The Hunters and the Prey - Chapter Six
Author: Milady Dragon
Phil, Clint, and Lola teleported into Ferrous Castle, directly into Pepper's casting chamber. Like most Wizard's sanctums, it was subterranean, a circular area with a raised plinth in the center where Pepper's gramariya would usually sit when she was working her magic. It wasn't there now, but then Phil knew she usually kept it up in the library when she wasn't using it.
The chamber was tidy, plain wooden tables against the walls along with racks of potion ingredients and a cabinet with different sorts of items within it, ready to be enchanted into artifacts when needed. A small tabletop cauldron took up space on one of the tables, the burner underneath on its heat-resistant pad unlit but ready for use.
Most Wizards enchanted their Teleport artifacts so that whoever used them ended up in the casting chamber of the home Wizard, simply for safety's sake, but also as a sign of trust. There were exceptions, but those were mostly blind teleports, since a Wizard's casting chamber was also heavily warded and practically unPlotable without specific coordinates. Or when someone was showing up without calling first; it would just be plain rude to simply Teleport into someone's home without warning.
Pepper was waiting for them, smiling in welcome. "Thanks for coming." She actually hugged Phil, who was slightly uncomfortable by the show of affection but also grateful that she felt like they were friends enough for the gesture. He could feel the Deep Ways that lived within her even through the boundary of two layers of clothing, but it wasn't a bad feeling.
She then hugged Clint, who flailed a little but ended up patting her rather awkwardly on the shoulder and then giving her a smile that made him look as if he was slightly constipated when they parted. Phil wanted to laugh but managed to control himself. Happy, who had accompanied his Wizard, promptly crawled over from Pepper's shoulder to Clint's, greeting the Elf equally as effusively, wiping away the awkwardness almost at once.
Lola, though, had no issue with accepting the scritches Pepper gave her. But then, she adored that sort of thing and was always wanting to make sure she received the attention she believed she justly deserved.
"Thank you both for coming," Pepper greeted, smiling.
"I have to admit," Phil said, "I've been wanting to see our new guest ever since I woke up after our escape from Hydra's base."
He didn't mention that he probably would have thought more on the man who'd looked like Sir Steven Rogers, except he'd been a little distracted by a certain Elf, who was currently cuddling Happy in one arm while tickling the dragon's belly, causing the small dragon to wriggle and make the cutest chuckling noises Phil had ever heard. Lola, who must have caught the emotion behind that particular thought, had left Pepper's side and was sniffing up at him rather disdainfully. The Wizard, properly chastened, gave his own companion the scritches she obviously wanted from him, soothing her sharp feelings.
"And you say you can still see the Void around him?" That was strange. After all, their guest had been out of the Void for almost five days now, so it should have faded away.
Pepper nodded, motioning them toward the door. "The only thing I can think of, is that the Void is keeping him unconscious for some reason."
It was certainly possible. Phil thought back on how he'd come to bring the man out of the Void in the first place, as the three of them – plus dragons – headed up into the public areas of the castle. It had felt as if he'd been practically thrust into Phil's arms as he'd struggled to close the Void Point, like the Void had wanted to get rid of him. Maybe it had; after all, the Void really didn't care to have things in it that didn't belong, and that included Paladins who should have been dead centuries ago.
He had first-hand experience of that sort of thing, of not belonging within the Void. He was walking up a staircase in Ferrous Castle as proof of that as it had kicked him out rather spectacularly after his 'death' at Loki's hands.
They exited the stairs and into the large, airy main hallway of Ferrous Castle. Phil had always liked being there; it had a very pleasant atmosphere, and very little magic despite one of the more powerful Cardinal Wizards living within it. That was all down to Baron Tony, who was a genius when it came to non-magical artifacts. Even the lights in the castle were of the Baron's manufacture, and Phil had often thought about asking to have that sort of thing installed in Shield Keep, but it was Tony Stark's ego that was keeping him doing just that.
