Legends - Book I - Hark, The Angel's Found

by LuWriting

A very old Harry finds a new lease on life with a chance meeting of something he least expects.

1. Chapter 1

Title: Book I, Hark, The Angel's Found
Series: Legends
Author: Lucifael (lucifael75 )
Summary: A very old Harry finds a new lease on life with a chance meeting of something he least expects.
Disclaimer: All characters, creations and places that are used from the various crossed over and original series/comics/movies etc belong to their rightful owners and not the author.
Tags: Super Hero, AU, GodLikeHarry, poly-Crossover, Universe-Hopper
Genre: Action/Adventure/Erotica
Rating: FR18/M
Word Count: circa. 247,211 Words

Call it what you will:-

Fate,

Destiny,

Luck.

Sometimes, when the need is right things will come together to create a solution to a problem that the world doesn't even know it has. This solution can come from the most unlikely of corners, the most haphazard of locations, and includes the right people for the job.

These people aren't always the classic definition of hero, or heroine, they are what's needed to set the balance right, or right a wrong, or in some cases to heal a hurt.

They can include anyone from any walk of life, and the more extreme the choice, the more extreme the problem. There is a universal balance after all, and the more unlikely, the more powerful the people chosen, then it's highly likely the thing they are chosen from requires this level of choice.

The benefit's can be immediate, or far away, and sometimes more likely really they only come together for these dire times. But occasionally, they do not part ways.

This is the legend of one such group, a group that is formed by the most unlikely confluence of events and people, forming out of ruins into a core group that becomes...

...Legend.

Jstana – Iraq – Near Border

17:30 – Saturday – 02/07/2016

'Where did it all go wrong?' Wanda thought to herself.

At first, she and her brother had been out for revenge against Stark, Tony as she now knew him. And they had thought they had been doing the right thing. But then came Ultron, and how badly that had gone, their entire home town was now a crater, which she was partially responsible for. Her brother dead, heroically, but died all the same. Then had come her penance, working with Stark and his Avengers and for a while there it had seemed to be going well. But even that hadn't lasted. Their little 'civil' war, what a strange term, 'Civil' war. There was nothing 'civil' about that entire thing.

She'd ended up in prison sent there by some senator who was afraid of her and her powers, same for the others, even those without powers like Clint and Natasha. But Steve, 'Cap,' had sprung them from there, and they'd spread far and wide, waiting on when they would be needed, a call to arms.

In the meantime, it felt like the entire world was out for her blood, not only was there the dregs of Hydra looking for her thanks to her betrayal of what they wanted and stood for. There was also the authorities who were still doggedly looking for her and the other disgraced Avengers. Some days it truly felt like there wasn't a single agency in the world that wasn't out to find her.

She'd run, using what little resources Cap could put together for them, including a specially coded cell that could be reached the entire world over. To come when called, to fight against the forces arrayed against the world. But, she did wonder if that would make a difference. She'd still be hunted, her more than the others. It had been almost her fault that the Secovia accord had come to pass in the first place. Thanks to an accident that had happened while she was trying to save her team mate's lives.

She had to admit, some days it didn't feel even remotely fair. Never mind the fact that she really didn't, even now, know what she was capable of, how to use her powers granted to her by an alien artefact.

She'd discovered a lot of course, Baron Struker and his team of mad scientists had helped to unlock some, but most of the time she truly felt that she wasn't even scratching the surface of what was and wasn't possible with her abilities.

Even then she was probably the most powerful Avenger, perhaps the most dangerous single being of them all, and that made her worry. She'd had some close scrapes already escaping the authorities arrayed against her, and she was always scared just how far she could go if pressed, and every day they seemed to press harder.

She sipped some of the local brew, lightly smacking full lips, her eyes glancing around the rather 'dive bar' location she had chosen. She felt the need for human connection, and yet knew she had to be careful. So, she'd come to this out of the way location, hiding in the backstreets of a border town of Iraq, right out the other end of the country from where last she'd been spotted. There wasn't much to comment on there, some Arabic decent men mostly, and her only nod to the local customs was that she'd hidden her scarlet hair as per the local religion.

There was one other Caucasian there, a man who she couldn't get a good look at and yet even then one had remark on, was that as she looked at him, a pair of truly amazing Emerald eyes were looking at her, shining out of the gloom. Seeming to have a back light of very their own. She couldn't really make out too many details other than those eyes, but that was more than enough to catch her eye. Her eyes were green, but they had nothing on the sheer Emerald shade of those bewitching eyes that were shining out from the gloom of a shady corner.

There was something else too, something that was drawing her to the man whose eyes she was so caught by. She wasn't sure what it was, an odd sort of familiarity or something along those lines. But it was powerful, compelling in the extreme, and she could feel it drawing her in.

For the first time in a long time, or perhaps in her entire life, Wanda was seriously thinking about walking up to a man to engage them in conversation. Being that she was a beautiful woman, this wasn't something she normally did, or even had to do. Most of the time she was brushing off men making a pass at her. But for the first time, she was the one being drawn in.

She was about to get up, walk over there and try her hand at that when the distinctive sound of someone racking the slide on an automatic was clearly heard from behind her.

A gravely voice said, "Wanda Maximoff" in a sort of verbal sneer. "You're wanted; dead or alive. We're partial to dead, but the bounty is higher with your sweet ass intact." they told her.

She started to turn, only to feel what felt like an automatic pistol shoved hard into her kidney, "Ah, Ah" the voice said, "Don't even THINK about moving." she was informed.

