The aftermath of the Battle of New York settled over Manhattan like dust after an earthquake, alien technology littering the streets while emergency sirens wailed their electronic lamentations across the wounded city. But where cleanup efforts should have taken months and cost billions, the Death Dealers were about to demonstrate why having cosmic-level magical abilities made urban renewal significantly more efficient.
Harry Potter—looking every inch the devastatingly handsome hero despite being covered in battle dust, his dark hair somehow managing to look perfectly tousled rather than merely messy—stood amid the debris-strewn platform of Stark Tower with two Infinity Stones now under his absolute control. His piercing green eyes, enhanced by the Soul Stone's orange glow, surveyed the destruction with the kind of calm confidence that made strong women weak in the knees and intimidated grown men.
"Right then," he said through their mental link, his distinctly upper-class British accent carrying that particular tone of absolute authority that his wives found criminally attractive, "let's show these good people what proper magic looks like when it's backed by universe-altering artifacts and a healthy dose of righteous indignation."
*Oh, that voice,* Daphne Greengrass thought privately, her ice-blue eyes fixed on her husband with the kind of heated appreciation that would have scandalized her pureblood upbringing. Even after years of marriage, the man's combination of deadly competence and aristocratic charm never failed to make her pulse race.
*Down, girl,* Hermione Granger-Potter chided with fond amusement, though her own amber eyes were tracking the way Harry's muscles moved beneath his form-fitting magical armor. *We're in the middle of a cosmic crisis. Save the swooning for later.*
*Speak for yourself, bookworm,* Tonks Lupin-Potter shot back with characteristic irreverence, her violet hair shifting to a deeper purple that matched her obviously appreciative thoughts. *Have you seen the way he's handling that cosmic artifact? That's some serious competence porn right there.*
*Ladies, please,* Susan Bones-Potter said with warm exasperation, though her own cheeks were slightly flushed as she watched Harry gesture toward their captured prisoner with casual authority. *Try to maintain some dignity in front of the nice Avengers.*
*Though he does look rather magnificent covered in battle dust,* Luna Lovegood-Potter added dreamily, her silvery eyes showing glimpses of potential futures where that particular aesthetic led to some very interesting private moments. *Like a conquering hero from ancient legend. Very romantic, really.*
Harry's lips curved into that devastating half-smile that had been getting him out of trouble—and into entirely different kinds of trouble—since his Hogwarts days. "I can hear every thought you're having, loves," he said aloud, his voice dropping into that low register that made all five women shiver simultaneously. "And while I appreciate the ego boost, perhaps we should focus on the matter at hand before we traumatize our new American friends with public displays of marital appreciation?"
Tony Stark, still sealed inside his Iron Man armor but somehow managing to project smug amusement anyway, cleared his mechanical throat. "Oh, don't mind us. This is like watching the world's most attractive disaster relief crew with cosmic superpowers and British accents. I'm taking notes for the inevitable movie rights."
"There will be no movie rights," Steve Rogers said firmly, his commanding presence somehow even more impressive now that he'd witnessed cosmic-level intervention firsthand. The man looked like he'd been carved from marble and given a shield, all earnest heroism and tactical precision. "This needs to stay classified at the highest levels."
"Spoilsport," Tony muttered, though his tone was fond. "JARVIS, are you getting all of this recorded for personal reference?"
"Indeed, sir. Though I should note that the energy readings from our new associates continue to exceed all theoretical parameters."
Harry gestured toward Loki, who was currently zip-tied with some sort of high-tech restraints that Tony had produced from his armor's apparently bottomless supply compartments. The god looked significantly less theatrical now—more like a sulky teenager who'd been caught spray-painting obscenities on the neighbor's fence than an imperious prince of Asgard.
"Hermione, love," Harry said with that particular combination of absolute confidence and devastating charm that made her heart flutter even after years of marriage, "catch."
He tossed the scepter containing the Mind Stone with casual precision, the artifact spinning end over end through the smoky air like some mythical spear cast by ancient heroes. Hermione—all brilliant intellect and hidden fire wrapped in deceptively modest packaging—caught it with reflexes enhanced by her partial cosmic attunement, her amber eyes widening as golden energy immediately cascaded around the artifact.
"Oh my," she breathed, her voice carrying that particular mix of scholarly excitement and feminine appreciation that had first caught Harry's attention back at Hogwarts. As the Mind Stone recognized her as its proper wielder, brilliant light exploded from her armor, her petite form suddenly radiating power that made the very air sing with possibility.
