When the door slid open, a woman stepped inside hesitantly. Her dark hair was slightly windswept, but her concerned gaze locked onto Tony Stark. Tony's eyes narrowed slightly. "Right there's fine," he instructed, "You're not the Mandarin, are you? Are you?"
The woman sighed, her irritation flickering briefly before she regained her composure. "You don't remember me. Why am I not surprised?"
Tony remained stoic when he answered. "Don't take it personally. I don't remember what I had for breakfast."
"Gluten-free waffles, sir," JARVIS interjected.
Tony rolled his eyes. "That's right."
From the corner of the room, Natasha and Harry continued tracking the newcomer like a hawk sizing up its prey. "Who's she?" Harry murmured to Natasha, who shrugged in response.
"Look, Tony, I need to talk to you. Alone. Somewhere not here. This is serious." The woman urged.
"Normally, I'd go for that sort of thing," Tony quipped while motioning vaguely to his surroundings, "but I'm in a committed relationship now."
From above, the sound of a door opening echoed down the stairs, followed by Pepper's voice. "Tony, is somebody here?"
"Yes, Pepper!" Tony called back as he stepped out of his armour. "It's Maya Hansen!" He gestured dramatically toward the new woman, who gave a strained smile. "Old botanist pal. I barely knew her. College stuff."
Tony leaned closer to Maya, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Please don't tell me there's a twelve-year-old kid waiting in the car I've never met."
Natasha arched her eyebrow while Harry, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes, glancing between Tony and Maya.
"Did he just ask what I think he asked?" Harry murmured, in disbelief.
Before Natasha could respond, Maya tilted her head and replied matter-of-factly, "Actually, he's thirteen."
Harry tensed, and Natasha straightened, her posture going from casual to alert in a heartbeat. The subtle shift in the room's atmosphere was palpable.
"Thirteen?" Natasha's voice dropped an octave. "There's actually a kid?"
"Wait a minute," Harry exclaimed as he stepped closer, his piercing green eyes boring into Maya. "You brought a teenager into this? Do you even know what risks that you are putting him in?"
The corners of Maya's mouth twitched, and she suddenly adopted a more serious demeanour. "Relax," she said, lifting her hands slightly as if to calm the rising tension. "There's no kid in the car. That was a joke. And honestly, I thought he"—she jabbed a thumb toward Tony—"would have clarified by now."
Harry and Natasha let out audible sighs of relief, the tension visibly draining from their bodies., "You two have a terrible sense of humour," Harry grumbled
Tony, unfazed, flashed an innocent grin. "What? It's not my fault you two are a little tightly wound. A bit of humour keeps us all sane."
"Humor?" Harry echoed, his tone incredulous. "You just implied you might have an illegitimate child waiting in the driveway!"
Maya rolled her eyes. "As entertaining as this is, I'm here because I need your help. And no, it doesn't involve a child, real or imaginary."
The room fell quiet for a moment, and then Tony clapped his hands together, breaking the silence. "Great! Now that we've cleared up the nonexistent kid situation, let's get to the part where you tell me why you've suddenly shown up after all these years."
"So why now?" Tony asked Maya directly.
"Because I read the papers," Maya replied. "And, frankly, I don't think you'll last the week."
Tony raised an eyebrow, his nonchalance returning. "I'll be fine," he said, waving off her concern. "In case you haven't noticed, I've got these two here to back me up." He gestured toward Harry and Natasha with a casual flick of his hand, as if that alone was enough to settle the matter.
Maya's gaze shifted to Harry and Natasha, her expression a mixture of doubt and scepticism. "Two people?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. "You're betting your life on just two people?"
Harry's eyes narrowed, and Natasha's lips pressed into a thin line, the slight scoff that escaped her barely audible but cutting nonetheless.
"No offence," Maya continued, clearly not understanding what she was saying, "but you don't know what you're up against. The Mandarin isn't just some ordinary terrorist. His reach and his resources are beyond anything you can imagine."
Harry exchanged a look with Natasha, their mutual irritation apparent. Natasha tilted her head slightly, the barest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "You think we don't know what we're dealing with?" she asked with an edge that could cut steel.
Harry crossed his arms, leaning casually against the wall. "Funny," he said dryly. "You seem pretty sure of what we can't do, considering you don't know us at all."
