Hey everyone,
This chapter is going to cover Harry waking up – and making the first discovery that will lead to that little thing I wanted to cover last chapter that I decided to leave till later. I'm not going to cover the entirety of it, just hint at it. Though don't think that means that this chapter is going to be a short one, I'm also going to cover the start of the first co-op mission of SHIELD and the Order.
Also, I want to let you all know something that is IMPORTANT! Over the last month I have been getting quite a few comments of people who don't like my formatting and want me to put more space between my paragraphs, to lessen the amount of lines per paragraph. I really can't comply with the latter request as it makes me feel like I am wasting space, but the format of last chapter wouldn't bother me THAT much.
Because of this, I decided to create a poll. The choices are simple. Would you all rather have the formatting of chapter 07 to become the new format or for me to keep my usual format, the format we will go back to in this chapter. This does indeed mean that I won't be editing and reposting chapter 07 as it will function as an example of what my "new" format will look like. And for those who are still going to ask me to put less lines in paragraphs, I only have one thing to say:
Sorry, NO!

Venquine1990
PS. Starting tomorrow, the chapters posted will be random when it comes to what stories they belong to. Just to let you all know.

Chapter 08
Advice, Plans And Warnings

13th of August 1995
Helicarrier, Above England
Harry's POV

I hardly felt it when the anesthetic entered my body and I hardly feel anything when I wake up. It does feel for a short moment as if I am floating upon nothing but air, but then my senses regain their strength and I feel the cover of the hospital bed that I am lying in, the pinprick of the drip that is, apparently, still seeping blood into my system and a calloused hand holding mine. This last one makes me turn my head, still clogged up with drowsiness, to the side.
Sirius looks just as barely awake as I feel, yet there is a huge grin on his face as he sees me waking up and his first words overwhelm me emotionally, kicking all of my fatigue to the curb and putting my whole body on high emotional alert. "Welcome back, my son." And while I had groggily remembered why I had been under the anesthetic, the surgery, I had forgotten about the other reason, namely the blood adoption that had taken place at the same time.
Sirius moves to run a gentle hand through my hair, which feels much softer and silkier, as he asks: "You are okay with this, right? I mean, we only discussed the whole thing before because it would benefit the surgery procedure. And I know that I am still considered a convict in Magical England and that SHIELD got my name cleared everywhere else, but – I don't think I'd mind living as a Muggle, not if it meant I could officially adopt you as well, alongside this Blood adoption."

I let the man ramble, my mind still slightly under the effects of the anesthetic, but then his final words register with me and I think: "No more Dursley Muggles." And the fact that what I had wanted to accomplish back in 1994 is now finally a reality kicks my body into high gear. I launch myself at the man, the man himself letting out a startled yelp halfway through the rest of his rant which I had ignored and then starts to laugh, which I respond to in kind.
We stay seated for a few minutes, our laughter dying out after the first two or three, and then Sirius asks: "Want to see how you look now? The double adoption ritual did change quite a few of your features. Though you do still have your mother's eyes, just with specks of blue now slightly visible in them here and there and only if you look closely." This news both excites and really pleases me and I nod. Yet as I stand up, my body reminds me that I have been out cold for some time.
My legs feel wobbly and unstable and Sirius – dad – is behind me only a moment later, one of his arms wrapped around my waist and the hand of his other arm on my shoulder to help keep me steady. And while I feel slightly embarrassed, the man has to keep his hold on me as we walk over to the other side of the room, me holding onto a pole on wheels that has the sack of blood that drips into my veins attached to it.

I look into the mirror and gasp at the sight. I've definitely grown a few inches, which has been a steady procedure these past few years thanks to my training with SHIELD, and even gained some serious muscle mass in both my arms and torso, though it's only visible if you really know what to look for. At the very least the last few traces of what the Dursleys had done to me, how they had kept me underfed and locked up for years, have definitely vanished.
My hair has also straightened out, even though it's still as short as always, but now the length and the soft wave that is barely visible to the naked eye make my hairstyle frame my whole face quite nicely. I also seem to have gained Sirius' high cheekbones and his slightly paler skin tone, but otherwise there's not much about me that really changed, other than the change in eye color that Sirius himself mentioned earlier.