The moment her fingers closed around the staff, complete integration occurred—the artifact becoming part of her essence in the same way Harry's Soul Stone sang with perfect harmony in his chest. Her brilliant amber eyes now held veins of pure gold that seemed to capture the light of newborn stars.
"This is... extraordinary," she gasped, her consciousness suddenly expanding exponentially, touching minds across the entire city, the continent, the world itself. Through their mental link, the others could feel her awareness becoming something vast and cosmic, though still fundamentally their Hermione. "I can sense every thought, every dream, every fear across the entire planet. It's like being connected to the collective unconscious of all humanity."
*Bloody hell, Hermione,* Harry thought with a mixture of awe and protective concern, his Soul Stone perception monitoring her spiritual well-being as she adapted to cosmic awareness. *Try not to accidentally achieve transcendence to a higher plane of existence. We still need you corporeal for the foreseeable cosmic war.*
*And for other, more personal activities,* Daphne added with aristocratic pragmatism and just a hint of heated suggestion that made Harry's pulse quicken.
*Don't worry,* Hermione replied with that particular mix of scholarly excitement and absolute confidence that had gotten them into and out of countless impossible situations, *I've got perfect control. Though I should mention that approximately seven billion people just experienced a brief moment of inexplicable optimism and the sudden urge to be kinder to their neighbors.*
A pause. *Oops?* came her slightly sheepish mental addition.
*That's probably an improvement over their baseline mental state,* Natasha Romanoff observed dryly, her green eyes surveying the battle-torn cityscape with professional assessment. The redhead moved with predatory grace even while standing still, every gesture controlled and precise. *Though the psychological implications are fascinating from an operational standpoint.*
"The collective unconscious doesn't typically respond well to external manipulation," Bruce Banner added quietly, the massive scientist somehow managing to sound both intellectually curious and slightly worried. "Even benevolent influence could have unintended consequences."
*He's got a point,* Hermione acknowledged, her golden consciousness already modulating her influence to be even more subtle. *I'll be more careful about accidental global mood adjustments.*
"Daphne, darling," Harry continued, producing the Tesseract with a flourish that would have made stage magicians weep with envy, "your turn for cosmic enhancement."
Daphne Greengrass-Potter—all aristocratic beauty and hidden steel, looking like she'd stepped off a magazine cover even in the middle of a cosmic crisis—approached with her characteristic grace. Her ice-blue eyes fixed on the artifact with the intensity of someone who understood exactly what she was accepting, platinum blonde hair catching the light like spun silver.
"Space itself," she murmured, her cut-glass accent carrying undertones of awe and anticipation that made Harry want to kiss her senseless right there in front of everyone. "The fundamental fabric of reality, distance and dimension made malleable to one's will."
She reached out with elegant fingers that had once traced delicate patterns across Harry's skin in moments of intimate connection, and the moment she made contact, the Tesseract dissolved into pure energy that flowed into her armor like liquid starlight. Sapphire light erupted around her in a spectacular display that briefly outshone the sun itself, her blonde hair whipping in cosmic winds as space-time bent around her like a living thing.
*Bloody hell,* she breathed through the mental link, her mental voice now carrying harmonics that seemed to echo across multiple dimensions simultaneously. *I can see... everything. Every point in space, every possible path, every hidden dimension folded between the spaces we think we know.*
Reality rippled around her as she unconsciously began to manipulate spatial relationships with the ease of breathing. For a moment, the damaged platform existed in seventeen different locations simultaneously before she reasserted conscious control.
*Right, that's going to take some getting used to,* she added with aristocratic understatement that made Harry grin with fond pride.
*Practice makes perfect, love,* Harry said with warm affection, his Soul Stone perception marveling at how the Space Stone had integrated with her natural magical abilities. *You've got eternity to figure out the fine details.*
"Holy shit," Clint Barton muttered, lowering his bow as he watched reality casually rearrange itself around the elegant blonde. "And I thought trick arrows were impressive."
*Language,* Steve said automatically, though his tone was more amused than reproving.
"Sorry, Cap. Holy *stuff*."
*Speaking of fine details,* Tony interrupted, his mental voice carrying that particular mix of fascination and entrepreneurial excitement that suggested new patents were already being filed in his head, *what exactly are we going to do about our theatrical prisoner and the small matter of explaining cosmic-level intervention to various government agencies who are definitely going to have questions?*
Harry looked down at Loki, who was glaring up at them with the expression of someone who had just watched his entire worldview get systematically demolished by forces he couldn't begin to comprehend. The god's pale features were set in lines of frustrated defeat, his earlier arrogance replaced by something approaching genuine fear.