Maya looked between them, seemingly unimpressed. "I've seen what the Mandarin is capable of," she said firmly. "And it's not the kind of threat two people, no matter how skilled, can handle alone."
"Good thing we're not alone," Natasha said coolly, her tone a deliberate dismissal of Maya's judgment.
"And as for what we can handle," Harry added, his emerald eyes glinting with confidence, "you might want to hold off on making assumptions until you've seen us in action."
Tony clapped his hands together, breaking the simmering tension. "Alright, let's all dial it down a notch," he said, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth more than he should. "Maya, trust me, these two have handled situations a lot weirder and deadlier than anything the Mandarin's cooking up. So, how about you focus on telling us what you know, and we'll handle the rest?"
Pepper appeared at the top of the stairs hearing the commotion. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "With Happy in the hospital, I didn't know we were expecting guests."
"We weren't," Tony replied quickly, shooting Maya a look as if to emphasize the point.
Pepper's gaze flicked to Maya, assessing her with a polite smile, then back to Tony. "Well, if this is about work, I'm afraid it's going to have to wait. We're going out of town." She gestured toward the packed bags near the stairs.
Tony's face twisted in disbelief. "Okay, we've been through this. Harry has made sure the house is protected, haven't you?"
Before Harry could respond, Maya seized the moment, stepping forward with an air of agreement. "That's actually a fantastic idea," she said, heading toward the bags. "Let's go."
Tony blinked, caught between disbelief and irritation. "I'm sorry. That's a terrible idea. Please don't touch her bags."
Pepper threw her hands up in frustration. "Tony, this is how normal people behave. When there's danger, they leave. They don't stick around waiting for it to knock on their front door!"
"Normal people don't have Harry's security system and two assassins living with them," Tony countered, gesturing toward Natasha and Clint in the roof.
Harry leaned closer to Natasha, as he whispered. "You know, I thought we were the dangerous ones in the room."
Natasha raised her hands innocently. "We're just here for moral support."
Maya, seemingly unfazed by the humour, turned back to Tony with a determined look. "Listen, I'm telling you, staying here isn't safe. You have no idea what the Mandarin is capable of."
Tony rolled his eyes and gestured toward Harry. "You're preaching to the choir. He deals with alien armies for fun. Compared to that, a terrorist is a mild inconvenience."
Maya glanced at Harry, still clearly unconvinced. "This isn't a joke. You don't know what's coming."
Harry met her gaze with confidence. "We do. And trust me, this house is the last place anyone should try to mess with."
Pepper sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine. But when this all goes sideways, I reserve the right to say, 'I told you so.'"
Tony smirked, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "Deal. But when it doesn't go sideways, I reserve the right to gloat endlessly."
"I'm sorry to burst your reunion, but there are three choppers headed our way from the sea," Clint's voice rang out over the PA system, cutting through the conversation.
Everyone in the living room immediately turned toward the horizon, eyes scanning the sky. Despite their efforts, the sea and sky remained a seamless expanse, giving no indication of any incoming threat.
Tony squinted, straining his eyes. "I don't see anything. Are you sure, Legolas?"
"Positive," Clint replied coolly, the faint sound of wind carrying through the speakers as he remained perched in his lookout spot.
Natasha exchanged an amused glance with Harry. "He's always sure."
Not one to leave things to chance, Tony gestured to the air. "Jarvis, can you confirm what Barton just said?"
"Checking satellite images now," Jarvis replied in his ever-composed tone. A moment later, he added, "Mr. Barton is correct. Three helicopters are approaching from the northeast, traveling approximately 120 knots."
"How far?" Tony asked, his voice steady but sharp with curiosity.
"They are 25 miles away and closing in, sir."
Pepper crossed her arms, glancing nervously at the others. "That's not exactly close, but it's not far enough either."
Maya stepped closer to the window, her brow furrowed. "Three helicopters? Are they military? This feels wrong."
"How do you even see them?" Tony asked, turning toward the ceiling as if Clint could hear his incredulous tone directly.
"Eagle eyes," Clint quipped, the smugness in his voice almost tangible. "Plus, I know what to look for."
Tony shook his head, muttering, "Of course you do."
