Rated T: some cursing, Tony and Fury mostly.
(Nope, I don't own anything that Marvel and J.K Rowling have already invented)
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Chapter Ten: Aftermath
Rogers stood vigil beside Snape, after checking him over again and finding that all of the worst wounds on the man's body had been sealed somehow and there wasn't much for him to do in the way of First Aid. He absently rubbed his thigh where the wizard had patched him up not thirty minutes ago. The sealed wound there was already an inconsequential scar thanks to his serum-enhanced healing abilities. He wondered if Snape had doctored himself, or … or if perhaps Loki had doctored him. It was obvious Loki had laid the wizard out like some warrior's effigy on a tomb. Maybe it was an Asgardian thing. But he couldn't help but feel that Loki's whole attitude after nearly starting, and then losing, a war, was off. The god of mischief seemed more relieved than anything, which was strange. Loki had even seemed concerned about the wizard he had been fighting only moments before. After the medics came, Rogers decided he was going to find Thor and have some words with him to try and figure out this mystery.
The elevator dinged yet again, and the welcome sight of paramedics made him smile with relief. Steve stepped aside as they swarmed around the man on the floor, and answered the questions he could, like the patient's name and how he got hurt … well, he hesitated at that and remembered that Natasha had insisted that his injuries were caused by unknown sources. She must have a reason, he figured, and what would it hurt? It wasn't as if he knew what had happened anyway. So he told the medics that Snape was just a civilian, that he didn't know what had happened, and they'd just found the guy like that … and they took him at his word, even while they openly gaped and grinned at him, which was taking some getting used to. It was a little embarrassing how popular he was after seventy years in the ice … or at least, how popular Captain America was. In embarrassment, Steve excused himself lest he distract them too much, and took the stairs to work out the burn in his thigh muscles.
The lobby of Stark Tower was full of law enforcement, Stark Industries employees, and SHIELD agents. Steve found the Avengers quickly enough. Thor towered above everyone here, and his red cape and yellow hair were difficult to miss. He jogged through the crowd and caught sight of the Asgardian god of thunder where he lingered on the edge of the group near his brother. They seemed to be waiting while their SHIELD escorts were busy discussing something Steve didn't care to pay attention to. He hesitated for a few seconds, and then realized that if he didn't talk to Loki now, he might never get a chance, depending on whatever SHIELD and the WSC decided to do. The super-soldier squared his shoulders and slipped through the crowd until he was close enough to tap Thor on the arm. The thunder-god turned, looking tired and stressed.
"Thor," he said in a low voice, flicking his gaze over to Loki who stood beside the thunder-god. He gestured at the strange muzzle on the mischief-god's mouth. "Can you take that thing off Loki for a second?"
"You wish to hear his voice?" Thor sighed, shaking his head. "I warn you: Loki becomes tiring after a short while when he is in a mood like this."
The god of mischief ignored his 'brother's' comment. He stared straight ahead, obviously ignoring the chaos around them.
"Yeah, I'm sure he does," Steve agreed. "But I need to ask him a question."
Thor sighed again and reached over, taking the gag off his brother's mouth. Loki worked his jaw slightly once he was free, but he didn't say anything and he didn't look at them. Rogers stared at Loki, studying his face again, wondering how the color of one's eyes could make such a huge difference. He no longer looked … crazed. Dr. Banner had mentioned that he could 'smell crazy' on Loki. But this man standing calmly before him did not look like the crazed bearer of chaos and 'glorious purpose' who had grinned and gloated from inside a glass cage or forced a crowd to kneel. In fact, Loki looked … relaxed; as if some invisible strain was gone. Of course, he was also purposely projecting an air of bored indifference, but there was still the matter of his eyes, which no longer glowed tesseract-blue.
"Why did your eyes change color?" the Captain demanded.
"He is a master of Seidr," Thor interrupted wearily. "He can change his appearance at will."
"Excuse me, I asked Loki," Steve objected, squaring his shoulders as he glared at the thunder-god. When it was obvious that Thor was shutting his mouth, Steve turned back to Loki and arched his eyebrows expectantly.
"Why do you care what color my eyes are?" Loki asked instead of answering. His face looked gaunt and exhausted and there were dark circles under his eyes. Had he always looked so terrible?
"I care about your eye-color because the eyes of everybody you touched with that magic staff turned blue, the same color yours were … so why are your eyes green now?"
"They have always been green," Loki muttered, his gaze darting around nervously, as if he was afraid of someone overhearing him. He finished with his observation and lapsed into dully staring straight ahead. "My eyes are green," Loki repeated quietly, his face tightening as if he was in pain. "They are always green."
Steve turned to Thor for confirmation. The muscular Asgardian shrugged and nodded, which was good enough for the Captain. "Well, I want to know why they looked blue before," Steve said firmly.
"Is it not obvious, Captain?" Loki asked mockingly. "I hear you are an intelligent man; can you not figure it out?"
"I have a guess," Steve said grimly. "But how about you give me your own opinion first?"
Loki didn't answer. Instead he set his jaw stubbornly and set his eyes straight ahead. Steve suppressed the urge to sigh. Sometimes, stubborn people were a right pain in the neck.
"Brother, answer him," Thor suddenly spoke up, his voice rumbling with displeasure. "Surely it is not so difficult to do."
Loki flinched and his face blanched, almost as if he had been threatened. Steve wondered why that would be. "Your Seidr-mage freed me from the scepter," Loki hissed venomously, his face contorting with anger and some other emotion Steve couldn't quite catch.
"The human mage freed you?" Thor repeated incredulously.
"Oh, you're disappointed that I don't really want to rule a realm full of short-lived weaklings who know next to nothing of true power?" Loki laughed softly, mockingly. "Don't be daft, Thor, though that is your default state, after all. If I wanted to conquer a realm, I wouldn't start with Midgard. It is beneath me."
"What's wrong with Earth?" Steve demanded, feeling defensive.
