Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Avengers.

Chapter Two

Name: Peverell, Hadrian

D.O.B: Unknown

Document Citizenship: Unknown, presumed Britain

Gender: Male

General Description: Young male, green eyes, shoulder-length black hair, pale skin, height estimated to be 5'9", lithe build.

Identifiable Markings: Black cane with a silver raven head.

Family: Unknown

Languages: English, more unknown.

Current Employment: Unknown

Alias: Unknown

The single sheet, tucked into the thin file, was passed around from person to person. The lack of information on it caused both frowns and hints of smiles.

"And we need to look at this why?" Tony's voice is tinged with disdain.

"This man is an unknown. He is, therefore, a threat to our country, and where there is a threat, you must be there to combat it," Fury slapped his hands down on the table.

"His name is Hadrian Peverell. pretty sure that makes him known," Tony muttered, "And in any case, we're only here to be the big guns. Not to destroy any small threat. I'm pretty sure you have an army to do that for you."

(He stalked up the darkened corridor, eyes drawn harshly into a glare. It was the second time he had to intervene with the mortals, in no less than a month! Hadrian wasn't sure what would come first; the entire mass destruction of every single mortal on Earth, or the death of Mother Nature herself. And he so sincerely hoped it would not be the latter. His anger slowly built at the thought; Mother Nature, harmed by the ridiculous acts of mortals. Why did they not see the war-ridden countries, see the dust and the loss of life in the ground and for once, just think - What are we doing? Could they not see that Mother Nature was giving up, that she didn't want to keep healing?)

"This man has appeared out of nowhere, Stark!" Fury growled, "There are no past records of him, no mentions of his name, not even a mention of him in a high school! We know nothing about him."

"You think I don't know this? You think I haven't searched for him as well? I found nothing! But he damn helped us get our heads out of our arses. And for once, Fury, I've found that I'm currently lacking in giving any shits about what you think!"

(And just as he had told the Avengers in their last meeting, did they never think of anyone else?)

"I need information. Since you are the only people who've come into contact with him, you'll have to be the ones who give me it. I'm not playing, Stark. This could be war."

Tony stood up abruptly leaning over towards the Director. He glared into the man's eyes, a hint of ferality in his posture.

"Hadrian brought us back to Earth. I will not give you a single morsel of information about him, Director. Not while I still breathe."

(His magic rose at the building anger, a swirling maelstrom matching his eyes. His skin tingled with the furious magic, ready to unleash it upon the next mortal he saw. He could feel the shivers of the sorrowful power running through his body, wanting to be free, to exact revenge upon those who called themselves humans. Yet how could they name themselves such, when the very word humane, supposed to be derived from them, was the exact opposite of their nature? His magic exploded at the thought, pushing past his barrier. The air heavy with power, the sturdy metal doors at the end of the corridor buckled and bent with his presence. He strode through the broken doorway, coming face to face with the very people he was demanding to see.)

"Who are you, Peverell?" One-Eye stood with a snarl, arms planted on the table in an attempt of intimidation. When would people learn that after several hundreds of thousands of years, he'd seen far more intimidating creatures (and most often, defeated them)?

Gathered around the table were the very people he had had to have a talking to last time he meddled with mortal affairs. However, different to the previous time, the air was charged with tension between the two standing man. A battle of the wills, reminding Hadrian of a legilimency battle, had clearly been taking place just as he had approached. Both men were breathing hard, chests expanding rapidly for air.

"I said, and I will repeat, who are you?"

"I'm the person who's had to interfere to save the future of your world," he stood squarely in front of the door, staff clutched in both hands in front of him.

"I don't know who you truly are or why you're here," One-Eye continued strongly with ignorance to Hadrian's explanation, "But I will not hesitate to unleash the fury of SHIELD upon you."

"You can try your best, mortal, but nothing you can do will harm me," a bitter laugh slipped from Hadrian's lips.

Mad-Warrior rose to his feet, hand clenched in a fist over his heart, "Well met."

"Well met, Mad-Warrior," the resulting laugh was no longer bitter, but one of surprise, "I did not expect for you to listen to more than your heart so soon."

"My brother spoke to me. Though I wonder on how you gained your... position."

"Are you trying to tell me that you went against my direct orders and spoke with that mad man?" One-Eye demanded knowledge.

"You will learn in time, One-Eye, that not everything revolves under the rule of a blind man," Hadrian eyed the man.

A quick flicker of his eyes confirmed that the rest of Mad-Warrior's allies were sat at the table still (apart from Messenger), some focusing on the furniture with a vengeance. No doubt unwilling to meet his eyes.

"I do apologise for my harshness in our last meeting, but it was required," Hadrian sighed, "As a reply to your question, Mad-Warrior, I accepted death as inevitable."

