Disclaimer: All recognisable media, TV, Comics and their characters belong to their rightful owners, which isn't Me, also I make no money from this venture it's freely shared entertainment only. This applies to the entire story, I didn't put this up before, and I should've.
Cafe, Brakebills University, NY State
The Next Day
Quintin slipped into the chair opposite Harry who was found as he often was in the cafe drinking cappuccino. He looked up a smirk coming to his face, "Well...you aren't glaring and you're not a beautiful woman, so far different enough." he remarked in humour.
Q smiled, "I've heard" He chuckled, "Look, I urh want your help. Now you and me didn't get off to the best start but with what we learned last night, maybe you can help?"
"I'm more than willing, I told you I felt that wasn't your normal SP Q, and I meant it, I took punitive measures and that's it done as far as I'm concerned. Do it again, hurt that god damned amazing woman and I'll do far more than punch you." he warned at the end.
"I don't intend to," Q promised.
"And as you know...intent is very important to a magical. So...what can I potentially do for you."
"This is gonna sound crazy, and Penny would just laugh at me."
"As much I as I truly do like that bloke...I'm not Penny"
"I know" Q said with feeling, "Look ever since I started here I've been having...weirdly real dreams."
"I'm pretty sure you have an active imagination Q, and I'm aware you're aware of that, but something is bothering you...spit it out old son, I'll help if I can, but without the facts no matter how embarrassing I can't help."
Q nodded, "It's not really embarrassing, you know the Fillory books?"
"Thanks to Jules I have recently read them, I liked them."
"Cool, and Jules, really she told me just before this started to put that away. Live my life."
"I think she regrets that, considering how open she is to new possibility now, you didn't know about magic then don't forget."
Q nodded, "True, true, anyway it's good you know and they are fresh remember the girl Jane Chatwin?"
"Of course"
"Right, well she keeps visiting me in my dreams and often she tells me to step OFF the garden path. Usually in Fillory settings."
"Well, that could be your subconscious using imagery you're familiar with to tell you something but I sense there is more to the story."
"Yeah, one time just before I met Alice, in fact it kinda led me to her actually, there was this sigil on a tomb stone, it glowed and she pressed my hand to it, it burned and when I woke up...I had that mark on my hand."
Harry looked at him seriously, "Right, now we're off dreams totally, dreams don't DO that, CAN'T do that even for a magical. Until you said that I figured it was a subconscious message, clearer because of a good and active imagination and the active magic in your system, but our bodies WON'T hurt ourselves in our sleep, we're hard coded not to do it."
"What do you think is happening?" Q asked a little desperately.
Harry sat back looking at him very seriously a long moment, "If I remember correctly Jane Chatwin and her brothers did actually exist and disappeared under some...odd circumstances didn't they?"
"Yes, that's true. Jules tell you that?"
"Yep, so my theory right now is that if they are real, perhaps other things are real, like for instance Fillory."
"That'd be awesome" Q said with feeling.
Harry shook his head, "Not in this instance, she's reached out to connect with you, urging you off the garden path, the well trodden road. I think I know why and I can't go into details as to my knowledge thanks to a promise, that's not to say I can't help though." Harry said musingly. "I think you have some form of connection with Jane Chatwin. You talk in these dreams as in converse?"
"Yeah, I do"
"That means its two way, and that old son, means you don't' have to wait for her to contact YOU, connections like that are two way mate, a door open either side, have you ever tried reaching HER?"
Q shook his head slowly, "How would I even go about that."
"You won't like it but the best person to talk to about this is Penny, ask him about the Astral Plane, I believe, as does he your volume might mean you have some passing latent talent in the telepathic arts. It's not normal for someone to be so loud, unless that is you have an unusually powerful mind, I'm not talking Jules' type of power, the intelligence and intuitive leaps she makes, but I'm talking about the power to reach out of your own skull here."
"Really? I have noticed he's been nicer to me lately and he's given me some oddly speculative looks." Q offered.
