A loud knocking at his door roused him, and he groaned. He hadn't drunk that much last night, but he hadn't avoided the hangover. "Tonyyyy." A woman whined from next to him. "Make it stop."
"Sure thing." He mumbled, not quite sure who she was. If he were unlucky, she would be the daughter of the man knocking at his door.
"Tony Stark!" The man shouted.
"Just give me a minute!" Tony shouted back. "It's been a long night… you know… working." He turned to his companion and whispered. "Just stay quiet and out of the way. Slip out when you can, okay?"
"I don't know where my clothes are." She whispered back.
Tony sighed. "Borrow some of mine, then."
Another set of knocks. "In the name of the goddess!" The man said, with blatant self-importance. Tony rolled his eyes. Hydra officers came in two types, ruthless predators and mindless sycophants. This one was clearly the latter.
Tony put the nearest pieces of clothing at hand on, staggered down the hall, and opened the door. "How can I help you?" Tony asked dully, as if he were a secretary fielding a request.
While many feared Hydra's officers, Tony wasn't one of them. He was the goose that laid the golden eggs. They'd put up with anything from him as long as he delivered- and he most certainly had. That was how he'd gotten his luxury apartment in one of Hydra's most secure settlements, and it was why- he suspected- the man was here.
"Captain Erics." The officer saluted. Tony did not salute back; he was not going to do Hydra's ridiculous dance. "The goddess demands your presence, and your weapons."
"Untwist your panties, Captain." Tony waved his hand. "I've got the goods, as always. I think even Hela will be impressed."
"She better be." The Captain said. He was trying to sound intimidating, and Tony suppressed the desire to roll his eyes again. "You will make yourself presentable and… present your weapons as soon as…" He trailed off, looking over Tony's shoulder.
"Sorry!" The woman squeaked, ducking back behind the doorway. "I was just trying to- sorry!"
"How about you give us a few minutes." Tony said, and the Captain nodded.
-----
Tony had given many demonstrations and presentations in his time, but it was his first one in the presence of Hela herself. He wasn't fazed by the other occupants of the room- an assemblage of Hydra officers that thought themselves more important than they were. He'd dealt with most of them in one capacity or another. Only Zola stood out to him, for obvious reasons. Tony assumed that he was watching too.
Hela was different. She was unnaturally tall and pale, and there was something about her… an aura that put him on edge. He'd heard it described before, but the stories hadn't done it justice. He did his best to mask his unease with his usual showmanship. Though her eyes seemed to pierce him, and he wondered if she could see right through his bravado.
"I present to you the Iron Man mark six." He said, having has arm to the suits, a dozen in total. "I've heard the complaints. The old suits were sitting ducks, not maneuverable enough, and well-" He stepped into one of the suits, satisfied as it automatically assembled itself around him. "I think you'll be pleased with how these babies turn." His voice was now piping into the room through speakers. He lifted off, the suit zipping into the air, and did a series of tight aerobatic moves to demonstrate the suit's maneuverability. They needed it for dodging spellfire, or so he was told.
When he touched back down, the officers were murmuring to themselves with interest. Hela, however, was unmoved. "Don't waste my time." She said. "You know why I am here."
Tony swallowed. Indeed he did. "Of course." He said. "I'll just cut to the chase, then." He turned to the model he had intended to save until the end. The design had been requested, apparently, by Hela herself, and it was unlike anything made before by anyone on Earth. "This is the first suit in the Elite line. What you're looking at is…" Tony's prepared speech was derailed as Hela strode forward. She paid him no heed as she studied the suit intently. "It's-" He tried again, only to be interrupted as Hela struck the suit with Mjolnir, her arm lashing out in a blur of motion. Metal clanged resonantly with metal, but the suit did not give.
"It'll do." She nodded. Tony let out a relieved breath. He'd spent years building the suit. Though 'building' perhaps was a strong word. While he'd drawn up the detailed designs, he was unable to make the parts himself. Only the craftsmen in Nidavellir could forge Uru, and only Asgardians could enchant it in accordance with Hela's demands. Only then were the parts delivered to Tony's workshop, where he assembled them with more mundane components.
"What is it?" Captain Erics breathed.
"It's your new toy." To Tony's surprise, Hela was smiling indulgently at the officer. "Try it on." Erics stepped into the suit, and it locked around him much as Tony's had as the arc reactor in the chest flared to life.