Her eyes darted around the bar, seeing no help in anyone. Most seemed to be doing a pretty good impression of the three monkeys currently. Then finally her eyes wandered over to the pair of eyes that had so arrested her earlier. There was something there, a flicker, and then an extra seeming glow, before she saw him move a little. But that seemed to be the extent of what he was going to do, so no help there either.

"Now, nice and easy – we're going for a..." the gruff voice was cut off by the sound of a chair moving as her fascination stood, coming into the light.

Silence reigned supreme a moment as Emerald eyes walked across the intervening distance and then up to the bar, using the local dialect he ordered and then looking unruffled, slipped onto the stool next to her.

"You" Gruff said, his tone threatening, "You will stay out of this."

Wanda could see Emerald eyes better now, and in any normal circumstance she would be seriously enjoying what she could see. He was very good looking, a strong masculine profile, handsome, those eyes, and what looked to be a good build, atheletic and interestingly chisled.

The man held up his hands, "Nothing to do with me, mate" he said then looked at Wanda, his eyes seemed to take up her entire view and even as her stomach took a dive, then suddenly his right eye flickered, quickly, just a tiny bit. Then, somehow, she knew she had a saviour despite his earlier words.

"Good, you...URK" Gruff was cut off by a flurry of movement so fast Wanda could barely track it. As that happened the entire bar was plunged into a total darkness, she couldn't see at all, absolute pitch black. There was then, suddenly, a very familiar feel, a feeling she was used to engendering as she used her powers. Only it was far more powerful, far more focused, and ... refined. Flashes of different colors of light exploded around her showing clearly through the intense darkness that had come from nowhere, the only visible thing in the entire bar. Then a swift wind right beside her, nearly knocking her off her feet, then flashes of muzzle fire, and a feeling of pressure. It felt almost like wearing a bullet proof vest and yet not so.

She knew in those moments that someone was firing at her, and they were for certain not missing and yet, something, she knew not what, was stopping the bullets.

More wind, more flashes, more activity all around her leaving her feeling rather useless, then a hand was slipped into hers, dragging her urgently away.

Something in her told her to trust that, and whom ever that hand belonged to, so she let herself be dragged away. Suddenly, she was pulled into the waning light of the evening, glancing behind her to see a boiling darkness in the bar lit with muzzle fire, then beside her to see the Emerald eyed man. He flashed her a smile that made her feel rather weak at the knees, and then he he broke into an easy fast pace with her, dragging her along beside him away from the bar.

They ran, and they ran, well away from the bar and whoever was trying that time to take her in. From the sounds of it, she doubted it was any agency from any government. Apparently, it seemed, there was some sort of bounty on her head. Knowing her ex-employers as she did, she was sure the remnants of Hydra were to blame for this latest episode in her life.

They ran for some time, until finally they ran around a corner and stopped. He wasn't remotely out of breath, even though she was and thanks to her training with Hydra and then the Avengers she was very fit, this man – well he seemed more so.

"Well..." he said a smirk on his face, "I can't say running is my favorite thing to do, but I think we're far enough away now to stop." He said, his accent a rather well to do English by the sounds of it. Though when he'd ordered his drink his accent had been perfect and local, something she'd heard the last few days she'd been here.

"Thank you, for that," she said, not quite knowing what else to say.

"Huh" he said looking at her with a smile full of personality and charisma, "That's a sexy accent Luv" he told her his eyes sparkling, "So, what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this, and furthermore, what's with the bounty hunters. You don't HAVE to tell me of course, but if you do you might find that I'll help, it's been known for me to do that sort of thing from time to time." he said looking directly into her eyes. A move that made her more than a little pliant to his wishes. She wasn't given to flights of being girly, she was far too tough for that, but he was having that affect on her all the same.

Wanda paused, she wasn't sure what to say which is the reason for her hesitation, she WAS sure he was the one to voice her issues to, she could tell that viscerally.

"Or not, you don't have to tell me, shiny all round" he said, looking at her standing there in indecision a moment. Then he flashed her a smile, another one of the knee knocking ones. "Fair enough Luv," he said, turning away.

She knew, just knew in the very depths of her soul she couldn't let him leave, that if she did that would be her downfall. "No...wait" she said, reaching out, lightly holding his elbow, and tugging him back to face her, "Sorry...I...I just... don't even know where to start." she told him seriously, "This is why I did not say anything. no because I don't want to tell you, I think...I think maybe I should. What you did back there," she said, then lit her power, a small ball of her gift moving around her fingers in an oft used exercise she did, training her control. "It felt...so very familiar."

He eyed the small amount of red energy a smile flitting around the corners of a sensual mouth, then reached out. For the first time in her experience someone not only touched her power with no side effect, but actually took it from her. As he did so it changed color to match his eyes, and he twirled it around his fingers in much the same way she had been. "Huh...I knew I felt something from you." he said, his tone musing. He then closed his hand, and snuffed out the energy, and smiled at her, "Do you know what that was?" he asked her now intent, his eyes boring into her.

She shook her head, disrupting the scarf she wore to hide her scarlet locks, "Not really. I'll tell you how I got it, by all means, and what I can do, but...what happened back there, what you did with a familiar feeling energy...I can't do all that." she told him, "But...I want to be able to." she added, "You feel, you feel like me, only far more controlled, in control, intense, powerful, and...again...controlled"

He smiled, "Well, I've had a lot of time to practice." he noted.

She looked at him slightly dubiously, he didn't look any older than her, certainly not old enough to add the weight to his comment that he did.

"Just...trust me, I'm older than I look. So, let's start with something easier then. What's your name Luv I can't keep calling you Luv, even I'm not that disrespectful." he said shooting her a woozer of a smile.

