Nephalem of X

by Ronin2106

Thought to be a Squib, Harry is given up by his parents to their supposed friend, who happens to be villainous Mr. Sinister. Experimented and mind controlled, Harry is made into a living weapon for Sinister's plans, thanks to being a powerful mutant. However, not all is lost for him, and a chance encounter with the X-Men saves his life, and let's him be a true Hero, Nephalem of X

12. Chapter 12 (fully completed version!)

How does one describe the feeling of meeting your sister, whom you had failed so horrendously, that you could hardly bear the guilt of it, even though logically you knew that you never had any hand in what had happened to her? Hadrian certainly could describe how it felt, for this feeling was as foreign to him, as it was yet familiar, the sensation of misery and failure, understanding that you have failed one more person who was important to you, someone who was a member of your family. Hadrian has long since established his own views on the family, coming to terms and grips with the fact that true family wasn't bound by blood, and if anything, blood relations meant less to him than one could think.

He was given away by his birth parents, the people who had given him his life, to Essex, tortured and tormented beyond normal comprehension and turned into a weapon and monster in the arms of ambitious, insidious and corrupt. In Weapon Plus, he was not alone and those who had shared his fate became his family, brothers and sisters, all of whom had to endure living hell and maliciousness of the people that ran that project. The only little true comfort they could take was in the fact that they were not alone, that they had each other, and they looked out for one another, tried to help in what ways they could.

Wraith and most of the scientists didn't enjoy this, hence another reason for the so-called Blood Games, fights to the death between the subjects in which not only lives were taken, but also trusts and friendships were to be destroyed completely. It is thanks to Nephalem and his secret gift of telepathy that what little good that came from that familial bond survived, but along with the goodness, through him survived the darkness, malice and evil of that place.

Though he was largely fine and capable of not going off the rails because of the all the trauma that he had endured, largely thanks to his unique physiology and simply iron will, Hadrian wasn't exempt from the guilt and suffering that lingered in his soul and mind. Having perfect memory, being able to recall any single detail of any single day, hour, minute with a precision of a master artificer was both a gift and a curse. And when a great many of your memories involve your chosen family dying, by your hands or at the hands of others… It considered a wonder how Nephalem had not broken down before.

In reality, Nephalem held on because he sought redemption for his actions and sins, failure to save so many from Weapon Plus, which were part of the reason why he joined SHIELD, worked harder than most and was an active hero. Glory, recognition, fame and publicity- he cared naught for those, only to help those that needed it and finding some solace in his deeds, hoping that they would outweigh the sins of his past. Up until now, he had been able to do well, even starting to believe that he could be able to finally move on with his life, even maybe really fall in love with Amelia, without the regard for his hidden suspicious… But yesterday, after seeing into Vernon's mind and soul, Hadrian received more than just a his sister suffering- he received a painful reminder of the fact that he had failed so many, and one of them was now his own little sister.

And now that he had learned that his worst fears about Amelia were not unfounded, Hadrian started to come to a realization that perhaps redemption through good actions was beyond him. He was again used and manipulated, made a pawn in other people's games, this time a pawn of the Wizarding World, and this… This was not something that Hadrian could just forgive, and he has had enough of tolerance, patience and just diligent servitude to it by protecting it from Dark Wizards and Witches.

He stood at the crossroads, in need of deciding what he needed to do… But before Hadrian could make any choice, he needed to see Rose, to see her, even in her reincarnated form. He did not seek to fight her, or even harm her, and he did not even hope for forgiveness… All he wanted is just to see her and tell her, that he was sorry for not saving her. He already suspected that as a goddess and Daughter of Gaea, Theia could see into his soul with more clarity than he could even comprehend. Theia looked at Hadrian with a surprised gaze, once she heard his reasoning for coming, before she blinked and looked around them. The skies were dark and grim, winds howled and nearly deafened the entire place, as the rains prepared to pour, a weather that was typical for Azkaban.

"This seems hardly like an atmosphere for a conversation, wouldn't you say?" Theia asked of Hadrian, taking him aback a little with her casual way of talking.

"No, it is not a local that is good for heart-to-heart talks." Hadrian responded. "I think the Wizards who made it their prime prison believed that the atmosphere would help the prisoners feel miserable and broken."

"You are not too far off from the truth, Harry. However, times have changed, and Azkaban has served its malicious purpose, as has its atmosphere and heavy weather." Theia said, as her eyes glowed a little, before the dark clouds dissipated and clear blue skies and warm sun came to their place, with the wind dying down to a little cool breeze, completely changing the place and tone of it. "That is more like it, wouldn't you say?"

"Whatever you say, Theia." Hadrian simply responded. "I was alright with the previous atmosphere. Felt appropriate, considering all that I have done and… All that I have failed."

"You personally may believe that, but many of those who know you and whom you had saved and helped would disagree with you, myself being included among them." Theia told him.

"Yet I didn't save you, Theia. I failed at it and…" Hadrian reminded her, but Theia interrupted him.

"And you did not know anything about it." Theia told him, not with an accusatory tone, but a sympathetic one. "You have suffered from the Wizarding World, seen the worst it holds and had to prevent it's atrocities from harming the innocents. Our former parents had given us away without any regard for our lives. You lived to be free and have a chance to move on, and you took it… And I do not blame, Harry. I can see what you have been through, and though I do not fully comprehend it all nor can say that I would do the same as you did after all that had happened, I can say that your way of moving on was not dictated by some simple ignorance or dislike. It was justified by all that has been done to you."

"And does it justify what had been done to you?" Hadrian asked of Theia, almost desperate for her to be angry with him. "Does my desire and determination to break away from the Wizarding World justify what James and Lily had done to you?"

"Harry, you assume that you should and must be held responsible for what had been done to you, but… We both know that when I was given to the Dursleys, you had no way of knowing anything, for you were being controlled by Weapon Plus." Theia told him. "And when you got away, I was already harmed and hurt greatly, with my demise being only a matter of time at their hands."

"But there was still time, plenty of it, to save you, for me to…" Hadrian shook his head at the thoughts that came to his mind, trying to concentrate on all that he had to tell her. "I have spent all that time playing a hero, trying to undo what I had done, but before all that, I had promised that none will suffer as I had suffered, and now… Now I learn that I had broken that promise without even knowing of it."

"You didn't know." She reminded him, trying to stop him from blaming himself.

"Didn't know of it… Does my ignorance absolve me of my faults, of my sins and inability to do what I should have?" Hadrian asked of her. "I wasn't simply ignorant, Rose… I willingly chose to simply ignore and forget all that there was of the Wizarding World and our family, assuming that nothing good would ever come from it. And my choice, my biased flawed decision… It had cost you your life, a life you deserved to have, free of what had been done to you by those monsters. Dorea and I, we… We should have known that maliciousness of Potters would not stop with me and that you could also be affected and so…"

"Harry, you seek reasons and faults that I could attribute to you, look for ways for me to blame, hate and despise you… But even when I was Rose Potter, when I heard of and looked at you, I did not see someone who had failed me." Theia revealed to him, surprising him. "When I saw you on the TV, fearlessly fighting the trolls on Trafalgar Square, or when you rescued two double-deckers from plummeting into Thames River, I saw not a hypocrite or someone who had abandoned me. I saw a hero, simple and clear, and now, after learning what I know, about all that I need to know, I see not a malicious depravity or willful ignorance of a bad person. I see nothing but fearlessness and sacrifices of man, who had suffered so much at the hands of others, was made into a weapon and monster to be used by others… Despite ceasing being human, you have retained your humanity where it was meant to die, and you have fought so hard for others to retain it. I see all that has been done to you, and all that you have done, Hadrian, and I find myself unable to blame you for anything. All I can do is to say that you hold my admiration, respect and serve as symbol for me, and it is thanks to you that I am the way I am now."

"What… What are you talking about?" Hadrian asked of her.

"You already know of the Hour of Reckoning, and you know of my mission and goal." Theia did not ask, simply confirmed. "But have you asked yourself, why I take so much time, why I don't simply march onto the Ministry and fight them? Why do I take time with others, instead of doing my most primary duty?"

"Because you want the Wizarding World to come to terms with their sins?" Hadrian asked of her, with Theia shaking her head.

"No, that is not my reason for doing it. I am helping and saving others not simply because it is my duty, but because that is what you had shoved me a hero should do, something that you and your actions inspired me to do." Theia revealed to him, shocking Hadrian. "Even as Rose, I wished I could be like you, not because I wanted vengeance, but because I simply wished to help the others, and when I became who I am now… I was not deterred, but affirmed in my desires, and so I do what you would've done in my place: help the weak, the oppressed and the suffering first, punish those who relish in their anguish second."

"Theia…" Hadrian stood shocked before her after her words.

"I do not hold any anger towards you, nor do I blame you in any way. Instead, I feel indebted to you for showing me the way that I now live my life with, and I wish to repay it." Theia told him, surprising him a little. "You carry within you so much pain and suffering, unknown even to the closest ones to you… I cannot imagine how you can live with it."

"It has become part of me." Hadrian told Theia. "Someone has to remember those that didn't make it out of Weapon Plus, remember them and who they were, beyond simple names in files and casualties in the lists. Someone has to remember that they were living people, people with lives and dreams… It is the least I can do to them, after I've failed them so much." Theia walked closer to Hadrian with a saddened look in her eyes, before speaking up.

"You didn't fail them, Harry. You saved them, and now… Let us save you." She asked of him, gently placing her hands upon his hands, and opening his mind to what she saw and felt.

