Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I don't own Marvel. No, not even the X-Men.
A/N: Glad to see my followers haven't died down during my absence! :P
I've received several reviews - thanks for the compliments. In addition, I have a few things to address from the reviewer UnlawfulGentleman.
First of, thanks for the lovely, long review. Your praise was eagerly received. Also, I'm glad I abated your fears about Harry and Laura's interactions. As for your predictions of what is to come? Some great ideas there, like the Thunderbolts or the Assassins Guild, and if I hadn't already got a plan I might have gone for that. Also, don't worry about the Cuckoos as a love interest for Tom - I have a few different possibilities at this point, but they are not one of them. Also, great choice of Orchis as a favourite villain - I really enjoyed House of X.
Anyway, on with the story!
Chapter 17: Agreement
Harry stood across from Dumbledore, once more dressed in his armour as he watched the advanced jet known as the Blackbird settle down on the ground before him. His left hand held his helm at his side, while his right hand rested on a handgun. He had researched Xavier throughout the day, and familiarised himself with the various members of the X-Men. While Xavier was a strict pacifist, there were a couple that weren't, going as far as to ignore the Professor's instructions for restraint at times. He had no doubt that this meeting could easily devolve into violence, even if the opponents tried to capture him with non lethal methods. While he had not come across them in his persona as Weapon M - in fact, he was reliably informed that they were only vaguely aware of him - he knew that they would recognise a mercenary when they saw one. Especially with Daken at his side.
The buzz from the alcohol was gone, quickly being purged by his healing factor. It was a pain, since he had forgotten to fetch another bottle while he was at the hideout, and so was forced to attend the meeting frustrated and irritatingly sober.
He watched as the ramp opened up, and the mutant contingent rolled out. The first was the bald man himself, Charles Xavier, followed closely by a feral looking man, Logan, whose presence caused Daken to tense up. Two other adults followed on, a very typical American with ruby-quartz shades, Cyclops, and a woman in a leather jacket, with a white stripe running through her hair, Rogue. After that came…
Harry froze, blinking at what he saw. His mouth opened slightly, drying. Could it be? Was she really there? "Laura?"
It was her. Dressed in black leather body armour with yellow highlights and far cleaner than he had ever seen her (her hair was brushed!), but it was her all the same. Laura. His Laura.
She turned to him, eyes wide as she stared back at him. "Harry," she breathed, quiet but audible to his enhanced senses nonetheless.
He stared at her, his nostrils flaring as he took in her scent. There were traces of familiarity, but it was tainted, it was wrong. His eyes narrowed. The blood was gone, yet the sweat lingered, yet even that was covered by the scent of disinfectant. And there was another scent, a man's scent, covering her.
His eyes flicked over to the source of the scent, a short, burly man, a man he recognised.
"Logan," he growled.
"The fuck are you doing here?" Daken barked, pushing past the snarling teen.
"Fixing your screw up, bub," Logan growled. "The boy should have come with us. He needed guidance."
"I gave him guidance," Daken growled. "We don't need your damn pacifist army."
"Guidance?" Logan barked. "You trained him to be a merc. And don't even deny it. I know you." He snarled. "And it's written all over him."
"So what if I did," Daken spat. "He's good. He's making a life for himself, and he's happy. It worked out well for me, didn't it."
"You never had any guidance," Logan scowled.
"I never needed it," Daken glared.
"Logan," Xavier warned. "Daken. We are guests at this school. I would warn you not to bring your personal troubles with you." He turned to Dumbledore, smiling softly. "Hello, Albus. Thank you for calling. This moment is more important than you know."
"I can say the same to you, my friend," Dumbledore replied. "Professor McGonagall will lead your envoy to their rooms, while we go to talk."
Xavier nodded. "Students! If you would follow the woman in the green robes - Professor McGonagall - she will lead you to your rooms for the visit."
Laura's head snapped round to the Professor, eyes large and pleading, before she hung her head, following on silently.
"Ah, Mr Daken, I must ask you to leave as well," Dumbledore said.
"Fuck no," Daken growled.
"You may not like me, Daken," Xavier said. "But I know you respect me. Please, this conversation is for the three of us. Go, speak with Logan - you have many problems that need to be discussed."
Daken snarled, but marched off, albeit in a different direction to the entourage.
"Tell me, you wrinkly faced bastard son of a whore's nutsack," Harry growled. "What the fuck have you done to Laura? Her scent's all wrong!"
