Disclaimer: This is a story based on Harry Potter, Marvel, DC and Image comics characters and all recognizable characters, plots belong to Jk Rowling,Marvel, DC and Image comics. I claim no ownership to it.
Chapter 21: The World Was Not Ready: Part IX
Bat-Cave
It had been three days since his meeting with Harry Potter, and Bruce had just finished reading the book Harry had left behind. He placed it carefully on the Batcave worktable and allowed himself a moment of reluctant admiration.
He had to admit—it was impressive. The drama was tight, the pacing relentless, and the ending… the ending was brilliant in its cruelty. Ned Stark losing his head was a shock so sharp, so perfectly executed, that Bruce could already see readers reeling from it in disbelief. It was a complete rejection of heroic safety nets and narrative mercy. With Bruce Wayne's name attached to the promotion, the book would be a massive hit, and Bruce knew it with absolute certainty.
That was precisely the problem.
Yet he didn't want it to be a hit, because that meant he would actually have to follow through on what Harry had planned. Being so public and playing an entirely different role was something Bruce had never thought he would need to do in his life, let alone accept willingly.
Bruce sighed in relief as he heard Alfred enter the Batcave, the familiar presence easing his tension, as it allowed him to postpone planning the release of Game of Thrones and the beginning of Wayne Entertainments for just a little longer.
Bruce looked at Alfred, and he could immediately see that the man was bone-tired and visibly jet-lagged, his posture rigid from exhaustion rather than discipline.
"How did it go, Alfred?" Bruce asked calmly. "Did your contacts in Britain come up with anything good regarding House Potter?"
Alfred grimaced, the expression revealing both what he had learned and how much he had been unable to uncover.
"I learned enough to know that we are fortunate Harry Potter came seeking an alliance rather than simply ending us," Alfred said grimly. "We are so unprepared that even an average wizard could use us spectacularly for their own purposes, and we both know Harry is far from average. What he said regarding his own circumstances in this life is correct, Bruce. He is orphaned, and the Potters are old money—far older than the Waynes. I was almost arrested simply for asking questions, because they wanted to know why I was interested in Harry Potter given the political landscape there. His father fought on the right side of a guerrilla war in Britain, and his grandfather fought in the Great War while working with the SSR."
Bruce nodded slowly. "As expected, then. So what conclusions did you draw from our security footage?"
"For one, I am extremely thankful that Harry saved your mind, even though it was his own doing that endangered it," Alfred replied, his tone carrying no gratitude at all. "And I am quite certain that a man like Harry would never leave anything to chance. He must have left some deep subconscious safeguards in your mind, Bruce."
Bruce grimaced, already aware of the truth in those words. "So, Alfred, the final decision rests with you. Do you believe I am compromised, knowing all the facts? If you say I should not begin this path, then I will not take the first step now. I am prepared to stop before giving the book to our company for printing. There is no going back for us if we start this without me being dead or as POTUS."
Alfred frowned at the weight of the question. "I believe Harry has good reasons for what he is doing. The offer of super-soldier serum, combined with access to magic and advanced technology, is not something a man gives lightly or dishonestly. And there is also the simple reality that, even if you wanted to back out, what exactly could we do?"
Bruce smirked faintly. "There is nothing that cannot be accomplished if one does not fear death, Alfred."
Alfred grimaced at the reply understanding what Bruce meant by it and closed his eyes briefly. With a deep breath, he opened them again.
"Then this is my answer, Bruce," Alfred said firmly. "Your mind has been touched, yet the decision-making remains your own, exactly as Harry claimed. He needs you at your full capability, because if he did not, he would have already killed you and moved on to another path. I have always known you were chained by this cursed city and by the deaths of your parents. This is your one chance to become more than just an urban legend and to do good for the entire world, rather than this cursed city. Send the book for printing and begin the new crusade."
Bruce remained still for a few seconds before he finally sighed in relief and nodded. If Alfred had opposed this decision, Bruce knew he would have ended his own life to ensure Harry could never use his name, body or wealth for anything.
"That is very good advice, Alfred," a calm voice said from the shadows.
The boy stepped forward as if emerging from the darkness itself. Alfred turned sharply, his hand moving toward his belt, and only Bruce's tremendous training allowed him to avoid reacting in panic to the sudden appearance.
"It is nice to finally meet you."
"Harry Potter," Alfred whispered, panting slightly as he struggled to calm his rapidly beating heart from the shock.
Harry smirked and bowed theatrically. "The very same."
"I now understand why Commissioner Gordon hates Batman," Bruce said with a weary sigh.
Harry merely shrugged. "Now that you have your parents' approval, Bruce, how have you planned your transition?"
