Chapter 88 – Scarlet Witch Crosses Worlds to Find a Husband, Teetering on the Edge of Villainy! (Part 1) 5K chapter—subscribe please!
The Helicarrier sliced through the skyscraper like a sword, the building's walls collapsing as easily as a block of cheese.
Fighters on the deck slid sideways, mooring cables snapped, and jets slammed into the tower—dust everywhere, explosions echoing.
Below.
Rogers looked at Eustass, face tight with urgency:
"The Director and Natasha are still inside—help me get them out, please."
"Insufficient energy—1 % remaining!"
"Insufficient energy—shutting down!"
The nano armor chimed; in the next instant the nanites on Eustass shrank away until nothing remained.
"Sorry, Captain; there's nothing I can do—my condolences."
Eustass delivered the line with theatrical regret.
Rogers glanced back at the tower, shield in hand, and sprinted inside.
Eustass stared after him, surprised:
"Captain, Checkpoint Desk should have one of my nano kits."
"Thanks!"
Rogers shouted, charging into the ground floor.
'But it's under five percent…'
Eustass grumbled inwardly.
Of course the kit would be inspected, so he'd left it almost empty.
Eustass turned; Buggy had already slipped away unnoticed.
Moments later.
A dozen fighters streaked overhead.
They circled until sure the enemy was gone, then flew off.
Above the tower.
Natasha simply leapt from the building with an unconscious Fury—no helicopter, no Captain, no rescue.
Eustass looked up as the two plummeted; just before Impact a figure burst from the tower, grabbed them one in each hand, jets blazing to slow the fall.
Rogers had found the spare suit—though its battery was nearly dead.
Thrusters coughed, stuttered, then quit; the armor died and Rogers dropped.
Rogers and Natasha, tough as nails, only broke bones.
Fury, already wounded, hit the ground hard; Captain and Widow couldn't help, so the Motherfucker smacked concrete and pain jolted him awake.
He spat "Motherfucker" with every breath.
Eustass swallowed a laugh—exactly what he'd expected.
Soon.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. tower collapsed completely, carrier and skyscraper fused into a heap of twisted steel.
Ambulances arrived right on cue, loading Captain America, Black Widow, and the Motherfucker aboard.
Eustass stared at the wreckage—no reward. He climbed into the ambulance and tapped Rogers:
"Captain, heal up fast."
"I will—thanks."
Rogers, touched, thought Eustass a good man; distrusting him had been wrong.
"Good—I'm looking forward to our spar."
Eustass clenched a fist in anticipation.
Captain Rogers: "???"
One day later.
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Washington.
In the ward.
"Shaft" played on the TV; Rogers, eyes heavy, opened them and looked right.
Sam sat beside him. Rogers stared at the ceiling:
"Watch your left."
Sam grinned at the Captain.
"Watch your left."
He pointed to Rogers' left as he said it.
Rogers turned.
A tall figure lounged in the chair, legs crossed, newspaper open; he folded it, revealing his face, and said:
"How long till you're fit for a rematch?"
Rogers smiled, reached out and slapped Eustass' arm:
"Thanks."
"No need."
Eustass waved it off—he'd played villain and still got superhero gratitude; go figure.
His phone rang; he answered.
"A Ms. Maria Hill is here to interview for the post of Chairman's Assistant."
Helen Cho's voice came through.
"Pass."
Eustass rejected it flat.
He wouldn't turn his company into a spy swap-meet.
"By the way—how's Director Fury? And Natasha?"
Rogers asked quickly.
"Fury…"
Sam began, then fell silent, pained.
"Amputated."
Eustass supplied.
Rogers stared, stunned.
"Black卤 Egg's lower body is pulp—bones powdered, muscles shredded, massive blood loss. Frankly, surviving is a miracle."
He slid a photo across the table; Rogers took one look and sighed.
The picture showed Fury from the waist down—nothing.
Nothing at all.
All three legs gone.
"Natasha's still out, but the Doctors say she'll wake soon—nothing serious."
Eustass added.
"Wait—doesn't Mora Group have the regeneration cradle?"
Rogers blurted.
"No freebies."
Eustass smiled.
Days later.
In the ICU, Black卤 Egg thought of the cradle the moment he regained consciousness.
He received a treatment plan—and wanted to cry.
"One foot: 500 million dollars; lower leg: 1.5 billion; full leg: 3 billion; family jewels: 20 billion—holy crab!"
Reading it, Black卤 Egg bawled.
Eustass was skinning him alive.
Sure, he'd skimmed S.H.I.E.L.D. funds for years, but this bill would send him back to the stone age.
After all, most of the money he'd embezzled had gone into setting up contingency plans.
The already cash-strapped Black卤 Egg was dealt another heavy blow.
"Go call Eustass—I need to talk to him."
Fury quickly glanced at Coulson, who'd come to visit.
He strongly suspected Eustass was maliciously extorting him; the price was simply absurd.
"Sorry, he's been subpoenaed by the Committee and is now locked in a battle of wits with them."
Coulson said helplessly.
Fury wanted to cry; Eustass absolutely couldn't afford to go down—his lower half… Congress.
A badly injured Natasha was wheeled in; Eustass walked in wearing a suit, while Helen Cho waited anxiously outside.
The Committee struck at Natasha first; they didn't care whether S.H.I.E.L.D. had snakes—they only cared that their own intelligence outfit was gone, and it broke their hearts.
Thus, the Committee resolved to imprison Natasha.
Natasha simply declared, "You won't lock us up, because you need us," and sauntered out in style.
Eustass sat opposite the Committee members, one leg crossed over the other, smiling at the old men.
"Eustass Mola, your group possesses highly advanced private weaponry—do you admit it?"
a Committee member asked.
"Oh, you mean toys? One moment."
Nano-materials extended to his hand, forming a tiny gavel; he rapped the table. "Order~!"
The press corps stifled laughter.
"Be serious! We're discussing Mora Group's possession of private weapons!"
the Committee member shouted angrily.
"Weapons?"
Eustass smiled at the little gavel. "Sorry—maybe talk to the toddlers first? They've got boxes of these—so dangerous~"
"Enough—you know exactly what we mean! Your nano-tech with Helen Cho is extremely dangerous.
Therefore, we believe a hazardous thing shouldn't be left to someone unreliable and irresponsible!"
The Committee member slammed the table.
Eustass kept his legs crossed, watching them.
Unreliable? Irresponsible? Ridiculous.
Bottom line: these people wanted the tech without paying.
They wanted it for free.
"Cut the sanctimony—you want me to hand over the tech, right?"
Eustass said, slapping the table.
…
The Committee members exchanged glances—exactly what they'd intended.
"Then I'll take Asgardian citizenship—go talk to Asgard."
With that, Eustass stood and walked straight out.
The Committee stared slack-jawed. So wicked… Eustasswas gone—fight magic with magic, as he'd always said.
Against the shameless, one must be even more shameless.
The government in a superhero World—
a pack of ungrateful curs who use you when convenient and kick you when you're not.
No need to indulge them!
Moments after Eustass left, organizations worldwide moved: S.H.I.E.L.D. dissolved, Agents unemployed.
HYDRA was hunted down by groups everywhere.
[host has destroyed the Snake-S.H.I.E.L.D.]!
[Reward gained: Strength ×4!]
Eustass got into the car, about to leave, hearing the system voice—so this was the trap… Some Marvel-cinematic parallel Universe.
Earth.
Between beautiful woods stood a lovely cabin.
Sunlight slowly spilled through the windows, warm and cozy.
Wanda lay on her side, lost in a sweet dream, a faint smile on her lips.
A breeze drifted in; Wanda awoke and instinctively reached across the bed—only to find it empty.
