Chapter 16
Maria lay flat on her back, arms overhead, and her hair fanned out over the plush pillow. The sheets were soft and cool against her skin. Her only clothes were a pair of dark blue panties that were damp in the center and wedged up into her slit. Harry knelt beside her, his cock fully hard and resting against her stomach. He loomed over her with a smile that made Maria tremble.
His mouth found her nipple, and he gently bit down. Maria bucked her hips and gasped. Her right breast squashed against his face. It was pale and lightly freckled, and her nipple was stiff and blushing pink. Harry sucked it until her breast stretched, distorting the circle of her areola, and then he released her with a wet pop.
"Jesus Christ, Harry," she said, breathing heavily.
He kissed her other nipple. She shivered from the hard, wiggling pressure of his tongue. Harry closed his lips and slowly sucked with long pulls that made her nipple throb. He rolled it between his teeth, holding her gaze. Maria felt her heart pound. She raised her hands and jammed his head down, smothering him in her cleavage.
He laughed, his mouth still full. Maria arched her back, her breasts rising like two swollen domes. Harry licked the sweat off the valley between them, then traced the undersides, nuzzling the soft weight of them against his cheeks. He slid down, dragging his tongue down her cleavage, leaving a streak of wet warmth.
Her panties were a darker shade between her thighs now. He sucked on her nipple again, and his tongue flicked rapidly and lightly over the hard bead. Maria's legs twitched. She squeezed them together, feeling her pussy throb and the wet fabric stick to her lips. Harry trailed both hands over her ribs, kneading her flesh as he went. He then slid a hand under the waistband of her underwear and just held it there.
"You're soaking," he said.
Maria shuddered as Harry played with the delicate skin of her smooth mound. Harry moved lower, kissing her stomach. Her stomach flinched as Harry peppered kissed down her silky skin. He stopped at her belly button, pressed the tip of his tongue into it, and wiggled it side to side. Maria burst out laughing, then stifled it with the back of her hand.
"That tickles," she said.
"Sorry." Harry chuckled and licked her again. He then nipped gently at the rim. He kissed his way down until his nose was pressed into the waistband of her panties. Maria felt his hot breath through the thin cotton, right against her clit.
Harry hooked his thumbs into her underwear and slowly pulled it down, dragging it over her hips, then her thighs, then her calves. He bunched them up and tossed them over his shoulder. Maria's pussy was smooth and bare. Her mound was puffy, flushed a deep, feverish pink. The lips were parted and glistening, and the inner folds were pale and almost swollen. The clit jutted out, hard as a pebble. Harry spread her knees with both hands, and Maria let him. He dropped to his elbows, face level with her pussy, and stared at it like he wanted to memorize every detail.
"You have such a sexy pussy," he complimented her, lightly dragging his fingertip along the length of her damp slit.
"Are you just going to sit there and stare?" she asked in a hoarse voice. She then draped her legs over his shoulders.
He leaned forward and licked her from asshole to clit, and Maria gasped. Harry lapped at her folds, savoring her musky flavor. Then he pressed his mouth right up to her pussy and sucked her clit between his lips. Maria squirmed, her thighs clamping against the sides of his head. Harry didn't stop. He sucked harder and rolled his tongue over her clit in tight, rapid circles. Maria clawed at the sheets and let out a high-pitched squeal. Her legs trembled, and her pussy felt like it was on fire.
"Oh, god … don't stop," she begged.
Harry made a noise in his throat and sucked harder. His hands gripped her ass, spreading her cheeks wide. Maria's hips rose off the bed. She was moaning loudly, every sound bouncing off the high ceilings and the glass. She felt herself come apart, and the orgasm came quick and clean in a wave of heat running from her spine to her toes. She could feel her pussy squeeze and spasm against his tongue.
Harry kept licking her quivering pussy. He milked every last tremor out of her body, then finally let go. He looked up at her, his lips glossy with her pussy juice. Maria stared at the ceiling, her chest heaving and mouth open. She tried to remember how to talk, but it was gone. Her thighs still quivered. Harry crawled up and settled between her parted legs, his cock hard and resting against her belly.
Maria barely had time to recover. Harry's weight pressed against her inner thighs, his cock nudging the raw, swollen slit of her pussy. Maria could feel her heart hammering against her ribcage, still pounding from the last orgasm. She looked up and found his face hovering above hers. His black hair was messy, and his eyes were bright and focused.
He kissed her hard, his tongue pushing past her lips, and Maria tasted herself on him. She moaned and bit his lower lip, not letting go until he groaned into her mouth. His hips rolled, and the head of his cock pressed against her entrance. Maria gripped his sides, feeling the taut cords of muscles flex under her fingers. She pulled him down, loving the feel of his weight. She needed to be filled.
Harry braced himself on his elbows. His cock pressed against her opening, and he easily parted her plump lips. Maria cried out. The stretch was almost painful, but thankfully, the pleasure quickly overwhelmed it. Harry went slow, inching deeper. Maria's body clenched around him, greedy and desperate.
"Shit," he gasped, his voice heavy. "You feel …"
"Shut up and fuck me," Maria hissed, digging her nails into his back.
He snapped his hips forward and buried himself to the hilt. Maria gasped, then wildly cried out. Harry buried his face in her neck and sucked on her delicate skin. He pulled back, then slammed in again, driving the breath from her lungs. Maria hooked her legs around his waist. She dug her heels into his ass, using him for leverage, and met every thrust with her own. Each stroke sent a ripple of pleasure through her. Her pussy was fluttering, raw, and still sensitive from the first orgasm, but hungry for more. Harry's rhythm picked up, faster and rougher. Their bodies slapped together, their skin hot and slick.
She looked up at him. Harry's handsome face was tight with concentration. His eyes were shut, and sweat was beading at his hairline. He bit his lip, breathing through his nose. Maria wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him in. She licked the sweat from his jaw. "God, you're sexy," she said, smiling through the haze.
"So are you," he managed while fucking her harder, his cock punching into her so deep she could feel it in her gut.
Maria's hands roamed his body, grabbing his ass, his shoulders, and his hair. She liked the way his body felt. It was hard and lean, and his skin was surprisingly soft and smooth. She liked the look of him losing control. She started grinding up against him, her clit mashed between their bodies. Every thrust sent a shockwave of pleasure through her.
The orgasm came on suddenly in a flood of heat and pressure. Maria arched her back, eyes wide, and howled as her pussy clamped down, milking Harry for everything he had. She felt herself gush around him, her pussy juice streaming out and pooling under her ass. Harry grunted, thrust three more times, and came inside her, his cock pulsing against her walls.
They stayed locked together, shaking. Maria's thighs trembled uncontrollably, and Harry let his weight collapse on top of her. She felt his heart pounding against her chest, loud as a war drum. She ran her fingers through his hair, slow and soothing, until the world stopped spinning.
