A couple of days later, Harry had purchased an island in Fiji, with enough space for his Greenhouses and a private little beach where he could see beach houses in the future. It was ideal, as when it was winter in Malibu, it was summer in Fiji. He had immediately protected the island to be unplottable and with a Fidelius. He named it New Atlantis.
Harry wanted to take his friends to the island for another date, so he had waited till Natasha was able to join them and arranged it so that Pepper was available as well. After setting up a surprise, Harry had picked up Natasha a bit early so he could snog her silly, although it usually ended the other way around. She had this way of getting him all riled up with just a look. Harry tended to level the playing field by sending a mild tickling charm down her entire body.
"Come on, Natasha. You carry on like this and I will end up cancelling. You know how important this is to me, right?" he begged as she kept on enticing him.
"If you wanted to leave now, you should have made more time." she said smoothly. A coy smile on her lips.
"We can go for a flight on the carpet later, if you want? But then we have to leave now." Harry promised, trying to bribe her.
"No. We've done the magic carpet ride. If you promise to take me out on your broom though, you might be able to persuade me…" she trailed off.
"Okay, deal. I haven't had the chance to try it anyway. What better place than over an island I own?" Harry smiled at her.
"Thank you." she said suddenly all business. She was good. He suspected that was her goal all along.
"You've not lost your edge at all! I think you won that round, too." Harry said mock sadly.
"Yes I did." she said smugly.
Harry grabbed her in his arms, kissed her and apparated.
"There you are!" Tony said. "I want to see this place of yours, where I intend to build a second beach-house!" he joked.
"Oi, New Atlantis is meant to be my place! Let me set up my stuff first before you start arguing about real estate." Harry joked back.
"Are you sure it's not bad luck to name your island after and island that supposedly sank under the waves?" Pepper asked.
"It didn't sink, it is just charmed so you can't find it. Just like my island!" Harry said happily.
"In your world, maybe." Natasha said, with that raised brow of hers, a small smirk on her lips.
"Okay. Take hold of this." he held out a lay, which he took out of an inner pocket.
Tony was apparently holding back from laughing. "Where did you get this, Natasha's room?" he finally said with a smirk.
"Tony! That's terrible!" Pepper swatted his arm.
Everybody took hold and Harry said, "To the beach!" and the portkey took them away.
When they landed, it was late afternoon.
"Ouch! That's bright!" Tony said. Harry produced a set of sunglasses that looked a lot like Tony's for himself. Natasha and Pepper obviously had thought of this and were already putting their own on. Tony just reached out, took Harry's sunglasses of his face and put them on. "Thanks." he said. Harry smirked and conjured another pair.
"So, what do you think?" Harry said as he pointed at the white sand beach, with tropical trees a bit away from the ocean. It was a paradise. It was not a small island either. They had plenty of room for expansion and a large plateau in the middle, probably from when the island was originally formed.
Tony pointed at the plateau and said, "Dibs!"
Pepper folded her arms, "We will not build another house on a cliff! Nobody will bother us here. We can finally have beach-front property without people gawking!" she said.
"I want to use the top of the plateau to build a reservoir anyway. What's a tropical paradise without running streams and the sounds of nature? I was also thinking of a private hot spring. Always wanted to try one of those." Harry said.
"That does sound fun." Natasha said with a sultry smile, her meaning clear to all.
"Yes it does." Pepper said looking at Tony.
"You know what, beach-front sounds perfect." Tony suddenly changed his tune. "We could even make it a topless beach." he said, looking at Pepper. She just smirked at him.
Natasha, suddenly started taking her clothes off to reveal a two piece bikini. Pepper soon followed suite. "Harry, if you would?" Natasha said pointing next to her on the sand.
Harry smirked, waved his hand and revealed his surprize. There were a couple of deck chairs with tropical looking drinks, magically cold of course, in cup holders with tiny umbrellas.
"When did you set this up?" Natasha asked.
