Disclaimer: This is a story based on Harry Potter, Marvel, DC and Image comics characters and all recognizable characters, plots belong to Jk Rowling,Marvel, DC and Image comics. I claim no ownership to it.
Chapter 18: The World Was Not Ready: Part VI
Harry Potter
Harry was resting after his tiring flight with Clark. It had been especially exhausting because, after letting Clark fall, Clark's flight had failed to activate, forcing him to dive after and catch him before he hit the ground. Harry knew Clark would of course survive such a fall and heal afterward, but he did not want to mentally scar him like that. So, Harry had used his telekinesis to gradually slow Clark down before letting him land with only some impact.
The moment Harry touched down, laughing. Immediately his laughter vanished as his Thought Stream 3, started to scream at him. Even before the first word Clark moved at full speed and punched. Harry was caught off guard by the punch to his stomach, which made him double over and then sent him flying backward hundreds of meters.
"Fuck," Harry cursed, feeling his ribs snap. He was shocked, especially since his passive five percent shield of magic and telekinesis was always active and Clark had managed to overpower it.
This was the second time Clark's super speed had broken through his defences, and Harry realized that his body could not automatically strengthen the shield quickly enough. His enhanced mind simply could not process the danger and raise his defences simultaneously, even with his parallel thought streams and his magical, psychic, and heightened senses working in tandem to monitor his surroundings and detect threats at all times.
"No more," Harry whispered as his magic healed his broken ribs. He assigned his Memory Cache to search for any method of passive body shielding that might improve the situation. Harry waited a second to see if something immediate would come up, but nothing did. He sighed in disappointment. Then he almost dismissed the matter to background before another thought hit him.
If his senses couldn't detect the threats fast enough, then he should predict it. Immediately, he assigned another task to Thought stream: Memory Cache. Find all the methods to predict future dangers or sense where the attacks would come from. He got some pings quickly but he dismissed it for later, assigning to first finish both the tasks.
Clark walked over with a grin.
"Don't do that again, Harry. I nearly died because of panic."
"Ah, don't be a crybaby, Clark. Even if I hadn't caught you, you would have survived. Of course, it would have drawn unwanted attention and left you suffering major pain, but you would have survived," Harry replied with a shrug.
Clark just stared at him as if he were insane.
"Anyway, I am going now before you start doing anything else," Clark said, then walked toward his home.
Harry sighed as he stood and headed back to the abandoned house he was squatting in.
He woke later with a groan, blinking against the flashing light and sound coming from the table. It took only a second for his mind to catch up, and he immediately sat up, activating the mirror to play the incoming message.
Harry groaned in frustration as he realized who was knocking at his door, even before his name had entered the public eye in the Muggle world.
"Fucking Fury and his traitorous SHIELD. No wonder it is full of Hydra filth when Fury wastes his time watching irrelevant things like me," Harry muttered as he restored the place to the state he had found it in, ensuring no trace of his presence remained.
=================================
Harry knew it would take a very well-made portkey to bring him to Black Castle immediately, and though he could create one, MACUSA would inevitably come sniffing around the moment such high-level magic was detected, no matter what obfuscation charms he used.
So, Harry decided he couldn't risk doing it in Kansas, not with Clark nearby. Instead, he chose to fly two states over and make the portkey there. Thus, he reached the castle as soon as possible. He appeared in the outside the castle and the moment he appeared, the Wards enveloped him, checking and then almost caressing him as he was the heir's heir. He entered the castle and quickly appeared in the room hidden by magic and from sight through which anyone assigned by the Lord could watch the meeting room.
Harry observed the guests through both his eyes and his other senses. He had already assigned his Fight Mode to run through every memory he had of Wonder Woman and prepare for combat if necessary, the moment his sleep was interrupted by a mirror message from his uncle, Arcturus.
Even with Harry stuck in the body of a ten-year-old and his mind nearly asexual now, he found himself tempted—if only for a second—by the beauty of the demi-goddess. Yet more than beauty, it was the danger radiating from her that drew his instincts toward her.
Harry's Occlumency immediately crushed such useless thoughts, while Fight Mode took precedence. His Passive Defence raised the shield around him to thirty percent power, and his body was subtly enhanced by telekinesis, ready to match super speed if necessary.
Then in a particular tense moment he made his entrance….
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"....I heard raised voices just now. Is everything all right?"
