Louisiana.
The setting sun filtered through a blanket of broken clouds above the quiet city. The air was crisp, and the faint scent of wet earth lingered from the afternoon drizzle while golden light spilled across snow-dusted streets, where puddles mirrored the fading fire of dusk and the calm that settled after a long day.
Somewhere in the rural outskirts of New Orleans, a quiet property sat surrounded by open fields and the soft hum of evening cicadas. There, a great banquet was unfolding gently, laughter drifting through the fields as open fires burned low and the smoky aroma of barbecue mingled with the evening breeze.
When Ronan was finally cast out from the planet, Maverick called for a banquet, inviting everyone for a celebration. And for convenience, Maria's property was once again chosen as the venue. After all, everything had started there, so for a happy conclusion why not end there as well. Besides, the open yard next to her house had plenty of space for everyone, the weather was surprisingly pleasant, and Maria, most importantly, had no complaints, even welcomed the idea.
And thus, with more than one master of transfiguration present, the venue came to life in no time. Tables appeared beneath strings of floating lanterns, grills flared to life, and the finest cuts of meat along with the best drinks from both the magical and muggle worlds were gathered from across the globe. Everyone settled into the quiet quickly, and it was almost impossible to imagine that just hours ago, the people gathered here had confronted and eliminated a threat that could have destroyed the entire world.
"To planet Earth!"
"Cheers!"
Laughter echoed through the evening air as bottles were raised high. Around the glowing grills stood witches and wizards, the X-Men, the Skrulls, Fury, Coulson, and Danvers—about fifty people in all—sharing food, mingling, and enjoying the warmth and comfort of peace hard-won.
"To my student, and his quick thinking," Edward raised his bottle again, a stupid smile spreading across his face. "If it weren't for you, Rick, the devastation would have been unimaginable before any of us could even begin to act."
"Despite the man boasting about his son-in-law, I can't deny his remark." Maxime also raised her bottle for a second time. "Without you," she said, nodding at Maverick, "things could have gone from bad to worse, and the lives lost would have been unthinkable."
"To Professor Caesar. Indeed." Next, Dumbledore raised his glass. "I never thought, after the war all those years ago, that I would once again stand on a battlefield for the future of the world, alongside so many like-minded colleagues…" With a melancholy expression, he looked around the group and offered a sincere smile. "Magicals, mutants, muggles, the danger we faced has, on the bright side, brought together every group and race that represents our world. The world owes you, young man, a great debt."
Even Takamura blended into the joyous atmosphere. Time passed amid the crackle of the fire, shared drinks, clinking bottles and glasses, and the rich aroma of meat drifting through the air. Soon, a bonfire was lit in the middle of the yard, and everyone gathered around to share their thoughts. Everything—from being summoned to planning the operation and carrying it out—had happened so quickly that it was only natural for many questions to arise, and now it was time for them to be answered.
The X-Jet sat a short distance away, its sleek frame catching the fading light of the sunset. The rear ramp was already lowered, and Hank—the Beast—stepped down, a large, rectangular device slung casually over his shoulder and a wide grin on his face. "We can't have a proper celebration without some music," he said, striding toward the group. "Luckily, the X-Jet had a portable one lying around, so I thought I'd bring it along."
"That sounds wonderful, Doctor," Dumbledore offered a warm smile, gesturing for him to sit. "Please, some music would be perfect. I'm sure most of our ears are still ringing from all those explosions…"
He played some soft jazz, letting the music make the atmosphere even more relaxing, then settled between Logan and Professor X, popping open a bottle for a drink. "I just saw the news playing on the TV inside the X-Jet." Taking a fresh, cool sip, he added, "What happened is already making headlines on global networks…"
"Oh… and what are the No-Majs reporting this time?" Edward asked sarcastically, smirking as he took a sip of his own drink. "Let me guess, it's gas explosions, right?"
"Uh… no, sir. They're calling it a weapons test by the Joint Nations. The Chinese have already declared the entire desert a no-fly zone."
Edward chuckled aloud, along with everyone else, as if they had already known that would be the conclusion. "So… a gas explosion."
"No, sir…" Hank said again, then paused as he finally caught the joke. "Yes," he added, chuckling as well, "it was a gas explosion."
Laughter rippled through the group, and the gathering couldn't have started on a better note.
"Though I think the governments will have a hard time covering it up this time," Charles Xavier chimed in once the laughter faded. "That desert is known for clear skies all year round, yet now it's buried under thunderclouds stretching for miles, like the aftermath of a supervolcano eruption."
"I'm more worried about radiation leaks," Maria said, glancing at the professor. Then, turning to the alien duo, she asked, "Are we certain there won't be any?"
At her question, all eyes likewise turned to Talos and Norax, presumably the most knowledgeable when it came to Kree weaponry.