Metal and Magic
The room was quiet. Outside, the moonlight rippled against the surface of the ocean, silent behind the thick pane of glass. Harry was breathing slowly and steadily, lips slightly parted, with one arm slung over Maria's ribs. She lay naked on her side, her pussy feeling raw from hours of nonstop fucking. She waited for his breathing to settle, then, slowly and carefully, she slid out from under his arm. Maria quietly padded to the corner, pulled on a soft white robe, and cinched it tight. She glanced back at the bed. Harry hadn't moved. 'Good,' she thought.
She slipped into the hallway. The lights were dim, and the floor was cool under her bare feet. Maria moved silently as a ghost, keeping close to the wall. She made it past the kitchen, the empty living room, and down a short hall lined with abstract art. The house was enormous, and she hadn't seen half of it. She found the stairs to the lower level and padded down them.
The door hissed open. The underground garage was cold and full of complex equipment. A set of worktables took up the far side, and on one of them sat two Iron Man helmets, side by side. Maria whistled under her breath. To the left were two complete suits of armor. The first was obviously the Iron Man suit. The red and gold colors instantly gave it away. The second was mostly glossy black, but trimmed in chrome. This was the suit she was most interested in.
She walked over, examining them. Both were cold to the touch. She rapped her knuckles on the chest and heard a metallic clank. She recognized Tony Stark's handiwork. It matched all the pictures she had seen, but the second suit … it was newer and sleeker, like it was built for speed. She felt a jolt of satisfaction. Fury's hunch was correct. She pulled out her phone, snapped a picture, and e-mailed it to the secure SHIELD address.
"Find what you were looking for?" said a voice behind her.
Maria spun. Harry was standing in the doorway, shirtless, and his pajama bottoms were slung low. His arms were folded. He was smiling like someone who clearly knew they had the upper hand.
"Couldn't sleep," Maria said, shrugging. Even though she was acting casual, her heart was pounding in her chest. "Thought I'd stretch my legs."
Harry nodded, stepping closer. He looked tired, but alert. "Mmhmm." He walked up to the black suit and slapped his hand against the metal shoulder. "Not bad, huh?" he asked her.
"They're amazing," Maria said, pretending to be a typical fan girl. "Does this mean that you're …" Her voice caught. She finished her sentence by pointing at the black armor.
Harry chuckled and nodded. He already knew that SHIELD strongly suspected that he was the other idiot flying around LA with Tony. Harry had a feeling that he might have to have a conversation with this Nick Fury character sooner or later. "Wow!" Maria exclaimed with wide eyes.
"Keep this a secret, okay?" Harry said. "It's important to protect my identity," he told her.
"I will," she stated with certainty, nodding her head. Harry smiled cheekily at her.
"Promise?" he asked in a sing-song voice. Again, Maria nodded.
"I promise," she told him. Harry smiled kindly at her.
"Good," he said, walking over to her. Maria sneakily tucked her phone away. Harry stepped in, closing the distance, and put a hand on her hip. "Come back to bed," he said. He pulled her body against his, and Maria could feel that his erection was back in full force. She knew exactly what was going to happen once they were back in the room. Harry took her hand. She let him lead her, not looking back.
Metal and Magic
Maria sat in the back of a black sedan. It was barely dawn, and the sky was a blur of oranges and reds. She checked the side mirror. Fury was here. He slid into the passenger seat, trench coat flapping, and his black eyepatch was crooked over one eye. He said nothing for a long moment. He just stared out the window as the city began to wake.
"Well?" he said, finally.
Maria reached into her pocket and fished out her phone before handing it to him. "Got visual confirmation. Two suits. Stark's handiwork, but the new one's for Harry. He told me himself."
Fury scrolled through the photos. He grunted a low sound of approval. "I knew it. They must be really close if Stark trusts him with one of his suits. How did you get the info out of him?"
Maria shot him a glare. "Are you asking because you care, or because you want a play-by-play?"
He smiled, his teeth white against his dark skin. "I want results, Hill. And you're delivering."
Maria leaned back, stretching her neck. She was tired. Her whole body ached. Thankfully, it was the good kind of ache. "You want me to keep going?" she asked.
Fury tucked the phone away. "No. You're done. Romanoff's back in town. She'll take it from here."
The words hit harder than she expected. Maria's jaw clenched. "You don't trust me to get the job done?"
"I trust you, but Natasha's… better at this kind of close work."
Maria laughed, bitter. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."
"She's better at not getting attached," Fury said, voice flat. "You're not used to this kind of work," he reminded her.
Maria looked out the window, watched people jogging past in matching neon gear. "You really want me to walk away? Remember, I've got an in to his new company," she reminded her boss. Fury thought about it for a second and nodded.
"You can stay on. Keep him busy, but remember, Romanoff's in charge now. Understood?"
She nodded, stiff. "Crystal."
Fury opened the door, paused. "Don't take it personal, Hill. You're the best I've got."
He slammed the door and was gone, swallowed by the pedestrians and traffic. Maria sat for a long time, staring at nothing, fists tight in her lap. She didn't care what Fury said. She was second in command, and there was no way she was going to take a back seat to Natasha. All Maria had to do was ensure that Harry was always coming back to her for more. Maria smirked and started the ignition before pulling out into traffic, tires squealing.
Metal and Magic
Los Angeles was an ugly mess from above. The city wasn't the glimmering grid of stars you saw in movies, at least not from the air. Instead, a soupy layer of smog blanketed everything. Freeways bled out in every direction, with bumper-to-bumper traffic. Harry hovered a thousand feet up, the wind shouldering the suit back and forth. His faceplate was down, and his HUD was filled with never-ending updates across his vision. He tried not to look straight down. Even this high, LA had a smell of burnt rubber, industrial solvents, and exhaust fumes. The suit filtered most of it out, but some still got through.
Next to him, Tony hovered with perfect stability, his arms folded and his helmet open so his face was visible in the waning light. Tony was talking, which he did constantly, and Harry had learned to tune out most of it, replying only when the man's tone indicated a need for feedback.
"I'm telling you, the Board's a bunch of vampires," Tony said, his voice sharp and clear in the comms. "You step down, you expect a little gratitude, not a coup d'etat … but no, it's always, 'Tony, what about the quarterly numbers, Tony, where's the next product cycle, Tony, are you drunk right now?'"
Harry almost smiled. "Are you?"
"No, I'm not drunk right now. I'm pissed. There's a difference." Tony said as he recalibrated his thrusters. "You try running Stark Industries for so long and see if you don't develop a taste for single malt at mid-morning."
"Uh-huh," Harry said. The wind grabbed him hard, and he wobbled, nearly twenty degrees off axis, before the suit's stabilizers yanked him upright. He pretended it hadn't happened. He kept his eyes locked ahead, but he caught Tony's smirk in his periphery.
"Easy, rookie," Tony teased. "The suit's got auto-stabilizers if you let them do their job."
"I like flying manual," Harry deadpanned.
Tony rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but smile. "You say that now. Have you ever tried to hover in crosswinds for six hours? Your ass will never forgive you."
Harry didn't reply. He was more interested in the city below. He watched the way the lights clustered, broke apart, then reformed in different patterns as they moved west. He watched ambulances and police cars swarm an intersection near the 101, then fade away. Nothing lasted in LA.