"I'll need to really get a good look at him." Phil hadn't had much of a chance of that before passing out back at home, and then they'd moved him before the Wizard had awakened. He was a little irritated by that, to be honest, but there wasn't a thing he could do about it now.
"I wanted to bring you in from the beginning, " Pepper admitted, "but Tony had a point…you've got quite a lot on your shoulders at the moment, and more will be coming once you and the other Grand Masters decide on how you'll proceed with weeding out Hydra among the Voids."
She was right; or course, she was right. Phil hadn't wanted to be named Grand Master of Void Order but, now that he was, he meant to do the job properly until they could clear the Order of Hydra. Then, he'd step down in favor of someone else. He could go back to Shield Keep, be Daisy's father, and maybe take on a Novice like Pepper was trying to convince him to do. Teaching Wanda Maximoff seemed like a good idea to him, especially with their shared history. He could instruct her in the lessons that Mistress Suzie had tried to instill in him, but had failed because he'd been too stubborn to believe her when she'd attempted to teach him that being a Void wasn't a bad thing and didn't mean he was automatically evil.
It galled him though to admit that Tony Stark had been nice to consider what Phil was up against.
Maybe he was being a bit hard on Baron Tony. Phil knew he could be a generous man, always working to help as many people as possible. It hadn't always been that way, but since his kidnapping and subsequent taking the Barony from Obadiah Stane, Baron Tony had settled down and made it his duty to help the people of Barony Ferrous. If anyone understood what it was like to be in charge of people who depended on him , it would have been Baron Tony.
Still, it didn't keep the man from getting on Phil's nerves. Sometimes he'd wondered how Pepper managed to be around him so much of the time, if he'd irritated Phil during their very first meeting.
Although, Baron Tony did like Daisy. He liked her so much he didn't mind her hanging out in his workshop. The Wizard had to be concerned about his daughter spending so much time with the other man, and just what sort of bad habits she'd pick up.
They were heading toward the ornate staircase that rose up into the upper levels of the castle when they were brought to a stop by Baron Tony, and a man that Phil didn't recognize. The man had dark hair that was just starting to go gray, and was dressed in a deep purple tunic and black trousers. He didn't have any of the accoutrements of a Wizard about him; there was no wand, nor ceremonial dagger, but there was something faintly magical about him that Phil couldn't identify…as if he'd been exposed to magic, but wasn't a Wizard himself.
"And there he is," Baron Tony announced, giving Phil a wide, slightly sarcastic, grin. His own clothes weren't what a Baron would have usually been seen wearing, which made the Wizard believe he'd been down in his workshop at some point in the day and just hadn't bothered to change into something suitable for company. "Our newest Grand Master. You know, I was really surprised to learn who you really were, Coulson, because I certainly can't see it."
Phil wanted to grit his teeth, but instead brought up one of his blandest smiles and aiming it at the Baron as if it was some sort of weapon. "That was the point," he said, keeping his voice perfectly calm and not giving the man any sort of satisfaction at seeing him bothered by his comment. "But I can still Stun spell you into unconsciousness, Your Grace."
That had Clint snorting, and Pepper hiding a smile as Baron Tony sniffed in mock insult. "This is why I like you so well… you show me so much respect." His dark eyes were laughing, so Phil could tell he wasn't really bothered by the comment.
"Then I should keep right on that." Phil turned toward the stranger, holding out his hand. "Phil Coulson, Void Wizard."
The man wasn't bothering to hide his own amusement. "Doctor Bruce Banner," he introduced himself, shaking Phil's hand. That faint tingle of barely-there magic was evident in his grasp. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Grand Master."
That title was going to take some serious getting used to. "And you." He frowned slightly. "Doctor Banner…I've heard of you, I believe."
"Brucie here's the premier magical theorist out there." Baron Tony threw an arm around Dr. Banner's shoulders. The doctor seemed to become even more bemused than he was by the gesture.
"Of course. I read your treatise on the Conservation of Magic. I thought you really brought another dimension to Einstein's own Laws." It had been an impressive paper; he had a copy in his library back at the Keep.
