Mystique Soldier Ch.24 (Patreon)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Chapter 24- Gifts and Missions!

AN: Beta'd by Basilisk and Lord Shiva!

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Waking up a cold morning with comforting warmth pressed against him was something Harry would never grow used to. It felt strangely novel and exciting, to be shielded from the chilling December air by the heat of a soft blanket and an even softer midget.

It just made his disappointment all the more immeasurable when it all came to an end with a knock on his door.

For a moment he simply laid there—hoping for the knocker to believe him asleep and leave—the clashing of warmth against the cold being simply too…unusual to give up easily. It described exactly what he'd read 'Romance' to be: a feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life. And he really didn't want this weirdly romantic feeling to disappear away so soon...

The knocking continued.

His thoughts turned to his last winter. He had been doing the same thing he was doing now; running missions for S.H.I.E.L.D. Except, he didn’t have a family waiting for him—no matter how much May, Hill, and Kara tried, and Steve and Natasha were often too busy to nanny him—neither did he have the luxury of a comfortable bed…or a warm body to share it with.

‘Maybe this time I’ll actually get the chance to see what all the fuzz behind Christmas is as well…’

The knocking continued.

Finally, he turned to the door with a scowl. “I heard you the first time!”

Groaning with disappointment and irritation, Harry peeled the midget and the blanket off of him, shivering a tiny bit at the sudden chill before his resistances kicked in and his body adjusted to the new temperature.

Sighing, he trudged his way to the door, and—unlatching the lock—received his guest with a pointed frown.

"What?" Harry snapped.

"Sir!" The man barely stopped himself from rapping his knuckles against his forehead—yes, that’s how short he was currently, Shut up—quickly recovering from his initial surprise. "Your presence is requested in the briefing room. Director Ares' orders."

The agent held out a small slip.

Frowning, Harry swiped it, taking a quick glance.

‘7:00 am sharp. Don’t be late.’

Harry crushed the note and pinned the man under a practiced glare. "Do you know what time it is?"

Discomfort clear on his face, the male Agent squirmed for a second before taking his words literally and moving a shaky hand under his sight. "It's ahh....a few minutes from six-thirty. Sir."

Harry suppressed his surprise. 'I overslept?'

A single night of fun and the midget was already starting to infect him.

Humming, he looked the man up and down curiously, quickly noting a clear similarity to his previous guide. ‘Is Ares purposely assigning me young and inexperienced Agents, or am I being overly paranoid?’

Doesn’t matter. He had more important things to do now, like…

"Where's Daisy?"

The agent blinked. "Daisy, sir?”

Harry frowned. “The agent assigned to me last night.”

“Oh, you mean Agent Skye? She hasn’t left her room yet, citing sudden health issues, so I’ve been assigned as your guide for today.”

'Yeah, right.' Harry grouched sulkily. 'She's probably too scared to meet me now.'

He felt a surprising amount of disappointment for a woman he'd barely met a few hours ago.

...Probably because she was the first true woman he'd successfully seduced.

'Had it gone the right way, it would've been her heat that I woke up to this morning. Preferably with my head buried in her breasts.'

Not that he didn't like the Midget's heat...it just didn't arouse him the way Daisy—or Skye, as she was known—would no doubt have.

“Though I assure you I can take care of any matter you require.” The agent broke past his brooding silence, before suddenly growing bashful. "I, uhh…passed the S.H.I.E.L.D academy with flying colors, if I do say so myself.”

Harry glanced up, a little surprised. “Academy?”

“The…S.H.I.E.L.D Academy?” The agent hesitantly probed. “Sir?”

Harry gave him an extra-blank stare. “No clue. But I’m sure you’re about to clue me in.”

“Oh! Well, never mind then.” He cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably. “Now if you can follow me, sir…?”

Harry pinned the fidgeting agent under a suspicious eye.

Usually, the discomforting silence was enough for younger agents to cough up anything hidden behind their flimsy cover—mostly due to Harry’s reputation than a lack of nerves—but the agent in front of him suddenly seemed to change under his gaze instinctively, standing straighter and firmer.

“The Academy is a reserved subject, sir.” He announced solemnly. “I’m afraid I cannot say more on that.”

…In the rare case a young agent does find their backbone, Harry’s extra-steely glare comes in handy…

“I’m a level seven S.H.I.E.L.D Agent.”

Along with a reminder of his status.

The agent visibly winced. “Ahh, well…in that case, may I describe it along the way?”

"…And I'm guessing you are to lead me along ‘this way’?"

"Yes, sir."

“Very well.” Harry dragged the agent back before he could run off, waving him down. "Stand your position. I shall join you in a couple of minutes."

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It was rare for Harry to stand so intimately alongside a group of individuals.

"Our last direct contact with the target was well over three months ago when Agent Oksana used Red Dust to free her from Dreykov's mind-control."

Rarer still to touch shoulders but not palm a knife in preparation for the ass-kicking that was sure to follow.

“Since then, she has made her way from Morocco to Hungary, making sure to keep well under the radar.”

Yet, as he stood at a touching distance from Natasha at one side and Ares from another—leaning over a round glass table completely buried under a plethora of papers and files—he didn’t quite feel the need to grip his weapons and start blasting people.

Probably because both their statuses reported their growing affections towards him—having crossed 70 on the literal affection meter.

“Had she not been as thorough, I have no doubt her position would’ve already been compromised. Well…it has still been compromised, but not through any fault of hers…” Ares droned on.

Their focus was primarily on the holographic image of one, Yelena Belova, which hovered over the small, flat tablet-like screen lying on the middle of the table.

Harry's eyes flickered around, lending an absent ear to catch any new info from Ares' words, while his attention drifted across the room.

The place for their mission briefing was much smaller than the white room of the previous day—not that he minded the color; the white reminded him too much of his home in Hydra. There were five of them in total, all standing around the table grimly—with Oksana being the only new face—confirming for him the exact amount of secrecy this mission seemed to warrant.

Not that Harry saw any point in secrecy anymore. What was the point of being subtle when your enemies were already well aware of your coming?

Still, it wasn't something he could complain about. Neither did he particularly care…especially not when he was about to negotiate for a better deal and squeeze S.H.I.E.L.D's money bag as tightly as he can.

