6

"Harry, easy, you're safe and whole." Betsy's voice assured him.

He opened his eyes and looked around the room. Betsy wasn't the only one there. Megan, Hermione, Doctor Braddock, Bruce and the King were all there.

"Did it work?" Harry asked hoarsely.

"We believe so." Doctor Braddock nodded. "The excised scar has been handed over to the Magical Section of MI5 and they will take it from here.

"How are you feeling?"

"Weak. Is the plate in?"

"Yes, Madam Pomphrey says it has grafted well. You don't have any scars."

Harry looked at Betsy.

She shuddered. "God, turn it off, Harry. It's like looking at an animated mannequin."

Harry grinned and Betsy relaxed. "So my mind protection works?"

"Yes." She lightly slapped his arm.

"And your eyesight?" Doctor Braddock asked.

Harry looked around the room and his eyes settled on a safety chart. "I can control both eyes. No more glasses."

Having heard that his eyesight might get worse, Harry had developed a rune system similar to what he gave Scott Summers. Instead of adjusting the perception of colour, they adjusted the perception of focus.

%

Harry had requested Hermione come with him to visit the Xavier Institute. He had asked to have a meeting with Jean, Rogue and Jubilee.

They were sitting in a private sitting room.

"I need to run more tests and experiments before I can go further with people like Marie." Harry explained. "One of the things I want to test is the effectiveness and safety of Polyjuice Potion between x-gene humans and magical humans.

"I thought the best test would be between Hermione and Jubilee. Jubilee's powers are rather benign and won't have a truly adverse affect on someone if they don't go away.

"Both of you are girls so you won't have to worry about foreign anatomy. It is a big request, so I need you to think it over."

"Why not someone like me?" Jean asked.

"Would you really want to subject someone to your telepathy?"

"Ah… wise." Jean grimaced.

"I'm game." Jubilee grinned. "Hermione's hot and magic looks way cooler than shooting off fireworks."

"That is one of the things I want to test." Harry ignored the blush on his friend's face. "Can Polyjuice let you use magic.

"One word of warning… the stuff is gross."

"I'll help." Hermione said slowly. "But I really hope I don't lose my magic.

"Why didn't you ask Megan?"

"Because I don't want to introduce physical mutations yet. She has her wings."

Hermione snorted. "I've gotten so used to her that I've forgotten she had them."

"Well, she also has her secondary mutation." Harry added. "It would be bad if you started making everyone hallucinate.

"Also, she is a witch and a mutant. I wouldn't know what to make of any results."

%

It would be a few weeks before they did the test. Harry wanted them to think it over and he wanted to make sure Poppy and Doctor Braddock were there.

Unfortunately, disaster struck.

Doctor Braddock and his wife were killed when one of his experiments exploded. Half the manor was demolished. Harry insisted that Betsy and Brian stay with him and Megan. They had little choice with the King standing behind the wizard, daring them to say no.

It was a tough time as the twin siblings had to deal with the emotional feedback loop from their psychic link.

Harry kept Brian occupied by dragging him into his experiments. Megan focused on Betsy… by taking her shopping.

Eventually the manor was repaired and the twins insisted on returning home. The former Malfoy Manor became a little bit lonelier. Even the elves missed them.

%

"You promise you aren't secretly a guy?"

"For the last time, yes!" Hermione nearly screeched at the Asian-American girl. "My parents say I was born a girl. My doctors say I am a girl. Magic says that I am a girl. Doctor Grey said I'm a girl.

"Drink the potion and see for yourself!"

"Well, if you insist." Jubilee grinned as she downed the brown liquid.

Hermione looked at Harry, slightly confused. "What am I missing?"

"The potion. In your mouth." Harry sighed. Jubilee was the sort of person that enjoyed winding you up. The Cuckoos were like that too.

Jubilee was trying not to throw up as she doubled over and her body started to morph.

Hermione downed her own brown concoction.

In a few minutes the two girls had switched bodies.

"Ok… slight problem." Jubilee said with Hermione's body. She turned her back to Harry and pulled up her sweater.

"What are you doing?" Hermione demanded as she pulled the sweater back down.

"You're at least a cup size bigger and my bra is killing me." Jubilee glared at… her own face.

"Oh." Hermione shuffled slightly as she realised her own bra was useless at the moment. "Well, let me do it. It is my body after all."

"You do realise we only have an hour, right?" Harry asked them. "Unless you want to take more of that stuff."

"Relax Harry." Jubilee said as she lowered her sweater and finally stretched. "That potion was nowhere near as bad tasting as you said.

"Now, 'Mione, gimme your wand." She grinned eagerly.