Pepper frowned, her worry palpable. "Shouldn't we be doing something about this? Like, I don't know, leaving?"
Maya nodded quickly. "Yes. We can't just sit here. This house is a target!"
Natasha, leaning casually against the wall now, gave a faint smirk. "Relax. If Harry says we are fine then we are fine."
Harry, standing nearby with his hands in his pockets, shrugged nonchalantly.
Clint's voice came through again. "Heads up. They've adjusted the course and are aiming directly for us now. ETA...under five minutes."
Pepper's face paled slightly. Maya looked ready to bolt for the door, but Harry simply adjusted his stance, his demeanour as calm as ever.
"Good," Harry said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Let them come."
"What do you want me to do, Potter?" Clint's voice crackled through the comms.
Harry didn't respond immediately, his emerald eyes focused on Maya, who stood frozen in place. Her face had drained of colour, her eyes wide with disbelief as she pieced together what was happening.
"I'm ready whenever you want me to," Clint confirmed.
Harry finally broke his silence, his tone calm yet firm. "Let's see what they want first."
Maya snapped her gaze toward him. "Are you insane? You're just going to wait?"
"Yup." Harry's reply was so nonchalant it only seemed to frustrate her more.
Before anyone else could comment, Jarvis interrupted. "Sir, the helicopters have launched nine missiles toward the mansion."
Everyone turned toward the windows as the ominous streaks of light drew closer across the sky. Maya's panic intensified, and she grabbed Pepper's arm in an attempt to move her. "We have to get out of here! Now!"
Pepper, however, remained rooted to the spot, her gaze flicking between Harry and the incoming missiles. The others stood just as still, completely at ease.
Maya's voice rose. "Are you all crazy? Those are missiles!"
"Relax," Natasha said.
As the missiles closed in, Maya threw up her hands in desperation. "Relax? You can't be serious—"
The missiles struck, but instead of the devastating impact Maya expected, they exploded inches away from the mansion, their destructive force colliding with an invisible barrier. A series of brilliant flashes illuminated the area, their heat and force dissipating harmlessly against the shimmering wards.
The explosions roared, shaking the air around them, but inside the mansion, there wasn't so much of a vibration.
Maya stared in shock, her mouth slightly open as she took in the scene. "What...what just happened?"
Harry crossed his arms, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Magic"
"Not bad, Potter," Clint remarked approvingly over the comms.
Harry gave a small shrug with a smug expression.
Maya couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight. She turned to Pepper, her voice barely above a whisper. "How is this even possible?"
Pepper didn't answer immediately. Instead, she glanced at Harry. She gave him a small, almost imperceptible nod before addressing Maya. "Because when Harry says we're safe, we are."
Maya remained speechless. Harry, meanwhile, simply watched the helicopters hover futilely in the distance.
"Now can I take them out?" Clint asked impatiently.
Harry didn't answer immediately, his gaze fixed on the helicopters. "Let them get through their ammunition first."
As if on cue, the guns in the helicopters roared to life, their mounted Gatling guns spinning up with a mechanical whine. A second later, a storm of bullets erupted, streaking toward the mansion like streams of molten fire.
The first wave collided with the shimmering barrier of Harry's wards, sending a cascade of golden sparks rippling across its surface.
Inside the mansion, there was an almost eerie calm. The occasional flicker of golden light played across the windows, illuminating the awe-struck faces of Maya and Pepper.
"What the…" Maya whispered, unable to look away as the relentless onslaught continued. The helicopters showed no sign of relenting, their gunners unleashing a torrent of firepower that could have levelled any ordinary structure.
From their vantage point, the group watched as the projectiles disintegrated harmlessly on impact, dissipating into harmless sparks before they could even reach the house's outer walls. The barrier shimmered with ethereal beauty, absorbing the onslaught with effortless grace.
"Are you seeing this?" Tony asked, more to himself than anyone else.
"Yes, it feels like a Christmas fireworks display out here," Clint commented.
The gunners switched tactics, launching a wave of incendiary rounds. The fiery projectiles exploded against the barrier in dazzling bursts of red and orange, illuminating the sky like a pyrotechnic display. The resulting shockwaves sent ripples of energy coursing across the wards, but they held firm, unyielding.