"Just before I came to pick you up, actually." Harry said nonchalantly.
Natasha grabbed him by the collar and kissed him passionately. "It's this kind of thing that might make me keep you."
"If I'm only that lucky." Harry replied with a soft smile.
"You might just get that lucky." her meaning was clear, but Harry moved ahead of them, so they couldn't see him blush.
They were sitting on the beach chairs, having their drinks when Tony said, "You know, the only problem with this place is that we'll need some form of satellite connection so that we can connect with the rest of the world."
"I was actually thinking about that a while back. You remember I mentioned instant communications world-wide without delay?" Harry asked.
"I do remember that. What did you have in mind?" Tony asked excitedly.
In lieu of answering Harry took out his mirror.
"So you want to use the two-way mirrors as a relay?" Tony had asked and thought about it. "That could actually work. We would have to use fibre optics, melded to the mirrors to transport data and we'd have to set up a cellular tower relay to use the mirror's available network to transmit communications…" Tony was thinking it through and then asked, "Wait, people won't even know when we leave Malibu this way will they? We'd be as reachable here as there!"
"Pepper might not prefer that, but yes. That is the idea. Unfortunately I know next to nothing about the technology you are referring to, but I'll help out how I can." Harry said.
"You don't understand the implications of this, do you? I could create a single device that uses this technology to 'dial' into a network that we host, bringing internet and communications to the entire world! No need for thousands of miles of cables running through the bottom of the ocean or satellite uplinks. We simply start the connection on our side and deliver the corresponding device to a communications hub anywhere in the world.
"We'd be taking the costs of setup to a fraction of a fraction of the normal cost. We could then rent our connections at such a low price, that you'd have to be an idiot to use any other company. Within a few years we'll have taken over some of the biggest markets in the world: Communications and Connectivity. This is a project that will make our companies billions if not trillions of dollars, and that at a fraction of the cost to the client!" Tony was so ecstatic he got up and hugged Harry and lifted him off the deck chair. "This is your dream Harry! You can help so many people with this!"
"Hold on a minute." Harry laughed as he was put down. "We'll still have to take security into consideration. It would be impossible to steal the technology, but we can't have anyone trying to take our hardware apart and learning the secrets of these devices. If you're right, we'd probably also make more enemies than anyone else in the world." he said, suddenly realizing the truth of the matter.
"I'll have to protect it like we protect our PMGs, but it is very doable." Tony said negligently. Then a couple of thoughts hit him. "We'd probably also have to figure out how to make the mirrors with runes for that. And to protect our loved ones," he looked at Pepper, who was staring at him open mouthed for his show of affection earlier, "it would probably be better to do a slow roll-out of this technology. We'd have to keep our rates up until we're established and then slowly lower our prices over the years until our competitors have faded out or we outright purchase them.
"That's actually financially also sound, as we'll be raking it in with next to no expense. In the meanwhile we can start using our excess funds to start spreading the technology to rural areas and places that have none of the technology available. We can give it to them for free, even. Bringing us one step closer with every communications hub we set up." Tony finished.
"Harry, you may not be the smartest person in the world, but your ideas, while not completely thought through, will one day change the entire world and I'm glad to call you my friend." Tony said sincerely. "That being said, you still suck at poker!" Tony joked and punched him in the arm playfully.
In his exuberance, Tony picked up Pepper and twirled her around. "We can fix it, Pepper! We can fix the damage Stark Industries has caused!"
"Oh, Tony! I'm so happy for you!" she said as she hugged him with tears in her eyes, knowing how long he had struggled with the idea that the innocent had suffered because of his contributions to the arms race.
Natasha walked up to Harry as he stood there smiling looking at Tony being so uncharacteristically happy. She enfolded him in her arms and hugged him. "This will change so many lives for the better. You are a hero even now, while just making plans to keep your friends happy." she said softly.
"Well we still haven't figure out how to produce water." Harry said.
"Actually, I might have an idea about that." Tony spoke up.