She coloured lightly, smiling a little, "Wanda...Wanda Maximoff" she said. "Pleased to be meeting you. and...thank you again."

"Not a problem, you can call me Harry, Wanda, nice to meet you. Now, happens to be that I've heard that name recently. I tend to keep up on bulletins around me, so that's not a name that's easy to miss."

"Yes, but...I'm no terrorist – I swear it."

"I know, I can tell." Harry said, "Look, we need to get off the street, and frankly you could do with...disappearing for a while. So here's a question, do you trust a complete stranger, and if so – how far does that go? I have a feeling about you Luv...Wanda, I mean."

"You saved my life back there, and perhaps more, I not like that man's tone." Wanda said her eyes flaring. "Either way, I have not got a lot of options right now. I go with you, if that's what you are asking?"

"I suppose it is," he smiled "Alright, well...come on then," he said holding out his spare hand, looking at her with a gaze she was never ever going to refuse. Again, she wasn't a girly-girl, but she knew somehow this man was going to be important to her.

She didn't even pause, she would swear for the first time ever that installed power she was instilled with was actually telling her to trust him. To go anywhere he said, and to do what he said. Like it suddenly had a life and will of its own, and was leading her. It was such a deeply held feeling, and so very much a part of her now she utterly trusted it, so taking his hand as she did...was literally not an issue.

He shot her a smile, "Right then, gird up Luv" he said and then suddenly the world turned into a riot of colours, sound and images and a huge up-swell of their shared energy source.

Unknown Location,

Moment's Later

Wanda rapidly blinked to clear the bright spots from her vision. Then looked around the sudden shift of locale. She saw a large room, a lot of marble, white around the walls and pillars, with a black marble floor polished to a mirror finish. There was a split stair case in front of her and they were standing on a raised dais with an arch above them. There were a few ferns around to add a splash of nature, as well as a couple of what looked to be very good paintings, landscapes mostly.

"Welcome to my home, be it ever so humble" Harry said with a roguish smile on his face even while the words themselves held a hint of the power she was coming to realize they shared, but he had far mastered compared to her use. "Well...come on, it won't bite...now." he said stepping down with a click of his soles on the polished black marble looking flooring.

She followed him down, the soles of her combats not making half as much noise as all that. Her eyes were still roving around her surrondings, trying to figure out where they were and how they had gotten there. "Was that...teleportation?" she asked, "With...our thing?"

He turned back, and shot her a smile, "You have no idea what you are, what you have even...do you?" he mostly stated. "But yes, that was teleportation and yes, it was using the abilities that we seem to share." He told her, "And you seem pretty damn powerful with it, but right now; I don't really think you even know what you're using, do you? Which interests me I'll admit..."

This time it was very much a question, so she took it that way, "No...I do not have a name, it seems like magic at times – but that's silly; right?"

He shook his head, a slight smile on his handsome visage, "That's the commonly held name for it" he said, no hint of a joke, no hint that it was hysteria or madness. He was stating it like a simple fact, one that she should listen to and accept.

"But...Magic...really?" she asked, "I'm...using magic? But I was given my abilities, by what turned out to be an infinity stone," she informed him.

"Oh" he said his tone rather cold, so she looked at him with worry and he flashed her a warm smile, "Don't worry, I don't hold ill towards you, but those stones...they're not my favorite thing in the universe. But how ever you got it, whatever gave you the ability to work with your energy source, or as I call it – Magic, it's magic you can use, and you have a sizeable core to go along with that. Not only that but you're already working with it pretty instinctually and that is no mean feat Red." he told her, nicknaming her with a smile. "That's actually pretty impressive. But that being said, you're not even making 1% of the use of it, that it's got the potential to do." he added, there was almost an offer to his words she had to notice.

She stepped forward looking at him intently "I only learned how to do what I can do by myself, then I was studied by Baron Struker, never taught so much as driven to learn more through experimentation."

Harry made a face, "Hydra" he said flatly, "Once again messing with things they ought not to." He said shaking his head sadly at the idiocy of that statement. "Experimentation isn't the urh… safest way to learn magic, but I can see how you had no choice. Precious few are the true magical users in this universe that I've seen, and most of them not of the good quite frankly, let alone true core magicals."

"And you?" she felt she had to ask, even while somehow knowing he wasn't a bad man, perhaps wicked would be a good word, but not in the evil sense. You could see that much in the twinkle of his eyes, or the way he had gotten them out of the bar and left the bounty hunters to shoot each other in the dark. There was a certain sense of humour in that, and it was wicked to the core. The way his gaze was admiring her was also rather wicked and again in a way that wasn't so much evil as outright sexual.

He smirked, "I'm not sure you could say either way with me? I like to think of myself as chaotic neutral with good leanings." he said his eyes twinkling with humour. Again she knew she was being teased, only this time the reference was escaping her. "That said, I do occasionally do some helping out when I can, like today. Now..." he said and walked back to the dais and fiddled with a monitor there, which then displayed a large red, flashing button. "If at any time you want to leave, press that button and you'll be transported back to where we left." he said, "Pretty young thing like you, I suspect you're right and nervous being alone with an unknown man. I want you to know you've got the option to leave any time you feel like it." he said.

"Urh...Thank you." she said, hiding a smirk of her own. Quite frankly she'd like to eat him with a spoon, he was in far more danger of being jumped than the other way around, if he realized it or not. The man was gorgeous, with that familiar feeling of 'magic' and on top of that he'd just saved her life and had a wicked streak a mile wide. To say she was attracted to him was putting it rather mildly. In fact, it was far more than simple attraction, like their shared ability was somehow an attractor that was so very much more powerful than any other. Or more, she did have more than a flutter in her heart when she met his eyes, EVERYTIME she met his eyes.

