A DAY'S WORTH
Chapter 7
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to their respective owners.
-ADW-
"What is he doing?"
"Walking towards the hammer, I think."
"I can see that, Jack."
"Well, why did you ask then?"
Harry sighed and Jack snickered to himself. He kept quiet soon as the muscular blonde on the Tab cautiously stepped his way towards the magical hammer.
"I doubt he is a SHIELD agent though."
"No, definitely not." Harry agreed, leaning forward in anticipation as the big man reached the hammer and gestured towards it. From what he could remember, Thor had been capable of summoning Mjolnir.
Nothing happened and Harry could see the disappointment clear on the blonde's face.
"Suit up, Jack." Harry stood up. "I think we need to have a few words with the god of thunder."
"So he is the real deal?" Jack's blue eyes were twinkling in excitement. "I though he was supposed to be the only one capable of lifting it."
Glancing back to the pad, Thor was trying with all his might to lift the hammer with absolutely no success.
"I am not sure whether he is the one or not but it is quite clear he had been expecting it to respond." Harry answered as he put on his trenchcoat.
"Do I get to fight him?" Harry glanced at Ombra and not for the first time, He took a moment to admire his work and all the effort he had put in developing the suit.
"Perhaps, it will all depend on how responsive he will be." Harry though doubted there was any chance of the confrontation going without a fight. Thor was remembered to be the epitome of Gryffindor and that was not counting his choice of colors. The hammer wielding god liked fighting almost twice as much as Jack.
Teleporting at the edge of the clearing, knowing Ombra was right behind him as the suit enabled him to teleport as well, Harry sent a condensed pulse of magic all over the SHIELD establishment and all electronics shut down. He pulled out a small stone covered with runes and placed it on the ground and immediately a notice-me-not bubbled covered the entire clearing.
With a snap of his fingers a small ball appeared directly over the clearing and it was covered in light which strangely left no shadows.
"That never gets old." Thor spun around at Ombra's voice and stared at the figure whose cloak was fluttering slowly in a non-existent wind.
"Loki, is that you?" The big man asked cautiously. Ombra slowly advanced towards the Norse god and Harry was reminded of his son, Albus and how he seemed to float during a duel or when he is preparing for a fight.
"Thor of Asgard." Ombra's voice reverberated in the clearing. "What are you doing here."
"Well, you don't seem to be Loki." He replied clearly not the least bit intimidated by Ombra. Harry crossed his arms and watched, curious how this would play out. "Are you some guardian of Midgard or something?"
"You shouldn't be here, Thor son of Odin." Jack stated cocking his head to the side. "You do not belong here."
"Well, I am told I have a habit of being in places I am not supposed to be." Thor chuckled, looking completely unconcerned. "So, if you don't mind you can just leave and I will not hurt you."
Thor turned back to Mjolnir, dismissing Ombra. Harry knew exactly how he would react, especially with how his friend was itching for a fight and he was not disappointed.
"Do not turn your back on me, Asgardian." Ombra said as he clamped a hand on Thor's shoulder. Jack was always taller than you average person and the Ombra suit made him look even taller so the two were standing at almost equal height even though the god of thunder had a couple of inches on Ombra.
"Unhand me right this instant, human!" Thor barked and grabbed Ombra's hand. He twisted it making Ombra turn around and the next instant, he was standing behind him."I don't care who you are but next time you put you hands on me, it will be the last thing you ever touch."
Ombra didn't answer, he simply hunched forward and with his suit-enhanced strength flipped over his head and sent the god of thunder flying. The next instant, the blonde was back on his feet but Ombra was already in his grace. His hands seemed to blur as he punched him with his right, left and repeated again before he completed with an upper-hook that sent the big man flying again.
Ombra waited patiently as the Asgardian slowly got back to his feet. He didn't seem to have been affected by the beating as a normal human being would have been bleeding or even given up. Thor however, except for his torn t-shirt looking exactly the same, except he was pissed and his eyes were slightly tinged light.
Harry also remembered that during times of high emotions, the god of thunder sometimes had been capable of accessing his power without Mjolnir. If there was any moment for that to happen it would be this as the egostical god would never have taken being beaten by a human lying down.
