It was a couple of weeks later that Harry received news that left him in a bad mood. Doctor Stephen Strange had turned up at one of the distribution centres, which doubled as homeless shelters and free clinics these days. He had demanded to see Bruce Banner, when he wasn't immediately treated. He tried for a week, but when someone was sent to go discuss with him the specifics of his case, he had been told that there was nothing they could do for him at this time.
Harry knew what that meant. He needed to be ready for what was about to come. He started spending more time in Asgard and was constantly keeping Heimdall company, playing board games and chatting about interesting happenings around the universe. Harry wanted to know the moment anything happened.
Unfortunately his duties got in his way. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross was pushing for a Superhero Registration Act. Harry and Tony showed up with a litany of lawyers including, but not limited to the human lie detector, Matt Murdock. When Harry heard about his ability to detect a lie, just by the tone of voice a person used, he had to have him on his payroll. He did not suspect anything about his night-time activities, but found it strange that he refused glasses that might give him his sight back. Apparently he liked being blind. Harry didn't mind. He even increased his pay when he heard Murdock would take any case when it came to defending the disenfranchised.
Tony had brought his own lawyers, Professor Charles Xavier and Jean Grey, who had been there for the last time a senator tried to push through laws that Mutants had to register their powers. The Potter/Stark alliance was pushing really hard and when push came to shove, they won, but only barely.
"This isn't over." Tony warned as they left the building.
"Of course not." Harry said. "Fortunately they forgot one very important fact."
"And that is?" Tony asked.
"EPI, which is the Avengers' official sponsor doesn't belong to any country. We don't answer to any jurisdiction." Harry said.
"They will still try to control us." Tony said.
"I bet they can't control me." Harry returned.
"Leave this one to us." Xavier said as he caught up to them. "We know how to handle this situation. We've been through it before, after all."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"If you don't mind setting up some transport for Mister Murdock and ourselves." Xavier smiled. "I'm sure we can handle this. After all, what's the point of having so many friends if you try to handle everything on your own?"
"I'll set up a service for Murdock. He's not in the know yet." Then Harry chuckled, feeling lighter already. "I never was a fan of politics."
Matt heard of course, but assumed it had to do with the rumoured expansion to transportation services PI was supposed to be revealing soon.
"Of course, Prince Harry." Tony joked. People could hear, but they'd just assume he was joking.
Suddenly Charles jumped on Harry and they tumbled to the ground as something impacted the ground nearby. "Sniper!" was shouted and then there was chaos.
Harry could see the look of concentration on Charles' face as he whispered, "I've got him. Get your people to the top of that building. He was about to kill himself on orders."
Harry nodded and cast a spell for privacy around them. It would add to the security for his friends as well. Then he apparated to the location, saw the man frozen with a capsule halfway to his mouth, vanished the pill and applied a stasis disc, before sending him on to SHIELD.
"I took care of it." Harry whispered as he apparated back to his shielded area. "Thanks for keeping him from killing himself. If he still wants to die later, that's his problem. I want answers first."
Half an hour later, they had finally gotten to SHIELD only to find the man had already been interrogated and confessed to being hired to kill Harry. Fury was in vengeance mode. All the Ghost Squads were deployed and given full authority to follow any leads to find the source of the hit-order, since it was anonymous.
Two days later, one lead finally gave them what they wanted. Secretary Ross had much to answer for. As promised though, Harry let Charles and Jean handle the situation. Fury wasn't too happy, but decided to trust Harry about this. He still doubled Harry's security detail, which meant that a decoy carrying Harry's face was now being seen doing many things with only enough security to look vulnerable. In fact one Ghost Squad was permanently following the decoy and looking for assassins.
What they had found when they looked for contracts on the illusive head of PI, was a long list of people who wanted him alive, for his technology, and a few who wanted him dead, especially the transport, power and telecommunications companies. Fury was having fun rounding up all sorts of information about said threats to Harry's life. When people started disappearing, only to reappear at law enforcement offices admitting to their various crimes, always mentioning first their attempt to have Harry kidnapped and/or snuffed out, the list of people still willing to take out a contract, dropped to zero.
While that was going on, Harry was carrying on as normal, with Natasha demanding to have a silenced mirror on him, so that she could see he was safe at all times. He didn't mind. Looking up and seeing her smile at him brought a smile to his face every time. She actually knew he was safe in his office. She just wanted to keep an eye on his mental state. She had noted that he had gotten distracted of late, like he was waiting for something horrible to happen.
She didn't push him, but she knew better than to expect him to come to her on his own. She'd just be there and make sure he knew it.
It took him another week, before he broached the subject on his own. He had noticed her watching him and had finally realised she had noticed him waiting on word about Yao. When he told her and informed her of his plan, she had thought about it, added a couple of comments and asked a couple of questions. After that she was fine. He had a well thought-out plan and didn't need backup for an observational role, especially with the tricks he had been working on lately.
Three months of waiting as he worked and he finally received word from Yao to come for a visit. He was there in minutes. He apparated directly to her, having had spent a lot of time at all the sanctums, upgrading their wards and installing repairing enchantments to their more important structures, like the ones that contained the shields around the globe. He had needed to leave certain weaknesses in place or affect the timeline, which to Harry meant that some of the sanctums would not be surviving what was to come.
For that purpose, he had purchased, warded and enchanted new locations in the same cities, which he kept secret even from Yao. She might never see them in use, but they would be more secure than anything they had had in the past. They would need to use their own techniques to create the shields that they'd use, but he was pretty sure the sanctums would not be attacked easily, once the monks had the new sanctums set up.
"Ancient one." Harry said as he allowed himself to become visible.
"Ah, Master Ghost." Yao greeted him. "It is good of you to join us."
"As always, I'm at your disposal whenever you need of me." Harry said with a respectful bow, noting the man opposite her. Harry recognized him instantly, even though he looked very unkempt and downtrodden. Harry knew this man was going through a rough time and he'd have loved to help him, but he'd have to wait for when the time was right.
"Master Hamir has just shown Doctor Strange here that having working hands is not a prerequisite for casting spells and your arrival has proven to him that there is more to the world than he has seen so far." Yao said.
"Is his prosthetic not working anymore?" Harry asked concerned.
"The prosthetic is working fine, better even than his other hand, but that was hardly the point of the demonstration." Yao said.
"Ghost is a sorcerer?" Strange asked.
"Ghost is not. His powers come from a different source." Yao said. "I have called him here as a demonstration of what can be done with perseverance. Master Ghost is one of the world's most powerful beings, being capable of great wonders, but even he started as an apprentice with less skill than you have now."
"You flatter me Ancient One." Harry said humbly. "Though my power is much different than that which you teach here, I too have had my struggles. Is his issue with focus or patience? I find those two to be the biggest hurdles with driven men. Their focus is on the wrong thing or their patience runs out before they can achieve their goals."
Yao gave her speech on how his ego was to blame for his failure to succeed. Harry nodded along and followed as she led Strange through a sling portal to Mount Everest. She quickly ducked back through the portal and made it disappear.
"She can't just leave me here!" Strange pleaded with him.