She looked around, "Where are we?" she asked, "And again...thank you for bringing me here, I do not know that I would have gotten away, that time... At least." she added and smiled into his eyes.

He returned the smile fully, if not with interest, and that of a sexual kind them became more serious, she actually saw the shift in his gaze. "This is...hard to explain really, but we'll go with my home, it's a safe location, and no one really can find it. Or at least, no one has in a very long time, and it's as secure as I can make it. You're welcome to rest here, or even stay awhile if that's your wish. I know, personally, that being on the run is not good." He told her, a shadow moving over his eyes, then he brightened with another wide smile, "That said, I've not had such lovely company in longer than I can really remember."

She half frowned, again, he didn't seem much older than she was, but she removed the expression and smiled gratefully, "I would...like that," she said, unsure how else to put it. "It's been a couple of months now that I have been running and has ... worn on me."

"Yes, it does, but I assure you this is a safe place to be." He said, "If you'd like to follow me I'll show you the living spaces, I do ask you don't go below this level, anything above is alright, but below is...dangerous to the unwary and I'd hate to have you hurt from lack of care. And no, that's not a threat, that's a reality of the situation, this may look like a simple home, but..." he smiled and held out a hand, which she quickly took, a tingle going through their connection, a familiar feel she had already started to associate with him, like her own power only more so, more refined was perhaps the word.

He led her to the nearest wall, and then waved a hand over it. It shimmered a moment, and suddenly seemed to become a window and outside was the vista of space. "We're actually in orbit, Geo-Syncronous with Australia in point of fact, well a fair way out but yeah..." he said to her now stunned self.

"Urh...I no not what to say right now" she said and then laughed almost nervously, "We are really being in space? Even Tony doesn't have that sort or level of technology."

"Tony?" he asked. "Oh wait, you were an Avenger right, so you must be talking Stark. He's got some satellites out this way, but no...I've got better tech," he said with a smirk that was obviously covering something.

"Wow" she laughed, a little giddy at the realisation she was really in space, "But..." she suddenly realized, "How did we get here then?"

"A spell, magic, teleportation, whatever you want to call it, either way no technology was used but rather under my own power. Nothing you, yourself, aren't capable of. I can feel the potential of your core, and it's very impressive, given the right tutorials, a little time and effort you could easily teleport yourself anywhere you wanted to go. Personally I can get from planet to planet as long as that's not TOO far apart." he said like it was nothing, "Or...well, there is another method that's possible where distance is literally no object, but that is...tiring I'll admit."

"I can...you can...really?" she said, unable to vocalise the hope that was alive inside, then she sobered, "But...already I've had people who want to use me for my abilities, and what I can do, it would be worse if they knew this."

"That's a simple equation Red, you then have to make sure that they can't take advantage of you, or at least minimise how badly they can do so. Also, having a way to escape...it wouldn't suck. I tell you what, I can teach you that much in a couple of weeks of study."

She looked at him very seriously, "But...what would you want for doing that?"

He smirked, "Not that," he laughed, "I can see it in those beautiful eyes of yours, no...I don't pay for that, never have, never will. Honest to goodness I would do this for one magical from another. It's been...ages, since I've had the opportunity to help another magical. I'd do it for that reason, and that reason alone...but only that, that easily."

She pursed her lips looking into his eyes, the starry vista of outside profiling their faces. "I...don't know how to use my abilities anywhere near like you're suggesting its possible to do. I only know a few tricks, a few cantrips if we're saying magic is real, then there is potentially So much more than I could be learning from you."

"Ah" he said a slight smile on his face, "Well now you're talking of something a little bit more than simple teleportation to get you out of danger now aren't you, but..."

She nodded, still looking into eyes she was finding deeply deleterious. "I am, but I can feel it, something very deep, is telling me to trust you, but it is also telling me that we met for a reason, and that reason was not so much saving me, or to teach me a single thing, but to teach me to harness, control and use this core you say I have. To control and refine my magic into a tool that is far more under My control."

He cupped his chin in a hand, as he looked deeply into her eyes, "You don't hardly even know me Red, what you're talking about, that's a big deal and it's not like I can teach you much of anything other than a single trick in a week or two. It would be a serious commitment of your time, effort and quite frankly mine too, I'm willing, even eager but you need to know that."

"I know, and this is insane by any notion, but I just KNOW it is being the right thing to do. Call it intuition, call it what you will, I know we met for a reason."

"You might be right, magic isn't just a power source, it's a living entity, with a will and a purpose at times." he said like he was mulling it through. Then he looked into her eyes again, his deeply contemplative.

"Please" she said simply and looked back into his gaze, opening herself up to his view.

Her pursed his lips, "On one condition. I'm going to want a magically backed oath from you that you won't then turn around and use what I teach you for evil, or against me, and especially that you won't then teach others without my express permission. And by magically backed I mean you break the oath and you will lose the ability to do magic. A serious infraction will see you losing your life too, so...don't just jump into this, give it a few days, think about it. I'll teach you how, and free and gratis, I'll teach you how to teleport, but I won't take an answer for a couple of days, in fact for a week! This is serious! It requires serious contemplation and thought, you break this oath, you will pay the price...magic itself will demand and extract the price." He said sternly, no hint of the playfulness that she'd already realized was a big part of him, was apparent.

She just nodded.

"In the meantime," he said now smiling again, "Let's find you a place to sack down, and then get some food into you. Being on the run, I know from experience, doesn't give you a lot of time to eat properly."

