IMPORTANT NOTICE. *DON'T SKIP*
I want to take this moment to address some messages I got. I got some messages about one of my stories, Harry Potter and the Cyberpunk Life.
For those of you who loved Harry Potter and the Cyberpunk Life and missed it when I took it down, first of all I'm sorry. The fic was a crossover work with an original story I have on pocket fm so I could not leave it here on FF.
But if any of you are still interested in following the story, you can join my discord: r8GNgM8A. You will find the link to the PFM story there. It isn't much different from the fic, just lacking the Harry Potter elements. If you were reading it for just that, then I'm sorry once again that I had to take it down, but if you enjoyed the original elements of it like the MC being ambitious, a rising young billionaire, and a power hungry figure tied up in problems beyond his scope then you will get to enjoy the story where it is now.
Once again, I'm sorry I had to take it down and thanks for the support guys, the follows and everything. I'll try my best to update more when I can.
~
[CHAPTER SIX]
It was finally time.
Natex was done testing if the Rankin chemical had performed flawlessly and in a moment they would move onto the next phase of the project.
Harry had learnt more about the project from his Uncle Natex's mind. While he had been unable to use Legilimency to break through the man's telepathic barriers, he could now combine Legilimency and the telepathy he'd copied from Natex himself, and flawlessly yet subtly access the man's mind.
Harry could use seven duplicated abilities at the same time; two times more than what the former mimic, Calvin Rankin, could pull off, so using just two at the same time was not much to him. His Uncle Natex was a fountain of knowledge, Harry was starting to find out. A reservoir of knowledge and secrets. Secrets Harry had no shame in pilfering.
The subject of his thoughts walked up to him and Harry gave him an innocent grin. "I see you are excited about the finale, Harry." Sinister noted while returning the smile. "Just know that even when we are done with the lab part of the project we will still need you to get in range of the powerful superhumans on the planet so that you can become strong enough to finally give your mother the vengeance she sorely deserves."
"I know, Uncle Nile," Harry stated confidently, "and I am ready."
"Good, good. Now all that's left is for Dr. MacTaggert... Speak of the devil." At that moment the woman walked into the lab apologising for her delay. "What kept you? Anyway, never mind. Now that you are here can we please proceed."
She nodded and went to the station where she monitored the computer connected to the hundreds of medical sensors and scanners in the containment chambers. Harry was directed into the chamber. He sat on the floor and rested his head against the wall.
"All set, Doctor?" Sinister asked his lab assistant.
"Yes, you can proceed," the Doctor said, giving the all clear.
Sinister remote sealed the containment chamber then he started pushing some knobs and buttons on a console. "Initiating two minutes exposure," he announced, then pulled the lever controlling the ejection tube in the chamber.
This time the toxic substance he was being exposed to came from above. He watched as neon energy waves of the green range of the spectrum began to fill up the room.
It took just three seconds for it to start affecting him. At first he felt like something was itching him from within, like his cells needed to be scratched badly to alleviate a feeling of intense irritation. This made him jerk about and even roll on the floor, attempting to find relief. Then he started to feel light headed and suddenly it was like he was being suffocated.
He gasped and heaved for air yet all he breathed in was the sickening green radiation. It was yet to stimulate his pain receptors but he was already beyond being able to endure this further.
He got up and rushed to the glass dividing the chamber from the rest of the lab and started to pound on it with his fists. He needed to get out, he needed to get out!!!
Unfortunately his attempts to break the glass were futile. Still he continued as there was nothing else he could do and his mind just pushed him to keep on trying. He tried to beg, to call upon their last shred of pity, for them to let him out yet his voice failed him and he choked on the words.
He continued punching and punching the glass, this radiation was starting to get worse. He looked at Sinister, trying to send the man pleading looks. As their eyes locked Natex seized up as though frozen and hope started to fill Harry that the sight of him suffering, of a child in despair, might have managed to pierce through his new Uncle's mind. But he discovered he was far off the mark when Natex crumbled on the floor like he had been hamstrung.
The two minutes mark passed and Harry James Potter went berserk.
The lengthened exposure to the radiation finally evoked pain. As agony was roused, Harry bent back, his back forming a perfect C, and released a guttural wail that shook the base and destroyed his vocal cords.