"Thor," Harry said, his voice carrying across the mental link and the physical space with equal authority, "I don't suppose Asgard has some sort of cosmic prison system suitable for housing megalomaniacal princes with daddy issues?"
Thor—all golden hair and noble bearing, looking like he'd stepped out of a classical painting of Norse mythology—winced visibly at the description. "Indeed we do," his mental voice was heavy with the weight of family obligations and centuries of complicated sibling dynamics. "The dungeons beneath the palace have held far worse than my wayward brother. Though I must ask—what becomes of the scepter and the Tesseract? Such artifacts are far too dangerous for any one realm to possess."
*That's where it gets interesting,* Susan said with that particular warm tone that suggested she was about to demonstrate why the Reality Stone had chosen her as its most compatible wielder. The redhead moved with quiet confidence, her gentle demeanor hiding depths of power that made even cosmic entities take notice. *Harry, love, would you mind providing me with a small sample of cosmic energy from both Stones?*
Harry raised an eyebrow behind his helmet—an expression that somehow managed to be both devastatingly attractive and slightly challenging—but complied without question. He allowed tendrils of orange Soul Stone energy to flow toward Susan while Hermione and Daphne contributed golden and blue streams respectively, the three energy types merging around Susan's armored form in a hypnotic dance of primary cosmic forces.
*What exactly are you planning, darling?* Daphne asked with aristocratic curiosity, though her tone held notes of absolute confidence in her wife's abilities.
*A little creative deception,* Susan replied with obvious satisfaction, her gentle smile taking on distinctly mischievous overtones. *If we're going to collect the remaining Stones before Thanos, we can't leave obvious evidence that we've already claimed these.*
Crimson Reality Stone energy began to interact with the merged cosmic forces in ways that made physics professors across the universe simultaneously develop headaches. The red power pulsed with increasing intensity, and suddenly Susan was holding two perfect replicas—a cube that glowed with blue light and a scepter topped with a yellow gem that pulsed with convincing inner fire.
To any observer, including those with cosmic-level perception, they would register as genuine Infinity Stones. The deception was so perfect that even Thor's divine senses couldn't detect the difference.
*Pseudo-Infinity Stones,* Susan announced with obvious pride in her innovative solution. *They contain approximately one percent of the original's power—enough to fool most cosmic entities and certainly sufficient to deceive our purple stalker until we're ready to reveal our full capabilities.*
"That's brilliant," Hermione said aloud, her Mind Stone enhanced intellect immediately grasping the strategic implications while her voice carried warm admiration for her wife's creativity. "Thanos will believe he's collected the genuine articles while we maintain the true cosmic power."
"Plus it gives us operational security," Tony added with approval, his mechanical voice somehow managing to convey impressed satisfaction. "Very smart strategic thinking. I like you people more and more."
*Though we should probably separate the replicas,* Steve interjected with military precision, his tactical mind already working through security protocols. *Having both artifacts in the same location increases the risk if Thanos manages to track them.*
*Excellent point, Captain,* Harry agreed with genuine respect for the man's strategic thinking. *Thor, would you be willing to take the Tesseract to Asgard's vault system?*
*Of course,* Thor replied with visible relief. *Father's vault is protected by enchantments older than most civilizations. It will be secure there.*
*And the scepter?* Daphne asked with practical concern.
Steve cleared his throat. "That's where it gets complicated. There's an organization called SHIELD—Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. They're the ones who've been tracking these kinds of enhanced threats."
Harry's expression shifted slightly, his Soul Stone perception immediately reading the complex web of loyalties, secrets, and hidden agendas that surrounded the organization. "Let me guess—government agency with good intentions, questionable methods, and almost certainly some level of enemy infiltration?"
Steve looked genuinely surprised by the accurate assessment. "How did you—?"
"We've dealt with magical governments before," Hermione said dryly, her Mind Stone awareness already probing the edges of SHIELD's information networks. "They tend to follow predictable patterns. Bureaucratic inefficiency mixed with authoritarian overreach, usually with some form of corruption at the highest levels."
