Once Rowan assumed his Animagus dragon form, the difference was immediate.
Power surged through every scale and sinew. His magic deepened, sharpened, no longer constrained by former limits. Distance lost its meaning. A single jump could carry him anywhere on the planet. His wings cut the air with such force that flight itself became a weapon.
This was the body of a creature forged from three worlds' worth of draconic strengths. No embellishment. No exaggeration.
At this point, Rowan was confident of one thing. Even without magic, if he struck something at full speed, most beings would simply cease to exist. Taking a nuclear blast head-on would be unpleasant, but survivable.
That confidence was precisely why he no longer feared Kull.
Following the golden pull of the tracking spell, Rowan tore across the globe. Thailand. Singapore. Indonesia. Britain. France. Portugal. In just a few hours, he identified the locations of all thirty Inhuman hostages Hydra had scattered across the world.
With the coordinates fixed in his mind, he returned to the school and gave Gordon the signal.
They moved at the same instant.
Gordon jumped first, appearing inside Baron Strucker's base to extract Mara Vale. From there, he returned to the Inhumans' settlement known as Afterlife, teleporting families and clansmen directly to the school grounds.
At the same time, Rowan acted.
He appeared beside each hostage without warning, bypassing security entirely. Hydra soldiers never even realized what had happened. One by one, the captives vanished, sealed safely away and removed from danger.
The entire operation took less than ten minutes.
When it was over, more than a hundred Inhumans and their families stood together on the school's field, reunited at last.
Rowan surveyed the scene and sighed quietly.
"We're going to need more space."
The academy was already nearing capacity. While he could expand rooms magically, housing this many people long-term required something more practical. He was already considering relocating an entire apartment building with a single spell.
Mara Vale approached him with her daughter, Daisy, gratitude written plainly across her face.
"Thank you," she said. "You saved our people. From this day forward, the Inhumans will follow your lead."
Rowan shook his head.
"That's not how this works. I'm not Hydra. You don't owe me obedience."
He gestured toward the campus.
"This place exists to protect people like you. Stay if you want. Teach here. Let your children study here. If the school is threatened, help if you choose. If not, that's fine too."
He knew integration would happen naturally. There were few places in the world where Inhumans could live without fear. Given time, loyalty would follow without coercion.
And with their arrival, the academy's strength had grown considerably. That meant Rowan could focus more on his magic and less on day-to-day defense.
Elsewhere, in a Hydra base deep beneath Sokovia, rage shook the walls.
"They escaped?" Baron Strucker roared.
His body, swollen with divine power, slammed his hammer into the ground, carving a crater into reinforced concrete. Yet despite his fury, he issued no pursuit orders.
There were more important matters now.
"Strucker," Baron Zemo called as he entered, another massive hammer resting on his shoulder. "The God has summoned us."
Strucker straightened, his expression turning fanatical.
"Great Lord of Fear," he bellowed, "your servant answers!"
Half an hour later, Sokovia's central plaza was filled.
Eight Hammer-Bearers stood in formation, their weapons humming with divine energy. Behind them gathered Hydra's full military force. Tanks. Experimental mechs. Massive war constructs never meant to be seen by the public.
At their head stood Kull.
Time had weathered him. His hair and beard hung white and heavy, his staff pressed into the stone as if holding the world itself upright.
"My children," his voice echoed into every mind present, "let us spread fear across the earth. Let every soul tremble beneath my shadow."
He struck his staff against the ground.
Divine power flooded Sokovia.
The land cracked. Buildings collapsed. The city groaned as if alive, then began to rise.
Entire districts tore free of the earth, lifting into the sky. Thousands screamed as structures fell, terror rippling outward in waves.
Kull inhaled.
Fear poured into him.
His body straightened. Wrinkles smoothed. The frailty of age burned away, replaced by the imposing form of a god restored.
This was his nature. Fear fed him. Fear made him whole.
With a sweep of his staff, the floating nation turned west.
Toward Washington.
America was the strongest of the mortal powers. If its capital fell, despair would spread across the world. And with that despair, Kull would gather enough strength to challenge Asgard itself.
Only then could he reclaim his throne.
"Odin," Kull whispered, eyes burning, "usurper of my crown. I will kill you. And every last one of your blood."
The sky darkened as Sokovia crossed the ocean.
Fear had begun its march.
...
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