Hadrian's mind in the moment was released from the bounds of his body and his soul connected with what bound all living beings in the world. He had heard from Morgana about Gaea, learned about her and the way she connected all living beings on Earth, but to read and hear is one thing, but to see and feel it… It was simply beyond any feasible way of describing. In a single moment Hadrian felt like he was everywhere and in every time at ones, looking through billions of eyes and living countless lives, but that feeling quickly changed, as he was taken away from that.

Instead, before him appeared the souls of all those that were with him in Weapon Plus, subjects of the tests and weapons that were used against their will. Hadrian saw them gather all around him, each and every one of them, all of whom he had tried to save yet failed, and all he had succeeded in was preventing them from turning out like Proteus. He saw in their eyes not the judgement nor anger and rage, but sympathy, sadness and happiness, and under their gazes, he fell upon his knees, as his eyes diverted from them to the floor, unable to face them. With a voice, filled with guilt and regret, he spoke to them all, telling them that they deserved to hear.

"I… I am sorry… I had failed you, all of you." Hadrian admitted his guilt, preparing to bear with the punishment that they all had planned for him, intending to take the full brunt of it without any regret or resistance.

Yet instead of accusations, strikes and lashes, he felt how their arms reached him gently, and together they lifted him off, letting him stand up again and holding him firm. He looked at them with shock and was surprised to see that not one of them had changed in their expressions, and all of them simply stood there and supported him. Once he was again steady with his metaphorical feet, he asked of them.

"Why?" He asked of them, and then… They showed him why.

In a single instance, Hadrian's soul and mind were opened to them, and they all showed him full what they felt, and there were not a trace of fury, agony or pain. Instead of them, they were serene and free, happy and content, though scarred and not without traces of what had happened to them… But they were not monsters. They retained their humanity, their soul was untainted despite the blood and pain that they caused and experienced, and they all thanked Nephalem for it, they were grateful to Hadrian for the fact that they could live as humans and pass on as them.

They thanked him, showed their gratitude by taking away a piece of the pain that he held, as a memory of them and penance for his supposed failure. They have lifted the weight of failure and guilt that he held upon his shoulders and distributed it among themselves. And though the memories remained and will forever be part of him, Nephalem for the first time in his life was able to feel and understand, what it meant to be free of the guilt and suffering that he held in him. He had carried in him a weight unbearable for any normal person, guilt and pain that were not his own to carry, and now… Now they have taken back what he has taken away from them, doing for him what he has always done for them- saving his soul from damnation.

"Thank you, Harry. Live on." Their united voices were heard by Hadrian, and then Theia had released her former brother from the contact, and Hadrian let out a breath of such relief that he never thought he could experience.

"All of them, all this time…" He said, while breathing out, as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

"None of Gaea's children is ever forgotten, and none of them are ever gone completely, and at the moment of their death, they all passed through Gaea before they were granted eternal rest and sleep by the Matron of the Dead." Theia told Hadrian. "They all showed their stories to Gaea, and through her I learned of what you have done for them, of the burden and pain that you carried in your soul, and I couldn't let you bear it anymore. It was long past time that you were allowed deliverance from the anguishes that you bore."

"And only they could give it to me." Hadrian said, as he collected himself, wiping his tears away. "I… I do not even know how I could ever feel so… So light and free… It was as if a whole world was lifted off my shoulders, without me ever knowing that it rested there."

"You have taken those burdens and carried them without any regard for yourself for so long, that you forgot of their true weight and how they were crushing you." Theia told him, as she caressed Hadrian's cheek. "It was long past time that you were allowed to breath, to be freed from the chains of past mistakes and allowed to move on, Harry."

"Thank you, Theia, I…" Hadrian smiled to her, before and Theia both had sensed the shift in the magical energies around them, as many sounds of apparition sounded and in an instant they've found themselves surrounded by half a hundred of Aurors, Hit Wizards and Unspeakables. "Well, that is one way to ruin an emotional and dramatic moment." Hadrian commented with sarcasm, surmising the situation.

"Surrender, mutant, and we will be merciful towards you and give you a fair trial, something that your wretched kind doesn't' deserve." One of the Aurors called out, as he and others raised their wands.

"Even if I believed in that shtick about fair trial, I wouldn't surrender, simply because of the tone you took when calling me out on what I am." Hadrian stated in a bit of a lighthearted manner, falling back into his more usual style, as his garments manifested themselves. "How about a counter offer, fellas: you and everyone else get the heck out of here, and none here get hurt."

"Nobody is going to get hurt, now that we are here with you, Harry." Suddenly, Amelia Bones stepped from the ranks, with Hadrian looking a little surprised at her. "Crouch and Dumbledore were worried that she might be too much even for you, so they've had us come here to finish her off. Thank you for holding her back, Harry, but now… Now we can kill her together and…"

"Amelia, what a surprise to see you here." Hadrian commented with a tone that did not sound all that jovial. "You know, I was actually thinking quite a lot about you, especially after I've heard this teeny, tiny little titbit of a revelation that your bosses had to share with my bosses. Care to guess what I'm talking about?" Hadrian seemingly ignored all that was going on, with Theia politely deciding to stay away from this one.

"Harry, this isn't the time, we need to kill this monster!" Amelia called out to him.

"Then make time, Amelia. This is the Hour of Reckoning, the Wizarding World's version of Armageddon, and a perfect time to finally to reveal what one had always wanted to tell one another, or to confess to them that they had done something that she should never had done." Hadrian's tone became progressively colder and colder as his words left his mouth. "So, Amelia, are you going to tell me what I want to hear, or am I going to have to get out of your mind on my own?"

"Harry, have you lost your mind?! That thing…" Amelia still tried to make him do what she wanted, but Hadrian was not having it.

"That "thing" has been far more honest with me than you had ever been, from where I see it!" Hadrian's powerful voice boomed across the island. "Either start telling the truth, Amelia, or I won't move even a muscle, no matter what will happen here, even if it means I have to see you die. Now, tell me, were you told to seduce me, or did you reveal who I am to your bosses after we started dating?"

"Harry this isn't…" At that moment, Amelia saw how extremely powerful blue colored magical fields spread all over, and covered all of the Wizards and Witches… before all of them were literally made to kneel and bow down, safe for Amelia. "What…"

"Amelia." Hadrian drew her attention, his features hardened and showing none of the softness that she was used to. "I am through with lies and my patience has ran its course. Start talking or next I will make all of your friends here go take a swim in the Northern Sea, without coming to the shore."

"I…" Amelia tried to tell him that it was inconsequential, or that what he thought was a lie, but his threat was more than serious enough, and she knew it, so she opened up. "Dumbledore and Fudge… They approached me before the Yule ball, told me about their plan to make you and Potter liaisons and all that… They didn't exactly expect it to fail, but they wanted me to… To approach you, gain your trust and… Make you our ally."

"In other words, they wanted me to be their puppet." Hadrian surmised in his own way.

"No, it's not… Dumbledore explained to me, that with the SHIELD's increasing presence in the Wizarding World, we'd need to make better connections with them, show that we can be trusted and that we can be allies and friends, instead of enemies. Dumbledore knew that I was investigating Nephalem, as per orders of Crouch." Amelia revealed to Hadrian. "You, or rather Nephalem, had become infamous, and since the rumors of him taking down Grindelwald reached us, the Ministry and Dumbledore wanted to know who it was. We had hoped that you would be able to lead us to him, that you would learn to work with us and be able to see that the Wizarding World is not as bad as SHIELD makes it seem. I… I didn't think that you would turn out to be Nephalem when I first saw you."

"Must have been quite the surprise for you, I am sure, especially to discover that I was so easy to manipulate." Hadrian commented, with Amelia diverting her eyes from him. "You know, back then, when you approached me so boldly and directly, I thought that you were someone very special, someone I could really trust to and someone I would never dare to hurt. I was feeling things that I was scared of, and I was scared I would hurt you, but you… All of that… It was just an act, wasn't it? You and Susan probably never even been in London to begin with, if you were researching me as per orders of your superior." Hadrian's eyes narrowed at her.

"No… Not all of it, I-I and Susan were in London when Proteus struck, and… At first I s-simply wanted to help the Ministry, but then… I learned about you, who you are and… Hadrian, my feelings towards you, they are not lies." Amelia stated to him, and as she saw the complete distrust in his eyes, she felt tears coming up. "Harry, please, I know what I did was wrong, but… A-all this time I've had to make a choice between my love for you a-and my duty to the Ministry, and… Harry, please, I love you and this is no lie! What we have now, it is the most treasured thing to me, but…"

"But you had your duty towards the Ministry, the same one that had tried to manipulate me into being their pawn, and made me into one, thanks to you." Hadrian commented. "With how open I was with you, they probably know quite a great deal about me now. From where I live to whom to target in case I decide to go against them… You know what Crouch did when he came to SHIELD? He demanded that I appear, or else he would reveal to the world who Nephalem was."

"Harry, I…"

"You of all people should know how much I treasure my family, Amelia, and that I would go out of my way to keep them safe, and that includes protecting my identity." Hadrian said with cold steel in his tone. "Do you have any idea just how many enemies I have made? Do you? And do you know what all of them would do once they learned who I am? They wouldn't go after me, no, they would go after one thing I treasure more than myself- my family, and you told them enough to put them in danger."

"Harry, I didn't know that they would use it against you, I only…" Amelia tried to defend herself, but wasn't allowed.

"Oh for crying out loud, stop trying to look like a naïve fool. You are one of the cleverest people I know, more than capable enough of figuring out why really they wanted to know it all." Hadrian shut her up. "If you had really cared about me, if you had loved me, you would never have revealed things I told you and saw in Crouch's mind."

"You told me that you don't use telepathy on others, because it is beneath you and that you wanted to trust people without having to abuse their trust." Amelia commented.

