"They took the bait." Clint's voice whispered over coms. "They're coming in now."
"I'm ready." Daisy said, fingers hovering over the switches at her desk. The message that Hydra had 'intercepted' from them had given them the impression that they were using an old office building as a base. The trick had worked like a charm.
A dot blipped up on her screen. "We've got an Iron Man incoming, altitude dropping fast." Daisy announced. "Let me know when you want to detonate."
The seconds ticked by. "Now." Clint said, his voice cutting through the soft static in the line. Skye flipped a switch, and heard the distant sound of an explosion. There was a moment of silence on the line. "Confirmed, targets eliminated."
"Good job." Coulson said. "That was clean."
Daisy, however, shook her head. "We've still got the Iron Man." She warned. "And its shifting course, towards… shit!" She had moments to react, pushing herself up from her bench, and using a sonic pulse to propel her out of the van just in time. It exploded as Daisy tumbled out, rolling to her feet as the Iron Man landed heavily in front of her.
If it hadn't been for their contact with the mysterious 'Mechanic', she'd have been toast. He'd given them- specifically her- an in into Hydra's systems, and the ability to track Iron Man suits. The suited man propelled himself towards her, his repulsors charging up to deliver a killing blow. Daisy focused a sonic burst at the rocket at his left foot, destroying it and sending the man flying erratically.
He'd underestimated her, few expected the member of a two-bit resistant cell to have 'abilities', and Daisy loved getting the jump on them. "Fucker." She spat into the line, both to vent her frustration and let her compatriots know that she was alive. "He blew up my van."
The Iron Man skidded to the ground in an effort to regain control, but Daisy was ready. She countered his repulsors with another sonic blast, using the blowback to flip into the air and land on top of him. From there, it was a simple matter of focusing her abilities on the suit's weak point- the arc reactor. The Mechanic had been very useful in this, giving them detailed schematics of all of Hydra's tech. She shorted out the suit and tore off the man's helmet, leveling a pistol at his head. "We've got a live one." She said.
However, one look at the man's face sent a new surge of adrenaline through her system. He looked… expectant, like he had a trump card. She reared back to her feet, catching a blue flash of light in the corner of her eye. He'd called for help, and she was screwed, so very screwed. At the very least she could protect her friends. "I'm surrounded, get out!" She barked as more Hydra soldiers ported in around her. She'd try to take as many of them with her as she could, get some measure of payback.
"Daisy!" Coulson's voice shouted in her ear, but she tuned him out. She sprang to the side, and the ground she'd been standing on exploded (along with the man she'd captured) as a beam of blue energy struck the space she'd just occupied. She marshalled herself, concentrating as much power as she could, preparing to unleash it for one last, explosive stand-
Suddenly, around her, the Hydra soldiers lifted up in the air. Their guns clattered to the ground as they clutched their necks. Daisy whirled around, scanning her surroundings, muscles tensed, ready to spring away at any threat… she didn't need to look hard. Standing casually, in the open, was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.
She was tempted to smack herself for how quickly she'd become distracted. Yes, her mind had a tendency to dive into the gutter, and she'd never been shy about sex, or flirting, or admiring an attractive person of either sex. But this was a combat situation, and she should have her shit together.
Yet, the man clearly didn't have any hostile intent to her, and he was just as clearly gorgeous. His eyes were his most striking feature- they were a beautiful shade of green that she could just get lost in, and brought out by the dark green of his cloak. There was also the relaxed confidence he held himself with, how he'd effortlessly handled an entire Hydra contingent. He was powerful, and he knew it, and it was hot. "Sorry to pop in." He said, with a slight British accent that Daisy found appealing. "But it seemed like you needed some help."
"Johnson, report! What's happening over there?" Coulson spoke into her ear. Belatedly, Daisy clicked her mouth shut and shifted back into a guarded stance. She couldn't let her guard down yet, no matter how gorgeous this man was.
"Who are you? How did you find me?" She asked him.
"Harry Potter." He answered, she'd never heard the name before. "I have a friend with farsight, he helped me find you."
"Me, in particular?" Daisy asked. This was getting weird, and she wondered what the origin of his abilities were. At the very least he had advanced telekinesis. She would have guessed a mutant, but if he were looking for her… "Are you an inhuman?"
