Marvel Fanfiction - Chapter 17
The bus moved smoothly through the city traffic. Sebastian leaned back letting his thoughts drift as he stared out at the glowing skyline.
Suddenly the bus jerked to a stop. Passengers gasped and some stood to look out the front. A loud boom echoed through the air followed by the clash of metal.
Snapping out of his daze Sebastian opened the window and peered ahead. Two armored figures were fighting in the street. One was a huge heavy gray suit throwing punches like a wrecking ball. The other was a sleeker red and gold suit moving fast and dodging with skill.
It did not take long for Sebastian to figure it out.
This had to be Tony Stark. Iron Man. And his first major battle. What luck to witness it live.
And what better chance to get Stark's attention?
Without wasting time Sebastian pulled up his hood and climbed out the bus window. He disappeared into the crowd. In a quiet alley he whispered.
"Wingardium Leviosa."
He used the charm on himself. With a few light steps he launched into the air quickly closing in on the fight.
Stane wearing the bulky Iron Monger armor had just lifted a car filled with women and children. He was ready to throw it at Tony.
Sebastian raised his wand and aimed.
The car stopped mid air gently floating to the side. It landed safely on the ground. The driver a panicked mother slammed the gas pedal and sped away.
One less thing to worry about.
Both Tony and Stane turned toward Sebastian.
"Who are you?"
Tony asked while his eyes narrowed.
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
Stane growled.
Sebastian did not bother answering. He pointed his wand at Stane. With a sharp motion the giant suit lifted off the ground. Stane shouted in anger flailing inside.
With another flick Sebastian launched him across the city. He sent him crashing toward an empty construction site.
Then he turned to Tony.
"Finish the fight there. Too many people here."
Tony blasted into the sky without a word. He chased after Stane who had just been hurled away. Sebastian followed using Wingardium Leviosa floating up in powerful bounds. He was slower than Iron Man but the distance was not far. He caught up quickly.
Tony's arc reactor the one he had built while trapped in a cave was nearly out of power. He could not use his suit at full strength. So he had to rely on fists and quick moves.
Sebastian landed with a sharp flick of his wand canceling his levitation spell. He did not hesitate. He aimed at the giant suit's chest.
"Reducto!"
A flash of white light struck the armor leaving only a dent.
It was not enough.
Most of Sebastian's powerful spells were made to hurt living things not metal machines. He knew bigger attacks like Bombarda Maxima or Fiendfyre could do real damage. But those were out of reach for him. At least for now.
The Iron Monger spun and opened fire. Its Gatling gun roared spitting bullets at Sebastian.
He raised his wand.
"Protego!"
A magical shield appeared stopping the bullets mid air. But the gun was powerful. The shield shimmered and rippled under pressure. He could feel the strain.
Tony swooped in and landed a heavy punch on the Iron Monger's arm. He knocked the gun's aim off.
Sebastian did not waste the opening. He moved fast and circled around. He aimed at the armor's knee joint.
"Reducto!"
This time the spell hit a weak spot.
BOOM!
The leg joint sparked and gave way. The massive suit dropped down on one knee.
Inside the armor Stane roared.
"What did you do to my armor?!"
Metal groaned as he forced the suit back up. But the leg dragged behind.
Sebastian stepped forward.
"Stane stand down. We are not going easy on you."
Stane did not answer. He just threw a punch that sent Tony flying. Then he aimed a rocket right at Sebastian.
Sebastian reacted instantly. He aimed at the ground and flicked his wand upward.
"Transfiguro Confringo!"
The ground exploded upward forming a thick stone wall. The rocket slammed into it bursting into flames and rubble. But the blast did not reach him.
Sebastian gritted his teeth. Transfiguration spells added with blasting spells like that took a lot of energy. He was running low.
Still he was not done.
He aimed one more time at the damaged leg.
"Reducto!"
CRACK!
The consecutive attacks shattered the joint rendering the leg powerless. The massive suit collapsed to one knee. No matter how Stane struggled it would not rise again.
"Dang it! What did you do to my armor?!"
Stane yelled.
With a loud roar the Iron Monger fired another rocket at Sebastian. But Sebastian was ready. He flicked his wand and summoned a slanted Protego shield. The rocket bounced off and exploded harmlessly in the sky.
"Tony go for his targeting system!"
Sebastian shouted.
He was not worried about using names. He had been listening to them talk during the fight. It would not raise questions.
Tony gave a quick nod. He was already thinking the same thing. The Iron Monger did not have many weapons. Just a big gun and rockets. If they took out the targeting system the suit would be nearly useless.
"Cover me!"
Tony called out.
He took to the air flying around the Iron Monger to find a weak spot. Thanks to Sebastian helping earlier Tony still had enough power left in his suit to pull off some risky moves.
Sebastian aimed his wand.
"Incendio!"
Flames shot out twisting like snakes. They slammed into the Iron Monger. Fire and smoke blocked Stane's view.
That was Tony's chance.
He zoomed behind the bulky suit and grabbed hold. He yanked hard at the wires near its head. Sparks flew as he ripped out the systems that controlled aiming and vision.
