Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Marvel or the characters therein. Nor, sadly, do I make any moneys from the posting of this fanfiction.

Hey! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Needed to get some things done that took a time away from the world of fanfiction. Here you go with your next serving. Enjoy!

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The Confronter

"You know for a smart man, you're rather predictable."

The words had Loki's head shooting up to find himself looking at a petite woman staring at him from across the table he was sitting at.

A smirk came to his face, as he asked in a condescending tone, "You don't say."

Tilting her head she murmured, "You aren't from this universe." Frowning, she asked herself, "Whatever could that mean?" She absently shrugged off the question, even as Loki's eyes went wide at her words. "I don't think it matters, not really. Your master strategy being what it is, this part of it all means very little in the greater scheme of things."

"You think you know my mind? My glorious purpose?"

"Oh heavens no, not in the least." This had him frowning to himself. "How is one to comprehend such chaos? Certainly not I, sir."

"Chaos?" he breathed.

"That's what is occurring, correct?" she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table between them. "Typical enemies working in concert. And yet on what? No one is certain of that, I'm sure. Why cause the calamity you have rot?" She studied his now expressionless face. "You didn't set this all out for no reason!"

"I am a god, you weak female! And I will not have you question my dominion!" He leaned down into her space, growling, "I will rule this planet, you pathetic witchling. And nothing you do will change that."

Hermione looked blandly to him. It was time to pull out the big guns as it were. "I don't have many questions. And dare I say it, not one has to do with your dominion."

That's when he felt hot breath on the top of his head and he looked up to see the Hulk glaring down at him.

"He, on the other hand, has more than a few questions for you in that regard."

Nervously, he looked back over to Hermione. Leaning back in her chair, she murmured, "Let's start with where all the missing family members are, shall we?"

…

"My brother?" Thor whispered. "Why?"

"How better to take over a planet than to create a mess in which he would emerge as victor?" Hermione asked him. "I couldn't really say though. He only answered so many things. And even then no one can be certain as to the validity of the answers." She smiled. "Unless the Hulk asked him that is."

Hulk was still there, sitting in the corner, and glaring at Loki who was chained up, as well as gagged.

"But why would he do all that he's done?" Tony asked. "There doesn't seem to be a reason!"

"Normally I don't question the motives of gods, but if I had to make a guess?" She smiled, as Bucky came over and handed her a sleeping Lucy. It was while she was rubbing her little back that she murmured, "He was attempting to take over the earth again. But this time he didn't have an army and had to use what he did have. That would be everyone here still fighting each other rather than teaming up correctly. And with a person of his nature, he's just trying to get there the only way he knows how." When the others only frowned, she added, "Through absolute chaos."

It didn't make sense. None of it did, when it came down to it. Having those who would normally never work together, such as the militant muggles and muggle hating wizards and witches was one of the things that had Hermione thinking that perhaps the person doing all the planning had a perspective no one would expect. But Loki was the one who had been moving the chess pieces, as it were, to gain in some way no one could comprehend—not clearly at least.

"It doesn't make sense!" Tony exclaimed.

"No, it doesn't," Hermione replied. "But who else other than the god of tricks and lies would pull together everything that's happened in order to cause a diversion of this nature in order to take over the planet?"

"Are you certain?" Doctor Strange asked for the first time.

"For the most part it had been speculation until he confirmed it," she admitted. "But given your ability to scroll through every possibility, I'm shocked you haven't tried to piece it together that way yet." She looked over to Tony. "I would if I could, but it's as you Americans say…" She squinted as she tried to remember the saying. "…it's above my pay rate." She looked back over to the sorcerer and added, "And it is not a part of my skill set."

"Do you want it to be?" he inquired.

"Perhaps once the children are all in school," she murmured, kissing Lucy's downy head. "Perhaps minor training while they're growing up?"

"Deal," Steven said with a grin, as he got to his feet. "Now if you'll please excuse me, I have a demigod to get back to where he belongs."

Bruce shrunk down to normal size, joining Hermione, Bucky, Thor, and Tony as they watched the two men teleporting away.

"Where do you think he's taking him?" Bruce asked.

None of them knew the answer to that one. Hermione thought to ask Dr. Strange, but was too tired to care at that point. They had been getting the abductees back home to their families for the past week and this time of rest was the first one they were getting in several days. At that point they just hoped that they wouldn't be seeing the chaos Loki had brought with him for a good time to come.

That being said, all of them sincerely doubted it. And they were right, but not in the way they had thought.

Five minutes later Dr. Strange was back with a chain free Loki in tow. Needless to say that they were all pretty confused by this. And as they weren't really what anyone would call comfortable with the whole situation, the doctor had a lot of explaining to do. Or at least that was the main consensus before the man spoke.

"He's powerless," Stephen told them. "Well, not completely powerless. About the only things he can do now is change the color of things and enrage those around him." He looked over to Darcy. "That second on that list is something he doesn't need magic for."

"Yes," Loki drawled sarcastically. "It's a gift."

"More like a curse," Darcy said dryly.

All of them were staring at him, as if they were expecting him to have sprouted a second head.

All of them that is except for Hermione, who shrugged and reminded Bucky she wanted to get going with their date night. And Darcy, who took up is hand and dragged him away from the crowd.

"You're going to have to have lessons on how to act civilly, buckoo. And seeing as I'm the most normal one here, you get me as a teacher—oh lucky you!"

"I sense sarcasm," Loki muttered, looking ready to drag his heels.

Hermione stepped in his way and hissed, "I suggest you play well with her. My knee to the balls is nothing compared to hers."

Blinking, Loki looked from Hermione to Darcy. The younger woman shrugged and said, "It pays to play soccer. Totally tones the legs."

Swallowing thickly, Loki said, "Where to, my lady?"

Once gone, Tony turned to the British witch, asking her, "Do you think having those to hanging out together is a good thing?"

She shrugged. "Probably not, but given how they're both prone to getting into trouble…" She laughed. "It should prove entertaining if nothing else."

They all pretty much agreed that her idea of entertainment was rather odd.

TBC…

…

Another Oneshot away! Thanks for reading and I hope that you're having a fab day.