High above the battle below, Natasha Romanoff was living her best sniper life—no rush, no sweat, just pure, unadulterated precision. The Cloak of Levitation had dropped her off at the perfect vantage point—just high enough to give her a clear view of Hydra's henchmen scrambling around like ants in a sandbox. Seriously, you'd think they'd learn to not engage in battle with them, but nope. Their loss, right?
A sniper rifle was tucked under her shoulder, and she made it look effortless. One hand steady, the other expertly adjusting the scope, her finger gently caressing the trigger like it was an old friend.
"Headshots all day," Natasha muttered to herself, her voice as cool as if she were ordering coffee, not taking out Hydra agents from a distance. She leaned in, focusing on her next target—a guard creeping around the corner, his face hidden behind a steel pillar.
Bang. Helmet? Gone. Brain matter? Splattered. Natasha didn't even flinch. Another hit. Another casualty.
"I'm really starting to think these guys are trying to make my job too easy," she mused, adjusting her aim.
Meanwhile, down on the ground, Tony Stark was having the time of his life in the middle of the chaos. His voice crackled over the comms with the kind of smugness only Tony could pull off. "You know, guys, I think I might start charging Hydra for the repairs to my tech. My suits are practically breaking their forces, no hard hats required."
"Yeah, and don't forget to include the bill for the loud noises," Natasha shot back, her eye still on the next guard. "They're starting to drown out your beautiful commentary."
"Keep it up, Romanoff," Tony quipped, sounding way too happy. "I'm over here blowing up a few more things. But hey, you do you. From up there, it must be like a free buffet. Your aim's perfect, by the way. Really thought you were trying to outdo me."
Natasha shot another Hydra soldier—headshot, of course. "Right. Outdo you. Because that's a reasonable goal. Just keep living the dream, Stark. I'll be up here keeping it clean."
Tony grinned to himself, maybe a little too proud of his own destruction. He was currently zipping around in his newest Iron Man suit, his energy cannons dishing out death to Hydra agents left and right. Rhodey, in his War Machine armor, wasn't far behind, methodically dismantling any of Hydra's attempts to escape.
From above, Natasha kept her sniper perch steady, wiping out the leftover stragglers trying to run for the hills. One by one, they dropped like flies. Another unlucky soul tried to duck behind some crates, thinking they'd found safety.
Bang!
"Seriously?" Natasha raised an eyebrow. "You'd think they'd stop hiding behind boxes that clearly aren't bulletproof."
"I'd say they just have no sense of self-preservation," Rhodey chimed in over the comms, his voice as calm as if he were discussing the weather. "You know, yoga could probably help them with their flexibility. Would've been nice if they could've dodged my missiles, though. Oh well."
"You really have a way with words, Rhodes," Natasha teased. "You're a poet and a war machine. I love it."
On the ground, Rhodey was making his own statement, tearing through Hydra's defenses like a wrecking ball of destruction. His shoulder-mounted cannons exploded with terrifying force, sending Hydra agents flying backward, their bodies twisted like ragdolls in midair.
"I'm really starting to think these guys didn't read the memo," Rhodey grumbled, shifting his War Machine armor into high gear. "Memo: don't mess with me." He locked onto another group of Hydra agents trying to regroup behind an armored truck and smiled to himself. "Hey, fellas, you might wanna reconsider your life choices."
With one, fluid motion, he unleashed another round of firepower, shredding the truck—and anyone unfortunate enough to be standing behind it—into scrap metal and smoking bits. He didn't even break a sweat.
"Job security looking pretty bad for these guys, huh?" Rhodey chuckled, scanning for more movement. "It's like they want to be disintegrated."
From her perch, Natasha let out a quiet laugh, taking out yet another Hydra goon who was foolishly trying to run. "Seriously. I almost feel bad for them. Almost."
"Yeah, don't," Rhodey said, his tone dry. "They clearly need some lessons in self-preservation. You'd think they'd be more worried about me."
"I'm starting to think they've been watching too many movies," Natasha mused. "Like, oh, we'll fight the Avengers and everything will be fine! Uh, newsflash—they're not going to be the last man standing. It's us. And that's the final cut."