All the alarms in the base began blaring as their klaxons blinked incessantly. Soldiers began trooping into the lab, their Director not far behind them.
Doctor MacTaggert was trying to read the results of the scanners to see if something had happened to Harry. She was too late in discovering Natex's prone figure on the floor. She immediately rushed to the console and pulled up the laver then initiated scrubbing protocol in the containment chamber.
Unexpectedly, Harry's vocal cords grew back and he continued his ear piercing scream much to the discomfort of everyone in the lab.
"What the hell happened here?" Lestrange demanded, hotly.
"That's what I'm trying to find out," MacTaggert fired back. "From what I can see, something knocked out Essex before he could pull off the lever at the two minutes mark agreed upon."
"How do you know he is not pretending and this is not one of his grand plans?" Lestrange said, snidely. The pitch of Harry's scream increased by several notches and many of the occupants of the labs stumbled and some even started bleeding through their nose. "Bloody hell! Did you get him to mimic a banshee?! Can you please shut that freak up!"
"I'm trying!! I'm trying!!" MacTaggert yelled back. "I don't know what to do and don't you dare suggest I get in there and give him a sedative. Not only is he immune to all but the most powerful sedatives, but getting into that place even with the scrubbing protocol online would kill me with the amount of radiation that's still there."
Suddenly, to their joy it seemed like the scream was reducing in volume. The word freak had triggered something in Harry. His green eyes gained a neon glow and his body began to pale. Not just that, his muscles and form began to expand like he was being pumped like a balloon. His scream became beastly and deranged.
"Oh my fucking God," one of the soldiers explained looking through the glass that was the only thing separating them from the changing creature.
"Call God later, we have to get the hell out of here before that thing fully changes," Lestrange ordered. "Fuck, why did I let you mad scientists use gamma ray?"
As Harry's transformation was reaching the tail end, he felt a powerful psychic breach his mind.
"Hello, Harry, I understand that you are angry now, but you need to calm down. My name is Charles Xavier and I was a friend of your grandfather, the Lord Charlus Potter. Your family won't..."
Harry didn't let the man finish. He was so angry, angered by pain, angered by the soldiers staring at him with fear in their eyes, angered by MacTaggert, angered by Lestrange, unimaginably angered by Natex, angered by that they have all turned him into beast, a freak of nature. And to top it all off someone had breached his mind. This unfortunate fellow had unknowingly offered himself as an outlet for Harry's anger.
Harry gathered the full capacity of his magic, which had exponentially increased as he became the White Hulk, and channelled it into a rage filled Legilimency attack and sent it at the intrusion with the sole purpose of causing this Charles Xavier unmeasurable pain.
Even as he depleted his magic channelling that psychic attack, he felt his gamma radiated cells replenishing his magical core.
Now that pesky intruder had been dealt with it was time now to deal with these fools who were staring at him through the glass like he was some kind of zoo animal. His transformation long completed, he pulled his hand back and then brought it down on the glass with a boom that shook the lab and made spiderweb cracks appear on the glass.
Growling in annoyance that that mighty blow hadn't shattered the glass. He raised his hand again and delivered his fist against the glass. There was another loud BOOM and cracks spread even further.
It was the booming noise that woke up Natex. He stood up and took in Lestrange and the soldiers who were staring at something behind him along with Moira.
He turned around and saw a White Hulk hammering his fist on the glass of the containment chamber. He recalled what had happened to him when he had been close to the most volatile point of the experiment and let out a sentence of colourful words.
It didn't take him much time to deduce what had happened. "He was exposed to it longer than planned, wasn't he?" His question clued the others in there to the fact that he had woken up.
Moira yelped in fright as she hadn't expected him, who had been passed out on the floor, to suddenly speak up beside her. She moved away from him and managed to regain her bearing. "Yes. He was exposed for five minutes," she answered calmly, attempting to act casual after her display of terror.
"What happened, Sinister?" Lestrange demanded, coming to stand before him glaring at him upfront. He pointed towards the containment chamber and the white beast pounding at the glass capable of withstanding a bomb blast. "How did this happen?!"
