The Black Lion - The First of His Name. (Patreon)

Wanda Maximoff, Hogwarts – Midgard.

"Any news?" Natasha asked curiously, watching through Hogwarts' surveillance system as the mysterious strangers cautiously walked down the corridor near the infirmary, stretching their legs.

"Nothing at all. Harrison contacted Ilyana through the bond we share, but that's all," the young Maximoff said with an annoyed sigh at the thought of her beloved Lion.

Although, being honest with herself, she was more concerned about the strange woman who was… terrifyingly similar to her.

Lorna… she thought with mixed feelings, not knowing what to think about it.

The similarities were too great to be ignored. Whenever she looked at the young woman with green hair, it was as if Wanda were looking at herself in a mirror, although a little younger, of course.

And apparently, her… sister had been a prisoner of Hydra for an undetermined amount of time.

And all of this mess… without even taking into account Jean's apparent double.

How the fuck had Hydra been capable of cloning Jean Grey, one of the most powerful and influential women in the world?

That was something the entire Council wanted to know, including Jean herself, who apparently was participating in Von Strucker's interrogation.

Wanda could not help but make a sympathetic grimace toward the pathetic man. His days were numbered, and depending on what they found, the executioner would be Harrison, Jean, or Emma.

And the elderly Hydra agent would wish to fall into Harrison's hands. Her beloved lion, at least, did not have a habit of playing with his food, Wanda thought.

"Where are Scott and Anne?" Wanda asked curiously, making Natasha, who had been observing every movement of the strangers, shrug before responding.

"I sent them back to Xavier. The institute is scheduled for a complete remodeling over the next few days. Besides, everyone will be present at the Coronation in York Prime. There is a lot to do," the redhead said, making Wanda nod softly. However, before she could respond, a Limbo portal materialized behind them.

"Apparently there is news," Natasha said with evident interest, at the same time Ilyana emerged from the portal, still dressed in her infernal armor, a huge smile on her face and smoke emanating from her body, as well as a peculiar stench of sulfur that made both Nat and Wanda frown and wrinkle their noses at the unpleasant smell.

"For God's sake, Ilyana, what the fuck happened?" Wanda asked with disgust, suppressing a gag and quickly moving her hand, sending a powerful Scourgify toward Ilyana's body, who simply looked at them with amusement.

"Nothing important. I simply led the Limbo troops in an Assault on Hell, while our man kicked the Devil's ass," the blonde said with a little giggle that only confused Wanda and Natasha even more.

However, before they could demand some kind of explanation, the Multiversal Beacon began glowing intensely, making the entire room shake violently as another portal appeared in the room.

But this one, unlike Ilyana's demonic portals, was not one of them. It was a Sling portal, which meant that…

"Oh, fuck!"

Those were the only words they heard, a second before two bodies shot out of the portal at tremendous speed, forcing Wanda to react quickly.

"Arresto Momentum!"

The useful spell, accompanied by Wanda's powerful magic, caused the two bodies to stop instantly, although the positions they ended up in were not exactly the most comfortable, the brunette thought with amusement.

Both bodies looked quite fatigued and exhausted, and just like Ilyana, both of them emanated smoke and that horrible stench of sulfur.

"Oh my God, what a horrible experience!" said an unknown man who could not stop trembling and holding his head with both hands. In Wanda's opinion, the man looked as if he were about to vomit at any moment.

"Relax. The sensation is… momentary," Stephen replied with his characteristic sophistication, although Wanda could notice the slight trembling in his hand and the nausea on his face.

The image was quite surreal, and apparently it was not over, because an instant later, a third individual crossed through the Sling Portal. Unlike Stephen and the strange man, this one was walking with complete calm and control.

And it was none other than the sovereign of Latveria, Victor Von Doom. His elegant green robes were burned in certain places, but his armor appeared relatively intact, although it was also smoking like Stephen's.

"Was throwing us through the Portal really necessary?" Stephen spat with evident annoyance as he struggled to stand and glared at Victor Von Doom with a frown.

The ruler of Latveria merely shrugged with complete indifference and responded.

