The Hunters and the Prey - Chapter Twenty-Six
Author: Milady Dragon
Phil couldn't believe he'd actually stammered at Sir Steven Rogers. It was embarrassing.
He wanted to pull the cool exterior that he'd cultivated as the Dark One around him, but it no longer fit. He'd been away from that life for far too long. From what Clint had told him, he'd done it back at the Hydra mansion, but he simply couldn't recall that. The Void had been speaking through him, that he was positive of, in an attempt to keep the secret of his surviving Loki from them. It hadn't worked, but it had given Phil a lot to think about in the days since he'd discovered his new, true, nature.
He wasn't sure he could ever be that person again. Which meant embarrassing himself because he couldn't keep the hero-worship out of his voice.
There would always be part of him that looked up to the Paladin. He accepted that. But he didn't need to act like a fool because of it.
There was also another, smaller, part of him that wondered if Sir Steven would have been willing to accept his help if he knew what Phil had done years ago. Would he be ashamed? Angry? How would the Paladin react to know that the man who brought him out of the Void had been one of the most evil Wizards since the first and only Harold Saxon? Yes, the other Voids had accepted him, had named him Grand Master, but that had only been because he was the only one they could be certain of as not being Hydra. As soon as they were able to vet the rest of the order, Phil knew his services would no longer be required.
That actually sounded quite good to him.
Still, there was yet another, smaller, part of him that felt he could do a lot of good as Grand Master of Voids. He could completely overwrite the red in the ledger of his conscience, and that would only be a good thing.
The larger – and more vocal – part of his thoughts were telling him that he'd be content to go back to Shield Keep and be the best father and best lover he knew how to be, hiding away from the world and hoping they would all eventually forget his past.
Sir Steven sat there, Happy on his shoulder, and he had such a combination of awe and exhaustion and confusion on his face. But he was also determined, and when Ianto asked about Hydra he'd stiffened perceptively, some of that confusion dissipating under the wish to help them as much as possible.
"I know Hydra was run by the Skull, back during the war," the Paladin began. "They were doing experiments on innocent people, using magical artifacts they'd managed to locate. I have no idea who their members were, but they were obsessed with magic and power. The Skull was hoping to catch a ride to rulership on the Despot's coattails."
Surprisingly, Phil wasn't disappointed that Sir Steven didn't know more than that. He thought that it probably hadn't mattered, as long as he'd known who his enemies were. From the historical records, Sir Steven Rogers had hated bullies with a passion, and had always gone after them with a stubbornness and single-mindedness of purpose that had been enviable to a much younger Phil Coulson.
Feeling that way hadn't stopped him from becoming the Dark One, but then there were reasons at the time for that. Reasons that Phil didn't care to revisit. He'd done enough of that in the last several days.
Ianto looked a little disappointed at the lack of information, but didn't say anything about it, Instead, he told the Paladin, "He would have succeeded, if not for him meeting you."
Sir Steven shook his head, faintly embarrassed. "I'm not so sure about that."
"The Skull vanished soon after sending you to the Void," Phil cut in, glad that he'd at least had a passing familiarity with events, "and it was widely spread about that you'd killed him. I think, though, now that we know what happened to you, that we can assume the Void kept him when it gave us you back." It wasn't something that had occurred to him until that moment, and it was just a bit worrying.
The Paladin shuddered. "I hope he never comes out."
"Phil," Stephen spoke, "do you think you can check the Void and see if that maniac really is there?"
The Void Wizard shrugged. "It's worth a try. I'd like someone to watch over me while I do it." It wasn't that he didn't trust the Void; he did, it was impossible not to, even though it had made the arbitrary decision to refuse to let him die…ever. It was that he wasn't sure he could get out, despite the fact that the Void had already spat him out three times now. Four, if you count that one time back when he'd been the Dark One, the time that Clint – and Marcus – were fond of recounting. That time, though, he hadn't actually gone into the Void, only a Void Point, which was a little different.
Clint looked like he was going to speak up, but before he could Ianto volunteered, "I'll be happy to keep watch."
