(A/N): Hey guys! Hope you had a solid kind of weekend.

Thanks to StarKiss666, Adharablack85-2, Westcoast222, Sora Loves Rain, General Mac, Silas Serenity, aiyaiy13, Catzandbookz8, and Guests for reviewing! You guys are the absolute best and I love you!

So, this chapter is me giving you all what you've been asking for. We're going back to Wizarding Britain. I am ready to hear your thoughts. The end scene will contain a character from Captain Marvel, just in case you couldn't place him.

This chapter was betaed by the amazing sailorxbloom. She's so awesome and I'm lucky to have her help!

Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!


When Draco opened his door to find Potter waiting on his front step, he honestly wasn't that surprised. If anything, he'd thought the man would have shown up sooner.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

Potter bristled. "I want to talk to you about Hermione?"

Draco leaned against the door frame. "… who?"

A wand appeared in Potter's hand. "Don't play games with me, Malfoy. You will tell me what I want to know or-"

Merlin, he'd forgotten how fun it was to rile Potter up. Pathetically easy, too. "You'll what? In case you missed it, Potty, this is France- a street in Muggle France, to be exact. If you attack me, you will be attacking an employee of the French Ministry of Magic in front of non-magical civilians. You will be arrested, and not a single person there is going to care that you're Wizarding Britain's Golden Boy. In fact, they'd probably hold it against you."

"That right, I'd heard you had to run to France in order to find work," he sneered.

"I didn't leave Britain because I couldn't stay- I left because I didn't want to. But my actions aren't what's being called into question here. Yours are." The way Potter tensed made Draco smirk. "Tell me, how did it to feel to find out that Granger had been alive and hadn't bothered to tell you? Does it sting, knowing that you can't lie to yourself any longer about how she would feel about your actions if she was here?

"Does it hurt to know that she hates you now, and it's all your fault?"

Potter's fingers tightened on his wand. "You knew," he started, voice low. "All this time, you knew she was alive, and you just let us keep on thinking that she was dead."

Straightening, Draco spat, "Oh no, Potter, you don't get to try and blame me for this. I told you- all of you- right from the start that Granger had disappeared from the Manor before Bellatrix could kill her. That at the moment of her disappearance, she was still alive. You chose to ignore me. You chose to change the narrative- to tell everyone that she was dead. And you were the one who chose to weaponize her memory in order to get what you wanted. You made those choices all on your own, and you don't get to blame me just because you don't want to face the consequences of what you've done."

"You're not some innocent!" Potter argued. "You don't get to go and pretend that you're some sort of saint now! After everything you did- all the lives you ruined and the people you killed- you don't get to try and act like some sort of hero."

Draco stepped back into his house. "I know what I've done wrong. I know what my sins are. But at least I'm trying to make up for what I've done. All you're doing is trying to find a way out of this mess you've made that leaves you still looking like a good person. Well, guess what, Potter, that's not going to happen. This isn't the ignorant sheep that makes up the population of Wizarding Britain that you're trying to deceive- it's Hermione Granger. There is no way you come out of this looking like a hero. I suggest you come to terms with that fact sooner rather than later. Until then, stay away from me and my family." And with that, Draco slammed the door shut.


The next batch of flowers that Steve sent her were delivered by Clint.

Ever since she'd had a panic attack while on the phone with Steve, Hermione had been avoiding his calls again. It felt too… raw. Too exposed. She'd shown him too much of her- let him see the parts of her that she still felt unable to face herself.

She'd expected for Steve to eventually give up. She'd expected him to finally get so angered by her silence that he stopped trying to contact her. But, yet again, the man refused to do what she expected him to. Instead, Steve had just found another route to take to demonstrate his feelings and Hermione was starting to grow overwhelmed.

At least once a week, a beautiful bouquet of flowers was delivered to the Tower for her and each had a different yet similar meaning- I will never forget you, thinking of you, forever devoted, forever loyal, honest affection. Eventually, Hermione stopped looking up the meaning of the flowers because it just made her more and more depressed. It was such a sweet and lovely gesture and it made Hermione want to curl up in a ball and die.