"The Black Lion was destroying Hell, and Doom was not going to leave his allies behind, no matter how incompetent or troublesome they were," the man said as usual, with arrogance and solemnity, before looking at Stephen with what Wanda could identify as amusement in his blue eyes.

"Besides… Doom finds your screams of surprise and fury hilarious, Doctor," the man said, to Strange's disbelief and Wanda and Natasha's amusement.

The stranger snorted in amusement before looking at Stephen, who merely sighed heavily and struggled to his feet.

Taking advantage of the moment, Natasha stepped forward and asked.

"Stephen! Doctor, what happened? Where is Harrison?" the brunette asked calmly and curiously. She was worried about Harrison, but she noticed neither desperation nor serious injuries on the bodies of any of the three men, or even on Ilyana, who looked more amused than concerned.

Therefore, Wanda assumed that the invasion had been a success, although that did not answer where her man was.

Doctor Doom stepped forward, his elegant bearing immediately capturing everyone's attention in the room.

"Do not worry about your man, young Maximoff. The Black Lion ordered us to leave Hell so that he could safely collapse Mephisto's realm around him, and although Doom would normally obey no one's orders, Harrison Evans has proven himself to be one of the beings worthy of Doom's respect. Therefore, we obviously left as quickly as possible," the sovereign said, making the mysterious brown-haired man snort and respond.

"What the Armored man with a stick in his ass means is that he was completely fucking terrified of disobeying the other guy, although I don't blame him. That man was terrifying," the brown-haired man said, making Stephen snort and Doom look at him as if he were the most insignificant insect.

However, before anyone could say anything else, another portal appeared, a square emerald-colored one, revealing who it belonged to even before the imposing sight of Harrison, dressed in his arcane-technological armor, crossed the Threshold, which collapsed behind him instantly.

"For fuck's sake!" the brown-haired man spat as he swallowed hard and stared at the smoking metallic colossus, who was carrying in his hands…

"What the fuck is that?" Stephen asked in astonishment, as if his eyes could not believe what Harrison was holding in his hand.

"What is what?" her beloved said in a distorted voice, at the same time his armor slowly retracted, revealing Harrison's handsome face, followed by the rest of his body, dressed in his traditional black coat.

And although the sight was delicious to Wanda, what truly mattered was in her beloved's hand, where, to Wanda's disbelief, Harrison was holding what appeared to be… a snow globe.

It was small in size, made of what appeared to be bronze, but evidently enchanted, with hundreds of runes familiar to the witch. They were clearly Nordic… but far older than anything she had studied at Hogwarts.

"Victor… I have a gift for you," her beloved Lion said with a huge grin, as if he were about to pull a prank, while handing the snow globe to the incredulous doctor, who… upon looking inside…

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The Doctor's laughter was spontaneous and guttural as he looked with cruel satisfaction at what was inside the small magical snow globe. Wanda assumed it was Mephisto, the being who had caused them so many problems.

He was… tiny, about the size of a bee, and like one, he tried to fly in every direction inside the globe, attempting to escape the humiliating prison Harrison had condemned him to.

Without success.

Stephen stared at the sight in astonishment, opening and closing his mouth while watching Harrison, who was calmly chatting with Hermione.

"The armor worked perfectly, Mione. Examine the operational parameters and send me a report. Perhaps we can optimize certain aspects related to the Harrium," the Black Lion said calmly, while the young A.I.'s avatar nodded quickly beside him.

"Understood, Father!" the young A.I. said before disappearing from Harrison's Omni-tool and allowing the Black Lion to give his full attention to the people in the room.

Without saying a single word, Harrison touched the jet-black jewel on the ring on his finger, making it emit a bright orange glow and, in an instant, a beautiful woman appeared, evidently of European origin and dressed in gypsy clothing, completely confused… but alive.

"Mother!" said the ruler of Latveria as he quickly walked toward the mysterious woman, who shook her head again and again before embracing Victor Von Doom with so much emotion and relief that everyone around them simply fell silent.

With one exception, of course.

Harrison himself.

"Well, now… to make the natural order of things right again," Harrison said to himself as he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and prepared himself for whatever it was he was about to do.