Blinking groggily at the vacant space, she felt crushed after such a lovely dream.
She got up, dressed, and cobbled together a simple breakfast.
Wanda left early, sat beneath an apple tree, and gazed at white blossoms covering the hills while sheep strolled across the grass; the peaceful beauty soothed her heart.
It had been a long time since the Avengers defeated the alternate-timeline Thanos.
Afterward she'd met a very nice man.
Sadly, he didn't belong to this World.
That morning she'd tried to use the shuttle to reach his Universe, only to be tricked by Stark.
Afraid random crossings might cause trouble, Starkcovertly altered the parameters and lied that the machine was broken.
That day the Scarlet Witch nearly killed Stark.
After losing Vision, Wanda had finally found someone she loved and who loved her; she refused to wait idly.
She tried everything—kidnapping Pepper to threaten Stark, but Stark offered his own life for hers; Wanda was stunned… She even sought the Darkhold, desperate to leave this World.
Yet she hesitated, afraid she might become a madwoman and scare the man she loved.
Wanda sighed, tilting her head to the sky.
A plane glided in and landed on the clearing.
Ant-Man Scott approached, holding a shuttleminiaturized by Pym Particles, and handed it to her.
"Pym Particles."
Wanda said coolly, palms open.
"Wanda, multiversal travel is risky."
Scott said helplessly.
"Uh-huh—but if Hope died, you'd do the same without hesitation."
Scarlet Magic coiled around her hand; a tiny figure—Hope—was held captive.
Scott clenched his fists, watching Wanda hold Hope, then handed over the mini-shuttle and the Pym Particles.
Wanda gave a faint smile, watched Scott take the second-generation Wasp Hope, saw their plane depart, then looked down at the shuttle in her hand.
Wanda flicked her wrist, and the Darkhold materialized beside her, hovering in place. She exhaled in relief—thankfully, she hadn't taken that step.
With another casual wave, Scarlet Magic coiled around the Darkhold and incinerated the copy… in the movie-verse where Eustass lived.
Eastern Europe.
Estonia.
On the road.
A graceful figure stood there, her hair a cascade of gold.
Wanda glanced around, eyes wide in wonder. So this was Eustass's World?
Right then—
A truck barreled toward her. Wanda flicked her fingers; Scarlet Magic surged and flipped the vehicle aside.
"I'm here…"
With those words, she wrapped herself in scarlet energy and shot skyward, streaking toward the city.
The truck lay overturned; the driver lay unconscious.
A crate rolled from the cargo hold, faint energy seeping out… Somewhere in an Eastern-European city.
Wanda sifted through passers-by memories, gathering intel on this World—and on Eustass.
"So that's how it is…"
She stood behind a pedestrian, Scarlet Magic gently reshaping the stranger's mind.
The corner of her mouth curved in a soft, amused laugh.
Stark hadn't altered the dimensional coordinates for Eustass's World—only the temporal data.
The result: Wanda arrived several years too late.
Right now, she was one year before Ultron's birth.
This World's timeline mirrored hers in places, yet diverged—Eustass's very existence proved that.
The other Avengers had told her: when they'd borrowed the Infinity Stones, none of the alternate timelines had ever contained an Eustass.
Wanda set off on foot, intending to head for America.
Halfway there, she froze, gaze locking onto a newspaper photo.
"Mora Group couple Eustass and Helen Cho invite Tony Stark to use the regeneration cradle, resolving Iron Man's bodily issues…"
"…"
Wanda clenched her fists, breathing hard—she felt herself teetering on the edge of madness… Late night, two weeks later.
Eastern Europe.
Sokovia.
Eustass drove along the highway. He and Sharon Carter's agency had been transporting the Mind Stone; then a call came—Sharon reporting the carrier had crashed and the scepter was gone.
Eustass's first suspect: HYDRA's leftover, Baron von Strucker—also called Baron Strucker in some translations.
He decided to investigate, yet if fate had looped things back to the starting point, he could live with that.
At least teenage Wanda would power up from this, and he could farm some Avengers 2 rep while he was at it.
Humming a tune, he headed for his Sokovian safe-house to check on leads about von Strucker.
The next instant—
A figure plummeted from the sky, scarlet light blazing through the darkness.
A lithe silhouette in red landed in the middle of the road, blocking his path.
She raised a hand; torrents of Scarlet Magic surged straight for the car.
Eustass smashed the door off with a punch and dove out. Before he could steady himself, the scarlet blur was on him, magic crashing down.
He thrust out a palm; Armament Haki erupted in a shock-wave that blasted the scarlet energy aside.
"I think you'd better explain—otherwise I might lose control and do something we'll both regret."
Wanda Maximoff stood at the roadside, voice cold as she regarded him.
Eustass stared back, stunned.
Behind a red-rimmed mask she was the spitting image of this World's Wanda—same breathtaking beauty—only her face carried a touch more maturity.
She wore a crimson-violet gown, a deep-red cloak billowing in the night wind.
After a moment he recognized her.
This was Wanda from another Universe—the one who'd lost Vision and been "consoled" by his actions. Big-sister Wanda.
"Wanda, I didn't have any Pym Particles. I wanted to come find you, but I couldn't cross over."
"So I waited… for years."
"You expect me to believe you ever planned to look for me?"
"Then what exactly is Helen Cho?" she demanded.
"And what about Vision?" he shot back. Wanda fell silent, momentarily stumped.
Her CPU was overheating; she needed to sort her thoughts.
Eustass watched her sit on the ground to think, then walked over and sat beside her.
He wasn't great at managing crash-sites; he usually kept his women separate to avoid pile-ups.
He'd never imagined big-sister (milf) Wanda would chase him across Universes… The Scarlet Witch crossing realities for her man, only to flip the jealousy switch and go stab-crazy—wasn't this basically the Doctor Strange 2 rewrite?
After all, a dark-turned Scarlet Witch was terrifying.
In Multiverse of Madness she'd carved through the Illuminati of Earth-838 just to find her kids—snapped that Universe's Professor X's neck in the mindscape.
Captain Carter? Wanda had bisected her with her own shield.
To keep the Scarlet Witch from going full dark, he'd have to fight magic with magic—stall for now, then slowly win her back.
Wanda sat beside him, turning it over. His logic made sense.
She'd had an ex in Vision; why couldn't Eustass have one too?
"Wait—no!"
Wanda shook her head. Helen Cho wasn't an ex—she was the current wife!
Chapter 89: Scarlet Witch Crosses Worlds to Find Her Husband, Teetering on the Brink of Darkening! (Part 2) 5K Word Chapter! Please give monthly votes!
"You have Helen Cho, and now you have me. Isn't that bad? Can you get two marriage licenses?"
Wanda quickly asked.
Vision was a thing of the past; now she only had Eustass, but Eustass was two-timing.
"You care about getting a license?"
Eustass looked at her.
Wanda hesitated, then nodded slightly.
"That's easy. We can just go to your World, can't we?"
Eustass quickly said.
This reminded him of a certain protagonist who could constantly travel between Marvel and DC just by sleeping.
Before he transmigrated, he thought, 'This ability is great. I can have two female leads without exposing myself.'
And the two female leads wouldn't meet, so there wouldn't be any Shura field.
"That's not the point!"
Wanda clenched her fists and said angrily, "I just want to be with you alone. I don't want to see other women..."
"That's easy. We'll go back to your World. The flow of time is different in different Worlds. One second I leave, the next second I'm back."
Eustass laughed. Wanda was stunned again, her CPU almost burning out... How could he have such Strangeideas?
'But he's right. In that case, in my World, I truly only have him, and he truly only has me...'
Wanda thought to herself, then looked up at Eustass, "Let's fight. If you win, we'll do as you say. I'll pretend this World doesn't exist and live like that if I get a chance to go back later.