"Yeah?" Harry asked.
"While I've not found a way to create water from the air, I have found a rune cluster that can purify water." Tony said.
"How does that help us?" Harry asked.
"The ocean!" Natasha realised.
"Exactly! We would still need to pump the water, unless you can somehow create a portal that will simply transport it?" He looked at Harry hopefully.
"Sorry, not that I'm aware of. We could look though. Maybe there's something in the library." Harry replied.
"Maybe we will find the answer when we figure out how to make the mirrors with the runes. After all, you are technically connecting two places together." Tony theorised.
"Enough shop talk." Pepper said. "This is supposed to be a date."
"Yes, I think it's time you kept your part of the bargain." Natasha said with a smile. She hoped it would calm him.
"That, is a great idea. I'll go fetch it quick." Harry stepped back from her and apparated home.
"What bargain?" Pepper asked.
"You'll see." Natasha said.
Harry re-appeared carrying a broom in his hands. It was one of the top models he owned, made for speed. "Let me just take her up first so I can see how she handles." Harry said as he mounted the broom. Without waiting for a reply, he shot off, holding on for dear life, the sound of a sonic boom followed a couple of seconds later, and Harry didn't seem to stop accelerating, he'd had to cast sticking charms on himself, to keep from falling off and a wind shielding spell to protect himself from the harsh winds. He had only just managed that before he breached the sound barrier.
From down on the beach, they had lost sight of him in under a minute. When they saw him again, he shot past them so fast, they lost him in under a couple of seconds. Tony's mouth was agape. He could not even go that fast.
When Harry appeared the final time, he was flying much more sedately. He landed next to them, a huge smile on his face. "That was AWESOME!" he screamed at the sky. "I don't know why I waited so long to try this."
"Harry, you were flying faster than even I could. How are you even alive? You should have broken all your bones with how fast you were accelerating!" Tony exclaimed.
"Nah, brooms are enchanted to counteract most of the g-forces." Harry scoffed, smile still on his face.
"Okay, fair enough. But we'll need to start talking about a space program. With what you just showed me, and what we're already working on, we could potentially start the worlds most advanced space program on the planet." Tony enthused. More ideas were flying through his head. Portkeys and Apparition already travelled through some kind of wormhole, as far as he could tell. Faster than light travel might be a possibility somewhere in the near future. Not to mention their communications idea.
"I always wondered what it would be like to own a house on the moon." Harry joked.
Tony looked like he was going to explode with excitement. He started muttering about plans and possibilities. Harry quickly beckoned Natasha and showed her how to mount behind him. Just in case, he cast a sticking spell on her so she'd be stick to him. The fact that she was in a bikini might or might not have been the reason he wanted her pressed up behind him. She didn't seem to mind.
Harry took off, if a bit more sedately, the wind shielding charm already in place. They flew around the island a couple of times and then went straight out over the ocean. He kept on accelerating until Natasha tapped him to indicate that he should slow down. When they were back to only about twice the speed of sound, he heard her laughing. "I though you said it could only go twice as fast as the carpet?!" she exclaimed with a huge smile on her face.
"I don't know why it's going this fast either. Maybe it's the wind shielding spell?" Harry waged.
"Maybe. We should probably head back, but don't land by Tony or Pepper. I seem to have lost my bikini." she said and Harry looked at her, blushing. She was smiling at him.
They landed behind the treeline and after they dismounted, Harry conjured a bikini and handed it back to her, looking the other way. Always the gentleman. She laughed and accepted it. "We should probably head back." Harry said.
Before he could move, though, Natasha had tackled him to the ground. She was kissing him senseless. She really loved the speed! It was only a couple of minutes later that she let him up. "Woman!" he accused. She definitely had some kind of magic over him. And now he needed to calm down before he they could go back to their friends. Natasha's body leaning over him still, was not helping. From this angle, her cleavage was captivating. The bikini might be slightly too small.
She noticed him looking and said, "I could always take it off again?" her smile was alluring and he had to fight his baser instincts to control himself.
