was done with this preparation Guardian turned back to Vorlus. "You might have noticed me giving Hela a small mirror? It was part of a magical communication device. We assumed she would wish to keep in contact, but she hasn't contacted us nor is she responding to our calls. We are worried that something has happened to her, and that it is connected to our finding this place. I need information doctor. Anything you can tell me might be able to hint at what's going on."

"I… alright." Vorlus had honestly forgotten, or rather decided to ignore the idea that his gods might be under some kind of foreign power. It wasn't something anyone would be comfortable with. Yes, Asgardians could be killed, in that way they were as mortal as anyone, and influenced, tricked for either good or ill. But mentally dominated like this? Such things went against the grain of the old Norse and how they viewed the world and magic. None of the old tales spoke of anything like this and the possibility was beyond terrifying.

After a second getting his head around that idea, Vorlus nodded sharply once, before beginning, "This place was the family home of Thor Odinsson, that much is obvious. But what wasn't obvious at first is that there are images of every god and goddess in the pantheon here, from Odin all the way down to some of the children. Some of them are very, very different from most of the images we've seen before with only tiny hints to tell us who they are, others not so much. I had thought that was mere coincidence, but perhaps not. As for the belt, I think it could be the Megingjörð, Thor's belt of power. It doesn't match any of the descriptions in totality but enough bits of it do that I can say that, even if we can't seem to use it."

Harry's eyes widened behind his mask, and he nodded. "One of the two items he needed to wield Mjolnir in the old tales, correct?" Someone wanted it hidden away. Then someone else came along, but they couldn't remove it, so hid it as best they could, then set the Draugr to protect it beyond that. But why hide it at all? Is that connected to Odin talking about oath's betrayed and such-like?

Vorlus' words pulled Harry out of his surprise. "Have you found any evidence that there might be other pantheons out there?"

"What, um, one or two yes, why?" Harry asked, startled at the question.

"Because four of the murals here are dedicated to battles against gods Nick Price and I believe could be from the Greek pantheon. And there are others too, the gods fighting their own people, but the people depicted all wear small crosses somewhere on their person. And then there is this one…"

Vorlus showed Harry over to one mural, but after a moment Guardian shook his head. "What exactly am I looking at here?"

"Ah, sorry, I forget sometimes that other people don't know as much as I do about Scandinavian art. The rest of the murals here do not match the art the Vikings were supposed to have, all well and good. But here, in this one, the background doesn't match the style of the images in the foreground and the other murals. Look, the colors are far dimmer, watered out."

The image was of a long column of people marching up a rainbow bridge, the Bifrost Harry had heard of. Most of the images were too small for much detail, but at the back of the column, facing back the way they had come was Thor, and yes, he had red hair instead of blond. Next to him was the warrior woman depicted in several of the other murals, Sif presumably, with their children between them, the two boys both armed and facing in the same direction.

"They were running from something?" Harry murmured, kneeling down slightly to look at the faces he could see, but he couldn't make out any features. It was as if this mural had been rushed for some reason.

"The influence of Christian missionaries perhaps." Vorlus shrugged, he had a bug up his ass about them Harry noticed, yes, but since Vorlus had given him a lecture about how the last bastion of the old ways had literally been held hostage with the safety of the Godhric Republic's children by the Christian king of Norway Harry was willing to admit he had a point. "It struck me as significant regardless, as I can't easily imagine such a scene like this happening short of Ragnorok itself."

Guardian nodded, straightening up. "Tell me, are there any monsters, or perhaps a group of Jotun, that specialize in mental attacks?"

Vorlus shook his head. "Mental attacks, by that you mean telepathic? There are monsters whose presence can impact their prey, make them too afraid to act or go mad, like the Draugr's aura and smell. But no, nothing like that. The Ancient Scandinavians were a people very much in tune with the physical world, the most they had were things that dwelled in the mists of their homelands and that was more along the lines of shapeshifters and wraiths than mind benders."

"And…" Guardian hesitated, wondering about how to ask this before deciding to just blurt it out. "How about magic users who specialized in controlling people through their blood?"

Harry wouldn't have wanted to try that kind of thing on the Asgardians, not given the evidence of what they could do to their own souls and blood given Sigyn and Dani's relationship. But he was grasping at straws here in terms of trying to figure out what they were dealing with here.

"No, I don't know any stories like that…" Vorlus murmured, frowning. "Certainly not if you are asking if the Asgardians could be controlled in such a manner. Then again I would have said they couldn't be controlled at all."

Great, just freaking fantastic, an entirely unknown enemy, which means I am really leaping into the unknown here. Ah well, I didn't expect anything to leap out at me here, though the belt is certainly significant. "Alright, give me the belt and I'll hang onto it for now. But before I go, one last question: are there any ouroboros in Asgardian lore?"

Blinking, Vorlus shook his head even as he pulled the bag of holding Guardian had given him, where he kept the possible Megingjörð when he wasn't examining it. "Um… no, I don't think so. Oh, there are a few stories about one being involved in Ragnarok, and another of one who is supposed to circle the known universe, but all those date to after the Christian missionaries had begun to win over large numbers of the local population. It's believed among researchers that it and the sheer number of other lizard and snake type monsters introduced in that age were created by the Christians, just a way to show how evil and vile the Asatru religion was in comparison to the Christian faith. Of course given what Christians at the time did to so-called sinners I don't think they had any room to talk."

That's it, the ouroboros circling the world. That matches the image on the medallion… "Do you have a name for the snake circling the world?"

"We have no idea of the full name, only that it begins with Jor."

Jormungundar, the brother Hela didn't like! Harry thought, grinning in triumph behind his mask. And I suppose if your adopted son had anything to do with hiding your body from you, you would be well within your rights to be angry as Dani reported Sigyn was the first time they met. The question then, is why Odin wants us pointed in that direction? Does he know about Sigyn or is there something else hidden with, or possibly in, Jormungundar? Still regardless the 'overgrown eel' is a target now, if I can figure out a way to Asgard without being called there…

Taking the pouch from Vorlus, Guardian nodded his head at the older man. "Keep me apprised of any new developments Doctor."

After his discussion with Vorlus, Harry then apparated to Magical Minds to deal with a few issues on the business side of things that couldn't wait and to fill in Sage on what Dennis and Mystique were up to. Like them she was relatively in the dark of this possibly new enemy out there. With no computer network to access she couldn't' hunt down whoever this knew enemy was, and there wasn't enough data yet for her to see any pattern.

Sage also briefed him on the ongoing counterespionage activities on the business side of things, which was nothing much. He also met with the doctors of his medical think tank and talking to the chief doctor making certain he and his assistants, who would take over the hospital side of things, were ready for the influx of patients who had already begun to sign up for the new prosthetics. This left Doctor Rao in charge of the ongoing research side of the think tank.

While he was back up in his office and looking over some notes from Carol for a meeting scheduled later that day, Jean returned, walking through the doorway as if she hadn't been missing for the entire day yesterday grinning at him. "Hello, Harry."

Harry smiled, pushing his work aside and his chair back but before he could stand up to hug her, she simply plopped down in his lap her arms going around his neck. Harry's hand snaked up into her hair, pulling her into a very thorough kiss. Pulling back he shuddered slightly, his hand moving slowly the small of her back around to her stomach.

"Hello to you too love, and to you two babies," he said gently, patting her stomach lightly. He noticed as he did that her stomach had at last begun to show her pregnancy, a small curve to her stomach that hadn't been there before.

"It has begun," Jean said somewhat morbidly patting the hand over her stomach lightly. "I wonder if you'll think I'm so attractive when I'm as big as a blimp. I know Emma will have issues then, regardless of how our having dealt with her emotional response to the idea of having kids."

She smirked then, hopping up and down lightly on the growing reaction to having her in his lap. "Though I guess that is a few months down the line."

"You'll still be beautiful to me my lady," Harry said nuzzling into her neck as he sent wordless feelings of love and affection down there link.

Harry felt Jean shuddering his arms, and felt her reply both as a whisper against his lips and in his mind. "Gods I love you Harry Potter!"

"I love you too Jean Grey," he thought, as they kissed once again. Then Harry sighed reluctantly pulling back. "Unless we want to take this to its logical conclusion right here, I suggest we stop."

Jean actually seemed to be thinking about it for a moment, her pregnancy already starting to mess with her metabolism and hormones. But she eventually sighed and nodded, reluctantly getting to her feet. "Carol has some interesting things to show you up top, and we received Doom's gravitic trap device late last night. Have you decided where you want it emplaced?"

"Mars," Harry said with a shrug. "It's a dead world now, might as well use it after all."

Jean blinked at him then laughed. "Harry! If you are thinking about using Mars, why're we diddling around with little asteroids?"

"Because the little asteroids can remain in orbit around Earth with only slight impacts to its tides, Mars can't. Mars will be an excellent defensive installation when it's finished, but as it is, even if it is finished, Earth will still need some local defenses," Harry replied simply.

Jean nodded, frowning. "Right, don't expect your enemies to always fall for the same trick, forgot that."

"Do you want to just hop back to Camelot and then up to space or do you think we can spend some time driving?"

"Just the two of us, or can Ororo and Emma get away?"

"I'm afraid not," Harry said with a shrug. "Emma is interviewing several of the Hellfire Club members who have business interests in Asia. She has some kind of plan there she wants to discuss with me, and she's getting all of her ducks in a row before our date this evening."

"Good," Jean said with a nod. Jean and Emma had actually spent more time together over the past few week or so then Emma and Harry had, and she knew that the other woman's taste in dates differed from her hers and Ororo's. Jean liked to have her dates out in space or just the two of them with a home-cooked meal or something like that. Ororo liked going to the theater occasionally, and explorative dates, where they went to new places or saw new things, with the food provided by one or the other of them. Emma on the other hand liked ritzy restaurants, high society stuff. "And Ororo?"

"Ororo's going to be busy with the kids all day. Did you hear that extraction teams found twenty more kids yesterday?"

"No," Jean said blinking, "I haven't heard that."

Harry nodded, getting out of his chair and taking her hand news, leading her towards the doorway. "We did, I'll fill you in on some of the other things you missed yesterday, as well as what we found out at the Althing, which wasn't much, but… well, we did receive some new information from a unusual but certain source."

Jean nodded, and followed him out of the room. She was thinking about how to get him to agree to let her to drive, when she stopped, smiling as she saw MJ and Wallace walking towards them.

The other woman's eyes widened, noticing how Harry and Jean were holding hands, as well as seeing the faint outline of Jean's stomach, visible just under the blouse she was currently wearing. I thought he was with Ms. Munroe!

Winking at the other woman, Jean held out her hand to MJ, who shook it quickly as her boss began to talk to Harry, telling him about a few ideas they had about how to enhance the company's public relations appearance the two of them had come up with over the past few days. There hadn't been much of a backlash from the attack during the press conference, but several countries were now making noises about how they should refuse to be railroaded by a private sector company into making societal changes just on principal alone.

The fact that those changes were actually good things for their own citizens seem to have been lost in the 'moral outrage'. Most of those countries were second or third world countries of course, but Germany had unsurprisingly also got in on that bandwagon, and there were politicians in America who were lambasting Harry for not being willing to sell to America just yet, especially with his new prosthetics, though his offer to war veterans had gelded the public's outrage there.

MJ didn't care about that right now she simply stared at Jean, then allowing her eyes to flick down to Jean's stomach, before pulling her down the hallway slightly and leaning in to whisper. "Are congratulations in order? Or…" her eyes flicked to Harry. "I mean, I thought he was with Ms. Munroe," she said aloud, her voice a bare whisper even Jean had trouble hearing from right in front of her.

"He is, we are," Jean said with a chuckle. "It's complicated."

"Ahh," MJ said, frowning slightly. "You're all aware then, I mean it's…"

"it's a real four way relationship," Jean replied. Though it might become a five way one soon… Jean frowned at that thought. She had sensed the spurt of concern and anger when he mentioned the Althing, and she worried there hadn't been any progress on getting in touch with Hela.

"Four way Jean?" MJ questioned, then shrugged. "Okay, I'm not going to go there and I'm not going to judge. As long as the individuals are happy I don't care."

"An excellent attitude to have MJ," Jean said with a grin.

MJ wasn't a virgin, nor was she a prude or religious. Her parents neither of whom she got along with, hadn't been religious, and she saw no reason to pick up with that 'drivel' as she put in her mind. And she was a former runway model, and older than Jean to boot, of course she'd had sex occasionally. MJ couldn't see herself sharing a man let alone being into a girl, but again wasn't going to judge.

The two women turned as MJ's boss said "…and young MJ here has some interesting ideas as well, ideas that are out of my area of expertise."

Harry nodded, turning to the two ladies, smirking at their shared hair color for a moment before concentrating on MJ. She smiled, walking back to him and holding up a portfolio of her own. "There are a lot of alternative methods to help your public relations image which aren't part of the normal PR department Mr. Potter. For example, appearing on talk shows and online discussion boards where our workers can ask questions of you and vice-versa. "

"But you have to be careful about where in public you appear, since the paps will find you." Wallace said. "Then too, if it's there's a lot of people around, there will also be a lot of witnesses to what you actually say, so they can't distort your words. Ms. Watson has put a list of talk shows together that have already reached out to us."

"Are any of those talk shows owned by Paris News Network?" Jean asked.

"I'm not certain," MJ said. "One of them I know is, but there are two others that might be owned by a subsidiary. They're all in America though and I think we should start here in Britain first, with one of the local shows. Mind you, when you say local here it's actually international for the most part. BBC is after all an internationally recognized network."

Jean leaned over MJ's shoulder, then grinned and pointed down, "Oh hell yes! Sign us up for Top Gear!"

Harry cocked his head quizzically and Jean grinned. "It's a show about cars which does interviews with celebrities after putting them in what they call a reasonably priced car to do laps around a racetrack!"

"Oh, yeah that could be fun," Harry said with a grin. "And I bet a lot of the audience would probably die of envy if we turned up in my Huayra. But what about security at these events?"

"That's a point," MJ said with a nod and a frown after her boss waved at her to answer. "But we can always ask for security at events like those. Being seen publicly, that's more of a concern, but if you're quick, hopefully no one with violent intentions will be able to set up anything."

Harry frowned for a moment thinking, then smirked evilly all right. That's actually not a bad idea.

"What are you thinking Harry?" Jean asked telepathically, her tone wary.

"Well, if whoever is out there trying to instigate mutant human war is at all intelligent, they have to know that Harry Potter is a major proponent of human mutant equality. Taking him out and being able to blame it on one group or the other would be a major coup."

"So you're going to go out in public and paint a target on yourself and hope someone bites?" Jean said frowning again. "I don't like that, but then again, you continually wear your crisis suit whenever you leave Camelot anyway so I guess it makes sense."

"And you won't be with me on those missions," Harry said firmly. Jean was about to protest, but the look in Harry's eyes stopped her, and she subsided, pouting a little as she ended the telepathic discussion.

"See if we can set up that Top Gear thing MJ," Harry said, handing over responsibility for that to MJ quickly, then turning back to her boss. "As for those public statements and appearances, I'll agree to the first two, but I don't think the rest are important enough for me to make personally. Get back to me with five different times for both, and I'll pick out the ones which work best for my schedule."

