Chapter 10: That Blasted Old Man
Thanks for all the reviews.
Sorry guys, my muse has gone on vacation and didn't even give me notice. Updates will be sporadic. I won't force myself to write, least I burn myself out. For those of you that didn't read my last story, I was going to take a break before I started writing again, but my muse bit me and I started this one. So… well, it's taking that break now. Of course, now that I've said that, it might make a liar of me. Who knows, finicky muse.
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They all made it into the living room. Ivy was still there, but she was tired, so she was listlessly sitting on Tony's lap. She leaned back against his chest and listened to them make small talk. She was valiantly trying to keep her eyes open, but it was a losing battle. They kept the talk to mindless things until she slept. Tony got up and put her to bed.
"Now that the princess is asleep again, why is Reindeer Games here?" he asked when he returned. He wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. Loki had tried to take over the world last time he was here. However, the man knew magic and might be fruitful in helping Ivy become a great witch. If Thor was to be believed that is.
"My father deemed that he needed to have half his power bound and that he needed to learn to live among the mortals," Thor said, lifting his mug of mead that Tony kept around just for him. "There is a lesson to be learned in humbleness," he added, hoping that Loki learned the same humility that he had when he met his Lady Jane. He really needed to get in touch with her again. She was something to him and he saw so little of her.
"Yes, Odin thought that I might learn humility if I lived here and helped clean up the mess that I created," Loki said, though his thoughts were on Ivy. He had never seen such a bright aura. Not even the Allfather's aura was that bright, though it was just as golden. Frigga's came close, but hers was silver in color and she had some blemishes on hers.
"Hey, keep your thoughts off my daughter," Tony said as if reading the man's mind. Now that he thought about it, Loki's eyes were the same color as Ivy's, which was weird since he distinctly remembered them being blue.
"How can I help it? She is a beacon to one such as I," Loki said, looking at the man who proclaimed to be the girl's guardian. "Her aura is one that could sooth the savage beast, even my daughter would worship the child," he said, thinking of Hel. Not that Hel was in any way a beast, she did have quite the temper.
Goose chose that moment to come out and meet the newcomers. He moved right up to Loki and stared at him with knowledgeable eyes. Thor and Loki knew right away that this was not an ordinary cat.
"That's Goose," Tony said, waving to the Flerken. "He protects Ivy," he added, though did not elaborate.
Both gods got the impression that the non-cat did a very good job at it. "Well met, Goose," Thor said as if meeting a real person, for it did not do to piss off an intelligent being.
"Yes, well met," Loki echoed, nodding his head to the non-cat. He reached down to let the animal sniff his hand.
Goose just stared at him.
"Okay, so Loki is here to make amends," Bruce said, getting back on topic. "We may not like it, but there it is. He can go out in the morning and take his medicine. Steve still volunteers with the cleanup and rebuilding, so he can supervise that," he added, looking to Captain America, who nodded.
"I will be happy to do that," Steve said, glaring at the godling. "You will be pulling your weight," he said. He would take great pleasure in making this 'god' humble. It was his fault that so many were homeless or in danger of being so. They could use all the help they could get.
"Understood," Loki said, knowing magic would be most helpful in this case. He, unlike the two here in the room, didn't need to hide the fact that he could do magic. A few waves of his hand and he could fix many things. Even at half strength.
"There now that that is out of the way, why were we meeting before Thor showed up?" Bruce asked, taking up his can of Coke. He didn't partake in alcohol. It would not do to lose control over the Other Guy. Not that the Hulk had been unruly since the invasion, and even less so since Ivy started living here. Every time Ivy was around Bruce all the Hulk would do was coo. It was a bit disconcerting.
"I wanted to ask you about an experiment that I had. It could help Ivy learn better, but I don't know of any side effects. It's similar to something Sirius took as a child, and he said the side effects are minor," Tony said, looking around the group to judge the reactions. Pepper and Remus knew it was a potion, but the rest would think it was a chemical he dreamed up.