"Nephew, this is Diana Prince, daughter of Queen Hippolyta of Themiscyra and God-King Zeus," Arcturus said smoothly, maintaining their cover.
Harry had to appreciate his uncle's composure. Even under pressure, the old man never failed to keep all options open. Harry looked into the sky-blue eyes of the princess. They reminded him of thunder, but he also saw a flicker of wariness in them as she observed him. Only by using Occlumency at full strength did he manage to hide his frown at her reaction. By all rights, Diana should not have been wary of a child like him. Yet the honed senses of a demi-goddess and a warrior were not that easily fooled.
Harry's enhanced mind went through what could have made Wonder Woman wary about him, and he realized those of higher being could feel the aftereffects of Lady Death on him. Even if Diana couldn't realize what was odd, her own divine senses, honed for battle, could see that Harry was no ordinary ten-year-old.
A slight suggestion came from his Memory Cache;
Playing the role of naïve kid is impossible. Play the role of magical lord so that Diana might write off whatever she felt as the passive effect of a magical lord.
"God-King Zeus, Uncle? That is a surprise," Harry said with a curious smile. He walked to the side of the table and waved his hand, summoning the wand from the hidden holster.
Both the muggles tensed at that, but Harry ignored them entirely.
With a wave of his wand, Harry conjured a throne-like chair and sat in it while the eyes of the muggles widened in wonder and slight fear.
"What? How is this possible?" Fury snapped in surprise, as he had a basic idea of what was possible with magic at what age.
Harry looked as if not understanding the relevance of the question and just shrugged casually. "Since I acquired my wand, it is very easy to will what I want," Harry said casually. "So, God-King?"
Even Diana was slightly surprised, knowing that no ordinary ten-year-old would conjure such things.
"Yes, Harry Potter. God-King indeed," Diana finally said with a faint smile. "Now, I can see enough of Charlus in you to be certain you are Harry Potter. But with magic, I must be sure."
Her left hand moved to the bangle on her right wrist, and it shifted instantly, lengthening into gleaming coils of golden rope.
The Lasso of Truth.
Harry maintained his façade of ignorance, reacting with practiced innocent curiosity at the reveal and the magical artifact.
"Young Harry," Diana said, making Harry almost lose his cover because of the snort of laughter that almost escaped his tight control. 'Young? Even Harry didn't know how old he was now.'
"This is the Lasso of Truth, it compels everyone who touches it to tell the truth. Now I want you to touch it and say your name and also say whether you are here of your own free will."
For a moment Harry's façade faded as his eyes narrowed at the audacity of the princess. Better than anyone alive, Harry knew the worth of power and the will to enforce it on others, and yet to do so blatantly under the Black wards, to his own uncle and sworn servant, made him angry at the disrespect to Lord Black and indirectly to himself.
"No," Harry said with a casual shrug. "I don't know you or what you are. You just disrespected my uncle in his home to satisfy your own feelings and gratitude toward one of my grandparents or parents. I don't care to whom. You were not there when the fat turd named Dursley beat me and starved me, leaving me to grow in the cupboard under the stairs. You were not there when he almost killed me, making my magic go bonkers enough that it exploded everything around me and brought me to my remaining family, who healed me and protected me."
Harry finished with enough dramatics and unleashed his control over his magic for an outburst of magic that seemed to be responding to his emotions to sell the lie.
Harry saw Diana's eyes widening slightly in surprise, and he saw a moment of guilt which vanished immediately. Harry swallowed the smirk that wanted to emerge.
"I am really sorry for the cruelty you had to endure, my boy," Diana said, and Harry could see that she fully meant it, and it was not the usual empty platitude.
Harry waved his hand, dismissing the sympathy. "Don't bother, princess. It is the Dursleys who are in the wrong. You have nothing to do with their cruelty," Harry said as he sighed deeply, as if trying to calm his anger. Meanwhile, he reduced the magical outburst while acting as if calming down.
Harry, who had been keeping his telepathic senses at the greatest degree to read Diana, felt a slight feeling of understanding and relief. Harry internally smirked as his plan worked somewhat for now. Harry sent his telepathy to Lord Black.
'Uncle, be magnanimous and convince me to use the lasso and to be over with it.' Harry sent the telepathic message. There was no reply or movement of body from Black to acknowledge the surprise message. None was needed for Harry to know Uncle had received it and would implement it.