Maya took a hesitant step back, her voice trembling. "This…this is impossible. Nothing can withstand this kind of firepower."
Harry glanced at her, his expression calm but with a trace of satisfaction. "You'd be surprised at what else I can do."
The assault dragged on, the cacophony of gunfire and explosions filling the air. The helicopters emptied their magazines in a final desperate barrage, their weapons glowing red-hot from the strain.
Finally, the relentless gunfire ceased, replaced by an eerie silence as the gunners reloaded. The helicopters hovered while the house stood completely unscathed. The wards shimmered faintly as if taunting the attackers with their impenetrability.
"Now?" Clint's voice came through again eagerly.
Harry smiled faintly, raising his hand in a deliberate gesture. "Now."
Clint's grin was audible through the comms as he steadied his bow, drawing three explosive arrows from his quiver. "Let's see how they like this," he muttered.
He loosed the arrows in rapid succession. They streaked through the sky like blazing comets, each finding its mark with pinpoint accuracy. The impact was instantaneous as each helicopter erupted in a brilliant flash of orange and red flames, fireballs blooming against the dark sky.
But something was off.
The explosions were far larger than expected, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The fiery plumes expanded unnaturally fast, consuming the helicopters in massive infernos that left no chance for even debris to fall intact.
"Whoa!" Clint exclaimed. "That's not what I was aiming for."
Harry narrowed his eyes, the magical wards shimmering faintly in response to the force of the blasts. "Those arrows don't usually cause that much damage," he remarked, turning toward Tony.
Tony's expression was grim as he studied the aftermath. "They didn't. Those choppers just self-destructed. Looks like The Mandarin is not interested in survivors—at least not ones who can tell us anything."
Tony stepped forward, activating his suit with a sharp whir. The armour assembled itself around him in a seamless dance. "I'm not taking any chances," he said. "I'll go check the wreckage. Maybe there's something left to tell us what they were after."
Before anyone could protest, Tony's repulsors flared, lifting him into the air and Tony headed towards the smouldering remains.
In a heartbeat, Natasha had her sidearm levelled at Maya Hansen's face and asked. "As you can see, we're more than capable of handling ourselves. Your timing, however, is just a little too convenient. So, I'm only going to ask this once. Why are you really here?"
Maya froze, her hands instinctively raised halfway in a defensive gesture. She glanced around the room, her eyes darting between Harry and Pepper. There wasn't a shred of sympathy or hesitation on any of their faces. With a resigned sigh, she lowered her hands slowly. "I think my boss is working for the Mandarin," Maya admitted.
Pepper's expression turned incredulous. "Wait, you think, your boss works for the Mandarin? But Tony said you're a botanist!"
Maya let out a humourless laugh, her shoulders relaxing just slightly. "That figures. What I actually am is a biological DNA coder running a team of forty out of a privately funded think tank. But sure, call me a botanist if it makes you feel better."
The room went silent for a beat, Then Harry broke the stillness. "You work for AIM and Aldrich Killian."
Maya's head snapped toward him. "Yes… but how do you—"
"Killian pitched us the Extremis project yesterday," Harry cut in. "AIM as a think tank has been propping up in my radar a lot. And I am guessing you are the lead scientist of the Extremis project."
Natasha went into a contemplative thought as she put the whole picture together. "So, let's connect the dots, shall we?" she began. "Extremis isn't just some DNA splicing tech that hacks into the brain. It's a DNA-altering treatment designed to push the human body beyond its natural limits. Regeneration, enhanced strength, durability, all sounds great on paper."
Maya nodded warily, unsure whether Natasha's assessment was a compliment or condemnation.
"But," Natasha continued, "the problem is, it's far from stable. When the body can't handle the strain of the enhancements, the result isn't just failure, it's catastrophic. We're talking spontaneous human combustion, aren't we?"
Maya swallowed hard, saying nothing.
Natasha began pacing slowly, ticking off her points on her fingers. "This instability makes it useless for the public market. No pharmaceutical company is touching a product that turns its customers into walking bombs. But for someone like the Mandarin?" She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. "It's a jackpot. You don't need a suicide bomber if you can just inject a human grenade and send it into a crowded area. Cheap, effective, and terrifyingly unpredictable."