A gust pushed them south. Tony adjusted his position, his thrusters hissing as he floated directly in front of Harry's line of sight. "You know, we could be in Rio right now. I get free comped rooms. The girls are friendlier. The food doesn't taste like recycled cardboard."
Harry shrugged inside the suit, which translated to a metallic twitch. "Anytime you want to head south of the border, just let me know, and I'll be the first on the plane."
The comms pinged, and a quick blip signaled something new. It was the LAPD band. Harry's HUD translated the chatter automatically …187 in progress, vehicle pursuit, Wilshire.
Tony grinned excitedly. There was finally some action worthy of Iron Man. "It's showtime."
He peeled off, a blur of red and gold slicing through the air. Harry gunned the repulsors and chased after him. The inertia strained his muscles for a second, then released as they dropped altitude. The blue dot on the HUD … the suspect's car … moved fast, weaving through side streets and up onto the main highway.
They dove lower, fifteen stories up … then ten. Harry heard the roar of Tony's suit's jets. He saw Tony arc ahead of him, banking hard to the left. The suspect's car was a cherry-red Charger, pushing ninety, and it plowed through a red light, scattering a pack of pedestrians in a crosswalk. Harry flinched from the close call. He tracked the car, eyes flickering to the rear. Two black-and-whites were half a block behind, lights and sirens screaming. A third was closing in from the east, but the Charger was faster, and the driver was reckless.
Tony matched the car's speed and circled above it, scanning with a quick lateral pass. "One occupant," he said in the comms, "Male … maybe late twenties."
Harry lined up with the Charger, descending fast. "What'd he do?"
Tony's HUD flickered. "Triple homicide, according to dispatch. Looks like a family thing. Guy shot his wife, her boyfriend, and then the boyfriend's brother. It's dark, even for LA."
Harry winced. "That's definitely not good."
"Exactly. That's why we hit hard. Take the right flank, I'll go for the driver's side."
They dove in tandem, splitting to either side of the Charger as it hit an on-ramp for the 405. The driver spotted them because the car jerked right, then left, swerving violently as if he could shake two men wearing several million dollars' worth of bleeding-edge tech.
Tony wobbled his suit, shifting into a near-horizontal position, then tapped lightly at the car's roof. "Hey, asshole," he said over the suit's loudspeaker. "Pull over. You're only making it worse."
The driver didn't, obviously. He revved the Charger's engine and tried to sideswipe Tony, but the suit was out of the way before the car could even close the gap. Harry shadowed the passenger side, running a full scan. The driver's hands were white-knuckled on the wheel. The man was talking to himself, maybe saying a prayer, or maybe muttering a threat. On the seat next to him was a snub-nosed revolver and a half-eaten taco.
Tony nosed ahead of the car and braked, hovering directly in its path. The driver swore and swerved again, fishtailing wildly. Harry saw the angle, dropped down, and grabbed the Charger's undercarriage. The weight shocked him at first. It was more mass and more torque than he was used to, but the suit handled it. The car's rear wheels spun in the air, then lost traction as Harry lifted, dragging it a foot off the asphalt.
Tony came around, grabbed the front end, and with a coordinated lift, they elevated the Charger clear off the ground. The driver's head smacked the headrest, and the revolver clattered to the floor. The sirens behind them got louder and closer.
"Where should we set him down?" Harry asked.
Tony scanned, then a point pinged on Harry's HUD. "There. Abandoned lot, two blocks east. Less chance of collateral damage."
They flew the car like a really crappy parade float, trailing sparks and oil. The driver screamed curses at them, but it was muffled by the glass. Tony angled downward, and Harry matched him, the lot looming up beneath them. Two homeless men watched, slack-jawed, as the Charger descended into a perfect landing, tires screeching as it hit concrete.
The moment the wheels touched down, Tony ripped the driver's side door off its hinges. It made a cartoonish metal shriek. The driver punched at Tony, which had the same effect as attacking a brick wall. Tony yanked him out by the collar, spun him once, and dumped him face-first onto the pavement. Harry walked over and stood to the side, arms folded, watching.
The LAPD cruisers arrived in a storm of noise and light. Cops spilled out, guns drawn, but nobody fired. Tony raised his hands, palms up in a gesture of peace. "All yours, gentlemen," he called out with a Broadway flourish.
One of the cops, a stocky Asian woman with a tired face, approached warily. "You guys couldn't just block the road?" she asked. It was clear this poor woman was overworked and needed a long vacation.
Tony grinned. "That's less fun."
"Thanks, I guess," she said. She cuffed the driver, who was still howling about his constitutional rights.
Harry looked back at the car. There was almost no damage, except for the missing door, which Tony tossed aside like a discarded burrito wrapper. He felt a surge of satisfaction. It had gone well.
Tony sidled up next to him. "That was pretty fun, huh?"
Harry nodded. "There are worse ways to spend an afternoon. You could still be in a board meeting."
Tony nudged him. "You hungry?"
Harry smiled cheekily under the helmet. "I could eat. I'm really in the mood for tacos."
Tony chuckled as the two men shot up into the air and away from the screaming murderer.
Chapter 17
The floor of the bottling plant vibrated as the buzz of a hundred synchronized pumps rattled through the soles of Harry's shoes, up his shins, and straight into his brain. He checked his state-of-the-art Stark Industries phone again. It was eight forty-seven in the morning. He had been up since five, making sure everything was set and ready to go.
The foreman, a big bald man in a zip-up fleece, shouted, "Ready on tanks!" His voice echoed across the polished concrete. Everyone in the plant wore the same vest in a shade of highlighter yellow. The color was supposed to help with safety, but all it did was hurt his eyes after staring at it for so long.
"Alright … Do it!" Harry yelled. He tried to sound authoritative, but his voice cracked on the 'do.'
A woman in safety goggles hit a large green button. The tanks in the corner, each one the size of a small bus, gave a wet sucking sound and then a gurgle as the first batch of Harry & Tony's Hangover Cure was dumped into the holding vats. The workers checked the pressure and temperature gauges as it sloshed through a series of clear pipes, gathering velocity as it went.
Harry held his breath and waited for something to explode. It would be just his luck to die in an industrial-sized potion accident. Snape would have loved it. Instead, nothing happened except the gentle purr of electric motors and the faint tinkle of glass bottles rattling in their crates. The workers checked the gauges again, and then they checked the hoses. They ran their hands along every inch looking for leaks, then gave Harry the thumbs up.
Harry grinned, happy and relieved. He pumped his fist in the air. "Okay! Start the bottling!"
The next stage was louder. A rack of twelve nozzles lined up over a conveyor belt. The bottles moved like soldiers on parade, each stopping for an exact second beneath the nozzle. Each nozzle squirted exactly 50 mL into each bottle, no more and no less. Harry had tested the exact amount needed to handle the worst possible hangover. Fifty milliliters proved to be the perfect amount. The plant had gotten a great deal on German bottling equipment, which, according to Tony, was the only kind worth owning.
