Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, kudos, bookmarked and subscribed.

I really appreciate the support you are all given and I am taken away by how many of you are enjoying the story so far and amazing encouragement you give. You are truly wonderful and I cannot express how much I love hearing from you.

I loved writing this chapter and had fun doing so, I hope you enjoy it to.

Any mistakes are mine and mine alone.


XXX


Chapter 9

His mind whirled, a mass of ideas and calculations spinning.

He wasn't sure it ever stopped.

He had never known how to stop come to think about it, but Tony could admit it had gotten considerably worse since the Battle of New York.

Not even in sleep did his mind stop.

It whirled and whirled and raced and raced, and all Tony wanted to do was stop and scream for silence.

For just a moment.

But silence reminded him too much of the other side of the portal. The all imposing darkness that brought home how big the universe was and how small he was.

Were all he had been able to do was watch and pray as death loomed before him in the form of the Chitauri army, edging ever closer and growing in size and speed, like a tidal wave approaching land, as they descended on them all.

No, Tony didn't do well with silence anymore; even now Jarvis was playing music in the background to drown out the silence that was reaching for him.

In silence, Tony was filled with every fear he had and wasn't able to adequately express.

In silence, he knew, he wasn't enough.

Had never been enough.

Would never be enough.

But it wasn't just him that the truth came to light; the others as well wouldn't be enough to face what was out there.

They weren't enough to keep this world safe.

They had gotten damn lucky in New York; they hadn't had any real plan.

They, he, needed to be better.

Do better.

The Ultron program was better.

Global peacekeeping program.

A suit around the world.

It wasn't ready, but they were almost there, Tony could feel it.

Machines beeped loudly.

His eyes snapped across the various screens as Jarvis ran through the latest simulation he had requested.

"What happened Jarvis?"

"Using your current calculations, the outcome resulted in an explosion, Sir."

"Fuck," he said wearily, "Run full diagnostics, we want to be able to neutralise the weapons, not blow them and anyone close to them up. Unless they are Hydra that wouldn't be so bad."

"By the readings of the simulation, Sir, you and the other Avengers would be within the radius of the explosion."

"That's a definite no then," Tony took a sip of his drink grimacing at the stone-cold coffee. Glancing over at the coffee pot, he could see that it was empty.

Pepper only allowed a certain amount in his lab to avoid him pulling all-nighters.

Not that it stopped him from doing that.

He rubbed his forehead, closed his eyes and took a breath.

"Jarvis, run full diagnostics of the simulation, I am going to get more coffee," he looked at his phone, "Brucie-bear and Phillips will be here soon, and I need to be on the ball."

"Of course Sir," Jarvis replied.

Tony picked up his phone before walking towards the elevator. Swiping and typing as he declined meetings fired messages off and busied himself with tinkering with the design for Rhodey's suit.

The doors opened with a soft hiss, and Tony stepped out onto the penthouse floor, his eyes never leaving his phone.

It was the smell of freshly made coffee mixed in with the aroma of homemade baked goods that made him look up from his phone.

The sight of the kitchen made him pause.

Steve, Barnes and Potter were sitting together, clearly having spent a few hours in the kitchen eating...cakes?

Tony blinked.

It had been nine months since the others had moved into the Avengers Tower (eight for Barnes) and Tony still wasn't used to the fact the others were here yet.

Not that he minded, it had been the whole idea behind having Avengers Tower, for them to be all together, but it was taking him time to adjust, and he still wasn't used to others being awake at this time.

And from the look of them, the three of them had been up for a few hours.

"Morning," he greeted, plastering on the smile he had perfected for years. The smile that said everything was fine, nothing was wrong.

Rarely anybody looked close enough to see how fake the smile was.

The three of them stopped mid-conversation and as one turned to look up at him.

Okay, that was kind of freaky, maybe it was the whole soulmates - thing.

Tony pushed the thought away as he moved closer to the kitchen.

"Morning, Tony," Steve greeted.

Barnes remained silent, but then that was hardly new, Barnes was quiet around most people, but Potter offered him a warm smile and greeting of her own.

He glanced around the kitchen. There were signs they had been baking, just as there were signs they had made a start on tidying up after themselves as well - though he could still see signs of flour on the countertops, and...Barnes had some in his hair.

Potter seemed to have pastry on her nose, she looked adorable.

"You've been busy," he noted, wiggling his eyebrows as he poured himself a mug of coffee, "How long have you been up for?"

"A few hours," Steve replied, "You've been up all night?"

"No rest for the wicked." Tony took a much needed sip.

He looked up from his mug; Steve was sipping his own drink and Potter was picking at a Cinnamon Roll as she spoke softly with Barnes. Barnes was looking at her, but Tony knew Barnes was still paying attention to his environment.

To him.

Tony watched them as he sipped his coffee.

He could admit that he had been busy this past week, so he hadn't had much interaction with Potter besides the first initial contact.

Of course, that didn't stop him from looking into her. He had Jarvis looking into every aspect of her life the moment it came to light that Holly Jamie Potter existed and the connection she had to one Captain America and one Winter Soldier.

There had been little to find.

Potter had no Social Media accounts, no presence on the internet at all.

And wasn't that an oddity in this day and age.

And suspicious.

Had it not been for the fact that he had found a birth certificate for a Holly Jamie Potter, that matched the dates Potter had supplied on her application, Tony would almost say she had given a fake name.

He knew her parents; one James and Lily Potter were deceased. Though he hadn't been able to find much else about their deaths. He had found that she had lived with her aunt and uncle in Little Whinging in Surrey.

Potter hadn't supplied their names as her next of kin should the worse happen, and they were still living.

Tony knew enough about broken families to understand that she might not be speaking to her aunt and uncle.

He took another sip of his drink, and glanced towards Potter.

There was very little to find, in fact, her records had stopped at the age of eleven and restarted again when she was in her early twenties and had started working for the Evans-Black Foundation.

And then seven months ago she started renting an apartment in Hell's Kitchen.

It was a large gap to have missing information and made him curious enough that he wanted to find out that information.

Of course Jarvis was still looking and Tony was confident he would find all there was to find.

And he knew he wasn't the only one either, he knew perfectly well that Romanoff was busy tracking down information, Tony felt it was his duty to find it first.

A little healthy competition never hurt anyone.

"So," he said slowly, "who's been busy baking?"

"We all have, though Holly instructed," Steve answered.

Tony raised an eyebrow and looked at Potter.

She shrugged, "I like baking. Help yourself."

He didn't need telling twice, he reached for a Cinnamon Roll.

"Where did you learn to bake?" he asked, as he took a bite of the roll. A burst of flavours exploded in his mouth.

It was good.

"I learned when I was younger."

"Did your Aunt teach you?"

Potter's shoulders stiffened at the mention of her relatives and Tony realised that just maybe flying full speed ahead might not be the best option going forward.

And if the cold stare that Barnes was giving him was anything to go by he wasn't the only one who thought it.

"You could say that," Potter answered with just a sliver of ice in her voice.

He didn't push.

He wanted to, but he didn't.

Instead, he went for a different tact.

"Ever considered baking professionally?"

Potter blinked at him in surprise, her eyes meeting his gaze, "I can't say that I have."

"Well, I would hire you in a second."

She snorted, "Technically, you already have."

"Well, yes, I suppose I have," he agreed.

He sipped his coffee, the silence stretching between the three of them.

"Are you having much luck with a way to stop the weapons?" Steve asked, directing the attention away from Potter.