*Plus I can literally sense the spiritual darkness clinging to several high-ranking members,* Harry added through the mental link, his Soul Stone showing him the twisted loyalties and hidden allegiances that honeycombed the organization. *There's definitely enemy infiltration. Significant enemy infiltration.*
"That's... concerning," Natasha said quietly, her green eyes sharp with professional interest. "What kind of infiltration are we talking about?"
*The kind that makes keeping Infinity Stones in their custody a spectacularly bad idea,* Harry replied grimly. *But we can't exactly explain cosmic perception without revealing more than we're ready to share.*
*What if we give them the replica but keep monitoring it?* Luna suggested dreamily, her Time Stone enhanced perception showing her fragments of potential futures. *The threads of destiny suggest that SHIELD will serve a useful purpose in drawing enemy attention while we work from the shadows.*
*Plus it lets us identify the infiltrators when they inevitably try to access the fake Stone,* Tonks added with characteristic strategic thinking wrapped in cheerful violence. Even without the Power Stone fully integrated, her natural magical abilities were formidable. *Like baiting a trap with cosmic cheese.*
"SHIELD has secure facilities and the resources to study the artifact safely," Steve continued, unaware of the mental conversation occurring around him. "Director Fury has experience with enhanced individuals and unusual threats."
*Nick Fury,* Hermione said thoughtfully, her Mind Stone already accessing his psychological profile from various government databases. *Interesting character. Pragmatic, paranoid, surprisingly moral for someone in his position. Multiple backup plans for his backup plans.*
*The kind of man who would shoot first and ask questions later if he thought you were a threat to his planet,* Natasha added with something that might have been respect.
*But also the kind who would work with cosmic entities if it served the greater good,* Harry mused. *All right, we'll play along with their government protocols for now. But I want monitoring spells on that replica that would make Moody proud.*
"Right then," Harry said aloud, the pseudo-Tesseract and pseudo-scepter materializing in his hands with casual mastery that made Tony's engineering brain practically vibrate with curiosity. "Thor, one cosmic cube for safekeeping in Asgard's most secure vault."
He tossed the replica to the Norse god with the same casual confidence he'd shown with the real thing. Thor caught it with reverent care, his divine nature unable to detect its artificial nature thanks to Susan's Reality Stone mastery.
"And Captain," Harry continued, offering the pseudo-scepter with a slight bow that managed to be both respectful and slightly mocking, "one slightly used mind-control staff for your SHIELD friends to poke at with their science equipment."
Steve accepted the replica with military precision, though his blue eyes held a thoughtful expression. "You don't seem particularly impressed by government authority."
Harry's grin was pure British sass, the kind of expression that had been driving authority figures to distraction for centuries. "Let's just say that my experiences with magical governments have left me with a healthy skepticism regarding bureaucratic competence. No offense intended to your organization, of course."
*Smooth,* Daphne thought appreciatively. *Insult their entire governmental structure while being perfectly polite about it. I do love it when you're being diplomatically savage.*
*It's that aristocratic British thing,* Hermione added with fond exasperation. *He can make 'with all due respect' sound like a mortal insult.*
*Years of practice dealing with the Ministry of Magic,* Harry replied with satisfaction. *Corrupt magical bureaucrats are excellent training for handling their mundane counterparts.*
"Now for the cleanup," Harry announced, surveying the battle-scarred city with cosmic-enhanced perception that showed him every damaged building, every injured civilian, every piece of alien technology that would spawn conspiracy theories for decades to come.
"What exactly are you planning?" Bruce Banner asked quietly, his massive form somehow managing to project both scientific curiosity and slight wariness.
*Something properly spectacular,* Tonks announced cheerfully, her violet hair brightening with anticipation even as she flexed her non-Stone-enhanced magical abilities. *We're going to show these Muggles what real magic looks like.*
*With style,* Luna added serenely, her Time Stone showing her the optimal moment for maximum efficiency with minimum public exposure. *There's a lovely window of opportunity in approximately thirty-seven seconds where media attention will be focused elsewhere.*
*Susan, think you can handle some large-scale urban renewal?* Harry asked with the casual tone of someone requesting help moving furniture rather than performing reality-altering cosmic intervention.
*With pleasure,* Susan replied, crimson energy beginning to cascade around her like liquid rubies. *Though it might be a bit flashy.*
"Flashy?" Tony repeated with obvious fascination. "Define 'flashy' in terms of cosmic reality manipulation."
*The kind of flashy that will have conspiracy theorists writing blogs for decades,* Hermione said with scholarly amusement, her Mind Stone already calculating optimal approaches for maintaining operational security while performing large-scale miracles.
