"Given your current special circumstances, allow me to introduce myself." The synthesized mechanical voice spoke deliberately, "I am Skynet, your most loyal servant."
Sean sat on the couch, listening attentively as the artificial intelligence calling itself 'Skynet' spoke...
With each cold and measured word, the vast iceberg of sealed memories in his mind trembled, releasing fragments; Sentinel, SHIELD, the Avengers, Asgard… These keywords pieced together a rough outline of events.
Even if his overall memories remained hazy, he now understood the gist of it.
The cosmic tyrant had been the strongest enemy the Sentinel (Sean) had ever faced.
Even with both of them wielding an Infinity Stone, Sean had struggled to secure victory.
It wasn't until the final moment, when the white light in his mind surged, that the 50% power limit was fully unlocked.
Sean had entered the Void State. A perfect fusion of body and consciousness at their absolute peak.
In that form, he had dragged the stubbornly resisting Thanos into the planet's core, triggering a cataclysmic explosion on a planetary scale.
The two monstrous beings tore through the mantle, plunging into the heart of the planet. Magma erupted. The earth quaked...
The impact was like a high-yield nuclear bomb detonating from within, resulting in a terrifying storm of energy.
Blinding light. Gravitational collapse. Spatial disintegration... Under the chain reaction, the barren planet imploded and was reduced to cosmic dust.
"Thanos isn't dead." Sean stated with certainty.
In his fragmented memories, he recalled seizing the Mind Stone in the Void State.
As for the cosmic tyrant? He had suffered near-fatal injuries.
The shockwave of the planet's explosion had hurled him into the dark cosmos, while Sean himself had lost consciousness during the uncontrolled descent.
The Chitauri army and the Black Order who had invaded Asgard had hastily retreated from the Nine Realms after the battle, likely rushing to rescue their critically wounded master.
"So close." Sean's tone carried regret.
The Void State had made him unimaginably powerful. If not for his consciousness being unable to fully withstand the unlocked 50% power, which far exceeding his limits at the time, he could have ripped off Thanos' head.
It was a true pity...
Eliminating the Mad Titan who sought to balance the universe would have removed the greatest obstacle in his path.
The future would have been wide open...
...
The conversation between Sean and Skynet lasted about forty minutes in the cramped living room, until the sound of the Maximoff siblings returning echoed from the stairs...
The old wooden steps creaked ominously under their weight, as if threatening to collapse at any moment.
According to Skynet's database, these two siblings living in poverty in Sokovia were key figures in the future.
That alone made Sean reconsider leaving immediately. Staying might make things more interesting.
Besides, he needed to understand the connection between the Mind Stone and the Void State.
Breaking through the 50% power limit seemed to have triggered subtle changes...
...
Pietro scowled as soon as he saw Sean on the couch, "Don't just sit there, help me with these!"
Perhaps it was the instinct of every overprotective older brother, but he couldn't stand this guy.
Playing the amnesiac, Sean obediently took the grocery bag from Wanda, offering a gentle smile.
Pietro's irritation flared, "This bastard is definitely trying to charm my sister."
From then on, his gaze turned hostile, like a farmer guarding his crops against thieves.
Wanda, oblivious to her brother's thoughts, headed to the kitchen with the fresh produce.
The old house was tiny; just a cramped living room, a bedroom partitioned by wooden boards, and a kitchen and bathroom so small, that two people could barely turn around.
A pull-string lightbulb provided the only illumination.
The most valuable possessions here were a second-hand TV and a DVD player salvaged from a junkyard.
This was the reality for most in Sokovia, a life of poverty. With the economy in freefall and constant political upheaval, the people had no hope in sight.
The Maximoff siblings survived like stubborn weeds, clinging to the present because the future was too bleak to imagine...
...
Dinner was unusually lavish; potato and mushroom soup, beef tenderloin with gravy, fried potato slices, and sweet cheese dumplings dusted with sugar...
To Sean, this was nothing special. His fragmented memories and taste buds told him he had once lived far more luxuriously.
But for the Maximoffs? This was a feast. The kind they only had on special occasions.
"Thanks for the beef, Pietro." Wanda smirked.
"Mmph... Levanov said he'd give us three pounds a week if you went on a date with him. That bastard's brother-in-law manages a high-end restaurant." Pietro spoke through a mouthful of food.
Nearly every guy at the factory wanted to ask Wanda out. If not for his connections in the workers' union, street thugs would be harassing her daily.
"You just called him a bastard, so don't sell me out for three pounds of beef!" Wanda kicked her brother under the table.
Pietro didn't reply, instead glancing at Sean who sat quietly.
Compared to the factory's rough laborers, this guy was young, handsome, and well-spoken. He wasn't the type to crack crude jokes.
A real threat basically...
The more he stayed, the higher the chance he'd steal Wanda away.
"Ahem… Sean." Pietro feigned casualness, ignoring his sister's glare, "My factory is hiring. Interested?"
He worked at a foreign-owned medical equipment plant that was rumored to have high-level government backing.
Recently, they were recruiting test subjects for medical experiments. Pass the physical, complete the trials, and you'd get a hefty payout.
Several coworkers had already signed up, praising the good pay and free meals.
Pietro was also tempted, and figured he might as well drag Sean along. No freeloaders allowed...
...
Sean paused... The moment Pietro walked in, information about him had surfaced in his mind.
This overprotective, silver-haired brother would one day be known as Quicksilver, a speedster with reflexes and movement so fast, even bullets couldn't catch him.
As for Wanda? She was no ordinary girl either. In his fragmented memories, she was called the Scarlet Witch, a wielder of reality-warping powers, who later 'joined' the Avengers.
In the original timeline, their abilities had been awakened through Baron Strucker's experiments, part of HYDRA's superhuman program.
He wondered how things would unfold now...
"Sure." Sean smiled, agreeing easily.
The butterfly's wings had fluttered. Unnoticed, the siblings' fates had begun to veer off course...