The Dog Star,

19:45—Saturday—02/07/2016

Wanda pushed back from the table a little, a slight burp erupting from down low, "Excuse me, so sorry" she said flushing a little, "I am now...very full."

Harry smiled widely at her, "I'm not surprised. Slender thing like you, I'm not sure where you put it all."

"I've not had real Paprikesh since..." she sobered, "Home" she said in a smaller voice. Then she brightened, forcing the emotion, "How did you know this?"

"Deduction really, as you can imagine your origins are pretty widely known, splashed really thanks to the accord. Paprikesh is a local speciality to Secovia...I figured you'd like a taste of home, and let's just say we can have anything we like here." he smiled, "I hope it's not upset you, though."

She shook her head, long, very, red hair moving around her face as she did so, "No; not at all. Was good, and tasty, very good all round."

"Well, my cook is very good" Harry smiled.

"Your cook, there are others here? I have no seen anyone." she noted and asked.

"Oh yeah, Dob's is around some place. He's not big on showing his face to new people until he's got a handle on them, but he's around. Don't worry, he's ... well," he laughed, "I wouldn't say SAFE as such, but friendly for sure." He smiled a rather fond looking smile so Wanda didn't feel any concern at the thought of anyone else there, hidden or otherwise.

Harry looked at her with a shrewd look for a moment, "You done there?" he asked.

"Yes, very done" she nodded, smiling slightly.

He stood up, and held out his hand as he walked around the table, "There's something I want to show you, in the hopes it will bring you a modicum of peace. I just hope you take it that way, and perhaps something to give to you in aimss of our earlier discussion." He said rather mysteriously Wanda felt. But the goodwill he had earned so far hadn't been tested even slightly yet, so she took his hand and got up, being tugged off back towards the main sections of the area.

The place didn't look remotely like a space ship, or space station though she'd learned it was called 'The Dog Star' which was a name of some feeling for Harry given the look he had when he'd told her. It looked more like a grand manor house for the most part, but appeared to use cleverly placed and used holograms, or perhaps magic, to hide it's true nature.

They walked down a long corridor, "This is one occasion, since you're with me that we'll go down a level. We're going to my vault. But, I wanted to at first, say sorry!" Harry told her looking more serious than she knew him to usually be so far.

"For what?" she asked, not concerned by his words. Somehow she just was absolutely certain he held no ill will towards her, so she was rather curious as to why he was apologising when he'd already done so much for her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, at Secovia" he said his tone serious. "I was clear the other side of the galaxy at the time, and couldn't get back in time, didn't even know actually until I got back."

She smiled, "That was no your fault Harry," she said, not understanding why he was apologising, "There was nothing you could be doing anyway."

He smirked slightly, "I might've been able to stop the destruction of your home town. Stupid idiots, some vaunted intelligence Stark has. Oh let's whack something one end with a bloody great magical hammer, and then other with a full-on repulsor blast, never mind the fact that Vibranium is specifically known to deal with impact better than any other material. Idiots!" he said, "Where-else was the force going to go, I ask you! But outwards, simple bloody physics!" he bemoaned leading her to a section of panelled wall that suddenly sprouted a hand print scanner, which he palmed, then a door slid into place and opened.

He led her into a small room, pretty obviously an elevator and the lights on the side started to flash after the door closed again "So...I'm sorry for that. Also, if you'll allow me to express my condolences for your brother. Losing family is always hard, but I do hear he died a hero, which is small condolence I know. Again, I feel for you, Red."

She bowed her head, emotions swimming through her, "Thank you" she said softly, "I miss him...every day." she added, "We were...very-very close."

He gripped her hand a little tighter in a sort of commiserating hand hug, then suddenly the door sprang up into the ceiling, "Just down here" he told her, not letting go and tugging her forward, "Keep a hold on that while we're down here or the wards will react to you okay?"

She had no issues with holding any part of him quite frankly, so she merely nodded. No one had really said anything about her brother, not said they felt for her, nor that they were sorry for his passing, other than Clint and at the time only. She'd born that weight all by herself, and just knowing someone did give condolence. It felt oddly like a little weight was lifted, that someone knew how she felt and it was obvious that Harry did understand loss from his words and the way he'd looked saying them.

They walked down a rather unassuming corridor that looked like it would fit in better with an office building or something commercial with Wanda's eyes searching around her. Wondering where she was and where she was going, until they came to a perfectly normal looking door.

"Here we are," Harry said, "It looks rather unassuming and normal, right?" he said, a slight smile on his face that was a little teasing. She scrutinised the door but could see nothing untoward, it didn't even appear to have a lock.

"I know it's hard to believe, but this is the door to my vault, and the most secure location you can imagine." he added.

She frowned, then pushed at the door which didn't give way, "There is a trick, yes?" she asked.

He smiled, "Oh for sure, now for a little lesson in the wonder's of magic." he said, "I'll do this for you this first time, but I want you to remember how this feels, and next time I'm going to get you to do it for yourself." He said, then with his spare hand he gently pressed two fingers into her forehead. Her eyes itched, then tingled and then seemed to suddenly see an entirely different view. It wasn't quite in sync with everything else, rather like looking at a 3D movie without glasses, but another image entirely.

"Urh...what is this?" she asked, looking around wide eyed.

"It's called, or rather was called Mage Sight" Harry said. "It was supposedly only possible if you were born with the gift, but eventually I figured the trick to it and it's surprisingly its really not that hard to do. Feel how you eyes feel right now? That's magic in your eyes, creating a sort of filter you're looking through that reveals anything magical. Later on we'll look at some magical devices and the alike, the wards would be good too, for now check me out a second, and I don't mean that the way it came out." he chuckled, "But you'll see the magic in me." he said.