A slight quirk of his lips supplied the humour to the joke.

"And yet, as my brother told me as well, you still bear the heavy burden as if it were as light as a feather."

"If I bear this burden as a feather, Mad-Warrior, then it is a feather heavy enough to bring down worlds."

The sorrow laid itself heavy in the jaded green orbs. The understanding shared between the two men was blatant in their eyes, mourning gazes directed to each other. And yet it was with a sigh that Hadrian broke the bond between them.

"One-Eye."

"What are you," One-Eye hissed.

"I am one who wishes for peace and always has, yet will never be granted it."

Hadrian stared at One-Eye, the unwavering gaze unsettling the man. What had just seemed soft and sorrowful now became unrelenting and furious. Messenger and his allies glanced at Hadrian in surprise, shocked at the sudden change in the man.

"And one of those reasons why I've never been allowed peace is men like you! You who use people as tools, mere playthings to win wars for you! I know what you want from these heroes. I know exactly what you want. And I see it, One-Eye. I see it and your weak attempts to drag me under the same net you have them under!"

One-Eye glared at Hadrian, "War rules this world, and we need heroes to fight it -"

"You don't want heroes," the dark and bitter humour laced his voice, "because heroes can think for themselves."

One-Eye fell silent. Hadrian closed his eyes momentarily, pushing back the rushing memories. It was not the time to remember. Not when the heroes before him didn't understand. Hadrian briefly distracted himself from the outside world, hands clenching once more upon his cane. It truly was the only thing left that linked him to Earth, to his home.

"Hadrian - "

His eyes snapped open, focusing his unsettling gaze upon the man before him. There stood Messenger, brow furrowed in concern. And though Hadrian wished it wasn't, he could see the emotion in the man's eyes. It seemed the heroes were starting to care.

But caring for the wrong person was an entirely different thing.

"I am fine, Messenger."

But he wasn't, not truly. Not when the very memories assaulting him were starting to break down his walls, and he was breaking, crumbling and oh god he couldn't stop the barriers from shattering -

"Hadrian!"

But this time the word didn't jerk Hadrian from his memories.

- he was sinking, falling into the sea and no one was there to catch him, not this time, no one was there -

Hands clutched his shoulders, shaking him to draw him back into reality.

- the touch burned, the fire was licking up his sides and he was burning, hurting, consumed in the flames everywhere around him -

- FIRE.

A sharp breath rattled his chest, torso shooting upright in the bed. He was restrained at the wrists, chains digging into them. His eyes snapped open and stared unseeingly in front of him. Hadrian writhed at the constraints, magic rising to his skin and lashing along the restraints. The magic lapped at the wounds on his wrists of where the manacles had dug into his contorting form. Hadrian flung his head back, an unearthly scream ripping from his being. His pitch-black hair whipped in the air, eyes glowing eerily green with power.

With a sharp crack, the metal constraints fell limply onto the bed. And as if he had never been there, the bed lay unoccupied. The only remnants of his brief stay were the loose shackles.

.-.

"Sir!" a young official burst into the debriefing room, "He's gone!"

"How long?" Fury demanded.

Tony clenched his hands into fists, glaring at the table silently.

"A few minutes at most, Director. The feed was being watched but it short-circuited."

"And?"

"Well, we sent a man down to check it out," a slight stammer rose in the man's voice, "B-but he, um, he wasn't there. Almost as if he vanished into thin air, Sir."

Tony stood up, jaw uncomfortably tight.

"Tony, don't - " Bruce reached a hand out to warn him.

He ignored the other genius, striding out of the room. Passing corridors, he emerged from the Helicarrier. A glint in the distance alerted him of his suits arrival. It covered him like a second skin, powering him as he launched off the Helicarrier.

"Jarvis, track the signal."

"Yes, sir."

Within seconds, a map visualised in front of his eyes, leading him towards the tracker he placed on the strange young man before the officials snuck him away. The very young man that had the oddest, most powerful presence he had yet to feel.

.-.

Hadrian forced his eyes open and started to pick himself up, groaning as his body protested violently. He hoisted himself up onto his feet, only to collapse to the ground as his ankle gave way. He screamed through gritted teeth at the pain. Gasping slightly as he unclenched his jaw, he massaged his ankle lightly.

"Well isn't that shitty," he cursed.

He sent pulses of his magic along his skin, healing the injury in seconds. Only... it didn't heal. His magic didn't come out. Only the lightest of beats stuttered along his skin.

"How?" he muttered in shock.

The memories rushed back towards him, passing the weakened barrier. He remembered manhandling, metal biting into his skin, a sharp prick right on his neck, the feeling of numbness and sudden air under his feet.

