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Ororo and Jean flew out over the ocean, smiling and laughing in the sunlight at the sheer exuberance of flight. For Ororo this had always been one of her greatest joys and pleasures, and for Jean she still wasn't quite used to it yet despite how much time she had spent since learning how to fly actually flying. She looked over at her sister-lover or whatever they were called when you were in a polyamorous relationship, running her fingers through the water as the skin the long it its surface. "I have to thank you for this above all else. Without your help I'm not certain how long it would've taken me to learn how to fly, but it certainly would've taken me much longer than it did."
"It was my pleasure Jean," Ororo replied, chuckling as she saw a bit of a fish try to bite her friend's fingers as they zoomed along right above the water's surface. She led the way up north of Hoi An along the coast, the two of them moving faster than all but the fastest boats. In point of fact they were going so fast they were leaving a wake behind them, but the description Harry had given of Ha Long Bay had interested both ladies enough for them to not notice. Soon they came to the outskirts of the bay and they both stopped and stared.
From where they were hovering they could see dozens of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. Some of them towered above them in height, their sides carved by wind and rain into majestic natural shapes. Others were small, barely sticking out of the water, but teeming with birds of all shapes and sizes, which were eating from the mollusks on them or simply waiting there. All of them had some kind of growth on them, a few had lichen, some had grass, several of them had trees and bushes, many had a veritable forest rising from the karst's rock faces. Everywhere were small fishing boats, ranging from one man cogs to twelve man boats, only a very few of them had motors, most had sails, many of them seemed to be row boats. All in all it was a magnificent scene.
"Harry can certainly pick them, can't he?" Ororo said as they hovered there, taking in the breathtaking view in front of them.
"True," Jean replied. "That view from the observation deck was just fantastic, and this whole trip has just been… The next time he takes you out on a date tell him to take you to Everest too, trust me it's worth the trip."
Ororo shrugged. "I would prefer to go back to Africa if I got the chance, so I could show you both some of the sights I saw when I was young."
"I think I'd like that." With that Jean lead the way forward and they continued, flying slower now, moving around and above the rocks, which were made from limestone, shaped and eroded over millions of years.
The two of them soon alighted on a rocky outcropping staring out around them at the port, half of it hidden in mist coming off the ocean from the heat of the day. It was indeed a sort of rock/water maze and after a moment they smiled at one another and hopped off, moving down to skim over the water again, avoiding the people as they went.
One boat they passed seemed like it was run by a whole family and for some reason the Notice-Me-Not spell didn't seem to work on the kids. There were three of them and all of them, ranging from a toddler up to a pre-teen boy, stared at the two flying women. Ororo noticed this and waved. Awestruck the children waved back and before they could shout and point the two women were gone around one of the larger karsts.
"So," she said as the two of them continued to explore, reaching out with one hand to Jean's hand as they moved along. "Now that you have had an official date with Harry what do you think? You skipped most of the date and went straight to what you are working on up in High Note earlier."
Jean shuddered a little as the memory of what her and Harry had done together on top of Mount Everest came to her. "It was beyond anything I had ever dreamed or hoped," she murmured. "There's just no comparison between Harry and Duncan in any way shape or form, I always got the impression that Duncan wanted to overpower me, even his kisses were like that. With Harry I don't get that impression. Yes he controls the kiss, but he doesn't…it isn't…"
"I understand Jean," Ororo said as her friend floundered. "Would you like to know something? I've known almost since the beginning that if we put in the effort Harry and I could be together for the rest of our lives. And ever since we have gotten together, that feeling has increased. I love him, I love him so much, our relationship has come to be one of the pillars of my world."
"And to a somewhat lesser extent you and I," she added looking over and Jean. "You are the sister I never really had. Oh," she waved her free hand, "my older sister is nice enough, but our age difference is a bit much, and by the time I was old enough to be of any interest to her we moved to Cairo and she was left behind to finish school. And," Ororo smirked wickedly as she reached out running her free hand up Jean's stomach and between her breasts up her neck to lift her chin. "I certainly don't want to do the things to her that I want to do to you."
Jean blushed hotly but took Ororo's questing hand and brought it to her lips kissing it before pulling the other woman into a kiss. Again it wasn't like kissing Harry. Ororo's lips were soft, feminine, and smaller, but just as sweet, and the feel of their breasts mashing together shot pleasurable sensations up and down her spine.
The kiss continued for some time, bet eventually Jean reluctantly pulled away and the two flew on moving through the bay still holding hands. "I get the same impression," she confessed. "It's like there's a connection between us. Did you know he actually let me into his mind again? I know he did it once when he was trying to teach me Occlumency, but this was different. It was like rather than doing it to teach me, I mean he had all these defenses up before. This time he didn't and he left me a back door! I could talk to him with my mind right now."
"And you are concerned of being unworthy of that trust, that love," Ororo said shrewdly, pulling the younger girl into another hug. This time however they were not actually standing up in the air, but rather laying out right above the water, and they continue to move slightly as she held Jean in a hug. "Jean, when Harry loves someone, he puts his all into it. He's pretty much like that throughout his life in all honesty. But one thing you need to know, is that Harry would not have opened up to you if he didn't think you were worthy of it. He may seem to trust easily, but he doesn't let people inside him, inside his final defenses unless he knows that they won't betray that trust. I trust you, Harry trusts you, trust yourself to not fall short of our expectations."
Jean looked at her, her heart and her eyes for a moment and then nodded leaning in to kiss her gently on the lips. She pulled back, and noticed that they were about to hit a dolomite. "Woops!" She laughed pushing them up into the air where both women righted themselves so that they were now standing up right and flew up over the rock face. "So on that note, how should we help and possibly reward our man?"