She turned, then looked at him and let out an involuntary gasp, "Oh My God, so beautiful."

"Why thanks Red, you're pretty damn gorgeous yourself" he quipped wise at her. "That's my magic, I'm dampened down right now, or you'd not be able to look, but look down, look at yourself and my quip...it ain't hardly wrong. You can actually see the difference in our cores too, the wildness of yours compared to the training I've had. But one of the reasons we're down here is to address that refinement." he said as she looked down at herself in shock.

He gave her a minute, "You done admiring yourself now, or I could go a bit longer with just checking you out." he said glibly.

She blushed, "You, you are trouble, I think" she decided.

"Oh, Red, you have NO idea" he chuckled, "Now look at the door again, and this time don't focus on what you see, so much as what the magic is revealing and then look up and to the sides, you might have to sort of refocus a bit. Like a magic-eye picture, but you'll see what's really here where we're standing right now. Because, one for free, it sure as shit ain't a simple corridor."

She looked around, then blinked, and shook her head a bit, but she could already make out the HUGEvault door with multiple locks and handles, and combination locks, and HUGE hinges that looked like they could take a Nuke and be fine. Then, as she looked the entire corridor disappeared until she saw that in fact they were standing next to one long large wall, the vault door went up at least a couple of stories and was the entire wall wide. "Oh God" she said wide eyed.

"You, my dear Red, have lovely eyes, especially when you're all kittenish like you are right now" he said, admiringly but with humour too. "Now, I'm going to drop the field, do NOT let go of me alright. I'm going to pass you through the warding as a guest, but until I do the wards will treat you as hostile."

She nodded, "I...I think I see them" she said, "Lines, criss-crossing over the entire vault door, tiny, miniscule really, cobweb like, interwoven in and out of the material of whatever that monstrous thing is being made of."

Harry shot her a pleased smile, "VERY good red, VERY good. You seem to be a bit of a dab hand with the ole Mage Sight. Not many would ever see that even from my old culture, let alone their first time out." he informed her, which raised questions of its own. "Now..." he said and there was a horrendously powerful rush of familiar power and she didn't have to strain to see the vault, or the walls that were a drab uniform metallic grey color, and were obviously not a material she recognized. Suddenly the dials, handles and all the locks started to spin. As waves upon waves of 'magic' were coming from Harry as he had his eyes slightly closed, all of it coming out of him, obviously working the numerous locks on the massive doorway.

Then he pulled her out of the way stepping back far more than the old corridor had allowed for to let the huge thick door ponderously swing open. Pure darkness enveloped the entry way and she couldn't make out a single thing, even with this 'mage sight' still active.

"I urh...can't see anything - at all." she noted.

"Another level of security, really, more a test of faith." He said, then tugged her by the hand to step into that foreboding darkness. A chill went through her and over her as they stepped into it, the darkness pervading at least for a few minutes of walking and then suddenly they were out the other side, a wall behind her that looked totally solid though with that strange cobweb like lines over it. "Welcome, to The Vault" he said grandiosely.

"Wow, but...why are we here. I do not imagine I have your trust to show me anything that would be stored in such a place." she had to note.

"Actually as I'm sure your magic is leading you even now…mine is doing the same thing, telling me to trust you, telling me that you're going to give the oath and that I should teach you what I can." Harry said sounding more serious than she'd heard even thus far, "There is nothing left, no one I trust more than my magic."

"Left?" she asked, noting the sad wistful nature of the words as he'd spoken.

"Well, before she passed, there was my wife," he said, then forced a smile onto his face. "Now...what I wanted to show you and what we need to grab some of is just over here" he said, pushing through his 'moment'.

"I'm not sure it this is any comfort actually, but it would be to me. While I didn't get there to stop what happened to your home town. I did get there to stop anyone from grabbing all that Vibranium." He said, walking to a table stacked high with shiny ingots. "This..." he paused, "This WAS the core that caused such devistation to your home town, that Ultron used to try to end the world, and is the same special metal that your friend The Vision is essentially made of. Your friends in the Avengers just left it there. Stupid thing to do, this is POWERFUL, and dangerous and even old Ultron had no idea of it's potential. I wanted you to know that it's here, it's safe and no idiot with delusions of granduer or aims to end the world can get a hold of it. Hopefully, your magic is telling you I have no interest in ruling anything let alone destroying it."

"This is the giant dick that Ultron wanted to fuck the world with..." she paused and then she smiled a tiny bit, "Yes...yes it is actually" she said, then walked forward, dragging him by the hand, which she still had a solid grip on despite now passing through the wards. But Harry wasn't complaining. Seeing this even rendered down into ingot form, it struck a chord deep inside of her. She licked her lips and looked at him, then suddenly leaned in kissing him on the cheek, "Thank you" she said so close he felt her lips move on his cheek, then with no fuss pulled back picking up an ingot, "Huh!"

He gave himself a tiny shake, that had sent a serious tingle throughout his entire system. "What, that was a rather surprised sound, but urh...hold on to that we're going to need it in a minute."

"It's not very heavy for something that had the weight to end the world."

"Yes, but that's only one bar from one pallet," Harry said, "There's three more split over the vault, and combined...more than enough weight to crack the crust of the Earth and send up a load of crap into the atmosphere to send the world into another ice age. He knew what he was doing, but it wasn't anything that Stark couldn't have done. Oh, he thought he was so-bloody-clever but that's the funny thing, Stark created Ultron. Ultron literally only had the intelligence that was passed to him by his creator and had MASSIVE daddy issues. Trust me, with my dad and his daddy issues even I think Ultron was being a little bitch."