%

Polyjuice did not give a non-magical the ability to do magic. But it did give a non-mutant a mutant's abilities.

It was enough of a start for Harry to work on something for Henry McCoy, who he had still yet to meet.

"Jubilee, you game for another experiment?" Harry asked as he walked into the TV room in the mansion. Rogue was trailing behind him.

"More body swapping?" She grinned.

"No, just need you to hold Marie's hand."

"Well I'm not getting up just to fall down again. Come here." She held out her hand.

Rogue nervously reached out and touched the back of Jubilee's hand.

"Huh." Jubilee grabbed her hand and held it tightly. "By Jove! I think you've done it, Harry!"

"Jubilee… never do an English accent again." Harry winced.

"That was English?" Megan asked in disbelief.

"You finally found a solution?" Piotr asked as he approached.

"Sort of." Harry shrugged. "It works, but it needs regular charging because Marie isn't a witch.

"We also need to test how long a single charge will last."

"How do you charge it?" Jubilee asked. "I suppose a USB port is too much to ask."

Harry smiled. "Only if you call me USB. I just hold her bracelet and push my magic into it like I do a spell."

"Ah." Jubilee said faux sadly. "Our little Rogue will have to suffer such a hardship of seeing you every day."

Rogue blushed and leaned in close, whispering. "Ah can touch you now Jubilation Lee." She punctuated her statement by flicking her ear.

"I need you and Marie to touch each other every few minutes and let me know when the charge runs out." Harry informed them.

Jubilee smirked at Harry. "Huh… looking for some girl on girl action?"

Having spent time around the teenagers at the mansion, Harry was now familiar with sexual innuendo and jokes.

He was saved from responding by Colossus. "Can you not create a rune to monitor the levels of magic?"

"Erm…"

"Like this." Jubilee fished out her phone and showed it to Harry.

"Jubilee… why do you have a picture of me bending over, from behind?" Harry asked wearily.

"Gotta have something cool for my wallpaper." She shrugged.

%

The charge lasted for the better part of two days. Harry promised to make at least three of the wristbands for Rogue so she wouldn't be lacking.

Jubilee refused to change her wallpaper.

She managed to convince most of the other girls to use it as well.

Katherine 'Kitty' Pryde had gone a step further and photoshopped him into various states of undress and poses.

Harry swore he would make a device so he could catch her even when she was phased and intangible as per her ability.

%

"Harry, Megan, this is Sir Alan Bunt. He is heading the team that is to provide training and additional care for x-gene humans." The King introduced them to the sandy-haired man in his study.

"Miss Gywnn, Mister Potter." The man smiled.

"Are you going to be making special schools, Sir?" Megan asked the King.

"No, the Xavier Institute has its place in America because nobody in government was willing to step up. They denied the existence of the x-gene until it was too late. They failed to educate the American citizens and ignorance is what leads to hate."

"The goal of my team is to create a broad curriculum that can accommodate the varied abilities and to institute appropriate staff, training and facilities." Sir Alan explained. "I have asked to visit the Xavier Institute to see how they do things.

"I am essentially taking over where Sir James Braddock left off." He said solemnly.

"What sort of things do you do for a curriculum?" Harry asked to avoid the topic.

"From what my studies have shown, most mutations are physical. They require physical training.

"Now, from what I know of Miss Gwynn, she was able to use her wings instinctively. But, she could still have done with training to ensure her control was top notch.

"The last thing we would want is for her to lose control and crash land from a great height into something like an electrified fence."

"As if." Megan scoffed quietly.

The King and Sir Alan chuckled.

"It's a risk, Pixie." Harry admonished. "It isn't that they doubt you. They just don't want to leave your safety to chance."

"Exactly, Mister Potter." Sir Alan nodded. "I have heard that there is a young girl with the unfortunate ability to absorb memories and life from others, she can kill if she holds on too long.

"Part of the training is to ensure that individuals like her can live around others without injuring them."

"Rogue always wears gloves." Megan said defensively. "She still wears them, even when she wears her bracelets."

"And she will always be what we wish others like her to aspire to, Megan." The King said soothingly.

"Ah, and that brings us to this meeting." Sir Alan smiled. "Mister Potter, you are incredibly adept at creating solutions for all manner of things. Your telepathy inhibitors are currently in use by a young boy who was struggling with the press of thoughts.

"I would like you and Miss Gwynn to be a part of my team. To help point out solutions for problems. To point out problems themselves."

"But we don't have any training or qualifications." Harry reasoned.

"You have life experience and talent. You have a drive to help.

"Miss Gwynn, you have the x-gene yourself, you've suffered horribly as a result. But I hear you are something of a tutor and role model at the Xavier Institute."

"I am?" She turned to Harry. "What did you do?"