Unfortunately, that would only come after the briefing was over, and until then...he would need to stand quietly like a good little boy, all hungry and sad and wishing to go back to the comfort of his soft, warm bed.

An elbow to the rib broke him out of his silent despair, and a bag of chips presented itself under his nose.

‘Well…at least someone here cares for me.’

Not enough though, for when he tried to take the bag, a hand came out and struck his fingers off.

“Just one.” Natasha growled, eyes still fixed on Ares.

He shot her a disgusted grimace…and then levitated a handful of chips out anyway.

She sighed but kept quiet.

‘Smart girl.’

"The target is currently holed up in a classified hideout in Budapest; one of the few locations that is hostile to S.H.I.E.L.D..." Ares stopped, glancing up pointedly at Natasha and the bag of chips before a bemused smile tugged on his lips. "...due to some past mishaps involving our agents—both of whom are currently present here and banned from ever laying feet in Hungary."

Harry elbowed the woman beside him, a smirk on his face.

“Shut it.” She muttered under her breath.

This was slightly more interesting than the subject of their current meeting; most of which Harry had already educated himself upon—with his own knowledge, flashes of Sagely wisdom, and well-thought-out theories—after he'd received the mission file the first time in the Headmistress' office.

"I doubt that the WSC would be kind enough to get us in legally," Steve continued after a small pause. "Which is why we've made some...different arrangements. You'll be flying in the best Stealth aircraft to have ever been produced, which should deliver you well inside the enemy territory in less than two hours."

Harry blinked. "What? Like a bigger version of the F-22 Raptor or something?"

Steve smirked, looking almost like Dumbledore with that infuriatingly mysterious glint in his eyes. "...Or something."

Harry grunted, a little peeved.

“I know.” Natasha patted his shoulder comfortingly. “He’s a child like that. Thinks of himself as some mysterious super spy. Most of us just humor him and nod along.”

"Your Main Objective," Steve raised his voice to drown out their little exchange. "is to retrieve the container of Red Dust from the target and, if possible, bring her in for further questioning."

Harry glanced down at the file under him, another image of Yelena Belova staring back at him.

"Your secondary objective is to capture any Widow you may encounter on your mission. We have reasons to believe they are all being mind-controlled by an old enemy…taking them alive would be preferable. It'll be difficult, I know. Perhaps too difficult. So if you think odds aren’t in your favor at any point, I want you to prioritize your lives over all else."

The Director looked up, rubbing a hand over his tired face hesitantly. “Just…try, alright? These women never had control over their lives…now they’ve lost control over their mind and body as well. Knock them out, bind them, and place them in a secured position, S.H.I.E.L.D will do the rest. Evac will be there in four hours from the moment your feet touch the Hungarian ground.”

Beside him, the retired Black Widow Oksana cleared her throat, giving a pointed look to Ares.

Steve grimaced, giving the woman a pursed nod. "Should it prove necessary, you may use the Red Dust to free them from their shackles. It has already been proven effective before, so unless the target has messed with them in some way, you can trust the package."

"I do think it would be better this way." Oksana interjected. "They won't fight you if you give them their freedom. They might even help you subjugate the others."

"Just make sure to retrieve at least one syringe back." Ares sighed, before straightening up. "So in reverse order of priority; rescue the Black Widows, bring in Yelena Belova, retrieve a sample of Red dust, but above all else…keep yourselves safe; and that’s an order.”

“Yes, sir.” The three agents replied.

For a moment, his old age seemed to disappear under a proud smile as he stared at them. It was gone in the blink of an eye, and the old man Steve showed his full age as he slumped down on a stool. “Right. Well...enough of that, let’s talk about something fun, but just as important.”

Yelena Belova’s image was suddenly replaced by their faces and bio.

“I don’t think it needs telling that the three of you are quite different from normal S.H.I.E.L.D agents. You’re brought together due to your numerous formidable skills, making for a very unique group of individuals.”

Their bio was quickly replaced by their known fields of expertise, along with noteworthy achievements. Harry was a tiny bit surprised to see his infiltration of Agent 33’s home being shown as a highlight of his career.

“You were all given more than enough information to know each other’s field of expertise, but papers can only tell so much. I would normally force you to work as a team for at least a month before letting you handle this mission, but we’re in a bit of a time crunch as you’ll be leaving in three hours. Make it count.”

They stayed silent, their eyes fixed on the rolling list of expertise each had under their belt. He didn’t know about the other two, but he hadn’t bothered reading about his teammates' abilities yet. So it did come as a minor surprise to see Hawkeye having the titles like ‘Master Martial artist’, ‘Staff, sword, knife Mastery’, ‘Master Acrobat’, ‘Master Assassin’, ‘Master Spy’, ‘Expert Tactician’, ‘Expert Engineer’...

The list went on a while longer and was every bit as extensive as Natasha and himself—though admittedly, his entire array of Magical skills were bunched up under a single ‘Magic User’ tab, which simply wasn’t fair. He would’ve surely won the challenge otherwise.

“Go on then.” Ares clapped his hands. “Anything more you want your team to know? Some new equipment to change the tide of battle? New skills you might’ve picked up in the last six months?”

“…Well.” Barton cleared his throat, his iconic smile—a cross between a smirk and grimace—flashing on his face. “Since you asked…”

He held up a coin between his thumb and pointer finger.

“Oh, not this again...” Natasha muttered beside Harry.

“I call this…” He started dramatically as if the audience were hanging on his every word. “The snap of doom.”

He snapped his fingers, and the coin was launched across the room like a bullet, skipping on the table like a flat stone on water, to continue its journey forward…until a hand shot out and caught it.

Ares didn’t look away from Barton as he brought his fingers to the eye-level, the coin clutched between them. “That was…”

“Impressive?” Hawkeye prodded.

“Useless.” Natasha quipped.

“Underwhelming.” Oksana added.

“And certainly not what I meant.” Ares delivered the killing blow, and Hawkeye visibly wilted, turning to Harry for the last drop of solace.

Unfortunately for him, the only thing he found were two disappointed emerald orbs that cast silent judgment.

“It's a very nice trick though.” Steve rushed to reassure him. “Could come in handy in specific situations. But I was hoping for more…practical skills. Something that might provide a tactical advantage on the field.”

Hawkeye shrugged, snatching his coin back. “I’ve made a new trick arrow.”

