Three days later.
Groaning and feeling like his entire body had been encased in cement, Nephalem opened up his eyes, staring in the ceiling he was not expecting to see. Instead of a sterile white plating of a laboratory or an operation room, Hadrian looked at the white and wooden ceiling that definitely not belonged to any normal lab. He also realized that he was laying in the most comfortable bedsheets and pillows that had ever experienced, with the bed itself being definitely not what he was used to, as it felt far too big. Shrugging off the sluggishness and getting rid of the soreness thanks to his healing, Hadrian sat up and looked around, finding out that he was in large and lavish room that was made in a semi-Victorian style, with the interior looking familiar to him. It took him but a second to recognize this room as having belonged to him once, and that he was in the mansion of his grandmother.
"I see you are awake now." Morgana's soft voice drew Hadrian's attention, turning his head to her and seeing her sitting before his bed.
"How… How did I get here?" Hadrian asked of her, rubbing his eyes. "What happened after the fight? I remember falling and… It felt like I was…" Hadrian struggled to describe what he had felt back then.
"You have experienced extreme magical exhaustion, after having used up too much of your power, and that is not to mention experiencing an overcharge of your powers." Morgana summarized to Hadrian what had happened to him. "You drew as much power as you could and used it to defeat Proteus, but your body was not prepared for it, hence why you collapsed and you lost consciousness. It was good thing that Nickolas Fury had asked for mine and your grandmother's assistance, because otherwise, you might've been put into a coma, if not worse."
"So, I overloaded and that was the result." Nephalem summed up what had happened, before his mind raced. "Wait, how long was out?"
"Three days, and before you ask about your friends, rest assured, that they are safe and sound, free from control of Weapon Plus." Morgana assured him, with Hadrian not believing her for a moment, and she saw it. "They are all here, Hadrian, eagerly awaiting you. If you have doubts about it, then look into my mind and see that I speak the truth." Hadrian, still anxious and scared for his friends, did just that and that had finally calmed him down.
"They are safe… But I wasn't able to get to them. I was just…" Hadrian said with admonishment in his tone.
"Not even Gods would be able to stand up easily after what you had done in London, Hadrian, for you had saved millions of lives, including those who would save your friends. So do not admonish yourself for weakness after battling Proteus, but breathe a sigh of relief and content, for the dawn has come." Morgana stated to him, drawing his attention, before she rose up and headed to the door. "The clothes are in the closet, and bathroom are right there. When you are ready, head downstairs and see your family. And Hadrian- despite your refusal to admit it, three days ago you became a hero, and you deserve that title." Morgana said with a soft smile, before she left the room.
Hadrian looked at the door for a few more seconds, before deciding that he wasn't going to accomplish anything by staying here, and so got up from the bed and headed to the bathroom. After washing up and dressing up in plain white shirt, grey pants and black shoes, Hadrian left the room and examined the surroundings, coming to a solid conclusion that he really was in his grandmother's personal mansion. This was originally a mansion that had belonged to Dorea's mother, Hadrian's great grandmother, but Dorea inherited both the mansion and the lands surrounding the place, and had made it into originally into a summerhouse for her and Charlus, and later James. However, after she had cut ties with Wizarding World and Potters in particular, she had moved here on a permanent basis, and from what Harry could see, she had renovated the place quite a bit.
After a little bit of wandering around the halls, which all brought about memories of the past, Hadrian picked up voices coming from the dining room that was adjacent to the kitchen. Finally coming to the needed room, he saw something that he had considered surreal: Laura, Blink, Stheno, and Euryale and Gorgon, along with Eva, Morgana and Dorea were sitting and having lunch, with Dorea speaking to the two youngest mutants in the room.
"Why can't we have that cake now? I hate mashed potatoes, they feel like porridge." Stheno complained in a childlike manner. "Miss Dorea, please, why don't we get to desserts already?"
"Desserts will be served after you've cleaned your plates and no telepathic tricks on me, young lady, or no cake for you. I might not be a telepath, but I do know when someone who is up to a bit of mischief." Dorea lightly reminded the girl. "And no "Miss", or lady or Dame. It is simply Dorea for all of you. I've have got plenty of people calling me titles."
"C'mon, Stheno, the food is great! Leagues above what we used to have back there." Blink noted, as she was munching on her own food.
"Compared to what we used to have, even old medieval food from times of Camelot would feel great." Euryale noted, before she got an idea in her mind. "Um, Lady Morgana, what was food like in your times?" She asked the Sorceress why she was sipping her own tea.
"Not as tasteful and far fewer in variety when compared to modern times. Porridges, meat, vegetables, fish, either cooked or raw." Morgana simply replied, as she took a bit of a biscuit. "Fall of Roman Empire had caused quite a catastrophe when it came to cuisines. Believe me, ladies, you would not like the food that was back in those days, nor Camelot and era itself. Despite what Wizarding World and some of the immortals may think, it was not very great or inspiring. It was actually more like trying to survive after an apocalypse."
"So you prefer the modern times to those of old?" Gorgon asked, as she took bite of bread. "From what Harry told us about the Wizarding World, one might think that you would be all about returning world back to the Middle Ages."
"And deprive myself and everyone else from all of the wonders that technological progress has brought us? My dear, I know I am supposed be evil, but even for me that is going a bit overboard. Evil sorceresses do like to have their nails done by professionals, not professional executioners." Morgana chuckled at the joke. "Besides, I do not belong to the Wizarding World hasn't been a part of it for as long as it really existed. In all honesty, I always favored the normal world and its people more than the magical one and trying to distance yourself from it is as much a mistake as assuming that the Wizarding World is much better than real one. Like all, both have their flaws and positives, but when you are vilified for the mistakes that others committed and made into a symbol of evil, it becomes rather clear that you are not welcome in there, and so I chose to be part of normal world."
"Really? And what does the Wizarding World think of you, if you don't mind me asking?" Gorgon asked.
"Oh the usual: sender of plagues and pestilances, seducing whore and wench, corrupter of the righteous, destroyer of Camelot and all the rest of it. I will confess that I was and not a saint and have made mistakes, but purposeful malevolence has always been beyond me." Morgana stated, as she sipped her tea. "As was the ambition of ruling a kingdom. Unlike my sister and what Merlin thought of me, I much rather prefer a quiet and relaxed life, unburdened by things like ruling or playing God. To plotting downfalls of kingdoms and creating councils of magic, I preferred to heal people or research magic, instead of finding ways of exploiting it."
"So, you were basically a shut-in?" Laura asked as she ate her beef.
"Hm, you could say that. I did attend feasts, but only when there were no alternatives, but tourneys were always boring for me." Morgana admitted.
"Wow, who would've thought that Morgana Le Fay is just a… Harry!" Blink was the first one to notice Harry standing in the doors, and immediately teleported to him, landing right on top of him. "You are awake! You are awake!" She said excitedly, as she hugged him.
"Y-yeah, Clarice, I am." Harry smiled, as he hugged her back, before both Stheno and Euryale both attached themselves to his sides.
"Hey, don't go hogging him all to yourselves, elf!" Stheno called out to Clarice, before immediately smiled to Harry. "Harry, we were so worried about you. We thought that you wouldn't wake up!" She sniffed, as tears were starting to come from her eyes,
"Yeah, move it! We also wanna hug him!" Euryale spoke right after her sister, before also looking at Harry with teary eyes and a smile. "Harry, we were so scared for you! We thought that you were gone!"
"Hey, hey, I told you that I would never leave you all, and I wasn't about to let that jerk Proteus stop me from seeing you." Harry smiled, as he hugged the two girls, before patting them on the heads. "Now, wipe those tears now. They don't suit such pretty girls like you." He told them with a smile, while Blink detached herself from Nephalem and allowed Gorgon to hug him.
"You scared us a lot, when we saw you go up against Proteus back in London." Gorgon told him through tears. "Don't do it again. We've lost enough friends already, and you are family to us all."
"I know, Gorgon. I know, and I am sorry for scaring you." Harry apologized to her, before Gorgon allowed Laura an opportunity to come up and hug him.