"Yeah, I did want to trust them, and look how it turned out." Hadrian responded. "You know what is interesting? I really did start to change my opinion about the Wizarding World, because you showed me that not everyone was like Potters and that there were those who were above your pettiness, ignorance and inability to change and move on… I really was a naïve fool, wasn't I?"

"Harry, I didn't lie about my feelings…" Amelia told him again.

"Yeah, maybe you did, maybe you didn't… Had you told me the truth back in the beginning, I wouldn't even care about it, because I really did want to be with you." Hadrian admitted to her. "I would've forgiven it, but now… Now I see that I was a fool to have allowed myself to think that such things as love from first sight happen. Thank you, Amelia, for showing it to me and teaching me what it feels like, to have your heart broken by someone you want to be with." Hadrian told her.

"Harry, it's not too late for us. Please, release them and help us destroy this monster, and after it's over, we can…" Amelia tried pleading to him.

"It is too late, Amelia." He stated to her, as his eyes glowed. "And here is the last little secret, one that I wished to tell you all this time and thought you would accept: I am a True Source, a monster in your eyes."

"N-no… You are… You…" Amelia could not comprehend the fact that Hadrian was a True Source. "Y-you lied to me…"

"No, I didn't. I told you that I was complicated and that there are things that might hurt you, but you said you did not care. Should've known that it wasn't genuine from that moment on…" Hadrian chuckled humorously. "But then again, I allowed my fucking hormones get the better of my mind."

"Harry, even if you are a True Source, you can still do the right thing…" Amelia wanted to urge him, but Hadrian was trough listening to her.

"I am doing the right thing now, Amelia." Hadrian told her, as he captured her in his magical grip like he did with the other Wizards and Witches. "Go and tell your masters, that from now on, they have two True Sources going after them." And after that, he created multiple portals and sent them all out of there, leaving him and Theia again alone.

"You do not have to do this." Theia told him, drawing his attention. "The Ministry and the Wizarding World will do everything they can to stop you, they'll go after Dorea and others, and even if it is the Hour of Reckoning, they'll do everything to destroy you."

"I know, hence why Morgana took Dorea and others I care for to Avalon, well out of the reach of those bastards. Dorea wanted to stay, but I managed to convince her to go, to let me finish this on my own." Hadrian revealed to Theia. "I have seen enough of Wizarding World to know that it is not going to survive even twenty years from now. If this is the Hour of Reckoning, I might as well get some of that from them as well, if that is alright with you and Gaea."

"You have fought and bled for this world and it's people many times, and Gaea knows of it, and sees you not as an enemy, but an ally and great hero of Earth." Theia said. "She even revealed to me, that before she found me, she would have chosen you to be her Will."

"Didn't think I have made such an impact and impression upon her." Hadrian admitted. "Anyway, you mind if I land a helping hand with… Speaking of, what exactly did you forget on this barren rock of misery and death?" Hadrian asked.

"Many innocents remain here wrongly judged, suffering and awaiting deliverance, praying for it, while soulless creatures from Chthon's spawns prowl the isle and the keep." Theia stated to Hadrian. "With every soul taken, with every Wizard and Witch made a feast for Dementors, the veil between this realm and Chthon's grows thinner and thinner. The Ministry has been feeding those monsters for hundreds of years, and bringing the return of Chthon closer."

"Yeah, Chthon coming to the Earth wouldn't be too good for anyone's health, plus I'm pretty sure he is still pissed at me for the last time." Hadrian almost shuddered at the memory of Wundagore. "Let's clean the house and patch up any interdimensional holes in here with Yamato, to close them up for good."

"Lead the way." She told him with a smile and the two reached the gates of Azkaban, closed to them. "Shall we knock?"

"Why knock when we have the keys?" Hadrian asked, materializing Yamato in his hand and then simply slicing off the gates, opening them the path further. "Alright, time to see if those Dementors are as scary as everyone makes them out to be."

"You will be disappointed." Theia said with a small smile.

"Eh, wouldn't be the first time." Hadrian casually replied, as the two entered the keep, with the Dementors and guards already surrounding them. "Wanna bet how long it'll take us to get through them all?"

"5 minutes." Theia responded.

"I'll bet on 6." Hadrian stated, his powers flaring up. "Set, and go!"

Five minutes later.

Azkaban Prison was one of the most secure places in all of Western and Northern Europe, always maintaining a standing contingent of experienced and capable Aurors and jailors in sufficient numbers to control the place. Though there were not enough of them to fully cover the entire place, the architecture of the prison made it so that if the majority of the area were lost, Azkaban could still be maintained if strategic areas were still manned. The defense protocols fully relied on the exploitation and defense of those areas, which allowed access throughout the prison and it's sections, so the Aurors were trained and prepared to mount defense around those places.

However, it was the DMLE and it's officials who provided the main contingent of jailors, nor did they substitute the main defensive force. That honor went to the Dementors, creatures of seemingly unknown origin, possessing extreme levels of durability and near invulnerable to most spells that the Wizards and Witches could use. Extremely deadly and dangerous, Dementors only inhabited the Azkaban and it was their home and place of their reproduction and despite Ministry's initial attempts to remove them out of there, they decided to make use of them. Using them as jailors and weapons for their own purposes, Ministry had long since thought that they had solved the problem with Dementors, believing that they could be easily contained and controlled. That believe didn't hold out during the reign of Voldemort, but like all bad things, Ministry was quick to forget the fact that their supposed controlled weapon wasn't as loyal to them as they liked to think.

However, even more than that, they believed that Dementors were virtually invulnerable to anything that their usual enemies could through at them, and while normal wizards and witches didn't usually possess the means of defending themselves against Dementors, that wasn't the case for Nephalem and Theia. True Sources were creatures that had magic practically running through their veins, possessing powers and abilities that a normal person would need decades of hard work, patience and determination to achieve. To say that even one True Source was capable of changing the world was no exaggeration, as Merlin, a True Source himself, was the one who had forged the Wizarding World into what it was and is now. And he was the one who had instilled an incomparable fear of True Sources, for he knew that even one of those could have the potential of destroying his work.

And now there were two True Sources, a Nephalem and a Goddess, out and about, trained and fully realizing their might and power, on a warpath against the Wizarding World. Under normal circumstances, against a more conventional enemy, Azkaban was capable of holding its own for days, weeks and even months, but against those two… It took all but 5 minutes to completely eradicate the Dementors and take down the contingent of Aurors stationed here, with only the prisoners and those who now held the ancient keep in their possession being conscience and alive. Finishing up with the spell that reinforced the dimensional barriers, Theia allowed Nephalem to strike Yamato into the castle, severing the connection between the realm of Chthon and the Earth.

"That should do the trick. If all goes like it went in Wundagore, Chthon won't have any way of getting into this world from here." Hadrian stated, as he sheathed his blade, before looking around and seeing the prisoners looking at them in awe. "We must be in the most wanted section of the prison, where they keep their most infamous guests, so to speak. People like…"

"What manner of dark was that? Did the Dark Lord teach you this?!" A shrill sounded through the hall, drawing the attention of Nephalem and Theia towards the holder of it. "How dare you use such magic! None but the Dark Lord has the right to such power!"

"Bellatrix Lestrange." Theia named the woman, looking at the clearly deranged and violent woman. "Born Black to Cygnus and Druella Black, eldest of three sisters, and wife of Rodolphus Lestrange."

"Oh, so you know who I am, yet I don't know who the hell you two are!" She screamed at them, with Hadrian looking intently at her, as if studying her. "What are you staring at, mudblood? You have no right to look a pureblooded witch like me!"

"I'm not looking at you. I'm looking at the enchantment that is placed upon your mind." Hadrian stated to Bella, who widened her eyes. "Criminally crude and unprofessionally made, that would explain why someone whom both Arcturus and Dorea described as: "the single smartest Black Witch of her generation", went downright crazy and absolutely rabid with things that she wasn't all that interested in before she met her intended husband."

"The enchantment was cast by her aunt Walburga and future husband Rodolphus over there." Theia pointed at the man, who looked at them with shock, with Hadrian turning to look at him with cold eyes for a second, before returning to Bellatrix. "There is a great amount of blood on her hands, blood that normal Bellatrix would not have spilled. She was smart, brilliant even by the standards of her time and this society, and someone who shared the beliefs of her idol, your mother."

"Mother often said that after marriage, Bellatrix was like a completely different person, someone whom she could no longer recognize. Before it, she was like a daughter to her, but after…" Hadrian said with a sigh, before making his decision. "What penance Gaea demands from Bellatrix for what she had done?"

"None, for she was like you, used by others." Theia responded, with Hadrian's eyes glowing a little as he reached with his magic to Bellatrix and erased the enchantment with ease, causing Bellatrix's eyes to widen, as she was finally in control again of her actions.

"What… Wh-what have I-I…" The realization of her actions hit with the force of a metaphorical locomotive, as she fell on her knees, unable to bear with what she had done, with Hadrian disintegrating the chains and the irons of her cell.

"You have done nothing that you would normally do, Bellatrix Black." Hadrian stepped into her cell, kneeling before her and gently placing his hand on her head, making her look at him. "Now, let me help with this." And with these words, Hadrian did what he had learned best in Weapon Plus: easing and taking away the pain from others.

A gruesome and terrible process for him, going through all the horrors that a person experienced, but after his deliverance today and finally letting go of his guilt, Hadrian was able to go through it all without taking it all with him. Instead of simply absorbing the memories with sensations and feelings that came with it, he managed to ease their pressure upon Bellatrix, make sure that she knew that these were not her own actions, but actions made by a perversion of herself, taking and easing the guilt and suffering as much as he could. The whole process took him but a moment, but in that moment, Bellatrix completely changed her demeanor, and now stared at Hadrian with shock and awe in her eyes, as she rose up and helped her up on her feet.