Doctor Banner looked slightly embarrassed. "Thank you. That's kind of you to say."
"Nothing kind about it at all," the Wizard hastened to reassure him, "it's the truth. I've been able to use some of the Principles of Substitution in my own spells."
That had the man perking up and out of his embarrassment. "I'd love to talk to you about that, Grand Master –"
"This is really fascinating," Baron Tony butted in, "but don't we have a sleeping beauty to awaken?"
Phil rolled his eyes, not really surprised that the Baron had referenced that old fairy story. "I'm not going to kiss him awake, Your Grace."
"I should hope not," Clint added, his voice a little harsh. Happy, who'd still been in Clint's arms, flipped himself over in order to glare at the Baron, as if he, too, was irritated with the man.
Pepper was laughing…or, at least, she was trying very hard not to. Phil could understand why.
Baron Tony had his hands up, as if to shield himself from the little dragon's glaring. "Well, that's a new reaction. I knew dragons loved Elves, but I wasn't expecting that, especially since Happy adores me."
Clint was stroking Happy, in an effort to get the dragon to calm down. Lola was vastly amused by it all, Phil could tell. He couldn't blame her, because he was equally amused.
"Let's go and see what I can do to get our guest to wake up," the Wizard suggested, not able to keep all of the amusement out of his voice. "And, Dr. Banner, I'd also enjoy speaking with you at length about your theories and how they fit into my own spellcasting…but it might be a little while because, as much as I hate to admit it, Baron Tony has made a valid point about my time being not my own at the moment."
Tony looked gratified at that, and Phil couldn't find it within himself to be bothered by that. Because the man had a very valid point: with Hydra out there, and now being the new Grand Master of Voids plus considering taking on a Novice for the first time ever, Phil was about to become busier than he'd ever thought he'd be.
He'd been perfectly happy being a semi-hermit, living with Daisy and Melinda and Andrew at Shield Keep, and staying away from the politics that the Wizard's Guild excelled in. He'd thought he'd put his past behind him, and was living the life of Master Phil Coulson, Void Wizard, and enjoying the peace he'd gained in his 'retirement'. Never in his wildest dreams could he have foreseen what his life would become.
This wasn't even counting his close connection to the Void, the connection that would keep him alive beyond his human lifespan. He'd never set out to be as he is now, and truly believed that this was a punishment for his past deeds, that the Void had chosen him to balance out Grand Master Ianto because it somehow decided that justice needed to be done for his actions as the mercenary known as the Dark One.
Phil had been prepared to face any sort of judgment his fellow Wizards would have meted out, once the truth had been revealed. But this…no, there was no way this had even crossed his mind.
He didn't want it.
He didn't have a choice.
And so, he'd stepped into a role he'd never would have chosen for himself, instead of living quietly in the place Marcus had given him, doing his best by his daughter and helping her become the amazing young woman he'd seen in her that day, in the midst of battle, when he'd stumbled over her quite by accident just after he'd revived for the first time.
That had been taken away from him.
However, he'd regained Clint in his life, and that would make it all worth it…until he lost the Elf to old age, while he continued on, unchanging.
Phil mentally shook himself. Losing Clint would be far into the future; he didn't need to be anticipating that loss just yet.
"We put him in one of the guest rooms," Pepper said, trying to get them all back on track. Extracting Happy from Clint's arms, she settled her dragon onto her shoulder and headed up the stairs. Phil followed, his excitement growing at seeing the man he'd been given by the Void, knowing in his soul that it really was Sir Steven Rogers but needing to confirm it. He had no idea how the man had gotten trapped within the Void, but he suspected it had to do with that last battle with the man known as the Skull, when rumors of Sir Steven vanishing had begun.
"Once Sir Steven is awake," Pepper suggested, "I think we should get Jack in here to speak to him."
"Oh?" Phil asked politely, not sure where she was going with that, unless it had to do with Captain Harkness being the Deathless and having lived back during the Century War, when Sir Steven had been lost.
"I'm sorry, I forgot you weren't in the room when Jack admitted to having met Sir Steven back then."
