Chapter 73: I'm Speechless
The star map on the screen was still glowing, though the purple dot representing the "Guardian" mark had dimmed until it was almost invisible.
Arthur leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the armrest.
"Tony should have some news by now, right?" Wandaasked.
"Soon," Arthur said, glancing at the time. "His database is doing a 'fuzzy match,' not a 'precision scan,' so it'll take a bit of time. But with his computing power, plus Jarvis, it shouldn't take too long."
No sooner had he spoken than the console chimed with an encrypted communication alert.
Arthur tapped to connect.
Tony's face popped up, the background showing the Stark Tower laboratory. He was holding a tablet, his brow furrowed.
"The results are in," Tony said, getting straight to the point. "First, the conclusion: it didn't fully match."
"What does that mean?" Arthur asked.
"I scanned every database I could get my hands on, including some of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s non-classified files and public records of astronomical anomalies," Tony said, projecting the data stream from his tablet. "The energy patterns have similarities, but they aren't 'like' enough. It's like knowing you're looking for a black cat, but the database only has descriptions at the level of 'mammal, four legs, has a tail.' It doesn't match the specific 'cat.'"
Wanda leaned in closer to the screen to look at the data streams.
"However," Tony continued, changing his tone, "I found a few 'unidentified friendly contact records.' The 'flavor' of the energy fluctuations is somewhat similar to the mark your wife sensed. These records all point to the same thing: an Observer Race network. It's not any specific civilization, but rather more like a shared observation platform set up by a bunch of 'astronomy enthusiasts.'"
"Observer Race network?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "So that mark might just be a 'node' in this network?"
"It's possible," Tony nodded. "If you want to 'pin it down' more accurately, I need more detailed data. Can you provide more about the magical characteristics of that mark? The highly purified kind—don't include any consciousness fragments, just the pure energy signature. With that, I can try my luck in the 'Sky Screen' database."
"'Sky Screen'?" Arthur asked.
"It's a highly encrypted database of cosmic civilizations belonging to S.H.I.E.L.D., code-named 'Sky Screen'," Tonylowered his voice. "There's some good stuff in there, including early records of contact with Asgard. The clearance level is very high; I can't get in under normal circumstances. But if I have a precise energy signature to use as a 'key,' I can try to 'borrow' temporary access, run a quick comparison, and then hit and run."
Arthur looked at Wanda.
Wanda thought for a moment.
"Purifying a small segment of the energy signature without including consciousness, keeping only the most basic 'civilization signature,' is doable," she said. "Is the risk high?"
"For you, it's just sending a piece of encrypted data," Tonysaid. "For me, it's just a 'friendly technical visit.' As long as the data is accurate enough, I can complete the comparison and withdraw before they even notice. The risk is controllable."
"Do it," Arthur didn't hesitate. "Wanda, get a segment ready, max out the encryption."
Wanda nodded and sat down directly on the floor.
She closed her eyes, and dark red magic began to condense in her palms. It wasn't the thread-like extensions from before, but rather something contracting inward, forming a continuously rotating, compressing ball of red light.
The ball of light grew smaller and smaller, its color deepening, until it finally turned into a dark red crystal the size of a grain of rice, yet with an extremely dense glow.
Wanda opened her eyes, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead.
"Here," she said, handing the crystal to Arthur.
Arthur took it, wrapped it in a layer of golden magical runes, then connected it to the main console, encrypted and packaged it, and sent it to Tony.
"Data received," Tony's end replied with the rapid electronic sound of Jarvis processing it. "The signature is very clear, and the purity is high. I'm starting to 'knock on the door.'"
The communication went temporarily silent.
Arthur and Wanda waited.
About three minutes passed.
Tony's voice sounded again, carrying a hint of relief.
"Done," he said. "'Sky Screen' database, temporary access granted for fifteen seconds. Jarvis used the signature data you provided to complete a quick comparison. I've sent the results to you."
An encrypted file was transmitted over.
Arthur clicked to open it.
A short report popped up on the screen.
[Match Result: High Correlation.]
[Civilization of Target Mark: Observer Race (Affiliation: Collector, Taneleer Tivan).]
[Behavioral Pattern Record: Strictly neutral observation and recording. No history of active aggression. No interference in the development history of lower civilizations.]
[Threat Level Assessment: Low (Provisional).]
[Note: This race is one of the important members of the known Observer Race network. They have a wide range of activities and prefer to record rare civilizations and special energy phenomena.]
"Collector, Taneleer Tivan?" Arthur read the name aloud. "Who's that?"
"The database only mentioned that one line, calling him an 'ancient cosmic entity'," Tony said. "It didn't go into detail about what exactly he does. But the Observer Race under him has a very clean record—they just watch, they just record, they don't fight, and they don't steal things. According to the code of conduct for cosmic civilizations, they're at the level of 'model students.'"
Wanda looked at the report.
"So, it has no malice toward us?" she asked.
"At least not for now," Tony said. "Its 'guardian' intent might just be part of its observation protocol, like 'ensuring the observation target isn't destroyed by third parties so that recording can continue.' The motive is very pure—it's just for scientific research."
Arthur breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good," he said. "At least it's not another enemy. We can put this aside for now."
"That's my thinking too," Tony said. "The priority is still that Kree signal in the direction of Centaurus you mentioned earlier. That's the one waving a knife at our doorstep. Do you need me to keep watching it with the satellites?"
"Keep watching," Arthur said. "We'll start planning our next move on this end, seeing whether we should sneak over for reconnaissance or find a way to cause some interference."