Loki turned his green eyes on the Captain and tilted his head mockingly. "Nothing," the god of mischief sneered. "If one wants to rule a backwater realm full of imbeciles, that is. I actually don't even like Midgard. If I truly wanted to rule a realm, I would start with something challenging, like Alfheim."
"You are making no sense, Brother," Thor growled. He reached out and grabbed Loki's shoulder in what looked like a crushing grip. "Stop mocking the Captain and answer his questions, or –"
"Or what?" Loki snapped, jerking violently away from Thor's grip. "You'll beat me until I do?"
Thor gasped, looking startled and hurt by the accusation. "Brother, how could you even think that …?"
"Stop calling me that!" Loki hissed, looking both frantic and angry. "I am not your brother, so stop it!"
Steve decided to interrupt, seeing the stunned and suddenly furious expression on Thor's face. "Alright, alright, calm down," he demanded, stepping in between them. "So, Loki; you said you were freed from the scepter?"
Loki scowled at him. "Are you deaf?" he intoned.
"No," Captain Rogers snapped. "I heard what you said. You said 'our Say-der mage freed you'. But I'm not sure what that means."
"It is obvious what it means," Loki drawled scornfully. "My mind was not my own, just as Barton's, Selvig's, and any other mind I took with the scepter was no longer their own."
"Brother?" Thor said incredulously, suddenly putting the pieces together. "You … you were taken by the Mind Stone?"
"The Mind Stone was one third of the equation, oaf," Loki snarled, his green eyes snapping with temper.
"I'm just asking you what happened!" the thunder god shouted in exasperation, his own light blue eyes also sparking with anger.
"Well, why don't you ask that instead of stupid questions?" Loki spat back venomously.
"Loki," Steve interrupted before the brothers could start brawling on the floor. "How did you get free?" he demanded in a low voice. Barton had mentioned being freed from mind control by Snape on the helicarrier, and Natasha said that Selvig had been freed by Snape too … Who was that wizard?
"Why is that any of your business?" Loki hissed, seeming to shrink in on himself.
"Because," Steve explained patiently. "If we can prove you're just as much a victim in this as everybody else, Earth'll let you go back to Asgard without any fuss."
Loki threw Thor a look of disgust as he answered the Captain. "I have no wish to return there."
"Well, Earth doesn't exactly like you right now," Steve sighed. Talking to this guy sure was a test of patience. "So if you want to avoid execution or something, I suggest you tell me right now what Snape did."
Loki's gaze suddenly locked on him. "Snape?" he repeated.
"The guy you were fighting," Steve explained. "His name's Severus Snape."
Loki seemed to consider it, or something anyway, for his eyes grew distant and his face tightened. His brother still hadn't said a word. "I owe him a blasted life debt," Loki finally muttered, looking anywhere but at Rogers or Thor. "Should Severus Snape survive, you must inform me before the magic takes over and causes me … considerable discomfort. Should he die … it is my responsibility to see that he receives a burial fitting his rank."
"Rank, Brother?" Thor asked softly.
Loki rolled his eyes, ignoring the 'brother' word again. "He is a master of the Mind arts," the god of mischief explained. "He invaded my mind when I asked him to render me unconscious instead, and helped me to push them out."
"Them?" Steve pressed.
"There are others in the universe who are skilled in the Mind arts, Captain," Loki sneered. "Suffice it to say, I was not strong enough to resist."
"Resist …?" Thor repeated, suddenly giving his brother a scrutinizing look. Steve also felt his gaze sharpen and horror chilled his blood. How could he have missed it before? Had Loki dropped all illusions now? For this bone-thin, defensive man in chains didn't look the same as the 'god' expounding on his greatness as he demanded that humanity kneel before him. Steve found himself searching the faded bruises on Loki's face and the clear bruising on his bony wrists under his new handcuffs. The strangely haunted look in the green eyes, the way he watched everyone and shied away from his brother's touch and flinched when his arm was grabbed …
Steve suddenly thought of Bucky. It felt like he had lost his best friend only a matter of months ago when in reality, it had been seventy years since Bucky Barnes fell from that train during their fateful mission. But his friend had been held captive by Hydra for a few weeks and presumed dead, right at the beginning of 'Captain America's' career. After his rescue, Bucky had gone through a period where he had remarkably similar reactions and markings, but with his best friend, it had been obvious why he was so jumpy. Here, Steve wasn't sure what to think. But Loki's face had closed off, Thor looked like he was in horrified denial, and the SHIELD guys seemed about ready to go now.
"Kindly gag me again," Loki suddenly announced in a stiff tone, refusing to look at either of them. The faint blush of shame was coloring his pallid cheeks. "I have said too much already."
"Said too much …?" Thor repeated incredulously, stepping nearer to the smaller Asgardian. "Brother, you've hardly said anything important!"
"Shut up!" Loki hissed, hunching his shoulders and backing away from his much bigger brother. "Shut up, you have no idea what you are speaking about! You don't know anything! So kindly gag me again, and SHUT UP!"
The STRIKE team was suddenly around them. "There a problem here?" a grim-looking man with a scar on his cheek demanded frostily.
"No, there's no problem," Steve assured them. "But could you get a doctor to look him over when you get to where you're going? The Hulk kind of beat a crater into the floor with his body not long ago."
"I don't need a Midgardian healer!" Loki protested in disgust.
Obviously fed up again, (Thor did have a short temper, didn't he?) the thunder-god grabbed his brother's face and shoved the muzzle on him again. Steve winced at how rough Thor was being, but he didn't interfere. If there was anything he learned about Asgardians today, it was that their definition of 'rough' was a lot different than a human's. Nobody could have survived the Hulk, but here Loki was, still walking (albeit shakily) and coherent (sort of) afterwards.
As the SHIELD agents hustled Loki off, the god of mischief threw them all a contemptuous glare filled with anger. Thor sighed and tried to follow, but the bald one named Sitwell stopped him.
"I'm sorry," the man said blandly. "I'm afraid this is as far as you can come."
