The Avengers’ kids, Growing Up Part II
Chapter 7: The Avengers’ kids, Growing Up Part II
Avengers Tower, New York City, March 2008
Harry and Dudley were working on their homework in a table set inside Tony’s lab, with him tinkering their armours again. After being used for 2 years, they had noticed that the armours could have some adjustments made to better fit the wearers of the armours. In Harry’s case, Tony was changing the thrusters in order for the armour to be faster and changing the gauntlets so that they could be “retractable”, that is, they could go back inside the armour and leave the hands free. For Dudley’s armour, Tony was adding more “strength”. He added mini-thrusters on the inside of the shield, so he could push harder and resist, if attacked, bullets or heavier fire. Tony was also changing the composition of the armours so they could be lighter and could grow with Harry and Dudley. Pepper and he had decided to, when Harry and Dudley turned eleven and Harry left for Hogwarts, create two AI assistants for their armours. That way Harry would have a straight line to Tony and the Avengers if he needed help, and seeing by how Sirius spoke about Hogwarts, chances are he will need it. Plus, the AI would let Harry talk with them all, instead of putting a poor owl through the journey of crossing the Atlantic on a weekly basis.
Suddenly, JARVIS interrupted their calm moment. “Sir, Ms Potts has arrived. She told me to tell her “boys” to meet her in the penthouse’s living room.” said the AI
“Tell her we are heading there” said Tony, putting away his tools while the boys packed up their school homework in their bags.
They reached the living room to find Pepper sitting on the sofa with a reality show on the TV. She silenced it when she noticed that the boys had gotten there.
“Hello Harry, Dudley, how was school today? Any incidents?” The cousins tended to take after their father/uncle James with their friends, causing mischief among the school halls. Many times her or Tony had gone down to the principal’s office to discuss the situation and how to solve it once and for all. The kids were properly chastised for all of five minutes until Sirius, otherwise known as Padfoot of the Marauders, heard of the prank on their nightly call and encouraged them and gave them tips in order to get away with their pranks.
Remus, on the other hand, always told them off lightly and encouraged them to try to, if they prank someone, be someone who has caused injustice or harm to another person. And he also gave them tips, on occasion, on how to make it appear as they are not the guilty party, art mastered by him during his 7 years at Hogwarts.
Both wizards tried to call once a day, usually during the night time in the UK, so that it was just after school finished and the kids were available.
“No Aunt Pepper, no incidents. Remember that if there had been, the principal would have called you or Uncle Tony” said Dudley, smiling like a little angel. That face caused Pepper’s eyes to narrow, trying to find a crack in either of the boys’ faces. Seeing none, she decided to let it go. She unmuted the TV and gestured for Harry to pass her a blanket. Getting themselves comfortable, they began to comment on the show, in this case MasterChef Junior.
Two episodes after, they were all on the edge of their seats watching the semi-finals, each of them rooting for a candidate, JARVIS began to play an alarm that meant the Avengers had been called. JARVIS paused the TV and Pepper and the kids looked at Tony with worried eyes.
“Don’t you worry, my dear family, I’ll come back completely safe!” said Tony, heading towards the elevator. Getting to the roof, he activated his armour, and flied off to the Avenger’s Hangar, situated in upstate New York.
The Quinjet, flying over the Atlantic
“So, Tony” began Clint “How are the children?” Clint still had not told anyone save Natasha about his family, but he took an interest in both of Tony’s cousins. He sympathised with them. They had never met their parents due to them being dead, and the same had happened to him, and in another way Natasha.
“The kids? They are very well, still pranking everyone, as always… I swear that one day they will make me go bald or Pepper grey” muttered Tony. Even he did not get into so much trouble!
“In fact,” said Tony “ They were asking the other day about you! They were saying, especially Harry, that he wants to better his aim. Dudley wanted to learn how to defend himself a little bit” Tony had not told them yet about Harry leaving, but they knew he had magic, at least the reddish glow of his hands.
“What? If Harry wants to better his magical aim, send him to Agatha! You know she handles herself pretty well, seeing she has been alive since who knows when…” Clint was still afraid of magic, all thanks to Loki and his sceptre.
When Tony thought about that, he remembered one time a few months ago when Natasha and Clint were in the gym with the boys and Agatha. Harry and Dudley were curious about how the SHIELD agents fought and went to see them, getting Agatha to come with them.