"Alright, let me know if there are any developments." Tonyhung up the communication.
The living room fell quiet.
Arthur closed the report, and the screen returned to the star map interface.
The dimmed purple dot was still there, but a new label had appeared next to it: [Observer Race - Harmless].
"Wanda," Arthur looked at her, "how did it feel when you were extracting the energy signature just now?"
"It was... marvelous," Wanda recalled. "My magic was mostly about 'perception' and 'influence' before, but just now, I was using magic to'shape' something, to 'distill' its most essential characteristics, and to strip away all the superfluous parts, keeping only the core'signature.' It was a bit like... molding a very intricate model out of clay."
"And then?" Arthur asked.
"Then I realized that my magic seems to be able to'simulate' that feeling now." Wanda reached out, a point of dark red light glowing at her fingertips. The light changed rapidly, its color and fluctuations becoming somewhat similar to the crystal she had just extracted, though it soon returned to its original state. "Although it's still very rough, I'm on the right track. In the future, if I encounter similar high-level civilization energy, I might be able to analyze it faster, or even... imitate some of its characteristics."
"That's amazing!" Arthur slapped his thigh. "You've unlocked a new branch on your skill tree: 'Energy Signature Imitation Master.' Next time we go out to bluff people, you can be in charge of changing your energy signature to that of a 'high-ranking Kree Empire officer' and scare them to death."
Wanda pushed him with a laugh.
"In all seriousness," Arthur put away his smile and pointed to the prominent red dot on the star map representing the Kree tractor source. "Now that we've figured out this 'model student' neighbor, it's time to focus our firepower on dealing with that'street thug' at our doorstep."
Wanda also looked at the red dot.
"How do you plan to handle it?" she asked.
"First, we need to pinpoint exactly where its lair is," Arthur said. "Knowing the direction isn't enough; we need coordinates. Then, depending on the situation, we'll decide whether to give it a 'magic interference package' remotely or go over for a 'friendly visit' ourselves."
"Go there in person?" Wanda's eyes lit up. "Deep space travel?"
"It's possible," Arthur said. "But we need to be fully prepared. The cosmic environment is different from Earth's. If there's a small Kree Empire fleet lurking there, we'd easily turn into 'takeout delivery' if we rush in."
"Then let's start with reconnaissance," Wanda said. "We'll use the upgraded early warning system, combined with Tony's satellite data, to perform an ultra-long-range precision positioning scan. This time, we won't 'graze' it; we'll go straight for a 'face-to-face' scan."
"Agreed." Arthur sat up straight and began adjusting the new scan parameters on the console. "But we have to be careful this time. That mechanical consciousness almost traced the network connection back to us last time, which means the firewall at its 'home' isn't simple. We need to create a 'disposable mask'—scan and discard, leaving no traces."
"I'll handle the 'mask'," Wanda said. "I'll use Chaos Magicto simulate a random high-level energy fluctuation and wrap it around the scanning signal to confuse the opponent."
"Let's do it," Arthur smiled. "When husband and wife work together, they can cut through metal. Let that Kree'street thug' get a taste of some special attention from Earth's 'helpful citizens.'"
The two of them exchanged a smile, then turned toward the console at the same time.
On the screen, the red dot representing the Kree tractor source seemed to flicker.
It was as if it were responding.
Chapter 74: Don't Know How to Continue Writing
The star map on the screen was still lit, but the purple dot representing the "Guardian" mark was so dim it was almost invisible.
Arthur leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the armrest.
"Tony should have some news by now, right?" Wandaasked.
"Soon." Arthur glanced at the time. "His database 'fuzzy matching' isn't exactly a 'precision scan,' so it'll take some time. But with his computing power, plus Jarvis, it shouldn't take too long."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the console chimed with an incoming encrypted communication.
Arthur tapped to connect.
Tony's face popped up, with the Stark Tower laboratory in the background. He was holding a tablet, his brow furrowed.
"The results are in." Tony got straight to the point. "First, the conclusion: it didn't match perfectly."
"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.
"I scanned every database I could get my hands on, including some non-classified S.H.I.E.L.D. files and public astronomical anomaly records." Tony projected the data stream from his tablet. "The energy patterns have similarities, but they aren't 'like' enough. It's like knowing you need to find a black cat, but the database only has descriptions at the level of 'mammal, four legs, has a tail'—it doesn't match the specific 'cat'."
Wanda leaned closer to the screen to look at the data stream.
"However," Tony pivoted, "I found a few 'unidentified friendly contact records' where the 'flavor' of the energy fluctuations is somewhat similar to the mark your wife sensed. These records all point to the same thing: an interstellar Observer Race network. It's not a specific civilization, but rather more like a shared observation platform set up by a group of 'astronomy enthusiasts'."
"Observer Race network?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "So that mark might just be a 'node' within this network?"
"It's possible." Tony nodded. "If you want to 'pin it down' more accurately, I need more detailed data. Can you provide more magic characteristics regarding that mark? I need a highly purified version—no consciousness fragments, just pure energy characteristics will do. With that, I can try my luck in the 'Sky Screen' database."
"'Sky Screen'?" Arthur asked.
"A highly encrypted cosmic civilization database belonging to S.H.I.E.L.D., codenamed 'Sky Screen'." Tony lowered his voice. "It has some good stuff in there, including records of early contact with Asgard. The clearance level is very high; normally, I wouldn't be able to get in, but if I have precise energy characteristics to use as a 'key,' I can try to 'borrow' temporary access, run a quick comparison, and get out before anyone notices."