"Mr Potter!" Dumbledore protested. "Language!"
"It is no problem, Albus," Xavier reassured. "I have heard far worse from Logan." He turned to Harry. "Let me assure you, Mr Potter, that I have done nothing to Laura, except guidance and aid."
"Guidance?" Harry spat. "She's a killer - it's who she is. No doubt you have been denying her her true self. The Laura I know wouldn't stand for that. I ask you again - what have you done to her?"
Xavier sighed. "My boy, no-one is inherently a killer. It is a sign of the damage, the trauma that you have been unfortunate enough to experience that you believe it to be true. Laura has accepted it, with the help and guidance of her father."
"Her father?" Harry sneered. "You mean Logan? I'd hardly call him a good role model. He's not even a father to his actual son, let alone his clone."
Xavier shook his head. "The relationship between Logan and Daken is not a measure of Logan's ability as a parent. Daken arrived during a… difficult time in Logan's life. He has struggled with his past, however long that truly stretches back, and he has only relatively recently clawed his way back to stability, if you'll pardon the pun."
Harry scoffed, shaking his head. "So, this is what, an interview? An interrogation?"
"An offer," Xavier corrected. "To attend my school, gain some experience with students your own age, learn about your mutation…"
"Hard pass," Harry growled. "I have no need for the children that populate this world, and my abilities have been honed to a fine edge - my reputation shows that well enough."
"Your reputation?" Xavier asked.
"A mercenary of the highest calibre," he grinned ferally as he slammed his helm down onto the table, the iconic mask gleaming in the noonday sun.
Xavier paled. "The Red Shadow."
"Do they call me that?" Harry asked, thoughtfully. "Got a ring to it… but no, I go by Weapon M."
Dumbledore tore his eyes off of the metal. "What have you done?"
"Lots. Killed targets. Stole shit. Kidnapped the rich. Seduced assets. Whatever I'm paid to do," Harry drawled. "You see? I have no need to join your merry band of mutants."
"Yes you do," Xavier sighed. "Laura."
Harry stiffened. "What about her?"
"She is all over your thoughts," Xavier said. "And you are in hers."
"The fuck you poking around my head for?" Harry demanded. "The fuck you in Laura's for?"
"Relax, it is merely the passive collection of stray thoughts, projected from your consciousness," Xavier said. "Nothing I can stop, and only your surface thoughts."
Harry growled. "That better be all."
"It is," Xavier confirmed. "Now, back to the matter at hand: Laura. She attends the Institute, and I doubt she will be leaving anytime soon."
"She will if I ask," Harry barked, not as confident as he had been for the rest of the conversation. "I know she will."
Xavier shook his head. "She has friends at the Institute, many friends. And her father. Would she give that up for you?"
"Yes," he snarled.
"Whether that is the case or not, you will be stuck here for a year," Xavier said. "Your movement will be limited, as is Laura's.
"Fine," Harry said sullenly. "I suppose I'll have to accept the offer."
"Fantastic," Xavier said. "In return, I shall throw you a bone - during the half a week at Hogwarts each week, Laura and a friend or two of her choice will get to stay with you."
"Charles!" Albus objected. "We did not discuss this!"
"Do you disagree, old friend?" Xavier asked, a challenge in his voice.
Dumbledore shook his head. "No. I just wish you had given me the time to make arrangements."
"Then it is settled," Xavier smiled, turning to Harry. "I don't suppose you will be willing to tell me your mutation?"
"Fuck no," Harry spat.
Xavier shook his head, disappointed but unsurprised. "Very well. Now, I know you are eager to see Laura."
Harry left the room quickly, scooping up his helm, leaving silence behind him.
X
Harry made his way to the door he knew would lead to the dorms where the mutants were staying, hand raised to knock. He paused, struck by a sudden chill. What would he say? What would she say? Would she even stay to listen?
He went to knock again, when the door flung itself open, a man barging his way out cigar in hand. He paused, looking at the person in his way.
"So you're Harry, huh?" Logan said.
"Logan," Harry growled.
"She's mentioned you a lot, bub," Logan continued. "Everyday, she'd get Xavier to look for you on Cerebro, and everyday, she'd get into a funk when he failed."
"Good," Harry spat. "I don't want the bald headed freak peering in on me whenever he chooses."
Logan frowned. "It's been hard on her."
"I don't fucking care what you have to say," Harry growled. "Let me pass. I've come to speak to Laura, not you."
