Man of Iron, Father of Gold

Chapter 7: The War Begins...

.:~*~:.

"Time to go," Steve said as he entered Clint's room where the archer and Natasha were.

"Go where?" Natasha asked.

"I'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?," Steve asked.

"I can," Clint replied as he stepped out of the bathroom wiping his hands on a hand towel.

Steve looked a little shocked as he looked between the two agents. He looked at Natasha for verification and she merely nodded in reply. Steve nodded in acceptance and asked Clint, "Got a suit?"

Clint nodded, "Yeah."

"Then suit up."

.:~*~:.

Steve donned his mask and grabbed his shield. Natasha made sure she had her guns and ammo, plus any other tech she could carry on her person. Clint donned his quiver and grabbed his bow. Out in the hanger Thor raised Mjolnir and summoned some lightning. As he did, his special armor began to appear.

Tony was inside working on some minor adjustments to his armor before he was ready to take flight.

.:~*~:.

Captain America led Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Thor into a jet where one agent was there handling some equipment. He stood up when he saw them and said, "Hey, you guys aren't authorized to be in here."

"Son...just don't," Steve said.

.:~*~:.

"Sir..." agent Hill asked tentatively.

"Hm?" Fury grunted in response.

"What information do we have on Stark's supposed son?" Hill asked.

"Coulson said the kid had black hair, green eyes, and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead," Fury replied evenly.

"Does that mean anything to you, sir?" Hill asked.

"I...I've known Stark for quite some time. There's a persona that he's developed...One we're all familiar with. He's arrogant and cocky, but when it comes down to it, he is a hero. It seems like two personalities that should clash but actually work pretty well together. Some would have guessed that there should be some sort of medium between the two...Iron Man and Tony Stark. It's all a very well composed image and never have I seen that image waver...until a while ago. It seems that this boy is that medium."

Fury sighed, "They needed a motivation...I knew they would. For them to see what really mattered and what was at risk. I never thought it would be this, but the only thing we can do now is let things play out and hope for the best...hope in the best..."

Fury stepped up to the windows in time to see the Iron Man suit fly off followed shortly by a jet.

"We have unauthorized departure in hanger 6." a voice of the com said.

"What about the child sir!" Hill demanded, for a moment breaking her loyal duty. She may be an agent and would easily make a difficult decision for the best results in the big picture, but the biggest alien threat they've ever come across has a poor innocent child in his hands!

"Potter's just as legendary as Captain Rogers...I just hope he too lives up to the legends," was Fury's reply.

"Potter?" Coulson echoed. "Harry Potter? The Harry Potter? He disappeared years ago."

"Well apparently he's been closer than we thought." Fury replied. "Get our communications back up. Do whatever you have to do. I want eyes on everything."

"Yes sir," both agent Hill and Coulson replied.

.:~*~:.

When they landed at Stark Towers Harry tried his best to escape Loki's clutches but the older raven had a tight grip on the hem of Harry's shirt.

Kneeling to be at eye level with Harry, Loki glared and hissed out, "What are you?"

Harry was looking around anxiously for something to help him. He tried to find Death but then he remembered the warning Death gave him before he left the hotel in DC.

"I have the power to take the young master where he wishes to be, but I must warn against it," Death said.

"My dad could need my help. I have to go!"Harry had insisted.

"Our deal will keep your father alive and well. Going there is dangerous," Death said.

"How? You're death!"

"Yes and even if I have the powers to help and protect you, if you get too close to the enemy with such foreign powers I will not be able to assist. You'll be on your own," Death explained.

"Even if I gave you permission?" Harry asked, fear seeping into his voice.

Death nodded, "You gave me permission to take the souls of his victims, who are from Earth where I reign. This person's powers aren't from Earth and neither is he...I am powerless against him."

Death wasn't with him. He had to deal with this by himself.

Loki, angry by the child's silence, shook him roughly before pushing him away.

"Insolent child!" Loki screamed, "I demand you tell me what you are at once! You can not be human with the powers you possess. Tell me!"

"I'd say I'm like you but that would be insulting myself," Harry replied with a glare of his own. He was scared right now. Of course he was, but he also wasn't one to just sit back and let this bully push him around. He had enough of that with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. He'd learned from his father, Happy, and Pepper that people pushing him around wasn't right. He had to make them proud and stand up for himself.

"Oh how cute, you've got a back bone," Loki mocked and raised his staff.

"Haven't you learned already that that doesn't work on me?" Harry asked.

Loki ignored him and touched the tip of his staff to Harry heart. The older raven smirked as the thought he'd acquired a new weapon but then his smirk disappeared when the young ones eyes didn't change color. He did it again but all the boy did was cringe and shake his head, as if shaking off Loki's manipulation. His green eyes seemed to glow a bit as they kept glaring at Loki, any other changes didn't occur.

Loki lowered his staff and frowned. "What is your name?"

"Harry Stark," Harry replied.

