The team sprinted across the snow-covered Siberian wasteland, their breath fogging in the freezing air as the Hydra facility behind them continued its grand finale of destruction. Fireballs erupted into the sky, sending twisted metal and shattered concrete raining down. The whole thing looked like a Michael Bay movie, except with less CGI and more actual property damage.
They reached the rendezvous point—a secluded clearing near the edge of a frozen river—just in time to watch the main structure of the Hydra base groan, shudder, and finally collapse in on itself like a very evil soufflé.
Tony let out a low whistle and clapped James Potter on the back. "I have to say, Prongs, that was a work of art. You sure you weren't a demolitions expert in a past life?"
James adjusted his glasses with a smirk. "I prefer 'artistic saboteur.'"
Sirius, standing beside him with an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips, snorted. "And here I thought Tony was all about building things."
"I am," Tony said, watching as another explosion sent flaming debris sky-high. "But sometimes, a little controlled destruction is cathartic."
"Yeah, yeah, poetic," Bucky muttered, shaking snow off his vibranium arm. "Can we not freeze to death out here?"
Steve crossed his arms, looking every bit like a disappointed dad who just found out his kids threw a party while he was away. "You do realize that if Hydra had any reinforcements, they'd be on their way right now, right?"
"Relax, Cap," Clint drawled, twirling an arrow between his fingers. "We've got an exit plan." He nodded toward Harry. "Right, Magic Man?"
Harry, clad in his Revenant armor, cracked his neck. "Oh, definitely. But let's be real, watching Hydra go boom is peak entertainment."
Natasha raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. "You enjoy explosions that much?"
Harry turned to her, expression deadpan. "Nat, I spent my childhood under the tender care of the human-walrus hybrid that was my uncle. Watching evil organizations crumble? That's self-care."
Peggy smirked. "Can't argue with that."
Rhodey, who had been shaking his head at the whole exchange, pointed at Alexei. "Alright, let's wrap this up before we actually freeze to death."
Alexei, the ever-enthusiastic Red Guardian, let out a booming laugh. "Ha! This? This is nothing! Back in my day—"
"No one cares, Red," Bucky groaned. "Literally no one."
Alexei huffed, crossing his arms. "You Americans have no appreciation for history."
Moody, his magical eye swiveling in every direction, grumbled, "You lot are too loud for a covert op. Let's move before Hydra decides to send an encore."
Harry smirked and finally raised his hand. A swirling portal of blue and gold energy spiraled open in front of them, revealing the warm, inviting interior of their safehouse in Prague.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Harry announced with a dramatic bow. "Your first-class ticket home."
Steve sighed. "You could just say 'portal's open.'"
"But then it wouldn't be fun, Stevie," Harry countered.
One by one, the team stepped through, leaving behind the smoldering remains of another one of Hydra's ill-advised ventures. As the last of them crossed into the safehouse, Harry flicked his wand, closing the portal with a soft whoosh.
Tony exhaled, pulling off his helmet. "Not gonna lie, that was fun."
Sirius tossed his coat onto the back of a chair. "Let's do it again sometime."
James rolled his eyes. "Let's not."
Natasha smirked. "You do realize we're probably going to have to, right?"
Bucky groaned, collapsing onto the nearest couch. "At least let me get some sleep first."
Erica, who had been uncharacteristically quiet (probably because she had been too busy enjoying the explosions), flopped into an armchair. "I call dibs on the hot shower."
Rhodey raised a hand. "I call second."
Harry, grinning, reached into his cloak and pulled out a bottle of firewhisky. "Or… we could drink first. Priorities, people."
Steve gave him a disapproving look. "Really?"
Harry grinned. "Come on, Steve, live a little."
Peggy smirked and raised a glass. "To another successful mission."
"To another," everyone echoed, glasses clinking as the safehouse filled with laughter, banter, and the kind of camaraderie that only comes from surviving another day of being the world's last, best hope.
—
As the safehouse hummed with laughter and the warmth of firewhisky, the front door swung open, ushering in a blast of cold air and three figures bundled in winter coats. Lily Potter, Melinda May, and Agent Morrigan stepped inside, shaking off the snow like they had just walked out of a particularly dramatic spy movie.