Flashback:
Avengers Tower, January 2008
Tony had hosted a New Year’s Eve party, and invited all the Avengers and their friends to stay until Christmas Break ended for the children and “normal” life would be restored in the Tower. One of those days, Clint and Nat decided to train early in the morning, and told JARVIS to please not disturb them unless it was important.
Two hours later, Harry and Dudley went searching for the agents, in hopes that they could watch a movie together, or a reality show. Clint and Nat were the best people to watch shows, especially competition shows. Or movies, as Clint related to almost everything and his reactions were golden.
After searching for fifteen minutes, Harry asked JARVIS
“JARVIS, where are Nat and Clint?”
“Miss Romanoff and Mr Barton are training in the gym, but they told me to not disturb them. That was two hours ago” JARVIS answered in an impassive voice.
“Well, I don’t think they will mind if we interrupt them now” said Harry, walking towards the gym.
“Harry, what do you want to watch with them?” asked Dudley?
“Maybe the Great British Bake Off? You know how Nat gets once the finals get close.” answered Harry.
Dudley grinned, remembering the last time they had watched a cooking show. Nat had almost shot Steve when he had walked in front of the screen during the final judgement. Luckily, Captain America apologised instantly and made dinner, so he was saved.
“We better hurry then, remember Sirius and Remus are coming today” Dudley reminded his cousin
“Yes, I know Dudley. I’m excited to go with them today!”
“Why? They told us it was a surprise! Do you know where we are going?” Dudley asked, a little bit upset if Sirius and Remus had told Harry but not him. He had always felt a little bit left out with the British wizards, seeing as they were Harry’s godfathers and his father’s best friends. Remus had noticed that, relating to how he had felt when he had been with James and Sirius, both Heirs to their Ancient Houses. Therefore, Remus always tries to make Dudley feel included, and encourages Sirius to do the same.
“Now, they did not tell me Dud” Harry noticed the relieved look on his cousin’s face and smiled relaxed.
“Then why are you so excited?” Dudley felt that at times his cousin would get lost in his mind and act weirder than normal.
“I think they may have news, but I'm not sure…” said Harry. He was walking looking at Dudley, and so he did not see Agatha walking towards them. Luckily, Dudley did see her, and so he turned Harry around.
“Oh! Agatha! Hi” said Harry, stopping in his tracks.
“What are you up to boys?” asked Agatha, suspecting they were planning something. She was always suspicious of these two, seeing that a day did not go past without them causing some chaos.
“Nothing Agatha” answered Harry smiling a charming smile “We are just going to watch Nat and Clint train, then we are going to try to get them to watch a reality show with us before Sirius and Remus get here”
“Oh, then let me go with you! It has been some time since I watched a reality show.” Agatha really went with them to watch Clint and Nat train, as she was curious about how good they were, and because they were SHIELD agents and were supposed to protect Harry and Dudley, and she could not always be there.
They reached the gym, and Agatha opened the door with the flick of a wrist. Walking inside, the sound of walking seemed to snap something in Clint and he shot an explosive arrow at them without looking at them. Natasha noticed and screamed “CLINT!” while trying to stop the arrow, but not reaching in time. Agatha,noticing the blinking light that the arrow carried, raised her hands and created a purple shield, encasing her and the children. Harry raised a hand and created a bubble around the arrow, allowing it to explode without hitting either Nat or Clint.
“Boys!” said Clint once the arrow exploded “Are you okay?!” Clint rushed to them, crashing against Agatha’s shield.
“Mr. Barton, what happened to you? Were it not for Harry and I, all three of us could have been blown to smithereens!” Agatha was mildly furious with Clint. On one hand, she realised he was focused on his training, and she could understand that, even value it in battle, but he had almost killed them, and that caused her fury, and a furious Agatha was not something easily dealt with.
“Agatha!” Clint had not even realised she was there! “So that purple light was you?” said Clint, backing away. Magic still scared him, and he could feel something in the air, thrumming, and he did not feel safe around it.
“Thea” began Harry, using his nickname for Agatha. “ Your magic is pouring out of you. I am feeling it. Clint is scared, reel it back in.” Harry saw some weights begin to move, as if trying to float, and he knew that would cause Clint to go haywire.
