Author's Note – I do not own any of the characters, Marvel and DC do.
Kara's story ties in to Harry Romanoff-Barton.

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Chapter Fifteen

Preparations

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Thanos stared at the box that had appeared before him, a box tagged with an insignia that he recognised only too well.

"Apocalypse." He mused to himself, carefully examining the box without touching it.

After a long moment, he reached out and tapped the insignia, then leaned back in his chair as a holographic figure formed.

"Greetings, Thanos of the Titans." The image of Apocalypse said. "As you have no doubt deduced, I have returned from my eons of slumber and am in need of some… amusement."

Thanos snorted.

"In this box is a certain item that I once used. I am curious to see what you, my greatest ally and greatest enemy, would do with it, so consider it a gift, but remember that as I was once its master, it will not work against me. Enjoy."

The figure dissipated and Thanos leaned forwards as the box cracked open. Lifting the lid, his breath caught as he beheld its contents.

"The Infinity Gauntlet!" He gloated, pulling it out and donning it. Looking at the empty gem-mounts on it, he nodded firmly. "Gather my forces for it is time for me to claim what is mine from Asgard!"

Around the raised platform on which his throne was placed, an army began to move.

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"Galatea."

Galatea growled under her breath as she turned to face the man who held her life in his hands. "Yes… sir?"

Magneto raised one eyebrow slightly at her tone, but decided to let it slide. "We will soon be on the move. You will help Chrome as he directs, he speaks with my voice."

Galatea gave a jerky nod, then backed away as Magneto raised his hand in warning.

"You are my weapon, Galatea, nothing more." He stated, glaring at her. "Remember your place."

Magneto strode out of the barren room, his cloak flaring and Galatea growled again before hissing in pain as a spike of agony lanced through her. Giving the open door a hate-filled glare, she retrieved her cape from the wall hook and strode out of the room that she considered her cell.

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"Kara!"

"Hey, Jean!" Supergirl called in greeting as she landed on the lawn. "Have I got a story to tell you! We have a real-life werewolf living in Stark Tower!"

"No way!" Jean gasped. "A werewolf?"

"Yep, changes by the light of the full moon and everything." Kara replied as she and Jean headed into the mansion. "Turns out that he was a friend of little Harry's birth-parents. Thank goodness for the fact we have our own Danger Room, it gives him somewhere he can change safely."

"Wow." Jean breathed. "A real life werewolf… is he one of the Avengers?"

Kara shook her head. "Support only, like Pepper. He can't control himself in wolf-form and the trnsformation itself is… rather painful. You can hear bones breaking and everything."

Jean winced, then frowned. "So how did you find a werewolf?"

"Oh, he found us." Kara laughed. "He was friends with little Harry's birth-parents and was searching for him. When he found out where Harry was, he snuck into the tower. Jarvis sounded the alarm and while the others headed for Harry's room, I flew outside to stop him escaping that way. I got there just in time to see him being blasted by one of Thor's thunderbolts."

Jean winced again.

"Fortunately, he knows how to help whenever Harry does something odd, like his couch-into-ducks trick." Kara continued. "Tony invited him to stay in exchange for more info on Harry's parents, he's full of stories. Tony also has him helping with expanding his knowledge of magic, apparently there's a whole community of magic users!"

"Really?" Jean asked in shock. "Wow."

"Yep, Tony thinks that if he can get his tech magic-proof, then there'll be a whole new market for his stuff." Kara laughed.

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"Quill."

"Magneto." The mutant replied, looking round at the penthouse. "Nice place."

"Just a little hideout I picked up several years ago." Magneto shrugged. "May I offer you a drink? Tea, coffee, beer…"

"Beer, please." Quill said, then he blinked as Magneto floated a bottle across to him. As he grabbed the bottle from mid-air, the cap suddenly folded upwards and floated back.

"Cool trick." Quill said, saluting Magneto with the glass bottle before taking a sip. "Mmmm, nice."