"Xavier," Sinister spat in hatred. "I was supposed to pull the lever after he'd spent only two minutes inside the chamber. Xavier chose that moment to go rummaging through my mind for the secret of the Fidelius. Now Harry spent longer than he should have under the radiation and it didn't only stabilise his mimic powers, it also mutated him further, and now we have a chalky version of Bruce Banner on our hands."
"This might be good," Lestrange said, calming down and looking at the White Hulk keenly. "This, a magical Hulk, might just be the weapon I need to bring the wizarding world to its knees!"
Natex snorted. "You first have to gain control over said magical Hulk. But before we go down that lane, we first need to deal with Xavier. It's most likely that he and his X-Men are already heading here."
Lestrange frowned and pointed at the transformed Harry Potter again. "Can't we just send him at them and fold our hands and enjoy the carnage?"
Natex gave the bald man a look that didn't hide what he thought about the man's intelligence. "That's if he won't go through all of us here first before engaging Xavier's group." He paused as an idea came to him. "What I'd advise we do is this. I will take down the Fidelius, it's no longer of any importance now that Xavier has taken the secret from my mind, then I will call my Marauders while you call all the Mutants and War Mages you have managed to hire. Our forces will be more than enough to keep them busy. In the meantime I will prepare young Harry for transfer to a more suitable facility where he will be given the proper conditioning."
"How are you going to do that?" Lestrange asked, nonplussed. "No one has ever succeeded in taming the Hulk. How do you intend to pull it off when hundreds have tried?"
Sinister's lips stretched into a superior smirk and his eyes glinted with malevolence. "Have you ever heard of the power of Hallucinogens, Director?"
~Break~
It took several hours for Xavier to stop screaming. Ms. Munroe and Logan had carried him to the medbay where Albus got to meet the Hank Xavier had talked about earlier.
His name was Dr. Henry 'Hank' McCoy, an expert in genetics and biochemistry. His appearance was what shocked Albus the most. He was blue and furry, quite large in size also, and looked like he could tank a column crashing on him. What softened Albus towards him immediately was that the man was cultured and exceedingly intelligent.
When Xavier's screams stopped, Dr. McCoy informed those in the room, which included Albus, Rakepick, Fury, and Ms. Munroe, about his current state. "I don't know what happened psychically between him and Mr. Potter. The mental arts is not my expertise, I can only give you assumptions. Concerning his health, first of all let me assure you that Charles is fine now. The scans show that this may be the most pain any human has felt that is not related to a physical stimulus. The trauma extended from his pain centres and had a damaging impact on his muscles. He is currently in a comatose state. He can be awoken, but it would be best to let his body heal unconsciously. It will take a lot of exercise before he can begin moving properly again. The whole ordeal has taken a toll on both his psyche and body and recuperation is going to be lengthful."
"Now that he has stopped screaming do you have any idea when he is going to wake up?" Ms. Muroe asked, concerned.
"Like I said we can wake him now, but I'd advise against it. He might be out of the woods but the after effect of agony will still be highly felt by him," Hank told Ororo and she gave a sad nod to indicate her understanding "If we are to leave him to recuperate naturally, with assistance from available medications, then I think he will come to at any range between a day and a year."
Ms. Munroe gasped. "That long?"
Rakepick whistled, impressed. "I'd like to know what Potter did to him."
The DADA Professor was ignored. "I pointed out already that this is the maximum psyche-originated sensory stimulus that has ever been applied to a human's receptors," Dr. McCoy said, addressing Ms. Munroe's question. "The intensity of the pain would kill a normal person. I believe Charles may have dulled it some because there is nothing else that explains how he survived."
Before anyone could respond to that startling revelation the door of the infirmary opened and Logan came. "There are robed clowns outside with sticks saying they are here for you, Dumbledore," he said and walked up to Storm. "How is the Professor?"
"Hank said it might take anywhere between a day and a year for him to wake up," she said.
As they spoke Dumbledore sent his Patronus Phoenix to the summoned Order members with a message for them to wait for him outside the mansion. The Patronus caught the attention of Dr. McCoy. He watched it as it went away, phasing through the wall. "Is that you genetic ability?" He asked Dumbledore, "development of holographic constructs?"
"Albus and the redheads are magicals, Hank," Logan corrected.
