Note-
HP is going on the AU timeline for plot reasons.
—---
Skull Island - The Bay
Quiet, Ernst projected the thought, layering it with a feeling of calm.
High above, the Star Whale's massive head tilted.
It stopped its thunderous roaring, its eyes blinking slowly.
It floated down, hovering just meters above the water, staring at Ernst with an intensity that would have terrified a lesser man.
To the Whale, Ernst was a speck.
But to Ernst, the Whale was a child.
It nudged him gently with its snout, a gesture that displaced enough air to nearly knock Ernst off the dock.
"It likes you," Azazel noted, watching from a safe distance.
"Though it behaves like a puppy the size of a battleship."
"It is young," Ernst said, patting the warm, armored skin.
"According to the Kryptonian database, Star Whales live for millions of years. It won't reach maturity for eons. I need to ensure I live long enough to see it grow up."
Suddenly, the fog around the island thickened.
The sunlight vanished, replaced by a diffuse, glowing twilight.
"Red Queen," Ernst spoke into his comms.
"Analysis."
"The subject is manipulating the atmospheric density," the AI reported.
"It is filtering the solar radiation, stripping out harmful UVs and concentrating the pure light energy for consumption. It's feeding."
"And the side effect?"
"Optical camouflage," Red Queen replied.
"The refraction index of the fog has shifted. To any external observer, satellite or ship, Skull Island has ceased to exist. We are invisible."
Ernst smiled.
"A mobile, invisible fortress. Perfect."
—------
Six Months Later
The base was fully operational.
Ernst stood in his office, looking out at the island.
In the distance, the Star Whale floated among the clouds, a silent guardian.
Kerry entered, looking travel-worn but pleased.
"Report," Ernst said.
"The Wakanda initiative," Kerry began, opening a file.
"We made contact. King Azzuri is... cautious. He rejected our offer of gold, but when I mentioned medical technology and agricultural synthesizers, he listened."
"Good," Ernst nodded.
"He is a wise king. He knows his people need more than just isolation."
"He has agreed to a trade," Kerry continued.
"Limited amounts of the metal, Vibranium, in exchange for patents on penicillin and your water-purification designs. But Master... we could take it. They are a tribe with spears. If we send Arnold and the mercenaries..."
"Kerry," Ernst sighed, pouring a drink.
"If you march an army into Wakanda, you will face laser spears and sonic cannons. They are the most advanced nation on Earth, hiding behind a facade of grass huts. Do not test them. We trade fairly. We build trust. And eventually, we will have enough Vibranium to build a fleet."
Kerry looked shocked but bowed.
"As you command. Trade it is."
"And the British matter?"
Kerry hesitated.
"The negotiations were... complex. The British government is desperate for the Bomb. When we offered the schematics, they practically salivated. The Prime Minister personally intervened with the Board of Governors at Hogwarts."
"So, I have access?"
"You do," Kerry confirmed.
"You have been granted a 'Special Research Fellowship' at the Hogwarts Library. Unrestricted access to the Restricted Section."
Kerry paused, looking worried.
"But Master, the wizarding community is not happy. They see this as a muggle intrusion. The Ministry of Magic is furious that the Muggle government forced its hand. There are rumors... threats."
"Let them threaten," Ernst scoffed.
"Wizards are arrogant. They think a stick and some Latin make them gods. They have forgotten that a bullet travels faster than an incantation."
He stood up, his eyes glowing faintly with the power he had absorbed from the Tesseract batteries.
"I am going to Hogwarts, Kerry. And I am going to strip that library bare. By the time I leave, I will know more about their magic than Dumbledore himself."
"When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow," Ernst said.
"Pack my trunk. It's time for school."
-------------
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