Harry activated his armour and flew up, "She can and has. You must remember, she has trained those with more stubborn natures than yourself. Now you have a choice; surrender your ego as she said, or let the mountain claim your life. You are smart enough to know which is more important." Then he made himself invisible. He quickly cast a couple of monitoring charms on the man and then silently returned to Yao.
"You waited to add to my lesson?" Yao asked him.
"I would not be so presumptuous." Harry replied. "I merely emphasized your point." Then he looked away and mumbled, "I may have added some charms so that I can ensure that he doesn't die…"
Yao smiled at him, "You are kind, but wise. I am glad he will have you to lean upon when things become difficult."
"Common sense is not the same as wisdom." Harry objected.
They smiled at each other and continued chatting for a bit until Master Mordo walked up and asked, "How's our new recruit?"
"We shall see. Any second now." Yao responded.
"Oh, no. Not again." Mordo said, looking genuinely worried.
"Do not fear, Master Mordo." Harry said. "I have added my own protections. I will know if his life is in any imminent danger and have the ability to heal anything he suffers until then."
"Of course, Master Ghost." Mordo said in relief. "We always appreciate your assistance."
Harry and Mordo didn't really like each other. Harry felt the man's support of Yao was a bit too zealous, much like many death eaters he had seen. That kind of fanaticism could turn so easily if a perceived slight happened. Mordo's reason for not liking Harry was because everyone knew he wasn't a Sorcerer like them. Mordo may have also been slightly jealous about how seemingly easily Harry produced and enchanted prosthetics that worked for the intended person every time, very unlike their relics that chose their bearers.
Even so, Mordo and Harry respected each other enough to be civil. Mordo even kept on sending glances at Harry, when Stephen didn't show up by the time he expected the man. "He's still alive. The cold is getting to him, though. If he doesn't return in the next two minutes his core temperature would have dropped too low to remain conscious." Harry reported. Mordo and Yao both nodded.
A minute later, a barely conscious Stephen Strange stepped through his very first sling portal.
"Well done." Harry said. He waved his hand and the man's core temperature rose to the correct levels. "As a reward for your success, you get to keep all your toes." Harry smirked. He knew the man wasn't quite there yet, but a person who could barely feel their extremities could hardly tell.
As Strange got himself off the floor, Harry cast another spell on him, to calm his shaking. He looked at his hands in shock. "How did you do that?!" he demanded.
"My spell only lasts a short time, and I'm afraid it's not one you can learn as my power is unique." Harry apologised. He felt bad as the hope that had suddenly shone in the man's eyes blinked out again. "If you prove yourself here, I might decide to try something more permanent, but that would be only at the discretion of the Ancient One."
"Perhaps later." Yao said. "He could still learn much with his affliction in place."
"I'm never arguing with that. Pain teaches well. I once learned never to trust idiots when I had to regrow all the bones in my right arm." Harry joked. "It hurt more than many of my other injuries throughout my life combined."
"Regrow?" Strange asked. Something like that was impossible, or at least it wasn't possible before he came to Kamar-Taj. "Is that something that can be done? How did you remove the bones that were there in the first place? What about the nerves?"
"All questions for another time." Yao said. "You must rest now. If Master Ghost wishes to share that information with you at a later date, you can discuss it then."
"I'm not here all that often, but if you follow the instruction well and achieve mastery, I'll answer any question you have, within reason." Harry said. He knew the man's type. He'd be pushing himself to learn quickly anyway, so a little added incentive wasn't going to do any harm.
When Stephen left, Harry waited until Mordo had somewhere to be, before turning to Yao, but she held a hand up. "Don't ask. I can't tell you." she said instantly. "When it happens, it happens. I'm sure you have plans, but as I don't know about them yet, you don't apply them before my heart stops. Keep that in mind."
Harry nodded, "Good luck, my friend. I'll be seeing you soon."
Yao nodded and waited while Harry apparated out.
Harry had plans to adjust.
He stopped going to Heimdall, having realised that all the sanctums were still in-tact. Instead he placed monitoring spells at all the sanctums. If one of them were attacked or destroyed, he'd know about it. Then he put it out of his mind as he worked on his super soldier program.
He'd finally achieved a new form of enchantment, which linked other enchantments on items in a pocket dimension, which was connected to the inside of an adamantite armband he wore under his armour. With this in place, he'd been able to bring his game up to a new level, adding a couple of extra enchantments that he could summon at will.
He was now able to do as Vision does, by phasing through objects, though he had to be flying to do that one, otherwise he fell into the ground, and increasing his own density. He had noted that last one made him exponentially stronger and tougher, though the energy cost was high and it tired him physically. He couldn't wait to try that one in battle, though. He was also able to add another, more intricate enchantment.
Time-dilation was now something he could do willingly to himself. Tony had explained the concept to him and he had obsessed about it until he cracked it. Apparently that was part of how Pietro's powers worked. The downside of the dilation effect was that it put strain on Harry's body. The human body was not meant to move that fast.
Harry was working on creating a belt, with some of the abilities, for a lucky super soldier that just happened to be in the Avengers already, when one of the spells alerted him that the London Sanctum had fallen. It happened very quickly, and without warning, so Harry told Jarvis that he'd be on mission for an unknown amount of time and to cover for him. He did put in an earpiece so that anyone that needed him could contact him. Then he donned his armour and disappeared.
He arrived in London and quickly put the entire location under Fidelius. The fact that he could use the word 'Fidelius' and 'quick' in the same sentence had a lot to do with his power ring, as he'd started calling the ring with the connection to his massive, personal, MSC Shell. With the rubble hidden and forgotten, the panicking people soon started carrying on as normal. Harry searched for any life and when he found none, he divested a large amount of magic to automatically repair the sanctum. Physically at least. The spells for the Shield and portal door would still be gone.
Then he went to Nepal, to the Sanctum there, where the majority of the order resided, including the Ancient One. It was not one of the sanctums adding to the Shield, which Harry suspected was the reason why the students all stayed there. Less chance of being attacked. Harry found the portal room in shambles and all the doors broken. He then went to look for Yao.
He found her hurrying to secure the students and a few injured who had been close by when the portal door exploded. Harry did not become visible as he knew he couldn't interfere this time, not until Yao was taken care of. He cast a monitoring spell on her and went to the other sanctums. Hong Kong was still standing, so he went to New York.
Harry found Stephen fighting for his life and using his quick wits to shake his attackers. Harry saw the moment the cloak connected to him and saved his life. Twice. That was a useful item, but Harry would never completely trust a thing that thought for itself when you couldn't see where it kept its brain. Good advice from Mister Weasley, considering the horcruxes.
Harry saw him capture Kaecilius. He would have to speak to him about talking to the bad-guy, though. You only do that when you're stalling. Harry was unsurprised when Stephen was attacked from behind and kept his magic at the ready should his friend at the hospital fail to help him. He was sad when Strange was forced to kill the man attacking him, being able to watch them in astral form. Strange was a doctor, after all.
Harry was shocked at the revelation that Yao might be using some sort of dark power to maintain her youth, but put that aside as a matter for another time. He knew her character. She'd not have done something like that lightly.