"Of course,"Wallace nodded his head quickly after which the group broke up.

Jean however looked back at MJ, who was staring at the two of them thoughtfully. "She picked up on something there," Jean murmured as Harry and she entered the elevator.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, frowning as he covered them with a Mufilatio. The elevators were bugged, though of course those bugs belonged to Magical Minds. Still, it was never good to get into bad habits.

"I think she noticed something when we fell silent, for that little bit or maybe my pout, I don't know. She's really good at noticing body language."

"Wyatt told me the same thing, and she spotted those androids the other day.." Harry said thoughtfully, leaning against the back of the elevator. "Interesting. You think she's hiding something?"

"Not that," Jean said with a laugh, shaking her head. "MJ's precisely what she says she is, a model who wants to get out of modeling and into public relations, and frankly I think she's doing a great job. You know that a lot of those ideas they just shared came from her right?"

"No I didn't know that," Harry answered, frowning.

"MJ was broadcasting it a few times during your discussion withher boss. He's amazing when it comes to organizing stuff including announcements and news conferences, but he doesn't have as good a handle on technology as she does, and he also doesn't seem to be getting a good enough to handle on how personable you wish to seem whereas she has grasped that quickly."

"Interesting, but not important. The important thing will be to see who bites on this little trap of mine. But for now you should probably check in with Ororo and Emma, you didn't come home last night after all."

Jean nodded and twinned her arm with his even as she reached out for Emma and Ororo through the telepathic connection all four of them shared, marveling anew at said connection. It was so wide and so powerful and so constant it was always surprising to Jean that other telepaths couldn't find it. She and Charles had talked about it once when it had first formed between her and Harry, and Charles had said it seemed as if the connection was simply on a lower bandwidth to the rest of the astral plane. He couldn't even feel it while he could find her, Emma and Ororo's minds.

Emma hadn't been worried about Jean having felt the connection of course and being able to look at it whenever she wished. But like Harry Ororo wasn't a telepath, and couldn't initiate dialogue through that pathway. Despite that Ororo replied promptly, actually pulling out of class to respond as she and Harry got into his Huayra, racing out of the Magical Minds parking lot.

Jean chuckled, leaning back in her chair as she and Ororo talked about the previous day, and about well nothing at all really, simply each exchanging wordless caresses of love and affection, Jean taking heart in the bone deep joy that Ororo took in teaching children, and in Jean's own pregnancy. At the same time she felt Emma was in Camelot, and she wanted to talk to them, her growing satisfaction with a job well-planned, and her own love for Jean and Harry coming through the link.

She was finished catching up with her lovers by the time they passed London. She laughed, looking up the window. "You know, I thought for a moment that you were already putting in motion that plan to make yourself a target right now, but at the speed we're going?"

"Yeah they'd have to catch us first," Harry said with a grin, gunning the engine still further as they weaved in and out of the scant traffic on the road at this time of day.

Douglas, and two of the kids were waiting for them in the main hallway as Harry and Jean entered, having done the normal pull off to the side of the road shrinking and then teleporting in thing that they had to do to enter Camelot's environs. Harry cocked an eyebrow at the two kids, smirking at them. "And what do you to think you're doing?"

"Heading up to see Pinoptes," said Jesse, grinning at Harry. All the kids, well most of the kids, liked Harry, even though they didn't see him up nearly as often as Melody and Illyana, his daughter and surrogate daughter, did.

Douglas elaborated. "Pinoptes has have begun to teach the kids some lessons of his own, computer programming for the most part, and history too, which seems to be one of the weaker points of the teachers here."

Harry nodded, clasping the younger man on the shoulder. "In that case, why don't you three get some lunch first, Emma wants to talk to us, and we'll be busy with her for a few moments."

As the trio walked off Jean smirked, linking her arm with Harry's before turning their feet towards the Room of Requirements, where Ororo and Emma were waiting for them. At Emma's request the four of them viewed the memory of the party with Hela from all three of their perspectives, while Emma moved through the party like a ghost, smiling here and there, but most of her attention on Hela herself.

"You will be taking me dancing tonight Potter," she said, smiling as Ororo and Hela began their dance, shaking her head slightly. "Not so much sensual as just below flirtatious," she mused. "Courtship, what an amusingly medieval concept."

Harry frowned looking at her, and before she he could even form the words however she shook her head. "I'm not jealous Harry," she said with a laugh looking over at Jean, who laughed too, her arms around Ororo as she pulled the white-haired African woman into a hug. "They just don't get it do they?"

"It's more like they can't logically get used to the feeling." Jean said. "Harry, we're telepaths, we are always connected. That highway in your mind, it's always there, or at least it is if we're within the same solar system. We feel your emotions your feelings all the time, all we have to do is concentrate on it briefly. That's why I knew you were interested in Hela before you consciously realized it, that's why Emma isn't jealous, because your love for her hasn't faded at all."

"Oh," Harry said, feeling somewhat foolish. "I do have to remember that don't I?"

"Both of you do," Jean said looking at Ororo in her arms who nodded rather sheepishly, before enjoying the kiss that Jean laid on her lips, before moving over to Emma. The four of them remain there for a time, simply moving through the memory and exchanging kisses and laughter as they watched the team have fun after the battle.

Ororo and Emma remained there while Jean and Harry left to grab Douglas and the two kids, before heading up to orbit. Jean showed Harry the gravitic trap system Doom had dropped off, and he, Carol and Jean hammered out the initial construction plans.

That started an argument between him, Carol and her chief designers, who were not happy that Harry was pulling off so much of their industrial capacity to work on that, but Harry was adamant. "I want the gravitic trap done in two weeks at most, that's why we need so many bots working on it. We have to think that the next Kree response is coming soon. We don't know what it will be, and the gravitic trap is the only thing we have that will work just as well regardless of the response's size. I don't want us caught flat-footed."

"But what about our defenses? It won't do any good if we pulled them out of hyperspace someplace else and can't do enough damage, or are you saying that you and the Custodes Mundi will be able to do that?" Carol objected.

"We probably could if they came out in a small enough space," Harry said with a shrug. "But no, I have another plan there. Once the gravitic trap is set up, Ill set up my own bit of the trap.

Jean looked at him, tempted to enter his mind and see what he was thinking of, but sensing that he wanted to keep it as a surprise for now.

After staring at Harry for a bit Carol shrugged. "You're the boss, so I won't argue. She glared at a few of the scientists who would have anyway, and they subsided reluctantly. "But are you sure you'll be able to get the parts to Mars?"

"That's why we're up here now," Harry said with a shrug looking at Jean, who nodded her head.

Teleporting from there to Mars was more energy intensive than doing so to any place on Earth of course, but Harry was able to do so even with the sheer tonnage of the stuff they had to transport more easily than the time he, Emma and Ororo had teleported out to the returning Hellion. Once there Harry spent a few moments exploring the formerly red planet as Jean set up the construction droids orders, making certain that they were reprogrammed for the local gravity, and had the plans in place. The remains of Olympus Mons would be the center for the gravitic trap, as well as its shielding, and several other things.

After that, she joined Harry, staring around the ravaged planet, encased in her own bubble of air. "I wonder what kind of metals and other things we could find if we started digging here?"

"Probably a lot more than we would find in any of the asteroids we've been using," Harry said, "But unless you want to spend a lot of time just working on that, we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way, which will take months to set up. Besides at the moment raw materials isn't our bottleneck, the construction and industry side of things is."

"Yeah no," Jean quipped, shaking her head. "Not my idea of fun. Although, if we find any new mutants who have powers over metals or other things…"

"The young clone of Magneto," Harry said with a nod. "Amelia and Una told us they should be ready to decant him next week."

The medical examinations of the boy had come back mostly positive, but he did have several small metallic circuits embedded in his skull, and one over his heart. Their purposes were unknown, but Amelia wanted to remove them before waking the boy out of his cryogenic sleep, and she couldn't do that, even with her powers, without damaging the boy's mind, so they had to set up a major medical procedure to remove them.

Then too, there was also the boy's mental age and makeup to consider. Emma had observed the boys mind, but couldn't make heads or tails of it, the cryogenic sleep having shut down everything, the boy wasn't even dreaming, there was literally nothing there for her to see yet.

"Come on love, let's head back." Harry said, staring out over the planet he had ravaged, literally killing any chance of it being life bearing if it ever had such a chance, during his battle with Thanos. As he thought about that purple monstrosity he shivered slightly, before shaking it off.

If Thanos survived he'd be back Harry knew, but not for a while yet. Best not to borrow trouble there when there were so many other issues going on. Course that doesn't mean I won't continue to fight the simulacrum of him in the ROR every week, he thought drolly it as Jean took his hand and they teleported back to Babylon.

OOOOOOO

A precarious peace reined in the halls of power in the Kree Empire. Ronan the Accuser had backed down from his demands that the Supreme Intelligence be removed. In return the Supreme Intelligence had agreed to postpone, not give up, just postpone, its efforts to bring in more light-skinned Kree into the pure blue-skinned race. It knew it had to so as to revive the race on a genetic level, but the society was not flexible enough to allow it for now. Not with the greatest hero of the light-skinned Kree apparently turning traitor.

The two factions still differed however on how to address that treason. The fact We'hnt had not been heard of meant his flotilla had been possibly wiped out. Earth was becoming an irritant. To redress this Ronan wanted to send a full battle fleet, and the Supreme Intelligence wanted to send a battleship squadron. The Supreme Intelligence won out for the most part because pulling a full battle fleet away from the front facing the Skrull would have been madness.

Despite all logic to the contrary however, Ronan still pushed for that large a fleet to be sent, and made no bones about who knew it. The Supreme Intelligence however refused to budge on this, knowing how delicate the balance of power was on the warfront, and having no understanding of the danger Earth posed.

So three battleship squads were pulled out of patrolling the inner systems and attached to a single Planet Crusher. Earth would die, and with it the traitor and the human race. Not the outcome the Supreme Intelligence had hoped for, but the only one it could allow for now in order to retain its control over the Kree.

OOOOOOO

That evening, while Jean and Ororo spent the evening with the kids, Harry used the runic doorway to Emma was, where he found her already dolled up in a slinky black dress.

"I see you're dressed to kill, quite literally love. I think anyone over 70 who saw you in that dress would probably have a heart attack" Harry quipped, shaking his head.

"I'm always dressed to kill Harry," she said smoothly, her hands going to the back of his neck and pulling him down into a kiss. "So what've you lined up for us?" she asked, not bothering to pull back from the kiss as she asked the question telepathically.

Harry chuckled then pulled back to look down the mansion's hallway and she shook her head pulling back now. "Don't worry, the security cameras are off, and all you'll have to do is appear outside the gates for a moment. My sister already knows what's going on, but I don't think I want my security team to know just yet. None of them have mental defenses after all, and my own version of those devices isn't far along just yet. Even if I use the versions we found on those SHIELD agents it would cause issues, in particular if SHIELD could track them somehow."

Harry kissed her again, deliberately messing up her lipstick before pulling back with a laugh, disappearing with a pop to reappear in the air above the mansion before flying off slightly to a nearby parking lot which he knew was not monitored, taking out his car and driving to Emma's mansion within moments.

A moment later, Emma exited the mansion, frowning heavily at him as she sat down in the passenger seat. "You messed up my lipstick."

"You fixed it easily enough," Harry said mildly. "Besides, that's not last time your lipstick is going to get messed up this evening."

Emma laughed, and Harry turned their car around, exiting the Frost property after once again passing through checkpoint. The guards on duty nodded at him then frowned. "No security ma'am?"

"Not close in no, Sandman is following along his own car, he'll be outside while we dine.

"And inside while we are at the dance club," Emma sent telepathically.

"Dance club?" Harry asked in the same manner.

"I told you we'd be dancing tonight Potter, did you think I was joking?"

"No, I just thought we'd be doing that when we got back from eating. So are we dancing before eating or what?

"Eating first of course," Emma replied, her mental tone now rather sharp and almost eager. "You'll need the energy."

"Have I ever given any sign that I lack energy?" Harry asked, tapping her thigh right below the cut off of her dress as he drove his car away from the Frost estate with the other.

"Not at all, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to test your endurance," Emma said aloud with a laugh, and Harry chuckled, before putting both hands back on the wheel.

They were soon at the restaurant Harry had booked them at an upscale place which specialized in Asian fusion which Emma had wanted to try. Harry, currently under his Weatherby disguise, walked in with Emma on his arm, and was promptly seated, the majordomo recognizing Ms. Frost easily from the news of the attack on her a few months ago.

The two of them were promptly shown to a table, and left with the menus. For a few moments they made small talk about the restaurant then got to business. After setting up a small, low powered Muffilatio, Harry relayed what was going on in space, as well as his concerns that the Kree's next response, then what he had discovered at or after the Althing.

Emma nodded listening intently then shook her head slowly and Harry suddenly felt something in his lap. Something small with wiggling toes. "You need to concentrate on the here and now Harry, you can't do anything about when Kree will arrive, so put them out of her mind, you've already assigned your best people to the job. We still need to work on enlarging our power base here on Earth, hunting down whoever is involved with the flare-ups of norm/mutant violence, and enlarging our political and social base."

Taking a quick glance down into his lap Harry saw that it was indeed Emma's foot that was now kneading his crotch slowly. Trying to keep his voice under control he cocked his eyebrow at her. "I take it that part of this dinner was to discuss your plans in that direction? Political, social or economic?"

"Economic and social, though in the long run perhaps political," Emma mused, her voice and upper body showing no sign of what her feet were doing.

Realizing that too could play this game, Harry slowly shifted one of his shoes off his foot, bringing it up Emma's leg slowly pushing aside her dress as his foot wound its way upwards.

He was rewarded with a glimmer of amusement in her eyes, and Emma's toes began to wiggle further in his lap.

"I want you to contact the Mandarin," she continued aloud, still somehow able to keep any sign of their ongoing game from her voice and face.

Harry frowned cocking his head. "When you say contact, who are you speaking about?"

"Your Harry Potter persona," Emma replied simply. "While your Guardian persona would definitely get his attention, I do not believe that it would set the right tone for this. You see, despite being a crime lord, the Mandarin is an important political and economic figure in China. He's been behind several of their newest breakthroughs in technology, specifically the anti-smog technology, which given their growing industrial base was a necessity. "

Emma shook her head slowly. "It is because of him that Hong Kong is now smog free, along with several other provincial capitals. The systems are expensive, and take months to put into place, but once they are they literally suck the smog and hazardous waste out of the air. In time I think they will become a major export for China, though at the moment the rest of the scientific community can't seem to get past their designer's history and admit they actually work."

"I see," Harry mused, frowning thoughtfully. "I'll see what Dennis has to say about him. I think we still need to assign someone to the Asian continent entirely however, their society and governments are so different from Europe and America after all. We have a few Japanese specialists Dennis has been able to work with, and there we've made major inroads, but not China."

"Good thinking" Emma said, and her toes twitched in his lap, caressing his growing appreciation of her attention before she too twitched lightly as his own foot reached her crotch in turn.

"My concern there is that he is after all a criminal, a gang boss yes?" Harry clarified.

