Chapter 15
A month passed and Harry had to replace his core twice. Before, he had managed to get away with just once a month, but the poison was starting to spread further. The more he used his magic, or the more he used his suit, the faster it spread. The lines didn't extend past his chest, but Harry took to wearing a few layers just in case. Neville questioned the wardrobe (since Hermione and Blaise were still on their vacation), but Harry just said that he felt a little chilly. Clint glared at him with that excuse, but Neville slowly accepted it without a word. Harry didn't want to see the day that Neville had enough with his excuses.
Except for board meetings and frustrations over the notes Bruce left behind, the month was a vacation for Harry. There were no emergencies, Clint got an official notice for time off, and he got to relax back into the mindless routine of playing with electronics. Jarvis popped in with updates (if he had them) to anything Bruce and Betty related, but Harry realized about a week after Bruce left that his new friend probably didn't want to be contacted. Harry still wanted to reach out to him, but they didn't know each other that well.
If his poisoning got too bad, he'd reach out then.
Harry was halfway done with Blaise's own suit when Edwin came into the workshop. Harry offered the man a smile and shut off the welder so there wouldn't be any accidents while the old man was around.
"Didn't expect to see you here. I thought you were on the roof in the garden."
Edwin pulled out a seat and relaxed into it. "I was until Mister Barton came to see me."
"Clint? I thought he was out at some archery thing today."
"I'm sure he was at one point," Edwin said with a shrug. "He just returned from something at Shield."
"Vacation's over, then. Everything okay?"
"For the most part." Edwin reached forward to fix something in one of Harry's plans. "He informed me of a development he thought you'd be interested in. A week ago, Shield picked up a body in the arctic that turned out to be none other than Captain America."
"Captain who?" Harry had never heard of someone with that name, thought it sounded a little familiar. Perhaps something in Howard or Tony's memories? "Sorry, but I don't know who that is."
"I didn't think you would." Edwin brought up another screen and opened a file. "These are his comics, or at least the ones they distributed to try and make him popular among the war-torn people. Using him made people buy more war bonds."
"Sounds like a great guy." Harry opened the first comic so he could swipe through the pages. "Patriotic, much?"
"Captain America," Edwin reminded him. "He was presumed dead in 1945, after he brought down a plane that was en route to the states."
Harry glanced up at Edwin. "You're hiding something from me."
"I'm trying to figure out how to phrase it." Edwin reached forward to open another file. This one held reports and maps of things Harry had never seen. "Master Stark, Howard, spent years trying to find him. He was never one to give up one of his projects, and that's exactly what Captain America was to him. Another science project he created in some basement."
"Captain America is a robot?"
"No," Edwin said with a laugh. "A genetically-altered man with more strength than most know what to do with. He is the only successful trial of the Super Soldier Serum."
"Bruce mentioned that once…"
"He would, considering he was one of the many who tried to recreate it. His mistake brought about the Hulk, while others who made the same mistakes usually died." Edwin placed a gentle hand on Harry's arm. "I know you're going to try and find out what happened, but please know that you won't like what you find. Stark men were always obsessive when it came to what they created."
Harry ignored the main warning to ask, "Am I not being obsessive enough, then?"
"No, but nobody wants you to become that." Edwin stood, squeezing Harry's arm as he did so. "You don't need to become obsessive about things to the point where Howard was. It did nobody any favors to act that way and I'm sure your friends won't appreciate you completely becoming a Stark. You're already halfway there."
"What do you mean?"
Edwin pointedly looked to Harry's chest, but he didn't say another word as he walked out of the lab. Guilt immediately went through his system and Harry stared at the boot in front of him for a moment before swearing and pushing away from the desk. He hadn't told Edwin of his issue, but he was sure the old man knew somehow. Harry was (again) reminded that he had become too lax in his years as another person.
Edwin was right, though; he wanted to find out about this aspect of Howard. He would need to know if Tony was going to react accordingly. He debated going straight to the Pensive, but he knew that Blaise would be even more pissed at him if he did so without someone there to watch him.
That left Neville, since nobody else really knew the extent to a wizard's powers. Perhaps even Miranda if Neville wouldn't do it for whatever reason. He let out a long sigh and told Jarvis to lock down the lab on his way out.
He found Neville and Clint both in the garden and he hoped Clint wouldn't ask too many questions. "Hey, Happy?"
Neville leaned back to look at him. "Do you need something, Mister Stark?"
Harry wrinkled his nose, glad that Neville at least smiled when he asked it. "Your help with something in the lab, that's all."
"Want me to come?" Clint was already pushing to stand.
"Na, just Happy." Harry shook his head. "Believe me, you can't help with this one, Clint."
"Rude." Clint flipped him the bird and settled back in the dirt. "Go help the spoiled boss, Hap. I got this."
"I trust you not to toss them off the roof." Neville motioned for Harry to lead the way. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
They kept silent after that as Harry led Neville back into his lab and through a side door. He had moved the Pensive in here, along with the rest of his spellbooks and other wizard-type things just in case a Shield agent got curious. As he was programmed to do, Jarvis announced who came into the room; Harry ignored the announcement.
"What's this about, Harry?" Neville at least waited until the door closed before asking.
"I need to research something and I promised Blaise I'd only do it under supervision." Harry pulled out the pensive. "I wasn't feeling too well last time I did it, so just… pull me out if you need to, okay?"
Neville frowned, running a hand along the rim. "What are you doing?"
"I'm completely unprepared for reacting to Shield finding Captain America. Howard was obsessed with him apparently." Harry found the right vial of memories and poured them in. "I don't want to do this, but…"
"I know." Neville pulled a screen up on the table next to them. "Do what you need to. I'll do what I can from here, okay? Jarvis and I can look at press statements from Howard."
"Thanks, Nev." Harry gave his friend a smile before taking a deep breath and sinking into memories he would rather never see.
He wondered again if this was worth it.