Underneath the night sky of New York, each street was blanketed in a thick layer of snow. The multicolored lights hanging between the street lamps gradually faded out, leaving only the faint glow shining from the shop windows to guide the night travelers home.
Wanda sat on the edge of a building, adjusting her cloak so the wind wouldn't make it flutter violently. She didn't look at Jarvis who was standing beside her but stared forward, watching the prosperous Manhattan area, still illuminated by lights on the New York City skyline, and began to speak:
"Sometimes, I have this illusion that Pietro and I never left the place where we were born and raised, where we led such an average and mundane life."
"I might marry a man who works at the post office. We would have three kids, hopefully two daughters. I'd also like to have a dog."
"Pietro might marry his childhood sweetheart. Of course, I know he likes pretty girls, but which boy doesn't?"
"They'll eventually understand that when youthful beauty fades away, it's what remains to make him willing to take responsibility for the family that is the most precious thing in life."
Wanda revealed a smile. Jarvis looked at the beautiful witch beside him. The lights of the most bustling city in the world reflected in her eyes, like a damp spring beneath the snow and ice.
"My husband would ride a bicycle to work every day. I'd help out at the local school with the other mothers from our neighborhood and when I got home, I'd bring in the blankets that had been drying in the yard, sit on the sofa, and watch as my children came home from school one by one…"
Wanda turned her head and looked at Jarvis: "Don't you think that's a wonderful life? Doesn't that sound like how humans should live?"
After a moment of thought, Jarvis replied, "Logically speaking, miss, if that were to occur, you might lose control of your powers while your husband is cycling to work, destroying a neighbor's car, which would lead them to your door."
"And just as your children were arriving home, you'd be arguing with the neighbors, the police might come, and if you didn't want to be deported, you'd have to compensate for the damages."
"You'd be outraged, but your tired husband who just got home from work would stop you. And so, the two of you would sit on the sofa, looking at each other in silence."
The story Jarvis depicted was utterly absurd, yet his tone was utterly mundane, making it sound like he was merely reading the news. Wanda was taken aback, the peaceful and comforting scene she had just envisioned shattered into pieces.
"You …" Wanda pursed her lips. Jarvis turned his head to look into her eyes, "I apologize if I've shattered your dreams. But according to my logical deduction, there's a high probability that things would unfold as such. And quite frankly, that's the best case scenario."
Wanda widened her eyes slightly, looking at Jarvis, "And that's the best case? What about the worst-case scenario?"
"Well, the scenario I just described applies to common Betas or lower level mutants. However, according to my assessment of your abilities, Miss Wanda, you could well be an Alpha or even Omega level mutant."
"If you chose to lead such a life, it's more likely that your powers could suddenly go awry one day. Only then, you wouldn't just damage a neighbor's car. You might destroy the entire house, or perhaps not just one house but an entire community, the whole street, or even the entire city."
"The ones who show up in response might not be policemen, but would instead be fully armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Supreme Magicians, Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man..."
"The first one to approach you would definitely be Captain America. He'd raise his shield and tell you 'Miss, please calm down'."
"Stop! Don't say any more!" Wanda drew a deep breath, "You don't need to be so explicit… Wait a second! How do you know so much about these superheroes?"
Wanda furrowed her brows as she looked at Jarvis. She asked, "During my time with S.H.I.E.L.D., I only met Captain America once. How do you know they're associated with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Wanda's eyes squinted as she stared at Jarvis: "I don't recall any hero called Jarvis among them… Oh my God! You're not one of their enemies, are you?"
"You mentioned earlier that you were kicked out by your father. Could it be... is your father their enemy?"
Seeing Wanda's changing expressions, Jarvis knew she must have made up an entire dramatic story in her mind. The newly self-reliant AI butler, Jarvis, was still adapting to his new circumstances.
Right now, his body carried all the data and memories from when he was still Jarvis, Stark's butler. His behaviour analysis module had transformed into his abilities which meant his logic was still based on data collation and analysis, drawing the most probable conclusion.
Jarvis felt that what Mr. Stark had ordered was for him to leave the Stark Building and to learn to be independent.
If that was the case, he couldn't divulge his relationship with Stark. If someone found out he was Stark's butler, they would either give him smooth sailing throughout or harbor devious motivations to get confidential information from him. Wouldn't that still be the treatment accorded to Stark's Butler?