The Wizard was surprised just enough that the toe of his boot caught on one of the risers, making him stumble. "He did?" No, Phil's voice didn't just squeak.
Lola was laughing at him. Clint wasn't any better, but at least he was muffling it a little.
"He wasn't a part of the Howling Commandos, but he was certainly in the same military posting as they were, and he was very impressed. I don't know if Sir Steven would remember him, but Jack might be able to help him get his feet under him."
"That makes sense."
Pepper gave him a bright smile. "And don't think I can't see that you want to interrogate Jack about what he recalls about Sir Steven."
Phil had been thinking that, but he wasn't about to admit it. "I have no idea what you mean."
She met his eyes, and he could practically see her calling him a liar with her expression, but she didn't say anything aloud. She really didn't have to.
Phil really didn't know exactly when his minor obsession with the Paladin of the Western Lands began. He did know he'd been a child, before Lola had come to him, but he wasn't certain if it had been his Dad or someone else who'd introduced him to stories of Sir Steven Rogers and the Howling Commandos. To be honest, he'd been as equally enamored of Lady Peggy Carter, the woman behind the scenes, so to speak, but there wasn't a lot of information on her, not as much as there was on the Paladin, the Commandos, and the men who'd been responsible for bringing him into the war: Baron Howard Stark and General Sir Chester Phillips.
After he'd destroyed his life by becoming the Dark One, Phil had given up on his need to know everything about Sir Steven…until he'd found a shield that its former owner had claimed to have once been one of many that had belonged to the Paladin. The shield was certainly ancient, and painted in the crest of the fallen Paladin, and to be honest there was no way to really substantiate that sort of thing. However, Phil had gladly recovered it from the man's possession, when he'd gone back to get revenge on the bastard for the attempt to betray Marcus to the authorities back then. Phil had carried that shield with him until he could find a safe place to store it and, when he'd faked his death and given up on being the Dark One, he'd retrieved it along with several more treasures he'd taken in his years of wanting to burn the world down.
He'd always known that Sir Steven would have been ashamed at what he'd done, but Phil couldn't think of that at the moment. It wasn't like they'd be around each other all that much once the man was awake once more.
Now, he just needed to make certain that Sir Steven would wake up.
A hand touched his, and he turned toward Clint, he was looking at him as if he could read the very thoughts in Phil's head. The Wizard gave a small nod toward his lover, and the Elf's warm fingers wrapped around his and squeezed, before releasing his grasp and giving him a nod of his own. Phil took the comfort and support that was being offered, and let his dark thoughts about not being able to live up to the Paladin's good opinion fade away.
Clint and Daisy were the important ones now. They were the only ones that Phil should care about how they felt about him.
The door that led into the guest room was open, so Pepper simply waved him through. Phil stepped inside, taking in the rather opulent surroundings at a glance before his eyes settled on the still form on the bed.
Sir Steven Rogers was just as handsome as he'd been in the paintings that had been done of him back during the Century War. His hair was blond, and he was well built, with broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist. He was tall; he would have easily towered over Phil himself, who was of average height. His large hands had been folded onto his chest, and rose and fell in time with his even breathing. Someone had removed his armor and had set it upon a rack built for that purpose in the corner of the room, the shield he'd been carrying with him resting against the base, his broadsword leaning against it, replacing the gear with a set of comfortable-looking pajamas. His face was as kind as it was well proportioned, with a slight scruff of beard on his jaw and cheeks.
Phil could immediately see what Pepper had meant about the Void still surrounding him.
It coiled and twisted about his silent body, almost like some sort of lover. Phil knew he was seeing more than Pepper had, just because of his affinity with the Void, and what he was seeing was bothersome. The Void should have faded out, and yet it hadn't, and there had to be a reason for that.
Blinking, the Wizard let his magical senses take over, examining the unconscious man in order to find the reason why the Void wasn't letting go. There was so much of it, twisting and twining about their guest, as if the Void had somehow become a part of him…but Phil could tell that the Paladin wasn't a Wizard, so he looked a little deeper to see just what the Void had done to him.