Harry was too close by when Strange transported them all into the Mirror dimension when the fight resumed, so he had no choice but to follow them around. The strangeness of the place as the entire world was twisted beyond recognition before his eyes left his stomach slightly queasy as he followed them at a safe distance.
When Yao turned up and started fighting them, after the revelation that she had in-fact been using some sort of dark energy, he was impressed by her martial skill. She could probably teach Natasha a thing or two.
Kaecilius was a devious bastard, though, and used one of his own disciples as a disposable tool when he stabbed her through them, before kicking her through a sling portal and to her apparent death. Harry's charm screamed at him that she was almost gone, but he had to wait for her heart to stop before he could do anything.
He watched as Strange and Yao left the operating room in their astral forms in fast forward, but couldn't follow. A couple of moments later, her heart monitor indicated that she was dead. Harry activated one of the functions on his new ring instantly, dilating time to an almost standstill. Then he put Yao's body in stasis and transferred her to the island. He opened a portal and went to fetch the corpse he had prepared. Fury had asked some difficult questions again, but had agreed when Harry said it was a matter of life and death.
Harry changed the corpse to look like Yao and gave it all the same wounds, before leaving the hospital to go bring Yao back from the brink of death.
When he arrived on the island, he went to the hospital room, which he had set up specifically for Yao. He was still in dilated time and moving felt like pushing himself through molasses, but he continued on as he knew every second counted, even if her body was suspended a second after death.
He started healing the visible wound and found that there was an obstruction. 'The bastard must have left some malicious energy there,' he thought. He used Loki's trick of flushing the area with power so that nothing else remained and then started healing again. This time it went much more easily.
When her open wound was healed, he had to align the broken bones and hold them in place with magic so that they didn't splinter or puncture anything important. He knew the fall did more damage than he knew to fix, but his magic was the stuff of legend and he truly believed it could save her.
Once everything seemed to be in place, Harry locked everything to stay in their respective position while allowing movement. Then he did what he was afraid to do. He removed the stasis field and dropped the time-dilation. Her body sagged onto the bed, but nothing else. Harry sent an enervate into her. Still nothing. "Damnit, Yao! Breathe you fossil!" he shouted, somehow feeling insulting her would work.
He cast a diagnosis spell and found the issue. Her spine was not aligned correctly. "Fawkes!" the firebird appeared next to him. "Please do me a favour and give our friend here a couple of tears. She just stopped breathing a couple of seconds ago."
Fawkes quickly jumped onto the bed and cried a tear onto her forehead. There was an angry spark of something dark and Harry realised the tear must have purified the mark from the dark dimension. When the next tear fell, Yao took a long, deep breath suddenly and then started breathing normally. She was not awake, though. It was probably a blessing as a spine healing was a painful process.
"So you ended up saving me?" Yao's astral form asked from just above her body, where she had suddenly coalesced.
"How could I not? You're my friend." Harry said as he leaned down to pet Fawkes in gratitude. "Thanks buddy. You're literally a lifesaver."
"He is magnificent." Yao agreed. "So what do I do now? I'm assuming we're on the island?"
"We are." Harry said, before looking at her worriedly. "Should I worry about Strange?"
"He makes it through this encounter. I have some knowledge from the future, past today, but it is very limited. I know he lives and that will have to be my solace for now." Yao said.
"How did you receive this knowledge?" Harry asked. Yao just smiled at him. "Really? I had hoped you'd stop being so damn mysterious."
"Even if I was not the Ancient One, I am still a woman." Yao said. She reached up and touched her forehead. "A mortal one now, it seems."
"Maybe not for long." Harry argued. "My people are doing some good work with alchemy. I've no doubt that one day soon, we'll have access to many different kinds of life-saving options."
"I think I'd like to be mortal." Yao argued. "Life is not meant to be extended indefinitely. Not all life anyway." She smirked at him. "You should know that, Master of Death."
"I don't have an instruction manual for that one." Harry said. Then he stood up as he felt another ping. "Rest for a bit. I need to go, I can feel something happening outside the Hong Kong sanctum."
"Please be careful to not be seen. This confrontation is needed for Strange to take the first steps toward who he will become." Yao pleaded. Harry nodded and turned invisible before apparating away.
Upon arriving at the Hong Kong Branch, Harry noted all the chaos following the fall of a skyscraper in the centre of the city. There was no way he could leave things as is. He felt the people's fear and pain. He was about to start acting, when he felt a presence he'd never felt before as the dark dimension started spilling into Earth. That's when Strange arrived with Mordo.
When Strange started channelling the artefact Harry had first noted with Yao all that time back, he looked down at his arm wondering if he'd somehow started the time-dilation only to realise it wasn't his doing. The artefact obviously had control over time other than just viewing the possibilities of the future. What Harry was seeing was Strange sending the time of the entire world backwards.
It would have been easier to simply travel back himself, but what Harry saw was time being erased, not having happened yet. He was not the expert, but thanked whatever was keeping him isolated from the effect. He watched everyone fighting while time still reversed upon itself as the Skyscraper started lifting up and dead people were suddenly not dead yet.
The dark dimension was being forced out of the realm as time relentlessly pressed it back to how it was before the sanctum fell. But then Kaecilius released a shockwave of an attack and Strange lost concentration on the Artefact. The reversal of time slowed to a crawl and then stopped. Harry watched as they faced each other again, but this time Strange decided to use a different tactic.
He flew right into the dark dimension. Harry was torn between staying behind and following, but ended up following the man. Whatever he had planned was obviously more dangerous than the men fighting on the ground. The strange dimension of darkness was both beautiful and horrifying. There was no life here. Harry could feel the terrible void left by countless deaths as the creature responsible suddenly made himself known.
Dormammu was a giant of an entity, and his power was, while not infinite, quite large. Larger than Harry's own and that stored in his battery. He doubted it could survive a straight blast from all of the cannons on Midnight, but a creature like this no doubt had some tricks up its sleeves as well.
Harry had to make himself intangible when Dormammu started attacking and killing Strange over and over again. It was quite the trick, really. Strange was a smart man, being able to plan for and set that up on his flight over.
Dormammu killed him over and over hundreds of times. Harry was starting to worry for his sanity, but Strange showed a strength of character Harry didn't know he possessed by constantly stepping up to be killed. Dormammu was obviously also waiting for him to break and becoming more and more desperate with every attempt. Until finally he broke and conceded to Strange's bargain. Harry doubted it was the last the Earth had seen of the creature, but the Sorcerer Supreme would have the time he'd need to get ready.
Once back on Earth, Harry watched as Kaecilius and his people were sucked into their eternal torment. He shuddered to think of it. Strange finished his reversal of time and let it continue as normal again directly after.
Harry was about to reveal himself, when Mordo made his speech about how they had broken natural law and not being part of them anymore. Harry thought it was short-sighted, but that was what happened with zealots, he supposed. He cast a tracking charm on the man, just in case.
Strange and Wong made their way back towards the sanctum and Harry decided to go with them. He'd wait for Strange to be alone before revealing himself. Harry saw Doctor Strange deposit the artefact back on its pedestal and then heard a very important term for the first time: Infinity Stone.