"But I am his brother!"
"And see, that's why we can't allow you to come along," Sitwell said with a bland smile, adjusting his glasses. "Rest assured; we have a team to take Loki in hand. He won't be getting away this time; now we know what we're dealing with."
"I warn you," Thor growled, stepping closer to the SHIELD agent in a menacing fashion. "He may have committed crimes, but he is still a Prince of Asgard. Take care in your treatment of him, or I will bring the wrath of the All-Father upon your heads."
Loki rolled his eyes at his brother, but with the muzzle on, he couldn't say anything.
Sitwell smiled disarmingly. "We're not going to treat him inhumanely," he said patiently. With that, he seemed to consider the matter closed. Sitwell gestured at the Strike team and a group of men and women in suits near the door straightened up and closed ranks around Loki the minute he was close. Steve wondered who they were, since they didn't exactly look like SHIELD … and the expressions in their eyes. They looked like they knew exactly what they were dealing with, and the way Loki seemed to hesitate as he studied them did not bode well either.
Thor watched helplessly as the strange people dragged his brother out and loaded him in a big van reserved for transporting explosives. Once it drove off, Steve stepped up next to Thor and Stark walked up on his other side.
"Did I miss something?" the billionaire demanded with forced casualness.
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Natasha watched as Rogers interrogated Loki right in the middle of everybody. Luckily, Loki seemed to know better than to say too much, but his brother and the Captain were not so subtle. She wasn't the only one who watched their little discussion. She was pretty sure SHIELD agents carried recording devices, and despite Sitwell's words, Loki was in for a rough time until such time as Thor could convince Earth's governments that the god of mischief would be adequately punished in their own realm. Natasha knew that Asgard would probably be safer for Loki by far, but he didn't seem eager to go back there for some reason.
When she and Barton had to go, she saw that some agents had already taken Loki away, leaving Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man standing in the lobby, shoulder to shoulder. It was her last glimpse of them in person for a while.
Clint had his own debriefings and evaluations to go to, and she had hers, but they rode in the same car, silent as usual. He was bruised and smelled like dust and smoke, but he insisted that he was fine. She hoped they forced him to get checked out by a doctor before they let him go. She knew his wife Laura was probably worried about him. Natasha was a little bruised as well, and smelled like sweat and concrete dust, but she knew that she wasn't hurt. Thanks to Severus, this was the best shape she'd ever been in after a fight like that. He had been obsessive about protecting her, and the things he had done … it all blew her mind.
She sat in silence in the car beside Clint, memories filling her mind. Today had been the longest and craziest day of her life. The images of Severus Snape gesturing and shouting Latin words as the laws of physics were suspended and invisible blades and explosives made short work of their foes remained imprinted on her mind. He had said that he was unable to be quick or deadly without a magic wand … but what she had seen today had been remarkably quick, and deadly, and impossible. What was he like with a wand? She couldn't imagine it. Just reconciling the existence of magic even after all she'd seen was difficult. She needed time to process.
She wondered what Fury would say. She still hadn't decided what to tell him … though it was likely he had already seen what Snape could do. Hopefully he would be on her side in this. She was only trying to keep Snape safe from people who would want to track him, or recruit him … or experiment on him.
She hoped the wizard would heal soon, because she had a whole lot of questions for him. And he owed her for keeping his toes out of the fire.
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Once his long, crazy day ground to a halt and Tony Stark was alone in his tower, he finally found the time to call Pepper. He had close to fifty missed calls from her already and he knew she was freaking out right now. He had tried to call her before he went into the portal, of course, but she hadn't picked up. Maybe now that night had fallen and most of the work was over for the day, she would answer.
While he dialed her number and sipped a glass of scotch, he wandered through the destroyed penthouse rather than get comfortable on one of the other floors. It really was a mess. Glass crunched underfoot, JARVIS had lost all sensors here, (except for a couple in the elevator and one emergency one in the bathroom) and the craters in the floor made Tony's lips quirk into a little smile. Seeing the state Reindeer Games was in, and the Hulk's smug smile, was enough to tell him what had happened. But thanks to the freak storm, (or whatever it was that knocked all of his AI's sensors out) he might never get actual footage of the epic battle.
"Tony?" Pepper's frantic voice suddenly answered.
"Hey, Pep," Tony said cheerfully. "What's up?"
"What's up?!" she demanded shrilly. "You ignore me for the past five hours and you just say, 'what's up'?!"
"Hey, hey, calm down, sweetheart," Tony said soothingly. He was an expert at soothing hysterical girlfriends. Really. "I'm fine," he assured her. "If you'll notice, I actually did try calling you in the middle of all the shit going down … or up as it were. Anyway, you didn't pick up."
"Don't go turning this around on me, Anthony Stark!" the woman retorted severely. "I was worried about you, damn it!"
"Aw, that's so sweet," Tony grinned. "Seriously though, I'm dead tired and getting drunk later than I would like, but I'm in one piece, no concussions, and we won! What's there to be mad about?"
"Mad? You think I'm mad?! Tony, I was worried! I thought you were in the hospital or something and after I watched you fly into that portal my heart just about lodged in my throat! What the hell were you thinking?"
"I wasn't; and I'm sorry for scaring you, Pepper," Tony sighed and bent to pick up a chair that had managed to stay more or less intact. It was dark in the ruined penthouse except for the weak, flickering light from the one remaining letter on his tower: the 'A' from Stark.
"Damn you to hell and back, when are you going to stop scaring me to death, Tony?" Pepper demanded, sounding a bit calmer now. Her exasperation was no longer angry, which was a relief. Her temper was like a little firecracker; quick to light and quick to burn.
"I don't know," Tony smiled. "I'm just a risk-taker. You know that. And hey, every one of my gambles has paid off so far, right?"
"What about when it doesn't pay off?" Pepper sighed. "What about your promise, Tony? What am I supposed to do if I don't have someone to babysit at company addresses anymore?"