Reaching out with one hand, Phil called the Void to him. A ribbon of it came at his call, tangling around his spread fingers, and he gave it an experimental tug to see what would happen.
If the Void could coo, it would have done so.
It recognized him. If Phil had had any doubt that the Void was such a large part of him, the reaction to the magic surrounding Sir Steven put paid to it. It was as if the Void was calling to him, wanting to come home to him, and he let it, knowing that he'd have to dig it all out if the Paladin was ever going to awaken.
Because, to his magical vision, he could tell that Sir Steven had been in the Void for so long that it had literally become a part of him, although not in the same way as it did with himself and other Void Wizards. Phil suspected that it had been to prevent any damage to the Paladin, which could have very well have happened if the Void hadn't taken the step of incorporating the man into itself, until such time as it could expel the foreign individual.
He could get the Void out, but it was a damned good thing that the man was unconscious, because it would have hurt like all the hells if he hadn't been.
Taking a deep breath, Phil grabbed two handfuls of Void and yanked.
Sir Steven's body arced off the bed, almost suspended in the air from the sheer force of the Wizard's grasp upon the Void. From somewhere behind him, he heard someone gasp – it was most likely Pepper, as she was the one who would have been able to see at least part of what he was doing – but he ignored it, in order to use even more force to drag the Void out of the man on the bed. It wanted to come, but it had become so deeply entwined that it needed the extra help of Phil's own will to let go of its grip.
In a way, it was like wrestling a Void Point. Except a man's life was dependent on him getting every single bit of Void out and bringing it into Phil's own body, instead of standing on one single point and the Void staying put. It wasn't as powerful, either, and eventually it began to pull free, to come home to the Wizard who was so bound up in the Void that it had literally killed him within a heartbeat when he'd been cut off from it.
Sir Steven settled back onto the bed when the last tendril of Void released its hold, curling into Phil's chest as if it was some sort of contented cat. The Wizard took a step back at the sudden lack of resistance, dropping his arms and taking a whooping breath, lungs suddenly telling him he hadn't had any air in them for a while. He hadn't even been aware of it, so focused on what he was doing.
Lola leaned into him, supporting him, although Phil didn't need it. He hadn't actually overextended himself, but then he suspected that the Void he'd just sucked into himself had been reenergizing him even as he was expending power.
"Damn," Clint breathed, "that was pretty fucking incredible. I am so turned on right now."
Of course, Clint would have at least known Phil was doing something, even if he couldn't actually see the Void and how Phil was manipulating it.
It was just a good thing he didn't blush easily. Still, internally he was feeling pretty smug about having that sort of effect of his lover.
"Ugh," Baron Tony groaned, "that is a little too much information."
"I can share more – " Clint teased.
"No, thanks!"
Doctor Banner was chuckling and blushing at the same time.
"You alright?" Pepper asked solicitously, resting a hand on his arm.
It took every bit of self-control not to jerk away; after being so exposed to the Void, Phil could feel the Deep Ways within his friend practically burning him through his sleeve. "Perfectly fine," he reassured her. "There's no longer any Void within Sir Steven. He's sleeping normally now, and he'll probably wake up naturally."
"Any idea how long?" Dr. Banner inquired.
"A couple of hours, I should say. Before dinnertime."
"Then I should probably let Jarvis and Ana know we'll have an extra guest." Pepper was smiling apologetically, removing her hand. She'd most likely figured out that Phil could barely stand the touch at the moment. "Do you need anything, Phil?"
"To be honest, I'm parched." He was also a little hungry, but needed a drink of water or maybe even wine before eating anything.
"Then let's get you something. I already warned Jarvis that you might want something after performing high level magic, so he'll have a snack prepared."
"That sounds perfect." He should have known she'd be ready in case he'd needed anything; after all, she was a Cardinal Wizard, and would have had experience with working powerful magicks.
Now, it was only a matter of time before they got some answers from Sir Steven Rogers.