"Forged in the heart of a dying star. Infused with Asgard's magic. Powered by humanity's most advanced technology." Tony found his voice, bolstered by the stunned looks of the other Hydra officers. "I guarantee that once the wizards face these, they won't want to leave their castles."
Hela turned back to their audience "The other suits are yours to do as you wish. Be ready for battle."
-----
"Battle, huh." Tony said thoughtfully, once he was back in the safety of his workshop.
"Should I activate the backdoor protocol, Sir?" Jarvis asked.
He'd installed it on a whim. He'd asked many times for combat footage, to see how the suits fared in action. He'd always been denied, his extremely logical arguments that it'd help him improve the suits and come up with new ideas were brushed aside. His curiosity had gotten the better of him, though, so for these newest suits he'd installed a backdoor. He was able to access the suits' cameras and sensors. It would be a trove of information he could use for future designs, and also, he guessed, quite the spectacle.
"Let's take a look, shall we?"
-----
As soon as Okoye had announced that the Goddess of Death was attacking, portals had opened up around them. People had streamed through, with a white, redheaded woman at their head. He couldn't help but stare. The skin tones of those present ranged from dark to pale white, and everything in between. He'd never seen anything like it, never spoken to anyone outside of Wakanda, or even the little circle of family and close aides his grandparents had restricted him to.
T'Chone's world spun. "Mother." He whispered. "What's going on? Why is all this happening at once?"
"I'm sorry, T'Chone." His mother whispered, kneeling down to brush his hair. "I know this is a lot all at once." She cast several looks at the crowd around them as it churned. Wakandans and outsiders came and left in a flurry of activity. "I need to get to my lab. There's no time."
"What about me?" T'Chone asked. "I want to help. I can help!" He wasn't going to run and hide while Wakanda was in danger. This was his chance to finally prove himself. He knew that he was a black sheep, a dirty little secret that that his family tried to cover up. At least now he knew why- his father was an outsider, a white man, and a wizard. No wonder his grandparents had locked him away.
"I'll explain everything." His father told him. "Shuri, go. I'll make sure he's safe."
His mother disappeared into the crowd, and T'Chone looked to his father. His father. He'd always known, academically, that he had a father. T'Chone wasn't stupid, he knew he wasn't 'like' the others. His skin was lighter for one, and he knew that his abilities weren't 'normal'. He knew, or perhaps hoped, that this meant that he was special, rather than a freak of nature.
He'd dreamed up a dozen theories- stories really- about what had happened to his father. Perhaps he'd died a heroic death in battle, or was on a deep cover assignment outside of Wakanda, or had been cruelly expelled from Wakanda by his grandfather. Sometimes, he'd fantasize about his father returning, breaking T'Chone out of his room and taking him on some spectacular adventure in the outside world. But for all his musings, he'd never had a solid picture of how his father might look or act. The man in front of him was real- real and solid. If he wanted to, he could reach out and touch him. "Aba?"
"Come on, lets get out of here."
"No, I have to stay!" He protested. "I can help, I can fight!" For a moment, his father looked conflicted, but T'Chone wasn't about to back down. He'd been locked up his entire life, this might be his one chance to do something. "This is my home! I deserve to help protect it."
His father bowed his head. "Alright." He agreed. "But you won't be fighting. You'll help people evacuate."
"Really?" He asked, realizing he hadn't expected to be listened to. "You'll let me help?"
"Your mother might kill me, but yes." His father said. "Nat!" He called. The redheaded woman, who earlier had been barking orders went to his side. "This is T'Chone. He will be assisting you with the evacuation." He turned back to T'Chone. "This is Natasha Romanoff. Follow her every order. If she says to get the hell out of here, you get the hell out of here. Understood?" He said sternly. T'Chone nodded silently. "Good. Let's get to work."
-----
The evacuation was still underway when Wakanda's shield barrier fell. It had been designed to hold back an army, to disintegrate any who tried to force their way through, but it had collapsed in under a minute. As the shield crumbled, a brilliant golden streak appeared in the sky. Harry's stomach clenched- Carol was up there. He hoped Shuri had had enough time. She was the only one who could make the serum that would free her of Hydra's conditioning.