"Who are you?" She asked of him.

"Hadrian Black, son of Dorea Black-Potter, and the man who is shutting down this place for good." Hadrian told her. "And now… Now you are free, Lady Bellatrix."

"But what about the Ministry? And… I am certain that there are no Blacks with the name of Hadrian and possessing such power." Bellatrix stated to him, before studying him and his companion a little. "Are you two True Sources?"

"An astute observation and yes we are. And as for me, there is one now." Hadrian told her. "As for the Ministry, they have far more pressing matters to attend to, such as the Hour of Reckoning having begun. I think that in face of the wizarding apocalypse, they will not mind you and a few other wrongfully convicted persons getting a pardon. Now then, we have a whole prison to sort out… Starting with these two." Hadrian moved to the cells that contained Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange.

"You… You think you'll get away with you just did?! Do you even know who I am, who our Master is?!" Rodolphus screamed at Hadrian, who did not even flinch at that.

"Yes, I know who you are, and who your Master is, or rather was." Hadrian stated, as he moved his right hand to his hip, taking out Luce and pointing it at Rodolphus, making him instantly go pale. "And much like him, all you deserve is a bullet." And at that, Hadrian pulled the trigger, killing Rodolphus with a precise shot into the heart, leaving a gaping bloody hole in his chest.

Rabastan didn't even get the right to say a thing, when Hadrian moved his pistol towards him and fired, destroying his brain and putting down the last of House Lestrange. Bellatrix and Theia watched from the sidelines as Hadrian had finished them off, before he turned to them, making Bellatrix speak up.

"Why did you kill them like this?" She asked of him genuinely curious and relieved with the fact that her forced husband was dead, along with his brother.

"Because they don't deserve to die from magic." Hadrian said, and he looked at his gun. "Plus, this and her sister have been pretty much my standard choice when it comes to killing Dark Wizards and Witches. I am more or less a swordmaster at this point with magical skills and powers, but whenever I go against Wizarding kind, I just take one or both of them out and go to town at wizards and witches. You could that I just like to do these things in my own way."

"Sounds a lot like the situation I have with my Daisy, or at least had." A new, though very much a familiar voice, commented, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall, with Hadrian walking to the cell, seeing a ragged man, but one he instantly recognized.

"Sirius Black." Hadrian's previously slightly jolly tone turned instantly ice cold, as he glared at the man.

"Aye, the greatest traitor of the Wizarding World and the man who sold Potters to good old Voldy, that's me!" Sirius theatrically announced, dripping with sarcasm, not caring for the glares that he was getting from Hadrian. "Oh why the long face? I thought everyone wanted to see the man who had sacrificed everything just so the big bald baddie could have a shot at my family."

"Voldemort destroyed my life on that night, killed a man who was a father to me, and ruined any chance I had at a normal life." Hadrian's cold tone immediately made Sirius stop with his joke. "And the man who had led him to them is you… Or so I have heard."

"Ruined your life on that night?" Sirius asked of him aloud, as he stepped closer to look at Hadrian. "Who are you? You… You have got the looks of Charlus and Dorea, but I know for a fact that James is their only kid, period. And you are definitely way too old looking to be one of James' boys, so who the heck are you to claim to be saying that you are Dorea's son?"

"Someone whom she took in when my own parents discarded me as useless aberrant, a Squib." Hadrian stated to him, with Sirius and Bellatrix slowly starting to come to a realization. "In our modern day and age, there are quite a few ways to grow up quicker than most, and I've been on the receiving end of one, when James sold me out, while my grandmother was in coma, after my grandfather died protecting me before my eyes. I may have been born a Potter, but I've always had Black blood in me, more so than a lot of pureblood Blacks, as I have heard." Sirius' eyes widened when he realized who it was.

"Harry? Harry Potter?" Sirius asked in shock, as he realized that James' Squib son was now a True Source and had just cleaned up Azkaban like he was taking a piss. "I… I thought you were… You are supposed to be 10 or 11, n-not…"

"I am, chronologically speaking. In terms of biology, though… I don't think I can even classify as a human at this point." Hadrian replied, before he gripped his pistol and pointed it at Sirius. "However, that's not what is important. What important, is that you answer one question, Sirius Black: did you betray Charlus and Dorea?" Hadrian asked of him, keeping his pistol pointed towards him, while his finger was not yet on the trigger.

"No, no, never would I betray them! James was always my best mate, my brother in all but blood, and his parents, they were the ones who accepted me, while my own mother had tried to make her lackey, like she did with Bella here! Dorea and Charlus, I loved them and love 'em still as my parents, and I'd never betray them, I'd sooner die than do it!" Sirius passionately exclaimed, with Theia coming close to Hadrian.

"He is not lying. He is innocent of all that people have accused him of." Theia stated to Hadrian, with Hadrian taking a moment to think, before putting away his gun, letting Sirius breathe a sigh of relief.

"You could've just asked me without that thing pointed at me, I would've just told you." Sirius commented.

"Sorry, I've had a pretty rough couple of days, plus I that my first girlfriend all this time has been spying on me for the Ministry and that she revealed to them some pretty sensitive stuff, and I also absolutely loath the Wizarding World and pretty much the majority of its inhabitants." Hadrian stated in a more casual tone, making Sirius blink at him. "I'll explain later. Right now, let's get you out of here." And with a free hand, Hadrian just grabbed the iron grid and pulled out of the stone, ripping it off and just tossing it away like it was a wet used up paper, while Sirius just stared at him with shock.

"Um, is this something that you True Sources can do?" Sirius asked, stepping out his cage.

"Theia can do that, don't know about the others." Hadrian simply replied. "Like I said, I'm not even human at this point. Now, we've got the rest of the prison to clean up and more innocents to free."

---

An hour later.

What innocents and spared could be saved were now gathered on the beach, as Hadrian and Theia finished up their headcount, before turning towards the prison, deciding what to do with it.

"That place is a symbol of all the corruption and atrocity that has been created and nurtured by the Wizarding World, a place of death, suffering and misery. To have been allowed to exist and be of use in any form is a crime against Gaea and people." Theia stated, before turning to Hadrian. "I will end this place for good. What shall you be doing?"

"Get them somewhere safe and sound, a good far away from the Ministry and their lackeys, along with Dumbledore. Morgana has given me access to Avalon, so that's where I'll be taking them." Hadrian stated. "After that… I think it's time for a little bit of a reunion. Wanna come along?" Hadrian asked of Theia, who shook her head lightly.

"There are still plenty of places where the Ministry is oppressing the innocent and the weak, and right now, they take precedence over my own desires for revenge." Theia replied, with Hadrian nodding to her. "But after you are done with them, what will you do then? You need not take part in this, and stop right there, or even here. The Wizarding World will perish, that is already predetermined."

"Yeah, I get it, but… All this time since I've been free, more than half of my missions were about making sure that the Wizarding World doesn't mess up with the real one, and me being their Band-Aid. Let's just I have had enough trying to save them, and now I want show them, just how much they've pissed me off." Hadrian said with a cold tone. "I know I could sit this one out and probably should, but I'm done with it, so like it or not, I'm in with the Reckoning. So where you and Gaea might need me for assistance?"

"Keep an eye out for Hogwarts. You will know when you are needed." Theia simply told him, with Hadrian understanding what she meant, as he walked towards the group, producing the Yamato. "Do not let vengeance blind you, Hadrian. You may be more powerful than they are, but arrogance had brought down greater beings than you at the hands of smaller men."

"I'll keep that in mind, and good luck to you, Theia." Hadrian told her, before producing a portal and leading the people into it, before stepping into it himself.

Once the island was finally evacuated and the only living being on it was Theia, she summoned the very powers of the Earth for one more time, and the ocean, skies and ground shook. The thunder roared as the lightning struck the castle, while the ground split and broke, breaking apart the island, as the waves crashed into the castle. In the next few seconds, the isle of Azkaban was torn asunder and apart, the castle was turned into a pile of rubble that flew towards the sea's bottom, while what remained of the isle itself was quickly swallowed by the seas, and all of evil and malice that this place held was washed away and gone.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Theia turned away from the place and transported herself back to the Britain. She still had much work to do.

---

England. Cornwall. Tintagel Castle.

If one were to visit the small village of Tintagel and visit the historical site of where the legendary castle was once situation, they would not be able to find or see anything of any worthy in there, safe for the old ruins of an ancient castle. However, as with many things that are associated with legends and myth, there is quite often more to such things than meets the eye, and Tintagel Castle was one such thing. Unknown to all but those who are aware of this fact, there was once cast a spell of such magnitude and power cast upon the site of where the castle stood, that it quite literally shook the reality, time and space. It was a spell that had taken the castle and it's single one inhabitant away from the world and out of time, trapping it in a pocket dimension that was stuck in a singular state, frozen in time and unable to change in any way.

And even to this day the spell remained, and the mighty and grandiose Tintagel Castle, home to one of the greatest and mightiest True Sources in history of the world and the main opponent and enemy of Merlin and his pawn Arthur Pendragon, Morgause Le Fay. Seated on her throne, the immortal, eternally young Sorceress for an untold number of times mentally cursed the name of Merlin and her half-brother Arthur for being such a simpleton, though in the grand scheme of things, he was nothing more but a little pawn in the game that decided the fate of the world. Although calling it a game was a grand understatement, as it was indeed a war, fought between Morgause and Merlin, fought to decide which way will the magic progress in the world, and how will people treat it.