When Tony and Pepper noticed them coming, it was a blushing Harry and a smirking Natasha, wearing a new slightly too small bikini. Pepper noticed the fact and walked up to them, her hand in her handbag. When it came out it was with her backup bikini for Natasha.
"Are you sure you're not a witch," Harry asked.
"No, just prepared." Pepper responded with a smile. Natasha had graciously accepted and was walking back to the treeline. "What happened?" she asked.
"The wind shielding charm wasn't enough to stop all the wind. It blocked the direct wind fairly well, but we were still buffeted from the sides. I think we were going a bit more than twice the speed of the carpet at the time." Harry explained. When Natasha had walked off, Harry was able to calm down and the blush finally faded.
When Natasha returned, they continued their conversation for a bit deciding that they'd need the runes completed before discussing the mirror-relay (which Tony started calling the Instant Remote Data Relay or IRDR) or the possibility of a Potter/Stark space program. The rest of the daylight was spent just enjoying the sun and fruity drinks. When the sun finally set, they went to Harry's place where Bruce was expecting them and he had food prepared. It was nearing midnight back home, after all. Bruce had even offered it.
Harry spent the next week preparing greenhouses and enclosures for the first of their magical creatures. Harry wanted some of the creatures to roam freely, while other, more territorial ones were meant to be kept in enclosed environments. Harry decided to maximize his space use by doing what he did with the chickens. He'd clear out a portion of the plateau and expanded the space to its maximum capacity. He'd then modify the environment to the creatures' natural environment and enchant an illusionary sky, which emulates what they required most, rain and sunshine, fire and brimstone.
He'd be able to have hundreds of such enclosures. Those were all meant for the violently inclined or creatures that didn't handle people well. He had just returned home from a day of work on the beach, Natasha having joined him as always, when his phone rang.
"Hello." Harry answered, not recognizing the number.
"Is this Ghost?" the voice said on the other side.
"This is he, who may I ask is calling?" Harry was suddenly at attention. It was a young woman's voice and she sounded panicked.
"It's Marie, we need your help." she said.
"Where are you?" Harry asked.
"We're at the school." She answered.
"We'll be right there." He hung up the phone, donned his armour and pulled up his hood and mask. Natasha had heard the conversation and called up her own equipment. Wordlessly she put a hand on his shoulder and they disapparated.
They arrived on the porch of the school. Harry walked in and saw panicked and wounded children. No adults visible. "Where's Marie?" he said loudly. Some of the children jumped and screamed, but most recognized him from TV and the one time he had visited, but that time he wasn't in gear.
"She's in the professor's office." one of them said.
"Well go fetch her and get all the wounded to me." Harry ordered. He wasted no time and went to the worst wounded he saw. A young boy with his arm shot nearly completely off. Harry held his hand over the wound and said, "Don't worry young man. We're here to help." His words seemed to calm the kid slightly. It took only a minute and the arm was re-attached and his bleeding stopped. Harry could not spend more time on him, but at least he wouldn't lose the arm or bleed to death.
He was about to ask for the next most wounded, when Natasha called him over. She had been looking through the wounded and prioritising. Damn, it was good to have her around. He moved up to the next one and scanned her. It seemed the spine was severed. "Fawkes!" There was a flash of light and the phoenix appeared. Harry pointed at the kid and without needing to be asked, the phoenix jumped onto the girl and cried a couple of tears into the wound.
Natasha pointed out the next victim and Harry went there next while she assured everyone that Fawkes was a friend and he would help where he was really needed. It took another fifteen minutes and one more victim needing Fawkes' help, but they were all stabilized and Harry could ask the important questions.
"What happened here?" Harry asked Marie who had been waiting with Natasha when she told her to wait till Harry was done.