Arthur looked at Wanda.
Wanda thought for a moment.
"I can purify a small segment of the energy characteristics, excluding consciousness and retaining only the most basic 'civilization signature'." She said, "Is the risk high?"
"For you, it's just sending a piece of encrypted data." Tonysaid. "For me, it's just a 'friendly technical visit.' As long as the data is precise enough, I can complete the comparison and withdraw before they discover me. The risk is manageable."
"Do it." Arthur didn't hesitate. "Honey, make one, and max out the encryption level."
Wanda nodded and sat down directly on the floor.
She closed her eyes, and dark red magic condensed in her palms. It wasn't the thread-like extensions from before, but rather it contracted inward, forming a continuously rotating, compressing ball of red light.
The ball of light grew smaller and smaller, its color deepening, until it finally turned into a dark red crystal the size of a grain of rice, yet its light was extremely dense.
Wanda opened her eyes, a few beads of sweat on her forehead.
"Here." She handed the crystal to Arthur.
Arthur took it, wrapped it in a layer of golden magicrunes, then connected it to the main console, encrypted and packaged it, and sent it to Tony.
"Data received." Jarvis's rapid-processing electronic voice came from Tony's side. "The characteristics are very clear and of high purity. I am beginning to 'knock on the door'."
The communication was temporarily muted.
Arthur and Wanda waited.
About three minutes passed.
Tony's voice sounded again, with a hint of relief.
"Done." He said. "'Sky Screen' database, temporary access granted, fifteen seconds. Jarvis used the characteristic data you provided to complete a quick comparison. The results have been sent to you."
An encrypted file was transmitted over.
Arthur opened it.
A short report popped up on the screen.
[Match Result: High Correlation.]
[Civilization Origin of Target Mark: Observer Race(Affiliation: Collector, Taneleer Tivan).]
[Behavioral Pattern Record: Strictly neutral observation and recording. No history of active aggression. No intervention in the development history of lower civilizations.]
[Threat Level Assessment: Low (Provisional).]
[Note: This race is one of the important members of the known interstellar Observer Race network, with a wide range of activities and a preference for recording rare civilizations and special energy phenomena.]
"Collector, Taneleer Tivan?" Arthur read the name out loud. "Who is this?"
"The database just mentioned that one line, calling him an 'ancient cosmic entity'." Tony said. "It didn't elaborate on what exactly he does. But the Observer Race under him has a clean record—they just watch and record, they don't fight, and they don't steal things. According to the cosmic civilization code of conduct, they are on the level of a 'model student'."
Wanda looked at the report.
"So, it holds no malice toward us?" She asked.
"At least not for now." Tony said. "Its 'guardian' intent might just be part of its observation protocol, for example, 'ensuring the observation target is not destroyed by a third party, so that recording can continue.' The motivation is very pure—it's just doing research."
Arthur breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good." He said. "At least it's not another enemy. This can be put aside for now."
"That's my thought too." Tony said. "The priority is still that Kree signal in the Centaurus direction you mentioned earlier. That's the one holding a knife and loitering at the doorstep. Do you need me to keep monitoring it with satellites?"
"Keep monitoring it." Arthur said. "We will also start planning our next steps here, whether to sneak over for reconnaissance or find a way to cause some interference."
"Alright, keep me posted on any progress." Tony hung up the communication.
The living room quieted down.
Arthur closed the report, and the screen returned to the star map interface.
The dimmed purple dot was still there, but a new label had appeared next to it: [Observer Race - Harmless].
"Honey," Arthur looked at Wanda, "How did it feel when you were extracting the energy characteristics just now?"
"Very... wonderful." Wanda recalled. "My magic previously was more about'sensing' and 'influencing,' but just now, I was using magic to'shape' something, 'extracting' its most essential characteristics, and removing all the superfluous parts, retaining only the core'signature.' It's a bit like... molding a very intricate model with clay."
"And then?" Arthur asked.
"Then I discovered that my magic seems to be able to'simulate' that feeling." Wanda extended her hand, and a speck of dark red light lit up at her fingertip. The light changed rapidly, its color and fluctuations becoming somewhat similar to the crystal she had extracted earlier, but it quickly returned to its original state. "Although it's still very rough, the direction is right. In the future, if I encounter similar high-level civilization energy, I might be able to analyze it faster, or even... imitate some of its characteristics."
"That's amazing!" Arthur slapped his thigh. "You've unlocked a new branch on your skill tree: 'Energy Characteristic Imitation Master.' In the future, when we go out to bluff people, you can be in charge of faking the energy signature of a 'Kree Empire senior officer' and scare the hell out of them."
Wanda pushed him with a smile.
"In all seriousness." Arthur put away his smile and pointed to the prominent red dot on the star map representing the Kree tractor source. "Now that we've figured out this 'model student' neighbor, it's time to focus our firepower on dealing with that 'loiterer' at the door."
Wanda also looked at that red dot.
"How do you plan to handle it?" She asked.
"First, find out exactly where its lair is." Arthur said. "Knowing the direction isn't enough; we need coordinates. Then we'll see—either give it a 'magic interference combo' remotely, or we go over for a 'friendly visit' ourselves."
"Go there ourselves?" Wanda's eyes lit up. "Deep space travel?"
"It's possible." Arthur said. "But we need to be fully prepared. The cosmic environment is nothing like Earth; if there happens to be a small Kree Empire fleet lurking there, and we rush over, we might end up being 'takeout delivered to their door'."