“Just make sure it doesn’t destroy the building.” Ares sighed, finally settling his wandering eyes on him. “Moving on…anything to share, Harry?”

All four eyes turned to him.

For a moment, Harry mulled over the idea that the whole silly exchange might’ve been crafted solely for this purpose, to fish after his abilities…

But one look at Barton’s mildly offended face made him simply not care. Not like he could hide everything from them anyway; he would have to come up with an appropriate explanation for his Inventory, potions, and other visible abilities if he wanted to keep using them in front of his teammates. Most could be explained as magic, but potions that instantly healed him would surely raise some eyebrows.

Then again, he was just a contracted agent and didn’t actually owe them any explanation.

Though he did feel the need to brag a little—and it may or may not have something to do with being the only one without the ‘Multilinguistic’ skill under his belt—so he dropped the bomb without any warning. “I can fly.”

For a long moment, silence dominated the small room, and then…

Oksana lurched straight. “Fly!? Fly, as in fly fly, or just airplane fly?”

Firework.

“There’s no way…” Barton muttered.

“Show us.” Natasha urged.

"Well...I can’t do it by myself but..."

Harry whipped out his Nimbus in triumph.

The looks he got were all deadpanned.

He was a little disappointed that no one batted an eye at his inventory's bullshit, but he was above such things as pouting.

"You're kidding me." Natasha muttered. "All those stories are actually true? You fly on your brooms in the night, laughing evilly down the neighborhood with a pointy black hat? And stop pouting, we're all very impressed by your magic trick. But it is magic, so expect more bewilderment than awe."

Harry blinked. "How do you know about the Hats?"

"There's no way." Barton sounded incredulous. “The hat’s a lie, right? And brooms? Seriously? I can probably run faster and I’ll be knocking on my forties’ door soon.

Harry scoffed. "Don’t be ridiculous. This thing can go from 0 to 70 in three seconds, with its highest speed reaching 100 miles per hour."

"And they let children fly on this?" Oksana sounded even more incredulous and a little bit incensed. "Without any protection!? Please tell me that’s not true. You’re just the special one, right? Please tell me you’re a special case."

Harry cocked his head, frowning. "Well...I am special, being one of the youngest Seekers in history. But that is more due to my skills. There is no age restriction for flying."

"Madness."

“You know what? I think that’s enough for now.” Ares said, rubbing his awfully sweating forehead. “You’ll have plenty of time to catch up on the plane…unless someone plans to take a nap. Go get ready, and show yourself here before eleven.”

“Dismissed.”

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Harry had begun learning something new about himself every day. Ever since his surprising tussle with rage and unstable emotions, he’d been actively going out of his way to trigger his sagely wisdom and unearth the inner turnings of his mind. Most of the time, he would fail—he was no closer to knowing why a woman’s bosom and behind induced such an unscratchable itch within his groin—but sometimes he would succeed, as evidenced by his quickly growing understanding of the signs a girl might give if she returned his…interest.

This was not one of those times. No sudden wave of wisdom hit him to divine the reason on why exactly Daisy Johnson—who had once again taken position as his guide—became so hell-bent on stubbornly maintaining the cold detached mask her face currently sported. He’d been worried about her growing fearful, and perhaps receding into her awkward shell once again, but to see her clinging to a stoic silence as she guided him to a different section of the headquarters was…confusing. And a little irritating, forcing him to form his own theories.

And the first one that popped in his mind was…‘Does she practice Occlumency?’

A quick look at her status revealed her lack of Mana, disabusing the theory instantly. It was possible for there to be some non-magical version of the skill, though he wasn’t convinced.

‘Maybe she’s received a similar mental training like me and Natasha?’ Was the second one.

But this theory was also ripped apart in front of a logical question: why didn’t she use it yesterday then, when he was just about to drag her to his bed?

His confusion was further enhanced by the subtle anxious looks she sent his way when she thought he wasn’t looking. Different from her emotionless looks, it wasn’t the grim acceptance of someone admitting to guilt, or angry accusing eyes that put the blame of last night on him…

It was the look of a child who’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Whatever the reason may be, the fact remained that he was now an unjust victim of her awkward attempts at professionalism, while still being observed like a caged animal prowling the Zoo.

‘Well…let’s solve this the only way I know.’

By using his mutation to thaw at her ‘ice heart’ and maybe finish what he’d started yesterday.

[Pheromone Manipulation] Lvl 21

The effects were immediate. As they made their way for one of the numerous dining rooms in the building, Johnson visibly stiffened up, her pace slowing down from the hurried, urgent gait to one of discomfort and reluctance.

One thing he’d come to realize about his ability was that the victims were usually more susceptible the second time, after having acknowledged—or formed—their lust for him. For Daisy, he was no longer that ‘unusually attractive kid’ but an actual prospect for mating. The guilt was still there of course, as was a dark disgust aimed at herself along with a stark fear of her feelings being discovered…but all of these were being easily suppressed as he used his ability; pushing down on the unneeded Pheromones and pumping in the important ones.

‘Now, the actual convincing part.’ Or well, re-convincing part.

“Agent Johnson.” He turned to the girl with a charming smile. It was a testament to her skills and experience that she was still standing straight—unlike the putty that he’d made of Cho and Katie. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well now. I was told you were too…tired, to tend to me.”

Her face set in a stubborn tilt, but he could see her gulping slightly. “J-just an upset stomach. Ahem, nothing to worry about. And it's Skye, sir.”

“Really?” He ‘frowned’, nodding thoughtfully. “So your hostile silence just now…was due to the events of yesterday?”

She whipped her face to him. “What? Hostile?” She laughed awkwardly. “No, sir…how could I be hostile? Nope. Nu-huh. I’m completely not hostile.”

She shook her head like a wild puppy, abandoning all attempts at professionalism.

Harry smirked, closing the distance between them to put a hand around her waist. “So you don’t mind some closeness, do you…Skye?”

A new, subtler wave of pheromones attacked her, and she went still. “I-I…I think I should…I mean, I-I do! Of course, I do! This is totally not okay.”

She didn’t move to remove his hand though as they started walking again.

“Do you like it?” He asked, his hand caressing her hips, slowly climbing up her stomach.

