Chapter Nine

"I'm not interrupting your studying or anything, right?" Harry asked as the three of them ascended in the lift, a soft tune permeating the air around them.

"It's Saturday," said Peter.

"Is it really?" said Harry. He ran a hand through his hair and then waving it off. "Doesn't matter at any rate. Dinner on me."

"You're chipper," said Steve, there was a terseness to his tone but Harry guessed that had more to do with the small fact the man hadn't been out and about expect when they were running across rooftops.

"'Cause I've money," said Harry, his tone bright. "SHIELD paid me and I've decided to blow the first cheque. Why do you think I'm taking you lot out for a meal in the first place?"

"Team bonding?" said Peter.

Harry snorted. "I think I could find more exciting things for team bonding than going out," said Harry. "Perhaps visiting Tony Stark. You told me you were a friend of his father?"

Steve nodded. "He was part of the project that made me into a super soldier," the man said. Harry noted the slight unease which lined his voice. Steve noticed. "It took a while a for me to get used to Howard. From what I've seen in the news, his son is him on another level. All the ego without the redeeming qualities."

The lift pinged and the door slid open, there were a few people on the ground floor but the paid no attention to them as they walked.

"What I wouldn't do to meet him," said Peter. "To develop something like the Iron Man armour." Peter gave a wistful sigh. "I'm thinking I go work for them when I'm done with school. Do you think I'd get some sort edge if I told him I was Spiderman?"

"Bad idea," said Steve. "Guy can't keep a secret to save his life."

"Smart though," said Harry. "I mean if he's going to fight crime full time then telling those around him will at least save him from coming up with excuses when he has to run off."

"But telling the whole world?" said Steve. "What about those around him."

Peter said nothing, but Harry could see he was just as curious. The wizard shrugged. "I don't think there's a right or definite answer, but when I was the equivalent of a cop, I told my wife when there was some loon after me..." Harry frowned for a long time, scratching his chin as he dug up the memory of the fierce women he'd married, one with red hair and a temper to boot and another with almost white hair. "But then again she," thinking about the red-head, "could insight just as much fear as I could."

"You were married," said Steve.

Harry hummed. "Twice," he said. "Lost the second. The first lost me."

"I'm sorry," Steve said awkwardly.

Harry gave another hand wave. "Time has the particular effect of dulling all aches," he said and then he grinned. They had walked out of the building and turned left, three men walking and passing an alley before it was suddenly illuminated by a blue light; an unkempt Bruce appeared, hair ruffled and a spoon his mouth as he stumbled back.

Blearily Bruce looked around, eyes passing over Harry and Peter before stopping on Steve.

"You're Captain America," the man muttered just as Harry yelled, "Surprise!"

The next few hours were perhaps one of the best Harry had experienced in this universe. Bruce was animate, ignoring that they were in one of the busiest cities in the world, cars roaring outside and droves of people milling to and fro, instead he was focused on the threads of conversations he would have with Steve and Peter—those he had with Peter were ones Harry and Steve talked amongst themselves because more times than not they understood nothing of what was being said.

"I'd better get going," said Peter coming to a stand. "Aunt May will get worried if I stayed out too long."

"You okay going it alone?" said Steve.

Peter nodded. "Not offence meant, but you guys really slow me down."

Harry couldn't help a chuckle at that. "See you when next we meet, Pete," said Harry.

The boy nodded. "Dr Banner," he said, giving Bruce a firm hand shake. "It was awesome to meet you."

"Likewise," said Bruce. When Peter had left the conversation changed. "Isn't he a little young for all this?"

"Officially he's being trained," said Harry. "But the kid can handle himself well under pressure."

Steve hummed. "Gets me worried him risking his life, though," said Steve. "File says his Aunt's the only remaining relative. Imagine she finding out something bad happened to her nephew."

"I think that's why it falls on us to protect him," said Harry. "Enough with the dreary stuff. What say you we go to a bar. Haven't had whiskey in a very long time."

"I can't exactly get drunk," said Steve.

"Neither can I," said Bruce. "Part and parcel with the whole healing thing."

"Really?" said Harry, sounding aghast. "How do you guys drown your sorrows then?" he asked.

"Don't," said Steve. "You think about them over and over until finally you accept them."

"A life I would not want to live," said Harry. He stood. "It falls upon the both of you then to watch me while I can some drinks. Bruce, don't let me Apparate or I might get Splinched."