"I missed you." She simply said to him, as she hugged him tightly.
"Yeah, I've missed you too, Laura." Nephalem told her truthfully, before she detached herself from him, and looked around with a smile on his face. "This… This looks so surreal... I'm actually afraid that this might be an illusion or something."
"Want me to zap you back into reality?" Eva asked with a smile, while Harry chuckled at the joke. "This is real, Harry. All of us, and this, it is all real, and we are free. Free from that nightmare, thanks to you."
"Yet I wasn't there to save you all." Nephalem said.
"Maybe not, kid, but you were there in London when you saved our asses." Logan came out from the kitchen, drinking coffee. "And after you were done fixing up the damage, we went to save them all. So, by proxy, you did save them, so stop moping around and accept this real and be happy."
"Logan? What are you doing here?" Harry asked of him. "Did they run out of bear in the mansion?" Harry joked, with Logan chuckling to it.
"Chuck wanted to know when you would wake up, plus he and others wanted to keep an eye out on the kids, since they refused to stay with the SHIELD or at Xavier's. I volunteered to come here and do all that, plus finally get some time off all the drama." Logan stated, as he sipped his coffee. "Chuck and Fury wanted both to know when you were up at the earliest, but given that I'm actually in a pretty good mood, Imma hold off calling those two, give ya some time to get your bearings together."
"That is mighty kind of you, thank you." Nephalem told him with a smile.
"What can I say? I'm a nice guy, when I want to be." He admitted.
"Oh what are we all just standing here? Come, the lunch is getting cold!" Dorea stated with a smile and motioned everyone to take their seats. "Come, Harry, you must be famished."
"Yeah… yeah, I am." Harry admitted, as he sat near his grandmother at the table and joined the rest in eating lunch.
The atmosphere at the table was something that he had never once experienced in his life, and for a moment he again began to question the reality of all this, but after thinking a little bit about, he finally came to the conclusion that this all was real. The people were happily chatting about silly things, eating or drinking, arguing and laughing, as the air of lightness filled the room. It took him a little bit of time, but eventually even Harry was swept up by the atmosphere and he joined in the talks, and in that moment he realized, that this was what having family really felt like. And this, along with the complete realization that the nightmare with Weapon Plus was finally over almost made him want to cry out of joy.
After a long and eventful lunch, the occupants of the mansion moved outside, with Gorgon's sisters playing with Clarice and Laura, while the rest of the grown-ups observed them from a distance, enjoying the sun and warmth of the summer. Harry looked at the girls playing like little kids in the garden, before deciding to speak up about the things that had concerned him.
"So, what had happened after London, after I was knocked out?" Nephalem asked aloud.
"After you lost lights in your eyes, so to speak, Nick Fury along with your grandma and Morgana showed up and teleported you to Triskelion." Logan spoke up. "Once that was done, the rest of us headed straight to Muir Island to put an end to the Weapon Plus for good. Cyclops thought it was a bad idea to bring the SHIELD and Avengers along, but after both Caps promised to make him Noneclops if he does not shut up, he relented and allowed them come. Gotta say, if it wasn't for Eva here, the whole thing would've gone a lot less smoothly."
"Really, what did you do?" He asked of her, with Eva just shrugging.
"Nothing, really. I just telepathically transmitted that plan you have compiled while we were flying over Atlantic. Cyclops, naturally, did not like it, but Avengers and the rest of X-men did, so we went along with it." Eve said. "The placements of the anti-air batteries and reaction time of the security was spot on, and we've cleared the landings pretty fast, before entering the base proper."
"Wraith and others immediately sent us to fight, but they've managed to subdue us pretty quickly, in large part thanks to Eva, so we didn't cause too much trouble to them, and they've not done any serious damage to us." Gorgon said. "I'm guessing that you've long since had made plans on how to take us all down, in case it was needed, or you had to."
"No, I did not make any plans like that. I came up with the methods and plans while I was thinking about it over the Atlantic." Harry stated Gorgon, surprising her a little. "Despite what some had thought, I never did make any plans on how to hurt, or kill, my friends. So what happened after that? Did Wraith and the others…"
"We nabbed them all before they could even make it to hangars. Every single one of them, safe for one, though…" Logan corrected himself.
"Sinister." Harry simply stated as a matter of a fact. "By the time you have gotten there, he was long gone, along with all his research and a large portion of researches of other doctors and professors."
"Sounds like you had expected him to do it for a long time." Logan admitted.
"No, Sinister simply told me that this will be what he will do when he finally decides to leave Weapon Plus. He loved to talk to me about his plans and what he will do, or what he has already done." Harry let out a sigh. "He was the one who had let out Proteus and told him about his real potential, wasn't he?"
"From what I've learned from their minds, yeah, it was him." Eva confirmed Nephalem's suspicion. "He had all the codes, all security clearances and complete control over the systems. It was as if he had long since taken over the control over the project and simply used Wraith as a front."
"Yeah, he did just that, thanks to his telepathy and manipulations. I wouldn't even be surprised if he had implanted the ideas of escape into MacTaggart's head, to start it all." Nephalem shared his thoughts. "He had five years to siphon resources, research, data and more from both Weapon Plus and STRIKE, all so he could rebuild and expand his previous operations. He simply waited for the opportunity when all of his destroyed bases, labs and equipment was restored, upgraded and installed in locations that not even SHIELD would be able to find. Once all was in place, he gave the X-Men the bait, and then Eva and I arrived."
"Seems to me like Essex had failed, if his intention was for you to destroy the X-Men." Dorea noted.
"Did it fail?" Harry asked of her his grandmother and others. "Tell me, why Godric's Hollow? Why was MacTaggert in there, and why on that particular date? No, this all is connected."
"Essex couldn't possibly know that I visit Charlus' grave." Dorea told Nephalem. "And how would he know where his grave was in the first place?"
"He would know from Lily Evans-Potter, his creation, as he calls her." Harry said surprising and shocking Dorea, as well as others. "She was a minor experiment of his, to see if he could create a being with magical capabilities and who could produce magical offspring. Her very existence belongs to Sinister, and she serves him, so of course he would know where to look for you. He had years to plan this all in advance, down to every detail… That bastard… He knew about my secondary neural network!" Harry cursed as he realized that all this time, he was actively playing into Sinister's hand.
"Harry, you mean that Lily, your mother is…" Dorea was overcoming the shock of this revelation. "We… We need to warn James and others, they need to know that she…"
"Dorea, even we have solid enough evidence, from the cunning and preparedness that this man has shown, I fear that he had already accounted for such a possibility as having Lily discovered as his pawn." Morgana spoke up. "He is likely prepared to discard her if need arises, and she is most unlikely to know where he is. And even without it, James and Dumbledore are unlikely to either believe or trust you. Lily is James' wife and mother of his children, and she has spent her whole life becoming part of their world. Even if we use telepathy or some other method, all we will accomplish is just expose her as a homunculus, not that that they are likely to accept telepathy as adequate tool, given the prejudices towards mutants and super powers like theirs."
"Morgana is right, it won't accomplish anything, and Lily is not a homunculus or a simple clone of anyone. She is a human being, artificially created by utilizing two sets of DNA and grown in a womb-like incubator. Her only enhancements or alterations are those that allow her to produce many children without any physical detriment, who have stronger magical powers, and you won't find her to be anything less than a human being even if you were to examine her." Harry responded. "Sinister has taken every precaution, he knows that she would be the first one to be checked, and he knows that I know it all. The bastard has told me everything about it, and about Lily."
"Then, what do you suggest that we do? Leave her be, with James and their children, expecting for the moment when Sinister decides to order her to kill them all?" Dorea asked of Harry.
"He won't give her such command, and Lily's loyalty, after Sinister, is to her family. As much as I hate to say it, but leaving her alone is the most optimal option, keep an eye on her and just that. So long as we don't provoke her, she won't do a thing." Harry stated.
"You seem awful confidant that neither she nor Sinister won't just use them against you." Logan noted. "You mind telling us why you think this to be the best idea?"