"There are different kinds of gang bosses Harry. As far as I've been able to learn he doesn't deal in drugs or people. Extortion, racketeering, money laundering gambling, theft, that kind of thing, oh and alcohol. In some provinces the sale of alcohol is apparently limited by law, and he does a brisk business there."

She shrugged when Harry looked at her askance. "Don't look at me, the Chinese government is very odd times. That whole one child rule for example, and the fact they actually enforce it in places."

"Yes, that one is certainly at the top of my list of weird things." Harry quipped, his smile going very tender for a moment as his mind went to Jean and her pregnancy before returning to the here and now. "Any other economic concerns or dangers rearing their heads?"

"None that we haven't discussed before," Emma replied then smiled politely at the waiter who came by with their appetizers and a sommelier. She talked to the sommelier for a few moments even while her foot continued its ministrations, and Harry could only shake his head in amusement at her ability to both multitask and put on a public face while he concentrated on other things entirely.

"By the way," he said, as the waiter left and the two of them dug into their meal, their below the table fun forgotten for a moment. "Do you know were being watched?

Emma paused between one bit and the next, sending out her power in a brief pulse. She found several paparazzi sitting at a nearby table, a camera which was no longer working. But they wouldn't have roused Harry's interest enough to actually mention them.

Then she found a table of four men and three women. Two of the women were watching them closely from the other side of the table as the rest of that table engaged in some kind of discussion she couldn't overhear. Their interest in them though was plain and she frowned for further as she couldn't find their thoughts. More androids? AIM perhaps? No, one of them is human. That's interesting.

Setting her spoon down she spoke quickly and easily, once more nothing in her tone or body language betraying her. "Yes, that's an interesting question, Osborn might have sent them. Certainly one of them thinks he was ordered to by someone Norman uses for his dirtier dealings. A few of them are androids however. And I don't know if Osborn has that kind of technology."

"I don't think AIM is strong enough in America now thanks to the Avengers and SHIELD to send that many androids out after us."

"Not us, me. They don't know Percy Weatherby is at all important, though they might understand that you are a go between myself and Potter. They know you're dangerous though, your cover as an ex-SAS operative is still holding out thanks to William and his government helping it along."

"Good. Then they won't be too surprised to lose their entire attack group." Harry commented.

"And how exactly are you going to justify that?" Emma asked with an elegantly raised eyebrow.

"I'm an ex-SAS operative, and your bodyguards Sandman should be well known by now. I want one of the androids heads intact however. If we can link that's to Osborn, or Osborn in turn to AIM or someone else, we can set SHIELD on them."

Emma's smile disappeared at those words and she shook her head. "Harry, that's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

Harry frowned, his frown deepening when Emma actually removed her foot from his lap. She hadn't been moving it in a bit, but hadn't removed it before now. Yet evidently this was much more serious than the other topics they'd discussed had up to now, including the possible attackers still watching them. "All right, what is it?"

"It's not the Avengers or Captain America that concern me," Emma said waving that thought off with one hand as if it was of no consequence. "They are a decent enough team, but they don't have the skills, numbers or even the support that you have created for the Custodes Mundi. No, it's Nick Fury that bothers me. I am afraid that if his paranoia about your growing power base gets to be too much, he might start actively acting against you."

"Have you ever met him?" Harry asked, more to buy than anything else as he thought about her words. He had after all met Fury more than once, if briefly.

"No, but I've read everything I can about him, trying to get a feel for how he could react. Harry…" she said slowly. "You've undermined SHIELD tremendously across the world. Before you appeared on the scene, SHIELD was in the process of amalgamating literally every known and a few black op 'unknown' intelligence agencies. But then Britain pulled out then France, then Ireland, then a few other countries. And even Canada, which was already amalgamated into SHIELD in many ways, stopped the process. But that's not all."

She shook her head. "Indeed, if it was just that I wouldn't be worried about Fury. No, the fact of the matter is you have been successful in stopping the threats that SHIELD was supposed to be able to. He is looking redundant, almost second rate. And you're not at all connected to any existing power structure, nor do you consider yourself bound by the laws of any one nation. Put those things together, and you become a paranoiacs nightmare. And he is a professional paranoid."

"I'm well aware of that," Harry said mildly, shaking his head. "I've met the man, I know a little bit about how he thinks."

"Yes a little. Don't think that means you'll be able to predict how we will act in the future. I fully expect him to try to move against you in some fashion, to see what your response will be to it, and use that response against you in turn, especially after you returned those two agents to him in such a cavalier manner. That was a slap in the face if ever there was one." Emma cautioned.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Harry asked.

"Nothing overt, just be very careful in the future and draw up plans just in case. We're still trying to create a real independent espionage service, he's already got one, and he can match us in every way in terms of connections to others."

"There's more to your concerns," Harry said simply, his hand reaching over the table to take her hand. "Nothing you've said so far comes as a shock, and it certainly isn't dangerous enough for you to be so concerned right now."

Emma nodded I was going to get to this eventually. "I've mentioned before that Stark might be doing, so I won't mention it again. But, despite what Steve told you I think that's still going on. Worse, SHIELD has access to some kind of advanced technology, an energy system or something. I've seen reports of prototype weapons being tested on a few army bases that had been shut down recently. I think some of them might be tough enough to take on one of the Custodes Mundi in those combat suits of yours."

"So he is going to be more dangerous if he takes the field against us." Harry said thoughtfully. "All right, I'll keep that in mind, but the only thing we can really do is just keep on marching on. If we don't do anything to really call for a response from him at least we'll be able to retain the moral high ground. If our conflict ever becomes public that will be necessary."

"That puts whether or not to start that conflict in his hand," Emma said, not accusingly, simply commenting.

"You think we should act against him?"

"I don't know what to do here Harry. SHIELD is a big ass target, and in a way it would be even tougher to fight them then it was to take on Shaw and his group, at least there we had actual goals in mind and could cut the head off the snake. Here we wouldn't, and they're to spread out to it for one of your decapitation strikes."

"That's all we can do then. However," Harry said glinting evilly. "You mentioned keeping my mind on what's going on here on out, which means we should probably move against Osborn if we can."

"Oh yes. That should be relatively easily and most of it will occur in the realm of the business world," Emma said coldly. "He thinks himself a shark, but he doesn't seem to realize there are bigger dangers in the depths."

"That was a good analogy," Harry said laughing.

To their surprise, the people intending to attack Emma did not strike as the two of them exited the restaurant. They trailed them of course from a distance, but didn't attack them even when they exited Harry's car and went into the dance club Emma had decided would be the second part of their date.

Inside Harry and Emma took to the dance floor, and if over the next two hours their bodies spent more than a few seconds not grinding against one another Harry would've been intensely surprised. Dancing as flirting was an art form, and Emma was a past mistress at it. By the time they left club Harry was ready to throw Emma over shoulder, teleport back to Camelot and ravage her for the rest of the night.

And of course it was at that moment that the attackers tried to move in. Six small robots of some kind popped into the air from out of several parked moving vans down the street from the dance club, zooming through the air towards him, green electrical energy sparking from them towards Harry and Emma.

Harry grabbed Emma, ducking down with her behind another parked car, as he pulled out a gun from his waist.

Emma looked at in shock. "Where did you get that?"

"Bag of holding," he murmured, pulling it out and firing up at the strange discs. "Those discs…"

"Osborn tech." she said drolly. "That green energy gives it away. He's been trying to come up with some kind of weapon that could break into the security sector to combat the weapons we've already been developed there."

"Good to know." Harry said then fell silent as he began to squeeze off controlled bursts downrange at the strange airborne discs, wanting to stay in character for any nearby cameras. Like the paps who were currently hiding near the entrance to the dance club with the club's bouncer.

Behind him he felt more than heard Emma reaching to into her purse where she pulled out a communicator. "Sandman, are you nearby?"

"Yeah boss lady," said Sandman's voice. "I just dealt with three of those people that were trailing you, dealing with the others now. Can you and your date take on those discs?"

Before he could finish Harry had downed two of them, then surreptitiously waved a hand. When he opened fire on the four remaining, something seemed to go wrong with their movement programming and they crashed into a building further down the street. Smiling Harry scanned the rooftops for a moment then moved cautiously out of cover. "Should we remain here to wait for the police or not?"

"Not, let them come to me tomorrow. We can tell them we were worried about further attacks, then when they start to try and link those discs to Osborn no one can say I pointed them in that direction. Take that one man in custody for now Sandman, we're moving back towards your position. As it is, this was but a bump in the road, and I refuse to let it ruin our date." Emma said getting to her feet and moving down the street quickly.

Harry nodded and the two of them raced over to his car which was of course undamaged. There was no way anything set to stun would be able to get through the defenses he'd put on it. After making certain the paps had been left behind and no one else was observing them he tapped the car gently with one hand he shrunk it down to fit in his pocket.

"Interesting," he said, understanding the implications just then of there not being anyone around. "They rerouted local traffic both foot and car-based so they could take us here."

Sandman's voice from behind him made Harry turn. "I noticed that while you two were making the beast with two backs on the dance floor in there. Or was there some other couple in there that was, and I quote 'having sex with their clothes on'? You two made an impression apparently."

"No that was probably us," Emma replied blithely, smirking evilly at the prisoner Sandman held in one of his arm. The sand in his arm covered him from head to toe in sand harder than stone. In his other hand he dangled three android heads. "Hmm, what should we do with you?"

"Now let's see what you can tell me," she purred mentally, her power flicking out lightly into the man's mind. Unlike the few other times she'd done this, she wanted him to remain alive and unaware of what was going on so simply passed him by physically, even as her power to work on them.

Soon she had everything she could take from the man, and nodded to Sandman surreptitiously, saying aloud for the prisoner's benefit. "Dump him somewhere Sandman, we'll let the authorities handle this as well as figuring out how they were able to reroute local traffic like that. I'm not about to take the law into my own hands…"

That was of course a bald-faced lie. But since Osborn seemed unaware of her powers when she moved against his holdings this man knew of it would come as a complete surprise.

"Is Osborn the sort to be able to lash out like this again?" Harry asked as the two of them quickly moved away from the scene of the attack

"No, he won't attack me again like this, frankly I'm surprised he did so in the first place. Right now however we're going to continue our date Harry." She waved Sandman off, ordering him to return home while Harry, at her gestures re-shrunk his car and the two walked off.

"Where to?" Harry asked smiling.

"The top of the Twin Towers." she said with a laugh and a look in her eyes the meaning of which set his blood to pounding once more.

A second later the two of them stepped into an alleyway and while under cover of a Notice-Me-Not Harry picked Emma up in his arms, and flew into the air. As they rose over the nearest buildings Emma leaned up, pulling his face into a kiss, though Harry couldn't give his all into the kiss needing to watch where they were flying until they alighted on top of one of the Twin Towers.

He set Emma down and she smiled looking around moving to the edge of the rooftops and staring down onto the city below. "Did we just come up here for the view?" Harry asked, having a very good idea that was not in fact the case. "It's nice, but…"

"Oh no Harry," said Emma, reaching behind her neck and undoing the small knot that held up her dress, letting it fall to pool around her feet before stepping out of it. Now she only wore panties and a very small, very lacy bra.

The sight awoke Harry's response which had fled during the short clash just now, and he moved in, one hand trailing down the side of her face to take one of her nipples, visible over the bar, in his finger before trailing further down. "You have an exhibitionist streak, love?"

"Oh quite a big one," Emma said with a laugh, leaning up quickly to pull him down into a kiss before leaning back, still speaking as she interspersed her words with kisses along his jaw line. "It's always been a fantasy of mine Harry to come up here and make love to someone under the stars, with the entire city going on below none the wiser."

Harry nodded, but nonetheless quickly set up a few spells to block anyone from above. That was his last conscious thought for a while as Emma once more pulled him down into a deep kiss, one of her legs going around his waist.

Moments later, as they finally moved on from the foreplay Harry felt Emma's attention divert for a brief second before returning to the task at hand with even more fervor. "What is it?" he murmured into her ear before biting down lightly, causing her to buck up against him.

"We've got a bit of a voyeur. Someone is hiding over in the stairwell, and she's now peering at us through the door. Leave her be love, I don't want to wait any longer." Emma sent telepathically, her connection with Harry pulsing with pure need for a moment.

Harry frowned, but when one of her hands snaked into his trousers, his ability to argue went out the window.

Sometime during the activities following that moment, another voyeur showed up, swinging his way over the rooftops to land on one of the corners nearby. Spiderman was so surprised at the sight of the two lovers going about their business that he nearly fell off his perch, only his spider-like reflexes saving him. He gulped, trying desperately to tear his eyes away from the action for a moment, trying to figure out where his quarry had gotten to.

But before he could, the two lovers noticed him. "Do you mind lad?" Harry asked, slowing down and lifting his face out of Emma's blond locks to glare at the spandex-clad hero. "We're a little busy here after allLLL" Harry broke off, grunting as Emma did something, clamping around him like a vice. But despite her protests he turned his attention away from her fully.

"U, uh I, um, I don't er, I don't suppose you saw a woman clad in a black and white suit did you? Er, she's remarkably fit looking and um…" Spiderman trailed off, all his normal insouciance gone for the moment, utterly bewildered and out of his comfort zone.

"She went that way," Harry said pointing randomly. "You two don't need help down from here do you," Spiderman asked trying not to look at Emma, who was as naked as the day she was born save for a pair of panties clinging to one ankle and a high heeled shoe dangling from the other.

"Not a bit of it, now why don't you go away you little voyeur," Emma growled, waving him with a languid hand.

"Excuse me, I'm the freaking Spiderman lady, I'm more at home up here then you are. Certainly got more right to be up here than you two freaking exhibitionists!" Spiderman shot back, his balance coming back online.

"Your words would have more of an impact if you hadn't remained silent as you watched us for so long," Emma said with a laugh, pulling her dress over to cover her upper body.

"Let the little hero be love," Harry said with a chuckle, the absurdity of the moment getting to him over his chagrin at the interruption. "Kid, what are you even doing out here?"

"The woman I mentioned is a thief, she stole something from a museum downtown this evening."

"And a thief like that is the most important thing going on in a city this size tonight?" Harry asked shaking his head. "Priorities kiddo."

"What's with the kiddo thing?" Spiderman growled, wondering why he was simply standing there jawing with these two exhibitionists, though the one with the emerald eyes looked kind of familiar. "You can't be that much older than me, and I doubt you have any experience to…"

"Age is immaterial to true experience." Harry replied loftily, ignoring the Emma's giggle at his sententious words. "And how does the heroing work pay these days?"

Spiderman laughed harshly. "Being a hero pays?"

"Of course, the Avengers are paid by the SHIELD aren't they? And Mr. Fantastic is paid via his patents for the Fantastic Four. Why I don't doubt even those new ones, the Custodes Mundi are paid for their work." Harry replied. "Certainly I was paid when I was part of the SAS."

Spiderman actually grumbled a little, shaking his head. "Yeah well I'm not that bright and I don't work with the team."

"You could you know," Harry said seriously.

Spiderman cocked his head, frowning heavily behind his mask. "Who the hell are you?"