"Nice to know I'd be missed," the billionaire teased. He gulped down the rest of his drink as a chilly breeze blew in through the ruined windows. "Hey, we're gonna need like the top ten floors of Stark Tower repaired or rebuilt, what are the chances of getting it done soon?"
"I imagine there are quite a few buildings in worse shape that need the attention more," Pepper said drily. "Maybe you can wait a week or two."
"I guess," Tony grumbled. He hated waiting for anything. "Hey, I managed to convince Dr. Banner to move in here. It was the R&D floors I told him about that did it."
"You sly dog," Pepper chuckled. "I can't wait to meet those other new friends of yours. Did you seriously take orders from Captain America?"
"Alright, don't read too much into it," Tony warned her, feeling genuinely annoyed. "The guy's a self-righteous pain in the ass, but he's a good fighter and his strategy was good. I didn't take orders, Pep, you know I don't do that."
"Right, you just 'cooperated with the plan he created'," Pepper chuckled.
"Stop teasing me," Tony complained. "I had a long day, okay?"
"I bet," Pepper sighed. "Hey, I'm glad you're still in one piece and that you didn't end up in the hospital. Or any of your other new friends either."
Tony grimaced. "Well …" he hesitated. "Actually, one of 'my new friends' as you put it, did end up in the hospital. Banner's with him now; or waiting for him anyway … I guess they had to do surgery. The guy doesn't have anything really. Not even ID. I took care of it and I'll run the bill through my personal account. He's … well, he's a weird one. I'm not sure you'd like him. He's rude."
"Rude?" Pepper laughed. "Sounds like your kind of guy."
"No way, he's too serious," Tony snorted. "He's just … I don't know much about him. He says he's a wizard."
"A tech wizard?"
"No, like magic spells and stuff kind of wizard," Tony chuckled mirthlessly. "And I didn't believe a word … until I saw him doing stuff that should be impossible. JARVIS wasn't able to get much of it either. Apparently, his 'magic' interferes with tech."
"Well, sounds like you've got yourself another fascinating puzzle to work with," Pepper commented. She sounded amused. "I hope he's okay. Was he hurt badly?"
"I don't know, he was fighting Loki," Tony huffed. He stood up and walked to the broken window. Most of the block surrounding the tower was dark, since the Chitauri had destroyed the power lines and lights.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Pepper said encouragingly. "I'm afraid I've got to go. You'll want Stark Industries to donate to the rebuilding effort, I suppose?"
"Sure, you take care of it," Tony yawned. "Good-night, Pep."
"Good-night, Tony," his CEO returned warmly. "Don't stay up too late obsessing, or whatever you do, alright?"
"Will you stop treating me like an irresponsible teenager?" Tony complained good-naturedly.
"Well, stop acting like one, and I'll stop treating you like one," she teased.
They said good-bye and Tony sighed as he put his Stark-phone back in his pocket. He sighed and stared around the ruined penthouse before he retreated to the elevator.
Back on the floor he had already designated as 'Avengers Headquarters', Tony poured himself another stiff drink and decided to check on his AI's progress. Before going up to inspect the penthouse and call Pepper, he had ordered the computer to find whatever it could on Severus Snape and real wizards. He wasn't sure there would be anything, but it never hurt to check.
"JARVIS, were you able to find anything on our wizard friend?" he asked.
"Affirmative, Sir," the AI's voice replied from the ceiling speakers. "And Dr. Banner has returned. Shall I direct him here?"
"You're a genius, JARV," Tony approved, raising his glass in a mock salute. "Send him up, and then show me what you've got so far on Snape."
By the time Dr. Banner exited the elevator, Tony Stark was sitting at the table, engrossed in holographic information connected to Severus Snape. An obituary for his father, Tobias Snape, sat beside an empty passport, and other information was scattered behind those.
"What are you doing?" Dr. Banner demanded. One didn't need to be a genius to see exactly what was going on, and the good doctor was exceedingly annoyed. He tossed his bag down on the floor and marched up to the table.
"Oh, hey there Big Guy," Tony greeted him distractedly. "I'm just trying to figure something out. Did you know our wizard friend quit school after Elementary?"
"No, he didn't," Bruce retorted in an irritated voice. "But the schooling he got wouldn't exactly show up on a computer, you know."
"Ah, that's right," Tony grinned, somewhat mockingly. "He went to 'magic school', am I right?"
"Right," Dr. Banner grunted, adjusting his glasses. Now that Tony got a good look at him, he realized Bruce looked pretty awful. His face was gray with exhaustion, pinched with worry, and lined with stress. Now might be a good time for Banner to answer that question of how he stayed calm.
"Hey, so you never answered my question," Tony commented, moving the holographic info around so the annoyed Doc could see it better. "How do you keep your cool? I mean, it's obvious you've got a temper, so how do you do it?"
"Well it isn't yoga, bongo drums, or weed, Stark," Dr. Banner snorted, referring to their last conversation about it. "Severus is not going to be happy at all to find out you've been digging. He's a really private person and if you think I have a temper …" he trailed off meaningfully.
"Oh hush," Tony complained. "I'm not hurting anything. And besides, what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?"
"He'll know if I tell him."
"You wouldn't!" Tony gasped in exaggerated horror. He clutched at his chest where the glow of his ARC reactor shone through his thin T-Shirt. "Ah, the inhumanity! JARVIS, I invite this man into my house and home, and already he's planning to betray me!"
"Technically, Sir, you betrayed him first by digging into his friend's past without permission," the AI replied in a dry tone. But then, the computer was programmed with a dry, British accent, so everything it said came out as wry and slightly sarcastic.
"Well, you gotta point there," Tony shrugged and dismissed the info with a wave of his hand. "Drink, Brucey?"
"No thanks," Dr. Banner answered with an impressive glower. Sheesh, somebody was in a bad mood today. "Don't call me 'Brucey' again."