"I'll confess, I have no idea what that is." Harry ran a hand through his hair, and Daisy found herself distracted by the motion. "But yes, I was looking for you in particular, and anyone fighting against Hydra and the Order in general. I'm recruiting."
One of the Hydra soldiers cried out, kicking his feet into the air in futility. "Oh, where are my manners." He brought his staff to the ground, and beams of red light shot in every direction, striking the men and rendering them unconscious.
Daisy's eyes went wide. "You're a wizard."
"I'm not with the Order. I despise everything they stood for." Harry said, confirming her conclusion. "Though there's not much left of them, at this point."
There'd been rumors that the wizards had also fallen victim to this new assault by Hydra, but they hadn't been able to confirm any of it. Her mind reeled as she struggled with what to do, what to ask this man. But before she could, an arrow streaked through the air. In alarm, Daisy held her hands up, sending a sonic burst to deflect it. "Hold your fire!" She barked into her earpiece. "He's a potential ally!"
Harry didn't seem distressed by being put under attack. In fact, he was looking at the felled arrow with undisguised glee. "Oh, Nat's going to be so happy."
"Who?"
"Nat's my…" Harry smiled, and Daisy knew what that smile meant. "Well, she's my partner."
"Ah." She didn't know why this cut her so deeply. Of course a guy like him was taken, what did she expect? She'd just met him! She shouldn't be so cut up over it.
"Oh, don't look so sad, Skye." Harry teased, and Daisy would have had the mental space to be confused by the name had he not followed that with- "She likes to share." Then he winked, and Daisy nearly choked. Had she been that obvious? Were they really going to flirt in the middle of a warzone?
"Uh, uh- Skye?" She managed.
"Shite." Harry facepalmed. "Sorry, force of habit. Er, what's your name?"
"Daisy, Daisy Johnson." She said.
"And is that your… birth name?"
"Yes?" Why wouldn't it be?
Harry smiled, for some reason. "Good. It's a pleasure to meet you, Daisy." He held out his hand to shake, with an earnest grin on his face. This entire conversation was weird, but Daisy took his hand, she'd-
Harry's arms around her, bringing warmth to her icy body, the light of his spell- his patronus- driving away her despair.
Harry teaching her, showing her how to control the powers she barely understood.
Harry and her in bed together, and god, he looked even more gorgeous with his clothes off…
Skye rasped in a breath, and Daisy coughed. "Hey, its alright." Harry said. "I've got you."
"Fuck!" Daisy, Skye, whoever, cursed.
"Sorry." Harry winced. "It was rough on the others too. It'll pass, just give it time."
The others? Daisy asked herself, only to be presented with the answer- Nat, Wanda... Shuri possibly. Oh god, she remembered.
Skye sat bolt upright, staring at Harry in rapture. "Its… its you." She whispered.
Harry smiled. "It's me."
Then there was gunfire, along with a hail of arrows. Harry's smile turned to a look of annoyance as he deflected the incoming fire.
"For fuck's sake stop!" Skye shouted, surging to her feet. She wobbled slightly, and Harry took her arm to steady her. As she glanced around, Daisy realized that Coulson had them surrounded. Skye also knew that all of his people together couldn't stand a chance against Harry, not that Harry was a genuine threat to them, unless they somehow forced his hand.
"What did he do to you, Daisy?" Coulson asked, while another arrow streaked towards Harry. It detonated in the air as it struck an invisible shield Harry had begun projecting.
"I'll explain everything if you hold your fucking fire!" She spat with urgency.
Harry sighed. "Look, I'll make this easier on you." He tapped his own earpiece. "I'd like some company."
"You got it." Daisy turned, jaw dropping as Natasha stepped through a portal. Following behind her, Wanda floated through. Oh, the memories all came back in a rush. Nat,Wanda. More than friends and not just lovers- comrades. A pillar of light carved down from the sky, depositing Thor in their midst. Then a sharp crack rang out, accompanied by the appearance of a scarred wizard.
"Mutants, Wizards, Asgardians, Sorcerers, and more." Harry said. "All working together to take down the Order and Hydra. You want in?"
-----
"That's definitely Tony." Nat groaned from her desk. Harry and his lovers had set up a workspace for themselves, where Nat would sift through their intelligence and Shuri would draw up schematics. Wanda had made herself at home in their little workshop by adding a room where she could meditate from.