"Looks like we're out of time." He said grimly. Around him, an army was assembling. Ron, Neville, Ginny, T'Challa, and Peggy were at the front, spaced out for coverage. The broken halves of Peggy's shield had been reforged. The only sign that there had been damage was the paint job- the Union Jack was broken along the middle. Assembling behind them were the Dora Milaj and the rest of the Wakandan army. The Sorcerers, Natasha included, were still ferrying as many people away as possible. The city was in chaos, with some stubbornly refusing to leave their homes and others grabbing whatever weapons they could find and barricading the streets.
"Yibambe!" T'Challa shouted. The chant began to echo up and down the line.
Above them, Wakandan aircraft were engaging Carol and getting torn apart. Energy beams streaked upward from Wakanda, but at that distance none even touched her. Yet, in front of them, there was nothing. No sign of an invading army or Hela, just an empty field of grass. "I don't like this." Ron muttered.
"Me neither." Peggy agreed. "This feels like a-"
"Proximity alarm!" Neville yelled. His enchanted eye swerved erratically. "Wasps!" Before Harry could react, Neville shouted again "ABOVE!"
Behind them he heard two heavy thuds as a pair of Iron Man suits landed. The two-pronged ambush would have been an effective strategy had there not been a contingent of wizards present. Neville, Ron, and Ginny handled the 'Wasps', while Harry turned and dealt with the Stark suits. He transfigured one suit to stone with his wand, holding up a shield with his hand to block the repulsor blast from the other. The blowback from the blocked attack blasted the man back with a grunt. He stabilized himself in the air, but Harry held him immobile there with his wand. He clenched his fist, compressing the suit around him until it shorted out.
The telltale sound of a Wasp returning to full size prompted Harry to wheel around. The stunner left his palm before his attacker was even at full height. "That could have gone worse." Harry commented.
"Don't say that." Ron grimaced. "That's always when it goes to shite."
Before Harry could think of a rebuttal, Neville went deathly pale. His enchanted eye was focused on an empty patch of air. "Neville, what is it?" Harry asked. Then he saw it. If he hadn't been looking for it, he would've missed the ripple in the air. Moody had been able to see through his invisibility cloak, he remembered with sudden clarity.
For a long moment, the world slowed down- literally. Neville's face was frozen in fear. Ginny was stopped midstride as she ran towards them. And in front of them, the Cloak of Invisibility slowly parted to reveal Hela, a beam of sickly green light extending from her palm. Harry pivoted to the side and thrust out his wand- while the world around him was slowed, he had no such limitation- and channeled his magic into the most powerful blasting curse he could muster. He looked behind him at the file of warriors in the curse's path. With another burst of focus, he shoved them downwards.
The world returned to normal speed, and the change was jarring. Harry's spell passed as a distortion in the air, striking Hela and blasting her back. The Wakandans behind him collapsed to the ground, the curse sailing over their heads. Neville yelled indistinctly. Ginny skidded to a halt, her eyes wide with terror. Hela summoned a blade and plunged it into the ground, upturning dirt as she slowed herself. For a moment, she stared at him, the silvery material of the invisibility cloak billowing behind her. "Harry Potter." She said, her voice cold with barely masked hatred. "Finding you was easier than I'd feared."
"Neville." Harry uttered. "Keep a bead on her. You're the only one who can see her reliably. Ron, Ginny- protect Neville at all costs." All three of them nodded in synchronous, like it was second nature to follow his lead.
Hela kicked at the ground, propelling herself forward with incredible speed as she vanished beneath the cloak. Neville tracked her as best he could with a narrowed beam of light from his wand, but she was moving too fast to reliably pin down. It was clear, though, that she was rushing them- which allowed Harry to cast a shield charm in her general path. Harry felt her impact his shield. It nearly buckled, and Harry was prepared to fight her on it until the pressure suddenly relented. Neville's tracing beam rose alarmingly quickly as Hela vaulted over it. As she hurtled towards them, she launched a barrage of blades. Trusting Ron and Ginny to handle the defense, he cast out a bolt of electricity. It jumped from blade to blade, following them back to their source.
