Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Bloodletting Part One.
Tamsin tried to pull herself away from the awe she felt when looking towards Harry and focus on the matter at hand. He really was something amazing, but no matter how amazing he was, they needed to focus on the matter at hand.
She joined Bo and Harry back and understood there was a need for a very long and potentially uncomfortable explanation regarding what the nature of Harry was. Bobbi and Daisy returned back as well. The encounter with the fire wraith had put all of them on a trigger. Said trigger could, in fact, ignite a powder keg which could be ready to explode at any minute.
Everything seemed anxious and tense, mostly because of the enemy Harry fought. Harry would have been foolish to think everything would just end at one attack. It was just a way to test the waters.
Tamsin's words also burned deep inside of Harry's head. He turned towards the beautiful blonde and invited the blonde further inside. The Fae stepped in front of Harry and waited for the words.
"You said I was the real deal," Harry said. He reached across the table and touched a hand to hers.
Tamsin tried to ignore it. Bo warned her how powerful Harry's thrall could be, and now she experienced it up close and personal for the first time she understood Harry was the real deal. It was almost unsettling how much he could push his will, and it was without trying. She only shuddered to think how much he could have women falling at him much easier if he had made a more conscious effort in doing so.
It was only thankful his heart was full of virtue, although she supposed those powers would not inspire such a loyalty if it was not.
"There have been many legends," Tamsin remarked. "Spread across many races and you're no exception."
"So, I take it you know about me all too well," Harry said. "You are…"
"Yes, a Valkyrie," she commented looking Harry up and down. "Although I've been away for a long time, I still remember the legends. You are her heir, the heir of Lorelei of Asgard, as was your mother before you."
This particular revelation caused everything to be unraveled. Harry took a few seconds to comprehend what he just heard.
"He's the heir to one of the most beautiful and dangerous women in the history of existence," Daisy said. She frowned and realized this pretty much matched up with what Jane and Darcy said. "And it does explain how he is able to ensnare women into his web. I'm guessing Lorelei's abilities are based on sexual preferences….although she tends to bewitch mostly men."
"Actually, it's because men tend to bend to her most easily," Tamsin said. "That isn't to say anything against men, it's just her powers trigger certain parts of their mind. And depending on their sexual preference, they would be attracted to her naturally."
Harry took a second to consider what she said and realized it made too much sense.
"Your mother, Lily, she had been sent along much too soon," Tamsin said. "All felt her loss, but I think in the end it all worked out."
Harry would have figured things worked out, but they could have worked out much better.
"There were several snags along the way for it all working out," Harry responded to her. He looked on with a fairly coy smile when leaning closer towards her. "But, I think everything did work out in the end."
"Maybe not, though," Tamsin said. "Blood is looking to collect together a dark army."
About as much as Harry figured. Every single thought entering Harry's mind pointed towards it, but the fire wraith was the first person who had been sent on through.
"He intends to use the Philosopher's Stone to accomplish this," Harry said. "And his power grows and at the same time makes him extremely sloppy at the same time."
Tamsin nodded. That could, unfortunately, be a bit of a problem. She leaned closer towards Harry, a smile crossing her face when approaching him. She ran her tongue over her lips and edged closer towards him, almost having her mouth near his ear.
"We're at your disposal," Tamsin said. "We don't want this world to be overrun by the darkness Brother Blood will bring."
Her hand rested on Harry's thigh as well. Harry could feel the energy going through her and it gave a fair amount of strength.
"Damn it," Daisy said. "I'll be back…..Bobbi, do you think you can tag along with me?"
Bobbi could see things were heating up in the room and she didn't really want to leave, at least not all together, but she also didn't really have much of a choice.
"How long do you think this will take?" Harry asked both of the girls.
"Maybe a couple of hours, give or take," Daisy said. "I should be back in time for the meeting you're going to have with my boss…..and I'll see you are."
Daisy leaned across the table and gave Harry a kiss before she left with Bobbi. The moment she left, Tamsin decided to edge closer towards Harry. Both hands now rested on Harry's thighs and they lingered ever so closer towards Harry.
"I'm going to need all of the help I can get," Harry informed her, and she nodded, smiling deep and bright.
"Yes, I know," she said. "And there's one more test….Bo told me all you had to offer. While I'll be inclined to believe her…I think it's for the best that I see what you have to offer for myself."
Harry smiled at the sexually liberated nature of the Fae. He wasn't complaining by any means, and he only would consent to the courtship process if the girl in question really wanted it. If the sexual attraction existed, then wasting time with formalities just seemed like a waste.
Tamsin dropped down onto her knees, and Bo gave him a smile. She had Harry out of his pants in pretty much no time. Some real fun was about to begin and Harry would be in the center of it.