Harry nodded, "You've been a topic of conversation, but I won't go into what we said, outside of our shared belief you MAY, and I mean MAY not for sure, have latent mental arts aptitude."
"From the way Penny tells it that's more a curse than a gift."
"Penny is especially powerful, potentially capable of more than JUST telepathy because of that, he just needs to learn how to control his mind, and hopefully I've helped with that, then my friend, you'll see what he's TRULY capable of." Harry said with a smile. "as for you, ask Penny really, he's well travelled on those roads, I tend to stay away from them, I got...a little lost once and am a bit leery about them, I use them, when I have to and the Astral plane is useful even in your own head. Let me tell you, you've never had oral until it's done in there," Harry smirked making Q laugh. "Of course actual sex is oddly uninteresting." he said musingly, "But I digress."
"I think because you're...what's the term...in need" Q smirked.
Harry grinned, "You might be right, but that's my issue to.. deal with"
Q made a face, "Aww Harry!"
Harry chuckled, "Seriously go talk to Penny it might help to tell him I sent you, I'm willing to bet he can explain how to get to the astral plane better than I can. I'm passing fair with the mental arts, hell I'd go so far as to say DAMNED good, but I can't teach it for shit, it's a very subjective subject, not my strong suit, when putting it to others. Then when you do get there and I think you will, you have a look around, the path will become clear. Then give that little bitch a real shock when you pop into one of her dreams." Harry smiled wickedly.
Q grinned too.
"But also, importantly, listen to her. This is a well travelled path, that's what she's telling you. Time to mix it up a bit, don't settle for a standard Brakebills education...in fact, if you're willing to swear to me, personally you'll keep it a secret I think I can really help to open your mind. But you'd need to come with me tomorrow night, bonus points you'd' get to see Jules."
"I give my oath Harry, seriously even when you clocked me it was for a damned good reason, I think you're the most true person I ever met."
"Why thanks Q in that case...ALONE, no Margo, no Eliot, you meet me here tomorrow after last class, okay?"
"You got it, I'm gonna go talk to Penny, but do I have to tell him WHY?"
"I would, it'll help his clarity to know what you need it for, and sure he'll mock you, it IS Penny we're talking about. But you're a man Q you can handle a bit of mocking even from his acidic tongue, just know that with Penny his bark is honestly worse than his bite."
Q nodded, sliding out the chair and getting up, "Really...thanks, especially for not laughing and hearing me out, and you really think Fillory could be real."
"Oh mate, I think it's pretty damned likely, but don't get you hopes up, I have a bad feeling about all this, at my age you learn to trust gut feelings."
Q nodded, thoughtfully and walked away.
A moment later Kady slipped into the chair and smirked. "He won't thank you for that, sending Q to him."
"Those two will NEVER be friends, but I do think they can help each other," Harry told her, "Besides Penny has changed his mind a LITTLE about Q."
"Yeah...thanks to you," Kady said, "I still think the guy a dork, but he seems pretty harmless I'll admit."
"Funny, because I was just thinking he could be damned dangerous."
Kady looked at him, "Him...serious?"
"Not to us, but to bad guys, yeah...funnily enough I see a fair bit of myself as a kid in Q."
Kady lifted a brow, "He is no where near that hot"
Harry laughed, "Oh I wasn't hot when I was young, I was fucked up back then, couple of reasons, including a shitty home life and an actual leech on my physical, psychic and magical self, motional I was pretty horrible to be around at times, I was weak physically, a real slender reed, and mentally I was badly in need of counselling." Harry told her, "I was singularly unattractive to other people and until really my last year at school I had two friends my entire life who for some reason weren't pushed away by my attitude. It wasn't toxic per say, but I wasn't very social because of that leech and the fact I never learned to be either." he told her honestly. "Then...I got rid of that drain a magically, and I mean that literally, snapped back to what I should've been at what...18 years old, 17, something like that. I also started to be much nicer to be around."
"Harry I say this with feeling, I cannot imagine you as anything but awesome."
Harry smiled at her warmly, "Why thank you, I'll take the compliment, I don't HATE your company either." he smirked.