"My own thoughts had been running parallel to that one," Ororo replied. "The problem is that much of what we're doing at the moment relies on Harry's magic. I've already taken over as much as I can of the task of setting up our company as I can, and you've taken over as much of the redesign of Hogwarts as you can. At the moment for what our current projects are we're in a bit of a holding pattern unfortunately. Though if anything new comes up we should look into taking it off his shoulders. And no more crises," she added emphatically.
"Amen," Jean muttered. "We've got enough on our plate without other shit coming along."
After that the conversation turned to other things. About 30 minutes later they decided to land and simply look out around them for a time. Ororo leaned her head on Jean's shoulder for a moment, sighing happily as they looked down from their perch on one of the taller karsts watching the comings and goings of the fishermen/women/families, letting the peace of the scene fill her.
Jean turned her head, kissing Ororo on the forehead then the nose which caused her to giggle a moment and then found her lips met by Ororo. Unlike the kiss they had shared before, this was a little more needy, and Ororo deepened it quickly her arms going around Jean. Jean moaned into their kiss when Ororo's hand found a small spot on her lower through her suit which was particularly sensitive for some reason, and began to knead her through her suit there. She opened her mouth, tongue questing out for Ororo's.
The two girl's tongues met in Ororo's mouth, slimmer yet surprisingly not as dexterous as Harry's, yet the kiss was simply sweet and amazing, and both of them lost themselves to the feeling for a moment. Ororo eventually broke the kiss to move down to Jean's neck, kissing and sucking at the skin there murmuring, "Vanilla and cherry, interesting."
Jean laughed throatily, moving her own mouth down Ororo's neck in turn. "And you taste like chocolate and cinnamon."
They both pulled back and laughed a little, then slowly their eyes closed and they began to kiss again.
After a moment they pulled back and Jean simply laid out her head on Ororo's bosom sighing happily. They stayed there for a time, simply looking out and occasionally exchanging a kiss, then Ororo reluctantly stood up. "Come, it's time we got back."
Jean nodded a groaning agreement, and they both got to their feet and set off again through the air, once more holding hands.
OOOOOOO
When he went out to look for them, Harry was pleasantly surprised to find that the kids were indeed already dealing with the aftermath of their first real mission. He found Scott talking quietly to Evan underneath an umbrella out on the beach. The three local girls were in nowhere in sight, which was probably a good thing.
As he walked up Scott was saying "it's not like you don't have to feel guilt Evan, if you didn't feel guilt after you killed someone that would make you a monster. That guilt, that empathy for your fellow man is what separates us from people like, like that Sabertooth douchebag. Well, that and the fact that we only kill in self-defense, and the fact that we are fighting for a cause, the cause of coexistence with humanity rather than mutant supremacy or just to kill someone. If those Hand ninja hadn't come after us, we wouldn't have gone after them. Yes, killing is horrible, but if you want to be out in the field you have to realize that it's going to happen. You can fight against it, you can make certain it doesn't happen unless it really needs to, but in the end you'll have to kill to defend yourself and your teammates. Sometimes it's that simple, them or us, and I know I can trust you to protect my back."
"Evan sighed, running his hand through his spiked hair. "I know that, it's just did we have to kill all of them? I mean I know they didn't give us a choice of the time, but looking back on it couldn't we have just knocked them out or something?"
"Second-guessing yourself is sometimes a good thing," Scott said sternly. "But there are limits. Fact, they came after us. Fact, we went after them so that they couldn't come after us again after having learned of our abilities, making their second attack probably more effective. Fact, we saved two lives going after them, Shiang-Chi and Mr. Smith. Fact, all of those ninjas came at us with intent to kill. With all that said, we met only or second, possibly third life and death struggle and came through. I'm damn proud of how well we did. I'm damn proud of you, I'm damn proud of everyone else. You didn't flinch and you didn't hesitate once it began. That's as much as anyone can ask."
"I just wish that made me feel better. But you're right, I guess the reasons are what separates us from people like them." Evan sighed again, staring out over the ocean contemplatively.
Scott clapped him on the shoulder,. "Like I said, it doesn't have to be easy, in fact it really shouldn't. It's just something you have to do, to protect yourself and your teammates."
Evan nodded and after thanking Scott for the talk moved off, nodding agreeably to Harry. Harry stared down at Scott where he was still sitting and nodded himself. "A good pep talk, have you done that for any of the others?"
Scott shook his head. "Rogue went to the professor, I hope he's giving her the same general talk," he frowned a little, having hoped on some level she would come to him for help. "Maybe a bit more peacenik version, but hopefully it'll help her."
Harry understood why Scott had as it of misgivings about that, but in all actuality Charles had his head on screwed much better than someone like Dumbledore had. Charles understood the fact that sometimes lethal force was necessary, he didn't like it but he wasn't about to say it wasn't necessary against someone like the Hand.
Scott went on. "Kitty talked to Ororo last night, and I think Kurt found a church somewhere in town and went there yesterday. Whatever he was told I don't know, I'm not about to ask. Kurt's," he paused for a moment then went on, "Kurt's the only one among us who is very religious."
"Catholic right?" Harry asked.
"Oh yeah," here Scott smiled. "Very Catholic, very religious for some reason. Despite the fact that he, you know, looks sort of like the Christian version of a devil." He went on much more seriously. "I haven't teased him about that, and when Evan tried to when he first joined us I stepped on it hard. Even when I was, um, even when l had a stick up my ass I knew there were some lines you shouldn't cross."