"Harry. As much as I like you caring enough about me to defend my honour against Diana here, it is not needed. I am all right, and she is a stubborn lot. Just grab the lasso and get it over with. We have much better things to do than needless argument and fights," Arcturus Black said with a benevolent smile.
Harry looked conflicted for a moment and finally nodded in defeat.
The lasso, which had been dangling to the floor from Diana's hand, moved itself with a casual flick of her hand. The golden rope lengthened immediately and reached Harry. Harry took the lasso in his right hand, and suddenly he could feel the overwhelming compulsion to answer truth. Harry grimaced as his mind palace shook at the presence while fighting back, and for the first time since activating his seven parallel thought processes, all of them paused their tasks and concentrated fully on repulsing the compulsion.
Harry had to hide the pain and smirk from his face as finally his will and mind won enough that Harry could control what he answered. Even then, he understood that he could only answer true statements. Harry analysed the tug of war, and he understood that the only reason he was not blabbering all his secrets was his own telepathy. Had he only had Occlumency and magic, he would have lost against the divine artifact, but the power of a budding Omega Level Telepath is just on another level.
"My name is Harry James Potter. I am with Uncle Arcturus because I want to be here," Harry said and immediately released the lasso.
Harry smirked as he saw Fury opening his mouth to ask a question to exploit the chance to get some honest answers.
'Sneaky bastard can have his free answer from Hydra Kool-aid,' Harry thought with malice. Suddenly, an evil plan came to him from his Memory Cache and Offence Planning.
Motherfucker just came to poke at my own plans. Retaliating is a must and what a good way to turn Fury's eye from him and sow ultimate chaos in enemy ranks.
Harry thought on the plan and immediately Harry's smirk vanished as he realised the plan would not work if Fury asked Diana to question Maria Hill with her Lasso.
'Damn lucky bastards.' Harry thought as his plan to say he got the word Hail Hydra and to report about Harry and Diana to seniors from Maria Hill's mind was postponed for now.
Diana looked like she wanted to question some more, but reluctantly she nodded at Harry, and the lasso retreated to its bangle form.
"I am thankful that all is at least good and right for you now, Harry Potter," Diana said. She observed the boy, and she understood that there was more to him than what was revealed. But for Diana, it was all irrelevant as her friend's grandson was healthy and not being used for his money. She decided to at least keep an ear out for what would happen in the future, as she knew it was not the end, just the beginning of a new world. As for the anomalies she had seen from the beginning, Diana could only assign them to the usual quirks of a fully realised magical lord.
Harry just nodded in acknowledgement.
"Now, as that is over, I have some questions," Fury said hurriedly from his seat. "Mr. Potter, why are you suddenly converting all your magical world's money to our dollars? What are your intentions?"
Harry looked at Fury as if he were an idiot, and even Fury felt his veins throbbing in anger at the casual disregard in the boy's eyes.
"Do you want to be my new accountant? The goblins serve me well, but Uncle Arcturus always complains about the nasty buggers," Harry asked with a smile, as if the question were entirely genuine and not mockery, if not for the cruel glint in Harry's eyes.
Lord Black snorted from his seat, and then there was muffled laughter leading to full-blown laughter. Even Diana smirked from her seat, seeing the expression on Fury's face.
Fury gritted his teeth in anger and closed his eyes to swallow the anger.
"Mr. Potter, it is not the time for jokes. By your own words, it was you who blew up an entire street and caused millions in damages and the death of many innocent people. I am the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D, and I could arrest you for harming the innocents. By all means continue your mockery, and let's see what happens," Fury said, hiding his uneasiness as he knew that there were no grounds he could stand on with this accusation.
"Innocents?" Harry snorted in derision. "There are no innocents in that street. Every single one knew what was happening at number 4 and no one did anything regarding it. You see, my knowledge regarding the wizarding world is only at the beginning, but Uncle has especially told me about the Statute of Secrecy. I wonder how you will arrest me when you are nothing but a muggle leader of an organisation that is not recognised by the ICW. Even then, no wizard is to be tried by muggles as per the agreements signed centuries ago. I often wondered why others didn't do anything, and now I understand. The jealousy of the powerless towards those born with power is a poison so high that it turns to hatred very easily. Yet again, here you are exploiting the courtesy of your betters for something that doesn't even concern you," Harry said while pointing to Diana.
"You say it doesn't concern me, and your words just proved to me it will concern me. I agree that what you suffered is something horrific and that no one should, but it has led your hatred towards us. I see no other reason for you to want normal money immediately," Fury said coldly.