Lily took one look at the half-empty firewhisky bottle in Harry's hand and sighed. "Of course, the first thing you do after taking down a Hydra base is drink."
Harry, ever the picture of innocence, grinned. "To be fair, it's tradition at this point."
Peggy, lounging comfortably with a glass in hand, raised it in agreement. "Besides, it's firewhisky. It warms the soul."
May, always the practical one, arched an unimpressed eyebrow. "And dulls the senses."
Sirius, sprawled across one of the couches in what could only be described as 'Maximum Chaotic Recline,' smirked. "Which is precisely the point."
Tony clapped his hands together, effectively calling the room to order. "Alright, children, fun's over. Now that our merry band of lunatics is back together, let's crack open Hydra's dirty little secrets." He gestured toward the briefcase on the table, its Stark-tech locks glowing faintly like they were judging everyone's life choices.
JARVIS's voice chimed in from the speakers, crisp as ever. "Sir, I have begun decrypting the files retrieved from the facility. However, I have encountered a… complication."
Tony groaned. "Let me guess—Einhardt?"
"Correct. It appears he has once again utilized advanced encryption intertwining Ancient Runes with Arithmancy-based coding."
Lily rolled her eyes and collapsed into a chair. "Of course he did. The man has an unhealthy obsession with overcomplicating things."
"Sounds like someone else we know," Clint muttered, casually twirling an arrow.
"I heard that, Legolas."
Lily ignored them, already rolling up her sleeves. "Alright, JARVIS, show me what we're dealing with."
A holographic projection bloomed in the air, revealing a rotating web of glowing runes intertwined with lines of coded script.
James peered over her shoulder. "That looks like a nightmare."
"It's actually quite elegant," Lily admitted, scanning the intricate structure. "The runes act as a secondary lock. If you don't solve the Arithmancy equations in the right order, the entire encryption resets."
"Great," Rhodey said dryly. "A magical self-destruct button for data."
"Basically."
Tony leaned closer, rubbing his hands together. "JARVIS, can you isolate the first layer?"
"Already done, sir."
Lily flicked her wand, tracing delicate patterns over the runes as she muttered under her breath. The glyphs flickered, and a section of the script shifted.
"There. That should get us through the first lock."
Tony smirked. "And they say magic and tech don't mix."
Natasha, sipping her drink with practiced ease, watched them work. "They mix when you have the right people."
Peggy, arms crossed, studied the hologram. "Any idea what's buried under all these layers?"
Lily pushed her glasses up her nose. "We'll find out soon enough. But something tells me Hydra wasn't just hoarding weapons in that facility."
Harry, still lounging with firewhisky in hand, smirked. "Oh, I'm sure whatever it is, it'll be incredibly dangerous, world-threatening, and lead to at least one more fight."
Bucky groaned, sinking deeper into the couch. "Why is it always like this?"
Steve, standing like a disappointed dad who just discovered his kids threw a house party, sighed. "Because we have terrible luck."
Erica, stretched out in an armchair, yawned. "At this point, I think the universe is just messing with us for fun."
Alexei, sipping what was definitely not his first drink of the night, grinned. "Ha! This is nothing. Back in my day—"
"No one cares, Red," Bucky interjected, not even looking up. "Literally no one."
Alexei huffed, muttering something in Russian that was probably unflattering.
Meanwhile, JARVIS's voice cut through the room. "I believe we are making progress. The second layer of encryption appears to be unraveling."
Lily smirked. "Good. Let's crack this thing wide open."
As the decryption process continued, the room settled into a mix of quiet focus and casual banter. Whatever secrets lay within those files, one thing was certain—Hydra wouldn't like what came next.
—
The firewhisky-fueled camaraderie had cooled into something far more serious as the team gathered around the holographic display. The web of runes and code lines pulsed ominously, like some eldritch horror whispering, You shall not pass in a digital Lovecraftian nightmare.
Lily adjusted her glasses, narrowing her eyes. "Alright, JARVIS, let's see what our Hydra friend has cooked up this time."