"Hey, so, I think Steve wants to talk to you," Clint stated needlessly, setting the vase he was carrying on the kitchen counter.

Hermione glowered at him. "What are you doing here?"

Clint sighed. "I'm really sorry about what I said before. It was out of line and you didn't deserve me going off on you like that. But, just to be clear, I'm not sorry that I pushed you about telling Natasha because I still think we should. However, I can also understand your reasons for not wanting to bring her into this. Kind of."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione turned away from him and looked back down at the page of notes in front of her. Honestly, she was at the point where, if she was even slightly sure that Natasha wouldn't go running to Fury with anything they told her, Hermione would have brought her in. The records she had access to weren't very helpful with what she needed to know.

She knew that the SSR had taken Bucky. But, what had they done with him afterwards? How had they kept him alive until Zola could begin working on him? When had Zola returned? They were questions she had asked herself over and over again but, no matter how hard she looked, Hermione could never find the answers. Natasha had been part of the KGB though and Hermione wondered if the spy had access to the information she was looking for.

Unfortunately, it was too much of a risk.

"You're an agent," was all she said to Clint. "You of all people should know that being paranoid is what keeps you alive."

Only humming softly in response to her comment, he asked, "Why is Steve communicating in flowers?"

"Because using our words isn't going very well," Hermione muttered. "If you're finished saying what you wanted to say, then you should leave. I have a very busy day tomorrow that I need to prepare for." Well, more like that she should be preparing for. To be honest though, Hermione felt rather unconcerned for what was to come. After all, what could the Ministry of Magic really do to her? If they tried to do anything against her, she would burn them to the ground.

"One other thing." He took a few steps closer to Hermione. "I found Vasily Karpov."

Hermione froze, hands tightening around her papers. "You found… how? Where?"

That changed things. Hermione was almost sure that Karpov was the key to finding Bucky- to figuring out everything that had happened. Though the files she'd read had only referenced him as one of the heads of a secret program, she had recognized his face from Bucky's memories.

Clint just shrugged. "He's in Davenport, Iowa. It wasn't easy finding him, especially since I couldn't exactly go through my usual contacts. This HYDRA thing is really making my life more difficult."

"Oh, really?" she scowled at him. "Well, I'm so sorry if the fact that a terrorist organization managing to infiltrate the government in a bid to gain as much power as possible for their hostile takeover is inconveniencing you."

"It's alright- I'm getting by," he told her modestly. "We're sure this guy is HYDRA, right? Not just another jackass from the Russian Armed Forces?"

"Absolutely." He was HYDRA and he was part of the program that had turned Bucky into the Winter Soldier.

"Alright then, when do we leave?"

Hermione really wished that they could leave immediately. "We'll leave on Wednesday evening- I'll be out of the country tomorrow and I'll need to have some time to prepare my things before we head out again."

"That's right, I heard you were heading to London tomorrow." Clint hopped up to sit on the counter. "You sure you're ready to face your past?"

No, no she was not. "My parents each have very different fighting styles," she told him seemingly out of nowhere. "Which makes sense considering how differently they view the world. But there is one thing that both of their philosophies have: once you make a decision, you must follow through. Retreat and you will die. Hesitate and you will die. Once you've decided, you must act. I have decided that it's time to face my past- the only thing left to do now, is move."

As Clint watched her, he wondered if this was what her parents had in mind when they taught her that. Did they hope she would take their teachings and incorporate it into everything she did? Or had they just meant for her to use it while on the battlefield? "Aren't you afraid?" Clint asked, honestly curious.

Hermione looked past him to stare out the window, eyes suddenly distant. "I can't be afraid," she told him simply. "I don't have the time."


"You don't have to come," Mia pointlessly reminded Tony and Pepper. "I can go by myself. Or, at the very least, you could just take the plane and meet us there. Magical travel is very uncomfortable and travelling internationally is extremely disorientating."

"We go together," Pepper told her firmly. "Or none of us go at all. We're family, remember? We don't leave each other behind."