But if you lose, I'll take you away. I don't care how many confidantes you have, but from now on, there can only be me."
"Okay."
Eustass thought for a moment, then nodded.
Anyway, if they broke up and Wanda darkened, she'd still beat him... Better to solve the problem in advance.
The night wind blew.
Under the cover of night.
Wanda looked at this annoying younger brother with an indignant expression, suddenly raising her delicate hand. A beam of Scarlet Magic instantly blasted out, intending to teach him a lesson.
Eustass clapped his hands on the ground, and the ground was assimilated by his Devil Fruit Ability. The earth transformed into a large wave of white lines, rapidly attacking the Scarlet Witch.
Eustass wanted to tie her up and make her understand whether he held the Family's Imperial Position or the Family's Younger Brother Position.
Wanda blasted out a large amount of Scarlet Magic with her other hand, continuously striking the wave of white lines.
Scarlet energy continuously exploded, and light flashed incessantly.
The wave of white lines surged forward like snakes, destroyed by the Scarlet Magic, turning into a large amount of white fluff slowly falling.
The two figures continuously weaved through the small woods by the roadside, red and white colors constantly appearing, colliding with terrifying power.
1 Haoshoku Divine Punishment!
Eustass waved his arms, and 16 massive waves of white lines, wrapped in high-density Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, rose from the ground. The white lines rapidly attacked, and the Scarlet Witch quickly unleashed a large amount of Scarlet Magic to resist. However, the giant white lines instantly pierced through the magic and coiled towards her.
Wanda's expression changed in surprise. She quickly flew backward, while concentrating her magic and staring at Eustass's head, preparing to interfere with his thoughts.
The nano armor instantly covered Eustass's body, and the magnetic field formed by the energy layer isolated Wanda's mental interference.
Wanda kept flying back and forth above the trees, dodging attacks. At the same time, she condensed a large amount of Scarlet Magic with both hands, forming countless arrows that she shot at Eustass.
"Puff, puff, puff, puff..."
The scarlet arrows continuously fell rapidly, piercing through leaves and plants, riddling the forest like a sieve.
Eustass used Moonwalk to quickly ascend, while five threads from each hand continuously waved, deflecting a large number of scarlet arrows.
Wanda watched Eustass fly rapidly using Moonwalk, then suddenly blasted out a ball of Scarlet Magic with both hands. Eustass used Razor, transforming into a sharp arc to dodge the attack, and instantly rushed in front of Wanda.
The Scarlet Magic landed in the forest, exploding loudly, causing large trees to groan and fall, and leaving a huge crater in the ground.
Eustass arrived in front of Wanda, his hand wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, and unleashed a palm strike. Wandasneered at the annoying younger brother, condensing a large amount of Scarlet Magic in her hand and blasting it back.
"Boom—!"
Conqueror's Haki and Scarlet Magic collided, and a wave of air vibrated and spread in all directions.
Wanda suddenly lost consciousness, fainted, and began to fall.
Eustass wrapped an arm around her slender waist and descended using Moonwalk.
Conqueror's Haki can form an invisible attacking force, striking the opponent from a distance to make them faint.
Wanda was careless.
Not long after.
Inside the forest.
"I... I lost?"
Wanda slowly woke up, surprised.
"You lost, so you have to come with me to another Worldto get married."
Eustass hugged her and laughed.
A fight could peacefully resolve a Shura field incident in advance, making him incredibly happy.
Wanda sighed, ultimately failing to gain control of the family, allowing him to hold the imperial position in the family.
Her original thought was that she had become much stronger over the years, and she believed she could crush him, which was why she wanted to resolve the issue with force.
But this was also good; she could be with Eustass and wouldn't have to argue with his other women.
"Then if I get a chance, I'll go back to that World, and you have to visit often."
Wanda said, looking up at him and pecking him.
"Okay, I'll visit often, but I need Pym Particles. Do you still have any?"
Eustass looked down at Wanda, and Wanda looked at him.
The two stared at each other.
"There was an operational error once, and I used it again to come to this World. The Pym Particles are all used up..."
"Then why didn't you ask Scott for more?"
"I thought you were still single, so I didn't plan on going back..."
"Then how are you going to go back?"
"…"
Wanda shyly covered her face. Oh no, she had been stupid; it would be hard to go back.
She felt that she would have to stay in this World for several years before she had a chance to go back. Dr. Pymwas still alive, but getting Pym Particles from him would be incredibly difficult.
"Then, then I'll be a You-Know-Who, secretly following you. I'll go back when I find Pym Particles..."
Wanda whispered.
"Naughty, then I'll have to punish you properly."
Eustass said.
Wanda quickly cooperated... later.
More than an hour later.
Eustass left the small woods with Wanda.
Today's activities concluded perfectly; that fight was incredibly satisfying.
Eustass took Wanda all the way to his Base in Sokoviaand settled down.
Wanda usually wore a mask and a cape when going out, as there was another Wanda in this World, and she had to minimize her impact.
The next day.
Early in the morning.
When Eustass saw from the truck's dashcam footage that the person who overturned his Mind Stone transport vehicle was Wanda,
He made this troublesome older sister version of Wandaeat "ice cream" for a long time.
As punishment.
"Is, is it okay? Or I can just snatch it back."
Wanda looked up at him while slurping her ice cream.
"No need. Coincidentally, because of your accident, the trajectory of this World has returned to normal."
Eustass laughed, rubbing the older sister Wanda's head.
Eustass had been to another World, so Wanda didn't doubt why he knew the course of history.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Wanda quickly ran out, coughing for a while, gargling in the bathroom for a long time, then wiped her mouth and walked back.
"Next time, eat ice cream slower. You got cream all over your mouth and choked, didn't you?"
Eustass laughed.
Wanda glared at him and slapped him... "Oh, right, I have a question for you."
Wanda said, then lay in his arms.
"Tell me."
Eustass nodded, playing with her hand.
"My counterpart in this World should still be undergoing experiments in Baron Strucker's castle. Will you... go find me in advance?"
Wanda said with a Strange expression.
Eustass's expression was also a bit Strange.
He was an honest person, so of course he would go back!
Having a younger Wanda would be so much better.
But if he told the older sister Wanda that he was going to steal the younger Wanda, to snatch Vision's wife.
This... is very Strange!
Even if everyone knew that counterparts were actually different individuals, with not much relation to each other.
But it still felt very Strange to give this information to the older sister Wanda!
"No, I won't."
Eustass quickly shook his head. He planned to go find Dr.Pym first.
Once Wanda was sent away, it wouldn't matter if he wanted to find the younger Wanda.
"You thought about it, didn't you?"
Wanda asked.
Eustass pulled her into his embrace.
"It's fine, but you have to save your brother first."
Wanda said, playing with his hair.
"I would do that even if you didn't say anything."
Eustass said.
"That's great!"
Wanda said happily, and started eating ice cream again.
Eustass let out a light breath.
Wanda is so sensible~
"I heard that traveling through the multiverse can cause bad effects, but if I kill the me in this World and replace her, wouldn't there be no effect?"
Wanda pondered for a moment, then quickly looked up and spoke.
Eustass was shocked, his face full of question marks.
Why is the Wanda of this Universe so easily corrupted?
She's always bouncing back and forth on the cliff edge of corruption.
"How about this: I'll find a chance to meet her later, talk to her, and after we've agreed on things.
Then you can take her place to meet your brother when you get the chance, how does that sound?
Don't mess around. If you truly eliminate the Wanda of our World, it will only hurt your brother."
Eustass quickly advised her.
"That's true."
Wanda nodded, "But, you just want to get to know her? No other intentions?"
Eustass awkwardly turned his head. Wouldn't Wandafind it Strange if he told her he planned to flirt with another Wanda right in front of her?