"I have already established a new company under my direct control named Wayne Entertainments," Bruce replied evenly. "Both Gotham Gazette and Gotham TV will be transferred to it from Wayne Enterprises. I have done something similar before with WayneTech when it was losing money, so me leading the media product line will not appear out of place. One million copies of Game of Thrones by Bruce Wayne will be printed in the first run."
Harry nodded approvingly. "Good. I will provide the cash, which you can launder into Wayne Entertainments."
"How much cash?" Bruce asked.
"I do not know," Harry replied with a shrug. "I will only know once I get my hands on it."
Bruce did not even blink as he stared at Harry, waiting for a straight answer.
"Fine," Harry sighed. "My Winter Soldiers and I are going to attack Klaue's warship before the auction, kill everyone aboard, and rob him. Then, when the auction buyers arrive, we will rob them as well before blowing the entire ship apart. The original plan was to pull off a traceless heist, but Director Fury appears to have far too much free time. He even went so far as to bring Diana into poking around my affairs in the wizarding world, and he has been tracking my money. So I decided to give him a distraction. It would also be quite convenient to enact Gotham's cleanup during the same week, if possible."
Bruce processed the information within seconds. "Why Klaue specifically?" he asked. "He is only a weapons dealer, as far as I know."
For a moment, Harry looked genuinely surprised before he smirked. "Well, well, so there are things even Batman does not know. You are unaware that Klaue successfully infiltrated Wakanda and stole significant amounts of vibranium?"
Bruce scoffed. "Hearsay and self-promotion started by Klaue himself. The entire world knows vibranium was used for Captain America's shield, and that it was lost in the Arctic."
Harry laughed softly and slipped his hand into the pocket of his robes containing his trunk. He willed several vibranium rods he found in his family vault to his hand as he replied, "Just like the entire world knows Bruce Wayne could never be Batman, and that the wizarding world does not exist."
Harry then pulled a vibranium rod from his pocket and tossed it toward Bruce, who caught it effortlessly.
Bruce had already begun doubting his dismissal of Wakanda when Harry spoke so casually, but seeing the unmistakable metal shattered his certainty entirely.
"So Wakanda lied," Bruce said with a tired sigh as he examined the vibranium rod, "and since no one else discovered it, they are far more advanced than the rest of the world. Where did you get this?"
"My family vault," Harry replied with a grin.
Bruce raised an eyebrow in both surprise and curiosity.
"Yes, Bruce, my family vault," Harry continued. "Apparently Wakanda did not only donate vibranium to Howard Stark. My grandfather and his allies received some as well, and they cared so little about the metal that it ended up forgotten in my vault."
If it had been anyone else, they would have reacted with outrage at such casual handling of a priceless resource, but Bruce remained stoic.
"So you plan to rob Klaue and his clients, antagonize an advanced hidden nation, and use it all as a distraction for SHIELD and Fury," Bruce said in a deadpan voice. "And yet you also mentioned something earlier about staying in the background and making subtle moves before visible ones."
Harry's grin faded slightly before he simply shrugged, "What can I say, Bruce. Maybe my worldview is so broken that this is the best I can manage when it comes to hidden moves."
"Klaue is going to auction vibranium, and you think the buyers will be nobodies you can kill without consequences for your future plans," Bruce said evenly. "Killing large numbers of innocents as a distraction is not something I intend to be part of."
"Then convince me why I shouldn't do it," Harry replied with a casual shrug that did not quite match the sharpness in his eyes.
"Wakanda is an advanced nation," Bruce continued, "They will almost certainly be present at this auction, possibly even someone from the royal family. There is also a strong chance representatives from multiple world militaries will attend. Wealthy bidders will come protected, possibly hiring mutants who work as mercenaries. Why risk that level of uncertainty when you could turn it to your advantage? Take control of the entire crew before the auction. Let the auction proceed without the vibranium. Take everything from Klaue, then deal with him afterward. You would gain far more resources than your original plan ever accounted for."
"Money is irrelevant, Bruce," Harry replied flatly. "It can always be earned or taken through other means. Where is the chaos I wanted in this plan? Fury will not care that a criminal like Klaue is eliminated. He will assign someone to investigate, then quietly close the file once vibranium is not confirmed. There will be no pressure from the Security Council or any government to pursue it further."
Bruce fell silent, the low hum of the Batcomputer filling the space as he searched for a counter plan that would actually matter. After a moment, he nodded slowly to himself before speaking again.
"Then change the objective of the mission itself, Harry," Bruce said. "You wanted to create a problem for Fury because he annoyed you. Let us do that while aligning it with our larger goal. You wanted me to be the public face of change and hope for the masses. Let this be the beginning. We leak information about the auction ourselves to carefully selected individuals, including Wakanda, SHIELD, and people like me, Stark, and Luthor. You take control of the ship and crew early. The auction happens as planned, but only ten grams of vibranium are sold. After the auction ends, you deal with Klaue and his people. Bruce Wayne attends the gala and buys the vibranium at any price, but after the auction chaos and death happens making the vibranium lost. Then I will become the whistleblower after discovering that respected figures and even military generals were participating in an illegal auction. We leak footage and images of everyone involved. Imagine the pressure and chaos Fury will face when that information goes public."