"Because that is exactly what Sinister himself told me." Harry revealed. "For all the monstrous things that he is, liar is not one of them. He has never, not once, told me a lie, and believe me, I know it."
"He has had you at his mercy for five years, kid. You might not even know what he has done to you." Logan told him. "He could've lied to you a thousand times and you might not even know it, or maybe it all can be an illusion and all that."
"It may seem unlikely, but I am with Harry on this one." Eva spoke up. "I may have stronger telepathic abilities, but when it comes down to pure skills, Harry is as good as I am, if not a little better, so he would know something false in his mind. Also, do not forget his secondary neural network, mutation and just the training he has. Harry knows his stuff, and even Sinister would have a hard time liying to him."
"Except he never did lie to me." Harry reminded, before letting out a tired sigh. "Can we get back to what had happened after the base was taken down?"
"After it was all over, we were transported to SHIELD's base in Ireland and we've had our chips removed from us. It was… It was confusing at first, but thanks to you, we… We didn't have to deal with the worst of it what was expected of us." Gorgon said, as she looked towards her sisters. "Thanks to you, Stheno and Euryale can play like nothing had ever happened… None of us ever realized what you did for us with those sessions, until now." Gorgon admitted with sincerity to him.
"If it weren't for you, we would've gone insane, broke down mentally, but instead it was like we just got back all we had before." Eva told him. "Confused the hell out of SHIELD's psyches and specialists, but they did confirm that we are as healthy as we can be. They've also gotten all the files about us and you, so they know all about us now."
"Hm, then it is surprising that I am here, instead of somewhere like Ryker's Island or The Raft." Harry noted with a chuckle. "I've done a ton of damage to the SHIELD, killed and injured a lot of people. Heck, they've actually sent Black Widow after me that one time and yet I'm here."
"Yeah, Fury and other SHIELD agents were really surprised to find out that number 17 on their most wanted list happens to be Fury's own godson, who was mind controlled and all that. Had it been otherwise, kid, you'd be somewhere where the sun doesn't shine." Logan told him, as he finished his coffee. "But, luckily for you, the fact that you were bio-chipped absolves you of all that had happened, and they did confirm that you weren't in full control of your actions. Add to all that you actions in London and saving over 9 million lives, including those of the entirety of British Government and the British Royal Family, and you are now out of SHIELD's dog house."
"Well that is a relief." Harry admitted. "So, what are you all doing in here? I would've thought that SHIELD or Xavier would want to keep you close to them."
"SHIELD was planning on keeping us for the duration of the investigation, but then Cyclops brought in Xavier and he began to demand that we get transferred into his school, something about his agreements with US government and UN, I didn't really listen." Gorgon said. "Those X-Men, at least some of them, were trying to convince us that with them, we would be safe and among our kind. Cyclops even said that we would even get to be part of their team, and he made it sound like we were already part of the Institute or something."
"My guess is that Xavier already made some arrangements to get us all placed at his Institute, without our agreement to it or anything." Eva commented. "It was all going towards us getting shipped out to him, when Dorea showed up with Fury in tow and offered us to come with her here. Unlike Xavier, she didn't make it sound like we had no choice, and there was also the fact that you are here as well."
"Yeah, Chuck sometimes gets that way when he sees good potential recruits or so." Logan admitted, as he lit up his cigar. "Magneto and I tried to tell him that it was a bad call, that you'd not want to be pressured and such, but he sometimes gets it his head that he can do no wrong and that all he does is for the good others."
"Sounds awful lot like Dumbledore." Dorea huffed from the memory of that man. "He too likes to think that his way is the only one right and that all he does is "for the Greater Good", even if that same "Good" of his has gotten people killed when they didn't have to die. He also likes to recruit his supporters right after the school, but during Hogwarts, he processes, so to speak, those who would become his future soldiers. Hence the reason why he has always been lenient on James and his friends, even when they've basically turned into vandals. I have had a feeling that Xavier might try something on them, so I intervened and made it clear, that if he even breaths towards them funnily, I would create a world of trouble for him."
"And so, you took them here." Harry concluded. "Thank you."
"You need not thank me, Harry. They are your family, so they are mine as well." Dorea smiled to him, before they all heard a machine parking at the main entrance.
"Were we expecting some guests?" Eva asked, as they moved to the entrance, before they got there and saw a single man walking towards them. "Wait, that man is with SHIELD. We saw him back in Ireland."
"Miss Black, apologies for an unannounced arrival." The man spoke up, as he closed the distance between them all, before he looked at Nephalem. "Mister Potter, you seem to be doing better."
"I am, and you are?" Harry asked of the man, and he revealed his ID.
"Agent Phil Coulson, I am with SHIELD, and here on a personal assignment by Director Fury, to oversee the dismantling and reorganization of STRIKE and it's assets, as well as their integration into the SHEILD." Coulson answered to them, as he put back his ID. "And since I was to be stationed here in England for a foreseeable future, Director Fury also asked me to keep an eye out for you."
"Make sure that I don't start any trouble?" Harry asked of him. "Am I to expect an armored convoy coming after me?"
"If you are referring to your previous activities as an operative of STRIKE and Weapon Plus, then no, you can breathe easy. SHIELD has already reviewed all of the materials and evidences, as well as has taken into the account your actions in London. In short, you can rest assured that no reprocautions will come to you for what you did." Coulson assured him. "And, I've also wanted to thank you for what you did in London. I was there on a break, when Proteus first attacked, was helping with the evacuation and… Well, let's just say that I wasn't expecting to get a second chance at living." Coulson told Harry.
"I just did what I could." Harry responded to him. "Would you like to come inside or…"
"I would love to, but I am afraid I am a bit short on time. Dismantling corrupt international peacekeeping organization leaves only so much time for a break. I just wanted to say thanks for what you did in London, and tell you that Director Fury sends his regards and wishes you to have a good vacation. In the meantime, we will set up a team to provide protection to you, and to safeguard you. Standard temporary procedure, I hope you understand, and I'll also be sending some of our specialists to examine your conditions, physical and psychological." Coulson informed them.
"So, we are to be confined to the mansion?" Harry asked of him, with him shaking his head.
"No, you are you free to leave at any point, but I'd like to advise you to not stray too far, out of concerns for your security. As for the agents, you will not even notice them and they will know to keep their distance. After all that is over, Director would like to talk to you, in private, but until then, have a good time and farewell." Coulson shook Harry's hand, walked back to his car, and drove off back towards the city.
"Well, kid, guess congratulations are in order." Logan told him, getting the questioning look from Harry, as well as from others. "Don't tell me you don't get what he meant by a word in private."
"You mean that Fury wants to recruit Harry into the SHIELD, so soon after Weapon Plus and all that had happened?" Eva asked of Logan.
"Well, he did give you time to think about it, while they are dealing with STRIKE, and that's gonna take a while. Plus, there's also the fact that Xavier wanted me to tell you that if you want, you are welcome to join the X-Men, and bring your friends along." Logan honestly admitted, getting glares from Eva and Gorgon. "Hey, I'm just a messenger, not the sender."
"Enough. This is hardly the time to decide anything." Dorea said with a sigh.
"She is right, and I'm not deciding anything any time soon. You can tell Xavier that I'll consider it, but I'll give my answer after I've talked with Fury, whenever that happens, and not before that." Hadrian stated to Logan, who accepted his answer. "And in the meantime… In the meantime, let's just enjoy all of this. This life and peace… I'd like to see what it's about, now that I can."
Two weeks later. New York. Triskelion.
Being Director of the SHIELD for Nick Fury meant that he was like President of the USA, Queen of England and The Pope all at once, and for the most part, he was granted a very high level of autonomy when it came down to making decisions and what actions to take. Most assumed that the SHIELD didn't answered to anyone safe for UN, which wasn't completely wrong, but it didn't tell the whole truth. Yes, SHIELD was an officially UN sanctioned and authorized organization, but it acted with a certain degree of independence and autonomy, freeing it from the worst effects of the bureaucracy. Unfortunately, that also meant that the people whom SHIELD answered to thought that placing too much power in their hands would be a bad idea, and so they limited SHIELD's activities and created several additional organizations with similar goals and purposes.
