The Wizard and the Void - Chapter Twenty-Six
Author: Milady Dragon
Phil awoke suddenly, without any sort of unconscious warning, and he sat bolt upright, tossing the blanket aside before it registered that he'd been covered with one, let alone one that was familiar to him. His heart was pounding fit to burst, and he was having trouble catching his breath.
He couldn't recall the nightmare that had jolted him out of sleep, only that there'd been one and it had been horrible.
Eyes darting around, he recognized his room. Lola, not about to let him freak out for long, crawled into his lap and cuddled him fiercely, her own whimpers of distress echoing the Wizard's thoughts, although she was a little big to sit on him for long. She must have gotten some of the backlash from his nightmare, so he wasn't about to chastise her for nearly crushing his dick with her front claws when she'd climbed up onto him.
Phil comforted her as she was doing with him, and eventually his heart rate went back to normal. He sighed, stroking her back, mindful of her wings, until he could tell she felt better, and was ready to move away. He felt better as well, to be honest.
He very carefully shifted her, not wanting a repeat of the near-injury from when she'd clambered all over him.
Phil sent back calm and love to her, and the dragon sighed, settling down next to his legs. Not for the first time, the Void Wizard was glad that he hadn't gotten a larger dragon, because if he had there would have been no way Lola could have done half the things she did, most of them involving cuddles. He'd seen some of the larger dragons and often wondered how their Wizards dealt with them wanting to climb all over them.
Whoever had put him to bed – and he suspected Melinda and Clint of that – had pulled the curtains closed, but light was coming through a crack between the panels, the sunlight telling him that it was sometime in the afternoon. He had no idea how long he'd been in Hydra's hands; he and Clint had left the Keep after lunch, and it had to have been at least several hours, so if he had to guess it was late the same day they'd escaped. Which meant he hadn't gotten all that much sleep, and yet he was glad. He didn't want to keep awakening due to the bad dreams…even if he couldn't have said what they were about.
Sighing, Phil pushed the blanket aside and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Someone – Melinda and Clint again, probably – had put him in a pair of pajamas, for which he was grateful. He hated sleeping in his clothes, but the particular outfit he'd been wearing could have been burned for all he cared. He'd hated channeling the Dark One, and wanted to never do it again.
He practically staggered to his feet, light-headed, and he knew it was from what he'd done with the Void Point. Phil had seriously overextended himself, but it had been for the best. The Void in that house had been seriously damaged, and it had needed a chance to heal. The only way for that to happen was to force that part of the Void that had bubbled up through the weakening of the dimensional veil back to where it belonged. And it had been up to Phil to do just that.
Standing there, the Void Wizard poked his memories of dying, now that he had them. He could see now that, somehow, the Void had been suppressing the memories of his original death…or at least making it easier for him to delude himself into thinking he hadn't really died. However, he could now very vividly recall being in the Void both times, and how he'd been forced out of death and back to the land of the living, the first time surrounded by corpses and the second time to loved ones being near.
It didn't make any sense, but now he knew it. And he knew why.
Phil knew that the Deep Ways were sentient in a lot of ways. In fact, there was the Avatar, which had gained that sentience through its interactions with Lady Rose Tyler and her manipulation of the magic during that time with the Nameless Demons. Who was he to say the Void hadn't, somehow, done the same thing? Phil was pretty certain there wasn't any sort of Avatar for the Void, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Perhaps the Deathforce hadn't found one, like the Lifeforce had?
There was still so much mystery surrounding both forces. Perhaps there had been more knowledge back in the past, but so many of those old records were lost to time, the ones remaining those that had been written as propaganda by the Greats to justify their condemnation of the other two Orders. It was going to be up to the next several generations of Wizards to rebuild that knowledge and to fight the prejudice that had been spread like tinder on a wildfire.
Phil shivered as he realized that he would be there for all of that. Hells, he'd most likely be responsible for some of that.
No…while he wasn't usually one for self-denial, Phil didn't want to deal with this right now. It was far too daunting a subject to face at the moment.