“Y-ye…No! Of course not!” She took a deep, calming breath—and all of a sudden a new, stronger emotion, filled with determination, ripped his grip upon her body—before proceeding to finally remove his hand and lean down. “There are cameras here, and other agents are very active in the day. Please sir, I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in jail.”

She looked to be on the verge of tears then, and her emotions were a whirlwind of contradictions, forcing Harry to reluctantly shut off his mutations and step away from her.

“Thank you.” She whispered.

Harry frowned. Upsetting her hadn’t been his intention at all. Usually when he engaged in this, the other side enjoyed it just as much as he did, if not more. To see this woman look so harried was…

Disheartening.

She clearly wanted him to keep going, yet at the same time didn’t want him to keep going. It would seem understanding women might actually be much harder than he’d thought.

‘Perhaps because I’m not her friend yet?’

After all, unlike Cho and Katie, he hadn’t had time to assess her feelings. He’d simply decided he wanted her and acted upon his sudden desire.

Which meant…’I’m going too fast.’

On top of that, both of his current girl-friends didn’t have any background guilt, shame, or disgust to work off…if anything, they were even more excited to sexually engage with him than he was.

‘It seems just looking physically attractive won’t cut it with an adult female.’

Which was even more disheartening after the partial success of last night. Then what changed?

‘She had time to process it.’ A wave of sudden wisdom opened his eyes in understanding. ‘Without my mutation to suppress her guilt and reluctance, they won over her mind and firmly pushed her actions accordingly.’

Thus, creating a firm resistance to his pheromones.

‘Goddamnit, midget.’

Had he managed to get her in bed yesterday, he could’ve prevented all of this from happening.

‘And now I don’t even have the time to do anything about it.’ He’d be going on a mission soon.

Just when they came to a stop in front of the third suite, Skye finally turned to him.

“Your family has been waiting for you, sir.” She said, recovered enough to be on the point and utterly professional. “The Director said to collect you in two hours.”

He gave her a dismissive grunt, his fingers already turned the knob of the door when she suddenly took a quick, hesitant step closer.

“S-sir.” She called out tentatively, her voice softer than his steps, leaning down as if to share a grave secret. “What happened yesterday…a-and today…what I did…I really, really apologize. It should never have happened, I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ll understand if you lodge a complaint to the Director, but this is the only home I’ve ever known so if you can find it in you to forgive me, I promise you’ll have nothing to complain about in the future.”

Even with a hint of panic and desperation marring them, her words were rapid and practiced, and he had no doubt that there existed a slip of paper with the exact speech written on it.

‘Why is she blaming herself though?’ Even with the shower of wisdom, he couldn’t understand that.

Shaking his head, he turned the door open. “You don’t have to worry about the Director, Agent.” Then he glanced at her with a smirk, winking. “You’d do much better worrying about me though.”

The last thing he saw before he entered the suite was her head jerking to the ground, with a pretty blush working its way up her neck…

‘Maybe not all is lost…’

And then his vision was drowned by a gaggle of redheads.

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"Harrrryyy!" His Midget came jumping to him like a little spider, still dressed in her yellow bunny nightwear. "I asked the men in black to take me to you but they dumped me here instead!"

She didn’t look upset about it, if the wide grin on her face was anything to go by.

Behind Rose stood the rest of his family, all quickly standing up from the dining table at Midget's blabber.

He had just enough time to greet them with a wave before a shower of crimson attacked him with surprising speed and his face was promptly buried into his mother's neck, her hands coming around to clutch him in a vice-like grip.

"Oh honey, I was so worried!" Lily whispered desperately in his ears, laying a heavy kiss above his ear. "They said you would be leaving soon, and might not get the time to visit us."

Harry awkwardly maneuvered his hands to pat her on the shoulder. “Well, clearly they were wrong.”

"We came as quickly as we could." James came up behind them, along with Dorea who gave him a hesitant wave. "The others aren't up yet, but Ares told us you wouldn't be here for long. Didn’t have time to wait. We can't let you off empty-handed now, can we? Not without doing everything we can to make sure you return. And believe me, there is a lot we can do.”

“I appreciate the thought.” Harry replied slowly, glancing at his parents alternately. “Though it’s not necessary, I assure you. This isn’t my first mission, and it certainly won’t be my last.”

“You can never be too careful.” Lily sighed against his cheeks, finally releasing him from her steely embrace. “Now come, there’s a lot to complain about this...Shield, but their food isn’t one of them. And you’ll need all the energy you can get.”

In record time, all five of them were seated around the table, steaming hot food in front of them ready to be devoured.

"Andy will be so sad she missed you!" Rose chirped, holding onto her fork like a savage baby—all fingers wrapped around the handle—as she stabbed into her French coat with a psychotic flair. "But that's what you get for being lazybones, so there!"

The ridiculous—and weirdly cute—sight was enough for Harry to scrunch up his nose at the midget and focus on gulping down his food like a soldier in the midst of war.

Halfway through the meal, his parents sat up straight, mysterious little smiles on their faces.

“You think it’s time?” James asked hushingly.

“I do indeed.” Lily replied, shooting Harry a wink.

Without giving an explanation for their weirdness, both got up and hustled to another room, leaving the three siblings behind.

Rose was busy munching down some crispy bacon crisps as if they were the greatest thing since sliced bread, while Dorea was…

Staring at him. Quite intently, even.

“Yes?” Harry asked, raising a brow.

She looked a little startled at first, her face flushing at being caught, before she soldiered forward.

“There’s a…” She gestured vaguely at her chin.

Harry blinked. “What?”

She made another vague gesture at her face.

Harry frowned. “Are you throwing gang-signs now?”

“What? No!” She tsked audibly, before sliding her chair beside his.

Before he could ask himself why his family was so strange, Dorea closed the distance between them and delicately wiped at his chin with a table cloth.

“There was cream on your chin.” She said quietly, not meeting his eyes. “You shouldn’t eat so quickly.”

She disappeared back just as soon as she’d come…but she didn’t slide her chair away.

Harry looked at her quizzically, searching for any hints of any lingering resentment. He found none. “Thanks.”

Their eyes met for a quick second before she dipped her face down, waving her hand vaguely. “It’s fine.”

Harry grunted. Dorea Potter was an enigma. He couldn’t imagine being in her place without thoughts of revenge. He’d blatantly threatened her life, said things that were meant to hurt, and yet here she was, wiping his chin clean like a sweet little sister.