"Fine, I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
Wanda laughed, "But first, you have to give me a child..."
Eustass looked at Wanda and smiled.
He was an expert at that~
Not long after.
The sound of Wanda learning a foreign language from Eustass soon echoed inside the room... A year passed in the blink of an eye.
During this year, Eustass went to Pym Technologies to look for Dr. Pym.
But the man refused to see him at all.
Eustass called Dr. Pym several times. The latter eventually answered, but as soon as Pym Particles were mentioned, Dr. Pym guarded against him as if he were a deadly menace.
After all, Dr. Pym had his Pym Particles stolen when he was young, and even had a fight with Old Howard over it, so his protection of the Pym Particles was now extremely strict.
New York.
Bleecker Street, Manhattan.
Eustass sat at 177A Bleecker Street, inside the New York Sanctum, drinking tea with the Ancient One.
The older sister version of Wanda sat quietly beside them, listening to their conversation.
Not long after she arrived in this World, the Ancient Onehad grabbed her.
Wanda's talent for magic was indeed extremely formidable, but the Ancient One brought her here not because she wanted to teach her magic.
She was merely afraid that Wanda would cause trouble and affect this World.
Since then, Wanda had been kept by the Ancient One's side. If Wanda ever tried to escape, she would be trapped in the Mirror Dimension.
Eustass and Wanda finally understood: the claim that Strange was the strongest Sorcerer Supreme was nonsense.
The Ancient One was the true strongest; after all, even her hairstyle was powerful.
Wanda easily broke out of the Mirror Dimension trap created by Strange in Doctor Strange 2.
But the Mirror Dimension created by a casual wave of the Ancient One's hand? Wanda couldn't escape at all... "Why don't you bring Strange here now to learn magic?"
Eustass sat opposite, looking curiously at the bald Ancient One.
"The time is not yet right."
The Ancient One chuckled lightly and took a sip of tea.
...
Eustass's mouth twitched. The Ancient One was truly wicked~
This wasn't about the time not being right; she clearly wanted Strange to get injured and then come begging for help, so his attitude would be better and he would be more cooperative.
A phone rang, and Eustass answered the call.
"Eustass, we found a secret HYDRA Base in Sokovia, are you coming?"
Rogers' voice sounded.
"Okay, I'll be right there."
Eustass nodded.
Over the past year, Captain Rogers had contributed greatly.
He frequently sought out Captain Rogers for fights, and Captain Rogers never refused.
Eustass had continuously farmed [Strength x 2] from the Captain, and cumulatively, his strength had reached, based on his original Base:
[Strength x 70!]
Seventy times the strength! He even felt he could single-handedly crush a Chitauri giant Troop Transport Creature.
"Well then, Sorcerer Ancient One, I'll be leaving now."
After Eustass finished speaking, he looked at the older sister version of Wanda, "Wanda wants to go see her brother, is that okay?"
"Go ahead."
The Ancient One nodded calmly and waved her hand.
Wanda was delighted, quickly stood up, grabbed Eustass's hand, and walked out... Manhattan, Stark Tower.
Stark sat at the table with his legs crossed on top of it, holding a cup and drinking water.
It had been a year since the shrapnel fragments were removed from his body and his wounds healed using the regeneration cradle.
Now he finally felt much better. He no longer had to embed a core in his chest, living in constant fear that the core would suddenly lose energy and the shrapnel would kill him.
Thor sat beside him, drinking alcohol, ignoring Maria Hill's repeated attempts to dissuade him.
"We're about to leave for the mission, drink a little less."
Hill said helplessly. After S.H.I.E.L.D. disbanded, Hillapplied to Stark Industries and got a job again.
"The more I drink, the more fun I have fighting, hahaha!"
Thor laughed loudly, tilting his head back to chug his drink.
He was very sad.
Since Malekith was defeated, he had left Asgard and tried living with Jane Foster.
But Thor often traveled around being a hero, ditching dates halfway through, and Jane was also constantly busy with her scientific career. So they frequently stood each other up, and as resentment accumulated, their recent conflicts had become slightly excessive.
As a result, Jane argued with him again today, told him to go live with his Avengers, and kicked him out of the house.
On the other side.
Banner was slumped dejectedly on the table, looking at Natasha sitting across from him.
He liked Natasha, and Natasha liked him too.
Great, it was a mutual attraction.
But unfortunately, whenever he wanted to do something, the Hulk would want to come out and join the fun.
So, Banner hadn't made any progress with Natasha in the past few years.
On the other side, Captain Rogers sighed.
Last year, when S.H.I.E.L.D. disbanded, he went to see the aging Peggy Carter, who asked him to help look after her niece, Sharon Carter.
Captain America felt pain in his heart. How was he supposed to look after her?
Was he supposed to tell Peggy that her niece had defected?
Hawkeye stood on the balcony, watching the flowing clouds in the sky, a faint smile on his lips.
He missed the naughty kids back home.
Among these people, Hawkeye was the happiest.
Soon after.
Two figures in nano armor flew in from afar and landed on the Stark Tower platform.
Eustass brought out two nano cores, one for himself and one for Wanda.
Eustass immediately deactivated his nano armor, the material rapidly retracting back into the core.
Wanda followed behind, still wearing her nano armor.
"You brought an unmanned armor suit?"
Stark laughed.
"Yes. When do we leave? Should we discuss the plan on the quinjet?"
Eustass asked the group.
"We leave now!"
Hawkeye quickly walked over, placing his longbow on his back, and said seriously.
"Sir, that is not an unmanned armor. Scans show there is..."
Jarvis quietly reminded Stark just as he put on his armor.
"Shh, it might be one of his other women, don't say anything."
Stark quickly whispered a warning to Jarvis, looking at Eustass with a knowing expression.
After all, he used to be a playboy himself.
"Stark, what are you muttering about inside that armor?"
Thor asked, confused.
"N-nothing..."
Stark quickly shook his head. He had to keep this a secret, otherwise Eustass would issue another combat challenge.
What a headache... Soon after.
The group boarded the quinjet.
Stark leaned close to Eustass and whispered:
"I'm saying you're too reckless. How can you randomly bring a normal woman to the battlefield? This will cause us trouble."
Wanda, inside the armor, turned her head and glared angrily at Stark.
Was she weak?
She didn't think so!
Wanda felt she could take on ten Iron Men by herself.
"Ahem, you'll find out later."
Eustass waved his hand, signaling him to stop talking.
He was going to Sokovia to farm rewards and, incidentally, to intercept the younger version of the Scarlet Witch.
If Stark angered the older sister Witch and she became corrupted, he felt this entire Avengers team wouldn't be enough for her to slaughter.
He treated the Superheroes as sustainable wool to shear, but Wanda didn't have a system; when she killed people, she used a real knife... Eastern Europe.
Sokovia.
The quinjet quickly flew overhead. Eustass and Wandajumped straight down, holding hands as they plummeted through the air, until flames erupted just before landing, allowing them to descend slowly.
Stark followed closely, while Natasha and the others parachuted down.
Not long after.
Stark and the others were discovered by HYDRA near the Sokovia castle upon landing, and the Avengers and HYDRA immediately engaged in battle.
On the other side.
Eustass consecutively eliminated over a dozen HYDRAagents wearing black tech gear, only to find no rewards... "I'll go see my brother first. Don't worry, I'll just sneak a peek."
After Wanda spoke, she quickly headed toward the castle, wearing her nano armor.
Eustass thought for a moment and quickly followed her.
Chapter 90: Scarlet Witch Avenge Stark! (5K Big Chapter, Please Subscribe!)
Snow covered the vast land, dark clouds gathered in the lead-grey sky, and points of red light constantly erupted in the silver-white snow forest, with bursts of blue light beams tearing through the winter tranquility.
