Pepper and Harry had been at the S.H.E.I.L.D. field office for a couple of hours, relaying all the information that they had retrieved through Tony's pen drive. The information, along with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s own investigations into Stane, had provided enough information to put Stane away for life. Once everything was ready, Harry, Pepper and Phil along with a team of six agents prepared to head towards Stark Industries headquarters to arrest Stane.
For a while now, Pepper had been repeatedly trying to contact Tony however each attempt was going straight to voicemail. Her fingers tapped anxiously on her phone as she glanced at Harry; her eyes filled with concern. "He's not picking up his phone," she said, her voice edged with panic.
Harry placed his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "I am sure he is busy with something in the workshop. Why don't you go with Phil here to Stark Industries? I'll go check up on Tony just in case." Harry suggested, his tone providing a comforting confidence that Pepper desperately needed.
Pepper hesitated. "Are you sure? What if you run into trouble?"
Phil stepped in with a different suggestion. "We will let one of our agents accompany Harry as backup."
Pepper took a deep breath, nodding. "Okay. Be careful, Harry."
As Pepper and the team of agents left, Harry headed towards the car Phil had prepared for him. His thoughts raced at the possible danger that they could face today. Tony not picking up his phone was a concern. After looking at the Iron Monger designs that Stane and his engineers had built, Harry had figured that the only thing that the design was missing was a miniature arc reactor. The only place that Stane could get it was the one in Tony's chest. Harry worried that Stane had already headed towards Tony's mansion to get his hands on the Arc Reactor.
As Harry opened the door to the car that he was supposed to take, he was greeted by a pleasant surprise. Natasha, who was fully decked out in her combat suit, was sitting in the passenger seat, chewing gum with a smug look on her face. Harry did not even attempt to hide the surprised feeling that he was feeling.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were in Jamaica" Harry asked his tone a mix of astonishment and delight.
"And let you have all the fun. No way." Natasha replied with equal mischief in her voice. "Get in and drive, we are on the clock you know."
Shaking off the shock, Harry slid into the driver's seat, started the car and quickly raced through the streets of Los Angeles, heading towards Tony's mansion in Malibu. The tension that he had been feeling over the past few hours was being reduced now that he had Natasha by his side. He knew that his girl would have his back.
"So me telling you that I was in Jamaica was just for security reasons. Fury didn't want me to tell you about the mission till we got all the facts. That's why I asked you to not to visit me there. I was actually casually sauntering through Afghanistan with the recent sightings of a red and gold robot in the Kunar province. Trying to figure out what was happening." Natasha began. "Any guesses on the latest update on the area?"
Harry, who was focused on driving, grunted: "What?"
"Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar was killed recently in his base, along with everyone else that was there. The whole place has been stripped clean." Natasha said, her tone getting serious.
This news shook Harry. "How did this happen? The Ten Rings are a formidable foe. For someone to invade their base, it would have been a suicide mission."
"They weren't attacked. The bodies were lined up as if it was an execution. Wazar himself seemed to have been tortured to death." Natasha replied.
"Who is the lead suspect?" Harry asked. This was big news, but he had more pressing matters in his hand. The Ten Rings getting killed piqued his interest due to his history with them while in Afghanistan, but it was a side note to Tony's safety.
"We think it was a business deal gone wrong. Wazar bargained for too much and paid for it with his life. Any guesses on who the other party would be?" Natasha asked, a hint of mischief returning in her voice
Harry rolled her eyes at her antics. "Stane."
"Yup." Natasha confirmed as she blew her gum before letting it pop. "You told Phil to investigate Stane's black-market dealings, and they found enough for S.H.I.L.E.D. to act against Stane. However, Phil suspected that Stane is up to something big especially after we confirmed that Stane mascaraed the Ten Rings in Afghanistan. So, he asked me to help him capture Stane. I also suggested that you would want to be there when we arrested Stane, especially with your history with Stane."
"Aww. Thank you for being considerate." Harry replied sarcastically.
"Don't give me that." Natasha retorted while smacking his shoulder. However, her demeanour changed slightly as she caught something in the rear-view mirror. Her sharp gaze darted around the streets to see if her suspicions were correct. "Take the next left and two blocks later take the left again and circle back to the route we're on."
Harry nodded and followed the instructions given to him. He knew that Natasha noticed something important. He had anticipated that Stane would act today. Stane would have suspected that Pepper and Harry were at Stark Industries to get information and not for the farce that Harry and Pepper had put up. Harry felt confident that Phil would take care of Pepper, but Tony was still vulnerable. The worry started to gnaw at the back of his mind. He had to reach Tony's mansion fast.