An instant later, his beloved Lion's eyes opened, but now, where Wanda was accustomed to seeing those beautiful green orbs, there was only a pair of arcane stars so monstrously powerful that, at least to the young Maximoff, they looked like Suns.

Then, millions of what Wanda believed were… souls began emerging from the ring in Harrison's hand, each and every one of them screaming with relief, happiness, and joy before disappearing into tiny particles of light.

The process lasted for several minutes, during which every single person present remained silent, giving their full attention to the interesting, magnificent, and frankly disturbing event.

"What was that, Harrison?" Natasha asked cautiously, still looking toward Harrison's hand with mixed feelings.

The Black Lion merely shrugged and replied.

"Those were the souls remaining in Hell, those whom Mephisto had enslaved. Now… they are free, free to continue on their path toward the Next Great Adventure," he said solemnly and with evident amusement on his face. And although Wanda and Natasha had no real notion of what Harrison's words meant, Stephen, Victor, and the new woman did.

And judging by their expressions of absolute shock, what Harrison was doing was… important in some way.

"Incredible. You had access to all those souls, to all that power… and you are letting it go without hesitation," the strange woman said, her mastery of the English language broken by that characteristic Central European accent, looking at Harrison with evident doubt and distrust on her face.

Harrison merely shrugged with indifference and replied with determination.

"It wasn't my power to begin with. Those souls belong to the Great Cycle," he said calmly before looking toward Victor Von Doom, who was rapidly shaking the snow globe, watching with perverse satisfaction as the Lord of the… apparently extinct Hell struck against the glass walls as though he were an annoying fly.

"Oh, Mephisto, you and I are going to have a lot of fun from now on," the ruler of Latveria said with a manic expression, at least until he quickly shook his head and focused his gaze on Harrison, who was watching the Doctor expectantly.

"Doom is a man of his word. Latveria graciously accepts the rule of Harrison Evans as sovereign of Midgard, in exchange for the aforementioned concessions in titles and astronomical matters. Long Live Harrison Evans," he said solemnly.

At those words, Harrison nodded softly and replied.

"I accept the support and trust of Latveria, Prince Victor. And now… we have a lot to plan. After all, the universe is enormous, and we must be prepared," the Black Lion said solemnly, making everyone around him nod softly.

Knowing perfectly well that, with the matter of Latveria resolved, the next step was the most important social event for the new regime.

The Coronation.

There was much to do.

James Potter, close to the Black Rock – York Prime.

"It's a disaster down there," his wife Amelia said as she watched through the windows of the private Sky Car carrying the entire Potter Clan directly toward the Black Rock for Harrison's coronation.

Susan snorted, completely focused on her Omni-tool and designing what appeared to be a beautiful white dress, although, to James's confusion, it seemed to have…

"Are those holograms, daughter?" he asked curiously, drawing the young Potter's attention. She looked at him with a radiant smile before quickly nodding.

"Yes! Well… not exactly. It's a new trend for a new collection, Father. We're using a function of the Omni-tool Harrison designed, utilizing silicon carbide micro-fabricators to create solid structures," she said with a smile as her own Omni-tool glowed with an orange light and forged, before James's eyes, some kind of technological blade.

"Fuck," his wife Amelia said incredulously as Susan continued her explanation.

"Miss Paris and Emma gave me the idea of using this function in fashion, allowing us to create bold and elegant designs, and since using them will require owning a next-generation Omni-tool…"

At this point, Fleamont intervened, who was also distracted by his own projects, some kind of aircraft from what James could tell.

"You force anyone who wants to be part of your new collection to buy the new Omni-tool, doubling the profits. Clever of you, sister," his son said distractedly while continuing to program on his Omni-tool.

James merely shook his head before responding with a smile.

"I'm glad you're both happy with your own projects. Your mother and I saw your presentation in Milan a week ago, Susan. An excellent performance," James said with a proud smile, mentally doing a little dance when he saw his daughter looking at him with such naked hope and devotion that he could not help but feel bad about all the damage the bastard who had inhabited this body before him had caused her.