A large number of HYDRA members drove jeeps, rushing over quickly, their machine guns continuously firing. HYDRA members on the watchtowers kept shooting energy beams with their ray guns.
As the rays fell, snow exploded, and black frozen soil kicked up dust.
Wanda, wearing her nano armor, swiftly moved through the battlefield, waving her hand lightly, interfering with the brains of a large number of HYDRA soldiers on site. They all ignored Wanda's figure, letting her fly past in her armor.
Eustass, also in nano armor, arrived shortly after. Numerous Nanowire extended from the armor's arms, flying out and streaking across the sky, piercing towards the HYDRA members.
The Nanowire pierced their panels, then destroyed their bodies.
Many HYDRA members screamed and fell to the ground, wailing for a while before losing their lives.
Just as Eustass was about to catch up with Wanda, a cannonball rapidly tore through the air.
Perceiving the cannonball's trajectory with his Observation Haki, Eustass quickly retreated.
The cannonball instantly whizzed past him, exploding in the distance with a deafening roar.
Eustass turned his head, raised his arm, and aimed at several tanks in the distance.
One traditional tank, two light-beam tanks.
The armor's light screen in front of Eustass instantly marked these three tanks. He immediately fired two palm cannons, then another from his side.
Three deafening explosions roared, and Eustass instantly took flight, rushing towards the Castle.
Wanda hovered in front of the Castle, looking down at it. Her memory was a bit hazy; she had forgotten where the core of the Castle's energy barrier was hidden.
Looking at the Castle before her, Wanda was filled with emotion.
When she was young, she and her brother, in their quest for revenge, actually believed HYDRA's lies. Later, they made foolish mistakes again and again, even believing Ultron's lies, committing so many errors.
Eustass flew over, glancing at Wanda.
"Let the past be the past."
Eustass said softly.
"But I've returned to the past."
Wanda said in a deep voice, "Everyone understands the reason, but if you could return to the so-called 'past', who wouldn't want to do something?"
Eustass nodded, saying no more.
Eustass's Observation Haki spread out, perceiving everything around him.
He sensed the aura of all things: the trees and snowflakes on the battlefield, the running HYDRA Agents, and the tens of tons of heavy tanks firing shells.
The Avengers fought fiercely while advancing.
Stark, flying like an idiot, bumped his head against the Castle's energy barrier and cursed.
And the barrier's energy core located in an Underground Room beneath the Castle.
Eustass quickly circled the Castle and flew into the distance, raising his hand to aim at the ground below, directly launching a miniature missile.
"Whoosh!"
The miniature missile swiftly cut through the sky and penetrated the ground. With a muffled explosion, the energy barrier core was destroyed.
The energy barrier of HYDRA's Sokovia Castle Base lost its function, the blue energy barrier revealing its true form and rapidly fading.
Eustass entered the Castle. Wanda was about to follow but hesitated, looking back down.
In the snowy ground, a flurry of snowflakes scattered to both sides as a figure instantly streaked past, too fast to be seen clearly.
Wanda continuously searched the snow forest for her brother Quicksilver, also known as Pietro Maximoff.
She searched everywhere, but she simply couldn't keep up with her brother's speed, and even the armor's scanner couldn't provide her with Quicksilver's location in time.
Quicksilver's position was constantly changing. Even if the wisdom system could detect and keep up with his speed, a normal human's neural reaction speed simply couldn't process the rate of Quicksilver's position changes... Inside the Castle.
Eustass noticed Wanda hadn't come in, but the Wanda of this timeline's aura was inside, so he went to flirt with the young Witch.
Having just entered a room, Eustass looked in surprise at the HYDRA Agents lying all over the floor, then looked up at the armor hovering outside the window.
Stark was still in the posture of firing a miniature missile, smiling at the scattered'snakes' on the ground:
"Nice talk~"
"What's so nice about it...?"
A HYDRA Agent, hugging his legs, wailed in pain on the ground, gritting his teeth and shouting in a low voice.
Eustass smiled, walked through the room, and continued towards the direction of the Young Wanda.
Stark watched Eustass leave. He stepped out of his nano armor, which remained in place on alert.
"Aren't you going to search around here? There might be a surprise."
"No, there's nothing surprising for me here."
Eustass said, then disappeared into the passage.
Stark shrugged helplessly, ordered the armor to scan the entire area, found a secret passage, and walked in... Castle, second floor.
Captain Rogers walked in from the doorway of the left corner on the second floor, striking down a HYDRA Agentdirectly. Just then, Baron Strucker, with a crew cut, wearing a monocle and a black jacket, quickly ran up the stairs.
Colliding head-on with Captain Rogers was quite a shock.
Baron Strucker quickly slammed on the brakes, leaning back, staring warily at Rogers.
"Baron Strucker..."
Rogers glared angrily at the other party, walking around Strucker with his shield, "HYDRA's number one villain!"
"Strictly speaking, I'm S.H.I.E.L.D.'s villain!"
Strucker slightly tilted his head, looking at the Captainmockingly. The two looked at each other, circling, full of tension.
"Strictly speaking, you're unemployed!"
Captain Rogers said coldly, "Where is Loki's Scepter? And the Tesseract, hand them over!"
Rogers looked at Baron Strucker, his heart filled with anger.
Initially, the Mind Stone and Tesseract, escorted by the S.H.I.E.L.D. strike team, were stolen, and they targeted Joker.
However, the Mind Stone unexpectedly fell into Baron Strucker's hands. After Rogers experienced the S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA Insight Project incidents, he strongly suspected that HYDRA was behind it.
After all, who would be more suitable to rob S.H.I.E.L.D.and know S.H.I.E.L.D. best than their former 'insiders'?
Therefore, Rogers even suspected that the Tesseract was also in HYDRA's hands.
What a perfect scapegoat!
"Don't worry, I know that after I fail, you will definitely say I was very cooperative, and I hope so.
However, I want to tell you that we really only have the Mind Stone, and no Tesseract. We will surrender and hand over the scepter, but we don't have the Tesseract, no matter what you say.
I hope for a pleasant cooperation."
Strucker said with a smile, an old HYDRA member.
When Rogers defeated Red Skull, most of the HYDRAscientists surrendered and joined S.H.I.E.L.D. in this manner, then infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and turned it into Hydra-S.H.I.E.L.D.
Now Baron Strucker was going to carry on the glorious tradition of his predecessors.
If you can't beat them, join them, blend in with them, become them, infect them, and then, Hail Hydra.
"You think I'll believe you?"
Rogers said angrily, his fists cracking.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
He had sacrificed himself back then for peace and tranquility in the World.
But those idiots actually brought in so many HYDRAscientists, turning S.H.I.E.L.D. into HYDRA-S.H.I.E.L.D., giving them an opening.
Had Captain America sacrificed himself for nothing?
Behind the door.
Young Wanda slowly emerged silently from the dark corner, faint Scarlet Magic swirling around her hands, her eyes filled with hatred as she stared at Captain AmericaRogers.
To this day, she and her brother still remembered the missile that landed in their home without exploding.
It was marked Stark Industries... Suddenly, Wanda heard Baron Strucker's voice and froze.
Strucker was going to betray them?
The leader was going to betray them?
This great leader, who had once sworn to change Sokovia, to make America pay, and to make the Avengerspay, was going to betray them?
Just a moment ago, he was saying he would never surrender. How shameless!
Young Wanda's heart surged with anger. She instantly rushed out, her hands brimming with Scarlet Magic. One hand slammed at Baron Strucker from a distance, and the other at Captain America Rogers.
Two powerful blasts of Scarlet Magic struck, sending Baron Strucker flying, crashing through the window glass, and falling towards the ground below the Castle.