He wasn't disappointed.
Thor ran towards Ombra, faster than anyone Harry had seen except for Jack when in his suit. Ombra waited as the man reached him and blurred as he leaned to the side, grabbed the man's neck as he had tried to drive into his midsection. He grabbed the other hand with his left and with his right, he pulled back by the neck and flung Thor back where he had just come from.
Atleast he tried to as the Asgardian flipped in the air and landed on his feet just a meter away and the next instant he was infront of Ombra. Clearly surprised with the quick recovery, Ombra didn't have time to dodge the fist headed for his disguised face and he was sent flying across the clearing similar to how his opponent had just done minutes ago.
The moment Ombra landed, he disappeared only to appear behind Thor. The blonde seemed to have expected it or perhaps he was just sensitive because the moment Ombra appeared, the Asgardian spun around and grabbed him by the neck. He then used one hand and choke slammed him into the ground. Ombra hit the ground with a grunt and Thor cried as he lifted him for another choke slam. Before he could hit the ground, Ombra disappeared again.
This time he appeared right in front of him and kicked his right knee cap bringing him down to one knee. He made to knee him but Thor grabbed his leg and flung him away from him. Ombra flipped in midair and landed in a crouch, his cloak billowing behind him dramatically. Thor also got in a crouch, intense blue eyes staring at the blue twin orbs in Ombra's shadowed face.
Thor chuckled.
"You are quite good for a human." He said. "But you are not completely human, are you?"
"You don't have access to your powers." Ombra observed and Thor blinked at him without answering. "Not without your hammer."
"I don't need my hammer to beat your little butt into the ground." Thor chuckled as he stood up, his eyes now two sparkling orbs of lightning. "Now, you face the wrath of the god of Thunder!"
"Alright, time out." Harry dropped the magic cloaking him as he stood up. Thor paused his advance and spun around only for Ombra to sweep his legs out of him. Thor tried to get up but found he couldn't.
"What sorcery is this?"
"Not sorcery, your Highness just magic." Harry grinned down at him. "Surely you have experienced it before, what with your brother."
"You know Loki?"
"Well, as much as one knows anyone from history books." Harry shrugged. "Luna had been an expert though, she knew the history inside out but Hella was her favorite, can you imagine that?"
"Who?"
"Hella, Odin's first born?"
"Never heard of her and I am Odin's first born and definitely not a girl."
"Really, you are pretty enough for one." Ombra's voice reverberated from behind Harry startling him.
"Damnit man, I am trying to sound wise here." Harry growled at the man who just stared back at him impassively. "We are not here to talk about your mysterious sister though."
Harry leaned forward, green eyes peering at the god who leaned back despite himself.
"We are here to talk about you." Harry whispered and the Asgardian just kept staring at him incredulously. "You are out of your time, Odinson. And Mjolnir doesn't seem to think you are worthy to lift it."
Harry leaned in even further and now he was almost nose to nose with Thor. Harry's smile disappeared and he was now staring at Thor with an intense expression.
"I know this is probably a bad idea, but I doubt you will just tell me what I want if I ask nicely." The Elder Wand materialized in his hand as if knowing how hard this task was likely to be. "This is going to be very painful, probably for the both of us. Leglimmens."
Dumbledore had been half-right when he had believed that Voldemort had given some of his powers to Harry on that fateful night. At one year of age, Harry's magic had been young and developing; the horcrux had also been trying to expand so it could overcome whatever protections Lily had invoked with her death.
In the process and with time, things had gotten mixed up. Harry's magic growing and slowly taking some of Voldemort's that had bled off in the struggle. That is how he had gained perseltongue while at the same time gaining an affinity for magics that Voldemort had mastered long ago. Mind magic to be specific.
When he had gotten the time to really explore occulmency and leglimmency during his travels with Luna, he had found that it came way easier for him than it should have been. Luna had declared that with his level of mastery, not even Dumbledore or Voldemort would have been able to penetrate his shields or block his leglimmency probe. Harry had learned long ago to take Luna's word seriously.