Harry continued following until Strange was alone at the New York sanctum. That's when he revealed himself, sitting in a chair drinking a cup of conjured tea. "You did well, Master Strange." Harry said.
Strange straightened and turned, "And where were you, Master Ghost?"
"I was there. In an observatory capacity." Harry said.
"You could have made a difference. You could have saved lives!" Strange accused.
Harry let go of a sliver of his power. Strange didn't back down, but his face paled slightly, "Don't ever mistake my inaction for apathy. I wanted to help countless times, but I was bound by my word not to take part in what happened."
"And who did you give your word to?" Strange asked with a bit of suspicion.
"The Ancient One." Harry confirmed, before getting up and walking to Strange, looking him directly in the eye. "Before today I wondered about you. You didn't seem the right choice, but the way you faced down Dormammu changed my mind." Harry put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry you had to die so many times. If I had interfered it may have given Dormammu the leverage he needed to break free."
Strange was shocked. "You were there?"
"I was." Harry nodded. "And I promise you Doctor, you will never have to fight alone again, if I have any say in the matter."
Strange thought about it for a moment before nodding. Then he smiled sadly, "Did you hear? I'm a master now."
"Oh, really?" Harry asked. "Did you get your secret decoder ring then?"
Strange just stared at him, knowing it was a joke and not allowing his humour to show. "You promised me answers."
Harry shrugged. "Magic." he said simply.
"Magic? You are a sorcerer then?" Strange asked.
"What you do is sorcery. What I do is magic." Harry said. "You do know you're a sorcerer right? You trade in the mystical, while wizards trade in the magical."
Strange felt like he was being talked down to. "Why were you at Kamar-Taj then?" he asked.
"The Sorcerer Supreme and I are friends." Harry said.
Strange paled. Had Ghost not heard? "I'm afraid I have some bad news." he said.
"No you don't." Harry argued. "I said the Sorcerer Supreme and I are friends. One day, that might even be you." he said. "Besides I have abilities that would normally allow me to speak to those who have crossed over, and no-" he said as he saw Strange latch onto that statement, "I do not summon the dead for just anyone and at any time. It is a privilege you may earn, one day. Until then you will not repeat that to anyone."
"Why are you here?" Strange asked.
Harry smiled as his good humour returned, "I have some gifts to give." Harry pointed a finger at Strange's watch and the cracked glass corrected itself. "I have made some repairs and need you and Master Wong to come with me."
"Wong is in-" Strange started, still looking at the memento from Christine.
"Yeah I know." Harry said as he opened a portal to the library. "Wong, if you could join us please?" he called through it.
Wong walked through, "Master Ghost, you do know there's a rule against making portals in the library, right?"
"That rule strictly applies to sling portals." Harry said. "Now, we have much to do. Please follow me." He opened another portal and soon they were at the London Sanctum, not that Strange or Wong knew it.
When Harry revealed the secret to Wong, his eyes widened in shock, "How could we forget the London Sanctum?"
"That would be my magic." Harry said. "The London sanctum fell, but I repaired it. You will need to re-establish the spells to protect the planet, before I hide the Hong Kong Sanctum and the New York Sanctum. Only you two will have a way to inform their masters of the location. That should keep the locations safe from being found, from outside at least."
Harry led them inside, "I intend to have this entire place enchanted for safety. If a nuke goes off in London, this building will remain standing. We cannot have the sanctums fall again."
"Why didn't you set this up before?" Strange asked.
"Same reason as I gave before. The Ancient One had knowledge about the future, which prevented me from setting this up." Harry answered. "I have also purchased properties in all three cities where we will setup a backup location. Should one sanctum fall, we should have a secondary location ready to activate at a moment's notice."
Harry led them to the disabled door and opened a portal, which he connected between the locations again. "There you go." Harry said. "You can permanently dispel my portal once you want to put your own in place by simply willing it, while you are on the other side."
Harry took out a scrap of paper and wrote the secret of the London Sanctum down on it, before handing it to Wong. "This is your responsibility. Once someone reads that, they'll be able to find the sanctum from the outside. Its only vulnerability is currently from this side, so make sure to protect it well."
"Maybe you should hide the nexus as well? That way only trusted masters can have access to the different sanctums." Wong suggested.
"I don't see why not, but let's wait until all the sanctums are hidden first, okay?" Harry asked. Then he turned to Strange, "Are you ready for one last surprise?"
"Hit me." Strange said. After what he had seen already he didn't think he could be surprised.
Harry smirked and knocked him out with a thought and a pointed finger, levitating him in place. "Did the Ancient One tell you about him?" Harry asked Wong.
"She said he had potential." Wong nodded. "He could be the next Sorcerer Supreme."
"From what I saw today, she was right." Harry confirmed. "Unfortunately that means I have some information to give him that I cannot give to you."
Wong nodded, long used to the Ancient One's mysterious ways. "I will get the other masters together so that we can re-establish London's protections." He bowed to Harry, "Thank you for your help, Master Ghost."
"You may call me Harry when we're alone, you know. I know you remember me from when I first came here." Harry said as he smiled. "And you're more than welcome, Master Wong." He took hold of Strange and activated a portkey to the Island.
When Strange awoke, it was to find himself slumped onto a bar counter, with an unknown bald gentleman sitting across from him on the other side of the bar. He nodded and lifted his drink in salute. Stephen looked around and saw he was on a tropical island, with a pool surrounding them and various scantily clad ladies lounging about in and around the pool, with strange-looking pointy-eared women mixed in.
"Where am I?" he asked.
"You are on my island." Harry said. He was no longer wearing his armour and Strange looked at him in recognition.
"You're Harry Potter. Owner and founder of PI and co-founder of EPI." Strange said. "Why am I here?"
"Don't you recognise my voice?" Harry asked.
Strange thought about it, before it snapped into place. "You're Ghost?" he asked.
Harry lifted a hand and flicked his finger, miming hitting something with it and the sound of a bell chimed, "Give the man a prize."
"Why would you decide to be a Hero if you're saving more lives as yourself?" Strange asked.
Harry smiled, "There are many things I'd like to tell you, but on this island there are many things you may not know unless I protect other people's interest with one of these." Harry flicked a finger again and a contract appeared before Strange. "Standard magically binding contract. You want answers, I want security. Deal?"
Strange looked at the contract before reading it quickly. He had the same hang-ups as everyone. "My memories?!"
"To be fair, I could wipe your memories right now without your permission. On the other hand, if you sign the contract I'd both have no reason to and wouldn't be allowed to." he said as he pointed to the section on the signer's protections. "The contract protects you and your secrets as well."
Stephen continued reading the contract until he grasped it in its entirety. Then he signed it. Better the option where he has more control, in his opinion. Harry smiled and made the contract disappear.
"Lovely," he said. Then he took out two potion vials and put them in front of Strange, "The red potion doesn't taste so bad, and it mostly tingles as it works. It repairs your nerves. The white one burns as it goes down and tastes downright nasty. It will fix your bones. The process will hurt quite a lot. I suggest the white one first and then the red one the next day."
"What if I've got metal pins in my hands." Strange asked.
"That's a good question. I honestly don't know." Harry thought about it for a second. "It would probably be best for me to vanish the bones and pins, then."
