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Metal and Magic

Chapter 3

The two men scooted further from the door. Neither looked like they wanted to be the first to peek their head out. Harry didn't blame them. He wouldn't want to either. Harry pointed his wand at the first and gave it a little wave. The sleeping spell instantly took effect. The unknown man blinked a few times before becoming unsteady on his feet. "Yinsen? Are you alright?" Stark asked, sounding genuinely concerned. Harry took advantage of his distraction and placed Stark under the spell as well. Within a minute, both men were on the ground, fully asleep. Harry stepped into the room and looked around.

It looked like a medieval blacksmith shop, Harry thought. However, there were bits of high-tech equipment around. Not wanting to stick around too long in case backup quickly arrived, Harry transfigured both men into small stone statues and stuffed them into his bag. Another explosion outside told him it was a good time to get out. Harry spun on the spot and disappeared with a near-silent pop.

A short time later, Harry appeared in his rented room and found it exactly as he had left it. The temporary wards hadn't detected anyone entering. Harry placed his bag on the table and sat down on the edge of the bed. He breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Grabbing his only empty glass, Harry magically cleaned it before filling it with water from his wand. There was no way he would risk drinking the tap water from this decrepit building. He tapped the glass again and made the water frosty cold. Harry drank greedily from the glass until only a small amount was left. He then splashed the remaining water on his hot face and wiped it with his hand.

The first part of his mission was done, but he would have to think about the second part. Getting his reward while remaining anonymous was going to be a little tricky. It wasn't like they would just trust his word and send over the money. Harry didn't even have a bank account. Thankfully, with Stark in his possession, he had plenty of time to devise a plan.

Metal and Magic

Fury rubbed his temples to try and help alleviate some of the stress that was beginning to build up. As the Director of SHIELD, there would always be incidents that taxed his nerves, but one thing he wouldn't tolerate was incompetence. Agent Purja had failed him in every way possible. His target would come and go as he pleased, and Purja seemed unable to keep track of him. Not only that, he hadn't even broken into the man's room to search for intel. When asked why, Agent Purja couldn't give a good excuse. Of course, Fury outright ordered him to get into the man's room, but even that didn't help. After some time of not hearing back from him, Fury contacted Purja himself for an update. The nervously stuttering Agent told him that he had tried but became distracted and was forced to quickly retreat to his room. Fury asked what had distracted him enough to disobey a direct order. His answer was less than helpful.

"I D-Don't know, sir. I can't remember," was what he had told Fury. Needless to say, that Agent would be on the first flight back home as soon as they could replace him. A knock on his office door captured his attention.

"Enter!" he called out in a gruff voice. Good manners had long since gone out the window. Coulson entered the office and shut the door behind him.

"News from Afghanistan," he said, handing Fury a file.

"Is it about our mystery target?" Fury asked, hoping for some good news on that front. He opened the file and began looking at a picture. It was an overview shot of a cave encampment that looked like it had been through hell. Debris and scorched rocks filled the photo, and heavy smoke plumes flowed horizontally across the rocky ground, pushed by the stiff mountain wind.

"No, sir. An attack just occurred in the mountains of Kunar, not far from the ambush site where Tony Stark went missing," Coulson shared. This immediately grabbed Fury's attention. Tony Stark was a major weapons manufacturer for the United States military and provided sophisticated weapons that no other company could provide. His falling into enemy hands was a danger Fury could have done without.

"Who attacked the camp?" Fury asked, sitting up a little straighter.

"We don't know, sir. The attack happened over five hours ago and …"

"And we're only hearing about this now?!" Fury angrily asked. He didn't like being kept in the dark. Sometimes, you only have a moment to react, and any delay could be the difference between life and death.

"The US Air Force … You know how they can be," was all Coulson could say. Fury gritted his teeth in annoyance. The military didn't like sharing their info despite the fact that they were playing on the same team. They would share that information eventually, but only after it was outdated and useless. "We had to use a high-altitude drone to capture these photos, and our cyber security team was able to scrape a bit of info from the Air Force's secure database," Coulson added before Fury truly blew his top.

"So, what do we know?" Fury asked, flipping through the sparse pages.