Of course, there was also the man he'd found within the Void when he'd been busily closing the Void Point off. The Wizard closed his eyes, thinking back to that…the Void had always talked to him, in a way; not with any sort of intelligence, but in the back of his mind, and the closest he could come to describing it would be a lover's caress. And, while they might not know much about how it worked, there was a bit of surviving archival evidence that suggested creatures lived within it, although no one had ever seen one. Even his former teaching Master, Mistress Suzie Costello, had once claimed that the Void had a heartbeat, and that she'd heard it…although she never really explained how she'd managed to do that. And, when he'd died the first time, he'd realized that those stories about other creatures within the Void had been correct even if he hadn't remembered at the time.
When Phil had been within the Void Point…he'd heard it. The heartbeat of the Void. There had never been a doubt in the Wizard's mind that it was a living entity, but that heartbeat had solidified that belief. And, somehow, the Void had given him that man, the one that he now knew was Sir Steven Rogers, his childhood hero, the man who would have been so disappointed in him if he'd known what Phil had done. The Paladin hadn't belonged, and the Void had spat him out the only way it could: into Phil's surprised arms, like some sort of bizarre gift for putting up with everything the Void had done to him.
Whereas, Phil belonged, just not in the way anyone would have thought.
He would bet that Clint and Melinda had taken care of the Paladin, as well.
Lola chirped at him, and the Void Wizard ran his hand over her head once more. "Time to face the world," he told her.
The dragon chirped again, and he could feel her agreement, as well as the fact that she was hungry. As if triggered by that, Phil's own stomach grumbled in complaint, and he hoped that someone had left something already prepared in the kitchen, maybe some of Andrew's stew, or that lamb he'd been promised before going to face down Hydra…
First, he'd check in with Daisy. After her magic being suppressed, he wanted to know if she was alright. He felt a little guilty about not considering her, but at the same time he trusted Melinda and Clint to have taken care of her as well. Still, he felt like a terrible father for letting himself get wrapped up in his own problems that he'd basically forgotten about his own daughter's needs.
Shaking off the sudden onset of self-pity, he got dressed. It was his usual working about the Keep clothes: old shirt that was missing a button at the throat, trousers that were just a little too big and had potion stains on them, and his lambs' wool lined slippers. Then, with Lola bouncing at his side, he left his bedroom, to head down toward Daisy's room on the floor below.
He didn't bother knocking on the door. Instead, Phil pushed the door open, just wanting to look in on her in case she was sleeping.
Her bed was empty, but it had definitely been slept in. He made a vague, mental note to remind her to make her bed the next time she got up.
He was too busy being glad that she'd felt well enough to get up, however. Perhaps this time, he'd pretend he hadn't noticed.
He made his way down the stairs and into the public areas of the Keep, wondering where everyone was. Phil decided to check the kitchen first, mainly because his and Lola's stomachs were making the same sorts of noises and were demanding to be fed. He really did want to check on Daisy first, but with no idea where she was there was just enough chance of her being there as anywhere else.
As he got closer to the kitchen, he could hear voices within…one of them obviously Daisy's, but he was also surprised to hear her two friends, Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz. When had they arrived? Had they somehow known about Daisy's kidnapping? Or had something else brought them to the Keep? Well, he was about to find out.
Entering the kitchen, he saw not only Daisy, Jemma, and Leo, but also Clint, Melinda, Grand Master Ianto Jones and Captain Jack Harkness, as well as all the dragons involved, seated around the table...which looked to have been made larger by magic, in order to fit everyone at it.
He'd never actually met either the Grand Master or the Deathless, but they were very recognizable, and Phil had to wonder just what they were doing there. He had his suspicions, however, mostly having to do with the revelations of Phil's own, newly known, status.
There was also a strange man at the stove, something smelling wonderful coming from the pot on the large, main hob, his back to the doorway as the Void Wizard entered.
Clint noticed him first. He gave Phil a relieved grin, standing up from where he'd been sitting next to Daisy. "It's about time you woke up, sleepyhead!" he exclaimed, moving around the table even as everyone present turned to look at him. Clint stopped at the edge of Phil's personal space, looking as it he really wanted to hug him but not sure how it would be welcomed.