Harry glanced through the communication logs she was pouring over. Skye- or rather Daisy- had been in contact with a suspiciously knowledgeable Hydra mole. "How do you figure?" He asked.
"Well, who else would know the specs to the arc reactor and be able to track Iron Man suits. Then there's his personality." Nat rolled her eyes.
"He does have an ego." Shuri remarked, looking over the specs 'the Mechanic' had provided them. "But he also knows his stuff. Very Stark."
"Well, that's good. That's actually really good." Harry said. If Tony was already working against Hydra, that made their job that much easier.
"Yeah." Nat agreed. "It is. All we need to do is extract him."
"Nat!" Natasha turned to see Skye, who rushed her into a hug. "Oh my god! I can't believe-"
Natasha chuckled. "It's good to see you too-" She paused, unsure of how to address her. "Daisy."
She wrinkled her nose in response. "It… actually feels weird when you call me that."
"We'll call you whatever you want." Harry said. The Skye of this world had actually known her parents, knew her birth name, and knew where she'd come from. Harry knew what it was like, to seek any connection with his parents, and he didn't want to take away her link to them. He could get used to calling her by a new name, if she wished. "Skye can be a pet name." He suggested.
Skye grinned. "Okay, yeah. I can get behind that." She looked up at him, seeming to melt. "I just… can't believe it's you."
"I missed you too." Harry said.
"We missed you." Nat amended, hugging Skye again.
"We did." Wanda agreed, entering the room behind Skye and joining the two women in the hug. "It didn't feel complete, without you."
Something in Harry uncoiled as he watched the reunion. Every person they'd brought into the fold was a weight off his shoulders, another piece of him returned. They hadn't just gotten Skye back- she'd brought Clint, Coulson, and a cadre of people who, in another life, had been SHIELD operatives alongside them. Not only that, but they had a tangible lead on Tony Stark. And a lead on Tony Stark meant a lead on his time travel technology, and Steve Rogers, and whatever Infinity Stones he still had.
The door opened again, this time for Ginny. She'd taken Natasha, Shuri, and Wanda's relationships with Harry better than he could have hoped, and to be honest he was not at all concerned about how she and Skye would get along. In a lot of ways, they reminded him of each other, perhaps that was part of what had drawn Harry to Skye in the first place.
Ginny settled next to Harry, shifting awkwardly as Skye, Wanda, and Nat hugged it out. Harry realized that it might not be so simple. After all, the three had a history together, one that Ginny didn't share. He didn't want her to feel left out, or an outsider. He also didn't want to lavish her with more attention than the others. The hug broke, and Wanda shot him a look. Perhaps it'd help if you brought in a close friend of hers. Her voice whispered in his mind. Harry rolled his eyes, Wanda really was persistent.
He knew that Ginny and Luna had had something of a relationship. Ginny had even told him that they'd once planned on sharing a husband together, if either of them could find someone who didn't treat them as property. He also knew that they were spending a lot of time together since being reunited…
Okay, perhaps it was a little obvious that something could happen there. His main objection was that he was still getting to know Luna… moreover Luna was getting to know him. He didn't want to rush anything with her. Even if they didn't fall in love, he didn't want the sex between them to not mean anything. Harry sighed softly, leaving the problem for another time. Ginny and Skye shook hands cordially, Nat playing the role of mediator. It wasn't true that Ginny was all alone- she and Nat were close, after all.
It could work out, he told himself.
-----
Septimius entered the unfamiliar room cautiously. It looked similar to a potions lab, though the lack of cauldrons or ingredients meant it clearly wasn't one. He barely knew anyone in this place, leaving every encounter a mystery. "Hey." He said, as the two women turned to him. "Er, Harry said that you wanted to see me?"
"That I did." Harry said from behind him, and Septimius relaxed. He hadn't known Harry, as he insisted Septimius call him, for long, but he was fast becoming familiar. The women smiled warmly at Septimius, putting him further at ease.
"Hey Septimius." The dark-skinned woman. This was T'Chone's mother, so in an odd sense they were family.
"Hello Mrs…" He tried formally, only to come up short on her actual name.
She laughed. "Just call me Shuri, and this is Hermione." She gestured to her companion, a brunette witch. "We've been taking a look at your condition."
"Thank you." Septimius said. "I'm not sure if there's anything to be done for it, though."