"How minor?" Natasha asked, no stranger to experiments on children. She wasn't sure about it though. She never liked it when they did them on her, though she can't complain about the results. She would just like more information.
"Quirks," Sirius said, with a small smile. "I tell bad jokes, one kid ate dirt, and another had a facial tick," he listed, making sure that they knew they were minor, just different.
"I don't know, Tony, I'd rather let nature take its course," Bruce said, not liking any outside interference. He was the result of an experiment gone wrong. "What if something more than a quirk happens?" he ventured. His eyes flitted around the room to see what others were thinking. They seemed evenly split on this topic.
"I think if you know that the side effects will be minimal, then I say if it helps, go for it," Captain America voted in. He was on the opposite side of the Hulk. His experiment went quite well. Sure, it was not exactly what he expected, but in the end it all worked out. "It's not painful, is it?"
"No, there is no pain," confirmed Sirius.
"Good," Steve said, not wanting Ivy to be in any pain. His trial had been quite painful. Then again, his entire body had been rebuilt, so…
"I vote no," Clint said, thinking that if it were his kid then he wouldn't let anything interfere with nature. To him it was like rewriting a brain, and he was against that.
"I think she should have all the advantages," Thor said, nodding his assent. It was not unusual for this type of thing to be done on Asgard.
"I vote no," Pepper said, firmly against the idea. Sirius had told her about it earlier, and she didn't want Ivy to have a quirk like that. It might ruin her cuteness.
"Do I get a vote?" Loki asked, looking around the room.
"No," came the response from everyone, bar Remus and Sirius. They were still in the dark on why everyone hated Loki, so they kept silent.
"I never approved of what you're talking about, so if I get a vote I say no," Remus said, looking at Sirius who he knew told Tony about the Wit Sharp Potion. It was borderline dark, and he never approved of anything like that.
"You know my vote," Sirius said with a shrug. It was his idea after all.
"Natasha?" Tony asked, so far it was close to a tie.
"I think it will help, and she needs all the advantages she can get, like Thor said," she said, shrugging her shoulders at Clint. She knew he didn't approve, but she learned at a young age, you took every improvement you could get.
"Then, my vote will be the tie breaker, and I say that she needs the advantage, so I will give it to her after I talk to her tomorrow," Tony said, putting the subject to an end.
"You are speaking of a magical potion?" Loki asked, looking at Sirius and Remus. He pegged them as magicals right away, they had auras too. Not as bright as Ivy's but there. Sirius' was dark and torn, like he had been through a great deal of stress and pain. Remus' was also dark, but whole. Werewolf, Loki realized. That was a shocker.
"We're not supposed to talk about that," Sirius said, pointedly looking at the muggles.
"I am under no such restrictions," the godling said, sticking his chin in the air. "I can speak of whatever I wish."
"That won't stop them from coming and messing with their minds," Tony snapped, standing and glaring at the other man. "I won't have you putting them in danger like that," he said, going and pouring himself some more brandy.
"Who would come and mess with our minds?" Clint wanted to know. He had had his mind mess with one too many times.
"I can't tell you, or they will come and take that information from you," Tony said, in exasperation. "There is so much I want to tell all of you, but I just can't," he said, running a hand down his face and slamming his glass on the bar top. "I hate that I have to keep secrets, it isn't helping my PTSD, but I have no choice." He reached under the bar and got a plastic bottle of juice out and cracked it open. He had had enough to drink for tonight. He had cut way back since he got Ivy.
"Will they really come and mess with our minds?" Bruce asked Sirius. He seemed to be the most open to telling the truth.
"Yes," was all the man said.
"Why?" Natasha wanted to know.
"Fear mostly," Remus explained. "We honestly can't tell you more than that." He opened his hands in a 'what can we do' gesture.
"I can tell you that you will find out on your own," Tony said, reassuring them that they would not be in the dark forever. "Living here, will open your eyes to a whole new world. However, until you see it with your own eyes, it has to stay a secret," he added.