His lover didn't speak, but Phil knew that he'd be there as well. For which he was grateful. He'd have to say something to Clint later, when they were in private.
"But," Phil said, "I'm afraid that's going to have to wait. We really need to discover who Hydra still has in Void Order and remove them from play."
"Agreed," his Cardinal counterpart said. "We need to cut Hydra off at the knees first. We can't have them coming at us when we least expect it."
"I want to help," Sir Steven's expression became determined.
Phil's inner child began to jump up and down in excitement at that. The adult in him told it to settle down.
"While we appreciate that," Jack interjected, "you've just had one of the biggest shocks ever. You need to rest and recuperate."
"Jack's right," Pepper added. "There's so much out there that you're simply not prepared for."
"You're welcome to stay here," Tony offered. Phil had almost forgotten he was there; this was the longest he'd ever known of Tony Stark staying silent. The man was usually quite the chatterbox. Here, he was showing remarkable restraint.
"I don't want to infringe on your hospitality – "
"You won't be." The Baron waved off the Paladin's objection. "Look, I'm aware of how much I resemble my many-times great-grandfather, and I figure that has to be uncomfortable for you. But, right now, the only people who know you're here are the ones in this room, plus Mini-Pepper –"
"I can't believe you call my daughter that." It was amusing, really. Phil was very proud of Daisy, and respected the example that Pepper showed her. She'd needed a woman in her life that wasn't Melinda May, and Pepper was a good influence.
" – and a couple others," Baron Tony finished, as if Phil hadn't said anything at all. "We can keep it a secret for as long as we need to. Come on…you have to admit, you're not really ready for the outside world yet. Hells, you weren't ready for dragons, and you're gonna see a few of them in any sort of travels you decide to make."
"Also," Ianto said, "this is Wizard business. I know you have long-standing history with Hydra, but they're now Wizards and that puts their capture directly at the Grand Masters' discretion."
Sir Steven slumped in his seat, dejected. "To be fair, I really wouldn't know where to look."
"We'll take care of this." Ianto didn't even sound patronizing, which was most likely a possibility when those particular words were spoken. Phil knew that for a fact; hells, he'd been the patronizing one, a long time ago. "While you get used to this time. We even have someone coming to help."
That had the Paladin smirking slightly. "Someone actually knows what it's like to wake up in another time?"
"I'm afraid not." The Cardinal Wizard returned the smirk. "But someone who's willing to listen to whatever you need to say."
"I'll be around, too," Jack said. "We might not have been officially acquainted back during the War, but I'm perfectly willing to do anything I can."
Myfanwy made a little chirping sound, from where she stood next to Jack, while Happy rubbed Sir Steven's cheek affectionately. Lola made it known that she wanted to help as well, and Phil couldn't help but give her a little appreciative skritch for that. Dragons were, on the whole, loving creatures, would often go out of their way to aid people who needed it.
Unless they were constrained by their Wizards, or course. Or they shared their Wizard's dark thoughts and designs.
It was telling that, while Phil had been wearing the façade of the Dark One, that Lola had been just as she was now. She'd also reflected his inner struggle to discover just who he was, and had been a very important support for him when he'd needed it the most. He loved her fiercely, as much as she loved him.
"Thank you all. I appreciate everything. But really, the sooner I get acclimated the better I'll feel."
"That's completely understandable." Ianto reached into a pocket in his tunic, pulling out a smooth, gray rock. "Now, this is a speaking stone. All you have to do is say one of our names, and we'll answer."
Sir Steven accepted the stone. "That's handy. Wish we'd had something like that in wartime. Communications on the battlefront would have been a lot easier." He examined the stone closely, working it between his fingers, as if he was trying to feel the magic that had been cast upon it.
"You'll have the run of the castle," Pepper said. "The only thing I ask is that you not go into my casting chamber, which I'll show you what door it is. There are things in there that are dangerous for someone who isn't a Wizard. Even Tony isn't allowed inside."
"Hey," the Baron squawked, although it was completely without any heat.
"You might want to stay away from Tony's workshop as well," the Cardinal Mistress added. "He's a bit messy and there's no telling what sort of trouble you could get into there."