Harry watched the bottles snake down the line. A worker grabbed a bottle and examined it. She held it up to the light, rolled it in her palm, then smirked and flashed Harry a sly thumbs up. He felt a wave of pride and a smaller feeling of embarrassment. There was something absurd about seeing your name and yours and your friend's face on ten thousand bottles of magical liquid.
Harry's and Tony's smirking, winking faces were front and center on the bottle label. They were clinking martini glasses together like two posh idiots. Underneath, in a font that cost several thousand dollars to commission, it read … Harry & Tony's Hangover Cure "Trust Us, It Works." Harry's own face was next to Tony's, and he looked slightly less like he was about to violate your sister. The design was entirely Tony's doing. Harry still wasn't sure if he was the one in charge or if he was the sidekick in his own company.
Bottles zipped through the line, spun, and were capped with a plastic lid. They rolled forward another ten feet, where a large machine boxed them into colorful packs of twenty-five. They were then sealed with a hard click from the wrapping machine. A robotic arm picked up the boxes and loaded them into shipping cartons. A man with a barcode scanner shot each box, then gave the conveyor a little slap, like a coach congratulating his players.
The whole thing moved with the efficiency of a military drill. Harry felt the tickle of anxiety fade into actual pride. He did a slow walk down the line, nodding to the workers. He gave the foreman a slap on the shoulder. The man nodded back with approval, then returned to his clipboard, checking something off with the focus of a man who had been doing this a long time.
Harry made a point to stop at the end of the line and grab a finished pack. The bottles were still warm since the liquid didn't need to be cooled before being bottled. The labels were nice and straight. He shook them, and the liquid wobbled inside. It was slightly thick but not syrupy. He cracked one open, sniffed, and took a sip.
It was better than it had any right to be. The taste was sharp and citrusy, with a weird aftertaste that reminded him of sucking on an old penny. Still, it was a hundred times better than having to deal with a hangover. The stuff actually worked, too. Harry and Tony had personally tested the test batch after the plant was set up and ready to go. The new stuff was just as good as all the others he had made. He turned to the foreman, who was watching him with the wary respect reserved for the people who signed his paychecks. "You want to try it?" Harry asked, holding out the bottle.
The foreman shrugged. "Why not?" He took a slug, winced, and then smacked his lips. "Not bad," he admitted. "It sort of tastes like green Gatorade if you poured vodka in it."
"Thanks," Harry said, and for a second, he felt a twinge of what Tony must have felt every time someone praised one of his inventions.
At the far end of the plant, another team was mixing the next batch. Big bags of ingredients lined the wall. Each ingredient was measured, poured, and blended with filtered water. He watched as a worker hoisted a fifty-pound sack and dumped it into the tank. A puff of dust went up, and for a moment, the entire corner of the plant smelled like a salad bar. Another worker poured in a smaller sack. They then repeated the process with the remaining mixing tanks. Harry watched the readouts climb on the digital control panel. The whole thing felt more dangerous than it actually was. He fought the urge to pace. Instead, he texted Tony. "First batch down. Nobody's dead yet."
Tony replied two seconds later. "Don't worry. The day's still young. I'm sure you won't disappoint."
Harry chuckled and slipped his phone back in his pocket. He wandered the perimeter of the plant, taking in the scale of it all. The ceilings were twenty feet high, and the machines were so loud that everyone had to wear hearing protection. The smell of sanitizer was so thick it burned his nose, but underneath, he could smell the sharp tang of his Hangover Cure.
In the office at the plant's far side, Maria was already on the phone. She looked up, waved him in, then immediately went back to shouting at someone about "fulfillment pipelines" and "SKU tracking." Harry lingered in the doorway, watching her. She had a way of glaring at the phone as if it were a disorderly employee. Her voice was sharp and clipped, and every word was perfectly clear, even through the office door. She made a note, stabbed the notepad with her pen, then paused to shoot Harry a smile.
He gave her a thumbs-up, then wandered back to the bottling floor. The first pallets were already stacked and shrink-wrapped, ready for shipment. A forklift beeped as it scooped a stack and shuttled it to the loading bay.
It was a ridiculous thing, but Harry found himself standing in front of the finished product, arms folded, just watching the boxes pile up. He was strangely proud of getting this all done within such a short amount of time. A bottle clattered to the floor and bounced, but did not break. The worker bent down, picked it up, and chucked it into a bucket labeled "QC FAIL."
He took another lap of the line, then checked his phone again. It was only nine-thirty. He had a long day ahead. Harry felt the tingle of pride grow a little brighter. He could get used to this feeling. Of course, he wasn't planning on being here most days. He had more important things to do with his precious time.
Metal and Magic
Maria's office was large and crammed full of computers, phones, fax machines, printers, coffee and espresso machines, and everything else she would need to keep this place running. Maria herself was behind her desk, headset on, and typing so hard that Harry was surprised she hadn't injured a finger already. Harry could tell by the way her jaw was set that this was an important call.
He waited by the door and tried not to interrupt. He looked at the glass wall. Outside, the parking lot was already full. The plant manager had asked Harry to reserve a spot for the local news van, in case any media wanted to pop in. Harry said yes, but only if the news reporter was a hot blonde.
Maria finished her call with a sharp, "We'll circle back before noon," and ripped the headset off like it was a bloodsucking leech. She massaged her temples, then groaned and slumped back in her chair. The tension in her shoulders was visible from across the room.
Harry slid in behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders and pressed gently. Maria's eyes closed, and she made a small, involuntary sound. The muscles in her neck felt knotted. He kneaded his fingers in small, hard circles. Maria made another noise … this one more like a purr.
"That feels really good," she said through a moan.
Harry smiled. "I live to serve."
"Keep going," she demanded, so he did. He worked down along the sides of her neck, then up and over the ridge of her scapula. Her blouse was soft, and it slid easily under his palms. He wondered if she was even aware she was pushing back into his hands, arching her back to get better leverage. After a minute, Maria sighed. "I just closed a deal with LFO Events," she said.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "What's LFO Events?"
Maria snorted. "Live Festival Operations. They do all the big music festivals, plus county fairs, trade shows, you name it. Basically, anywhere people are likely to get wasted in public, they're the ones herding the livestock."
Harry let that sink in. "So, what kind of deal?"
Maria rolled her head, exposing her throat. "Every festival, concert, or whatever, they run a beverage tent. Now, they're adding a tent for our Hangover Cure. Free samples at every event. It's not cheap, but if it works, every college kid on the planet will be chugging this stuff by summer break."
Harry paused. He slid his fingers down the top buttons of Maria's blouse. The first three were undone, and from his angle, her cleavage was deep and inviting. He ran a knuckle along the edge of her bra, teasing the skin. Maria shuddered. "Careful," she said, but it didn't sound like a warning.
He leaned over her, lips grazing her ear. "Should we celebrate?"
She turned in her chair and looked up at him. Her cheeks were pink. "You're the boss," she said, and even though it was a joke, Harry felt a real surge of authority. He actually enjoyed being in charge of it all. He bent down and kissed her. Her mouth was warm and soft, and he could taste her morning coffee. Maria bit his lower lip, then let him go. She stood, walked to the door, and locked it. She yanked down the blinds with a rattling slap. Then she turned, hands on her hips, and looked him up and down.