"You're a good man Charlie Brown," Harry laughed a little reaching down and grabbing the younger man shoulders. "You did well too. You all did you're right about that, but I'd say you're ready for the big leagues now, Scott."
"So does that mean you're going to step away even further?"
"It means that you kids are your own team, and I'm not part of it," Harry said bluntly. "I'm not going to be around to lead you, and I'm not going to be watching 24/7 just in case you get in trouble. I'll still be around in case you get into magical related issues or in way over your heads, but I'm going to trust you guys to handle your own stuff like the adults you've proven to be. Don't hesitate to ask for my advice on any team members or anything like that, but out in the field you're going to be on your own. Frankly I'm so busy right now I probably shouldn't have even taken off these past few days, and I haven't even begun to do all the things I want to do."
"Putting together your own team?" Scott asked shrewdly.
"Pretty much," Harry nodded. "I haven't put it together yet, and our purview won't be just protecting and defending humanity from mutants and vice versa. Our remit is going to be quite a bit larger than that."
Scott nodded, but didn't even think of asking if he and the others could join up. For one thing, he somehow knew that Harry would refuse, and for another Scott knew they'd be busy enough as it was. He'd caught a bit of the news on the television, and the mutant issue was continuing to heat up back in America.
In point of fact they'd probably be sent out on missions to protect their mutant brethren almost as soon as they got back. There had been several ugly riots, and the Friends of Humanity had lynched one mutant in Boise, Idaho. The fact that he had been a barely preteen boy and his only mutation was having bug eyes rather than normal human ones hadn't seemed to bother them at all. There was an upsweep of pro-mutant support after that, but not nearly enough to offset the building wave of fear and hatred. Harry on the other hand seemed certain that he and his team were going to be dealing with other issues almost as much as that one, and Scott wondered if they were able to handle everything in America would Harry be able to handle everything else?
That was a question for the future however right now he wanted to ask some advice from the only adult male who he wouldn't be utterly embarrassed about asking for said. "Actually, can I ask you some advice now? It's about relationships."
"Oh dear," Harry muttered looking away and scratching his chin thoughtfully. "You can ask; I'm not certain how much I'm going to be able to help you."
"Well, I probably don't have to tell you, but I'm sort of developing an interest in Rogue. But, she's on the team, and I don't want to play favorites or anything like that. Worse what happens if we break up? That might ruin our ability to work together."
Harry actually smiled at that. "Ah, yes the age old question of relationships in the work place. Some places would tell you that kind of thing is death on unit cohesion, but I never noticed that. I dated two girls, not at once no," he answered the question he could see building in Scott's face. "But one after another. It never bothered any of us. I would say it makes you a little worried about someone but as a leader you have to treat all the people you lead equally."
Scott nodded agreement at that and Harry went on. "Just make certain to keep any romantic moments to yourselves. You don't want to rub it in anyone's face. But as to your second point yes, breakups can be ugly, but if it is mutual and you were friends first you can generally talk it out and move on. Simply keep your head up and make certain you both go into this relationship with your eyes open about the troubles you can run into, and I think you'll be fine. That's all I can tell you."
"Not as helpful as I hoped but thanks anyway Harry, I think I'll talk to Rogue when we get back. When are we leaving by the way?"
"As soon as I can round up the rest of you lot and Ororo and Jean come back. You know where Shiang-Chi and Dennis are?"
"I think they were out in the hotel's lobby. Shiang-Chi is reading some book last I saw him, and Mr. Smith was signing up for a massage or something."
Harry nodded, and with a last clap on the shoulder left Scott to find the two ex-prisoners. Dennis was in fact sitting talking philosophy with Charles, who had finished speaking to Rogue, having helped the girl through her issues with fighting the Hand. All of the teens bar Scott would still have problems with what had occurred, nightmares, insomnia, a bad reaction when they went back to training, but nothing truly major.
Harry told the two older men they would be leaving soon, and then found Shiang-Chi in the lobby. Killing two birds with one stone he decided to check them out, informing the front desk that they would still be using the bungalows for a time as a meeting place.
By the time he was back Jean and Ororo had returned along with all the teens, even Logan was there, staring at the two girls coming in holding hands, shaking his head and muttering something under his breath. It sounded like 'lucky bastard,' which, looking at his two ladies was something Harry could wholeheartedly agree with.
Ororo and Jean smiled at him, moving to either side and leaning in to kiss either of his cheeks. This caused Kurt, Evan, Rogue, Charles and the newcomers look at the trio in shock. Kurt and Rogue in particular looked troubled. Kurt was a staunch Catholic, and the idea of a polygamist relationship went against his religious beliefs. Rogue was a little better. She had been raised by Mystique in the deep South, so had an odd my of casual indifference and southern values when looking at relationships.
Neither Harry nor his ladies were willing to give them an explanation about their relationship however. Harry merely blushed very slightly and looked around at them all, pulling out the hoop he had made into a portkey again. "Everyone ready to go?"
Reluctantly everyone reached forward to grab on, and a moment later they disappeared from the bungalow and Vietnam.
OOOOOOO
Sebastian Shaw leaned back, listening to the music of Phantom of the Opera sans voice, one hand holding a Cohiba Esplendido, one of the best, and most expensive cigar brands in the world while he sat on a plush chair in his mansion's sitting room, his eyes closed for a moment as he thought about his next move. Before him were several reports from different sources, including one that had a picture on it.
