Magic and Might

Chapter Beta by SuperSherlockedGallifreyan

Chapter 02: Forging the Path

Phase Zero: Origins

Harry took a breath of air he had, and it felt like it was years since he last breathed in fresh air.

"Get up. I have to get you out of here," a woman said as she threw Harry's arm over her shoulder and attempted to drag him through the room towards the empty corridor.

Harry looked down and could see several army men already on the ground dead.

The young woman began to move across the room and was able to carry Harry surprisingly well.

"Who are you?" Harry asked as he slowly began to regain feeling in his legs and the rest of his body.

"I'm Miranda Lawson. I need to get you out of here before they give you the 'treatment'," Miranda said.

Something about what she said made Harry's hair stand up at its end. The 'treatment' didn't sound very promising.

They were making slow progress going down the corridor. Harry said nothing. He couldn't help but notice how strong Miranda Lawson was.

Harry's body felt heavier than normal, making it difficult to move it, but he was slowly gaining feeling and movement.

They reach the end of the corridor, and the door hissed open. Standing before them were four armed men, wearing no insignia of any kind.

"What the?" one of the guards said, holding a SCAR Sub Machine Gun.

Miranda Lawson move incredibly fast, whipping out a Glock 26 and pulling the trigger. Each of the guards dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, a bullet in their heads.

"Crap, they would have heard that. I wanted to get you out of here without triggering any alarms, but it seems we'll have to fight a small army to get out," Miranda said.

"That's okay," Harry said. He looked down to his left hand and flexed it a couple of times. "I'm starting to move my own body."

Harry grabbed a knife and moved down the corridor. He could hear the steps of heavily armed soldiers coming down the halls. Moving quickly from the corner, Harry struck, sinking the knife deep into the first man's throat. Pulling it out, he quickly sliced the throat of the man next to him. He threw the knife to the guy's neck behind on his right, allowing him to grab the guy who he first killed and position him perfectly between the last guardsmen. Harry grabbed the dead man's pistol from his holster and fired a single shot, killing the last guard instantly as the bullet penetrated his face guard and went through his skull.

"What's going on here?" Harry asked as he pointed the gun at Miranda.

Miranda dropped her gun and raised her hands in the air, but she made no motion to get near him.

"I know you have questions, but this is not the place for it. There are nearly fifty people in this base, and if we don't move fast, they'll have an army to kill us," Miranda said.

Harry narrowed his eyes. He didn't know if he could trust her.

"Where are we?" Harry asked.

"In a secret base, somewhere in the artic polar ice caps. No one comes here, and we're at least a thousand miles from the nearest civilizations. The very landscape is a fortress. Any attempt to approach from the air will be futile. If you attempt to sneak across on the ice, pressure sensors will reveal your position before you're within striking distance. The landscape of the ice itself offers no protection or cover. So you're standing in a kill box at all times. Approaching by sea is not an option. Only certain size submarines can move through the ice caps. Without a clear geographic map of the region, the sub will get lost and trap within the ice. It's also not possible to break the ice. It's ten stories thick. It took nearly forty years to create this base. The only wayin is if you're already on the inside. The problem is, to get out, we have to kill everyone in the base."

"Why help me?" Harry asked the moment he took all of this in.

"Because I don't want them to use you like they used me," Miranda said.

"Then where to?"

"This way. I have a clear readout of this base. So, I know just about where everyone is."

Harry nodded his head.

Ten minutes later, everyone was dead and Doctor Mindbender was in Harry's hand.

"Did you get everything?" Harry asked Miranda.

"Yes, the distress signal was sent out, so my organization believes everything was lost and all information regarding the Lazarus Project is gone. Doctor Mindbender is the last person to delete."

Harry turned to the doctor.

"Please," Doctor Mindbender said in a wheezing voice as he tried to gasp for air. "I created you. You obey me," he said.

Something inside Harry snapped as he broke the man's neck in a single motion.

"You are not my creator," Harry said as he dropped the now dead body of Doctor Mindbender.

"Want to tell me what's going on?" Harry asked.

"Let's talk while leave."

"Where are you taking me?" Harry asked.

"To someone I've been in contact with. Someone who can train you. I have been planning this for quite some time. I just didn't expect to bring someone else along."

Miranda led him to the marine docking area, and she entered a small size sub. Harry followed suit, getting inside.

She slowly navigated through the ice pack while Harry remained silent, looking down at his hand.

So much had happen so quickly. He wasn't sure who was friend or foe.

"You've been quiet; I was expecting you to jump at me with questions."

"Shouldn't you be steering?" Harry said, looking at Miranda, who sat down opposite of him.

"I have it set on auto-pilot. We'll be reaching the Port of Portland, Maine within the hour. If you have questions, now is the time to ask."

"Who are you? Who do you work for?"

"As I said, my name is Miranda Lawson. My origin is… well, it's very complicated. I have a mother and father, but I was born in a test tube with genetic modifications."

"Genetic modifications?" Harry repeated; unsure he heard correctly.

"I have a healing factor. Most injuries that would take someone out for six months, I can heal in a day. I am also stronger than your average woman, even stronger than most men. Fast as well." Miranda explains.

"So, you were genetically modified to be perfect."

"That's one way of putting. In truth, you were created to replace me."

"What you mean?"

"Do you not remember?"

Harry shook his head, believing it best not to reveal he came from another world.

Miranda gave a sigh as she looked at him.

"The organization I work for found you two years ago in the Highlands of Scotland. Just like know, you did not know anything then. But what amazed them, startled them actually, was the unusual genetic code in your D.N.A. They believed you could become stronger than Captain America."

