Chapter 46 Reversing the Battle
Arthur flashed, and when he reappeared, he was already standing next to the massive Portal device on the top floor of Stark Tower that was spewing out alien soldiers.
The wind was strong, making his coat flap loudly.
Below him, all of Manhattan was in chaos; the sounds of explosions, gunfire, and the flashy sound of Tony's repulsor blasts were all mixed together. But he didn't look down, his eyes fixed ahead.
Loki stood by the console of the Portal device, clutching the scepter that was glowing with yellow light, surrounded by seven or eight Chitauri soldiers holding energy guns.
Seeing Arthur appear, Loki was surprised at first, then quickly put on his signature, impossibly fake smile.
"Another warrior of Earth?" Loki's voice carried that condescending tone. "Here to witness the end of your world, or... to beg for mercy at my feet?"
Arthur picked his ear, as if he hadn't heard clearly: "What was that? It's windy, say it again? Was it 'beg for mercy at my feet' or 'beg me to give you a discount'?"
Loki's smile stiffened for a moment.
He waved the scepter, and the surrounding Chitaurisoldiers immediately raised their guns, blue light flickering at the muzzles.
But Arthur was faster.
Much faster.
The soldiers only felt a blur before their eyes, and their guns were gone. Looking down, they saw the barrels twisted into knots by who knows who, and they were emitting black smoke.
Then they flew up, as if hit by an invisible truck one by one, screaming as they fell off the edge of the roof—though they didn't fall, caught by several clusters of golden magicenergy that suddenly appeared, tied up like dumplings, and dangling in mid-air.
The whole process took less than a second.
Arthur dusted off his hands and looked at Loki: "Your security guards are incompetent. Slow reactions, bad equipment, terrible attitude. Your Highness Loki, you're not a very qualified employer; didn't you do a background check when hiring?"
Loki's fake smile vanished completely.
He stared at Arthur, his eyes cold: "What exactly are you?"
"Like I said just now, dimension security, part-time neighborhood property management." Arthur took a step forward. "Dealing with owners like you who build illegal structures and bring a group of social idlers to disturb the peace. Please turn off that 'big light bulb'; the noise pollution is too severe, and the neighbors downstairs are complaining."
He pointed at the Portal that was constantly spewing out alien soldiers.
Loki sneered and pointed the scepter at Arthur: "Close it? This is the dawn of a new era! I will be crowned king upon your ruins! And you, are just a..."
"Stop, stop." Arthur raised his hand to interrupt him. "I heard that chuunibyou script of yours eight hundred years ago. King this, king that—does your brother know you're running illegal fundraising and a pyramid scheme for aliens on Earth? When Odin wakes up and sees the bill, good heavens, the Earth repair costs will all be charged to Asgard; see if he doesn't whip you."
"You!" Loki was so angry that even his scepter was shaking.
"You what?" Arthur took another step forward, almost pressing against Loki. "Hurry up, are you closing it or not? If not, I'll do it myself; don't cry if I break it."
A green light flashed in Loki's eyes.
Instantly, dozens of Loki's illusions appeared around Arthur, all holding the scepter and letting out mocking laughter.
"Foolish mortal, you can't even tell which one is the real me!"
Arthur didn't even look at those illusions; he just raised his hand and flicked his finger at a point in the air to his front-left.
Pop.
A soft sound rang out.
All the illusions vanished instantly.
The real Loki stumbled back two steps, clutching his forehead, with a look on his face like he'd seen a ghost.
"You... how could you see through my illusion magic?!"
"Your illusions were okay when my wife had just started learning magic." Arthur laughed. "Now? They're on the same level as web pop-up ads; they're annoying but have no other use. Anything else? No? Then I'm going to pull the master switch."
Loki was completely furious.
He stopped talking, and the tip of the scepter glowed brightly with yellow light as a thick energy beam blasted towards Arthur!
Arthur didn't dodge.
He raised his right hand, spread his fingers, and faced the energy beam.
The beam hit his palm, emitting a harsh buzzing sound as energy splashed wildly, melting the ground around him, but he didn't even sway.
"Is that it?" Arthur clenched his fist, and the energy beam was snuffed out like a cigarette butt, with a 'pfft' sound, and it was gone.
He looked at his palm; there wasn't even a red Mark.
"This scepter of yours... is it a modified power bank? The battery is a bit low, brother."
Loki was completely dumbfounded.
His famous illusions were seen through at a glance. His energy attack was caught barehanded.
Is this a mortal?
Just then, a screech came from the Portal, and three Leviathan beasts, along with more Chitauri soldiers, rushed out. They circled in the air and then dived straight toward Arthur on the roof!
Clearly, Loki had secretly given the order just now.
"That's more like it." Arthur looked up at the three metal beasts that blocked out the sky. Instead of being afraid, he was a bit excited. "Gang fights are the basic etiquette for villains; solo fights are so boring."
Red light flickered slightly in his eyes.
Then, two red beams, hot enough to distort the air, shot straight out from his eyes!
Heat Vision!
The rays swept across the sky like a hot knife cutting through butter.
The first Leviathan's head was sliced straight off, and its huge body fell while smoking.
The second was swept across the waist by the rays and broken into two pieces.
The third tried to run but was caught by the rays and split in half from the middle.
The whole process took three seconds.
The sky was clean.
The Chitauri soldiers who followed them down didn't even know what had happened before they were hit by the falling wreckage of the beasts, or caught in the aftermath of the Heat Vision, falling down like dumplings.
Arthur blinked, and the red light in his eyes extinguished.
He turned to look at Loki and found that this Asgardian prince's face was already as white as paper, and his hand holding the scepter was shaking.
"You... are you a Kryptonian?!" Loki's voice had changed pitch.
"Oh, your knowledge is quite extensive; you even know about Kryptonian?" Arthur was a bit surprised. "But you guessed wrong; I'm a resident of Earth, a proper local. Alright, the audience is cleared, time for business."
He stopped paying attention to Loki and walked to the device containing the Tesseract, which was emitting a deep blue light.
At the core of the device, the Tesseract was fluctuating violently, and the energy output was extremely unstable.
Arthur used his Super Vision combined with magicperception to quickly scan the device's structure and energy flow.
"Tsk, troublesome." He frowned.
"Found it?" Loki was behind him, and although he was still afraid, he couldn't help but add a bit of sarcasm. "The Tesseract's energy is completely anchored to the space door; force-closing it will only trigger an energy backlash, blowing this building, along with half the city, into the sky!"
"So you just gave up, thinking 'If I can't have it, no one else can'?" Arthur didn't even turn his head. "Your mindset is too small, brother."
He reached out his hand, and golden magic energy flowed from his fingertips like living threads, gently wrapping around the Tesseract device and beginning to infiltrate the violent energy flow.
"What are you doing?!" Loki was suspicious and uneasy.
"Adding a 'pressure relief valve' to your broken water pipe." Arthur said while operating. "If you close the tap directly, the pipe will burst. You have to lower the water pressure first, slow down the flow, and then close it; then it will be fine."
His magic threads precisely found several key unstable nodes in the energy flow and began to fine-tune, guide, and divert them.
This was an extremely delicate job that required extraordinary perception and control over energy.
Far away, on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Wanda suddenly raised her head and looked towards the direction of Stark Tower.
She was maintaining the magic barrier, but a tiny, extremely faint thread of dark red Chaos Magic separated and connected to her husband.
She "saw" those violent space energies and also "felt" the precise operation Arthur was performing.