"I'm not messy!" Baron Tony exclaimed. "I know exactly where everything is."
"But no one else does."
He opened his mouth to rebut that accusation, but closed his mouth without saying a thing. He really couldn't argue about it; the time Phil had been down there, it had been just as cluttered as Pepper claimed. He really didn't know how the Baron could figure out where anything was, despite his assertions.
"We should be going," Ianto said. "Sir Steven, please…get some rest. You're going to need it." He rested a hand on the Paladin's shoulder, in the one place that Happy wasn't laying on. "But don't worry…we'll do everything we can to help you."
"Thank you, Grand Master."
"Please…it's Ianto. I like to think we may become friends someday."
Phil couldn't help the slight smile. Ianto was fast becoming someone he could trust absolutely. It didn't seem possible they'd only known each other a short time. If anyone had ever told him he would have been friends with the Grand Masters of either Great or Cardinal Orders, he would have laughed at them.
With that, the meeting broke up. Pepper escorted them back to her casting chamber, where they would teleport back to Gateway…except for Phil and Clint, who were planning on going back to Shield Keep for the night. To be honest, the Wizard was exhausted, it had been a long day, and with the teleports between different time zones it had seemed like Phil had been up for a full day, even though that wasn't exactly true. All Phil wanted to do was to go to bed, preferably not alone.
Jack, Ianto, and Stephen left first. But not before arranging to meet again tomorrow, to discuss what actions they were going to be taking in order to hunt down any further Hydra members in Void Order. Phil hoped to have some ideas that he could share with them in the morning. Also, he was hoping to hear if Daisy and her cohort of student friends were having any luck with discovering anything about that magical arm.
He was so proud of his daughter for standing up for Sir James. He could understand why the so-called Winter Knight had chosen to go back into the Zero Cabinet; he could also understand Ianto's ethical objection to it. However, Daisy had been correct in saying it had been Sir James' decision. His brave, strong, intelligent daughter…he will always love her just as fiercely as he had when she'd said she'd be the one to help Sir James back into the cabinet. And she'd been right when she'd pointed out that this was the man's decision, that refusing to accept that decision was taking away the very agency that Hydra had done for centuries.
"You look tired," Pepper observed, once the three of them were left.
"It's been a long day," Phil admitted.
He felt Clint's arm settle around his waist, and the Void Wizard wasn't ashamed to admit that he leaned into the comfort that was being offered. On his other side, Lola rested against him as well, knowing just how exhausted Phil was feeling in that moment.
"I'm going to get him home and tuck him in," Clint promised.
"I'm not a child," he protested, although it was half-hearted.
"Phil," Pepper rolled her eyes in fond irritation, "let him take care of you. It's about time someone did."
"I think the day's just catching up with me."
"You're allowed to be tired, Phil."
He reached out and took her hand. "Have I told you lately what a good friend you are?"
She gave him a brilliant smile. "No, but I won't tire of hearing it."
"There's something else you might want to know."
Her smile faded away. "That sounds serious."
"It is." They hadn't actually talked about telling Pepper about the Winter Knight, but Phil thought she deserved to know the truth.
So, he explained. Everything. About how Jack had recognized the Winter Knight as Sir James Barnes, the childhood friend of the Paladin. How they planned on helping rid him of all the curses that had been placed upon him by Hydra. And how they'd had to put him back within the Zero Cabinet that had been his resting place for so many centuries.
By the time he was done, Pepper had such a look of shocked dismay on her face that he couldn't help but hug her. Hugging and being hugged, for Phil, was something he hadn't thought he'd deserved until he'd met Daisy, who was free with her affection and had given him a need to return that affection to his daughter and to others who needed it. It could still be vaguely uncomfortable, but he was getting over that feeling.
She pulled away fairly soon, staring him straight in the eye. "And you're not telling Sir Steven because you're afraid of his mental status." It wasn't a question.
"Once Andrew's friend speaks to him and we get some sort of idea of how he's most likely going to cope, we'll say something. But Sir James' condition…it's grave. There are so many curses on that arm, and on the man himself…he's going to need the support of his friend, when we figure out a way to get those curses removed."