"On the contrary." Hermione said. "I think there is. Your mother's notes described the curse she… you're suffering from." Septimius didn't miss how she stumbled over her words but didn't comment on it. It was easier not to think about it all. "It's a variant of the withering curse, and something that Harry told us gave us a lead."
Harry took over the conversation at that point. "In my duel with Dumbledore and Voldemort, Dumbledore attempted the withering curse on me. I was able to overpower it due to my connection with the heart-shaped-herb."
"The what-shaped-what now?" He'd never heard of that plant, and he'd studied potions and herbology extensively.
Shuri chuckled. "Its not something that wizards would have access to." She said. "It's a plant sacred to my people. It gives those who take it incredible strength and vitality, though taking it is a… trial."
Septimius didn't know what to think. Truthfully, his affliction, hadn't been much of a burden as long as he took his potion regularly. He'd ended up in the hospital wing only once that he remember. He'd missed drinking his potion in the morning, and in the evening, he'd collapsed in the hall from fatigue. His mother had given him a chewing out unlike anything he'd had before. Knowing though, that his life relied on perhaps the rarest, most potent elixir to ever exist was unsettling. They didn't know how the recreate the Philosopher's Stone, so if it was ever lost… Worse, though, was knowing why he had to take the elixir. Every time he drank it, it was a reminder of the whole horrible tale. Still, he was cautious. "What sort of trial?"
Shuri glanced at Harry. "It's different for every person." She said. "Normally, it takes the form of a vision."
"What did you see, Harry?"
"Oh, you won't be seeing who I saw, that's for sure." Harry shook his head. "I don't know for sure what you'll see. Maybe your mother. Maybe your father. Perhaps… something else entirely."
Septimius sucked in a sharp breath. "You don't have to decide now." Harry assured him. "You can-"
"No!" He said suddenly, cutting Harry off. "I mean, yes. I'll do it." If he saw his mum, he'd at least have a chance to say goodbye.
Harry's eyes were sympathetic. "Alright." He nodded to Shuri. "We'll get things ready for you."
-----
Over dinner, Lily had been keen to talk to him about anything, anything at all other than the herb and what might happen. He could tell that Lily was just being a chatterbox because she was anxious, and it was her way of dealing with the stress. Still, he preferred T'Chone's quiet reserve. It was almost a relief when Shuri led him back to a different room, this one dominated by a hospital bed and some equipment he didn't recognize. He scrutinized the odd-looking panels and dark screens. "What's all this?"
"The best we could whip up, given the circumstances." Shuri said.
"Its… muggle medical equipment." Harry explained. "It'll monitor your vitals."
"Do you really think that'll be necessary?" Septimius asked.
"Probably not, but its better to be safe."
He lay in bed, and without anything to do his nerves began to reassert themselves. "Any advice?" He asked Harry.
Harry thought for a moment, while Shuri prepared the potion. "Whatever it is you'll see, you'll need to see it. Good luck."
Septimius had drunk more potions than he cared to know, so the cup of purple liquid Shuri handed him wasn't so disturbing. With a mental shrug, he swallowed it in one gulp, and he waited.
"Hey, when is this supposed to-" The world lifted away, and it felt like he was descending into a pit, with Harry, Shuri, and everything else rising up and out of his reach. For a moment blackness overtook him, before that too lifted away. He blinked as something new came into focus, instinctively scrambling to his feet before he was consciously aware that he could in fact stand. He was in a nearly destroyed house- with rubble strewn on the floor and holes blown in the walls. He'd never seen this house before, but he imagined there were many like it across the world.
He'd hoped to meet his mother, or even his father, if only to get some closure. A man was in the room with him, but it wasn't his father, it was… "Harry?" He ventured, feeling foolish, but this man did look like Harry in the dimly lit room.
"Close. We do look alike." The man chuckled. "Clearly why he has women falling over themselves for him." He joked.
Septimius scrutinized the man, and realized he was right. He looked a lot like Harry, but there were subtle differences. His face was slightly different, and his eyes were hazel, not Harry's distinctive shade of green. But he didn't understand, who was he? And why was Septimius meeting with him, instead of his mother or father?
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Where are my manners. You're clearly a guest in…" He looked around disdainfully. "…what's left of my home. I'm James Potter." He trailed off for a moment thoughtfully. "In another world, I was Harry's dad."