"Aw, what's wrong with it?" Tony whined. He got up to pour himself another drink; anything to stave off the thought of going to bed anytime soon. If he passed out down here, it would be preferable to whatever alien-invasion induced dreams he was going to have tonight.
"I just don't like cutesy nicknames, okay?" Dr. Banner huffed. "Now I don't know why your computer brought me here when I very clearly indicated that I'd rather go to bed, so can I go now?"
"You don't wanna be here?" Tony asked, affecting a wounded expression as he splashed some amber liquid into his glass. "I'm hurt, Banner. I thought we could get to know each other, like true Science Bros. Maybe share a drink …"
"Well, I don't drink," Bruce sighed. He sat down on the sofa and ran his hands through his graying hair.
"How about your wizard friend?" Tony asked casually, coming out from behind the bar and seating himself in an armchair across from his new 'science bro'.
"I wouldn't know," Bruce mumbled, closing his eyes.
"So how's he doing?" Tony asked, quite sensitively he might add. Contrary to what most people think, Tony was capable of empathy and sympathy. It was obvious that Dr. Banner was really worried about his friend.
"He's … still alive," Bruce said softly, not opening his eyes. "Surgery was successful, now they just have to wait. He was hurt pretty bad … And he's in a coma."
"Huh," Tony muttered. "Rudolph really let him have it, didn't he? Good thing the Hulk was there to teach him a lesson. Did you see the craters you guys left? Holy moly, I don't ever want to piss off your big green friend; no way."
Dr. Banner just nodded and said nothing. He appeared to be dozing off right there on the couch.
"So …" Tony hesitated, not sure what else to say. He really wanted to ask Banner questions about Snape and the wizard powers and what have you, but even insensitive as he usually was, he could tell that now was a pretty bad time. The Doc almost lost his best friend today; his only friend, if he was to be believed, and only now was he given assurances that while said friend was in a coma, he was alive and that was all the good news they had.
"So, I guess I'll just sleep here on the couch?" Dr. Banner said, once it was obvious Tony was fumbling for something to say. He opened his red eyes and looked over at the billionaire, but he didn't move. He must have been dead tired then.
"Sure, you can crash here," Tony shrugged, sipping his drink. "Or you can go to your room. It's nothing special; just one of the guest suites I keep furnished just in case. It's cozier here, if you wanna stay."
"I'll stay," Bruce sighed, bending over to take off his sandals. "I've slept in worse places."
"Well you can't get much better than 'Tony Stark's couch'," Tony grinned. "The only place better would be –"
"Stop right there," Dr. Banner interrupted him, a disapproving scowl on his face. "I don't even want to know what you were going to say, so just stop."
"Hey, why does everyone assume I'm going to say something off-color?"
Bruce snorted as if it was obvious. "Because you always do."
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The young woman slipped into her boss's office at SHIELD Headquarters in D.C. It was early in the morning, at least for business clothes, but she was used to early hours. Her blond hair was tied back in a neat bun and her face was solemn and focused. Her boss liked that about her, she knew. Agent Maria Hill was reliable and no-nonsense, and he trusted her probably more than most of the people Director Nicholas J. Fury dealt with on a daily basis. She trusted him too, definitely more than anyone else she'd ever worked with. He didn't have to tell her everything that was going on, but she knew him. That was more than enough.
"Sir?" Maria called hesitantly.
The Director had allowed her in, but he was currently standing at his floor to ceiling window pane, gazing down on the nation's capitol with his back to her. The somewhat damaged helicarrier was still flying somewhere over the Atlantic with a team of technicians and repairmen swarming over it right now.
"Something important, Hill?" Fury rumbled.
"There's someone insisting to see you without an appointment," Agent Hill replied calmly. "He somehow got past security and the secretaries and came right to me … as if he knows me."
"But you don't know him?" the Director asked curiously as he finally turned around, fixing her with his one penetrating eye.
"He says his name is Head-Orar Ben Silverman," she replied evenly. "Said you'd know who he is."
Fury scowled and glared at the neat file sitting on his desk. Hill had compiled it for him after she had been ordered to gather everything they could find on Severus Snape. She had even managed to snag some weird grainy pictures of Snape in the battle for New York, (as everyone was calling it now) off social media. It had only happened yesterday, but it seemed like the whole world knew about the battle, the alien invasion … and of course, the superheroes. Snape was just one of several 'freaks' to show up that day to save the world. She didn't understand, but then, it wasn't her job to understand. She was Nick Fury's assistant, and her job was just to do whatever job he needed doing.
"Send him in," the Director of SHIELD finally grumbled. "Guess he did give me a whole twelve hours after all," he added sarcastically. Then he raised his eye to her and informed her with a mischievous little glint in his eye, "And it's Auror, not … whatever you said."
Maria Hill nodded cordially (whatever, sir) and stepped back out, allowing Ben Silverman into the spacious office. He was a tall, whip-thin man with long silver hair tied back in a ponytail. He was dressed in an ordinary suit like any SHIELD agent, but his silver eyes were unnerving in their intensity. He was brusque and blunt, yet somehow still managed to be perfectly polite. She would almost call him old-fashioned, actually, when he called her ma'am and bowed slightly when greeting her. It reminded her of Captain Rogers somehow. He was like a man from another time.
As she left, closing the Director's office door behind her, Agent Maria Hill wondered who exactly this Ben Silverman was, and what a 'Head-Auror' was. But she knew better than to indulge such curiosity. If it was something she needed to know, Fury would tell her. If not, she wouldn't fuss. It wasn't part of her job description. She had other things that needed doing.
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"Silverman," Director Fury grunted as the man stepped in.
"Fury," the other man returned coolly. "The room's secure?"
"Yeah, yeah," the Director of SHIELD sighed as he activated Protocol Magic and sealed the room against any eavesdroppers. He wasn't even allowed to record the conversation for his own reference. If he needed a recording of it for some reason, he had to contact the Auror-office and they'd give him a freaky 'magical' recording device.