"I think I can guess what is going on," Bruce said, putting all the pieces together. Given what had been said by the four men, Tony, Sirius, Remus and Loki, the only explanation was magic. There had to be a secret society. Pepper knew about it, but she was tighter lipped than the men. Ivy must be part of that. "Keep your secrets for now. I understand the need for them," he said, giving the others pointed looks. Each and every one of them had to keep secrets from the world.
They all nodded in understanding and were about to start the conversation on how to train Ivy when Jarvis spoke.
"Sir, there is someone in Miss Ivy's room," the AI said, making everyone jump up and run.
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Goose had gone back into Ivy's room when the topic had turned to magic. He had deemed the gods, friendlies. Well, maybe not completely friendly, but not enemies. He had settled down on the foot of the bed and was keeping watch over his little person.
Ten minutes had passed and then there was a loud 'crack'. Suddenly there was an old man dressed in flashy robes of magenta, green and rose stripes. There was a matching hat on his head, and his beard and hair were white and long. He held a wand in his hand, and it was pointed at Ivy.
"At last," the man said, creeping towards the bed as if to snatch Ivy from her sleep.
Goose didn't even think, he opened his mouth and tentacles shot forward and almost engulfed the man. However, the man quickly erected a shield that kept them from swallowing him. The non-cat wrapped the tentacles around the shield and was pulling him into his mouth when the man disappeared with a 'pop'. Goose was disappointed. He would have to be quicker next time. He could have swallowed the man shield and all, but he must have had a backup magical device that helped him escape.
The whole house ran into the room, weapons drawn, and saw the tentacles disappearing into Goose's mouth. They didn't yell or shout, seeing that Ivy was still asleep. Her adorable little face was one of pure innocence. Their weapons were pointing in all directions, but they didn't see anyone but Goose. Ivy shifted in her sleep and her nose crinkled at the noise everyone was making. She was very tired though and didn't wake.
"The fuck," Clint said quietly, seeing the cat sitting on the bed like he didn't just have tentacles go back into his mouth. "Did that cat just have tentacles come out of its mouth?" he asked, looking at Natasha.
"I saw it too," she said with a shrug. She was still looking for the man who was supposed to be here. She had a feeling that the cat had driven him off. She was glad of that.
"Me too," Bruce said, doing some breathing exercises to keep the Hulk at bay. The danger was over there was no need for the Other Guy to come out. He could see Ivy was fine.
"I didn't see it, but I will take your word on that," Steve said since he was in the back of the group, having fallen behind to get his shield from where he stored it.
"Jarvis, show the video of what just happened," Tony said softly. Then he said, "Wait. We'll view it in the living room."
They all trooped back into the living room. Goose staying in the bedroom in case the man came back. They watched the video and were amazed at what they saw. First a man appeared out of nowhere, and the cat tried to eat him with tentacles. They were not sure which was more frightening, they all looked to Tony for an explanation, but he was looking at Sirius and Remus.
"Do you know that man?" Tony asked them. He knew those two would know better than anyone else.
"That was Albus Dumbledore," Sirius spat. He had no love for the man who had left him to rot in prison.
"The headmaster?" the billionaire asked, remembering the man had quite a few titles. He had too much power, if he recalled correctly. "What gives him the right to just pop into my home like that?" he demanded. No one had the right to just come into his house like that. He was Tony Stark damn it.
"We told you he's obsessed with Ivy," Sirius said, trying to get the man to calm down. "He thinks he's above the law." That didn't help anyone calm down. As a matter of fact, everyone was up in arms.
"So, just because he's in charge of everything magical, he thinks he can waltz into any non-magical place and take whatever he wants?" Tony asked, no longer worried about the statute. Albus Dumbledore blew that out of the water with this little stunt.
The rest were just going with the flow. It seemed they figured most of it out themselves anyway. This did make the tension between Tony and them release. There were fewer secrets now and that was a great relief. Pepper was the happiest. It was so stressful for Tony, and she had to deal with the fallout.
"Yes, that is exactly what he thinks," Remus snarled. He was not liking Dumbledore too much right now. Not after this stunt.