"Bingo!" Rhodey replied, his voice laced with satisfaction. "I love it when the villains have such high expectations. Makes it way more fun when they all get wiped out."
Up on the roof, Natasha couldn't help but chuckle to herself. The Avengers were basically cleaning up like it was an overpowered video game, and there was no 'game over' screen in sight. Captain Carter was doing her thing on the front lines—shield flying, enemies falling—and Tony was dropping quips while creating massive explosions. Rhodey was the cleanup crew, making sure nothing escaped.
"Alright," Natasha murmured, focusing on her last target. A Hydra soldier was sprinting toward what looked like an escape vehicle. "Not on my watch."
She lined up her shot, took a breath, and—Bang!
The Hydra agent never even saw it coming. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, just like all the others before him.
"Game over, fellas," Natasha whispered to herself, already looking for the next unlucky target.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, was how you made sure Hydra never forgot who they were dealing with.
—
The trio moved through Hydra's inner sanctum like they owned the place—well, in Harry's case, like he'd spent a few too many years using his magic to clean up Hydra's messes. Steve led the charge, his muscles tense and his eyes darting around like a guy who wasn't about to let his guard down for even a second. Bucky trailed behind, every step echoing like the sound of someone walking through a graveyard at midnight. It was the kind of vibe that screamed don't mess with me. And honestly? It probably made Hydra wish they'd chosen a different career path.
Harry, though? Well, he was more focused on his own brand of chaos. He slipped his hand into his jacket and pulled out a small, unassuming flash drive—Tony's gift to the cause. This little guy was about to get JARVIS into Hydra's entire server system. "I hope you're ready for the magic show," Harry muttered, giving the device a quick flick. The familiar tingle of power surged through his fingertips as the flash drive interfaced with a nearby terminal. Lights blinked. A few sparks. A holographic display of Hydra's entire network popped up like it was just another Tuesday for Harry.
"Alright, let's see what sort of mess Hydra's been making this time." Harry's fingers danced over the terminal. "Power source capable of rivaling the Tesseract, huh? Yeah, sounds totally normal for them."
Steve shot him a look over his shoulder. "Don't jinx us."
Harry grinned. "Hey, if you're going to jinx something, it might as well be Hydra, right?"
The display flickered to life, and Harry could almost hear JARVIS' voice in his head. "Good afternoon, Mr. Potter. I've accessed their system. Downloading files now."
And just like that, the digital world fell into Harry's hands.
Behind him, Steve crouched down, eyeing a large steel door with locks that looked like they belonged to a supervillain's lair (because, spoiler alert, it probably did). "This is it," Steve muttered, his voice like gravel grinding together. "The intel's been solid. The power source is right behind that door."
Bucky was already in full stealth mode, checking the walls for weak points, looking like he could dismantle the entire building with a single glance. "Oh, I bet it's something real fun," he muttered. "Probably a big ol' bomb that blows up in our faces the second we touch it."
Harry snorted. "Hey, Bucky, I like how your optimism matches your vibe. But seriously, I'm a wizard, not a demolition expert. No bomb's going off unless I say so."
"You sure about that, magic kid?" Bucky gave him a sideways glance, already heading toward the door to work on the explosives. "I've seen your 'magic' go sideways before."
"I'm like a walking firework show," Harry shot back, tapping a few more keys. "Only I don't burn anyone… unless they're Hydra, in which case, they totally deserve it."
The door slid open with a hiss that would've been more dramatic if the whole place wasn't already about to explode with secrets. They stepped inside, and Harry couldn't help but whistle low. The room was a shrine to Hydra's unhealthy obsession with power—giant generators, whirring and humming in sync, surrounding a glowing blue orb encased in a network of protective shields. It was like they were guarding a supercharged stress ball.
"That's it," Steve said, his voice steely as he surveyed the room. "That's their power source."
Bucky's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Well, if it's anything like the rest of their tech, I'm guessing it's a ticking time bomb. You sure you want to just leave it here? It's practically begging to explode."
Harry took a step forward, squinting at the orb. "That thing?" He chuckled. "It's practically begging for me to hack it into oblivion."
Steve shot him a look like he was about to say something important—but then Harry was already walking toward the power source, fingers twitching. "Hold up," Steve called, but it was already too late. Harry inserted the flash drive into the terminal next to the orb, his face lighting up with an impish grin. "You guys keep an eye out. I'll handle the wizardry."