Harry's eyes sharpened as his mind seized the idea and tore through it at frightening speed, running outcomes and probabilities in seconds.
"It fits our goals," Harry admitted slowly, "but it puts enormous risk on you, Bruce. Executing our Gotham cleanup will also become far more difficult after you anger so many powerful people. Even my telepathy has limits."
Bruce nodded, considering the weight of it before replying. "There is no reward without risk. We release partial files first, enough to ignite outrage. Only after the Gotham cleanup is complete will I step forward with the full disclosure."
"That is possible and workable," Harry said thoughtfully. "Make sure the information reaches Thaddeus Ross and Tony Stark from your side. Do not involve Luthor yet. He would cause more problems than he is worth. I will ensure Wakanda, SHIELD, HYDRA, and A.R.G.U.S. all hear about it."
Bruce brought up a new interface on the Batcomputer and sent several encrypted messages in rapid succession.
"I didn't think it would be that easy," Harry said, genuine surprise creeping into his voice.
"It isn't, if you don't already have an established network," Bruce replied. "I have no direct leads on HYDRA, but as you said, SHIELD is already compromised. Informing SHIELD is sufficient."
Harry chuckled softly at the jab. "Fair enough. I have already prepared the super-soldier serum for both of you. I will bring the serum itself, but the proper equipment will be required."
Bruce nodded immediately and pulled up archived documents detailing the original treatment administered to Steve Rogers during the war. He skimmed through the files before looking back at Harry.
"Everything we need is in the Wayne Labs facility in my tower," Bruce said. "I only need to reserve the labs for private use. Power will not be an issue either. The tower is supported by a fully operational arc reactor. I paid Howard millions to make that happen."
"Then it is settled," Harry said decisively. "We do the treatment tomorrow so you can fully adapt before the auction. I have already reviewed half of Gotham's population and classified them as redeemable or irredeemable. Have you contacted Gordon and the others regarding processing?"
Bruce grimaced. "No, I have not done that yet. I will start planning it immediately. I also need to arrange funding for the operation."
"Do not worry about that," Harry said lightly. "I have already identified one hundred million dollars in black money across various accounts. The owners will have no further use for it. I will relieve them of it and deposit the funds anonymously into your charity. Keep your clean money for Wayne Entertainments. You are going to need it."
Bruce accepted the decision with a quiet nod, the weight of the life changing decision he just accepted slightly sagging his shoulders.
=========================================
Harry Potter
After leaving the Batcave, Harry appeared outside Wayne Manor. The night air was still, and the gothic structure loomed like a carved shadow against the sky. Harry eyed the manor with a faint smile before finally taking out four runestones. He had asked permission from Bruce as a courtesy, and he knew Bruce was probably observing him through one of the many hidden cameras, carefully tracking every movement he made. With a flick of his will, Harry used his telekinesis, and the runestones lifted into the air, flying smoothly around the manor toward their designated positions.
To set up a Portkey and a Time-Turner for Bruce to use, Harry needed to ward the entire area from outside the observation range of MACUSA. Otherwise, the regular use of such high-level magic would trigger every search and monitoring system MACUSA possessed, bringing a great deal of unwanted attention crashing down on him. This was not a risk he was willing to take, especially not here.
The runestones reached their precise points, and with a single thought, even without seeing through his own eyes, Harry manipulated the earth beneath them using pure telekinesis. The soil shifted and folded obediently, and each runestone was carefully planted deep into the ground, hidden yet perfectly aligned in all four directions of the manor.
Harry then took out his trusted companion from many lives past. It was a phoenix-tail wand crafted from holly, smooth and familiar in his hand. The wand purred softly as its magic synchronized with his own. Harry had avoided using it for quite some time, choosing instead to strengthen his magical body by training wandless magic and refining control through raw discipline. However, a delicate process like ward casting required precision, structure, and the focused amplification that only a wand could provide.
"Yeah, I know I've been ignoring you," Harry muttered quietly, as the wand sent out a few faint sparks. "It's for other reasons."
Harry closed his eyes and concentrated, gathering his magical might with careful restraint. When he opened them suddenly, his eyes shone green with power. He raised the wand and traced an ouroboros pattern through the air, whispering the spell in Parseltongue, the words sliding unnaturally through the night.
There was no visible explosion of magic. Instead, the runestones glowed briefly, their light pulsing in perfect synchronization before the magic fused together and vanished entirely. Even with Harry's vast knowledge and perception, he could barely sense the wardstones afterward. The enchantment was self-concealing, hiding not just the area, but the very act of its creation.