Harry finally made his way towards headquarters, joining Daisy and Bobbi. The three of them passed through security. A couple of them almost fell over themselves when they saw Harry Potter. Bobbi shook her head, half in amusement. The reaction of these supposed professional agents was very amusing, and Bobbi and Daisy were very much trying not to break down and not be as professional.
"Well, they just let you in the front door," Daisy murmured.
"Hopefully this doesn't leak," Bobbi said. "I would hate for it to be easy enough where some shapeshifter could just wear your face and end up bypassing through security as they please."
"That really would be a pain," Harry responded.
"Oh, it's him, he's here!" one of the agents yelled, tripping over.
She was a cute blonde agent with hair coming past her shoulders, a soft looking face, and bright looking blue eyes. She filled into her uniform quite nicely, as did most of the women. The other agent standing next to her wore her red hair back into a ponytail and she had similar soft features although they had mostly been trained into a very obvious frown.
"Mr. Potter, I'd like to apologize for my sister, she can get overexcited sometimes," the woman said. She was surveying Harry up like a large cut of prime beef, but only for a second. "My name is Holly Granger, and this is my sister Dawn."
Two overexcited girls eager to please, Harry just had to smile at the thought. Daisy's smirk grew very calculating in response.
"It really is nice to meet you, sir," Dawn said.
Dawn shook her head. She knew this was coming, but didn't expect to actually be here when Harry Potter dropped by. Everything just happened so heart and brought her heart a flutter.
Daisy looked at both of them with a smile. Two more willing recruits, not that it took that much these days to recruit the willing girls.
"It's a pleasure to meet you two," Harry said. "And Agent Carter has such an eye for talent, and also for beauty as well."
Dawn nodded and she walked closer towards him. Holly placed her hand on her sister's neck and sighed. She didn't normally get like this, well most of the time at least.
"I'm really sorry about her, sir," Holly said. "She doesn't get like this most of the time. You would think someone who was running intelligence would be a slight bit more discreet."
"So, both of you ladies work in intelligence?" Harry asked.
"Well, Dawn does," Holly said. "I'm more of a hands on girl than my sister is, as I'm sure you'll learn someday."
Daisy could have sworn it looked like Holly wanted to put her hands on Harry if she had given half of the chance. She would have liked to see that under most normal circumstances, but unfortunately, they had a couple of things to deal with. Bobbi cleared her throat.
"It was nice meeting both of you," Harry said.
"The pleasure was all ours," Holly said. "It can get boring down here sometimes."
Harry thought the two girls should just end up cherishing those moments because things were going to get a lot more exciting in a hurry and in the worst way possible.
'They're not too subtle for spies sometimes,' Daisy thought. She turned her head around and walked off. 'Then again, I'm just a bit salty of having to get to miss the Fae orgy. But I suppose it was all for the best because I wouldn't be conscious for this meeting.'
Harry smiled and crossed the final corridor. He didn't know what to expect on the other side. Daisy stepped off to the side of him and took Harry's arm to lead the way.
"I guess I'll do the honors," Daisy said.
Bobbi's lips curled into a smile, shaking her head in the process. Daisy not being that subtle at all amused the woman.
"She does like being the personal right-hand woman of a living legend all too much," Bobbi said. Daisy turned around and cast Bobbi a look. "Don't deny it gives you a lot of personal pride to be Agent Carter's number one girl."
Daisy was about ready to protest she wasn't exactly Agent Carter's number one girl, but the fact made her smile. It showed Bobbi thought a lot of Daisy, even though most of the comments were done in a very teasing way.
"Well, we shouldn't keep her waiting much longer," Harry said.
Daisy nodded, fair enough. The world was in peril.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Daisy, Bobbi, and Harry walked in.
"Harry Potter, I say this meeting is long overdue."
Harry looked at the figure who came out of the shadows and just had to get a very good look at this particular woman. The beautiful brunette looked like she stepped out of a portrait straight from the 1940s, looking as young and spry as ever.
"Agent Carter," Harry said. "Needless to say, you've aged rather well. As a matter of fact, I don't think you've aged at all. And you look pretty well for someone who is supposed to be lingering in a hospital bed, your mind not as sound as it used to be."
"Well, that's a fascinating story, if you have time to hear it," Peggy said.
"I admit, I'm curious," Harry said.
The four sat down in the office, while Peggy already had some tea fixed. Harry didn't really want to play into the old stereotypes, but he had to admit, a good cup of tea was hard to come by these days.
Brother Blood stepped forward with the Elite and the very few followers who took the plunge with the Elixir of Life to survive. All of them served Blood without question despite a few lingering doubts and many questions entering their mind.
"Where are we going?" one of them asked.
"Patience, all will be revealed in due time," Blood said. He swung his gaze over his shoulder and smiled. "Our friends are willing to make a deal with us, and we should honor their request for a meeting."