To hells with that.
The Void Wizard grabbed onto Clint's shoulders and pulls him into the biggest hug he could muster.
Clint sighed, relaxing into the embrace, his arms sliding around Phil's waist and holding on tight. "Don't scare me like that again, okay?" he whispered.
"No promises, sorry." There was no way Phil could swear to the archer that he'd never be in danger again, not with Hydra still out there and what he'd discovered about his own nature.
Clint pulled back, his eyes laughing despite his serious expression. "Yeah, I figured you'd say that."
"Dad!" Daisy cried. Clint stepped away in order to give her room for her own hug. The Wizard was so glad that she was fine, after everything that had occurred at Hydra's compound, that he made a mental vow to never let her out of his sight again.
There was no way he could fulfil that vow, but he made it anyway.
Eventually, she pulled away as well, but it wasn't until Phil's stomach made its presence known again. Daisy laughed. "Well, now I know where I rate."
Phil rolled his eyes. "Please. At least you got in a hug before that happened."
"Come on then." She took his hand. "Andrew made garlic chicken soup. It's a good thing you woke up when you did, or there might not be any left. Jack eats like a bear."
When did Daisy start calling Captain Harkness by his given name?
"And he has the table manners of one," Grand Master Ianto teased.
"I am not that bad!" Phil was a little surprised to hear the Western accent, since Captain Harkness was from the United Kingdom…
"Yes Jack, you are." The Grand Master was laughing.
Wait… "Andrew?" His eyes darted to the man at the stove.
The stranger was smiling, his teeth white in his dark face. "Hello, Phil." The voice was very familiar indeed.
The Void Wizard couldn't help it; he strode toward the man, Melinda's husband, so different from the cursed fellow who'd been living in the Keep for years now. He was tall, and handsome, his hair short against his skull.
"How is this…?" Phil turned. "I take it this was your doing, Grand Master?"
The Cardiff-man wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Please, it's Ianto. And it was a particularly nasty curse, and took some work, but I have had some luck with unpicking such things."
Phil had meant to approach the Grand Master, himself, but hadn't quite known how to go about it. Ianto Jones was a well-respected Spell Picker, and the Wizard had had hope that, one day, the curse could be dissolved.
"Thank you." It was heartfelt. He'd been a witness to Melinda's upset at Andrew's condition.
"It was my pleasure. A good man shouldn't have to labor under a curse, through no fault of his own."
Still, Phil was grateful.
Although, he was beginning to suspect that the Grand Master – he just didn't feel comfortable calling him Ianto right then – was there because he could relate to what the Phil himself was going through.
"Come on, Dad." Daisy tucked her hand around his arm. "Let's get you something to eat, then you can find out what's been going on since you decided to nap for days."
That had him stopping in shock. "Days?"
"Afraid so." Clint got behind him and pushed, propelling him toward the table. "It's been two days since we escaped from Hydra."
Two days. That didn't seem possible, but then Phil had overextended himself quite a lot…on top of technically dying.
Clint pressed him into the chair he'd been seated in, and Daisy sat beside him. On the other side, Captain Harkness extended a hand, introducing himself properly.
So, this was the legendary Deathless. He was personable and friendly, and despite not really knowing him at all Phil was predisposed to like him…even though his greeting bordered on flirting. Under the man's skin, the Deep Ways was thrumming away, but it wasn't unpleasant, surprisingly enough, and not at all like shaking hands with a Cardinal Wizard. But then, the Deathless was a different sort of matter altogether.
Andrew set a bowl in front of him, and before Phil even knew it he'd picked up the spoon and was tucking in. The garlic meshed well with other spices, and there were large chunks of chicken and vegetables floating in a savory broth. There was bread as well, and half a chicken for Lola, who was left to eat by the other dragons; when she was done, they herded her into a pile by the fireplace. The red and gold dragon had to have been Myfanwy, the Grand Master's familiar, and seemed to have taken charge of the other dragons, chattering at them and getting them into the positions she wanted.