The largest one of those SHIELD knock-offs was STRIKE, and now that organization was being dismantled and its assets transferred back to SHIELD, after it became known that STRIKE actively engaged in activities that put in the same place as Hydra and AIM. Human experimentation, WMD secret developments, black market manipulations, rogue terrorist attacks for creating world tension and increase their funding- and that's just the basics. When Fury sent Coulson to get to the bottom of that rabbit hole, he wasn't expecting that the hole would be that deep, and that it's contents would be enough to put that organization down for good.
There were rumors, of course, that STRIKE was dealing in some rather questionable and unregulated things, but there are always rumors of such kind whenever it comes down to such organizations. Although now that Fury has all the files of the STRIKE and those of Weapon Plus, he has to admit that the death of the senior UN inspector, who was sent to investigate the activities of STRIKE, should have been a red flag for him. Back then, it was made to look like Hydra attack and STRIKE showed itself at its best by taking out at least a quarter of all Hydra's European cells in just two months. The charges were forgotten about and everyone just assumed that STRIKE was innocent, even Fury had laid off of them, which was, admittedly not something that he should've done. Had he been a bit more perceptive, he would've seen the patterns, evidences and trails that led to STRIKE and Weapon Plus, and to his godson…
Taking a deep sigh, Fury rubbed his eye, as he finished going over the SHIELD file, which was once labeled as "Dark Knight", but was renamed to "Nephalem", after it became clear that they were one and the same. Nephalem had long since caught the eye of the SHIELD, only they never knew his name so he was given the label of Dark Knight, first as a form of the joke, but then it simply stuck. If someone were to tell Fury five years ago, that his own godson would end as number 17 on SHIELD's most wanted list he would've punched that idiot in the face, but now… Now he was experiencing several very conflicting feelings about, because he was both highly impressed by this fact, but also mortified at what his godson had done under that mind control.
Nephalem was responsible for the deaths of 39 agents, inflicting injuries of various degrees upon four times that number, stealing terabytes of sensitive and valuable information, sabotaging operations and just messing with SHIELD in nearly every manner possible. It had gotten so bad, that Fury had sent Black Widow after him just to take him down or bring him in, and yet he managed to evade her by faking his own death. Making the Widow, the SHIELD and Fury believe it, and allowing him to operate with impunity for 7 months until they figured out that he was alive, and that fact alone was both very impressive and scary. And it wasn't Fury alone was concerned by that fact, but also those he answered to, and who now wanted some answers.
"Director, the Council are ready for you." His secretary have informed him.
"Patch them through." He ordered, as he opened up the holographic screens for the online conference, forming up his thoughts as the figures appeared. "Councilmen." He greeted them.
"Director, the Council would like a report on your actions, regarding the dismantling of STRIKE and liquidation of their assets." The leading council member did not waste time.
"I've just received a report from Agent Coulson, who updated me that the process is going well and ahead of schedule, though he does point out that there is high probability of hidden elements of STRIKE, as well as resources, tech and other things that could've been left out of their data bases. I can transfer you the report and all of the previous ones, if that is what you want." Fury stated. "But that is not why you've requested this conference. Let's get straight to the point, Councilmen, since we all have work to do."
"As you wish, Director. The Council is concerned about one such element of STRIKE and Weapon Plus, that you have seemingly allowed to go free, along with his friends. I believe you know who we are referring to." The second councilman stated. "The infamous "Dark Knight", now known as Nephalem, or Hadrian Erik Potter."
"First of all, I would like to remind this Council that Nephalem is by no means an "element" or "member" of either organization, since he never officially been inducted into it or accepted." Fury pointed it out to them. "The same goes for all those who were subjects of Weapon Plus program, and the term you might wanna use is "victim", because that is what they all were: victims of inhuman experiments, enslavement and abuse, not to mention military and terrorist exploitation. I'm no lawyer or human rights specialist, but even I know that what happened to them can be labeled as "the worst crime against human beings and children", with Nephalem as prime example of it all."
"Which doesn't diminish the significance of the threat that this "victim" is capable of posing to the world security and stability." The first councilman stated to Fury. "Director, though this Council does acknowledge the fact that all of the subjects of Weapon Plus were exploited against their will, we cannot ignore their capabilities as a group and the capabilities of Nephalem in particular. He possesses the physical and mental capabilities that surpass that of Captain America several times over, not to mention all of his training and mutant abilities, which can make him even stronger and more dangerous than he is already. And this is the same person who had inflicted more damage to SHIELD and other security and intelligence agencies than even the likes of Black Widow, in just five years. You have to realize, Director, that with the list of accomplishments as long and impressive as that of Nephalem's, we have the right to feel concerned."
"And what do you feel I should do? Send a full battalion after him, lock him up in The Raft and throw the key out, like we've done with all those Weapon Plus bastards and STRIKE leadership?" Fury asked with sarcastic tone. "Do I even need to explain to you what a massive mistake would that be? Just because Hadrian is one of the most dangerous men in the world, doesn't mean we can just go an prosecute him for actions he had done without his consent and free will. The moment we do this, we'll be facing a UN trial in The Hague, if we are lucky."
"The Council is aware of that, Director. We simply want to know what measures were taken to… ascertain the intentions and future actions of Nephalem." The sole councilwoman asked of him.
"Standard observation, plus a couple of meetings with specialists. Any more than that, in my opinion, is a waste of resources and time." Fury responded.
"Director, perhaps you are treating this situation a little too lightly." The first councilman told him. "There are certain individuals in your organization who have expressed their opinion about your actions in face of this situation. They state that you may be biased and compromised, due to your personal connection towards Hadrian Potter and his family."
"And did those same "individuals" mention to this Council that it is not me who made those decisions, but it is agent Coulson who has the full authority on the matter, and it was his decision, made on the basis of facts and acquired evidences?" Fury reminded the Council about that fact. "I know that I am compromised and biased towards Hadrian, hence why I've placed him under the authority of Coulson. Had it been me making this call, I would have left him and everyone else alone and let them go on with their lives."
"Regardless, Director, you cannot deny that Hadrian Potter…"
"I ain't denying anything. I'm just saying that you are trying to solve a problem that ain't even there. And as the history shows us that has never ended well for anyone. If you need proof that Hadrian and his family are not going to be a problem, then here it is." Fury transmitted the council several files. "Over the past two weeks, all of them were questioned and examined by our specialists. I will spare you the fine details and simply say that we have nothing to worry about them, including Nephalem. In fact, in these past two weeks all of them just stayed in Dorea Black's mansion, only leaving two times to visit a nearby town. Had they wanted to, they could've left long ago, but they don't need to, because they have no interest in it."
"Still, a person like Nephalem is not someone we can simply leave alone, without proper observation. We have plenty of loose cannons and vigilantes as it is, including those same X-Men, who seem to be of the mind that Nephalem and the rest of the Weapon Plus subjects should be sent to them." Councilman stated.
"I know, and in this case, I may have a possible solution, one that may calm this Council's nerves about Nephalem, and if we are lucky, the X-Men." Fury stated. "I've asked Coulson to relay to Hadrian, that I would like to have a word with him, when he is available and after the dismantling of the STRIKE is complete. I'm certain that Nephalem understood what it meant." The Council members looked at him with surprise.
"You mean to offer Nephalem to join the SHIELD?" The first councilman asked of Fury, who nodded to him.
"The world is changing, and the new villains and threats are popping up like mushrooms, and ever since Voldemort's little rampage through UK, and even before that, we've got more and more rogue elements of Wizarding World threatening the normal one, and let's not forget the usual crème de la crème." Fury reminded the Council. "SHIELD, Avengers and other teams and heroes do possess the capabilities to respond and eliminate those threats, but with the Fantastic Four effectively eliminated, the scales may have tipped not in our favor. And Nephalem might be our best option right now to help restore the balance and help us deal with all of the incoming threats, from Hydra to another Dark Lord. We know about his capabilities and powers, and I don't need to tell you just how good he is when it comes down to operations that SHIELD usually deals in. And according to his psychological profile, he is most likely to actually join us, but he must come to this decision himself, without anyone influencing or threatening him. It has to be a genuine choice, or else we'll just lose his trust completely, hence why he has so much time to think about it."