"We'll take care of Sir Steven," she vowed, "if only to return him to Sir James."
He gave her a tiny smile. "I know you will. Even Baron Tony can help, if only to keep Sir Steven distracted."
"You know almost as well as I do that Tony isn't as bad as his reputation claims."
He did. The Baron's reputation was pretty dire, but his propensity for philanthropy mitigated that reputation somewhat. The problem was, Baron Tony really hadn't done all that much to warrant such a reputation; well, there were his earlier days, before he'd married Pepper and his kidnapping. He'd come back from that a changed man, and not just personality-wise. Phil was well aware of that magical stone that kept him alive; he could feel it buzzing against his own magic every time he was in the Baron's company. No one knew the origin of the stone, only that the kidnappers had used it when the Baron had been nearly killed in an explosion during his capture, and that they couldn't risk him dying before he'd perfected the weapon they'd wanted him to build. Phil had no doubt that, once Baron Tony had done what they'd asked, they would have killed him and taken back the stone. Fortunately for him, Tony Stark was far smarter than any terrorist, and had managed to escape on his own.
Then, there was the way he doted on Daisy, when she wasn't even his own…Phil might pretend to be irritated with him at any given moment, but Baron Tony was actually a decent human being.
To be honest, the man amused Phil greatly. Not that he was going to admit that, because Baron Tony could also exasperate him just as easily. He didn't want to give him any ideas…or leverage.
"Let's go home," Clint urged. His arm squeezed Phil a little closer, then released him enough to give him room to work his magic.
Phil's chest warmed at Clint's calling the Keep, home. He was gratified that the Elf wanted to share the Wizard's home and life. It had been a long time coming, eleven years of separation – which was Phil's fault, and he'll do his utmost to make up for that rather idiotic decision to remain dead to both Clint and Natasha – but they were now in a place where they could be together for as long as Clint wanted to.
For Phil, forever would never be long enough, but he knew they wouldn't get that. He'd settle for what he could, and then deal with the loss later.
Lola, sensing a little of his upset at the knowledge that he'd one day lose Clint, nestled against him and cooed mournfully at him. He rested his hand on her head, stroking down the length of her long neck, sending her reassurance and peaceful thoughts.
Clint must have caught the dragon's sadness; he gave Phil such a look, as if he was using some sort of mind magic to read the Wizard's thoughts. "Let's go home," he repeated softly.
"Take care," Pepper said, "and we'll talk soon."
She stepped back, and Phil activated the magic of the bracelet that would take them back to Shield Keep. The feeling of teleportation swept through them, and between one blink and the next they were back in Phil's own casting chamber, the familiar magicks of the Keep surrounding them. He took a deep breath, glad to be home once more.
"I know we ate dinner at Jack and Ianto's," Clint said, "but I'm hungry again. Let's see if Andrew left us anything."
That sounded like an excellent idea, and Phil wasn't afraid to say so. Taking Clint's hand, he led his lover and his dragon back up into the living areas of the Keep, and into the kitchens.
There wasn't anything on the stove, so Phil opened the cold box to see if something had been preserved there. A chilly blast of air hit him in the face, refreshing him a little, and on one of the metal mesh shelves was a cold plate of meats and cheeses, along with some of the beer that was made locally. Two pieces of apple pie had been set on individual dessert plates on the shelf below it, nestled amid several bundles of fresh vegetables and some of the tropical fruits that Phil liked so well and Melinda would always arrange for him to have whenever he wanted.
Clint helped him with the plates, setting them onto the kitchen table. Lola gave him such sad eyes that Phil had no choice but to chuckle and to head back to the cold box for the rather large chop he'd seen in there and knowing that Andrew had left it specifically for the dragon.
Lola showed her gratitude by wolfing down the chop and then promptly begging for more once the two men had taken seats and began their own snack.
"Sorry," the Wizard laughed, "but you're going to get fat if you keep eating like that."
Lola huffed at him, giving him the dragon equivalent of a nose in the air. Clint joined in on the laughter, mock-sneaking the dragon a slice of cheese. Phil glowered at him, but he couldn't hold it for long, shaking his head in amusement. "You're setting a really bad precedent here, Clint."