"Not much … They're being very hush-hush about the whole situation. That's practically a confirmation that something significant happened there," Coulson reasoned. Fury nodded in response.

"I agree. I'll make a few calls and force it out of them. In the meantime, keep digging," Fury told him. Before Coulson could reply, his phone rang. Coulson flipped it open and answered the call.

"Coulson," he said as he held it to his ear. "Yes … Well, find out where he's gone, or there will be hell to pay," he stated, sounding none-too-pleased. He snapped the phone shut a little harder than necessary.

"That was Keefer. Agent Purja finally got into his target's room. It was completely cleared out. He's nowhere to be found, and the surveillance camera didn't record him leaving. He did find a couple of useable fingerprints, but no matches came up when they ran them," Coulson told him.

Fury sighed and pinched the area between his eyes. His day was just getting better and better.

Metal and Magic

Harry had to admit that the weather in Los Angeles was much better than London's. It was sunny with blue skies, and there wasn't a cloud to be seen. Beautiful blondes in short skirts walked down the sidewalk, drawing the eyes of every guy around them, including his. This was his first visit to the States, and he was already seriously considering setting up shop here. While he loved London, Harry really felt he needed a change, and he would soon be able to afford one with the money he was about to get. It had been nearly four days since he rescued Tony Stark from the terrorists, and he would need to make the exchange soon. It wasn't good to keep a living human in a transfigured state for too long. Harry chose to come to Los Angeles for the simple fact that Stark Industries was based out of the city. Stark's assistant, who Harry learned was nicknamed Pepper, lived close by. She was the one he needed to contact.

He first found some temporary lodgings. There were plenty of houses in LA that were empty. Harry chose one up in the hills that was being refurbished. By the looks of it, the contractors wouldn't be back to work for a while. Harry didn't know if they were taking their sweet time or if the homeowner didn't have the money to continue. A few wards on the property would keep anyone from trying to enter while he was there. He doubted anyone would since he would only be there a short time. Once inside the house, Harry removed the transfigured men from his bag and changed them back. A couple of quick Stunners made sure they were out cold. Harry then pulled out a prepaid cell phone he had stolen from the airport and used its camera to take pictures of the two men lying on the floor. He was planning on sending them to Pepper Potts as proof. However, something else caught his attention. When he had first found Tony Stark in the cave, Harry noticed something glowing under his shirt. It radiated a steady blue light. Now, however, the light was flickering. Harry knelt next to him and lifted his dirty, smelly shirt. Harry was repulsed by what he saw. A metal circle appeared to have been implanted into the middle of his upper chest.

"What kind of a nutty world am I in?" Harry asked himself as he examined it closer. It smelled kind of weird and not at all pleasant. Harry tapped on it with his finger, and it stopped flickering for a second. He tapped it harder, and finally, the flickering light turned steady again. He wasn't sure what that thing's purpose was. Was it some type of life support system? Stark was breathing steadily and didn't look pale or clammy, so there was no doubt he was still alive and at least somewhat well. 'I need to make the exchange quick before he keels over. Otherwise, I'll never get my money,' Harry told himself as he pulled the man's shirt back down.

Harry went into his bag and found the phone number for Stark Industries' main headquarters. He dialed it up and waited. No one answered. He dialed again. No one answered. He looked at Stark unimpressed. "They really don't want you back that badly, do they?" Harry snorted. He dialed again, and this time someone answered. Harry poorly attempted to change his voice by lowering it.

"I need to speak with Miss Potts," Harry said after listening to the customary corporate greeting from the front desk.

"Please leave your name, number, and …"

"This is regarding Tony Stark's whereabouts. I suggest you put me through," Harry stated a little more forcefully. The line went silent for a moment, and Harry thought she might be talking to her supervisor or something.

"Hold the line, please … I'm transferring you to Miss Potts' office," the female voice told him. Annoying elevator music suddenly began playing while Harry stayed on the line.

"Hello?" a female voice joined the line. "Who is this?"