Natasha, on the other hand, had approached Clint and had sat him down on a bench. “Barton, hey” she said gently “Breathe in and out, Agatha is no harm to you, you know that. She is here to take care of the kids, and to protect them, nothing more. She won’t harm you, relax.”
Meanwhile, Agatha had gotten her magic back inside her, and was tentatively approaching Clint.
Kneeling down in front of him, Agatha said to Clint “Hey, I’m sorry. It was instantaneous. My magic tends to get tetchy when I, or people I care about, get attacked. Don’t worry, I can control it, unless I get seriously harmed. Even then, my magic can detect who is the threat, and believe when I tell you a lot will have to change for you to be considered a threat.” Agatha had been worried, in the beginning of her caring for Harry and Dudley, that her magic would cause problems. For now, it had not, and she was glad that she was trusted in the house.
Clint seemed to sober up when hearing Agatha’s voice. He looked up to see a kind face smiling at him.
Sensing no more danger, Harry and Dudley went to hug Clint, the easiest way for them to convey their love and peace. Harry decided to explain the motive of their visit
“Clint, Nat, we were wondering if you would like to watch Great British Bake Off? I think there is a new season or a special or something”
“Cooking show plus Nat? Count me in” said Clint, cracking up a smile at the thought of Nat again watching a cooking show.
“Yes, lets” finished Natasha.
Two hours later, two tired British wizards apparated into the penthouse, coincidentally in front of the TV. Seconds after popping in, they were encased in a magenta light, and promptly lifted and flung away from the screen. Natasha smirked when she heard the two thuds, and Clint began to roar with laughter when Sirius and Remus realised what had happened.
“Oi! Was that necessary Agatha?!” demanded Sirius from the ground.
“Hey! It was not only me!” answered Agatha, eyes never leaving the screen. “Talk to your godson! The red light was his!”
“Prongslet, you traitor!” exclaimed the Animagus.
“Sirius, you apparated in front of the TV! We are watching the finals of the Great British Bake Off. Believe me when I say you got off lightly.” Harry said from the sofa “Same to you Remus” he added when he saw his other godfather begin to complain.
After the show ended, with Natasha’s favourite winning, as always, Agatha, Dudley and Harry went to talk with the wizards, while Nat and Clint stayed on the sofa.
“Clint” began the Russian spy “You need to try to get over your problems with magic. As it is, our world is beginning to involve more and more magic, and closer to us than ever” she said, eyeing the raven-haired boy with affection twinkling in her eyes. Harry had taken a special place in her heart, and while she was not ashamed about it, she knew that if she openly shared her opinions it could be used against her. So the spy did what she did best, and hid everything inside her.
“You are right… I’ll try to work on it” admitted Clint. While Natasha had taken a shine to Harry, he was more prone to Dudley. Harry had, at least, close links to his parents in his godfathers. Dudley only had Tony, who had not gotten along well with his mother, and his father’s sister, who he did not know and only knew of because she had been discarded as a possible guardian of him. He felt like he had to be a sort of older brother figure to Dudley and help him in any way possible.
End Flashback
Tony told Clint several stories about what the children had done since he had last stayed at the Tower. Suddenly, they reached their destiny: a forest in Albania. JARVIS had picked up a very strong ethereal energy that they suspected to be Loki’s sceptre, lost to HYDRA since the Battle of New York.
Landing on a clearing in the forest, they all finished suiting up and left the Quinjet with Bruce.
Searching the forest, they did not find anything. Tony questioned JARVIS, who still detected some ethereal energy in the area. Suddenly, they heard lightning and Thor landed in front of them. He had blood splattered over his face.
“Brave friends, I found a HYDRA base near this forest. There I found out about a major HeadQuarters located near Sokovia!”
“That makes sense” said Tony “ The energy that JARVIS is picking up may be a left over from moving the sceptre from that base to the Sokovian headquarters” reasoned the Iron-Man
“Sir, I believe I have to contradict you. The energy registered does not match the sceptre” said the AI, correcting his master.
“Okay JARVIS, I will look into it. In the meantime, we will try to find the sceptre, searching all HYDRA bases. I think we should begin now and try to hit one every few weeks.” said Tony.
Going back to the Quinjet, Tony began to muse why JARVIS was being so insistent on this ethereal energy, and decided to get the readings in his lab and compare them with other known ones.
“What are you hiding, Albania?” mused Tony, while checking basic readings in the Quinjet’s computer.