"Then let's start with reconnaissance." Wanda said. "Use the upgraded early warning system, combined with Tony's satellite data, to perform an ultra-long-range precision positioning scan. This time we won't 'graze' it; we'll go straight for the 'face'."
"Agreed." Arthur straightened up and began to pull up the new scanning parameters on the console. "But we need to be careful this time. That mechanical consciousness almost traced us back through the network cable last time, which means the firewall at its 'home' isn't simple. We need to create a 'disposable mask,' scan, and then throw it away, leaving no trace."
"I'll handle the 'mask'." Wanda said. "I'll use Chaos Magicto simulate a random high-level energy fluctuation and wrap it around the scanning signal to confuse the other party."
"That's the plan." Arthur smiled. "United, we are unstoppable. Let that Kree 'loiterer' get a taste of some special attention from Earth's 'concerned citizens'."
The two looked at each other and smiled, then turned to the console simultaneously.
On the screen, the red dot representing the Kree tractor source seemed to flicker.
As if in response.
Chapter 75: This Chapter Was Written by AI
The red dot on the screen representing the Kree tractor source was still blinking, but Arthur had already closed the star map interface and switched to another encrypted file.
"Let's put that aside for now," Arthur said. "That'street loafer' at the door won't be able to find their way here for a while, so let's first deal with another 'clogged sewer' at home."
Wanda leaned in to look at the screen.
On the screen was a string of complex magic coordinates, along with a bunch of energy fluctuation analysis charts.
"Dormammu's node?" Wanda asked.
"Yes," Arthur nodded. "The coordinates I dug out from the memories of those 'claws' earlier—Ancient Oneconfirmed them. After Odin's seal stabilized, Dormammu's true form couldn't get through, but these 'little water pipes' are still leaking 'dirty water' into Earth."
Wanda stared at the energy charts for a while.
"The energy leakage rate isn't fast," she said, "but it's very steady. Like mold spots in the corner of an old house—you can't see it in a day, but in a month, it's a whole patch."
"So it has to be dealt with," Arthur said. "The question is, how? Going over and smashing the 'water pipe' directly is simple and brutal, but it might trigger a 'pipe burst' and splash 'dirty water' all over our faces. Or… we find a way to purify the 'water' and then weld the 'water pipe' shut."
Wanda's eyes lit up.
"Purify?" she asked. "Using my magic?"
"Your Chaos Magic naturally has the foundation for 'rewriting reality'," Arthur said. "Combined with the 'order' framework of my Supreme Magic, we might actually be able to 'bleach' that Dark Dimension energy and then sever its connection to the Dark Dimension."
"Should we try it?" Wanda was a bit excited.
"We need to see what the 'water pipe' actually looks like first," Arthur said, pulling up the warning system's operation interface. "Let's scan these coordinates with the system and see what the situation is over there."
Wanda sat down directly, dark red threads of magicflowing from her fingertips and connecting to the main console.
Arthur set the coordinate parameters and started the scan.
The energy charts on the screen refreshed rapidly.
Thirty seconds later, the scan results were out.
Arthur looked at the chart and frowned.
"The situation is worse than I thought," he said. "This isn't just a simple 'leak point'; it has developed into a small 'rift'. Dark energy is pouring out like fog, and there are… guards around it? The energy readings show a few 'guard dogs' squatting next to the rift."
Wanda also saw those red dots representing the guards.
"Can we go around them?" she asked.
"We can't go around," Arthur shook his head. "'Purification' requires contact with the core; we must get close to the rift. Those 'guard dogs' will definitely pounce on us."
"Then you're in charge of 'walking the dogs'," Wanda said. "I'll be in charge of'scrubbing the floor'."
Arthur chuckled. "Alright, clear division of labor. How do you plan to'scrub' it?"
Wanda thought for a moment.
"First, I'll use Chaos Magic to construct a purification array to cover the rift core," she said. "Then, I'll slowly strip away the connection between the dark energy and the dimension, and finally, lead out the purified energy or disperse it directly. The key is to be steady, not rush; if I rush, it's easy for it to explode."
"I'll protect you," Arthur said. "Leave those 'guard dogs' to me. If Dormammu dares to reach a 'hand' over across dimensions, I'll chop his 'hand' off."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
"Operation codename?" Wanda asked.
"'Source Cut'," Arthur said. "Cut off the source of this 'dirty water'."
With the plan set, the two immediately began preparations.
Arthur checked his status; his Kryptonian Energy was full, and his magic runes could be activated at any time.
Wanda began to simulate the construction process of the purification array in her mind, the threads of magic at her fingertips constantly changing shape as if rehearsing.
An hour later.
"Ready?" Arthur asked.
"Ready," Wanda nodded.
Arthur reached out and held Wanda's hand, while his other hand drew a golden Portal in front of them.
On the other side of the door was a twisted, dark purple space, where one could vaguely see a constantly writhing black rift, along with the silhouettes of several monsters made of condensed dark energy lingering around it.
"Let's go."
The two stepped through the Portal.
Their landing point was a floating rubble platform in the void. Fifty meters ahead, that black rift looked like a wound, constantly oozing viscous dark energy. Six dark guards resembling octopuses but covered in spikes immediately discovered them, let out silent roars, and pounced over.
"Let's get to work." Arthur let go of Wanda's hand, his entire body turning into a streak of golden light as he slammed directly into the six guards.
Wanda didn't look at her husband's side; all her attention was focused on the rift.
Dark red Chaos Magic surged out from her, but instead of spreading aggressively, it began to weave and construct before her as if it had a life of its own.
A complex, layered dark red array gradually took shape and slowly floated toward the rift's core.