"Indeed, Mrs. Potter," JARVIS intoned smoothly. "Einhardt, in what I can only describe as a spectacular display of paranoia, has employed not only an advanced Arithmancy-based encryption but has also layered a secondary algorithm on top of it. This is akin to placing a safe inside another safe, coating it in dragonhide, and then launching the entire thing into a black hole."
Tony let out a dramatic groan. "Why do these guys always have to overcomplicate things? What happened to just writing things down in a good old-fashioned villainous diary? 'Dear Diary, today I plotted world domination. XOXO, Hydra.'"
Rhodey smirked. "You do realize you'd be the first to mock them for being outdated if they did, right?"
"Oh, absolutely. But at least we'd be in by now."
"Double encryption?" Bucky muttered, swirling his drink. "This guy needs to touch grass."
"No, Tony was right the first time," Harry said, sprawled lazily against the couch with a smirk. "Einhardt doesn't need grass—he needs therapy. Preferably the kind Azkaban provides. I hear Dementors make fantastic therapists."
Steve's disapproving frown could have powered an entire don't-do-that seminar. "That's dark, Harry."
Peggy, sitting beside him with an amused expression, gave him a nudge. "Oh, come on, Steve. Given Hydra's history, a few Dementors wouldn't be the worst idea."
Steve sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I hate how I can't argue with that."
Meanwhile, Lily was in full problem-solving mode, her wand weaving intricate patterns through the air as the runes shimmered and flickered like they were actively trying to dodge her efforts. "Okay, the first layer of encryption is starting to break down. JARVIS, reroute the decryption matrix and isolate the secondary algorithm."
"Executing now, Mrs. Potter. However, I must warn you: Einhardt has implemented a failsafe that will trigger a complete data wipe if the secondary encryption is not dismantled in the precise sequence."
Bucky set down his glass with an exasperated sigh. "So… we're basically playing magical Minesweeper with a nuke attached. Fantastic."
"Relax, Frosty," Clint said, tossing a peanut into his mouth. "We've got Magic Man over here. Right, Harry?"
Harry cracked his knuckles, his grin widening. "Oh yeah. No pressure at all. Just a hyper-complex, double-encrypted Hydra doomsday file standing between us and a potential apocalypse. Totally a chill Thursday night."
Natasha raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "You could just say yes, you know."
"Where's the fun in that?"
Sirius snorted. "Kid's got a point."
Lily flicked her wand with more force, frustration creeping into her movements. "This second layer isn't just encrypted—it's reactive. Every time I unlock one section, the rest shifts to compensate. It's like trying to pick a lock while the lock keeps changing its shape."
"Great," May muttered, arms crossed. "So Hydra invented the Rubik's Cube of death."
"Basically," James agreed.
"JARVIS, can you analyze the rune patterns and cross-reference them with Arithmantic sequencing?" Lily asked, her brow furrowed.
"Running the analysis now. However, the decryption sequence is… extensive. Rushing it will likely lead to failure. Might I suggest patience?"
Erica groaned, dramatically flopping over the table. "That's not exactly our strong suit."
"Yeah, we kinda just blow things up when we get frustrated," Clint admitted.
Alexei took a sip of vodka, nodding sagely. "A strategy I wholeheartedly support. Sometimes, the best solution is boom."
"Except this time, 'boom' means losing whatever Hydra was hiding," Peggy pointed out.
Tony tapped his fingers on the table. "Alright, if brute force won't work, what will? We need something that can counteract the adaptive encryption."
Lily exhaled slowly. "The only way to neutralize a self-realigning enchantment is to trick it into stabilizing. If I can anchor the rune sequence, we can force it into a fixed pattern."
Steve tilted his head. "And how do you do that?"
Harry's grin turned downright mischievous. "Simple, Cap. We out-magic the magic."
Moody, who had been eerily silent, grunted. "This is why you lot give me heartburn."
Lily straightened, determination in her eyes. "Alright, let's do this. Harry, I need you to counterbalance the runes while I stabilize the structure. James, run the Arithmancy calculations and feed them to JARVIS. Sirius—"
"Distract everyone with my overwhelming charm?"