He was seated across from Melinda, who gave him a welcoming nod. While she still wore the same serene mask as usual, there was a gleam of happiness in her eyes, and he couldn't help but be happy for her as well. She was one of his oldest friends, and she'd been without her husband for far too long, Andrew ghosting about the place like a shade of a man, changed beyond anything seen by any race.
Now, he was standing in the kitchen, before people who were strangers, and not afraid to be seen. In a way, Phil felt as if he'd failed both Melinda and Andrew, because he'd never contacted Grand Master Ianto in order to get Andrew the help he'd needed.
Melinda glowered. "Stop it, Phil."
He didn't say a thing.
He ate some more soup.
"It seems," the Grand Master began, "that you've set quite the conundrum in the Quorum's collective laps, Master Phil. We will be meeting in two days to declare the Hydra cabal traitors and to have them hunted down until they're all caught. Alexander Pierce has been denounced and we'll seek to replace him as Grand Master of Voids." He gave Phil a tiny smile. "You've managed to shake things up quite sufficiently."
The Void Wizard swallowed the mouthful of soup before he could choke on it. "That certainly wasn't any intention of mine."
Grand Master Ianto waved him off. "No, it wasn't. Still, it's impressive nonetheless."
"What about Hydra?" Phil wanted to know.
"We've sent out warnings for all the conspirators. So far, we've managed to take Gideon Malick and his daughter. Malick didn't last long in captivity; he hung himself in his cell. Stephanie followed soon after."
"The Western Land's Council of Barons has also been busy," Captain Harkness added. "Barons Nick and Tony got permission to raid the house you were being held, and with Baron Henry Pym's aid – it was within his precept – they found some very interesting documents that got left behind, and they're still having a look around the place for anything else they might have forgotten in their haste to escape. We were hoping for personal items we could use to Scry for them with, but every single one of them are far too canny to leave anything like that behind."
That almost went without saying. After all Alexander Pierce had been a Grand Master. He'd have been aware of the sorts of tracking spells that could have been used with just a simple thread.
"We've also managed to warn Wakanda that someone's gotten into their store of Vibranium…turns out a mercenary named Ulysses Klaue was responsible. He's been added to the wanted list, and there's an inventory being made at the moment to make sure there's nothing else missing."
"You've been busy."
"There's still quite a bit to do," the Grand Master commented.
"And what about Sir Steven?"
"Baron Tony has him well in hand, and he has yet to regain consciousness," Captain Harkness answered that. "Since it was one of the Baron's ancestors who was responsible for finding the Paladin originally, everyone felt it was best he get the care his needs at Barony Ferrous." He smirked. "Not that the Baron thought so, but Mistress Pepper can be very…persuasive. I certainly wouldn't want to get on her bad side."
"And Dad," Daisy cut in, "she wants you to contact her as soon as you can. She was really worried about you."
Phil couldn't help but feel a bit of warmth in his chest at that. He'd taken a chance confiding in Pepper, and that confidence had been rewarded by the gaining of a good friend. "As soon as I know everything that's been going on, I'll call her on her mirror." He'd just managed to finish his bowl, when Andrew set another one in front of him. The Wizard ate this one a little slower. "So, what else should I know?"
"You and Clint will be called to give evidence in front of the Quorum," Grand Master Ianto said apologetically. "I'm afraid your past might be about to get raked out into the light of day."
That had always been a danger. No matter how much Phil kept a low profile, there'd been a chance he'd be found out. Garrett had, and look what had happened? It didn't matter how well his death was faked, there were ways to discover the truth. Like sneaking into Asgard and questioning Loki. Now, that had been a bit of a shock.
"We'll try to keep that from happening," Captain Harkness assured him, "but it's very possible Hydra has someone just standing by to let the proverbial dragon out of the bag."
Phil nodded. After all, Garrett had obliquely threatened to blackmail him with letting his identity get out. Believing that there was someone out there, ready and willing to confront him, just made good sense.
"I can also help you," the Cardinal Grand Master said quietly. "I know what you're going through; I've been in this position myself. I'd like to help."