She fell heavily to the ground, briefly reappearing from beneath the cloak, before putting on another burst of speed and quickly closing the distance. T'Challa interposed himself between them, and Harry winced as Hela threw him to the ground. The suit blew back the energy of her attack back at her, sending her back on her heels and once again parting the cloak. "Ah, Vibranium. You put far too much faith in it." She cooed, holding up a hand with a wicked smirk. Harry's heart froze as a tiny orb of sickly green energy formed in her palm. He knew that the killing curse could destroy Vibranium, like hell was he going to see how long T'Challa's suit could hold out. He reached out with his magic and apparated T'Challa to the back of the battlefield. The curse struck the ground harmlessly, showering the surrounding area with dirt.
"Aren't you after me!" He shouted at Hela. "Or are you just here to faff about?" She was if nothing else, easy to bait. She was on him in seconds, and it was then that Harry realized her game. Less than a meter away, she unleashed Mjolnir. Once again, time slowed, and Harry was able to duck his head to the side as the hammer slid past. It was time for him to start pulling from his bag of tricks.
Long ago, he had killed Elisa Sinclair by forcibly apparating her, and he'd only progressed since then. He reached his magic out to her with singular intent, to send her into the ground a thousand meters beneath them. Time resumed, and Harry felt an incredible flare of power from Hela that snapped the hold his magic had on her. Hela was propelled away from him, trailing blue fire in her wake that lingered like a gouge in the world.
They stared at each other for a moment- her eyes flickering with a blue light. They'd both come to an identical realization- they weren't the only one with an Infinity Stone. Harry had pitted his magic against an Infinity Stone before, but he'd had the Elder Wand on his side then. Without that firepower, it was like fighting against a force of nature.
Hela recalled Mjolnir, and with her other hand summoned reinforcements. Around them, Hydra soldiers appeared in a series of blue flashes. The Dora Milaje and Border Tribe readied themselves for a fight. Up until now, all they could do was to try not to get killed while Harry and Hela fought it out.
If they were eager for a fight, however, they would be disappointed. No sooner had the soldiers appeared, than they were falling through the portals that opened beneath their feet. "I apologize for my lateness." The Ancient One said cheekily.
"Nah, you're right on time." Harry returned with a slight grin. If there was anyone else on their side who could hold their own against Hela, it was the Sorcerer Supreme. His good humor vanished as he became aware of the explosions behind him. His focus on the battle had been so complete that he hadn't noticed that Wakanda was going up in flames. He couldn't spot Carol, but he could see several armored suits flying above the city. Despite their best efforts, they'd been outflanked. He could only hope that everyone was out. Though if everyone had escaped, where were Nat and Shuri? It wouldn't do to linger on that thought. He had to trust that they could take care of themselves and that the sorcerers would save as many people as possible.
The Ancient One's appearance had put Hela on the backfoot, giving them a brief breather as she re-evaluated her strategy. Unfortunately, that breather could be measured in seconds. This time, she was intent on Neville and his pesky tracking beam. Harry and the Ancient One ran interference, and Neville stared the goddess down admirably as she bore down on him, but there was no stopping her. Portals and magical barriers tripped her up at best, Ginny and Ron's spells glanced off her even when they did hit, and the Wakandans that got in her way were cut down in moments.
Neville apparated, his body blinking away with a crack… only to blink back. While Harry had caught her by surprise when he apparated T'Challa at a distance, she was prepared now. Neville was held in place by the blue energy of the Space Stone, flickering in and out of existence as his magic fought against the inexorable power of the stone. Harry lunged at them in panic, pushing as much magic through his wand as he could manage. Neville's face was in a rictus of pain as his magic struggled to propel him away. At best he'd be splinched, at worst…
Light burst onto the battlefield, raining down around them. It took Harry a moment to recognize it as the Bifrost. He braced themselves for whatever new reinforcements Hela had called upon. An axe sliced through the air, not at Harry, or any of his allies, but at Hela.
He knew it immediately. It was Stormbreaker.
Hela pivoted back, releasing Neville as the axe cleaved one of her horns. Neville finally vanished, reappearing in a crumpled heap at the other end of the battlefield. The axe returned to Thor's hand. "Is this a private party? Or can anyone join in?" He boomed.
Harry had never been happier to see him. "Please do." He said, hope surging. Thor had brought an army. Appearing behind him were Asgardians, Frost Giants, and Kronans. Portals opened and Sorcerers rushed through, taking positions behind the Ancient One. T'Challa and the Dora Milaje reformed to complete Hela's encirclement.
Maybe, just maybe they had a chance. Maybe they could do more than just hold her off. Maybe they could win.