"Are there protections to prevent this?" the billionaire asked, looking at Loki, Sirius and Remus. He wanted every one of them put up, even if he had to beg.
"Oh, yes there are," Loki said with some vindictiveness. He loved making protections that might be a little on the painful side, or deadly, if needs be.
Sirius got the same spiteful look on his face and said, "We should compare notes."
The two of them put their heads together and started talking. Soon they had a plan to protect Ivy's room and the whole tower. Sirius would do Ivy's room and Loki would do the tower. The tower's protection would be for those that were intent on harming the 'family'. While Sirius' would be specifically for Ivy. It was overkill, but if they got past one, they would have to get past the other.
"No putting deadly curses on the tower. Ivy's room yes, but not on the tower," Tony said, when they told him of their intention to protect the place.
"Why?" Loki asked, throwing his hands in the air.
"We can't justify it," Bruce explained with the Avengers nodding along with him.
"This is a Midgard thing, isn't it?" the godling asked Sirius. "On Asgard we have no issue with these protections."
"I think it's a muggle thing," the wizard replied. "In the wizarding world wards like these are expected."
"Yes, to both of those questions," Remus confirmed to the two men. Well, he wasn't sure about the Asgard thing, but it seemed to be a given.
"Fine, since I don't want to upset your delicate sensibilities, I will only set it to maim," Loki said, huffing as if disappointed.
"Thank you," Pepper said, ready to have this night over with.
Sirius and Loki spent the rest of the night setting up the wards, while everyone else, bar Tony and Bruce, who were fascinated by the magic, went to bed. The two scientists watched the two magicals with awe and took copious notes. It was late when they finally found their beds.
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While Loki, Thor, and Steve were off doing volunteer work, Tony spent the next morning making a bracelet for Ivy so that she had a tracker on her at all times. He made sure that it fit snuggly on her wrist and that it could be expanded on. He had Sirius, who had to take a Pepper-up, make the Wit Sharp Potion too. Then he called Ivy down to his workshop.
"Wow, Mr. Tony, your workshop is really neat," Ivy said, looking around at all the computers and instruments. She saw the three robots in the corner and was going to run over and greet them when Tony stopped her.
"You can play with them later," he said, snagging her by her waist and sitting her on a stool. "First of all, I want you to wear this bracelet," he said, putting the wide band on her wrist. It had a little green jewel that matched her eyes.
"It's very pretty, Mr. Tony," she said, turning it back and forth to admire it. It was a wide band that had intricate carvings on it that had been done by Jarvis. They were of fairies and dragonflies. They were flying in a forest. It was really pretty. Then the little jewel just twinkled at her.
"This bracelet has a tracer in it, so that if someone takes you away from me, I can find you," Tony explained, touching the jewel on top.
"Why would someone take me away?" Ivy asked, confused.
"There is a man who thinks you are supposed to do something when you get older. And he wants to control you, so we are going to make sure that you grow up so that you are in control of yourself," Tony said as simply as he could.
"Oh," Ivy said, her forehead scrunched up in thought. "Is he a mean man?" she asked trying to understand.
"I don't know him well enough to answer that, but he is doing mean things," her guardian said, pushing one of her curls behind her ear. "Now in relation to this, I have a potion I would like you to take. It will make you really smart like me." He was hoping it gave her a boost in her already great intelligence.
"Okay, Mr. Tony," Ivy said with that innocence of a child that trusted their parent.
Tony had put the potion in a beaker and had some milk to drive the taste out of her mouth. It a was good thing the dose was only a few ounces. She took the drink and made a cute little face at the taste and then drank the milk. Her brain felt fuzzy for a moment then she was thinking much clearer than before.
"Do you feel any different?" Tony asked, hoping she didn't develop a quirk.
"I do," she confirmed, then she giggled a cute little giggle. It sounded like a tinkling of bells. She liked the sound so much she did it again.
"I think we found your quirk," Tony said, not sure if a tinkling giggle was a good thing or not.