"Later, Draco. We're supposed to seeing to Prince Thor's contract." Harry reminded the blonde.
"Hmph…" Draco snorted but faced Odin's throne. "Greetings, Odin, King of Asgard."
"Greetings, friends. Pray, tell me your names and allow us to retire to a more… informal… setting." Odin replied.
Draco nodded and repeated his introduction from earlier and explained about the contract that they were there to negotiate. He watched as Odin nodded and stood.
"Let us retire to my office, we can review this contract and amend any details, as needed."
The three men… well, two men and a God, who was going to be treated as a man… emerged from blackness of the Veil and into the bright light of the island's gardens. This caused Harry and Draco to blink in surprise, the Veil had been housed in the Department of Mysteries when they'd left, who had moved it and why?
"Heya, Harry. Malfoy." Colin still had trouble being friendly with Draco, there were so many memories of the blonde casting hexes and jinxes at him and his brother, at Hogwarts.
"Colin? What happened?" Harry said, sighing as he did.
"Well, Sirius is the only one that can use the Veil and the Unspeakables didn't want him traipsing through the DoM, anytime he felt like it." Colin replied.
"So…? They did what?"
"So, they went over my research and after shaking their heads at it and saying that it shouldn't work, even though it does, they decided that the easiest thing to do was to give the Veil to the Initiative." Sirius said, from where he sat, off to the left. "I have to train a couple of their people, in how I use it. I think they want to try and recreate the thing."
"Huh…" Harry grunted. "Where is everyone?"
"You took longer than expected, pup." Sirius said. "We kind of expected a few hours, not six days. People had things to do. Hermione went with Astoria and Andi to check on Daphne, she's not handling pregnancy well. Fury called Coulson and borrowed Clint for a few days, his scientists are not playing well together and he wants to know why. Darcy and Jane had a thing in Tromsø, something to do with… particle excitement and the frequency and fluidity of neutrons intercepting them…? I think…?" Sirius said.
"And we hadn't told Jane why we wanted her here." Draco nodded.
"Yup." Sirius sighed. "Science! wins over a pretty garden."
"Every time." Harry nodded.
They'd barely taken a step towards the house, when Bucky came out.
"We have a situation." He called. "Loki's back and he's got some sort of staff thing that can imperius people."
"What? Where?" Harry asked.
"Fury's Pegasus site." Bucky answered as reached he them. "But not just the staff, it seems like someone needs to have words with Fury, he had the tesseract. Had. Loki has it now. Along with Eric and Clint."
"I am going to hit someone." Harry growled.
"Oh, it gets worse." Bucky said.
"Why am I just now, finding out about this?" Sirius asked.
"Because you were busy moving the Veil and we can't actually do anything other make plans and your plans tend to go haywire, pretty damn quick." Bucky gave Sirius a quick kiss to soften the blow of his words. "But now… it's all hands on-deck. Steve, Bruce and Tony have gone to Fury's helicarrier, the one off of Nantucket, for a briefing. Initially, we thought this was just an Avengers-type incident but add Loki in and listening to Fury's description of what he did to Clint and Eric and it's turning out to be an Initiative-wide, World-wide emergency. Even the ICW have been in contact. If we need to, the Statute comes down over this."
"Excuse me?!" Draco squawked.
"The ICW are ready for the Statute to drop if we need it." Bucky repeated. "We have permission to act publicly."
"Oh, crap…" Harry muttered. "How long have we got?"
"Steve, Tony, Bruce, Phil and Nat are getting a briefing from Fury, right about now." Bucky replied.
"Right." Harry nodded. "With Phil not here, Draco and I are the most senior Strike Team Leaders. Draco? You want this?"
"Oh, hell no." Draco objected. "I can run a Strike Team but I've got no experience running large groups. You ran the D.A. at Hogwarts and you run most of the training camps, now. This is your call."
Harry narrowed his eyes and studied Draco but it appeared that the blonde wasn't being snarky or sarcastic.