Harry grinned and stepped across the ward boundary immediately, already smirking as he imagined MACUSA officials sweating in confusion, aware that a Concealment Ward had been cast but unable to locate its origin.
Harry apparated enthusiastically and appeared inside the Batcave.
Bruce startled as Harry vanished from his sight outside and reappeared behind him with a soft crack. Bruce lowered the batarang he had instinctively raised, forcing himself to relax.
"Is there anything I can do to make you stop doing that?" Bruce asked rhetorically.
Harry merely smirked mockingly in response.
Bruce groaned in defeat.
"Also, Bruce," Harry said suddenly, his tone shifting, "I have to ask. Do you have any functional AI?"
Bruce paused, slightly startled by the question. "AI? As far as I know, no one has broken the final barrier. I have a support system, but it's just an advanced virtual assistant, not a fully fledged artificial intelligence."
Harry smirked again, this time with mild teasing, prompting Bruce to sigh in irritation.
"So which idiot built the Skynet of our time?" Bruce asked.
"Tony," Harry replied with a laugh. "He has an AI named after his British butler—JARVIS. Since we're inviting him to the auction and I'm making sure he attends, the AI will be involved as well. If we want to manipulate the entire situation, we have to account for that."
"Then I'm sorry, Harry," Bruce replied calmly. "Even I can't develop an AI in such a short time. You'll have to find another solution to the JARVIS problem, probably something magical."
Harry groaned in frustration. Suddenly, he paused as his Memory Cache whispered one name to him.
"Kelex."
"Damn it," Harry muttered, though Bruce clearly heard it, prompting him to look over with curiosity.
"I have the perfect answer to our AI problem, my friend," Harry said slowly. "The only issue is that the solution comes attached to an excitable, all-powerful ten-year-old alien boy."
For the first time, Harry took visible satisfaction in watching the ever-stoic Bruce show genuine surprise and concern, as the implication hit him instantly.
"You're saying that a ten-year-old Clark Kent, with enough power to destroy this planet and an honest, good nature, also has access to the entirety of this world's data," Bruce whispered, "including every skeleton hidden in the closets of its rulers. It's a miracle we're still alive."
"I'm fairly certain he hasn't asked Kelex what it knows or what it does," Harry replied. "And Kelex doesn't volunteer that kind of information on its own. So what do you think, Bruce? Should I borrow Kelex? We can't lie to Kal-El, and he will know what we're doing. Is it too soon?"
Bruce remained silent, deep in thought. "It's too soon for a boy to learn the truth about how society really works. I can't say whether Kal is ready without meeting him. But maybe Kelex can still help us while remaining with Clark, wherever he is."
Harry nodded slowly. "Maybe he can. Either way, I'll look into it. If necessary, I'll bring Kal here as soon as possible."
With that, Harry vanished without a sound, leaving the Batcave once more wrapped in its familiar, brooding silence.
========================
Harry appeared far outside Kansas, the vast flatlands stretching endlessly beneath him. He immediately expanded his telepathy outward and flew toward Smallville, cutting through the night sky with practiced ease. He couldn't keep the grin off his face, because needling Bruce was definitely more entertaining than most things he had done in recent memory. Harry was genuinely relieved that he didn't have to kill Bruce and that the man had chosen to work with him faithfully instead of resisting. Already, even before the official beginning of their moves, Harry could see the benefits of Bruce's intelligence. The plan to use Klaue's auction, as Bruce suggested, made far more sense than Harry's original idea of raw, unfocused chaos.
Harry sighed in mild irritation as he wondered why such a solution hadn't occurred to him, even with seven thought streams operating constantly. Even now, Thought Stream Six—the memory cache—was cycling through various methods to inform the targeted groups about the auction. By the time he was halfway to Smallville, TS6 had already produced multiple dissemination plans and, just as quickly, identified why the auction plan was not refined enough. Harry was overloading the memory cache by assigning it too many concurrent objectives.
He had already tasked it with finding a passive, constant shield after Kal-El had broken through his passive five percent telekinetic defense, and it was still searching for an effective solution while combing through his memories. At the same time, the memory cache was also running predictive models as well as find any method to anticipate future attacks. Unfortunately for Harry, there was no premonition magic powerful or precise enough to work exactly as he desired. On top of that, the memory cache constantly fed him comparative information drawn from his own past experiences, cross-referencing whatever he was currently thinking about with stored memories.
The net effect was simple and unpleasant. The memory cache was overwhelmed.
Harry sighed tiredly as he reviewed his active thought streams. Thought Stream One could not be reassigned, as it handled baseline mental stability and background processing. Thought Stream Two, responsible for body scanning and resource allocation, was far too critical to divert. It continuously monitored his health, magical reserves, and psychic levels, and it was the stream that handled regeneration and bodily maintenance. He could never afford to burden it with anything else.
