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48 Calm Before the Storm
🕑 Added 2024-12-13 21:32:11 +0000 UTC"Any progress?" Nick Fury’s asked snapping Harry out of his concentration. Harry had been at it for days, tirelessly searching for Loki and the Tesseract. The room was dimly lit, cluttered with runes, and enchanted maps that Harry had been using, all with no success.
Harry didn’t even look up from the scrying orb he was currently focused on. His face was drawn and pale from lack of sleep. "Sorry, Director. Still nothing. Loki has made sure that all my magic is blocked so that I can’t locate him. He knows what I can do, and Barton would have filled in any gaps."
Fury stepped into the room, his one good eye sweeping over the disarray. He could see that Harry had poured everything into this search, refusing to rest or give up. "You’ve been at this for a week straight. That’s enough for now, Potter. You need to take a break."
Harry finally looked up, guilt lining his features. "I haven’t been of much help, have I? The longer we wait, the more time Loki has to prepare. And I’m still coming up short."
Fury’s face softened, just a little. It was an expression he reserved for very few people, and Harry had earned that spot over the years. "You’ve done more than anyone else could, and you know that. But you’re no good to me dead on your feet. If magic’s not the answer right now, then we’ll shift to Plan B." He paused, before adding, "The helicarrier’s ready for deployment. We’ll keep searching the traditional way."
Harry sat back in his chair, rubbing his temples as the pressure of the past week caught up with him. "I don’t want to let him get away with it, Fury."
Fury crossed his arms, giving Harry a rare, steady look. "We’re going to stop him. And I’m going to need you at your best to make sure of that."
Harry knew that was Fury’s way of saying he cared without outright saying it. The director wasn’t the type for emotional speeches, but his actions spoke louder than words. Harry nodded, feeling a wave of exhaustion hit him. "You’re right. I could use a break."
Fury crossed his arms and looked at Harry with a more serious expression. “I’ve received permission to assemble the response team to track down Loki.”
“You mean, the Avengers?” Harry raised an eyebrow.
Fury nodded. “Yeah, the Avengers are going to be assembled. It’s taken a lot of convincing, but the World Security Council has finally agreed. Things are heating up, and we need every asset we’ve got.”
Harry smiled slightly. “So, who’s on the roster?”
“We’ve got Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow and you,” Fury listed off.
When Harry heard Natasha’s name, a sharp pang shot through him. He kept his face neutral, but his mind couldn’t help but drift back to Natasha. Their last conversation was still fresh, and despite all the Occlumency he had used to keep his emotions buried, her name still stirred something deep within him. He thought of their time together—the good and the bad—and how their relationship had unravelled. Right now, Natasha was just another name on a list of assets Fury had assembled, and he couldn’t afford to let his feelings complicate things.
"Focus. This is about Loki, not her," he reminded himself, forcing his attention back to Fury.
“That’s a solid lineup. We might just stand a chance of finding Loki and taking him down before things get out of hand. Oh—actually, reach out to the US Air Force and see if they’ll loan us Colonel Rhodes, too. War Machine would be a solid backup, and the Council might trust him more than they trust Stark,” Harry added thoughtfully.
Fury raised an eyebrow. “Not a bad idea. I’ll put in a request.”
Suddenly, Harry looked skyward, took a deep breath, and shouted, “HEIMDALL! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME—LOKI’S BACK! HE’S TRYING TO TAKE OVER EARTH, AND WE COULD REALLY USE ASGARD’S HELP! I KNOW THE BIFROST IS BUSTED, BUT IF YOU CAN MANAGE IT, THEN AT LEAST SEND THOR OVER. ALSO, IF YOU CAN GIVE US A HEADS UP ON WHAT KIND OF ARMY LOKI’S BRINGING, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANKS!”
Fury blinked, staring at Harry as if he had just completely lost it. “Potter, what the hell are you doing?”
Harry turned back to Fury, completely nonchalant. “What? I’m asking Heimdall for Thor’s help. Asgard said that they would help us when we were in need. Besides, Loki’s their crown prince and criminal—pretty sure they wouldn’t want him running around unchecked.”
Fury gave Harry a look that was equal parts confused and sceptical. “You’re seriously telling me, you can just yell at the sky, and some space gatekeeper will hear you?”