The Doctor arched his brows in disbelief. "The characterization of incomprehensible phenomena as Magic is influenced by perception and not logic. In the near future the most advanced technology would be perceived as magic by the less informed individuals."
"Do you believe in the theory of the multiverse?" Rakepick asked the Doctor.
Dr. McCoy nodded. "Of course. Certain events have lent some credibility to the possibility of the theory being true."
"So you can believe anything that can happen is happening in a universe somewhere but don't want to believe in the existence of magic. I'd never think one of your...calibre...would be so narrow minded," Rakepick said and huffed.
"This debate should be scheduled for a later time. For now we need to focus on Essex and Mr. Potter," Amelia said, giving Rakepick and Dr. McCoy a crossed look. "Fortunately, before his ordeal, Mr. Xavier managed to provide us with the Fidelius secret. Now all we need is to prepare for the mission. How are things on your end, Fury?"
"My STRIKE's ETA is four minutes," Fury said, he had his tablet out and seemed to be monitoring something. "My people were able to get hold of the mental playback of Sinister voicing the secret. The telepaths are currently sharing the secret with those in my team that will be involved in the mission."
"That's wise," Dumbledore commented. "I will use Legilimency to do the same for my team. Now that Xavier is down, will your X-Men need assistance in getting the secret, James?"
Logan shook his head. "Nah, we have Jean for that. She is a telepath. I will just have her take it from my mind and share it with the others."
"Good, I'll be helping my own Aurors with accessing the secret. Now that's settled. It'd have been horrible for only half of our attack force to be aware of where the attack is going to take place. Being in a Fidelius charmed building without knowing the secret is like losing one's physical awareness and sense of sight," She said, sighing. She looked at Fury. "Do we have a plan for attack?"
Just then a leopard Patronus rushed into the room and spoke in a masculine voice. "Hit Auror Captain Taylor reporting, Director Bones. Our Hitwizard team have just arrived at the American Ministry. They have offered to provide us with transport to your location. We will be leaving the Woolworth building any minute now."
"We will soon be complete then?" Fury asked Bones and got a nod from her. "Good. Our satellites have located Cameron island but the base is nowhere to be found." He showed them the screen of his tablet and they saw the satellite image of the island. The dockyard was clearly visible but no other structure, except the natural structure of a hill, could be found on the isle.
Dr. McCoy hummed. "Have them try subterranean scans," he suggested. "The base might be underground. If that doesn't work then have them apply thermal imaging incase of invisibility force field shielding."
"Does such tech exist?" Ororo asked in surprise.
Hank shook his head in denial. "No, that was just a wild guess."
"But one that might be correct," Fury said, typing on his pad. "There might be invisible wards."
Albus shook his head. "No there aren't. Such an idea has never been introduced in the Wizarding world," he said, disabusing them of that assumption.
"There are," Rakepick said, sounding very sure of herself.
If Albus was a lesser man then he would have scoffed. Rather he fixed her with his twinkling gaze. "My dear, I'm very knowledgeable on the subject of wards. If there are invisibility wards then I surely would know."
"Who is the curse breaker here, Albus, me or you? And do you really think you know all the magic that exists? What about secret family magic kept under lock and key by the Purebloods?" She asked him all these questions in a single breath then scoffed when she saw all her questioning did was make him adopt a thoughtful look. "There are invisibility wards and I've encountered one in the past."
"Bingo," Fury said, grinning. "The thermal imaging revealed that the base is on the island and that there are several energy waves surrounding it with magical signatures."
"Wards," Bones confirmed. "We will be needing your expertise, Professor Rakepick."
The other redhead gave the Director a nod. They heard the sound of a muggle aircraft approaching the mansion. "My team is here," Fury announced. "I'll go brief them."
"I'll accompany you out," Albus said. "I've kept my friends waiting for too long."
Both men walked out of the medbay together. They held an unimportant conversation that barely had any substance on their way out and when they reached the outside of the building both went their separate ways. Fury to the part of the fields the SHIELD Quinjet had touched down on and Albus to where a few familiar robed figures stood.
