Chapter Text
People were milling around as he stood in a long line waiting for coffee, sure it was after noon and he probably shouldn't indulge the craving but something was dragging him here, okay it was likely the nightmares of the war that had kept him awake... A fact he was trying to ignore by getting said coffee. The line was beginning to dwindle down, perhaps another ten minutes in line?
Harry's eyes widened as he saw a familiar face walking around the cafe, trying to stay unseen, just not from him.
"Har— Agent Budapest?" Natasha asked, "What are you doing here?!"
"Well," Harry began with a smirk, "I finally left Brittan and moved to America, I'd prefer it didn't get out.."
"The Director?"
"Knows what I am comfortable sharing," he replied dryly, "He is not overly fond of magic users at the moment so I'm certain this will be interesting."
"He wants you to join the avenger team doesn't he?" Hawkeye asked somewhere perched above them. "Exposing your potential would be—" the man trailed off.
"Nice attempt, agent Hawk," glancing up at the man who wasn't as stealthy as he thought he was. As he came down the building, honestly he wondered why people didn't seem to notice. If Clint was a magical he'd assume there was a notice me not in place but there wasn't. The years of dealing with death eaters had left Harry a tad paranoid, but it wasn't really a bad thing. Especially when stuff like this kept happening to him. At least it wasn't Hydra agents this time. Actually did shield even know Hydra was still around? He'd have to ask later. "Yes, however I will not be joining. I've had enough of the saving people thing."
"I doubt that," Natasha replied with a knowing look.
Rolling his eyes he slowly stated, "I'm just getting a coffee before my account manager gets ahold of me. I'm actually turning into a recluse in my old age." He ignored the whisper of Moody repremanding him for not having constant vigilance, even in the grave the man haunted him. Not literally, that would be easily dealt with... No this was just a shade of a memory, one that he couldn't seem to ditch.
"You still look like a teenager," Clint stated, "I will never get used to that."
"Same way?" He replied as the line moved up, Harry didn't know if their beverage of choice had shifted as it had ben a few years. Clint liked his with enough creamer that it might as well not be coffe unless they were on a stake out. Natasha however liked hers black and with exactly three packs of sugar.
"Yep, unless you've smuggled over some firewhisky," the duo teased, their eyes following a target.
Not here for pleasure then, he noted, that didn't really matter in the long run.
"Watch for an owl," he replied with a wink. It wouldn't be the first time he had sent them some. After the war and... well, he didn't like to think about how the Ministry turned against him. Luckily the heros was more incline to leave him be. "Good luck with the mark."
He got the coffes before returning to find them seated at a table, he pulled out the third chair and placed coffes in front of them. He glanced at the scientists that they were following, no one he recognized. Muggle, no magical traces so he ignored them.
"So where is the new place?"
"Somewhere it won't be found," he replied ominously, the truth was it was heavily warded and he had yet to key anyone into the wards. "I can neither confirm or deny if it moves locations.." Changing the subject he turned to face Clint and asked, "How are the wards holding?"
"Excellent, I can't thank you enough.. Even S.H.I.E.L.D can not find the location of the farm house," Hawkeye replied.
"If you don't mind I can drop by and top them off again," he paused, before continuing in a ramble, "Although the rune stones should keep it powered far longer than the average human lifespan..."
Really it wasn't like Laura or the kids would object but he absolutely hated going anywhere uninvited.. He also hated mentioning that to people, something Hermione had pointed out was counterproductive and stupid.
"Laura would be happy to have you over anytime for any reason, she was sulking when you did not show up for the holidays but the moving post card was a nice touch," Natasha replied with a small laugh, "Clint trusts you or you wouldn't know about them in the first place."
"I wouldn't bet on that, his mental shields are still abysmal, even for a nomaji," he warned with a grimace at the thought. "You still have that amulet right?"
"Yes," Hawk replied with a frown, "Why?"
"Just checking," he replied, "I know from experience it isn't fun to have someone playing around in your head... I do not ever want a friend to suffer that..."
"You're paranoid Potter," Natasha said.
"Not without reason," he muttered before replying, "it is better to be safe than sorry, something you both should know given the years you have been employed by your employer.."