Head Auror Ben Silverman nodded solemnly and took a seat, folding his long hands on his long legs and fixing Director Fury with his creepy silver eyes.
"Right, so do I even want to guess what this is about?" Fury demanded as he sat at his desk.
"It's about New York," Silverman said without preamble. "I suppose you probably knew that."
"What isn't about New York?" Fury sighed. He waved a hand up near his bald head. "I'm already up to here in paperwork and meetings, cleaning up after that alien attack; and believe you me, this isn't gonna calm down anytime soon. The WSC is all over me, and I'm pissed at them as you can imagine. Sending a nuke at a city full of innocent civilians; what the hell were they thinking?"
"Yeah, I kind of guessed that," Silverman chuckled disarmingly. "I'm just here to ask a few questions about the fellow that broke the Statute of Secrecy helping your 'Avengers'."
"I knew you'd say that," Fury grumbled. "For what it's worth, I didn't know he was one of you weirdos, no offense. He just didn't act like it."
"Wizards are normal people, Fury, like anyone," Silverman replied calmly, though his silver eyes glinted warningly. "The Auror Office in New York is up to their eyeballs with clean-up et cetera," he went on. "None of them recognized the fellow, or even saw him during the battle. But then most of them were north of the 'Avenger' team taking care of aliens that got past Stark."
"So that's where the rest of your wizards got to," Fury mused.
"And witches too," Silverman added, looking amused. "The New York Aurors actually have more women than men these days."
"How about that?" Fury muttered, not really interested.
"Anyway, they had direct orders not to engage with your Avenger Initiative to maintain the Statute of Secrecy," Silverman explained. "They obliviated any witnesses, as is protocol. But then you get a wizard and that all goes to hell."
"Listen to me, Silverman," Fury growled, feeling defensive and hating it. "If I'd known he was a damn wand-wavin' wizard I would have kept him on the helicarrier. Hell, I'd have turned him right over to you! How was I to know that this guy was such a high-profile case?"
"You have no idea how serious this is, Fury," Silverman said firmly. "The man is a wanted criminal, presumed dead for almost fifteen years, and now he shows up with power to rival the greatest wizards of our history. Don't tell me that doesn't make a paranoid old pirate like you a teensy bit nervous."
"No kidding," Fury snorted. He leaned back and folded his hands nonchalantly in his lap. "But for the record, he did a damn good job fighting with the good guys. So I'm not exactly nervous about him right now."
"People claim he was a spy and double-agent during our last war," Silverman barked, suddenly angry. "Do you have any idea what deception of that level even means in the wizarding world? He is not only a master of manipulation and deception; he is a master at controlling his emotions and his very thoughts while in the presence of anyone he doesn't want finding out his secrets. He had no loyalty during the war. I don't care what anyone else says; Severus Snape is only loyal to himself."
"And that pisses you off," Fury muttered.
"So then, I'm just wondering: why did you even let him go with the rest of your team if you didn't even know who he was?" Silverman went on, ignoring the SHIELD director's comment. "It was a gross oversight on your part."
Fury stiffened slightly and glared ferociously at the wizard. "Hey, I'll admit I didn't realize he wanted to go along 'til it was too late, but I didn't know he was one of you guys! I woulda kept a closer eye on him if I'd known that. For what it's worth, he seemed harmless, and he stopped the Hulk from destroying the helicarrier."
"We have yet to see if he has plans for Dr. Banner," Silverman objected suspiciously. "A wizard would not find it difficult to manipulate a muggle with such a low consideration of himself, like Banner."
"Actually, I don't think he means to do anything hostile with the Hulk," Fury objected, more for the sake of being right than anything else. "I had teams watching them both after the incident in Sierra Leone and Snape didn't seem like that sorta person. He seemed like he wanted to be left alone."
"So would I, if I was wanted for treason and murder and following a psychopathic Dark Lord."
Fury rolled his eyes and handed over a grainy picture of Loki and Snape facing off on Stark's tower, taken by somebody in another building with their cell phone. "Well, he seemed pretty eager to take down this wannabe dark lord," the SHIELD director pointed out. "I've got some other pics too, if you want to see."
Silverman nodded and took the file Fury offered him. He flipped through the papers until he found the file from the doctors who'd patched Snape up. "He's still in the hospital?" the Auror asked casually.
"In a coma," Fury agreed. "Thor's claiming Snape saved Loki from some kinda mind control. But until the guy wakes up, there's no way we can corroborate the story."
"And Loki's not saying anything," Silverman grumbled. His Aurors had been instrumental in keeping Loki contained this time, although they were uneasy about it. Loki easily had ten times the strength of a team of wizards, even when exhausted. But he seemed content to sleep and ignore his guards, even when he was asked questions. Thor was the only one who could get him to talk and then the two just sniped at each other like … brothers.
"Don't you guys have magical ways to get people talking?" Director Fury demanded.
"Veritaserum apparently doesn't work on Asgardians," Silverman huffed. He tossed the photo on the table and sighed. "He laughed when we threatened him and went on a rant about how he knows pain and we wouldn't be able to get to a fraction of what he can endure. I'm not ready to authorize Unforgiveables yet, but I might. Crucio usually gets them talking sooner rather than later."
Fury hid a wince. He had been present for one of those interrogations; a known terrorist who was holding several families hostage in an unknown location with a bomb primed to go off at any minute. At the end of his rope, and knowing that half of those families had magical kids, Silverman had ordered the interrogators to use something called an Unforgiveable. The sight of that man thrashing and screaming in agony on the floor while an implacable man stood over him was … disturbing. Fury wouldn't admit it, but he still had nightmares about it.
"Well, let's hold off on that," Fury said cautiously. "Thor did say we weren't to hurt him. I don't think we can handle a war with Asgard right about now."
"Neither do I;" Silverman grumbled. "Frankly, I don't even think my Aurors have the power necessary to cause him enough pain, even with an Unforgiveable. Even exhausted as he is, Loki's leagues above my most powerful wizards and witches."