Tony couldn't be sure that he had done it deliberately or to just fill the silence.

"If exploding weapons count as stopping," he said, moving to refill his own coffee pot with coffee so he could return to the lab.

"Speaking of, I should probably get back to it."

"Take some with you, you pulled an all-nighter you need to refuel," Potter offered a warm smile crossing her lips.

He glanced at her in surprise.

Her green eyes watching him closely.

Tony had the impression she was seeing more than most people saw when they looked at him. Was seeing past the smile and the charm.

Was seeing that he was damn tired, but he couldn't let that tiredness stop him.

"Thank you," he picked up a small plate, filled it with a mix of delights before nodding at them all and made his way towards the lift.

Potter was a puzzle.

He had always liked puzzles, and that hadn't changed.

He was determined to fit those pieces together.

As the elevator doors closed he said aloud, "Jarvis, how are we doing looking into Potter. I know we haven't found much yet."

Jarvis didn't answer right away, he hesitated, almost, but Jarvis shouldn't be able to hesitate not really.

"Sir, I believe I have found something."

Tony frowned as his phone pinged; he slid the message open, his eyes scanning through the content.

Well, wasn't that interesting.


XXX


The days passed by as Holly fell into a routine within the Tower.

Consisting of training, stake-outs and chasing any leads that presented themselves in the mountains of information that Jarvis, Hill and Sawyer unearthed.

Romanoff had taken her out with a list of names of known weapon dealers which resulted in her leaving the Tower chasing those leads.

It was during those outings that Holly found herself slipping into an easy comradeship with the other woman. She even found herself referring her more and more as Natasha.

Holly couldn't say that their visits were fruitful, while on the sleazy side and more than willing to sell to individuals without the proper paperwork, or off the books they had no genuine ties to the underworld when looked at closely.

With Natasha using her charms or a cocked eyebrow and fierce glare as a tactic Holly was more than willing to spend a few precious moments skimming the surfaces of their mind as delicately as she could they were quick to cross names off.

Using Legilimency on muggles was not something Holly did lightly, but it was far easier to do so than on other witches and wizards. Only requiring eye contact and the minimum of will power it never required her to dig deeper or put them at risk of permanent damage.

Even so, she only used it when Natasha's presence and charms weren't enough.

Despite the urgency that filled the air in the Tower, Holly found she was enjoying the work. Reminding her so much of her own time as an Auror, she found herself falling into the easy banter between her colleagues and the support with the frustrating dead ends and learning their quirks.

Though despite the growing comradeship, Holly still forced herself to remain on guard, always ensured she never revealed more than she had to, and kept them at arm's length.

Even when Graves and a fellow detective came to the Tower to pick up West and Gibbs.

The wizard had ensured their paths crossed long enough for a shared coffee while he dug for more information, outside the Tower, as Holly carefully reminded him of the monitoring cameras in the tower, she had actively done her best to avoid him as well.

She was taking a leap of faith in trusting him not to report her to his Captain and Holly was reluctant to give him everything she knew in case he changed his mind.

Especially when she didn't know enough about him.

Though she had learnt quickly enough about his family name when she had made contact with Hermione on the brief breaks she had outside the Tower.

A shiver ran down the length of her spine.

Holly froze.

Something was wrong, very wrong.

The sky darkened outside the Tower. Thick black clouds, rolled across New York.

Lightning shot across the sky.

Thunder rumbled overhead bringing with it the sense that the heavens might split apart at any moment. Declaring for all to hear the raw power it held and a warning of its wrath. Loud enough that it almost seemed to vibrate through the Tower.

Her nose twitched as the scent of ozone washed over her.

Thick and heavy she could taste it on her tongue, it hit the back of her throat, and she almost choked on it.

Magic.

Old Magic and ozone.

An otherworldly force.

Massive clouds churned in the sky, but rather than the usual grey-black darkness it was swirls of rainbow colours that shimmered and glittered and pulsed with magic unlike anything she had ever felt before.

Holly pushed herself to her feet and walked to the glass window.

"It's Thor," Sawyer said, coming up next to her.

"Excuse me?"

"Thor has returned to the Tower, it's how he gets from one place to another. I can't explain how, I was an analyst of data not," he waved his hand at the sky, "that."

"Right," Holly whispered.

Lightning cracked and thunder roared and the wind howled.

Magic sparked, and her own rose to meet it, shielding her almost instinctively, pushing back the weight of this otherworldly force that threatened to snap her up.

The magic whirled faster, ripped through her own like it was paper and pressed against her skin, feeling, seeking, tasting.

Holly shivered, as it gripped tightly around her, but she didn't try and fight it, she just fought to keep herself upright.

Thor was back.

The Asgardian was in the Tower.

The Tower she was currently in.

Holly had hoped she would be able to avoid meeting the Asgardian for a little longer, at least until she was somewhat more prepared, but Holly couldn't see how she could get out of meeting him now.

Holly closed her eyes and took a breath.

Her mind raced.

Holly had no idea whether the Asgardian would recognise her as a magic-user.

She knew the stories.

Had read the journals, the books - had listened intently to the lessons.

Contrary to popular belief, the Wizarding World, while not advanced compared to muggle's advancements over the years; had always known there was more out there in the universe.

Had always known they were not alone.

Had fought alongside...and fought against races far superior to the muggles of today.

When magic was once worshipped, cherished, and respected.

When they had protected and guarded earth.

When they hadn't had to hide.

Before muggles hunted them down.

But the world had changed, and they had to change with it.

Falling into the shadows, separating their worlds as they did.

Could her being here now, with Thor in the same building risk all of that?

She opened her eyes.

It was a risk, a significant risk, but as long as she didn't use her magic, she could perhaps, just maybe get away with without Thor recognising her.

And if he did, there was one thing she could do.

One thing she could try and hope that even though it had been centuries since a witch or wizard had crossed path with an Asgardian that Thor would recognise the rite and do his part.

If he didn't, and he outed her - well Holly knew she would have to deal with it if it came down to that, but she could hope.

"Potter."

Holly turned to look at Hill as the woman drew up next to her.

"You free?"

"Until I'm due to take over from the detectives at the next shift." Holly nodded.

"It won't take long. I need Stark to sign off on the latest order, but Happy has asked me to deal with an issue that has just cropped up with one of the Security guys."

"And he is where?"

"Thor is back, so he will be in the penthouse."

Of course, he was.

Inwardly Holly cursed, not only had the Asgardian arrived, but the fates were conspiring against her to make sure their paths crossed now.

Holly plastered a smile across her face as she took the Pad Hill handed to her.

"I will head up there now," she answered, moving towards the lift, all the while a voice inside her screamed to turn tail and run in the opposite direction.


XXX


Mjolnir hummed by his side the moment his feet touched the platform of the Avengers Tower.

An old tune belonging to an old story filled the air, pressing down against his skin and worming its way into his core.

It had been some time since Mjolnir had told this particular tale, and Thor couldn't understand why it had decided to sing it now. Why it would hold any significance here at the heart of the Avengers Tower?

It brought images to mind of a time when he was a boy had had first visited Midgard before his people had withdrawn.

He reached for the slipstream, the ever-flowing current of air that engulfed the world, his to command and use, to summon and in turn now allow him to stretch his senses further throughout the Tower than he would otherwise be able to.

The song increased.

Reverberated through, him.

But it was not just Mjolnir's song he heard.

He heard another.

One that brought to life images of fire and air, earth and water, magic and death.