Glancing up he said, "I'll catch you later, your mark is moving."
The two jumped up and took the coffee with them, he laughed as it wasn't often they got distracted while working. Perhaps being in America wouldn't be too bad, although he wasn't commited enough to live in NewYork city. Most of all he just wanted some peace but there was a impending sense of doom that was hovering in the air that told him peace was not his to be had.
After a few moments passed he walked around a corner and apperated home as the side walk cafe was getting too crowded for his taste.
~~~
As luck would have it he had been right. The Potter luck had struck and bloody aliens were attacking NewYork which was beyond bizarre, he'd helped where he could without breaking too many laws, or rather laws set for agents. A little furious that Fury hadn't mentioned this as possibility, usually the man would give a warning before he saw it on the news or was dropped into the situation. Then again, there wasn't much the current wizarding world could do even if they were here, he was an unique case. Ever since he'd claimed the three artifacts.. He wasn't exactly bound by their laws anymore, nor was he average in power. As an immortal, things were weird. However he knew drawing attention was never a good thing, which is why he currently resembled a dementor, obscured. While in robes he could hide his identity and still help.
Loki was his target, if he wasn't mistaken the god was being effected by mind magic, the kind that broke Hawkeye's amulet but left him in control of his mind. The fact the amulet broke wasn't a good sign given it could ward off the unforgivable impurius spell. If there was something at play stronger than that, well, it sure wasn't a good thing. The average wizard had enough issues fighting that one off.
"Agent Budapest has joined the fray," Natasha stated into an earpiece.
"The billowing black cloaks made that obvious," Clint bantered back.
A smile crossed his face, while he could hear them if he tried to enter the chat he would undoubtedly fry the whole system which would be counter productive.
He ushered groups of civilians to saftey as he made his way towards the tower. Spotting a green giant he ran over and yelled, "Can you throw me at the roof?"
Blanching as the Hulk did as what was asked of him, Harry hadn't thought this all the way through he thought as he was flung by an ankle at the roof. He waved his hand and landed on the roof without breaking anything, he made a note to never do that again, it was worse than the spinning of a portkey.
Landing by a square orb that was shielded by energy he went to work breaking the ward, it was a strange magic. Definitely something he was unfamiliar with, but it was slowly breaking. One the ward was dropped he summoned the cube to him. Power radiated off of it, the kind that tried to sink into you and corrupt your very soul. He crushed his hand, the cube denting as he flooded it with his own magic until it was a pile of ash. The portal closing before the third monster had made its way in.
"What did you do?" A voice shouted behind him.
"Who are you?" A different one asked with fear in his green eyes.
"I'm Agent Budapest, Fury can vouch for my identity.. Well, sorta.." He trailed off, casting a freezing charm on the god.
"Captain America, I removed the problem," gesturing to the ash. "The portal is closed and the humans need aid, I'll make sure this one does no further damage to stark towers."
"Loki is a threat," the man argued.
"So am I," he replied with a smirk, letting a hint of coldness deep into his eyes. "Loki here has some questions to answer... Questions your boss will want answered."
"Steve, get your ass over here," a voice called.
Glancing over he saw a red and gold suite, ironman.
He grabbed Loki and appeared two floors down in Stark's tower. He looked into blue eyes and sighed, whoever was controlling the man was using his eyes. Not on to back down from a challenge he called Fury and said, "Your extraterrestrial guest from Asgard has a hitchhiker.. Fairly certain its not voluntary. I can go in and kick them out but the team can not move either of us until the procedure is over."
"Your telling me this motherfucker is a victim of mind control?" The director stated in a tone that suited his name. "Your certain?"
"As certain as I can be without tearing my way into his mind to kick the intruder out..." He replied.
"Fix his head," fury muttered, "Why is it when you show up my job always gets more complicated?"
"Because, I have the Potter luck," he replied ruefully before hanging up. His eyes locked on Loki's and he sat before diving into the deep end.