"So how'd Snape come out on top then?" Fury mused aloud, shuffling through the file to produce the photo of Snape with his hands raised and concrete slabs hovering in front of him. "I mean, you guys need magic wands and what-not, but this guy apparently doesn't. Will you look at this?"
"That is what worries us most," the Head Auror said gravely, nodding at the photo. "You must understand: wandless magic is very difficult to master, and even then, it is unpredictable. All powerful wizards who get the hang of even a few wandless spells still don't completely give up their wand because the risk of screwing something up is just too great. But he was doing all this without breaking a sweat!"
"Any idea why? Or how?"
"Theories, yes," Silverman sighed. "Answers … no."
"Or at least, no answers you'd want to give me," Fury grumbled. The secrecy of the magical world was something that always bugged him. But what could he do? The Statute of Secrecy predated (and outranked) SHIELD protocol, and the head Aurors of America were actually breaking that law by consorting with an organization like theirs in the first place. The only reason they did, Fury thought, was to minimize damage when SHIELD eventually did uncover their hidey holes and technology. Because every smart man knew 'magic' was just science that wasn't explained yet.
"I did get one of our doctors into the hospital to keep an eye on him," Silverman suddenly said, and Fury arched an eyebrow in surprise. It wasn't often that the Head Auror volunteered info like that.
"What did you find?"
"Well, the fellow's definitely in a coma," Silverman replied easily. "He's not faking, in other words. He's suffering from magical exhaustion to the point that he should be dead, but he's still alive. And loveliest of all, the strain of whatever it was that put him in that state may have broken his mind. Permanently."
"Hmph," Fury snorted. "What're you guys gonna do with him in that event? Lock him in an insane asylum? It's not like you can get a confession out've a drooling idiot."
"He's the one who faked his own death," the Wizard replied coolly. "We don't need him in his right mind to have a trial."
"Ain't he British?"
"He is, and Great Britain's a bit stricter with their criminals than the good old U.S of A. if that's what you're wondering," Silverman chuckled, though it didn't sound like he thought it was all that funny. "There's this group of people who have been attempting to clear the man's name for years. Unfortunately, now they're going to get slammed with suspicions of conspiracy, now we know Severus Snape isn't as dead as we were led to believe."
"So you'll ship him over the pond, and then what?"
"He gets his trial, whether or not he's coherent, and then he'll be executed or imprisoned depending on the outcome."
"Wait, wait, wait," Fury interrupted. "Don't you think it's possible he could be acquitted? After all, you said Snape's friends were trying to get the posthumous charges against him dropped."
Silverman smiled, showing his brilliant teeth. "You misunderstand me, Fury. Severus Snape will be punished for any and every crime the Death Eaters committed. The fury and outrage against the followers of the Dark Lord will be reignited and the people will want a scapegoat. No, there isn't much chance of him squirming out of this one. He'll have to be content if he dodges the Dementor's Kiss and gets life in Azkaban instead."
Fury's stomach roiled unpleasantly, though he kept outwardly calm. He wasn't ignorant about the barbarism of the Wizarding World and their lack of concern for human rights. Most of the time, he was content to leave them be; after all, if the wizards wanted to change their own laws, they could. Most Western countries with a magical population had done away with their medieval thinking and stepped into the twentieth century at least. Only Great Britain and some of her colonies still routinely executed criminals by having their souls sucked out, whatever that meant. He didn't really believe in souls, but whatever was being done to these criminals was criminal in and of itself. And Great Britain was the only country that locked people up in a hellhole guarded by those soul-and-happiness-sucking monsters. It was beyond cruel, but who was Fury to interfere? He really couldn't. Unluckily for Snape, he was a British wizard, and as such, subject to their laws. It was too bad really. He had actually been starting to like the guy.
Fury glanced up from the open file and caught the Head Auror's silver gaze. "So when are you taking him?" he demanded.
"Give us a week or so to get things sorted out between America's Congress and the British Ministry," Silverman replied, standing up and facing him squarely. "If he's still unconscious, we'll simply transfer him to St. Winifred's while we make arrangements for an International Portkey." Silverman paused to write some directions and an address on a notepad.
"You know, not to sound like I'm griping, but your wizards can't just march into a hospital, wave your magic wands, and take a man out of Intensive Care. That will just raise questions you guys won't be able to answer."
"Exactly," Silverman smiled wolfishly. "Which is where SHIELD comes in."
Fury glared. "You're not giving me orders, Silverman."
"I'm not," the Head Auror grinned. "I talked to Pierce already. He wants you to get a team to transfer Mr. Snape to a 'private clinic' while his guys take care of the paperwork. All you have to do is get him out of there and bring him to this address. Even if he's awake by that time."
"This address is nothing but an abandoned warehouse," Fury protested, snatching the note away from Silverman.
"St. Winifred's is disguised as a condemned building," the wizard shrugged. "We'll have to check him over thoroughly before we ship him back to Britain for his trial anyway, whether or not he's conscious. After all, we've still no idea how he became so powerful in just under fifteen years."
"Right," Fury rolled his eyes and casually changed the subject to a related one. "So, any leads on what those glitches were you mentioned? Didn't you say your voodoo policemen were being affected by the Tesseract getting activated?"
Silverman gave him an icy glare. "I don't tell you everything that goes on in our world, Fury; just as you don't tell me everything to do with yours. Let's keep it that way, shall we?"
"You guys are real charmers," Fury snorted, pocketing the note. "Between you and Snape … are all magic folks so grouchy?"
"No, unfortunately," Silverman answered shortly, gathering several papers from Snape's SHIELD file and spreading them out. He pulled a wand from his sleeve and tapped each page. A copy of each one popped out and the Head Auror caught them deftly in his long fingers. Fury had seen displays of magic like this before, but every time he fought the urge to whistle in wonder. Sometimes he wished his agents had magic. Imagine how much easier spy missions would be if they could simply create identical copies of top secret paperwork!