Mia's throat tightened. "Yes," she whispered. "You're right. Just… just stay close to me, alright?"

This was a Harry-level bad idea, which was just a rung below a Tony-level bad idea. The idea of bringing Tony and Pepper into the heart of Magical Britain almost made her physically sick. What if they realized that she had brought two non-magical people with her? What if a fight broke out? What if all that magic overloaded Tony's arc reactor? Yes, they had tested it with her own magic and it had seemed fine, but what if they were wrong? What if, because of the fact that her magic came from Loki, their conclusions were inaccurate and actual wizarding magic had a different effect on Tony?

What if she lost them because she was too selfish to go alone?

A thrum of reassurance came from her mother. Stop worrying so much, she chided. Everything is going to be fine.

You can't know that, Mia fretted.

Their magic is much weaker than yours, Loki suddenly interjected, much to Mia's surprise. It had been quite some time since her parents both spoke to her at the same time. Something had happened between them, but neither would tell her what it was. All she knew was that they avoided speaking to one another as much as they could. If your power didn't stop his heart, then theirs' certainly won't either.

If both her parents were telling her that, then they were probably right.

Samuel appeared in front of them and Mia's forced herself to focus on the present, not on what might happen. "Are you ready?" he asked her, voice solemn. She knew that he was worried about doing this- though they both knew it was necessary.

Mia nodded firmly. "Yes."

Glancing over at Tony and Pepper, Samuel checked, "Are you both sure that you want to do this? I know this is stressful, but I give you my word that we'll all be watching out for Mia while we're in the Ministry."

"We're sure," Tony told him, glaring. "And you're not going to be able to talk us out of coming."

"Wasn't going to try." Samuel turned back and led the group down the hallway. "You warned them about travelling by Portkey?"

"Of course- I told them that they might feel the urge to be sick and that, if that occurs, they should aim for you."

Samuel chuckled, finally relaxing a bit. "I don't know what I did to deserve such disrespect."

"Really? Because I can think of a few things." Michelle Danner- Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement- had joined their group.

"Michelle," Mia greeted, nodding her head towards the other woman. She had been one of the officials to vote for MACUSA to join in fighting the Chitauri and, after getting to know her for the past year or so, Mia considered Michelle to be one of the best leaders she'd met in the American government- both magical and muggle alike.

Nodding back, Michelle told them, "The others are waiting for us in the Office of International Travel's waiting room. I was sent to find you because, in the words of Vice President Edward Rau put it, 'we are ready to get this train-wreck-waiting-to-happen over with'."

Turning to frown at Tony, Samuel informed him, "Look at what you've done- everyone's so informal here now."

Tony smiled brightly at him. "You're welcome."


When they landed in the Ministry, Kingsley Shacklebolt was waiting for them. Hermione could feel his eyes on her, but she ignored him in favor of helping Tony and Pepper to their feet. "Alright?" she asked softly, relieved that neither of them had let go too early.

"Could be worse," Tony told her, weaving on his feet a bit before regaining his balance.

Pepper seemed a little nauseous but otherwise fine. "I'm glad I didn't wear heels," she muttered, and Hermione laughed softly.

"Yes, it would not have gone well if you had."

"Hermione Granger," Shacklebolt stated, voice just as deep as she remembered. "Back from the dead."

Finally turning to look at him, Hermione raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Mr. Shacklebolt. I would say that it's good to see you but that wouldn't be honest."

"It's Minister Shacklebolt now," he corrected.

Hermione's eyes danced with amusement. "You're not my minister, now are you?"

Shacklebolt's eyebrows rose in surprise. "It seems you've finally moved past your automatic respect for authority figures."

"You're mistaken," she told him coolly. "I never respected you because I believed you to have any authority over me- I respected you because I thought you were someone worthy of my admiration. I know better now though."

Before he could reply, Samuel and the other MACUSA officials stepped forward. "I know it's been awhile," Samuel interjected. "But isn't it customary for you to greet the foreign leaders and officials first? Or, has Wizarding Britain also given up on that particular courtesy?"