As Harry finished the manoeuvres that were given to him, Natasha spoke, her voice crackled with excitement for the upcoming confrontation. "We are being followed."
"How many?" Harry asked, his eyes scanning the rearview mirror.
"Two black SUVs. It seems like mercenaries" Natasha replied.
"Any suggestions?" Harry asked, his knuckles tightening on the steering wheel.
"Ambush in the empty cliffside roads" Natasha replied as she pulled out her pistols and readied them for action. Her face bloomed with happiness now that she was going to take some action. "They'll be ill-prepared for a surprise attack from us."
"Let's capture them alive. I want to know who the idiot was that wanted us dead." Harry said. To which Natasha huffed.
"No magic for you too then" Natasha retorted. "Using magic is literally cheating"
"Alright fine." Harry agreed reluctantly.
Harry stepped on the accelerator and manoeuvred the car through the winding roads. As the cliffs of Malibu approached, the streets started to become more desolate. Once the car had gained some distance, after a particularly sharp turn, Harry stopped the car in the middle of the road. The two abandoned the car and hid behind a boulder to ambush their pursuers.
The SUVs, having lost sight of their target, sped through the winding roads to gain some ground. However, as they appeared after the sharp turn, they were not expecting the car to be abandoned in the middle of the road. The drivers slammed on their brakes and swerved violently to avoid crashing into the abandoned vehicle. From their vantage point, Harry and Natasha watched as the SUVs skidded to a stop, the tyres screeching against the gravelly road. The sudden halt caused a cloud of dust to rise, momentarily obscuring their view. Eight heavily armoured mercenaries split out. All of them were wearing black tactical uniforms, their weapons ready and eyes scanning for the ambushers.
Harry's heart pounded with anticipation. He tightened his grip on the conjured police batons, feeling their weight and balance in his hands. Natasha, her eyes sharp and focused, twirled her batons with practised ease. With a nod, the two of them engaged their pursuers from opposite sides.
Harry and Natasha moved swiftly. Harry sprang into action first, charging towards the nearest mercenary. The air whooshed past him as he swung one of the batons with as much force as he could muster. It connected with the mercenary's helmet with a solid thud, sending him crashing to the ground. The mercenaries caught off guard, scrambled to react.
Natasha followed closely, her movements a blur on the pursuers. She darted towards another mercenary, dodging a burst of gunfire with agile rolls and swift side steps. She took down one mercenary with a swift kick, then disarmed another with a well-placed strike. Harry, his batons flashing in the moonlight, expertly neutralized threats with calculated blows himself.
The fight unfolded like a choreographed dance of combat. Harry moved with an almost unnatural speed, his batons a blur of motion as he disarmed and incapacitated the remaining mercenaries. Natasha using her flexibility and agility was unpredictable in her approach.
The fight was quick and brutal. Within moments, Harry and Natasha had subdued all eight mercenaries, leaving them unconscious and bound on the cold ground.
Not even slightly winded, Natasha was mildly disappointed at the lack of skills that were sent to kill Harry. "Now what do we do? Do I get out my tools for a little interrogation session?" Natasha asked, trying to find a bit of excitement somewhere else after a disappointing fight.
"Don't have the time, I think I will rip through their minds instead," Harry replied. With a focused expression, Harry used Legilimency to delve into the minds of the incapacitated mercenaries. His concentration was intense, and he sifted through their thoughts with ruthless efficiency. Meanwhile, Natasha made a call to the S.H.I.E.L.D. field office to request a clean-up crew.
Within 10 minutes, Harry concluded his mental probe. "You got what you were looking for?" Natasha asked.
"Yeah, as we had suspected, it was Stane who sent the men to kill me. Stane himself has gone to Tony's place. He's gone there alone so I'll be able to take care of him." Harry explained.
"I don't get him, he sent 8 men to kill you but they were so low-level. I don't even understand how that man thinks." Natasha huffed. "What do you want me to do?" Natasha asked.
"Head to Stark Industries, Phil might need the backup," Harry replied.
"Alright," Natasha replied. She pecked Harry's cheek and raced off to Stark Industries.
With a loud pop, Harry apparated in front of Tony's Mansion and sprinted towards the workshop. As he arrived, Harry found the workshop bustling with mechanical activity. Harry's heart was pounding as he scanned the room to ensure Tony's safety. To his relief, Tony was at the centre of the commotion, meticulously being fitted into his red and gold suit of armour.