Harry nodded earnestly. “Heimdall sees and hears everything. I’m not kidding, the guy’s a walking surveillance system. If there’s a way to get Thor here, Heimdall will deliver the message to the right people. I am willing to bet that Heimdall has the exact set of skills that you will sell your soul to the devil to have.”
Fury sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Of course. Because that makes perfect sense. Just try not to freak out anyone else with your ‘magic phone call to space.’”
Harry chuckled lightly. “Hey, desperate times, right?”
“I need you to go with Coulson and convince Stark to join the team. The helicarrier will be taking flight tomorrow morning, so I expect you back at 5 AM sharp,” Fury ordered.
Harry nodded. "Alright. Guess I should go find Phil."
Fury shook his head, still muttering about “magic phone calls” as he walked away. Harry, meanwhile, stared up at the sky for a moment longer, genuinely hoping that Heimdall was listening.
After cleaning up the room and taking a shower. Harry found Coulson in the locker room, lovingly gazing at his prized possession: his Captain America trading cards, still neatly sealed in plastic.
"Nervous?" Harry teased, leaning against the doorframe with a grin.
Coulson didn’t even look up, his focus fixed on the cards. “What? No, of course not.” He paused, then added with a little sigh, “I’m finally going to meet him, though. I’ve waited my whole life for this. I mean I saw him when he was sleeping but this will be the first time that I will be seeing him and interacting with him. Do you think I should ask him to sign these right away or wait until after the mission?”
Harry snorted, “Definitely ask right away. You don’t want to risk him getting smashed into a wall by Loki or something before you get that autograph.”
“Good point,” Coulson said, straight-faced. “Got a pen?”
“Always.” Harry conjured one out of thin air and handed it to Coulson, then grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ve given him a heads-up. Just don’t freak out when you meet him. He’s got the whole ‘I’m a super-soldier out of time’ vibe. It’s a lot without you overwhelming him with your over-enthusiasm.”
Coulson straightened up, still clutching his cards. “Speaking of freaking out, Pepper’s been calling me nonstop. She’s mad you weren’t at the Stark Tower private inauguration. Apparently, you were supposed to be there for their big moment with the clean energy thing.”
Harry’s stomach dropped. “Shit, when was that again?”
Coulson shook his head, raising an eyebrow. “Today, and she's really pissed. I think you're going to have to do a lot more than just apologize.”
Harry groaned, running a hand through his hair. “I got so caught up trying to find the damn Tesseract. Alright, damage control mode. Let’s make it up to them.”
Coulson smirked. “What’s the plan? Bribery?”
“Better. Dinner,” Harry said with a mischievous grin. “Let’s swing by Japan Premium Beef and grab some Wagyu. If I cook them a killer meal, maybe she won’t kill me. Forsyth Produce Market’s on the way, too perfect for the veggies and spices.”
Coulson raised an eyebrow. “You know, for a wizard, you’re oddly domestic.”
“Yeah, well, magic doesn’t fix angry redheads, steaks do” Harry shrugged as they started walking out. “Plus, Tony’s got a thing for my cooking.”
After a quick stop to grab the premium Wagyu and vegetables, they were on their way to Stark Tower, Coulson tossing nervous glances at the bags of groceries in Harry’s hands.
“You really think dinner’s going to smooth this over?” Coulson asked as they drove through New York.
“Let’s hope so,” Harry replied, grinning. “Worse case, I’ve got a few shield charms ready for when Pepper throws me out the window.”
When the elevator doors slid open, Harry and Coulson were greeted by the sight of Pepper Potts, standing in front of a holographic blueprint of Stark Tower. Her gaze flicked over the two of them as she noted the bags of groceries and the bottle of champagne in Harry’s hands.
“Well, look who decided to finally show up,” she said coolly, crossing her arms. “I was beginning to think we’d been ghosted by our best friend.”
Harry winced at her tone, setting the groceries down with a sheepish smile. “I’m extremely sorry, Pepper. I didn’t mean to disappear. There was a situation—complicated one—that pulled me away.” He lifted the Wagyu beef as if it were an offering. “But hey! I brought your favorite. Japanese Wagyu to make up for it. And Phil’s here to celebrate too.”