Kady chuckled. "Mind you sometimes you're almost TOO nice"
Harry laughed, "Oh trust me I can be an utter bastard when I need to be, but it's not the way I really choose to live my life. There have been periods where I was...well, in a dark place, but when my best friend Hermione she passed, well she left me a special message, stored the way we could so it was like I was in the room and she was there looking at me sternly telling me to damned well live my life, not get all caught up in my grief but to celebrate the time I had with her, and I adopted that. I've lost a LOT of people, but that's the wrong way of looking at it, I gained a hell of a lot of people. The same thing...and yet not. And I wouldn't have done that if I'd been an evil git, so I usually snapped out of my dark times, usually after I lost a woman I loved or had to bury a kid. But as Hermione pointed out I got to spent their lives, I did my best to keep them happy, safe and healthy and in turn I got to share in their lives. That's a gift, and if I walked the selfish and dark path, that would be throwing that gift back in their faces. Mind you, saying that I can be one SNARKY son of a bitch if I'm in the mood" he smirked.
"I did notice you like fencing with Margo. Or course I think Margo would just like to climb your fence."
"Ahh, maybe, but while its not a normal sort of relationship she IS in a relationship with Eliot that is MORE than just friends, and ergo…"
"You actually do the guy code, no guy actually does the guy code." Kady said.
"I'm sure they didn't for you Kady, you are something a bit special and that's JUST your looks"
Kady smiled, "Again, just don't see you being nasty, like...ever. I spend time with you I end up feeling pretty damned good about myself."
"And so you should luv." Harry winked at her.
"And this is the man that LIKES Marina" Kady noted.
"I did tell ya" Harry smirked.
"Yeah...but I don't' see you as a couple"
"I'd settle for sleeping with her" Harry smirked. Making Kady burst into delighted laughter.
Cafe, Brakebills, NY State
Later
"YOU" Penny stalked into the cafe and pointed an accusing finger at Harry.
Harry grinned, "Eh Oh, I'm in trouble" he remarked with no sign of hesitancy.
Penny strode up and then the frown and stern repose fell off his face and he smiled, "Were bang on right" he said, "He's not exactly a telepath, but I had him on the astral plane in double quick time, he's got a remarkably vivid imagery that really helps him with visualisation." Penny said, "I think he has some talents in the area, but I don't think he's going to make Professor Xavier jealous."
"Who now?"
"Mutant, apparently the most powerful mind on the planet" Penny rattled off, "But..you were right, and I think he's going to attempt to contact that Jane girl tonight."
"Good, good, but her mental representation is likely totally false, I mean she was born in the forties, or thirties if the Fillory stuff was just after WW2"
"I think it was set early fifties, I mean I read them but not like Q does, ya know." Penny said, "But well spotted man."
"I've met a few psychically inclined people some of my kids for one."
Penny laughed, "It's weird to hear you say that when you look younger than me."
"Well...I ain't" Harry laughed.
"I got him started on mental warding too. I know that shit inside and out, it just never worked for me. You might have the truth of why not, but then it's not really supposed to keep me in my head as much as people out of it."
"Oh...that's not how ours worked," Harry said, "Now I don't use that myself. From my hiding spot I'm actually always WIDE open, no shielding at all."
"How the hell do you handle all those voices?" Penny asked shocked.
"Practice" Harry replied easily. "You can't find my mind, but there's nothing BLOCKING it, just hiding it, and in a way that's never been beaten since I came up with it. That said, lean in a bit. I did learn it all" he said, then tapped his forehead, then tapped Penny's in turn. The usually grumpy guy leaned back with a shocked smile on his face.
"Whoa" he said with feeling. "Now that's the way to learn."
"I'd've given you a book but I've not owned an actual book in well, a long time. I have it digitally of course, like most things I converted it all over. But nothing compatible here...yet, I'm working that, but I felt this was more pressing a need than that."
"Thanks, AGAIN, seriously you're like my favourite person."
Harry laughed, "Wow, well – thanks, but I'm just helping out a friend, anyone would do it."