Rogers was blasted sideways by the Scarlet Magic, tumbling down the stairs.
Young Wanda quickly went to the window, looking at Baron Strucker below, who was suffering from broken bones and wailing in pain on the walkway. Scarlet Magicswirled around her hands as she flew downwards. The Scarlet Magic wrapped around Baron Strucker's body, then she gave a mighty flick.
Baron Strucker screamed as he flew into the air, then traced an arc, flying towards the entrance of a distant bunker.
The bunker was still continuously firing energy beams. In the next instant, a blue beam flew out, directly splitting Baron Strucker's body in two.
Young Wanda smiled slightly, pursing her lips. Baron Strucker had deceived them, so she would make him feel the price of betrayal.
Captain Rogers quickly grabbed the shield that was rolling downwards, then rapidly ran upward, simultaneously throwing the shield forcefully at the figure.
Young Wanda quickly retreated. Scarlet Magic coiled around the large iron door, and the door instantly slammed shut.
The shield flew quickly, hitting the wall and getting stuck in it... outside the iron door.
Young Wanda quickly retreated. Her heart was filled with intense anger, as well as confusion about the future of Sokovia.
Pain, anger, confusion, hatred, hopeful anticipation, and many other complex emotions coiled in her heart, causing her immense distress.
Just as she turned around, she saw a figure in nano armorstanding behind her, looking down at her.
Young Wanda quickly waved a mass of Scarlet Magictoward him. Eustass casually swiped it away. With Armament Haki coating his body, he directly batted the magic away.
Still too young!
The strength of the youthful version of Wanda simply could not compare to that of Sister Wanda many years later.
Before Young Wanda could act, Eustass grabbed her wrist with one hand, pressing her into the corner.
Scarlet Magic coiled around Wanda's hands, yet she was completely unable to break free from Eustass's iron grip, which was wrapped in Armament Haki.
"Do you want to save Sokovia? I can help you."
After Eustass said this, he turned and walked away.
Wanda stared blankly at him. She recognized his voice.
It was Eustass!
She had seen his figure and heard his voice on television.
Relatively speaking, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilverhated people like Stark.
But they liked and admired people like Eustass.
Many years ago, before Stark Industries closed its Weapons Manufacturing Division, Sokovia had suffered numerous missile attacks produced by Stark Industries.
In recent years, when Eustass and Helen Cho promoted the regeneration cradle at Mora Group, they repeatedly invited disabled people from the Sokovlya War Zone for product demonstrations, healing several individuals who had been disabled by the war.
Furthermore, they later offered discounted treatment policies multiple times for people disabled by war around the World.
Even now, the people of Sokovia view Stark Industriesonly as weapons-manufacturing demons.
As for the Mora Group, their impression is only that "they are a benevolent medical company."
Young Wanda watched the corridor where he disappeared and quickly chased after him.
If it was Eustass, she was willing to believe him.
Castle Underground Room.
"Baron Strucker is dead!"
Stark walked into the Underground Room, and the Captain's voice came through his headset.
"It doesn't matter, Captain. I have a bigger find."
Stark looked around. On the platform lay the dismantled chassis of an advanced robot, and hanging above was the framework of a massive Chitauri Troop Transport Creature.
HYDRA was not only studying the Mind Stone; they were also researching something even more extraordinary.
And standing upright among the many tables was the Mind Stone.
Stark quickly walked over, crossing the gloomy Underground Room toward the Mind Stone.
Wanda from another World slowly approached, having set her nano armor aside.
'Since my appearance will cause accidents, why not just change history back for him?'
Wanda smiled, standing far away and giving a gentle wave. Scarlet Magic began interfering with Stark's brain, causing him to hallucinate. Various terrifying illusions and pressures appeared one after another.
Stark stood frozen, looking at the scene before him, utterly shaken.
The scene was a mess. On the Space Battlefield, massive piles of Chitauri soldier corpses were stacked like mountains.
On top of those small mountains, numerous Nanowirewere snapped and scattered everywhere.
Stark, under mental interference, failed to notice anything unusual about the scene suddenly changing to a Space Battlefield.
Thor Odinson, the Thunder God, lay on the ground wearing armor, his golden long hair swaying weakly in the wind. Thor was covered in blood, and mjolnir was full of cracks.
Below the stone steps where Thor lay were two halves of Captain America's cracked shield. The shield still bore the marks of the Cleaver's strike. Captain Rogers lay there, his eyes tightly closed.
Natasha, Barton, Hulk, and the others all lay there, their bodies covered in wounds.
"Eustass" knelt halfway atop the mountain of bodies, holding a Magical Longsword, desperately propping up his body while staring angrily at Stark:
"You were always doubting us, everyone fought among themselves, Thanos succeeded in destroying Earth. Where were you?"
Stark was so frightened that he backed away repeatedly. Just as he retreated two steps, his hand was grabbed by Rogers, who had suddenly come back to life:
"You... could have... saved... us. Why... didn't you give it your all!"
Stark was terrified. He looked down at the Captain, whose eyes were wide open in death, then looked up at Eustass, who was frowning, glaring, and furious.
Countless Troop Transport Creatures flew toward the Earth behind the portal. Looking back, an enormous Dark Battleship spanned the starry sky. A figure wearing a Golden Helmet and holding the Cleaver stood on the bow, looking down upon him with contempt before shifting his gaze away.
It was like a giant crushing an ant, filled with disdain.
Sister Wanda watched Stark with malicious amusement. She had done two things: one was to help her husband eliminate hidden dangers by filling Stark's heart with guilt toward Eustass.
This way, even if Stark later discovered Eustass's secrets, Stark would only assume that Eustass had an unspeakable difficulty, or that he was indirectly whipping the Avengers into accelerating their growth to cope with future crises.
After all, both Eustass and Sister Wanda understood that secrets would eventually be discovered.
The other thing was that she still found Stark irritating.
If Stark hadn't obstructed her back then, she could have crossed over to find her husband right after Eustass left.
Why would she have needed to wait so long?
While putting history back on track, she might as well disgust Stark a little.
The Scarlet Witch from the Doctor Strange 2 Timelinewas far more ruthless than her younger self.
Never mind messing with Superheroes; she would even dare to slaughter a team of Superheroes for love or kinship.
"No, no, no, this can't happen!"
Stark quickly scrambled toward the mountain of bodies, but instead crashed into the table holding the Mind Stone, looking up blankly at the scepter.
"Are we just going to let him take it?"
Quicksilver suddenly appeared beside his younger sister and asked confusedly.
"Brother..."
Wanda from the other Universe looked at Pietro in surprise, tears welling up in her eyes.
"What is it?"
Quicksilver looked at his younger sister suspiciously. "Wait, when did you change your clothes?"
Quicksilver was a little astonished. How could his younger sister change clothes so quickly?
"Also, why do you look..."
Quicksilver looked at his younger sister curiously, "...more haggard?"
Over a few years, Wanda had naturally become more mature and attractive, but in her brother's eyes, her appearance had changed slightly. Her complexion wasn't as good as before; she had lost much of her youthful innocence and gained a haggard look from experiencing many things.
In fact, Wanda was more beautiful, but only a close older brother could notice the subtle details of her added weariness.
"N-no, nothing. I'm just worried about the future of Sokovia..."
Wanda quickly found an excuse to respond, speaking softly, afraid of being found out.
"Don't worry. We're strong. Sokovia will get better."
Quicksilver smiled reassuringly at his younger sister, feeling a pang of heartache for her.
"I—I have something to do. You watch him take the item first. The plan can only proceed as scheduled if he takes the scepter."
After Wanda said this, she quickly turned and fled.
She dared not stay any longer, afraid her brother would discover the truth.