"Thanks, Dad. That means a lot coming from you," the redhead said with a radiant smile, making James respond with one of his own before focusing on Fleamont, who was still looking at him with a mixture of distrust and longing.

James could not help but sigh before putting on a sincere smile and looking directly at Fleamont.

"So, son, what are you working on?" he asked much more gently than he had spoken to Susan, knowing that, of his two children, Fleamont was the one who needed much more work than his daughter.

The James of this body had been… especially cruel to his son, even more so than to Harrison and Lily.

Fleamont raised his gaze with distrust, but his response was polite and soft.

"Harrison commissioned my division to work on the designs for the next generation of space insertion vehicles. Apparently, our brother will focus the war against the Kree on stealth, commissioning Potter Technologies for two particular designs: the Prowler-class tactical stealth insertion vehicle and the Normandy-class deep-space exploration frigate. I'm working on the hulls and exterior designs, while Parker and Stacy are handling the mechanical side," Fleamont said softly while using his Omni-tool to project the two designs he had been working on.

James smiled and exclaimed sincerely.

"That's great news, son. I'm proud of you," he said softly, surprising his son, who merely nodded softly at the same time the Sky Car's driver communicated with them.

"Mr. Potter, we have arrived," he said as the vehicle gently landed on the highest floor of the Potter family's most recent acquisition.

The Prongs Tower.

Necessary? Of course not.

A whim? Absolutely.

But although James respected his beloved son greatly, he was not going to miss the opportunity to be as close to him as possible. Therefore, when New York was destroyed, Potter Technologies purchased a large amount of ruined land as investment opportunities, actions several companies around the world also undertook.

No one wanted to be left out of what everyone knew would become the planetary capital.

James invested in industry, commerce, and infrastructure, making sure all the investment surrounded Prongs Tower, a futuristic colossus of synthesized titanium, two hundred floors tall, as robust and wide as Evans Tower, but evidently less imposing than the Rock.

Much of the structure was dedicated to laboratories, offices, and Potter product testing facilities, but the final twenty floors were reserved as the personal residence of the entire family.

Including a beautiful and luxurious sky infinity garden, a super-luxury recreational center from which the entire Potter Clan, their vassals, and acquaintances belonging to the Cult would watch Harrison's Coronation.

The most important event in history, according to many experts.

And, of course, his father Charlus could not waste time taking advantage of the situation, because even if the relationship was nonexistent… Harrison still had Potter blood.

"This place is incredible. You're amazing, Mother," Susan said with a smile, making Amelia smile softly while James nodded and gently and firmly took her by the waist.

"Of course it is," he said before playfully grabbing his wife's ass, to her evident surprise and pleasure, judging by her smile.

The place was packed. All the most important members of the Cult were present, all of them, curiously, dressed in black and emerald, Harrison's colors.

James could not help but snort before holding back a sigh when he saw his parents approaching him, his mother with a smug smile and his father with a face full of satisfaction.

"James and company, welcome," Doreah said with evident satisfaction, completely in her element as she coordinated such an important event. All around them, the city could be seen completely paralyzed, the remaining buildings packed, everyone looking toward the bay, toward the Rock.

Everyone waiting for the great moment.

"Mother, Father," the Lord replied, his hands firmly on the shoulders of both his children.

Charlus Potter merely nodded softly before focusing his gaze on Fleamont and asking.

"My contacts have told me that you work for the Imperial Navy, grandson," he exclaimed, not as a question, but as a statement.

Fleamont swallowed hard, evidently intimidated, but James simply comforted his son gently, letting him know that he had support in the face of the imposing presence of the Old Lion.

The gesture evidently pleased the young man greatly, who softly nodded and responded.

"Aye, Harrison commissioned my division to create two specialized stealth vessels. As far as I know, he wants to attack the Kree in their own territory," he replied appropriately, firmness in his voice, and saying very little.

Charlus nodded in satisfaction and responded.

"That's what I heard. Your brother is quite the Lion, and he plans to show his fangs in space. I suppose the weapons and logistics companies will have plenty of work in the near future," the old man said astutely, knowing perfectly well that everyone around them was listening to his words.