Over on Arthur's side, he was already fighting the guards.
He didn't use heat vision or freeze breath; it was pure hand-to-hand combat supplemented by magic. One punch per guard, he smashed the pouncing dark guards away, then bound them with golden magic chains and threw them far away.
His movements were clean and efficient, like a seasoned "cleaner".
Wanda's array successfully covered the rift core.
The dark red light began to erode the black energy fog.
"Stripping begins," Wanda said softly, her hands held in a phantom grip, as if manipulating invisible threads.
The rift began to tremble violently.
More dark energy surged from the depths, attempting to resist the purification. Those guards that Arthur had knocked away also pounced back, even more frantically.
Arthur clicked his tongue.
"Still coming?" His speed suddenly increased, leaving several afterimages in place, and in an instant, he kicked all six guards to the edge of the platform. Then, clapping his hands together, a massive golden magic shield expanded, covering the front half of the platform and blocking all the guards outside.
"Honey, hurry," Arthur said. "I'll hold them off outside."
Wanda didn't reply; all her focus was on the array.
The stripping process was harder than she had imagined. The dark energy seemed alive, biting onto the dimensional connection and refusing to let go. Her magic consumption was rapid.
Just then, a terrifying pressure of will came from the depths of the rift.
A cold, greedy, and destructive consciousness swept across the platform.
Dormammu had noticed.
"You're courting death!" Arthur's eyes turned cold. He immediately withdrew the shield, shot into the sky, and punched in the direction from which that consciousness was attacking!
Golden magic energy mixed with Krypton power, forming a thick beam of light that slammed fiercely into the depths of the rift!
The void shook.
That consciousness was forced to retreat by this punch.
But the counterattack also came.
Even more massive dark energy erupted from the rift, directly impacting Wanda's purification array!
Wanda's face went pale; the array shook violently and nearly collapsed.
"Hold on!" Arthur landed beside her, one hand pressing on her shoulder as he poured pure magic energy into her body.
Wanda gritted her teeth, the dark red light in her eyes flaring brightly.
She no longer tried to strip it away slowly but changed her strategy.
"Scatter!"
The dark red array suddenly contracted inward and then exploded outward!
It wasn't a physical explosion, but a pure magic purification shockwave!
The black energy fog, like snow meeting the scorching sun, rapidly melted, faded, and finally turned into countless light spots, dissipating into the void.
At the core of the rift, that most dense mass of dark energy was also swept by the purification shockwave, its color changing from pitch black to grayish-white, and then becoming completely transparent.
The rift lost its energy support and began to close rapidly.
A few seconds later, that "wound" completely disappeared, leaving only a calm void in its place.
Wanda's legs went weak, and she nearly sat on the ground.
Arthur quickly steadied her.
"How are you?" he asked.
"I'm fine… just a little drained." Wanda leaned against him, catching her breath. "But… we succeeded. The core is purified, and the connection is severed."
Arthur looked at the location where the rift had been and scanned it with magic perception.
Indeed, the source of the dark energy was gone, with only a few traces remaining, which would soon dissipate naturally.
"Beautiful," Arthur hugged her tighter. "Let's go home."
He drew a Portal and stepped through it with Wanda.
Back at their home in Brooklyn, Wanda collapsed directly onto the sofa.
Arthur poured her a glass of water, then sat back down at the main console, pulled up the warning system, and rescanned those coordinates.
The scan results showed that the energy readings at the coordinates had returned to calm, with no further abnormalities.
"The threat is temporarily averted," Arthur said. "This 'water pipe' is completely welded shut."
Wanda took a sip of water, recovering a little.
"Will Dormammu retaliate?" she asked.
"He definitely will," Arthur said. "But he won't be able to find a new 'water pipe' in the short term. Odin's seal is still there, so his true form can't get through; he can only stare helplessly. But we need to stay vigilant and keep an eye on dimensional fluctuations with the warning system."
Wanda nodded, then looked at her hands.
Just now, at the final moment of purification, her magicseemed to… break through a bottleneck.
Previously, using Chaos Magic was more about "influencing" and "changing," but just now, she was truly "purifying" a high-level, alien dark energy.
It felt… very different.
"I think… I've become a little stronger again," Wanda said.
Arthur walked over and ruffled her hair.
"That's a given," he laughed. "My wife, naturally gifted."
Wanda also smiled and leaned against him.
The two sat quietly for a while, watching the night view of New York outside the window.
Home was very safe.
But in the Universe, there were still many "dirty water pipes" waiting for them to plug.
However, there was no rush.
Take it slow.
Chapter 76: So Annoying
Wanda leaned against Arthur, just about to say something, when a sharp "beep-beep" sound suddenly rang out in the living room.
It wasn't a communication notification, but the main alarm of the early warning system.
Arthur sat up straight in a flash, reached out toward the console, and pulled the screen over from a distance.
Wanda leaned over to look as well.
On the screen, the map of New York City automatically zoomed in, locking onto an area in the Bronx. A glaring, pulsing red dot was flashing there, with a bunch of data popping up next to it.
"Gamma energy readings... off the charts." Arthur stared at the data. "These fluctuation patterns... look familiar."
Wanda glanced at the energy waveform graph: "It looks a lot like the one we sensed in Brazil."
"Hulk," Arthur said. "Dr. Banner is 'online' again, and this time he's quite angry. The location is in downtown New York City."
Before he could finish, a real-time surveillance feed popped up in the corner of the screen. It was footage retrieved by the system from nearby traffic cameras—a bit blurry, but clear enough to see.