"He needs to stabilize the surrounding space structure..." Wanda instantly understood her husband's intention.
She took a deep breath, split off a portion of her focus, and controlled the Chaos Magic, no longer just defending, but beginning to gently "smooth out" the space ripples in the area around the top of Stark Tower.
It was like gently ironing a wrinkled piece of paper.
Her magic silently merged into Arthur's magic; the two forces worked together, and the violently fluctuating Tesseract energy began to calm down at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Arthur felt Wanda's support, and the corners of his mouth curved up slightly.
"Done."
He gave a low shout, and his hands slammed together!
Hum—
The Tesseract device let out a low groan, the deep blue light at its core suddenly contracted, and then extinguished completely.
In the sky, that huge, constantly rotating Portal vortex, like a projector that had lost power, flickered a few times, collapsed inward violently, and finally went 'pfft' and disappeared without a trace.
The Chitauri soldiers and Leviathan beasts that were rushing out from the door were instantly cut off; those on this side of the door ran around like headless flies, while those on the other side were trapped forever on the other end of the starry sky.
More obviously, all the Chitauri soldiers on the ground who were still fighting froze simultaneously, and then, like toys that had their batteries removed, the light in their eyes extinguished, and they fell to the ground in a clatter.
Paralyzed.
"Holy crap?!" Tony, who was fighting with a Chitaurisoldier, saw the enemy in front of him suddenly fall down, his eyes behind the mask widening. "Jarvis, what happened?"
"Sir, the space Portal has been closed. The Chitauri army seems to have lost its remote command or energy supply and has completely ceased activity." Jarvis reported.
"Closed? Who did it? That tough guy?" Tony looked toward the top of Stark Tower.
On the roof.
Arthur clapped his hands and turned to look at Loki, who looked like a dead man.
"Alright, the illegal structure has been demolished, and the idlers have been cleared." He walked toward Loki. "Now, it's time to deal with you, the owner."
Loki suddenly came to his senses, slammed his scepter on the ground, and green light flashed as he prepared to activate teleportation magic to run away.
But the magic circle that had just lit up under his feet was grabbed by several golden chains, and with a 'click, click,' it was instantly extinguished.
Arthur's magic restraint was much faster than his.
"What are you running for? The property fees haven't been settled yet." Arthur walked to Loki, who was tied up tightly by the golden chains, squatted down, and looked at him. "Besides, your brother came all this way, aren't you going to greet him before you leave? How rude."
Loki struggled, but the chains tightened the more he struggled.
He looked up, staring fiercely at Arthur, his eyes full of anger and unwillingness.
Arthur ignored him, stood up, walked to the edge of the roof, and looked down.
The battlefield was a mess, but the fighting had basically stopped. Chitauri soldiers lay all over the ground, and the Avengers gathered together, looking around vigilantly.
Tony flew up and landed next to Arthur, his mask opened, looking at him with a complex expression, and then looking at Loki, who was tied up like a dumpling.
"So..." Tony pointed at Loki. "That's... considered done?"
"Pretty much." Arthur nodded. "The main culprit has been captured, the accomplices are paralyzed, and the stolen goods have been confiscated. The rest is cleaning up the battlefield and... well, explaining this mess to the relevant departments."
He looked at Tony and smiled.
"Let's get to know each other formally, Arthur, Wanda's husband. That red shield earlier was my wife's handiwork."
Tony opened his mouth, and it took a long time for him to squeeze out a sentence: "...You two, do you have some misunderstanding of the word 'ordinary person'?"
Arthur laughed: "Misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding. We just love community service and like to maintain neighborhood harmony."
Tony rolled his eyes; he'd be a fool to believe that.
But he didn't ask any more questions, just looked at the magic barrier that Wanda was retracting in the distance, then looked at the pile of Chitauri 'corpses' on the ground, and finally his gaze fell back on Arthur.
"Regardless," Tony extended his hand, "Thanks, buddy. In this situation, without you, it would have been really hard to clean up."
Arthur shook his hand: "You're welcome, just remember to pay the property fees; we accept cash and card."
As the two were talking, in the distance, a bolt of thunder crashed onto a nearby roof.
A blonde hunk wearing vintage armor and holding a hammer, along with a blonde woman, were looking over in this direction.
Arthur looked over there, and then looked at Loki, who was tied up at his feet with a look of hopelessness.
"Alright," he said to Tony, "Next, it's time for your 'family internal conflict mediation.' My wife is probably tired, too, so I'll head out first, let's chat later."
After speaking, he casually reinforced Loki's magicrestraints with a few more layers, ensuring this guy couldn't run.
Then, his figure flashed, turning into a blurred Shadow, and he flew toward the direction of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Tony looked at the empty roof, then looked at Loki, who was tied up tightly and still muttering curses, and scratched his head.
"Jarvis."
"Yes, sir."
"Encrypt the combat data of that guy, as well as the energy readings of that red barrier, and save them to the highest-level permission folder." Tony looked in the direction where Arthur had disappeared. "Also, check all public information on 'Arthur' and 'Wanda Maximoff'... never mind, I probably won't find anything."
He closed his mask.
"Let's deal with this 'god' in front of us first."
Chapter 47: Zongzi
The roof suddenly fell silent.
The wind was still blowing, carrying the smell of smoke and dust from the streets below, along with a few scattered sirens from who knows where. But the sounds of fighting and flying energy were gone.
Tony looked at Loki, who was tied up like a Dragon Boat Festival Zongzi with golden chains on the ground, then looked at the Tesseract device next to him, its dark blue glow completely extinguished, looking like a large art piece, and finally, his gaze landed on Arthur.
His mask had long since opened, and the expression on his face was spectacular, like someone who had just finished watching a big-budget, logic-defying blockbuster and hadn't quite recovered.
"So..." Tony pointed at Loki, then at the device, "That's... it? That gate spraying alien soldiers, you just... um, closed it? Like turning off a faucet?"
Arthur brushed the non-existent dust off his hands: "Otherwise? Do you want me to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and hire an emcee to announce 'The EarthDefense War was a complete success'?"
Tony choked.
He walked halfway around the Tesseract device, then squatted down to look at Loki, who was tied up, looking listless and a bit angry.
"Jarvis." Tony said softly.
"I am here, sir."
"Did you record the energy reading changes when he closed that door just now?"
"Recorded, sir. The energy flow was guided, diverted, and stabilized by an unknown, precise magic field from its violent state, and then closed smoothly. The entire process did not trigger any observable energy backflow or explosion risk. The technical principle... is completely unparseable."
Tony stood up, walked over to Arthur, and looked him up and down.
"Fine." Tony said, "I admit, I might have had a... slight misunderstanding about you before. I thought you were at most a 'Wanda's husband' who knew a bit of magic and had some strength. Now, I see I was wrong."
Arthur laughed: "Where was I wrong?"
"Wrong about the word 'bit'." Tony said very seriously, "It's not that you 'know a bit of magic', it's that you are 'magic's own father'. And that strength... those big whales just now, you cut them with a glare, heat vision? That Kryptonianstuff? Are you not an Earthling?"
"Genuine, Earth registration, the kind the neighborhood committee can verify." Arthur said, "As for the abilities... just consider me a neighbor who loves fitness and studies mysticism as a hobby."
"A neighbor?" Tony raised an eyebrow, "Which neighbor can casually close a cosmic-level Portal, catch energy cannons with their bare hands, and tie up a guy who calls himself a god like this?"
He pointed at Loki.