Mjolnir joined in harmony, and together the two of them spun and entwined like lovers dancing to a song only they knew.

It had been a long time indeed since he had heard the song of magic that belonged to Midgard.

And Thor couldn't say he found it unpleasant to hear now.

It was with a distracted mind he greeted his fellow brothers and sister in arms, as Mjolnir still hummed, and even sung, and spun its tale and Thor could not bring himself to stop listening.

No matter how delighted he was to see his friends.

"Thor," Steve greeted last, gripping his arm in his and giving the shake of warriors.

"Steve," he returned with a warm smile and firm grip of his own.

"How is Jane?"

"Jane is well; she is busy with her research and her paper. I fear she will hardly notice my absence."

Steve smiled at him, "I'm sure she will notice, but I have been following her work online, I know she is preparing for a Convention next month."

"I, she is," Thor confirmed, "It is in the city, I hope that we can deal with the threat before then."

The warmth that had shown in Steve's face fell away as grim determination replaced it.

"There is much we need to discuss, before tomorrow night," Steve started, "I am certain what we know is only the tip of the iceberg. We have been able to detain two Hydra Agents since we last spoke they have yet revealed anything that would be considered useful."

"I would be happy to introduce them to Mjolnir if you feel it would have any impact."

Steve's eyes lit with amusement for a few brief seconds as they moved towards the elevator that would take them up to the penthouse. The others had already made their way upwards, leaving the two of them to bring up the rear.

"While I would have perhaps taken you up on that offer, they are no longer at the Tower."

Thor liked Steve. He was courageous, level-headed and had a strong sense of justice that Thor could see making him a likely candidate worthy to wield Mjolnir.

Thor respected him, but as he had worked closely with the team in the last nine months since the fall of Shield, he could sense more about the man than he had expected.

With the knowledge that Steve was twice-blessed and the fact that all three of them were currently in the City, in the very same building, Thor knew something was coming. He could hear the beats of the war drums on the edges of his awareness and the whispers of the Norns were spinning across the universe.

Subtle and one had to tune in to listen to them, but they were there, and Thor knew that Steve would be at the heart of facing whatever was coming as in turn would Sergeant Barnes and the Lady Potter.

Thor just hoped that they would be strong enough together to face what was coming.

"How are you finding Lady Potter working here?" Thor asked.

He saw Steve's shoulders tense.

"Holly is not like I was expecting her to be."

Thor looked at him, "Is that a good thing?"

"Yes. We are getting to know each other slowly. Holly...Holly seems to be hesitant to open up and we are showing caution. But working with her is easier than I thought it would be."

Thor could admit he may not understand all the social etiquette that the mortals governed their lives around, Asgardians being more open about some things that mortals were not, but he knew by the tone in Steve's voice not to push further.

The elevator doors slid out, and Mjolnir vibrated, the song gaining strength with every step he took.

Mjolnir had yet to lead him astray, and Thor was willing to trust his companion that danger wasn't present despite the scent of magic filtering through the air.

The sound of Stark's voice cut through the air, and his eyes scanned the penthouse.

The others seemed to be watching with amusement as the man of iron faced off against a woman two or three inches smaller than him.

"Nope. Sorry. Not doing that today. Please come back another day."

"Sign."

"No."

"Sign."

"I don't want to," Stark whined.

"Holly?" Steve said in surprise.

The woman turned towards them, her eyes flickered between the two of them.

Thor paused as green eyes met his for the briefest of seconds and he found himself instantly thinking of his brother Loki. Green eyes and dark hair, though Thor noted that was where the similarities ended, he had not seen a mortal with eyes that mirrored Loki's before.

Natasha's eyes, while green didn't have the same light in them, the same spark of something ancient and powerful, yet this woman did.

"Don't mind me, I'm here to pin down Houdini over there so he can sign something for Hill," she smiled, before turning her attention back to Stark, her eyes darkened and narrowed. "Sign or I will rearrange your lab."

"You wouldn't! Jarvis wouldn't let you in."

The Lady Potter smirked, "Don't test me. Sign them."

She held the Pad out to him.

"I don't like being handed things," he muttered.

She raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a look that Thor had come to recognise as dangerous.

A look that the Lady Sif had perfected to a fine art.

Stark let out a sigh before reluctantly taking the device off her, and with great exaggeration signed the Pad.

"You're terrifying, has anyone ever told you that," Sam admitted, breaking the silence.

"Oh, you don't even know the half of it," Lady Potter winked at him.

"Please tell me someone filmed that," Clint whistled, "I've never seen Stark back down to anyone that wasn't Pepper."

"Thor I don't believe you have met Holly," Steve said, shooting a look towards Clint and Sam.

Lady Potter turned her attention to him once again, her green eyes locking gazes with his, a smile crossing her lips.

She didn't flinch, under the weight of his gaze, she seemed to straighten, as if she was rising to a challenge he did not issue.

Thor smiled, "Well met Lady Potter."

He raised his hand in greeting and waited for her response. He knew the others watched in amusement, while they accepted his formal greetings they didn't truly understand the importance of them.

She raised her own hand, taking his in hers.

Mjolnir's song amplified. A burst of colour exploded inside of him, and his eyes widened. Magic burned in her hands.

But it was more than just magic.

Power of a different kind surrounded Lady Potter, it swirled around her and carried the taste of death.

It was in that moment that Thor recognised a third element to the song he was hearing.

He was hearing the song of the Hollows.

The air hummed with it.

Thor was surprised that the others were so blind to its presence.

Green eyes widened, and Thor knew she could hear Mjolnir's own song, as clearly as he could listen to her magic's song.

It made him wonder whether she could also hear the Hollows song.

Resignation settled across her eyes, but her smile never faltered.

Even so, he was a Prince of Asgard and new the rules of court and magic or not, Asgard or Midgard, Thor still followed those rules. He raised her hand to his lips and placed a courtly kiss to her knuckles.

He could taste her magic, hot and living, yet there was a coldness that clung to it. She was a maelstrom of magic and amongst it all, he could taste death on the back of his throat.

Mjolnir hummed in greeting.

"Well met, Thor son of Odin," she greeted softly, her head dipped an inch in acknowledgement before rising and their eyes locked. "May we greet as strangers and leave as friends, as it once was and shall be again."

He felt her finger run across the palm of his hand, and as they let go, he saw the faint glow of a rune shine brightly before disappearing.

The rune of peace.

A sign that she had come in peace, but it was more than just peace.

It was also the rune of silence.

Lady Potter had magic.

Lady Potter belonged to the magical people of Midgard, and she had just evoked an ancient rite, one he was honour bound to answer.

He knew the stories of their kind, how they had formed an alliance with the Asgardian to stand with them and protect Midgard. His mother had always spoken fondly of them and with a warmth that she usually reserved for him and Loki. But then some of their wisest had learnt from Frigga and Frigga had, in turn, learned magic from them, combining their magical arts and talents.

Loki had been fond of them.

Thor remembered walking amongst them as a child, but he had never had the calling for magic and had eventually turned to the path of a warrior.

Yet as the centuries passed, things changed, and the magical kind had drifted and as Asgard withdrew from Midgard so too did the magical kind, closing their doors and turning to the shadows.

He was uncertain as to what caused the rift between their people, but the drift had happened and Asgard forgot about the alliance they shared with them.

"I'm sorry; I didn't quite catch that last bit?" Stark said suddenly, breaking the uneasy silence that had fallen.