A giant green figure was at an intersection, kicking up dust as he fought a squad of people wearing black heavy-duty tactical gear who didn't look like ordinary soldiers. A building next to them had half its wall collapsed, and several cars on the street had been flipped over.
"The the military?" Wanda frowned. "The equipment isn't right. Those weapons..."
"Energy weapons, and enhanced exoskeletons." Arthurnarrowed his eyes. "General Ross has really gone all out, creating a'super soldier' squad to catch Hulk. They're probably named 'Thunderbolt' or'Storm' or something; that's the usual trope."
He watched as Hulk punched a modified soldier, equipment and all, into the ground, and shook his head.
"But it doesn't look very effective. It's purely sending 'XP packs' to Hulk, while tearing down the neighborhood in the process."
Wanda asked: "Are you going?"
"Going." Arthur stood up. "If they keep fighting like this in the city, the casualties and destruction will get out of control. And..."
He pointed to an old man standing next to an armored command vehicle, roaring into a walkie-talkie on the screen.
"Ross is there in person. With his style, if he's pushed too far, he really might use something even nastier in the city. I have to go control the'situation' and see if I can 'rescue' Dr. Banner."
"Be careful," Wanda said. "Tell me if you need remote support."
"Just keep an eye on the system for me and make sure no other 'mischief' pops up in the chaos," Arthur said, walking to the open space in the living room and drawing a circle in front of him.
A golden Portal sparking with fire opened with a "swish."
Sounds of explosions and roars came from the other side of the door.
Arthur stepped through.
The Bronx, intersection.
Hulk had just thrown a modified soldier, smashing through an armored vehicle. He was panting heavily, his green skin covered in dust and a few scorch Marks from the energy weapons. But the rage in his eyes burned even brighter.
General Ross roared into the microphone inside the command vehicle: "Thunderbolt squad, don't let him break out of the encirclement! Prepare the heavy pulse cannons! Fire!"
A few modified soldiers carrying something like a large cannon began to charge it, the blue light humming.
Hulk sensed the threat, turned to face the muzzle, growled, tensed his muscles, and prepared to take the hit.
Just then, the soldier carrying the cannon suddenly felt his hands go light.
That heavy pulse cannon was gone.
It was as if it had been snatched away out of thin air by an invisible hand.
The soldier was stunned and looked around.
Hulk was also stunned.
Then, a loud "boom" came from afar.
Everyone turned to look.
A few blocks away, on the roof of an abandoned warehouse, the pulse cannon was stuck crookedly, smoking. It was clearly "thrown" from here, but no one saw how it was thrown.
General Ross saw it too, his face turning livid: "What's going on? Who did this?!"
No one answered.
Hulk didn't care about that. With the threat temporarily gone, his attention returned to the soldiers in front of him, and he punched again.
The battle continued.
But then, strange things happened one after another.
A soldier just raised his energy rifle to aim, and the barrel suddenly bent ninety degrees.
Another soldier jumped up wanting to use his exoskeleton-enhanced leg to kick Hulk, but while in mid-air, one leg of the exoskeleton went "crack," the joint locked, and he fell flat on his face.
The turret of a heavy armored vehicle inexplicably turned, aiming at an empty lot nearby.
The communication antenna of General Ross's command vehicle snapped with a "pop."
The scene was somewhat comical for a moment.
As Hulk fought, he also felt something was off. The weapons and coordination that used to cause him a bit of trouble were now a mess. His pressure was greatly reduced, but his anger also cooled slightly because his opponents became "noobs."
He instinctively felt that there was a "thing" in the shadows helping him, or at least, helping him swat away those annoying "flies."
But this feeling was faint and elusive.
General Ross was about to go crazy. He shouted into the walkie-talkie: "It must be that 'Guardian'! He's nearby! Use the life detector and find him for me!"
Arthur was currently invisible on the roof of a building at the edge of the battlefield, watching the chaos below.
"Find me? Using magic to turn invisible is basic stuff, okay." He curled his lips. "But the soothing magic isn't working very well."
He had just tried using a mental soothing spell taught by the Ancient One on Hulk, trying to calm him down.
The result was like trying to put out a forest fire with a cup of Water; it was useless. Hulk's rage this time was much more intense than in Brazil.
"Looks like I can only clear the field physically and then create a 'retreat' channel for Dr. Banner."
Arthur looked toward the Hudson River.
He quietly changed the traffic lights at several key intersections nearby, creating a relatively clear "path" to the river. Then, he released a very weak, directional magicfluctuation toward Hulk.
It wasn't control, but more like a suggestion, an instinctual guidance that "it's safer over there."
Hulk, who was lifting a car, paused.
He turned his head to look toward the Hudson River, a flash of confusion in his green eyes, but more of a beast's intuitive judgment of a dangerous environment—it wasn't fun fighting here anymore, and that "thing" in the shadows seemed to be pointing that way.
"Hulk!"
He smashed another soldier and then leaped fiercely.
This jump spanned several blocks and landed toward the bank of the Hudson River.
"The target is moving toward the Hudson River! Chase! Don't let him get into the water!" General Ross roared.
The modified soldier squad and armored vehicles started immediately and chased after him.
Arthur then teleported directly, arriving one step ahead at a hidden corner by the riverbank.
As soon as he landed, he heard a "boom."
Hulk's huge figure crashed onto the riverbank less than fifty meters from him, kicking up a cloud of dust.
But immediately after, the green on Hulk's body began to fade at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his massive body shrank, turning back into a man wearing only torn pants—unconscious—Bruce Banner.