"I'm positive," Norax explained. "Kree weapons technology doesn't rely on nuclear fission—or even fusion. It's an old, long-abandoned method of weaponizing."
"Did you all really have to destroy every single one of their spaceships?" Fury asked, eyes scanning the group.
"I mean, I'm just saying… we could have learned so much from them. Advanced decades, maybe even centuries ahead in our technology… you know what I mean?"
Damn, the balls on this guy, Maverick thought, glancing at Fury. To his credit, though, it was a fair question, at least from an agent of SHIELD's perspective. And the subject, Maverick was sure, would come up even more during the World Security Council assemblies, which were bound to be busy in the following days.
Meanwhile, some people exchanged knowing glances with Maverick when Fury raised the subject, but no one said a word. After all, they had seen Maverick pull a single pilot spaceship from his storage ring, and if he had one, there should surely be more.
As for why nobody spoke up, first of all, the magicals don't want such technology falling into muggle hands. The X-Men, they simply didn't want to meddle, and in fact, Ororo was the only non-magical person besides Danvers who had seen it happen, and she hadn't told Professor X just yet. As for Danvers… well, she probably had other plans.
"Simple. They had missiles that were very advanced, far more powerful than anything you No-Majs have, and on top of that, they could track us wherever we went." Before Maverick could speak, Edward chose to address the subject on his behalf. Looking at Fury, he continued, "At that time, they launched only six, and we barely managed to escape. I don't have to tell you what happened after they detonated, you saw it from the ground. As far as we know, they have hundreds more in their arsenal, and we couldn't risk letting any more of them be launched."
"Teacher is right," Maverick added. "Ending it as quickly as possible was our only option… to destroy their fleet completely before they could launch any more weapons."
"Speaking of, little Raven…" Maxime joined the conversation, shifting the subject. "Care to explain that last magic you used? I've never heard of, or even read about such a magic in my life." And in the same breath, she raised her hand. "Of course, if it's something you can't explain, you don't have to. I'm only curious."
"Wouldn't you want to know?" Edward scoffed. Although, having said that, he too was just as curious. But being Maverick's teacher, he could always ask later, and he was sure his student would share it.
The only people who knew were perhaps Dumbledore and his sidekick McGonagall, and they had long been aware of the existence of sorcery. As for how McGonagall, a great mage, knew about it when even some archmagi didn't—well, naturally, she had learned it from Dumbledore, who shares much with her, trusting her more than almost anyone else.
However, there were other people there as well who knew about the existence of sorcery, apart from Maverick, Dumbledore, and McGonagall. The Flamals, for instance, Maverick was sure, were aware of it, as the Sorcerer Supreme had once mentioned it, but it seemed they were keeping silent about it. But…
"It's not magic." Apparently, the old man from Japan was aware of it as well, and everyone turned to Takamura when he spoke up. "Like you mutants, and you," he said, first glancing between Charles and the others, then stopping at Danvers, "I don't even know what you are…"
"There are other kinds of extraordinary abilities in the world, besides all of us here," he continued. "Sorcery, or sorcerers, are in a way like us witches and wizards. They use spells to cast magic, only they don't draw on magical energy as a source like we do, but something else…"
"Mr. Takamura, you are very well-informed," Maverick said, raising a brow. He was genuinely surprised the old wizard knew so much about sorcerers. The Sorcerer Supreme hadn't mentioned it… no, she had hinted that some people were aware of them, but no names were ever given.
Takamura let out a snort. "Boy, I've been alive long before your great-great-grandparents. I know more about the forces hiding in our world than you could ever imagine."
"Right, right, old thing, we get it. You know a lot," Maxime said, then turned to Maverick again, and all eyes followed.
Sighing, Maverick spoke. "Like Mr. Takamura said, it's called sorcery… just another form of magic. Unfortunately, I can't explain any more without their permission—not even to an archmage." he added, glancing at Maxime.
"Interesting…" Maxime's eyes gleamed as she leaned forward, her curiosity growing even more. "Is it something you can't share even with us?"
"I'll have to side with Professor Caesar here." And just then, Dumbledore chose to chime in on the subject, perhaps seeing the eager looks on everyone's faces. After all, who doesn't want to learn new magic?
"I'm aware of the existence of sorcerers too. They are a very secretive group, much more so than even us. But unlike us, their numbers are fewer. However, they are disciplined, tightly united, and follow a strict hierarchy. As far as I know, only those they choose to reveal themselves to are made aware of their existence." Dumbledore explained, and in the end, giving a knowing smile to the Muggles, he further added, "I hope… everyone here can keep that in mind."
"Do they have a purpose, then? To be so secretive that even we know so little?"
"They do," Maverick replied, looking at Maxime. "Think of them as the world's last line of defense. Their ultimate duty is," he paused, "to protect the world from any and all extra-terrestrial threats. And I'm not talking about aliens."
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