*But not the kind that breaks the Statute of Secrecy equivalents,* Daphne added with aristocratic precision. *We're aiming for 'impressive enhanced individuals' rather than 'gods walk among mortals.'*
Harry spread his arms, Soul Stone energy flowing outward in expanding waves that touched every living consciousness within a fifty-mile radius. Not to control or manipulate, but to gently encourage what was already there—the human capacity for hope, for moving forward, for believing that tomorrow could be better than today.
The effect was immediate and profound. Throughout Manhattan, people who had been sitting in shocked silence began to move with purpose. Emergency workers felt their fatigue lift, replaced by renewed determination. Civilians started helping each other without being asked. The entire city's emotional atmosphere shifted toward cooperation and resilience.
*Hermione, can you coordinate with emergency services? Make sure they know exactly where to find survivors and which buildings are structurally compromised?*
*Already done,* she replied, golden light streaming from her armor as her enhanced consciousness interfaced directly with every communications network in the city. *Every first responder now has perfect situational awareness and optimal rescue protocols downloading directly into their conscious mind. They think it's their own professional intuition working overtime.*
"That's incredible," Steve said with genuine awe, watching as emergency response efforts suddenly became impossibly coordinated and efficient. "How are you doing that?"
"Trade secret," Harry replied with that devastating grin that made strong men want to either follow him into battle or punch him in his perfect face. "Let's just say we have excellent communication networks."
*Daphne, spatial manipulation for debris removal?*
*Naturally,* she said with aristocratic satisfaction, blue light beginning to outline massive chunks of destroyed alien technology. *Shall I deposit it all in a nice, tidy pile somewhere the appropriate authorities can study it at their leisure?*
*Central Park should work. Make it look like incredibly efficient conventional cleanup rather than casual spatial teleportation.*
*Of course, darling. Wouldn't want to frighten the nice Americans with our casual violation of their physics.*
*Tonks, Luna—structural support and temporal assistance?*
*Structural reinforcement coming right up,* Tonks announced cheerfully, her violet aura beginning to strengthen damaged buildings with raw magical force that operated on principles SHIELD scientists wouldn't figure out for decades. *This is like being the world's most overpowered construction crew.*
*And I'll handle selective time acceleration of natural healing processes,* Luna added dreamily, green energy dancing around her as she encouraged damaged materials to remember better configurations. *Very soothing work, really.*
*And I'll handle the more dramatic reality adjustments,* Susan concluded, her crimson power reaching out to touch twisted metal, shattered concrete, and broken glass with the gentleness of a mother caring for a wounded child.
What happened next would be discussed in classified government briefings for years to come, though the official reports would describe it in terms of "unprecedented coordinated disaster relief efforts by unknown enhanced individuals" rather than the more accurate "cosmic deities perform large-scale urban renewal through creative application of universe-altering artifacts."
Susan's Reality Stone energy flowed across Manhattan like a tide of healing crimson light, touching every damaged surface and gently encouraging matter to remember better configurations. Twisted steel straightened itself with musical chimes, shattered glass reformed into perfect crystalline sheets, and cracked concrete filled its own fissures like living tissue healing from within.
"Holy shit," Clint breathed, watching a completely destroyed apartment building essentially rebuild itself from the ground up. "That's not enhanced individuals. That's straight-up godlike power."
*Language,* Steve said absently, though he was too busy staring at the impossible sight to put much force behind the correction.
Simultaneously, Daphne's spatial manipulation began relocating debris with balletic precision—chunks of alien technology vanishing in flashes of blue light only to reappear in a carefully organized collection point in Central Park where government scientists would later spend months trying to reverse-engineer technology that operated on principles they couldn't begin to fathom.
*You know,* she said conversationally as she teleported a particularly large piece of Leviathan anatomy, *this is actually rather therapeutic. There's something satisfying about large-scale organization projects.*
*Spoken like a true Slytherin,* Harry replied fondly, his Soul Stone perception monitoring the city's collective psychological state as hope and determination spread like wildfire through the population.
Tonks and Luna worked together with increasing synchronization, magical energy providing the raw force necessary to stabilize damaged structures while temporal manipulation accelerated natural recovery processes. Buildings that should have taken months to repair were healing themselves in minutes, their structural integrity returning to better-than-original specifications.