The attack on Emma did not go nearly as well as I could have hoped, but it gave me another clue as to what she can do with her power. Two of them actually going by this autopsy of the mystery shooter, hah, a brain aneurysm, please. Though her younger sister didn't exhibit any kind of power. Ah well, she's young yet, mutants usually activate their powers between 12 and 20, so she has a few more years to prove herself a member of our superior race. And thanks to Empath there is no way anyone could trace this back to me. His manipulation of Hildebrandt's second in command was a master stroke, and the man himself took care of everything else.
With any luck she will come to me now to bolster her security team if nothing else, and I won't even ask for much in return. Not right away, right now I have more important things to do than break one uppity bitch to heel. Still, eventually Emma will be brought under my power, and with her at my side I can supplant Buckman, kill Peirce and suborn the entirety of the Hellfire Club both here in America and abroad. Britain will fall first of course, they have no one worthy of being even a bishop anymore, and will welcome us with open arms. And with the money and power of Hellfire behind me, my Hellions and my own abilities and resources we can begin to take our place on top of the world.
One of the papers in front of him was a handwritten letter from his former lover, informing him she was not going to be coming back to America or him ever again, that she had sought to mitigate the darkness within him she could see, and had failed but had no desire to remain by his side forced to watch his descent. Sebastian had ignored everything but the fact she was breaking up with him, that was the only part that truly mattered, and he had sent out an order to a team of assassins to kill her for that effrontery. There had been no love between them of course, at least not from his end, but no one was allowed to break away from him without consequences.
But this… this is much more important, and rather disturbing. His hand gently rested on the report with the picture, and he grimaced. Bolivar Trask, I remember him, cleared of some war crimes after the Korean War. His view on mutants is well known, but what does he have to do with this Sentinel Program, and what is it? I must find out more. Empath and Emma have come up blank on it, but something tells me this is important. Maybe… maybe I should open up some talks about this with Edward. Get a in at the top as it were? Or perhaps I should simply have Trask kidnapped and questioned. No, that's too overt at the moment. Hmm….
OOOOOOO
Almost the moment they appeared again in the garage Logan and Harry at least knew something was up. Everyone else realized the same thing least the moment after they got over their portkey sickness again. Shiang Chi and Dennis of course had it worse. Dennis collapsed face first into the garage floor, clutching his stomach for a moment utterly out of it while Shiang Chi merely buckled to his knees, his hands around his own stomach.
Even in the garage there was the stench of smoke and with the door open they could hear the murmur of voices. Scott moved forward his eyes already glowing slightly behind his sun glasses, while the others prepared themselves.
Logan sniffed the air scowling. "I smell gun smoke and other things. One scent I recognize, I think it's that Alvers punk." At that Kitty blinked in surprise wondering what the heck her boyfriend was doing here. "Two others, don't know either of them, there's a lot of gun-smoke, a lot of blood in the air, something familiar about it…"
Charles frowned faintly. "I can sense three individuals as well, Mr. Alvers is here along with another man I think I've felt in the area a time or two, but the third is unknown to me and has some very good mental defenses. I could however easily read Lance or the other one's mind, but rather than resort to that let's just see why they're here shall we? I don't sense any anger or violence about them at present."
"Keep your eyes open though," Scott said warningly. "Maybe they've found some way to hide their intentions from telepaths or something."
Logan growled and, ignoring Cyclops' hissed warning, made his way out of the garage and into the mansion.
Harry nodded at Dennis and Shiang-Chi. You two wait here until you're ready to move."
Harry and Ororo shared a glance looking to Jean who shrugged and sent "I can't feel anyone else either. If they're hiding from Xavier they can certainly hide from me unfortunately." She frowned a little, "I've been deliberately trying to move away from my telepathic power because I pick up so many emotions when I use it, but I think I need to start working with it some more." She actually enjoyed sending to Ororo and Harry because of that. The only feelings she got from them when she connected to their minds was a feeling of love for her and one another. It was extremely soothing and empowering as well.
Harry shrugged. "The Room of requirement is almost finished Jean, you can work in there on it if you like. Don't know enough about how telepathy works and how it's different from Legillimency to help you though, sorry."
"Nor I," sent Ororo taking her hand as the trio followed the others inside. "This is one problem I'm afraid you'll have to solve on your own Jean."
"No worries," she said snuggling into Harry's shoulder for a moment as she squeezed Ororo's hand before they crossed the threshold between the garage and the rest of the mansion. "I can handle it."
"I have no doubt of that," both of them sent at the same time, causing all three to laugh quietly.
They caught up quickly with the others to see a bald black man with an eye-patch sitting down on the sofa with Wolverine staring down at him, his claws out. "Seriously Logan, is that any way to greet an old friend?" The man said raising one finger to tap gently on the claws.
Lance, who was standing by the entranceway between the sitting area and the hallway, coughed uncomfortably, feeling Kitty's eyes on him. "Um guys this is Clint he's sort of my new guardian I guess." Lance gestured to another man in the back leaning against the wall, with short cropped blonde hair and a narrow-eyed expression that was latched onto Logan at the moment.
Harry recognized him as the man who had been observing the mansion during the Juggernaut assault whose memories Harry had obliviated. He was curious however how Lance and this Clint man had met.
The younger man went on a little more cautiously. "Um, and the man sitting on the sofa is Nick Fury, director of SHIELD and Clint's boss. It's a sort of super spy agency, they apparently are supposed to deal with super-powered threats and the like."
"Bullshit!" Logan growled popping the claws of his other hand. "I know Nick Fury bub, and you ain't him. Too young by half, and Fury was white."