"Thank you." Magneto said, taking a sip of tea. "How are your forces progressing?"

"More than we expected." Quill admitted. "Last count, almost a thousand of us. Getting hard to do more than get names and basic power-types. They're getting antsy."

"We will be moving soon." Magneto replied, staring out of the panoramic window. "Do you think you can hold them for another couple of days?"

"Yeah, but if we need to wait a week or more, we'll start shedding recruits." Quill commented as he joined Magneto at the window.

"I believe that Thursday will be best… Thursday evening after the rush hour." Magneto mused. "I will need to lead the first group because of my powers, but we will need the second group to join us as first as possible."

"I can see that."

"Quill," Magneto said, turning slightly to fix the younger mutant with his gaze, "This is not meant as an insult or a slur upon your honour, but I feel it would be better if Arclight stood beside me in the first wave and you led the second. No, please hear me out."

Quill blinked, then nodded for Magneto to continue.

"Arclight is one of the better distance-attack mutants I have encountered." Magneto explained. "Her area-effect attack will aid us in breaking through the outer defences, opening the way for our forces. Your skills are more in hand-to-hand, skills which will come into their own once the defences are breached and suppressed."

Quill nodded slowly. "I think I follow…"

"There are also your leadership skills." Magneto added. "The actual timing will be… uncertain and so we will need someone who can keep our forces together and ready to act at a moment's notice, if not less."

"Alright, you convinced me." Quill sighed. "I'll lead the second wave."

"Thank you." Magneto said. "I know that you wish to be on the front lines from the moment we begin, but sometimes reality forces us to take other roles."

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Thanos smirked as he looked down upon the kneeling form of Malekith.

"Rise, my newest General, and serve me." He rumbled. The Dark Elf rose with incredible smoothness, belying the injuries he had taken trying to fight Thanos, as did his Lieutenant.

"What is your command, Lord Thanos." Malekith asked, his smooth tone almost hiding the hatred within and Thanos' grin widened.

"Excellent, you have great hatred within you. Your people shall come with me, to the world of Tartarus, where your race shall rise once again to wreak destruction across the face of creation like never before."

Malekith's face briefly reflected his inner desire for destruction, then he bowed deeply.

"It shall be as you command, Lord Thanos."

Thanos stepped back as around them, the fleet of blade-like starships slowly activated, rising into the sky until the light from the sun was almost eclipsed. The vertical ships hung like giant midnight-black blades before ascending further, through the portal in the skies and Thanos laughed in dark glee as the gem on his Gauntlet flashed,then he rose into the air and accelerated through the portal, away from the desolate planet.

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"Director Fury."

"General Stryker."

The two men briefly shook hands, then Fury motioned for Stryker to take a seat even as he returned to his desk.

"You said that you had important news for SHIELD, General."

"I do." Stryker said as he seated himself. "Some of my sources have relayed rumours to me that there's going to be an attack on Angel Island."

"The Cure." Fury nodded. "I have received a few reports on that as well. The leader is apparently Quill of the Omegas, although one report indicated that someone else is behind him."

"Quill… I think I've come across that name before." Stryker mused before re-focusing. "Anyway, I've read that Worthington Industries only has a small security force there, a dozen or so. Against a mob of mutants, they'll just be targets."

"Agreed."

"I intend to move a small rapid-reaction force to nearby, equipped with non-lethal weaponry." Stryker said. "In order to make it worthwhile, I'll need to use some of this Cure in weaponised form."

Fury frowned. "I'd like to have an agent of mine included in this."

"Of course." Stryker said and Fury nodded.

"He'll be with you tomorrow. Anything else?"

"As long as he brings some dart-guns or whatever you have come up with, I think that it's all. Here's the file for my group."

Fury accepted the file and Stryker rose.

"Director."

"General."

As Fury opened the file, Stryker walked out of the office, not even glancing back as Yuriko left her position beside the door and fell into position half a step behind him. Striding down the corridors of the Helicarrier, he stepped out onto the flight deck and the helicopter awaiting him. Climbing in, he pulled out his phone as Yuriko took her position and the helicopter lifted off the pad.