Blood held all of the cards, their destiny planted firmly into the palm of his hand. He leaned closer towards the forest and heard the rustling in the shadows.
"Come on and face your new master," Blood said.
The rumbling laughter filled the forest. Every single one of Blood's minions thought the laughter was something of an extremely demented and depraved individual. Blood didn't even say one single word. He just remained still and stoic. His Stone clutched in the palm of the hand like it was the holy grail.
Said laughter continued for several moments to the point where Blood had gotten annoyed.
"I'm glad to see you find some humor out of this situation," Blood said. "Perhaps though I didn't make my point clear or concise enough. "I am your master, and you are to obey me. So come forward and obey me."
A ghoulish creature stepped out of the shadow to gaze upon Blood with a mixture of amusement and contempt. His worn face had the look of extremely old leather and he walked another couple of steps towards the man. The creature surveyed Blood, and snarled, sickening yellow fangs bared when he looked at Blood.
"You presume a fair amount, mortal," the ghoul said.
"You still have enough intelligence," Blood said. "Not nearly enough to respect your betters."
"And what is stopping me from ripping you apart where you stand?" the ghoul asked.
Blood lifted the Stone and the ghoul screamed having been dropped to his knees. He found a place pressed on the ground in front of Brother Blood. Smoke billowed from his body when Blood pushed the force of the Stone against him.
"You're a creature of the night, nothing other than the lowest of the low," Blood said. "You didn't take to the transformation well. You stalk these forests, hunting for whatever prey foolishly stumbles upon your place of being. It's a lowly existence."
Blood let up the Stone. The ghoul collapsed to the ground rather weak indeed. The power of the stone caused the ghoul's ability to fight to be weakened and Blood to gain control over the man.
"I know all of the creatures in this forest fear one thing above all else," Blood said. "They fear Death."
The leaves rustled. Everyone in the forest grew extremely restless. Despite this entire fact, Blood knew he had them resting in the palm of his hand. The current master of the Philosopher's Stone waved the item in question and everyone came closer to listen to.
"You fear Death, and you fear the one who masters him above everyone else," Blood said. "This world needs to be bathed in fire and blood, for your kind to be able to stand tall, without fear of hunters, without fear of Slayers, and without fear of Harry Potter."
That particular name caused general unrest within the Ghouls. Brother Blood knew he struck a nerve and delved further for the throat.
"Yes, I know all of you know the name, and you fear the name," Brother Blood said. He threw his arms back in triumph. "But, just think of this. Once Death has been made a non-factor, then what hold does he have over you? What hold does anyone have on you?"
"It seems to me you're the one who wants the hold over us," one of the ghouls stated. He spoke in a sharp tone and there was a fairly huge part of him who did not buy him.
"Stand beside me," Blood said. "Or I will deny each and every one of you at the gates of my New World Order."
Some of the ghouls stepped forward. None of them trusted Blood. Given the alternatives, he sounded to be the worst of the evils. One of the more powerful ghouls stepped on in and dropped to his knees before Brother Blood.
Blood broke out into one of the more wicked smiles possible and extended the Stone over his hand. The power burned through every fiber of Blood's being.
"Master, your hand," one of the drones said.
Blood looked at said hand and a sickening looking black blood splashed to the ground from his fingers. The man frowned, but then gave a very dismissive nod.
"It's merely a minor inconvenience, it shall pass," Blood said. "Onward and forward, we still have much work to do."
No one dared argue with Blood in this respect. They were too afraid of the consequences.
Faith tucked her head and did a flipping roll to avoid the charge one of these particular nasty ghoulish vampires they had been dealing with for a long time. She fired an attack at the vampire, but his skin was as tough as old shoe leather.
'Vampires like this, travel in packs,' Faith thought. 'And they're mean, nasty and….Buffy where are you?'
'I'm up to my neck in about two more of them,' Buffy said.
'Don't talk about being up to your neck in something when you're facing vampires,' Faith thought.
'Sorry, bad form,' Buffy thought back to Faith.
The vampire spread his wings and came up from the sky. Faith hurled an object into the air and it exploded into a loud hiss. The vampire dropped down to the ground and clutched his face. Faith decided to pull out the heavier weaponry, thanking Harry for making the modifications to make this thing able to fit in her pocket.
'Of course, it looks like I'm pulling things out of my ass now,' Faith thought. 'A pretty good party trick, but not exactly….oh shit!'
Faith aimed and fired to catch the vampire. The bolt impaled through his chest and burned him. The vampire struggled forward and tried to rush at Faith one more time. Faith dodged the attack and allowed the vampire to collapse into a pile of dust.
"Damn," Faith murmured underneath her breath.
Three more dropped down and surrounded her. Combined with the two Buffy had been playing tag with, there was five that they could account for. And they ran in packs, picking off from the margins. Sucking the blood of anyone who had been foolish enough to come their way.