Despite what most might think or imagine, Morgause was never a proponent of taking all the power for herself, and she firmly believed and followed Elder Goddess Gaea, serving her and believing in her tenants that magic should be open for all. She was resolute in her belief that to separate the normal people from those who had greater amount of magical talent and energy would be foolish and brazen. All needed to be opened to the magic and it should be accepted as air, as it was something that Gaea gifted all and not just the True Sources and other gifted people. Although she held those beliefs, Morgause was never a prophet and never took on the role of one, preferring to expand her own personal power. Now, after 14 centuries of isolation and imprisonment, Morgause had more than enough time to realize just how inconsequential and petty her ambitions were, but if there was one thing that she was still certain in was the fact that Merlin and his beliefs were as dangerous as he was ambitious and arrogant.

Merlin believed that those of magical talent and skill needed to be harnessed and allowed to flourish, that they were the future of the world and those who would lead the rest into the future. The ambitious Hierophant was quite the Apostol of his beliefs and practically created a religion that placed him as the central figure in it, and as much as Morgause despised him for it this she could somewhat tolerate. What she couldn't forgive Merlin was his belief that he could replace Gaea, and that his so-called "Wizards and Witches" were above her in their abilities and might. This clear difference in the views and their ambitions caused them to clash, and later go to war against one another. After Morgause had aided her nephew Mordred in his quest of avenging his brothers and bringing justice to Lancelot and Guinevere for betrayal of Camelot and King Arthur and deaths of Mordred's brothers, Gawain, Gaheris and Gareth.

Morgause's face softened and the clear visage of sadness and regret came upon it, as she remembered her dear sister Morgana, sincerely regretting and admonishing herself for allowing her to suffer so much. Unlike her, Morgana always valued what she already had over what she wished to have, and never strived to create chaos for sake of power, and for her, above her peace and quiet life were her children. Six sons, all of them pride and joy of Morgana and every one of them became an integral part of the Knights of the Round Table, heroes and knights of Arthur, and none were as loyal to him as they were. Steadfast Gawain, fair Gareth, fervent Gaheris, reticent Agravain, virtuous Ywain, and of course, the ferocious Mordred, all six brothers, sons of Morgana, had served with loyalty, vigor and fervor to Arthur, and how did their services end?

Lancelot had slain Gaheris and Gareth both, when they discovered his affair with Guinevere, before the two made it off to Lancelot's castle, with Gawain in hot pursuit, eager to take the head of the man who slew his brothers. Only he too met his end at the hands of Lancelot, and it was up to the remaining three to bring the man to justice, and Mordred led the charge and fought Lancelot, bringing him down and preparing to end him and Guinevere. Only the command of Arthur stopped him, who wished them both trialed publically, yet in the end he forgave them, believing that in such way he show himself as a magnanimous king.

Yet instead of awe and gratitude, Arthur got fury and rage, for he pardoned a man who brought years of civil war and a woman who caused deaths of valiant knights. The kingdom rose up against the King Who Forgave, and they had a leader and a worthy pretender to the throne, a bastard of Arthur and Morgana, who had served Arthur loyally and now paid the price. Mordred rallied the supporters and discontent, with Morgause pledging herself to him, with Agravain and Ywain both joining their brother. The victory seemed all but certain, and yet in the end it would not be the righteousness that would win this war, but desire for power and future that was to be commanded by one man.

Merlin knew that the only way for him to win was to have Morgana join him, and so he orchestrated the events in such a way, that both Agravain and Ywain would fall and it would the fault of Morgause and Mordred. After that, Morgana entered war and final stage came, and though the battle was hard fought, Mordred was killed, but not before he ended his father and the man who betrayed him. And as for Morgause, she was banished here by Merlin and Morgana's combined powers, yet while Morgana merely wished to imprison her, Merlin did more than that and removed her completely from the plain of normal time and space.

It took the Sorceress and a mighty Seer hundreds of years to realize, that all that had happened was done because Merlin wished it done, and she cursed herself for being so short-sighted and not foreseeing the true extent of his malice, ambition and ruthlessness. Yet right before she was imprisoned here, Gaea granted her one more vision, one that revealed to her the end of Merlin's schemes, and for that one moment Morgause had endured her imprisonment. She had waited for over 14 hundred years for the moment when she will be able to write the wrongs.

And she learned that the moment has come when the magical fields had shifted all around her and an invisible and intangible veil had crumbled, and Morgause breathed in the fresh air of sea. Standing up from her throne, she walked to the balcony and looked outside, her eyes widening, seeing the beautiful seas before her, instead of impenetrable mists. A smile came upon her lips, as she realized that she was once again where she belonged, on Earth and the comforting connection to Gaea once again filled her heart.

Sensing the magical energies behind her shifting, Morgause turned around, seeing a portal opening up, and from it stepping out four persons, one of whom she knew all too well, and one she failed in so much and in so many things. Morgana Le Fay stepped forward, looking at her sister, seeing that much like her, she had not aged a minute since she last saw her. The two sisters looked so alike, that it was almost impossible to distinguish one from another by their looks, though one feature separated them, and it were their eyes. Where Morgana's eyes were bright green, Morgause's were that of bright golden color, possessing in them mystery and allure that drew those who wished to see what was behind them, while Morgana's showed kindness, warmth and comfort.

"Hello, Morgause." Morgana spoke up the first, addressing her sister with reserved tone.

"Hello, Morgana." Morgause responded, her tone less reserved and more welcoming. "It has been a long time, sister. I fear I am quite depleted in terms of beverages and food, so all I can offer to you and your companions my personal company." Morgause said, looking at the people her sister brought with her.

"Wait, this is Morgause Le Fay? I remember her rather differently, like being a raven haired woman, and preferring green, instead of dark purple and black." Wanda Maximoff stated with surprise. "And she was also a lot more villainous and a lot less welcoming."

"True, but that one was from an alternate dimension, and this one is from our own." Stephen Strange stated, already confirming as Sorceror Supreme that this Morgause was the real deal.

"Alternate dimension or not, by standing here, we waste precious time and that is not something we have in large supply of." Victor von Doom stated to his companions. "We have fulfilled our part of the deal, Morgana, now Doom wishes that you fulfill your promise."

"I gave you my word, Victor, and I will uphold it, and as you recall, now is not the time for your next battle with Mephisto." Morgana reminded him with force. "As much as I may be interested in fighting one of Lords of Hell, I am not going to leave Earth at this critical time."

"Hm, quite an interesting company you are keeping, Morgana. A new Sorceror Supreme, a Scarlet Witch and another powerful Sorcerer, though one who also makes use of what I can assume some form of technology." Morgause commented, before turning to Morgana. "They all seem quite capable, though it is somewhat surprising that you haven't been able to break Merlin's spell on your own."

"I have had plenty of reason leave it be before." Morgana said to her with reserved tone. "Now… Now times have changed, Morgause, and as things are, the world will need you."

"Only the world, dear sister?" Morgause asked with curiosity of Morgana, with her features softening. "I still mourn your sons, Morgana, and I would never endanger them willingly."

"Yet it was your hand that brought the end of Ywain and Agravain, and you had encouraged Mordred to fight against Arthur." Morgana reminded her. "I had lost three sons to Lancelot and three because of you, Morgause… Be thankful that I didn't leave you here until the end of times."

"Very well, I can see that this is a conversation we best have later." Morgause decided not to press the matter. "To what event do I owe my liberation?"

"The one that you have foretold all those centuries ago." Morgana answered, with Morgause understanding what she meant. "The Hour of Reckoning has come, and Gaea has sent her Will to end the creation of Merlin. The Reckoning is already in progress and before long, it will reach its culmination, and when that happens, someone will have to pick up the pieces. I have had over 14 centuries to mourn for my sons, Morgause, and suffer because of Merlin's ambitions and duplicity… I am offering you a choice: help us save the remnants, or stay out of our way and do not interfere."

"Not going to lock me up in here?" Morgause asked of her, with Morgana shaking her head.

"Like you said once, Morgause: it is time for a new era." Morgana recalled.

"As you wish, Morgana, I shall assist you, but before that, I have but one question: what became of Merlin?" Morgause asked the most important question she could think of at that moment, catching everyone off guard.

"Merlin? As in the same guy who served King Arthur and against whom you have rebelled?" Wanda asked in a confused tone. "Shouldn't he be dead by now? It has been over hundreds of years since then." Morgause gave out a small chuckle at the girl's innocence.

"My dear, if we use your logic, then how come I and my sister are still alive?" Morgause asked in a seemingly innocent way, before answering it for Wanda. "True Sources, like you, my sister and I, are more than mere human beings, and for us aging is not about withering away, but growing stronger, wiser and mightier. Our life force itself is different, connected to Gaia in a way that other beings can only dream of, and we can live for eternity, if we so wish. And Merlin was also a True Source, and his power was not lacking with his status, since he was able to hold his own against me, and our battles tore the very earth and seas apart with our magical blows. It took the combined might of my sister and him to finally bring me down, but he was still alive when I was imprisoned here. And I know full well, that he still lives and breathes, and I need to know where he is."

"Of that we have no idea." Doctor Strange answered that question. "From what I know, after casting his spell that seemingly erased you from the minds of people, and placed all the blame on Morgana, he continued on traveling the world, spreading his teachings and knowledge. In the end, he laid down the foundation of the Wizarding World as we know it now, and then vanished. Several of Sorcerers and Sorceresses Supreme have tried tracking him down, but were unable to do so, with my mentor and predecessor included."

"Doom had also tried to follow the trails of Merlin, yet found that they led nowhere. His influence and presence can be felt everywhere where there is Wizarding World, but there is no concrete way of finding him." Doctor Doom stated. "All I have are old and ancient writings, pointing to clues to his artifacts, one of which has been in the possession of family of Braddock for a long time, one that is known as the Amulet of Right."