Loki heard this, struggled a bit, and glared at Tony: "Foolish mortal! You have no idea what kind of existence you are talking to! He—"
"Shut up." Arthur didn't even look back and snapped his fingers casually.
The air around Loki's mouth seemed to freeze. He was still opening his mouth, but not a sound came out; he could only stare.
Tony's eyelids twitched.
"So," Tony looked at Arthur again, his tone much more formal, "who exactly are you? Or rather... what are you? Don't use 'neighbor' to fool me again. We just finished fighting an alien invasion together, and I think I have the right to know how capable my teammate is."
Arthur looked at Tony, then at the city below that was gradually calming down.
"My name is Arthur, Wanda's husband, that part wasn't a lie." He said, "Besides, I am also a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, a disciple of the Ancient One. As for other powers... you can understand them as some extra 'talents'. My main job, um, is sort of like a dimensional Guardian, preventing things that shouldn't come to Earth from coming here to cause demolition. Today's one," he pointed at Loki and the device, "just happened to fall within my business scope."
"The Ancient One..." Tony repeated, he seemed to have glimpsed this name in some top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. file, the keywords associated were "magic", "Guardian", "ancient". "So you are not with S.H.I.E.L.D.? Nor are you a product of some secret government project?"
"Pure civilian volunteer." Arthur nodded, "The kind that brings their own food."
Tony was silent for a few seconds, then let out a long breath.
"Alright." He said, "At least you are on our side. And it looks like you are more capable than all of us combined. This feeling... is complicated. On one hand, I feel safe, on the other, I feel like my armor has suddenly become a toy for children."
"Don't belittle yourself, Teacher Tony." Arthur patted Tony's shoulder, "Your armor is cool, full of high-tech, maintaining world peace still depends on professionals like you. I'm just a substitute, I don't clock in for work."
As they were talking, a dark red stream of light flew in rapidly from the distance and landed lightly on the edge of the roof.
Wanda jumped down, her steps a bit hurried. She saw Arthur, her eyes lit up, and she walked over quickly.
"Husband!" She grabbed Arthur's arm and looked him up and down, "Are you okay? I just felt that door close, the energy calmed down all of a sudden, so I rushed over. Those alien soldiers below all stopped moving."
"I'm fine, doing great." Arthur held her hand, "What about you, maintaining such a huge barrier, must be exhausted, right?"
"It's okay, just a bit... empty after consuming magic." Wanda shook her head, then looked at Tony, "Mr. Stark, are you okay too?"
Tony looked at Wanda, then looked at the direction she flew from—the Brooklyn Bridge, that huge red barrier was already gone.
"I'm fine." Tony said, "What about you, Ms. Maximoff... no, Wanda. That red cover you had earlier, it covered several blocks and blocked all energy attacks. That was also... magic?"
"Yeah." Wanda nodded and said very naturally, "Chaos Magic. Mainly used for protection, I'm still learning the offensive ones."
Tony: "..."
What a "still learning". This couple, one more humble-bragging than the other.
Just then, the door to the stairwell on the roof was pushed open, and a few people walked in quickly.
The leader was a middle-aged man in a suit with a calm expression, none other than Phil Coulson. Behind him were a few fully armed S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.
Coulson saw the tied-up Loki, the extinguished Tesseractdevice, and Arthur, Wanda, and Tony standing together at a glance.
His steps paused, but his facial expression management was excellent; he quickly returned to calm and walked over.
"Mr. Stark." Coulson greeted Tony first, then looked at Arthur and Wanda, "Are you the two who... closed the Portal and subdued Loki..."
"Arthur, this is my wife, Wanda." Arthur interjected.
"Mr. Zhang, Ms. Maximoff." Coulson nodded, "I am Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. First, on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D., thank you both for your immense contribution in this crisis. You saved countless lives and this city."
"You're welcome, it's what we should do." Arthur said.
Coulson looked at Loki, then at the Tesseract device: "So, this prisoner, and this... energy source, are they now under your control?"
"You can take the prisoner." Arthur pointed at Loki, "But I suggest you find a sturdy place to lock him up; this guy has many tricks, I doubt a normal prison can hold him. As for that Tesseract..."
He walked to the device and tapped it lightly with his finger.
A thin layer of golden light film covered it, wrapping the entire device.
"Although the energy is turned off, the core is still unstable, like a ticking time bomb. I added a layer of stability seal. Be careful when moving it, don't bump it, otherwise, don't blame me if it explodes."
Coulson looked at the layer of golden light, his eyes flickering: "Understood. We will handle it properly. Also..."
He looked at Arthur and Wanda, his tone very formal.
"The Director hopes to invite you both to our temporary command center for a meeting. About today's incident, about your abilities, and... possible future cooperation. I wonder if it's convenient for you?"
Wanda looked at Arthur.
Arthur thought for a moment: "A meeting is fine. But we have an agreement beforehand: we are not S.H.I.E.L.D.employees, and we do not accept any mandatory task assignments or supervision. Cooperation can be discussed, but the premise is voluntariness, and it must not interfere with our private lives."
Coulson seemed to have anticipated this answer and nodded: "Of course. S.H.I.E.L.D. respects the choices of all individuals committed to protecting Earth. The meeting is just for mutual understanding and exploring the possibility of coordinated action in similar crises. There will be no mandatory terms."
"That's fine." Arthur said, "Time and place?"
"If you don't mind, you can go with us now. The command center is not far from here, at a safe house in Lower Manhattan." Coulson said.
Arthur looked at Wanda: "Wife, what do you think?"
"I listen to you." Wanda said.
"Then let's go and see." Arthur said to Coulson, "Lead the way."
Coulson signaled the Agents behind him to step forward, carefully lift Loki, who was magically restrained and even had his mouth sealed, and then assigned a few people to deal with the Tesseract device wrapped in golden light.
Tony stood by with his arms crossed, watching, and interjected: "Wait, I'm going too."
Coulson looked at him: "Mr. Stark?"
"What, I can't go?" Tony raised an eyebrow, "I am also one of the parties involved, and this building is mine, and this battle was finished on the roof of my house. I think I have the right to participate in the post-battle summary meeting."
Coulson smiled: "You are certainly welcome. The Directoralso hoped to hear your first-hand report."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Tony closed his mask again, "Let's go. Jarvis, contact Happy, let him... never mind, let him not come over yet, the roads here are probably still blocked."
The group started walking towards the stairwell.
Arthur and Wanda walked in the middle, Tony followed beside them, and Coulson led the way in front.
When going downstairs, in Tony's mask, Jarvis's voice sounded: "Sir, I am analyzing the energy seal Mr. Arthurplaced on the Tesseract device. The structure is extremely complex, and the energy signature does not match any known Earth technology or Asgardian technology. Preliminary judgment is that its stability effect far exceeds any suppression means we currently have."
"Got it." Tony responded softly, "Archive, encrypt, highest priority. Also, continue to collect all intelligence on the keywords 'Kamar-Taj', 'Ancient One', and 'Dimensional Guardian', but be discreet, don't get discovered."
"Understood, sir."
Walking to the bottom of the building, the streets outside were a mess, but the S.H.I.E.L.D. motorcade was already waiting at the door.
Several black SUVs, the windows were all bulletproof.
Before getting in the car, Arthur looked back at the top floor of Stark Tower with a big hole in it, and then looked at the surrounding buildings that were still smoking and the collapsed street facilities.
"It must cost a lot of money to fix, right?" He asked Tony.
"Money is not the problem." The voice under Tony's mask was a bit muffled, "The problem is it takes time. And I have to deal with the city government, insurance companies, and a bunch of media. Just thinking about it gives me a headache."