"Right." Harry took a deep breath. "If the ICW think that the Statute might need to fall over this, it's bad." He turned to Bucky and Sirius. "Call in the frontline teams and all the healers we can get, plus all the trainees, including those at Hogwarts. Alert St. Mungo's and have them alert all the other magical hospitals. Alert Snape, we're going to need all the potions available and probably as many as we can get worldwide. Get everyone suited and armed. Thor, you're with me, I had hoped that we would get a chance for you to get settled in but it seems your brother has other ideas." He started towards the cottage that he shared with his wife and kids, before pausing. "I also want every Team leader to have a pair of suppression cuffs, we might need them for Loki."
"I am armed and at your command." Thor hefted Mjolnir but followed Harry into the cottage.
"Mione? Any more details?"
"Not for the last twelve hours." Hermione replied, cutting the last of a large pile of sandwiches. "Grab a couple and go get changed. I stocked up your potions and checked the guns." She paused. "I think this might be why Albus insisted that you claim the Elder Wand. Going up against a God…? You're going to need it."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, love." Harry replied in an amused voice.
"I don't doubt your skills for a second, Harry, I know what you can do." Hermione said. "But I don't know what Loki can do."
"True." Harry nodded, grabbing a sandwich and taking a large bite. "Grab sandwich, Thor, while I get changed."
Harry crossed the room to a door that seemed to lead outside but when he opened the door, it clearly lead to a small room. A room that Thor couldn't see, could exist. The door was against the cottage's external wall and there was a window on each side of it that gave a view of a pretty garden. The door should have lead outside but it didn't. Harry stood in the middle of the door and flicked a wand into his hand. Another flick and his clothes swapped with a steel grey outfit that had hung on the back of the door, a second flick had weapons floating from shelves and into holsters spread about his body. The last thing he did was reach out and take down a false panel above the door and retrieve a pale wand with knobby lumps down its length and insert it into a holster on his forearm.
"Ready to go." Harry took another deep breath before turning to his wife and just looking at her.
"I know…" She smiled, she knew that look.
Harry nodded and after glancing at Thor, grabbed another sandwich and left the cottage, the blonde God on his heels.
"Where do we go, now?" Thor asked.
"Mission control." Harry said as he reached out and clasped Thor's arm.
A tight squeezing sensation and the view around the m changed. They were inside a massive room and Harry headed for a raised stage.
"Alright, updates?" He asked Colin, who was shuffling sheets of parchment.
Before Colin could do more than look up, a strident beeping noise silenced the room.
"That's the Director's alarm." Colin pushed himself to his feet.
"And!" Harry yelled. "Phil's alarm's gone off. Can you and Colin deal with that?"
"On it, boss." Colin leapt from the stage and ran to Andi's side, two exchanged looks, nodded and vanished.
A second or two later, Natasha's 'help!' alarm went off and Harry looked to Dennis.
"Loki was captured in… somewhere in Germany, Strassußrg, I think."
"That's in France, Dennis." Harry corrected.
"Then, I've no idea. Somewhere in Germany, that much I know for certain, more than that? I'm blind. But that was a few hours ago, they've brought him back to the helicarrier, since then. I know nothing more than that." The younger Creevey brother said.
"Right." Harry turned to the room. "Listen up!" He called. "I'm going to apparate to Natasha and try and get an update. Be ready to go. Draco and Dennis will tell you everything we know, to this point. I'll send a Patronus when I know more." A lot of 'yes, sir's' and 'got it's' echoed around the room and Harry once more reached out and clasped Thor's arm. "Until I know exactly what's going on, you're staying with me."
"As you say." Thor closed his fingers around Harry's arm and waited for the squeezing sensation to fade before drawing his next breath.
"Nat?" Harry called quietly.
"Here." She was right behind him. "I got Clint but Loki did something to him."
"Let me see." Harry cast a diagnostic charm and huffed. "Imperius or one of its brothers."
"Can you break it?" Natasha asked.
"There's only one to break it from the outside, other than killing the caster." Harry grimaced.
"And that is?"
"Someone else has to cast it on him. Someone stronger."
"Who is stronger than Loki?" Thor asked.
"There's a chance…" Harry pulled out the knobbly wand.