"You're overdressed," she said.
Harry laughed. "So are you."
She shot him a cat-like grin. Let's fix that," she commanded.
Harry undid his tie and dropped it on the chair. He unbuttoned his shirt, then shrugged it off. Maria walked over and traced a finger down his chest. She was so close, he could smell her perfume, shampoo, and the arousal soaking into the crotch of her panties. He liked it.
Maria slowly unbuttoned her blouse, smirking as she put on a show. Each button revealed a little more. She wore a black bra with red stitching, and it looked expensive. She didn't take the blouse off. She just let it hang open. Then she dropped to her knees and pulled at his belt. Harry stepped forward, and she unzipped his fly. His cock was already half-hard, and it was free in a second. Maria looked up at him, grinned, and ran her tongue up the length of it.
She didn't bother with foreplay. She took him in her mouth. She started bobbing her head slowly at first, then picked up speed. Her lips were hot and wet, and Harry braced himself on the edge of her desk, fighting the urge to thrust. Maria used her hand on the base, twisting in time with her mouth. She let out a low, humming moan, and the sound vibrated through him. Harry glanced down and saw her eyes locked on his. Maria always made eye contact, even when she was working. It was both sexy and intimidating.
She sped up, going deeper each time. Harry reached down and tangled his fingers in her hair. He didn't pull or try to guide her. He just held on. Maria hummed like she was enjoying herself. He looked up at the office door. The blinds were closed, but he could see the silhouettes of workers outside. It was thrilling and a little dangerous. He wondered if Maria got off on the risk.
He felt his orgasm building fast and hard. Maria must have sensed it because she started going even faster, using both hands now, her mouth a tight ring around him. She moaned again, this time louder. Harry gritted his teeth. He came, and Maria swallowed without hesitation. She licked him clean, then pulled away and stood up.
She wiped her lips, fixed her blouse, and shot him a look. "Now, get your ass back to work. We have a product to launch."
Harry zipped up and tried not to look smug. He left the office feeling ten feet tall. It was good to be the boss.
Metal and Magic
Harry was at fifteen thousand feet, riding the edge of the atmosphere and still grinning like an idiot. The air was thin and cold, but the suit handled it. The sun was still low over the Pacific, painting everything gold. Tony's armor shimmered just ahead of him.
"So," Harry said into the comm, "I got my first workplace BJ today."
There was a pause, then Tony snorted. "Welcome to the American dream, my friend."
Harry felt his cheeks hurt from smiling so widely. "It was pretty awesome," he admitted.
Tony dropped his altitude and banked left. Harry followed. "You think that's good? Wait until you get one mid-flight. I had a stewardess once …"
"I don't want to know," Harry said, but he was laughing anyway.
Tony's voice was smug. "It's good to be the boss. That's one thing I'm gonna miss."
Harry arced out over the water, his jets trailing a faint vapor. "You're still the boss … or co-boss at least."
"Yeah, I suppose. Luckily, I've got something better to do with my time," Tony said.
A silence hung for a second. Harry spotted a pod of dolphins below, surfing the wake of a container ship. Tony veered lower, thrusters screaming. Harry followed him lower. They were so low now the ocean looked like it was right there, close enough to touch. Harry rolled his suit, flexed his wrist, and let his armored fingertips skim the surface. A big wave rose up and whacked his hand. The suit's servos snapped it back into place, but the splash was massive.
"Nice one," Tony said, chuckling. "If you don't keep your head up, next time you'll run into something a lot harder than a wave."
Harry wiped the saltwater off his visor. "Noted."
"Keep practicing, you'll be almost as good as me in a decade or so," Tony said smugly, and Harry could tell just from the sound of his annoying voice that he was grinning.
They shot straight up a kilometer, and then hovered. Harry's heart was pounding with the thrill of flight. He never got used to it, no matter how many hours he logged. A ping echoed in his helmet. Jarvis's clipped British voice said, "You have an incoming call, sir. It's Ms. Romanoff."
Harry felt his stomach flip. He hadn't heard from Natasha in a while. "Patch her through."
"Hey, stranger," Harry greeted the sexy spy.
Natasha's voice was low and playful. "Hey, Harry! I'm back in LA. You want to get together?"
Harry tried to play it cool. "I can be at your place in an hour … or less, if I don't mind breaking a few speed limits."
She chuckled. "Looking forward to it." The call cut off. Tony turned to face him, suit hovering in a perfect, effortless stasis.
"Got a date?" Tony said, mock-serious.
"You could call it that," Harry said with a stupid grin. "Can you handle patrol on your own tonight?"
Tony put a hand on his heart. "Are you kidding? I was born to do this solo. I am the one and only Iron Man, after all."
Harry rolled his eyes, then hit the afterburners, peeling away toward the city.
Tony's voice chased him through the air. "Give Natalie my best, you lucky bastard!"
Harry grinned, banked hard to the left, and aimed for home. He had an hour to shower and make it across town. It was plenty of time, if nothing exploded between now and then.
Metal and Magic
Natasha didn't waste time with hellos. She opened her front door, yanked Harry in by the collar, and shoved him against the wall. Her mouth was already on his, biting his bottom lip. Harry got one hand on her hip and the other tangled in her hair, and for a moment, he was sure she was going to have him fuck her standing up, right in the foyer, in full view of her neighbor's security camera. Instead, she broke the kiss, bit him on the chin, and said, "Bedroom. Now."
Harry didn't need to be told twice. He stumbled after her as she stripped off her sweater and let it fall to the floor. The house was still sparsely decorated, just as he remembered. She dragged him into the bedroom. The curtains were already drawn. Natasha shoved him backward onto the bed and climbed on top. Her jeans were skintight, and Harry could see the outline of her underwear through the fabric. Her shirt was just a white tee, but it was stretched taut across her chest, showing off the shape of her large, perfect breasts. She wasn't wearing a bra.
She ground her hips against him, smirking. "I missed these lips," she said, and then kissed him again, deeper this time. Harry's cock was already hard, straining against his jeans. Natasha must have felt it, because she broke the kiss, slid down his body, and popped his button with one flick of her finger. She unzipped him, then yanked his jeans down. His cock sprang free. Natasha wrapped her hand around it, squeezed, then leaned in and licked the head.
Harry groaned. "Bloody hell. I've missed your lips, too."
Natasha smirked and licked him again, slower, like she was testing the flavor. Then she crawled back up, straddled his hips, and pulled her t-shirt over her head. Her breasts fell free, heavy and round, the nipples already dark pink and hard. She reached down, peeled off her jeans, and tossed them away. Her panties were a thin red mesh, already dampened with arousal.
She let Harry stare at her for a few seconds, just drinking in the view. Then she hooked her thumbs into the waistband and shimmied them down her hips. She had no hair, just smooth, pale skin and the flush of heat between her legs. Harry ran his hands up her thighs, traced her hips, then cupped her breasts. They were warm and impossibly soft. He kissed one nipple, then the other. Natasha hissed and pushed his head down.