"My apologies," Shacklebolt rumbled. "I was just surprised at the reappearance of one of our own."

"I see," Vice President Rau hummed, a spark of amusement in his eyes. "How nice. Before I forget though, let me introduce you to Hermione's brother and his girlfriend." Gesturing to Tony and Pepper, he stated, "May I present Tony and Pepper Stark. Tony and Pepper, this is Kingsley Shacklebolt."

Shacklebolt stared at Tony and Pepper in obvious surprise. "You're related to Iron Man?" he asked Hermione.

"You know who Iron Man is?" she asked, equally shocked.

"I spent some time undercover with the Muggle Prime Minister," he reminded her. "I keep an eye on the Muggle world as much as I can."

"How nice," Tony butted in. "I love being recognized."

"Why is he here?" Shacklebolt asked Samuel, ignoring Tony. "He couldn't even keep his own identity a secret- you really believe he'll keep our worlds secrets to himself?"

It was Pepper's turn to interject. "We're both a part of this world already- we're Hermione's family. And if you think we're the kind of people who would just stand by and let her come here without us, then you're even stupider than I always thought you to be."

When Shacklebolt turned to look at Pepper, Hermione couldn't stop herself from stepping in front of the redhead. "Now, now, let's not be too hasty. After all, you dragged us here for a reason, didn't you?

"So, why don't you just go ahead and bring us to Potter so we can get this over with." The tightening around Shacklebolt's eyes made Hermione smirk. "You didn't really think we were unaware of who the driving force behind this meeting was, did you? This all screams Harry so, please escort us to where he is- we wouldn't want to keep The-Boy-Who-Lived waiting, would we?"


Harry's head snapped up when the door opened and Hermione, Tony, and Pepper entered the room. The MACUSA officials had been forced to stay behind to speak with several Ministry Department Heads- though the look on Rau's and Danner's faces made Hermione think that they were excited at the prospect at insulting as many people as they could in as short an amount of time as they could. She almost felt sorry for Samuel.

"Hermione," Harry breathed, standing up.

"Harry," she mocked, unable to help herself. Pulling out a chair, she sat down and Pepper and Tony took a seat on either side of her. "I must admit, I'm surprised that it's just you here. Was Ron too scared to face me? He always did have a better sense of self-preservation than you."

Shifting uncomfortably, the shaggy-haired man stated, "We thought it would be best if it was just me this time."

"'We'," Hermione repeated. "Which 'we' are you referring to? You and Ron? Or did Shacklebolt make the choice and you followed his orders like a good little soldier?"

Instead of answering, Harry just glanced in discomfort at Tony and Pepper.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you're waiting for an introduction then I'm afraid you'll be sorely disappointed. Knowledge is power, after all, and I'm feeling very disinclined to give you any after everything that's happened."

Underneath the table, Pepper reached out to grab Hermione's hand and squeezed tightly.

She knew that Shacklebolt would most likely tell Harry everything the first chance he had, but Hermione didn't care; she was through with giving Harry all the answers to the questions he had.

"I know you're upset," Harry finally said, "I know you're angry right now but it's not like things have been all that great for me either since you disappeared."

"Are you serious?" Tony interrupted, pissed off beyond belief. "You're really trying to say that things have been difficult for you? You're really saying that to the girl who was tortured because of you?"

Hermione just laughed. "Is that really why you wanted to see me, Potter? To try and find common ground over our suffering? Are you really so naïve to believe that would work on me? You really think I would have any sort of sympathy for you?" Leaning forward, her expression changed from vaguely amused to enraged in a flash. "Do you really believe that, after everything that's happened to me because of your stupidity and selfishness, I would give a damn about what you've been through? You think you've suffered? Well, I think that, no matter what you've been through, it will never be enough to balance the scales of all the pain others have gone through because of you."

Harry flinched. "I'm sorry for everything, Hermione," he quickly told her. "I truly am. I never meant to cause you any pain."