"Hard work, Teacher Tony." Arthur patted the car door, "When you need to quickly clear debris or move heavy objects later, you can come to me, friend price, 20% off."
Tony: "..."
The motorcade started and drove away from Stark Tower.
In the car, Wanda leaned against Arthur and whispered: "Husband, will S.H.I.E.L.D.... be very troublesome?"
"Trouble is inevitable." Arthur put his arm around her shoulders, "But it's okay, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We've shown our muscles, so they'll have to weigh their options. Remember, we are partners, not subordinates. We can be polite, but we can't lose our bottom line."
Wanda nodded, feeling relieved.
Coulson, in the passenger seat, watched the couple cuddling in the back seat through the rearview mirror, his eyes deep.
He pressed his headset and reported in a low voice: "Director, I have picked them up. We are heading to the command center. Preliminary observation: Male (Arthur) has unfathomable strength, possesses powerful magic and unknown physical abilities, personality seems casual but has very strong opinions. Female (Wanda) also masters powerful magic (Chaos Magic), excels in defense, and highly trusts her husband. The two have a close relationship and should be treated as a single entity. Starkis with them, and his attitude leans towards them."
Nick Fury's deep voice came through the headset: "Understood. Prepare the conference room; I will talk to them personally."
"Yes."
The motorcade passed through the streets that were still chaotic but gradually being controlled by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the police, and drove towards Lower Manhattan.
New York outside the car window was slowly catching its breath from a sudden alien invasion.
And the people in the car would decide how this newly appeared couple, capable of changing the world's power landscape, would intervene in this increasingly restless world in the future.
Tony watched the scene flashing past the window, then looked at Arthur next to him, who was closing his eyes and resting, as if he had just gone out for a stroll.
He knew in his heart.
From today on, two names must be added to Earth's list of Guardians.
And, in all likelihood, they would be near the very top.
Chapter 48 - I don't know what title to give it.
The convoy drove into a place in Lower Manhattan that looked like an abandoned warehouse. The gate opened automatically, and inside, it was brightly lit, with many S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicles and equipment parked there.
Agent Phil Coulson led them out of the car, through several metal doors that required keycards, and finally into a rather large room.
In the middle of the room stood a long table, and on the walls were several large screens displaying surveillance footage from various parts of New York and damage assessment data. The air had a smell of disinfectant mixed with electronic equipment.
A bald man in a black leather coat with one eye was standing with his back to them, watching a close-up of Stark Tower on one of the screens.
Hearing the commotion, he turned around.
"Director, the people have arrived," Agent Phil Coulsonsaid.
Nick Fury nodded. His gaze swept over Tony first, then landed on Arthur and Wanda. That single eye was expressionless, but it was enough to give one the creeps.
"Stark." Fury greeted Tony first, then looked at Arthur. "Mr. Zhang. And Ms. Maximoff. I am Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."
"I've heard much about you," Arthur said, his tone quite casual. Wanda stood beside him, nodded, and said nothing.
"Sit," Fury said, pointing to the chairs by the table.
Several people sat down. Agent Phil Coulson stood behind Fury to the side, like a piece of background scenery.
Fury didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly: "Regarding today's events, I thank you both. Without you, the casualty numbers would have been very ugly."
"You're welcome," Arthur said. "We ran into it; we couldn't just stand by and watch."
"Ran into it?" Fury stared at him with his one eye. "According to our records, less than three minutes after the battle started, you appeared in the center of the battlefield. And then it took you about... ten minutes? To resolve all large-scale threats, close the Portal, and capture Loki. This 'running into it' was timed quite precisely."
Tony interjected from the side: "Hey, Fury, are you interrogating prisoners? They just helped us fight off the aliens."
"I am merely stating facts, Stark." Fury didn't look at Tony, still watching Arthur. "And I am very curious. Mr. Zhang, the abilities you displayed... including but not limited to super-high-speed movement, physical strength far beyond cognition, energy beams, and the 'magic' you used at the end to close the Tesseract device, which we cannot parse. And that protective barrier of Ms. Maximoff's that covered several city blocks. Where do these powers come from? Who are you?"
The room fell silent for a moment.
Arthur leaned back in his chair and smiled: "Director Fury, the way you ask these questions, it's like a census. Fine, since we've already shown our muscles today, there's no point in hiding things."
He sat up a bit straighter: "My name is Arthur, Wanda's husband, that much is true. Additionally, I am a mage of Kamar-Taj, a disciple of the Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One. As for the other heavy lifting... just consider me naturally gifted, ate well since I was a kid. Our goal is simple: protect Earth, especially protect my wife so our life isn't disturbed. Fighting the aliens today was because the aliens came to my doorstep to demolish things, so it counts as self-defense."
"Ancient One..." Fury repeated the name, and something flashed in his single eye. "I have heard this name. It is mentioned in some very old archives, with keywords like 'dimension,' 'protection,' and 'magic.' So, do you represent Kamar-Taj?"
"I represent myself and my wife," Arthur corrected him. "Kamar-Taj is a place to learn magic, not a company. I don't represent any organization; I only do what I think should be done. Stepping in today was because this matter needed to be handled. It's that simple."
Fury was silent for a few seconds, then looked at Wanda: "Ms. Maximoff, what about you? Why did you join the battle?"
Wanda didn't expect to be asked directly. She paused slightly, then raised her head, looking into Fury's eyes, her voice clear: "I joined the battle because those aliens were hurting innocent people. My magic can be used to protect them, so I used it. There is no other reason. I don't want to see anyone lose their loved ones to war and violence, just like I lost my parents when I was a child."
After she finished speaking, the room became even quieter.
Tony raised an eyebrow, looked at Wanda, then at Arthur. The look meant, "Your wife is impressive."
Fury still had no expression on his face, but he nodded: "A very direct reason. Then, regarding future similar 'Earth-level' crises that might occur, what is your attitude? Continue to 'handle it if we run into it,' or..."
"It depends on the situation," Arthur took over. "If it's like today, an alien army opening a Portal in our faces, then we will definitely handle it. If it's petty theft, internal conflicts, or some country wanting to conduct dangerous experiments... that depends on our mood and whether civilians are affected. We are not employees of S.H.I.E.L.D., we don't get paid, and we don't take orders. This needs to be made clear first."
"But you possess the power to change the course of a war," Fury said. "Power implies responsibility, and... risk. Unregulated power is inherently an unstable factor."
"Regulation?" Arthur smiled. "Who is regulating? S.H.I.E.L.D.? Director Fury, let's be frank. Before today, did you know about Kamar-Taj? Do you know how many dimensional demons in the Universe are eyeing Earth as a piece of fat meat? You don't know. You didn't even realize an Asgardian prince came down to cause trouble until he opened a door on the roof of Stark Tower. You couldn't even protect the Tesseract yourself."
His tone wasn't heavy, but his words were stinging. AgentPhil Coulson looked a bit awkward. Tony rubbed his chin, saying nothing, looking like he was "watching a show."
Fury narrowed his single eye: "So you mean S.H.I.E.L.D.isn't qualified?"
"I mean, leave professional matters to professionals," Arthur said. "You handle human internal espionage, terrorism, high-tech crime—that's fine. Dimensional invasions, alien civilizations, cosmic artifacts going out of control... that falls under our scope of business. We can cooperate and share information, but don't think about who is in charge of whom. You can't control me, and I have no need to let you control me."