He took the hint. He rolled her onto her back, kissed her stomach, and moved lower. Her clit was swollen and already slick with wetness. Harry kissed the inside of her thigh, then licked her pussy, slow and flat. Natasha arched her back and grabbed his hair, holding him in place.
He licked her, then sucked her clit, then shoved his tongue deep inside her. Natasha moaned, louder than he'd ever heard. She bucked her hips and ground herself against his face. Harry licked her harder, faster, and Natasha's thighs locked around his head.
She came with a strangled cry, her whole body shuddering. Harry didn't stop until she let go of his hair. Natasha lay back, panting, arms flung wide. After a minute, she opened her eyes. "Take your clothes off," she said, her voice hoarse.
Harry peeled off his shirt, then his boxers. Natasha watched him, her gaze hungry. She spread her legs and touched herself, spreading her lips with two fingers. Her pink, silky insides were shiny and wet.
"Come here," she said.
He climbed over her, lined himself up, and pushed inside. Natasha's pussy was tight and so wet it was almost too slippery. She moaned into his mouth as he started to fuck her. He started thrusting slowly at first, but quickly moved faster when she protested. Natasha moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist.
Harry kissed her, then pinned her arms above her head. He kissed down her neck, then her breasts, sucking hard on each nipple until Natasha was writhing beneath him. She clenched down on his cock with every thrust. Harry could feel her nails digging into his back. He fucked her harder, then pulled out almost all the way before slamming back in.
Natasha's pussy fluttered around him, and she bit his shoulder to keep from screaming. She came again, even harder, her inner muscles rippling and squeezing. Harry barely held on. He felt the orgasm roll up from his balls, through his whole body, then he was cumming, spurting hot cum deep inside her. He collapsed on top of her, both of them breathing heavily. Natasha kissed his neck, then bit his ear.
"Next time," she panted, "I'm on top."
Harry laughed and rolled onto his back, pulling her with him. She curled up next to him, one leg draped over his hip. "Give me a minute to recover."
Neither of them spoke for a while. Harry listened to her breathing before she started kissing his chest. Her hand cupped his slick cock, and she began massaging it back to hardness. It wasn't long before he was fully stiff and ready for another round. Natasha did as she said and mounted him in expert fashion. It was one hell of a welcome home party.
Chapter 18
Harry woke to the wonderful smell of Maria's shampoo while the crook of her leg was draped over his thigh. She had stolen his pillow in the night, leaving her with three and him with none. Harry squinted at the clock and saw it was just past eight. Sunlight crept through the curtains, making him squint. Maria mumbled in her sleep and shoved her face deeper into the pillow, leaving a lipstick smudge on the material. Her hair was a mess, but it still looked incredibly sexy in his opinion. He tried to move his arm, but she had it locked between both knees, and she was holding it with the full force of her body.
His phone was missing. It was probably dead somewhere. He always forgot to charge it, but he didn't care. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift. There were no meetings or work to be done at the bottling plant. He had cleared the schedule for the next two days. Harry felt he deserved it after working so hard for the last couple of weeks.
He was just dozing off again when suddenly, the door slammed open. Harry jerked awake, causing Maria's head to lightly bounce on his chest. Tony stalked into the room, already dressed. "Get up," Tony said. "We have an emergency."
Maria woke and yelped when she saw Tony in the room. She yanked the blanket up to her neck, her face red. "What the fuck, Tony?"
"Sorry, Maria, but there's no time for an early morning how-do-you-do today ." Tony made a show of looking away. "Harry, on your feet. There's a situation."
Harry struggled out from under Maria. He got tangled up in the sheet and fell sideways, landing face-first on the rug. "Give me a minute," he groaned. Harry was really regretting those eight beers he drank before bed.
"Hurry up," Tony said. "Every second counts."
Maria clung to the sheet, glaring at Tony like she wanted to murder him with her eyes. Harry staggered to his feet, and the sheet fell away. Tony tossed him a pair of sweatpants from the dresser. Harry caught them one-handed, pulled them on, and followed Tony out into the hallway.
"You're fully awake at this hour? I know it must be important," Harry said, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"There was a Category Eight earthquake in Chile this morning. Jarvis woke me up," Tony said. "Let's go."
The TV in the living room showed the full extent of the disaster. The screen showed a helicopter shot of half a city buried in smoke and fire. News crawls at the bottom of the screen were displayed in Spanish and English. It occurred in the Biobío region of Chile. There were hundreds dead, thousands injured, and many more missing.
Harry's head cleared in an instant. "Shit," he said. "That's insane."
"That's the city of Concepcion," Tony said. "Half the city's on fire. Search and rescue is getting nowhere. The Chilean army's been mobilized, but they can only do so much. They're begging for international help."
Harry sat on the edge of the couch and watched the horror unfold. "When did this happen?"
Tony glanced at his phone. "Less than an hour ago. Jarvis picked up the newsfeeds. I've already prepped the suits. Come on. You need to eat?"
Harry shook his head. "I'll survive." With a wave of his hand, Harry conjured some shoes and a shirt and quickly put them on.
Tony and Harry jogged down into the workshop where two suits of armor waited on the racks. Tony's red-and-gold suit gleamed in the overhead lights. Harry's black-and-chrome suit was beside Tony's. Harry made a mental note to polish his suit. It wasn't as shiny as Tony's.
Tony pulled off his shades and tossed them onto the table. He stepped into the frame, arms held wide. The robot arms spun, snapping plates onto his chest, shoulders, and legs. The faceplate clicked into position, and his voice came out tinny and filtered. "Jarvis, get us a flight plan," Tony said.
Harry cracked his neck and stepped into his own suit. The metal was cold at first, but it warmed as it sealed around his skin. He flexed both hands, feeling the microhydraulics move with him. The helmet closed, and the HUD flickered to life with green lines and numbers everywhere.
"Waypoints set, sir," Jarvis said. "You will reach Concepcion in three hours at maximum velocity."
Tony's boots fired, lifting him straight up. Harry followed, the thrusters screaming in his ears. They shot out of the tunnel like bullets. Harry banked left, then corrected, wobbling in the morning wind. For a moment, he saw the ocean, the boats, and the grid of streets before it all blurred as they climbed higher.
Tony angled south, already a streak of red and gold in the morning sun. Harry followed as the California coastline flashed past beneath him. The HUD counted down the miles and the estimated time of arrival.
After fifteen minutes, they were over Baja. Harry risked a glance backward just to make sure there was nothing on their tail. The sky was empty. The ground was so far down that he couldn't make out any of the smaller details. There was nothing but the sound of the suit, the wind, and the steady thump of his own heartbeat.
Harry locked onto Tony's signal and followed, flying south as fast as possible.
Metal and Magic
Concepcion stank of burning plastic, and Harry could smell it creeping through his air filter. As he dropped through the clouds, he saw the ruined city spread out below him. Roads were split apart, cars were overturned, some of the buildings had collapsed, and others looked to be on the verge of collapse. A chemical plant was fully engulfed in fire as a tower of orange flame licked the smoke-filled sky.