"The Elder Wand?" Natasha asked.
"It's worth a shot. Isn't it?" Harry asked.
"Yes." Natasha nodded. "As his Initiative emergency proxy, I give Harry Potter permission to cast the imperius on Clint Barton." She stepped aside.
"Thanks, Nat." Harry drew in a deep breath and focused on Clint and wanting to overpower the existing curse. "Imperius." He spoke calmly and quietly, confident in his skill. A shimmer of silver settled over Clint's head and the electric blue of his eyes brightened into white before fading back to his natural light green. Harry smiled and spoke again. "Finite incantatem." The shimmer faded and Clint shook his head.
"That sucked." Clint groaned.
"You alright, there?"
"I will be." Clint nodded. "I fought him, managed to mute the worst of it but I couldn't kick him out, not completely. He was too strong."
"You fought him, Clint." Harry said.
"If you hadn't fought, hundreds would have died. As it was, less than ninety died and only one of those is on you." Natasha said.
"Henry Redmond." Clint said. "Yeah, I got no problems with him dying, he's was on S.H.I.E.L.D's shit list long before I joined them." He went into the adjoining bathroom to wash his face.
"I figured that."
The door to the treatment room opened and Steve stood in the space, he looked around the room before focusing on Natasha. "Time to go."
"Go where?" Natasha asked.
"Tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?"
Clint walked out of the bathroom, drying his hands. "I can."
Steve looked at Harry and Harry nodded firmly.
"Got ya suit?"
"Yeah."
"Then suit up." Steve ordered and walked away.
Odin's fury had the ground under the Royal Palace shaking, causing many Asgardians to run for cover, while Harry sighed and cast a protective shield around Frigga and himself and let Odin get it out of his system.
"All done, now?" Harry asked the still glaring king.
"Who would dare…?!" Odin growled.
"Loki called him Thanos." Harry said. "It seems that he's under the impression that he's courting Death. Like literally… courting, wooing, flirting, with intent to impress."
"Hela would not-"
"Not Hela, Death." Harry corrected. "Hela is the Queen of the dead, she is not Death."
"You're… you're talking of… Death... The manifestation of… Death itself?" Frigga asked.
"That's what he thinks." Harry nodded.
Odin realised that Harry wasn't as concerned as it was expected he would be. "And what do you think?"
"I think he's screwed." Harry's smile was cheeky.
"How? Why?" Frigga asked.
"Have you ever heard the tale of the Deathly Hallows?" Harry asked.
"The Gifts of Death?" Frigga asked.
"That's the one."
"It is but a children's tale." Odin added.
Harry reached into his extended pocket and pulled out a handful of what seemed like nothing, only to fling his hands out in a swirling motion and vanish. Or at least vanish from the neck down.
"The Invisibility Cloak." He said, quietly.
He lift the Elder Wand and cast a small spell.
"The Elder Wand."
He held out his right hand, showing a dull brown stone surrounded by goblin silver, on his ring finger.
"The Resurrection Stone."
"Oh, norns protect us…" Frigga whispered.
"Or… that's what the legend says."
"The legend says?" Odin frowned.
"The goblins of Gringotts have tested each of these items and have declared them man-made." Harry said.
"But… the legends have been… I heard them when I was but a child…" Odin said.
"True." Harry nodded. "I don't think these are the original Hallows, but made to represent them."
"Then why would you raise them, now?" Frigga asked.
"Because of the legends." Harry said. "Legends always have some basis in fact. So, we can assume, that at some point in time, there were actually three items created by Death to find the one They would call Master. Right?"
"Correct." Odin nodded, not knowing where Harry was taking this conversation.
"How do does myth become fact? How does one become a God without being born one?" Both Odin and Frigga frowned at Harry's questions. "The answer is simple. Belief." Odin and Frigga's frowns grew deeper. "The Master of Death is the one who gains His Hallows. The Wand by conquest, the Ring by death and Cloak by love." The pair nodded. "If I were to shield my face and walk out into the city with the Cloak draped over one shoulder, holding the Wand in my right hand, a hand that clearly bears the Ring? Your people would instantly recognise me as the Master of Death."
