𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸
As Jakub wove through the crowded streets of New York, his heart still raced from his encounter with Peter and the bullies. The thrill of stepping in and standing up to them had given him a rush of exhilaration that still tingled in his veins. He moved with purpose, his eyes taking in the buildings, the people, and the strange electricity of a city alive with stories and secrets. He could already imagine Wong's disapproving look, but he brushed it off, feeling an undeniable pull toward something else—something unknown.
It was this pull that drew him down an unfamiliar side street, his feet leading him without conscious thought. He wandered past storefronts he'd never noticed before: mystical-looking herb shops, small antique stores, and a scattering of old, forgotten places that felt almost as if they'd appeared just for him. The further he went, the narrower and quieter the street became, until he finally stopped in front of a weathered sign: Calderu's Curiosities and Tarot. It was a shop tucked between two taller, more modern buildings, its faded paint and dusty windows hinting at years of secrets. A slight shiver of anticipation ran through him as he pushed the door open.
The scent of incense and old parchment hit him immediately, filling the small, dimly lit room with a hazy, otherworldly atmosphere. Shelves lined with an assortment of oddities—crystals, jars filled with strange liquids, worn leather books—seemed to watch him as he moved. He drifted from shelf to shelf, his fingers brushing over the spine of a dusty grimoire that caught his eye. For some reason, this book drew him in, as if it held something meant for him and him alone.
Just as he was about to pull it from the shelf, a voice behind him spoke. "You found that one quickly," the voice said, light yet somehow commanding. Jakub turned to see a woman standing at the counter, her gaze sharp and curious. She wore dark clothes, her fingers adorned with rings that glittered faintly in the low light. She was older, though her face held a kind of ageless quality, her eyes far sharper than any ordinary shopkeeper's.
"I... uh, wanted to know if I could buy this," Jakub said, his faint accent slipping out. He lifted the book slightly, feeling oddly self-conscious under her gaze.
She raised an eyebrow, giving him a long, assessing look before she gestured toward him. "That one isn't marked for sale. Are you sure that's the book you want?"
Jakub hesitated for only a moment, nodding. "Yeah, it's this one. Something 'bout it just... calls to me."
The woman, who he realized must be the store's owner, watched him closely, as though she were peering past his face and into something hidden within him. She nodded, almost to herself. "Well, I suppose if it's calling to you, there's a reason for it. Let me see it," she said, reaching out a hand.
He stepped forward, offering the book to her. As she took it, her fingers brushed his, and a spark of something sharp and electric passed between them. Her gaze flicked up to his, and she seemed to make a decision in that moment. "Hold on," she said, her voice softer now, as if something important was unfolding in her mind. "I'd like to offer you a reading. No charge," she added with a slight smile. "You have the kind of energy that doesn't come through here often."
Jakub chuckled, giving her a half-smile. "A reading? Guess I could use a bit of fortune-tellin' today."
The woman gestured for him to follow her toward a back room, where the light grew even dimmer. The walls were lined with tapestries depicting symbols he didn't recognize, and a small round table sat at the center, draped in a deep purple cloth adorned with intricate golden designs. She motioned for him to sit, and he settled into the worn chair, watching as she sat across from him.
"What's your name?" she asked, reaching for his hand.
"Jakub," he said, feeling a slight tremor of anticipation as her fingers wrapped around his.
"Jakub," she repeated softly, nodding. "I'm Lilia Calderu."
As she examined his hand, her touch was both light and firm, her eyes narrowing as she traced the lines of his palm. "This is your life line," she murmured, her fingers moving over a jagged line. Her brow furrowed. "It's strong, but... fractured. You've had a hard life already, haven't you?" She looked up, her gaze probing.
He shrugged, trying to play it off. "Somethin' like that, yeah."
Her fingers continued to move along his palm, tracing each line with a precision that felt almost surgical. "And here," she continued, "is your love line." Her mouth tightened slightly. "It's complicated. Marked by loss, but also... potential." She paused, considering him with a thoughtful frown. "I'd be careful with that one, Jakub. You might find love, but not without challenges."