Thought Stream Three was just as essential. It maintained the constant channeling of five percent telekinesis and magical power into his body, enhancing his physical capabilities and sustaining an invisible defensive field of equal strength. It also processed all sensory input. This was the stream that would keep him alive in the event of a sniper attack, detecting minute disturbances in the air through telekinetic perception before a bullet ever reached him.
Yes, he was that paranoid after getting killed by snipers in two lives when he was least expecting. In previous lives Harry used supersensory charm constantly when he was outside after it and in this life it was not needed because of his upgraded psycic abilities.
Then there was Thought Stream Four— Fight Mode. Harry paused briefly to consider it. At the moment, it had no active engagement and was simply reviewing past battles, refining techniques, and planning methods to defeat or kill any opponent placed before him, whether hero, villain, or civilian. It was the only thought stream whose workload could be paused or repurposed without immediate risk. Strategic planning was, after all, simply warfare elevated to a more abstract level. An added benefit was that TS4 already worked closely with the memory cache, analyzing combat experiences. Expanding its role to include broader strategy, rather than pure fighting, was a logical evolution.
As Harry reached the outskirts of Smallville, he sighed in quiet relief. His internal calculations finally aligned, confirming that his revised plan was viable. Implementing it, however, would require calm, uninterrupted meditation. He decided to postpone the process until he returned to Britain, to the Black Castle, where he could work without distraction. This was not something he could afford to rush, and precision mattered more than speed.
====================
Washington DC
Nicholas Fury
Fury stared at the parchment that had somehow appeared inside his hidden apartment, delivered by an owl of all things, with simmering anger and growing frustration. He cursed the magical world under his breath and the sheer absurdity of how easily a damned bird had located him inside what was supposed to be a secure, concealed residence. That single lapse in security was enough to cost him sleep for the foreseeable future, because it meant someone out there had bypassed layers he trusted.
Keeping his distance, Fury used a pair of forceps to open the parchment remotely, refusing to touch it directly. Only after several long seconds did he finally read the contents.
One Mr. Alfred Pennyworth has been snooping into House Potter with our friends in Buckingham Palace.
Yours truly,
Star.
The moment Fury finished reading, the parchment ignited on its own, bursting into clean blue flames and vanishing without leaving even a trace of ash behind.
Fury's jaw tightened.
Someone from America named Alfred Pennyworth had traveled to Britain and possessed enough influence, or connections, to make discreet inquiries about House Potter through Buckingham Palace itself.
"Fucking hell," Fury muttered quietly, rubbing a hand over his face as he wondered when, exactly, the name Potter would stop resurfacing in his life.
He pulled out his phone without hesitation and sent a message to three carefully chosen contacts, already preparing for the next unpleasant revelations he knew would inevitably follow.
================================
Within an hour, Fury was seated behind his desk in his triple-secured office, fingers steepled, waiting for Hill, Coulson, and Natasha to arrive. He had ordered Coulson and Natasha back to America the moment he and Hill landed in D.C. aboard Diana's jet. Their inquiry in London had hit a wall, and Fury had no intention of letting them poke around the magical district again without clearer footing. He hadn't even had time to hear their full debrief yet, and now he had another complication to add to the pile.
Ever since reading the name, Fury's mind kept circling it.
Alfred Pennyworth.
It was familiar. Irritatingly so. He knew he had heard it before, but for the life of him he couldn't place where or why. With a few minutes to spare before his people arrived, he decided to see what SHIELD's databases had to say.
Fury typed the name into the terminal embedded in his desk. To his surprise, the first result that surfaced wasn't a British intelligence file or a diplomatic profile. It was Natasha Romanoff's report.
Subject: Batman
Secondary Reference: Bruce Wayne?
Fury froze for half a second, then scowled. Alfred. Of course. Bruce Wayne's butler.
He ignored the Batman file for the moment and opened Alfred Pennyworth's personal record instead. As he scrolled, Fury found himself grudgingly impressed. Exemplary military service. Decorations from the United Kingdom. Commendations that quietly explained how a butler had access to people in places like Buckingham Palace.
Still, it raised a far more troubling question.
"Why the hell would Bruce Wayne want to know anything about House Potter?" Fury muttered. A knock at the door cut off his thoughts. Fury sighed and tapped a control, unlocking the office.
Fury pressed the control to unlock his office door, and his three subordinates entered the room in practiced silence. He kept his single good eye on the secondary screen beside his desk, where layered sensors in his office confirmed that the three people stepping inside were his genuine agents and not impostors, constructs, or shapeshifters wearing familiar faces.
"Director," Hill said as she sat down, while Coulson and Natasha followed her lead. All three looked visibly irritated, yet they remained controlled and professional, exactly as Fury expected from them.
"I called all of you here because I received a letter today," Fury said calmly, folding his hands together.