This was said quite bluntly. But after hearing it, Fury wasn't angry; instead, he nodded: "A very clear stance. Then, what is the specific form of cooperation? We can't wait until the 'demolition crew' is at our doorstep to know that there are'security guards' present."
"Simple," Arthur said. "In the future, if there's a 'Earth is going to hell' level event, I can give you a heads-up in advance, or provide a briefing afterward. Normally, we live our own lives. I need some peace and quiet without being disturbed. In exchange, you get to know that there is a force on Earth... hmm, let's call it a 'friendly unit,' that can step up at critical moments. Isn't that better than you being suspicious all day, thinking about how to control us?"
Tony raised his hand at this moment: "Let me interject. Fury, I think this proposal is fine. Having a contingency plan is better than knowing nothing. Besides, they genuinely helped today, and their attitude is sincere. If you insist on making it a superior-subordinate relationship, and something happens, they get annoyed and walk away, who are you going to cry to?"
Fury looked at Tony, then at Arthur and Wanda, thinking for about half a minute.
"Fine," he finally said. "S.H.I.E.L.D. can accept an informal cooperation framework based on information sharing and reporting of major events. As a sign of good faith, I will grant you some temporary access permissions, making it easier for you to quickly arrive at the battlefield or obtain non-sensitive public information in situations similar to today."
He changed the subject: "However, I have conditions. First, any action that might trigger a global crisis or large-scale casualties must be reported in advance. Second, you cannot use your power to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states or trigger international disputes. Third, we need a direct contact channel to ensure we can find you immediately in an emergency."
Arthur and Wanda exchanged glances. Wanda nodded lightly.
"The first two are no problem; we aren't interested in politics anyway," Arthur said. "As for the third, for the contact channel, I can give you an encrypted magiccommunication method, which can only be used in emergencies. Don't harass us under normal circumstances."
"Deal," Fury extended his hand.
Arthur shook his hand. The grip was firm; Fury's hand was quite strong.
"Pleasure doing business, Director Fury," Arthur said.
"Pleasure doing business," Fury let go and looked at Wanda. "Ms. Maximoff, I look forward to seeing you next time."
Wanda nodded politely.
The meeting was basically over, and the atmosphere was much more relaxed than when they first walked in.
Agent Phil Coulson stepped forward and handed Arthura specially made communicator that looked like a black metal plate: "This is a temporary access credential. It has already been programmed with the access permissions the Director promised and an encrypted frequency. As for the method of magic communication..."
"I will transmit the method directly into this device later," Arthur said, taking the communicator and casually putting it into his pocket.
Tony stood up and stretched: "Done? Then I'm off. The tower still has a hole in it, and I have to go back and check the repair quote. The number will probably give me a heart attack."
Fury didn't stop him: "Stark, I want to see the detailed report of today's battle by tomorrow."
"Got it, got it." Tony waved his hand and walked out. Upon reaching the door, he turned back to Arthur and Wandaand said, "Hey, you two, feel like coming to the tower sometime for a visit? The top floor might be drafty, but the wine cabinet is fine. My treat, and it would satisfy my curiosity."
Arthur smiled: "Sure, let's talk once it's repaired."
Tony left. Arthur and Wanda also got up to leave. Furydidn't say anything more, just asked Agent Phil Coulson to see them out.
Leaving the warehouse and returning to the street, the sky had already darkened. The destruction caused by the battle remained, but cleanup work was already underway, and there were many engineering vehicles and S.H.I.E.L.D.personnel on the street.
Agent Phil Coulson arranged a car to take them home to Brooklyn.
In the car, Wanda leaned on Arthur's shoulder and whispered: "That Director Fury... he feels like a lot of pressure."
"It's normal. In his line of work, he sees everyone as a potential threat," Arthur said, putting his arm around her. "But today we've laid our cards on the table. In the future, they'll know our bottom line and our capabilities, so dealing with them will be simpler. It's nothing more than mutual use, with a bit of limited trust added."
"Are we really going to give them the magiccommunication method?" Wanda asked.
"I'll give them the simplest, one-time-use kind," Arthursaid. "If a real emergency happens where they need to contact us, it probably won't be a small matter. As for normal times, they won't be able to find us."
Wanda thought for a moment and smiled: "It feels like playing hide-and-seek."
"Something like that," Arthur also smiled. "Dealing with these spymasters, that's how it has to be. Maintain mystery, maintain power, and they will reason with you."
The car drove to the quiet street where their house was located. The Villa was intact, and the magic barrier outside was still there.
They got out of the car and entered the house. Pietro was sitting on the sofa, with a pile of snack wrappers in front of him. The TV was on, broadcasting news about the Battle of New York. Seeing them come in, he jumped up with a "whoosh."
"You're finally back! The news says the aliens were beaten back, and there was a 'mysterious red figure' and a 'red protective shield'... that's you guys, right? You aren't hurt, are you?"
"I'm fine, we're good," Arthur took off his coat. "You've been home the whole time?"
"What else would I be doing?" Pietro said. "You didn't tell me to go. I was worried to death watching the news."
Wanda walked over and hugged her brother: "Sorry, Pietro, the situation was too urgent at the time."
"Hey, it's fine, it's fine," Pietro patted her back. "As long as you're back safely. But next time there's a big event like this, can you take me with you? I'm very fast; even if I can't win, I can run."
Arthur laughed: "Sure, definitely next time."
Wanda went to the kitchen and brought out three glasses of water. The three of them sat in the living room.
"So, what did S.H.I.E.L.D. say?" Pietro asked.
Arthur briefly explained the situation of the meeting.
After listening, Pietro scratched his head: "So, does that mean we are now... official civilian volunteers?"
"You can understand it that way," Arthur took a sip of water. "Having a title makes things easier to handle, but we don't have to take their orders. The freedom is still in our hands."
Wanda held the water cup, thought for a moment, and said very seriously: "Honey, I think we can be more proactive in the future."
Arthur looked at her: "How so?"
"Just like today, if we could have discovered Loki's plan earlier, maybe we could have stopped him before the Portal opened," Wanda said. "Director Fury wants to control us, but he was right about one thing: power implies responsibility. We have the ability to see more and know more, shouldn't we also... do more prevention?"
Arthur looked at Wanda with some surprise. His wife used to listen to his arrangements more, protecting passively, and rarely proposed strategic ideas.
"What do you want to do?" he asked.
"We can build a wider monitoring network," Wanda said, her eyes shining. "Not just for magical anomalies, but also for high-risk energy sources like the Tesseract, or alien signals. Use my Chaos Magic as the sensing core, combined with your magic and... your super senses. We don't need to tell S.H.I.E.L.D. the details, but if we discover any signs, we can prepare in advance, or give them a 'hint' anonymously."
Arthur looked at her and smiled. He smiled very happily.
"Wife, you've grown," he said. "That's a great idea. We really can't always wait for crises to come to our door before reacting. Proactive defense, nipping threats in the bud—that's the way high-end players play."
Pietro raised his hand from the side: "What about me? What can I do? Run errands? Peripheral reconnaissance?"
"You are definitely an important member," Arthur said. "Intelligence gathering, rapid response, logistics support—we can't do without you. The three of us are a mini'Special Task Force'."
Wanda felt a bit embarrassed by what he said, but her eyes were firm.
"Then... what's our first step?" she asked.
Arthur put down the water cup and leaned back on the sofa: "First step, rest. We've been tired all day. Second step, upgrade the barrier around the house to make it more concealed. Third step, start planning our 'Global Threat Early Warning System.' But no rush, take it slow."