Tony's voice was in his ear. "Damn. It's worse than I thought. You see the fire on your left?"
"Yeah," Harry said. His helmet's filters blocked the worst of the smoke, and he imagined what it was like for everyone on the ground. "I'll hit it first."
Harry touched down in the middle of Avenida San Martin. The pavement was riddled with cracks and lifted slabs of asphalt. It was littered with broken glass and chunks of concrete. He could hear sirens in the distance, but not many. Harry knew that Chile wasn't exactly a wealthy country and that they probably weren't capable of properly dealing with this catastrophe. People staggered in the street, covered in dust and blood. Some screamed at the sight of him. Others just pointed and whispered.
The chemical plant was a hundred meters ahead. Fire blazed out of every seam and window. The suit's diagnostics spat out a dozen warnings about heat stress, chemical toxins, and oxygen depletion. Harry checked the other buildings. Some were already piles of cinderblock, but there were two apartments next to the plant still standing. He could see faces in the windows, lit up by the flicker of fire. Harry ran, the suit eating up the distance in long, bounding strides.
He skidded to a stop in front of the main fire. Water hoses lashed at the flames, but it was like trying to piss on a volcano. Harry ignited his thrusters and slowly lifted into the air. Once at a decent height, Harry held out his hand, and the Elder Wand appeared in his palm. Harry pointed his wand at the sky and began slowly looping his arm in a circular pattern. The effect was immediate. The sky right above the burning chemical plant went from a smoky gray to a stormy black. Thunder cracked loudly, and the clouds ripped open. Torrents of rain began falling on the blazing plant. Steam rose high into the air as fat drops of rain sizzled on the red-hot metal.
The fire fought back valiantly. The chemical plant was loaded with drums and tanks, and every time one exploded, it lit up the sky and sent a shockwave through his body. The suit compensated, but the spell still ate at his focus. Harry gritted his teeth and kept the water coming. The flames hissed, pulled back, then flared again.
"How are you doing, Tony?" he asked.
Tony replied, "I'm evacuating the hospital a few blocks over. There's a school collapse after that."
"Alright," Harry said, and doubled the pressure on his spell. The rain came down like a waterfall, completely drenching everything in its path. It took an awful lot of power to keep the spell going, and Harry could feel the sweat rolling down his back. He kept going. The suit's coolant system tried to regulate his increase in body temperature, but Harry was sweating buckets inside the helmet.
Finally, the fire lost the battle. Harry drowned the main flames, then turned to the two apartment buildings. The bottom floors were on fire, and smoke rolled up the stairwells and out the open windows. Harry aimed at the foundations, and with a wave of his wand, the stream of water fought against gravity and came down at an angle. It extinguished the entire first floor in a blast. A cloud of steam blew out every open window. He ran up the front steps. The door was severely warped by the heat. He yanked it open and went upstairs, drenching everything in water as he went. A few floors up, he found people huddled on the floor against the far wall, coughing and crying.
"Go," he shouted, amplifying his voice with the suit. "Get out now. Run that way. Move!" Jarvis translated all of it.
Some of them stared at him in shock. Some bolted past him, carrying their children or dragging their elderly parents. He counted two dozen before the last straggler limped out, then he scanned the building.
He said, "Homenum Revelio," and felt the spell spread out. There was a faint glow in an apartment near the back of the fourth floor. Harry sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. The building groaned as he moved. Walls shifted, and the ceiling bulged with each footstep. He reached the door, kicked it down, and found a woman in a wheelchair, trapped by fallen beams.
Harry took a breath, then focused. He pointed his wand at the debris and watched the wood and drywall vanish in an instant. The wheelchair rolled free. Harry scooped her up in one arm and ran back down the stairs as the building shuddered and dropped an inch beneath his feet. He cleared the door with a running leap, landed on the cracked sidewalk, and set the woman down on the curb. She gaped at him, eyes wide, then started to cry. Harry wanted to comfort her, but he just didn't have the time. He gave her a pat on the shoulder, then turned back to the street.
People stared at him while some crossed themselves in the Catholic style. Harry didn't have time to process the attention. He moved to the next building, which was a small shop. The entire roof had caved in, and the outer walls were partially crumbled. The fire brigade was already there, hacking at the debris with axes and shovels. Harry approached, raised his hand, and cast Homenum Revelio again.
The blue glow told him there were three people trapped under the rubble, still alive but fading. Harry pointed to the spot for the firefighters, then aimed his wand, and the broken cinderblocks disappeared, one layer at a time. Dust filled the air. He vanished another layer, then another, working slower this time to avoid dropping the full weight of the building onto the survivors. Each spell took more from him, but he kept going.
Finally, Harry used his magic to levitate the last portion of the collapsed roof. He looked down and saw a teenage boy, a little girl, and an old man. The old man was unconscious, bleeding from the head. The boy screamed at the sight of Harry, but the girl just stared, blank and silent.
Harry held the debris up while the firemen reached in and grabbed the boy and girl first. They carried them to the paramedics, then went back for the old man. The firemen lifted the body out, and the paramedics started working on him at once.
Someone in the crowd started chanting something, but Harry ignored them. He moved to the next building and kept working. The sun was climbing higher, but the thick smoke kept the city in dusk. By the time Harry finished the block, his helmet was beaded with sweat inside, and the suit's warning lights were flashing red for dehydration. He pulled off the helmet, sucked in a deep breath, and leaned against a car.
A little boy in a bootleg Iron Man t-shirt walked up and handed him a bottle of Coke. Harry smiled at the boy, took the bottle, and drank half of it in one gulp.
He heard Tony's voice in his ear again. "You alive, kid?"
"Yeah," Harry said. "I'm still kicking.
"There are people trapped in a high-rise, and the building's falling apart. You got enough left in you to help?"
Harry glanced at the crowd. They watched him, waiting. "Yes," he said. He stood, put the helmet back on, and fired his thrusters.
Metal and Magic
Harry landed in front of the building and demolished the already cracked sidewalk. The building was a thin, six-story box that probably should have been condemned ten years ago. The front half had collapsed inward, forming a wedge of glass, steel, and concrete. Screams came from the upper floors, and fire licked at the top windows.
He heard the roar of Tony's suit before he saw it. A red blur streaked overhead, landed on the roof, and began peeling back sections of the shattered wall.
"Up here!" Tony shouted over the comms. "Most of them are trapped in the fourth and fifth. Can you get them out from the inside?"
"I'm on it," Harry replied. The entry was jammed with fallen beams. He vanished as much as he could, then squeezed through the gap.
Smoke curled up the stairwell in a thick, noxious blanket. Harry's helmet filtered the worst of it, but his eyes burned anyway. On the first landing, a woman was trapped under a slab of drywall, screaming. Harry rolled it off with a flick of his arm, hauled her to her feet, and pointed her to the exit. He checked the hallway and found no one else on this floor.