Penny shook his head, "How the hell do you remain so positive after your long life, you must've seen some horrible shit."
"Oh hell yeah, curl you into a ball horrible, but in a wide angle view, things general balance out more than you realise." Harry said with a smile, "I've also seen a few things that had me weeping in joy, including birthing my kids, but other stuff that left me in AWE man. I've seen such goodness, and such evil, but there IS a sort of cosmic balance, now in a normal human life you might not even get the edges of it, mine has let me see a little of the inner workings. It's really quite a beautiful system, and it WORKS man."
Penny smiled, "Okay, well I'll take your word for it."
"Thanks, for trusting I know what I'm talking about"
Penny shrugged, "But...that said, I WISH you hadn't sent him to me."
"I truly suck at teaching that stuff, I knew you wouldn't" Harry shrugged, "You were honestly the best place I could send him."
"Yeah, yeah, okay, but me and Q, we don't LIKE each other, put up with each other maybe, but LIKE?"
"Oh I get that, sometimes you just don't get on with someone, it's just called being human mate, don't worry I'm not trying to force you into being friends, but you can help him and I think eventually he'll help you in turn."
"Again...I'm willing t take your word."
"And from you that's especially precious mate." Harry smiled, "Stopping?"
"Nah, I'm meeting Kady, she mentioned you met up earlier."
"You've got a hell of a girl there."
"I know" Penny smiled.
"See ya then." Harry said as Penny turned and left, leaving him chuckling. He sighed thinking he probably needed a girl friend. Little did he know that the Dick effect ran both ways as several women were looking at him wistfully, or with more intent ideas in mind, but not a single one approached him all the same.
Brakebills, NY State
A Week Later
Harry moved swiftly down in the catacombs where they held a prisoner. Eliot had had a new man in his life and all had seemed to be going very well, perhaps too well. He'd tried to stick Q with a dagger that Penny of all people took for him, now laid up in hospital where Harry saw him a lot thanks to helping out at the wards with Lipson. So he'd just got he entire story, found out where they were holding him and now he wanted a strong word with the bastard that had hurt his friend and tried to kill another.
The door ahead of him heavily reinforced and magic proof slammed open shocking the people inside as Harry came across a nightmare scene, a woman with curly blonde hair was being held by the throat, struggling weakly against their culprit and Harry swept his arm out. Magic didn't work in that room, but pure telekinesis, that worked just fine and he'd found a part of being psychic for those powerful enough to tap into it. The good looking boyfriend of Eliot went hurting off to hit the wall HARD, and stuck there while Harry moved over to the attractive and coughing woman. As he helped her up he couldn't help but notice a small detail that just got him MORE pissed.
He helped her, made sure she was alright by casting some healing spells he'd been learning then turned to her attacker, Sean if Harry remembered correctly. But the look in his eye wasn't right and his aura was WAY off.
"Alright let's start slow" Harry said, rising his hand, the room was still magically blocked but after was while you really get to hone your skills, so his fine control of telekinesis was mastered a long time ago, he applied pressure to one of Sean's' ribs, then snapped it like a rotten twig. "That, is a little idea of what you'll feel if you fuck with me. Not only did you try to kill a friend of mine, you damn near DID kill an even better friend and perhaps more insulting you were about to kill her. DO you know how rare she is?" Harry asked.
"More than you?" was spat back.
"Damn man, for men everywhere she's wearing SEAMED stockings, and heels. That is one sexy woman to the core! That'd just be crying waste" Harry said with total depth of feeling.
"Hey...that's my Sister!"
Harry looked at him, then at the rolling her eyes, 'Eliza' he thought he remembered her name as. "Hmm, okay so who are you in there, because you're not Sean, not on your life. I don't think she's Sean's' sister. Either, mind you congratulations on a sexy sister, that must suck for you. Or me...I saved her life after all, I'm due a boon, I know just what I want." Harry said with a wicked smile.