"Do you even know what you should be sorry for?" Pepper quietly asked him. "Do you really have any idea what you've put Hermione and others through? People have suffered, been injured, tortured, and killed because of you. Are you actually sorry for any of that, or are you just sorry that it made Hermione mad at you?"

"We were at war," Harry responded without looking at the redhead. Her flaming hair reminded him of Ginny, and it made his heart ache. "Mistakes were made and yes, some of those mistakes were mine. But we can't wallow in the past forever. Eventually, we have to move forward. And to do that, we have to be honest with one another about what happened."

Tony really wanted to punch him. "Fuck you," he spat. "You are a fucking piece of-"

"Sharing is caring, Harry," Hermione interrupted her brother. "You want me to tell you what happened to me? Then you first." Hermione sat back in her chair, arms folded over her chest. "Go on, tell me a story."

Harry's jaw clenched and unclenched reflexively for a moment before he finally spoke. "It's not that easy."

Shaking her head, Hermione let out a short laugh. "It never is with you, is it? What, having trouble using your own words now since you've spent so many years doing nothing but regurgitating what others tell you to?"

"You weren't here!" Harry exploded. "You don't get to judge me. You weren't here."

"I am not your moral compass!" she spat back. "It was not and never will be my job to make sure you do the right thing. Your actions are your choice. Look around you, Harry- where you've ended up is all on you. It's time to stop running and to start taking responsibility for what you've done; there's no Dumbledore here to save you now. No Dumbledore to coddle you and hide you away from the real-world consequences."

"I'm not the one who ran," he responded lowly. "You did."

"If that's true, then why are you running scared now? Why are you dodging questions and trying to lay blame at my feet for your actions?" Dropping her arms, Hermione shifted to lock eyes with Harry. "What happened after I disappeared? What happened to you?"

Harry looked away, unable to stand meeting Hermione's too-steady and too-familiar gaze. "Ginny died in the war. Did you know that? It was at the Battle of Hogwarts. Bellatrix Lestrange killed her. Then Molly killed Bellatrix. First you, then Ginny. I may have defeated Voldemort, but I lost you both. And for a while, I could distract myself from it.

"I focused on the rebuilding efforts, on assisting the Ministry with recapturing missing Death Eaters. And then they started asking for my help with rebuilding international relations that had been broken because of Voldemort. I didn't find out until later that it was Dumbledore who broke them first and then it was our Ministry- the current Ministry- that further damaged things by trying to lie."

"And you just, what?" Tony asked when Harry paused. "Just went along with it?"

"What good would it have done to have fought against them for it?" Harry asked, running a hand through his hair. "Everything was still a mess after the war. We needed to focus on rebuilding our society and unifying as a people."

Hermione slowly nodded. "So, when Scrimgeour requests that of you, you say no but when Kingsley- I assume it was Kingsley- asks you don't hesitate to say yes?"

"Yeah. He's a good Minister, Hermione. But you know how terrible the government is here- you did all that research into the Wizengamot and the legal system. There was only so much he could do."

"Then why didn't you do anything?" she asked. "You are the Boy-Who-Lived, the most beloved and admired man in Wizarding Britain. Right after the war, you would have been the person these people would have trusted the most. You had influence and power and instead of using it yourself, you allowed the Ministry to wield you however they liked."

Looking down at the table, Harry whispered, "I was tired, Hermione. I was tired and lost and sad. I thought you were dead because of me. I thought I had gotten you and Ginny killed, just like Sirius. Maybe that was weak and selfish of me, but that's the truth."

Against her better instincts, Hermione felt an inkling of compassion. "It's not weak to grieve, Harry. But that doesn't explain everything else. Why did you lie about me? About what I did and what I wanted? Why did you let Ron? You claim to have cared about me but even after you thought I was dead, you were still just using me like you always did."

"Ron said you guys had made up," he hurriedly protested. "That you guys had talked on the nights when one of you were on watch."

"He betrayed us, Harry. He left us when things became difficult because he's weak and pathetic. And while clearly you care nothing about honor, it did and does mean something to me. There was no going back or getting past what he did."