"How long have we worked together and you still treat me like dirt?" Fury grumbled. He was mostly peeved at the secrets, not the people. Silverman was like himself; terse, blunt, and focused. He was a good guy, overall, and he never took Fury's blunt manner personally. That was a plus for anybody in Nick Fury's book.
"Twenty years now," the Head Auror shrugged with a little smirk. "Seems like longer, doesn't it?"
Director Fury snorted, as close to a chuckle as he'd ever get. "I still remember the first day you walked into my office and Pierce introduced you as a wizard. I thought he was playing a joke."
"Didn't help that it was April 1st," Silverman agreed.
"That's probably why he did it that day," Fury grumbled. "The guy sure loves surprises."
"Well, that's it for me," Head Auror Silverman announced, folding his copies and tucking them in his coat. He stood up and held out his hand, which Fury shook once. "I'll contact you with a pick-up date and time for Mr. Snape. You can get a medical van or ambulance?"
"Tell you what," Fury drawled. "You just do your job and let my folks do ours. Give us a time." The Director picked up the notepad and arched an eyebrow at the address. "And we'll be at your St. Winifred's with the wizard. Now, you have a good day."
Ben Silverman smiled coldly before he turned and left without saying good-bye. Nicholas Fury sighed and glanced down at the contents of Severus Snape's file.
He still had some reading, and thinking, to do.
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"Is everything set?"
Alexander Pierce slowly turned away from the large computer screen and faced the silver-eyed man who always snuck up on him no matter what he did to try and keep an eye on them.
"The facility's ready to receive him," the heavyset man said with a grandfatherly smile. "How are your Aurors, Ben? Recovered from the Tesseract yet?"
"They'll survive," Head Auror Ben Silverman said dismissively. "They were not empowered as positively as our friend was, but I doubt the effects will be permanent."
"Then again, your folks weren't channeling Dark Energy when they were affected," Pierce pointed out with a knowing smile.
"Can you believe the WSC?" Silverman complained, slapping a folder stuffed full of papers on the room's central table. "They can't possibly be thinking of letting that space-god take the Tesseract after all this. Think of what we could do with it, knowing the effect it has on our powers …"
"Have no fear, Ben, my friend," Pierce chuckled. "We may lose the Tesseract, but we have the scepter now, and I surmise that it is far better suited to our purpose than the cube. I just received word that it has arrived safely at our Sokovian base. The Asset is currently retrieving our lucky subjects for the Summer Soldier program. Things are looking up."
Silverman nodded and opened the folder, absently looking over the papers detailing Snape's transfer to their custody. If all worked out, the wizard would never leave that custody. They had no desire to turn such a perfect weapon over to Dementors or his idiotic hero-friends in Britain. Severus Snape was dead; may as well take advantage of the fact and make it so. It had been a long time since they had a reliable enhanced Asset.
"We have conditioning planned for him, I suppose?" Silverman asked casually, flipping through the notes in Snape's folder.
"Our current Asset can take care of that when it gets back from the mission in Britain, but I doubt Snape'll need much physical conditioning," Pierce snorted. He tapped a few things on his screen and looked over the medical information of a man currently in a coma. "It's the mental conditioning that'll take work. But as we've seen, the Chair works just as well on a wizard as not."
"Depends on if there's any brain left to condition, of course," Silverman pointed out politely.
"You don't really think he'll be a drooling idiot, do you?" the head of SHIELD smiled condescendingly at his compatriot.
"No, not really," Silverman smiled back. "When Severus Snape awakes though, he'll be where he's most useful: twenty feet under Washington D.C. It wouldn't matter if he was a drooling idiot or not. We'd find a use for him, never fear."
Alexander Pierce chuckled, pleased that everything was working out so well. "Wait until we unleash him upon the world. With such a powerful weapon like Mr. Snape firmly in hand, along with the scepter and the potential there, I think we'll be able to create our Age of Miracles pretty soon here."
"Soon, indeed," Ben Silverman murmured. "It's long about time for us to stop hiding in the shadows like mutants or monsters."
"I agree," Pierce said smoothly. "Once the initial resistance is smoothed away, the world will see what true power is."
Silverman nodded eagerly and stepped a bit nearer to his boss. "Timetable?"
"Still steady," Pierce replied with a pleased smirk. "In fact, thanks to Fury's paranoia, we may be ready to move in just a few months. Project Insight is nearly at completion."
"Perfect," Silverman said softly. He turned and bowed slightly toward Pierce, the light of triumph in his silver eyes making them almost shimmer in the gloom. "Hail Hydra," the wizard murmured.
Secretary Pierce smiled like a wolf. "Hail Hydra," he murmured in reply.
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And I go and end it on you like that.
Yeah, I've been thinking for a good long while about making a wizarding branch of Hydra. After all, Dark Wizards bent on world domination while simultaneously seeing that Muggles are actually rather clever isn't completely unheard of. In this universe, Grindelwald was the one to start the magical branch, and I imagine he worked with Johann Schmidt aka Red Skull, given the guy's obsession with magic and 'the power of the gods, etc.'. I'm hinting at Winter Soldier events here even though Snape won't actively participate in any of them. I'm thinking of writing a one-shot set during the Winter Soldier (so we can see what's going on) just because I love that movie so much. It'll obviously be featuring some other HP character other than Snape, but I lack inspiration. If you have any ideas or preferences, let me know!
So I know this chapter was mostly filler, figuring out what everybody is doing as the invasion excitement winds down. But next chapter will be the second to the last one before I declare it finished. My very last chapter is super short, and so was the epilogue, so I'm going to combine them into one chapter. So, expect those two in the next week, and then I'm going to be hashing out ideas for Snape in Asgard (Dark World) and possibly another HP character(s) in D.C (Winter Soldier) and writing for my sadly neglected main fic Child of the Dark Moon. I'm not sure when the first Dark World chapter will be done, but I'll probably have a better idea once I post the last chapter here.
Thank you all for your reviews and ideas and you guys are awesome!