Lady Potter's eyes hadn't left his for a second and Thor could see she was preparing herself for his reaction.

"It is an ancient rite amongst my people. It is used to form alliances between two empires, two races or two worlds."

He nodded his head at her, which she returned.

"There are remnants of Asgardian visits around the world, if you know where to look," Lady Potter said as looking towards Stark, "I have seen one or two of them and have perhaps misused them now."

Thor knew she hadn't misused them, in using them she had ensured for the moment his silence of what the Lady Potter was but had also assured him she came in peace and did not mean him or the Avengers harm.

"I need to get this back to Hill. It was nice to meet you, Thor."

"And you, Lady Potter."

"Holly, please."

Thor watched as she made her way towards the elevators, stopping briefly to converse with Barnes.

Were he free to speak of magic, Thor wasn't sure he would tell them. Not when their first introduction to magic had been Loki and his mind control and invasion. What if they reacted badly to Holly purely because they did not understand magic?

How would it affect Steve and Sergeant Barnes interactions? And what right did he have to interfere with what was growing or not growing between them?

No, Thor would stay silent, and not just because he had entered the rite with the confirmation that he would, but because he felt it was the right thing to do.

He intended to seek out Lady Potter as soon as he was able to.


XXX


Red, orange and gold spread across the morning sky as the sun rose over the city.

It was beautiful to watch.

Peaceful.

Soothing.

Holly soaked it up as she huddled around her cup of tea, a Mrs Weasley jumper wrapped around her, enjoying the few moments of peace before the day truly started.

Yet despite the beauty, Holly knew the warning a red sky carried.

Unease crept up from the bottom of her spine as she recalled the old rhyme.

Red sky at morning, witches take warning.

Magic was on the air Holly could sense it. Could feel the tug deep inside her core, and considering the night's mission Holly wasn't sure that boded well for them.

"May I join you, Lady Potter?"

Holly stiffened, at the sound of Thor's voice. She gripped her cup tighter, forced herself to focus on her breathing and calm of her racing heart.

She knew the moment he had recognised her yesterday, just as she had known that as she invoked the strangers-to-friends rite and the rune of peace, Thor would seek her out.

Holly just hadn't expected it to be so quickly.

"You may," she said slowly, glancing sideways as he drew level with her.

Up close, she could see just how much he towered over her, how big his muscles were. Yet it was the power that rolled off him that gave her a moment's pause, as if she was in the eye of the storm and the world around him raged.

"I had not expected to cross paths with one of your kind."

"And what kind am I?" she asked, her voice calm and unafraid.

"One of the Vǫlur."

Holly turned her head to look up at him. He wasn't looking at her; he was looking out at the morning sky.

"That is not a term I know," she replied, or at least it wasn't a term she was confident she knew.

He looked down at her, his gaze locking with hers. The full weight of his attention mirrored pressure building for a storm and Holly could see that storm growing in his blue eyes.

"Some would call you Enchantress, Sorceress and Witch. Others would say High Priestess. None of them are wrong, but none of them is entirely right for what your race is."

Her wand was in her hand before she could blink, flicking it in the appropriate movement while she non-verbally cast the charm for privacy wards, before pushing it back into its holster.

"We use the term Witch and Wizard, and this is not a conversation I can have openly," she warned coldly, her eyes narrowing as she threw a glare at the Asgardian.

"What did you do?"

"A privacy charm. It won't harm anyone, all they will be able to hear is an annoying buzz, including Jarvis, but it is something I want to avoid using for a long time," Holly answered.

Thor's eyes widened.

"What do you want from me, Thor? You have sought me out for a reason?"

"What is your purpose here, Lady Potter?"

"Holly, it's just Holly," Holly said all the while thoughts raced across her mind.

She hadn't expected that question, she hadn't expected Thor to cut straight to the point, but that was a mistake on her part. She was honour bound to answer him. Strangers to friends all but demanded it. While she didn't have to tell him everything, for the moment, no lie could pass between them. If it did it rendered that ancient rite she had invoked void.

She had taken a risk invoking it, but it had been a necessary one. If she hadn't, Thor could have said something there and then yesterday.

But he had chosen to accept it. He did that of his own free will. He could have still said something, but by accepting the rite, he had decided to remain silent, for the time being.

Holly knew she could tell him everything and he would have to stay silent.

It wouldn't be fair of her to do so, not when the Avengers needed to trust one another.

"Asgard withdrew from earth," Holly started, "Wizardkind followed their example. We withdrew and in the end, became little more than stories. We had to, for everybody's safety."

"You broke the sacred oath?" Thor asked, a dark look crossing his face.

"Our accounts say your father broke it first. He did not just break the oath, he broke the rite, and he lied and betrayed us."

"It cannot be as you say," Thor rebuked, "Asgard has protected the nine realms from all threats."

Holly didn't say anything, the shared history between Wizardkind and Asgard wasn't necessary, and she hadn't been alive then to say what happened with any certainty.

"They are our accounts. Only Asgardians are alive to say what truly happened. But it isn't the point, the point is the magical world is hidden and has been for centuries," Holly continued, "There are certain individuals within the governments from across the world that are aware of our existence, and it has been agreed that it is best to keep both worlds separate."

"That does not explain your presence here," Thor pointed out.

"Hydra knows about the Wizarding World Thor, and it has been taking our children," Holly answered.

Realisation crossed Thor's face giving away to thundering anger. A gust of wind picked up a loose stray hair before letting it fall. Black thick clouds seemed to appear out of nowhere, and Holly could taste the rain on her tongue.

Lightning flashed across the sky and thunder rumbled a warning that the heavens were about to open any second.

Holly grabbed Thor's arm without thinking, a jolt of power shot through her body.

"Don't you dare," she warned, letting her own anger burn in her eyes.

Now wasn't the time to lose control. Now wasn't the time for anger, anger while useful could make you make mistakes, and neither of them could afford that.

"Reel it back in Thor."

Holly could see it was an effort, and effort for him to let go of the storm, but Thor did it. Returning the sky over New York City to the calm it was minutes ago, if somewhat darker.

The clouds didn't vanish exactly, but they no longer threatened to unleash their fury onto the unsuspecting world.

Thor's eyes told a different story, he may have leashed his fury for the time being, but it was still there, crashing across his blue eyes.

"They dare?"

Holly nodded, "I'm here to stop Hydra and not reveal the magical world if I can help it. I am here to save as many of those children that I can."

Thor took his hand in hers, "I, Thor, Prince of Asgard give you my promise and my oath that I will aid you in stopping Hydra and saving the magical children. Your burdens and struggles are my own. You have my life, and the might of Mjolnir."

Each word he said carried across the air, settling into their skins where their hands joined, magic binding them in a way that the Rite of Strangers to Friends would never be able to accomplish. Holly had not been expecting it. Had not expected the understanding and the anger on their behalf from another.

Had her time with Hydra and the last three years hunting them made her so cynical about the world when years fighting Voldemort had not?

The words that followed perhaps weren't the smartest she had ever uttered but they were real and right. Holly trusted her instincts at this moment, and they were guiding her.

"I Holly Jamie Potter accept your promise and your oath and give you my own. Your burdens and struggles are my own. Your battles are my battles."

Magic settled over them, and they let go of each hand. Holly dropped the privacy ward confident that Thor wouldn't talk about magic.

Whatever the consequences of taking such an oath with the Prince of Asgard, then Holly would accept them. Though one thing she was sure of. She hadn't broken the Statute of Secrecy, not when Thor already knew about the magical world.