Numbness?

He raised a hand to his neck, growling as he came away with blood on his fingers.

"The bastards!" he cried out.

He tried, again and again, to pull the magic out of himself but as soon as it reached the air, it seemed to fizzle out. There was a dullness where his core was meant to be, a grey area which he wanted to rip away from the shining core he was meant to have. He didn't try to stop the scream, not focusing on the echoes rebounding off the trees.

Trees?

He was in a forest. The feeling of air under his feet, of liberty from the chains - he'd apparated, blindly and without a wand. Glancing around wildly, he searched for the one object that truly mattered to him. When he couldn't spot it, he crumbled in on himself with a grieving cry. His last link to his friends, his world, his family - gone.

"Hadrian?" a soft voice intruded on his mourning.

He spun his face towards the intruder, tears not dulling the harshness of his glare. At the sight of Messenger, he turned back to face forwards, a single tear rolling down his face. He ignored the man until an unforgiving pain buffeted his senses. A slight whimper betrayed the pain of the contact of his clothes against his wounds.

"Oh, Hadrian," Messenger murmured sadly.

The man approached, clear through the crunching of leaves underfoot. Hadrian tensed as a hand brushed against him, hissing as it scraped one of his injuries. The hand withdrew, only for arms to wrap around him carefully. He stiffened in fear, eyes wide. The warmth of the... hug, his mind supplied, confused him. Against his will, he started to relax slightly and melt into the welcome heat.

"Here, let me help you."

"I, I don't need your help, Messenger," Hadrian steeled his words and his body, pushing the man away from him.

"You clearly do. You obviously have injuries, and if you're not going to tend to them, I will!"

Hadrian gritted his teeth and pushed himself standing once more. That time, however, he wavered slightly but stayed upright. It was a victory in his mind. He raised his hand to grip his staff - only to remember that it wasn't there. He ducked his head to blink away the scalding tears, berating himself for showing emotion.

People don't like it when freaks cry.

"That's it. You're coming with me."

Wild eyes focused on Messenger, glancing around for a way to bypass the approaching man. Messenger hesitated slightly at the hint of fear in Hadrians eyes.

"Hadrian, it's me? Tony? Um, Messenger?" his voice was softer than believable.

Hadrian blinked furiously, pulling away from the memories once more. His occlumency shields were always up, always! No matter what. It was too dangerous, too risky for them to be down. There was always a chance he would just... never come back. That he'd lay on the ground, shivering as he wouldn't stop remembering for - forever.

"Apologies," coldness seeped into his voice, "I will endeavour to not require help."

No magic, no occlumency shields. Which meant memories. He didn't like memories. But why did he have no magic? The only logical response was the numbness.

"What did SHIELD do to me?" he demanded of Messenger.

"What?"

"When they took me, what did they do to me? What did they do to me, tell me!"

Tony took a step back, "You wouldn't respond, yeah? I tried to snap you out of it. Fury couldn't just leave you alone. He ordered his men to - to arrest you. On what accounts, I don't know. I couldn't stop them, not with my team holding me back. I only just managed to get a tracker onto you. Jarvis followed you through the CCTV to the container designed for Bruce, and said you were injected with a serum."

What did they inject him with? A serum, designed to numb magic; or for a different use, but with an alternative outcome. Whatever the wish, it had a more serious outcome. With little to no access to his magic, he was unable to heal himself, to apparate away, or to fight.

Hadrian's hands twitched, wishing so dearly for his cane. It was moments like this where he regretted following the idea of Lucius Malfoy and leaving his wand in his cane.

"Hadrian - you can stay at mine. Please. Let me pay you back."

"For what?"

"For opening my eyes."

Hadrian bowed his head, "It seems as if I have no other option."

"Excellent!" Tony clapped his hands, "Now, as to getting you back to the tower - Hadrian!"

Tony rushed to the fallen man, regardless of the leaves under his feet or the noise he was making. Pressing two fingers to his jugular, he sighed in relief as a faint pulse fluttered against them. He hadn't believed Hadrian's wounds to be so bad; he hadn't acted as if they were grave. But Tony didn't know the man who had opened his eyes - how was he supposed to know of the seriousness of his injuries?

"Don't you dare die on me," he muttered, "Not while I still owe you, Hadrian."

Wow! And I mean, wow! The support from you guys is amazing. I was only going to have this as a one-shot (as I do with pretty much all my other stories) but the encouragement from you lot made me think 'why not'. Which probably isn't a good idea with four other active stories. OOPS.

Sorry if there is any confusion about the names or the format - the names change depending on who's view it is. For the format, if it's in italics, it's always about Hadrian. Oh, and tell me if you want the reasons behind the names ;)

Thanks,

MG