All in all, I look more like Lily and Sirius' son than Lily and James. And for some strange reason I can't bring it in myself to care about this, about the fact that the traces of my looks that remind me and so many others about James Potter seem to have entirely changed and been replaced by physical traits of my new father. Yet I know how much my birth father means to my newly adoptive father and so I turn and say:
"If my parents had been alive, people might have accused mum of cheating if they saw me." And the man laughs, yet he also nods at the same time. "Feeling back to normal, Agent Potter?" I hear Nurse Marian ask and I turn to nod at her. She smiles at me and says: "Good, then let me let JARVIS run one last scan on you so we can show #1981 that his plans were worthless and that the procedure was a success." I nod at her and move back to lie on the bed.
The blue ray of light washes over me, just like it did before the surgery took place when Nurse Marian wanted to scan me for the traces of dark magic and as it runs over my forehead I realize something I had completely missed while checking out my new looks. I wait until the ray has passed my arms and hands and then raise one to run over the now unblemished part of skin on my forehead, the smooth texture underneath my touch proving my thoughts right.

"My scar is gone." I think to myself before quietly repeating the words. This makes both Sirius and Nurse Marian smile at me, but then Nurse Marian's smile disappears and is replaced by a confused frown. "What in SHIELD's name?" She mutters and Sirius concernedly asks: "What's wrong? Did something go awry?" The woman shakes her head and says: "It – I – I don't know how or why, but – something is happening to your blood."
I turn to quickly look at Sirius and then back to Nurse Marian, who continues: "Like I said, I don't know how or why, but – it almost looks as if some kind of ancient gene or something is replacing certain genes in your blood. As if it's trying to replace the DNA of these genes with its own. The – the weird thing is that – that it's mostly your Potter blood and bits of your Evans blood, your mother's. If I didn't know better, I'd say your magic is trying to make your words reality."
"Except that it's not replacing the genes with Black genes, is it?" Sirius asks, the man sounding just as confused as I am sure both Nurse Marian and I are feeling and the woman shakes her head. She follows this up by sighing and muttering: "Unfortunately, because of your wizarding belief that blood can only be used in dark rituals, I don't have any records of any Pureblood blood groups, only of Muggleborns and Muggle-raised Half-bloods. And those are all of when the people in question are still kids, ages 8, 9 and 10 respectively."
"There is a chance that it's James' ancient heritage. He and Charlus did always hint that they descended from this really old family, one so old that they are now considered legends. We just never really got the chance to look into that, because of – well, the war and all that." My fellow SHIELD agent and I nod in understanding at this and Sirius shrugs before he says: "Oh well, a nice side project to work on once I get my name cleared in Magical England."

"Which will happen right after we convict Dumbledore, I can assure you Mr. Black." Uncle Fury says as he walks into the room from the side that I know Dumbledore was being held at. This makes me turn to that side and I see Thor and Uncle Clint working together to march the man out of the room beside ours, Lupin actually walking after them with his wand in hand and aimed at the old man. "Where are they taking him?"
Sirius asks, obviously more interested in the fate of the old man than what Fury just said and Uncle Fury makes me grin as he answers with a smirk of his own: "The same cell that we kept Loki in. Loki needed to manipulate us into releasing him and even that was done by magic he was controlling indirectly and which is no longer on earth. Dumbledore doesn't stand a chance of doing so, especially because Agent Barton will be guarding him 24/7."
Yet this last bit makes my grin disappear and I ask: "Is that really wise?""Barton insisted, Harry. He also insisted that the other Avengers release each other every hour and that they use force on him if he can't keep himself from following Dumbledore's orders. His words, not mine." I nod at this, but also grimace and mutter: "I think I'd feel better if someone else would also help him. Be there to watch Dumbledore in case the Avengers need to help Uncle Clint."

Uncle Fury nods and asks: "Is he up to leave?" Nurse Marian frowns for a few seconds, turns to me and says: "You are only to give directions or offer suggestions. No direct involvement until we reach the rendezvous point. And keep that drip going for at least the next hour. And make sure you spent 40% of the next hour in a chair or seat." I nod at the woman, having always loved the fact that she knows how to combine my health with my job as an agent.
Yet then the woman turns to me and stares me down as she says: "And don't think I didn't notice that the both of you had empty stomachs. It might have helped with the surgery as eating anything in the 8 hours before surgery is a big no-no, but that doesn't mean I want you to keep it that way. If you plan to do anything, you can start doing so after you've visited the cafeteria. Now off with you, young man." I grin at her and yet I nod in respect nonetheless.