"Alastor, Remus, Filius," he greeted upon reaching them. Beside the three he'd called were Emmeline Vance and Dedalus Diggle. He gave both of them welcoming nods. "Where is Arthur?"
"Weasley said to tell you that he has a lot of work at the ministry and would have come but is really swarmed with days worth of work," Moody informed. "What is happening, Albus. Your message said that the Potter boy has been abducted and you have found him but need our assistance in rescuing him. Is he being held in that mansion? Is the werewolf keeping him?"
"Werewolf?" Albus asked, surprised. He blinked and almost laughed when he realised who Alastor was referring to. "Oh, James? He is not a werewolf, just different from your usual muggle and, no, he is not holding him. Harry isn't even here in the states. He is in Canada."
"Canada," Remus exclaimed. Albus noticed that the amber of his eyes were starting to glow. "Who took him to Canada?"
Albus almost asked the werewolf if he had any dislike for the country with how he'd spoken of it, but he saved the amusing question for later and instead explained the situation to them. Mid explanation, Amelia rushed out of the building with Ms. Monroe and they went to let the Hit Aurors in. She led her Aurors to Albus and the Order members. Together they both briefed both groups on what was happening.
The order members, though reluctantly in Moody's case, gave Albus the permission to install the secret in their minds. The Hit Aurors did the same with Amelia. When they were done Fury joined them accompanied by Phil Coulson.
"Coulson will be taking over here. I'm needed elsewhere. He will provide you with means of coordinating with the STRIKE team," The Director said, a frown upon his face. "I hope we will all be able to work together and not only rescue Mr. Potter, but also apprehend Sinister and his associates. I wish you luck, ladies and gentlemen."
And without another word the man turned around and left, heading for the gates where a SHIELD vehicle was waiting for him.
After he left, Logan arrived. "I have prepped the Blackbird and briefed the others, we can go," he announced.
They all followed him as he guided them to the hangar, including Coulson.
"Won't you be going with your team, Mr. Coulson?" Albus asked the man, gesturing at the SHIELD Quinjet.
The man smiled politely and pointed at a device in his ear that Albus knew muggles use for communication. "I'm the mode of coordination the Director spoke about," he said. "And it's Phil, just Phil."
The X-Men and Professor Rakepick were waiting for them inside the jet. The younger X-Men were of three boys and three young ladies. None of them looked beyond teenhood.
When they were all seated with the jet and the airlock had been shut, Ms. Munroe led with introductions while Logan headed over to the cockpit where he had one of the younger X-Men as co-pilot.
"This is Jean Grey," she said, pointing at the redhead girl who reminded Albus so much of the late Lily Potter. They even shared the same eyes. "Her code name is Marvel Girl. Next to her is Kitty Pryde, or Shadowcat as is her code name. Behind her is Anne Marie, Rogue. After her is Jaime Madrox A.K.A multiple man. And after him is..."
"I can do my own introduction myself, Ororo," a blonde boy, the epitome of charming and masculine beauty, said. Albus squinted and saw that the boy had silvery wings sprouting out of his back. The low lighting of the jet had made them unnoticeable and Albus may have not noticed them if the boy hadn't gained his attention by speaking out of turn. If not for him being a muggle and the wings Albus would have assumed that he was a Pureblood. He had the carriage and attitude of a rich noble. "I'm Warren Worthington, Archangel."
Moody snorted and shared an amused look with Remus. "Talk about aptness," he said. When he saw that his comment had gained him the attention of everyone, he introduced himself. "Moody, Alastor Moody. Head Auror of the British Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
The rest of the Order and Amelia introduced her Aurors with a quick "Hit Auror Captain Taylor, Hit Auror Abbott, Hit Auror Butler, Hit Auror McKenna, Hit Auror Mathews, and Hit Auror Dennis," while pointing at each of them.
The last X-Men member introduced himself from the cockpit, turning around for them to take in his visored face. "Scott Summers, Cyclops," he said casually.
"And I'm Phil Coulson representing SHIELD," Coulson said, bringing the introductions to an end. Albus assumed that Rakepick had already introduced herself to the X-Men before they arrived. "Now I'd like you all to know that we are going to be facing off against incredible odds where we are going. Any of you that have compunctions about putting an enemy down for good is advised to please reconsider your ideology."