Harry smirked, knowing that their Recognize-Me-Not was working. "Guardian at your service." He said, surreptitiously letting that spell fall as he cast a quick Illusion spell over his features. Spiderman would remember Harry as looking slightly older than his normal self, with blonde hair rather than black, and blue eyes rather than emerald ones. A scar down one side of his face completed the image. No one looking at that image would be able to match it to Harry Potter, his Weatherby persona or even the bits and pieces of Guardian that had been seen after the Thanos incident had so thoroughly wrecked his mask.

"Oh," Spiderman said, caught rather flat-footed by the sudden change, and the admission of who this person was. "…Are you offering me a job?"

"No," Harry said with a shake of his head. "The Custodes Mundi is full up at present, and besides which I don't think you're the type to want to leave your city behind."

Spiderman nodded and Harry went on pulling out a communication mirror from his bag of holding and tossing it to the boy. "So we'll just open a line of communication and maybe aid if you're interested. Don't use it for anything less than something threatening the entire city, or life or death for you. And I don't mean a crime wave when I say that. I also don't mean just physical threats, a virus that could release a plague, someone mind controlling people, that kind of thing is what we deal with, big-time threats to the world in general, not just people."

"Why's that, and what kind of help could you give me if I decide to ask for it?" Spider-man asked suspiciously. He wasn't stupid, and knew the Custodes had an agenda, and he hadn't yet decided where he stood on the whole mutant question.

"Well for one thing we could pay you like the hero business was a real job," Harry said with a laugh. "And two, we think that people should be a allowed to police themselves, we won't step in on things at that level."

Spiderman scowled, but tucked the communication mirror into his belt and turned away. "I'll think about it, but do me a favor though? Don't come back here for your exhibitionist games. I don't think my heart can take this."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Emma said with a laugh as Spiderman without further ado swung off over the skyline. With him out of the way she turned to the stairwell. "You're welcome Ms. Voyeur."

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy it," another woman's voice replied from the stairwell into the tower. A moment later a woman covered from head to toe in black spandex, with white fur here and there and wearing a mask appeared. Her hair looked almost pure white, and her body was undoubtedly attractive, though with Emma right next to him, Harry didn't really care one way or the other about it, though he was amused to see two obvious signs of the other woman's own arousal poking through her suit.

"You knew I was here from the beginning, and still carried on regardless. It was one hell of a show though, I don't suppose I could rent your little boy toy could I? This cat has some itches that need to be scratched right now." The woman asked with a hopeful tone.

"Hell no," Harry said holding up his arms in an X while Emma simply laughed. "Not a chance. We will however give you at the same communication mirror as we did Spiderboy. In your case though, we'll be in touch with you rather than the reverse," Harry finished with a grim little smile.

"Blackmail? You could capture me now but you're asking for a favor in the future." the Black Cat said, catching the small mirror Harry threw her easily. "At least it's a compact size very nice."

"You're welcome," Emma replied dryly. "Both for that and for letting you hide out from Spiderboy."

The Black Cat chuckled at that, since Spiderman really did act like a boy most of the time. But her eyes were serious as they locked on Harry's.

"We might require your services at some point. Just because we're the good guys doesn't mean we don't sometimes occasionally need to break the law. When we need a thief we'll get in contact with you. Don't worry we'll also pay for the job, this is just to open up a line of communication with you."

The Black Cat nodded, and with a final glance their way turned and leaped off the roof in the opposite direction Spiderman had gone.

Harry finally broke down laughing as did Emma, shaking her head before reaching for him. "Now, where were we?"

OOOOOOO

A few days went by, with the work on the gravitic trap proceeding quickly now that Harry had consigned so much of his orbital industrial capacity to it. Thanks to the agreements he had made with various Hellfire Club members, his non-orbital industry also continued to grow slowly but surely, but it still wasn't as large as he could have hoped for.

With Phoenix now officially off the team given her pregnancy, Harry had turned the team over to Magma and Dani, who had evinced the most potential as team leaders. He and Ororo still joined the team once every day for training, but for the most part they let the training to the team, busy as they were with other things.

Ororo continued to help the teachers, as well as help the retrieval teams organize themselves further with the help of Nikolai, who helped in their training along with Shiang Chi. She conducted several more interviews, bringing in two more teachers, both of whom like the others moved into Camelot. She also occasionally helped on the business side of things, more to be a sounding board than anything else.

For her part Jean threw herself wholeheartedly into Carol's think tank, as well as the various Earth-based engineering parts of her job as the chief engineer for Arc Technologies.

The Custodes were not actually engaged in any kind of crisis for those two days. They sometimes joined the retrieval team if the initial group sent felt it was warranted, but other than that their training proceeded apace. AIM didn't make any further attempts against MM, and no one else seemed in a position to take offensive action against them either, while Mystique, Morph and Anne Cortez started their own mission. Yet even that was a peaceful affair.

It was X-Men who had the most interesting missions over those few days…

OOOOOOO

Along one wall of the Danger Room Cyclops leaned against the wall alongside James Proudstar as they watched the next class of possible X-men be put through their paces. James had a scowl on his face while Rogue threw several of them, including his brother around like kindling and Sam put Warren Worthington the Third, whose call-sign was simply Angel, through his paces in the air.

The newest arrivals codenames were Iceman, Angel, Boom-Boom, Jubilee and Angel were joining Laynia, Wanda, Lorna, Alex and the Xians. Of the teens, only Iceman and Wanda had been offered positions on the X-men going forward. Lorna had yet to pass Charles' psychological evaluations, and Alex had no desire to serve without her while Laynia had no desire to go into the hero business at all just like Xian Co Manh. The other newcomers had too many question marks for Scott to want them out in the field.

Boom-Boom was a girl who had originally been an acolyte member but who had been jailed for a minor case of theft before the recruitment process ended. Charles had scooped her up afterward as the Brotherhood had pulled in their cells. Her general attitude and rather laid back way of viewing other people's property worried Scott. Her power to create small explosions would obviously be helpful, but not something he'd want on every mission.

In a way Jubilee suffered from the same problem: her powers were interesting, but not helpful enough to get over to problems Scott had with her. For one thing she was young, only just turned fourteen, younger by a year than even Kitty had been before starting. And for another she had a severe problem with training at all and taking instruction, not a good sign for her ability to work well with a team.

Angel's codename was an easy one, almost forced onto him by his mutant power of having large white wings with which he could fly. Warren had acted as a sort of vigilante hero down in Charleston for a time before Charles contacted him. He had some skill, but he was arrogant, a playboy and opinionated, coming from an extremely rich family.

On the other hand Bobby, "Iceman" was a cheerful extrovert who got on famously with Kurt and responded well to instruction. He was also a bit of a pervert, but the girls could handle that well enough. His powers over ice were incredible and hopefully useful.

Nonetheless all of them would receive training in how better to use and control their powers so long as they were here, hence the exercises. Said exercise caused Scott to wince now as Iceman's ice wall was shattered by a boulder and he personally was sent skidding along the ground a second later by a kick from John Proudstar. "Situational awareness and some close combat skills are a must…"

"Hmmpf, Bobby at least is game enough to keep getting up. Jubilee didn't even try, and Boom-Boom is far too prolific and sloppy with those explosive balls of hers." James commented.

"True, we have our work cut out for us. For now I…" Scott broke off as Charles' words echoed through their heads.

"X-men please assemble in the hanger bay. We have a situation, a group of mutants is attempting to break into a bank vault in Austin Texas. Two of them appear to be of the super-strong variety, and have begun to fight off a police response. No deaths have been reported yet, but I think the X-men should step in."

"Roger that Professor, you heard the man team." Scott replied and a moment later the team had assembled and were boarding the Blackjet, Rogue, John, Sam, Kurt, and Scott. Evan was with his parents, and they had decided to leave James behind to lead the newcomers in their exercises.

"Boom-Boom and the other's aren't going to be happy they got left behind, the first mission we get sent on since they moved in and they get left behind." John said, shaking his head as he took the copilot's seat next to Scott. He was learning how to fly the jet, but it would be a while before he was qualified on it.

"No way, even in a fight like this I refuse to bring anyone along I can't trust to follow orders and work together. You and your brother proved yourselves before I took you in to the Savage Land campaign, they have to do the same." Scott replied, to which John nearly visibly puffed himself up, which increased as Scott went on in a droll tone. "And that'll no doubt take a lot longer in their cases than it did in yours."

Rogue stuck her head out of the main sitting area into the cockpit at that point, as the jet roared unseen over the daytime sky higher and faster than any commercial jet could even track them, unseen by any radar. "So what's the plan Scott?"

"It'll depend on the terrain when we get there. If we have to fight them in the city, we'll have to find a parking lot or something to force them towards. Sam, that'll be your and my job. Kurt, you're on defense." In this case defense meant protecting any civilians and getting them out of the way, a job Kurt took seriously despite his normal attitude. "When they're away from people and buildings, John and Rogue, you'll bring the hammer down."

In that they were actually in luck. The bank being robbed was in a strip mall with a large and somewhat empty parking lot, and Kurt got to work immediately popping down and grabbing any civilian in the area and popping them away from the gunfight.

The mutant gang in question were not shouting slogans or anything like that, they weren't doing this as a show of mutant supremacy. This was a group of mutants using their powers for criminal gain, nothing more, nothing less.

One of them was a massive mountain of grey stone, looking almost like one of Harry's golems, standing as tall as John and apparently just as strong. One of them had just hurled a police car away down the street as the Blackjet pulled into a hover in the air above the scene, still hidden under both tech and magical camouflage.

Another was a thin, tall looking Hispanic man who was possibly the leader of the group. At least he was the one carrying the bag of loot over his shoulder, which in circumstances like this usually denoted who was in charge. His one free hand flashed and flared with yellow energy firing toward several policemen who had taken cover in a few doorways here and there. It struck with as much power as one of the plasma rifle blasts.

The other was an even larger bastard with a somewhat hunched over upper body and a small head on massive shoulders. He also had the most ridiculous small glasses perched on his nose. As Scott watched, he charged through the gunfire from several SWAT team members hiding around their truck, his intent clear: he would just barrel into the truck and crush them underneath. The problem was there were three wounded policeman hiding behind that truck, and Scott doubted they could be moved.

"Rogue, John, take him out!" Scott shouted, pointing down from where he had taken position in the open hatch of the Blackjet, the plane's autopilot having taken over. "Sam, take out the man with plasma hands then see if you can hurt that Thing-lookalike!"

As the two strong men leaped out to land in front of the charging man Scott lined up a shot on the fourth mutant in sight, who apparently could change solids into liquids with a touch going by what he had just done to a parked car which he had heretofore been hiding behind. The red beam of energy struck him in the chest with concussive force, hurling him backward, unconscious before he landed.

With that man down Scott turned his attention on the plasma hands man, taking him under fire as he tried to turn his attention up toward these new combatants. Sam barreled down, smashing into the man with a punch at near sonic speed, which blew his lights out before barreling into the rocky mutant. That one rocked back on his heels but was able to push Sam up and off target after a second, and Sam flew on, coming back in a loop.

John landed, cratering the concrete of the parking lot right in front of the charging mutant. He ducked underneath the other fellow's outstretched arms to catch him around the middle, whereupon he performed a perfect German Suplex, smashing him headfirst into the concrete. The man, who was remarkably top heavy, his body almost distorted in a way like someone who had taken too many steroids, broke out easily, smirking at John. "Sorry man, but any attack like that on me just makes me stronger!"

Rogue landed right on his back, locking in a choke hold with both arms around the man's throats as her legs struggled to do the same to his distorted upper body. "Then all we gotta do is not attack you like that right?"

The man reached up and tried to tear the far slighter Rogue away, only to find that she was actually significantly stronger than him. Having been sparring that morning with the two Proudstars before the new teens were put through their paces, she was at full power thanks to her permanently absorbed Shaw's mutant power.

"Yes, thanks for telling us that, idiot!" John growled ducking under a blow from the man, grabbing his wrist and pulling him around and into a hold with that arm hyperextended behind him.

The man desperately pounded the ground with his free hand, trying to wrench himself around, but no matter how strong he was he couldn't break John's hold or Rogue's. Nor could he fight back having his circulation cut as it was thanks to Rogue, and he soon collapsed.

Rogue and John turned to help deal with the others only to find the rocky mutant throwing up on his shoes as Scott slowly cut into a damaged car to get a few trapped drivers out while Kurt perched nearby, grinning down on the rocky mutant impudently. The police in the area were already racing toward them, their guns still out, and Rogue wondered if they were going to fire on their saviors.

Before they could decide to do that or not however Scott finished with his work, and a single wide area beam from his eyes smashed out into the golem-man's face knocking him back and out easily. "X-men, we're done here. Leave some of those reinforced cuffs for the police and let's go."

With that they left, leaving behind a group of confused and rather irritated policemen and four unconscious mutant criminals. Though if the police were irritated about being saved by mutants, or the fact they needed saving in the first place, was up in the air.

The next mission was a humanitarian one, a tornado had torn through a town in Nebraska. Thousands of houses had been smashed flat and hundreds of people were missing. The X-men showed up at the disaster relief headquarters and pitched in following the local volunteer's orders, their various abilities making the job easier and saving lives. During the mission at Scott's orders they made no statement to the press, not that this was difficult considering how busy they were, but they were filmed practically from start to finish.

Afterwards they left still without making any political statement, letting their job do the speaking for them. This self-effacing style won the mutants more public support than any amount of speech making might have, and it had a distinct effect: the Mutant Registration Act was shouted out of the House of Representatives, and a new law, the Mutant Equivalent Rights Act, was begun. Though it would take a while, America as a whole had slowly begun to move toward on mutant/human equality despite whoever was still trying to stir up trouble.

OOOOOOO

Despite Harry having several other demands on his time, creating a method to force the communication open between the two paired mirrors took Harry a bare two days. To do so, he had to create what was basically an amplification array for his half of the pair, which would open the connection between the two via brute force without immediately turning the other mirror into so much slag.

He couldn't simply just add more power to the signal: that would result in the aforementioned slag. No, that power had to be controlled, interweaved in a way so as to let more power be added into the 'communication system' as it were without overwhelming it thus needing the array to act as a circuit breaker of sorts.

During this time Harry also began to teach Illyana, assigning her several spells each day to learn, small things like which he had first learned at Hogwarts. They were mostly chosen to aid her in controlling her magic in addition to aiding in her visualization, which was the key in practically every kind of spell work. He also started to teach her calligraphy, which would be a major help if she was became interested in runes.

Eventually the amplification array was done and Harry sat in the center of his now cleared work room. Ororo stood behind him outside the amplification array leaning against the wall with Emma, who had just arrived, leaning her head against the black woman's shoulder as they both watched Harry put the final touches on the array. To Emma's eyes the runic array was a series of strange scrawls set in odd shapes around one another like a jigsaw puzzle on the floor. To Ororo it looked much the same, except there were also several glowing lines in the air hovering apparently randomly around the mirror that were either corralled or guided by the array, which had its own internal power shining from the runes.

"Do you think whoever is trying to control the Asgardians will be able to attack us through this spell?" Ororo asked.

