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After Wanda collected the blood sample, she placed it back in her pocket and looked at Magneto. "Mr. Eric, as a token of appreciation, I can offer you a word of advice," she said.
"Oh?" Magneto responded.
"The other consciousness inside this gentleman doesn't come from this world. It's linked to a very ancient being. You might want to keep an eye on that," Wanda said, nodding slightly toward Sergei in the distance.
With that, Sergei lowered his cross sword and walked over to Wanda. She waved her hand, and in the blink of an eye, their figures blurred and disappeared. Just as mysteriously as they had arrived, they left with equal grace.
Magneto and Mystique were left astonished by the display. Mystique turned to Magneto, frowning. "Eric," she began, "it seems our knight has many secrets. Is this truly a consciousness from another world?"
Magneto, no fool, understood the implications of Wanda's words. He glanced at Johnny, who looked utterly bewildered.
The sound of sirens grew louder. Mystique, glancing around, said, "We need to go, Eric."
"Yes," Magneto agreed. He glanced at the disheartened Pyro, and a slight smile tugged at his lips. The commotion had caused major damage to the city, with metal torn from underground structures, leaving a mess that would cost the government heavily. But Magneto had no intention of cleaning up after himself—this conflict with the U.S. government was just one more in their long history of disputes.
Meanwhile, Wanda, Sergei, and Pietro returned to New York. By the time they arrived at their manor, it was early morning. After a quick bath, they enjoyed a delicious and healthy breakfast prepared by the manor's chefs. Aside from Wanda, the rest of the family hadn't returned yet, leaving the four younger ones at the table with Leon.
During breakfast, the children were especially curious about Wanda's trip to Texas. The mention of Mephisto and Magneto had them all excited, especially thirteen-year-old Pushkin. He yearned to be part of the action, hearing about Leon's spectacular battle with Mephisto. His youthful imagination ran wild, dreaming of taking on the demon king himself. But, being so young, Leon had forbidden him from participating in such events—at least not until he turned sixteen.
Clarice, equally fascinated, bombarded Wanda with questions. The two younger girls, Alina and Polina, were less interested in the battles. They preferred playing with the manor's animals, particularly the furry ones, a fondness that developed during their time in the Ural Mountains. Leon was even considering adding more animals to the manor—perhaps some lion and tiger cubs. He'd always had a soft spot for big cats, even in his past life.
After the lively breakfast, it was time for the children to go to school. The housekeeper took them, while Pietro and Sergei left in a McLaren sports car, their plans unknown.
Leon and Wanda then strolled down to the beach near the manor. The rising sun bathed the golden sand in warm light, and the sea breeze was refreshing. Walking barefoot on the sand, with waves gently lapping at the shore, the two of them felt at peace. The wind tousled their hair and rustled their shirts, creating a perfect moment of tranquility.
All along the beach, rows of footprints marked the path where Leon and Wanda walked side by side. At 1.8 meters, Leon only slightly towered over Wanda, who stood at 1.7 meters. Wanda extended her hand, closed it gently, and let the breeze blow against her cheek. Gazing at the blue waves, she sighed, "It's so beautiful."
"It really is," Leon chuckled. "This planet always finds a way to make you fall in love with it."
When free from life's pressures and distractions, the world's beauty becomes impossible to ignore. Leon believed that the Earth was worth fighting for, even if it meant opposing humanity itself to protect it. He could battle interdimensional demons and stop anyone who threatened to destroy the world.
Wanda nodded, then mischievously turned around, quickened her pace, and walked backward while looking at Leon. In her playful voice, she said, "I wish we could stay like this forever."
"Maybe we can," Leon replied with a smile.
Leon gently rubbed Wanda's hair, as he'd always done. Her delicate face flushed pink, and she smiled sweetly. But a hint of worry crossed her expression as she asked, "Leon, do you think Hell appearing will have a big impact on Earth?"
"Who knows?" Leon shrugged. "But don't worry. If Mephisto ever makes a move on Earth, I'll deal with him."
"Hehe, so confident, huh? He's the devil, after all."
"Devil or not, I'm much stronger than you think. Don't underestimate me."
"I've never underestimated you," Wanda teased, sticking out her tongue. With the sea breeze blowing, she asked again, "Leon, did you have us travel the world collecting blood from undead species just to train us?"
"You already figured that out, didn't you?" Leon shot her a playful look that made Wanda laugh, knowing she couldn't hide anything from him. They understood each other too well.
"It's hard to believe you used the genes of those undead species to create a super-soldier serum to enhance us. You've worked hard."