Loki's frown was replaced by an evil smirk, "Is that so?"

.:~*~:.

As Tony flew towards Stark Tower his Iron Man suit was having difficulty maintaining flight. His power levels were also low. Soon, his current armor would be worthless.

Tony mentally cursed six ways til Sunday. This was not what he needed right now! His son was missing, no, not missing. His son was in the hands of a maniacal psychopath who was ready to kill anyone who got in the way of his delusions.

His mind was in chaos at the moment. Part of it was thinking of all possible ways to make Loki pay for taking Harry. Another part was strategizing the best way to find Harry and quickly get him to safety. Then there was the last part of his mind...the part that he hated because it acknowledged the possibility of what he might have to do if...if he couldn't get to Harry in time. The plans he'd have to make. The emotions he'd have to go through...the pain, the agony, the anger, the heartache, and the loneliness.

That more than anything made him want to puke his guts out. The idea that Harry wouldn't barge into this bedroom in the morning and jump on his bed to wake him up for breakfast. That he wouldn't be there to listen to him rant as he tried to work out problems and equations, things Harry didn't even understand but listened to because he liked hearing Tony's voice. The thought that Harry wouldn't be there to chide him when he shirked off work or was being overly rude to someone. Wouldn't be there to smile or hug or make him feel alive...

To have no one and nothing waiting for him after a long day of work or a mission gone wrong. No one there to tell him it was alright to fail, that it was alright to be human. No one there to tell him that he was enough and have him actually believe it...

With Harry gone...the sun might as well not rise anymore. The stars should cease to shine, the birds cease to sing, the Earth cease to spin. Without Harry...happiness should be against the law.

Life without Harry now was impossible. He wouldn't know how he'd handle it. He'd fall apart. Losing Harry would shatter him in ways nothing else ever could.

Tony forced all thought process to cease. Living without his son was impossible, so he'd make sure he'd save him. Tony wanted nothing more that to have Harry in his arms but he realized that at this moment right here, right now, Harry needed Iron Man, not Tony.

The Iron Man suit faltered again but he saw his tower in the distance. Tony forced himself to momentarily lock away his emotions and to objectify the situation. Stop Loki, save the day, save the world...save Harry.

"Sir, I've turned off the Arc Reactor," JARVIS's announced, "But the device is already self sustaining."

Tony was hovering next to the building as he faced Eric Selvig who was working on the machine that housed the Tesseract.

"Shut is down Dr. Selvig," Tony ordered in the coldest business tone he could muster.

"It's too late!" Selvig yelled at Tony, "It can't stop now. He wants to show us something!...A new universe."

"Okay..." Tony deadpanned as he aimed his power beam at the machine and fired, but the impact of the force pushed both him and Selvig away.

"The barrier is pure energy. It's unreachable," JARVIS said.

"Yeah I got that," Tony replied and looked towards his tower and saw Loki's on his balcony. "Plan B."

"Sir, the mark VII is not ready for deployment," JARVIS warned.

"Then skip the spinning rims, we're on the clock," Tony replied as he landed on the platform that removed his armor and walked into the penthouse. His eyes instantly landed on Loki. They also darted around for any signs of his son.

"Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity," Loki said snidely.

"Uh, actually I'm planning on threatening you," Tony said with his arms behind his back as he made his way to the bar.

Loki chuckled, "You should have left your armor on for that."

"Yeah...it's seen a bit of mileage. And you've got the...uh, glow stick of destiny. Would you like a drink?" Tony rambled.

"Stalling me won't change anything," Loki said with an amused smile.

"No no no, threatening. No drink, you sure? I'm having one," Tony said as he picked up a glass and filled it with some liquor.

Loki stalked away from Tony and towards the window and let the anger show in his voice, "The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will change that." he turned around to face Tony and asked, "What do I have to fear?"

"The Avengers..." at Loki's raised brow Tony gives a cheeky shrug and continues, "It's what we call ourselves. Sort of like a team. Earth's mightiest heroes type of thing."

Loki smirks and replies, "I've met them."

"Shea...It takes us a while to get any traction I'll give you that one, but let's do a head count here...your brother, the demigod." at the mention of Thor, Loki growled and turns away. Tony used that moment to grab the two metal bracelets on the counter that will bring the Mark VII to him, "The super soldier. A living legend that kind of lives up the the legend. A man with breathtaking anger management issues. A couple of master assassins...and you! Big fella, have managed to piss off every single one of them."

"That was the plan," Loki replied cheekily.

Tony took a sip of his drink and answered just as cheekily, "Not a good plan."

"When they come...and they will," Tony began as he moved away from the counter and began approaching Loki, "They'll come for you."

"I have an army," Loki replied.

"We have a Hulk!" Tony countered.

"I have your son! And besides...I thought the beast had wondered off," Loki motioned with his staff.