Bones nodded resolutely. "Do you know how many hostiles we are up against?" She asked.
"There are twenty eight individuals in the base and one is the size of the Hulk," Coulson announced.
"So he did turn?" Logan asked from the cockpit.
"Thermal imaging suggests that Mr. Potter is now the third Hulk sized figure on Earth," Coulson said.
"There are what," Archangel said looking around, "twenty three of us? We will be more than able to match them and a baby Hulk."
"This Hulk is not a baby and may not have any difficulty facing all of us at the same time," Coulson warned. "And plus the STRIKE team we are forty three, but even then we have been monitoring the island and have noticed that different forces have been landing upon it. Mostly mercenaries. Their numbers could reach fifty by the time we reach there. Already the Marauders and the likes of Domino have been spotted arriving at the island on choppers."
"Marauders?" Lupin asked, perplexed.
"Sinister's own spec ops not your stupid schoolyard gang," Rakepick enlightened making Lupin's cheeks redden as that gained him several curious attentions.
"What are our chances?" Cyclops asked.
"Frankly?" Coulson asked the boy and received a nod from him. "The Marauders have proven capable of handling the X-Men many times before so you will have your hands full with them and Domino. STRIKE would be kept busy by Lestrange's military forces and the hired mercenaries while the Order of Phoenix will take on the Hulk."
"Wait did you say Lestrange?" Filius asked, taking the question right from Albus lips.
Coulson nodded. "Our hackers have managed to breach their system. Walter Lestrange, Squib brother of the infamous Lestrange brothers, is the current Director of Department K and the backer behind Project Titan."
"Project Titan?" Logan asked then turned around fully to regard Coulson. "Alright I think there are some things you and Fury have been keeping from us."
"The information is barely several minutes old, Mr. Howlett," Coulson said calmly with a tone that eased any perceived slight. "To pacify your curiosity about Project Titan. It's a program cooked up by Sinister to create a mutate reminiscent of Calvin Rankin using a magical. For some reason he don't want mutant DNA added to the mixture. He wants to create a magical with Calvin's mimic ability."
"Fuck," Madrox swore, "so we will be fighting a magical Hulk with mimic's powers?"
"Who is this Mimic?" Remus asked.
"Calvin Rankin. He was involved in a lab accident and was exposed to a mixture of chemicals which gave him the ability to copy anyone's ability muggle or mutant," Coulson explained. "There is a chance that he might be able to do the same with magicals."
"Where is Dr. McCoy?" Dumbledore asked Ms. Munroe. He felt the scientific man would be able to help them understand Harry's new powers more.
"He volunteered to stay in the mansion and look after Charles," She told him.
"Mr. Coulson," Jean Grey called out. "Department K were trying to make Me. Potter's mimic powers permanent weren't they?"
"That's what our scientists think," Coulson said then shrugged, uncertainly.
"Why would they want to make his powers permanent?" Filius asked. "Is the mimic ability fleeting."
"No, but the powers mimicked are," Jean Grey explained. "Calvin after duplicating the Hulks powers somehow became capable of maintaining the powers he copied."
"So Sinister assumed that the radiation in the Hulks blood must have been the reason for it," Rakepick deduced as her eyes widened. She got more from Jean Grey and Coulson. The former who had come to the same conclusion and the latter who knew SHIELD scientists came to the exact conclusion. "He exposed Mr. Potter to gamma radiation to get the same result Calvin got from copying Hulk. That stupid man? Doesn't he know how dangerous gamma radiation is?"
"It might have worked if Xavier hadn't interrupted the process," Coulson pointed out.
"Charles said so himself before his psychical accident," Ororo supported.
"Alright fellas," Logan called, "we are about to take off."
Coulson put his hand to the device on his ear. "Rumlow, follow on the Blackbird's tail. Destination, Cameron Island, Canada."
Soon the jet began to pull off from the ground and gain lift. The rise was smoother than Albus had expected. Soon they were soaring in the air, heading for Canada with the SHIELD Quinjet trailing them.
A/N:
If you wish to provide suggestions for future chapters and would love to view sneak peak of some future chapters, follow my discord where I have a few sneak peaks of a few stories and I'm open to good suggestions from readers.
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