He looked at Wanda: "Most importantly, we must be on the same page. Externally, we are low-key but not to be trifled with as Guardians. Internally, we are partners, companions. We discuss things together, and we fight together. How about it?"
Wanda nodded vigorously: "Mm!"
Pietro also said excitedly: "No problem! That's more like it!"
Outside the window, the night in New York grew deeper. In the distance, Stark Tower was still lit with maintenance lights, like a scar that had just healed on the city.
But in this little home in Brooklyn, a new, small decision had been made.
They would not actively seek trouble, but they would no longer just passively wait for trouble to come to them.
Peaceful days would continue, but when it was time to act, they would be more decisive and smarter.
After all, to protect everything they wanted to protect, power alone was not enough.
They also needed strategy. And for their family, what they lacked least right now was power and... a little bit of just-sprouting strategy that belonged to them.
Chapter 49: S.H.I.E.L.D. Invitation
Pietro threw the last snack bag into the trash can. On the TV, news of the Battle of New York was still scrolling, and the host was using a voice so excited it cracked as they spoke of "mysterious heroes," "red protective shield," and similar terms.
"So," Pietro flopped back onto the sofa, looking at his sister and brother-in-law snuggled up opposite him, "are we officially superheroes with benefits now? Does S.H.I.E.L.D.provide insurance and housing funds?"
Arthur laughed: "What are you thinking? We're temps, the kind that brings their own food. Insurance and housing funds? You want that one-eyed Fury to pay your social security?"
Wanda laughed too, leaning on Arthur's shoulder: "But this is good, at least we don't have to hide anymore. They know who we are and what we want to do, which saves us from all the guessing."
"Right, playing with cards on the table," Arthur nodded. "And our hand is huge—four twos and two jokers. They can only watch."
Pietro scratched his head: "So what now? Keep hiding at home? Wait for aliens to come and demolish the place again?"
Wanda sat up straight, her expression turning serious: "Husband, Pietro, I don't think we can just keep waiting."
Arthur looked at her: "Oh? Tell me more."
"Just like this time," Wanda said. "If we could have discovered Loki's plan earlier, or discovered the Tesseractwas stolen, maybe the Portal would never have opened. Fury said something that, while unpleasant, makes sense. Since we have the ability to see more, shouldn't we... do more prevention? We can't wait for a crisis to knock on our door before we put out the fire; that's too passive."
Pietro's eyes lit up: "That makes sense! We could have an 'Earth Crisis Early Trailer'! Whoever wants to cause trouble has to get past us first!"
Arthur looked at Wanda with a smile in his eyes: "Wife, that's a great idea. Upgrading from 'Guardian' to 'Early Warning System'. How exactly do you want to do it?"
Wanda felt a bit shy, but continued: "We can build a monitoring network. Use my Chaos Magic as the sensing core; it's very sensitive to high-level energy and dimensional fluctuations now. Husband, you can use your Super Vision combined with magic, and the coverage will be even wider. We won't monitor ordinary people, just focus on high-risk energy sources, like the Tesseract level, or abnormal spatial fluctuations and alien signals. If we find a lead, we can prepare in advance, or... give S.H.I.E.L.D.a 'hint' anonymously so they can handle it."
"An anonymous 'hint'?" Pietro was intrigued. "Like a mysterious informant in the movies? Cool!"
"Yes," Wanda nodded. "That way, we won't expose too much of ourselves, but we can also nip threats in The Cradle. We don't want to be controlled by S.H.I.E.L.D., but we don't want to watch Earth get into trouble either."
Arthur rubbed his chin and thought: "That's a good approach. The three of us: you handle energy sensing and magic warnings, I handle macro-scanning and force backup, and Pietro handles fast reconnaissance and information gathering. A small, efficient, and covert'Special Operations Team'."
He clapped his hands: "It's settled! Project codename... hmm, let's call it the 'Global Threat Early Warning System'. Sounds professional. But no rush, let's rest today; after fighting all day, my wife is tired."
Wanda was indeed a bit exhausted, but her eyes were bright: "I'm not tired, just a bit drained from using so much magic. So what's our first step?"
"First step, sleep," Arthur stood up and pulled Wandaup as well. "Second step, tomorrow we'll upgrade our home's barrier to be more discreet so S.H.I.E.L.D.'s satellites and such can't snap pictures. Third step, we'll slowly plan our 'Early Warning System'. You have to eat one bite at a time and do work one step at a time."
Pietro jumped up too: "What about me? What can I do now?"
"You?" Arthur pointed to the TV. "Keep following public opinion and see what they're saying about us outside. By the way, think about how we can set up an intelligence network without being discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. Use your brain, Pietro; just running fast isn't enough."
Pietro patted his chest: "Leave it to me! When it comes to stealth and intelligence, I'm a professional!"
The three chatted a bit more and then went back to their rooms to rest.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Arthur was woken up by the vibration of the black communicator given by S.H.I.E.L.D. in his pocket.
It wasn't a ringtone, but a rhythmic, low-frequency vibration.
He took it out and looked; a line of text lit up on the small screen: "Encrypted Message - Sender: Nick Fury."
Wanda also woke up and leaned over to look: "So early?"
"The head of the Agents doesn't sleep," Arthur opened the message.
The text displayed: "Mr. Zhang, Ms. Maximoff. Given the severity of the New York incident and the capabilities and stance you two have demonstrated, S.H.I.E.L.D. hopes to invite you both to the Triskelion headquarters in Washington D.C. for a more formal and in-depth discussion. Topics include: follow-up handling plans for alien technology like the Tesseract, assessment of current multi-dimensional threats facing Earth, and exploring the possibility of closer and more institutionalized cooperation in the future. If you agree, please reply. Coordinates and secure channel information will be sent subsequently. — Nick Fury"
Wanda finished reading and looked at Arthur: "Should we go?"
"Might as well," Arthur yawned. "They sent a formal invitation; it would be rude not to go. Besides, I'm not too reassured leaving that Tesseract thing with them; we need to go and keep an eye on it."
Just as he was about to reply, the communicator vibrated again.
This time, it was a call directly from Tony Stark's private number.
Arthur answered and put it on speaker.
Tony's voice came through, a bit raspy from just waking up, with the clanging of repairs in the background: "Hey, morning you two. Did that old fox Fury contact you too?"
"Just got the text," Arthur said. "How did you know?"
"Because I got an 'invitation' too," Tony said, his tone a bit annoyed. "He wants me to go as an 'introducer' and 'witness'. I guess he's afraid you two might just dismantle the Triskelion building, so he's looking for an acquaintance to smooth things over."
Wanda laughed: "Mr. Stark, we won't dismantle the building."
"I know you won't, but Fury doesn't," Tony said. "And let me tell you, there's no consensus within S.H.I.E.L.D. on how to handle the Tesseract or how to view you two. Furyis relatively pragmatic, but he has the world Security Council above him and a bunch of hawkish officers below him who think any uncontrolled power is a threat. Going to the Triskelion this time isn't just for a chat, it's also an 'evaluation' for them."
Arthur raised an eyebrow: "Evaluating how easy we are to control?"
"Pretty much," Tony said. "So my advice is, go, but draw a clear line. I can go with you; some things are better said by me than by you directly. After all, within the'system', my face is still somewhat useful."
Arthur and Wanda looked at each other.
"Fine," Arthur said. "Then we'll trouble Teacher Tony to be our tour guide. Time?"
"Fury said the sooner the better, this afternoon," Tony said. "Should I send a plane to pick you up? Or will you two... um, 'fly' over?"