Arthur immediately sensed the surroundings, confirming that the pursuers were still some distance away.
He walked over quickly and checked on Banner's condition.
Breathing was weak, pulse was fast, extremely weak, typical post-transformation sequelae.
"Well, picked up a'Sleeping Beauty' Doctor"
Arthur reached out to help Banner up, and his other hand drew a circle.
The golden Portal appeared again.
He took Banner and stepped inside.
Less than a minute after the door closed, General Ross's motorcade rushed to the riverbank.
"Where is he?!" General Ross got out of the car, looking at the empty riverbank, with only the large crater smashed by Hulk's landing, and kicked the armored vehicle in anger. "He got away again! Search! Turn the place upside down!"
He picked up the walkie-talkie: "Connect to headquarters, I need higher clearance, use the latest results of 'The Cradle' project! Next time, I will definitely drag that green monster, and that guy hiding in the shadows making trouble, out together!"
Brooklyn, Arthur's safe house.
This wasn't their usual home, but another hidden point arranged.
Arthur put Banner on the bed and covered him with a blanket.
Then he walked to the side and connected to Tony's encrypted line.
"Tony, busy?"
"Improving the reactor efficiency of Mark 7, what's up? Found aliens peeking again?" Tony's voice came through.
"Not that. It's a local'specialty'." Arthur said. "Hulk just had a fight with General Ross's 'new toys' in the Bronx, it was a bit of a scene. Dr. Banner is with me now, unconscious."
Tony was quiet for two seconds.
"...You said who is with you?" Tony asked.
"Bruce Banner, Hulk, that physicist." Arthur said. "General Ross made a modified soldier squad called something like 'Thunderbolt', the equipment is quite intimidating, but useless, and he almost used heavy weapons in the city. I rescued Banner."
"That stubborn old man Ross!" Tony cursed. "I've heard of his experiments, they are immature and have a high risk factor. How is Banner now?"
"Weak, unconscious, but vital signs are stable. It's not very convenient for me to keep him for a long time." Arthursaid. "Your side... any interest in hosting this 'irritable' Doctor? Your building's defense should be okay, and you are both scientists, maybe you have common language."
Tony thought for a moment: "Okay. I'll have Jarvis prepare an isolation medical room, absolutely quiet, ensuring no sources of stimulation. When are you sending him over?"
"When he wakes up, I'll ask for his opinion. Besides," Arthur's tone became a bit serious, "You'd better find a way to get a word to General Ross, or apply pressure through your channels. His operation this time was too aggressive, using that level of modified soldiers and energy weapons in the city, next time he might really use more outrageous stuff. Banner is a hidden danger, but Ross's approach is another hidden danger."
"Understood." Tony said. "I will handle it. Tell me when Banner wakes up, I'll send someone to pick him up, or you can send him over directly."
"Okay."
Hanging up, Arthur contacted Wanda at home.
"Wife, I'm done here, Dr. Banner is at the safe house. Help me use magic to interfere, don't let the the military trace to the vicinity based on residual traces."
"Already doing it." Wanda's voice came through. "I used Chaos Magic to disrupt the energy residues and all possible tracking clues on that riverbank. General Ross's people should be like headless flies now."
"Beautiful." Arthur laughed. "My wife is still the most reliable."
He walked back to the bedside.
Banner's eyelids on the bed moved, then he slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were confused at first, then quickly became vigilant. He propped himself up wanting to sit up, but was powerless, and fell back again.
"Don't be nervous, Dr. Banner." Arthur spoke, his tone as calm as possible. "You are very safe now. I am... well, considered an assistant to the The Ancient One. You transformed in the Bronx and clashed with the the military, I happened to pass by and took you away from the scene."
Banner stared at Arthur, his eyes full of suspicion and distrust, as well as deep exhaustion.
"Sorcerer... Ancient One?" His voice was hoarse. "I don't know any sorcerer. What do you want? Hand me over to the the military? Or want to study me?"
"Neither." Arthur pulled up a chair and sat down. "I have no interest in slicing you up, and I'm not with General Rosseither. Getting you out was just because I didn't want to see you beaten to death in the city or cause greater destruction. Besides, I know a guy who might be able to provide you with some... relatively safe shelter, and some ideas to solve the problem."
"Who?"
"Tony Stark."
Banner was stunned for a moment: "Iron Man?"
"Yes. He said on the communication just now that he can prepare an absolutely quiet isolation room for you, ensuring no sources of stimulation. His place has decent defense, even if General Ross wants to force his way in, he has to weigh it." Arthur said. "Of course, it's up to you whether to go or not. If you want to leave now, the door is over there, I won't stop you. But with your current state, you might faint before walking two blocks, and then be picked up by Ross's people."
Banner was silent for a long time.
He looked at the simple but unfamiliar environment around him, and then at Arthur.
This person saved him, but his motives were unknown. He had heard of Stark's reputation, a genius, a billionaire, and also a superhero.
Staying here, the future is uncertain. Going to find Stark... seems to be an option, at least better than falling into Ross's hands.
"How... do I go?" Banner finally asked in a low voice.
"If you agree, I can send you over, or have Stark send someone to pick you up." Arthur said. "I suggest choosing the latter, your current state is not suitable for experiencing any more 'teleportation', I'm afraid of stimulating 'that roommate' of yours."
Banner smiled bitterly: "Then... thank you for the trouble."
Arthur nodded, took out his phone and sent an encrypted message to Tony.
"Arranged, Stark's people will be here soon. Before that, get some rest. Don't worry, this place is very hidden."