Maya flinched but remained silent, her expression confirming Natasha's deduction.
"Let me guess," Natasha pressed on. "Killian's version of 'damage control' was to offload Extremis to the Mandarin. In return, Killian gets funding, protection, and a whole new testing ground for his unstable tech."
Maya hesitated, then nodded. "That's… correct," she admitted reluctantly.
Natasha stopped pacing, turning her full attention back to Maya. "So, to summarize: Extremis is a failed cure turned into a weapon. Killian has the tech, the Mandarin has the manpower, and together, they've created an army of literal ticking time bombs."
Her eyes narrowed, her voice dropping to a razor-sharp edge. "Did I miss anything?"
Maya blinked, visibly rattled by the sheer precision of Natasha's deductions. "No… I think you've got it all," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Tony arrived just as Natasha finished interrogating Maya. His suit retracted with a hiss, revealing his exasperated face. "Well, no survivors," he announced. "Not even a scrap of intel from those choppers. Clint said one guy bailed before the fireworks, but, uh…" Tony made a gesture of pulling an imaginary bowstring. "Hawkeye did what Hawkeye does best. One arrow, straight through the heart. Very poetic."
"Efficient, too," Clint's voice crackled through the comms. "If I do say so myself."
Harry smirked. "That's fine. Turns out we don't need the guy. We've got someone who can tell us everything we need to know." He gestured toward Maya, who was awkwardly trying to fade into the background.
Tony squinted at her, then shot Harry a sceptical look. "Seriously? Miss Botanist doesn't exactly scream 'super villain informant.'"
"She's here because she thought her boss wanted to kill you," Harry explained as amusement crept into his voice.
Tony raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Aww, how sweet. I'm touched. Really, I am." He placed a hand over his heart with mock sincerity.
Harry smirked. "Oh, it gets better. Guess who her boss is?"
Tony tilted his head thoughtfully. "The Mandarin? Please tell me it's the Mandarin. I'm dying for a dramatic face-off."
Harry chuckled. "Not quite. Try Pepper's creepy admirer."
Tony froze, his brow furrowing. "…Killian?"
"Bingo," Harry replied, his grin widening.
Tony blinked, then threw his hands in the air. "Of course, it's Killian! The Mandarin is not only after my life because I threatened him, but also because Killian wants me out of the way to get after Pepper. Why didn't I see this coming?"
"Not funny," Pepper snapped, fixing both Harry and Tony with a glare.
Harry raised his hands in mock surrender, but his grin didn't waver. "Alright, fair enough. But you know, this whole situation got me thinking..."
Tony groaned, already sensing where this was going. "Oh no. Here we go. The Harry Potter Suggestion Hour."
Ignoring him, Harry continued, his tone thoughtful. "Pepper seems to be in a lot of danger, constantly, because of her association with you, Tony."
"Gee, thanks for pointing that out," Pepper said dryly.
"So," Harry went on, undeterred, "I feel like you should build her a nano-tech Iron Man suit. Something lightweight, compact—call it 'Iron Lady,' maybe. She could keep it on her at all times, and if she's ever in danger, boom! The nano-suit deploys, shields her, and gets her out of any tight or compromising situations."
Harry shrugged. "Think of it as a practical Christmas gift. Better than jewellery, and it's way harder to lose."
Tony's eyes lit up as he considered the idea, tapping his chin. "Actually… that's not bad. Pepper in her own suit... I could add a stealth mode, some environmental protections—oh, and maybe a built-in flamethrower for dramatic flair." Tony commented as the conversation shifted towards something lighter.
Author's Note chapter 70:
This chapter was completely discovery writing. I had the concept of Maya's arrival and the Mandarin attack. However, the dialogues between Harry and Maya were all on-the-spot writing. Her panicked reaction in the movie and Harry's confidence in his magic. But then Maya doesn't understand why Harry is confident. So it gave a good balance to the story. As you can see, Tony's house doesn't get blown up, so he isn't going to Tennessee. Sorry, Harley Keener, but like in the MCU, you don't have much a role in this story.
With only one subscription tier for $5, you get complete access to the library and up to chapter 189 of this story. So, if you want to read ahead, check out my P.A.T.R.E.O.N @Bivz643.