'The look in Wanda's eyes changed...'
Quicksilver stood rooted, looking suspiciously at his younger sister's retreating back, even doubting if that was really his sister.
If his sister had seen Stark taking the Mind Stone just now, her eyes should have been filled with joy for the hope arriving in Sokovia, and the pleasure of their plan succeeding and their revenge being realized... but this sister's gaze was very Strange... Castle.
In the corridor.
Eustass looked at Young Wanda in front of him, pondering how to help her, and how to distinguish between the two Wandas in the future... perhaps they could be differentiated by Universe Number.
In *Doctor Strange 2*, when Doctor Strange and the Female Protagonist traveled through the Multiverse to escape the Scarlet Witch's pursuit, they went to a Universe where Doctor Strange was already dead.
In that Universe, another Doctor Strange's ex-girlfriend told Strange that the Universe Number was 838, while Strange's Universe Number was 616...
Chapter 91 – Designations 616 & 199999! Mjölnir Cracked! (5k words, please subscribe!)
Universe-616… isn't that the main comic Universe?
Eustass had never read the comics, but he'd still heard how Marvel numbers its Worlds.
Yet if Marvel insisted on doing it this way, he could only treat this continuity as a freshly rebooted Universe.
In Doctor Strange 2, the Earth-838 Strange's ex-girlfriend had said their Universe was designated 616.
And in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Mysterio had also stressed that the Universe was 616.
Eustass figured his side must be the movie-verse, 199999.
Young Wanda was 199999 Wanda; big-sister Wandawas 616 Wanda.
That was the distinction.
The young 199999 Wanda still had questions to ask when footsteps echoed from the corner. She jerked her head round, a familiar yet uncertain feeling rising inside her.
"I—I've got to go!"
She spun and ran, heart racing, panic-stricken.
The nano-armoured 616 Wanda strode in, scanning the room; the air still carried the faint residue of Scarlet Magic.
"Saw her?"
Wanda looked up, smiling at Eustass.
"Yeah. Feels… amazing."
Eustass answered with a grin.
Young Olsen was stunning—radiant with youthful energy.
Like a lychee just peeled.
"Weird kink…"
Wanda chuckled and poked him.
Eustass already had the mature Scarlet Witch at his side,
yet still wanted a little-sister Witch.
Wanda was speechless.
The man was too wicked.
Not long after,
in a forest clearing outside the castle,
gusts of snow whirled as a quinjet blasted into the sky.
Hawkeye lay nearby on an IV; earlier, Wanda's brother had flung him down and an energy beam had clipped him.
Captain Rogers and Black Widow Natasha hurried over to check on him.
Thor sat bored in a corner; he saw through the act but kept quiet—
not from fear of Eustass's fists, but to help a friend!
Banner dozed in a chair, head lolling.
Before the others boarded, he and Eustass had arrived first.
Eustass wrapped Conqueror's Haki round his fist and decked him.
Banner yelled "awesome" and wanted to leave five stars.
Eustass's Haki punch worked better than any lullaby—Banner always slept like a baby.
Inside the cabin Eustass wolfed down the prepared food, eyeing Stark, who sat opposite looking guilty.
Odd—whatever drug Stark was on today, he'd quit ogling beauties and started staring at him instead.
Wanda-616, in nano armour, stood by the window watching her homeland recede.
Sometimes she missed home; other times, darker ideas surfaced—
like killing 199999 Wanda, taking her place, and living here forever.
With a brother, with a husband—how nice… Soon,
the quinjet returned to Stark Tower and settled on the landing pad.
Eustass and Wanda disembarked; a beauty in a white lab-coat ran up and threw herself into his arms.
Wanda glanced at Eustass, then flew off in her nano suit.
She could tolerate his flaws, but not watch another woman flaunt them in front of her.
"Don't wander off."
Eustass texted Wanda.
"Got it."
She replied and vanished into the distance.
"You said your friend was badly hurt, so I brought the regeneration cradle."
Helen Cho smiled up at Eustass.
"Perfect timing—I missed you too."
Eustass grinned and pecked her.
"Spare us; you two see each other daily. Quit the PDA,"
Natasha muttered, walking past.
She and Banner were stalled at zero, yet others flaunted their love—unbearable.
"So how good is this cradle?"
Clint asked from his gurney as medics wheeled him by.
"Relax—the nano-molecules will virtual-link your cells; you'll be healed in about twenty minutes."
Helen smiled, gazed up at Eustass, ignored Clint, and kissed Eustass again.
"We should think about kids—tonight when we're home…"
Helen whispered while Eustass carried her.
Barton was pushed into the lab; the regeneration cradlefollowed.
"Heartbeat flatlining—note it~"
Stark joked, handing Eustass a bottle of soda.
Eustass took it, set it aside, and kept flirting with Helen.
"No way—I'm immortal now; I'll become Plastic Man."
Clint laughed at himself.
Several Korean Nurses manned the console, treating Barton with the cradle.
"You won't change a bit; even your girlfriend won't notice."
Helen, curled in Eustass's arms, teased.
"Pity I don't have a girlfriend."
Clint sipped the soda Stark had given him.
"But you might have a wife~"
Eustass quipped, and everyone laughed; Barton stared, surprised.
"Don't look at me like that—every Agent hides their family. Plus, your face gave you away."
Eustass drank his soda.
"By the way, Stark, your nano-tech licence expires soon—time to renew."
Helen reminded him.
"Oh, damn patents…"
Stark groaned, giving an OK sign as he headed out.
"Oh, right—Eustass, I need to discuss something with you and Dr. Banner."
Stark called; Banner hurried after him.
"Go on."
Helen patted her husband.
"I'll be right back."
Eustass kissed her, let go, and followed Stark to another lab.
"I've got something to show you guys."
Stark walked ahead, flicked his wrist, and an orange data model appeared in the lab.
"Jarvis?"
Eustass asked.
"Good afternoon, sir."
The orange data model pulsed gently, replying to Eustassin Jarvis's voice.
"At first, Jarvis was just a natural-language user interface; now he commands the Iron Legion. Aside from Pepper, he handles more tasks than anyone—he's the real pro."
Stark said, looking at Eustass and Banner.
He'd invited Eustass because, over the years, with his help, Eustass had become only a hair behind him in wisdom system design.
The wisdom system running the Mora Group's Nano Legion had been written by Eustass himself.
He was about to attempt something extraordinary, and every trustworthy pair of hands counted.
Stark scanned the Mind Stone, then projected a large blue data model beside Jarvis.
The blue model pulsed; its inner structure, intricate as neurons firing, resembled human thought.
"Stark, I see what you're up to—nice idea."
Eustass remarked.
"Mm-hmm, exactly. Looks like you've both guessed it: beyond this World lurk far deadlier civilizations. I need to armor this beautiful Planet. I need…"
Stark gazed at the blue model. "I need Ultron."
"Best of luck, but I'm a bit busy, so count me out. Just make sure Ultron calls me god-daddy, yeah?"
With that, Eustass turned and left.
"This is important, man!"
Stark shouted after him.
"Nothing's more important than my wife. Later."
Eustass waved without looking back.
"We need him—don't you get that?"
Stark yelled, trembling as the imagined scene replayed in his mind and the memory of looking skyward during the Battle of New York returned.
Even then he'd sensed far stronger civilizations beyond Earth—this Planet was fragile!
"You should see a shrink, Stark—your anxiety's acting up again."
Eustass finished and walked off for good.
Stark stood there, hands shaking slightly.
Years earlier, during the Extremis incident, that same anxiety had plagued him.
Saturday.
Afternoon.
Stark stared at the mess on the screen, feeling something was missing.
"I'll continue handling the interfaces. Mr. Eustass is here; perhaps you could speak with him."