The three of us leave the medical bay and before Mrs. Weasley can give me one of her bone-crushing hugs, Nurse Marian rushes past us and stops her. "Don't. I understand that you are relieved to see him up and well, but right now Harry's body is still recovering, his immunity is not strong enough to handle strong hugs. If you can keep your strength in check and just show your care through a gentle hug –.""Harry deserves to know how –."
"Mrs. Weasley, with all due respect, I prefer a gentle hug over a strong one. To me, it's not the strength of the hug that matters, but the emotion behind it.""But –." Mrs. Weasley tries to argue, but I just gently smile at her and walk over, using my free arm to keep her at arm's length and moving my drip to be stationed behind her back. The woman is hesitant, but I smile at her and gently wrap my arms around her form. Yet after doing so and after the woman returns the gesture, I pull her close enough that there is barely a milometer between us.
For several minutes we keep standing like this, me gently holding the woman and conveying my emotions through my hold on her. And while I can feel her hesitation at first, I also feel her tense in my arms and then the woman changes her hold on me. But while it barely gets stronger, I still smile as I can easily feel her love for me coming through. "See, that's what I mean." I whisper at her, eliciting a giggle from the woman.

I release the woman from my hold and make sure that my drip doesn't get stuck behind her. "Wait, shouldn't that come loose?" Tonks asks, but Nurse Marian shakes her head and says: "It's best if he keeps his drip for the next hour. You need to remember that he had 70% of his blood drained. The drip will help compensate for that." The younger Auror nods in understanding, while Shacklebolt and Moody are looking at the drip with grimaces.
I just ignore this and turn to the Weasley kids as I ask: "Who's hungry?" The lot is startled and then several stomachs start to rumble. "Wait, did any of you even eat before coming here?" Nurse Marian asks in shock to hearing this and I roll my eyes as Uncle Fury states: "You can blame Dumbledore. I know Harry. He probably expected to bring the Order here, introduce the Avengers and then take the team on a tour of the Carrier with the cafeteria at the end of the tour."

"Well, in that case, get to the end of the tour, pronto. I don't accept hungry workers or guests under my care, regardless of who they are." I notice Uncle Fury grimacing at this and I also notice Tony spotting this. "Shut it, Stark. You and Potts are no better and you know it." Uncle Fury snaps as he himself spots the grin growing on the millionaire's face. Tony shrugs and I snort as I say: "Come on, this way." And I lead the Order away from the Medical Bay.
"Potter, we can't join you." Kingsley shocks me as he says this. I stop and turn around to see him standing with Tonks and Mr. Weasley. "We need to head to the Ministry. I managed to cover why we're late and Arthur barely managed the same. But Madam Bones expects us at the Auror HQ in about 20 minutes and Arthur's excuse can only last for so long." I nod at this and ask: "You guys do have a way of remaining in contact, right?"
The tanned Auror nods and I say: "Alright, then you can expect reports from Mrs. Weasley, Lupin or Sirius in about a few hours. Plus, Madam Bones is probably going to want some Auror detail when we reach the rendezvous point, so we'll probably see you guys there." The man nods and Uncle Fury taps his ear as he says: "Kill the engines. We got three Wizards that need to Apparate off our vessel." And after a minute, he nods at the three.

The three nod back gratefully and while they Apparate away, I can't help but turn to Bill. The Weasley grins and says: "Apparently SHIELD is an organization that the Goblins are well acquainted with. Once I dropped the name, they instantly told me to stay put and do business. I'm not entirely sure what I can do to help Gringotts while here, but I'm not one to inspect the feathers of a gift Hippogriff, so – yeah, I get to stay here, no problem."
The term gift Hippogriff causes most of my friends and Sirius to snort and I say: "Good to know. Now come on. The cafeteria is this way." And while just the term causes for more growling stomachs to make themselves known, Uncle Fury and I guide the large group up a few floors, a corridor to the left and one to the right before we reach a large open area that is stationed above the central control room we were in previously. This room is set quite similarly to the one currently below us, but instead of computers, the whole area is filled with tables, chairs and benches.
And instead of a large meeting table at the center of the front of the room, the space that, on the floor below us, leads to even more hallways is now filled with an elongated bar full of pots, pans and bowls full of fruit, alongside a long set of four metal bars that stretch out across the bar. The Weasleys look at the bar in awed amazement and I say: "I know you guys are used to your mother's cooking or the Great Hall, so here's how this works."

I move over to a large stack of trays and take one. "You take a tray and just grab a plate or two and then pick whatever you want. You can grab a drink at the near end, unless you'd rather have coffee or tea. Those are at the end. I'll let Hermione or Aunt Nat explain how those work." The Weasleys all excitedly follow my lead and even Mrs. Weasley seems curiously amused as she follows behind her kids, Sirius and the other Order members following after them.
Aunt Nat does indeed take a stand next to the small bar that has two machines on them and when Bill comes over to ask for a cup of tea, the woman directs him over to the second machine. She guides him as he has to press a couple of buttons and set his cup at the designated spot. And while Bill is slightly at awe at the sight of hot water just coming out of the machine, Aunty Nat directs him over to the wooden casket that has various flavors of tea stored inside.