"Me? You're the one always tagging along and giggling with the Cuckoos." Harry said defensively.

"Miss Gwynn, you help others with physical mutations." Sir Alan explained.

"Harry, Megan, this is not a career choice we are asking you to make." The King told them. "Think of it as similar to your visits to the Xavier Institute. On a regular basis you will go to meet and talk with Sir Alan or one of his team. You will express your opinions."

%

Harry was not in New York when the next moron decided to trash the place. He didn't even know there was a problem. He got a call direct from Fury telling him to get to New York and deal with Doom.

That hadn't been a very helpful order.

But when he arrived he followed the sounds of chaos.

A man all in black was fighting a man made of fire, a man who looked like he had been put through a medieval rack, a woman creating a forcefield and… a collection of orange boulders.

Harry landed next to the stretchy and flatish man he mentally dubbed as Pancake Man. "Is one of you Doom?" He asked, armour on, shield out and sword in hand.

"Who are you?"

"Here to stop the violence." Harry retorted. "Are you lot Doom?"

"No… that's Doom, Victor Von Doom." Pancake Man pointed to the man all in black with a metal face plate.

"Ok, why is he fighting you lot?"

"He blames us for his company going under, we have to stop him!" Pancake Man was getting frantic.

"Alright, alright, call Flame Man down here."

"JOHNNY!"

The man of flame landed smoothly and turned into a well built blonde haired man. "Harry Potter? This is awesome! We might be able to finish Vicky off."

"You know him?" Pancake Man asked. It should probably be noted that he was no longer stretched out… but the name was stuck in Harry's mind.

"Later." Harry interrupted. "Is there a reason you haven't grabbed him and dropped him from a great height?"

"Huh… never thought about it." Johnny mused. "Why couldn't you think of that, Reed?" Johnny demanded of Pancake Man.

No, 'Reed' was not able to replace 'Pancake Man' as Harry's identifier for the man.

"Look, I'll grab him and go real high. If he won't surrender I'll drop him." Harry told them.

"What if he beats you? He is incredibly powerful." Reed warned.

"Try and catch me. If he survives the fall… throw him in the ocean."

Harry turned and flew straight at Doom, the impact stunned the man and Harry went vertical.

"Who is he?" Reed asked.

"Stretch, you've gotta take your head outta the beaker now and then." Ben Grimm grumbled as he stomped up. "Harry Potter helped the Hulk stop that abomination that tore up Harlem. He works for the King of England."

"Why is he here if he's English?" Reed wondered.

"I called him."

They turned to see a tall black man with eye-patch approach them. "Colonel Fury, Director of SHIELD."

"I'm surprised the army didn't turn up." Reed mused.

"The army is a little gun shy of operating on US soil." Fury grinned.

There was a loud smash and the ground trembled.

Harry landed heavily moments later. He grabbed the body he had just dropped from high atmosphere and dragged him over. "Colonel, what do you want done with him?"

"He's not dead?" Fury asked disappointedly.

"I don't think so. Not according to my 'sensors'."

"I'll call for a retrieval team." Fury said as he stepped away.

"Nice work, kid." Ben complimented. "You managed to put Stretch and Matchhead to shame in one move."

"Stretch? I suppose that's better than what I thought you were called."

"What would that be?" Susan Storm asked with a smirk.

"Pancake Man."

A strangled noise came from Ben Grimm. "'Scuse me." He said before quickly lumbering off. Raucous laughter could be heard floating back.

"So do you have a name?" Harry asked the blonde.

"S-"

"The Invisible Woman." Johnny answered. "I'm The Human Torch, Reed here is Mister Fantastic and Ben is The Thing."

Harry looked between the three, his visor was still down so they couldn't see his face. He then looked at Johnny Storm. "Yours is the only one that makes sense. Stretch makes more sense for him." He pointed at Reed. "The Thing seems a little insulting for him." He pointed in the direction Ben had fled. "And I can see her perfectly."

"Listen kid, give me a break. I came up with them on the spot."

"Can you see me now?"

Harry turned to not see Susan Storm standing next to him.

Harry responded in kind and vanished. "Can you see me?" He reached out and tapped her on the shoulder.

Susan dropped her invisibility. "How could you see me?" She asked.

"Classified." Fury said as he returned. "Or it will be once he gives me the details so I can classify them."

"I guess I should talk to Mister Ben and see if I can help him. He is human, right?"

"Yes." Susan said sadly. "He was caught up in a cosmic event that effected all of us. It affected him the most."

"How can you help him? I tried everything." Reed asked.

"You tried everything you could. Not everything." Harry answered.

"Harry, you had better get home. I'll be around later to apologise. The King is going to rip me a new one for dragging you out here."

