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In the living room of the Long Island villa, a golden portal slowly opened, and Jiro stepped out.
Wanda was sitting cross-legged on the couch, a book in hand, soft red energy dancing between her fingers, flowing gently with each turn of the page.
She looked up when she heard him. Sunlight from the window gave her red hair a soft, glowing shimmer.
"Mr. Jiro, you're back?" she asked, voice much clearer than when they first met.
"Just call me Jiro."
He nodded, took off his coat, and hung it on the rack by the door. "The hearing was nothing special. Just for show."
Wanda's eyes stayed on him. She seemed to hesitate.
Finally, she asked quietly, "Jiro, do you know Tony Stark?"
"Yeah."
Jiro walked to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. "I became a shareholder in Stark Industries recently. We're kind of business partners."
Wanda's fingers tightened around the book, her knuckles turning pale.
Jiro noticed but didn't push her. He just leaned against the kitchen island, waiting patiently.
After a few seconds, Wanda finally asked in a barely audible voice,"Does he... know about me? Turing said you know my past. You know what I mean."
"He knows." Jiro set down the glass. "He's seen your file."
Wanda looked up sharply, a flicker of red flashing in her eyes. "Did he say anything? About Sokovia? About those missiles?"
Jiro looked her in the eye. "He said those weapons were smuggled to Hydra by Obadiah Stane. He didn't know about it."
"Didn't know?" Wanda let out a cold laugh. A burst of chaos magic shot from her palm, scorching the book cover.
"Stark Industries weapons. With his name on them. They killed my parents. And now he says he didn't know?"
Jiro didn't argue. He just raised his hand and tapped the air lightly. A golden energy shield instantly formed, containing the out-of-control magic around the sofa and keeping it from spreading through the living room.
"I'm just telling you the truth."
His voice was calm. "Whether you believe it or not is up to you."
Wanda's chest was heaving, and the red glow in her eyes gradually faded.
She looked down at the scorched pages of the book and suddenly felt an overwhelming fatigue.
"If... if it really was Hydra…" Her voice trembled a little.
"Then who should I be hating?"
Jiro walked up to her and crouched down so they were eye level. "Hatred doesn't need a target, Wanda. It only eats you up from the inside."
He held out his palm, and a faint image of the Mind Stone appeared above it. "I can teach you how to control Chaos Magic. I can make you powerful enough to destroy all of Hydra—hell, even rewrite reality if you want. At that point, you can do whatever you want."
"But before that, you need to understand one thing…"
His golden eyes locked onto hers. "Power isn't the answer. It's just a tool. Whether you use it for revenge or to protect others—that's your choice."
Wanda stared at him, the fury in her eyes slowly giving way to confusion.
"I… I don't know."
She spoke softly. "For years, the only thing that kept me going was revenge. Without it… what else do I even have?"
Jiro closed his hand, making the image of the Mind Stone disappear, then stood up. "You could be a hero. Like the one you saw on the news today."
He pointed at the TV. The screen was replaying footage from the hearing, crowds holding up signs that read Support Superman, cheers pouring through the speakers.
Wanda was quiet for a moment. Then she suddenly asked, "You saved me… was it because you saw potential in me, or just because… you heard me calling out?"
Jiro's lips curved into a slight smile. "Both."
He turned and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window. Sunlight traced the edges of his tall figure. "Training starts tomorrow. Get some rest today."
Wanda watched his back, then suddenly called out, "Wait!"
Jiro turned around.
"If… if I decide to go after Hydra myself," her eyes showed a flicker of determination, "will you help me?"
Jiro smiled. "I'll teach you how to control your power. What you do with it after that—that's up to you."
Then he pushed open the glass door and stepped onto the beach, his black silhouette slowly fading into the golden sunlight.
Wanda looked down at her hands. The crimson energy now gently curled around her fingers, no longer wild and out of control.
She lightly clutched the necklace hanging on her chest. The Mind Stone inside pulsed steadily, as if echoing her resolve.
"Hydra…" she whispered the name. The red glow in her eyes no longer flickered chaotically—it was sharp, focused.
Outside, the waves crashed against the shore, rising and falling like the tide in her heart—turbulent at first, but slowly settling into calm.
Suddenly, Wanda stood up from the sofa and ran after Jiro.
"Wait!"