Before Steve could protest, the orb flickered to life, the generators humming louder as they noticed the intrusion. There was a heartbeat of tension in the air, and then—nothing. The hum started to slow, the blue glow of the orb flickering and stuttering like it was having an existential crisis.
Bucky, still setting up explosives, looked over with a raised eyebrow. "Not bad, magic boy."
"Yeah, well, I've got standards," Harry quipped, pulling the flash drive out with a flourish. The power source began to sputter, the once-stable glow now reduced to a weak pulse. "Done and done. Hydra's big bad tech is officially offline. Also, I may have left a little surprise in their backup system. Should give us a couple minutes before they figure out what just happened."
Steve raised an eyebrow, but his eyes were already scanning the room, his attention unwavering. "Let's make sure we don't get caught before that happens."
"Don't worry, Cap," Harry said with a wink. "I'm like a ghost. Only with better hair and a way cooler magic trick."
Bucky snorted. "Sure. Just remember, ghosts tend to get shot at a lot."
The sound of muffled footsteps echoed down the hall, but by the time Hydra's backup systems realized what Harry had done, the trio was long gone—leaving a trail of confusion and scrambled security behind them. As they rounded the corner to exit, Harry flashed one last look at the power source, now slowly dying. "I hope they learned their lesson. But knowing Hydra? They'll just build another one."
Steve, as usual, was more focused on the mission than the banter. "Let's get out of here. Before your 'easy' mode gets us killed."
"Too late," Harry grinned. "If I'm going out, it's with style."
—
Harry could feel the familiar hum of tension crackling in the air as he tapped his comms, the voice in his ear crackling like static from an old radio.
"Nat, we're on the move. Bucky's got the explosives set, and trust me, this place is gonna be a firework show they'll never forget."
He grinned, knowing exactly what was coming. Natasha's voice flickered through his earpiece, dripping with sarcasm.
"Copy that, magic boy. Just don't blow up the whole facility before I get my last shot in, okay?"
Harry let out a laugh that almost sounded like a victory. "You've got it. Don't worry, Nat. The magic's strong with me. Plus, you know me—I'm all about keeping the show running until the last act."
"Noted," Natasha quipped. "Just remember, Tony's got a thing for explosions, so try not to let him steal the spotlight."
Harry rolled his eyes dramatically, even though she couldn't see him. "You're the best, Nat. See you in a minute."
He clicked off the comms just in time to hear Bucky's voice, as smooth and sardonic as ever, drifting toward him.
"So... what's with the grin? Did you just get a compliment from Romanoff?"
Harry smirked, not missing a beat. "Yep. She said I was her favorite. Can you believe it? Me, the guy who's usually blowing things up for fun. Must be my charm."
Bucky gave him a sideways look, adjusting the explosives pack slung over his shoulder. "Maybe if you stopped blowing things up so much, you'd get more compliments. But hey, you're definitely leaving your mark today."
"True. I aim to please," Harry replied with a wink. He looked over at Steve, who was scanning the hallway ahead, shield in hand, muscles tensed like a spring about to snap. "Ready, Cap?"
Steve didn't answer immediately. His steely eyes remained locked ahead, his posture as calm and collected as ever, like nothing could shake him. Then he muttered, without looking at them, "I'm always ready. Let's just... get this over with. We've done enough damage already."
Harry chuckled, despite the intensity in the air. "True, but honestly? I could do this all day." He gave a mock sigh, making a show of it. "And by 'this,' I mean messing with Hydra. I think they need a lesson on how not to throw a party."
Steve barely rolled his eyes, but Harry swore he saw the tiniest twitch of a smile. "Let's just make sure we don't get caught in the process."
They kept moving down the facility's sterile hallways, feet echoing in unison. The sound of Bucky's pack jostling was the only real noise as they neared their exit, the facility rumbling faintly under the strain of Harry's magic.
Suddenly, the crackling of Natasha's voice came through their comms, as usual, unfiltered and brimming with her usual quick wit.
"Carter and the crew are finishing up. They're getting into evac position. You guys good to go?"