%

The King had been livid. Harry wasn't even eighteen yet and Fury had called him in to risk his life.

Harry hadn't helped calm things down when he handed the King his Royal Army enlistment form and asked the King to sign as his guardian.

"Harry… why do you want to join the army?" The King asked with fatigue as he sat with Fury and the young wizard.

"I want to help people. I want to be able to use my armour properly. Some of the soldiers I met suggested that army training might help." Harry was extremely nervous. He hated having to try and get guardian consent. It always turned out bad for him.

"Special training." Fury said quietly. "Send him through the basics, but then assign him to a special unit. Something that answers to you directly."

"Is there a reason I can't join the army properly?" Harry asked curiously.

"Kid, you would be wasted in the military." Fury told him. "You work well with others, but you do your best work when we leave you to your own devices.

"Being in the army would restrict your time and you wouldn't be able to help people like Ben Grimm."

"But if it is training you want then we will sign you into the army as you desire." The King said finally. "Would you excuse us for now, Harry? I need to speak to Nicholas about some classified issues."

Harry stood and bowed.

The door clicked shut.

"You've got plenty of options for getting him through training." Fury said.

"It's not the training that is the issue. It's not the time constraints that will be placed on him.

"It is the fact that he wants to serve because he feels he owes me." The King said with frustration. "I gave him a home, protection… freedom.

"He doesn't seem to understand that he saved this country. My life, my home, my freedom. The soldiers who first encountered Harry told me that the lad was outraged that wizards were squatting on my lawn… wizard terrorists!

"If Harry wants to join the army, I will sign his forms. But I hope it is something he will enjoy."

"Like I said, he'd be wasted there. Let him train, learn the ropes. But make sure he still comes back to his manor and visits Xavier's school. It makes his mind work."

%

Of all the people to visit the Xavier Institute, the Fantastic Four were the biggest celebrities.

Ben Grimm and Henry McCoy were the most non-human looking.

Johnny was more than happy to entertain questions from the kids whilst the rest met Harry and Jean in the lower level labs.

"What do you know about magic?" Harry asked the group.

"Saw a few shows in Vegas once." Ben shrugged.

Harry looked to Jean who nodded and hopped onto the bed. She was soon a cat again.

"That isn't magic." Reed frowned. "Molecular transformation is possible in theory. Based on Johnny's own transformation it is fact.

"This appears to be a mutant ability."

Harry returned Jean to normal. "That is magic. It has existed for thousands of years and is used by millions of people.

"It is what makes my armour work and what makes life a bit easier for people whose x-gene causes problems for them."

"Mister Potter, magic is a term used by primitive civilisations who don't understand science."

"Only by those who can't use magic." Jean countered. "As Harry said, there are millions of users. They live in secret, they have their own civilisations and cultures."

"'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'" McCoy quoted. "And to put it another way:

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet."

"You're saying that magic is just a name?" Reed frowned.

McCoy sighed with a sad smile. "I am saying you should open your mind, Richards. Less than a year ago we would have said Mister Grimm's condition was impossible."

"How can magic help Ben?" Susan Storm brought them back on track.

"It might not be able to." Harry admitted. "I'm offering to try and figure things out."

"Since we met Harry he has done things that we thought were impossible." Jean told them. "As a result we have adopted a new school motto: Nothing is impossible, merely improbable."

"Ah, Holmes." McCoy gave a big blue grin.

"A paraphrasing, at least." Jean smiled.

"So what do I need to do? Turn my head and cough?" Grimm snarked.

"Let me run some tests and experiment." Harry shrugged. "It took me a year to figure out some solutions."

"Hear that, Reed?" Susan smirked. "Only a year."

%

Colonel O'Malley, who had led the assault on the Ministry of Magic, was Harry's guide around Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire.

He would spend half a year here getting the basic training that all new recruits did.

"I'm surprised you didn't consider joining the RAF." O'Malley commented as they walked through the military town. "With your armour you certainly fly well enough."

"Even the army has planes." Harry shrugged.

"Well, you will be here for most of your training, but His Majesty has us working on a special training course to incorporate your armour."

"As long as I get the basics without the armour." Harry nodded. "I want to be prepared now that I am free. I might not be able to get my shield in time."

Colonel O'Malley was a bit concerned as Harry was still wearing his shield over his back. From what he had been told, Harry never left it beyond arm's reach.

"You realise that if you do this you will be treated as just another soldier by anyone in the military? You will be subject to the orders of anyone who outranks you?"

"Yes."

%

Before Harry entered training he had a few days to spend with Ben and Hank. Having them both put on one of Rogue's bracelets showed some fluctuation in their forms. But it would need more tinkering. Still, it was a start.