"It doesn't matter where Merlin is right now, Morgause. What matters is the fact that the Hour has come and it is our duty to make sure that the aftermath of it doesn't affect all of existence." Morgana told her.

"Yes, you are right in that regard, sister. But at the same time, your statement is lacking in width, for it does not include Merlin." Morgause cryptically stated, confusing them. "Tell me, why do you think Arthur had spared Guinevere and Lancelot for what they had done? They brought years of strife and war upon the land, caused untold numbers of deaths and were the causes of deaths of Gawain, Gareth and Gaheris, your sons and his nephews, not to mention his very best knights and most loyal followers? Why do you think he had done so?" Morgana had a thoughtful look to her, and after a minute, she finally gave her response.

"Because of Merlin." Morgana answered, with Morgause smiling and nodding to her, giving her the kind of smile that meant that there was more, with Morgana immediately making conclusions "You foresaw what would happen afterwards if Arthur had done so?"

"Yes, I did, and other outcomes had the made decision been different, and Merlin knew about all of them." Morgause told her, with Morgana's eyes widening from the realization. "Do you see now, sister, why I was asking about Merlin?"

"No… He could not have… All these centuries…" Morgana was in shock after realizing the horrifying truth, with others looking at her with concern.

"Morgana, what do you mean?" Wanda asked of her.

"Merlin… He knew what would happen if Arthur had forgiven those two, and he encouraged it, making that reality come true." Morgana stated to them, with shock in her eyes. "Morgause is the most powerful Seer, able to perceive not just one potential future, but multiple timelines and determine the outcomes of the specific actions. Things that would have seminal consequences…"

"Like war between Arthur and Mordred, which marked the end of Camelot and is considered to be the birth of Wizarding World and its Kind." Steven Strange finished for her, also catching on what Morgana was talking about. "Meaning… He could've known that what is happening now would occur, and yet…"

"He knew about it all, I assure you, for I had told him about it." Morgause stated to them. "It was before I had realized the depths of his ambition, depravity and lack of humanity in him. He had masked himself so well… But once he knew about what would occur if he had taken his course of actions, he didn't put a stop to his "misguided" plans, oh no… He accelerated them and removed the only obstacles that were on his path: me, my sister and every other True Source that could pose a threat."

"But why? What kind of a goal was he seeking, if he knew that this Hour of Reckoning would come?" Wanda asked.

"He sought to bring that Hour upon the Wizarding World, my dear Scarlet Witch." Morgause stated to her, surprising her. "He knew that Gaea would send her Avatar after them all, because I told him about it… And he made everything to encourage it, directly and not."

"And to what purpose would it serve Merlin to have the literal Goddess, connected to one of the most powerful beings in existence, destroy his own creation?" Doom asked of Morgause.

"That I do not know, though I have pondered about it for millennia, and I have my guesses…" Morgause told them. "Regardless, he wanted the Hour to come, and eliminated nearly all of the opposition so that he would not be disputed, and now… Now that the Hour has come, he shall make his move at last, and it is then that the fate of the world will be decided. Not just the Wizarding one, but the entirety of it, because right before I was put in here, I was given one more vision."

"What did that vision contain?" Morgana immediately asked.

"I saw a boy forged into a man by the hands of a monster, made into a weapon and tool of corrupt in there lowly schemes, break his chains and free himself and those that were with him from bondage. A man no longer, he who possesses both angel and devil in him, would become a being closer to Elder Gods than any True Source, and in his hands Chaos and Order will find use." Morgause recited what she saw. "He shall hold reign over any magic and power that will come near him, able to destroy, empower or take away all of it with his will. Armed with the severer of fates and worlds, his is the destiny to decide, what shall become of the Wizarding World in the end. Shall it become ashes, or rise to encompass the world, only he shall decide…" Morgause finished, with Morgana realizing about whom that prophecy was.

"Nephalem…" Morgana breathed out.

"So that is his name then. Fitting, considering the content." Morgause commented. "Yes, and it would seem that you know him, all of you here. And my primary suspicion about Merlin, is that he too knows about him, or at least needs someone like him for his own goals. What they truly are, I do not know, but they are definitely connected with the Hour of Reckoning and the daughter of Gaea."

Morgana's mind raced, trying to theorize and come up with the possible things that Merlin would have need of Hadrian, especially at that very moment. It took her less than minute to come up with one possible explanation as to why Merlin had orchestrated this grandiose social experiment of his, that led to creation of Theia and how it was connected to Nephalem. And when Morgana has finished her conclusion, her face turned pale, for the possible consequences of that man's actions would truly indeed be impossible to fully and completely comprehend, and the devastation he could unleash…

"We need to find Nephalem." Morgana stated with fervor. "I know why Merlin would need him: its Nephalem's power that is what he needs."

"But why exactly would he need Hadrian's power? Is he going to use it to stop Theia?" Wanda asked, still trying to wrap her head around all that she had just heard and learned.

"Stop her? No, my dear, he doesn't aim to simply stop her." Morgause already understood what her sister meant. "He aims to take her power for himself."

---

Meanwhile. Potter Mansion.

A tear in the fabric of space and reality opened up and from it stepped out Nephalem, instantly closing the portal behind him, before moving towards the mansion of the Potter family. His intentions were quite clear on his face and it wouldn't take a psychic to find out what he intended to do, and from his posture, fire in his eyes and way he walked towards his once home, there was no stopping him. He was long past playing games and has had enough of staying his hand from the Wizarding World, while also safeguarding it's existence. It was now ending, and so has come the time for him to finally put an end to this charade that he has been playing with his family. He was going to exact his toll upon them, get what he deserved from the start and make them pay for all that they have done…

…Or so he would have done, had Nephalem now sensed that the mansion ahead of him was completely deserted, which was not what he had expected to find here. He knew for a fact that this was where Potters lived, since they were under surveillance of the SHIELD, and Nephalem also had his own means of tracking them down, which he has been doing for almost a year now. However, now they were not here, and he could not find any reason as to why this would be the case, or even locate them using his own magic and spells. From that fact alone, Nephalem immediately came to a simple conclusion: someone had hid them from him.

And right as he had come to that conclusion, Hadrian heard the wind whistling as a figure flew over him, before landing in front of him, bearing the costume with the Union Jack as it's primary symbol. Nephalem knew this person and on the other day would've been glad to see him, but right now, with all that is happening and what he found here today, he was not going to be quite as jovial as he usually would have been.

"Hadrian, it's good to see you again." Captain Britain said, greeting the fellow defender of UK and Europe, as well as an Agent of SHIELD.

"I wish I could say the same, Brian, but right now, I can't muster it in me to lie." Hadrian replied, summoning Yamato into his hand, with Captain Britain immediately understanding that this is not going to be an easy conversation. "Because I think we both know, that you being here and the occupants of that mansion missing, right now, is not a coincidence, is it?"

"Hardly anything escapes you, does it?" Brian Braddock let out a humorless chuckle. "Are you really going to draw your sword against me? I thought that after how much we've fought side by side, you would have more trust in me."

"I've had my trust broken today in a bad way, and now I find you here, standing between me and the home of people that I was going to have a long needed talk. People that I never once talked about with you, yet you know where this place is and was able to make it here, despite all the magical barriers that are supposed to be in place here." Hadrian pointed him out. "Hour of Reckoning has come, and my gut tells me that a hero connected to magic like you would know about it, and since Potters are not here, but you are… This means that you have had a hand in their disappearance."

"I and my companion were hoping to prevent you from making a mistake, Hadrian. We moved them to a safe location, so that we could have an opportunity to talk to you." Brian told him. "Nephalem, you of all people should know how dangerous such creatures like this Avatar of Gaea is, and you must understand that with the power like hers, she could quite literally destroy the Wizarding World."

"Yeah, I know, but that is not about her or the Hour. Where are the Potters, Brian?" Hadrian asked of him directly, not allowing him to divert him from his goals. "Tell me willingly, or I'll get it out of your head."

"My costume shields me from the attacks of mental character, so you will not find anything that way." Brian warned him, with Hadrian placing his thumb on the tsuba of Yamato.

"Then I'll use the alternative means, since you do not seem eager to talk." Hadrian's eyes narrowed, as he prepared for the fight.

"Perhaps you could stay your blade from drawing it, and listen for a few moments to what my protégé and I have to say to you?" A new voice spoke up from behind, making Hadrian turn back and his eyes fell upon the seemingly old man with white beard and hair, dressed in white robes, making his way to him with a staff made of purest ivory white material. "I have observed you for some time now, Hadrian Potter, and I have come to believe, that you are a man who does not let his emotions get hold of him, and who acts only in accord to reason. All I ask is that you do the same now."

"And why should I listen to you, Merlin?" Hadrian narrowed his eyes at the man, whose face betrayed a surprise.

"Curious, I was not expecting anyone in these times to know how I look." Merlin admitted.

"My mentor Morgana described you quite well, and her description of you is as precise as it can be, plus I already had my suspicions as to who was the real source of power behind Brian's abilities." Hadrian remarked. "The Great Hierophant Merlin, Father of the Wizarding World and the man responsible for the mess that it is now… And why would I have to listen to you?"

"I see that my former student's malice had affected your judgement towards me, but I forgive you for thinking lowly of me." Merlin said in an apologetic tone, but Hadrian was having none of that.

"You cursed a grieving woman to be the bearer of the sins that her sister had committed, forced her to fight against her own blood and used her as a means for your own ends. You've used and manipulated Arthur and his knights for your own ends." Hadrian stated to him the facts that he had learned from Morgana and other means. "You even tried using Chthon for your own schemes, creating a window for him in Wundagore Mountains, which had threatened the very existence of our realm for centuries. The way I see it, you are a man who thinks that just because he thinks he is right, it justifies all of his actions, and I'm not someone to listen to that kind of a person."