About ten minutes later everyone is seated at various tables. Sirius is with Hermione, the Weasley kids and myself, Moody shares a table with Uncle Fury, Mrs. Weasley and Bill and the Avengers are spread over two other tables. But while we are calmly eating and drinking and enjoying our various meals, the Weasley kids even having picked a few things I know they've never seen in the Magical World, I keep my focus divided.
I divide it between my cheese croissant and cup of orange juice and the one monitor that shows Dumbledore in his cell, Nurse Marian coming over to hand a tray with a bowl of cereal and a cup of tea over to Lupin. She leaves the screen and then walks back with two more trays with other meals on them and hands those over to Thor and Uncle Clint. I tense as I notice the woman returning, a gun in her one hand and a tray on her other.
"Volume, please." I mutter and the volume on the screen goes up as Nurse Marian says: "You may have several charges on your name, Dumbledore, and I might trust you as far as I can throw you, but I will not let anyone on this vehicle go hungry. However, this gun badly damaged Loki, who is an actual God, just like Thor here. So make one wrong move and I'll get you a few years closer to your Next Great Adventure."

The derisive tone the woman ends with makes me snort and Dumbledore does indeed seem wary of the woman and the weapon she holds. Thor also puts down his plate and raises his hammer as he takes on a battle stance, ready to fight at the smallest sign that he might need to. And Dumbledore seems to take the woman's words of him being a god seriously as he warily watches him while Marian opens the door to his cell just enough she can put the tray down closing it off again.
Yet then suddenly Uncle Clint hits Thor with the brunt side of his bow and a second later I realize this is because Thor was on the verge of advancing towards Marian. "Change view, now. Focus on Thor. Show me his eyes." I order the computers of the Helicarrier and I grimace as I spot a glazed look leaving his eyes as he shakes his head. Uncle Clint glares at Dumbledore and says: "And that's why I'm here." Before he turns around.

And while I had been worrying over Uncle Clint this whole time, the sight of this settles my worries and I smirk as I say: "At least now Dumbledore is going to think twice on trying to mind-control someone." And while Mrs. Weasley is obviously deeply upset at the evidence that this is what her former hero just tried, Uncle Fury states: "Regardless, as you suggested, it would be best if we had the others rotate on guard duty."
I nod at this and then turn to Mrs. Weasley as I ask: "Would you mind if I pick the teams?" The woman hesitates for a moment, but then she shakes her head and says: "You're the best person for the job, Harry dear. You know both us of the Order and those of SHIELD the best out of all of us. You'll know who best to pair up with who." I give the woman a warm smile in gratitude for her renewed trust in me and start to think.

I take a few bites of my croissant while I think and after three bites, I look up. "I'd like Bill to go with Tony for the second shift and Steve to go with Tonks for the third. And Mrs. Weasley, I'd like you and Aunt Nat to finish things up for the final half hour of the trip, but only if you think you can handle guarding him." The woman gives me a grateful smile and then she makes my day as she says: "No one harms my children."
I beam at her, but I also make sure to give Sirius' knee a reassuring squeeze underneath the table. Sirius' eyes do flicker my way for a moment but they remain focused on Molly, gratitude and understanding shown in his gaze. Yet then I turn to Tony and say: "Before you leave, let me give you one warning that I beg you to take to heart." The millionaire's eyes widen for a split second and he nods before I say:

"At the current moment Dumbledore knows that you are the owner of Stark Industries. However, if I know him, he will probably think that you got your suit developed by your company. I implore you to keep him in that mindset. Under no circumstance is he to find out that you developed your suits on your own. Because trust me when I say this, if he finds out – he won't need what he almost did to Thor to turn Iron Man into the Iron Mongerer."
Everyone looks at me, most of my friends in fright, Mrs. Weasley and Sirius in concern, the other Order Members in confused concern and the Avengers in shocked horror. This all because of the tone of my voice and the look on my face. And while I don't have a mirror anywhere nearby, I know that my whole stance screams someone who has personal experience with what he just said. But I just lower my head and return to my meal.

What happened, Harry?
To be honest, I am still trying to think up a scenario. Personally, I do have a few ideas, but I am doubting them as they almost borderline on cliché plots that involve a manipulative Dumbledore. Then again, Dumbledore being a manipulative ass is basically a cliché in and off itself. I'm just going to try and decide what I want and then work out the details of that. Luckily, I won't have to worry about that until after the arrival at the rendezvous point.
Thank magic,

Venquine1990