"I was going to say keep an eye out for magical backlash, but sure, let's call it that."
Natasha smirked. "Oh, I like her."
Harry and Lily raised their wands in tandem, their incantations weaving together in a symphony of light and power. The runes flickered violently, resisting, shifting, fighting them every step of the way.
"C'mon, c'mon…" James muttered, typing furiously. "JARVIS, feed it through now!"
"Executing."
The runes gave one last violent shudder before locking into place. The entire projection pulsed once—then boom (metaphorically, of course). A flood of data exploded across the holographic screen.
"And we're in!" Tony whooped, throwing his arms up. "Take that, Hydra!"
Bucky let out a dramatic sigh. "Finally. Now let's see what was worth all this trouble."
Lily pushed up her sleeves. "JARVIS, start sorting the data. Let's find out what Hydra didn't want us to see."
Harry leaned back, smirking. "Something tells me Einhardt just lost his last remaining brain cell over this."
Tony grinned. "Serves him right. Welcome to the big leagues, Hydra. We cheat."
With that, the team turned their attention to the decrypted files, bracing themselves for whatever horrors Hydra had hidden within their paranoia-fueled encryption. One thing was certain—this was just the beginning.
—
The room was a symphony of clicking keys, muted swears, and the occasional whooshing sound of holographic screens flicking between documents. Tony Stark, leaning back in his chair, twiddled his fingers in mock evil-genius style. "Alright, Lily. Time to dig through the mess Hydra's been cooking up. Project Ragnarok—just the name screams 'I'm about to do something world-ending,' right?"
Lily Potter, who was doing her best to make sense of the tangled mess of Hydra files, shot him a look. "You really need to stop watching those cheesy spy thrillers. What's next, Stark? Gonna start calling me 'Bond, Lily Bond'?"
Tony grinned and spun around in his chair dramatically. "Well, it is the perfect cover. You'd look fabulous in a tux."
Lily didn't even dignify that with a response—she was too busy scrolling through the encrypted files. But the brief flash of a grin tugging at the corner of her lips suggested she didn't entirely hate the idea.
"So," Tony said, tapping his fingers against the desk, "Project Ragnarok—code name The Fall of the Reich. Sounds like they were aiming for the most dramatic, over-the-top thing they could think of. Which, honestly, just makes me want to dive in."
Lily arched an eyebrow. "And you're what—looking for the 'ultimate villain army' for a new Christmas toy collection?"
"Hey, I've always wanted an army of unstoppable super soldiers. They're perfect for fighting off inconvenient problems," Tony shot back with a wink.
Lily sighed and shifted in her seat, her glasses glinting as she scanned the files. "This isn't a joke, Stark. It's Hydra. You're not going to get a nice little army with capes and heroic speeches. You're looking at something way more dangerous."
"That's what makes it fun!" Tony said. "And come on—if anyone can figure out how to turn a Hydra mess into something mildly useful, it's me."
Lily groaned, rubbing her eyes. "Hydra wasn't playing around, Tony. This isn't some 'make-a-better-soldier' game. They were experimenting with magic. Ancient, twisted magic. Dark magic. These people were trying to make soldiers that couldn't die."
Tony's eyes gleamed as he leaned in. "Oh, that's fun. Who doesn't love a good immortality project gone wrong? It's like a dark fairytale. 'Once upon a time, Hydra made a soldier who just wouldn't stay dead.'"
"Until they figured out it was a really bad idea," Lily muttered. "The test subjects—whatever they were—kept breaking free. No amount of normal magic could kill them. They had to decapitate them to make sure they stayed down. But even then..." She trailed off.
"Oh, no," Tony said, adjusting his glasses with exaggerated concern. "Not the head thing. That's always the part I find messy. I mean, really? No one thought, 'Hey, maybe we shouldn't create immortal zombies that can't be put down without losing a head?'"
Lily shot him a look. "Did you not hear me? They were resistant to most forms of magic. I'm talking about a breed of super soldier who wasn't just bulletproof—they were completely immune to magic. Hydra tried everything, but these soldiers? They were nightmares."