"You can do that, without operating?" Strange asked in wonder.
"Yeah, sure." Harry shrugged. "Magic is capable of a lot of awesome things." He pulled out a pair of glasses he had enchanted for x-ray. "Try these on."
"I don't need glasses." Strange said, before noting the look in Harry's eye and the raised eyebrow. He reluctantly picked up the glasses and put them on, only to be shocked at seeing through Harry's skin. He could see the arteries and nerves, he could see the eyeballs and the retina connected to the optic nerves. "This is amazing! Is it bathing you in radiation to show me this?"
"It's magic, Stephen." Harry said. "It sees through things. They are called x-ray specs, after all."
"I don't think you know how x-rays work." Stephen said while looking at his own hands. He had to admit, the doctors did a good job even if there were things he would have done differently. "This is amazing though. Could you make me a pair." he asked.
"You can keep those, as long as you promise not to use them for anything lewd." Harry said. He knew it was impossible to do lewd things with them, but he had to say it on principle.
"First do no harm." Strange recited. "Why are you helping us so much?"
"Because it's what I do." Harry said. "I also want to offer you a job." As he said it he pulled a scalpel from his inner pocket. He placed his hand on the table and stabbed the scalpel into his flesh.
Strange jumped up, thinking of where he'd find the required equipment to fix the madman's hand. Then he noticed it wasn't bleeding. He stepped forward and looked as Harry wiggled the scalpel and Strange could clearly see it, with the x-ray specs, passing through his hand not harming it. "It's an illusion?"
"No, it's not. The blade of the scalpel is currently out of phase with this dimension." Harry retracted the blade and lifted it up for Strange to see. He pointed at the base, where he had a bar running across the handle. He shifted it like one would a Stanley blade. "This is an Adamantium scalpel with a phasing function built in. The bar on the side allows you to integrate the edge back into sync with our reality."
"Are you saying you can use that blade, with these glasses to perform surgery all while never needing to open the patient up?" Strange asked.
"That's exactly what I'm saying." Harry said. "Now, I know you're a busy man, but with my resources at the disposal of Kamar-Taj and my protections on the Sancta Sanctorum, you may find yourself able to do both jobs. Add to that the fact that I can put patients in a state of suspended animation before, during and after surgery and you need not ever lose another patient again, while taking all the patients you could ever want to."
Stephen was very tempted. He took the offered scalpel and touched the edge, which was currently in phase. He slid the slider up and the blade lost contact with him from the base up. "Quite ingenious. Did you invent this?"
"Wish I could say I did." Harry said. "My friend Jarvis came up with the idea and implemented it using a form of Rune magic I taught him."
"I thought you said your power was unique?" Stephen asked.
"It is." Harry confirmed. "Jarvis uses a machine I helped create that gathers and stores my kind of magic. He then uses that device to power magic runes."
Stephen was still staring at the blade, before he took the glasses off and slid them back across the table with the scalpel. "Your offer is tempting, but I have other responsibilities now."
The man across from them nodded and started clapping before the glamour faded to reveal the face of the Ancient One. "Well done, Doctor Strange." she said.
"Ancient One? You're alive?" Stephen asked. "Or are you something that Master Ghost is projecting?"
She looked bemused for a moment, "I suppose he could do that if he wanted to?" she said looking at Harry, who snapped his fingers and two more Yao appeared, both clapping hands, before disappearing again. "Yes, he could, but I assure you I am very much alive. Thanks in no small measure to Harry."
"And Fawkes." Harry said instantly. When Fawkes appeared he ignored Strange's outcry of shock and scratched the bird the way he liked. Fawkes seemed to be doing lots better these days. He moped around less and spent time on Atlantis, flying about the magical realm Harry had created.
"Of course." Yao said walking around to scratch the magnificent bird. "Who could forget the phoenix who saved both my life and my soul?" The connection to the Dark dimension was gone and she hadn't felt so light in many years."
"Phoenix, Soul?" Strange asked. "Wait! How are you alive? I saw your body. You were dead!"
Yao smiled from where she was still scratching her ultimate saviour. "Harry would need to explain the body, but the phoenix is a bird of utter purity and its tears can heal most any wound. It was able to sever my connection to the dark Dimension and its energies."
"Why did you have that connection to begin with?" Strange asked.
"You will soon learn that you will need to exploit your enemies' weaknesses to prevail against them." Yao said. "When I was young, I was placed in a position with an impossible choice. I ended up choosing the one where less innocents died, but I had to sacrifice my soul."
"Until today." Harry said.
"Until today." Yao nodded. "This would also explain why I could not see past this point. My power was too fundamentally changed. So long has the dark dimension sustained me, that it suffused my own power."
"So, you can come back to Kamar-Taj?" Strange asked with some hope.
Yao's face fell slightly, "I'm afraid I cannot."
"Why?" Strange asked.
"Your destiny does not include me." Yao said. "I can make you much the same offer I made Harry here, more than four years ago. You may seek me out in this place, and I will be here to tell you that you are doing as you must. Even if I cannot lighten your burden or give you information that would change the things you'd do, I could still confirm you are on the right path, simply by not pointing out your mistakes."
Stephen would have preferred that she came back, but wouldn't begrudge her the opportunity to rest. She was ancient after all. Then a thought occurred to him, "I can't tell anyone about you, can I?"
Yao shook her head, "I'm afraid not. Your future rests within your own hands and I no longer have a path to walk among those of Kamar-Taj."
"What will you do now?" Strange asked.
"I was thinking of enjoying a bit of sun and resting." Yao said with a smile. "It has been many hundreds of years since I last had a holiday." Then she looked Strange in the eyes, "Don't follow my example and forget to live, just because the weight of the world lies upon your shoulders."
"No pressure or anything." Strange mumbled.
"Oh, relax and have a drink." Harry said passing him a firewhiskey. "After battle, my people often come here for a drink and some relaxation. At some point in the future, those of Kamar-Taj may come here as well. We don't want our time-and-dimension-protecting-mystic-monks to overwork themselves after all."
"I'm not sure we're allowed alcohol." Strange said as he watched Yao take a sip of her own drink.
"Not normally, not while you're on duty, at least." Yao said. "Fortunately for you, we have a wizard in attendance. He can dispel the effects of alcohol straight form your system. One drink won't kill you either."
Strange was astounded, "I didn't think you were the type to indulge."
"I wasn't always a monk, you know." Yao said with a smirk. She'd heard that line in a movie once.
Strange shrugged and took a sip of the drink, nearly coughing and then slumping in his seat as the effect hit him. "This stuff must be magic!" he exclaimed. "No antidepressant works that fast."
"Firewhiskey." Harry nodded. "If done right, you can blow fire after a sip."
"No thanks." Strange said easily. "I think I'll just enjoy this."
"So, 'Ancient One', what did you have in mind for after your holiday?" Harry asked.
"I hadn't considered it, honestly." Yao said.
"Well, I saw you fighting and I can easily see you as a martial arts instructor." Harry said. "Did I ever tell you about my Room of Requirements?"
"I think you may have mentioned a room by that description in passing once or twice." Yao said with a smile.