Spiraling into Loki's mind was not as simple as the others who had been controlled. No. There was blue all around, falling always falling, pain, freezing.... Eternal Darkness. It was enough to remind him of his family and the war all at the same time but he couldn't let that distract him. This had been going on for longer than a few years, he could see the signs of torture in the cracks that had formed in the blue. Loki's mind was shades of green while the intruder was blue. This was going to take a while he thought as he landed somewhere to begin the work of undoing all that the blue had done.
Minutes, hours, eons, could have passed for all he knew by the time he had unraveled half of the damage without engaging in a battle for Loki's mind but he knew that was soon to change. The core of the issue had been found. Loki was trapped in his own mind, collared and bound like a misbehaving pet. The god was weakened from torture and hadn't broken free yet.
He shoved his magic in two directions, one strengthening Loki as the other focused on shoving the mad Titan out of here. Thanos fought for control over Loki's mind but Harry knew that the other wouldn't win. Not when death was pushing as well, darkness and null of the void mixed with his own icy powers as they shoved the Titan out.
There was a pop and he went spiralling out of Loki's mind and back into his own body, blood dripping down on the floor he was sitting on. His head ached as did his nose. Magical exhaustion was a bitch.
"—ou okay?" A voice said from behind him.
Glancing around he saw nothing there, confusion sank in for a moment before he remembered Natasha mentioning Stark had an ai.
"I'll live," he replied as he flopped back against the side of a couch. It would take him a minute to get to his feet, with the way that the land of sleep was trying to drag him under.
Loki groaned and grabbed his head, "While I appreciate the aid, please never do that again."
"I hate mind Magic," Harry muttered as he dragged himself up onto to his feet. Reaching in his pocket he grabbed a potions vial. "Here, this will help with the headache."
"Midguard holds no potions that work on Asgardians." Loki said hauntily.
Snorting he replied, "I might be from here but I'm also immortal, kinda goes with my job... That'll kill the headache... The recipe came from beyond this planet."
Well, sorta? Death didn't live here full time given the multiverse which he wasn't even going to try to explain. Death had given him the recipe for a headache reliver after a particularly bad day for the both of them... But best not to dwell on that.
"It's not poisoned, I'll even take a vial." He pulled out a second one, then an empty one to pour half from each in it before doing the same to the rest before Loki could reply. He knew that trust wasn't easy especially right after torture. He downed his without a thought and held the other out to the guy.
Loki took it and sniffed before downing it, the man coughed and spluttered, "I think I'd rather have the headache over whatever flavor of evil that was."
"That's potions for you, taste awful but are effective," he replied, "At least this one doesn't look like pumpkin juice and tatse like well to be honest I don't even know what that tatse could be called..." He shuddered at the memory of regrowing bones.
"Why would anyone create them?" Loki muttered.
"Insane magicals, or rather most came from the time of the witch hunt, I imagine healing was needed," Harry shrugged, "it's been a few decades since I last went to the school.."
"Magic school?" Loki asked seemingly intrigued.
"Yep, Hogwarts was where I studied but it's changed, there are other schools... Perhaps one day I'll study as a seventh year at one just to freak them out..." He pondered a moment before asking, "Death, odds of me having a year off to cause chaos?"
"Considering you killed the mad Titan in the battle of wills, I would say likely. His side will fall apart now," Death replied as the entity appered in dark robes.
"Nice, care to join me Loki? Well, after we clear your name... And I tell Fury that I'll be out of contact.." Harry mumbled.
Loki blinked a few times, "The all father will never allow me."
"Odin?" Harry asked with a smirk, "I can deal with him.. He's been avoiding his Odinssleep."
"In that case, don't blame me for the mayhem.." Loki said with a smirk.
"I solemly swear that I'm up to no good," he answered with a matching smirk.
"Just don't cause a massive paperwork incident for me this time, Master, " Death pleaded.
"No promises," he answered as he looped an arm through Loki's and teleported them to Asgard. Best to get this over with. Plus he kinda wanted to terrorize Asgard, Death hadn't let him come here before... Something about old men and beards pissing Harry off which meant more paperwork.
"Who do you think you are!?!!" An arrogant voice called out.
Smirking he answered, "The Master of Death, Agent Budapest, Harry Potter, freak, take your pick you old coot."