"Yet I do ask of you to listen, and wouldn't you consider a request from a fellow True Source?" Merlin asked of Hadrian. "As I am certain you know by now, the Hour of Reckoning that my fallen student Morgause had prophesized has come, and now an Avatar of Gaea is laying waste to the work of millennia that I have put in place."

"Hard to miss, and get to the point: what do you want from me?" Hadrian demanded from Merlin.

"Your assistance and cooperation, to form a pact to not only stop her, but to also save the Wizarding World, bring a new era to it. A new Renaissance, one that would usher in a Golden Age for all of its members and humanity as a whole, and together, you and I, we can do what was always going to be the purpose of the Wizarding World: unite and lead humanity into it's best." Merlin preached to Nephalem his ideas and thoughts. "Together, we can change the world, Hadrian, and I ask you to assist me. I promise you, that in that new era, you will be a God among men, and treated as one by those who had abhorred you for mere fact of your existence. All that stands in our way is Theia and Gaea, but I am certain, that together, you and I, we…" At that moment, a gunshot was heard for miles around, as an empty case left Luce, after Hadrian fired his gun straight into Merlin's head, hitting dead center between his eyes, causing the old man to stumble back.

"Sorry, but I'm not in the business of making Gods, nor am I someone who betrays the world for their own ends, like you." Hadrian said, as Merlin collected himself and looked at Nephalem, as very small trail of blood was left from the now closing wound. "Besides, given your history, we both know that you would've used me for your ends and then discarded me."

"You… You really are Morgana's progeny, though not in blood, but definitely in spirit." Merlin hissed from pain. "I would've made you a God, boy, but now… I'll just unmake you!" And with that Merlin released his massive magical power, causing the ground and air to shake, before he began to cast his spells towards Nephalem.

Wasting not a single moment and drawing back his gun, Nephalem accelerated himself away from the incoming magical bolts at a lightning speed, moving straight towards Merlin. His right hand was already on the Yamato and prepared to draw it out, and when the moment was right, Hadrian drew out his blade and sent it to cut off Merlin's head. The cut and slice were as clean as they could be, execution was perfect… Only instead of Merlin's head being cut off, Nephalem's sword hand was severed up to wrist from his body with Yamato still held in it. Crying out in pain, Hadrian nearly stumbled away a few feet, as he collected himself and look down on the stump of his arm with shock, before his regeneration kicked in and stopped the bleeding.

"What the… A reflection spell." Hadrian guessed what had happened, as he looked at Merlin casually picking up Yamato from the severed hand, before casting a spell upon the blade that made Hadrian shake in phantom pain. "Ugh… What the hell did you do to my sword?!"

"Just removed that pesky synergy that you had with it, and don't you worry, my boy, you shan't be needing that blade anymore." Merlin assured him, as Hadrian recovered from the pain shock, before summoning back his wrist and reattaching it to his body, restoring it with magic. "Hm, you've recovered faster than I had anticipated you would. Not that it matters. Brian." Merlin called out to Captain Britain, and the latter slammed into Hadrian from behind and sent him flying straight into the mansion.

Flying through the walls of stone and wood, Hadrian did not even flinch at that, before he released a massive pulse of Chaos Energy that sent Captain Britain flying backwards and freed Hadrian, letting him land on the ground. He realized that he was in the mansion's library on its other side, having flown right through it all at less than a second's time, but before his musings could be continued, Braddock showed up and announced it by slamming his fist into Nephalem's face, sending him into the bookcase and demolishing it. Hadrian has landed on his knee, before spewing blood from his mouth, sensing that something is wrong, as if his regeneration was slowing down, and Nephalem did not like it, because this was not something that had ever happened to him.

"You should've listened to Merlin, Hadrian, taken his offer. Unlike you, me, Fury or even UN, Merlin sees the bigger picture and he has the understanding of what must be done for the Greater Good of all." Brian stated to him, as he saw his now former friend rise up to his feet. "It is not too late to change your mind, Harry. Merlin is a forgiving man, and he will understand if you…" At that moment, Nephalem disappeared from his sight, shocking the man.

The very next moment, Brian Braddock felt like he was hit by an aircraft carrier, as he was propelled upwards into the air, crashing through the ceiling of several stories of the mansion, before ending up on attic. He had barely managed to stabilize himself from flying through the roof, but the moment he had stopped himself, he saw Hadrian appear above him, and then stomp kick him in the chest. The force of the attack sent him flying down and smashed him into the floor of the attic, with Hadrian landing, standing above him and then grabbing him by his uniform.

"Shove that Greater Good and forgiveness in your arse, Captain Hypocrite." And with that, Hadrian's left fist slammed into Brian's face with such force that it sent the man flying right downwards, straight back into the library.

The mansion shook and creaked from the power of those blows, unable to withstand the might that these powerful heroes had, and cracks began to spread from the points of impact. Landing down in the library and making the place shake off all of it's books and things that weren't bolted down, Brian groaned and spewed out blood and teeth, as he was surprised and shocked with the fact that Nephalem was still this powerful without his main weapon. Every time they teamed up and fought together, he saw him use his guns and Yamato extensively, seemingly relying solely on them to win his fights. He had expected him to not be this powerful or even be able to withstand so much force that Captain Britain had used, and yet Nephalem didn't even seem fazed. If anything, he just took the beatings and dished out even more.

Landing from the hole, Hadrian faced off against Braddock who had gotten off the floor and went on the offensive, throwing punches and kicks at Nephalem, who had no problem blocking or parrying them. For all of his might and power that Brian possessed thanks to Merlin, he was not someone who was trained in martial arts or had military training, not like Nephalem. And when faced with someone who could output as much power as he did and with as extensive experience and knowledge in ways of how to make a man hurt, Brian was outclassed. Intercepting the incoming jab, Nephalem goes full karate on Britain, breaking his blocks and circumventing them, by driving him to the wall and continuously punching and hitting him where it hurt. Any attempt at a counter or block was prevented and Nephalem was easily able to push kick Brian through the wall and out of the mansion and into the gardens behind it, before following him.

Landing near the beginning of the trail of rough landing at the end of which lay Brian, barely able to get back on his feet, Hadrian stood in front of him, preparing to deal with him for good, before dealing with Merlin.

"Where… Where did you get… So much power…" Captain Britain wheezed out him, as he rose up, with Merlin's magical energy healing his damage already. "I thought that Yamato was the source of your power…"

"No, it was only an initial catalyst, a way for me to use my power effectively and without losing control, at least at first." Hadrian revealed to him, before his hands began to glow and he began making magical signs. "That's the difference between us, Brian: you use magic of others to make yourself a hero, while I generate magic that powers me. And unlike you, I know how to use it beyond rudimentary purposes!" And with this Hadrian set aside his role as a warrior, and embraced the one that he was trained for- Sorceror.

With silent incantations and will, Hadrian casted a powerful spell upon Brian Braddock's suit, immediately taking effect upon it by making it disintegrate as if it were a piece of ashes with the crimson red energies doing so, before Hadrian used magic to take away from Brian the Amulet of Right finally depower him. Casting another one of the spells upon the Amulet, the golden artifact of magic began to rust away and the withered from existence, with its energies returning back to its owner. Brian Braddock, left in his civilian outfit, looked at Hadrian with shock, for Nephalem had just unmade one of the most powerful, in his opinion, artifacts in the world, work of Merlin himself, and he made it look like it was child's play.

"How… How can you match Merlin's power and might?" Brian asked in shock. "Merlin had fought and defeated Gods from other dimensions, created an entire realm, and you just…"

"I've had the best teacher, someone who had surpassed your "Greater Than Thou" in terms of understanding magic." Hadrian simply stated to him, before casting a portal behind Brian. "Now go and introduce yourself to her, and tell her about what had happened." And with that, Hadrian send Braddock to Avalon, while he turned back to head towards Merlin.

But before he could make even one step towards his intended target, he felt a broad steel blade shove itself into his body and come out from the other side. Spewing out blood and hissing from pain, Hadrian look blow and saw a silver-like blade sticking out of his stomach, before it began to glow with red energies. With barely one tenth of second later, Hadrian was sent flying back into the crumbling mansion by the pulse of that red energy, before landing in the guestroom. Groaning and hissing from pain, Hadrian forced himself on his feet, as he felt his innards literally being set on fire, before using his magic to heal himself, because if he did not, he would've had his heart burn as well.

Wincing from the pain, Hadrian was trying to figure out what had attacked him, and who was it, before his sixth sense kicked in and he casted a protective bubble around himself made out of blue energy. A mighty attack from an armored figure of ivory white color, with his armor not being anything like he had ever seen, came from him, as he swung a two handed mace at him, shattering completely the barrier and going for Hadrian. Without even a second of a thought, Hadrian casted a mirror shield and reflective spells, causing the attacker to strike at shield, and then feeling the impact of the attack upon himself. The power of the attack was enough to send him hurling out of the guest room and outside, giving Hadrian a moment of reprieve, which unfortunately lasted less than a second.

Hadrian's eyes widened, as a new attacker appeared, clad in vermillion red armor, thrust a glaive towards Hadrian, but Nephalem was able to react to it and summoned Force Edge and blocked the attack by swinging it and catching the enemy's glaive at the spike. Pushing him off of him, Hadrian tried to go on the offensive, but his attacker was then joined another one knight, clad in green and ivory white, armed with a massive shield and blade. He struck Hadrian's Force Edge with his shield as it was locked in place by the glaive of the third attacker, shattering the sword and causing a synergy backlash to Hadrian, forcing him to cry out in pain. At that point, glaive was thrust into Hadrian's chest between his ribs, finding one of his lungs, piercing it, before slicing out of there, and creating a massive wound.