"No, I think whoever it is are extremely limited in how they can act on Earth. I doubt it was always so, but it certainly is now or else they would've struck at us after we found Thor's hall based on how quickly they cut Hela off from us. The mental plane might be a different story since they seem so adept at mind magics and control, hence why I've been researching legellimency and other mental attack and defense magic. In fact, I doubt they have anything that could attack Hela in her own halls physically. I think Niflheim would be like Mephisto's realm, a place where she could turn anything and everything against any attacker."

"What exactly are we expecting once you forcibly open this communication?" Emma asked. She of course had not met Hela or her wolf guardian so her focus here was purely Ororo and Harry's welfare. She didn't wish the goddess ill by any means but as of now she was just a stranger to Emma and thus of little importance.

"No idea, hence why I brought up the castle's wartime defensive arrays before starting on this." Harry said, shaking his head, his fingers twitching eager to get this over with.

The normal defenses of Camelot were immense, powerful and varied. Once you brought them up to a wartime footing though that magnified their strength a hundred fold, fueled by the ley lines beneath Camelot to such a degree they could have seen off an attack by Harry himself, Dr. Strange, or their nonmagical equivalents. And the sentient feeling the castle occasionally gave off magnified too, becoming wary, watchful and protective, something every magic user in the castle was aware of now.

Harry set the mirror down its center, his hand hovering over it as his other moved to the rune powering the array. "If Hela's under attack of some kind, I might be able to use this to trace an apparition straight to her, though that would be dangerous." He mused thoughtfully.

"Understatement of the century," Ororo chuckled dryly. "A blind jump like that across dimensions? Even if you have an anchor on the other side, that would be very dangerous, which you don't, unless you can somehow turn the other mirror into one…"

Harry nodded then without preamble began to channel power into the array on the floor. Ororo and Emma too fell silent, watching closely, while Emma gathered herself for a fight. She couldn't feel the arrays around her, watchful, waiting like a massive dog just waiting for a hint of danger to its master to lunge for the throat and so prepared her mental arsenal in case of another event like the time he'd drained the yellow gem in the RoR. Emma had proven less than helpful then, she was determined to do better now.

The magic built and built, disappearing into the siphon that the magical mirror had suddenly become, until the screen of the small compact mirror went first glaring white, then gray, then… "Is that fur?" Ororo asked, somewhat nonplussed. Emma was equally bemused at the distinct lack of disaster.

There was a yelp from the other side, and a growling voice rumbled something that none of those in Camelot could make out, but which was probably a curse if the vicious tone was anything to go by. The voice became more intelligible as the fur moved, and was soon replaced by a snout and then an eyeball peering down into the depths of the mirror, or rather up from their perspective.

"I thought this thing important, but I did not expect it to actually attack me! And now what is going on? Strange seidr users, including a man of all things for the shame of it, using it to try and spy on my mistress? Fear not little wizards, I will be there to eat your souls soon enough!"

"Garm?" Harry asked, somewhat confused both by the giant guardian wolf having the mirror and his not seeming to recognize them let alone the threatening tone. "Why do you have the mirror? Where's Hela?"

The wolf's one visible eye narrowed, with suspicion and he flashed fangs for a moment at the mirror. "You seem to be far too familiar with my mistress' name mortal, although…" the giant wolf seemed to pause, sniffing at the mirror. "The magic on this is familiar. What is going on here? How can it be familiar without me having any memory of it?!"

"Wait," Harry said holding up a hand, outrage and sudden comprehension filling him as the dread that had built up in his gut whenever he thought of Hela gained vindication. "Wait. You have no memory of me, I don't look familiar at all?"

"No," the wolf, said leaning back slightly to show an angry if perplexed frown. "But your magic smells familiar, and that should not be. I'll be the first to admit I am old, but I am not senile. I remember every seidr user that has crossed my path, the tastes of their souls if I have had the pleasure, the scent of their magic, the appearance they took. Your scent is familiar, I have a memory of that scent, but nothing to go with that memory, neither good nor bad. This is… troubling."

The one visible eye narrowed again. "If you had anything to do with changing my memories, my mistress will know the truth of it, and her vengeance will be the stuff of legends!" The image seemed to vibrate for a moment, his anger making the mirror on his end shake.

As the wolf spoked Ororo was staring at Harry in horror, and Harry was barely keeping his growing fury in check. Even Emma now understood what was going on here. Memory modification she thought against a goddess and her sworn servant? That's both disturbing and scary.

"I swear on my life and magic that I had no part in changing your memories most fell of wolves," Harry said, holding up his hand. He let a brief cascade of magic appear after the initial splash of his oath, and hoped that both had been visible to Garm on the other end of the mirror. He really had no idea about the senses the defender of the halls of Niflheim had, but hoped they were up to that task.

Thankfully this was the case, and the wolf's gaze went back to normal and he backed off somewhat, now staring down into the mirror quizzically rather than aggressively. "Very well, I'll accede you had nothing to do with my memory of you being modified. But why for are you trying to contact my mistress? And do you have any idea why I do not remember you?"

"We were trying to contact your mistress because we consider her an ally, and a friend." Harry gestured behind his back to Ororo, and she swiftly moved through the runic array, careful not to disturb any of it to stand with him in the pickup range of the mirror on the ground.

"We recently required the aid of your mistress and you to combat an outbreak of Draugr." Harry said. "And we wished to thank you and the lady for that aid."

Harry hoped that was safe enough, and that maybe the dire wolf was not being watched as closely as Hela obviously was by this point. If I had just modified the memories of a goddess of Death I would for sure be watching her just in case I wasn't as thorough as I believed, Harry thought grimly, his fingers clenching and unclenching at his side until Ororo's hand snaked into his own gripping tightly.

Emma too moved to just join them, putting her hands on Harry's shoulders from behind and moving into the runic array for a moment to stare at the Wolf.

"Interesting," Garm murmured absently, staring from one to the other. "That would explain why I had such an odd case of stomachache a few weeks back. The question then becomes, do you have enemies or does my mistress who would wish for you to not communicate?"

"I'm very much afraid your mistress is the one with the enemies in this case. I have my own homegrown ones of course. In fact they seem to pup every time I turn my back, if you'll excuse the expression." Harry replied dryly, hoping get a laugh out of the now extremely agitated wolf.

It worked, and the wolf chuckled, and seemed to calm down somewhat. That still left them with a giant wolf with some serious concerns but at least he wasn't looking at them like prospective prey. "Who then has the power to modify our memories? I am but an old wolf, but my mistress is the goddess of the dead!" Garm said, growling the words.

"I don't know Garm, but I'm going to find out." Harry said savagely, as Ororo nodded firmly at his side and Emma looked on. He scowled as the mirror on his end began to vibrate and shudder, and he saw smoke appear in the pickup. "Dammit! The mirrors can't take the amount of magic I had to force into it to let us communicate without you actually opening the communications from your end. Not good, but you're positive that your mistress never mentioned Harry, or Ororo? She called me a 'little seidr man', and could have called Ororo the Chosen of Gaia."

The most dire of wolfs shook his head. "I've never heard of those."

"We'll have to figure out another way to communicate, but for now keep our talk to yourself. I hope that your enemies don't realize that you were able to keep your sense of smell at the very least, and we can hopefully build on this." Harry said quickly.

"I still do not entirely trust you seidr user, you meddle in that which men should not." Garm growled shaking its head at the situation. "However, I will keep this a secret for now, for my mistress' sake, not yours. So long as my mistress does not actively ask about the mirror. But if my mistress' and my memories really were modified, we will have to place our faith in you mortal to getting them back."

At that point the mirror in front of the three lovers shattered, exploding into a thousand pieces in the center of their array, melting even as those separate pieces ricocheted all around the room and away from the three as Ororo swiftly threw up a barrier of air.

Harry simply stood there for a moment, staring at the shattered, burnt stone underneath where the mirror had previously been, even as the magic of Camelot repaired the damage. Then a seeming shiver of power began to pulse out from him, his eyes flaring with magic light as his anger began to get the better of him.

At his side Ororo quickly pulled him into a hug, her arms going around him as Emma did the same. "Calm down! You'll do no one good if you lose control of your anger!"

Harry gritted his teeth, but nodded tightly, a tight grim movement of the head that did nothing to reassure her that he was any closer to peace. " All right, you're right."

His thoughts despite his anger were almost lucid, but Emma still winced at the amount of anger, no fury, she was feeling through their telepathic link. She even had to reach out to Jean, who felt the same thing up in orbit, telling her what was going on.

Harry knew none of that, his thoughts on the matter at hand. Someone is getting desperate, operating openly now, uncaring that I might discover this regardless of their work on the Asgardians. There's something almost contemptible about that, as if so long as the Asgardians are under their control they have nothing to fear. Well asshole, or assholes whichever the case turns out to be, we will just fucking see about that!

After a few seconds of fulminating silence Harry regained control of himself and smiled down at Ororo. "I'm fine now, but I have some… research to do. I'll be in Room of requirement if you need me, but remember to knock please, and if you'd tell everyone not to disturb me unless it's urgent I would appreciate it."

Ororo nodded, moving away slightly. She watched as Harry left, thinking that he probably was also going to blow up some steam in one of the room's many iterations. She was fine with that idea, so long as he made certain to check that the

rest of the team weren't currently using it. She sighed faintly as she felt the wards return to normal under Harry's direction, and shook her head moving toward the door to find the other magic users in the castle and tell them what was going on as Emma followed her.

Harry did in fact need to blow off some steam. He used one of the ROR's iterations to let out one blast of magic which turned what had once looked like a mountainside into a deep gully, but after that he turned his mind back to more serious matters.

That didn't mean he was not still angry of course, but his anger was now a focused, deadly thing. He spent several hours simply researching mind magics, both the defense and offense of said type. As a sort of aside of his strange mental defense, Harry had never bothered with this area before, and had to play catch up now.

His battles against the Elder Gods via their connection to their gems however aided him in this, and he quickly began to build up a number of attacks spells. Only attack spells. Harry figured unless he tried to forge the connection himself no one would be able to find his mind thanks to his Invisible Cloak defense. Of course they might be able to hit me with the mental equivalent of area of effect spells once I start attacking, but I can create further mental defenses behind my cloak.

After those few hours, Harry turned his attention to other matters. In one hand he held the remains of Dani's medallion, and in the other a bottle of the memories of the dance and the fight against the Draugr. Following his commands the room around him changed into a blank stone, almost jail-like room, and he set the two items down on a bench which appeared underneath them before moving into the center of the room and beginning to work on another runic array.

It was generally speaking the same sort of array as he had used the mirror, but there were a lot of differences even so. The two mirrors were connected as they had been created to be, tuned to the magic of one another so as to be the equivalent of two ends of a rope.

This array however was based upon sympathetic magic, alike in appearance but not in reality to that of the mirror. Moreover, this was not an attempt to communicate, but to find the other object of the sympathetic magic.

It wasn't Hela that Harry was searching for. He had nothing of hers that he could use in that search, not even the geode she had initially given him and he had used in the sombel could be used in that fashion. No, he was using something a bit more… fundamental to the Asgardian faith in an effort to find a way to their realm in its entirety.

Dr. Vorlus had mentioned the world tree Yggdrasil, the tree that held all of the different dimensions of the Asgardian religion, the root of the world before but it's been so long, and such a busy time since I first came to this dimension that I forgot where my 'wand' pieces came from. I hadn't realized until now how important my 'focus' being a part of such a thing was. Huh, I wonder if it's really luck or fate that I have been getting tied up in all of this Asgardian business.

Still, if I can find Yggdrasil, I can teleport to it, and if I can do that, I can go from there to finding Hela, or possibly bring whoever took her memories down on me where I can hopefully destroy them. Either or really. That he would destroy them was not a question at this point, it was simply a question of how to go about it and how long it would take. If Harry decided he needed more power he still had an Elder God gem to drain, and he figured that if the things had a corporeal body his anti-demon spells would work just as well against them as they had against Mephisto when they rescued Cynthia Von Doom.

It took Harry the rest of the day and well into the night, not that Harry actually noticed, to create the array and then to pull the piece of the world tree which Death had infused into his magical core along with the Mkraan crystal out where he could cast spells on it. This was not a mental representation as he had done when faced with the Phoenix Force in Jean's head, this was the real thing, and taking it out involved quite a bit of cursing and pain.

But when he had the piece in his hand he could feel the familiar magic already working, the piece of wood calling to its like across the dimensions. Sighing he gestured with his other hand, creating a Patronus, its massive solid-light form appearing next to him to take a message to Ororo and the others. "Love, I think I've found a way to get to Asgard. Get the team kitted out, I think it's time we start striking back at whoever is trying to control them…"

Moments later Harry looked around the room at the team they dissembled for this. Ororo, Magma, Dani, of course, Colossus, Banshee and Paige, ostensibly under her new code name Skinner.

Not Morph, he out with Mystique, Betsy and Irene creating a paper trail for their covers before their arrival in Cairo, the city Mystique and Dennis had picked out as being the next most likely site of a possible flare-up between unpowered and mutants. Not Nikolai either. He had been seconded to the retrieval teams over the past few days to help Shiang to train them to a higher degree of combat skills, including Wendy.

Nor was Wyatt there, he had been busy with the Fantastic Four on something which had seemingly come a head late last night. Someone had apparently attempted to teleport into the Baxter Building, something powerful enough to force the defensive computers to shut down all the electronics within as they automatically routed power to the defensive shields. Whatever it was, Reed hadn't asked for help, so Harry was more than happy to leave them to it.

They had however sent Franklin and Madame Harkness to Camelot for now. When she showed up that morning, she had muttered something about morons traveling through some kind of stream or something like that, which Harry resolutely did not inquire further into. He was doing enough juggling at present, and knew he could trust the FF to see to their own issues.

"All right, I don't know how this is going to work, this teleportation is not going to be easy by any means I'll warn you all now. Has everyone had their stomach medicine?" This was not a joke. Apparating from one place to another was tough on most stomachs the first few times. Apparating across dimensions would no doubt be even more irritating.

As everyone nodded grimly Hedwig alighted on one of Harry's shoulders, and Harry quirked an eyebrow her, smiling faintly as he reached up to stroke your chest.

"I still can't believe you're not letting me go," Jean said from where she leaned against the wall staring at Harry and Emma who had joined them for this operation, a frustrated and worried scowl on her face. "If whoever was trying to control the Asgardians were doing so on the mental plane, a telepath will not only a good idea but necessary."

"We've talked about this Jean. This is going to be a dangerous mission even my and Emma's part in it," Harry said as Ororo moved over to pull the redhead into a hug. "And I refuse to let you put yourself in danger again."

"Harry please!" Jean said, nearly pleading. "I'll be covered in as many protective spells as you can layer on, I'll be wearing my Phoenix guard, I'll have my powers, I will be as safe as possible and you could need another telepath along!"

"And how long did those spells last against Exodus?"

Jean flinched at the unfair question one hand going to her stomach unconsciously. The truth was they hadn't lasted very long at all, telekinetic assaults like that seemingly could match or somehow undermine magical defenses just like a magical attack could, only not quite. Worse they might be fighting something on the astral plane, where Jean was a more defensive minded individual then she was on the physical. She could match most people there, but she didn't have the experience in pure mental combat Emma did.