However, no amount of skill could have prepared him for this. The moment he entered the blonde's mind, he was assaulted with centuries worth of memories. Fighting against the tide that almost instantly threw him out, Harry navigated them, concentrating on Thor's recent memories which could have been for a hundred years in Thor's perspective. Harry suppressed the headache that he could already feel in the back of his skull.
Harry pushed, limiting his probe as much as possible as he concentrated on the most recent, he saw Thor and Loki practicing fighting and saw why Ombra hadn't been able to surprise the god given that Loki used almost the very same moves. He watched Thor drag his team to fight the Frost giants and how his father had to intervene to save their assess. Ruthlessly ignoring the headache, Harry continued digging and watched Odin cast another enchantment in Mjolnir while at the same time stripping Thor of his powers untill he proved himself worthy enough to lift Mjolnir once again.
Harry could feel Thor fighting back as he dug for his memories since he arrived on earth and the headache seemed to double in intensity. He saw Selvig and Jane Foster, he felt the positive emotions that went along with the memories of the woman and how Thor was suppre_.
Harry's mind connection was abruptly cut off and he was sent flying. He squinted through his blurry vision as he did his best to ignore the high pitched sound in his mind. His vision cleared enough for a moment only to go white again as he felt a blow connect with his face and he felt himself fly through the air and landed roughly with a grunt.
"YOU DARE!" Thor...thundered as he stalked his way towards Harry, his body having the occasional flash of lightning.
"Weren't you_ stripped of_ your powers?" Harry gasped out when he got his breathing back in control, which also meant that the headache had abated to bearable.
Harry froze the Thunder god in place and the lightning disappeared. He checked in one of the pockets of his trenchcoat and retrieved a vial of a headache potion. He downed it at once and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright that's enough." Harry stood up and approached the Asgardian. "So, I am going to obliviate you. Nothing personal I assure you, we shall part our ways and when you get back to Asgard we hope to be we see each other again, sounds fair?"
The god of Thunder just glared at him.
"Good. Leglimmens!"
The man's blue eyes glazed over as Harry easily slipped into Asgardian's mind. He smoothly edited their meeting and made sure his modifications stuck and just as smoothly slipped out. Thor blinked at him uncomprehendingly before he slumped when he hit him with a stunner from the Elder Wand. The wand disappeared and he turned to Ombra who was sitting in his recently vacated chair eating popcorn from Merlin knows where. Shaking his head, Harry cloaked himself and dropped the notice-me-not around the clearing. A few seconds later, SHIELD agents poured into the clearing and dragged away the unconscious Asgardian.
-ADW-
"Now what?"
"Now we wait." Harry replied sinking into the couch next to Jack. "He remembers you two fighting and me freezing him in place before I tried to enter his mind. Naturally, I failed."
"He is a god after all." Jack agreed.
"Of course. I however made sure that he would have to contact me in the event he found himself on earth again." Harry smiled.
"Won't he be able to realize the truth, I mean being a god wouldn't be that much if a mere mortal can just play around with your mind."
"I am pretty sure he won't." Harry replied. "His brother though can break it for him but it would be pretty hard and I would know."
"So he is not The threat?"
"No, he is not." Harry sighed. "Maybe I'm being paranoid but I can't help think that this could be the start of whatever the threat is. A herald of some sorts or something, somehow I know that his appearance has set off the events leading to the reason I am here."
"Harry." Jack put his hand on Harry's shoulder looking uncharacteristically serious. "If one looks up the word paranoid in a dictionary, your picture is right beside it."
Harry just gave him a flat stare.
"I know, I was equally surprised." Jack patted him on the back as he stood up. "Now I am going to get some sleep. Just know that you paranoia saved us more times that I remember, so if you are being paronoid, then I have no worries because I know that you are right."
Jack pressed on his ring and turned into Ombra. He then teleported to his bedroom upstairs leaving Harry to shake his head at his friend's laziness. Harry looked at his own ring on his finger, the one that possessed his suit. He hoped he never got the chance to use it as his magic was enough to handle anyone he could think of. But if whatever he was to face was to be as powerful he had the feeling it would be, then he was going to need all the resources he could get his hands on.