Harry and Megan also helped Betsy clean up the Braddock Manor. It wasn't as big as Malfoy Manor, but it was still big.

"Miss Elizabeth, I have finished securing the equipment in the laboratory."

Harry and Megan jumped at the short, moustached butler that appeared.

"Thank you Jeeves. I'll let you know if we need anything." Betsy gave him a nod.

Jeeves vanished into thin air.

"Hey, Betsy?"

"Yeah, Pixie?"

"What the hell?"

"Huh?"

"I think she's talking about the guy who just appeared and disappeared out of thin air." Harry snarked.

"Oh… that's Jeeves. He's a hard light hologram of one of Dad's projects." Betsy explained.

The door to the sitting room they were in opened and a man in a red and white costume with blue accents stumbled through.

Harry had his armour on instantly. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"Harry… hold on." Betsy warned. "Bee, is that you?" She asked the costumed man.

"Yeah Bee… it's me." The man said as he leaned heavily against the back of a sofa.

"And Bee is… ?" Megan asked irritably.

"It's Brian. What happened? Why are you dressed… like that?" Betsy asked as she led him to sit.

"I- I was at the research facility." Brian said in a bit of a daze. "These men came in, tried to take us all hostage. I escaped, they chased me down, ran me off the road.

"A man, called himself Merlin, and his daughter, Roma… they appeared to me. I was dying. They offered me the chance to become Britain's champion.

"I accepted… defeated the hostage takers that chased me… and came here."

"Britain has a champion, dumbass." Megan snapped. "He's standing right there." She pointed at Harry.

"I'm no champion. Not again." Harry muttered. "If Brian wants it he can have it."

Brian looked up at the young man he had gotten to know. "Harry… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take anything from you."

"I'm serious." Harry said as he dismissed his armour back into his shield. "I'm not being a champion again. Someone else can jump through hoops."

"It's strange." Brian looked down at his gloved hands. "I asked them why they didn't approach you. They said you didn't need them.

"They said they chose me because of Dad. They said Dad was one of them, from some place called the Otherworld."

"Dad would have told us something that important." Betsy said dismissively. "Especially after magic was revealed." She indicated Megan and Harry.

"I don't know what else to tell you, Bee. This is what I was told… and… I can bench-press a car now." He said sheepishly.

"Can you take me to this research facility?" Harry asked urgently. "We need to alert the authorities and rescue the scientists."

"Good Lord! I left them there!" Brian stood up suddenly. "I was supposed to get help!"

"Meg, go to the palace, tell anyone and everyone what happened." Harry ordered.

%

Fortunately the rest of the hostage takers were easy for Harry to deal with. His invisibility made him very difficult to defeat when facing a regular human.

MI5 agents were soon on site and securing the area.

Harry and Brian were summoned to the palace.

"Mister Braddock, quite the situation you've found yourself in." The King said sternly as he sat at a conference table with the two men. "Miss Braddock and Miss Gwynn have informed Us of your tale.

"We are not sure We are comfortable with an outside party unilaterally declaring another the 'Champion of Britain'. We imagine that Our parliament and people will likewise have concerns."

"Your Majesty, I didn't want to be a 'champion'. I just wanted to save my colleagues… and not die. I have no idea what would happen to my sister if I died. How would the loss of our connection affect her?"

"We understand." The King nodded. "Our reservations are not with your actions but with the interference of an outside force."

"Your Majesty, did Be- Elizabeth tell you what I learned about my father?"

The King nodded. "They told you the truth."

Brian was gobsmacked.

"Your father was a friend. Only myself and your mother were told of his origins.

"Your title is Captain Britain. Your father was also Captain Britain.

"There are many, many Captain Britains, one for each universe. Your father was sent here to serve as this universes Captain Britain.

"He revealed this to me during the war after he said he came to trust me. He knew I disapproved of this outside interference, but, he was my friend and him I trusted."

"Why were we never told?" Brian asked in shock.

"James wanted you to live your lives. Captain Britain is not an inherited title. Your older brother was not chosen, after all.

"James was unusual as he was not native to this universe. Captain Britains are usually chosen from the native population."

"What am I supposed to do?" Brian asked, somewhat at a loss.

"You do what Harry does. Step up when you see an injustice that requires extra help."

%

Harry was exhausted. He had spent his first week in army training. It was the only week he would spend in the barracks.

He was often looked at by the other recruits with awe or distaste. They all knew who he was. He was as famous as the King.

He also carried his shield everywhere, only taking it off to sleep and shower. He carried it through physical training, drills, meals… everywhere.