James could not help but snort, capable of recognizing that… the apparently innocent exchange between Fleamont and Charlus would have important effects on the Stock Market.

James was certain that Potter Technologies and several companies dedicated to logistics and military manufacturing would have… a considerable change on the stock exchange.

Just as his father had planned, James thought with some respect at the subtle manipulation.

However, before James could say anything about it…

The spectacle began.

WHOOOOOZH.

Emerald flashes began appearing in the sky over York Prime, at the same time the First Fleet of Midgard made its appearance, now completely repaired and apparently with twice as many ships among its ranks.

Everyone in the Tower watched in astonishment at the obvious display of Harrison's power and dominance, some with approval, like Charlus and the allies close to the Potters, others with apprehension, like the houses furthest from the Lion's favor.

And although seeing fifty ships over the skies of York Prime was impressive, nothing prepared them for when the final flash appeared, revealing not only the Human Fleet.

But the infamous Dark Aster, completely repaired and repainted, now bearing the black and emerald colors of Humanity, with the characteristic Ygdrasill painted on the prow, making it clear that the Kree vessel now had a new Master.

The Black Lion.

"Fuck!" Amelia said in astonishment as she looked around while all the members of the Cult gazed at the sky with smiles and expressions full of superiority, pleased by Harrison's evident and overwhelming display of power.

And speaking of Harrison…

"There is our brother," Susan said cautiously as the city's holographic transmissions, those broadcasting the Coronation throughout the World, focused on the Black Lion descending from the skies, dressed in the most ridiculously advanced and terrifying armor James had ever seen, escorted by two enormous soldiers.

"Those must be the Spartans. My God, they look terrifying," Arthur Weasley said from the back, watching as Harrison and his escorts walked across the upper platform of the Rock, surrounded by his entire inner circle.

"That's where we should have been," Charlus spat with a frown, watching as Tony Stark, King T'Chaka of Wakanda, the Mandarin of Asia, King Namor of Atlantis, and King Victor Von Doom of Latveria appeared on the screen.

The most powerful people on the Planet… all bowing in deference before the Sovereign of Midgard.

He even saw Lily and a lot of people he didn't recognize, surely people close to Harrison.

Among the images, several renowned mutants even appeared, causing the murmurs among the Cult to increase.

"HA! Seeing that idiot Erik kneel before my grandson is fucking priceless! HAHAHA!" his father Charlus spat as more and more mutants close to his son appeared, every single one of them kneeling in deference.

Then, the image showed Harrison climbing the final stairs toward the Throne of Midgard… that symbol of power which gave him absolute dominion over the entire planet, and where Harrison was awaited by his Private Council, those who truly administered his son's growing empire.

His Private Council, his lovers, and future wives.

And just like the rest, every single one of them knelt before him precisely as the Black Lion sat upon the Throne, an enormous ebony-colored metallic beast.

And then… Lady Emma, the most famous and ruthless Lioness of the Council, began the proclamation, satisfaction and pleasure evident on her face.

"Long Live Harrison I, of the Royal House of Evans, the Black Lion, Emperor of the Sol Empire, Shield of Midgard, Sovereign of Jotunheim, Protector of Humanity, Lord of the Mutants, and Master of Death!" the blonde shouted before cheers and fireworks erupted across the Rock.

And a second later, every single person present in the city, including Prongs Tower, responded.

"LONG MAY HE REIGN!!" followed by fireworks, cheers of jubilation, and celebrations everywhere.

York Prime roared as a party began throughout the entire city, just as it did in the Tower.

The members of the Cult walked among them in high spirits, great deals were closed, alcohol flowed naturally, and even his father was seen joking with old Arturus Black, boasting about his grandson's achievements.

A grandson he had repudiated, James thought with contempt at the hypocrisy of these people. However, he could not waste time. The world did not stop. Quite the opposite.

Humanity was united against a common enemy, a single front against whatever the Universe might throw at them.

The Age of Nations had ended, destroyed and subjugated by the Black Lion…

And the Age of the Human Empire had begun.

Enemies of Midgard, Beware.