"You remember that time in Istanbul? Something about the beer there got through your healing factor, and you kept on getting drunk while we were searching the bars and night clubs for our target. The same German spy kept on seducing you, three times in a single week and each time she tried a different way to kill you in your sleep after the two of you were done."
Logan coughed a little embarrassed. Something they added to their beer in Istanbul got through his healing and that German gal had been one hot firecracker from what little he could remember. The beer actually getting to him though, that he remembered clearly even through the haze Weapon X had made of his memories.
Logan shook his head "All right he is who he says he is, though why the hell he's got a whole new body I don't know. There was no one else with us then and it ain't important enough for anyone impersonatin' Nick ta bother remembering even if they were a telepath. I also know for damn sure Nick wouldn't have put that in his official report about that little debacle, after all," he glared down at the man "I wasn't the only one who fucked up during that assignment was I?"
"Not going to argue with you there," the older man said sighing a little. "I made my fair share of screw ups, but that was more embarrassing than most." Not only had the two of them been going after the wrong target, but the actual target hadn't even been in Istanbul at all. The man they were after was supposed to be a diplomat who was trying to convince Turkey to join the war on the Axis's side right after the assault on Pearl Harbor. Luckily Turkey's leaders were far too cagy to actually join up.
Harry frowned. "Well then, why don't you explain why you're here and what happened here."
"I'm here to talk to you Potter," the old man said looking at him. "And as for what happened to your house, I didn't do it. I tried to stop the two people breaking in, just luck I was here at all frankly. But even with me trying to stop them, whatever they were here for they got I think. Some kind of helmet and something else? Anything you want to share Professor Xavier?"
"No, not really. I fear however that we need to see what the damage is." He looked over at Lance and a gentle probe told him that the young man had arrived on the scene to find Nick busy preforming emergency first aid on himself, and since then it had only been about thirty minutes, so none of them had the chance to try and get downstairs. "If you will excuse us, I believe that we need to do a survey of the house, see what was taken, and how much was damaged."
"Head upstairs for now and busy yourselves, I don't want this man to know any more about our operations than is needful, and his mental defenses are such that it will take me some time to get through them subtly." Charles sent, and the X-men turned away making their way through the first and second floors of the mansion save for Kitty and Scott. Scott went back and showed Shiang-Chi and Dennis up to the solarium, while Kitty looked a question at Lance.
Lance frowned, looking at Clint who nodded his head, a very lopsided smile on his face. Lance groaned a little, foreseeing much teasing in his future, then pushed off the wall and moved over to Kitty and the two of them walked off to talk. Logan joined Clint at the far wall, nodding to him before going back to staring at Nick Fury, still trying to figure out why Fury seemed to have an entirely new body, and if so, why he still had an eye-patch.
Harry sat down across from Nick, while Ororo and Jean took up position on the wall behind him. "So, what brings the director of SHIELD all the way out here?"
"Like I said, you" the older man replied bluntly leaning back slightly and bringing a cup of coffee to his lips. "It took us a while to get a handle on your powers Mr. Wizard, and even longer for that to reach someone who actually believed in the occult. That process was helped along when that thing in London happened, and then you did something to one of my agents. I don't like that," he said his eyes narrowing "I don't like that at all, and I'm wondering if you're friend or foe. At the moment I just can't tell. So what's your game Potter?"
"I could've made it permanent you know," Harry said mildly, not reacting at all to the other man's commanding tone. "I just wanted her to not remember my face, or any of my powers or the powers of my associates. I didn't erase her mind or shatter it as I could have, and seeing as I have a distrust of those who try to hide in the shadows when they have no need to, you should be thankful. As for my game," Harry shrugged "my intentions are to change the world. Not just for myself, not putting myself on top like so many others seem to want to do. Though I have to wonder why they wish to? Surely the paperwork alone would make that job rather joyless wouldn't it?"
Ororo and Jean chuckled a little though the older adults all simply stared at him shaking their heads.
"Tough room," Harry muttered, but went on more seriously leaning forward, his green eyes intent and latching onto Nick's single brown one. "I want to change the world to make it a better place for all humanity, not just homo sapiens or homo superior or whatever you call them though I frankly think it's a rather stupid distinction. And I dislike the idea of any belief or concept that tries to paint an entire group with a single brush. I will protect humans and mutants from one another, at the moment that is all you need to know."
"Wrong," answered Fury grimly. "How are you going to go about that? What means are you going to use to achieve those goals, how are you going to go about changing the world as you put it?"
"You'll see in a few weeks," Harry replied blandly, his face giving away nothing.
"My job as director of SHIELD is to protect the world from interior threats of all shapes and sizes. At the moment I can't tell if you're a threat or not. Give me enough information to make that decision in your favor or I'll just have to make it on my own."
"That's up to you," Harry said shrugging. "I'm not your enemy Director Fury, but nor do I think you truly understand or have fully embraced that remit of yours. If you did I would possibly call you ally, as it is… no. How much of your funding comes from other countries? How much of your manpower is devoted to the 'traditional' enemies of America shall we say? America hasn't taken a stand one way or another yet about the mutant issue, but I can see which way the wind is blowing, and I find it depressing that the so-called 'land of the free' seems to think that only matters to people of the 'right sort'. I find it deeply disturbing that gay or black people don't seem to see the connection either, I understand the fear but ignorance?"
"So you're saying you're entirely focused on this mutant issue?" Nick said skeptically, "Bull shit, you're a big thinker Potter, I can see that, what's your long game?"