He took the stairs upward, blasting apart any debris that was blocking his way. The stairwell creaked and shifted with every footstep. He could hear the building's frame buckling along with the deep groan of twisted rebar and cracking concrete.
On the fourth floor, Tony had ripped a hole big enough to climb through. It appeared this floor was a daycare for the office workers' children. Kids were pressed against the far wall. Some were crying, and some were silent and shell-shocked.
"Harry," Tony said, "Let's get them out through here," he told him, pointing at the hole in the wall. "The fire escape collapsed, and the ladders are toast."
Harry nodded, then turned to the mass of children. "Follow me," he said, amplifying his voice so it filled the corridor. "Stay together and stay close."
He led the children to the far side of the room. The windows were mostly blown out, and ash drifted in like snow. When he reached the end, Harry turned and saw Tony scoop up a pair of smaller kids, one under each arm. He fired his thrusters and gently carried them out of the hole and down to the ground below.
"Alright now, everyone get together," he said, and Jarvis translated. The kids huddled together, and Harry levitated the whole group with his magic. There were scared squeals, gasps, and yelps as Harry levitated them out of the hole. He was as careful as possible as he lowered them down to the others. Harry could hear the crunch of cinderblocks and the ping of snapping steel as he went back in.
The last group was a clutch of office workers. Half of them were covered in cuts or burns. Harry glanced back. The hallway was gone, replaced by a wall of flame. He shoved them forward, then followed. When they reached an empty stretch of wall, Harry held out his wand and blasted it apart. He lowered them down just as he had done with the children.
"I didn't see anyone else," Harry said as sweat dripped down his face.
A fireman pointed at the building. "There's a woman still up there!" They all looked up, and sure enough, a woman was hanging halfway out a broken window, frantically waving for help.
Tony didn't hesitate. He sprinted back, used the suit's thrusters to boost up the exterior, and smashed through the nearest window. Inside, the heat was so intense his visor fogged instantly. He scanned the room and saw the woman hunched over, coughing her lungs out. Tony crossed the room in three steps, slung her over his shoulder, and blew a hole in the wall with a repulsor blast. The floor gave way beneath him, but he jumped and ignited his thrusters. Debris rained down behind him as he landed outside, nearly bowling over a line of paramedics.
He laid the woman on the ground, and one of the medics checked her pulse and flashed a thumbs-up.
Harry took off the helmet and sucked in air, even though the smoke was so thick it made him cough. He barely noticed Tony come up next to him.
"You good?" Tony asked.
"Yeah, though it's probably not a good idea to do superheroing with a hangover. I can't believe I forgot to drink one of the hangover cures before leaving!"
Tony chuckled and clapped him on the back. "Let's go. There's an apartment block on the other side of town, leaning at forty-five degrees and ready to drop. Word is, there are still people inside." Harry snapped the helmet back in place, fired the jets, and took off after Tony.
The apartment block was impossible to miss. It was ten stories tall, gray and ugly, and canted over like a snapped pencil. The lower floors were a jumble of exposed rebar and clouds of concrete dust. People crowded the streets below, waving, yelling, and pointing. Harry circled the building and saw faces at the windows, panicked and desperate.
Tony hovered beside him, using the suit's speakers to address the crowd. "Everyone, clear the block! This thing's going to fall!"
A cop ran up and shouted something in Spanish. Jarvis translated for Tony. "They're saying the bottom two floors are gone. The stairwells have been crushed, too. The only way in is through the windows."
Harry used Homenum Revelio and counted at least twenty life signatures spread out between the third and tenth floors. "There's a bunch of people in there," he said. "Mostly on the third, fifth, and seventh floors."
Tony swore. "We'll take it one at a time."
They dropped to the third floor. Harry found the window with the most signatures, pointed at it, and vanished the entire glass panel with a wave. Tony reached in, grabbed the first two people by the arms, and yanked them out. Harry levitated the next three, floating them through the open window and down to the street, setting them gently on the asphalt.
They moved to the next window. By then, he had used up so much energy doing magic that his spells were feeling a bit sluggish. He really wished he hadn't stayed awake all night drinking and having sex with Maria. Each time he vanished a window or levitated a person, it got a little harder, but he kept going. After the third floor was clear, they moved to the fifth.
The whole building was creaking now. Harry could feel the structure shifting beneath his boots. He tried not to think about the possibility of a total collapse. Instead, he focused on the next group of survivors … two elderly women and a kid. He got them out the window, then turned to see a man crawling along the hallway, one leg bent at a horrible angle.
Harry dropped in, hoisted the man in both arms, and carried him to the window. He saw Tony outside, hovering just outside the window. Tony grabbed the man, then blasted down to street level and set him down with the rest.
"The building's not gonna last much longer," Tony said when he rejoined him.
Harry nodded, and they both shot up to the seventh floor. It was chaos up here. The corridor was tilting at a steep angle. Debris and furniture slid to the far wall. Harry found six people huddled at the end of the hall, too scared to move.
"We're here to help," Harry said, letting Jarvis translate for him. "Stay calm."
One of them started sobbing. The others didn't move. The building groaned, louder this time. Harry saw the world tilt outside the window. They were running out of time. Tony smashed through the exterior wall, making a hole big enough for all of them. "Let's go!" he said, voice booming through the speakers.
Harry levitated two people at once and floated them out the opening. Tony grabbed them and flew them down. Harry repeated the process for the next two pairs. He was about to leave when he felt another signature in a side room. He flew slowly, ducked under a fallen beam, and found a young woman leaning against the tilting wall, clutching her phone.
"It's okay," Harry said. "I'm getting you out."
She stared at him in terror. The building dropped another two degrees, and Harry lost his footing. He caught himself, reached for the woman, and pulled her to her feet. He flew her to the window just as Tony reappeared, hovering outside. "Last one?"
Harry nodded, and Tony reached out. Harry handed the woman over, then jumped, firing his own jets. The moment they cleared the ledge, the entire floor collapsed. The building tipped in slow motion, and the top three floors sheared sideways, falling into the street. A tidal wave of dust and debris chased them, blinding them as they escaped. Harry couldn't see a thing. He followed Jarvis's trajectory and hoped for the best.
He landed hard, half a block away. The dust cloud swallowed them. Since he couldn't see a damn thing, Harry decided to just sit there and take a breather. When the air cleared, Harry saw Tony walking up to him, his suit battered but intact. Tony gave a whoop and raised both fists in triumph. "I sure hope the news crew got that one on tape. The chicks will love it!"
Harry couldn't help but chuckle. "That is why we do this," Harry joked. Tony waded through the dust, grabbed Harry by the shoulder, and pulled him up. "Nice work. That was a hell of a save."
Harry looked back. The building was gone. It was just a heap of rubble and rebar, but the street was full of very dusty people crying, laughing, and hugging. They were alive, and that was good enough for Harry. He took off his helmet and let the dust settle on his skin. He'd done his job.
He glanced at Tony, who took his helmet off and grinned. Harry shook his head, then laughed. There was still more to do, but for a moment, Harry let himself just stand there and bask in the sense of a job well done.