Pepper’s eyes shifted from the steak to Phil, and though her expression softened, her lips remained pressed into a thin line. “Hmm,” she replied, clearly unconvinced, though her eyes betrayed a hint of warmth.
There was a pause before she finally let out a small sigh. “We will see,” she said, uncrossing her arms but still maintaining a slightly cold demeanor. “Tony’s working on the final connections for the arc reactor. We’re pulling the tower off the electricity grid, so it’ll be a couple of hours before he’s finished.”
Harry nodded, grateful for the opening. “Perfect. I’ll get started on dinner then. You’ll have a feast waiting for you by the time Tony’s done.”
Pepper raised an eyebrow. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Her tone was teasing, but still clipped. She glanced at the groceries again and then at Harry. “You’ve got two hours to work your magic. Literally.”
As Pepper turned back to her work, Harry and Coulson exchanged a relieved glance. Harry quickly headed toward the kitchen, pulling out the Wagyu, vegetables, and spices. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing to make a flawless dinner. After all, he had more than just food to make up for.
By the time Tony flew into the Stark Tower, dinner was ready to be served. Pepper, Harry, and Coulson sat waiting in the living area of the penthouse, their conversation light but a bit awkward.
As Tony emerged from the landing pad, he spotted the guests that were waiting for him and smiled. “Ah, so you finally decided to take a break from your top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. gig to remember you have friends. And look, you even brought your work husband with you,” he quipped, nodding toward Coulson.
Coulson defended himself and Harry, “We have a situation, Tony. We needed Harry.”
Tony shrugged, walking over to the table and dropping heavily into his seat. “Sure, sure. But a week? Really? What if we had an emergency here? You don’t exactly have the best track record with answering your phone, you know. What then?”
“That’s low, for a joke,” Harry said, his own irritation rising.
Pepper, continued. “Tony, he’s here now, isn’t he? And we managed just fine. No emergencies. Besides, Harry’s gone out of his way to make dinner so we can celebrate the tower’s completion together.” Her tone was firm, though with an edge of exasperation.
Tony leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, sceptical. “Right. Dinner. Celebration.”
Harry glanced between Tony and Pepper, taking a breath he said “Look, I’m sorry, Tony. I really didn’t mean to go off the grid like that, but things got hectic.”
There was a brief pause before Tony finally uncrossed his arms. “Yeah, well I’m sorry too. I might’ve overreacted a bit.” He glanced at Pepper and then at Harry. “It’s been a big week. You missed a lot.”
The room seemed to exhale collectively as the tension finally began to fade. Pepper smiled slightly, relieved. “Well, now that we’ve apologized, why don’t you wash up, Tony, and we can sit down for a nice, quiet dinner.”
Tony pushed himself up from his seat with a playful roll of his eyes. “Fine, fine. But if this dinner doesn’t live up to the hype, I’m going to hold this over you for another week.” He gave Harry a half-smile before heading toward the sink to wash up.
As Tony walked away, Coulson leaned over to Harry and muttered, “That went better than I expected.”
Harry chuckled, feeling the air finally clear. “Yeah, small victories.”
Tony took his leave to wash up, leaving the tension in the room to ease a little. Harry and Pepper headed into the kitchen while Phil popped open a bottle of champagne.
A few minutes later, Harry and Pepper re-entered the dining area, carrying plates of the first course. It was a decadent poached lobster tail salad. The lobster was perfectly tender, its delicate flesh bathed in butter and lightly seasoned with a hint of sea salt. It was arranged atop a bed of crisp baby greens, accented with vibrant slices of avocado, heirloom cherry tomatoes, and drizzles of a zesty lemon vinaigrette. Tiny pearls of caviar added a burst of briny flavour with each bite, while thin shavings of fennel added a gentle crunch.
As the plates were set before them, the rich aroma of the poached lobster mingled with the fresh, citrusy notes of the dressing. The champagne's light fizz paired perfectly with the dish, cutting through the richness of the lobster and balancing the freshness of the salad. The four of them sat down, taking a moment to appreciate the artistry of the meal before savouring each bite of the succulent lobster and the harmony of textures on their plates.