'Sean' struggled, a murderous look on his face, "Do you know what's oddly funny. You want to rip out my spine for potentially defiling her, and yet when I arrived you were just off killing her you sick fuck." Harry said, twitching his hand. There was an audible snap and he screamed in pain.
"That's your collar bone, shall we see how we can escalate that pain you're feeling or will you let that boy go now?" Harry asked calmly.
"That's not his body you're hurting" Eliza said sounding distraught.
"He's feeling it right now, that's good enough."
"Maybe I'll just let you kill the boy, what then" he said glaring with hate in his eyes.
"Selavee man, I've killed for less noble reasons, and really at least he'd be free of your influence. You're dirtying up his soul just by using his body you bastard. I know one of your names, it's pretty obvious really, but...what's your REAL name Mr Beast?" Harry said, then twitched his hand followed by a sick crunch and a howl of pain. Harry flipped a switch in Sean's body and The Beast abruptly stopped screaming.
"Nice huh...little trick I leaned in the orient." Harry said, "You won't feel pain now, but I'm not going to stop causing it. Then, a while, I'll not only turn it back on, I'll dial it all up to twenty and believe me, you'll feel it ALL crashing down one you at once."
"M..Martin" he caved like a pile of tribbles He liked pain, but giving it, not receiving it.
"Good, now the boy."
Martin glowered ineffectually, then looked at Eliza, "I will get you both for this" he said, then released his control, then the real Sean was back in control looked around then fainted from the pain. Harry lowered him gently to the floor already casting healing magic, took a button, as in a literal button, out of his pocket and put it on the guy who promptly disappeared.
"What was that"
"Something I introduced to the infirmary, we used to call the port-keys, in that case a paired one that leads to the infirmary, one anchor a whole hell of a lot of buttons. Eleanor is trying but hasn't quite got the knack of making them just yet, so I'm churning them out. He'll be fine...don't worry."
"I know, I didn't think you'd really hurt him."
"Oh I always follow through when I say something to a bad guy." Harry said, "They only know how to respect fear and strong arm tactics, it's hard wired into their evil little brains. Sorry, by the way. If that was Martin, you're his sister, you aren't therefore Eliza, but Jane...right? Something pretty awful must have happened to turn him into...that."
"Yes, perhaps, he became something...worse than anything we fought. Has already won out against anything I've sent against him, including myself." Jane said. Leaning back on the wall, sighing, then suddenly she smiled, "That said...I believe I owed you something."
"I was just getting up his...urk…" there was the sound of a heavy iron door slamming closed, the sound of a ripped open fly then a loud wet slurp followed by a very relieved sounding male tone.
Physical House, Brakebills, NY State
Later
Harry sat with a small smile stitched on his face that would NOT go away with his friends looking at each other knowingly. Predictably it was of course Margo who actually said it aloud. "Someone got LAID" she said with a sing song voice.
Harry chucked, "If you're trying to embarrass me you're sadly off the mark. And besides I didn't have sex, well, not that sort of sex."
"Oh…" Kady chuckled, "You got BLOWN, save another damsel today and weakens to her charms."
"First part right, weaken nothing I didn't have much chance to say no...then well, I really didn't want to you have NO idea how long its been." Harry chuckled, "And strangely its much better than I remember. Either that or she was spectacular at it"
"Maybe she was, but I'm better" Margo assured him.
Harry looked at Eliot, who was rather morose that night, Margo rolled her eyes. She knew his rules, and what he saw of their relationship, perhaps he wasn't even wrong, she might even say she loved Eliot actually, but they weren't clingy, he wouldn't really care if she had full on no hold barred sex with Harry, but it was Harry that wouldn't do it. Though it sounded like maybe if she pushed… This damsel hadn't given him a chance to be all 'noble' by the sounds of it.
"Anyone we know?" Q said worriedly.
"What...what's with the concern." Harry asked confused.
"Urh...I just figured you and Jules would…"
"Oh no, hell no while I for sure don't consider James my friend, I still don't' do that, and this time because she cares for the guy. We're JUST friends, GOOD friends and I utterly adore that little stunner, but FRIENDS. Besides slightly insulted at the worry. I wouldn't be bad to her, any woman, but especially her."