"There was an attack. Someone with telepathic powers kept Xavier busy and then the snipers hit the X-Men with tranqs. Then they opened fire when the kids tried to help. Logan helped Marie heal, but then he was taken too. The professor was tranqed and the telepath immobilized Logan. They put them in a helicopter and flew off. There was no insignia. The telepath was being controlled by some kind of device on his head. No names." Natasha had gotten the pertinent information.
"Well, that doesn't help us a lot." Harry complained. "Did they say anything?"
One of the previously wounded kids spoke up. "They called Logan, Weapon X."
"That's something at least. Does anyone know anything about them?" Harry asked. There was no reply. "Damn. We're going to need intel." Harry muttered. "Okay, you lot stay here with Fawkes. Fawkes, come get me if anything goes wrong. In fact, could you go get Bruce please?" Fawkes nodded and disappeared. Thirty seconds later Bruce and Sif appeared. She was holding her armour and weapons in her hand. "Good. These children were attacked. I need someone here in case any more bad-guys show up. Can you handle that?" Harry asked.
"Of course Harry. Are these kids okay?" Bruce asked looking at the blood and the scared looks on the children.
"Harry and Fawkes healed them. Some of them still aren't completely fixed, but we have to go find the people who did this and quick. There are more people in trouble." Natasha said as Harry took out his mirror and stepped outside.
"I'm going with you!" Marie said.
"I don't think so kid. You're not trained enough." Natasha said.
"I am trained!" Marie insisted.
"You're Anne Marie, right?" at her nod she asked, "Can you touch me without draining my strength?"
"No, but…" Marie started.
"Then no. Ghost told me about you. You're a good kid, but you lack control. What we'll be doing will need precision. If you want to help, stay here and help the Doc and Sif." Then she turned around and walked out.
"…our only choice?" Harry was asking.
"I'm afraid so. He's the only one that's been able to track them so far. You'll have to get in contact with him." Fury said. "Do you require help at the compound? We could send people."
"I'd rather we keep this off the books. These children are scared of anything in a uniform at this point. It would be best to let Bruce help them."
"I understand. Let me know if you require help. This is what SHIELD does, you know?" Fury asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I know, and we're here." Harry pointed the mirror at Natasha.
"That's good, I'm glad to see you have backup. When the Captain is done on his mission, if necessary, I'll send him on through to help protect the kids." Fury said. "Fury out."
The line went dead and Natasha looked at Harry. "What do we have?"
"The Weapon X program. They went dark a couple of years back. SHIELD has been unable to pick up any trace, except for one. A mutant they experimented on. Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool."
"Shit!" Natasha swore. Then, "He hires himself out as a merc. We can find him or contact him at Sister Margaret's School for Wayward Children." she said.
"An orphanage?" Harry asked.
"It's a bar in New York City." Natasha said.
"You know where it is?" Harry asked. Natasha nodded and without further ado, Harry turned around and let her get on his back. Then flew directly there with her pointing over his shoulder.
They walked into the Bar. It had all kinds of rough looking people. Harry wasn't impressed. He walked up to the Bartender. "We're looking for Wade Wilson."
"And I want a Tamagochi." the bartender joked. The patrons laughed.
"I'm not looking to make trouble here. We're trying to save some people. He's the only one that can help." Natasha said.
"Wait, hold on. You're those two supers from the alien attack! Can I get an autograph?" the barman still refused to give them anything. One of the beefy men, put a hand on Natasha's shoulder. He shouldn't have done that. His arm was twisted, his feet kicked out from under him and his head made hard contact with the counter Natasha's hand on it.
The next moment, there was the sound of thirty guns being cocked. "I don't like it when people come into my bar and attack my patrons." The bartender had a steely look in his eyes as he took a shotgun from under the counter.
"And my friend doesn't like being touched." Harry growled. "We need information on Weapon X and Wade Wilson is just sitting in the corner there acting like he doesn't hear us." Harry pointed into a corner. Then he lifted his hand and all the firearms flew up to the ceiling. "Can you get us a drink? Thanks." Harry said sarcastically and turned to the person sitting in the corner.