As the group enjoyed the first bites of the poached lobster salad, the conversation flowed naturally, the tension shifting to an upbeat atmosphere mirroring the success they had built together.
"Now that you've got Stark Tower running completely off the grid with the arc reactor, well done," Harry said, raising his glass to Tony in a gesture of praise. "What's next for Stark Industries? What’s the next big project?"
Tony leaned back, giving a casual shrug, but the grin on his face was unmistakable. "Oh, you know, more of the same: saving the world, either by one renewable energy source at a time or as Iron Man."
Pepper chuckled, shaking her head before interjecting. "I'll be heading to D.C. tomorrow for the zoning of the next three buildings," she explained, "And the renovations to the Los Angeles offices have finally wrapped up. The robotics and consumer electronics divisions are moving next week. We can officially say goodbye to Stark Industries' old reputation. No more traces of the warmongering days."
Harry smiled as he twirled his fork around a piece of avocado. "The shift to clean energy with the arc reactor is brilliant. That’s going to be huge for the company. You've steered this ship remarkably well, Pepper. You should be proud."
Pepper looked a little flustered but pleased. "It’s been a team effort," she said, modest as always.
Tony chimed in, looking at Pepper fondly. "See? Didn’t I tell you? You never give yourself enough credit for what you’ve achieved. Stark Tower is your baby, and it’s a masterpiece."
Pepper blushed slightly but waved him off. "Well, none of this would’ve been possible if you hadn’t perfected the arc reactor in the first place. Without that, we’d still be grappling with energy problems."
Harry jumped in, laughing lightly as he pointed his fork at Tony. "And let’s not forget how often we had to stop Tony from blowing something up in the process, that included his own life."
"Hey, it was all for science!" Tony quipped, raising his hands in defence, drawing a round of laughter from the table.
Phil, who had been quietly enjoying the banter, leaned in. "Seriously though, you three have done something incredible here. You've changed the narrative of Stark Industries completely. From the way you’ve handled internal resources, the new partnerships, to the cutting-edge R&D, it's inspiring."
"Couldn’t have done it without you, Harry," Pepper added sincerely. "Your partnerships, your ability to form those relationships. it's been invaluable."
Harry smiled, taking a sip of his champagne. "Hey, I just schmooze with people. You two do the real heavy lifting."
"Please, you’ve done more than that," Tony interjected, waving a hand dismissively. "It’s a team effort, and I wouldn’t want to run this show without either of you."
They clinked glasses, the sounds of laughter filling the room as they continued to talk about the future of the company and their shared vision. The tension from earlier was long forgotten, replaced by the warmth of old friends celebrating both their personal and professional triumphs.
For the main course, Harry served up perfectly seared Wagyu pepper steak, resting it beside creamy mashed potatoes and vibrant green beans, lightly sautéed with garlic. The aroma of the rich, buttery steak filled the room, making Tony visibly rub his hands together in anticipation as Harry placed the plate in front of him.
The marbling on the Wagyu steak glistened under the soft lighting, promising a melt-in-your-mouth experience. The mashed potatoes were smooth and whipped to perfection, with just the right amount of butter and seasoning, while the green beans offered a crisp, fresh contrast, speckled with sea salt and a hint of lemon zest.
Tony’s eyes widened as he inhaled the heavenly scent, his face lighting up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Oh my God," he exclaimed dramatically. "I have missed your cooking so much, Potter. This—" he gestured wildly at the steak, "—is better than any apology you could ever give."
As Harry took his seat, Tony grabbed his fork and knife, barely able to contain himself. "I take back everything I said earlier. If this is how you intend to make it up to us every time you vanish off the face of the earth, please, by all means, disappear more often. In fact, I’ll personally write your absence excuses. Just bring me more of this."
Phil chuckled as he cut into his steak, the meat parting like butter under his knife. "You really don’t make it easy for us to stay mad at you, Harry."
Harry grinned. "Cooking is my secret weapon. I’ve found it’s hard for people to hold a grudge when they’ve got a mouthful of my delicious food."
Pepper, who had been quietly savouring her first bite, finally spoke up with a raised eyebrow and a pointed look at Tony. "It’s a good thing Harry’s cooking is excellent because we both know you’ll forgive anything for a good meal."
