Chapter Summaries

Lake returned to New York and promised David Bass that help for the Supervision Bureau would arrive within a month. When Lake finally called Maria Hill about the delay, she revealed that Niall Ryan had vanished and a mysterious Langley agent had helped Merrick switch him with another man.

• Lake flew back to New York after leaving Washington, where he believed the military would not promote him after their clash.
• David Bass confronted Lake about the understaffed Supervision Bureau, and Lake promised that Maria Hill and others would arrive within a month.
• Ten days later, Lake tracked Hill to London and called her to ask about her delayed arrival and the mission.
• Hill explained that the dark-skinned Niall Ryan had disappeared from an Afghanistan base and that Merrick had substituted a fair-skinned man with the same name.
• Hill and the base commander arrested more than thirty infiltrators, who admitted taking Merrick funding but blamed the switch on a Langley agent claiming headquarters' authorization.

Lake discussed Langley’s corruption scandal with Maria Hill as she investigated the disappearance of Nair and pursued Merrick Bio-Medical Group president Darley Dursley in London. Hill revealed that she had also found multiple descendants of Midgardians in France, while Darley’s apparent ability to anticipate surveillance complicated the operation.

• Hill told Lake that Langley had dismissed cancer-stricken agent Copley, but a whole team of Langley agents had helped him enter the Afghan base and take Nair away under forged orders.
• Mandy arrested the Langley agents at the base and, after interrogating them, uncovered their links to Merrick Bio-Medical Group.
• Hill said a pickup truck carrying Nair had crashed, and satellite footage later showed him disguised in France before a bloody confrontation and a Merrick private jet’s return to London.
• Hill told Lake she had found multiple people connected to the Midgardians in France and had joined the G.I. Joe in London to pursue Darley Dursley.
• Darley avoided Langley’s surveillance, remained inside Merrick’s headquarters, and appeared to have exposed the team’s London foothold to MI6, prompting Langley to recall its agents.
• Lake offered help from the Supervisory Bureau, but Hill declined and ended the call when Anna alerted her that something had happened.

Maria Hill and the G.I. Joe planned to capture Darley Dursley from Merrick Tower but struggled to devise an escape before London’s forces could respond. Lake agreed to ask Laura Crawford for help, but when he could not reach Hermione, he suspected she had returned to the Magic Dimension and reached for Professor X’s satellite phone.

• Langley reported that Darley Dursley was on Merrick Tower’s eighty-eighth floor, where the building materials blocked scans, and Duke said the team had not finalized an infiltration plan.
• Hill told the G.I. Joe to prioritize capturing Dursley and reaching the extraction point quickly, while Scarlett warned that MI6 could respond if the operation lasted more than ten minutes.
• Cover Girl proposed using the scheduled Croft Group meeting at Merrick Tower, and suggested the Croft Group’s cooperation or silence could make the mission possible.
• Hill called Lake for help because he had a relationship with Laura Crawford, and Lake agreed to make inquiries after denying any connection to Laura.
• Lake called Hermione but could not reach her, suspected she had returned to the Magic Dimension, and produced Professor X’s satellite phone.

Lake used Professor X’s connection with Laura Crawford to ask the Croft Group to help the Federation arrest Darley Dursley at Merrick Tower. Anna Miller agreed, securing in return a chance for the Croft Group to meet Tony Stark and discuss energy-sector cooperation.

• Lake decided that Professor X’s connection to Laura could help with the London arrest mission.
• Laura discussed Croft Group business with Anna Miller, who urged her to attend an acquisition meeting at Merrick Tower.
• Lake called Laura as Professor X and explained the Federation’s plan to arrest Darley Dursley.
• Anna Miller agreed to help the Federation, noting that Croft Group members would bring Dursley to the tower and could face public backlash.
• Anna asked Professor X’s friend to arrange a meeting with Tony Stark, and Lake accepted the condition on his friend’s behalf.

Maria Hill used the Croft Group’s favor to infiltrate Merrick Group and investigate Darley Dursley, who prepared to flee with captured Midgardian descendants. Darley expected his cousin Harry Potter to protect him as the opposing forces converged on the building.

• Lake told Maria Hill that the Croft Group would help in exchange for a favor, and Hill agreed to its condition that the group remain as uninvolved as possible.
• Maria Hill disguised herself as Anna Miller and entered Merrick Group with Agent Anna, while the real Anna explained to Laura why she had claimed the favor immediately.
• Darley Dursley ordered his Langley partner to move three captured Midgardian descendants to a plane and planned to meet them after his cousin arrived.
• Maria Hill learned that a helicopter on the roof had started up as Darley prepared to leave Merrick Group.
• The elevators reached the thirty-sixth floor as Harry Potter arrived outside and Andy and a newly awakened female sergeant checked their weapons across the street.