She stepped barefoot onto the sand, the fine grains slipping between her toes. "I can start training today."
Jiro stopped and turned around. "Why?"
Wanda took a deep breath, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the necklace. "I… I don't want the nightmares anymore. Every time I close my eyes, those experiments come back…"
Her voice shook a little. "I want to control it, not let it control me."
Jiro looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Come with me."
The lights in the underground training room automatically dimmed to a soft amber glow.
Jiro sat cross-legged on a meditation mat in the center and gestured for Wanda to sit across from him.
"Kamar-Taj breathing technique."
He rested his hands gently on his knees, palms facing up. "Start with your breath."
Wanda tried to imitate his posture but quickly realized even just sitting cross-legged made her muscles tense up.
Jiro lightly tapped her shoulder. A warm current flowed through her, instantly relaxing the stiffness.
"Inhale for four seconds. Hold for seven. Exhale for eight."
His voice had a calming rhythm. "Feel the energy flowing through your meridians."
Wanda closed her eyes and followed his guidance.
At first, all she could hear was her own fast heartbeat. But slowly, a strange humming began to echo in her ears.
The scarlet energy began to move on its own, flowing around her body—not violently like before, but like a calm, gentle stream.
"This is…" She opened her eyes in surprise.
"Your magic is responding to you." Jiro's fingertips lit up with golden runes, drawing intricate patterns in the air.
"Chaos Magic isn't like regular spells. It comes from a powerful force—it's basically a form of reality-warping."
Wanda reached out to touch the runes. The crimson energy immediately reacted, resonating with them and weaving glowing patterns in the air.
"So… my powers aren't just from mutant genes?"
"Yes and no." Jiro waved a hand and the runes disappeared.
"Your mutation is like a doorway. It's how Chaos Magic chose you. But what really makes you strong… is your innate mental strength."
Jiro began teaching her how to use her mind to build a protective shield, how to condense Chaos Energy into physical weapons, and even how to glimpse brief moments of the future using magic.
Training Begins
Wanda screamed seven times in a row as surprise energy blasts came flying at her.
On the eighth try, frustrated, she hurled a ball of red energy at the floor—only to hear a chuckle through the explosion of light.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I've seen a lot of sorcerers," Jiro said, trying not to laugh. "But you're the first to ever smash the floor with Chaos Magic."
By nightfall, Wanda finally managed to hold a complete energy shield for five seconds.
She spun around in excitement—only to see Jiro drawing a complex pattern in the air, golden runes flowing like a living galaxy.
Even though she could now shape the crimson energy at will, Jiro still felt far ahead. She had a long way to go to catch up.
"I've never felt this free." Wanda looked at the butterfly of energy fluttering in her palm, a soft smile on her face.
Jiro stood up. "That's enough for today. Overusing magic can backfire."
Wanda stood too, then said suddenly, "I can cook. I mean, I can't just freeload forever."
Seeing Jiro raise an eyebrow, she quickly added, "I used to help my mom a lot in the kitchen."
"Alright." Jiro nodded.
In the Kitchen
Wanda was clumsily trying to handle the steak in the pan.
Oil splattered everywhere, and she reflexively used Chaos Magic to shield herself—turning the whole stove pink in the process.
"Uh…"
She looked at the burnt steak in embarrassment. "I guess I'm a little rusty…"
Jiro laughed and took the spatula from her. "Timing is everything."
He flipped the steak with a smooth flick of his wrist. "Chaos Magic isn't great for cooking, but you can use it to sense the ingredients' state."
Wanda leaned in so close her nose nearly brushed his arm. "How do you even know how to cook?"
"I'm from Huaxia," Jiro said, sprinkling a handful of spices that instantly released an amazing aroma.
"In my country, not knowing how to cook is… honestly kind of a shame."
Dinner turned out way better than expected.
Wanda's eyes lit up as she took her first bite of the tender steak. "This is like a million times better than Hydra's synthetic protein!"
Jiro swirled his wine glass. "Tomorrow I'll teach you a more advanced shielding spell."
Wanda suddenly put down her knife and fork. Her voice was soft, but firm: "Thank you… not just for the training. But for giving me the choice."
Moonlight shone through the window, casting their shadows gently on the wall.
Far off, the waves rolled in. As if echoing her long overdue gratitude.
"....."