"And what if he decides not to join the SHIELD?"
"Then we leave him alone, plain and simple. Provoking him in any way would cause far more problems for us than it would solve, and believe me, I don't want him coming after me, especially knowing what he can do." Fury stated to them. "As the Director of the SHIELD, I retain the right to decide on the appropriate course of actions, in regards to this entire situation, don't I?"
"Yes, Director Fury, you do." The first councilman agreed. "Keep us updated." After that, the Council ended the conference, and Fury returned the cabinet to normal, before he contacted someone.
"Agent Hill, in my office, now." He commanded, as he rose up from his seat and looked out the window, while he waited for Maria Hill to arrive.
"Sir, Agent Hill, reported as ordered." Maria Hill stated, as she saluted and he motioned her to stand at ease.
"Tell me, Hill, do you respect the chain of command? Trust your leadership and all that, allow them to decide on the best course of actions?" Fury suddenly asked of her, with her looking at him with a bit of confusion. "And don't give me the standard Marines' response."
"Sir, I do trust chain of command." She responded, with him nodding to her.
"Then you have an odd way of showing said trust, Agent, because I've just had a talk with Council, and they were kind enough to inform me that someone in this here organization thinks I'm not taking serious enough actions, in regards to Nephalem." Fury told her, and from the expression on Hill's face, he knew that he hit the nail in its head. "You maybe my Sub-Director, Hill, but there are certain limits to what you can do. Trying to influence the Council is one such thing."
"Sir, I only voice my concern, that you might not be taking this situation with complete seriousness, and that Nephalem should be handled in a more appropriate manner." Hill defended her position.
"Like being locked up in The Raft, for the crimes he committed while being mind controlled and without any way of breaking it?" Fury reminded her. "Hill, while I respect you no-nonsense attitude, your approach to this situation is not right, and forgive me for saying, but this is not professional."
"Sir, this is not personal, I assure you." She stated a little too quickly.
"Maria, I know that you have your own issues with this decision, given what had happened with you five years ago. What happened to Reynolds, Bradley and to you was not something he did out of his own free will, and wasn't something that he enjoyed." Fury stated to her, reminding her about the mission.
"And yet he was the one who pulled the trigger, sir, and killed both of them, while leaving me unconscious, after stealing our databases on the Chinese nuclear sites." Hill reminded him with closed up fist, before Fury walked to his table, pulled out a thick file, and handed it to Maria. "Sir, what is this?"
"You want to see Nephalem punished? Well, there you go." Fury stated to her, confusing her. "This is the full record from his words on every subject from Weapon Plus that had died or suffered there. Thanks to Hadrian, we know have the full list of the crimes that were committed there."
"Sir, I don't understand, what you mean by that? I thought he was only a subject of experiments." Hill was confused at what he told her.
"Yeah, he was, but along the way, he managed to develop what he calls a secondary neural network, which gave him a degree of freewill, at least mentally, and also telepathy on the same level as that of his partner, Eva." Fury informed Hill. "You wanna know what he did with that freedom and telepathy? Read the file. You are dismissed, Hill." And with that confused Hill left the cabinet and headed to her own, where she began to read the file on Nephalem.
By the time she read a quarter of it, she had changed her mind about Nephalem towards more positive light. Once she was done with half of it, she had to puke, because the contents of what was written in there unnerved her to the point of causing physical illness. Two thirds done, and Hill seriously regretted her decision to snitch on Fury. Once she was done with the file, she needed a break, a bottle of whiskey and make an apology.
Five days later. Dorea Black's mansion.
"I was under the impression that we have reached an agreement, regarding my decision, Professor." Hadrian said, as he stood before Xavier, Scott Summers and Jean Grey, along with Erik Lehnsherr, all in their civilian clothes. "And let's not kid ourselves, we all know why you are really here, and not just because you decided to hop into your jet fly here for a Sunday stroll across England's South East."
"I was not expecting to be found to be so transparent about my intentions." Xavier admitted with the chuckle. "Mind if we do take a stroll across your grandmother's lands. They do seem rather lovely in this weather."
"Be my guest." Nephalem offered, and went along with them. "Just be mindful of the SHIELD agents. They usually keep their distance and simply observe, but given the fact that we don't get that many visitors, they might be a little jumpy."
"If they are such a bother, I could… persuade them to be mindful of your private affairs, so to speak." Xavier stated.
"Honestly, they aren't even a bother. Compared to what we've experienced in Weapon Plus and what I was expecting, they are mostly here as a symbolic gesture." Hadrian stated.
"A symbolic prison is still a prison." Cyclops remarked. "You may have ditched the labs, but instead you are now under house arrest. I was under the impression that you wished to really free your friends, not exchange one cage for another."
"This "prison" as you refer to it is not a SHIELD facility or anything like it. This is my grandmother's personal mansion, and do not doubt me when I say, that she doesn't appreciate when people call it things like that." Hadrian stated to him. "And besides, nobody is imprisoning us here. We've already left the place for a few trips to town, and just yesterday we went on a full movie night, and the agents not only kept their distance, but were polite enough to not attract any attention."
"If you are so free to leave, then why are you still…" Cyclops wanted to speak up, but Nephalem interrupted him.
"If you are asking about why we are still here and not in your precious Institute, then my answer is simple: because this is our choice, Cyclops." Hadrian said with a cold tone. "And not anyone else's. We've spent almost six years having someone make every decision for us, so forgive me for not jumping out excitement at the fact that the X-Men have already decided to get our sizes for the uniforms." Nephalem's tone clearly indicated that he was still cross about it.
"We didn't exactly mean that. We simply meant that your friends would be better with their own kind, instead of being placed under surveillance of SHIELD, and it was before your grandmother showed up." Jean Grey stated. "I will admit that our wording could've been more diplomatic and clear, but like I said…"
"From what I have heard from Eva and Gorgon, your words were quite clear." Nephalem interrupted, before turning to Xavier. "I was under the impression that you were going to only help me get them out of there, not just take them like they were your property."
"Hadrian, it was never my intention to make it appear like I'm just going to appropriate them like property. I have instructed Scott to bring them to Institute to provide them shelter and remove the chips, but it would seem Scott had misinterpreted my words." Xavier's glance at Scott was enough to make him feel a bit guilty. "As you can imagine, the mutants have not had an easy time with governments and their organizations accepting us, and that includes SHIELD. For a time being, they were supporters of Mutant Response Department and Sentinels, so it is understandable that we would be weary when it comes to working with them, especially when it comes to mutants being exploited by government funded colleagues of theirs."
"I know about it, but do forgive me for being a bit weary myself, especially after your glorious leader here has shown himself to be rather prejudiced and antagonistic, instead of competent and skillful when it counted." Hadrian said with a small amount of contempt in his tone.
"Mr. Summers usually is a competent leader, yes, but he does have certain issues when it comes to working with other teams and their leaders." Magneto admitted to this. "I will admit that the way we tried to handle the situation was not appropriate and not helpful to your friends. We are not here to convince you to join the Institute, but simply to make sure, that you are safe and sound, and are not mistreated in any way."
"As you can see, we are safe and sound, and the only mistreatment that I might actually report is a lack of birds chirping." Hadrian joked, with Charles and Jean chuckling to it. "The SHIELD gives us a wide berth, and we've got all we need. Right now, we are just settling in to having our lives in our hands again, instead of being someone else pulling all the strings."
"I understand that, and part of the normal life is having made connections with fellow people and getting an education. Members of my X-Men are more than just super heroes, but they are also qualified and professional teachers and educational specialists, who are more than willing and able to help your friends get what was denied from them."
"And that was the reason why we had a bash yesterday, because Gorgon, Eva, Blink, Talon and I have gotten our secondary education and grandmother decided to treat us to a good time." Nephalem stated to them. "Being CEO of Potter-Black Enterprises and one of the richest persons in the world can afford her to hire best of tutors, who do not discriminate, plus having two telepaths really does help when it comes to learning things fast. Stheno and Euryale are still studying and we aren't rushing them, on the account of their age."