"I'd prefer to remain anonymous. I have Tony Stark in my possession here in LA, and I'm willing to hand him over for …"

"I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing, but if you attempt to contact me again, I'll press charges. Goodbye," she exclaimed while sounding very annoyed. The line suddenly went dead. Harry looked at the phone with astonishment. Chances of him getting his reward were slimming by the minute. Harry sighed and stuffed the phone into his pocket. There was only one way he was going to get his money now. Harry conjured a white mask and put it over his face. He then pulled a bottle of water from his bag and woke Tony Stark.

Harry watched as his eyes slowly opened. At first, they were hazy and confused, but then he shot up into a sitting position and looked around wildly. "What's going on?" he asked in confusion. He then saw the other man lying next to him and crawled over to check on him. "Yinsen?" he called out while gently shaking him. He didn't wake up. Harry stepped into his view and made himself known.

"He's fine. He'll wake up in a few hours," Harry told him. Tony spun around and faced him.

"Where am I?" he asked, looking around. "The last thing I remember is that I was in the cave, and explosions were going off outside." Tony rubbed his forehead. He looked very stressed.

"Some of my finer work," Harry bragged. "I'm not sure if any of your captors survived." Tony looked at him like he was nuts, and it didn't appear as though he believed Harry.

"Are you CIA or military?" Tony asked him in a hoarse voice. Harry handed him the bottle of water, and Tony quickly cracked it open and drank half of it in one go.

"Neither," Harry simply replied.

"So, what agency are you with?" Tony pushed for answers.

"I work solo," Harry told him. Tony snorted, still not believing him.

"So you blew up a bunch of terrorists and rescued me out of the kindness of your heart?"

"Not exactly. I saw Pepper Potts on the news asking for your safe return in exchange for a five-million-dollar reward. That was an offer I couldn't pass up," Harry said. The news of his bounty probably didn't shock him.

"Only five million?!" Tony exclaimed, insulted by the low amount. He then shook his head sadly. "I really need to have a talk with that girl. She should have offered at least twenty."

"Whether it's five or twenty doesn't matter at the moment. I just called her, and she verbally berated me before hanging up," Harry comically confessed. "Maybe she's better off without you."

"That's a damn lie!" Tony clamored, standing up. "Pepper is probably just too broken up to think straight. All those sleepless nights of her gently weeping into her pillow have finally caught up with her. I'm the heart and soul of the entire company. Besides, you're probably a terrible negotiator," Tony said, looking at Harry unimpressed.

"My hostage negotiation skills are top-notch, I'll have you know!" Harry bowed-up. "Pepper probably already moved into your home, drove your cars, and toasted your demise with your own overpriced champagne. I wouldn't be surprised if she's used your money to become the sugar mama of some young stallion. They're probably doing it in your bed right now."

"Oh, you don't know what you're talking about," Tony waved away his conclusion while pulling a face at the thought of Pepper getting railed in his bed. "Pepper can't function without me. That's why she hung up on you. Her brain's malfunctioning. I need to get back as soon as possible and ease that poor girl's suffering," he concluded before making a face. He lifted his arm and sniffed the pit stain on his shirt. "I also need a shower ASAP."

"On that last part, I one hundred percent agree …," Harry said, waving his hand in front of his face to waft away Tony's stink fumes. "... but there's still the matter of my enormous but well-deserved fee," Harry responded, greedily rubbing his fingers together.

"Don't worry. You'll get paid," Tony said while calling him a greedy bastard under his breath.

"And I'm supposed to take your word for it?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey! I always pay my bills. A cool five-mil is nothing to me. I spend more than that on a night in Vegas," Tony told him while examining the circular light thing in his chest. While Tony was distracted, Harry thought about it and concluded that he would likely pay.

"Fair enough … but I want it in cash. I'll contact Pepper again in three days under the name Alfonso. I'll tell her where and when you can make the drop, and remember, no funny business," Harry warned.

"So … You're just going to let me go now?" Tony asked, surprised it was so easy. Harry shrugged.

"I found you once, and I can easily find you again if you decide to cheap out on me," Harry let that threat hang in the air. "Tell Pepper not to hang up on me again," he added, grabbing his bag. "I'd go easy on that water," Harry said with a small smile hidden by the mask. "It's going to be a long and hard journey home," he chuckled as he walked through the bedroom door.