Q lifted a brow, "It's not that, and well...I can't explain, so sorry."
Harry smiled it away, "You know...got to be said, I am not waiting another million years for another blow job."
Penny sputtered, "WHAT"
"Oop, that kinda slipped out, but I did say you had no idea. Hell there wasn't any humans after a certain point, then others followed in their footsteps, slim pickings ya know." Harry shrugged.
"Damn...you're really fucking old, huh." Alice of all people reverently said.
"Yeah...I did tell you" Harry chuckled.
"Sometimes I think about oral during the day...more than once" Penny muttered.
"Just say the word Pen" Kady offered with a smile.
"I do love you." Penny said, then went wide eyed.
Kady was actually a touch pink, their friends all smiling at them, while they studiously avoided each others eyes. Said in jest it may be, but meant all the same. It was also quite early to be saying it and Penny and Kady were in panic mode.
"Kiss each other, just...trust me do that" Harry said seriously, "Now...don't hesitate...good man" he said as Penny basically dragged Kady into his lap and laid one on her. "Good, that's sorted" Harry said, "Sometimes an actions speaks a tome of words."
Margo grinned, "Sometimes actions have consequences," she said with a nod to where Kady was grinding her hips into Penny.
"oop" Harry said and waved a hand at them, "I'd stay with me tonight Q" He suggested.
"Urh...good plan" Q remarked with a wry smile. "By the way, where we go...when next?"
"She's got a view doesn't she and a unique way of looking at things." Harry smiled, "We can go tomorrow."
"Where do you two get off to, and don't you think we'd be interested." Alice asked.
"Oh I think you would, but she'd lose her nut if I turned up with any number of people, sorry." Harry said, "It is supposed to be a secret location and I had to get some hefty oaths from Q before I'd take him there, which we reinforce every time we visit. I managed to talk her out of a blood contract, but it was a close run thing. She has no love for Brakebills either."
Alice pursed her lips and crossed her arms under her impressive bust line.
"I dunno Harry, perhaps I shouldn't be walking my new path alone?" Q said slowly. "My recent discussions seemed to indicate I'd need help."
"Yeah...her" Harry smirked. "Let me talk to her, see what SHE says about that idea, hell you know her she might even like the idea of corrupting us Brakebills snots."
Eliot smirked, the first sign of amusement he'd shown, he'd really liked Sean, who it turned out was VERY straight, and not remotely acting like he had been when Martin had been in control. This had been a shock for Q, but he was getting over it. It was taking longer for Eliot to process, but Harry was a light soul, despite his very great age, and it was … good to have him around. "Snots?" he asked with a lifted brow.
"I'm not saying that, that's HER name for us." Harry grinned making Eliot slough off some of his depression by getting him to chuckle. Things got lighter from there.
Being Remodelled Stark Tower, Manhattan, New York
Three Days Later
"Alright we're all here" Cap said looking at Tony who seemed like he was on a caffeine high, twitchy, jumpy and smiling like a lunatic.
"Actually" Harry spoke up, "Urh...we're not. Let's just say when I talked to Jules about what I said, well she went off at me, and seriously she's SCARY when she's mad." he said muttering the last. "So if you agree, I do have another member. For us, and I do believe most of you want to talk to her anyway, but you two" he said pointing in turn to Nat and Clint, "I still don't so much want SHIELD to have anything much to do with her, I don't really trust super big agencies, and while Fury seems like a good sort, this is Avenger only stuff...right, can you do that? I warn you now, all of you, anything HURTS that girl so much as her feelings, you face ME, in dragon form." he said glaring around the room.
Nat smiled, "Friend...huh"
"She's waiting, so?"
"Bring her in, she's always been welcome, I'll have to tell Fury something though, right now SHIELD controls the Avengers." Cap said seriously.
"Yeah...right now, yeah" Tony said with a wicked smile.