"None of your business. Nick," Harry said sighing. "I'm not your enemy, I'm not even thinking of doing anything that could seriously harm American interests, or the rights of the individual. I'm thinking of defending a minority group and stopping said minority group from lashing out, what's so wrong with that? I'm only your enemy if you make me your enemy." His eyes hard and noticeably, and he stared at Nick grimly. "You don't want that."
"Is that a threat?" Nick growled back. "I don't take kindly to threats."
"Not a threat," said Harry softly, "A promise. You have no idea at all how powerful I am, how much of threat I could be. Nor do you ever wish to find out. The fact that even America doesn't publicly acknowledge the existence of your agency, the fact that you are spending so much time on people who aren't a threat like the FF bothers the hell out of me."
Harry had recognized Natasha in London and had put two and two together and was most displeased when he realized someone was watching the FF for some reason, despite the fact they had proved themselves so often. "Get your own house in in order before you go looking for more trouble Fury."
Nick scowled but couldn't argue the point. It was true that most of SHIELD's manpower was taken up by things that he felt they didn't need to be handling themselves, and it was also true that the committee members were a little too interested in keeping their identities secret (though of course he knew who they were) for his own peace of mind, and why they wanted to keep such secrets was a mystery to him as well. Their priorities were also bothering him more as time went on.
He sighed leaning back then said bluntly, "I don't like it. I don't like having someone with power likes yours running around loose with no ties to anyone else, Potter. Eventually when you come out into the open Potter you'll be a target for every group out there if you don't ally with someone else, and when that happens what will you do?"
Harry smiled thinly. "As I said, you have no idea about what I can do, what resources I can call upon. If I am challenged I will respond in kind." The phrase 'keep that in mind' hovered between them unspoken.
The fact of the matter was Nick Fury and Harry Potter were simply too different to get along amicably. Nick worked in the shadows to protect the status quo, and followed orders (most of the time), and was willing to work within the system if he could. He was also preternaturally suspicious, especially of super-powered individuals. And tended to look at the big picture rather than the individual.
Harry had never worked within the system save for asking the British government in his old dimension for aid, and really didn't see the point. He was unwilling to follow anyone else's orders, and his trust in governments and government agencies, while slightly more than it had been at one point, was still hovering around zero, which had grown to include SHIELD once he realized Natasha was keeping tabs on the FF. And while Harry was capable of working in the shadows, he detested the necessity, and tended to live his life by the phrase 'small pictures all together make big pictures'.
Nick's one good eye remained locked on Harry's face for a moment, not at all happy at how this had gone, but lacking a big enough stick to make the conversation go his way. After a moment he stood up, deciding to give up on this for now. "Alright Potter, just remember we'll be watching you." I definitely need to get a supernatural consultant, have to figure out a real appraisal of Potter's powers. The question is, where do I find someone like that, make certain he is trustworthy, and hide the reasons for the new hire in our books somehow?
Harry smirked but did not reply to the rather transparent and somewhat amusing threat.
Logan moved forward. "I'll walk ya out Nick, and you can explain why the hell you've got a new body."
Nick chuckled and filled his old comrade in on what had happened to his old body, as well as how he had found himself in his new one. As they reached his SUV still parked outside the garage doors, Nick stopped walking to look at Logan. "Logan I gotta say this bluntly, did you ever have a daughter?"
"What the hell, where did that come from?" Logan gaped at him.
Nick frowned. "One of the girls that attacked this place while you lot were gone… she had claws like yours, only two of them on each hand. She looked, she looked a bit like you. She fought like you too, in your of your berserk rages anyway. She had your healing power too, and her bones were coated with adamantium." Nick reached down to his pocket and pulled out the hilt of his knife. "This was a titanium knife, and she slice through it like a hot knife through butter. And she was good real good."
Logan's face showed shock, and he wondered if that was the smell that had seemed so strangely familiar to him. That makes a lot of sense really, but what am I going to do about it? I know my memories are fucked up, but there's no way I could have a daughter and not know about it could I? "What about the other one?"
"An assassin out of South Africa named Fatale. Powers include teleportation, limits unknown put postulated at only being able to teleport to someplace she has already been and invisibility, though how she produces that effect is also unknown. Light black skin, spiky short cropped light blue hair. Wanted for several murders in Africa, Europe, two in China, this was the first time she was seen in America though."
Logan frowned then nodded. "Thanks fer telling me about this Nick, I got no idea where the girl could have come from, but I'll figure it out." If I've got a kid out there I want to meet her, figure out who her mother was, and how the hell she got adamantium on her bones! If anyone from the old Weapon X program was involved I will fucking skin them alive!
Nick pretty much knew what Logan was thinking, and wished the man success in his venture. Of course he could also be used as a stalking horse to figure out who the hell those two had been working for, and if he wasn't here the X-men would lack mature leadership, which might make them at the very least easier to spy on. Nick sometimes hated thinking like that, but after so long it was second nature. "No worries, I owed you a few anyway. I'll see you round old man."
Logan barked a laugh and watched as Nick got in his car, with Clint, and a happier looking Lance following. The punk actually still had some of Kitty's lipstick on his check and Logan smirked knowingly at him causing Lance to look away quickly.
After waving the trio off Logan returned to the group, which had congregated around the elevator down to the basement. Harry had made profligate use of the Reparo spell, but there was still some evidence a fight had occurred here.
The X-Men were exchanging worried glances and Charles was frowning unhappily as they stared at the elevator. "How did they know we weren't here?"
"And how did they get past my wards?" Harry said thoughtfully activating his mage sight. He scowled angrily and cursed himself roundly. "Damn it Harry you're not an amateur, you can't make mistakes like that."