"Well, you are the director of an international organization," Natasha replied dryly from her chair. "I assume you receive plenty of letters, so why couldn't this one wait until morning."
Fury almost groaned in annoyance, but he refused to give her that satisfaction.
"I received it during my off hours, in my secret home," Fury snapped.
"Interesting," Natasha said, straightening slightly.
"The delivery method was an owl," Fury continued, allowing a thin smirk to appear.
All three of them tensed instantly, fully understanding what that implied. Ignoring the massive security breach for the moment, Fury continued.
"The message said:
'One Mr. Alfred Pennyworth has been snooping into House Potter with our friends in Buckingham Palace.
Yours truly, Star.'
Then it burned itself, without leaving even ashes," Fury finished.
"Sir, who is this Alfred?" Hill asked, frowning.
"I know that name," Natasha said slowly, thinking before finally nodding. "Yeah, I remember now. He's Bruce Wayne's butler. Alfred raised the playboy idiot and somehow spoiled him completely. The only interesting thing about Alfred was how he stayed honest and loyal instead of exploiting the minor billionaire who practically fell into his hands."
Fury snorted. "That's where you're wrong, Natasha. I know you hated the Bruce Wayne honeytrap assignment with a passion, but not even attempting to look into the background of the man closest to him is sloppy."
Natasha shrugged indifferently. "My mission was to determine whether Bruce Wayne was Batman, not to investigate an old butler who appeared excessively loyal."
Hill leaned forward, curiosity sharpening her expression. "What exactly happened with Bruce Wayne that made you this irritated and angry, Natasha?"
"Enough of the why. This is not gossip ti.." Fury snapped, then abruptly stopped mid-sentence as a thought struck him.
He looked directly at Natasha. "Answer Hill's question." All three agents stared at him in open surprise.
"I read your report," Fury continued. "You detailed how Bruce Wayne was psychologically incompatible with being Batman, and how your best guess was that he might be funding Batman or even a group operating under that name. The conclusion was there, but the gritty details were missing."
Natasha shook off her surprise and grimaced as the memories surfaced. "My cover was as a model, and Bruce Wayne took the bait exactly as expected. We flirted, and I'll admit he was good at it at first. Then came the gala, where he proved himself to be the most sexist, misogynistic, arrogant asshole I have ever met."
She continued without pause.
"The man was slightly drunk when he came to pick me up. He used my curves as a stress ball as if it were a given, even when I slightly protested. Then he eyed everyone at the gala—actresses, models, even the wives of powerful people. Then he openly propositioned for Pepper Potts with Tony Stark for money, as if Tony were using his assistant sexually, all the while treating me like his trophy. Pepper slapped Bruce then and there, to the horror of everyone, and for once Bruce just laughed it off and tried turning even that into sexual flirting. The reason was simple: according to him it has been too long and he wanted two redheads that night."
He kept drinking the entire time, and finally we entered the limo, where two rolls of weed were already set up. We smoked and reached Wayne Manor, where, in his bedroom, he wanted to take a snort of cocaine from my breast, which he did. Also Remember, he had been boasting about his sexual prowess all night long, promising me all night long rides and dozens of orgasms. Finally, we kissed, which was the sloppiest kiss I had ever received, while he was trying to grope my ass muscles. I finally touched his organ over his pants, and he orgasmed from a single touch.."
Natasha stopped there and looked at the others, and both Coulson and Hill were openly laughing hard. Even Fury looked like he was on the verge of an aneurysm trying to control his emotions, though he did snort and smirk slightly.
"You have to believe me, the arrogant son of a bitch was not even slightly embarrassed. He just shrugged and pushed us to bed while kissing, and then the idiot fell asleep on me. Credit where it is due, his muscles were real, because it took me some time to extract myself and snoop around the manor for the entire night without distraction. The only things I found were three hidden cameras in the bedroom so that the creep could record himself, a sex dungeon with all sorts of kinky equipment, and all kinds of drugs hidden around in various places. There was practically every type of drug in the world there.
I was very tempted to call the cops, the FBI, the media, or anyone else, but I didn't. The next morning, the bastard woke up, called me Pepper, and gave me a cheque for one hundred grand, which I cashed into my bank, of course. I planted various devices and I listened for weeks and did not get anything from it."
I conducted extensive snooping in Wayne Tech and on the board of directors, and I arrived at my conclusion that Bruce Wayne is not Batman. The only good thing about Wayne is that he seems very good at making money, or he hired someone very good at it, according to a couple of board members I canvassed."
Coulson and Hill nodded in agreement. "That was the conclusion anyone sensible would reach." Coulson said, as he glanced toward Fury, already knowing that the director was doubtful about it.
Fury grimaced and slowly shook his head before asking, "That was very informative, and now even I am wondering whether my gut instinct is wrong in this matter. It could happen, even though the chances have always been low. Did you interact with the butler at all?"