Both Odin and Frigga caught their breaths.
"So would Thanos." Frigga said.
"So would anyone following him." Odin nodded.
"And…?" Harry drew the question out.
"And you need the permission of someone's Master, before you can court them." Frigga's eyes widened.
"Precisely." Harry grinned. "And kidnapping a prince of an allied nation and forcing them to attack a planet under my direct protection, is not the way to gain my approval."
"Oh, sweet stars in the heavens…" Frigga sighed. "There's two of them…"
"Excuse me?" Harry frowned.
"You and Loki." Frigga huffed another sigh. "You are cut from the same cloth. Mischief makers, the pair of you."
"Oh, it's worse than that." Harry laughed. "My godfathers and two of my mates are just as bad." Harry paused. "Actually, I think most of us at the Initiative are pretty good at the underhanded pranking, thing."
"Oh, no…" Frigga leant into Odin's shoulder and shook her head. "I don't want to know, don't tell me anything more."
"Okay…" Harry drew the word out over a few seconds. "But Thanos?"
"He'll be after the Stones." Odin said.
"Stones?"
"The Infinity Stones." Odin replied. "There are six of them. Mind, Space, Reality, Power, Time and Soul. With them, Thanos would control the entirety of life in the universe."
"Hmm…" Harry hummed. "Well, we'd better stop him from getting them. Where are they?"
"What you call the Tesseract, holds the Space Stone, while the sceptre that Loki used on Midgard, held the Mind Stone. The rest are… spread out across the known universe, in unknown locations."
"But he needs all six together? Right?" Harry asked.
"Yes."
"And I'm guessing that destroying a Stone is a bad thing. End of the universe bad." It was not a question.
"Yes." Odin nodded.
"Then our only option is to hide them."
"We could send them to the Collector, I suppose." Odin said.
"No." Harry objected. "If your first thought is the Collector, then it's likely that Thanos will think of them, too. No, we need something a little more secure…"
"What are you thinking?" Frigga tilted her head in question.
"I'm thinking… a hidden space, something that requires a certain number of people to access."
"And what if one of those people were to die?" Odin asked.
"Not a specific group of people but a… no… yes… Hmm…." Harry started but cut himself off. "A set number of people from a larger selection of specifically named people. And me."
"And if you were to die?" Frigga asked.
"I hold the Hallows." Harry said. "I am Death's Master. I won't die until I choose to."
"Ah…" Odin grimaced.
"That's what the legend says and that's what I'm basing my understanding on." Harry explained.
"But the items you hold aren't the original Hallows." Frigga argued.
"Do they have to be? If you identify them as the Hallows and anyone who sees them, identifies them as the Hallows…?" Harry grinned.
"Oh, norns…" Frigga muttered.
"And where would this hidden space be?" Odin asked. "The Tesseract and its Space Stone should not return to Earth."
"I agree." Harry said. "It can stay here, on Asgard."
"In this… hidden space?" Frigga asked.
"Yep." Harry nodded. "I can set up a dimensional pocket hidden behind an item, an everyday item, that only a Hogwarts wizard can access." He paused. "No, not a Hogwarts wizard, an Initiative wizard. Maybe… a Strike Team member? Or a Healer?"
"Why not name both positions?" Odin suggested.
"Hmm…" Harry began to pace back and forth in front of Odin's throne. "I might be able to tie access to their positions… but I'd have to make it… an Oath?... it can't just be… so maybe… but then…" His broken muttering went on for a number of minutes, before he conjured a desk, parchment, quill and ink. Then he leant over the desk scribbling line after line of rough letters and symbols.
It took minutes before Harry straightened, arching his back with his arms over his head, to release the tension from his muscles.
"You have something?" Odin questioned, looking up from the game of… chess(?)… that he was playing with Frigga.
"Yeah." Harry stretched his jaw so wide that it cracked. "A sealed container, inside a small wizard space, inside a sealed trunk, shrunk to fit inside a hole in an item. I'm thinking behind a piece of jewellery. Something worn every day."
Frigga's eyes lit up. "I know just the thing…" She smiled.