She smiled, not really understanding the reference but knowing Harry was trying to keep her mood up. "Why do I need this," she asked, weighing the bar in her hand.

"Well, that's going to take some explaining, and seems kinda silly when you say the words given popular literature and bloody Disney, but trust me there's a good reason, come...we'll walk and talk. We're heading towards my private lab, which is at the end of the vault. It's not JUST a vault, but also a secure location," Harry said, then tugged her off away from the entrance wall.

The Dog Star,

20:30—Saturday—02/07/2016

It had taken a while to get to 'His Lab,' which looked like a mad scientists work room, if anything at all. It had all manner of twittery devices and the alike around. To get there though they had waked through a positive treasure trove of things that beggared the imagination. Some of which Wanda was pretty sure weren't remotely what she thought they had been. For one thing she was fairly certain she'd seen the 'Ark of the Covenant', but that was just from a movie, right?

"Just put that there, but I'm going to need some blood. There's a clean scalpel on the table there just make a cut, but don't worry I'll heal it right up."

She looked rather dubious about that, "And you need blood for this, urh, wand?" she said then smirked at the reference.

"I see you smirking," he chuckled, busying himself around the lab. He seemed to be collecting items from the drawers arrayed around the place, what looked to be parts of animals, feathers and the odds and ends and the alike. "I told you, it's not a cliché, or a joke. It might even seem like a step backwards using a focus after you've already learned to do without. But in reality a Wand is so much more than merely a focus, it's also a training aide, it's going to teach your magic how to respond to your will. There's a certain sort of sentience to a wand, a symbiosis to a magical core as well. I didn't used to think much of wands, or the wanded user either, for the longest time. Then I really looked into how to make, how to use, and the theory of true wand work and realized what was happening. And you might not realize this but I'm also using a focus even now, it's just it's a mentally trained one. I think you said on the way here that I felt more...what was the word you used?"

"Refined; in power only. Even I can tell this is not true in other areas" she said with a hint of humour in her tones.

He flashed her a smile, "Oi Cheeky!" He said sounding happy that she was teasing him. "But that, that refinement you sense, that's come from learning all this with a wand, plus the fact I only know how to teach you this using a wand focus, so not using one would for sure harm that learning curve."

She nodded, "It's just so...Disney!"

"I know, I know" he said laughing a little. "Believe it or not where I'm from only one in a hundred were able to NOT use a wand, most were only able to express magic with a focus, like a wand, because it's also a force magnifier. But we'll get into that later, but one thing is that it'll teach you to use only as much power as you HAVE to use. Right now your ambient bleed is atrocious quite frankly, but we'll work on that."

"But I thought you wanted my oath before you would teach me more than teleportation." she further asked, now very curious as to this point.

"Like I said, my magic is telling me you're one of the good guys, and frankly, like I told you – I trust my magic." Harry told her, "And while you could turn around and use this for ill will, well...I honestly don't think you will, and bear in mind I'm also aware you didn't start out the best way ever...and believe it or not that helps my decision."

"You know I worked with Ultron?" She asked, a little shocked as that was not a widely known fact.

"I can tell, there's a slight mark on your aura. It tells me that you partially seek to redeem yourself in yours and your brothers name" Harry told her. "And quite frankly mostly because you're a magical with absolutely no training in how to protect your thoughts you're...broadcasting. I can't help that, I'm sorry, but I just can't."

"Oh" she blushed lightly and he chuckled.

"Yeah, that...we won't be acting on that" he said shooting her a devilish smile, "God...would I love to, but I'm going to be Master to your Apprentice if this goes the way I think it will, and I do have some morals."

She blushed brighter, but he had made his position clear at least.

Then he smirked, "But thanks for the compliment, now come over here I want for you to run your hand over these items I've laid out on the table top here. Tell me if anything reacts, or feels like it's familiar, you'll know as soon as it happens, but don't forget that blood either." he coached her gently, his eyes intent on her. She really was one of the most stunning women he'd met. This was by no means a small number by this point either.

She walked up, trying not to blush at his closeness, throwing that out there so obviously was perhaps good in the long run, but right then she felt VERY aware that he was well aware of her attraction. But then, he was pretty clearly attracted back, so that wasn't So bad. She did as he asked, and at a vividly red and gold and well marked feather, that looked to be a tail feather, and she gasped suddenly, "This, this I feel something...I'm not sure what, but...for sure I feel...something!"

"Ah, now, isn't that interesting!" He said with a smile, "Huh" he said picking it up. "I obviously know all my ingredients, the history of them all too, and this..." he trailed off a misty look in his eyes until he shook himself, "This is the tail feather, don't laugh now, of a Phoenix I'm personally acquainted with. His name was Fawkes, the first real introduction I had to magical creatures and all that from where I'm from...originally." he said wistfully, "And about the most good and pure being I've ever met." he said and then looked her in the eye from close up, which wasn't helping her sense of attraction. Those eyes of his should carry a warning for the unwary woman.

"To react as strongly as you did, well...it's telling" he smiled, "It might interest you to know he also donated well, the same for me." he smiled. Then picked up the feather, swept up the other items and swept them into a nearby drawer. There was a very close by and distinct sigh, though she was looking at Harry and it was obviously not him that did it.

"Sorry Dobs, will sort it later" he called to thin air and apparently no one, "He's such a mother hen honestly!" Harry shook his head, "Right, could you put some blood in that bowl there, about a pint should do. Normally, and in future, I would caution you to never freely give your blood. Magicals and blood, it's quite the thing. Which I'll explain more of, but when we've used what we need I will personally destroy anything left, I give my word."

She nodded, "What sort of thing?" she asked.