He continued staring at her well past the minute mark, realizing with a start that he’d never quite looked at her without the lens of her sneering self marring his vision.

Dorea Potter didn’t have Lily’s red hair, nor her green eyes; of all the Potter siblings, she inherited the most from James, with his long raven hair and light hazel eyes. Yet, it made her no less striking than Rose.

‘She’s incredibly beautiful.’ The fact hit him like a bullet train.

His eyes dipped lower. She was wearing a white full-sleeved top with high neck that hugged snuggly to her arms and chest, and he realized…

Dorea may not have gotten Lily’s hair and eyes, but she certainly got her figure. Because those were some very plump melons…

He felt his heart stir. ‘Why did I never notice her before?’

...Because she reminded him a little of Dursley’s cruelty. He hadn’t clocked it at first, but the stark change in her personality really made him consider what she’d been before. A cruel bully, just like the Dursleys.

But now, this quiet but sweet Dorea—who didn’t have a 24/7 sneer fixed on her face, and didn't look down on everyone like they were pieces of shit stuck on her shoe—really made her true beauty shine out like a beacon in the darkness.

‘I have an abnormally beautiful family.’ Harry mused with a smirk. While he couldn't judge a man's looks, the three female Potters were all truly gorgeous.

‘Wait, what?’ His mind came to a brief halt. ‘Even Midget?’

He turned to the pint-sized ball of chaos, who was trying to balance a strip of bacon horizontally on her nose, her tongue hanging out of her little mouth in anticipation of it falling over...

‘Okay maybe not.’ Especially not when she was in the midst of her headache-inducing stunts.

But…eventually. She had potential. Once she grew more mature, perhaps?

The bacon dropped and the midget lapped it up in one giant bite, spreading grease all over her face.

‘...Hopefully, she survives long enough for that.’

“Harry.” Dorea beckoned softly, her voice grave and nervous, instantly gaining his attention. He even succeeded in not staring at her tits that for some reason had become her best quality in less than a minute. “I…I wanted to talk about something. Before you leave…”

Harry nodded slowly. "Very well."

Finally, she forced her gaze upwards, her pretty hazel eyes staring at him with an unusual glint of determination.

He knew instantly. This was going to be something serious, and very emotional.

“I know I haven’t been a role model as far as sisters go, and I know th—”

“We’re back!” The sudden intrusion of their parents made her abandon what was leading up to be a very interesting conversation.

Even if he found her lips to be a touch more interesting…

“And we’ve bought gifts!”

They held in their hands a large trunk, along with several wrapped-up presents.

"Yay! Christmas gifts!" Rose cheered, quickly letting herself fall off of her chair to run up to James.

"Nope!" James lifted his arm up and away from Midget's grabby little fingers. "These are only for Harry. You'll have to wait for Christmas."

"Wha…!?" Rose clutched her heart in abject pain. "No fair! This is a travestisity of the highest order!"

James ignored her accusing finger, simply plucking her clean off of the floor with one hand, carrying her to the table, before finally letting the giggling midget down. "And this 'travestisity' will increase if you don't finish your food, young lady!"

Lily's gifts floated beside her, and a quick wave of her wand cleaned a section of the table around him, giving the presents enough room to set themselves down.

Harry's eyes flickered from one wrapped item to another, his brain unable to understand exactly what was happening.

"Why exactly do I need these…gifts?" Harry asked, tearing his eyes away.

“Because…” Lily dragged a chair beside him, closer than Dorea had been. “It’s Christmas. And you’ve already missed too many of them for us to make up.”

She smiled at him sweetly. “Besides, a few extra presents wouldn’t be wrong, would it?”

Harry blinked, a little uncertain. “I…really don’t know. I’ve never received a present before.”

Lily’s smile froze, something almost inhuman moving behind her eyes as she glanced away, the present in her hand starting to creak slightly.

James quickly came up behind him, patting his shoulder. “All the more reason to shower you with gifts, no?”

His voice seemed to drag Lily back on earth, and she quickly busied herself in placing all the wrapped items in front  of him.

Harry stared at his mother for a little while longer before slowly turning to James. “I suppose.”

“Well then, come on.” James clapped his hands. “Open them!"

"Wait, wait!" Midget ran over like an excited puppy, skidding to a halt in front of them. "Lemme help!"

And thus the Potter family spent the better part of next two hours tearing apart the carefully wrapped gifts.

The first present Harry received was from James.

"I usually use this on my Auror missions but…” The man shrugged, presenting the box. “I think you need it more than me. It has been passed down from generations Harry, take good care of it. It has served me well."

Harry used the trusty midget-strategy and tore open the wrappings, quickly twisting the red box open.

Inside was a thin silvery gray cloth neatly stacked in beautiful gleaming folds. It appeared to swim inside the gift-box, almost like those silvery strands of memories inside the Pensieve that Dumbledore showed him.

“What is it?” He looked up at his father.

“It’s an Invisibility Cloak, Harry.” James smiled softly. “Passed down from generations of fathers to their sons in the Potter family, which shouldn’t really be possible due to how quickly most invisibility cloaks lose their magic, but this one’s a little special amongst its kind. More powerful and mysterious. Use it well.”

Harry nodded slowly, accepting the Midget’s chant to wear it on. “I will. Thank you.”

The moment the cloak wrapped itself around his shoulders, his entire body save for the head disappeared from his vision. And by the looks of it, from others' visions too.

“This…this is amazing.” He whispered, turning his head down to stare at every inch of his disappeared body. He could still feel his legs and hands, but for all intents and purposes, his body had turned invisible.

Of course, he still had his midget twin to confirm it as she stood with a finger pointing at his head.

“Your head is floating in midair!” She hollered with wide eyes and an even wider grin.

Harry promptly ducked his head under the cloak as well.

“The head vanished!” Rose confirmed, jumping up and down before suddenly throwing herself at him.

She hit her head against his chest and fell down on her butt, delicately clutching her face with both hands.

“Owww, that was a really bad idea.” She sniffed.

Harry popped his head back out as Dorea doubled over with laughter. “What exactly did you think was going to happen?”

“I thought you’d be immaterial.” Rose muttered, sounding dazed. “But you’re just outside of our vision, aren’t you? Your body is still here, just blended in with the background. Like a more powerful version of disillusionment charm.”