Harry flicked his wrist dismissively, keeping his eyes peeled. "Roger that. You tell them to pick up the pace. Bucky's about to make sure this place won't see the next sunrise."
"Yeah, and I'm sure that'll be the highlight of your day," Natasha replied, a hint of amusement sneaking into her voice. "But don't let Tony steal all the glory with his explosions, alright?"
"I'll keep him in check," Harry promised, glancing at Bucky. "He can only blow up so much before we have to let someone else have fun."
Bucky shot him a look. "Hey, I'll blow up whatever I want. You know that."
"Right, right," Harry grinned back. "It's your world. We're just living in it."
Just then, Steve held up his hand, signaling them to slow down as they approached the final stretch toward the exit. His shield was practically a part of his arm at this point, like it had grown there. His eyes flickered quickly from left to right, scanning for potential threats.
"We're almost there," Steve muttered under his breath. "Let's keep it tight."
"Yeah, yeah, you say that like we've never been in a tight spot before," Harry said with a playful wink, his voice easygoing as always. "Besides, we've got this. Hydra's about to get schooled."
They hit the final corridor, and Harry couldn't shake the sense of anticipation in the air. Any minute now, things were about to go from calm to complete chaos.
And as if on cue, Natasha's voice broke through once more. "All units are in position. They're ready for evac. You good, magic boy?"
"Good to go," Harry confirmed, checking the path ahead, eyes trained on the shadows. "Tell Carter to hurry up—Bucky's about to make the big boom."
"I'll tell her," Natasha said dryly. "And Harry, try not to level the city, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," Harry said, glancing at Bucky again. "You know how he gets."
"You're welcome," Bucky muttered under his breath as they approached the exit doors.
And then, with a sudden, deliberate motion, Bucky tapped a button on the small device in his hand. The countdown began, and Harry could almost feel the excitement ripple through the air like a summer storm about to break.
"Brace yourselves," Bucky said, his voice practically dripping with glee.
Then came the boom.
The ground rumbled beneath their feet, and the entire Hydra facility felt like it was splitting in half. Explosions ripped through the walls, fire and smoke billowing out in all directions. The structure itself began to collapse, like a building made of sandcastles swept away by the tide.
"Boom. Mission accomplished," Harry said, a wide grin spreading across his face as the fiery debris scattered in every direction. "Just another day in paradise."
Steve couldn't hide the satisfaction in his eyes as he looked back at the smoking wreckage. "And another win for us."
"Yeah," Bucky said with a shrug. "But knowing Hydra? They'll be back for more soon enough."
Harry snorted. "If that's the case, I'll be ready. I'll make sure my hair's extra fabulous next time." He flicked his hand through his messy curls, like some model preparing for a photoshoot.
"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Steve grumbled, but there was a playful edge to his words.
As they moved away from the wreckage, the sounds of the chaos still ringing in their ears, Harry couldn't help but smile. The job was done, Hydra had gotten the message, and the team had, once again, pulled off another victory.
For now, anyway.
—
As the dust settled and the last echoes of the explosion faded into the night, the team regrouped at the extraction point—just in time for something absolutely ridiculous to happen.
Because, of course, when you had Harry Potter on your team, things never went according to the normal rules of physics.
A sudden rush of wind swept through the air, carrying with it an unmistakable streak of deep red fabric.
Steve blinked. "Did anyone else see that, or have I officially lost my mind?"
"You're good, Cap," Bucky said, squinting. "I saw it too. Whatever it was."
"That, dear friends, was style," Harry announced, smirking as the Cloak of Levitation came swooping back into view—except it wasn't alone.
"Nat?" Steve barely had time to react before a very smug looking Natasha Romanoff landed straight in Harry's arms, carried effortlessly by the Cloak.
She didn't look surprised. Not even a little. If anything, she looked thoroughly entertained.
"Well, aren't you just full of surprises," Natasha murmured, arms wrapping around his neck as he caught her with the ease of a guy who definitely did not skip arm day.
Harry grinned. "I do try."
Before he could deliver his next devastatingly charming quip, Natasha leaned in and kissed him.
Not a peck. Not a quick brush of the lips. Nope. This was a full-fledged, lingering, brain-melting kiss.