Tony feigned offence, pressing a hand dramatically to his chest. "Excuse me, Ms. Potts, are you saying my love is conditional upon fine dining?"
Pepper didn’t even blink. "Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying."
"Accurate," Tony admitted, laughing as he dove into his steak, not even trying to deny it. "But seriously, Harry, you’ve outdone yourself. This is amazing. You need to expand the menu of Lily’s”
Harry smirked. "Maybe after we save the world, I’ll consider it. But I don’t think I’d enjoy serving customers as much as I enjoy serving you lot."
The table erupted in laughter, with Tony mock-wiping away a tear. "That’s the most beautiful thing anyone’s ever said to me."
Pepper rolled her eyes, but the warm atmosphere lingered as they continued enjoying their meal, sharing more jokes and stories as the night progressed.
As they continued with dinner, the conversation naturally shifted to more personal matters.
"So, Phil," Pepper began with a playful grin, "what about you? I want to hear about the... ah, the cellist. Is that still a thing?"
"Her name’s Audrey Nathan," Harry chimed in helpfully before Phil could answer, a teasing smile on his face. "They’ve been together for a while now."
"She moved back to Portland," Phil said casually, though a hint of fondness crept into his tone.
"What? Boo!" Pepper pouted, feigning disappointment. "We were just starting to get invested in your love story."
Phil chuckled and shook his head, not fazed by the mock protest. "It’s not a bad thing. Actually, it’s great for her. She went back after finishing a tour and landed a position as second chair in the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Pretty big deal, actually."
Harry leaned back; his arms crossed with a smirk. "See, Coulson’s out here quietly winning in life, visiting his girlfriend at fancy concerts while the rest of us are running around doing god knows what."
Phil shot him a knowing look. "I make time whenever I can. It’s not always easy, but we make it work."
"That’s nice, Phil," Pepper chimed in sincerely, offering him a warm smile. "Long-distance can be tough, but it sounds like you two have figured it out."
"Yeah," Tony quipped, not missing a beat. "And it’s way more romantic when one of you has to fly halfway across the country. Puts us all to shame with our boring, in-the-same-city relationships."
Harry snorted into his wine glass while Pepper raised an eyebrow at Tony, trying not to laugh. "Boring, huh?"
"Not us, obviously," Tony said quickly, grinning at her in a way that was both cheeky and charming. "We’re a different story. Full of action, intrigue... and maybe a little international espionage."
"Yeah, real romantic," Harry said, shaking his head with a laugh. "But seriously, Phil, I’m glad you two are still going strong."
"Me too," Phil admitted, his expression softening just a touch. "She’s... worth the effort."
"Aww," Pepper cooed, resting her chin on her hand. "Now that’s the kind of dedication that makes me believe in true love."
"Phil Coulson, the unsung romantic hero of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Harry teased, lifting his wine glass in a toast.
Phil rolled his eyes but lifted his glass in return, the whole table clinking their glasses together in good spirits. "I’ll take that title," he said with a grin.
"And what about you, Harry?" Tony interjected smoothly, grinning as he leaned back in his chair. "What’s it like dating a super spy? Must be all cloak and dagger, right?"
Harry froze for just a split second before adopting a casual smile. "Oh, you know, it’s... complicated," he replied, waving his hand dismissively. "With all the travel, weird hours, and—well, super spy stuff. If I tell you anything, I’d have to kill you, obviously." He added a wink, doing his best to hide the tightness in his chest.
Tony chuckled, oblivious to the underlying tension in Harry’s voice. "Sounds about right. Can’t imagine there’s much time for candlelight dinners between saving the world and secret missions."
Pepper, however, narrowed her eyes at Harry as if sensing something off, but before she could ask more, she shook her head with a sigh. Maybe she was just overthinking this. "I miss having Nat as my secretary," she confessed. "I know she was massively overqualified for the job, but everything ran so smoothly when she was around. My current team? Total disaster." She sighed dramatically. "I’ve had to hire an entourage of almost five people just to do what Nat did alone."
"Five people?" Harry repeated with a short laugh, grateful for the change of subject. "She really spoiled you, huh?"
