Chapter 30: Unusual Deaths!
If you want to read ahead by 10 chapters from her you can visit my Patre-on.
[P] [A] [T] [R] [E] [O] [N]
https://www.patreon.com/Yggdrasil_Loki
-----------
"Well," he murmured, "off to the muggle world I go."
Gangs in Rome had been getting killed by unusual methods over the past six months.
Normally this would fall to the jurisdiction of the magical government, given its proximity to the centre of the Italian magical world, but they had said that no magic had been cast at the scenes – no magic they recognized, at least.
Agent Phil Coulson had a hunch, and his hunches were not often wrong. His theory was only further evidenced by the fact that the majority of the victims seemed to be freezing to death or having an icicle stabbed through them in the middle of spring.
When he witnessed a man turn into a blond boy on CCTV footage, there was only one conclusion he could come to: the shapeshifter from Russia was in Italy.
Someone of his ability could be a great addition to the Avengers Initiative, even if his morals were slightly questionable.
So far SHIELD knew that he could shapeshift, control ice, telepathically control people, and teleport.
With time they might be able to convince him to join them, but first they would have to find him and bring him in, whether he liked it or not – assuming it was a he.
Harry approached the house's door, the location of which he had gathered from interrogating another gang member who had been only too happy to squeal once frostbite claimed his toes.
It was not out of some moral superiority that Harry chose gangs to rob, but his targets tended to have their money in cash, and the authorities didn't care too much if a few died, assuming it was simply a gang war.
The fact that he held a slight grudge after being kidnapped by one certainly didn't factor into it.
He glanced to his left and right before hiding his wand under his jacket and pointing it at the door, murmuring, "Alohamora." With a click, the door unlocked, and Harry silently slipped through.
It was quiet - suspiciously so - devoid of the usual laughter and chatter that filled a place like this even into the early hours of the morning.
A few sounds remained, however, alerting him to the fact that there was not a silencing charm.
Allowing his wand to slip into his right hand and reaching into his jacket for a dagger, Harry walked forward.
As with the previous room, the next bore no sign of activity, though guns on the table proved that this was the correct location.
What had happened? Had they all gone for a pizza or something? Had-
'Stop!' Loki ordered, causing Harry to freeze. 'Tripwire at the next doorway. You're going to have to go over if you want to see what it's attached to.'
With great caution, Harry stepped over the wire and crouched down to look at the device.
Closer inspection revealed it appeared to be attached to what he recognized as something similar to a flashbang grenade. He frowned.
A muggle trap then. That was to be expected in a muggle house, but it destroyed his slight suspicion that the Italian magicals had picked up on his pattern of attack and laid a trap.
He had been quite predictable, striking when large amounts of money had been in his target location – that was something he would have to change.
It had to be the gang then, but using non-lethal methods of attack meant that someone else was here.
Harry stood from his crouch, suddenly more alert as he began to push his magic into skin, reinforcing it.
He was normally far more durable than a normal human, though could still be penetrated by bullets.
Whilst he couldn't boost himself to Asgardian levels, it would make him bulletproof, though a hit would still hurt like hell. It was the best option, however.
Creating a shield that protected all of him would be a waste of energy if it were to stop multiple bullets, and he wouldn't be able to react whilst a bullet was in the air. It would hit him before he heard the gun go off.
He glanced at the room's doors and decided it would be best to leave. Money wasn't really an issue for him and he already had more than enough; he just took more partially out of greed and partially because he had no idea what the future held.
Nonetheless, his life was certainly more valuable.
As he turned to exit, the sound of metal hitting wood sounded and he was instantly spinning, an icy wind bursting from the tip of his wand and flinging the object back to the room from whence it had came.
'Another flashbang!' Loki yelled.
Harry was immediately acting. A flashbang, as the name implied, relied on a bright flash and loud bang to heavily disorientate its target.
"Obscurro," he muttered, his wand pointed at himself as he cast the blindfolding charm.
He didn't get time to do anything but open his mouth to negate any pressure before a tremendous bang burst through the air and his vision was briefly illuminated, even through the blindfold.
Dispelling the charm upon himself, he charged forward, into the other room. Immediately, he was confronted by the sight of two man in black combat gear, each toting assault rifles.
All appeared to have been heavily affected by the grenade, making it easy for Harry to slam a kick into both of their helmets, saving his magic for any others as he knocked both unconscious.
A floorboard creaked behind him and he span, summoning a barrier of shimmering gold into existence.
It caught what appeared to be two wires fired from a taser and Harry let it dispel, thinking a banishing curse as he blasted the man backwards and out of a window.
Glancing out said window revealed dozens more armed men rallying outside and Harry ducked out of sight, gathering the concentration required for apparation – and then he was on his on his back, his head swimming.
When he had attempted to apparate, it had felt as though he had crashed into a wall, and there was only one thing that could've meant.
-----------
If you want to read ahead by 10 chapters from her you can visit my Patre-on.
[P] [A] [T] [R] [E] [O] [N]
https://www.patreon.com/Yggdrasil_Loki