Harry's internal monologue promptly stopped functioning.
Yep. Brain was officially out of service. Try again later.
Bucky let out a low whistle. "Huh. And here I thought we were in the middle of a mission, not a rom-com."
Steve, arms crossed, just sighed. "Give 'em a minute. They earned it."
Tony's voice crackled in over the comms. "I swear to all things holy, if someone doesn't take a picture of this right now, I am disowning all of you. Even you, Capsicle."
Harry, still slightly dazed but recovering fast (because he was a professional, dammit), finally pulled back with a grin. "Don't worry, Tones. I'm sure JARVIS is already compiling a highlight reel."
JARVIS, sounding particularly pleased with himself, chimed in, "I have categorized it under 'Tactical Operations: Distraction Techniques.' You're welcome, sir."
Natasha smirked, pressing one last kiss to Harry's cheek before stepping back. The Cloak, looking entirely too satisfied with itself, draped lazily over Harry's shoulders like a particularly pleased cat.
"All right, lovebirds, as much as I'm enjoying this Hallmark moment," Rhodey cut in dryly, "maybe we evacuate before Hydra decides they wanna give round two a shot?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Geez, one building implodes, and suddenly everyone's in a hurry."
"Harry," Steve sighed, in that tone of his that usually preceded a speech about responsibility and proper planning.
Harry held up his hands. "Okay, okay, no need for the Dad Voice."
Steve looked personally offended. "Dad Voice?"
Bucky nodded sagely. "Sorry, man. That was absolutely the Dad Voice."
Harry grinned. "It's okay, Cap. We all respect it. Just… not enough to actually listen to it."
Steve looked to Natasha for backup. She just raised an eyebrow. "They're not wrong."
"Unbelievable," Steve muttered.
"Hey, look on the bright side," Erica cut in, grinning. "At least nobody's making fun of your haircut this time."
Harry gave her an approving nod. "See? That's how you find a silver lining."
Steve just muttered something about youths under his breath.
"All right, stand back, kids, and watch how the real professionals travel."
With a flick of his wrist, a golden portal sparked to life before them, swirling with the familiar shimmer of magic.
Bucky whistled. "Still not used to that."
Natasha gave him a knowing look. "You should see what else he can do."
Bucky narrowed his eyes. "That sounded way too suggestive."
Harry, ever the agent of chaos, just smirked. "What can I say? I'm a man of many talents."
Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can we please just go?"
Rhodey clapped him on the back. "Welcome to our lives, Cap."
And with that, the team stepped through the portal, leaving behind the smoldering wreckage of Hydra's latest failure.
New York awaited.
And somehow, Harry knew that this was only the beginning of the madness to come.
—
The portal spat them out into the safehouse with all the grace of a cat falling off a countertop.
Harry landed on his feet like a magical badass. Because, well… he was a magical badass. Steve and Bucky, those annoyingly perfect super-soldiers, stuck the landing like Olympic gymnasts. Natasha made it look effortless, because of course she did.
Rhodey? Not so much.
"I hate magic," he muttered, stumbling a little before straightening his jacket with all the dignity he could muster.
Erica, who had stepped through without even blinking, smirked at him. "You'll get used to it."
Rhodey shot her a flat look. "Will I, though?"
Before Harry could start handing out awards for Most Dramatic Exit from a Portal, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the very important flash drive they'd just risked their lives to steal. He spun it between his fingers like a showoff before casually tossing it to Tony.
Tony, still in his armor, caught it one-handed. "Ah, my favorite kind of surprise. The kind that comes with absolutely no context and probably a side of impending doom."
Steve crossed his arms in that way that meant business. "Go through it."
Tony arched a very judgmental eyebrow. "Oh, wow, Cap. No 'please'? No 'hey, Tony, would you mind using your billionaire-genius skills to decrypt this highly classified Hydra tech while also, y'know, probably saving the world?'"
Steve didn't even blink. "Go through it."
Harry grinned. "Look at him, Tones. He's this close to using the Dad Voice."
Bucky, nodding sagely, added, "You do not want to hear the full Dad Voice."
Steve sighed deeply, like a man whose patience was being tested by a room full of absolute children. "Why do I work with you people?"
Natasha clapped him on the shoulder. "Because we get the job done."