-ADW-
8th October 2010
Temple Penthouse,
Hells Kitchen, New York.
"So that's the Gulliver kid?"
"Gianna, Jack. Her name is Gianna." Claire sighed.
"She is a bit...short." Harry observed and Jack snorted.
"That is probably one of your least imaginative understatements to date."
"Yes, Harry." Claire agreed. "With how much you love dropping them, that one was pretty sub-standard."
Harry rolled his eyes and the other two just laughed at him.
"She is quite on the small side though." Claire said after the moment as she eyed Jenny chatting animatedly with the tiny girl.
"It's hard to imagine how she managed to get into high school looking like a four-year-old."
"Ok, now you're exaggerating, Jack." Harry snickered. "Don't let Jenny hear you say that though, she can be pretty sensitive when it comes to her girlfriend."
"She is not really her girlfriend, is she?" Claire asked and Jack snickered.
"With Jenny I wouldn't be surprised if all these kids were in her harem."
"That's like twelve kids, Jack." Harry replied. "I think that's a bit too much even for Jenny."
"Uhm, you're probably right." Mused Jack. "Maybe without the boys, and that fat redhead I think she is the oldest and would challenge her mistress."
"Nah, Jenny would never accept someone who can challenge her in her harem." Harry shook his head.
"Are you two even listening to yourselves?" Claire sighed her eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter.
"Don't worry, Miss Summers." Harry rubbed her back. "Jack here barely hears half of what comes out of his mouth."
"That's true." Jack agreed.
"Which will be quite amusing watching him give the little one 'the talk' tonight " Harry continued like Jack hadn't interrupted him.
"Oh hell no!"
"Jack_"
"No, this is your responsibility, Harry."
"Jake stated it explicitly in his will_"
"I don't care, I am getting the hell out of here." With that, Jack stormed out of the large living room to Merlin only knows where.
The remaining pair paused for a moment before they erupted into laughter. It wasn't lound enough to bring attention to them from the rest of the people there for Jenny's birthday, thankfully.
"Oh, did you see his face." Claire gasped between the occasional giggle. "I think he thought you were actually serious."
"I just wanted to have you all to myself though."
"Aww Harry, you aren't getting jealous on me, are you?"
"What can I say, you are one hell of a catch and I am quite possessive."
"I am sure there is enough of me for the two of you." Claire giggled and they laughed again.
"Are you two drunk?" Jenny frowned at them having snuck up them from behind.
"Nope, Claire here is just giving tips on what to say when I give the 'talk' tonight." Harry said grimly and Jenny made a face, a second later she had disappeared back into the group.
"She is very happy." Claire observed after a moment of watching the fourteen-year-old laugh with her friends.
"She usually is." Harry agreed. "I feel sorry for anyone who tries to take away that from her."
There was a moment of comfortable silence between them. Both enjoying the happy mood throughout the house. Jenny had collected quite a number of friends in her elementary and middle school here in Hells Kitchen and always ensured that they never missed her birthday. She hadn't yet made any in Queens as it had barely been a month since she started high school but Harry knew it was only a matter of time.
"You have been busy." Claire said and Harry nodded. "How is the New Orleans branch going?"
"Construction is going well, they should be done by the time we enter the new year." Said Harry. "We should be opening it early next year. What about you, how is Hells Kitchen?"
"I think the crime rate is pretty high." Claire sighed. "We get more victims of common crime everyday, it's like the authorities don't care anymore because they know that any victims would be tended to. I think we could do with an Ironman of our own."
"Really, you were never vigilante-pro." Harry observed. "I remember you being quite vocal against Ombra."
"Times are changing, Harry." Claire said looking at Jenny. "If any harm were to come to her, I wouldn't think of calling the police first, it would be either you or Jack. While the police do their job, sometimes it is just never enough."
Harry wondered what had brought all this on but didn't push her. He was going to speak with Jack about making a few rounds in Hells Kitchen.
Hours later, Harry found Jenny seated on the roof above her bedroom watching the stars. There was a little breeze but the girl seemed not to feel it.