Of course, if she didn't survive tonight or the fight against Hydra, worrying about the laws she was breaking was irrelevant because she would be dead either way.

"Tell me, Holly, how did you come into possession of the Hollows and in turn Master them."

Holly blinked in surprise, she really hadn't expected that question.

"It's complicated, and not something I talk about," she replied, "How did you know?"

"I can hear their song. I can feel their power, your power."

Holly turned to look at him, "I don't understand."

"You don't hear the song?" he asked, looking down at her, his eyes widening in surprise.

She shook her head.

"I cannot explain it, you will know when you hear their song. Just as I learned to hear Mjolnir's song."

Holly threw him a look, it didn't make sense, but if Thor could sense the Hollows, then she needed to tackle shielding them sooner rather than later.

The last thing she needed was other people to be able to sense them.


XXX


The slow build-up before a mission always left a jittery energy crackling beneath her skin.

Pre-mission jitters.

Over the years she had found different ways to deal with it.

Listening to loud music while she got ready, running over last minute details of the plans with her team, or finding a quiet spot to silently prepare for the oncoming battle.

To soothe the frantic note in her pulse and direct it in a more beneficial direction.

But then Holly always found it was the quiet where her mind raced and thoughts churned, but the heat of a battle she was calm as the sea could be.

Holly had no say in the plans for tonight, no control over the movements. She wasn't the leader, she wasn't in charge. She was one of the people that needed to wait for orders and follow orders.

It left her feeling odd, like a loose part just waiting for the time and the place to be useful again.

It was an unusual position for her to be in, and while she had no problem relinquishing the position of leader, Holly couldn't remember a time in her life where people didn't look to her for direction, for the next cause of action.

It was why she had opted to retreat to her guest room to silently run through possible scenarios where it would be acceptable for her to use magic.

It was a short list, but Holly felt it was better to be prepared than caught unaware.

It was that train of thought that had her currently gathering the items she would be taking out in the field with her.

The Indivisibility Cloak she had had since she was eleven, now no longer needed to be on her person whenever she ventured out, much like the other two members of a triad Holly didn't like to think about, it answered her call when she summoned it.

Even so, she folded it neatly into the pouch on her Auror's Utility belt. She carefully added various magical items and Weasleys Wizard Wheezes products that she knew were useful in a fight.

Holly eyed the one-piece suit currently lying on her bed once she was done. Natasha claimed it was standard issue tactical gear SHIELD had used when she had dropped it off along with the other exciting goodies that Holly had neatly lain out on the bed.

If she was going, to be honest, the goodies held her interest far more than the one-piece suit did, and she couldn't help but wonder whether she would be able to sneak on her dragon hide Auror robes instead.

Somehow Holly knew, resistance was futile in this instant, and somewhat reluctantly changed.

The one-piece clung to her body like a second skin.

It may have flattered her figure, emphasising the curves and the muscles she had but Holly could see that its design was for function, not fashion.

The material was flexible enough that she could move and stretch without fear; it would rip at the seams. Despite the appearance of being uncomfortable, the material wasn't as itchy as it appeared and was a lot lighter than she had thought it was. The high collar offered protection on her neck without the feeling of confinement.

Glancing back down at the bed at the final piece, before she added the utility belts, Holly frowned slightly before picking it up.

An extra vest, slightly padded and with more straps and fastens than she cared for.

"It's a bullet proof vest. Stark's design for Natasha so it fits with the SHIELD tactical gear she is used to wearing."

Holly glanced over her shoulder to the door, where Bucky hovered outside the threshold. She hadn't bothered to shut the door after Romanoff had left.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Just now," he answered, "Do you need a hand?"

"As long as it's not too much trouble, I haven't got a clue how this is meant to fasten."

Bucky stepped into her room, giving a sweep of it as he did.

Holly had no doubt he had clocked every little detail as he did so, and she was grateful that she had already packed up her magical items.

It wrapped around her, fastening across her shoulders and back. With Bucky's help she was able to adjust it into place so it was tight enough not to get in the way when she moved, but not too constricting so she couldn't breathe.

"It's not as bulky as I thought it would be," she said, rolling her shoulders to ensure she had full movement.

"It's not supposed to be. It will stop a bullet, and the material will keep you safe from knives and most shrapnel."

Holly nodded, glancing up at Bucky. He was watching her closely as he adjusted the strap on her left shoulder.

"Are you nervous about tonight?" he asked slowly.

"It would be a lie if I said no. But I can't allow myself to focus too much on it," she answered honestly, glancing downwards, "I give myself a set amount of time to worry before I lock it away. For the next, however many hours nothing else matters."

"Feel the fear, but do it anyway."

"Something like that," she said, her lips twitching slightly. "I've been in so many situations where my life is in danger that I've grown a little desensitised to it."

She wetted her lip absently. Bucky stayed quiet as she carried on.

"The nervous is always about the people I'm with, in making sure I do everything in my power to bring them back home alive. Even when I know how good they are themselves, I need to do everything in my power to bring them back home."

She paused for a moment, her thoughts running away with her, "The last time I was with a team I failed to do that. And everyone else paid the price."

Bucky's fingers touched her chin, lifting it up until their gazes met.

Understanding shone in his eyes.

"That wasn't your fault. You couldn't have predicted what happened."

Holly swallowed the lump in her throat.

He didn't even know the full details of what had happened, and he was so sure she wasn't to blame.

He continued, "That's the problem with surviving. The doubts, the 'what if I had done that differently?' or 'would that have made a difference?' you end up with the weight of the ghosts of everyone you've ever left behind riding your shoulders."

"I have a lot of ghosts," Holly admitted.

"Then I guess we are both haunted," he said softly.

"I'll call the exorcist."

"I thought it was Ghostbusters you needed to call?"

Holly smiled slightly, "Really, that is a film you have caught up on?"

Bucky snorted, "They have film nights at least once a month, if not more, the first couple of months were...hellish. I couldn't remember who I was or even why I had shown up here, but sometimes watching the films I knew I hadn't seen, hadn't forgotten helped. Gave me something else to focus on. It still does."

"Baby steps."

"Baby steps," he admitted, his eyes never leaving hers.

In the grand scheme of things, nine months wasn't a long time to heal. Bucky seemed to be doing well, from what she could see, but she knew he still had a long way to go.

Both of them fell silent, and Holly was aware his fingers were still brushing her chin.

She took a step back, coughing slightly, "I should finish getting ready."

"We are meeting in the War Room in ten minutes," Bucky confirmed, she couldn't quite read his eyes and the bonds were still between them.

"I will be there."

He took a step back, pausing in his stride as he looked at her again.

"You ever going to tell me about those dangerous situations that have made you desensitised to when your life is in danger?" he asked, an eyebrow half raised.

She gave him a tight smile, "Not unless there is lots of alcohol involved, and even then, I make no promises."

He huffed in response, shaking his head and muttered something under his breath that Holly couldn't quite make out; though she was pretty sure she heard her name and Steve's lumbered together in some way.

Pushing it out of her mind, Holly picked up her Auror Utility belt and put it on.

The charms activated as soon as she fastened it blending seamlessly with the colours of her tactical gear. Hidden in plain sight, barely weighing a thing thanks to magic and storing more items than she would be able to fit in the muggle one.

Satisfied, she started loading the rest of her gear.