Harry closed his eyes. "I thought you guys had made up. I really did. I'm not going to lie though and say I had no concerns or hesitations later on, though. But so much time had already passed, and I guess I thought... I thought it wouldn't matter either way."

"And that, that is what makes you weak and selfish." The part of Hermione that had spent so many years staying quiet wanted to just let this go- after all, did it really matter now? But that wasn't her anymore. The daughter of Loki and Carol- the sister of Tony Stark- would not just stand by and this go.

She needed to make her stance clear- to give Harry the words she'd spent months organizing in her head so that he wouldn't have any doubts on where they stood. But, more than that, she needed to be selfish. For the first time, Hermione needed to put herself first. She needed to show Harry exactly who she was. She was Mia Lokisdottir and it was time to everyone just what exactly that meant.

"Everyone told you so many stories about your father and his character, both good and bad, but I feel like Lily Evans wasn't talked about very much." From the way he flinched, Hermione knew that he never expected her start speaking about his mother- no one ever did. But Hermione had searched out all the information she could on Lily Evans because once upon a time Lily Evans was everything she wanted to be. Lily Evans was little Hermione Granger's hero in a way no one else ever could be.

"She was simply cast as the martyr in your life's tale- the tragic figure for you to forever mourn but never truly understand. Did you know that not only was your mother was well-known for her intelligence, but also spoken of for her strength of character? Lily Evans loudly and openly stood up for what she believed was right. For years, she fought against a prejudiced system, to make her voice heard by every single Pureblood who looked down and spat on her. And when she died, the legacy she left behind was you.

"I wonder what she would say if she could see you now. If she could see the boy she gave her life to save, standing by and helping perpetuate the system of bigotry and elitism that she fought so hard against."

What would Lily Evans say if she could see this moment? What would she say to the girl who was using her memory as a weapon against the boy they had both died for? Would she hate her for her words, or would she be glad that someone was calling out her son for following a path she never would have approved of?

Hermione didn't care. Lily Evans wasn't her hero anymore. And there was nothing Hermione wanted more in that moment than to hurt Harry- to make him feel as awful inside as she did right then. Than to break the boy who had stood by and watched as the world broke her. She was the daughter of silvertongues and revenge and she knew that her father would be proud of the way she wielded her words like weapons.

Harry reared back as if she had struck him, but Hermione carried on. "I can't say for sure how Lily Evans would feel if she was here now, but I can say this: I am disappointed in you. I am disappointed to see the kind of man you became from the boy I knew. I am disappointed in how you've chosen to live your life- at all the pain and grief you have either knowingly or ignorantly caused. And I am ashamed. I am ashamed of the fact that I spent years calling you my friend. I am ashamed that I wasted my time defending you when you weren't worth it. I am ashamed that I ever thought you were someone deserving of my loyalty. I am ashamed that I sacrificed everything to help you and in return you spat on everything I believe in. And most of all, I am ashamed to know that my name will be forever linked with yours."

Pushing her chair back, Hermione stood up and Tony and Pepper quickly followed suit. Pausing a few steps before the door, Hermione took her final shot. "Did you know, you were thought to be the symbol of the future, a symbol of hope here in Britain. Not just because you were the Boy-Who-Lived, but because you were the son of James Potter, a powerful wizard with an impressive lineage, and of Lily Evans, the Muggleborn witch who was the brightest of her age. You were supposed to bring a new era to Wizarding Britain, a better one. Instead, Wizarding Britain is on the verge of collapse. What a disappointing future you've brought."


When they walked into the Wizengamot chambers, Mia couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face.

"What the actual fuck?" she heard Tony hissing behind her and had to smother a laugh.

Samuel, apparently feeling the same as Tony, whispered to Mia, "Are they serious? Is this actually what I think it is?"