"Yet what about making friends and socializing with people of their age, and your own?" Charles asked of Nephalem, with him stopping and looking at him.
"Xavier, I get what you are trying to say and do, and I can respect the effort, but let me give you the answer right now and spare us all this talk: if they decide to go and study to your Institute, I will not deny them that, but if they don't want to go, then don't start forcing them." Nephalem immediately stated to him. "And as for you desire to get me join your group… Like I said to Logan, I'll decide about that after I've talked with Fury, and only then."
"You mean, after you've decided whether you'd like to be his spy or not?" Cyclops sarcastically asked of him. "Don't think that we don't know about how SHIELD feels about us not being on their leash. They make us look like we are some kind of threat to the national security or something…"
"And you are saying that they have no reason to think in such a way?" Nephalem asked of Cyclops and others. "You are running a facility, filled to the brim with people with super powers, ranging from controlling weather across the world to changing electromagnetic field of the world, with not one normal human being a member of the staff. You may be pacifistic and telling the world that you are for peace and unity, but how are you going to achieve that when you segregate yourself from the rest of people and don't make actual ventures to close the rift between normal humans and mutants? What are people to think, when you take kids with super powers into your Institute."
"We are not training soldiers. We are helping them learn how to control their powers." Jean stated.
"Yeah, maybe, but for the rest of the world, those are just words and excuses, not solid facts. And to be quite honestly, those people are just as afraid of X-Men as they were of Brotherhood. And there are a lot of mutants who are afraid of you too, because they are afraid that just because they are mutants, people are going to lock them up, or they get drafted into some secret private army without any choice." Hadrian stated to them all. "Perhaps if you were to actually start showing that you want peace with humans, like establish good relations with government, you might actually get far more people looking at you the way you want them."
"So you are saying that we should be like those SHIELD lapdogs, The Avengers, begging for the scraps and asking permission every time we need to do our job?" Cyclops asked with disdain.
"If "begging for scraps" means living in one of most opulent buildings in all of world, having government backing and public approval, then perhaps you should do it. After all, I've never seen Sentinels being sent after someone like Iron Man or The Hulk, after they became Avengers." Nephalem noted to them. "I can understand the reluctance to work with government, but sometimes, there are instances when one must swallow their pride and do what is best for everyone. You think it was easy to ask you for your assistance?" Hadrian remarked to them.
"Perhaps you are right, Hadrian, and we might have to reconsider our position on the matter." Charles admitted. "Will you give your grandmother our regards?"
"Certainly. I'll walk you back to the plane." Hadrian offered.
"That is kind of you, but unnecessary. Thank you for your time, Hadrian. I hope to see you again soon." Charles and Hadrian shook hands, and the X-Men moved towards their jet.
"Professor, you don't actually agree with him, do you?" Scott asked of him.
"Hadrian raises a valid point, Scott, and I must admit that it is not a wrong one. For the longest time, we did preach peace and cooperation, but have isolated ourselves from everyone and allowed superstitions to build around us. In the past, it was out of necessity, yes, since we were basically outlaws, but now that we have more friends in government, we still maintain this secrecy and act like we are the ultimate authority on the matters of mutants and men." Charles admitted aloud.
"Professor, you have done what was best for us all, and look at how many people you've saved." Jean reminded him. "How many of us have you saved and helped?"
"I know Jean, yet how many did we alienate and turn against us, because of our roguish attitude and reluctance to change and cooperate?" He asked of them all. "Perhaps we have reevaluated our actions, and our approach to the situations."
"You don't suggest that we become another lackey unit for SHIELD, do you?" Cyclops asked of him.
"I am not suggesting anything, Scott. Only that we consider that our actions, however noble in words, may have caused more harm than we intended or wished." Professor X said. "And what do you think, Erik. You have been surprisingly quiet throughout this entire time."
"I am simply thinking, Charles, that for the first time, you are actually starting to see things more clearly, instead of through the prism of blind idealism." Magneto responded, as he and others boarded the Blackbird.
Two weeks later. New York. Triskelion.
The weather forecast promised a sunny and warm day to the New Yorkers, and SHIELD agents who could afford to have a break were spending it under the sun, enjoying the moment of peace and metaphorical quite. What they did not expect was to see Captain Marvel landing before the entrance to Triskelion, with Nephalem dressed in his now iconic garbs landing right after her, dispelling his wings, while Captain Marvel had quite a smug look on her face.
"Well?" She dragged that word out with a look of a cat that ate a canary.
"Okay, I'll admit that you are a real ace." Nephalem said, with Carol looking mighty pleased with yourself.
"And what else…" She asked of him.
"And that I'll treat you to McDonald's when I get back from my meeting with Fury." Hadrian said, and Carol looked like she could just explode from smugness and feeling of victory. "But seriously, I was kinda expecting you to something else if you've won that bet, not a trip to McDonald's."
"Really? And what ideas were you hoping for I would get?" Carol asked with a teasing smile.
"Well, something along the lines of a fancy restaurant, candles, wine. You know, the usual stuff." Hadrian said, as he dusted off his coat. "That being said, my experience with what the ladies want and prefer is embarrassingly limited and miniscule, so I might have been getting the wrong idea all along." Carol chuckled heartily.
"Maybe next time, fly boy, but for now, I'll settle for the good old fashioned McDonald's for a win." Carol said as they went inside Triskelion. "Gotta say, you certainly took your time with making that decision, on whether to come here or not. Don't get me wrong, if you were to just show up right after waking up, I would've told you to take your time and all that. Just saying that I'm surprised you didn't rush into things headfirst like some newcomers like to do."
"Well, to be quite honest with you, having free will and freedom can be quite confusing and it can leave you dazed, so I really didn't know what I was to do, so I decided to at least get my secondary education." Hadrian answered, as they started to approach the reception. "Plus learning what it's like, going to movies, café and all that other stuff."
"Getting a hot date?" Carol asked teasingly, with Hadrian shaking his head. "What, no fish in the river for you? I don't believe you." She said with a lighthearted manner.
"What you don't believe?" Hadrian asked of her.
"That you would have a problem finding yourself a girl and getting a date. I mean, you look like an exemplary chick magnet, so you wouldn't have a problem, finding yourself someone nice, or are you interested in those girls from Weapon Plus?" Carol asked with interest. "Because if so, then I don't blame you."
"I'm not… Those girls are a family to me, the real family outside of my grandmother that I have, not what… What you are implying." Hadrian said with a bit of fluster, before calming down. "Okay, I'll admit that there were girls and women making passes at me when I was in the town, but I'm not interested in this kind of thing. I've got enough problems adapting to normal life without having to deal with romances."
"Sounds a lot like what I have to deal with." Carol admitted with the smile to him.
"Really? Maybe it's just me, but you don't seem like a person who would have too much trouble finding herself someone nice and special to get all close and personal. You seem to make heads spin by just walking by." Hadrian said to Carol, who did not expect that from him. "And I don't mean just your suit and power. A girl like you is real Marvel to be around." Carol blushed quite a bit from that one.
"Maybe I've just not found someone nice and special enough to… Well, let's just say I'm a bit of disaster when it comes down to getting close and personal." Carol admitted, with her blush abating a little. "A-anyway, I was actually hoping to say thanks for the help, back in London. You really saved all our hides back there, and the guys really appreciate it. Thor apparently had bragged about your valor and bravery to all of Nine out of Ten Realms, so congrats- you are now an interplanetary hero now."
"Surprised that he hasn't yet showed up at my mansion, in order to have a bash." Harry said with a chuckle.
"Oh he wanted, as did Tony, but Cap stopped them, told 'em to give you space and time, to get everything sorted first in your life and all that." Marvel told him. "By the way, we've had a bit of a discussion the other day, well, right after we were done with Weapon Plus, and, if you want it, you are welcome to join in." She stated to him, surprising him a bit.
"Are you extending me an invitation to The Avengers?" Hadrian asked of her.