"I know, and she was going to go looking for you later, after she knew you'd be done," Logan said. "But I'm going to warn you - you hurt my little girl, and I'll kill you myself. Got it?"
"I don't care what sick game you're playing, bub, but she ain't your daughter," Harry growled. "She's a fucking clone, a weapon. If you want a child, go play with Daken. Oh, wait, you blew that years ago."
"I'm trying!" Logan bellowed, before sighing, trying to calm himself. "Look, I want to fix things with Daken, but the kid doesn't want anything to do with me!"
"Do you blame him?" Harry snapped, an eyebrow raised.
Logan sighed. "No. But this is my second chance, don't you see? I don't care if she's a clone - Laura's my daughter, and I won't abandon her."
Harry stared at the man for a moment. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered, shoving his way past the muscular man, his helm slapping the doorway as he entered through.
He had no need to speak to Logan. He only needed to see Laura.
X
Laura had headed straight to her room upon reaching the dorm, joined quickly by Kitty.
"Damn, girl," Kitty grinned. "You didn't say he was hot."
"What?" Laura jerked, caught off guard.
"I mean, I'd heard people say that girls love a bad boy," Kitty continued. "But man, is he one heck of a bad boy."
"Kitty!" Laura squealed, flushing.
"I mean, did you see him?" Kitty sighed dreamily. "With that messy hair, and that mysterious eyepatch, and his muscles-"
"Kitty!" Laura protested again, shoving her friend off the bed.
The action did not stop her, however, as she continued her reminiscing, lying in a heap on the floor. "And his eyes - well, eye. The emerald colour looked so deep, like you could just stare into it all day…"
"Shut up, Kitty!" Laura growled, regaining some of her grasp on the English language.
"If he wasn't already taken, I'd snatch him up right here, right now," Kitty sighed.
"Taken?" Laura blinked. He was taken? Who…
"Aha! So you admit it! You like him!" Kitty crowed in triumph. "As I said, he's taken - by you."
Laura shook her head. "Fine. Maybe I do like him. But I doubt he likes me - he was even worse than me when it comes to emotions, and from what dad's said, I doubt Daken has been much help. Besides… it's complicated."
"Urgh," Kitty groaned. "You keep making excuses and I'll conveniently forget that I'm your mate and ask him out."
"It's true!" Laura protested. "Everything that we were… everything that we are… it all comes back to the facility."
"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times," Kitty said. "You are Laura Kinney, not X23."
"I know that, but I don't think he does," Laura scowled. "To him, I was always a child of the Department. What if… what if that's too much for him? I still have nightmares about that place, and I know he's faced far worse than me. He was their favourite, and from what dad said, I don't want to know what that entailed."
Kitty shook her head. "Stop thinking."
"But-"
"I said stop," Kitty said. "Next time you see him, just go up to him, and talk to him."
"But what if-"
"That's just it!" Kitty insisted. "It's an if!" She shook her head. "Look at me, trying to get my friend to go out with my crush."
"There's always Colossus," Laura teased.
Kitty shook her head. "I regret ever telling you about that. Rasputin is way too old for me!"
Laura sighed. "So, what do I do?"
"Get up, and go find him," Kitty said. "Go and talk. Don't force your feelings on him yet, focus on your friendship - if you're correct, such talk might just scare him away."
Laura nodded. "Right. Yes. I'll do that. In five minutes."
Kitty rolled her eyes. "Now, Laura."
"Yes, yes," Laura said, standing up. "I'm going. I'm going."
She opened the door just as a slender figure stepped into the common room, his emerald eye locking with her own. "Harry."
A/N: A bit of a shorter chapter, but I couldn't resist the cliffy! So, how was the much awaited meeting of Harry and Charles? I hope I nailed Charles good humour, as well as having a believable level of anger in Harry (who am I kidding - the bloke's a rage ball!). Also, the mention of Colossus? Yep, they've been together in 616. One of my least favourite Kitty pairings, I will admit (I did love the Ultimate Spidey/Kitty pairing, as well as Kitty/Star Lord).
So, next week, Harry and Laura are finally reunited! Who's looking forward to that? How do you think it will go? Let me know in the reviews?
Also, got anything you want to see more of? Less of? Any advice or critique? See previous statement on reviews. Seriously, reviews help you to shape this story in a way for you to enjoy, as well as to refine me as an author!
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Until next time, this is JaguarAJG, signing off.