He smirked a little, trying to brush it off, but something about her words sent a shiver down his spine. She moved on, tracing another line that seemed to split and weave, her face growing more solemn.
"Your life line is broken—multiple times, in fact. And yet..." She shook her head. "Death surrounds you, but it's not your end. It's almost as though... you'll face it, but you'll come back. Only, each time, you won't return the same. Worse for wear," she murmured, her voice almost a whisper.
Jakub shifted in his seat, uneasy. He forced a laugh. "Cheerful stuff, this palm-readin'."
But Lilia didn't smile. Her expression was too focused, as though she were seeing something in him even he couldn't understand. She released his hand and reached for a deck of cards resting on a small velvet pouch to her right. "Let's see what the cards say."
She shuffled the cards with practiced ease, her hands moving in a blur of motion before she laid the deck down and spread it across the table. "Choose five," she instructed, her gaze holding his with a challenge he couldn't ignore.
Jakub picked five cards, laying each one in front of her. She turned over the first card, her expression darkening as she revealed the Tower. "This is destruction, upheaval," she murmured. "You're on the brink of a change that will tear down everything you've known."
He swallowed, forcing himself to remain calm.
The second card was the Moon. "Illusions, secrets—there's a darkness that follows you. Something you carry that's hidden, even from yourself." She looked up at him, her gaze intense.
The third card, Death, made her pause. She glanced up at him, studying his face carefully. "It doesn't always mean physical death," she said softly. "But for you... death seems to come in cycles. Endings that pave the way for rebirth. Each one more painful than the last."
Jakub's hand tightened around the edge of his seat, his pulse pounding in his ears.
She turned over the fourth card: The Devil. She let out a slow breath, her eyes narrowing. "Temptation, control. You'll face something dark, something that will try to claim you. You'll have to fight to keep your soul intact."
Jakub felt a chill run through him. "What's the last card?"
With a steady hand, Lilia turned over the fifth and final card: The World. Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Completion, fulfillment. Whatever path you're on, it will lead you to something bigger, something that ties everything together. But the journey won't be easy." She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a strange mix of pity and respect.
For a long moment, silence filled the room. Jakub shifted, half-rising from his seat, eager to brush off the weight of the reading and leave. But before he could fully stand, Lilia's hand shot out, gripping his wrist with a sudden, almost desperate hold. Her eyes rolled back, turning a ghostly white, and her lips moved in a low chant, the words thick and strange, tumbling out in a language he'd never heard.
An unease prickled down Jakub's spine, but he stayed rooted in place, his eyes fixed on Lilia's transformed expression. Her face was set in a mask of intense concentration, as if she were somewhere else entirely, lost in a vision that veiled her from him. He strained to make sense of the words spilling from her mouth, their tones haunting and melodic, yet wholly foreign. Only one phrase broke through, echoing in his mind: "Eternal Sovereign."
Finally, her hand released him, and her eyes returned to normal. She blinked, looking briefly disoriented before her focus returned, as sharp and unreadable as ever. Without another word, she gestured toward the book he'd chosen. Jakub took it without hesitation, clutching it tightly, as if it alone could steady him after the strange encounter. Eager to escape the shop's unsettling energy, he mumbled his thanks, turned on his heel and stepped quickly into the Moonlight.
With a half-laugh to himself, he reminded himself it was just an old woman's eccentric ways. Still, her words lingered, echoing faintly as he made his way back to the Sanctum, the book tucked firmly under his arm.
𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸
Jakub's first day of high school. He'd been briefed by Wong on the school's reputation—Midtown High, known for its rigorous academics and high standards. Wong had insisted it was the best place for him to get the kind of education he'd need to thrive here, and Jakub knew better than to argue. Still, he couldn't help but feel the nerves creeping in. He'd never done anything like this before, and putting on the right impression felt more daunting than any spell or training session he'd faced.
After digging through his limited wardrobe, he finally found an outfit that felt right. Once he was dressed, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and made his way to the Sanctum's kitchen. Technically, it was Wong's kitchen—he was the one who spent the most time there, after all. But Jakub had come to learn that despite the man's strict exterior, Wong had a soft side he tried to keep hidden. Jakub wasn't fooled.