"Well, yeah, I am. Look, I am not saying that you should join in right away. It's just that, after what you did back in London, Cap and the others, me included, we think you would do great with us." Carol told him with a bit of an awkward notion. "Look, I'm not really good with these "invitation speeches", so I'm just gonna say, that if you want in, the door is open and we'll be glad to have you with us."
"It's an honor, I'll admit, but… I'm not yet sure if I'm ready for that kind of commitment, so to speak." Hadrian admitted to her. "I will be happy to land a hand when I can, but I can't say I'm yet ready for this kind of thing."
"Hey, I'm just saying, that if you want in, whenever, we'll be happy to have you. The decision is yours, charmer." Carol told him with a reassuring smile, as they have made it to the reception. "Okay, I'll catch you later. Good luck with Fury, and don't forget about the McDonald's." She reminded him with a chuckle, as she went on her own.
"Hadrian Potter, here to see Director Fury. I believe I have an appointment." Harry told the receptionist.
"I'll take it from here, thank you." Agent Coulson approached the reception and greeted Hadrian with a handshake. "Hadrian, good to see you."
"Agent Coulson, a pleasure as well." Harry retorted, with Coulson leading Harry to the elevator. "Must admit, I wasn't expecting to see you so soon after you were done with STRIKE."
"Oh, we are far from done with them. We are just done with their officially recorded assets, now we are mopping up what they've kept out of their ledgers." Coulson told Harry, as he pressed the button to the needed level. "We'll be mining that for months to come. I was just reassigned here to testify on a few things before the officials and all that."
"I see. There must be a lot of things that needed to be testified about." Harry noted.
"Yeah, we are still not done with half of it yet." Phil admitted. "You and Captain Marvel seem to be getting along famously. Not every day she asks someone out on date at McDonald's." Coulson smiled a little at that one.
"I just happened to arrive at Times Square and there she was fighting The Griffin, and he nearly knocked out, and I decided to land a hand." Harry simply said. "She then decided to dare me to a race to here, and I lost, so now I have to treat her to McDonald's. Still surprising she picked that instead of somewhere else, though."
"Marvel's always been a girl who like to have fun and doesn't like to do anything too fancy, unless it's for someone special." Phil noted. "Fact she dared you means that she's taken a liking to you."
"Well, I certainly can't complain about that, she is really fun, to be fair. Plus I've never been to McDonald's yet, so that's gonna be an experience." Harry said, as they have reached the needed level and went towards the cabinet. "I also was hoping to thank you for keeping all that surveillance and observation to a minimum, and for the specialists and discretion."
"No need to thank me, I was just doing what was right, and you've had plenty enough of people looking at you 24/7 to last one lifetime." Phil told him, as they walked to the cabinet. "Plus they were there more to prevent some rogue elements of STRIKE from coming after you. We have had some cases where that happens, very messy stuff, not that I doubt Miss Black's capabilities and your abilities to defend yourselves. Let's just say that way we've had a lot less paperwork to complete."
"Well you won't hear me complaining." Harry said, as they've reached the door and Coulson knocked before opening it and letting them enter.
"Director Fury, your guest has arrived." Coulson reported to Fury, who was looking at the footage of Times Square.
"Yeah, thanks for picking him up, Coulson. You are free to go." Fury told him, with Coulson leaving, but not before wishing good luck to Harry. "Nice job with Horton. That flying monkey has been a pain my neck for months now, working as a muscle for hire for someone. Thanks to you and Danvers, we'll now figure out who has set him loose again, and put them where they belong." Fury praised Harry.
"Happy to do the right thing, now that I can." Hadrian admitted, with Fury closing the holographic screen and fully turning to Harry, getting a good look at him.
"You know, that's not how I pictured we would meet again. Back when I last saw you, you were this high and thought I looked like the coolest guy in the world, and now…" Fury could not find words to describe it. "I wanted you to know, that when Dorea came to me and told me about what James did, I've turned the world inside out to find you. If I had known that you were on Muir Island, I would've came there personally with every gun I could find, and made those motherfuckers pay for every goddamn thing they did to you."
"I know you would, Uncle Fury. I know." Hadrian told him. "I only hope that all those years weren't for nothing, and that they'll get what's coming to them."
"Trust me, kid, ain't none of them will ever get to see the light of day, you've got my word on that." Fury promised him. "Xavier did try to stick up for his old flame McTaggart, see her get a lighter punishment, but after that bedlam and pandemonium her son caused in London, not even his telepathy would be able to change the mind of the jury and court. She's gonna have a long time to think her life's choices somewhere where people do not want to end up, since they don't get out of there afterwards."
"Good, and about her son?" Harry asked of him.
"Let's just say that he and his mom will have plenty of time to reconsider their behavior, though not together, ever." Fury informed Hadrian. "That being said, we've not had any luck tracking down Essex, or Sinister, though not for the lack of trying."
"He is too good to leave a trail, and I can tell you, that the only reason he'll leave one is only when he wants you to follow it." Hadrian informed Fury.
"Everybody makes a mistake, slips up or does something stupid, irrational. Sinister may not be a normal human anymore, but anyone with an ego as big as his will make a mistake, and we'll know about it." Fury stated, before he offered Harry a seat, sitting himself. "I'm sure you know that wasn't the only reason why I wanted to talk to you, and why I didn't want us to meet so soon after London."
"Yeah, I figured it out the moment Coulson talked about it, and I'm sure you've seen the files of STRIKE and Weapon Plus on me." Hadrian said, with Fury confirming it. "Then you know the amount of damage I did to your organization, and I'm not so blind as to think that there aren't people who would feel safer with me behind bars, even given me being chipped."
"True, and I've gotta be honest with you, kid: you've made yourself quite the rep with us. We gave you the moniker "Dark Knight" after your first job back in Hong Kong, thought you were a member of Hydra or AIM, but then you started popping up all over the place, wreaking nearly everyone in your way." Fury sound impressed. "China, Russia, Africa, Argentina, Ukraine, Poland, and that's not even getting into specifics. I'm pretty sure that old Wolfgang von Strucker and MODOK are itching to get their hands on you after what you've done to them."
"Not to mention The Hand." Harry added with a chuckle. "Yeah, I've done a lot of things, most of which I ain't proud of, even if I did against the bad guys, but more of than naught, I did against people who didn't deserve it, your agents included."
"And the way I see it, you've paid quite enough for it." Fury told him, making Hadrian a little confused. "I've got not a clue how the hell you are still sane after all that shit you've pulled back at Weapon Plus for every one of them mutants. I mean, how does one get to live with all this baggage and sleep at night?" Fury asked of him.
"Helps a little that I don't need that much sleep, and I've had a purpose, a goal to achieve, make sure that none of their deaths were gonna end up as simple numbers, and that every single one of those bastards were gonna pay for what they did." Harry answered to him. "I made a promise to all of them, to every single one of those who did not make it, died in the lab or in the fighting pit that they'll not be forgotten, and those who did it to us, will pay. And now… Now I want to make sure that such thing never happens again."
"And it won't, you've got my word." Fury promised him. "But I can see it in your eyes, that fire and determination, resolve to get it done yourself. Your grandpa, Charlus, he had the same look about him when he got serious and down to business, and there was no stopping him. He and Dorea are largely responsible for the SHIELD that we have today, and their contributions, both off and on the field, have saved many, many lives, directly and not. Charlus was a hero, plain and simple, a man who understood that the world was changing and it needed new concepts and ways of protecting it, from every possible thing. What had happened to him… I asked my superiors to get involved with that whole mess with Voldemort, but I was rebuked, because of the whole Statute of Secrecy bullshit."
"It may have worked back in 17th-18th century, but it's not worth a dime in these days." Harry said, quoting his grandfather. "I was there, and I saw what he did to my grandpa and grandma, and then he tried to kill me. I'm only alive now because of my magic and mutation, but I know that he wasn't even the biggest or the meanest of the threats this world has, and that there are things a hundred times worse than a dime-and-a-dozen Dark Lord."
