In the four months since I posted chapter 31, I packed up all my stuff, completely moved out of my parents' house and started my first teaching job in an autism room (what I always wanted). I actually had this whole chapter written before school started... but then school started and somehow another six weeks flew by before I could look at it.
The world whirls around as Tony corkscrews through the air, then arcs to dodge a blast of magic. He has no idea what effect that particular spell or jinx or whatever it is has; if it would turn him to stone or simply short out his suit like Harry did. Either would send him plummeting to his doom.
"Incoming plane at your six, sir." Jarvis reports inside Tony's helmet. Who would've thought they'd bring planes and freaking broomsticks? Any chance of the planes being SHIELD backup- not that Tony needs it- is shattered as quickly as the plane fires at him. This isn't like that test run where the Air Force almost shot him down, by now the whole world knows who Iron Man is.
Tony wasn't exactly surprised to realize they were under attack- it's a pretty regular occurrence for him, actually- but seeing these people zip around on broomsticks that have no clear method of propulsion or stabilization is jarring, and Tony hates that the only explanation seems to be magic. How did they even catch up with his jet anyway?
He wonders, briefly, if his mother saw anything like this on the night HYDRA made James-
Tony furiously fires a repulsor at a passing wizard, but the wizard simply swishes his wand and sends Tony's own blast back at him. Tony barely rolls out of the way, swearing under his breath.
A blast flies out of literally nowhere, and Tony realizes it must be Moody with that super-concealing cloak. He's going to have to study that thing, maybe it uses reflective panels like SHIELD tech that Fury probably doesn't know Tony knows about. Or magic.
The visible wizard battles the invisible one, wand slicing through the air like a sword, only they're shooting various energy blasts at each other.
In retrospect, maybe they're not here for him. Moody seems like the sort of guy that has a ton of enemies, and Harry and James are evidently on a lot of people's wanted lists.
Crap, Harry and James. They should be safe in his plane, it has bulletproof windows, a reinforced hull. Apparently that doesn't matter, since some witch simply blows the door open with magic and flies her broomstick in. Tony remembers Natasha's weapons flying off her body and wonders if the witch has done the same thing to James, because James was undoubtedly armed when boarding Tony's jet.
Tony's attention is pulled back to his own fight as a huge black jet appears. Even in the midst of battle, some part of Tony's brain has to admire the sleek design, how the wings and fins almost resemble an X-Wing. He'd almost hate to shoot the thing down.
Before he can deploy his suit's missiles, a woman flies out of it without the aid of a broomstick or super powered suit. The cloth billowing behind her arms isn't enough to glide by, but she is gliding regardless. It's an even stranger sight than broomsticks, watching her soar unaided through the air as Jarvis reports sudden weather anomalies.
The woman's eyes light up on her dark face as she somehow forms lightning bolts in her hands. Because of course run-of-the-mill magic wasn't enough. She shoots electric bolts at a passing witch on a broom, instead of Tony or his jet. Huh. Well, for right now, the enemy of his enemy is his friend and all that.
The woman soars through the air with the same grace as Tony or the broomstick-riders, firing lightning and creating a miniature tornado that traps an enemy plane.
Dang, whatever's giving her these powers almost rivals Tony's suit. Almost. His suit is still the most brilliant feat of engineering ever, whereas this woman's powers seem more... well, not natural because people don't generally fly, but Jarvis isn't detecting any gadgets besides a communicator.
"Sir, my control of your plane has been disabled." Jarvis sounds slightly less calm than usual as Tony's jet begins to nosedive. For a second, Tony's simply relieved it's not his suit plummeting like his first flight test, until he remembers there's a child on there, and James.
Pepper is going to murder him. If these enemies succeed in killing him first, she'll bring him back to life just to kill him again.
While Tony would never admit it to anyone, he seems the least equipped person here to deal with magic, which is pretty disappointing considering his suit should be unrivaled. As soon as he gets to a workshop, he's going to start upgrading it.
As he rockets after the plummeting plane, he wishes he'd upgraded sooner. Sure, he has thrusters, but the plane has a lot more mass than his suit and it had a pretty significant head start.
The bulletproof window in the cockpit shatters and out tumble Harry, James and the witch. James somehow manages to wrap his body around Harry while simultaneously aiming a kick at the witch's head.
Tony pushes his thrusters to the max, but they're falling fast.
Suddenly, they stop falling as if caught by a breeze that conveniently blows the witch in the opposite direction. They float in midair as Tony glances upwards. There's the woman with the lightning hands, except they no longer have lightning coming out of them.
Tony swoops down James. "Looks like you caught a lift."