There was a muted flash of light and Julia was standing in a pose and smiling winningly, "Ta Da"
"Oh well done, if you're going to do it, do it in style right?" Harry said actually applauding her. "Excuse her, this is the first time she's done that solo, pretty nice, pretty nice. What are you?"
"The Best Student EVER" Julia beamed.
"Exactly!"
"Was that matter teleportation?" Bruce asked, "I mean, for real? You have that technology, on Earth?"
"It's not actually that hard with real quantum science Doc" Harry said, edging from the topic a little.
"That is protected to be the way it'd have to work without using copies and destroying the original, which gives me the creeps to think about." Tony said, "Mind you, more than one of me can you imagine!" he said with a cheesy smile.
Everyone, absolutely all of them, groaned at the thought.
"Critics, you're all critics" Tony said a playful note in his expression.
"Outside of magically appearing Julia's, we're glad you're here and even more glad you decided to join us." Cap said.
"I always would've said yes, Harry is WAY over protective, but he doesn't get to make MY decisions for me!" Julia said pointing a lethal glare at Harry. Who held up his hands to fend it off, actually wilting a little.
"Oh bravo that woman," Natasha said, "Not that you'll ever stop the over protective streak for his 'Friend'"
Julia didn't' miss that tone, "I know it's hard to believe but we are JUST friends, I do have a boyfriend...currently" she said the last in a mumble.
"You okay Jules?"
"Ahh he's getting, what was your word...Iffy about all the time I spend away. I don't have a good excuse for him."
"Oh, that's easy, you just need something that fits the facts" Natasha said.
Harry smiled, "Yeah, tell him you're at a meeting, you know a MEETING."
"You want me to tell him I'm an addict."
"Let's face it Jules you were mega depressed now you're a bright little bunny, he has to already suspect drug use with that turn around. And it's not like you can actually tell him the truth. Or do you want to, knowing it would be a futile gesture? You know as well as I do he'd get wiped, you'd be booted, and punished, my lot weren't allowed to tell until Marriage, I think that applies here. You planning on marry that...man anytime soon?"
Julia shook her head, "Nooo, but I hate lying to him."
"Thems the breaks kid" Harry smiled at her.
"Oh gee thanks super supportive friend."
"Of course I'm supportive, I've just given you the perfect story." Harry grinned at her.
Jules sank to the arm of his chair, "I suppose it would work."
"He's going to see you on TV at some point" Clint pointed out, "With us I mean."
"Oh not on the likely, me and her, we are covered in a...virus I suppose you could say, worm perhaps, it deletes anything substantive about our identities. You guys are only able to remember us because we're friendly, if we turn out to be in error about you lot...well, you won't any more." Harry said with a chilling smile.
"That's two threats in less hours" Natasha smirked. "Anyone would think you don't trust us...especially with her" she said pointing at Julia, who turned another impressively effective glare on Harry.
"Yeah, thanks Nat, for that! I dunno what she's talking about Jules, seriously...would I threaten anyone?" he said looking at her with wide innocent eyes.
"Oh yeah...I'm gonna fall for THAT on YOU" Julia said, "Now I know you think I'm an idiot!" she said fighting a smile.
Steve chuckled, "As fun as this is, and it is fun, Tony is about to explode, I think he's been at Pepper's espresso machine."
"No, she banned me from drinking that stuff" Tony said seriously, "But I do have an announcement and now ALL the avengers are here, including the over protective ones of the especially cute yet deadly one, I can begin."
Julia glared at Harry again, "Words...later"
"So what you got to tell us Tony?" Natasha cut to the chase.
"Two things, one is more of an offer really. Harry is perhaps concerned about us being under SHIELD and he might be right to be. Now they do good, they have the right mind set and Fury is good people, as our others" Tony said nodding at Clint and studiously ignoring Natasha, but then she HAD duped him for awhile there. "So perhaps we shouldn't be beholden to what is in effect a government agency. We have the power and ability to do real good in the world my friends, I'm worried that SHIELD might stop us going where need to go for some 'political' reasons."
Harry smiled, nodding his agreement.