Andy and her immortal team attacked Merrick Tower as Maria Hill’s team moved to capture Darley Dursley, while Harry Potter rushed to help his cousin after his protective bracelet activated. Hill’s team escaped upward with Darley, but encountered another group of soldiers on the way to the roof.

• Andy ordered her immortal sniper to shoot down Merrick Tower’s helicopter as she and Nair prepared to attack.
• An explosion disrupted Maria Hill’s meeting with Darley Dursley, and his bracelet shielded him from Agent Anna’s attack.
• Harry Potter sensed the bracelet’s activation and sprinted toward Merrick Tower to rescue Darley.
• Duke and Ripcord stopped Darley’s elevator, and Scarlett dragged him out before the elevator crashed.
• Hill led her team up the stairwell with the unconscious Darley, but they encountered another team of soldiers.

Hill's team and Andy's group joined forces inside Merrick Tower, rescued Andy's captured teammates, and arrested the Cancer Black Agent and Booker. They prepared to escape by helicopter as a Kwon Fighter Jet approached the tower.

• Hill's team met the Cancer Black Agent's group in the stairwell and exchanged gunfire as both sides fled upstairs.
• Andy and Nair climbed toward the gunfire, seeking to rescue Andy's captured teammates and confront Booker.
• Hill ordered Anna to take Darley Dursley to the roof, then recognized Nair and mistook Andy for Seifer before agreeing that their goals aligned.
• Hill's forces blasted open the office door, forced the Cancer Black Agent and Booker to surrender, and arrested them.
• Andy freed Ricky, Joe, and Bena from their handcuffs, and Hill ordered everyone to retreat toward the roof.
• A Kwon Fighter Jet emerged from stealth and approached Merrick Tower.

Harry Potter rescued Darley Dursley from Anna by casting a killing curse at her, leaving her suffering as Hill’s team reached the rooftop. In the Chaos Universe, Lake discovered that Anna was being judged by an outside destiny and considered the Fates’ offer to take control of her destiny.

• Harry Potter appeared on the rooftop, but Anna resisted his Sleeping Charm and disarming spell while holding Darley Dursley at knifepoint.
• After Darley called Anna a terrorist and Hill’s team approached, Harry cast a killing curse at Anna and escaped with Darley by leaping from the eighty-eighth floor.
• Hill and her team found Anna curled up and enduring the curse as the Kwon Fighter Jet arrived above Merrick Tower.
• Lake sensed a destiny thread collapsing and asked the Fates why Anna’s destiny was being judged despite his authorization.
• The Fates told Lake they could fight the outside destiny if he allowed them to weave Anna’s destiny, and Lake questioned their motives.

Lake agreed to help the Fates bring time into the Chaos Universe after they pulled Anna back from the brink of death. He learned that Odin’s sacrifice of Midgard had set Ragnarok as the unavoidable price, then returned to reality as Anna recovered aboard the Kwon Fighter Jet.

• Lake worried the Fates might interfere with his women’s destinies, but agreed to help create time in exchange for their intervention in Anna’s fate.
• The Fates drew Anna’s destiny into their realm, and Lake learned that Norn could no longer weave Midgard’s destiny because Odin had severed it from the World Tree.
• Atropos explained that Odin’s sacrifice of Midgard had marked him for Ragnarok, a fate he could not escape because time could advance the punishment if he resisted.
• Lake returned to reality, kissed Rachel in the garage, and agreed to have dinner with her that evening.
• Anna came back from the boundary between life and death aboard the Kwon Fighter Jet, then changed into dry clothes and drank ice water with Redhead and Cover Girl’s help.

Hill questioned the rescued witnesses and learned that Darley Dursley expected his cousin to help him escape, while Anna recovered but could not remember her ordeal. A raid on Dursley’s Rochester manor uncovered a hidden underground slaughterhouse, and Lake wondered whether the Immortal Captain Andy might be related to Seifer.