"You have no idea," Pepper replied, rolling her eyes with a smile. "Honestly, why don’t you and Nat just quit all this spy business? You could both work at Stark Industries full-time. I mean, you’re already the second-largest shareholder after Tony."
Harry’s heart clenched at the mention of Natasha, but he tightened his occlumency shields to keep his emotions in check. He felt Phil’s eyes on him but kept his gaze on the table, forcing a smile. "Yeah, we’ll see about that."
Phil shifted uncomfortably, catching Harry’s evasion but deciding to let it pass. Tony, ever sharp but a bit distracted by the food, raised an eyebrow. "I don’t know if Stark Industries could handle both of you," he teased. "Might cause the stock prices to shoot through the roof."
Harry chuckled, though it was hollow. "Yeah, well, no promises on that."
Pepper frowned slightly but didn’t press further. "I’d still hire Nat back in a heartbeat if I could," she said, though her tone was lighter now. "Even if she’d probably be bored out of her mind."
"Yeah," Harry murmured, focusing intently on his plate. "She probably would."
As they finished the last bites of gelato, the conversation naturally shifted toward lighter topics—Pepper talking about her next trip to Washington, Tony quipping about his latest pet project, and Phil listening with amusement. But a subtle change in the air began to brew as the four of them moved from the dinner table to the lounge area. Nursing their drinks, the comfortable atmosphere held a slight edge of anticipation, as if everyone knew they were on the brink of discussing something bigger.
Tony, sitting back with his drink in hand, eyed Harry and Coulson curiously. "Alright," he began, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, "now that you've wined and dined us, Phil, why are you really here? Harry was supposed to be here all week, but he's been ghosting us, and I want to know why."
Pepper raised an eyebrow, glancing between Phil and Harry, her curiosity piqued. Harry shifted in his seat, exchanging a quick look with Coulson, who set down his drink and collected the tablet brief he had placed on the coffee table earlier. Without saying a word, Phil passed it over to Tony.
"We need you to take a look at this," Phil said, his tone now more measured, a clear sign that the time for casual conversation had ended.
Tony placed the tablet back down without even glancing at it. "Official consulting hours are between eight and five. Every other Thursday," he said lightly.
"This isn't a consultation," Phil replied without loosing a beat.
Pepper, who had been sitting next to Tony, leaned in with an excited gleam in her eyes. "Is this about the Avengers?" she asked before quickly realizing she’d spoken out of turn. Phil shot her a look, which she promptly ignored. "Which I, of course, know absolutely nothing about," she added quickly, her tone overly innocent.
Tony grinned at her, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. "The Avengers Initiative was scrapped last I heard. And, for the record, I didn’t even qualify."
Pepper chimed in, trying to diffuse the moment with humour. "I didn’t know that either," she added, playing along.
"Yeah, apparently I’m volatile, self-obsessed, and don’t play well with others." Tony shrugged dramatically, as if delivering a punchline to a joke.
"That I did know," Pepper quipped, earning a chuckle from Tony.
But Phil didn’t bite. "This isn’t about personality profiles anymore," he said calmly, bringing the conversation back to the urgency of the matter.
The playful banter died down. Tony, still looking somewhat unconvinced, exchanged a glance with Harry. It was then that Harry’s casual posture straightened, and his tone shifted. Gone was the light-hearted, easy-going friend who had been serving dinner. In his place was someone serious, someone in command.
"Just look at the file, Tony," Harry said, his voice calm but with an unmistakable edge of authority. "If you have any questions, don't give Phil a hard time. I’m the lead for this initiative now. You can ask me directly."
The room fell silent for a moment. Harry’s words hung in the air; the gravity of the situation now undeniable. Even Tony couldn’t shrug it off anymore.
Tony, seeing the shift in Harry’s demeanor, leaned forward and grabbed the tablet. Connecting it to his workbench, he watched as Jarvis extracted the data, filling the room with holographic images —dossiers on individuals, detailed schematics of devices, and eerie footage of Loki wielding the Tesseract.
Pepper stood up, eyes narrowing as she moved closer to inspect the files that floated in front of her. Tony stayed silent, his gaze scanning over the files, but the concentration in his eyes showed he wasn’t brushing this off anymore.