"And because we're hilarious," Harry added.
Steve shot him a look. "That's debatable."
Meanwhile, Tony had already moved to his sleek, high-tech workstation, plugging in the drive. The holographic interface came to life as he started typing. "Alright, JARVIS, let's crack this thing open and see what fresh Hydra-flavored nightmare we're dealing with."
JARVIS, ever the picture of British calm, responded instantly. "Decrypting now, sir. I will notify you if the contents include anything particularly horrifying or apocalyptic."
Harry sprawled onto the nearest couch, stretching like a cat that had just finished knocking something valuable off a shelf. "I mean, what are the odds that isn't the case?"
"Zero," Natasha said flatly.
Bucky sighed and rubbed his temples. "I already hate whatever this is."
Tony hummed as the data flashed across the screen. "Okay, let's see what we've got—oh. Oh, gross."
Steve immediately stepped forward. "What is it?"
Tony turned to look at him, his usual sarcasm temporarily on pause. "Hydra's been busy."
Harry arched an eyebrow. "Busy as in 'we have to blow something up again,' or busy as in 'we should be very concerned about the future of humanity'?"
Tony hesitated. "I mean… can't it be both?"
Steve ran a hand down his face like a man who deeply regretted getting out of bed this morning. "What kind of busy, Stark?"
JARVIS chimed in. "Sir, I believe it would be wise to call in additional reinforcements."
That got everyone's attention.
Harry sat up. "Oh, fantastic. Because that always means something fun."
Steve's expression hardened. "What exactly are we dealing with?"
Tony turned back to the screen, scanning rapidly before muttering, "Yeah. This just went from 'bad' to 'end-of-the-world' real fast."
Natasha crossed her arms. "Great. Another normal Tuesday."
Harry let out a dramatic sigh. "I just got comfortable."
Steve fixed him with his signature Captain America Look. "Get uncomfortable. Because whatever's on that drive… it's going to change everything."
And just like that, the calm was officially over.
—
The safehouse had all the warmth of a morgue—deafening silence, and a tension thick enough to slice through with a butter knife. If that butter knife was glowing and possessed by an ancient, malevolent force.
Tony Stark had a look on his face that was the exact opposite of the grin everyone had come to expect from him. No smirks. No witty quips. His fingers danced over his keyboard with the urgency of someone who had just been told his life's work was about to be undone by an ancient magic-imbued orb.
"Alright," Tony muttered, his voice a little too serious for comfort. He spun the monitor around like it was the greatest reveal of his career. Maybe it was. He didn't seem thrilled about it, though. "Brace yourselves."
The screen blinked to life with a sickly glow.
It was the orb. The glowing, unholy energy source Hydra had been playing with like a toddler with a live grenade.
"Seriously?" Steve Rogers—blonde hair, blue eyes, patriotic as all get-out—raised an eyebrow, his jaw clenching. "That thing looks like the kind of toy you buy to tempt fate, not play with."
"That's what I said," Tony muttered, rubbing his temples like someone had just asked him to teach a bunch of toddlers about quantum mechanics. "Hydra's been using it to power weapons and all kinds of devices. They think it's the key to world domination or something... because apparently, they've never seen a Bond movie."
Harry Potter, sitting casually on the couch like he was hearing the latest gossip, raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Oh, that's cute. I thought the orb was supposed to be a tesseract wannabe. Instead, it's just... glowing doom in a ball."
Bucky Barnes, who was trying his best not to look too annoyed by the endless superhero drama unfolding in front of him, snorted. "I've seen this story before. Never ends well."
Tony shot Bucky a look that said, "And you should know better than anyone."
Harry's lips twitched into a half-smile. "The problem with these kinds of things," he said, leaning forward as though he was about to impart some ancient wisdom, "is that they don't stay contained. The orb will get out. And when it does? It's not gonna be pretty."
Before Tony could reply, the door to the safehouse swung open with dramatic flair. As if someone had been practicing in front of a mirror for a week. In strode the Brain Trust, and let's just say no one looked particularly chipper.
Howard Stark, Tony's father and all-around lovable genius, made his grand entrance first. His perfectly combed hair and expensive suit made him look like a villain from a black-and-white movie, only with more charm. He sauntered over to Tony's workstation like he owned the place—and, well, he kind of did.