"We would like to help," Captain Harkness corrected. "While it's not the same, I'm also familiar with what immortality is like."
Phil had no idea how he'd gained these two men's support, but he wasn't an idiot and wouldn't turn it away. They knew who he was, and what he'd done, and they were willing to help him anyway.
"You should also know," Grand Master Ianto said, "Suzie Costello was a good friend. She had faith in you when no one else did. She saw something in you, and I trust her judgement."
Now, that had a lump forming in Phil's throat. His teaching Master had tried, but he hadn't listened to her, content to be the evil bastard his parents had raised. Mistress Suzie had taken him on, when she should have retired to live the rest of her life in comfort. Instead, he'd betrayed her trust and had left before his studies had been completed. Technically, he wasn't even a true Master, that was something that Nick had arranged when he'd had Phil Coulson's past as the Dark One covered up. And then she'd died, and he'd never been able to apologize to her.
An arm went around his shoulders, and he found himself looking into Clint's changeable eyes. "I saw it, too, just so you know. You were always a good man, you just lost your way."
"And Dad," his daughter added, "we got your back."
"Absolutely," Jemma chimed in. Phil had almost forgotten that she was there, she'd been quiet so far.
"Completely," Leo echoed her, in that way they had.
"These kids are our future," Captain Harkness crowed, "and I'm damned proud to know I'll be around to see it."
Daisy looked as if she was about to say something about being called a kid, but Jemma leaned over and whispered in her ear. Phil had no idea what she'd said, but it stopped his daughter from arguing about it.
"Finish your soup," Melinda encouraged. "You're going to need your strength."
"Well," Phil managed to clear his throat, "that doesn't sound ominous at all."
The smile he got from Grand Master Ianto was scary. "Master Phil…may I call you Phil?"
The Void Wizard nodded.
"Phil. At this point, the Void Order is in chaos and, while sometimes a little chaos is a good thing, this isn't. We've just proved that both the Grand Master and the Head of Order for the Western Lands were both attempting to do something that they shouldn't have, and they were willing to force you to work for them by an act of blackmail and kidnapping. Plus, they killed you…even though they believed you'd come back, that is still an act of willful murder. Then, somehow, they managed to taint a Void Point and get their hands on a metal they shouldn't have. These charges are serious, and they will be addressed."
Phil nodded. There were certain things that should never be attempted, and just the messing with a Void Point would have been enough to get them expelled from the order and imprisoned in such a way that they wouldn't be able to perform magic ever again. But there was Daisy, and them taking his daughter was something he simply could never forgive them for. They could have killed him a hundred times, but kidnapping his daughter earned them his never-ending hatred.
"There's also the issue with the bad reputation that Void Wizards have," Phil stated. "I know you and the other Grand Masters have tried to combat the stories, but I also know it's been difficult. My own history is proof of that." He had to assume that Marcus had shared his past with everyone, and while he didn't care for it one bit, he could certainly understand why he had.
"Exactly. In a way, this might be a good thing. We can get fresh blood into the higher echelons of the order, and perhaps really start combatting the stories that a certain other order spread about."
"I'm sure it's not going to help that the very Grand Master of Voids and the Head of Order are complicit in magical treason. It's just going to play into the Greats' hands."
"Grand Master Stephen has done all he can, but Mistress Maria Hill hasn't made it easy. He didn't want her as Head of Order in the first place, but as he's only one man he couldn't sway the rest of the order his way."
Now, that was a surprise. Phil knew that Nick liked Maria quite a lot, and was thinking of asking her to marry him. He had to wonder if she knew now just who the Dark One was, and how she'd reacted to the news. Most likely not well at all.
"In fact, Stephen wanted to be here, but he's gone to help set up for the Quorum, and I wanted to stay until you regained consciousness. Just for a little support, as it were."
"I appreciate that." He did. Phil really didn't know what he was doing, or what was going to happen, and quite frankly he was on the thin edge of being completely terrified. It was only the lessons he'd learned about his anger issues and not showing his hand that were keeping him from freaking out. To know that he had people in his corner was settling his nerves just a bit as well.