The room grew silent.

Harry snorted. So much for the secret identity. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Rose glanced up, blinking back the tears from her crash. “What?”

Only then did she glance around and realize that she had the complete attention of her fellow Potters, with Dorea outright gaping down at her mid-laugh.

“Sweety, where did you learn that?” Lily finally broke the staring, kneeling to Rose’ level. “Not that I’m upset with you, but I don’t think that’s in your syllabus, is it?

“W-well…” Rose wilted, her eyes gaining an edge of panic. “I-I read about it…in a..uhh…”

Harry had half a mind to stay quiet and let her flounder around the bewildered Potters but finally decided to take pity on the poor summer child.

“I asked her to look for it.” He cut in, quickly removing the cloak to present himself in full, before repacking the miraculous object carefully. “For any magic that could be useful in this mission, really.”

“Well, that’s good then!” James picked up the slumped midget, smiling. “But I think you’ve had too much sugar inside you for today. No more running and crashing around the room, alright? Merlin knows what the Director would do if you end up destroying his tower. A very real possibility, if you’ve been brushing up on higher-level magic.”

The second gift he received was a creation of Lily’s; a large trunk that was absolutely humongous from the inside.

“It has seven different chambers, each filled with things that I felt might be necessary for you.” Lily explained as they both entered inside the trunk, walking down the stairs to explore it from within. “Mr. Scamander had something like this, though his was a touch more advanced. I was lucky enough to get a full tour when he last visited Hogwarts, enabling me to replicate it in a way more suitable for you.”

The last three of the seven chambers included a very luxurious bedroom, a just as luxurious bathroom, and finally a toilet. While the first three were filled with food, a tent full of supplies, and a potion room filled with various potions and ingredients—he recognized only a few, including a stack of blood-replenishing potions, a stack of dittany leaves, and jars of burn-healing paste. It was a good thing Lily had labeled all of them, making his job infinitely easier.

The last chamber was a completely empty room whose use Lily left upon him to decide.

“The trunk can’t be reduced into a smaller cube unfortunately.” She informed him as they finally climbed back out of the mini-world. “But it’s charmed to last for a very long time, so it should hopefully be of use to you even when we’re long gone to dust.”

She glanced at him from behind a lock of red hair, sounding a little nervous. “So? Do you like it? You won’t have to carry it with you everywhere if you don’t want to, but it should help you if something…unexpected happens. I tried to make it smaller and easier to carry, but the advanced extension charm threatened to unravel completely. I’m sorry I couldn’t give this to you earlier, I was still working on it till last nig—”

Harry hugged the woman as tightly as he could without breaking her ribs.

He still had difficulty accepting the existence of such an absolute cheat code that words simply refused to come out of him, except for a wholehearted ‘Thank you.’

Just the fact that he could actually eat real food instead of odorless energy bars to avoid hunting dogs was a boon in and of itself. But to have an actual multi-storied portable house in a suitcase? An actual home to sleep if things went south? All inside a trunk that he could keep in his inventory? It was a gift given by God.

Or well, goddess, in this case. A very beautiful, redheaded goddess that he was really beginning to adore.

“It’s perfect.” He found himself whispering in her ears before he finally let go.

Lily bit her lips, a very wide smile on her face as she breathed out slowly. “Well, it’s not the last gift I made you. Hopefully the next one is also hug-worthy.”

She wiggled her eyebrows.

Harry let out a hitched laugh, shaking his head. “We shall see.”

As it turned out, the last gift was hug-worthy. A very tight, bone-crushing hug-worthy.

“I know we can’t convince you to leave all this behind, but we can, and will, make sure you’re the single most protected wizard in the history of Wizardkind.” Lily grandly announced as she presented him a thing of absolute beauty and power.

It was a robe.

But it wasn’t any robe. It was a mage robe, a battle robe. A robe that he would gladly wear to war and proudly declare himself the chief warlock of planet Earth.

It was a full-sleeved, ankle length robe, colored in a mixture of red and black like a garnet gemstone, with flames of gold licking at the edges and cuffs. Two golden lions were carved upon both the shoulders, and a roaring lion head—placed at the midriff—acted as the clasp to hold the robe together.

“It’s beautiful.” He whispered, taking a hold of the masterpiece, feeling the velvety texture with the back of his hand.

“And powerful.” Lily said. “Dragon-skin leather is incredibly difficult to enchant with magic, I had to get numerous experts to lend a hand, along with the Minister. You’re holding the final product, which is possibly the greatest piece of artifact we’ve built in the last few centuries. The dragon leather has natural magic resistance, and the enchantments enhance it even further, especially against physical forces like…bullets.”

Harry’s lips tugged up. “You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”

“Well, someone has to.” Lily waved her hand imperiously. “Can’t let you run around naked now, can we?”

He shook his head and delivered upon the promise of one almost bone-crushing hug.

It was truly a shame that one more cherishable moment was disturbed by the sound of knocking again in the same day.

“Sir?” Daisy’s voice called. “It’s time.”

Sighing, Harry stepped back. “Well…”

It was the only thing he got out of his mouth before he was once again drowning under desperate arms. Only this time, his entire family was pressed up against him in a group hug.

“You come back to us safe, you hear me son?” James sounded on the verge of tears.

"These gifts are a reminder, love.” Lily was definitely crying. “To come back home for the real presents. To come back home to your family."

“And bring me something!” Midget chirped, though even her voice sounded wobbly, and she definitely wasn’t doing a good job of suppressing her teary sniffs.

When the second knock sounded, his family finally released him…all except Dorea.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered desperately against him. “I’m sorry for what I was, but I promise you I’ve improved now. And I will show you…just come back safe, okay?”

Harry nodded, his throat constricting unusually. He felt like he couldn’t get a single word out without feeling his eyes burning with an unfamiliar heat.

A part of his mind was surprised to realize that his siblings seemed to understand the threat he might be under, even though he was pretty sure James and Lily hadn’t disclosed his past to them yet.

That part was completely ignored under the massive ball of tightly woven emotions that were threatening to unravel currently.

In the end the only thing he could get out without choking were, “Thank you. For everything. I’ll be back before you know it.”

And with one last nod, he placed all his gifts in the inventory without a care for his system’s secrets, and walked out of the door with determination filling every corner of his bones.

