"Loki, you—"
With Kull's fate settled, Thor turned to look for his brother, only to find that Loki had already slipped away. The Frost Giants were gone too, retreating through a closing magical rift.
"Farewell, my foolish brother!" Loki's voice echoed as he waved mockingly from the shrinking tear in space. Then the rift snapped shut.
Thor sighed, half exasperated, half resigned.
"At least this time, he helped," Rowan said, clapping a hand on Thor's shoulder with a faint smile.
Rowan had noticed Loki's escape the moment it happened. He could have stopped it easily. He simply chose not to. Between the warnings he'd heard from the Ancient One and what he knew about the strange destinies of certain tricksters across realities, it felt wiser not to push Loki too far.
"He's not evil at heart," Thor said after a moment. "Just… lost. I'll speak to Father and then visit Jotunheim myself."
With that, the Rainbow Bridge descended once more. Thor led the Asgardian army back to their realm, golden light vanishing into the sky.
Not long after, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark arrived with the defeated Hammer-Bearers in custody. The atmosphere between the groups was tense. Most of the captives were restrained by Stark's people, but one stood apart. The former Black Panther was guarded exclusively by Wakandan warriors, their spears lowered but ready.
Rowan watched quietly as T'Challa stepped forward.
"Mr. Mercer," T'Challa said, deactivating his suit. He bowed deeply, performing Wakanda's highest salute. "My father was deceived and controlled. He is guilty of violence, but also a victim. I ask that you show him mercy."
The Wakandans had wanted to leave immediately after subduing T'Chaka. Tony and the others had stopped them. Too many lives had been lost to simply let a Hammer-Bearer walk away.
Under normal circumstances, Wakanda would never have backed down.
But after witnessing Rowan's battle with Kull, they understood something very clearly. If Rowan chose to act, Wakanda itself could be erased.
"Whether he was controlled or not requires investigation," Steve said evenly.
Rowan raised a hand. "That can wait."
He lifted into the air, wand in hand, and began casting spell after spell. Across Washington and the fractured remains of Sokovia, ruined buildings straightened. Cracked roads knit together. Collapsed structures rebuilt themselves as if time itself were reversing.
The world watched in silence.
Then, everywhere, the same thought took hold.
A miracle.
Rowan landed lightly. For him, repairing the city was simple. More importantly, it gave trapped survivors a chance to live until rescue teams arrived. That was enough. He had no intention of personally healing every injured civilian. Saving everyone, everywhere, was not his role.
If it were, he would never stop.
A Quinjet descended nearby. Phil Coulson stepped out with SHIELD agents, having rushed in from New York.
"The rest is yours," Rowan said casually. "As for my compensation… I'll decide later."
Reporters were already converging. Rowan didn't wait. He produced a small box and swept everyone up in a blink. Prisoners, Wakandan craft, and all eight divine hammers vanished together.
A moment later, they reappeared safely at the academy grounds.
Only then did Rowan finally relax.
This operation had gone exactly how he wanted.
Kull had been defeated and sealed. Asgard owed him another debt. More importantly, Rowan now had a clear sense of his own limits. By the old cosmic standards he remembered, he was no longer merely powerful. He had stepped into the realm just below the great Skyfathers.
Not quite equal to Odin or the Ancient One at their peak. But close.
Close enough to matter.
The second gain was quieter but just as valuable. The entire world had seen his strength. Governments, agencies, and shadowy organizations would think very carefully before provoking him again.
And finally, the academy itself.
After today, no one would doubt its ability to protect those who walked through its gates. More teachers would come. More students. More unexpected talents.
Rowan looked toward the horizon, thoughtful.
The world was deep. And deep waters always hid surprises.