Clint snorted as Lola finished the cheese and promptly rested her chin on his leg, her blue eyes glittering up at him in a very passable attempt at a puppy eyes.
"Glutton," Phil said fondly. He could tell she really wasn't expecting anything else from the Elf, but had to put on a show because it amused her to do so. "She'll know you're a soft touch, now."
"I've just got to spoil my girl, Phil. She deserves it."
"I thought I heard someone in here," Andrew's voice came from the entryway.
Phil looked up at the man. The changes in him, now that the curse had been torn away, were striking. He'd never met Andrew Garner before the curse, so seeing him standing there, looking wholly human once more, was going to take a little bit of getting used to.
In his cursed form, Andrew had been much taller, with albino-white skin and a head full of writhing snakes. He'd been powerfully built, scarily strong, and yet under all of that had been a very gentle soul who hadn't deserved what had happened to him. Now, he was a handsome man, still large but not unnaturally so, with dark skin and short hair, his tunic and trousers a little big on him now that he didn't have that sheer bulk anymore.
Phil made a mental note to ask Melinda to take her husband shopping for decent clothing. He thought she might get a kick out of filling a wardrobe for him now.
"I hope we didn't disturb you," he told the man.
"Not at all. I see you found what I'd left out for you." Andrew walked into the room. He headed over to the urn, where he poured some of the tea within into a mug he pulled down from the cupboard above. Then, he turned, leaning against the counter, in order to regard the two men at the table. "Busy day?"
"You have no idea." If Phil had known what was going to happen, he would have happily stayed in bed with Clint. He decided not to go into detail at the moment, but he did want to say, "Sir Steven woke up. He's pretty shocked by the whole thing."
"I'm not surprised. Losing time is bad when it happens, but to suddenly wake up and three hundred years has passed you by…I did contact one of my former students, and he should be at Ferrous Castle in the morning. He's up on the latest in stress situations as pertaining to battle, so hopefully he'll be able to help. Unfortunately, what the Paladin has been through is something none of us can really relate to."
Andrew had a point. The closest person even close would have been Jack, and he hadn't actually jumped in time; he'd taken the slow path to where and when he was now. Phil was pretty sure the immortal would be of help, but there really wasn't anything anyone could do to really empathize in this particular circumstance.
"Sam's good," Andrew continued. "He was one of my best and brightest."
"Sam?" Clint inquired.
"Sam Wilson. He's from the Falcon Enclave."
"An Elf?" that had Phil's own Elf perking up a bit.
"Half-Elf. Mother was from the Enclave; father was a human."
Clint whistled. "Usually, the Enclaves don't accept half-bloods into their ranks."
"This one did. Apparently, Sam's Mom was a bigwig in the Enclave. The way he tells it, her running off with a human was a huge scandal, but when she returned pregnant they took her back in. Sam looks enough Elven to pass for a full-blood."
"As long as you trust him," Phil said.
Andrew nodded. "I do." His lips curved upward in a rueful smile "He yelled at me for losing touch. I apparently had made quite an impression on him when he was in my courses."
"Now that the curse is gone, you should be able to contact anyone you want."
"I've been giving that some thought, and I just might. There are a few people out there that I've missed. Melinda has, as well."
"This can be a new beginning for you both."
Andrew looked at his shrewdly. "Are you trying to get rid of us, Phil?"
"Not at all," he assured the man. "You and Melinda are invaluable to me and to Daisy. Although, if you both did decide to leave, I wouldn't stop you. But, this place is your home just as much as it is mine and Daisy's. You both are always welcome here."
"That's good, because we're not about to leave you and Daisy to fend for yourselves. You'd both starve to death in a week."
"Hey," Clint protested.
Andrew rolled his eyes fondly. "You're just one more for Melinda to take care of, Hawk. Get used to it."
Clint's grin was bright. "Yes sir."
"Please, stop."
Phil laughed at that. Things weren't going to be boring around here, he just knew it. And, despite his wish for that sort of thing, he was glad that they weren't. Not when he had all this family around him.