Harry just scoffed. "Why should it be that, Mr. Spy? Why couldn't it be for helping humanity as a whole and other kids suffering like me?"
Harry internally smirked as a sudden idea came to him. "In fact, let me say it once again. Princess Diana," Harry finished, indicating the bangle in her hands.
Diana raised an eyebrow in curiosity but nodded after a moment. With a flick, the lasso enlarged, and Harry held the rope in his hand again.
"I want to help humanity as a whole and all the kids suffering like me. It is the reason for me to change galleons to muggle money," Harry said under the lasso while using his full Occlumency to hide his smirk and pride at his manipulative ability. Harry knew a man like Fury wouldn't believe it entirely, but it would alleviate the concerns somewhat.
Harry released the rope again as Fury wanted to ask another question.
"Enough," Lord Black said from his seat. "I have indulged you disrespectful muggles long enough. If you want to accuse my Harry, then you are good to go ahead. But I wonder how you will prove that Harry even lived there in the first place. I have made sure there will be no records. So, the courts will mock you, and then the question of how Harry survived will come. Anyway, this meeting is over. Now get out."
Arcturus said, and he threw a coin towards Diana.
Diana held the coin, and she felt the magic.
"Portkey?" Diana asked curiously.
"Yes, portkey," Arcturus said. "It will land you outside the wards, and you can all leave."
Diana nodded in agreement, but Fury showed reluctance.
"Of course, Black. I will leave for now. Harry, I am looking forward to staying in touch with you," Diana said, and she turned towards Fury and Maria with a smirk. She held the coin and latched it to Fury's and Maria's hands while activating the portkey.
=======================================
The moment Diana vanished, Arcturus sighed deeply, his shoulders loosening like a deflated balloon, and he relaxed back into his seat.
Harry looked at his uncle with a raised eyebrow, amusement on his face. "I never noticed you were so tense about Wonder Woman. You must believe in me more, dear uncle," he said with a grin.
Arcturus just scoffed. "I have belief in you, nephew, but I don't want to risk a fight with that woman. If you had seen what she was capable of decades ago, you would understand, nephew."
Harry shrugged in dismissal. "Nothing I haven't seen or fought before Uncle. In-fact I would be more ready for such a fight now more than ever in the past."
Arcturus watched him with a new curiosity, but he ignored the boasting. "So where were you when you received my message? What did you do across the pond for them to come to me?"
Harry only grinned. "I have not done anything in America to attract them. This is just previous events boiling over because of Fury's paranoia. Otherwise they would have dismissed it long ago. I befriended one of the most powerful beings on this planet. He trusts me now and considers me his one and only friend. As you know, I invested in one of the most important upcoming muggle companies — Facebook. It's going to change Internet usage and the speed of communication for muggles, and when they go public I'll have control."
Arcturus's interest was piqued by the phrase "most powerful being," but he didn't bite the hook Harry had left, though Harry's smile was amused.
"I see—your plans for world domination are coming along nicely, then," Arcturus said mockingly. "Now what are you planning to do with these muggles? They seem persistent and well connected. They shouldn't be underestimated if they could contact Diana and have her take them places, they couldn't get access otherwise."
Harry waved his hand, dismissing the concern. "Don't worry, uncle. They'll have other headaches shortly." He thought about contacting his Winter Soldiers to create some chaos while handling Klaue and liberating his vibranium stash.
"Let's hope I don't have to meet them again. It took all my patience not to curse those fools," Arcturus lamented. "So—are you staying or returning to the colonies?"
Harry blinked at someone referring to America as "the colonies" even now, but he ignored it. "I still have things to do in America, uncle. I'm going back. When I return, we'll collect Sirius and then go for the serum procedure for both of you. After that it'll be training time."
Arcturus grimaced, but said nothing; even he knew it would be utterly idiotic not to get used to increased physical powers immediately.
Harry stood to leave when his Thought Streams— Passive Defense-and-Offense Planning and Memory Cache—brought a plan to the fore. He sat back down at once; Arcturus watched the sudden change with curiosity.
"Uncle, it just occurred to me that my liquid-money problems will persist if I wait for the perfect time to launch my medicines. I was an idiot to worry so much about acquiring money." He smiled. "Remember when I took over a Hydra base and their six insane super-soldiers…"
"You did what?!" Arcturus yelled.