The utility belt Natasha gave her fitted at her waist, just below her wizard one. She clipped the leg holsters around each leg and carefully loaded the two I.C. that had been designated hers, along with extra capsules of the chemical compound that made people sleep, followed with already loaded magazines.

Zip tags, small stunners courtesy of Stark, along with a few other gadgets slotted into place.

Preferring her own blades, Holly had already had them authorised by Hill for use, and she tucked two of them into sleeves at the back of her Wizard belt, easy reach, along with two on each rest and two in each boot.

Overkill, perhaps, but Holly wanted to ensure she was as armed as she could be and a small part of her had grown fond in the last few years of bladed weapons.

They still didn't beat the comfort her wand had once it was in her hands, but she found them comforting.

She wasn't entirely sure what that said about her, and if she was honest, it wasn't something she wanted to pick at too much.

In fact, it firmly went in the box of things 'not to think about' under the layers of ice, just for added precaution.

Holly used the precious minutes she was in the lift, to slip even further into that part of her that was all battle, blood, death and violence.

Steeling her spine as ice and fire spread through her veins.

Her Auror mask in place by the time she was stepping into the War Room.


XXX


Madoc shifted on his feet.

It was the second time he had visited the Avengers Tower since his Commander had deemed it necessary to team up with them, and while he had spent many years amongst the No-Maj world, there was something about the Tower that made him uncomfortable.

He had no doubt that it was the sheer amount of technology that seemed to pulse and beat to its own tune within its walls that made him uncomfortable, nor did he doubt it was the feeling of being watched by an intelligence that had no actual body and yet seemed to control everything.

The Wizarding World always warned against such creations and the dangers that lurked with them.

Though he supposed tonight it wasn't just the Tower that was making him uncomfortable, nor the tasks that lay before him and the fact he had still not yet reported his involvement with the Avengers to his Captain.

Nor had he breathed a word about Holly Potter for the last week.

Madoc was still no closer to discovering the truth of why she was here, the small bits she had managed to give him had mentioned one word and one word only.

Hydra.

It only brought more questions than any actual answers, but still, he held his tongue, trusted his instincts and in turn, trusted Potter.

He just couldn't quite understand why.

No, Madoc realised that the real reason he was uncomfortable was the 6ft4 Asgardian standing on the opposite side of Captain America.

It was taking all of his will not to stare at him, not to give himself away and not to let his magic leak through.

His eyes darted to the door as Potter walked into the War Room.

He watched as she glanced around, meeting his gaze briefly before moving on.

She dressed the part.

Matching the Black Widow and the two other female agents that were in the room.

If he didn't know better, Madoc would have considered her a No-Maj has she stood next to two large men.

But he did know better.

Potter's face was unreadable, cold, not like ice, but something far colder.

Her eyes hard and yet he could see the shine of magic glistening in them, power swirling around her like a cloak.

He wondered if she realised it.

Realised that she was a maelstrom of swirling power that made the hair on his neck stand to attention and his magic reaching out to join in.

That being in her presence right now was like standing next to the sun, he wanted to take a step closer, to feel the warmth but knew if he did he would be burn and he wouldn't even care.

It was in that moment Madoc could understand why dark witches and wizards feared her.

Her whole persona radiated angry dragon, all claws, teeth and fire.

Potter was a predator, dangerous.

The poor No-Majs in the room couldn't feel the magic the same way he could, but they could feel something and from the side glances they threw her way and the shifting in their seats they could sense the impending doom without even realising it.

That basic human instinct that recognised danger even if it couldn't remember why it recognised it.

Potter was ready to do battle, and he almost pitied the poor bastards that crossed paths with her tonight.

If they were foolish enough to try, Madoc doubted they would get back up again.

He crossed his arms ignoring the moth to the flame mentality that seemed to have overridden his common sense in the swirling range of Potter's magic, and focused on a single spot in the far wall.

Madoc needed to be fully in control of his magic, to be aware of his actions, needed to focus.

Not wrapped up in the thrall of magic that was powerful enough his own was practically purring and basking being near it.

He darted a glance towards Thor, who didn't seem to have appeared to notice the swirl of magic that surrounded Potter or if he did, he was staying silent about it.

Potter was one of the last few stragglers to arrive, and as soon as Clint Barton stepped into the War Room, Captain America stood, taking everyone's attention.

"We have two objectives tonight. The first and most important is confiscating the Chitauri weapons before they hit the streets of New York. The second is to bring in any Hydra Agents we can alive, so we can discover where they are in the city, and what they are planning."

Madoc knew the bare bones of the plan. The Avengers hadn't wanted to divulge the full plan until the night, to minimise the risk of the information falling into enemy hands.

Something Madoc could understand, even if it made him and his fellow detectives' jobs harder.

The Commander had given him command on the ground tonight while he liaised with other departments should the need arise for more back up.

Madoc hoped it wouldn't come to that, hoped that it wouldn't be an all-out war on his streets.

They didn't have the same resources that the Avengers had; they couldn't always spring into action at a moment's notice, and they wouldn't be able to throw resources at it should this Opp go south.

"There are two locations so we will be splitting up into two teams," Captain America continued. As he spoke, images enlarged on the large screen to the side of him.

"Site one consists of warehouses, container terminals, piers and rail yard. Natasha is the Team Leader and Detective Graves will be directing his people. This is their area; they know it better than we do. Graves's people will be monitoring the situation on the outskirts, ensuring that all entrances and exits are covered."

That was something Madoc had known. His Commander had already prepared him and the rest of the team.

As Madoc focused on the room, he could see that they were already divided into the two teams, with each person standing or sitting on their appropriate side.

Madoc could admit he didn't know how they worked out who would go where, but he was surprised that Captain America wasn't leading the team at the largest location.

Potter he noted would be at Site 2 a large Container Terminal, along with four other agents and four Avengers.

Madoc listened as Captain America and in turn, Romanoff when she took to lay out the finer details of the plan.

Then it was his turn and everyone's attention shifted to him.

Madoc tried to remember how to breathe as he indicated on the map of the site where each of his detectives would be, along with specific locations on the site and what they would expect to find there.

Before he even realised it, the briefing had finished, and his fellow detectives were moving out.

Potter nodded her head and wished him good luck as he passed her which he returned in kind before he was following behind the rest and making his way towards his car.

Madoc couldn't shake the feeling that it was going to be a long night.


XXX


The silence stretched out in the van.

Each one of them gathering their thoughts as they mentally prepared themselves for what was to come.

Sam had been on enough missions for him to recognise the silence for what it was.

It was why he took the opportunity to observe Holly. Concern about her wellbeing, considering she was a civilian and they were for a better term leading her into battle.

He expected to see jittery nerves; he expected to see wandering eyes or an attempt to imitate the others that by all accounts had better training and more experiencing.

He did not expect to see perfect stillness.

He did not expect to see a calm serenity as she silently sat between Tank and Bucky.

He did not expect to see the look in her eyes.

It was the eyes that gave you away.

At least in Sam's opinion.

The eyes were the window into the soul.

Even after meeting the likes of Natasha, Clint, Maria, Fury and Tony, some of the best he had ever seen at masking their emotions they never quite managed to make their eyes lie for them. They would hold for a while, but eventually, something slipped through.

They were good, really good, but still hadn't quite managed to hide their eyes completely.

Maybe, just maybe Bucky was able to get his eyes to lie for him, but that was more down to the fact that it was rare to see his eyes showing anything but the stone-cold hard gaze he gave the world. Occasionally a twinkle of amusement would appear, or a spark of something, but mostly his eyes was just cold, haunted and lost.