Jarvis suggested.
"What's a teacher got to chat about with his student—ridiculous."
Stark grumbled, still sore over the refusal.
"He fights rather well."
Jarvis replied.
"Uh… let's not go there…"
Stark waved awkwardly, sipped water to calm himself, and stared at the failed code.
He set the cup aside and headed straight to the party.
The moment Stark left for the party, the progress bar on-screen jumped to 100%.
[Ultron program fusion: successful!]
...Twilight fell; neon lights blazed.
In the Stark Tower lounge, upbeat BGM played as guests moved to the rhythm, glasses in hand, chatting and enjoying themselves.
"Know what? The suit adds weight, right?"
Colonel Rhodes approached, ready to crack a joke.
Eustass and Thor exchanged glances and took calming sips.
"So I used a tank, flew straight to the general's palace, and landed right in front of him."
"Like—Duang~—you looking for this?"
Rhodes finished, grinning at Stark, Thor, and Eustass, clearly expecting laughs.
Their laughter would make him feel great.
Eustass returned his empty glass to a waiter, grabbed a fresh drink, and threw an arm around Thor.
"Honestly, pal, only Asgard's thousand-year brew packs real punch."
"You said it—haha!"
Thor ordered another round; they clinked glasses.
Rhodes: "…"
Stark's eyes followed every passing beauty.
He nudged Eustass and whispered about them.
Though devoted to Pepper, Stark still enjoyed the view.
"S~"
Eustass said.
"S?"
Stark asked.
"S~"
Eustass nodded.
"Letter S… oh~"
Rhodes caught on as their gaze landed on a invited model.
He'd broken into their encrypted channel.
"Oh, right—where was I?"
Stark turned back to ask.
"Duang—your dinner's here."
The chef arrived with a huge platter, set it on the table, and told Eustass.
"Thanks—Duang, your tip."
Eustass slipped the chef some cash, grinning.
"Duang—gone! Haha."
The chef happily dashed off.
Eustass sat down to eat.
"Haha, that meme's gonna go viral."
Stark laughed beside him.
"Fine, tough crowd."
Rhodes smiled awkwardly. "So, Pepper didn't come?"
"Nope."
Stark sighed.
"And Jane, Helen? Where are all the ladies?"
Hill walked up, puzzled.
"Miss Potts has a company to run; under her, it's become one of Earth's largest economic blocs."
Stark said proudly.
"I've lost track of which country Jane's in—her work on the Convergence made her a top astrophysicist."
Thor beamed.
"All of them end up working for my wife, Helen Cho."
Eustass laughed; Helen was now negotiating nanotech-license renewals with Pepper.
The two wife-boasters suddenly felt outdone.
But Eustass wasn't wrong—Helen had invented nanotech first, even the nano armor.
For Stark to use nanotech or nano armor, he pays the couple astronomical patent fees.
Jane Foster, on Eustass's recommendation, is currently working for the Mora Group, which is funding her research.
Hill turned away helplessly, ready to leave.
These three wife-boasters... "Jane's better—she's even up for some Nobel Prize, I hear."
Thor said hurriedly.
"No, Pepper's better—running Stark Industries isn't easy."
Stark chimed in at once.
Hill made up an excuse and left; she couldn't stand these show-offs any longer.
"Our Helen is the best in my heart."
Eustass stood up and walked off.
"Hey, you—"
Stark was about to call after him, then glanced at the table—where had all the food gone?
This glutton!
"What about Sif, then?"
Thor asked quickly.
"Thor, tomorrow we settle this—don't stand me up."
Eustass grinned; Thor was speechless.
"Sif is, of course, my best wife in Asgard."
Eustass said with a laugh.
"You sly dog."
Stark muttered.
He'd seen shameless, but not this shameless.
One for all Asgard.
One for all Earth.
Different places, no chance of the wives meeting.
Eustass passed a small crowd where Colonel Rhodesstood at the center, eyeing the ladies while recycling his lame jokes.
The beauties politely laughed along.
"Shame you never tried stand-up."
Eustass chuckled.
"Heh, still funny, right?"
Colonel Rhodes smiled.
Then he watched Eustass walk away and glanced back at the girls.
Every gaze had shifted from him to Eustass's retreating back—who doesn't love a tall, rich, rugged hunk?
Who doesn't love a tall, rich, rugged hunk?
Thor moved off to pour drinks for the old-timers, but only a trickle each.
Eustass took the special vessel from Thor—an Asgardian enchanted container that could hold oceans of millennium-old brew.
"I'd like a taste of that..."
the elders said, greedy.
"No, no, impossible—this Thousand-Year Vintage was casked in wood from the wreck of the Glenhail Fleet, not for mortals."
Thor waved hurriedly, clinking glasses with Rogers.
Rogers stared at his cup, then at Thor—after all these years, he might finally get drunk; about time.
"Then how come he can chug straight from the bottle?"
Across the way, a hat-wearing old man who looked like a Stan Lee cameo asked.
Everyone looked: Eustass, belly round, let out a burp.
Honestly, he was revising his opinion of these Asgardian louts—at least their enchanted kegs held a satisfying amount.
At least the magic-expanded volume was satisfying.
"So—got any more?"
Eustass asked eagerly.
"None left..."
Thor sighed, cup in hand; he knew no warrior of Asgardcould out-drink the man.
The Stan-lookalike shuffled over, swiped Thor's cup, sipped, then downed it.
Thud!
The old man hit the floor; bodyguards rushed to carry him out.
"Bit too much, heh-heh~"
Eustass watched the Stan clone being helped away, drink in hand, then spotted Banner chatting with Natashabehind the bar.
He glanced at Rogers drinking nearby.
Rogers finished the last of the Millennium Brew and peered into the empty cup—still sober.
He headed to the bar for a refill.
Eustass looked away—he remembered during The Winter Soldier, Steve and Natasha had kissed; how did Bannerend up with her? Tragic.
The Captain went to advise Banner, but as he turned to leave, Banner blinked:
"What do you mean, 'I know how you feel'?"
...A little later.
Eustass, Stark, Thor and the rest gathered to drink and chat; Thor began telling the tale of Mjolnir.
"You're lying, absolutely lying!"
"No, no, I swear it's true."
Thor laughed.
"Ah, whosoever be worthy shall wield this power~"
Hawkeye bellowed in mock solemnity, then switched tone: "Anyway, it's still a scam."
"Why don't you all give it a try?"
Thor pointed toward mjolnir.
Eustass lolled on the sofa, eating watermelon—time for the classic show, popcorn ready~
Hawkeye hurried over and tugged at mjolnir—no budge.
Stark tried next; nothing. He slipped on an armored glove—still nothing.
Stark and Colonel Rhodes teamed up in armored gloves—utterly useless.
Banner made a silly face, Natasha laughed, and he stepped down.
Up came the Captain; mjolnir shifted a fraction—Thor's face went green.
"Can't do it~"
The Captain waved and walked off; Thor smiled—high-EQ Rogers had spared his pride.
A wiggle meant he could lift it.
He just didn't want to wreck the friendship.
"Your turn, pal."
Stark slapped Eustass's shoulder.
"I definitely can't."
Eustass laughed, but the group pushed him forward.
The melon-eater had become the melon— "Fine, then..."
He wrapped Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki round his hands, channeling every shred of Haki into his arms.
Veins bulging, he seized mjolnir's handle.
Thor jumped—then relaxed when the hammer didn't stir.
Crack!
The floor began to fracture.
After a moment mjolnir shifted a hair; Eustass let go at once.
Faint cracks showed on the hammer, barely visible.
Thor's face went green again.
Eustass hadn't budged it through worthiness—his raw strength multiplier was so high he'd nearly crushed mjolnir...