Harry smirked proudly, enjoying his uncle's shock. Then, deliberately ignoring the Hydra remark, he returned to the matter at hand. "Anyway—let's continue with important things. I'll be liberating so much money from criminals I'll need to launder it. One industry that's easily penetrated is entertainment; it's ideal for acquiring and laundering funds. I want you to contact Ted and ask him to incorporate a parent company in the name of Potter Inc., or set up a trust—whichever is more tax efficient. LEP Ltd. will be a wholly owned subsidiary of that company or trust. Start incorporating another company called PB Entertainment and look for existing businesses across the value chain—from manufacturers of comics, DVDs, and music videos to distribution companies. Mark companies in financial trouble; when I have time I'll meet them and convince them to sell stakes to us without using magic, so there's nothing the ICW can pin on us."
Arcturus remained silent as he processed the order.
"Harry, what are you planning?" he asked. "Even with the entire value chain in our custody, without popular comics or music it'll be a massive red flag if millions appear from things no one has heard of."
Harry grinned and shook his head. "Ah, don't worry, uncle. Who says we'll be issuing dummy comics or music? We'll copyright some very good hero names that will be popular in the future. We'll also release quality music—the only missing piece is finding a charismatic man or woman I can trust completely. You can't ignore the influence such artists have among the rabble, and I want that influence working for me when the time comes."
Arcturus sighed in defeat—there was no use trying to dissuade Harry from this plan.
=======================
Nicholas Fury.
Fury sat in Diana's jet, staring out at the passing sky. His mind replayed the meeting over and over, leaving him with a sense of unease he hadn't felt in years.
"Director, we've got the answer to the explosion, and we even know there won't be any further incidents in the normal world," Hill said from her seat, her voice heavy with contemplation. "Still, I don't feel the satisfaction of closing the case."
Fury scoffed. "Of course there's no satisfaction—this case isn't closed at all. We've only got more questions now. The boy is too strange, too mature. He's got enough reason to hate all normal people, and now he's about to have the money to implement whatever plan he has."
Diana, who had been listening quietly, turned from her seat to look at them with a slight, mocking smile.
"Even now your thoughts are so limited, Nicholas," Diana said. "You're seeing enemies where there are none, for no reason other than your paranoia. Harry said he wants to help people while holding the Lasso of Truth. The Lasso is powerful enough that even obscure statements must be true. It doesn't allow vague wording to hide another meaning. Even if you're right—if Harry did want to destroy the normal world—he's already a fully realized magical lord. Money and influence would be almost irrelevant to him. In my experience, wizards and witches have an unhealthy obsession with their magical might and prowess. They rarely plan anything on an economic scale, especially against the weak non-magical world."
Fury remained silent, pondering her words. After a long pause, he replied, "Maybe you're right. Still, I can't forget the sheer wrongness I felt from him. What even is that? Is it normal for magical kids to have such a strong presence, unlike adult wizards?"
"That is unique to Harry himself," Diana said, frowning. "What you felt was the presence of a magical lord. People often react that way to them if their magic isn't fully under control. This is the first time I've seen one in a child."
"I see," Fury said. "Also, Ms. Prince, for your information—I know what one of the Potter accounts paid for. Someone used the names of James Potter and Sirius Black to buy a stake in an upcoming social media website. It was paid from one of House Potter's long-standing accounts where all the income from Stark Inc. has been accumulating for decades. I didn't question it at the time, deliberately. Let's hope he doesn't change his mind when the converted money starts coming into play."
Fury's thoughts turned darker as he considered whether he could make moves against Harry. After a while, he concluded it was far too risky without enough potential reward. For now, he decided, he would keep a close eye on the wizarding world and track Harry's activities in the normal one.
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Somewhere in Africa.
Harry grunted as he and one of the Winter Soldiers landed on the building where the group was holed up.
Immediately five guns were trained on them — then lowered as quickly as they had been raised when the men realized who had appeared. Harry had used the ring he'd given to all six to summon one of them to Britain. He'd read the man's mind to find their hideout, then created another portkey to get them here. Harry had also brought a two-way enchanted mirror and left it with the soldier for future use.
"How goes the search for Klaue?" Harry asked, looking over his squad of super-soldiers.
"Sir," the soldier answered, "we got intel that Klaue acquired a ship almost a year ago. He's been working on it since, and now he's holding a grand opening — an auction to show it off."