Metal and Magic

Tony hadn't even thought about his current location. As far as he knew, he was still somewhere in Afghanistan. He went to the window and pulled the curtains apart. He winced and shied away from the window when a blinding light hit him in the face. Partially covering his eyes, he looked around and found that he was on a street containing higher-end houses. He went to the bedroom door and ripped it open. The masked man was nowhere to be seen. Tony went downstairs and out the front door. Looking around wildly, he spotted two young caucasian women walking down the sidewalk in his direction. He ran up to them and grabbed one of their biceps. "What country am I in?" he asked, sounding like a madman.

"Eww! Get away from me, you homeless crackhead!" she responded harshly and pulled her arm from his grip. The girls walked a little faster away from him, only looking back to toss him a couple of dirty looks. Tony scratched his head, partially because he was confused and possibly because his scalp might have been infested with lice. Tony spotted a car parked on the other side of the road. He stumbled across the asphalt road and looked at the license plate. It read California across the top. He immediately knew where he was. There was only one city he knew where a hot, young blonde would call him a homeless crackhead.

"How the hell did I get to LA?" he asked himself, scratching his scalp again.

Metal and Magic

Harry had moved to a hotel after leaving Tony at the house. He just found a room that wasn't occupied and made himself at home. Like at the previous house, Harry warded the door to keep anyone from bothering him. Before leaving Tony behind, Harry removed the temporary wards from the house so as not to cause problems. Later that night, practically every television channel talked about the same thing … the sudden emergence of billionaire playboy Tony Stark. Tony hadn't held a press conference yet, so the media could only speculate. Once the channels returned to their regular programming, Harry took a much-needed shower and got into bed. He laid awake for a while thinking. What did he want to do with his life? The answer to that was murky.

He had never lived a normal life. His early life with the Dursleys was fairly shitty, but luckily, he had escaped to Hogwarts. Life in the magical world was chaotic, to say the least. Then came the war. Harry had never had a chance to be normal, and now, he wasn't sure if he could. Harry didn't know if he even wanted to. He couldn't imagine having a regular nine-to-five job while earning just enough to live comfortably. He was too used to the chaos. Hell, he thrived in it. Rescuing Stark's sorry ass was proof of that. Sadly, the opportunity to earn a huge sum of money while rescuing billionaires from dangerous situations was probably few and far between. Harry could retire early, sit on a tropical beach, and drink pina coladas all day, but he knew he would quickly get bored of that. He wasn't destined for a quiet life filled with relaxation. He rolled over onto his side and pulled the blanket to his chin. A decision didn't need to be made now, or any time soon, Harry told himself. For the first time in a long time, he had all the time in the world.

Metal and Magic

It seemed like SHIELD could never stay on top of things recently. Nick Fury pulled a flask from inside his black leather trench coat and screwed off the top. He took a quick swig from it before placing the cap back on and returning to the inside pocket of his jacket. The expensive whiskey went down smooth and warmed his belly. He didn't drink on the job often, but sometimes, a shot or two was needed to keep himself from punching someone. Tony Stark suddenly appeared in Los Angeles, and none of his agents could figure out how in the hell it had happened.

As far as he knew, Stark should have been in Afghanistan or possibly Pakistan. Then, there was the attack on the militant camp that turned out to be operated by the criminal organization known as the Ten Rings. After making a few calls and demanding answers, Fury discovered that all signs pointed to Stark having been kept there. There wasn't much left when the US military pulled their thumbs out of their ass and got down there to investigate. Fury guessed that the Ten Rings had done a good job clearing out any valuable intel before disappearing deeper into the mountains. However, they apparently didn't have the time to clean up. Blood samples and fingerprints matching Tony Stark's were found inside a holding cell in the cave. The military concluded that either Stark was killed in the attack, moved after the attack, or captured by the attacking force. However it went down, Stark was nowhere to be found … until today.

Tony Stark showed up in Los Angeles with another man who was a mystery to Fury. No one suspected that the Ten Rings had gotten their hands on Professor Ho Yinsen, a physicist and engineer from Timbetpal who had gone missing in Vietnam. Terrorist organizations didn't just kidnap a physicist and weapon designer for the shits and giggles. They were cooking up something good. Fury would bet his good eye on it. Thankfully, Lady Luck was on their side, and they had somehow escaped or were freed. Fury didn't yet know exactly how they had ended up back in America, but come hell or high water, he was going to find out. He had already put his best men on it.