He was going to survive. Not only for his own survival, but also to respect the love his family had showered upon him since he’d come into their life, and all without judgment. He may be incapable of love right now, but he was more than willing to give back a little bit of happiness to his family in return.

And currently that meant to come back alive in one piece even if his system itself declared him dead.

------------------------------

The noon hadn’t quite set in yet by the time they made their way out of S.H.I.E.L.D Headquarters and into the black SUVs—that just screamed 'Secret Agents inside’—awaiting their arrival patiently.

"You ready?" Natasha asked as she joined him in the back seat, with Barton headed to the front. “Everything in the bag? Said your goodbyes?”

Harry rolled his eyes. "This isn't my first mission, Natasha.”

Natasha snapped the door shut and the vehicle started roaring. “It is, with us. You aren’t known as a team player either. Will we have any problems with that?”

“I should hope not.” Harry shrugged. “My last team had problems, and they got slaughtered for it. You, I actually like. I really don’t want to come back alone this time.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Natasha nodded solemnly. “In the meantime, put the seat belt on.”

“Will you stop mothering me?” Harry sighed, but proceeded to do so anyway. “And I wouldn’t be much of a super-soldier if I died in a car crash, you know?”

“Having a thick skull is no reason to disobey rules.” He could hear the clear smirk in her voice, and it lit up an unusual fire in his belly.

“Really?” He quirked a brow, rising up to the hidden challenge. “Then you must have a completely empty skull to do so yourself. You may not have noticed, but you aren’t belted either.”

“Please.” Natasha scoffed. “Adults don’t need it. Nor do anyone above five and a half feet. You, I’m sad to say, qualify for neither.”

Ouch. That actually hurt.

“And yet, you’re more likely to die in a car crash than me.” Harry leaned closer, patting her head patronizingly. “But don’t worry, I’m strong enough to hold you still with one hand. I’ll protect the weak little Widow.”

Her curly red locks felt pleasant to the touch, something he could keep caressing till eternity and not get enough of.

To his surprise, she didn’t push away the hand, simply winking at him, a wide smirk still firmly on her face. “I’ll be counting on you then, Mystique. Don’t disappoint me.”

Harry blinked. He hadn’t heard that name for a while now. “It's Soldier, too. Mystique Soldier.”

“But that doesn’t roll off your tongue quite as well, does it? I prefer Mystique.”

“If you kids are done doing…whatever it was you were doing.” Barton called out from the front, turning around slightly to eye them over his seat. “Fighting, flirting...bonding. Doesn’t matter. We’re almost there. Check your stuff, we won’t get another chance.”

The hangar was just a short distance away from the Headquarters; by the time they’d reached the massive facility, the sun was still climbing its slow path to the sky’s top.

They passed a checkpoint, then another, before finally, their sights took in a scene of…enormity.

Well, at least his sight did, his companions didn't look as moved as he felt when lines of aircrafts, jets, and planes greeted his eyes.

There were agents working en masse everywhere, but their SUV kept moving past rows of aircrafts, finally coming to a stop in front of a row of incredibly eccentric jets, all black as midnight on a moonless night.

“Alright, move it ladies.” With his bow and quiver always at his side, Barton didn’t have much to carry.

As for Harry, everything he needed was in his inventory, while everything the team needed was in a small backpack carried by Natasha.

"I would've thought this is a normal sight for you." Natasha quipped as they quickly disembarked. "But the way you're devouring it all…I take it Hydra didn't have anything like this?"

Harry shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I was never awake to see."

"You have no idea how messed up that is." Hawkeye sighed, his hands on his waist as he came to stand silently in front of the jets.

"There she is." Natasha nodded towards the seventh jet from the left. "Our ride to the past."

"Don't know what you mean, so I'll simply assume you're being dramatic." Harry followed after them. "What is this thing anyway?"

"An upgraded version of Quadjet." Hawkeye answered. "I heard they're calling it the Quinjet now."

"I don't know what that means either."

The loading hatch of the jet opened up from the rear, forcing Harry to stop gawking and quickly board in after his companions. The inside of the jet was dark, smelling of metal and rubber, with a S.H.I.E.L.D logo etched right in the middle. There were eight foldable cushioned seats and multiple screens on either side of the hull.

‘This is kinda amazing.’

Natasha prodded his shoulder, handing him an earpiece. “It’s on a fixed frequency, keep it on at all times.”

Harry sighed. “Not my first time, Widow.”

He seemed to be saying that a lot today.

Then she threw a coat at him. “It’ll be night in Budapest when we arrive, we won’t have to worry about disguises too much.”

Rolling his eyes, he quickly equipped the dragon-skin robe from the Inventory, before donning on the sage-colored coat.

“Now that’s just a cheat-magic.” Natasha muttered, her eyes scanning him up and down with an appreciative nod. “Gotta say, looking good there, Merlin. Where did you get the suit?”

“A gift from Lily.” Harry smiled proudly, suppressing the whirlwind of emotions that came along. Unfolding a seat, he plopped his butt down and shook off the hollowness. “Perks of being a contracted agent. I don’t have to wear your silly little uniforms if I don’t want to.”

Natasha frowned, waving at herself. “What’s wrong with this?”

There was no way she didn’t know how tightly her uniform hugged the generous curves of her breast…

“Nothing at all.” Harry smirked. “I’m more than fine enjoying the sight, though you wouldn’t catch me dead inside that thing again.”

The rear hatch soon closed up, and his two companions took a seat beside him.

With a deep breath, Harry forced himself to relax as the bird took to the air.

It was now time to wreak some havoc upon the world.

------------------------------

The Quinjet helped them cross the international border easily—and illegally, one might add—dropping them in a remote clearing within a forest area, probably terrifying half the wildlife around them.

They quickly checked their comms and gear, and started their journey for the city of Budapest, managing to hitchhike a ride—without the owners permission or knowledge—to finally enter what could possibly prove to be their graveyard.

He had offered to carry them on his broom, but it was shot down by both with extreme prejudice, so the slow and uncomfortable way it was.

Darkness was their closest ally in this mission. Eyes sharp and constantly scanning, their three cloaked figures traversed through the busy streets of Budapest under Natasha's guidance, arriving at an enclosed neighborhood.