"Fine," Jean growled, knowing when she was defeated, hugging Ororo back before looking crossly at Harry. "But if all of you don't come back, I swear to God I'm going to…" She trailed off, trying to think of threat dangerous enough to appease her, and just shook her head finally. "You all just better come back," she finished lamely.

Ororo and Harry both laughed, while Emma simply wordlessly moved towards her, pulling the redhead into a hug before Harry joined them. After a moment however he turned back to the rest of the team who had been talking among themselves, letting the family get their farewells out of the way. "All right, let's do this."

The team nodded, stepping into the apparition circle as Harry stepped into the center of the room and began to once again bring out the wand of Yggdrasil wood which had welded itself to his magical reserves. Touching it lightly he gestured everyone to touch his shoulders and hands. He sent his thought into the wood, then out to the rest of the tree, finding that connection between the pieces and pulled them all along that connection.

A second later the team alighted on a massive wooden branch of some kind, larger than a freeway, with dozens, thousands of smaller branches sticking up and out in every direction, a veritable forest rooted on an even larger tree branch. That was all anyone had to time to see, before the vertigo of the teleportation hit them.

Even Harry felt it, falling to one knee and gasping lightly while Hedwig left his shoulder, zooming off into the foliage, her stomach having dealt with the change easily. To one side Ororo had gone down to both knees, pitching forward to smack her forehead into the ground groaning, while others had simply collapsed where they were like marionettes with their strings cut, their hands going to their stomachs as their bodies tried to deal with the suddenness of travel from one point in one dimension to another.

Emma had the worst of it however. She rolled on the ground, hurling her last four or five meals up and Harry quickly got over his own issues, reaching forward to pull her hair back out of the mess, cleaning her face, back and front with a series of small cleaning spells while she continued to heave up despite the stomach medicine she, like the rest of the team, had taken half an hour before.

Turning his attention inward while the team slowly recovered, Harry began to reabsorb the piece of the Yggdrasil into himself, wincing occasionally at the pain of it, but it needed to be done. At this point Harry thought he could control his magic well enough without even that focus welded to his magical reserves, or his soul, whichever term it used, but he wasn't about to take chances. Besides, it'd been a part of him for so long, it would feel wrong to try and separate it from him permanently.

As he did though, he caught a glimpse of the world tree itself in its totality, not like an image in his head, but an impression of the tree. It had a kind of sentience, he could feel it all around them unseen and unheard but there, omnipresent.

It was unconcerned with their doings, unconcerned with anything mortal, god, or anything else could do. It was ancient. It was here before the beginning, it would be here for the end. It simply was, and it continued on its way, it's thoughts ponderous, thinking on the passing of the year, the seasons bits and pieces of it occasionally felt, unable to even care about the tiny wights making their way through its branches. It was an awe inspiring and admittedly humbling experience to go through for Harry, and while he would always remember this moment of awareness beyond himself, he had to admit that he was glad when it faded and he was 'just Harry' again.

Beside him Ororo recovered quickly, standing up and doing a mental checklist of her body for a moment. Yep everything was there, an important thing to check when using Harry's apparition rather than her own teleportation power spells. With that done she began to move from one team each to the other, rubbing backs or stomachs and generally trying to help as much as she could.

From where he was doing the same to Emma, Harry asked, "Can you still picture Camelot? Do you think you can teleport back?"

Frowning Ororo placed her hands together as she concentrated bringing up the area of effect teleportation spell that Gaia had taught her. Just because she was the goddess of Earth's chosen didn't mean Ororo couldn't use her magical powers away from the planet, or even like this in another dimension. Eventually she nodded. "I believe so, yes. It would take it out of me, and I think our arrival would be just as bad as using your spell to get here was, but we could get back yes."

Harry nodded then looked around as the rest of the Custodes began to recover, slowly pushing themselves to their feet. As he watched Dani muttered, "thank God I didn't put my helmet on yet," wiping her mouth and backing away quickly from where she had thrown up a bit.

Now that they were awake they began taking in the environment or at least making a valiant attempt to. The massive tree limb they were on caused several shocks as did the proliferation of other branches leading off it. The sheer size of the tree itself, it's tree trunk barely visible from their starting point past Harry's shoulder, was simply mind-boggling. It was almost like, from their vantage point, trying to take in the entirety of the Great Wall of China from only one position along its length, it was simply that huge.

The foliage itself also looked odd to those who knew anything about such things. The leaves looked like pine in some areas, beech in others, oak in a third. It was as if, Dani mused, all three types of tree were coming together in this one tree, or perhaps, as if those three trees were offshoots of this one tree. "Yggdrasil," she said aloud, as if tasting the word, shaking her head at everything, tapping Sigyn's Gift at her hip, her thoughts confused and disjointed even to her, a mix of anticipation and awe.

At that point Hedwig came flying back from her jaunt, alighting on Harry's shoulder and pecking at him for a moment. "Preck, preck!"

"Really?"" Harry said, one eyebrow raised and the bird nodded her head fiercely. "Hedwig thinks that we should move away from the tree trunk for a moment, she says the view from out near the edge is something we need to see."

They all nodded agreeably, thinking that a short walk through this forest on a tree limb would be interesting, not really understanding the sheer size of the tree yet, even Dani. So they went walking along or climbing over the obstacles in their path as they wended their way through the dense foliage, the largest of which towered over their heads like a Red Oak, and the smallest of which was a bush that even Emma could step over.

"It looks like wood but it's so big!" Dani murmured to Magma, the size of the tree below and all around them finally registering.

Behind them Piotr suddenly shook his head, a dirty joke having gone through his mind at those words. I've been spending far too much time with Nikolai lately.

"I know," Magma said, having heard her boyfriend's snort and wondering what had caused it but putting that aside for now. "I mean it's the scale of things, a mean look at that," she said pointing ahead of them at a small dip in the land, bark rather, which looked as if it could swallow a car.

But as they grew closer, they realized it was just a knot in the tree branch, nothing more nothing less. They all hopped down, then climbed back out the other side, then under or through some intertwined branches.

Soon after that the foliage began to decrease all around them, and the tree branch they were on also began to shrink noticeably, slowly becoming only as large as a one way road.

"For some reason," Ororo said as she moved side Harry, "I'm getting the impression that time isn't moving like we think it is here. I can't put my finger on why."

"That's because your mind can understand the width of the branch, but not so much Yggdrasil I think. Our minds aren't able to see the entirety of Yggdrasil, we're just seeing what bits we can through the lenses of our perception. I'm hoping that it also has its own small separate time. I really, really don't want to return to Earth and find we've been gone for years and that my kids are 15 and don't know me or anything like that," he said dryly, as they finally pushed past the last bit of branch blocking their view of the world beyond Yggdrasil.

For a moment, words and thoughts failed them. The others trooped up behind them falling silent in turn as they stared out over the vista before them.

Above and in front of them there was nothing, a starless rippling void with flashes of varicolored lights zooming around the firmament. But that was only the backdrop to the foreground of this picture. They stared around them, the sheer scale of what they were seeing, what their minds could handle of the reality was just overwhelming.

Around them on all sides and behind them stood the tree. They couldn't see the top of it, it made mountains look small. No, Piotr mused as he took in the image with an artist's eye, even the largest mountain on earth would disappear beside this behemoth. It was like staring at something the size of the Earth itself, only not as if you were from outer space, but standing atop its surface. It was a very odd, humbling, feeling.

Below them, they could see a vast ocean of some kind lapping against the farthest roots of the tree, each of them like the roots of mountains. A flare of light from down there drew the eye for a moment, and Harry frowned. Going from the description of the various beasts of the Asgardian faith, that was probably Nidhogg the dread wyrm, eating at the roots which continually regrew as it went.

"We'll be staying away from that," he said, his mastery of the obvious making some of those coming back to themselves snort dryly. And I'd rather we not run into that squirrel, Ratatat or something? I've never liked tale-tellers, and that one sounded like one of the worst sort.

High up in the branches and to the left of their current position was a globe of some sort held in the branches of the tree as if it was a bird nest. Its dimensions were no doubt impressive, but against the backdrop of the tree itself, even that felt like it was small and fragile, a giant snow globe perched on a massive oak tree. It was only when you stared at it closely enough that you realized that within that globe encased what looked like a continent. Scale of course for the interior of the globe was impossible at this far removed, but it certainly looked immense even from here.

It was a continent of high mountains, tufted with ice that they could see from here only as white specks on top of brown and green. Snow featured heavily elsewhere, coating the small continent in the globe white, against the backdrop of the deep blue sky interspersed with clouds, moving around the globe's upper reaches and reinforcing the snow globe comparison in everyone's minds. There looks to be from here they could make no other details out of it, but Harry nodded his head slowly. "That would be Jotunheim."

To a diagonal down from their current position and somewhat closer to that first globe, Harry could barely another realm. This one looks like it was on fire from one end to another, and Harry knew that to be the home of the fire Jotun. They had originally not been giants at all in Harry's estimation, but rather elementals of fire, who somehow mated with regular Jotun to create an entirely new race. They could survive heat and fire at that would kill most people, and they cared not for anything else.

"I think we need to move closer to Asgard which should be near Jotunheim from what the stories say," Harry said after a moment, frowning hard as he planned out their imminent journey. "I don't see Jormungundar from here, nor can I see Niflheim, which I imagine would be in another globe like that somewhere else in this mass of tree."

"Should we fly there?" Ororo asked dubiously, feeling rather out of place what with being the comparative size of an aphid to Yggdrasil. "I can't seem to feel the air here despite our being able to breath, but we could use our magic."

"No, we need to go silently here, that means using as little magic as possible for now until we're ready. Whoever is controlling the Asgardians might be on the lookout for anything unusual, though I can hope the tree's aura will have covered our arrival." Harry replied, frowning. "Not to mention smaller, more home grown threats like other magic users able to sense our use of the art."

"Then I am with you in your hope that this tree has its own time field Harry," Ororo said with a chuckle, a rather wan one considering what they were talking about, but the rest of the team looked game enough.

"Let's go people," Harry said, cocking his head back the way they came. "We've got a job to do."

Dani led the way now, her senses on full. After all, a tree this huge might have its own internal ecosystem, which meant predators. But fortunately they didn't meet any. They heard birds in the distance yes, the fluttering of gigantic wings more than once echoing through the leaves, but no bird appeared saved Hedwig to bother them, sitting down onto Harry's shoulder complacently a few times two, chirping to herself in an amused sort of way to Harry's ears.

Little did Harry realize at the time that she had actually had a run in with the eagle, Veðrfölnir. A bird of great wisdom and age, it too was caught in the geis which had overwhelmed the Asgardians. Unlike them, as a beast he was beneath the notice of their oppressors. They had an interesting discussion in bird language, but despite his ability to see practically everything that went on in any of the lands connected to the World Tree, Veðrfölnir had nothing to add to the Custodes information about their targets.

How long they trekked before they reached the tree trunk no one could say, but they came out into a somewhat more open area on the branch to stare up and up, and up into the darkness high, high above them. It looked like a mountain cliff side made with wood instead of stone. It was rather daunting frankly, and they stayed there for a moment staring at it until Harry chivvied them along again, taking out the bag of holding wherein he had prepared some ropes and other climbing gear specifically for this part of the operation, having had the feeling that any journey involving something called the World Tree would involve unholy amounts of climbing

The others soon followed his lead tying them together with Piotr in the lead, following after Harry as he began to climb up the massive trunk. The two of them were the strongest by a significant margin and worked as anchors to the others as they climbed.

As they climbed time again lost all meaning, and more than once they had to stop and ask themselves 'is this really happening', 'are we really making any progress here?' Only the rumbling of their stomachs told them time had passed since they first arrived here, and the slow shifting of the view around them.

They kept on going until they came upon a much smaller branch, only wide enough for a few houses to sit comfortably laying out there while pulling out some food from their various bags of holding. Eventually Harry got them moving once more with small sips of Pepper-Up potion doing wonders, and looked at Dani for the next set of directions. Dani pointed in the direction, the medallion tugging her along. "It's still upwards but around the tree trunk somewhat from our current position."

The trek continued, with Emma, Ororo and Paige losing their grip occasionally, only to be saved from falling by the rope tied to them all and Piotr and Harry's strength, his Magia Erebea at barely two percent now but up to this easily.

A while after that, again no one knew how long, their minds simply couldn't quite comprehend the sheer scope of things here, the medallion began to tug in a different direction, straight around the tree trunk from where they were rather than upwards and around. They now turned sideways, and 'soon' reached a branch which allowed them out onto its surface easily enough.

This was one of the more massive branches, even larger than the branch they had arrived on. They literally could not see the far end of it from where they were, it disappeared into the dark ahead of them well out of sight of even Dani with her mask on. Harry sent Hedwig that way, then looked at Dani who led them out along the tree limb.

Eventually the medallion began to point slightly down, turning that way more and more as they went, as Hedwig returned to report to Harry that it'd taken her approximately, even Hedwig was having trouble with time here, a few hours flight to get the other side of this branch. Since she could cover all of England from one side to another in that time that gave him a decent idea of how large this tree branch alone was.

"It's just too big!" Magma groaned, holding her head and closing her eyes. "A tree just can't be this big! Nothing can be this big!"

Piotr took his girlfriend in his arms, murmuring into her ear for a few moments as he continued to move her along with the rest. Eventually Magma seemed to recover, but that wasn't the first or last freak out moment the team had. As they exited out onto the far end of the branch they had to stop and take in the view once more.

The branch they were currently on actually wasn't the branch that truly held the globe containing Jotunheim, but rather one connected to Asgard as Harry had hoped. It did however push into the globe from one side, very high up in the air, giving them a literal God's eye view of the continent the globe contained. It was vast, looking the size of the American continent from space, only their viewpoint was slightly closer. It was surrounded by an ocean, and contained several mountains like Jotunheim but also dense forests and valleys that made the area much more inviting. The ocean was somewhat shallow and thin across in places in comparison to the continent.

And in that ocean was the team's target. It moved and undulated, its sides as large as hills, a monstrous serpent ringing the entire 'world' from one end to another. It swam along in that vast ocean as it chased its own tail, its head only vaguely discernable from this high up. The reason for that was that there wasn't enough room for it do anything else. It couldn't turn, it couldn't dive as the water was too shallow for that, at least for its massive bulk. It could barely turn its head at all, trapped in a prison it had grown into.

Magma shook her head. "You know Harry I don't remember this kind of thing being discussed when you recruited me. I am almost certain I would remember you mention the need to fight a giant sea serpent that looks large enough to eat Nova Roma whole."

"Funny thing, I don't remember being recruited at all so much as forced into the heroing business, odd that," Harry quipped, his eyes never leaving the monster below.

"Ugh, let's just get this over with, before my brain goes kabloowey thinking about it." Paige groused, staring down at the thing. She was with Amara on this one, fighting to protect the equality movement and helping Harry's vision of things to come was one thing. Facing beings out of another faith's myth and legend was something quite beyond the Kentucky native.

Nearby Ororo breathed in the air, only realizing that none of them had been breathing or needed to for their trek through the braches of Yggdrasil. She hovered in the air for a brief moment, then looked over at Harry and Emma who nodded at her. She leaned in to kiss them both briefly on the lips then moved towards the team, who nodded in turn as Banshee too took to the air. "Good luck you two. We'll be teleporting directly back to Earth as soon as we find what we're looking for, and we'll meet you there."