"Well, I had this idea…" Harry started. By the next week Yao would be stopping by the respective branches to set up ART Rooms with her skills to train EPI's people. Harry could not have hoped for a better instructor than the thousand-year old monk. The fact that all his people were able to learn from her, was just a bonus.
Yao settled into a routine of reading and exploration. A peaceful life like she had not known in a long time and Harry was happy he could supply her with that.
She had a house, a bit away from the rest, but close enough to be considered included when the inevitable party broke out. Within a couple of weeks, most of the inhabitants of the island considered her a friend and her calm and peaceful nature drew them to her whenever they were feeling vulnerable and in need of support.
Her name on the island soon changed from Ancient One, to Island Mother, and she couldn't be happier. Harry suspected the Nymphs had done that, when they saw how much respect he showed the woman. Neither of them complained. Frigga might, though. When she found out.
---
It was a couple of weeks later when Tony called Harry over to his office to watch a video he had found online. "Did you see that? The kid just caught a car with his bare hands!" Tony said excitedly. He showed Harry another video of the kid swinging around, "I had someone pick up some of the remaining webbing. The strength of this stuff is amazing!"
"Why do you call him kid?" Harry asked as he looked at the site. It clearly referred to him as Spider-Man.
"I may have worked out who he is." Tony said.
"How old is he?" Harry asked.
"Not old enough to be out of school yet, but old enough to want to help people." Tony said.
"I don't know, Tony." Harry said. "We're supposed to be responsible adults here."
"And we both know what we'd do given powers even at school age." Tony said with a pointed look.
Harry thought about it. "Fine, but this one's your baby. I've brought enough enhanced in. If you're bringing in the kid, you're responsible and you're giving him the protections he'll need."
"Could you just…" Tony started.
Harry dug in his drawer and removed an Avengers armband. He changed it to have the Avengers Logo, but with the word Trainee over it. "One time use Portkey to the EPI Infirmary." He tossed it to Tony. "Activation is 'Emergency Port Out'."
"Thanks Harry." Tony said. He was excited. The kid promised to be a smart one. His grades were understated but drew the picture of someone who was holding back to fit in. High school must be difficult for someone like him. Maybe Tony can get him a scholarship to somewhere more suited to his speed?
"Don't thank me yet." Harry said with a smirk as he tossed over another identical bracelet. "You're the one that has to inform Fury why there's a replacement Avengers Trainee Bracelet waiting for the kid for when he uses the other one."
Tony groaned, "Maybe I should just not tell him?"
Harry laughed at him and continued his work. Steve's belt was almost done. Making pocket dimensions without runes was a relatively new enchantment for him, but even though it took longer and more energy, he preferred it over the runes he'd had to use before. Sure the pocket dimensions he could make this way weren't nearly as big, but enchantments could keep working in space without a constant feed of energy and he didn't want to strand any of his people because a pocket dimension stopped being available.
Harry would 'open' the pockets as Steve learned to use the powers. First being flight, then time-dilation. Only time would tell if he'd be able to learn to use both at once, like Harry could. There were one or two other features, as well, but Harry reserved the right to tell Steve about those. Some of the things he added, Steve wouldn't need yet.
Harry finished the belt the next day and excitedly went in search of the symbol of American goodness. He found Steve in the gym, hitting a sandbag, which had been spelled to repair itself and become heavier, depending on the amount of force applied to them. Steve loved it, as he didn't need to keep replacing the bags constantly. This one was his personal one too, which would randomly spawn targets in the bag for him to hit.
"Hey, Steve! How are you this fine morning?" Harry said with a smile.
"Somehow I'm worried when you smile like that." Steve joked. "I'm doing fine thanks. You?"
"Oh, I'm just peachy." Harry said. "Want to help me with an experiment?"
Steve really did not like that look. "Seriously, why am I afraid?" he asked.
"Oh don't be afraid, silly. We're upgrading you is all." Harry said. Then he turned a portal into being and walked through. At first Steve thought he saw the island, but once he was through, he realised they were in a desert.
"So, what's the upgrade that needs this much open space?" Steve asked.
Harry presented him with the belt. "Put it on." he instructed. Steve started removing his current belt, but Harry stopped him. "This one needs contact with your skin." he said.
Steve shrugged and tied the belt around his waist and lifted his shirt over it. Harry had already bound the belt to him when he started handling it. He didn't even need physical contact these days. The moment it was in contact with his skin it disappeared. "Did it just become part of me?" Steve asked.
"It's an enchantment. You can make it visible with a bit of willpower." Harry said as he cast a couple of spells to check if the belt's enchantments were working as they should. "Everything seems to be in order." he reported. "First test." he said as he lifted up into the air. "Direct your will to the belt and try to lift up."
Steve concentrated and Harry was impressed when Steve lifted up steadily until he was level with Harry. "Did you give me a belt of flying?" Steve asked with excitement in his eyes.
"I sure did Steve, I sure did." Harry confirmed, still smiling ear-to-ear. "The reason we're here is to train you in its use. Like with carpets and brooms there are two modes of operation." Harry started.
That lesson would take two hours and left Harry exhausted by the time it ended as Steve picked up on the concepts faster than Harry thought he would. It probably had something to do with Steve flying his Skyline often. The finer control was still lacking, but he had no issues accelerating to maximum speed once he knew how and Harry had to match him, just to continue the lesson as Steve looped and swerved. He was almost a natural. Except for the couple of times he underestimated his speed and careened into the soft sand.
At the speed he was going a normal person would be dead, but Harry had added some protection to the belt. He wasn't impervious, but a couple of small bumps and insects wouldn't bother him. The speed he was capable of achieving with the belt was not as fast as he could with his Skyline, but that wasn't the point. The point was to give him a new tactical advantage.
They went to the same stretch of desert the next day and Harry taught him how to activate the belt's dilation field. Steve was able to activate the time-dilation, but he struggled to move at his new perceived speed. It was as if his mind was the only thing that was faster. He could potentially react faster as well, but his body was still stuck in normal time.
It was a disappointment to Harry when he realised that only he could push his physical body to move faster by using his magic to will his movements, but Steve didn't have magic flowing through his veins, so he had nothing to pull from. It seemed that Harry would be the only person who would be able to move faster with his dilation effect.
"I'm sorry Steve." Harry had said.
"Sorry for what?" Steve asked honestly. "Extra time to think in battle is a resource people would kill for. I'll train with this and see if I can implement any new strategies by using the ability. You did very well on this Harry."
Harry was glad that Steve saw a use for the feature, even if it didn't work for Steve like it did for himself.
When Harry reported his perceived failure that night at dinner with Natasha, Tony and Pepper, Tony was the first to speak up, "Seriously? You actually got it working?"
"Yeah, but only I can use it like it's supposed to be used. See?" he said as he activated his own dilation and moved behind Tony in the blink of an eye.
Tony jumped, but smiled, "That's awesome! Actual time manipulation on a living organism."
"Old news." Harry said.
"What do you mean? How did you figure it out?" Tony asked.
"I ended up reversing what I do for the stasis field." Harry said. "The subject is exposed to more time rather than less over the same relative period."