"Yeah, and Hydra's biggest mistake wasn't just creating monsters," Tony muttered, scanning the file again. "It was thinking they could control them. Imagine being the guy tasked with keeping these guys in check. It's like keeping a lion as a pet and then acting surprised when it eats the neighbors."
Lily skimmed another section of the file, her expression growing more serious. "The worst part? Hydra didn't scrap the project—they just put it on pause. They didn't give up, Tony. They're still looking for a way to make the soldiers easier to control. They want them unkillable—without all the decapitation mess."
"Well, that's a bit of a conundrum," Tony said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "And you know what they say—'if at first you don't succeed, just keep creating things until someone gets hurt.'"
Lily paused. "You're kind of terrifying sometimes, you know that?"
Tony gave her an innocent look. "What? I'm a genius, not a monster."
Before she could respond, the rest of the team wandered into the room, their voices low but curious.
"Hey," Steve Rogers said, eyeing the holographic screens. "What's all this about some super soldier project? We talking about the usual Hydra nonsense, or is this something new?"
Lily glanced at him. "This is something new. Project Ragnarok. It was meant to create the ultimate soldiers—undying, unkillable, and virtually impossible to control."
Steve looked grim. "That's... unsettling."
Bucky Barnes, who had wandered in behind Steve, shot Tony a skeptical look. "You're really going to be the one to clean up this mess, huh, Stark?"
Tony raised both eyebrows. "Me? The guy who's clearly better at fighting other bad guys, not just the bad guys who also have magic and might spontaneously explode into flames? Of course."
Bucky grinned. "You sure you've got this, Tony?"
"You mean 'Do I have the unbeatable army of magical undead Nazis under control'? Absolutely," Tony said with a self-satisfied smirk. "I mean, when has it ever gone wrong for me before?"
Peggy Carter stepped up beside Steve, folding her arms. "It has gone wrong, Tony. More than once."
"Oh, come on, Peggy," Tony said, waving her off. "That was so last week. I'm over it." He raised a finger. "Besides, we have better things to focus on—like making sure Hydra doesn't resurrect these things, and making sure no one accidentally lets them loose on an unsuspecting world."
"Hey, I like the sound of that," Natasha Romanoff said, leaning against the doorframe. "But if there's a chance we can take out the people responsible for this mess before they get any further, I'm all in."
"Are you ever not in?" Clint Barton teased from across the room.
"Not when it involves stopping monsters from rising out of the shadows," Natasha said, flashing him a smirk. "Let me guess, you've got a witty comeback for everything, huh?"
Clint smirked. "You have no idea."
Lily looked over at Tony. "We need to track this down, make sure no one else gets their hands on this tech. And we need to find out who's still working on Project Ragnarok—and stop them before they figure out a way to fix their 'immortal soldier' problem."
"That's the plan," Tony said, winking. "In the meantime, I'm going to need my team to stop worrying about immortal zombies and focus on something a little more fun."
"Something like 'stop Hydra from making an army of undead Nazis' fun?" Erica Hill, who had just entered the room, chimed in with a raised eyebrow.
"Exactly that," Tony replied, pointing a finger at her. "See? Someone gets it."
"Well," said Rhodey, stepping forward, "if you need someone who's good at blowing stuff up, I'm your guy."
"I love when you speak my language," Tony grinned.
"Let's not get too excited," Steve cautioned. "We've got a dangerous situation here. Hydra might have learned from their mistakes... and if they've improved their methods, we're going to have bigger problems than we thought."
"I'll take on whatever bigger problem Hydra's got," Clint said with a grin. "Let's just keep it from involving squid this time, okay?"
Tony shot him a grin. "No promises, Barton."
And just like that, the Avengers—and the rest of the crew—were off, ready to take on a Hydra mess that was bound to be far more terrifying than anything they'd dealt with before. But they had one thing going for them: a team that was as ready for anything as they were.
And let's be real, when you had a crew like this, magic-infused undead super soldiers weren't about to stop them.
—
Lily's fingers flew over the keyboard, the sound of her rapid typing filling the room as she sifted through Hydra's ridiculous amounts of encrypted files. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack… except the haystack was on fire, and the needles were covered in spikes. She could feel her brain slowly starting to turn to mush from the sheer absurdity of it all. Hydra had some serious issues with organization, and their idea of research made a mad scientist's lab look like an orderly library.