"This is the coolest thing I have ever seen," Rhodey said, his eyes completely glued to Tony's latest masterpiece.
"Not bad huh!" Tony replied with a hint of pride in his voice. Their moment was interrupted by Harry speaking up.
"What did I miss?" Harry asked, his voice filled with worry.
Tony glanced over at Harry, surprise flashing across his face. "I thought you were with Pepper," Tony said, frowning slightly.
"You weren't picking up your phone, so I suggested checking up on you. However, I got ambushed on the way here by a group of mercenaries. I think Stane's clearing all the loose ends." Harry replied.
Tony's face hardened "Yeah." Tony replied, anger seeping into his voice. "He said that he has made his version of my armour. He stole my arc reactor to power his suit. I'm heading to Stark Industries to stop Stane before he can do more damage."
Once Tony finished suiting up, he cleared the debris and readied himself to take off. The suit's mechanical components whirred and clicked to follow through on Tony's command.
"You need me to do anything else?" Rhodey asked, still captivated by the sight of Tony's suit.
"Keep the skies clear" Tony replied, his voice firm as he blasted off through the hole in his ceiling leaving a trail of smoke in his wake.
"Damm" Rhodey exclaimed causing Harry to chuckle. Rhodey's eyes lingered longingly on another piece of armour hanging nearby. "Next time, baby," he said and took one of Tony's cars to head to the military base.
Harry quickly pulled out his phone and dialled Natasha's number. "Nat, I need you to get additional backup from S.H.I.E.L.D. Stane's armed and dangerous, and I don't want you facing him alone."
"On it," Natasha's voice crackled through the line. "I'll get as many agents as I can. Be careful, Harry," she added, her concern evident.
With another pop, Harry apparated inside Stark Industries' Arc Reactor facility, immediately taking in the chaotic mess before him. The once pristine and state-of-the-art facility was now a war zone.
Following the path of destruction, Harry moved swiftly through Sector 16 of Stark Industries. The area had been turned into an impromptu battlefield, littered with debris. The remnants of the one-sided fight were evident everywhere. Flames flicked from the damaged machinery and smoke billowed, casting an eerie glow over the scene. The acrid scent of burning metal filled the air, mingling with the sounds of distant explosions and groans of the injured.
Harry's heart pounded as he navigated through the wreckage. His eyes scanned the area, quickly assessing the damage and searching for any signs of life. Harry cast a few spells to spot the agents and also cast a Confondus charm to ensure that they wouldn't realize he was using magic.
He came across the first fallen S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, lying motionless amidst the rubble. Kneeling beside the agent, Harry checked for a pulse and, found a faint one. "Hang in there," Harry whispered. His hand moved in intricate patterns, a soft, warm light emanating as he cast a healing spell, the agent's wounds beginning to mend.
In one corner, he found an agent pinned under a collapsed beam. With a flick of his hand, Harry levitated the heavy debris off the agent. "You're going to be okay," Harry assured, casting another healing spell to stabilize the agent's condition before moving on.
His actions were swift and precise, honed by years of experience on the field. As he worked, he couldn't help but think of the brutality Stane had unleashed. The destruction was immense, a testament to the power and ruthlessness of the man they were up against.
Eventually, Harry reached a cluster of agents and found Phil Coulson lying unconscious amidst the chaos. His heart skipped a beat, but he quickly knelt beside Phil, checking his vital signs. Phil was still alive and not in danger. Harry's hand glowed with healing magic as he worked to stabilize his friend.
Phil Coulson woke up with a gasp, his eyes darting around as he tried to get his bearing. When he saw that Harry was helping him up, he was surprised at how quickly Harry had reached the Stark Industries compound. "How did you get here so fast?" Phil asked, his voice strained from the confrontation with Stane. "I thought you were going to check on Stark."
"I was, but I got ambushed on the way to Tony's place, so I came here directly. I asked Natasha to get more backup from the S.H.I.E.L.D. office" Harry replied mysteriously.
Phil struggled to sit up, wincing from the pain and recalling the earlier battle. "We have a human tank on the loose. We need to control it before it starts causing a greater havoc."
"It's okay, Tony is out there fighting with that thing that Stane has created," Harry reassured Phil, causing Phil to relax. "You might want to bring in that clean-up crew though. Those two are going to cause a lot of havoc." Harry suggested.
Phil nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation "Alright, but what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to help Tony however I can," Harry replied firmly. "You did a good job. Thank you for keeping Pepper safe."
"Always," Phil replied. "So, are we back to being friends again?" Phil asked while offering Harry a handshake.
"Friends" Harry replied and shook his hand.