Already weakened by the earlier injuries and use of magic, Hadrian still able to block the pain and summon his powers to respond to this, as summoned a magical sphere made of steel and encased in it the red knight, before teleporting him away from him. The shielded knight didn't take it well and slammed his shield into Hadrian, sending him hurling to the stairs, crushing wood and stone, before landing on the second floor, where he was then pierced by an axe head, practically severing his spine into two and nearly killing him. The new attacker was clad in blue and white, armored just like his companions, and he drove the axe out of Hadrian, and picked him up, before Hadrian casted a directed blinding spell into the slit of his helmet, burning his eyes and releasing himself. Falling on his back with a cry of pain, he none the less was able to bring life to the walls and floor around him, making the engulf the attacker and lock him in themselves, before piling up on him akin to a formless mass of materials.

Summoning all the power he could muster, Hadrian healed what damage he was able, restoring his ability to walk and stopping the bleeding, but his regeneration was effectively gone, and he knew that now, as he felt his powers getting weaker and weaker. His mind raced and tried to find an explanation to it, trying to figure out why he was so weak and unable to heal, felt so much pain and more… Before he realized what was affecting him, and that was Merlin's magical spell.

From Morgana, Hadrian had learned a number of spells, and one of those spells that he learned of was Abaddon's Hand, a Dark Magic spell that when cast immediately upon someone, immediately starts to decay and destroy them from the inside, no matter what. It was akin to a cancer with rocket fuel, affecting every physical, mental and magical aspect of a person, destroying them, or at least weakening them in case of Hadrian. Merlin had managed to cast that spell on every weapon and Brian's suit, so ever time Hadrian came into contact with those, he would be affected more and more by it. In short, with the amount of damage and attacks he took… He was literally starting to run on fumes and his powers and enhanced physical power only granted him little immunity from the worst effects of the Hand.

However, he was no fool and he now understood that he wasn't going to win this fight, and his rashness finally took a step back and he began trying to create a portal for him to escape… But then the axe wielder literally broke free from his encasement and grabbed Hadrian by the neck, before literally driving him downwards, crashing him into the kitchen and landing on him. Spewing out blood and nearly blacking out, Hadrian was only able to cast a small spark of fire, which immediately ignited the gas that leaked in heavy amounts from broken pipes. An explosion tore apart the kitchen and destroyed part of the mansion, but allowed Hadrian, burnt and charred quite a bit, to escape to the library from his attacker.

Unfortunately, luck was no longer on Hadrian's side, as he was again attacked by another attacker, clad in black and white armor, with both of his curved swords disemboweling Hadrian, before he kicked him in the wall. Crashing into the wall and sliding down, Hadrian was again picked up by who he assumed was the first attacker, as he recognized the broad blade of his sword. This one was just as armored as the rest, with his weapon being a large red and silver sword, and he himself was clad in a silver-like armor, with red details on it. Out of desperation and with nothing else to do, Hadrian simply blasted the man with the last bits of his energy, hitting him in the head and causing him to drop Nephalem and fall back, wincing from what appeared to be pain.

Yet before Hadrian could fall onto the floor, magical circles appeared all around him, before chains shot out of them, grabbing Hadrian and holding him in suspended in the air. Merlin and all the rest of the knights appeared, as the Hierophant, wielding Yamato in his right hand, stepped towards barely conscious Hadrian and spoke to him.

"You didn't think that I would come here and wasn't ready to fight you? I have studied you quite well, Hadrian, though I must admit I did underestimate you." Merlin admitted to him. "I expected you to finally succumb to Abaddon's Hand a bit earlier than that. Of all the True Sources I and my Custodians have encountered, you are by far the most powerful one indeed."

"Too good… To do… Your dirty work?" Hadrian hissed out him with pain, asking of Merlin, who simply chuckled.

"A man of my station and authority needs not to mire my hands with this kind of work, for I have these able men to do what needs to be done." Merlin looked at his Custodians, who had gathered around. "These six knights have brought down entire kingdoms in their time, and were nearly able to destroy my life's work, but now… Now they serve me to further it, as will you." And with this, Merlin thrust Yamato into Hadrian's heart, causing him cry out of agony.

It was not just the heart that Hadrian felt pierced, but his very being and soul were being massacred by Merlin, as he felt his very power and magic torn out of him, severed by his very blade and transferred into Merlin. Shaking from the sheer amount of power that Merlin had just received, he felt invigorated and near intoxicated, as his visage changed from on an old man to a beautiful young one, losing his beard, yet retaining his white hair, though now it was a beautiful mane. Driving the blade out of depowered and dying Hadrian, Merlin looked at him as he tried his hardest to speak up, yet was unable to do so.

"If it's any consolation to you, Hadrian, I shall make it known that you were the key to the true dream that I have, and one that I shall bring to life thanks to your power. You have my eternal gratitude for it." Merlin stated with an air of arrogance and seemingly gentle condescension. "Though your Chaos power is a welcoming addition, I won't be having any need of it, and as per my bargain, I shall give it to your parents. Not that they will have any use of it…" At that moment, Merlin heard a growl from behind him, forcing him to turn around.

The leader of his Custodians was engulfed in the violent red aura of his power, before he blasted away with it all other Custodians and then rushed forward, cutting with his sword the bindings that held Hadrian. Grabbing him before he fell, the knight turned towards the shocked Merlin, pointing his weapon at him.

"You broke the enchantments?! I-impossible, but how…" At that moment, the silver clad rebel summoned all of his power and the drove his blade into the floor.

A catastrophic explosion of red energy took place that completely disintegrated the Potter Mansion, turning the once magnificent home of a wizarding family into a charred and burned wasteland. With a mere thought, Merlin dispersed the smoke and saw that his Custodians still were alive, but the one who broke free was now nowhere to be found, along with Hadrian, and that wounded his pride quite seriously, for never has Merlin was bested in such a fashion…

His only consolation was the fact that at this point, his plan was now beyond the point of being stopped by anyone, and all that remained for him was to take what was rightfully his from Theia.

---

The very next moment. Tintagel Castle.

A red lightning struck in the castle and from it's flash appeared the rebelled knight and Hadrian, whom he carried on his shoulder, sending him whatever magic he could spare to maintain life in him. He had nowhere to go to but here, for he felt that this was where he could find those that would be able to help him and the who was hurt because of him and Merlin, and he was no wrong.

"Who in the world is…" Strange was about speak up, when he was interrupted.

"HADRIAN!" Morgana and Wanda both cried out and rushed to him, with Morgana gently picking him up from the one who saved him.

"No, no… His magic and life force, they…" Morgana was unable to speak, as she mentally casted all of the healing spells just to keep Hadrian alive.

"Merlin… He took all of it from him." The rebelled knight spoke, drawing the attention of everyone to him. "It was always his plan and I… My brothers and I… We were made to do his bidding by his magic. He aims for more power… The Power of Gaea herself is what he is after."

"He dares to want the power of an Elder Goddess of Earth herself?! Has he gone mad, and does he really think that he will be able to do what not even Doom himself dares not attempt?!" Victor von Doom was quite literally in shock from what he heard.

"If that madman has taken Hadrian's powers and Yamato for his own, and given who he is… He might be bold enough to really attempt it." Strange stated, before he turned to the armored knight. "But the question is: who are you?"

"He, Doctor Strange, is the man who had brought down kingdoms and petty kings of the past, who struck down dragons, demons and sorcerers of such might, that they would be a stuff of legends. A Knight of the Round Table, fiercest and mightiest of the Arthur's knights, and the one who brought him down when he had fallen to being a puppet of Merlin, yet fell himself." Morgause spoke with reverence, as Morgana's eyes watered and shock appeared in them, as she turned to the knight, finally recognizing him. "Bearer of Clarent and Knight of Rebellion, son of the King and his Slayer, given life again as a puppet in place of his father."

"M-Mordred…" Morgana breathed out of her, and the knight let go of his weapon and reached with both of his arms for the helmet.

Caring naught for it, he ripped it off of him, crushing it into bits before dropping it onto the floor, revealing to the world his face. Bright emerald eyes were coupled with his mother's golden hair made into a loose short ponytail behind, with his long messy hair draping down. A face of a handsome man, broken and weathered, one who had once showed ferocity and grinned in the face of every danger, appeared before all, and his mother cried openly as she laid her eyes upon him for the first time in many, many lifetimes.

Mordred Le Fay, son Arthur Pendragon and Morgana Le Fay, Knight of Rebellion and mightiest of the Knights of the Round Table, stood before them, brought back to life by Merlin and freed by the last action of Hadrian Black.

---

I must admit, I was not exactly expecting to be back this soon, but as it turned out, I was able to get the things done quickly and after a bit of a rest, I decided that I needed to finish it off as soon as possible. And the first step was finishing up that chapter, because I couldn't bring myself to leave it in such a sorry state, and so you have it now, a fully updated and remade to my standards chapter.

Not much to say here, other than that Merlin really did mess Nephalem up, worse than anyone ever did, and although Hadrian is among the mightiest heroes on Earth, Merlin has had literal thousands of years to prepare for this. And for as powerful as he is knowledgeable, he definitely had a way of withering down Nephalem, but he has made a mistake of underestimating the sheer tenacity of Hadrian, which will come to bite him back with vengeance.

I would like to express my absolute gratitude to all of you my dear readers, for your support has been invaluable to me, and it is thanks to you that I was able to get back into the gear. Please leave your new comment, reviews, suggestions and so forth as usual, for your feedback helps this story get better.

Next time: Nephalem reforged with Assured Victory in his arms; Magical Britain vs. Earth's Heroes; Great Hierophant vs. The Destroyer of Gods; End of The Wizarding World…