Tony's eyes hardened but he forced himself to remain calm, "You're missing the point. There's no throne. There is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes, and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect the Earth, you damn well know we'll avenge it." Tony finished by taking a sip from his drink.

Loki stalked up to Tony and hisses, "How will your friends have time for me...when they're so busy fighting you?"

Loki raised his staff to Tony's heart but heart a small 'clink' noise. A look of confusion crossed his face and he tapped the staff again, only for the same results.

"It worked before..."

"Well performance issues...1 out of 5 and all tha- ugh!" Tony didn't finish his last remark as Loki grabbed him by the neck and threw him across the floor. "JARVIS...any time now."

"DADDY!" Harry yelled and there was a shimmering before whatever was keeping Harry invisible disappeared and Harry stood there tied up.

"Harry...Don't worry...I'm here..." Tony gasped as he tried to get up.

Harry nodded, tears steaming down his dirt covered face. He had some scratches and patches of blood on him that made Tony see red. It broke Tony's heart to hear Harry ask, "D-don't l-leave me o-okay?"

Tony shook his head rapidly, "Never!"

As Tony tried to stand, Loki raised him by the neck again and hissed, "Oh the sentiment..." Loki let out an maniacal laugh before he whispered to Tony, "You'll all fall before me..."

"Deploy!" Tony gasped as Loki threw him through the window. Tony screamed as he free falls to the New York streets but he pulled himself into position as his latest armor arrived just in the nick of time and he flew back up.

"And there's another person you pissed off...me!"

Loki prepared to fire with his staff but Tony fired at him before he had his staff raised. Loki flew backwards and landed on his back.

There was a rumbling sound and as Tony looked up he saw a beam of blue shoot up into the sky. The portal was opened, and the Chitauri were escaping.

"Right...army," Tony murmured to himself as he watched the sky fill up with aliens. Tony was torn. He knew he couldn't abandon New York at the moment but he very much wanted Harry out of danger. But he also figured that with Loki momentarily in the tower that was the safest place for Harry for now.

"JARVIS?" Tony asked.

"Yes sir?" the AI responded.

"Help Harry find a secure place in the tower. I've got some business to deal with," Tony said.

"Of course sir," JARVIS replied.

He flew up and started to fire at the Chitauri. The aliens fired back so Tony launched a ton of miniature missiles and took out a lot of them, but even more were pouring out and attacking the city.

.:~*~:.

Loki watched as the small brat tried to escape his bindings. Just as he got loose Loki grabbed him by the hem of the shirt once more and headed outside. Watching as Iron Man fought against his army in a futile attempt to stop them, Loki walked out onto the landing deck. His armor magically appearing and his staff growing longer. As he continued to watch he turned to the side where he watched his brother land.

"Loki! Let him go and turn off the Tesseract or I'll destroy it!" Thor warned.

"You can't! There is no stopping it," Loki said as he pointed his staff at Thor with one arm and used Harry as a human shield with the other. "There is only...the war."

"So be it...but let the child go! He has nothing to do with this!" Thor demanded.

Loki smirked, "And why would I do that? To be fair? To be just? Oh no no no...this is much more fun!"

"LOKI!" Thor yelled.

Loki sighed and rolled his eyes, "Very well..." Loki snapped his fingers and more magical binds wrapped around Harry and he disappeared and reappeared next to the machine and an unconscious Selvig.

"Now...where were we?" Loki asked as Thor launched at him and they began to fight.

.:~*~:.

Three Aurors barged into Kingsley's office out of breath.

"Sir!" one managed after a moment.

"What in Merlin's beard is the matter with you lot?" Kingsley demanded, looking up from the piles of paper work that filled his desk.

"Sir! There's a huge power surge coming from New York!" another said.

Furrowing his brows Kingsley asked, "And? Let the Americans worry about that."

"Sir you don't understand...this power...it's acting as an amplifier...all magical signatures near it are sending out a signal that can be felt all the way across the earth...one of them...belongs to Harry Potter," the third said and Kingsley's eyes widened, "We've found him sir...We've found Harry Potter!"

I have to admit...I feel kind of evil leaving it off like that.

So SHIELD knew about Harry Potter and his disappearance. And now England knows where he is.

Oh, and as for the reason Loki's mind control didn't work on Harry. Remember Harry is impervious to the Imperious curse too which is similar to Loki's mind control. The thing with that is that the power of a person's will has to be very strong to not fall victim to it. So Kudos to KPheonix for remember this :)

Death: I love the superheroes and claim to be a fan but I cannot claim to be a die hard fan or number one fan because I have not read the comics. I know the Avengers have their own idea of Death but since I'm not familiar with it I don't want to embarrass Marvel by humiliating them in writing something I'm not sure about.

I've head the Beatle and the Bard(or whatever the title of that story books in the HP7 was called) and it sounds like a guy so...yeah, just go along with my Death please.

Also I have two new stories you can look out for. "Trouble Finds Him" and "What the other side Holds"

Please review!