"Go, kick some ass," Phil said and handed Harry his gun.
Harry nodded, a determined look crossing his face. "Make sure Natasha and the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team stay out of this fight. Stane's too dangerous for them to handle. Let me and Tony take care of it."
Leaving Coulson to take care of the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Harry turned and sprinted out of the compound, his mind focused on the impending battle. He found Pepper standing outside, her eyes fixed on the sky, worry etched on her face.
"Where are they?" Harry asked his gaze following hers.
Instead of replying, she pointed upward to two figures clashing in the night sky. Harry squinted, watching the intense aerial battle unfold. Tony, in his red and gold suit, was engaged in a fierce dog fight with Stane, whose massive, dark armour dwarfed Tony's sleek design.
As Harry watched, the fight took a dramatic turn as Stane gained on Tony and was able to grab onto Tony. Tony kept flying high into the sky however, after reaching a certain height, the two started to freefall. Tony was struggling to control his descent, his boosters sputtering and failing. Harry could see Tony attempting to direct his fall toward the top of the Arc Reactor facility. Realizing the danger Tony was in, Harry made his way to the facility with urgency.
It was a long climb, so by the time Harry climbed up the ladder to the rooftop, the situation was dire. Stane stood over Tony, who was hanging precariously from the roof, about to fall into the reactor below. Stane's massive suit loomed menacingly as he prepared to deliver a killing blow.
Without hesitation, Harry drew his gun and fired several shots at Stane. The bullets ricocheted off the armour harmlessly, drawing Stane's attention away from Tony.
"Who's there?" Stane growled, scanning the rooftop.
"You better give up when you can Stane," Harry shouted back from his hiding spot behind a vent.
"Ah, Potter," Stane sneered. "It seems that you have survived the little ambush that I had set for you but not to worry, I will deal with you later after taking care of Tony. I would enjoy killing you slowly for all the headache that you have caused me ever since you came into my life. If it wasn't for you buying all of those shares, I would already have Stark Industries completely under my control."
"Why are you doing this Stane?" Harry demanded, trying to buy time. "You are an integral part of Stark Industries and have looked after Tony like your own son. Why are you trying to kill him?"
Stane laughed at Harry's remark. "I should thank you for giving me this idea Potter." Stane taunted. "You told me that I will be in full control of Stark Industries only when Tony is out of the picture. Well, I am going to take him out of the picture."
Stane's triumphant grin was cut short by a sudden, violent blast of electricity from the arc reactor. The energy surge hit all three of them, throwing Tony and Harry backwards. Harry felt the shockwave ripple through his body as he was thrown to the ground.
Stane, however, withstood the shock due to his armour, but the surge was enough to overload his systems. Stane's suit sparked and smoked, circuits frying from the immense energy. Stane himself fell unconscious from the shock. His massive armour started tumbling into the arc reactor. The machinery hissed and whined as Stane's suit was consumed by the reactor's energy, culminating in a massive explosion that rocked the entire compound.
Harry tried to stay awake, his mind reeling from the shock and chaos of the battle. He fought against the encroaching darkness, but the unexpected blast had overwhelmed him. As the powerful energy surge from the arc reactor sent him crashing to the ground, he felt his strength ebbing away. The edges of his vision blurred, and his senses began to dull.
As Harry succumbed to the void, the distant sounds of sirens and the murmurs of the aftermath faded away. His last thoughts were a mix of relief and concern, knowing that the immediate threat had been neutralized.
Author's Note:
Thank you everyone for the support and thank you for your kind words and all the reviews that you have left.
Magic, where is Harry's magic. Well he did plan to use it, but Pepper was too fast and blew up the arc reactor before Harry could actually fight Stane. He wanted to know the information first of why Stane was behaving this way hence the questioning. Also, there is more exposition about harry's magic in the next chapter. Oh, and Natasha is back and is here to stay. Our love story is back to where it should be with our love birds finally having more screen time (? I don't know what else to call it) together.
I have recently started a P. A.T.R.E.O.N with the name Bivz643, if you guys are interested in reading ahead. For now, you can read ahead to chapter 21 of this fanfiction. We are currently in the conversation between Fury and Tony about Tony's recruitment. There is only one tier for $5 with the benefit being access to the library and that I will be posting 2 chapters per week there. I understand that not everyone can become a Patron and support me monthly. However, if you'd still like to read ahead, you can do so by getting the PDF version of the 2nd arc of "A Wizard in the MCU" for $3 at P. A.T.R.E.O.N. shop
Anyway, see you all next week. Happy reading.