He shuts off the repulsors in his palms and scoops James out of the air, bridal-style. Jarvis sounds relieved inside Tony's helmet.
"Not the castle." Harry says from James's arms.
"We're not going to a castle." Tony tries to reassure him, then does what he does best and keeps on talking. "You know, I don't even have a castle. I'm like the wealthiest guy on the planet, I've got multiple mansions, but no castles. What do you think, if I got one I could make sure there was an underground base for all my superhero stuff. Not a cave, because I'm not a brooding emo superhero, and I wouldn't really dig a dungeon either. I'm no mad scientist. I mean, if you ask Pepper..."
"Are we going to your house?" Harry asks.
"It's your house, too, but no." Tony says. "We're going someplace inconspicuous. I know, bet you didn't think I had any houses that didn't scream money, but believe it or not, I've got some places to lay low."
Tony keeps flying, with Jarvis and James both watching his six. It seems Moody and the mysterious newcomers have kept the fight from following them, but there will undoubtedly be people seeking them no matter where they go.
James is accustomed to being transported for various missions. He recalls riding in the back of armored vehicles surrounded by other operatives, and one instance where he was flown in a plane that was much less extravagant than Stark's.
He doubts he's ever been transported this way.
Saved like a damsel by a knight in flying armor, the Bucky voice sounds sardonic. In one of the cartoons James had watched with Harry, Superman had carried civilians to safety in the same way Iron Man is carrying them.
Stark talks more than the entire STRIKE team, and James had heard a lot of banter from agents as he'd remained silent and motionless. He doesn't remember much about the Howling Commandos he'd reportedly been a part of, but some part twinges as he thinks about camaraderie.
Wow, real touching you're comparing the Commandos to those bastards. Bucky grouses in his mind.
James pushes the thought from his mind. He alternates between checking on Harry and scanning the sky, which has remained empty after Stark caught them and escaped the battle. In the plane, Harry had armed himself with the witch's weaponized stick, but he must have relinquished it during the fall that the flying woman had suspended them from.
It felt different than when the enemy asset had floated James, as if there was a gust of wind lifting them up. James theorizes that the woman who'd saved them is one of the mutants that Professor X mentioned. She hadn't flown on a broom like the witches and wizards, but then again, Harry hadn't either.
'You are correct, James.' The professor's voice says in his mind. 'Storm is one of the X-Men.'
James files the name of the organization X-Men away for later as Bucky's voice says She looked like a helluva dame to me.
'The X-Men are not only men' Professor X debriefs. 'We are a varied group of individuals, each with our own unique powers and abilities. Rather like the Justice League Harry is fond of.'
Varied could mean anything- magic, super-soldiers. The Justice League has aliens, but James is unsure if the X-Men do as well.
The mission assist is appreciated. James thinks to the man in his head.
A tiny finger poking him in the cheek snaps him out of his mental conversation. James feelsthe professor leave his mind.
Harry squints at James, a worried frown on his face. "That witch tried'ta take your brain."
"She did not succeed."
They are flying over open fields where they will be easily observable for miles, but the skies remain clear.
Under HYDRA's command, James would be required to report the professor's voice in his head, but Stark is not HYDRA.
"The mission is compromised." James's report is unnecessary.
It's FUBAR. Bucky's voice supplies.
"I would've gone with FUBAR." Stark says, almost as if he'd read James's thoughts. James does not think Stark is capable of mind invasions, as Professor X and the enemy asset are. Stark keeps talking, obviously unaware of James's current thoughts. "Seems we can't do anything without hitting a SNAFU. People said that in your time, right, James?"
The term is familiar to James, but Harry repeats it in a confused tone.
"It's got words I can't use around you." Stark explains. "It basically means everything's gone to shi- I mean, the pits. The dump."
"We're going to a dump pit? To lay low?" Harry frowns before debriefing, unnecessarily "We're flying high now."
"No, we're going to a house." Stark says. "Looks like the others are holding them off. I've got to give one of my suits a cloaking feature like Moody's cloak."
"Invisibility devices would be valuable assets." James says.
Harry frowns. "You're Mr. A'set. And you said I'm a a'set."
"The enemy asset had a similar cloak." James reports. "Most cloaks do not appear to be designed for camouflage."
"I guess most of them got normal boring cloaks." Stark agrees. "And that woman's cape had nothing on my suit, even if it let her fly."
"Storm is an asset."
Stark requests intel on where James got the name Storm and if he had ever worked with her. James briefs him on the X-Men, but leaves out the part about the professor invading his mind.
"Are they beating the bad guys?" Harry looks at James. "Are we still looking for the captain?"