"Yeah, there are, and SHIELD exists to keep them in contained and eliminated, safeguard the world from all kinds of threats, be they super villains, magical users, witches, wizards, or some extradimensional demon. And we are always in need of those who can stand up and fight for what is right." Fury told Harry. "I will be honest with you, Harry: we need a man with your kind of experience, powers and capabilities. You will be made a member of the SHIELD, given a Special Agent status with the appropriate access level, given the types of clearances. Support equipment, operational autonomy, full backing, and additional firepower- you name you'll have it. There will be different kinds of missions on which we'll be sending you, but we prefer to send our agents where they are best useful. Solo and team missions, even working with Avengers, all that and more, though you will not be flooded with work and missions, but enough to keep you busy without overloading you. You'll receive a registered status, with full concealment of your ID, so you'll not have problems with authorities when you decided to help outside your work time. And of course, you'll have a payment, all the social insurances, the whole package. Ain't Weapon Plus or STRIKE, we here take care of our folks, kid."
"It all sounds tempting, but I do have to ask: what will happen if I decide to say no?" Harry asked of him, with Fury simply shrugging it off.
"Then you just get up, I shake your hand, ask you to give Dorea my love, and you can go have your date with Miss Danvers. By the way, nice moves, charmer." Fury chuckled at the embarrassed face of his godson. "But in all seriousness, we'll just keep an eye out of for you and try to keep you out of trouble, nothing more. No imprisonment, house arrests and all that paranoid shit, no strings attached. It's your life, so you gonna have to make that choice yourself, son."
"Just like that? No strings attached and no consequences?" Hadrian asked again.
"Yes, just like that. If it were just up to me, I would want you to stay out of this whole business, son. You have had enough of the bullshit without having to get involved with the SHIELD, and you deserve to have something good and normal in your life." Fury admitted to Harry. "Just 'cause you are a grandson of two of it's founders doesn't mean you should immediately get involved with SHIELD. Your grandparents made that choice on their own, and I respected that, while your father thought that he deserved a spot here like it was some fancy club or something."
"James actually tried to get into SHIELD? I thought Wizarding World didn't have any interest in anything outside of their fancy little reality." Harry admitted.
"Well after Voldemort, SHIELD became part of their fancy little reality, thanks to a few amendments to their Statute and agreements with ICW. Dumbledore tried to protest, but when he failed, he tried to send his cronies in our ranks, didn't work out either." Fury admitted to him. "James heard from Dumbledore that Charlus was part of SHIELD and thought he qualified for it just because he was his son. He didn't, because he ain't nothing like Charlus was, unlike you, but like I said, this is your choice to make, and not an obligation to fulfill."
"You are right, I'm not here because of some obligation or privilege, but I'm here because I made a choice. And that choice is that I want to do what's right for the world and help people, without being someone's tool without any will to fight back." Hadrian told him. "My grandparents were part of the SHIELD, and my grandfather died when he fought one monster SHIELD is supposed to stop. I want to make sure that no monster like that or worse ever has a chance to hurt people, so if you are willing to have me, I'll join the SHIELD, Director Fury." Hadrian told him and he rose up, walking to him and offering him the hand.
"Welcome to the SHIELD, Agent Potter." Fury greeted him.
"Black, not Potter. My father, without a second thought, sold me out of the family, and it was my grandmother who looked for me all this time. I ain't a Potter, but I'm told I'll make a good Black, so that's my name, Hadrian Erik Black." Hadrian stated to him, before shaking his hand. "Reporting for duty, Director Fury." Fury smiled to him, happy to have his godson and Nephalem on board with him and the SHIELD.
Later. Black's estate.
After having an unexpectedly great time with Carol at McDonald's and then at other places, since Carol decided to show Hadrian around, of New York, Hadrian finally made it back home, arriving in a very happy mood which was noticed by others, with Stheno and Clarice even joking that about him having a date with Captain Marvel. Nephalem admittedly denied that it was a date, but they were not listening and he decided to head back to his room to change clothes. Once he entered his dark room and before he had flipped the switch, he heard the clapping coming from someone in the room, and an all too familiar chuckle. Without even a second of hesitation, Yamato and Ombre already were in Nephalem's hands and he pointed the gun towards the source of it all, which soon showed itself by stepping into the light of the moon.
"You seem to have had a good time with fair Captain Marvel, my boy." Sinister commented with his signature smile, as he looked at his creation. "I decided not to interrupt you, since you've deserved a reward for such a marvelous work with Proteus. Truly, Hadrian, you've surpassed my wildest expectations in regards to your final test."
"You should've stayed in the hole you scurried off to after Weapon Plus." Hadrian hissed at him, aiming his gun precisely at his head, while channeling his power towards Yamato, with Sinister not even budging.
"Come now, Harry, we both that even if you attack me, you will have achieved nothing, for do you truly believe me that I would come here without the ability to leave faster than you can kill me?" Sinister asked of him, with Hadrian admitting mentally that it was true, as he scanned Sinister's mind, which only made Sinister chuckle. "Your telepathy is quite advance as well. I only felt the slightest of touches upon my mind. You certainly have skill and ability rivaled only by the likes of Xavier and his little pet Jean Grey."
"What the hell do you want, Essex?" Harry demanded to know.
"Oh, I only came to offer my sincerest congratulations to you, my boy, upon passing your final test and proving, once again, that you indeed are my greatest triumph yet." Sinister stated with sincerity. "As always, you've surpassed my expectations by actually using Proteus' powers, bending and using them like your own. This was certainly not what I was hoping for, but you do make it a habit of surprising me, my boy, in all the best of ways."
"You set that monster off, hoping that I would manage to destroy it?! Do you even know just what kind of devastation and horror he caused?!" Harry roared at him.
"Hoping? I never hope, my boy, I calculate and come to conclusions, as you surely know." Sinister corrected him in his usual way. "Proteus was the only one capable of challenging you, putting your abilities to the test and seeing if you were capable of doing what I created you for, and you proved to be stronger than I anticipated. Indeed, you have fulfilled the last test."
"And yet you've lost control over me, and now I'm free from you." Nephalem reminded him. "You no longer have any control over me, Essex, and I do solemnly vow, that I wherever you are hiding, I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you." Nephalem, promised him, with his powers flaring up, while Sinister only smiled wider.
"Yes, I would expect nothing less from you, my boy. Look for me, chase after me, hunt me down- I encourage you to do so, for in the end, I know that putting you on leash will only diminish your potential and power." Sinister stated to him with a wide grin. "Weapon Plus was only good for you at the beginning, allow you to learn and prepare for real world, true battles, and now you are ready to truly shine. Why would I need to control you, when in the end, you will fulfill all of my goals?"
"And just what the hell is that damn goal of yours?" Hadrian asked.
"Why Harry, you always knew what it was, from the very beginning." Sinister told him. "And now, I bid you farewell, my boy. Until we meet again, I shall be watching your progress, every step of it, with great interest, and waiting for our next meeting." And with this, Sinister disappeared without a trace, with Harry lowering his weapons, as he muttered aloud.
"Kill a God…" Was what Sinister always told him, the reason for his very existence.
And as Nephalem contemplated what had just transpired, Uatu the Watcher observed with interest and anticipation the unfolding events, seeing this as the moment where the universe changed once again, and new lines of possibilities were created in numberless multitudes.
And with that, ladies and gentlemen, the prologue saga has officially come to a close, and I am very excited to get started with the next adventure. This time I shall keep it brief and simply say that I am very much proud with my work here, and I will say that in the future, Nephalem will join the X-Men, but for now, he is only a member of the SHIELD and only that. Oh, and he is now good friends with Carol Danvers, with a possibility of more…
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and you will comment on it, express you suggestion about future events, possible romances, ask questions and just give me your feedback, as it helps this story become better. Now, next few chapters will be more or less focused on a single mission/occasion/team-up/situation Nephalem will find himself, sort of acting like a filler before another big arc, to help him get established more as a part of the world he finds himself in.
Next time: Wizarding World and it's problems; Wolves in the Bank, slaughter commences; Ministry and Aurors do not like SHIELD and Nephalem.
See Ya!