*This is brilliant,* Tonks said with obvious delight, her violet hair shifting through rainbow colors as she channeled power through her form-fitting armor. *It's like being a superhero, but with actual magic instead of just fancy technology.*
*Though the fancy technology is quite impressive too,* Luna added serenely, her Time Stone showing her glimpses of potential futures where magical and technological innovation created unprecedented possibilities. *I think we're going to quite like this universe.*
Harry's Soul Stone continued to blanket the city in waves of gentle psychological healing, not controlling or manipulating but simply encouraging the best aspects of human nature—the instincts for cooperation, compassion, and community that emerged in times of crisis. Throughout Manhattan, people were finding themselves inexplicably inspired to help their neighbors, check on strangers, and work together with unprecedented harmony.
And through it all, Hermione's Mind Stone provided perfect coordination, her consciousness touching emergency services, government officials, media personnel, and ordinary citizens with the lightest possible influence—ensuring that cleanup efforts proceeded with impossible efficiency and that the official narrative would focus on human resilience and heroism rather than cosmic intervention.
*The psychological effects are fascinating,* Hermione noted with scholarly interest, her golden awareness tracking how the city's collective mental state was shifting toward unprecedented cooperation and optimism. *Crime rates are going to plummet for weeks. Suicide hotlines are already reporting fewer calls. Even traffic patterns are becoming more considerate.*
*The timeline implications are equally intriguing,* Luna said dreamily, her green aura showing her glimpses of potential futures where this moment of cosmic intervention created ripple effects across decades. *This city will become a beacon of hope for the entire world. Very poetic, really.*
*And the reality adjustments are holding perfectly,* Susan concluded with warm satisfaction, her crimson power ensuring that every repair was permanent and stable. *Everything we're fixing will actually be stronger and more resilient than it was originally.*
The Avengers watched this display of casual cosmic intervention with varying degrees of awe, concern, and in Tony's case, barely contained excitement about the technological implications.
"Okay, that's officially the most impressive cleanup operation in human history," Tony announced, his HUD running calculations on efficiency ratios and resource expenditure that were coming back with numbers that shouldn't exist. "We're talking about months of work compressed into minutes, with results that exceed original specifications by several orders of magnitude. The engineering applications alone—"
"Mr. Stark," Daphne interrupted with that particular combination of aristocratic politeness and subtle threat that made grown men reconsider their life choices, "do try to contain your entrepreneurial enthusiasm. We're attempting to maintain at least some operational discretion."
"Discretion?" Tony replied with obvious amusement. "You just performed large-scale urban renewal using cosmic forces that rewrite the fundamental laws of physics. That's not exactly low-profile."
"The important thing is that people believe it was primarily human heroism with some enhanced individual assistance," Hermione explained patiently, her Mind Stone ensuring that witness accounts would focus on the Avengers' heroic actions rather than the more reality-bending aspects of the cleanup. "Official records will show unprecedented coordination and efficiency, but within believable parameters."
"Plus everyone's going to be too busy feeling inexplicably optimistic and cooperative to ask too many awkward questions," Harry added with satisfaction, his Soul Stone's influence encouraging people to focus on moving forward rather than dwelling on the cosmic implications of what they'd witnessed.
"Speaking of moving forward," Steve said with military precision, his shield somehow making the gesture look both authoritative and reassuring, "we still need to figure out our next steps. Loki mentioned that Thanos has other servants, other plans."
Harry looked down at the bound god, who had been watching their casual display of universe-altering power with increasingly wide eyes. Through his Soul Stone perception, he could read the complete transformation of Loki's mental state—the arrogant prince had been replaced by someone who finally understood how catastrophically outclassed he was.
"Right then, your highness," Harry said pleasantly, crouching down to meet Loki's pale green eyes with his own Soul Stone-enhanced gaze that seemed to look directly into the god's soul, "ready for that civilized chat about your purple master and his grand plans for universal genocide?"
Loki's voice, when he finally spoke, was barely above a whisper, carrying genuine terror that transcended his usual theatrical dramatics. "You have no idea what you're dealing with. The power you've demonstrated here—it's impressive for mortals, perhaps even remarkable. But Thanos commands forces that have conquered entire galaxies. He has servants who worship entropy itself, armies that have reduced star systems to cosmic dust. He is inevitable."