"You might need to lay low for a bit." Stark says. He descends into a canopy of trees, where they are obscured from aerial observation, and Harry screams in delight.
Stark performs seven needlessly dangerous stunts, swerving around trees and dipping under branches. James is tempted to use the prosthesis to discourage Stark from putting Harry at risk. They are close enough to the ground that James could gouge his metal fingers into a tree trunk and slow their fall, even if Stark plummets.
Harry's shrieks of delight stop James from assaulting Stark. If anything, Harry is daring Stark, shouting "Do it again!" or "More!" after every dive and spin.
Stark stops to hover in front of a small cottage.
"Don't worry," the faceplate slides up to reveal Stark's mock-placating expression. "It's got working plumbing, you won't have to crap in a hole. Uh, poop. I meant poop."
Pal, Bucky says, that's not the worst thing I've had to do.
James sweeps the perimeter, ignoring both Stark's and Jarvis's assurances that Jarvis is monitoring the property. There are several cameras hidden in the cabin's crevices, and Jarvis assures him there are sensors and security systems as well.
When he is finished detailing the security system, Jarvis voices his sincerest apologies for his failure to protect them.
APOLOGIES ARE USELESS.
James wonders how Stark is going to punish a computer before reminding himself that Stark's threats to his assets are never followed through. Jarvis will simply be reprogrammed, as the Asset was.
Harry quickly locates the smallest closet in the house and takes refuge inside. James joins his son in the dark, cramped space that is almost as small as the cryogenic chamber. A phantom chill spreads through his bones.
Harry's elation from flying has subsided. He waits in the closet, barely moving, as if he is the Asset observing a target or waiting for orders.
"When I said you should lay low, I didn't mean hiding in a closet." Stark calls from outside the door. Harry makes no move to exit.
"Bad guys are going 'ta come," Harry's tone is a mix of childish certainty and resignation. The cottage bares some resemblance to the ski lodge they'd used as a temporary base. Perhaps Harry is having his own flashback of that incident, of agents with guns.
HYDRA IS NOT IN COMMAND.
"Moody is fighting them." James tells him. "You held your own on the plane." He does not want to encourage Harry putting himself in danger, but the boy had been resourceful using the weaponized stick. James feels pride flare in his chest, along with relief that the stick had not transformed him into a frog or some creature unable to protect Harry.
"The good wizards will beat the bad wizards," Harry pauses. "And they'll find Dumb-Bell-Door an' the enemy a'set and beat them forever. And we can play trains and heroes like Dudley."
James's heart aches. Harry should have a life where he can play, unconcerned for his safety beyond scraping a knee. Even Captain America, from James's limited memories, only had to deal with scuffles with neighborhood bullies as a child, not numerous shady organizations attempting to capture him.
"Nobody ever 'tacked Dudley." Harry says. "Not even Ripper."
James feels his stomach twist. He'd told Harry about setting the fire, but the boy still does not understand. "The Dursleys were assassinated."
Harry disregards James's confession. "Nobody'll try to take your brain. Or make you a statue."
Jarvis's voice is slightly muffled by the closet door. "I will employ lockdown and security measures if any hostile forces attempt to enter, but I fear the enemies will be able to break through them as they did on Mr. Stark's jet."
That is more than they had at the ski lodge, but not enough. Harry needs a whole squad of fully-functional assets as protection detail.
He'd need the Justice League, or Captain America and the Howling Commandos, but James is the only commando who isn't dead or buried in ice.
Steve better only be buried in ice, not both. Bucky says.
SEARCHING FOR STEVE IS DETRIMENTAL TO HARRY'S SAFETY.
Please, Bucky scorns the first voice, we were attacked just as often on the run with Harry.
James clenches his prosthesis. No matter where they go, they will be hunted. Until HYDRA is defeated, Harry will not be safe.
'The X-Men may not be the Justice League,' Professor X enters James's mind, 'but I believe we can help.'
X-MEN ARE VALUABLE MISSION ALLIES.
'We're almost at your location. Moody is still extraordinarily suspicious of us.'
James briefly berates himself for not checking for tracking devices before realizing the Professor can probably extract their location from his mind.
If the professor was an enemy, if he was HYDRA, the mission would truly be FUBAR.
This was really fun to write, even if they dodged a lot of the action. I hope you enjoyed some of the dialogue and internal monologue, and they now have a few more allies when looking for Steve and protecting Harry.
I can't make any promises of when I'll be able to update again. This was basically written before school started, but school's keeping me really busy. Then again I updated a ton while student teaching back in January, but actually teaching is obviously a bigger commitment. Plus online teaching is wack.