As Harry nodded Ororo stepped back off the edge of the tree trunk branch, hovering in the air. Piotr nodded at Harry and Banshee flew over to him, lifting the youth into the air as he transformed back into his normal fleshy body while Ororo used her mutant power to create a powerful wind to pick up the other team members.

Harry and Emma remained there, staring down at them until they were tiny dots due to the distance.

Far, far below them Ororo touched down, having some trouble getting her feet on the wet, wriggling mass of Jormungundar's scales. The others landed soon after, with Paige having the most trouble keeping her footing. "Alright we're here now, and we need to figure out what to do." Ororo began as she looked around them, staring at the massive ridge scales to one side gleaming in the light, only now wondering where said light was coming from.

Putting that thought aside she shook her head. "Banshee and I will scout down that way, while the rest of you start moving in the opposite direction. We might get lucky and find Sigyn's body hidden somehow on Jormungundar's back, but I doubt it. If not, we might need to find a way inside him…"

OOOOOOO

Back up with Harry, Hedwig set herself on Harry's shoulder, as Harry pulled out a piece of parchment and began to write out a note. Emma looked over his shoulder, reading the message and then giving suggestions, which Harry used on a new copy.

Lady Hela, you might not know my name, but we have met several times as you went about your business to your mistress on Earth, and when you passed on to me a gift from her. In return, I gave you a gift of an ever-changing book in blue binding, and a near-bottomless bag of chocolates. If you still have those items, I beg that you see them as proof of my words.

I mean you and your realm no harm, I never have, and never will. But some other force wishes you to have no memory of me, keeping us apart for their fell ends. I know not why, but I refuse to let them have their way any further. Please, deign to receive me so that we may discuss restoring your memories to you.

Yours sincerely, Harry Potter

This had to get Hela on their side, or at least be willing to listen to them. If it didn't, she would have no reason to let them through her realm's magical defenses, which would make speaking to Hela in person incredibly hard. Worse, breaking through those defenses would undoubtedly give a bad impression or make them outright enemies, with how passionately Harry knew Hela kept the integrity of her realm's borders. Despite that, Harry was willing to do so to help Hela regain her memories.

Hedwig chirped softly once, rubbing her head against Harry's for a second, then twisted around, and launched herself from his shoulder. Before she entered the foliage above them, she was gone from sight, slipping into that between-space that she used to go long distances.

"Do you think it will work?" Emma asked softly, staring after the white owl.

"I wouldn't be willing to wager either way," Harry said, sitting down for a moment and pulling out two Pepper Up potions, tossing one to Emma, and downing a second for himself before they settled in to wait.

OOOOOOO

OOOOOOO

"All right," said Piotr, in irritation as Ororo and Banshee alighted beside the rest of the team. "We haven't gotten anywhere, have you two found anything?"

Ororo shook her head sadly, hovering in the air above them. "We didn't see anything, though we had to hide near the end of the beast's length, lest it spot us as it came along its route. "I'm afraid we'll have to go into the belly of the beast quite literally."

"I wish Shadow Cat was here," Dani muttered, flicking Sigyn's Gift over her fingers for a moment in knife form before placing it back on her belt.

"So we have to find his mouth?" Piotr asked then smirked. "Unless you think it better to find the egress…"

"Do not even think about finishing that sentence," Magma said, her hand flaring into her energy form for a moment in front of her boyfriend's face. Yes they were technically in the shit with this mission but Amara would be damned if that was made literal!

"Yes dear," Piotr said with a chuckle, taking her hand.

She actually blushed but shook her head and pointed ahead of them. "Let's move."

A few moments later she realized she had actually given that order rather than Ororo, and looked up at the weather goddess, but Ororo catching her glance simply chuckled, clapping silently for a moment. After all, when Harry, Jean and Ororo were not around, someone had to step up, and more often than not that was Magma at times like this. Dani and Piotr were willing to give orders in the crunch, but it was always Magma in the times between or before combat.

About an hour's travel or so brought them, with Banshee and Ororo keeping pace alongside in the air, now to the front of the beast. It was huge, about as large as an aircraft carrier from one end to another, with massive horns growing out from the back of the rising spike at the back of the head. They couldn't see its eyes from this angle thankfully, and the thing's ears were actually quite small in comparison to the bulk of the beast, bent back against the beasts head as it swam along.

Yet over the sound of the waves and the splash of the creature's passage, they could hear it growling and grunting to itself in a language that was either wholly its own, or some derivative of an animal's language. Ororo and the others couldn't make heads or tails of it.

As one, they turned to Dani who shuddered slightly. One of her hands was in contact with the beast's scales, of course, and thanks to her powers of animal empathy, she could get a decent impression of the beast's personality. "You don't want to know," she said shaking her head, pulling her hand away from the beast and putting her gauntlet back on. "I wish I didn't know. All it thinks about is feeding, eating, growing larger and hating the Asgardians with a depth that is disturbing."

"So how are we actually going to go about doing this?" Paige asked, looking even more worried than before.

They stood there for a moment or rather most of them stood there for a moment while Ororo and Banshee continued to hover above them then they watched as the giant sea serpent ate what looked like a family of orca like a human would eat those little sausages on sticks. Ororo looked at them, and Magma got it first. "No!" she said, shaking her head quickly. "Not a chance."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Paige groaned, shaking her head as she too got what Ororo was thinking.

"It's the only way," Ororo said philosophically even though her lips were twitching.

A moment later, as a large shoal of fish, not whales but fish of the same size, appeared. All of them jumped into the ocean one after another, where Ororo encased them all with a globe of air via her mutant power, with some difficulty it must be said, With Banshee's aid creating sonic-based disturbances in the water forcing them forward they found themselves in among the huge fish, and then sucked into Jormungundar's giant maw along with the fish.

As soon as the jaws snapped shut behind them all Ororo hit each teen with a bubblehead charms to allow them to keep breathing, while the current carried them along. Slowly the current petered out, depositing them on a sort of fleshy shore.

Ororo shook her head, dissipating the bubblehead charm on her so she could wring out her wet hair for a moment as she stared around, only to gag in agony as the smell hit her. "By the Goddess!"

She quickly conjured up another spell, hitting her nose and killing all sense of smell. The others had to go through the same moment, the bubblehead charm interfering with the charm to kill their sense of smell.

"That's a new one," Paige said after she shook her head, grateful all sense of smell had just been taken from her, she didn't think an ocean's worth of Listerine could make a difference here.

"It's from one of the books in the library. Harry and I have been amusing ourselves on our dates occasionally going through it. There are some quite humorous spells in there."

"Entertaining like a whoopee cushion under your rear, or amusing like 'laugh this one off'," said Piotr. He had a healthy respect for magic, especially prank type spells thanks to his little sister, as well as the tales Harry had shared with everyone about the spells protecting Buckingham palace.

"Both actually," Ororo replied drolly, looking around while the Russian winced, making a note to not go into the library with his sister in the near future.

It looked as if they had simply washed up into a cavern of some kind, at least at first, a large cavern at that, as wide across as the main hall of Camelot which Ororo was thankful for. The sides of the cavern were a pulsing red and black mass, with striations, or veins, in purple against the red and black of the flesh. Everything pulsed, and there was actually light here too. It came from moss or perhaps some kind of lichen dotting the walls here and there and all across the ceiling.

It looked just as red as the rest of the wall, and had little suckers on it here and there, which Ororo pointed out in particular. "That looks almost like some kind of Venus fly trap crossed with moss, I would suggest we not touch it."

"Duly noted," Piotr said, happily transforming into his metal form.

Next to him Paige tore off her previously wooden skin, watching in amusement as the two men turned away from her respectfully. "So well-trained," she murmured, smirking slightly, but there was also some genuine gratitude. She'd flashed enough people to last a lifetime.

"Go on with you lass," Banshee said, ostentatiously staring down the tunnel ahead of them, which got only slightly thinner at the farthest edge they could see from here and remained relatively well lit by whatever luminescent liken covered the walls. "You're young enough to be my daughter."

"And I am rather happily in a relationship," Piotr said, shooting a glance toward Magma who smiled at him, a faint blush on her cheek from the look in his eyes at that moment. Nearby Dani rolled her eyes behind her mask but otherwise didn't react to the moment of overly cute romanticism.

"Children," Ororo said, clapping her hands together softly. "I believe it's time to get a move on."

Paige finished, and strode forward with Colossus in the lead, with Banshee and Ororo flying above them, Magma and Ghigau behind them. Dani had her rifle out and locked into the full auto position. It was a plasma rifle this time rather than her gauss rifle. She figured in close confines like this the higher rate of fire from the plasma weapon was the better option. She was still concerned about what she would happen if she hit the side of this beast's innards and did any appreciable damage, but the damage would be much less with the plasma weapon. Though she had to admit that was more out of the need to make sure they could escape rather than any concern for their 'host's welfare.

Mind you in terms of scale, it would be like being bitten by tiny mites, I suppose. She thought for a moment, then was brought back to the here and now rather abruptly.

"Movement!" Piotr shouted from the front as the guts they were currently in seems to enlarge for a moment and then he shouted, "Oh boshemmoi!"

The words were barely out of his mouth before he disappeared under what looked like a giant slug of some kind that had just descended from the roof of the cavern, its coloration allowing it to blend in perfectly with the walls of the cavern. Several more followed it, sliding along the ground towards the interlopers. Their mouths were wide circles, almost lamprey-like, and seemed to be dripping acid or something similar.

"Banshee, Storm take them out at range if you can, I don't think we want to know what'll happen if those leaches touch you!" Magma shouted, throwing a ball of tectonic energy forward, watching it sink in then explode splattering all of them with bits and pieces of slug or whatever it was.

In response Ororo launched a lightning blast down the corridor, and several of the giant slugs popped and sizzled as they were struck by it. Banshee launched a sonic scream at a few on the right side of the passageway, the blasts of sonic force exploding its targets.

Near the front of the column Paige was forced to take a more hands-on approach, her small club slamming around and splattering them, the blowback nearly covering her entire body in gunk. "This is freaking disgusting! Why is it always me that gets slimed, huh!?"

Colossus heaved himself up, holding one of the slugs over his head before hurling it into a few fellows. "Look at it from my perspective, yes?"

"I really don't want to," Paige quipped, her club destroying another slug. "What are these things doing here anyway?"

"Some kind of symbiosis I presume," Ororo said, conjuring up some water to splash at them all to wipe away the grime thankful that the creature's skin and exterior immunity to magic would hopefully covered the signals of her own magical spells. That was what Harry had theorized anyway when they had planned this venture.

"That means it might not be the only time we'll run into them, great~…" Dani muttered, skating up one side of the wall for a moment through a few fronds of the lichen, being very careful not to let it touch her. She was wearing a full body suit but even so that just seemed as if it was a bad idea.

Magma nodded. "Paige, keep at the back, Dani covered the top half, Ororo and I will be in the center and watching our flanks and providing heavy fire. Piotr, you lead off."

OOOOOOO

"Argghh, whatever did I eat?" the giant wyrm muttered to himself, feeling the activity within him but unable to understand it right away. He scowled, closing his eyes momentarily and sending his thoughts into his own body. He wasn't after all a normal sea serpent or draconic creature: he was the son of a God and a Jotun of surprising magical strength. That came with some abilities that were well beyond his physical ones.

He began to sense something was amiss within him. The normal denizens were disturbed, and there were interlopers within, thinking and feeling beings had somehow entered his body without him being aware of it!

But what are they after? He thought curiously as he followed their progress, eating a pod of whale sharks almost absently as he did so.

OOOOOOO

The group of somewhat intrepid explorers had run into several more parasite-type creatures, though none of them had been able to slow their progress overmuch. What did slow their progress however was attempting to discover which way to go whenever the gastric tube they were following split off or divided.

At present they were standing in front of a fork in the tunnel, where said tube broke into four. One branch went down, another two going to both sides while a fourth went near straight up. "Which direction should we go, and don't anyone even think about saying 'let's split up', that would be incredibly stupid." Magma said, frowning and thinking hard as she stared in one direction and another.

"You'll not be going anywhere intruders," said a voice from all around them. "Though I have to wonder what mortal morsels thought they were doing entering my stomach so willingly."

"Wonderful, the bogget's aware of us now?" Banshee muttered, looking around them. "Is it just so loud we can hear it, or is it projecting its voice inside itself somehow?"

"Projection. If it was simply volume the walls would be vibrating," Ororo replied absentmindedly as she stared around at them. "As to what we are here for oh greatest and chiefest of calamities, we are here to retrieve your mother, Sigyn's body."

"That line sounds familiar," Piotr mused, while Paige and Dani both broke into quite giggles and Banshee gawked at Ororo as Amara frowned, coking her head in turn. The sheer surreal nature of this whole mission was getting to them all somewhat.

"We will do so, regardless of whatever obstacles appear in our path." Ororo went on, smirking slightly at the youngsters. "I would suggest you aid us, but given some of our information-"

"Fooolls!" Jormungundar's voice bellowed again from all around them, fury increasing the volume of the mental projection. "My father's wife was given to me to guard by my lords, Those Who Watch Above in Shadow! They have given me power, given me leave to eat all that I may! You will not have her so easily!"

Ororo fell silent, making a note of the name of their enemy, and the plural nature of it. Are we dealing with a coterie of Elder Gods then? That is a most disturbing thought.

"Aye, and how do'you think yer gonna be stopping us Moby Dick?" Banshee quipped.

All of the other Custodes turned to stare at him, aghast. "Why the hell did you just tempt fate like that?" Paige asked for them all, looking like she was about to slap Banshee.

Before Banshee could refute this statement from the two side paths came a horde of humanoid looking creatures. They were all massive, as tall as Piotr and his Colossus form, and built along the same lines, but hairy, looking almost like Neanderthals, wielding blades of steel and heavy clubs of dark iron. Others looked more hairless and scabby, with varying facial disfigurements.

"Trolls!" Snarled Dani, Sigyn's Gift coming up in bow form as she put an arrow to the string. While it wasn't a complete racial trait for trolls to be enemies of man and god in the Norse tales, Dani could not imagine this lot to be anything else.

This was proven by the attacker's warcry. "Slay the intruders for our Lord Jormungundar!" The lead troll shouted bringing its iron club down in a blow to smash into Piotr's own weapon, a staff of Orihalcum armor which had recently been added to his combat gear.

The metal of the staff withstood the blow easily and Colossus grunted, turning the blow downwards to slam into the ground of the corridor. The other end of his staff came up to slam into his attacker's jaw sending him sideways into the wall before thrusting out to smash with rib breaking force into the next attacker sending him screaming backwards.

"Ghigau, Banshee, take to the roof, give us some overhead cover fire, Magma, back up Colossus, Paige take the other flank, I'll be behind you!" Storm ordered, quickly taking command.

Not being as strong as Colossus, Paige was pushed back by the initial rush, her club flashing out to smash against both weapon and flesh of the first few attackers to reach her. The next wave however fell back screaming as Storm's initial lightning attacks reached them.