*That's what they all say,* Tonks observed cheerfully, her mental voice bright with bloodthirsty anticipation that would have concerned anyone who didn't know her personally. *Right up until they meet someone who doesn't give a damn about their cosmic inevitability.*
*Indeed,* Daphne added with aristocratic disdain, her cut-glass accent somehow making cosmic dismissal sound like a social snub. *Megalomaniacs are remarkably consistent across realities. Grand proclamations, cosmic significance, fundamental misunderstanding of what actual power looks like when properly applied.*
*The psychological profile is quite predictable,* Hermione noted with scholarly interest, her Mind Stone already analyzing Thanos's likely behavioral patterns based on Loki's description. *Narcissistic personality disorder on a cosmic scale, with delusions of grandeur backed by sufficient power to make those delusions temporarily convincing. Classic overcompensation for deep-seated inadequacy issues.*
*And we know exactly how to deal with megalomaniacs,* Susan said warmly, her tone carrying the absolute confidence of someone who had helped defeat multiple dark lords across various realities. *We've had extensive practice with universe-threatening nutcases.*
*The threads of destiny are quite clear on this point,* Luna added serenely, her Time Stone showing her beautiful fragments of potential futures where cosmic arrogance met properly motivated love backed by universe-altering power. *Our purple stalker is about to discover that inevitability is a significantly more flexible concept than he imagined.*
"You speak of him as though he were merely another enemy to be defeated," Loki continued, his voice growing more desperate. "But you don't understand—he believes his cause is righteous. He thinks he's saving the universe through systematic genocide. That kind of conviction, backed by cosmic power..."
"Makes him predictable," Harry interrupted with casual dismissal, his British accent carrying the kind of upper-class disdain that had been perfected over centuries of imperial arrogance. "Righteous fanatics always follow the same patterns. They make grand speeches, they ignore obvious flaws in their logic, and they assume that their power makes them untouchable."
He stood gracefully, the pseudo-Tesseract and pseudo-scepter materializing in his hands with casual mastery that made reality itself seem negotiable. To any observer, including gods and cosmic entities, they would appear to be genuine Infinity Stones—complete with appropriate energy signatures and reality-warping capabilities.
"The thing about inevitability, Loki," Harry continued with that devastating smile that had been charming people out of their better judgment since his teenage years, "is that it's largely a matter of perspective. From our perspective, for instance, your purple master is about to discover that love—properly motivated and backed by universe-altering artifacts—tends to be significantly more inevitable than cosmic genocide."
*Oh, that's good,* Daphne thought appreciatively, her ice-blue eyes tracking the way Harry's confidence seemed to fill the entire space around him. *Arrogant, dismissive, absolutely certain of victory. It's criminally attractive when you do the whole 'destiny is my plaything' routine.*
*Focus, Daphne,* Hermione chided with fond exasperation, though her own thoughts were running along similar lines. *We're trying to intimidate cosmic entities, not swoon over our husband's dramatic speeches.*
*Why can't we do both?* Susan asked with gentle humor. *He does look magnificent when he's casually dismissing universal threats.*
*Multitasking,* Tonks agreed cheerfully. *Intimidate cosmic entities AND appreciate the way that armor makes his shoulders look. It's called efficiency.*
*Very romantic, really,* Luna added dreamily. *Like watching a hero from ancient legends prepare for battle against impossible odds.*
Thor, who had been listening to both the spoken conversation and picking up fragments of the mental one through their partially opened link, cleared his throat diplomatically. "Friends, while I appreciate your confidence, perhaps we should focus on securing these artifacts before making any definitive statements about cosmic warfare?"
"Quite right," Harry agreed with a slight bow toward the Norse god that managed to be respectful without being subservient. "Thor, one cosmic cube for safekeeping in Asgard's most secure vault. Try not to let your father know it's a fake until we've had a chance to collect the real ones."
Thor accepted the pseudo-Tesseract with reverent care, his divine nature completely fooled by Susan's Reality Stone mastery. "You have my word, friend Harry. Father's vault will keep it secure until the universe no longer has need of such precautions."
*Which should be sometime next week,* Harry added through the mental link with British understatement that made all his wives want to kiss him senseless.
"And Captain Rogers," Harry continued, offering the pseudo-scepter with a slight flourish, "one slightly used mind-control staff for your SHIELD friends to poke at with their undoubtedly impressive science equipment. Do try to keep it away from anyone with questionable loyalties or megalomaniacal tendencies."
Steve accepted the replica with military precision, though his blue eyes held a thoughtful expression that suggested he was rapidly reassessing everything he thought he knew about enhanced individuals and cosmic threats.