Tony, on the other hand, was lounging back in his chair like he was watching a Netflix special. "So, no glowing werewolves yet, huh? I'm starting to feel disappointed in Hydra's lack of imagination. What's next? A sentient chair that wants to overthrow the government?"
Lily glanced over at him, not bothering to hide the eye roll. "Not today, Tony. Focus. This is important."
"Oh, I'm focused," Tony said, clicking through more files like a guy who'd just discovered the joys of an espresso machine. "I'm laser-focused. Like a hawk with ADD."
Lily gritted her teeth and kept scrolling, trying to ignore the smug grin on Tony's face. But then—bam—something caught her eye. A string of documents buried beneath some half-decent research and a few weird runes. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and then blinked again. No way. Was she seeing this right?
"Tony," she said, voice sharp as a sword, "Rewind that. I think I found something."
Tony paused, cocking an eyebrow as he leaned in, curiosity piqued. "Please tell me it's not a map to the nearest taco truck."
Lily stared at the screen, her mind doing the equivalent of a double-take. "Einhardt. He cracked it."
Tony's eyes practically bugged out of his skull. "Cracked what? Some ancient puzzle that'll make me the king of Atlantis? Or maybe a new app to make my life more convenient? Because let me tell you, I could really use an app that does my laundry for me."
"No," Lily said, the tension in her voice making Tony sit up straighter. "He cracked the formula for Nicholas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone."
There was a moment of stunned silence before Tony blinked a few times, like he was waiting for the punchline. "The what now?"
Lily shot him a look. "The Philosopher's Stone. The one that grants immortality, turns metal into gold, and is basically every alchemist's wet dream."
Tony rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Oh. That Philosopher's Stone. Okay, yeah, I can see why Hydra would want that. But wait—Einhardt has it? Does Hydra even know about this?"
"No," Lily said, voice barely above a whisper. "Einhardt didn't tell them. This is his personal project. They don't have a clue."
Tony let out a slow whistle. "So Einhardt's got the magic equivalent of a cheat code to life, and Hydra is still looking for a new way to turn their soldiers into zombies?" He rubbed his temples. "This is why I can't take Hydra seriously. They have zero priorities."
Lily nodded grimly. "If they ever found out… things could get a lot worse."
Just as she was about to dive deeper into the file, a raucous sound from across the room interrupted her concentration. She turned to see Harry, Sirius, James, Alexei, Moody, and Erica gathered around the table, clearly having a great time with Firewhiskey in hand. And by "great time," she meant "loud, borderline inappropriate, and entirely too carefree for the situation."
James was hanging off Alexei like a toddler trying to make a new friend at daycare. "Come on, buddy, admit it—those fireworks at that gala in Monaco? Pure genius! Who doesn't love an impromptu pyrotechnic display during an auction?"
Sirius chuckled, raising his glass in a mock toast. "Yeah, especially when the auction was for a diamond-encrusted chicken."
Moody, gruff and with the permanent frown of a man who'd been betrayed by happiness, just shook his head. "I'm just saying, I think we need a new hobby."
Erica, a little tipsy but still standing tall, added, "Maybe one that doesn't involve setting off illegal explosives."
"Or risking our lives," Tony muttered under his breath, before turning back to Lily. "These guys, huh? Can't take anything seriously."
Lily sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Yeah, well, they do have a way of making things interesting."
Just then, Harry—whose idea of "serious" was usually wearing sunglasses indoors and cracking sarcastic remarks—sauntered over with a Firewhiskey bottle in hand and a grin plastered across his face. "What's up, Mum? I see you're working hard. Need us to throw something at a wall for good luck?"
"Harry, James, Sirius," Lily called, cutting him off before he could launch into one of his usual quips. "Come over here. Now."
Harry grinned wider. "Whoa, someone's cranky today. You know, you could join the party. We've got whiskey, bad decisions, and a complete lack of responsibility."