Then she got nasty, bringing both mutant and magical assaults to bear. The Trolls had a lot of innate magical defense, but didn't seem to have as much against the very elements. Several of them found themselves frozen to the flesh of the cavern beneath them then shattered along with it for several yards, which apparently caused Jormungundar pain by the bellow which shook the massive beast's innards. Others fell, sheered in half by wind blades or scorched by lightning blasts to their faces.

None of the team's earlier jocularity was in evidence now, simply brutal professionalism. Colossus and Skinner held the hordes back, digging in their heals, aided in doing so by their armor in his case and being magically affixed to the ground of the corridor by Storm in Skinner's. Their job was just to hold the horde off while the others did the killing.

Ghigau's arrows caught trolls in the face taking out eyes and going through them into brains or exploding as they impacted before she once more changed to her plasma weapon. Her rate of fire increased, though her attacks didn't individually do as much damage, and this allowed her to use grenades or one shot runic stones, which also didn't do much damage alas. Magma's tectonic energy balls struck and cored through her targets, and she too used grenades of various type along with her powers.

But it was surprisingly Banshee's shrieks which did the most damage. In the tunnel his sonic scream's powers were magnified, rupturing eardrums and driving many of their attackers to flee through the rest of the horde, disrupting the charge towards the invaders while the defenders, protected through various means, were unharmed. When his strikes actually hit they didn't do as much physical damage as the others, but that was immaterial to the amount of splash damage he was doing.

Soon his contestant screaming and the amount of wounded and dead began to tell and the initial charge's impetus petered out before slowly reversing, the majority of the survivors falling back down the corridors.

Through the horde however, larger than average troll and dressed in green plate armor thrust his way forward, in one hand holding a short hafted mace of some kind of bright metal which strangely looked like the same which made up Colossus' metal form. "Intruders, you will fall to the might of Ulik!"

"I think not!" Colossus growled, moving forward for the first time, his metal staff smashing into the troll's mace. The two of them exchanged blows while the rest of the battle continued to ebb away, the corridors filled with dead or dying trolls. "I can handle this my friends, why don't you…"

He stopped as Ghigau dropped from straight above the troll, Sigyn's Gift having transformed into a stiletto. The blade slammed into Ulik's back right where the neck met the shoulders, severing his spine. The near-bird of prey mask glared at the large Russian as the metal feathers going down Dani's back seemed to almost bristle. "Please tell me you weren't going to say something stupid about going on without you while you engage in some kind of duel out of the Homeric tradition?"

"Um, no…?" Piotr muttered, staring down at the troll now gasping his last at their feet then up at Dani, feeling that he had missed out a chance to prove himself there somehow.

"Children, can we move on please?" Storm growled, pointing her plasma at first one then the other offshoot of the main intestine, worried Jormungundar cold somehow get in touch with these watchers from the shadows and get some kind of aid from them.

As Banshee chuckled the others fell into line, moving down the hallway, now having to conjure their own lights as the luminescent lichen started to disappear. As they went, Magma smacked her elbow against Dani's. "What's wrong with Homeric tradition?"

That wasn't the last time they were attacked. They ran into several small skirmishes, one flood of gastric acid, and another pitched battle against another group of trolls and small giants who looked mutated and stunted. This one was somewhat more serious because they came from several different conjoining hallways, and the larger stomach sack or whatever it was allowed them to use their numbers more effectively. This forced Dani to break out her gauss rifle, the rounds punching through several trolls at a time to dig deep into the beast's flesh beyond, even piercing the giants.

The pain from these relatively small internal wounds to extremely sensitive innards caused Jormungundar to scream and writhe, the movement of course causing his innards to thrash. Dani grinned, and Magma, having just nearly been impaled suddenly smirked, and began to deliberately fire her energy blasts past the crowd of trolls. While Piotr moved to protect her from the close in assault, the energy balls seared into the sides of the stomach and Magma shouted over the din of battle. "Storm, sticking charms!"

The gyrations caused by this assault dumped many of their attackers to the floor where the Custodes, even Banshee, tried to finish them off despite their fellows, and Banshee's sonic assaults once again threw the trolls into retreat despite Jormungundar now shrieking at them with his disembodied voice to stay and slay the mortals even as he physically cried out in pain at the wounds in his guts.

Eventually they wound their way through the beast's body to another, smaller stomach sack. In it, set in the center of a small pool of steaming gastric acid, was Sigyn's body.

Sigyn's body matched the description Dani had given of the goddess' spirit, incased in a thin film of crystal or diamond of some kind. Her hair was a shade somewhere between dirty blonde and true blonde, tied in an intricate braid, though there was no cloth on her head to show she was married, and there was a large patch of blood on the side of her head which had seeped out to clump in her hair. Her hands were crossed on her chest and eyes too were closed.

She wore a long skirt of grey tied around her waist by a yellow and white braided rope, the skirt shorn off by a blade on one side, while her blouse was burned on the other side. Her skin beneath this burnt hole showed a severe burn scar, but one that had long healed. Another small scar from a blade of some kind just barely showed over her neckline.

Reverently Piotr stepped forward, lifting the body in its strange film of diamond out of the pool before moving back to the others. "So, what now?"

Ororo pulled a small emerald from her own bag of holding, gesturing the others around her. She then concentrated, activating the portkey embedded in the gem. A second later they were back to where they had started their trek, standing on the shore where Jormungundar's attempt to eat them had dropped them.

As she began to also conjure up a small metal boat, Piotr gave Skinner the body to hold for a moment as he pulled out his long range weapon, a heavy plasma cannon which was marginally more powerful than one of the main weapons of the Hellion. He pointed it ahead of them while the others boarded the small boat.

"Banshee, start screaming your loudest," Ororo ordered. "Let's see if we can get this beast to open his mouth.

Paige also brought out a heavy plasma gun from her own bag of holding. She wasn't a very good shot, but with this kind of weapon she didn't need to be. "Why aren't we trying to just blast our way through straight up or something?"

"Our weapons could do a lot of damage to Jormungundar's flesh, but not his scales or bone." Ororo replied. "Hence why we might need Banshee to get this beast to open its mouth somehow. After that, I will teleport us directly to Camelot."

"Besides, even if we could break through his outer scales, that would no doubt kill Jormungundar. And I think enough people have died today." Piotr said quietly from his position at the prow of the ship.

From behind her helmet Dani gave him a look that flatly disagreed but she didn't argue for the moment. If they were luckily they might not have to fight the beast again, after all, it's utility in a land battle was nil. But since when had they been that lucky?

Without another word Banshee began his attack. The ship moved forward against the faint 'tide' of the beast's mixed saliva and sea water for a time as Banshee ramped up his scream, adding decibel levels and range as he went.

Just as they began to see huge, monstrous teeth in front of them the scream proved too much for Jormungundar. Or perhaps it was the somewhat itching sensation of his own mouth beginning to vibrate because of the assault that made him bellow aloud opening his mouth. At the same moment his large tongue whipped back and up from where it had hidden beneath the small lake of saliva and brackish water along the bottom of his mouth.

Dani, Magma and Storm took it under fire immediately and the tongue writhed away, burned away in places or shot through. Unused to the pain , or any pain before this battle, Jormungundar kept screaming as Piotr and Paige opened up and Banshee flew ahead of them out of the still opened mouth.

He flew up in front of the massive beast's snout then down its flank to where he hovered right beside one of its largest ears. There he began to scream his loudest scream, and Jormungundar writhed in agony as his eardrum burst, screaming a bestial cry of agony that made Banshee ironically want to cover his own ears.

Propelled by a magic spell smashing back down into the water like a rocket she small conjured ship followed him swiftly despite Jormungundar's best efforts. Ororo held on for dear life then shouted into the team's communicator. "Banshee, get over here!"

Banshee retreated landing on the boat just as Ororo concentrated her magical power. A second later a globe appeared around her, enveloping the team, their prize and the boat before slowly collapsing. When it did, they were gone, and Jormungundar's bared mouth slammed into the ocean they had just left, a scream of rising anger, pain and fear shrieking out between his teeth.

OOOOOOO

Hela frowned thoughtfully as she stared down at the eylandəvbarnœska, one hand rubbing her chin as she thought and felt what was happening. The island was a near paradise. Trees grew naturally or in supremely unusual shapes on the isle, with slides scattered across the landscape, running streams and bright light everywhere. It was home to the small racing multi-colored lights of the souls of children going about having fun and healing as they were slowly returned to the wheel.

Each day here corresponded to a day of their past life gently erased. When the process ended they would return to the Wheel, and eventually to life.

Yet there were more children there then should be by last census, which meant something had gone wrong at some point. They were all mortal souls, with only a few of them being real believers. The others were simply innocents, the kind that any death God or Goddess could and indeed were exhorted in no uncertain terms to gather to the Sunset Realms of their various universes so that they could be returned to the Wheel as soon as possible.

Yet there were far too many of them, and Hela should have been involved in taking them. But she couldn't remember doing so, indeed, neither could her trusted servant, Garm.

Speaking of Garm, he looks as if he is on edge these days for reasons I cannot understand. Hela thought to herself as she turned away from the island, popping slightly into the air and disappearing from that position to land on the other side of the small inland ocean that separated eylandəvbarnœska from the rest of her realm.

Tapping down she continued to walk, making no mention of the strange dichotomy between the appearance on the island and here. The majority of Hel was gloomy to say the least, the main realm of Hel being dotted with bogs, dark cold dales, and even darker forests. But since many of the dead here had penitence to make before they went back to the Wheel, that was all to the good in Hela's opinion. And those that weren't wanted to simply rest or ponder their past choices which suited the ambiance of some sections of her realm.

It is as if Garm knows something is wrong, but cannot figure it out. The fact that he does not share his worries with me is also concerning, though I must admit I have been rather distant of late. My thoughts on the Shining One have taken my attention far too much. Hela sighed shaking her head as she moved from one realm

to another, one step between the next and she was facing the halls of Niflheim. The lights came on as she entered, and she found Garm waiting for her as always at the entrance. "Mistress is all on the Isle well?"

"All appears well good wolf, despite the numbers of souls there." Hela replied, reaching up to scratch below his chin for a moment staring into his eyes. "And yet things are being hidden from me. Those souls disturb me greatly. They are where they should be, but where did they come from? What great battle occurred that so many children's lives were lost, and why can I not remember it?"

"I know not mistress, I…" Garm broke off turning his head rapidly to the sky, his eyes tracking movement.

Hela turned in that direction, and saw an owl swooping down towards them. It was the white of new fallen snow, with bright yellow eyes Hela saw as it came closer. But for a moment Hela had to restrain herself from lashing out at the creature. Owls like that were a sign of Athena, one of the Greek goddesses. Supposedly of knowledge and learning, she was also an ugly minded bitch at times, in particular to mortals who outperformed expectations in one of her contests like all the rest of that pantheon.

But she stayed her hand because the creature held a small parchment rolled up on one of its feet. "How quaint," she murmured dryly, not moving to take the parchment or provide the animal a perch for a moment before cautiously extending her arm.

The owl hovered in front of her for a moment, staring into her eyes. Those yellow hunter's eyes were far more intelligent than most owls Hela had seen before, and there seemed a power in them too. As Hela looked at the owl however it, or rather she, Hela felt, was looking back at her measuring her in some fashion. After a second she chirped in a sorrowful manner before alighting on Hela's outstretched forearm.

"And who do you belong to my dear?" Hela murmured, rather entranced by this interesting and unique method of getting in touch with her and the beautiful bird in itself. She took the parchment from the bird's outstretched claw then watched bemusedly as it left her forearm to light on Garm's, head peering down at him. The animals seemed to communicate for a few moments, with Garm becoming agitated for some reason. That sight made Hela pause in opening the parchment. "Garm?"

"She smells familiar mistress but I cannot place it," Garm said shortly, while wondered if the owl had any connection to the strange magic users who had attempted to communicate with him before. "I do not like this."

"More issues with memory," Hela murmured in irritation, opening the parchment. She read a few lines in it, her eyes clouding over with anger as she crumpled it in a tight grip before looking at the animal that carried it to her.

"I know not what this mortal seidr is," she said spitting the word as if the word tasted foul which indeed it did after all, magic was a woman's place in the realms of Yggdrasil. One of the admittedly many reasons she could not stand Odin was because he used it without caring of it not being his place. "But I'll have no truck with him or his degenerate ways! Whatever is going on, I will handle it myself, especially since it could all be a trick for him to enter my realm. You would not believe the amount of times mortals try to win a soul on death gods or goddesses, I'll not allow that here!"

The owl stared at her, and Hela shook her head violently. "That is my final word! No matter how soulfully you look at me, owl!"

The owl chirped twice. "Preck, guah!"

"She says it's not going to be the final word mistress, and her name is Hedwig," Garm supplied, looking worried. "Mistress, she smells familiar, but not in a bad way, could her master be an ally of some kind?" He hinted without making any mention of the mortal seidr who had contacted him via the small compact.

"I do not have these tokens he mentions, nor any such memory of them," Hela said sharply. "A book bound in blue, such a thing would standout too easily for me to miss, and I do not even know what this chocolate is that he mentions beyond a bit of the new trade from Earth being that type of foodstuff, but I certainly haven't had any of it. It is more likely that the owl is not a combatant of some kind hence you have no negative memory of him."

The owl chirped, then launched itself from Garm's head, disappearing with a strange shifting motion in the air that Hela felt almost as much as she saw with her eyes. "She said they'll be back mistress."

"Yes Garm I understood that thank you," Hela replied dryly, shaking her head and dismissing the event, although she didn't throw away the parchment surprisingly enough, putting it on a space near her throne. "But if any mortal magic user thinks they're strong enough to overcome the defenses of my realm, they're welcome to splatter themselves in their attempt."

OOOOOOO

Harry grimaced as Hedwig relayed what had happened, standing up and staring into his familiar's eyes for a moment memorizing the front entrance to Hela's halls. "Right, hard way it is."

Hearing that Emma reached out and took one of Harry's hands then she blinked. "Wait, is this going to be as bad as getting here was?"

"Don't know about that one." Harry simply shrugged, eager to get this over with. "We shall see."

"Wait, wha…" Emma began and the two were gone, disappearing into both an unknown situation and an unknown welcome.

End Chapter

---

Normally I don't do cliffhangers, or at least not ones like this, but this time around I had little choice: I have only the vaguest idea of how Those Who Dwell in Shadow would be willing to fight at this point, and need to come up with wholly new spells - mental attack/defense type spells for Harry. If anyone wants to give me their opinions or ideas on this manner, I would welcome your feedback. They aren't the sort to give their enemies targets, and I also am uncertain if Harry should even be able to attack them very effectively given they barely have corporeal bodies to speak of. Sorry about that.

The main thrust of this chapter was to show that by this point in a physical contest Harry and co. are an avalanche, and they are slowly becoming that both socially and economically: you have to either get on and go along or you're going to be buried under. Sinister has no idea what he's going to run into, but he will, oh he will…heeheheheh…. As for Apocalypse and his followers, heh times two. AIM and the FoH are both so screwed it's not even worth a heh.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter despite it being late, and as always please leave a review and later tonight check out the poll for March's small story update.