Harry reeled for a second when he sudden knew who Captain America was — Hydra's greatest enemy, the first real super human soldier.

"They injected you with various serums, enhancing your physiology and certain elements that they believe will grant you psionic abilities. You were also given genetic enhancements before they give injected you with the Super Soldier Serum."

"The Super Soldier Serum? Wasn't it lost with the death of its creator Doctor Abraham Erskine?" Harry asked. He paused and looked down, wondering how he knew that information.

"They didn't just implant you with serums, they mess with your mind as well —implanted information and knowledge as well as information on everyone you need to know. They wanted you to be the perfect assassin, the ultimate killing machine. I saved you before they could implant you to be completely loyal to their cause."

"Why is that?" Harry asked with suspicion.

"They wanted to ensure their control over you was secure. They were going to place a brainwave scanner in your skull that would have controlled your mind. It was the only method they believed would work on you as they feared drugs and other mind bending abilities would render your abilities useless, ineffective. I didn't want you to suffer at their hands, to have unnecessary blood on your hands like there is on mine. I want you to make your own choices."

Harry sighed as he leaned back.

"You're taking an awful big risk in helping me. I could kill you, you know."

"You could, and there's nothing I can do to stop that," Miranda said, nodding her head in agreement.

"Who did you work for?" Harry asked.

"The man who created me and you… is perhaps the most powerful man on the planet. I know very little about him, and I've never met or seen him. All I have is a code name. They call him the Illusive Man."

"What does he want?" Harry asked.

"What any man in power wants — absolute power. He runs a powerful and dangerous organization that's called The Cabal. They have their hands in everything, so they're nearly untouchable. No lawyer or law enforcement agency can touch them. Most of the world isn't even aware of their existence. Yet, they are involved in everything. Nothing moves without their knowledge or approval. The illusive man plans to rule the world or destroy it. Either one will strip people of free will."

Harry said nothing. The Illusive Man sounded a lot like Voldemort.

"Why help me?" Harry asked for what felt like the tenth time.

Miranda Lawson looked down, folding her hands together.

"My entire life, no matter what I did, it was never enough to please my father. I graduated college with six Ph.D's at the age of twelve from Oxford, no less. However, it never pleased my father. He then put me in covert and espionage military training, expecting me to be better than others around me, but it was never enough to please him. I never got a smile or a love you from him. I was controlled all my life. When I… when I helped you become what you are, I knew you would live the same life as I did, only you would be enslaved with no mind of your own. I guess I had a guilt trip inside of me. I was still searching for my own freedom and I was about to trade it for your own. I guess I just couldn't live with that. I was ready to leave, but I came back for you."

Harry said nothing. He just stared at Miranda careful.

"Thank you."

Miranda looked up and stared at him.

"For freeing me. You had your choice to escape, yet you came back. That's all I need to be grateful for," Harry said.

"The person I'm going to take you to is called Stick. I have no knowledge of his name or background. However, he is well versed in ninjutsu. He trains a clan of ninja's who are masters of covert and espionage warfare — training which I believe you are going to need for the future."

A beeping sound caused the two of them to turn to the cockpit.

"We've arrived." Miranda said.

Entering the port wasn't a problem. Even getting in the truck that seem abandon wasn't an issue. It was getting across the border that was the trick. However, Miranda seemed to be talented in many field as she was able to talk smooth and speak with a Canadian accent to the guard to the point that he was convinced she was a native.

They enter Canada and drove. They drove for miles. At nights they would spend their nights in the car, listening to the wilderness before they drove off some more. It wasn't until they were deep in British Columbia that Miranda got out the car and looked around.

"Come. We're near," Miranda said.

Harry followed her through the forest where she looked around nervously. It was clear she was afraid. Something was in this forest that shouldn't be.

Harry suddenly turned around and saw a man wearing a white outfit with two swords strapped to his right side.

Harry attacked the man with a rage fury, hoping to use his enhance strength to bring him down quickly. However, the mask man was a skilled opponent and was able to dodge and block Harry's attack with little to no effort.

A sudden swift kick by the masked man caused Harry to take a step back.

Harry moved forward with his fist cocked back, but a sudden hit by a wooden stick caused him to stop.

"Storm Shadow, this one is the guest I was expecting."

"You're Stick?" Harry said.

"Indeed I am. You're an interesting one," Stick replied. He turns to look at Harry, but Harry notice something unusual.

"You're blind."

"Blind? Indeed, I am. But I can see more than you can. We've been follow you for over an hour," Stick said.

"Stick, I'm Miranda Lawson," Miranda said, stepping forward.

"Yes I know. We identified you the moment you enter the country."

"Then you know why we're here."

"I do."

Dressed in a white kimono, Harry faced a ninja in a black suit and helmet.

Harry attacked, but the ninja was able to dodge all of his attacks. Harry finally ushered all his strength to break the ninja's defense. It was a deadlock before the ninja shifted his weight and caused Harry to fall forward. Harry rolled into a defensives stance.

"Brute strength alone will never get you far. You could be a boulder, strong and powerful, but a bolder can crumble and fall. You must learn to become a mountain. For no matter how hard the will blows, you stand strong."

Harry said nothing as he listened and learned. He got up and stood ready for the next round.

Author Notes: Harry is getting trained by Sticks. I always felt Stick was a excellent teacher and could train even the Avengers. Shame he never did. So he's training Harry to be and think like an assassin.

Suggestions are welcome. Please R&R!