"I don't think now's the time for one of your drunken schemes, Harry," Lily said, trying her best not to sound like she was about to strangle him with a shoelace. "This is important. Really important."
James, still half-drunk, slung his arm around Sirius's shoulder. "How important? Like 'we accidentally blow up a small country' important? Or 'we saved the world again' important?"
"Even more important," Lily replied. "I need you all to see this."
The group gathered around, and Harry peered at the screen like it was a new shiny toy. "Alright, what's the emergency? Did we get invited to another one of those boring government meetings?"
Lily pointed to the file on the screen. "Einhardt's been working on the Philosopher's Stone. He cracked the formula. If Hydra finds out—"
"Hold up," Harry interrupted, his eyes narrowing. "Wait, you're telling me that Einhardt, the guy with the bad haircuts and even worse plans, figured out how to make the Stone?"
"Yeah," Lily said, voice low. "But they have no idea. Hydra's completely in the dark. If they ever find out…"
Sirius cracked his knuckles ominously. "Then we're all screwed."
"Yeah, because immortality in Hydra's hands is definitely the best idea since sliced bread," Tony muttered sarcastically, leaning back in his chair. "We need to stop them before they even know it's a thing."
"Exactly," Lily said, watching as the group processed the information. "We move fast. Hydra can't find out about this."
James, finally sober enough to look serious, nodded. "Then we don't waste time. We make sure Einhardt doesn't finish what he started."
"Well, now that we're all caught up," Tony said, spinning his chair dramatically. "Let's make sure the world doesn't get an eternal do-over, yeah?"
As they all nodded, the banter kicked back up like nothing had changed. And that, to Lily's relief, meant they were ready for whatever Hydra threw at them next. Because when you're facing immortality, secret projects, and Hydra's obsession with power, the only way to survive was with sharp minds, sharp wits, and just enough Firewhiskey to keep the crazy in check.
The game was on. And they weren't about to let Hydra win. Not if they could help it.
—
Lily's eyes were locked on the file, fingers hovering over the keyboard like a cat about to pounce on a laser pointer. "Tony," she said, voice steady, but with a hint of urgency in her tone, "I need you to go through this. Look for any backup data. A guy like Einhardt? He's paranoid enough to have backups of his backups. We need to get our hands on them—especially his research on the Philosopher's Stone—before Hydra does."
Tony shot her a look that was equal parts amused and skeptical, his fingers never stopping their mad dash across the keyboard. "Backup of backups? You think Einhardt's that paranoid?" he quipped, his voice dripping with mock seriousness. "Come on, Lily. If Hydra's involved, they've probably already missed it by ten miles."
"I'm not so sure," Lily muttered, scanning the screen like she was trying to hypnotize it. "This guy didn't just stumble onto the Philosopher's Stone—he's been working on it for decades. I wouldn't be surprised if he's scattered his research all over the place. If we don't find those backups, Hydra will—and they'll get their hands on the key to immortality."
"Ah, immortality," Tony grinned, but his focus sharpened. "Big stuff. So, you want me to find the hidden treasure before Hydra does? Say no more. Let me get my Indiana Jones on."
Lily shook her head, exhaling through her nose. "Focus, Stark."
Tony's fingers never stopped. It was like he was born to type at ludicrous speed. "Focus? Oh, I'm focused. Laser-focused. Like a hawk on a rabbit. But, you know, with less killing."
As Tony worked, Harry, leaning against a table with his arms crossed, threw Lily a look. His expression was dark, like it usually was when the stakes were high, and even though his tone was calm, there was an edge to it that cut through the room like a scythe. "Tony, you find those backup files, and we make sure Hydra never sees them. Otherwise, we'll have a new set of problems to deal with. And trust me, I've had enough of those for several lifetimes."
Tony flashed a grin, holding up his hands like he was surrendering. "Whoa, whoa, no need to get all doom and gloom on me. I'm on it, Cap. Or... should I say, Krypton-boy?"
Lily shot Tony a pointed look as she glanced around the room at the others, who were half-listening, half-doing whatever it was they did best. She caught Bucky's eyes. He was sitting back in a chair, arms folded, looking like he was attending a lecture on the history of cheese, not the fate of the world.