"NO!"
Stane shouted furious.
Blinded and angry the Iron Monger thrashed around. It managed to grab Tony's arm and slammed him with a heavy punch. Tony flew through the air and hit the ground hard. He landed near Sebastian.
"Cough. I disabled the targeting system. What is next?"
Tony rasped.
Sebastian waved his wand subtly conjuring wisps of black smoke. They veiled his figure and features. Though his primary goal in aiding Tony was to lay the groundwork for a future connection he knew patience was key. Rushing the process could jeopardize a mutually beneficial partnership. For now secrecy and strategic timing were essential. Help Tony today. Reveal more later.
Assisting against Stane was merely the first step. Any thoughts of deeper collaboration would come later.
"Leave it to me. With the visual and targeting systems gone Stane is either blind or forced to open his armor and aim manually. If he exposes himself he is no match for me."
As Sebastian spoke the Iron Monger's chest hissed and parted with a metallic groan. It revealed Stane inside.
"I never thought I would be into this but man wearing this suit is awesome! It makes me feel unstoppable!"
Stane shouted.
He raised the Iron Monger's arm. The Gatling gun on its right side unleashed a wild spray of bullets. With the targeting system wrecked the shots went everywhere. Totally off target.
"Oh you trashed my aiming tech Tony but it is no big deal. You talk about shutting down Stark Industries' weapons yet you built the ultimate weapon yourself. Bet your dad would be real proud Tony!"
Stane sneered.
Tony ignored him turning to Sebastian.
"You said you had a plan once Stane opened his armor. So what is the move?"
"Relax. I have got this."
Sebastian said.
He stepped forward staring at Stane.
"You know your biggest mistake Stane?"
"Mistake?"
Stane snapped.
"You left yourself wide open."
"Huh? What is that supposed to mean?"
Stane's gut told him something was off. He tried to close the armor but it was too late. Sebastian raised his wand.
"Stupefy!"
A red flash shot out hitting Stane square in the chest. He passed out instantly. The Iron Monger froze completely still without its pilot.
Tony still in his suit stared stunned.
"Wait is that it? It is over?"
"What did you want me to keep brawling with him?"
Sebastian joked.
"Ha! Dude you are hilarious."
Tony chuckled finally loosening up and showing his laid back side.
But then Tony stumbled dropping to one knee. The arc reactor in his chest was almost out of juice. Too weak to keep his suit running.
Sebastian frowned and knelt beside him.
"You okay? Can I do anything?"
"If you can grab the power core from Stane's armor."
Tony panted.
Sebastian understood immediately and hurried to the Iron Monger. The core was locked tight. He stepped back and waved his wand. He cast Reducto a few times blasting the compartment open. He pulled out the arc reactor inside.
When he got back to Tony the chest plate of Tony's suit was half open. It revealed the dead reactor inside. Sebastian handed over the new core. Once it was plugged in Tony let out a huge sigh sprawling on the ground.
"Thanks man. You saved my butt twice today."
Tony said while eyeing Sebastian's wand.
"But seriously what is that thing? It shoots beams and fire like some high tech gadget. But I do not see any battery or wires. Is it like a hidden power cell?"
Sebastian held up his wand with a grin.
"Nope not tech. This is a wand. Just wood and feathers. No batteries no gizmos. It is all magic."
Tony stared at Sebastian and blinked. He grinned.
"You are messing with me right? Magic is not real. This is not some Disney fairy tale."
"That just means you do not know enough about the world."
Sebastian shot back.
"Hey I do not like that vibe. I am already sold on aliens existing. I am betting I will run into them someday."
Tony said while smirking.
Sebastian gave him a weird look and nodded.
"Yeah I believe that. You will probably meet a ton of aliens eventually."
"Magic though? That is a bit too much."
Tony started.
Before he could finish a shadow moved nearby followed by voices. Sebastian flicked his wand at the corner of his eye casting Lumos to sharpen his vision in the dark. He spotted a group of agents in black suits sprinting toward them. Guns drawn with Pepper guarded in the middle. Right away he knew it was SHIELD back when they still went by that name.
"Tony we will debate tech versus magic another time. People are coming. I would rather not deal with them. It would get messy."
"People? Who?"
Tony asked while squinting.
"You will find out soon. I am not a fan of them but they are not bad news for you. They will keep you safe."
"Cool but how about we swap numbers? Or like Instagram or something?"
Tony suggested.
"Nah. I am sure we will cross paths again soon."
Sebastian said.
As he spoke Coulson arrived with his team escorting Pepper. They noticed Sebastian standing next to Tony. They were about to speak when he leaped into the air. With a light bound he soared into the night sky. He vanished.
Realizing they could not chase him Coulson and his team turned their attention to Tony and Stane. But Coulson's mind was racing. The way Sebastian moved and disappeared reminded him of the mysterious figure who saved Jessica and took down Kilgrave. They could be the same person. Possibly Sebastian Shaw. He was not sure.
Coulson pulled out his phone and dialed Sharon.
"Hello sir."
She answered.
"Sharon I have got a job for you."