"Slayer, blood!" one of them growled.
"No, please, you don't know where I've been," Faith remarked dryly.
She dodged the attack from one of them. A blast of energy flew through the air and nailed the creature in the face point blank, ripping his head off. The creature dropped down to the ground.
Faith blinked a couple of times, not knowing what happened, and not caring what happened. She pulled out an enchanted dagger and stabbed the ghoul in the throat to double him over. The Slayer retracted the knife from the throat of the vampire, with blood dripping everywhere.
Buffy stepped forward, a scratch on her cheek, and a couple of bruises on her hand. Given the alternative, though, it could have been worse. The slight limp could be very worrying.
"Someone showed up to even the odds," Buffy said.
The eyes of both of the Slayers followed the progress of this new contender to enter the ring.
"She's good," Buffy said. "Like she's really good…so good it almost hurts to watch her."
Faith nodded. The new figure grabbed the remaining two ghouls around their necks. Energy pulled from the bodies of the ghouls before they dropped down to the ground.
The smoke cleared and a beautiful green-haired woman stepped into greater prominence. She wore a black one piece which covered her amazing body and sheer black leggings. She had curves and also gave off energy. Faith realized she dealt with another succubus and a fairly competent one.
'Now how to slap a collar on her and deliver her to Harry,' Faith thought.
'Really, that's the first thing you think about?' Buffy asked.
'Oh, not like you thought about it.'
"Take me to your master!" she commanded to them.
Buffy looked at the woman with a surprised expression. She helped them but looked inclined to rip them apart if they did not give her what they wanted.
"She means Harry," Faith said. "Our master doesn't just see anyone, though. Who are you and what is your business?"
"My name is Morrigan Aensland, and your world is in grave danger," the succubus said.
'Must be Thursday,' Faith and Buffy thought in unison.
The conversation could not escalate any further. A large hulking brute of a ghoul spread his wings and crashed down. Faith and Buffy prepared to fire at him.
"I smelled Slayer blood!" he yelled. "And her blood…..I'll rip your wings and mount them on my wall."
"You wouldn't be the first man not to follow up on a promise you can't keep," she answered. The woman's lips curled into a smile and she motioned him forward. "Nor will you be the first man die trying!"
Peggy surveyed Harry over the top of her cup. The meeting had been long overdue.
"I wish I could have been there for you especially…given you had to live with Petunia, and that unfortunate waste of oxygen she calls a husband," Peggy said. "Unfortunately, shortly after Lily's wedding, I found myself sent to another realm, and I had been trapped there for a significant amount of time."
"So, there is a logical explanation," Harry said.
"Yes, curiosity should be indulged, but stupidity and curiosity often go hand in hand," Peggy said. "I learned when I returned how much I missed. And by that time, you had been rooted deep into that world. I feared you would be beyond my reach, as that world….it tends to hang onto people. It's not unlike a cult."
Cult, boy was that ever a perfect world to describe those people.
"Their first-borns are rooted into the society and then denied opportunity. By the time they realize they won't advance in that world, it is much too late, and they have to start from the ground up."
"The world was falling apart when I left," Harry said.
Peggy knew Harry didn't want to talk about it, and given her dealings with that particular side of Britain, she could hardly blame it.
"I'm pleased to say I was wrong," Peggy said.
"So, you were in another realm for ages," Harry said. "That doesn't account for the fact you don't look a day older than you do from your photos after World War Two."
"Yes, well, that's by design," Peggy said. "The Infinity Formula can be rather useful in turning the clock back, and the LMD who lives my public life, she has been programmed to naturally progress. And within a few years, Peggy Carter will be dead to all but a few trusted people who are permitted to know the truth."
Peggy sighed and spoke clearly and candidly.
"After the destruction of SHIELD, and the mistrust, I had to build something back up," Peggy said. "A lot of good agents died over the years, not knowing what they fought for was corrupted. I created this and I had to fix this. I had more experience than I did when SHIELD as founded."
Peggy took a moment to drink her coffee.
"We can discuss that at a later time," Harry said.
"Yes," Peggy said. "We both have information which can be of use to this situation. And the fact Blood has the Philosopher's Stone is unsettling."
'Um, Harry?' Faith asked.
'Yes,' Harry said.
'We ran into trouble, big trouble, big ghoulish trouble, as in an army of them,' Faith thought.
"My girls ran into trouble," Harry said. "Blood is already making moves."
Peggy stopped Harry from getting up. Daisy and Bobbi already made a move to join them.
"Then let me make a move of my own."
To Be Continued on February 6th, 2017.
The game is afoot in many levels, and hell is about to be brought to Earth.
Well, Blood's use of the Philosopher's Stone is coming back to have severe consequences to him.
Where Peggy was is discussed, and it looks like things are about to heat up.
Faith's priorities are straight in line, obviously.
Until Monday!