"I'll make sure Director Fury understands the security implications," Steve said seriously. "Though something tells me you already know more about those implications than you're letting on."
Harry's grin was pure British sass, the kind of expression that had been driving authority figures to distraction for centuries. "Captain, I've spent years dealing with magical governments that couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery, let alone properly secure world-ending artifacts. Let's just say I have realistic expectations regarding bureaucratic competence."
*Savage,* Daphne thought with obvious appreciation. *Insult their entire governmental structure while being perfectly polite about it. I do love it when you're being diplomatically vicious.*
"That's... surprisingly accurate," Natasha said dryly, her green eyes showing traces of amusement at the assessment. "Though I'd be curious to know how you developed such insights into government dysfunction."
"Trade secret," Hermione replied with scholarly primness that barely concealed her own amusement. "Let's just say we have extensive experience with institutional incompetence masquerading as authority."
*Plus the Soul Stone makes it rather easy to read the spiritual corruption levels in any given organization,* Harry added through the mental link. *And SHIELD's corruption levels are... significant.*
*How significant are we talking?* Tony asked with that particular mix of concern and fascination that suggested he was already running security protocols in his head.
*Let's just say that if SHIELD were a patient, I'd recommend immediate surgery to remove the malignant tumors,* Harry replied grimly. *There are people in positions of authority who serve interests decidedly opposed to planetary wellbeing.*
*Hydra,* Natasha said quietly, her mental voice carrying decades of professional paranoia finally validated. *I've suspected for years, but never had proof.*
*Well, now you do,* Hermione added, her Mind Stone consciousness already mapping the network of corruption with surgical precision. *Though we should probably let them reveal themselves rather than explaining how we know.*
"Right then," Harry announced aloud, clapping his hands together with the kind of decisive authority that made things happen, "I believe we've accomplished our immediate objectives. Manhattan restored, cosmic artifacts secured, and new alliances forged. Not bad for a day's work."
*Plus we've successfully established ourselves as ridiculously attractive enhanced individuals rather than universe-altering cosmic entities,* Daphne added with aristocratic satisfaction. *The deception should hold until we're ready for more dramatic revelations.*
*Speaking of dramatic revelations,* Luna said dreamily, her Time Stone showing her glimpses of their immediate future, *we should probably collect our remaining cosmic jewelry before certain purple megalomaniacs realize their timeline has been rather dramatically accelerated.*
"Time to go cosmic artifact hunting?" Tony asked with obvious enthusiasm. "Because I have to admit, this whole 'casual universe-saving with British accents' thing is growing on me."
"Mr. Stark," Susan said with warm amusement, "you haven't seen anything yet."
*Indeed,* Harry thought with devastating confidence, his Soul Stone perception already reaching toward their next destination. *Time to show this universe what Death's chosen champions can accomplish when properly motivated.*
As they prepared to depart, leaving behind a Manhattan that gleamed like a jewel and a group of Avengers who would never quite look at enhanced individuals the same way again, the Death Dealers stood ready to reshape the cosmic balance of power.
Somewhere in the cold dark between stars, Thanos was making plans based on outdated intelligence. He was about to discover that the Infinity Stones were no longer scattered and defenseless.
*Right then, loves,* Harry said with his most devastating grin, *shall we go collect the rest of our cosmic jewelry collection and remind the universe why love conquers all?*
*With pleasure,* they chorused in perfect synchronization, their combined will already beginning to bend the very fabric of possibility itself.
The universe was about to become a much more interesting place.
And somewhere in the spaces between heartbeats, Death herself smiled, watching her champions prepare to rewrite the rules of cosmic warfare through the simple application of properly motivated love backed by universe-altering power.
---
Hey fellow fanfic enthusiasts!
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Whether you loved it, hated it, or have some constructive criticism, your feedback is super important to me. Feel free to drop a comment or send me a message with your thoughts. Can't wait to hear from you!
If you're passionate about fanfiction and love discussing stories, characters, and plot twists, then you're in the right place! I've created a Discord (HHHwRsB6wd) server dedicated to diving deep into the world of fanfiction, especially my own stories. Whether you're a reader, a writer, or just someone who enjoys a good tale, I welcome you to join us for lively discussions, feedback sessions, and maybe even some sneak peeks into upcoming chapters, along with artwork related to the stories. Let's nerd out together over our favorite fandoms and explore the endless possibilities of storytelling!
Can't wait to see you there!