"Hey kid." Harry called from but she didn't even look back. "Jenny!"
Teleporting next to her, Harry looked at her to see that she had some wireless earpieces and was fiddling with something on her arm. A small transparent window appeared, attached on the watch on her wrist showing a music playlist. She selected one song and leaned back to listen and that was when she saw him.
"Hey, didn't see you there."
"Not to worry, I'm quite fine with being ignored." Harry chuckled lying next to her. "A birthday gift I take it?"
"Yeah, Shiru sent it." Jenny smiled admiring the watch. "It has a simple AI that recognizes me as it's boss and listens to my every command. It can even make calls."
"There was a manual?"
"No, Jaime told me." At Harry's questioning look, she explained. "The AI, that is what I call her."
"Her?"
"She sounds more like a girl."
"I see." Harry replied. "I take it you thanked her, Jack said she quite enjoys being charmed."
"Well it didn't end up well for him when he tried." Jenny giggled and Harry laughed with her.
"At the rate at which you are dealing with Royalty, I am beginning to wonder if there is Royal blood in there somewhere."
After a moment of silence, Jenny spoke up again hesitantly. "You are not here to give me the 'talk' are you?"
"What, no. We were just messing with you back there." Harry laughed at the look of relief on her face. "I would have loved to see Jake doing it though."
"You think he would. Give me the talk I mean?"
"Your father wasn't one to shy away from something no matter how unpleasant_ or as in this case embarrassing_ it was." Harry mused staring at the girl. "A trait I see in you, Jenny."
"You think he is pround of me?"
"If there was anything Jake was proud of, it was having you as his daughter." Harry assured her. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
"I know, Harry. I think I need to hear it from time to time." Jenny smiled and Harry smiled with her.
"I take it Jack has told you about the training?"
"Yeah, I can't wait." Jenny said. "All this time and you just thought of teaching me some real stuff."
"Well, your awareness and reflexes are pretty good." Harry told her. "I think it's about time we taught you how to deliver a good beating."
"Can't wait."
"So how have you found high School?"
"It's...nice."
"You are not being bullied, are you?"
"Nothing I can't handle."
"Well I trust you to handle yourself." Harry told her. "Just never let anyone walk over you when you can do something about it and get away with it. And remember that me, Jack and Claire are always there in case you want to talk."
They fell into silence as they watched the stars shine brighter than Harry could remember.
"Is it just me or are the stars extremely bright today?" Jenny asked and Harry nodded.
"Yeah, they are definitely bright." Harry chuckled. "Mars is even brighter than ever. I was once told that it means there are dark times on the horizon."
"Have you ever been to space, Harry?"
"Well, there was that one time I went with Black Bolt to the moon but I wouldn't exactly call it being in space." Harry looked at her. "What, you feeling up for a trip?"
"Well, it's my birthday."
"Come on then Ms Summers, we are going to space." Harry declared teleporting Jenny back to her room, the girl practically vibrating in excitement."
"Oh, no you don't." Claire declared from the window and Jenny groaned loudly.
"Oh, come on. It's my birthday."
"You have school tomorrow, young lady."
"It won't take long will it, Harry?"
"Nope."
"You are supposed to supporting me on this." Claire glared at him. "I'm disappointed in you Harry."
"Look Claire, it's the kid's birthday." Harry said. "Let me just give her a fly around town and bring her right back, fair enough."
Claire gave him a hard stare Harry wondered if she had somehow developed mind reading powers and was seeing what was actually going through his mind. After a moment she sighed and Jenny squealed and hugged him tightly.
"I want you back in thirty minutes, am I clear?"
"Of course." Harry grabbed Jenny's hand teleported back to the roof.
"We are going to space right?" Jenny raised and Harry grinned.
"Of course we're going to space."
-ADW-
AN: Hi guys, there is another chapter. Not much of action but It's quite hard sitting and writing with all this shit going on about COVID-19 but this is what I've managed to produce.
So, expect a major time-skip next chapter as we get to the Avengers arc. I'll likely have Harry meet some more heroes before we get to the main even but we shall definitely see the beginnings on the Avengers next chapter.