The eyes always gave them away.

Holly was no different.

He had seen various things in Holly's eyes in the short time he had known her.

They sparkled with a playful glint to them as she bantered and smiled.

There was wildness and a light in her eyes that Sam couldn't even begin to understand and he doubted he ever would.

He had seen a woman too old before her time - jaded. All innocence, all faith in humanity lost. And it fitted with the scars he had seen yesterday littering her arms, shoulders, neck and back, with the description of the panic attack that Bucky had given him.

It fitted with the assumption that Holly's past was an ugly, violent nightmare.

Holly was an injured, lost soul and desperately trying to pretend she was okay. That everything was fine and nobody needed to worry, except Sam was worried. Even if he didn't really know her that well if she hadn't worked for the Avengers that long he was concerned. A worry that transcended the fact that she had the soulmarks of Steve and Bucky etched into her skin, he would be worried.

He was worried about Holly, for Holly's sake.

If Holly had walked into one of his meetings at the VA alarm bells would be ringing in his head.

She was good at hiding it, but she wasn't perfect, not by a long shot.

Tonight though, she had dead eyes.

Cold and empty.

Death and destruction in her to green, endless eyes that seemed to carry the weight of things he couldn't possibly begin to understand and was far more ancient than either of them. He sees a predator, someone, who is deadly and yet broken and in pain. But even beyond that, he sees something else entirely, an almost golden glow that seems to spark with the wonder and beauty of the universe that Sam can only say brought a sense of serenity to him.

But that wasn't possible.

It brought more questions than it did answers.

It made him pay attention to the other details.

The perfect stillness she held herself in, the way she had simply accepted the weight of her weapons at her side as if she was used to carrying weapons. The way she wasn't fidgeting like some of the others, others that Sam would have expected not to with their training.

She was a soldier.

He could see that now.

Holly had seen death; she had walked hand in hand with war.

The van drew to a stop and the two agents closest to the door slid it open and got it out, their weapons were drawn as they did the necessary sweep, signalling it was safe to leave the van.

A third agent moved, closely followed by Tank and Holly, before Bucky and he exited. Steve and Thor were already outside, each of them suited up, and scanning the area.

They had approached the Containment Terminal at its exit and would be entering through two metal gates.

Both Bucky and himself would be moving to the rooftops to give cover to the others, while Steve and Thor made their way towards the water and where they loaded the containers.

Holly, Tank and the others would be moving through the maze of containers inwards.

The hair on the back of his neck stood to attention and Sam had a horrible feeling that eyes were watching them, yet even with his combat goggles, he was unable to see any movement that would back that feeling.

"Alright, listen up everyone, we have our objective," Steve started, looking at all of them in turn, "If there are weapons here, they don't leave the Terminal to be sold on the streets, if we can take any Hydra Agents then that's what we will do. Keep your eyes open, stay in communication and stay safe."

They all nodded their understanding.

"Alright then, let's move out. Tank, Daniels take point, move to the gate. We will wait for confirmation from Wilson and Barnes that they are in position until we move forward."

Tank and Daniels took the front, weapons out and slowly moved forward. Holly followed closely, before the final two agents moved forward, leaving Thor and Steve to bring up the rear.

Steve gave both Bucky and him a nod, and together the two of them moved out.

"Don't drop me, birdbrain," Bucky warned him.

"Don't tempt me," Sam sniped back before his wings extended and the jetpack sparked to life.

Gripping Bucky's underarms he pushed them both into the air until they reached the desired building Bucky had claimed as his own.

Sam dropped Bucky off, before moving to his own spot, enjoying the few seconds he had in the air, before bringing himself to a stop and perched himself on the edge of the building.

He scanned the area.

The combat goggles allowing him telescopic and microscopic vision.

He gave a second sweep of the area before he was satisfied that he could detect no movement.

"You're good to go, Cap," Sam confirmed.

Seconds later, Bucky confirmed from his position that all was clear.

He watched Steve and Thor move forward first, the others following behind them, before branching out singly down the many paths the Containment Terminal offered.


XXX


Holly crept forward.

Pressing herself against a metal shipping container, using it to blend even further into the shadows as much as she could as well as using it as a guide as to when to stop.

She scanned every shadow, every gloomy corner with every step she took.

Her heartbeat a soothing rhythm, her breathing calm and steady as she focused on her task.

She paused every so often, listened to the confirmation over the Comms from the others that they had yet to find anything before moving forward once again.

"I'm at container 282, all clear so far," she whispered over the Comms, using the numbers on each side to mark her progress. Holly waited the few precious seconds needed while she carefully glanced around the corner of the container.

"You're clear in both directions, Potter," Bucky confirmed.

"Affirmative."

Holly took a step forward, pushing around the container and continuing on her path.

She, along with Tank and three others were currently moving inwards sweeping the ground for any sign of Hydra agents, the shipment or potential buyers. Bucky and Sam guiding them the best they could while still covering Steve and Thor's asses who were moving their own path towards the water and the heart of the Terminal.

It was slow going, and Holly wasn't sure whether she should feel grateful that they had so far not come across anyone at the location.

Or that there was no sign of the weapons.

Pressing onwards, she cleared another four paths, communicating briefly over the Comms but otherwise staying silent, while she worked.

The Container Terminal was a maze of containers, ranging from two high to four.

Holly knew in comparison to some of the other Terminals they could have been searching this was a relatively small one, but it was still a large amount of ground to cover.

It set her teeth on edge.

She felt exposed, despite the fact the containers towered over her.

Even with Bucky and Sam covering from high, they still had blind spots, and couldn't see anyone hidden between the containers. Those on the ground were equally blind to any surprises lying in wait.

It was the perfect place to set up an ambush, which was probably why they had chosen it as a possible shipment location.

Holly drew to a stop at the end of a container, and waited.

The seconds ticked by and her stomach knotted and still she didn't reach out over the Comms.

Her eyes narrowed as she glanced in both directions, ensuring the shadows blended around her.

Something didn't feel right.

The hair on the back of her neck was stood to attention.

"I'm at container 320," she whispered.

Her heart took a beat, and then another.

Holly frowned.

Opened her mouth to repeat, before the sound of Bucky's voice cut across her.

"All clear."

"Are the others okay?" she asked.

"They are keeping in communication, and so far haven't seen any sign of anything."

Holly hesitated.

"Something doesn't feel right."

"You aren't the only one getting that impression."

Holly nodded to herself, before continuing forward.

Darting across the open space into another section of towering containers.

Cold slithered across her shoulders, down the length of her spine to her stomach. As if she had just had ice-cold water thrown over her.

Holly shivered frowning as she caught the faintest of sounds.

Turning, she glanced in the direction she had just come from, her eyes narrowing as she let the seconds tick by.

Nothing.

Holly turned on her heel, continuing forward.

Pausing as she caught the sound for a second time.

Without thinking about it, she slipped the Comms out of her ear, let it dangle down and strained her ears to truly listen as she carried on the pretence of moving.

Darting her gaze behind her every so often.

The sound followed her.

It was behind her, holding back, pausing when she did, moving when she did.

Holly glanced over her shoulder, nobody was behind her, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that there was.

It left one option, at least in her opinion.

A witch or wizard had entered the playing field, and they were currently following her.

She moved forward a little further, taking her time, all the while listening.

Now that she was focusing on the possibilities of a magical problem, Holly was able to distinguish what the sound was.

Somebody had forgotten to silence their shoes.