"That's not a comforting thought," said Bruce. But he relented. Harry had a few drinks, watched as Steve and Bruce tried to awkwardly deflect a pair which had taken a liking to them, Steve housing and intense blush for fifteen minutes after the woman who'd approached him had whispered something into his ear.

The direction was different where Harry was concerned, because unlike his compatriots he'd lost his shyness a few decades ago. He met a girl through the night and things went seriously quickly. The last thing he truly remembered of Bruce and Steve was the taller of the two reaching into Harry's arm and pulling out his wand.

"I don't trust you not to do something stupid," the man said, but Harry didn't care at that point, too fuelled by the liquid which inebriated his mind.

When next he woke, he was in an unfamiliar room and his head pounding harshly as a stream of line flooded into his eyes, a warm body next to his own. As gently as he could the man stood, the sight of a blonde form shifting at his movement but remaining asleep. The wizard traversed the room, searching for his strewn clothes before he disappeared with a rush of wind.

"How was the night?" asked Bruce a bit too loudly because Harry felt a hammer-like blow to the head.

"Fine," said Harry in whisper, "and can you keep it down. Hangover's killing me." Bruce chuckled. "What did you and Steve end up doing last night after I left?"

"Talked, walked the man back to his building. We almost got mugged."

"And the Hulk?"

"He didn't show," said Bruce. "Not that he got much of a chance. Guy pulled out a gun and Steve had him disarmed in the flash of an eye."

"That's good," said Harry. "I think I'm going to sleep again," he said. "This whole non-distinction between night and day is messing with my sleeping schedule."

Bruce nodded. "Steve told me to remind you about making another compass for you search."

Harry nodded absently as he closed the door to his room and slept. It was a long time before he woke again, day in fact and the headache had cleared, in its place a massive hunger. Harry found that the apartment was empty, a note left by Bruce saying he'd left for work.

The wizard found himself sitting in his living room for much of the day and his thoughts drifting to the past: The memories in his vault. He remembered having opened it when last he was awake and talking to Steve and Peter, and now the memories kept passing through the small holes and making him think back to lives he'd had in the past.

Intense amounts of anguish washed over him and no matter how hard he tried to push them back the feeling persisted. He hadn't stopped himself from having friends and family, and having opened that vault he was reminded that he'd left all of them, and most with messes he had made.

Harry took a large breath and a sort of resolution hit as another memory filtered through long ago. He had promised himself that he would find a way home, gather all the family he had and try and salvage relationships that had no doubt been frayed by his disappearance.

He'd even somewhat succeeded in his last universe before the Azrael had ended his life. Harry grimaced as he felt the fear fuelled thoughts begin to warp his mind, making him consider all the ways that he might get stronger for the angel's appearance.

Power, Harry thought. That's all he needed. He'd already succeeded in making a door which led to a place of Dementors. There hadn't been time to investigate the dimension but it was at least evidence that a door between dimensions could be built. Maybe he could attached the next door he built to his compass, pointing it to the universe he wanted to find before the door would lead to the right place.

It was worth a try, but first he'd have to find power, at least a way to channel power; another flood of memories of a new brand of magic Harry had been working on, the use of symbols in the place of a wand. There too the hitch had been power, but this power could be found from blood and the ambient energy of the earth.

The same could not be said for this universe, which meant Harry had to look at a scientific solution. The answer came to him in Bruce's words, the energy race and the companies which were in the running. Stark Industries and Oscorp among some he could remember but the wizard would have to look at it, watch out for any success that he might be able to channel to open or at least experiment with portals.

A plan formed and Harry was quick to action. He closed his eyes, search for the feel of the wand through the apartment but found nothing. The wizard felt a pang of worry before the blurry memory returned to him, Bruce had taken his wand when they'd gone out to stop the wizard from doing anything stupid.

Harry resigned himself to waiting until Bruce returned and the wizard lamented himself for not having found the Cloak yet, not that he'd made any tries at finding it. Something else hit Harry, another mental note. The wizard stood and let himself disappear, appearing almost instantly in Captain America's stronghold, the man covered in sweat and having a go at his punching bag.

"Harry," he said as the wizard appeared. "I thought you'd be asleep."

"Was in the mood to go to my lab my Bruce had my wand," said Harry. "I thought I might get you to give me so close combat training. Haven't exactly fought in a while."

"You know the basics?" Harry nodded. "You should find a kit at the lockers. We'll get started as soon as you've changed."