The others looked at him and he said unhappily, "I only tied one ward to the house itself, a low powered Notice-Me-Not just to keep prying and inquisitive eyes away, both of the other wards are intent based on causing harm to the people here, with no people here they won't do anything. Unfortunately I guess the first doesn't work very well on people who have mental defenses, or maybe it just became too weak to do anything, at least that's what I'm seeing. I haven't been here long enough for it or the other two to take power off me and none of you have a magical core it can feed off of. All of them are so low on power it's amazing they're still up at all."
Or is it? he thought, looking over at Ororo for a second. She's been here longer than I have the past few weeks, especially around the time when they were studying for their finals. But the spell I put on her and Jean both lasted the same amount of time? I can't get her hopes up if it's not true…
He turned back to the conversation shrugging apologetically. "Sorry, this is my fault entirely."
"No it isn't," Charles sighed. "I had been intending for a while to upgrade the mansion's exterior defenses the summer. It looks as if I delayed it too long."
I'm also concerned about how they were able to watch the house without me knowing Charles thought to himself. Seems as if I've been missing quite a lot lately, I need to think about that. I can't keep making mistakes like this.
Logan grunted, "I think we've all been taking our security a little too much for granted here. We shouldn't've been relying solely on your spells Potter."
Harry shrugged, looking up from where he had been using a Reparo spell on the elevators controls. "In any case, I'll redo them before I leave today, and if someone reminds me I'll do the same thing whenever I stop by. For now however, let's go down and see the damage."
The damage, it turned out, was quite extensive, though Harry's spells made most of it right, he couldn't fix everything, the more electronic the thing he repaired, the worse his spell worked.
Jean popped open the newly repaired front panel of Cerebro and stuck her head inside for a second before backing out, scowling. "Everything in here is shorted out, and its missing parts. Sorry Harry, but your spell seems to have met its match here."
Harry frowned looking at where the helmet that Charles used to augment Cerebro should have hung. "I can't repair something if its parts aren't all here. So, what exactly did they get away with?"
Jean and Charles exchanged a look then Jean shrugged. "I would assume they got a copy of the programming, the blueprints for the system and of course the telepathic amplifier/converter. On the other hand, the program and the blueprints are the same ones that I mentioned just aren't very good. I think they could easily solve the mechanical issues, but not the programming ones. That will take them years to refine down to something that can match having a telepath of Charles' caliber."
"So not good, but not the end of the world." Harry exchanged a glance with Ororo and Jean who both nodded, understanding that his own magic-based system would hopefully work far better than Cerebro did at the moment.
Charles frowned. "I will call the friend who designed this for me, maybe he can help us upgrade it in the future."
With that the group broke up slowly. Jean stayed there for a moment to write up a list of missing parts to leave with the X-men, while Harry went up to her room and had a few house-elves take her stuff up to High Note, where Harry and Jean would set up another room for her like she already had in Hogwarts. Ororo also called on house-elf assistance to grab her own furniture.
Scott and Logan went to see if the security computer had been able to record anything about the attackers, and Evan and Kurt went up to grab some food, while Rogue went out for a drive.
While they were doing this Kitty, after talking to Lance for a time and clearing the air between them had made a beeline for the phone. She had not forgotten Harry's offer of a summertime job, and if her boyfriend wasn't going to be around she wouldn't have much else to do, though she was also thinking about talking to her parents about something else. She was on the phone for about 30 minutes, and by the time she was done Harry and his ladies were ready to go. She bolted towards them a wide grin on her face. "My parents want to talk to you and Storm in person, get a feel for where I'll be working, but they're all right with me getting a job guys!"
"Excellent Kitten," Ororo replied enthusiastically letting out a bit of air as the younger girl hugged her exuberantly, which Ororo returned.
Harry watched the two of them, his eyes strangely calculating for a moment though there was a hint of humor in it as well. "That is good news," he said, reaching out and ruffling the bushy-haired girl's head. "I'll work up a contract then send your parents a copy. Did they tell you their fax number or something?"
Kitty gave him the fax number and after that another round of farewells the trio was ready to go. They picked up Shiang Chi and Dennis, who had remained up in the solarium, and all five of them were teleported back by Cory straight into Hogwarts in the dining hall.
Dennis looked around him pleasantly surprised. "A most fascinating domicile Mr. Potter, I take it this is going to be the head of our operations?"
"For now, I might separate the security division for a bit after we get the actual company situated, but we'll see. Dennis, get me a list of names you might want me to higher and I'll go over them, but I'll warn you, I will want to meet them in person first. And Shiang Chi, the training area isn't ready just yet, but if you can get me a list of items and training gear and stuff like that you'd want for a team of around ten or so for training purposes I'll have one of the house elves pick them up."
"How do your little servants pay for things?" Shiang Chi asked.
When Harry repeated the question one of the older elves popped in at that question, and replied quickly. "We leave the money in the cash register Master."
"That works." The older man nodded. He looked around the interior of the ancient seeming Castle, though it was still somehow buzzing with life, wondering what the two of them had gotten themselves into, and decided, somewhat surprisingly that he was looking forward to finding out.
After that Harry had one of the elves show the two up to one of the rooms on the sixth floor which was being made into the teacher's suites, and the others decided to spend a few hours with Melody before getting used to the time zone again.
OOOOOOO
Given the time difference between Vietnam and New York, most of the team decided to head to bed once they finished, since it was three o'clock in the morning here and they wanted to get back to the local timeframe.