"Trask. The word is given."

Putting the phone away, he smirked. "Today sees the start of the end of mutants."

Yuriko remained silent and Stryker's smirk grew wider.

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Fury closed the folder, then frowned as Thor burst into the room.

"Fury! Odin hath need of thine Kryptonian!"

"What?"

"The Mad Titan Thanos hath struck at Asgard with at the head of an army of Chitauri and Dark Elves and seized the Tesseract! He doth seek to claim the full power of the Infinity Gauntlet!"

Fury stared at him. "What?"

"We need help." Steve said and Fury mentally winced at his inattention, he hadn't seen Steve enter. "Clark's already agreed to join us as have the West Coast Avengers, the Fantastic Five and Excalibur, Lor-Zod is waiting in Asgard, Kara's coming but we really could use Cir-El's aid as well. The Henshin Rangers are sending a few of their number as well."

"All right." Fury nodded. "However, I'm sending along another agent, one who often deploys alongside Cir-El. Samual Wilson…"

"The Falcon?" Steve asked curiously. "I think I've met him before… Clark upgraded his wingsuit, didn't he?"

"He did. He'll go with you." Fury stated. "I'll send them via the Hall of Doors once they return from their current mission."

Steve nodded, then paused as Fury frowned.

"Cap, unless I am severely mistaken, the West Coast Avengers don't have a Kryptonian, so why would…"

"They have Squirrel Girl."

Ah." Fury said, his face suddenly blank. "Yes, I see. Squirrel Girl."

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"What?"

"The Avengers have left within the last hour for Asgard, both the main Avengers and the West Coast. Superman has gone as well, in addition to another Kryptonian."

"Interesting." Magneto mused as he looked at the phone which sat on his desk. "Any idea why?"

"None." The electronically-distorted voice said and the other mutants around the desk exchanged glances. "Rumour indicates an extinction-level threat which has the Asgardians concerned, but I have yet to acquire any actual details, other than that they expect to be gone for at least a week."

"Understood." Magneto said. "Your usual payment will be forwarded to your account."

"I will contact you when I have more news." The voice said. "Whisperer out."

The phone clicked as the line went dead and Magneto looked up at his Acolytes and guests.

"Well, this is unexpected, but highly fortuitous." He finally said. "The Avengers would have proven to have been quite an obstacle to our plans, I for one am glad that they will no longer be a factor."

A sussuration of agreement echoed round the room and Magneto smirked.

"It would seem that there is no reason to delay further. I believe that we should move the assault up a day, unless anyone can think of a reason why we should not."

"The recruits are champing at the bit." Quill noted. "The sooner we get them moving, the better."

"Will it be a problem for you?" Magneto asked. "I know that I am asking a great deal of you…"

"Not a problem." Quill interrupted. "I set up a way to regularly talk to the sub-leaders, they'll do the heavy lifting for me. All we need is the time we should be ready for."

"I think about seven in the evening for the first wave." Magneto mused. "Have some of the flight-capable mutants dress up as maintenance workers and close off the area ten minutes beforehand. That should reduce the number of civilians getting in the way."

Quill nodded. "I have eight fliers who can do that, but why fliers?"

"So that they can rejoin us once we begin." Magneto supplied. "The Kleinstock Triplets will help cover the north end."

Quill nodded slowly. "It's going to be impressive. Wish I could be in a position to see it."

"Just have a television set to the news." Magneto replied. "I feel certain that it will be… unmissable."

Quill blinked, then started to chuckle. "Oh, I'm sure it will be. Anything else?"

"I believe that we have covered everything." Magneto said, glancing round at the others. "Anyone else have anything they think needs to be addressed?"

Several shaking heads provided his answer and he rose from his chair, extending his hand to Quill.

"Then the next time we meet, it will be at the site of our victory."

"For the future." Quill stated, shaking Magneto's hand.

"For mutantkind."