Harry's enhanced mind processed the information and flagged the most rewarding target for him. "I want all of you to infiltrate the auction site hours before it starts. Steal every piece of tech, every bit of money, and all the vibranium. Clear the ship, keep Klaue alive, and call me. I'll come, extract his knowledge, and take control of him. When the auction buyers arrive, make sure they see nothing — rob them blind — then blow the whole ship. With my telepathy and magic, fooling the muggle idiots will be easy. This will keep Fury distracted for at least months."
The soldiers nodded. With their skills — and the "notice-me-not" enchantment in the rings — clearing the ship would be straightforward.
=====================
USA
Harry groaned softly in pain as he landed on his feet in America. He had created another Portkey to arrive here immediately after his meeting with the Winter Soldiers. The pain vanished almost instantly as his healing factor kicked in.
He was now two states away from Smallville and began flying toward it without delay. He had to leave quickly, knowing that MACUSA might soon detect the international Portkey. Usually, Harry's magic was hidden under various charms and enchantments, but because he had arrived in a place without those protections established, his arrival had almost certainly pinged on their magical radar—especially the one tracking international Portkeys.
Flying under both an Invisibility Charm and a Notice-Me-Not Charm, Harry reached the house he had been staying in at Smallville. It was night by then, so he decided to sleep and meet Clark the following day.
The next evening, Clark arrived at the house as expected, wearing a bright smile and full of enthusiasm. The smile faded, however, when he caught sight of the serious look on Harry's face.
"Harry?" Clark asked hesitantly.
"Clark. I'm sorry, but it seems our happy days of training are over for now," Harry said with a sad smile.
"What?" Clark exclaimed in surprise and worry. "But I really want to learn to fly—and to learn from you!"
"As much as I've wanted to stay here and ignore everything else, I can't," Harry replied with a sigh. "Besides, you have Kelex to design your training. He can come up with the best plan for a Kryptonian under a yellow sun."
Clark looked as though someone had died. Harry reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a two-way mirror.
"Here, Clark. Keep this. We can communicate daily—just call out my name, and we'll be able to talk easily."
Clark's eyes widened as he tried it out, seeing Harry's face appear in the mirror while Harry held the duplicate in his own hand.
Clark nodded in thanks, vowing to keep the mirror safe. "Thank you, Harry. I'm really glad I got to meet you and be your friend," he said.
"Me too, Kal-El. Me too," Harry whispered.
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Gotham
Harry walked toward Wayne Manor under layers of magic meant to conceal his presence. His eyes lingered on the gothic structure—one of Gotham's most iconic buildings. A sigh escaped him as his memory cache bombarded him with hundreds of recollections tied to this place across countless loops.
He felt a pang of nostalgia remembering the times he had lived within these walls.
He felt anger recalling the times he had destroyed it—once with Fiendfyre, another with bombs, and even once by forcing Superman through the Imperius curse.
He felt the sharp ache of the brutal training he had endured here, what he often called hell.
And he felt the grief of losing Bruce Wayne.
Another sigh followed as he forced his mental palace into order, locking away the storm of memories. He could only hope his assumptions about this version of Bruce were correct—that he wouldn't be forced to kill the man in this timeline. If handled properly, Harry knew exactly how efficient Batman could be as an ally. Among all the heroes, villains, and beings he had met across the loops, Bruce Wayne was the one he felt most similar to… the one he empathized with the most.
Both of them had watched their parents die before their eyes, victims of cruelty. Both had been so profoundly marked by that loss that their entire lives had been defined by it. Both had started with the same intent—to do good—usually restraining themselves from killing. Even their endless battles had mirrored each other in the beginning. But that comparison had stopped holding true long ago. Years of fighting could not compare to Harry's countless cycles of being trapped in the same loop, over and over again.
Harry often wondered: would Bruce Wayne have become like him, had he been the one cursed with this endless loop? Or would his mind break even sooner than Harry's did?
Harry snorted in derision at the thought. He knew the truth. Bruce would have broken long ago. And in that madness, maybe he would have already defeated Thanos. After all, Harry admitted, if he surpassed Bruce in sheer stubbornness and on the feet thinking, Bruce far outstripped him in intellect, strategy, and the ability to craft paths to victory given enough time.
Harry had stood aside and watched how the countless Batman's laid plans against beings he had no right to even fight against and still win because of preparation. It was like some being was watching over the Batman from far away, just like his arch-nemesis Joker. But from experience, harry knew he as the Agent of Lady Death is exempt from retaliation from whatever entity is behind these two madmen.