Tomorrow he would be heading back to the palace. He was going to be working on solutions for Ben and Hank. From now on he would commute to the garrison.

"Put it down." Harry said tiredly as he lay on his bunk after a gruesome day of physical activity.

Collins was one of the more vocal about his distaste for Harry. He insulted him and even went out of his way to make activities harder for Harry, trying to sabotage him. In other words, a muggle Draco.

He had just picked up Harry's shield from the foot of his bed.

"Fuck you, Potter." Collins smirked as he put his hand through the leather straps. "You don't deserve to be here and you definitely don't deserve this." He said as he admired the shield now strapped to his arm.

Harry sat up and put his feet on the floor. "What exactly do you think is going to happen now that you have stolen my shield?" Harry asked calmly.

"Now I'll have the power. The fame. I'll get the special training." Collins grinned greedily.

"What special training? From whom? Do you honestly think they will train a thief?

"You think you're going to enjoy the fame of being a thief? Especially when the world learns you took my ability to help others?"

"They'll do what I tell them?" Collins said dismissively as he jerked his arm, trying to activate the armour.

Harry sighed and lay back down. "Collins, I'll give you ten minutes to play. If my shield isn't back by then, I'll be taking it."

Collins stomped over and pulled Harry up, throwing him to the floor between the bunks. "Tell me how to turn this fucking thing on!"

Harry slowly climbed to his feet and smirked. "Be me."

Collins roared with anger and charged at Harry, swinging the shield at him.

The shield was not light. Collins went flying past Harry's sidestep as the shield's weight added to his momentum.

He wasn't quick enough to dodge the outstretched foot and he went tumbling to land in a heap at the end of the room.

When he managed to turn over he saw Harry staring down at him. Harry stood on the man's arm and ripped the shield off causing the man to cry in pain.

"Collins, the next time you try and take my shield… it will take your arm. You have been warned." Harry said before putting it on his back. He then grabbed the man by the ankle and began dragging him out of the dorm, past the other recruits who had been watching.

"Where are you taking him, Potter?" One of them asked curiously.

"This fool is not worthy of serving His Majesty. He is out of the army. Dismissal with disgrace."

The door slammed closed as Collins futilely struggled to get free.

The door at the opposite end of the room creaked open and Colonel O'Malley stepped in having witnessed what had happened.

"If we have to, we'll take Potter out of this garrison and train him privately." O'Malley eyed each of them as they snapped to attention. "He's far more important than any of you. Than all of you.

"His armour could take on the entirety of the Royal Army and we wouldn't be able to scratch him. But do you know why he joined the army? He wanted to help people.

"The young fool is considered a hero for saving His Majesty and the country at the age of fifteen. He still just wants to help.

"He's never going to be a grunt like most of you. He'll wind up doing things that would make you wet the bloody bed. Sad thing is, we'll never have to even ask."

%

Collins was gone. Harry had delivered him to his superiors and reported what had happened. At first they had been doubtful, but then Colonel O'Malley walked in and it was done.

O'Malley had sent Harry back home immediately with instructions to return on the Monday.

He spent a quiet evening at the palace, discussing various topics with Megan and the King over dinner.

On Saturday he went to work with Ben and Hank at the Baxter Building in New York where the Fantastic Four lived. Bruce had also come along with Brian. Betsy went with Megan to the Xavier Institute.

Bruce and Brian watched as Harry released the two men from the transfiguration he had put them through. A pair of border collies.

Harry was pleased with the little plates of metal he had taken off the dogs' backs. "Great. We now know that transfiguration runes can be used and that if they are charged they work on non-magicals."

"So now you just need to determine if you can make human transfiguration runes?" Hank asked as he stretched his long, muscular, blue furry arms.

"Yes. But I'm still not a fan of the idea." Harry admitted. "It's a stop gap solution. Like Marie's bracelet.

"An ideal solution is to reverse the effects or cancel them."

"Perhaps, for Ben, you could examine the cosmic radiation." Reed offered. "It is permeating our bodies and is self-sustaining."

"Does wave cancellation work for radiation?" Harry asked.

"Not in the same way, but it is an interesting concept." Reed nodded. "My focus has been on reversing it, like you wanted to."

"What's this wave cancellation gonna do?" Ben asked.

"In basic terms it would inhibit whatever the cosmic radiation is doing." Brian answered. "But it would require an active device that would need regular charging. Like the bracelet that Miss D'Ancanto wears."

"I wonder if that would work for me?" Bruce pondered.

"I thought you had control?" Harry said.

"Yes, but it is an effort to maintain. Even now.

"Don't worry, this is something I want to accomplish on my own." Bruce assured him with a smile.

"If wave cancellation works on this cosmic radiation, I wonder if it will work on x-gene humans." Harry mused.