"What's all this about world-ending orbs?" Howard asked, voice dripping with sarcastic amusement. "Have I missed something? Please tell me it's not the Apocalypse again."
Behind him, Lily Potter—Harry's mom, and apparently a woman who had seen way too much of the universe's crap—entered, casting a brief, disapproving look around the room. Her brow furrowed. "Every time we clean up one mess, there's another." She focused on the screen, eyes narrowing as she studied the orb. "Hydra? Really? You'd think they'd get a hobby by now."
And, of course, as if the gods of absurdity had decided to deliver the cherry on top, there was Gideon Adler—better known in his former life as Gellert Grindelwald. Now, de-aged and wearing that look that screamed, "I'm reformed, but I still have a flair for dramatic entrances." He was looking at the orb like it was a puppy that might bite his face off at any moment.
"Another orb?" Gideon raised an eyebrow. "You people are like moths to a flame when it comes to dangerous energy sources. Do you ever learn?"
Harry cracked a grin. "Clearly, we never got the memo on self-preservation."
And that's when the real fun entered the room.
Nick Fury, the human embodiment of "don't mess with me unless you want to lose an eye," strolled in like he'd seen it all before. His one good eye scanned the room. "Let me guess, that thing is about to annihilate us all, right?"
Tony, now leaning back in his chair, raised an eyebrow and said dryly, "Yeah, that's the gist of it, Fury. Keep up."
Maria Hill, standing just a bit behind Fury, folded her arms, her eyes hard. "Just when I thought Hydra couldn't get any more terrifying."
Lily shot a glare at Howard, who was tapping away on his tablet like this was all just a fun little side project. "You're more interested in studying it than stopping it from destroying the world, aren't you?"
Howard grinned. "Well, Lil, the world's always about to be destroyed. I just think it's about time we start learning how it ticks. You know, for the betterment of humanity and all that jazz."
"Yeah," Tony added, not at all sarcastically, "Because nothing says 'hero' like studying an orb that might fry us all."
Steve let out a small sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Focus, people. Hydra's got this thing and the world's on the line. We don't have time for this back-and-forth."
Tony nodded, his face shifting from playful to serious faster than a caffeine-charged sprint. "Right. The orb's the problem. We need to get a handle on it before Hydra turns it into a weapon that makes the Tesseract look like a kids' toy."
Bucky folded his arms, clearly itching for action. "We could always take it out before it becomes a problem, y'know. Just a thought."
Gideon's voice was measured as he studied the orb. "We can't afford to underestimate it. I've seen power like this. If anyone—anyone—controls that thing, they'll have the power to rip reality apart. This is bigger than Hydra."
"Gee, thanks, Gellert," Harry chimed in with a grin that could only be described as 'chaotic good.' "You've really got a way of making things sound reassuring."
"I'm not trying to reassure you, Potter," Gideon said with a cool smirk. "I'm trying to make sure you don't end up destroying the world along with it."
Harry shot back, "Trust me, I'm already planning for that. One apocalypse at a time, thank you very much."
Fury wasn't about to let this turn into a sitcom episode. "Enough talk," he snapped, turning to Tony. "We find it. We neutralize it. Fast."
Maria Hill's eyes were already scanning the data, mentally mapping out their next move. "How long do we have, Tony?"
JARVIS's voice, smooth as silk and twice as intelligent, chimed in from the corner. "Hydra's already begun experimenting with the orb. Their last known location is in the Balkans. Estimated time before they begin testing their first weaponized prototype: 72 hours."
"We don't have time to waste," Steve said, clenching his fists. "Let's move."
"Right," Tony said, now standing up, the ever-present spark of brilliance in his eyes. "We'll need to hit Hydra hard and fast. But first? I need coffee. No hero is effective without caffeine."
"Or some 'good' old-fashioned heroism," Harry chimed in, pulling on his jacket. "Come on, Steve. Let's save the world again."
Steve rolled his eyes. "You'd think after all these years, we'd stop having to do this."
Harry grinned like a kid in a candy store. "Where's the fun in that?"
The team was ready. And, as it always was with them, the fight was just beginning.
---
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