Natasha nodded and grinned in slight triumph before answering him. "No, sir. I didn't meet Alfred at all while I was in the manor."
Fury nodded before turning the screen toward them. The display contained an open file detailing Alfred Pennyworth's service record and honors.
All three of them glanced through it, visibly impressed by the service history, and yet they all felt a faint sadness that such a man had spent his retirement life serving a spoiled brat like Bruce Wayne.
"So, any guesses as to why Alfred is looking into House Potter?" Fury asked.
"Sir, maybe Bruce or one of his advisers was interested in Facebook and discovered that House Potter bought it when he inquired. Additionally, I was informed that Tony Stark accessed all available files on House Potter, and after some digging I learned that Tony, or rather Pepper, received both emails and physical mail stating that House Potter wanted to renegotiate rights valuation and payment for the voting rights." Hill explained.
"Coulson," Fury finally asked, "what did you discover during your journey to the magical district in London? Is there anything to add that would make sense of this madness? Hill has already informed both of you about our meeting with Black and the boy."
Coulson remained silent for nearly a dozen seconds as he carefully considered what to say and how to say it.
"Sir, to be honest, the only way to describe our introduction and first view of the magical district is simply magical," Coulson said with a shrug. "We window-shopped through many stores and even bought several books before sending the post back. I have been reading the history and fairy tales of the wizarding world, and it is fascinating. Harry Potter has become something of a superhero figure, especially in Britain. I cannot even fathom the level of influence the boy would have on anyone who grew up over the last decade.
"We were informed that certain special wizards naturally attract people, and Harry would have followers even without that effect, judging by appearances alone. The closest comparison I can make is how the generation after the Second World War grew up idolizing Captain America here. Because of that, I cannot see why Harry would be doing all of this in the normal world when his own world already offers him so much."
"That is the real question, isn't it?" Fury said with a sigh. "The boy answered it truthfully during our meeting. Don't ask how I know it was truthful, because it is a foolproof method. He said that he wanted to help the entire world and prevent what happened to him from happening to anyone else."
"That is a good cause," Natasha finally said. "Director, I suggest we table this matter for now and move on to more relevant issues that we can actually handle."
Fury frowned at that suggestion, but eventually he nodded. "You are correct, Widow. We have already wasted enough time on this magic nonsense with half-baked ideas and incomplete knowledge. My gut is warning me that I will regret what I am about to do."
"Let us keep an eye on both Tony and Alfred for now and monitor what they are doing. Also, keep tracking the money trail and see where it leads. Stop any further direct investigations into the wizarding world, because it is a waste of time for now. I am fairly certain that MACUSA is already sniffing around the money, because there is no way they would allow a wizard to control a major American company, given how xenophobic they are."
"That makes sense, sir," Coulson agreed, as everyone picked up on the implied dismissal.
Hill stood up slightly, then sat back down again. Everyone looked at her with curiosity.
"Sir, there is another piece of information that our chatter picked up from the black market," Hill said. "Ulysses Klaue has been armoring himself and constructing a warship like some pirate king over the past year, and now he plans to inaugurate it with an auction featuring many items, including military-grade secret weapons."
Fury snorted dismissively. "And I should care about this because?"
"Because there is a rumor that Klaue is going to auction off ten grams of vibranium as one of the items. Wakanda once captured Klaue, branded him, and had him declared an international fugitive under the United Nations after he entered their territory. Klaue claims that Wakanda is world's leading power and has tons of vibranium and he was deemed insane, yet now he is openly auctioning vibranium. Unfortunately for us, the invitation has somehow reached billionaires with spare money, and only Wayne and Stark are reckless enough to travel to South Africa for this auction." Hill explained.
"Motherfucker," Fury cursed as he closed his eyes. "Aren't they supposed to be geniuses, yet they are willing to wander into third-world countries like this?"
"For what it is worth, Tony has already roped in his military contacts, and they were curious enough to look into it as well, so Tony should be relatively safe." Hill informed them.
Fury sighed and then looked toward the Black Widow, prompting everyone else to turn their attention to Natasha.
"Absolutely not," Natasha exclaimed. "Sir, that cover is already blown, and Bruce doesn't do second chances. He won't take me back."
Fury merely smirked. "You are Black Widow, no, The Black Widow. I am fairly certain you could attend as a date by accidentally running into Wayne at the hotel where he is staying. Your assignment will be keeping Wayne safe and finding out everything about Klaue. If he truly has vibranium, make sure it disappears if it does not end up in our hands. Coulson, you and Hawkeye will handle the situation as the outside eyes."
Coulson's eyes widened slightly. "Hawkeye, sir? Widow herself already feels wasted on this mission, judging by the circumstances. I have personally dealt with at least seven criminals who claimed to possess Captain America's shield, adamantium, or mithril, whatever that is."