Metal and Magic

Harry spent the next couple of days doing touristy things while keeping an eye out for a good drop-off point. He ended up finding a good spot that was open enough that he would see anyone trying to close in on him while providing enough cover to let him make a quick and clean escape. When the time came, Harry made the call. He spoke with the front desk again and asked for Pepper. He made sure to use his fake name. The transfer was quick, and Pepper's familiar voice rang through.

"Good evening, Miss Potts," Harry greeted her. "Do you have the cash ready?"

"Yes, but I can't drop it off alone," she stated nervously.

"You don't need to worry, Miss Potts. I have no intention of harming you," Harry assured her.

"It's not that. The money is in five large bags, and altogether, they weigh one hundred and thirty pounds. I can't carry it alone," she informed him. Harry hadn't thought about that.

"That's fine. You can get others to help you but only bring enough to do the job. Go to the Hollywood sign in one hour. Behind the sign, just out of reach of the light, there's a large shrub directly behind the letter Y. Place the bags behind the bush and leave. I'll be watching," Harry said and hung up the phone.

One hour later, Harry was invisible and sitting on top of the large white D, waiting for them to show up. It was another five minutes before he heard footsteps in the distance. As they got closer, Harry heard heavy breathing.

"Couldn't he have picked a place with nice, flat ground?" Harry heard Tony's voice. It was clear he was struggling with the terrain. Just then, three people came out of the darkness and into the light. Tony was leading the way, carrying two large duffle bags. Behind him was Pepper, who was holding one bag. Harry didn't recognize the man behind her, but he also carried two bags.

"These damn bags are heavy!" the other man grunted. "Who knew money weighs so much?"

"Shh! Quiet Happy. We don't know who's here," Pepper said nervously. She had her head on a swivel and was continuously looking around like she expected an ambush at any moment.

They momentarily stopped in the light and looked for the bush Harry had indicated. "There," Pepper said, pointing at the correct bush. They moved out of the light and went behind the bush. Harry could barely see them. When they moved back into the light, they were no longer carrying the bags.

"You're welcome … Jackass!" Tony called out, knowing Harry was watching. Harry snorted to himself as they walked away. He waited for a few minutes until they were out of sight. Harry then waited a few more to make sure no one else was coming. He then apparated behind the bush and made himself visible. He placed his bag on the floor and opened it up. Taking each heavy duffle bag, Harry stuffed them into his bag and closed it up. With his payment secure, Harry apparated back to the hotel room.

Metal and Magic

"Did you see that?" Hawkeye asked his partner as they looked down at the drop-off point from higher up the hill. Each had a pair of military-grade binoculars and was expertly hiding in the shadows. Unknown to Tony Stark, all his personal and business communications were being monitored by SHIELD at Director Fury's order. It was then that they discovered that Stark was somehow brought back to Los Angeles by an unknown savior. They were very lucky that Stark liked to run his mouth constantly. The reason for his rescue and release was simple … money. Stark had a five-million-dollar reward hanging over his head. That much money was a big motivating factor, Hawkeye knew. Hawkeye and Black Widow were charged with collecting intel when they overheard a call to Pepper Potts about the upcoming drop-off. The male voice on the line was captured and run through the system for comparison. No matches came up. With a little less than an hour to get everything set up, they did the best they could. They had multiple cameras recording in night vision and thermal IR pointed squarely at the bush.

"I saw it," his partner, Natasha Romanoff, responded as she looked on. "He just appeared, took the money, and disappeared. Where the hell did he go? Where did the money go? There's no way he could carry all those bags by himself," she asked quietly. The whole situation perplexed her.

"I have no idea," Hawkeye said, taking out his thermal imager and sweeping the area. There was nothing to be seen except a few small animals scurrying across the ground. "Let's stay here for a while and see what happens. Then we can go and check the footage. You better go and report this to Fury, or he'll blow a gasket," Hawkeye warned his partner. Natasha nodded her head and slipped into the darkness to make a call.