"Yes, yes, it is." Mia's eyes swept over tiers of seated wizards and witches. The rest of her party was focused on the large metal chair covered in chains seated in the sunken center of the room. She knew what that chair was for- keeping criminals bound while they were being interrogated. That chair was only brought into the room when needed so the fact that the Wizengamot had requested it be there during their meeting sent quite the message. "Apparently the Wizengamot has planned quite the show and I'm the main event."

"Oh, hell no," Pepper spat, fingers closing around Mia's wrist.

Samuel, Michelle, and Rau all quickly stepped in front of the group while the others fell back behind Mia, Pepper, and Tony.

"What is the meaning of this, Minister Shacklebolt?" Samuel demanded. "First, you bring us here on false pretenses. Then, you say that the entire Wizengamot has been called for what was supposed to be an informal conversation. Now, you want to host some sort of trial? Has the standards of Wizarding Britain truly fallen so low?"

"Hermione Granger is a citizen of Wizarding Britain." Mia glanced up to see Marietta Edgecomb standing up next to Shacklebolt. Her makeup was caked so thickly on her face that it was impossible to miss, and it gave Mia a vengeful sort of pleasure. "As such, she is now being charged to explain her actions following the end of the Second Wizarding War."

This was the most beautiful thing Hermione had ever seen.

"It seems your information is as outdated as your mode of government," Rau sneered. "Miss Granger is now a citizen of the United States and holds diplomatic immunity as recognized by MACUSA and the ICW. If you want to question her, you will have to gain permission from both organizations."

As the room broke out into shocked whispers, Hermione stepped out so that she could be clearly seen by everyone in the Wizengamot and moved to the metal chair. She could feel the charms woven into it to prevent any seated there from using magic. It was old magic, almost as old as the Wizengamot itself. Resting her hand on the top of it, Mia pushed her magic into the chair and, ripping out the old spells, transformed it into an opulent golden throne. There were several cries of surprise at seeing a supposedly impossible feat, and Mia couldn't keep the smirk off her face. Slouching down onto the throne, Mia knew she looked every inch the arrogant Lokisdottir that she was.

"Showoff," she heard Michelle muttering from behind her, but Mia just continued to look up at the pale-faced Wizengamot members. Her seemingly simple show of magic had shown them just how powerful she actually was.

Spotting the look of horror on Edgecomb's face, Mia couldn't resist. "Marietta Edgecomb," she drawled. "My, my, how time flies. It has been quite a while since we last saw one another, hasn't it? Tell me, how's your face doing?"


Talos gapped at the container in Carol's hands. "Wait. Are you telling me that that thing you're holding is the Reality Stone? The Reality Stone?"

"So you've heard of it?" Carol asked, lips twitching.

"Everyone has heard of it! The question is: how did you find it?"

Carol shrugged. "I have my ways." Lifting up the canister, she turned it so that Talos could see the glowing red window. "But my ways do have limits. Any chance you have some idea of how to turn a Reality Stone that's been broken into a weird, sludgy, dust mixture back into a stone?"

"Oh yeah, sure, of course I do," Talos mocked. "I can't believe you don't. What kind of hero are you if you don't know how to fix a broken Infinity Stone?"

"Talos," Carol interrupted, unusually serious. "This is important. Thanos is searching for these Stones. If I want to stop him, I'm going to have to get them first. But, as long as the Reality Stone is like this, I can't use it. Thanos has been searching for these things for years- he probably already knows that the Reality Stone was turned to dust and has a plan for how to turn it back. I need to do it before he tries to take this from us."

He sighed. "I get it, Carol. But you have to understand, you're asking us to do something that no one else in the history of the universe has tried to do. You want us to experiment on an Infinity Stone, and one of the most volatile ones at that. The Reality Stone doesn't just allow a being to change the world around them- it can literally reshape the laws of the universe. And you want us to try and put it back together without it killing all of us."

"If Thanos gets his hands on it, then we're already dead. We have to try, Talos," Carol pleaded. "Please."

After a long moment, the Skrull sighed. "Fine. We'll try. But if this doesn't work and we end up getting eaten or whatever by the stone, I will absolutely say, 'I told you so'."

"Alright, but if the stone has eaten us, I really won't care."


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