"This is it." Natasha whispered, all three of them casually strolling along the street. "Clint, head for the roof. See if we're entering a trap. Our enemies think like me, so you shouldn't miss them."

"On it."

"I'll proceed to the safe house, see if the target is ready for extraction. Harr—"

"I will accompany you." He cut her off. "Should there be an ambush, I can provide a strong enough cover to escape."

Natasha's lips twitched. "Very well. Let's get to it."

And so they did.

It went smoother than they'd have imagined. First, all three of them stopped at a fruit vendor's cart, but only two of them moved on.

Natasha wrapped an arm around his shoulders, her green cap managing to cover her striking red hair enough to not get attention.

"You're my little brother for tonight." She announced under her breath, ambling along the side-walk, stopping at every cart they encountered to take as much time as possible.

Harry didn't look back, but he knew Barton had already disappeared from his position, probably jumping around some wall to get to the very top.

"Aren't you a little too old to be my big sister?" He asked, letting himself be guided by the subtle pressure of her hand.

"Twelve years is a very acceptable gap." She replied with a snort. "I've seen siblings with thrice that difference."

Harry glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "And you? Have any siblings I should know about?"

"Maybe." She smirked mysteriously.

Before he could push for more, their comms came alive. "All clear."

The smirk slipped off, her eyes growing fiercely focused. "Let's go. We're just a couple of visitors coming back to see their hometown after a long time. Do you speak Hungarian?"

Harry snorted. "Have I met aliens?"

She frowned. "...No?"

"Well, there you go."

Natasha took a deep breath, giving a single nod. "I'll do the talking if anyone stops us. Be ready for anything."

They made a turn and entered an alley surrounded by multiple buildings. A couple paces later, they arrived in a large, shared clearing that was circled with over a dozen different houses.

Natasha guided them to the one in the middle, moving straight for the door as if she owned the place.

She turned the knob and stepped back. "Locked."

Before she could try breaking in, Harry moved forward—summoning his wand with a flex of his mind—and whispered softly. "Alohomora."

The door swung inwards.

"After you." He graciously waved her on, holding the door open.

Only a slight quirk of her lips gave away her amusement. The next instance Natasha moved in, with Harry on her tail closing the door behind.

[Gamer’s Mind: Activated]

His mind refocused instantly, pushing down all the emotions and leaving behind an empty heart and logical mind.

Natasha’s gun was already in her palm, scanning the first room at gunpoint before moving forward.

There was an open arched entrance to the kitchen on one side, while a door awaited them at the other end. Without speaking, they divided themselves, Natasha heading towards the kitchen while Harry moved to the door, hitting a quiet Alohomora as precaution.

He pressed his ears at the door, his pistol—a real one, handed by S.H.I.E.L.D—ready to blast some heads open, as he pushed in with controlled strength.

The door opened its mouth wide, but the room was as empty as his heart.

He was just about to hit his earpiece and deliver the news when a loud clattering of utensils broke the brittle silence of the room, quickly followed by the grunting of two females.

Harry traced the voices through the walls, locating the fighting due quickly. He waited until he was sure he wasn’t making his teammate a collateral damage, and proceeded to blast a hole in the wall with a powerful Bombarda.

Dust and powered brick bloomed out like a mushroom, and Harry used it as cover to pass through the hole, being greeted by two startled females.

The unknown woman was leaning over Natasha, her first knocked back mid-strike.

His teammate, for some reason, appeared more surprised of the two, a frown marring her face as she stared into his eyes.

“Surrender.” He commanded the unknown variable, who promptly proceeded to roll off from Natasha and make a break for it.

Harry flickered to her side, his fist cocked back. The unknown variable had enough presence of mind to turn around and face him—raising an arm in defense, unable to see the feint due to sheer speed—and promptly found his leg suddenly buried into her stomach, blasting her backwards into the dining table.

The unknown entity, who he theorized to be Yelena Belova, groaned as she sat up clutching her stomach, already trying to get back to her feet.

Harry’s hand suddenly clasping around her neck seemed to convince her it was a bad idea.

“Oww ow ow, slowly!” Belova whimpered, reminding him of a younger Romanoff for some reason. “Where did you even find this child version of terminator?”

He slammed her face into the destroyed table lightly.

She grunted, but didn’t resist.

“Harry, don’t hurt her.” Natasha warned “She’s our target.”

He stopped, tilting his head in consideration, before deciding to let go of the curtain of logic and cold.

[Gamer’s Mind: Deactivated]

He took a moment to enjoy the rush of victory over what would surely have been considered a decent opponent in the past, before finally turning to Natasha.

He shrugged. “Wasn’t planning to, but she’s not an ally either. Especially after attacking unprovoked."

“Unprovoked?” The woman seethed underneath him. Only then did he realize that she spoke with a very pretty Russian accent. “Unprovoked!? You brought an entire army of Black Widows at my doorstep! Everything was fine until this morning, yet just a few hours before your arrival, Dreykov finally finds me!? And Hydra! Why is Hydra even here!?”

Harry stilled, glancing at Natasha.

“Shit.” She whispered, pressing her earpiece. “Hawkeye, you copy? What’s your status?”

She was silent for a few moments before… “Hawkeye? Come in?”

Harry released the woman under him, taking a step back. “Now is not the time to doubt us. The enemies came due to a mole in the base, but we still intend to keep the promise. The extraction will be her—”

Suddenly the sole window in the room was blasted open, instantly becoming the target of two gunpoints.

…And then climbed in the bloodied figure of Barton, his bow snapped in half, quiver missing, and blood trailing down his forehead.

“They’re coming.” He announced weakly, and fell face first into a chair. “They’re here.”

Harry glanced at Natasha, meeting her eye, and shared a nod.

Whatever was coming…they were ready.

…Even if they were a member short.

“Let’s do this.”

------------------------------

AN: And finished! Much smaller for the amount of time I took, but I had a crazy couple of weeks.

Well, how was the chapter!? I told you yesterday, I'll end it on a cliffhanger, hope it isn't annoying. This is where the real action begins, and I wanted to end it on a high note. 

Anyway, that's all for today, I'll try my best to deliver the next chapter on time but no promises (usually it takes longer if the chapter is longer, unlike this time where I just didn't write due to irl reasons).

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know your thoughts in the comments, and I'll see you all in the next post! Peace!