“What’s all this?” Pepper asked, her voice tight as she examined one of the rotating dossiers—a glowing image of the Tesseract at its center.
Harry rose from his seat, stepping into the center of the holograms, his presence suddenly commanding. "The Norse god of mischief, Loki," he began, "rebelled against his brother and father about a year ago. We thought he had died. But now, it seems he’s found himself a benefactor with resources, someone powerful enough to help him wage war on Earth."
Pepper’s brows furrowed as she turned to face Harry. "For what reason?"
"We don’t know," Harry admitted. "All we do know is that he’s managed to teleport here using the Tesseract. The same device your father, Tony, was studying. The one he based the design of the arc reactor on."
At the mention of his father, Tony’s expression shifted. His eyes flicked up to meet Harry’s.
"Wait a second," Tony interrupted, standing now as well. He moved to the hologram, pointing at the image of the Tesseract. "You're telling me that this thing," he gestured to the glowing cube, "the thing my dad spent years trying to crack, is now in the hands of some alien god with a vendetta?"
Harry nodded grimly.
"And what does he want to do with it?" Tony asked.
"We assume Loki plans to use the Tesseract as a key," Harry replied. "A way to open a portal to summon an army. His benefactor is backing this invasion. We just don’t know who they are yet."
Pepper, who had been following the conversation with growing concern, crossed her arms. "When did all of this happen?"
"Last week," Harry said, rubbing his temples as though the events of the past few days had worn him down. "I’ve been trying to locate the Tesseract using my magic, but Loki knows about me. He’s hiding it well, which is why I’ve been MIA."
Tony, now pacing in front of the holograms, ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "So, let me get this straight. In the span of a week, we've gone from peace and quiet to dealing with an intergalactic warlord?"
"Pretty much," Harry confirmed dryly.
Tony sighed, the weight of the situation visibly settling on his shoulders. He glanced back at the holograms, then at Harry, before finally looking at Pepper. She returned the look, her face tight with concern. Neither spoke, but the severity of what was happening was written all over their expressions.
Tony leaned back against the couch, crossing his arms as he looked at the holograms swirling above. “Why now? Why are we assembling the Avengers for this?”
Harry met his gaze, expression serious. “It’s a precaution. A response unit in case things go completely sideways. SHIELD’s been throwing everything at trying to locate the Cube, but Loki’s a step ahead of us. No leads, no progress. If we’re right, the device he’s building is close to completion, and once that’s done, we won’t have the luxury of time. Our priority is to find the Tesseract and take Loki down before he summons his army. If we fail at that...”
“The Avengers are Plan B,” Tony finished, his voice flat, understanding the gravity.
Harry nodded. "If he opens that portal, we’re going to need everyone, Thor, Steve, Rhodey, Banner, you. We need a team that can fight on more than one front."
Tony let out a deep breath, shaking his head. "We’re not soldiers, Harry. I don't even work well in teams ." His tone was sober, and reflective, and for once, the sarcasm was absent from his words.
“I know,” Harry admitted quietly. “But that’s why I need you on this team, Tony. You’re the first person I’d choose when it comes to defusing the bomb. You’d be cutting the wire while I lie on it to contain the blast.”
Tony smirked at that, but there was an unspoken understanding in his eyes. “Is that your subtle way of saying you trust me?”
Harry shrugged, his lips curving into a wry smile. “I wouldn’t have come to you otherwise.”
“I’m heading to DC tonight. You’ve got homework, and believe me, it’s a lot,” Pepper said, glancing over the holograms one last time.
“Fly safe,” Tony replied, leaning in to give her a quick kiss. Coulson and Harry looked away, pretending to be engrossed in the displays.
“Work hard, and good luck, you two,” Pepper called as she made her way toward the door. Just before leaving, she turned back, raising an eyebrow at Phil. “So, any chance you’re driving by LaGuardia?”
“I can drop you off,” Phil confirmed then glanced at Harry. “Don’t forget, we need you on the bridge at 5 in the morning with Fury.”
“Perfect.” She smiled and the two took their leave.
Tony turned to Harry, his expression shifting to one of determination. “So, where do we start?”
Harry smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye. “With coffee.”