"Give us the coordinates, we'll go ourselves," Arthursaid. "Your plane is too flashy."
"Alright," Tony gave the coordinates of a private airport near Washington D.C. "Two o'clock this afternoon, see you there. Remember to dress formally... never mind, do whatever you want. Anyway, you can't be more formal than two people who can tear apart an alien warship with their bare hands."
The call ended.
Wanda looked at Arthur: "Sounds more troublesome than yesterday."
"Normal," Arthur got out of bed and started getting dressed. "Yesterday was post-war emergency handling; today is formal negotiation. The card table has changed, and the chips need to be put back on the table. But it's fine, our chips are strong enough."
As he got dressed, he said: "Wife, let's get our stories straight later. Cooperation is fine, limited information sharing is fine, we can respond to crises, but we cannot lose our independence. If they want to study the Tesseract, it must be under our Super Vision, or kept in a safer place we find. As for the rest, we'll play it by ear."
Wanda nodded: "I'll listen to you."
In the morning, Arthur spent some time reinforcing and optimizing the home's magic barrier, adding shielding features against modern technology scanning. Wandaprepared several stabilization plans for different magicenergy fluctuations, just in case.
Pietro went out for a spin and brought back some gossip from the streets.
"Everyone is saying that a'Scarlet Witch' and a 'Golden Flash' saved New York," Pietro said. "The descriptions are quite exaggerated. S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't seem to have disclosed your detailed identities, just saying they 'received help from mysterious allies'."
"Fury is sensible," Arthur said. "More trouble if it's public."
Around one o'clock in the afternoon, Arthur and Wandaprepared to leave.
Pietro was eager to try: "You really don't need me? I'm very fast, I can be a bodyguard!"
"You stay behind," Arthur patted his shoulder. "Watch the house, monitor the network. If we don't return by night, or if you receive a special signal, you... um, improvise."
Pietro nodded seriously: "Understood!"
Arthur held Wanda's hand, and his other hand traced a golden circle in the air.
On the other side of the Portal was the tarmac of the private airport Tony gave.
The two stepped through.
Tony was already waiting there, not wearing armor, just a casual suit, leaning against a very expensive-looking sports car. Seeing Arthur and Wanda step out of the circle, he whistled.
"It never feels scientific when I see it," Tony walked over. "Let's go, twenty-minute drive. Fury has already brewed coffee in the conference room—though I doubt that coffee is drinkable."
The three got in the car, and Tony drove himself.
On the way, Tony talked more about the situation inside S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Those old men on the Council were scared out of their wits by the Chitauri, and now everything looks like a threat," Tony said. "They're split into two factions. One side advocates for winning you over at all costs, giving you top-level authority, and turning you into 'S.H.I.E.L.D.'s nuclear weapons'. The other side thinks you're uncontrollable and suggests 'containment' or 'monitoring', and taking 'measures' when necessary. Fury is trying to mediate in the middle, but the pressure is not small."
"Measures?" Wanda frowned.
"Some underhanded methods," Tony said euphemistically. "But don't worry, with me here, they won't dare to mess around. And..."
He glanced at Arthur in the rearview mirror: "The 'measures' you two showed yesterday were much fiercer than their 'measures'. They aren't stupid."
The car drove into what looked like a large industrial park, passed several strict security checks, and finally stopped in front of a huge, triangular building.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion headquarters.
An Agent in a suit was already waiting at the entrance; it was Phil Coulson.
"Mr. Stark, Mr. Zhang, Ms. Maximoff," Coulson nodded politely. "The Director is already waiting in the conference room. Please follow me."
Entering the building, the interior had that standard, cold government agency style, with uniformed staff and flashing screens everywhere.
Coulson led them to take the elevator directly to the top floor and into a spacious conference room.
Nick Fury stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the Potomac River outside. Hearing the sound, he turned around.
"Welcome to the Triskelion," Fury said, his one eye sweeping over the three. "Sit."
Documents were already laid out on the conference table.
The meeting officially began.
Chapter 50: Testing
The next morning, when the sunlight shone through the gap in the curtains, Arthur was already awake.
He didn't rush to get up, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Wanda was beside him, breathing evenly, sleeping quite soundly. Yesterday was a series of battles, meetings, and brainstorming sessions; she was probably truly exhausted.
Arthur turned his body to look at his wife's sleeping face.
Her eyelashes were long, her skin was good, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned while she slept. It was different from her usual gentle and resilient appearance, a bit... cute.
He reached out and gently brushed the hair on her forehead.
Wanda moved but didn't wake up; instead, she leaned closer to him, finding a more comfortable position.
Arthur was amused.
Alright, my dear wife, sleep a little longer.
He stepped out of bed on tiptoes, put on his slippers, and walked out of the bedroom.
In the living room, Pietro was already there.
The kid was wearing sportswear, gesturing at the air, his speed so fast it left a blur. Seeing Arthur come out, he stopped with a "whoosh".
"Morning, brother-in-law!" Pietro was full of energy. "I'm just warming up! Thinking about whether we should start that… 'Earth Crisis Early Trailer' project today?"
"It's 'Global Threat Early Warning System'." Arthurcorrected him, walking towards the kitchen. "Don't come up with such flashy names. Have you had breakfast?"
"Not yet, waiting for you and Wanda." Pietro followed into the kitchen. "I thought about it all night, about how to set up the intelligence network. I think we can't just rely on magic sensing; that's too metaphysical. We need to combine it with something practical, like… monitoring public communication frequencies? Hacking into some less important databases? Or I could just go stroll around some'sensitive locations' and listen with my ears?"
Arthur took eggs, bacon, and bread out of the refrigerator and began to prepare breakfast.
"The idea is okay." He cracked the eggs into the frying pan. "But hacking into databases is out; it's easy to leave traces and get targeted by S.H.I.E.L.D. or some other organization. Monitoring public frequencies can be considered, but the information is too cluttered. Using your speed advantage to 'eavesdrop' is the most practical and discreet method."
"Right!" Pietro was excited. "I said my ability shouldn't just be used for fighting or delivering food. Doing intelligence work—that's my specialty!"
Arthur took out the fried bacon: "Delivering food? You've thought about doing that?"
"Uh… just saying." Pietro scratched his head. "Back in Sokovia, there weren't many proper jobs, so running fast to deliver things could earn some money. But it's not needed now, my brother-in-law is rich."
"I thank you." Arthur put the bread into the toaster. "I'll pay you a salary later, alright? Mr. Intelligence Director Pietro Maximoff."
"Really?" Pietro's eyes lit up. "How much?"
"Depends on your performance." Arthur said. "Discover a piece of valuable intelligence, I'll give you… hmm, five hundred dollars to start, no cap. Major crisis warnings, the bonus doubles ten times."
"Deal!" Pietro slapped his thigh. "I want to go to Queensand look around now! The news yesterday said there are still scattered alien remains there that haven't been cleaned up; maybe I can hear something!"
"What's the rush." Arthur took out the fried eggs. "Eat breakfast first. Besides, Wanda hasn't woken up yet; she is the core of our plan."
Just as he was speaking, Wanda came out of the bedroom, rubbing her eyes.
She was wearing pajamas, her hair a bit messy. Seeing the two people in the kitchen, she mumbled a "morning".
"Wife, awake?" Arthur served breakfast to the dining table. "Perfect, let's eat. Pietro is already dying to start his 'Agent career'."
Wanda walked over and sat down, picked up a piece of bread, and chewed slowly.