The next morning most of the kids decided to head off and do their own thing , it was the first week of their summer and they wanted to enjoy not having school. Scott would have joined them but felt the professor's voice in his head asking him to join Logan and Xavier in the professor's office as he walked into the garage. With a sigh Scott turned around, amused to note that Rogue was already gone, having taken Logan's jeep yet again. Soon he was standing in front of the open door. "You wanted to see me sir?"
"Yes Scott, come in," Charles said nodding his head. He waited until the young and did so, waving him into a seat. After he did, Charles asked, "Did you happen to overhear the conversation that Logan had with Mr. Fury before he left?"
Scott shook his head "No sir, I lead Mr. Smith and Shiang-Chi upstairs while Fury was talking with Harry, and then stayed up there with them. Why?"
"I got this Chuck," Logan said raising a hand and staring down at the younger man from where he was leaning against the front of the desk. There'd been a sort of tension between the two of them since the Hand incident whenever they were around one another. Scott had taken charge and led the X-Men efficiently and well during both the initial attack and their own response, but he had also given orders to Logan and Logan wasn't very happy about that. Not only was he more used to being a loner, not taking orders from anyone but his superiors back home, but he didn't like taking orders from someone so much younger than him. Still, that was about to be a non-issue. "Something came up in that attack" he stated bluntly. "Turns out that one of the attackers Fury dealt with might be somehow related to me."
"Related how sir?" Scott asked coolly.
"Related like she might be my daughter," Logan growled.
Scott blanched a little at the idea of a woman with Logan's face but shook off the image quickly. "That's … Given your surprise I take it you didn't know about this Sir?"
"Damn right I didn't," Logan muttered. "I thought I'd been pretty careful with every girl I'd been with." He chuckled evilly at the younger boy's blushed. "Damn kid you're going to have to get used to talking about fuckin' eventually, or you'll die a virgin."
Scott resolutely turned from looking at Logan to the professor. "What does this have to do with me sir?"
"I'm leaving," Logan said simply. "I'm going to stay here for a few days, see if I can figure out anything about the identity of the girl, and then I'm going to start hunting up clues. I'll stop in here sometime, but you'll be the one leading the team from now on."
"Both in the field and in training?" Scott asked.
"That is the point of this meeting Scott," Charles said, hiding his sadness at the necessity with ease. He wasn't about to say that Logan couldn't go off on his own of course, but he had hoped the man would at least agree to stay until they could get another person in to help the kids train. Of course where he would come up with someone like that outside of Harry and Ororo that he trusted Charles had no idea at the moment. "Do you think you're up to it?"
Scott nodded slowly, thoughtfully. 'I can do that I think. Though, I'll need one of the others to help me in at least an advisory role when the new students get here this summer. Do you have a specific ETA on that sir?"
"Late July actually. I'll be heading out on meetings almost every week to make certain about that, but yes most of them have already said yes and one or two unfortunately don't have a choice given their backgrounds, all that's left is the haggling so to speak about other issues. As a teacher you will have access to their backgrounds, but I hope that I don't have to tell you that I want you to make your own impressions about them without bias. And who do you think you will tap to be your assistant?" Charles replied,
Charles had noticed that Scott was interested in Rogue and vice versa, and he wondered if Scott would once more follow his heart, or if he could keep his budding relationship separate from the team.
Scott however had a very good idea of his team and their personalities. "I think I'd use Kurt sir. He's got a lot of flexibility and his personality is a good contrast to my own. And don't worry sir, none of us will act biased to the new students regardless of background or experience," Scott replied crisply. "But I have a question. What if your search puts you up against Magneto, Logan?"
Logan shrugged. "I'll figure something out myself kid, don't worry about that. I've been at this game a long time, and even with my memories scrambled I'll be able to handle myself."
"And how goes the search for a new language teacher sir?"
"I've contacted three of the ones Ororo and I agreed could handle things here, but only one of them has expressed interest, and I'll be meeting with her in a week. Even if she accepts she won't live with us here however, which is something unavoidable."
Scott nodded, and figured that since he was already 18, and Rogue was going to turn 18 along with Evan soon that the adults had decided that they too are adults so didn't need a semi-official minder outside of Charles himself. Even so long as a month ago that would've made him smile in triumph, now he simply accepted it moved on. "And um," he said a little more embarrassed, "Er, what about a live-in cook? Or something… he trailed off then came back a little stronger yet still embarrassed. "You know none of us can cook sir."
Logan and the professor shared a chuckle. "We've gotten some help there. Harry has decided that as long as Kitty, who he terms as his apprentice is here that he'll have a house elf looking after us. They won't be around all the time of course, none of us have a magical core that they can 'feed' off of I believe is the term, but they will at least make certain that there is always food at mealtimes."
Scott breathed a sigh of relief at that. He had not been looking forward to trying his own hand at cooking, and the less said about everyone else's attempts other than Kitty's at cookies the better. How Rogue had been able to burn soup he didn't know, but he seriously didn't want to see what Kitty and Evan could come up with again. The thing they had created was supposed to be chicken Parmesan, but it looked more like an escaped lab experiment.
"Will you still lead the exercises while you're here Logan?" he asked "Or am I taking those over immediately?"
"Immediately kid, I'll be too busy and I want to leave in a few days anyway. I'll check in on ya of course, see what you're doing wrong, but you're on your own for now."
Scott nodded, keeping his irritation at the other man's tone hidden. "Is that all professor?"
With that the meeting broke up, and Charles turned his attention to Logan. "While I am happy with Scott's progress and with his leadership of the team of course, I hope that you could stay on here a few days longer before taking up this search. Still I won't stop you, and I can even give you a place to start. There is a house next to our property abutting the back of it. Our neighbors have memories of the two that had lived there and…"