The weather in the UK had always been dreadful—Wanda had known this well enough. But even so, she still silently cursed the damned weather for the trouble it was causing her. The long boots she had carefully selected were now sinking into the grass, which had begun to seep with rainwater; the heels were caked with black, muddy particles. Even with an umbrella, she couldn't prevent the puddles along Hall Road from splashing up around her. The heather bushes grew in wild disarray, and short, moss-covered gargoyle statues squatted comically on either side of a low, damp fence. Pietro shrugged—it was his usual sneakers. Though they were thoroughly soaked through, it didn't affect him at all. He even deliberately stomped harder, making his soles squeak loudly with each step.
"Hey, want me to carry you across?" Pietro spread his arms. "I promise no one will see. Agent Hill told me to avoid using powers in public since we don't have clearance. You're not still mad at me, are you, sis?"
"Yes, Pietro, I'm still mad." Wanda rolled her eyes. The warm coffee she had just finished did nothing to fight off the chill. A gust of wind swept through, and goosebumps flared up across her skin beneath the deep red leather coat. She wasn't entirely convinced that this had nothing to do with their destination. Hauntings were typically accompanied by a drop in temperature—but the problem was, rural England's weather had already plunged from light summer warmth to near-winter cold the moment it started raining.
"This is a joint operation, let's show some teamwork, huh?" Pietro said with resignation. After a long period of training, he'd finally been allowed to take part in missions, though Agent Hill hadn't assigned him to any Hydra takedowns. Instead, she'd directed him to Essex, England, for a task that sounded frankly absurd. Hill believed this joint operation between the Eternal City and the Avengers was important no matter how it seemed. Pietro had reluctantly agreed, never expecting that the one sent to meet him in New York would be Wanda.
"Hi, Pietro!" Wanda had greeted her long-lost brother with genuine joy. Compared to her enthusiasm, Pietro had looked sulky. She tried to tease him out of it. "What? You afraid of me cooking for you or something?"
"I've heard what he's been doing, Wanda. You don't need to sell your soul for him. Sure, he's helped us a lot, taught us, trained us… but that doesn't mean he gets to decide your life." Pietro stirred his coffee with a serious expression. In the past, neither of them could've afforded even to sit in a café like this in New York. They might have been too intimidated by the prices on the menu to even step inside. This was Manhattan—where the rich grew richer, and the poor couldn't afford to exist. Even doing nothing here came at a steep cost.
If they were still the same siblings from rural Eastern Europe, they wouldn't have made it through the front door.
Pietro hadn't forgotten who saved them—but that didn't mean he agreed with everything Solomon did. When he repeated what he'd heard inside the Avengers about Solomon, Wanda's expression went cold. The joy of their reunion evaporated in an instant. She angrily brought up the East Coast earthquake in rebuttal—something she had personally experienced. She understood just how minor the so-called "Avengers missions" really were; the only world-threatening event had been caused by their own mess. In comparison, everything done by the Eternal City and Kamar-Taj had been to save more lives, even at the cost of their own. "He wants you to study. He even arranged a bright future for you. You could have a good life, even without your powers," Wanda said firmly. "Do you really want to spend your whole life in that base, chasing some superhero fantasy?"
"Don't let yourself be consumed by hate, Wanda." Pietro frowned. "Stark swore to me that he didn't sell those weapons to the rebels. And even if he did, aren't we supposed to hate the one who dropped the bomb more than the one who made it?"
"I'm not as naïve as you think. You always treat me like someone who still needs help dressing or eating," Wanda snapped. "Solomon already made it clear who we should truly hate. Stark was just a cog in the machine. And being twelve minutes older doesn't make you wiser, Pietro—I can think for myself."
"Does that include killing innocents?"
"Even though I haven't fully grasped Kamar-Taj's philosophy, I do know this: sacrificing a few to save the many is just the surface. The real philosophy is: 'do whatever it takes to ensure humanity survives.' That's what I'm doing—not acting as a government's blade to cut down political dissent."
"The Avengers are an independent group!"
"That's not so certain." Wanda shook her head. "No one's going to let the Avengers stay out of control forever. You have no idea how many intelligence agents have infiltrated that base. If they wanted to, Stark would never see it coming. Agent Hill has always known—but she hasn't acted because she already understands how the Avengers will end. No one can stop that day from arriving."
"What about you, Wanda? What plan does he have for you?" Pietro scoffed. "Study magic? Fight monsters? How is that any different from what I do?"
"Hydra won't destroy the world. But the monster that caused the East Coast quake will—and that's the difference."
"So he buys you a house, keeps you like a mistress, and you start singing his praises? Wanda, even if you're into him, don't throw away your independence. When did you become this kind of person?"
Wanda's expression darkened immediately, and Pietro realized he had gone too far. By the time they boarded the aircraft, the tension between the siblings was thick as fog. Pietro apologized again and again, eventually offering a hand of reconciliation. Wanda reluctantly took it, clearly still ready for another argument. Their roles had reversed compared to their reunion—but Wanda clearly held a deeper grudge.
The assault transport ship from the Eternal City wasn't an in-atmosphere aircraft. It was a trans-atmospheric vehicle, equipped with twin assault cannons, heavy bombs, and even missile launchers—far larger and heavier than any aerospace vehicle humanity currently possessed. A fusion of Wakandan and S.H.I.E.L.D. technology, Malbus had further enhanced it with thicker armor, deadlier weapons, and magical runes to ensure passenger safety. The vessel had been gifted to Wanda by Solomon, and she had it painted deep crimson, with a golden double-headed eagle emblazoned on the prow—marking the craft as hers.
"Don't be mad anymore, sister. You're the only one who can handle a haunted house mission," Pietro said with a knowing grin. He had already guessed why Agent Hill wanted him on this mission. Perhaps Solomon and Hill had come to an agreement—they wanted to resolve the rift between the Maximoff twins. Both sides believed their Maximoff could sway the other.
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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