Closing his eyes, Harry forced his thoughts into silence. He floated over the manor's walls, cloaked in magic powerful enough to evade even the most advanced sensors, before drifting down to the ground. With a muttered incantation, his body turned intangible, ghostlike, and he sank effortlessly into the earth.
Darkness swallowed his vision, only for it to clear as he emerged into the sprawling underground cave network. Releasing the spell, he landed lightly on the stone floor. His telekinesis stretched outward, wrapping around the entire manor and its grounds, mapping every tunnel and hollow in the caves. Without hurry, Harry began walking deeper, toward the Batcave, where he would wait for Bruce to return.
===========================
Batman
Batman entered the cave through the waterfall exit in his Batmobile. The armored vehicle rumbled to a halt at the end of the ramp and hissed open automatically. Batman groaned as he stepped out, pain flaring in his ribs from his latest fight with Solomon Grundy.
He walked toward his favorite chair before the Bat-computer—the single indulgence he allowed himself. He had spent hundreds of thousands to ensure it was the most comfortable chair imaginable. Soft cushions of the highest quality money could buy, an automatic reclining mechanism that transformed into a bed if he fell asleep, a built-in force field to protect its occupant, massage protocols, and a gentle heat system to soothe aching muscles—it was perfect. More than that, the chair was coded to him alone; not even Alfred could use it. He was certain the chair had added at least a year to his effective service time till now.
So, when the chair began to swivel on its own to face him, Bruce immediately went on alert. That alertness sharpened into shock—and then, just for an instant, fear—when he saw a boy sitting there, eyes closed, enjoying the chair's comfort. The fear shifted into anger, but his analytical instincts kicked in before emotion could take over.
First came the realization of absolute danger to him. Even in his stronghold, protected by layers of traps and security systems that could activate at a moment's notice, his instincts screamed that this boy was no boy at all—and that it would be foolish to fight him outright. The sheer casualness with which the intruder occupied the chair only amplified the sense of threat or just that the boy is absolutely mad. He didn't know which terrified him more.
Then came the second realization, more chilling than the first. For someone to be sitting in that chair meant they had bypassed every lockout, every protocol, every password—secrets only Batman himself knew. The boy almost certainly knew who he was.
Batman sensed something else from the boy—something that he was intimately aware of. A sense of loss and pain so terrible that it led to only one endgame: madness. Batman had long since accepted the fact that he was mad, as no one sane would go through what he did to achieve what he had become. He even had a second case study—his so-called arch-nemesis, the Joker. If his instincts had not warned him that killing the Joker would be devastating, Batman would have broken the vow he had taken after his initial year as Batman and killed the mad son of a bitch like the dog he was.
The only question remaining was whether the boy sitting in his chair had reached the stage of madness or not. He was even afraid of finding out.
Then the boy opened his eyes and smiled at him. The smile would have been innocent and even cute to anyone else. The boy's bright green eyes had such presence that anyone else would have believed him to be the most angelic one of all. But Batman almost sighed in defeat, because with one look into those eyes he understood the fact that the boy had lost to the madness so much that he had regained his sanity—sanity held together by a thin thread.
"Hello, Bruce," the boy said with an understanding smile, as if he saw into his soul itself and understood whatever he was thinking. Then, to Batman's horror, the boy shook his head slightly and said,
"Ah, sorry, my bad. Hello, Batman. I want to talk to the real you and not the mask you wear daily."
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Authors note: Happy Christmas !!!!
Finally we reached batman meeting… harry is making plans while planning to deal with anything surprising that pop up along the way… he would have fucked fury's world by revealing hydra exists inside shield and blamed maria hill even though he knows she is not hydra.. fury the paranoid would have looked for clues and he will definitely see hydra moments in shield and then not trusted maria at all leading to absolute chaos. If trusted maria could be shield who else could be.. Coulson? Barton? The only person trusted would be ironically the black widow.
Thank You All !!!
I am grateful for all support and wishes all of you has a good time in this Christmas and New year. Festival days are here and I have activated a discount for everyone in potter tier in my pat reon. Only new and cancelled patrons could actually see it and thus do the needful to claim it if it is beneficial for you. !!!
Looking forward to the reactions even though the response very lacking compared to ADS and FD for some reason..
Read commend and Recommend!!!
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