He pursed his lips, "The sort of thing that can be used in a blood ritual to bring your worst enemy at the time back to life and steal your own mothers protection...that sort of thing, and – a LOT worse actually." He said with little to no amusement showing and from what she had already observed thus far, that was oddly rather rare to see on his face. It made her realize despite the way he said it, or perhaps because of it, this had actually happened to him. It was oddly, extremely sobering.

"But I do promise, on my word, that I'll dispose of anything left. But frankly, most of it will be used to suspend the core anyway." he told her, "It's a technique I invented myself in fact, sadly where I'm from, using blood that way is actually illegal; despite how effective it is." Harry said.

Then he lifted his hand and the ingot she had carried in and put on the table lifted into the air, already turning into a blob as it lifted and there was a sense of great heat and a shimmering shield was visible around the blob of now shiny silvery liquid metal. It suddenly elongated, creating a long tapered tube which twisted and formed slowly into what she would say was a tailored hand-gripped but otherwise rather classic wand shape. Then it seemed to solidify slightly, there was a sudden wash of extra magic and it split in twain, and as she finished putting her blood into the supplied bowel, he negligently healed her while lifting the blood which seemed to condense before her eyes.

The blood seemed to naturally line the split sides of the grove in the wand that was now laying in two halves, then the apparent phoenix feather lifted, was smoothed into one long line and laid along the grove, the two sides of the wand then folding over to create the whole again.

"Just one tick – we're nearly done, this bit is the tricky bit...what I'm doing here is aligning the molecules in the Vibranium. What old Ultron and even the good people of Wakunda don't know, is just how inherently magical this metal is." he said, "Aligning the molecules allows a smooth transition and flow of magic down the multiplying force of the wand itself. The blood suspension with the wand core in it, or phoenix feather in this case will allow for a perfect union with you and the wand. None of this 'a wand chooses the magical' crap with this method. A wand done this way always matches perfectly to the donor you see." he said a light of a true expert in his eyes.

The wand itself glowed, bathed in pure magic in a light golden glow. All her magical energy seemed to be tinted towards her hair colour, part of the reason she was known in the tabloids as the Scarlet Witch, her hair color not withstanding, though she was sure that was part of it anyway.

"There" he said the glow fading, "Go on" he urged, "Take it, then give it a gentle wave, with your dominant hand that is. It's twelve inches which is the perfect length for your casting style, the metal makes for a stiff wand its true, but while they aren't in general use, metal wands, especially gold back when I learned this, makes for a better multiplier. This, the Vibranium... That's it, now give it a wave! Well the Vibranium is a far better conductor for magic than even gold. It's perhaps as well that what you saw in the vault is probably the biggest collection of such left on Earth, the mines in Wakunda are all but dry now from the asteroid originally of course, it's not native to Earth." he said. He paused, "Go on...it won't hurt you, I promise." he urged her gently.

Wanda looked at him, holding the still slightly warm wand gingerly, then since she already did trust him, she gave it a gentle wave.

Simply put, it was an incredible feeling, her magic as she was now already thinking of it connected in that moment with the core of the wand, she felt it, felt it almost guiding her, channelling her power up through the wand to explode in a fireworks display of bright scarlet sparks.

Harry clapped, a big smile on his face, "And there we have it, a perfectly matched wand. And if you ask me, it's poetic that such is made from part of what destroyed your home, only to now – we hope – be used in the defence of others threatened in similar ways."

She looked at him, liking the idea, a lovely smile coming to her face.

Harry smiled back then shook his head, "You're gorgeous did you know that?"

Lab, The Dog Star,

21:15—Saturday—02/07/2016

Wanda stifled a yawn. She had been 'practising' with her wand, which, while it had been such a ridiculous concept before, was now like an extension to her very soul.

She didn't want to stop at all, and Harry had her levitating things. Usually when she did that she wrapped them in her power and lifted the combination up with her mind. Now there was a swish, a slight flick, no outward sign of her red energy in sight and she was levitating a feather that Harry seemed to have pulled from behind his back from no where. She'd been doing that for a while now, the novelty wasn't wearing off, but she had to admit she was tiring all the same.

"You must be tired, I would imagine it's been a while since you slept properly" Harry said, noting her yawn. "I showed you a room earlier and you're cleared through the wards down here right now, why don't you..." he stopped suddenly.

At first Wanda couldn't tell why, then suddenly she could. It sounded like an approaching scream.

Suddenly a bloom and sphere of what looked like 'Ball Lightning' appeared in the middle of the lab, luckily in an open area. This was accompanied by a heart wrenching scream of absolute rage, and of perhaps loss and suddenly a brunette woman appeared in the middle of the sphere, screaming her head off.

Her fists were raised like she was punching out god, her mouth wide open as she screamed out her heart ache and rage, PURE unadulterated RAGE.

"What the Fuck" Wanda muttered, forgetting to censor herself.

The woman dropped to her knees, then suddenly spikes and bolts of lightning speared out in all directions. One came right at Wanda, who raised her hands hoping to get up a shield, but knew even then there was no chance she was fast enough.

Suddenly in a blink the lightning hit something else, just as the entire area HUMMED with that now familiar and now named energy of magic. The lightning stopped, causing explosions around them and Wanda focused on the barrier that had saved her existence. Only to go wide eyed, trace sideways and see it also covered Harry, rather awkwardly since it was a feathery barricade, in fact it was a black feathered wing, along with the matching wing the other side of him, both attached to his back.

Her world froze, her mind shut down, but she did even then, see Harry looking at the new comer with serious shock on his face, and hear him say…

"HUH, that's different!"