"I can ask my superiors at the Darkmoor Research Centre to experiment." Brian offered.

"Gamma radiation is my expertise." Bruce added. "I can do some research."

"Alas, my realm of study is bio-chemistry." Hank smiled. "Though I am a fair hand at electronics."

"I just hit things." Ben shrugged.

%

"Harry, we've got a mission for you." Colonel Fury said as he sat at the familiar table with the King. "It's a high priority search and rescue.

"You've heard of Tony Stark?"

"Billionaire head of Stark Industries." Harry nodded.

"He's also a genius. He was demonstrating some new weaponry in Afghanistan to the US Army when his convoy was attacked. We've found no trace of him and think he's been taken hostage.

"If that's the case then he may be forced to make weapons for them."

"What is it you want me to do, exactly?" Harry frowned.

The King leaned forward. "Harry, you can move faster and more nimbly than any vehicle we have. You can search the areas that we provide you in days.

"It would take us days just to reach them."

%

Harry was not going to rely on just magic and his speed to find Tony Stark. He had plenty of allies, he knew he couldn't just ask for them as he had been told this was being kept classified.

But this was a priority mission so he sought the solutions himself.

Betsy was not pleased when he dragged her into the Afghanistan desert.

"You are damned lucky you made this necklace, Harry." She grumbled as she straddled his back as they flew through the air over the mountains. The necklace kept the heat to a minimum. "But I could really use some goggles."

A few seconds later Harry was holding a pair of goggles over his shoulder as he flew them in a search pattern recommended by Fury.

"These'll do. I can't wait to get home and soak in the tub."

"Betsy, are you actually searching?" Harry asked.

"Yes I am. If I couldn't feel Brian I would be extremely lonely out here. Wait… land us, Harry."

They soon landed on small outcropping at the nearest peak.

"Give me a second. There are a fair amount of people nearby. I need to sift through them."

Harry just nodded and waited as he kept watch.

"I've got thoughts about Stark." Betsy reported as she searched. "They are talking about killing… not Stark. Let me try and find Stark himse-"

*BOOM*

An explosion of dust burst out of the caves below them. Men with weapons started shouting and running around. Seconds later gunfire was heard.

"Dammit! There is far too much chaos to try and find one man." Betsy growled.

"Doesn't matter. Someone was going to die and I need to find out who and why. You head back. I'll talk to you later."

Betsy nodded and took the offered portkey.

Once alone, Harry activated his invisibility and headed down into the caves.

There was so much chaos as people ran about with guns in the gloom that Harry didn't even bother trying to avoid touching people. Whenever someone ran into him, they blamed the guy on his other side. Quite a few fights broke out.

He reached a branching section of the tunnels when he heard another explosion. Pretty much back the way he came. He sighed and headed back.

He exited the cave system just in time to see a large metal machine shoot into the air with fire flaring behind it.

Should he follow it or go back to searching the caves?

Considering all the men were firing at it, he decided to follow.

The machine was highly unstable but managed to fly for half a mile before crashing into the desert sands. Fortunately it didn't suffer from explosive combustion, but it did essentially explode into smaller parts. In the middle of the mess of metal was the man he was looking for.

Harry de-cloaked and landed.

"I've been out here for five minutes and I'm seeing mirages." Stark muttered as he peered up at the silver man, shielding his eyes with his hand from the sun.

"It's been sixty seconds and I'm not a mirage." Harry said as he discreetly cast a few spells to check he was ok. "What the hell is in your chest?" Harry muttered. He didn't wait for a response. He stunned the man, pulled him out of the sand and activated his return Portkey.

%

"You found him!" Coulson smiled as Harry appeared in the military base with his passenger. It was a tent that Coulson had commandeered.

"He's in a bad way." Harry said as he transfigured a chair into a medical bed and put Stark on it. "He broke himself out in some sort of vehicle. But he's got a massive hole in his chest with some machinery in it." Harry vanished the ragged undershirt.

"God almighty." Coulson whispered in horror. "Why would someone do this to him?" Coulson froze for a moment. His eyes locked on Harry. "What if it's a booby trap?"

Harry quickly created another portkey, picked the unconscious man up and vanished.

%

"Braddock! I need a secure room capable of withstanding an explosion." Harry shouted as he landed in the Darkmoor Research Centre.

Brian Braddock took one look at the knight holding the man and ran. "This way."

Brian led him to an elevator that took them deep underground. "There's a bunker to be used by Number 10 in the event of an apocalyptic event.

"Is that Stark?" He asked as they descended.

"Yeah, I found him and took him to Coulson, but he has a hole in his chest and a machine implanted there. Coulson thought it might be a booby trap."