"Actually, it's you who's been doing the hard work," Leon admitted. Wanda and the others had collected the blood themselves. If Leon had given the order, Sky Blade could have handled everything, leaving him with little to do.
Wanda sensed that Leon was hiding something, but she was smart enough not to pry. Instead, she changed the subject. As they stood at the water's edge, letting the waves lap at their ankles, she said casually, "I'm planning to go find that guy with Pietro."
"Today?"
"Yep, as soon as Pietro gets back."
"Just make sure you're home for dinner," Leon said, offering his usual light warning. Wanda's eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.
"I want to have steamed garlic lobster! I'm craving it."
Wanda loved seafood, especially lobster.
"I'll have Dirk prepare it, and you can eat as much as you want."
"Great! I'll go see Natasha first."
Meanwhile, in the underground lab of the seaside villa in New York, Tony Stark sat in an expensive, custom-made chair. The lab, filled with vibrant decor and precision instruments, was a display of Stark's characteristic flair. Leaning back, Tony rubbed his temples, exhaustion written all over his face.
"Sir, you have been awake for forty-eight hours straight. It has been detected that you are extremely fatigued. It's time for you to rest," came a gentle voice in Tony's ear.
Tony, staring at the technical drawings he'd been working on all night, responded absentmindedly, "Thanks for the concern, Jarvis. Maybe I'll sleep in ten hours."
"That must be quite a dream."
"Sir, Miss Pepper has sent a message. She hopes you will sleep properly."
"What's she up to?" Tony asked.
"Miss Pepper is negotiating with the military on behalf of you and Mr. Stane."
"Ha, Pepper's really starting to act like a president. Maybe I should promote her to CEO." Tony flipped through the holographic projections in front of him, nodding casually.
"I think Miss Pepper would be very pleased."
"Uh-huh. Jarvis, place the order according to the technical drawings. We're about to start a big project."
"OK, sir."
Tony stretched, feeling the weight of exhaustion creep in. He unsteadily stood up, opened the tempered glass door, and walked upstairs. Heading to the bar, he poured himself a glass of whiskey, just about to take a sip when Jarvis's voice interrupted him again.
"Sir, Ms. Natasha is here to visit."
"Well, isn't that a pleasant surprise," Tony remarked, eyebrows raised. Holding his whiskey and dressed only in a thin gray sweater, he walked toward the living room. As the door opened automatically, Natasha entered, clad in a black trench coat, accompanied by two unfamiliar individuals.
Tony's curiosity piqued as Natasha approached, but her stoic demeanor made him cautious. He was intrigued by the two strangers but unsure of what Natasha's intentions were. Still, he greeted her with open arms, trying to appear cheerful. "Hey, Ms. Natasha, nice to see you."
"Don't get too excited, Tony," Natasha replied, her face remaining cold and indifferent.
Her tone made Tony frown, sensing something was wrong. Keeping his composure, he joked, "I hope you're not here to ruin my mood with bad news, Natasha."
"I'm sorry, Tony, but I'm not the one here to see you today."
Natasha's attitude remained emotionless, causing Tony's heart to sink. He glanced at her and then at the two strangers beside her, growing more serious. "So, who's here to see me?"
"Tony Stark," Pietro said coldly, his eyes filled with unmasked murderous intent.
Click!
As soon as Pietro's intent became clear, the villa's walls and ceiling began shifting. Panels retracted, revealing an array of weapons aimed directly at the trio. Jarvis's voice followed.
"Hostile action detected. Level 1 alert activated. Please cease all resistance, or you will be neutralized immediately. According to—"
Boom!
Before Jarvis could finish, Wanda's eyes glowed red as she raised her hand, forming a fist. Instantly, chaotic red energy surged throughout the villa. The walls, ceiling, and even the weapons were torn apart and twisted by the force. The entire villa trembled, and the glassware on the tables and bar shattered—yet Tony remained unharmed, standing amidst the wreckage.
"Sir, I—" Jarvis began but was cut off by Tony.
"Jarvis, cancel the Level 1 alert and defense mode."
"Understood, sir. Level 1 alert and defense mode deactivated."
Jarvis's response took two full seconds, which was unusually slow for his AI. Tony realized the delay was caused by the conflict between the on-site image analysis and his command.
Ignoring the technical hiccup, Tony downed his whiskey in one gulp, then walked slowly to the nearby shelf. Calmly, he asked, "I thought even if we weren't friends, we were at least partners. Can you tell me why you're doing this? Or did someone offer you a better deal than I did?"
Tony stood there, puzzled, trying to understand the reason behind their hostility.