"You have quite a lot of people willing to support you," Clint murmured, "and not just the ones at this table."
"Mistress Pepper wanted to stay as well," Jemma said.
"But she had to, in Baron Nick's words, 'babysit Stark so he'd fucking be on time for the Council of Barons'." Leo seemed to get quite a bit of glee out of quoting the Cardinal Master.
Phil couldn't help the laugh that burst out at that. Not only did that sound completely like Marcus, it was also something Pepper was very good at. The day she'd decided to take on Daisy as her teaching Master was like getting a present he hadn't even known he'd wanted. She'd become a friend and she'd worked wonders for his daughter's control.
"The thing is," Captain Harkness said, "is that we don't know exactly who we can trust in the Void Order. Does Pierce have anyone else in his little cabal that he didn't reveal to you? We could go outside the Western Lands, certainly, but we can't even trust other countries. Whitehall was from the Middle Kingdom, and from what we've discovered about Raina, she's from the Oligarchies. No one is above reproach at this point."
"We need someone in the position of Grand Master who not only has the power to hold onto it, but someone completely trustworthy," Ianto added.
In that moment, it tumbled together in Phil's mind. He dropped his spoon into his bowl with a clatter. "No."
"Phil. We need you to take over – "
"What makes you think they'd even have me?" he demanded. "If my past is going to come out in the Quorum, then how are they going to want the Dark One to lead the most problematic magic order there is?" He couldn't believe they were even considering this. There was no way in any of the hells the Wizard's Quorum would accept him, even if he wanted the job. Which he most certainly did not.
"For one thing," Ianto explained, "you'll have me and Stephen vouching for you. Also, Pepper will, as will Barons Nicholas and Tony."
"And, according to the Grand Master," Jemma added stoutly, "they'll accept student testimony."
"Which means Jemma and I can also say something on your behalf," Leo finished for her.
"And of course I'll speak for you, Dad." Daisy leaned on his shoulder. "They'd have to lock me up to keep me away, and then I'll just break out and show up anyway."
The lump was back. Phil had done so much bad in his life, he just wasn't at all sure how he'd gained the love and respect and trust of anyone.
"And I can testify about what happened with Hydra," Clint said. "My endorsement won't mean much, but you have it."
"You are a lucky man, Phil," Captain Harkness observed.
"And I don't know how it happened," the Void Wizard admitted.
"Look," Clint tapped on Phil's wrist, getting the Wizard to turn toward him, "even back in your most destructive days I knew there was more to you than that. You proved it when you adopted Daisy and turned your life around. Gods, Phil…you did everything you could to put all that shit behind you. You are a truly good person, it's just that circumstances caused you to lose yourself for a bit."
Well, Phil had to reward that.
He grasped the back of the Elf's neck, and pulled him into a kiss. It wasn't much, just a press of lips, but he tried to communicate everything he was feeling into it: just how much Clint meant to him, and what his words made him feel. At the back of his mind was the consideration that, someday, he'd lose this, but was it really worth it to worry?
He leaned away reluctantly, ducking his head in embarrassment. He just wasn't used to such public displays; but then, the last time he'd taken any sort of lover had been years ago, and it hadn't lasted long, He and Audrey just hadn't clicked, and that actually worked out for the best. It had allowed him to give all his concentration to Daisy, getting her ready for school, and teaching her what he could before she left the nest.
Clint was blushing a little, the tips of his pointed ears pink. Daisy poked him and cheered, "Way to go, Dad!"
He shook his head. "And when am I going to meet this boyfriend of yours?"
His daughter gaped at him. "What…? Boyfriend?"
"Please, I'm your father. Of course I know you have a boyfriend." He didn't add that he'd heard it from Pepper; he didn't want to give away his prime source of information where Daisy was concerned when she was away at school.
Daisy was spluttering as if she couldn't make up her mind how to react. Phil's job was done.
He turned back to Grand Master Ianto. "So, what exactly what do you need for me to do?"