• Ricky, Joe, and Benar told Hill that Darley Dursley had asked about his cousin and believed the relative could secure his escape.
• Hill ordered Heavy Cannon Duffy to question the captured Cancer Black Agent and Booker, and Duffy returned with an address in Rochester.
• Anna told Hill she had recovered but could not remember what had happened to her.
• New York Homeland Security agents stormed Dursley’s Rochester manor, killed its armed guards, and discovered a concealed underground level.
• Lake watched the agents’ footage of the underground slaughterhouse before meeting Hill, the G.I. Joe team, and Andy.
• After Hill confirmed Andy was the person she meant, Lake wondered whether Andy could be connected to Seifer’s unknown family.

Lake restored Anna’s erased memories, revealing that Harry Potter had rescued Darley Dursley with magic. Hermione learned Harry had used magic in London and went to investigate before the Magic Council found out.

• Lake welcomed Andy and invited her and her companions to join the Supervisory Bureau after the Eternal Guard base was exposed.
• Lake showed Andy and her companions footage of the Rochester operation, where Roger was among the immortals rescued from cages.
• Lake sent Andy with Action Supervisor Jack to the operation site and had the rest of the G.I. Joe team rest, while Anna stayed with him and Hill.
• Lake restored Anna’s deleted memories, and she recalled that a wizard named Harry had used lightning to rescue Darley Dursley.
• Hermione learned that Harry had used magic in London, found him with Darley in his room, and entered Darley’s memories to investigate.

Hermione warned Harry that using the Cruciatus Curse on Anna had put him in grave danger because she belonged to a powerful man allied with Saga. Meanwhile, Lake welcomed rescued immortals to the Supervisory Bureau, and his report from Rochester revealed more than fifty dismembered victims.

• Hermione learned Harry had used the Cruciatus Curse on Anna and warned him that the Magic Committee was not his greatest problem.
• Harry admitted he had cast the curse at full power, and Hermione took him and Darley to the Magic Committee while explaining that Anna's powerful ally might come for them.
• The next day, Lake received nineteen rescued immortals at the Supervisory Bureau and revealed to Andy that he shared their identity.
• Tiffany reported that investigators had found evidence of more than fifty people dismembered in Rochester.

Lake vowed to capture Darley Dursley and declared his ambition to become king of the Midgardians, using the attack on their descendants to build his own force. After meeting Seifer and checking on the rescued survivors, Lake promised Hill that no one who harmed his people would escape punishment.

• Lake learned that twenty-three identified victims were federal citizens and that SEALs had begun preparing to raid another of Darley Dursley's safe houses.
• Lake told Andy and Hill that Darley Dursley would not get away and revealed his plan to become king of the Midgardians.
• Seifer arrived after Lake told her that Andy looked almost exactly like her, and Lake left the two women alone together.
• Lake and Hill observed the nineteen rescued survivors, then Lake decided to have Joe and Ricky comfort them instead of approaching them himself.
• Hill warned Lake that Harry Potter had rescued Darley Dursley, but Lake vowed that no one would be allowed to protect him.
• Anna appeared as Lake and Hill left the elevator, and Hill said that choosing the right person to follow mattered.

Lake discussed Midgardian immortality and the mythical Origin Land with Seifer and Andy, then sent Andy to assist the SEALs in Europe while promising to capture Darley Dursley. Andy remained wary of Lake’s intentions, and he ended the conversation by asking what memories he had inherited.

• Lake accepted Seifer’s request to test two blood samples, while Andy said Seifer was likely her younger sister’s daughter.
• Andy explained that the Origin Land was Midgard before it curled into Earth, and that some Midgardians inherited memories of searching for it.
• Andy said Midgardian immortality was not absolute and that she had died several thousand times, though she could not remember each death clearly.
• Andy asked whether Lake had found Darley Dursley, and Lake said he would capture him after finishing his current work.
• Lake asked Andy and her people to help the SEALs C Team reach an underground base in Europe, promising to capture Darley Dursley while they were away.
• Andy warned Lake that the world was not simple and questioned his motives, and Lake asked what memories he had inherited.

Lake demanded that the London Magic Dimension surrender Darley Dursley, but Hermione warned that attacking it would bring the Supreme Temple’s intervention. The chapter ended with Lake questioning why the Supreme Temple would protect London when it had not stopped Voldemort.

• Lake told Andy that he was the King of Midgard and promised to make Darley Dursley and the mastermind behind Midgard’s near-extinction pay.
• Tiffany told Lake that Director Granger had returned to see him, and Lake promised Andy that Darley would be brought to her.
• Hermione explained that the Magic Council had exposed Darley’s crimes and would not shelter him, but argued that London should conduct his trial because he was a Londoner.
• Lake accused Hermione of making the wrong choice and said he had waited twenty-four hours before attacking the Magic Dimension to avoid putting her in a difficult position.
• Hermione warned Lake that attacking the London Magic Dimension would provoke the Supreme Temple, and Lake questioned why it would intervene for London after letting Voldemort attack.