When he walked into the kitchen, he saw a plate of pancakes waiting for him, fresh and perfectly golden. Smiling, Jakub slid into his seat and dug in, savoring the comforting taste. Wong sat across from him, watching over his coffee cup as Jakub devoured the stack. Once he'd finished, Wong stood up and handed him a lunch box, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Good luck," Wong said, his voice carrying more warmth than Jakub expected.
Jakub took the lunch box, nodding in gratitude. "Thanks... for everything."
𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸
In the quiet hum of the Avengers compound, the silence was suddenly interrupted by the clear, calm voice of JARVIS. "Sir," the AI began, "we may have found him."
Tony Stark's head snapped up, his face instantly shifting from mild curiosity to focused determination. "Found who?" Steve Rogers asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked from JARVIS to Tony.
Tony let out a breath, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I had JARVIS running facial reconstruction on the kid who attacked you, Subject Omega,at that HYDRA base. He was bound to surface again, and...he's just too dangerous to be left out there, unmonitored." Tony glanced around at the others in the room, his tone serious. "And JARVIS finally got a hit."
Steve folded his arms, his expression thoughtful. "And where did you get this hit?" he asked.
JARVIS brought up a screen, showing a series of images and video feeds. "Right here, in New York. The subject was identified as leaving a small shop late at night, and leaving a Clothing store with an Adult Asain Male." The screen switched to show a clear image of a young boy with striking features—Jakub, or Omega, as they knew him—leaving a small store under the New York night lights.
As JARVIS continued, a second image appeared next to the recent one—a photo from two years ago, showing a younger but unmistakably similar face. "After running comparisons and running probabilities, it is, indeed, him," JARVIS confirmed. Another file popped up, showing a school registration for Jakub Maxwell, listed as a sophomore at Midtown High. "Additionally, school records confirm he's enrolled under this alias, with today being his first day of attendance."
The room went silent as each Avenger processed the implications. Wanda Maximoff stared at the image of Jakub's school photo, her face a mixture of curiosity and a strange sense of kinship. She, too, had survived HYDRA's influence and knew what it felt like to be shaped by forces beyond one's control. Lost in thought, she barely noticed Vision leaning closer, his eyes on her with concern.
"Wanda, are you alright?" Vision's calm voice brought her back, and she looked over at Tony.
"What are we going to do with the kid?" she asked, her voice soft but serious.
Tony leaned back, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "He could be a potential threat, or worse, an undercover HYDRA agent. There's no telling if they still have a grip on him. We can't rule out the possibility that they got to him in some way," he said, his mind racing with possibilities. "I'll have JARVIS monitor him until he's alone. Then, we can arrange to... bring him in."
Natasha, who had been quietly studying the footage, nodded, her expression neutral but eyes sharp. "We can't ignore this. That kid is a weapon, one HYDRA made—and if he's out there, free, there's no telling who else could try to get their hands on him."
Steve shifted, glancing between his teammates. "I'll play devil's advocate here," he said, leaning forward. "If he's enrolled in school, maybe he just wants a normal life. Why would he put himself out there like this, risk being on camera?"
𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸
Meanwhile, at a HYDRA base cloaked in secrecy, a similar conversation was unfolding. In the dimly lit command center, agents buzzed around with a tense urgency as the system completed a sweep of recent surveillance data from New York City. An alert blinked on the main screen, showing a clear image of Subject Omega.
A high-ranking officer observed the image, eyes narrowing as he processed the implications. "Our weapon is in New York City," he announced, his voice laced with steel. "We've already lost two like him, and we cannot afford to lose Subject Omega. Assemble the retrieval team. He belongs to us, and we will bring him back."
With their orders set, the HYDRA agents prepared, determined to recover the weapon they had created and lost—one that, for HYDRA, was too valuable to leave out of their grasp for much longer.
𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈𖥸
The long awaited meeting is here!! Next chapter the meet face to face!