"Husband," she swallowed the bread, her eyes much clearer. "I actually didn't sleep much last night."
"What's wrong? Thinking too much?" Arthur sat down and poured her a glass of milk.
"Yeah." Wanda nodded. "I was thinking about how to better use my Chaos Magic for 'early warning'. It's very sensitive to high-level energy and dimensional fluctuations right now, but the range… seems limited. When we were in Sokovia, we could only sense threats nearby. After arriving in New York, it was the same; we only noticed after things happened or were about to happen."
She looked at Arthur: "If we want to build an early warning network that covers the globe, or at least covers major potential crisis points, my magic sensing range must be expanded. Also, I can't rely on myself to sense 24 hours a day; that's too tiring and unrealistic."
Arthur took a bite of bacon and thought: "You mean… you need an 'amplifier', or a 'relay station'?"
"Yes!" Wanda's eyes lit up. "That's what I mean. Just like a cell phone signal tower, amplifying my sensing ability, or setting up some fixed'sensing nodes'. My magic provides the'signal', and then the information is collected back through these nodes."
Pietro listened, stunned: "Wait, Wanda, when did you learn all this? Signal towers? Nodes?"
"Couldn't sleep last night, so I looked up some information on your tablet." Wanda was a bit embarrassed. "Read some basic principles about communication networks and sensor arrays. I think… magic and technology should be connected in some ways."
Arthur looked at Wanda, feeling very gratified.
His wife, not only beautiful and kind-hearted but now even self-taught, starting to engage in "magic-technology fusion".
This isn't just Wanda, this is Wanda da Vinci.
"Wife, you're awesome." Arthur said sincerely. "This idea is brilliant. Constructing a sensing network with magic, using a technological framework. So how to implement it specifically? Do you have any ideas?"
Wanda drank some milk and said seriously: "My preliminary idea is that I need to make a 'prototype' first. Use my Chaos Magic to condense a stable, small-range'sensing core'. Then, husband, you use your magic to help me'solidify' or 'enchant' this core, so it can exist for a long time and maintain a remote connection with me."
She gestured on the table with her fingers: "This core is the first 'node'. We put it in a safe place and test its sensing range, stability, and information transmission effect. If it succeeds, we can try to make more nodes and place them in key locations, like… near the New York Sanctum, or some places with a history of abnormal energy fluctuations."
Pietro interjected: "Where to put these nodes? Can't just leave them on the street, right? What if someone picks them up?"
"So it needs to be hidden, and it needs protection." Wandasaid. "We can make them into inconspicuous things, like a stone, an ornament, and then apply powerful concealment magic and protective magic. Besides us, even if others see it, they will just take it as an ordinary object."
The more Arthur listened, the more feasible he thought it was.
"How long do you think it will take to make this 'prototype' node?" He asked.
Wanda thought for a moment: "If it goes well, I should be able to make a prototype today. But testing and adjustments might take a few days."
"Alright." Arthur made a decision. "Then we'll do two things today. First, I'll upgrade the house's barrier, raising its concealment and protection to another level, ensuring this place becomes an absolutely safe rear base. Second, you start trying to make the'sensing node' prototype. Pietro…"
He looked at his brother-in-law: "Your task today is to go out and wander around, using your ears to collect any 'rumors' you think might be useful. Focus on two aspects: First, the follow-up reactions from official and civilian sources regarding yesterday's battle, especially their attitude towards 'mysterious heroes' like us. Second, whether there are any remaining abnormal energy points in New York, or if any strange strangers or strange things have appeared anywhere. Remember, only listen, don't look, don't make contact, don't cause trouble. If you find something, report back immediately."
"Understood!" Pietro stuffed the last bite of fried egg into his mouth and stood up. "Guaranteed to complete the mission! Can I go now?"
"Wait." Arthur stopped him, took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out a few bills, and handed them over. "By the way, buy some food on your way back for lunch and dinner. Keep the rest as your 'activity funds'. Don't spend it recklessly."
"Yes, sir!" Pietro took the money, his figure flickered, and he disappeared from the dining room. A few seconds later, a slight sound of the door opening and closing came from the entrance.
Wanda looked at the door and smiled: "Pietro seems more motivated than us."
"Give him something to do, so he doesn't have nothing to do all day and think about becoming a delivery Superman." Arthur started cleaning up the dishes. "Wife, how about you? Rest for a while, or start working on that 'node' now?"
Wanda stood up, her eyes firm: "Start now. The sooner it's made, the sooner we can test it. I'll feel more at ease."
"Good." Arthur put the dishes into the sink. "Then you go to the living room to prepare. I'll clean up the kitchen and then go upgrade the barrier. We'll act separately to maximize efficiency."
Wanda nodded and walked towards the living room.
Arthur washed the dishes quickly, dried his hands, and also came to the living room.
Wanda was already sitting cross-legged on the carpet, eyes slightly closed, hands flat on her knees. Dark red Chaos Magic energy began to flow slowly around her, like living mist.
Arthur didn't disturb her and walked to the center of the house.
He took a deep breath, raised his hands, and faced his palms towards each other.
Golden Supreme Magic energy emerged from his palms, rapidly spreading to the surroundings, sweeping over the walls, ceiling, and floor like water waves.
He began to construct a new magic structure on the basis of the existing multi-layered barrier.
This time, he focused on strengthening "information masking" and "energy assimilation".
"Information masking" simply means making this house "disappear" from all modern technological detection methods. Satellites can't photograph it, thermal imaging can't scan it, and energy detectors can't read abnormal data. In the eyes of neighbors and passersby, this is just an ordinary, quiet townhouse that won't attract any extra attention.
"Energy assimilation" means that any magic fluctuations generated inside the house are "diluted" and "disguised" as background energy fluctuations in the natural environment before passing through the barrier. This way, even if other mages or beings with keen perception pass by, they will only feel that "everything is normal" here, at most feeling that the air quality is particularly good.
These two functions sound simple, but they are extremely complex to operate in practice, requiring extremely precise control over energy and rules.
Only a cheater like Arthur, who practices both magicand physical arts and has magic power like it's free, can be so wasteful.
He was fully focused, the golden light flickering in the room, and complex magic runes flashed and disappeared in the void, then merged into the walls and floor.
The whole process lasted about half an hour.
When Arthur put down his hands and let out a long breath, the entire house's barrier had been renewed.
From the outside, there was no change.
But from the inside, the house now felt like it was wearing an absolutely invisible turtle shell, with its safety coefficient maxed out.
Arthur nodded with satisfaction and looked at Wanda.
Wanda was still sitting there, but the situation was a bit different.
Her hands were hovering in front of her chest, and a fist-sized energy ball with constantly changing dark red light was floating there. Inside the energy ball, extremely fine silver threads seemed to be swimming, forming some kind of constantly changing complex pattern.
A thin layer of sweat appeared on Wanda's forehead, her expression focused, even a bit tense.
Arthur didn't make a sound and watched quietly.
Another ten minutes passed.
Wanda suddenly gave a soft shout and brought her hands together violently!
The energy ball was instantly compressed, its light restrained, turning into a polyhedron crystal about the size of a thumb's fingernail that looked like a dark red crystal.
The moment the crystal formed, it emitted a slight hum, then hovered stably an inch above Wanda's palm, slowly rotating.
Wanda opened her eyes, looked at the crystal, let out a long sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on her face.
"Husband," she turned to look at Arthur, her voice a bit tired but more excited, "The first'sensing node' prototype… seems to have succeeded."