"And what are you suggesting, without SHIELD support…" Clint trailed off, "Wait, you're offering to support us?"
"That's exactly what I'm offering and by me, I mean personally, you all know I'm one of the richest men in the world and that's personal finance, and I'm willing to sign a contract that proves my good intentions and would free you from any obligation to me, or SI."
"Give me a few months and I'll be able to help with that, financially and later technologically." Harry said.
"Good, great even, more resources potentially means more bad guys dealt with." Tony nodded with a smile. "I see some of you doubt this idea, and I get that I do, so with that in mind I suggest taking it slow. Let me show you what I can do, and that starts with this tower...well, not right now it takes time to rebuild and remodel, but as Harry very wisely pointed out, this isn't JUST Stark Tower any more, it's a symbol in itself, I suggest pro tem and perhaps with SHIELD supporting us still, that this become the Avenger's Tower."
"You're just...giving us a tower." Natasha asked.
"I know it's hard to believe but yes I am. Harry was so totally right in everything he said. And I can't ride that for my companies benefit that would be the wrong thing to do, so why not use that symbol and associate it with something that is a force for good...namely us."
Natasha was as surprised as Clint had seen her, while Harry smiled warmly and Julia actually had a tear in her eye.
"Now we won't need ALL that room, so I say we stuff the place with labs, training, and more, the labs could perhaps work on technology, with a little help fro me, that will benefit the world, unlike most companies while it will likely turn a profit a great deal of that outside of running costs, wages and the alike will be turned back into the world to do the most good where its needed, there's a tonne of things we can research and look into. Clean energy, like the Arc reactor or even the tesseract itself, fuels, recycling, crop improvements, the list is literally endless but most of it isn't done because its not profitable. Through what I suggest we label somewhere along the line with our name, corporation we won't so much care about profit, keep ourselves afloat and as much as I have I do not have that much alone to keep it running by itself with nothing coming in, but just that much, unlike fat companies who only care about profit we can look into the IMPORTANT things that will better the world."
"I LIKE you" Harry said.
"Sorry sweetie you're not my type." Tony shot back, "So what do ya say, huh, huh?"
There was silence then finally Bruce Leaned forward, his hands clasped, "I think it' an amazing idea."
"All thanks to Harry's words, but my genius ideas." Tony grinned.
"I...LIKE it" Steve said slowly, "Even in my day it was all about making a buck, this might even turn that tide."
"It won't, not for a long time Steve, but hell if it isn't a damned good thing to do" Harry said with a wide smile, "I am SO in 110% mate"
"Strictly…" Tony began and Harry cut him off with a chuckle.
"I know, I know!" Harry laughingly said, holding his hands up.
Tony smirked. "Natasha...Clint?"
Clint smiled, "For the future?"
"For everyone's futures, doing perhaps more good than even we do as a team, and have done. Saving the world in a meaningful way." Tony said passionately.
Clint smiled, "I'm in...not sure how I can help, but I will."
"And me, what the hell could I do, my life has never been what you'd call beneficial towards anything or anyone." Natasha said slowly, nothing showing on her face, but her words rang with meaning.
Tony clicked his fingers, "And you think mine did. That's EXACTLY why WE should do this. I swore to turn my company around, and hell I did it. We actually make at least as much as we used to, and we do it clean. But I have a lot to still do, make up for not so much I feel, because this as selfish as I know myself to be, isn't ABOUT me. This is for EVERYONE, now isn't that something good and beneficial and perhaps a way to pay the world back for any darkness in our pasts?"
Natasha looked at him VERY seriously, then a really gorgeous smile appeared on his face, "I never thought I'd hear myself say these words, but...You're right Tony."
"Obviously" he remarked,, then smiled. "And our newest member?"
"Oh hell Yeah!" Julia said with feeling.
Tony looked at Bruce, "You haven't actually said…"
"Are you kidding, you'd have to fight me off." Bruce usually very tightly controlled did smile, but not the massive beaming grin he showed to them. "You know the WEIRDEST Thing...I get a real Sense the...Other guy agrees"