It was ironic really; such a simple thing would give them away.

Holly wasn't sure if it was a rookie mistake or arrogance, though if she was going to place a bet, she would put her money on arrogance.

If she was a muggle, it wouldn't have mattered.

But she wasn't, and that put the advantage in her court.

Sort of.

Holly kept her pace steady.

Her Auror mask hardening around her as she prepared for battle with a witch or wizard because there was no mistake it was a witch or wizard that was currently following her.

Her wand slipped out of the wand holster, remaining out of sight beneath the sleeve of her top.

She kept as close to the container as she could, following it to the end and around the corner.

As soon as she was out of sight, she non-verbally cast a Disillusionment Charm and Silencing charm and waited.

Counting the beats of her heart in her head.

Her eyes scanning her environment around her.

Neither Bucky nor Sam would be able to see her from where she was, and as long as she was quick and efficient, she would be able to take care of the Witch or Wizard quickly with minimal fuss.

She wouldn't reveal magic to the others.

A container's doors lay half-open directly in front of her, if she could manoeuvre them into position, she would be able to hide them in the container until she could hand them over to Graves to deal with.

The last thing she wanted was to bring MACUSAs attention onto her.

Holly wanted to avoid that for as long as possible.

The sound of the shoes drew level with her and then moved two or three steps forward.

Even knowing that they were there, she couldn't see them, which meant that she would need to end whatever spell they were using to conceal them if she wanted to be on target.

She couldn't afford to make a mistake.

Holly slipped through her icy shields, reached for the swirling vortex of power that seemed to live at the heart of her.

Fire and ice.

Shadows and darkness.

Power rippled across her skin as she reached, letting only a trickle through the crack of her shields.

Stretching her senses outward.

The shadows stirred and reached.

The pulsing beat of life glowed in front of her, standing out in the darkness that surrounded them.

Holly could make out their figure, a dimmer red light attempting to mask them.

Disillusionment Charm.

Kill, they purred.

No.

The voice was always there, whenever she let a little power trickle through, whenever she reached further. A door had been unlocked deep inside of her and Holly wasn't sure she could ever close it. But with that power came other things, things Holly didn't want to think about.

Though she couldn't deny the benefits either, like feeling and sensing the lives of those around her, like sensing and tasting death when it was on the air.

Or seeing the magic in a way she had never been able to do before.

At least it wasn't an invisibility spell.

They were far harder to break.

Holly raised her wand.

Waited for them to move a few steps further in front, before springing into action.

Non-verbally she cast, the Counter Spell, their Disillusionment Charm dissolving around them. Before they had a chance to react, she followed through with the Disarming Charm, Silencing Charm.

Another quick flurry of wand movements and non-verbal spells had her opponent bound tight, stuck to the inside of the walls of the container while she lit the place up.

Her eyes narrowed as she took in the sight of him.

Large brown eyes were wide with surprise and furry as they glared at her.

Shaggy brown hair framed his youthful face, and if Holly was going to hazard a guess, he couldn't be much older than twenty.

Twenty-three at a push, but she was confident no older.

Cancelling the Silencing spell on him, to allow him to answer her questions, she met his gaze with her own and gave him her best, 'I'm not impressed' look.

"What is your name?"

He hissed at her.

Holly cocked an eyebrow at him.

She didn't have time to waste, not if there were other Witches and Wizards out on the field.

As good as the others were if they couldn't see their enemy, the odds would be against them.

Especially when that enemy had magic on their side.

"Consider this your one chance. You can answer my questions, or I can take the answers from your mind."

He snarled something at her that she couldn't quite make out.

Shoving the wriggling worming guilt that was currently burrowing its way into her stomach, Holly moved forward, gripped his hair in her hands and pulled his head up, so their eyes connected.

She dove deep into the Wizard's mind, meeting little resistance. Out of the two of them, she had the stronger will, the determination and sense of urgency driving her forward.

His name was Daniel Jennings, and he was a muggle-born wizard and had been taken by Hydra twelve years ago. Jennings saw it more of a liberation than a kidnapping. He had survived the experiments that Holly knew Hydra performed on the children; he was one of the stronger ones.

Her stomach twisted and churned as she witnessed his training, and the startling revelation that Hydra was working with a group of Witches and Wizards and not on their own, and it appeared to be for far longer than she had anticipated.

Jennings wasn't one of the lost children, not anymore, he was fully converted, he was loyal, Jennings believed in the cause though he worked more with the group of witches and wizards. A group Jennings was fighting her tooth and nail to keep hidden, he did end up revealing that there were currently ten witches and wizards at each location.

Hidden beneath Disillusionment charms ready and waiting for the signal to take out the Avengers.

Along with Hydra Agents.

As were two large shipments of the weapons.

"Fuck!" Holly snapped as she pulled back.

It was a trap.

It was a goddamn fucking trap.

Jennings smirked at her.

"How many Agents are there?" She snarled at him.

"Enough to wipe them out. Even with a witch of their own, you aren't enough," he spat at her.

"You have no idea who I fucking am, or what I am capable of," she warned.

And he didn't, that much was evident when she had been in his mind. Jennings had no clue as to who she was, and that was the advantage she would need right now.

"Doesn't matter, the Greater Good will prevail."

Holly froze, her blood running cold.

The Greater Good.

The Greater Good.

Words that the Wizarding World hadn't heard spoken for over seventy years.

Words she knew.

Gellert Grindelwald's words.

His mantra.

Her mind raced and whirled.

She reached for the Comms, placing it back in her ear.

"Captain! Sergeant! Wilson! Tank! It's a trap," she hurried, "I repeat, it's a trap. They are waiting for us."

Static sounds greeted her in return.

The Comms were out.

Jennings laughed.

"You can't save them all. You can't save any of them."

Holly narrowed her eyes at him, "I would say watch me, but you aren't going to remember a goddamn thing."

She pointed her wand at him and cast the Memory Charm. If he somehow found his way back to his people before she could deliver him to Graves, then she didn't want him to tell Hydra the Avengers had a witch on their team.

At least not yet.

Using the I.C.E.R she fired a shot at him, knocking him out for a couple of hours.

Holly stepped out of the container, glancing in both directions, her pulse racing.

She needed to move quickly.

She could hopefully cover enough ground here to deal with the witches and wizards that hid under Disillusionment Charms, though it left the other team at a disadvantage.

Unless.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The familiar silvery stag of her Patronus leapt forward.

"Graves, witches and wizards are working with Hydra. It's a trap. It's a trap."

Focusing on Graves in her mind's eye, Holly sent her Patronus away, searching for the Wizard in question, hoping that it would reach him in time.

The Comms were down; she had no way of warning the others that they were currently walking into a trap.

Except she could warn Bucky and Steve.

Opening herself to the bonds, she reached for them, sending the pulsing alarm through the bonds she shared with them both.

It's a trap!

It's a trap!

Using the bonds to guide her to where they were, Holly pushed herself forward, not caring to be quiet as she raced towards the nearest of them.

Casting her senses ahead of her, searching for the enemy wizards and witches.

And any of the others.

Her mind whirling with possible ideas in how she was going to tackle this head on.

All the while Holly ran.

The shadows whirling around her, carrying her forward, as they stretched, searched and hunted for all that would stand in her way.


I was having difficulty uploading this chapter on the site, so ended up doing it a different way. Please let me know if anything seems out of place with the format and hopefully I will be able to upload the usual way without errors to fix any problems.

Thank you