"So, a person is actually aging faster in that time too?" Tony asked.
"Technically." Harry nodded.
"Then it's more of a cheat than an advancement." Tony said sadly. "You ageless, powered people will be able to take advantage of it, but we 'normal' folk could potentially loose our lives while going through a whole day in a second, without food and water." He looked Harry straight in the eye, "You did make this one intent activated right?"
Harry nodded, "Yes. I didn't want people seeing when and how the power is activated."
"That's good." Tony sighed. "Imagine a person's mind was the only thing that experienced the acceleration. Depending on the factor of dilation, they wouldn't be able to move fast enough to switch it off if it wasn't intent based. What factor of dilation did you set it to?"
"It's all intent based. The default, starting setting, is two times normal time. Then it can be dialled up from there." Harry said. He hadn't thought of that. If he had made a mistake, Steve may have died. Hopefully he's not been trying to use the item at an enhanced speed for too long… "Wait, that won't happen. The enchantment limits the use, since it's affecting a living organism. It would only be able to run for just over half an hour per day, relative time, at full charge."
"That's at least good to know." Tony said. "In that case, maybe I can try one of those at some point?"
"Let's rather follow the actual testing protocol set up by Fury's people." Natasha interrupted. "You remember he set that up for everyone's protection, right?"
Pepper was nodding along, "While this is a wonderful invention Harry, messing with people's time is probably something that needs testing on less… important mortal beings first, like mice?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "I did follow procedure, thank you." he said. "I just didn't put it on the books as this is a private project. Once Steve is used to it and can train other people in the uses, I'll make limited versions of the same thing for select people from EPI."
"You want to give normal humans the ability to fly?" Tony asked.
"And phase, actually." Harry said. "I had another idea."
"Brace yourselves people." Tony muttered. He knew about the phasing. He had helped Harry figure that one out for the Phase Drive on Midnight. Then he had started working on a rune set for the same effect.
Harry narrowed his eyes at him for a second, then continued. "Imagine using Pym's shrinking with flight, phasing, x-ray glasses, stasis and the scalpel. What do you see happening for surgeons?"
Tony got it instantly. "Normally the scalpel will be enough, but with all those combined, you could potentially perform brain surgery with a way smaller risk of damage to the brain." Tony was nodding at the idea and then his eyes shot open, "If your glasses can see tumours in the body, they could be cut out by a GP with no fear of it spreading!"
"It won't be that simple." Harry said. "Cancer is a difficult thing. You couldn't just see it by looking at the body. You'd still have to have the cells tested."
"The possibilities are still huge with those things combined." Tony said.
"I'm going to try and work on shrinking magic at some point." Harry said. "I doubt anything I do would affect physical strength and durability like Ant-Man, but the advantage at that size for detailed work could be a game-changer in a couple of fields."
Tony thought about that, before arguing, "Better to let Jarvis work with Pym on it." Before Harry could ask, he continued, "Jarvis can work with the Runes and apply the magic directly from his PMMG. It would allow for them to test the possibilities of magic, while drawing on Pym's experience about miniaturisation."
"He also still distrusts you." Natasha said to Tony.
"Because of my father." Tony said. "Can't blame the guy. My dad wasn't an example of the best humanity had to offer."
"He'll come around with enough exposure." Pepper said. "Once he spends enough time around Jarvis, he'll probably see you in a new light, considering you were the one that helped make him."
"He is quite likable isn't he?" Tony bragged.
Jarvis was off taking a sunset flight on Logan's carpet with Wanda, who had been staying on the island with her brother. While Pietro tended to spend time with the X-Men at the Institute, he always returned at night. As Harry understood it, the children at the Institute have been begging for another visit to the Island. Harry asked Logan to arrange it.
"Wanda seems to like him." Harry confirmed.
Tony was about to object, when Pepper gave him a look and a smile. Apparently they had had this conversation before. "I'm not over-protective. He's just not used to everything human yet. Shouldn't he take some time to get to know what's out there and who he is?"
"He's probably the smartest person on the planet with that quantum brain of his." Harry said. "He might know himself better than you know yourself."
"Jarvis never operates at full capacity." Tony contradicted him. "He was really serious about being human. That includes moments of stupidity, according to him." he scoffed.
"Let's consider his biggest influence for a moment." Natasha said with a smile at Tony.
"Oh, ha-ha." Tony said. "If he's emulating anyone, it's Mister Wizard." he said before looking at Harry. "Seriously, he's been getting more snarky these days. Have you been giving him classes?"
"I see him as much as you do. We basically work in the same office, Tony." Harry said. "Actually, you probably see him more, since he lives here. Maybe he's just going through puberty?"
"You can always ask him." Pepper said. "Doesn't he control everything in his brain?"
"He's been writing certain things into his subconscious." Tony said. "He has access to it, but doesn't want to go there as he wants the experience to be organic."
"I'm pretty sure that makes him the only one on the planet that wants to be more flawed." Harry joked. "Bless him for it though. If I met him on the street today, I'd just think he was a friendly bloke. He's come a long way."
Tony was nodding along, "We should start planning a birthday for him."
"He was born two months ago!" Natasha said.
"So?" Tony asked. "We can celebrate his birth, then. Technically we're late, by that logic."
Harry just shook his head. "Hey, so how's your arachnid project going?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm enjoying setting the kid up." Tony enthused. "I've got a whole roll-out plan for him, with systems that will advance as he learns."
"So you're setting him up with a bunch of tech?" Pepper asked disapprovingly. "Isn't he a school kid?"
"He decided to start fighting crime on his own. He said that now that he has powers, when bad things happen and he does nothing, he feels like they are his fault. I'm just trying to give him what he'll need to live through it." Tony defended.
"Why don't you get him to train with Logan for a bit?" Harry suggested. "He loves kids and probably knows more about teaching them than you do."
"The kid's a tech wiz." Tony said. "Logan wouldn't understand him like I do."
"You understand kids now?" Pepper asked. "When did that happen?"
"Tennessee." Tony said. "While I was stuck in that kid's garage."
"Oh, you mean while Harry was being dragged off to Killian's base?" Natasha said dangerously.
"That's in the past. What's important here is that I'm great with kids." Tony said.
"That's one kid, and you yourself told us that Harley helped you, more than the other way around." Harry interjected.
"You know his name?" Pepper asked.
"Tony kept on referring to him as 'the kid', I was half expecting a cowboy with a six-shooter or a shotgun." Harry said. "Jarvis told me his name, when I asked."
"'The Kid'," Tony insisted, "is doing fine. I'm helping pay for his and his sister's school so that their mom can spend more time with them."
"It's true." Harry said. "Tony calls him at least once every other week and asks what he's up to. Harley has started looking up to Tony like some sort of father figure, close as I can tell."
"Poor kid. Must have no other option." Natasha joked.
"Hey!" Tony objected. "That was uncalled for."
"I'm sorry, Tony." Natasha apologised. "I'm sure you make a wonderful absentee father."
Tony glared, but decided to change the subject, "Either way, Peter's going to be fine. As long as he takes his time to train, the suit will be an asset to help keep him safe."
"Peter?" Pepper asked.