"I have a feeling that something is going to happen at this auction," Fury said with a hard glare. "It is better to have my best agents on site than to need them and not have them available when needed."
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Asteroid M
Magneto
Magneto, the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants, an Omega-level mutant, and a Class One threat as rated by humans, looked at the blue ball that mutants, Inhumans, wizards, and even Homo sapiens called home. He did not know how many times he had seen this view, yet it was as breathtaking as ever.
His peaceful meditation was interrupted by the entrance of his ever-faithful follower, Mystique, in her blue form.
"Erik," Mystique greeted as she sat down in a chair beside his throne.
"Raven, what brings you here to me?" he asked calmly. "It is too early for your reports. Have you found where my daughter Wanda ran off to?" Erik continued in a crisp voice.
Raven grimaced at that question. "I am sorry, Erik. No one knows where Wanda is. She is not with Charles, no mutant-hating group has her, and even Charles failed to find her using Cerebro. Either she has found a way to completely hide herself using her abilities, or she is dead. I even infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and searched their resources and facial-matching systems for any clues. She is not present in any of the leading countries."
Magneto sighed deeply before replying. "At least she is proving herself to be my daughter in terms of power, now that she has finally decided to control her abilities. Now tell me what truly brings you here."
"There is an interesting piece of news circulating in certain circles," Raven said. "A criminal is claiming that they are auctioning vibranium, and I know you have always kept an eye on acquiring that metal if possible."
"And you believe he is not lying?" Magneto asked.
Raven merely shrugged. "Militaries are sending representatives, and both Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne are attending."
"Militaries sending representatives?" Magneto snorted. "They will send their elite forces if vibranium is confirmed, no matter who acquires it. Do these idiots with money truly believe they can simply buy vibranium and walk away with it?"
Raven laughed softly at that. "I do not know what that idiot Wayne is thinking. Stark, at least, is acting as a military representative and will be under their protection. What do you want me to do? Should I infiltrate the auction beforehand and steal the vibranium if it exists?"
"No," Magneto said immediately. "Let the idiots kill each other over it if possible. I will personally attend this auction and bid for it legally, according to their own rules."
Raven's eyes widened in slight shock. "With what, Erik? Did you actually bring the gold asteroids down to Earth like you planned?"
"No, I have not done that yet," he replied calmly. "It is far too much hassle for too little gain, especially when we do not even need money. I will bid with their lives instead. I am certain Klaue will value that far more than whatever paltry sum Wayne or Stark could offer."
=================================
Nanda Parbat
The Demon's Head.
"Master."
The silky voice of Lady Shiva came from behind him as Ra's sat in the lotus position, deep in meditation.
Ra's did not reply, or even open his eyes, yet Shiva understood the message. The woman bowed slightly and spoke again. "Klaue has declared an auction, and the rumor is that he intends to put vibranium up as one of the items."
"That is quite idiotic of him," Ra's finally said in his deep, calm voice. "The Black Panther will not allow it, and it would become a bloodbath. Lady Shiva, why inform me of this irrelevant matter when I already possess enough vibranium for our use?"
"The Detective is going to the auction," Shiva replied. "He has also contacted your daughter, Talia, and asked her to come to South Africa for this event."
Ra's finally opened his eyes in slight surprise. "Has the Detective discovered my grandson, Damian, then?" he asked.
Lady Shiva shook her head. "No, the Detective has not found out about his son. He stated that he wishes to hire Talia and her branch of the League for a mission."
"Interesting," Ra's whispered, nodding slowly. "Shiva, go to this auction. Your primary objective is the safety of my daughter and my heir, the Detective. When the other idiots finally realize that Klaue possesses true vibranium, there will be untold chaos. Ensure that the vibranium does not end up in the hands of anyone other than Wakanda, the Detective, or our own."
"I will follow your orders exactly," Shiva replied, bowing once more.
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Wakanda
T'challa
T'Challa looked at the Black Panther suit made from vibranium and swallowed hard, a flicker of worry passing through him. He had been training since childhood, and he had finally been blessed by the Black Panther through the Heart-Shaped Herb. The ceremony had taken place six months ago, yet he had never ventured outside Wakanda wearing the suit on an active mission.
"Are you nervous, my son?" his father asked from behind him. "It is normal, son, and if you wish, I will go with the War Dogs."
"No, Father. The time has come, and I will recover our rightful metal and bring Klaue to justice," T'Challa replied with firm determination.
"Be careful on this mission, my son. One of the reasons I am sending you is that there will be more than enough trouble, and my aging body may not be able to handle it," his father said gravely.
T'Challa nodded seriously and silently vowed to be even more cautious than before.
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Author's Note: had no plan to make the auction such a huge event but chaos happened and this is happening…
Read, commend and recommend!!!
To read ahead for 3 chapters : My Patr eon: search for black wolf
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