CHAPTER 2

Seeker reappeared on the Helicarrier, file in his hand. He had already read the mission briefing documents but there was nothing about his teammates. Fury was cooking something and he didn't like it one bit. He was the true embodiment of a Slytherin. Salazar would be peeing for his excitement to teach him. And the fact that he was reassigned to a team that answered only to him was fishy at best. Curse the grumpy pirate to the Veil and back. Anyway he had to move. He opened a pouch and retrieved a small black cube with runes inscribed on it. He slammed it on the floor, the cube being absorbed by the metal floor. He waited for a moment for the wards to activate. There was no way he would be in an unwarded location while on mission. He felt the pulse of the intent based wards flare to life. He nodded in satisfaction leaving the room he was assigned for him. He moved invisible through the corridors to Fury's location. After five minutes he reached a door to what seemed to be a meeting room. He sent a magical probe to see how many were in the room and where they were positioned. Gray smoke enveloped him and he appeared silently behind everyone else. The only one that knew he was there was Fury himself that didn't say anything. His eyes scanned everyone in the room, finally settling on the sexy redhead.

"Fury, you sly, sneaky bastard."

Everyone turned alarmed to look at him, the redhead going as far as drawing her gun and aiming straight at him. Finally seeing her face he turned to Fury glaring at him. The motherfucker had Black Widow there for him, what was he playing at?

"Artemis system power down, maintain battle systems active. Override Protocol Basilisk maintain it on stand by." Harry said.

"System power down sequence enabled, manual override complete, system is offline. I look forward to our next meeting, Seeker." The female AI replied.

The green X over his right eyes turned off. He slowly reached for his mask, taking it off, the balaclava following a few seconds later, letting the people in the room see his face.

ooooo

Natasha was with Fury, Hill, Banner and Rogers. Hill was still glaring at Fury but the director seemed to not care about it. Banner was running the algorithm for the Tesseract but it wasn't searching quickly enough. Everything was going to hell and she was still on hot coals about Clint. That's when she heard someone behind her speak.

"Fury, you sly, sneaky bastard."

She froze in surprise before she turned around pulling the pistol she always carried with her and pointing it at the spot the voice came from. She saw a male figure which stood a little taller than Rogers packed with muscles. He wore a black armored suit, she noted that the armor covered every vital spot she could use to incapacitate him easily. He also wore a black cloak with the sleeves rolled just below the elbow that had pouches all over it, probably ammo and other utilities. The last thing was the black metallic mask that had an emerald green X over his right eye. She paid attention that he gave orders to power down his suit, while keeping Protocol Basilisk on stand by. What the hell was a basilisk?

And then she saw his face. He looked like a twenty year old instead of the thirty two he was. He was good looking with black messy hair that looked like he just got out of a bed after a few rounds of sex. He had a light stubble, a faint lightning bolt scar but his eyes. A green for intense that looked like something was on fire. She might be the Black Widow but she was still a woman and she liked what she saw. Being a handler might not be so bad after all.

ooooo

"So Fury, who tattled?" Harry asked.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Fury replied coolly.

"Oh you know very well you slimy, grumpy pirate." He nodded to Natasha with his head " Was it Overlord or the undersecretary Granger? Because if it was Hermione I owe her dinner."

"Pff, I knew both your parents and grandparents. Let me tell you that you Potters have a thing for redheads." Fury replied. Harry laughed at that.

"So what's the deal, I read the files but did you manage to find them or the cube."

"Banner here is running an algorithm to locate it but nothing came up so far."

"He won't stay in the shadows for long. Megalomaniacs like him like to be seen, giving monologues and all the jazz. We play the long game." Harry said. " Oh how rude of me, I didn't introduce myself. I am Harry Potter." He said, giving his hand to the large blonde man.

"Steve Rogers." Captain said, shaking his hand.

"Dr. Bruce Banner." Bruce said, also shaking his hand.

"Hello Hill. Still scowling as always."

Instead of replying to him she simply nodded. Harry then turned to the only person he hadn't already spoken to.

"Natalia, my dear you look as beautiful as they say you are."

Natasha froze when he heard say her real name. How the hell did he know it, she made sure to bury it when she defected.

"How do you know that name?" she tensely asked.

"You know about Budapest?" He asked her and she nodded.

"I was only called for one other mission by S.H.I.E.L.D. You were wearing a gray hoodie and jeans when he found you."

Natasha blinked and paled to a deathly white.'He was there. He was there if Clint couldn't do it or if I tried to escape.'

"You were there, Barton's back-up. Like you backed us up in Budapest."

"Glad Birdbrain got through you. I was glad to not be needed."

She chuckled at Clint's new nickname. He now saw what Fury meant he was the only equal to her. He also wore his masks perfectly, which intrigued him. What was his story that pushed him like it did for her? But her thoughts were cut short when Sitwell burst into the room.

"Sir we have a hit. Stuttgart Germany." He simply said before leaving.

Harry put the balaclava and mask on. Steve and Natasha left to gear up with him following them to the Quinjet.

"Greetings Seeker." The monotonous female voice said as the X flared to life.

"Artemis activate all battle systems. Recalibrate targeting pods."

"All systems activated, recalibration complete. Happy hunting Seeker."

ooooo

Natasha was the first one to the Quinjet and both he and Captain let her to the piloting duty. Harry was checking his weapons one last time, while Steve seemed to pray. Not that Harry judged each to their own. His heads up display was on and already displaying information. Natasha gave them both earpieces so they could coordinate.

"Captain, what's our play?" Harry asked.

"Our first objective is to protect the civilians. I will try to lure him away from the crowd. How quickly can you get into position?"

"I will need a minute or two. Killshots or not?"

"Shoot for hands or legs. We need him alive, not that I think bullets will do much."

"Let's hope that it's enough Captain. I don't want to show my ace so soon."

"Thirty seconds boys. Get ready." Natasha said.

Harry looked at Captain who nodded and jumped. Harry turned one more time and looked at Natasha.

"Don't go anywhere, little red riding hood." He said before jumping himself.

Natasha simply rolled her eyes at the nickname. Boys gonna be boys.