"The Spider-Man. Peter Parker." Tony confirmed.
"Parker?" Natasha asked suddenly.
"Yes." Tony confirmed. "Have you heard of him?"
"His parents were CIA. He's been on a SHIELD watch list all his life. Ever since his parents died in a suspicious plane crash." Natasha said as she got up and took out her phone. "I need to report this. If he's an enhanced, there's a chance that he'll get himself in trouble if the wrong people find out." She walked away from the couch where they were sitting.
"Huh, you learn something new every day." Tony said.
"So," Harry asked, "All tech and no runes?"
"I did spend the vast majority of my life on tech development, Harry." Tony said. "I'm not giving that up just because I can do other things. I do add MI tech to everything I make now, though."
"Makes sense." Harry said. Then he looked Tony straight in the eye, "Just make sure to keep an eye on Peter. He's only fifteen. If he gets hurt doing what you enable him to do, you'll never forgive yourself."
Tony nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. I'll add some extra features, just in case."
Pepper latched onto that, though, "Fifteen!?"
"Like I said," Tony defended, "I have no say in it. He's going to go out there anyway. Better to gear him up to protect himself, right?"
"Don't worry, Pepper. I'll see about putting some charms on him at some point." Harry assured her. He understood Peter's motivation. Hell, he'd been in the same boat at some point in his own life. "First thing Tony did was get him a portkey. He's taking it seriously."
Pepper didn't look happy, but accepted it, since Harry at least worked with kids quite often at the Institute. "Fine." was all she said.
Natasha returned at that point. "What did I miss?" she asked.
"Nothing. We're still discussing Peter." Harry said. "And that was really quick."
"I agree with Harry. You should send him to learn some strategy and teamwork with the X-kids. They're going to the island this weekend, after all." Natasha said. "And Fury already knew. Has known for months apparently."
"That's this weekend?" Harry asked. Fury knowing didn't surprise him.
"You told Logan to arrange it." Natasha shrugged. "Since when's he the type to put things off. He's already settled in the Erumpents that he went to go pick up last week, so he probably decided to get the kids in for the long weekend."
"Oh, right." Harry said. "I'd forgotten about that. How'd it go?" He had been so preoccupied with the Super Soldier Belt that he seemed to have forgotten about what was going on with Logan and the island. He'd have to make time to catch up. He was almost certain Logan was tracking a group of Nifflers at some point as well. He wondered what happened to that.
"Logan was able to find one of each gender. According to your books it becomes dangerous to have more than one male as they'll blow themselves up to attract a female." Natasha said. "Some of these creatures are just strange. Where's the self-preservation instinct with these things? How does blowing yourself up allow you to procreate?"
"It's an accidental by-product of the mating ritual." Harry said. "They don't set out to kill themselves, but the female is attracted to the biggest display. They can normally survive a few explosions, unless they get competitive. A lot of power and a dash of stupidity and suddenly you have whole herds blown to kingdom come." he shrugged.
"So it's all just male stupidity?" Natasha asked.
"And explosions." Tony added, like that explained it. "I honestly feel bad for the creatures. If their females were attracted to the smartest males they'd be the dominant species."
Pepper just rolled her eyes, but smiled and kissed him anyway. "If only there were more people interested in minds, rather than power."
Tony smiled back, "Unless you're lucky enough to have both."
"So what do you say?" Harry asked. "We can do a weekend with Peter, the Avengers, X-Men and kids. One big, happy-"
"-messed up family, yeah." Tony finished for him. "How do we approach him?"
"I've sent an invitation to Peter Parker for an intern orientation at Stark Industries this weekend." Friday said.
"Have you been studying runes too?" Harry asked the ceiling.
"Mister Stark said I work too well to lose, so I have not been permitted access." Friday said easily. She wouldn't miss it because she didn't know it, after all.
"After the Hydra AI issue, I've decided not to experiment with sentient AI systems anymore." Tony said. "Where'd you get the idea, Friday?"
"It was an excuse you once used to get a lady's attention." Friday reported. "But in that case you actually did start up an intern program that's still running today."
"Huh." Tony said. "Who knew?"
"I didn't." Pepper said with narrowed eyes. She was looking at her engagement ring like she was reconsidering her options. It took a moment, but she lowered her hand and just looked overdramatically sad instead. "But I did know who you used to be when I said 'yes'."
Tony hoped she didn't see the quick look of panic that flashed across his face. Natasha hadn't missed it if her knowing smirk was anything to go by.
"Oh, I forgot, we've got news!" Harry said suddenly, looking at Natasha and smiling.
Pepper perked up and her smile came back. It was one of two things if the way they were looking at each other was anything to go by. "You set a date?" she guessed.
Natasha's own smile grew. "We set a date." she confirmed. "30th of March, 2018."
"That's ten months." Pepper said. "How are you going to have everything planned?"
"Why would we need that much time?" Harry asked, dumbfounded.
Pepper looked at him like he was an idiot. "Have you checked recently how many friends you have? Your friend list literally extends across multiple galaxies. Are all of them coming, do they need special preparations so that they can attend? How will people arrive? Where will the ceremony and reception be held? Where will people sleep?"
"You know what, I think those are all valid questions for Natasha and her Maid of Honour." Harry said deflecting easily.
"Oh yes. Do you think Laura will need help arranging things from the farm?" Pepper asked.
"Actually I was hoping you could both be my Maids of Honour?" Natasha asked.
Pepper froze, then looked Natasha straight in the eyes. "Really?!" she asked as her eyes started welling up.
"As long as you don't cry!" Natasha countered.
"Of course I'll be your Maid of Honour!" Pepper said as she jumped up and hugged Natasha. Then Pepper hugged Harry, before running off to go find her tablet.
"You do realise she won't let you rest until she has a full accounting of what, where, when, why and how, right?" Tony asked Natasha.
"I'm a spy, Tony. I come with escape routes pre-planned." Natasha smirked, before she turned to the returning Pepper, who immediately started drilling her on specifics.
Tony turned to look at Harry expectantly. Harry knew what he was waiting for, so did his best to ignore it. "So I've been thinking of adding the density increasing enchantment to Steve's belt, but I'm worried it will tire even him out. The added strength would be useful, but does he even need it?"
Tony was not answering and kept staring at Harry. "What?" Harry asked.
"I believe Mister Stark is hoping-" Friday started.
"Shut it!" Tony barked at the AI, who instantly stopped speaking. Then he continued his staring match.
Harry couldn't help himself. "So, how do you think I should tell Bruce he's best man?" While his delivery was spot on, he couldn't help the upturned corner of his mouth. Tony didn't fall for it and Harry decided to relent. "Fine! Will you be my Best Man?"
Tony shot up and pulled Harry into a one armed hug, "It's high time you admitted it!" he joked. "Of course I'll be the Best Man." Then he turned on his heal and beckoned for Harry to follow, "It's time for a cigar. Let's leave the ladies to talk wedding plans, while we discuss something of infinitely more import; the bachelors party."
The quiet dinner turned into an impromptu planning session. Maybe a few too many drinks were had, but in the end everyone had a wonderful time, while starting the plans for the much-awaited nuptials.