Lake declared that he would force London's Magic Dimension to hand over Darley Dursley for the slaughter of Midgardians, while Hermione tried to prevent a conflict. The Magic Committee agreed that handing Darley over was reasonable, but Hermione warned that it was already too late.

• Lake threatened to kill Darley Dursley and Harry Potter, then left to confront London's Magic Dimension as the King of Midgard.
• Hermione realized the Lake she had stopped was a clone and returned to the Magic Dimension, where she halted Darley's transfer and sought the Magic Committee.
• Harry followed Hermione, apologized for helping Darley, and learned that the Midgardians remained a distinct supernatural force.
• Hermione told the Magic Committee that Lake was coming and showed evidence that Darley had imprisoned and killed Midgardians.
• The Council Presidents agreed to hand Darley over after learning of the massacre, but Hermione said it was too late.

Lake broke into the Magic Dimension after Harry Potter used the Cruciatus Curse on Anna, his former girlfriend, and the Council failed to resolve the matter. He killed an Auror, and the remaining wizards began attacking as the Council Presidents tried to stop them.

• Hermione told the Council Presidents that Harry Potter was also responsible because he had used the Cruciatus Curse on Anna, Lake's former girlfriend.
• Lake, disguised as Kanon, rejected Hermione's pleas and shattered the Magic Dimension's barrier with a Galaxy Explosion.
• Lake entered the Magic Dimension and demanded that the Council Presidents preserve their dignity or let him do it for them.
• When an Auror raised his wand, Lake seized him, crushed his neck, and killed him.
• The other Aurors and their enforcers began casting spells, while the Council Presidents shouted for them to stop.

Lake confronted the Magic Council and demanded that they hand over Harry Potter, threatening to kill everyone if they refused. A Council President explained that Harry was Voldemort’s Horcrux and that killing him would bring Voldemort back, but Lake remained unconvinced.

• Lake transformed into the Gemini Cloth and knocked the Aurors and magical enforcers to the ground with his Cosmo.
• Lake demanded Harry Potter and threatened to slaughter everyone when the Council Presidents shielded him.
• Harry admitted casting the spell, while Ginny, Ron, and Hermione defended him and blamed Darley Dursley.
• A white-bearded Council President invited Lake to Hogwarts Academy and offered information about the Four Spirits of Creation.
• The Council President refused to hand over Harry and explained that Harry contained part of Voldemort’s soul, so his death would let Voldemort return.
• Lake questioned how Harry’s connection to Voldemort concerned him.

Lake threatened the 63rd Generation Merlin over Harry Potter and demanded the location of the Four Spirits of Creation. Merlin explained that Harry was needed to find them, then revealed that Harry was his only grandson.

• Lake told the 63rd Generation Merlin he would kill people if Harry was not handed over, and began drinking down the three mouthfuls of wine in his cup.
• Merlin said Harry would be exiled to Azkaban for using the Cruciatus Curse, then warned that killing him would prevent Lake from learning the Four Spirits of Creation's location.
• Lake learned that Harry was the only person able to locate the Four Spirits, which had vanished on Earth after Mephisto's failed attempt to turn Earth into Hell.
• Merlin offered compensation for Anna and to train her as the 64th Generation Merlin, while Lake challenged his motives for protecting Harry.
• After Lake finished his wine, Merlin revealed that Harry Potter was his only grandson.

Lake refused the 63rd Generation Merlin’s plea to spare the Magic Dimension, but the Sorcerer Supreme intervened and persuaded him to spare it if it met three conditions. Lake still insisted that Harry Potter must die unless the Sorcerer Supreme traded his promise for Harry’s life, and she withdrew without doing so.

• Lake challenged the 63rd Generation Merlin to refill an empty wine cup without magic, but the Sorcerer Supreme used time to restore the wine and stopped Lake from attacking the Magic Dimension.
• The Sorcerer Supreme asked Lake to consider Anna as Marilyn Filin’s heir instead of making her Merlin, and Lake agreed to spare the Magic Dimension if it fulfilled three conditions.
• Lake refused to spare Harry Potter, explaining that Anna would have died if he had not intervened and that Harry had to answer for his actions.
• Lake offered to spare Harry if the Sorcerer Supreme exchanged his life for the promise he had made her, but she did not accept the offer and withdrew her projection.