"I'm no doctor, Harry. I can examine the device, but if it goes off-"

"Just make sure you put your new duds on."

The uniform of Captain Britain actually increased his powers. He was nearly indestructible and could fly.

They quickly made it to the bunker and Harry placed the man on a transfigured bed.

Brian immediately began his examination. "Did you cast any spells?"

"Some basic medical diagnostic spells. A vanishing spell on his clothes and we used a portkey."

"Use your magic to monitor his vitals. I'm connected to Betsy and she is going to relay medical advice from some medical doctors."

%

It was an hour later and numerous spells cast that they determined the device was not a bomb but was essentially a magnet that was keeping metal shrapnel from entering Stark's heart and killing him.

With that concern taken care of Harry took Stark back to Coulson and left it in his hands.

Harry headed back to the palace to report to the King and then take a long cold shower.

%

It was two weeks later and Harry was really feeling drained… and it wasn't because Rogue was sitting closely next to him as everyone watched a movie.

This was his first real day off. He had been to army training everyday except the weekends. Those, he spent in his lab at the manor or with one of the academic bunch working on a solution for Ben and Hank.

Fortunately the students were watching a comedy, so he wasn't bored, but he wasn't really interested. Every now and again he saw Rogue look at him with concern.

Then his phone went off.

"I gotta take this." Harry sighed as he got up. He looked at the caller ID and scowled when he saw 'Fury' displayed.

"Turn on the news! There's a monster fight in LA!" Someone shouted as they ran past Harry into the room.

Harry answered the phone. "Let me guess… LA?"

%

Harry wasn't sure what to make of the debacle in front of him. He was hovering over a busy freeway in LA in the middle of the night as a knight in red and gold flew about and fought a metal humanoid monster in black.

The black monster resembled the vehicle Stark had used in his escape. Like an oversized bell-diving suit.

"Coulson, are you sure the black one is the bad guy?"

"Yes! Just take him out before he kills more people!"

Harry sighed and flew straight at the monster, the impact was jarring, he flew hard and fast as he went vertical.

"Potter!" Clearly the pilot recognised his armour. "I'll crush you as easily as I'll crush Tony." He growled through speakers. He wrapped his arms around Harry and squeezed.

"Say, does your armour have an oxygen supply?" Harry asked casually as they breached the cloud cover. "Is it suitable for atmospheric re-entry?" He queried as he flew higher.

"S-Stop! C-Can't br-" The panicked wheeze cut out as the speakers failed. The arms trying to crush him went slack.

%

"How is he going so high?" Tony Stark demanded through his open face plate. "Is that thing actually rated for space?"

"Classified, Mister Stark. Classified."

"What's classified, Coulson?"

They turned to see Harry in his armour, the massive metallic monster at his feet.

"How you do what you do, Harry. If the Colonel had his way, your entire life would be classified." Coulson smirked as he approached. "Is he dead?"

"Erm… his heart is beating… but I deprived him of oxygen for a while, so…"

"We'll get him into custody." Coulson nodded as he indicated his agents should take over.

Harry turned to Stark and the red headed woman with him. "So… who do I need to talk to about copyright infringement?"

The woman snorted as Stark stared at him.

%

Harry made it back to the mansion as the movie finished, having been paused to watch his adventures on the news.

"I can't tell you anything, Artie. It's all classified." Harry told the young boy.

"Really? How can something be classified if it was shown on the national news?" Jubilee scoffed.

"The details." Harry clarified. "And to be honest, I know as much as you do. I don't know who was in the black suit or who made it."

"But you know who was in the red and gold one?" John 'Pyro' Allerdyce smirked.

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies." Harry returned the smirk. "If you'll excuse me, I am going home to sleep." He said as he stood.

Rogue stood with him and took his hand. "I'll walk you out."

"Rogue and Harry, si-mmmppphhh!"

Harry frowned as the triplets simultaneously clamped their hands over three of the younger students. The Cuckoos just smiled innocently.

"How's the charge?" Harry asked as he stood outside the mansion with Rogue.

Rogue smiled brightly and showed him her bracelet. "Half a charge. You'll have to come back sooner to top it up."

Harry shook his head. "I can do it now.

He reached for her wrist but she pulled it away and scowled. "You're exhausted, Sugah." Her thick Mississippi accent coming out. "You wanna feel me up you can come back tomorrow."

She leant up and placed a kiss on his lips, short, but certainly not a friendly peck. She then turned and left with a smirk and a sway of her hips.

Harry stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. It wasn't his first kiss, he didn't object to it… he just wasn't sure what the next move was supposed to be.

He activated his Portkey and left. He'd ask Betsy.