"Tony, you find that backup data, and we'll be able to stop Hydra before they can—" Lily started.
"Before they make a complete mess of things?" Bucky interrupted, deadpan. "Like always?"
"Exactly," she said, not missing a beat. "Otherwise, it's going to be a long road ahead."
Tony smirked. "Yeah, well, I'm about to save everyone's butts, so, you know, get ready for the 'Tony Stark Hero of the Day' parade. It's coming."
"Just make sure it's not a parade of disaster, Stark," Natasha interjected, her voice like smooth velvet with a steel edge. She leaned in from across the table, looking down at the screen. "It's hard to tell sometimes."
Tony waved his hand dismissively. "You wound me, Nat. I'm a professional. Like, a professional-professional. You know, like a surgeon. But with more tech and less... blood."
"Focus, Tony," Peggy said from the side, giving him a look that could freeze lava.
"Right. Focusing," Tony replied, doing the world's quickest impersonation of a serious man. "So, Einhardt was all about layers upon layers of encryption. Vaults within vaults. The kind of thing even Hydra wouldn't bother touching. They'd get confused and blow up their own headquarters before they figured out where the backup data was."
"Yeah," Lily said, nodding. "This guy didn't mess around. But it makes sense. He was researching immortality. A guy like that would have a fail-safe... or ten."
"Oh, he did," Tony said, his voice dropping to that tone he used when he found something really juicy. "I think I've found the motherload. It's encrypted within another encrypted vault, tucked away in a hidden network inside a server farm in... let me guess... Antarctica?"
"Close enough," Tony muttered, almost smug. "But honestly, you'd be surprised at how many geniuses think they can hide stuff in places no one will find. Look, I just cracked it. This is it—the jackpot."
Lily straightened. "You sure?"
Tony leaned back in his chair, stretching, but his fingers never stopped. "Absolutely. Now, we just need to make sure Hydra doesn't find out about it. I'm downloading the data now."
"Any idea what we're looking at?" Steve asked, crossing his arms with a frown. "I'm just trying to picture a backup plan that doesn't end in more explosions. Or Hydra agents."
"Right," Tony said with a wicked grin. "Because explosions are your thing, Captain America, right?"
"Explosions," Steve muttered dryly, "are not my thing."
"Sure they are," Tony said, throwing him a thumbs-up. "You're just too humble to admit it."
As the room buzzed with half-jokes and banter, Harry's voice sliced through like a hot knife through butter. "Let's keep the funny business to a minimum. We get that backup data, and Hydra never sees it. End of story. Otherwise... well, you know."
Tony nodded, no longer joking around. "Understood, Magic-boy. No Hydra for you. Only immortality for us. You'll have to share with the group, though."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "The group? This isn't about sharing, Stark. This is about preventing disaster."
"I'm just saying," Tony said, pulling up a new window on the screen, "if we're going to risk our lives getting this data, we might as well have some fun with it, right? Besides, I've already cracked the first level of encryption."
"And there it is," Natasha said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Tony Stark: always the professional. Except when he's making jokes."
"We all have our talents," Tony replied, flashing a grin as he continued his work. "And my talent happens to be saving the world. Again."
As he worked his magic, the rest of the team exchanged knowing looks. In a room full of chaos and impossible odds, they all knew one thing—Tony Stark might be the biggest pain in the neck, but when it counted, he got the job done. And when it came to keeping Hydra from getting their hands on the Philosopher's Stone—or anything else dangerous, for that matter—their odds just went up significantly.
Lily watched Tony as he worked, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the tension in the air. She was used to this. They were all used to it. The chaos, the jokes, the insane banter that kept them all sane... but when the real fight came, they knew they'd be there for each other. That was what mattered.
"Well," Lily said, leaning back in her chair. "This is either going to end with fireworks or complete catastrophe. But I'm betting on the first one."
"Fireworks?" Sirius echoed from the corner. "I'm in. Count me in. Always down for a little explosion."
"Right," Lily said, with a smirk. "No one does a proper catastrophe quite like us."
And with that, the real battle began—one encrypted file at a time.
---
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