Banner lay back down, closed his eyes, but his tense muscles showed he hadn't relaxed.
Arthur didn't say anything more, walked to the window, and looked outside.
General Ross must be furious right now.
And that "Thunderbolt" squad of his, the source of technology for those modified soldiers... a bit interesting.
It seems the mess of "The Cradle" project is spreading wider than imagined.
Not only Hydra is eyeing it, but even regular the military units have started using it.
The days ahead, I'm afraid, won't be peaceful.
Chapter 77: Throwing Out the Trash
Wanda stared at the star map on the screen. The red dot representing the Kree tractor source in the direction of Centaurus was pulsing rhythmically, like a broken heart.
"Something's wrong," she said suddenly.
"What's wrong?" Arthur turned to look at her.
"Its 'heartbeat'," Wanda pointed to the energy waveform refreshing next to the red dot. "It's not the 'hit and run' pattern of a reconnaissance scan. It's… tagging."
Arthur leaned in to look. "Tagging?"
"Yes." Wanda extended her hand, and dark red light lit up at her fingertips. The light seemed alive, simulating the undulations of the waveform on the screen. "Look at this energy release rhythm. After every peak, it leaves a faint 'anchor point' that lasts a long time, and the energy structure is extremely stable. This isn't reconnaissance; it's 'driving a nail' into the target area, marking it for something that will follow—perhaps a guidance signal, or maybe strike coordinates."
Arthur's expression darkened.
"So it's not peeping, it's casing the joint?" he asked.
"Worse than casing the joint," Wanda said. "Casing is just checking the terrain and leaving. This is like painting a 'Demolish' sign on your front door with spray paint, telling you they're coming to tear the house down in a couple of days."
"Damn," Arthur cursed. "These Kree are quite polite. They actually send a 'notice' before demolition?"
He sat back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest.
"We can't let it keep'spray painting'," Arthur said. "We need to kick over its 'paint bucket'."
"How?" Wanda asked. "We're so far away, and we don't have a spaceship."
"Use magic 'express delivery'," Arthur said. "We'll conduct an ultra-long-range projection, simulating a dimensional disturbance to overwrite its marking signal. Make it think this area has 'bad reception', or simply that 'this road is blocked'."
Wanda's eyes lit up. "Will it work?"
"Let's try it." Arthur stood up. "You're in charge of perception and guidance; I'll handle the energy projection and defense. It's just like the last time we traced the source, but this time we're going to 'make trouble', not 'peek'."
"Alright." Wanda also stood up. "What do we need to prepare?"
"Turn the early warning system to maximum power and lock onto the precise coordinates of that red dot," Arthursaid. "Then, we'll hold hands and send that Kree'demolition crew' a'surprise gift package'."
The two walked to the open area in the living room.
Wanda sat down first. Dark red Chaos Magic surged from her, connecting to the surrounding master console like countless fine threads. The star map on the screen zoomed in instantly; the red dot's coordinates were precisely locked, and streams of data scrolled past.
"Coordinates locked," Wanda said. "The structure of the energy marking 'anchor points' has also been analyzed. There are seven main nodes distributed in a web-like pattern."
"Good." Arthur sat opposite her and reached out his hand. "Grab me."
Wanda took his hand.
Arthur closed his eyes. Golden magic runes began to emerge on his body, flowing like living tattoos. His other hand traced through the air, and a complex golden magiccircle slowly formed in front of them—not a Portal, but a constantly rotating energy focusing device.
"Wife, 'feed' the target coordinates and node structure to the magic circle," Arthur said.
"Sending now." Wanda concentrated. The coordinate information and energy structure she perceived flowed directly into the magic circle Arthur had constructed through their joined hands.
The light of the golden magic circle grew brighter, and a tiny, constantly twisting spatial vortex began to appear in the center.
"Projection starting," Arthur said in a low voice.
The spatial vortex in the center of the magic circle expanded violently. An invisible energy fluctuation, mixing the characteristics of Chaos Magic and Supreme Magic, shot toward the target coordinates in the direction of Centaurus, faster than the speed of light.
There was no sound during this process, but Wanda could feel a massive amount of energy being drained from Arthur, passing through the magic circle and shooting into deep space.
Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Thirty seconds.
Suddenly, Wanda's body shuddered.
"There's a reaction!" she said. "The marking signal is being interfered with and is starting to glitch… Wait, it's fighting back!"
Arthur felt it too.
A cold, mechanical, and hostile consciousness rushed back along the energy channel they had projected. It wasn't a biological consciousness, but more like a pre-set defense program that activated automatically upon detecting an anomaly, beginning to track the source of the interference.
"The firewall is here," Arthur said. "Wife, stabilize your perception. Don't let it trace our IP address along the 'internet cable'."
He clenched his free hand abruptly.
A thick layer of golden magic barrier instantly formed around the outer edge of the energy channel, blocking the first impact of the mechanical consciousness like a shield.
The barrier vibrated violently, emitting a low, humming sound.
"Can you hold it?" Wanda asked.
"Easy," Arthur grinned. "This thing's attack pattern is very dull. It only has three tricks: impact, scan, and counter. Watch how I 'glitch' it."
He controlled the magic barrier, constantly changing its energy structure. Each time, just a split second before the mechanical consciousness was about to complete a scan or countermeasure, he would change the barrier's properties, making the opponent's data analysis always a step behind.
Wanda wasn't idle. While Arthur drew the fire, she focused part of her attention on the interfered marking signal.
"I'm trying to reverse-engineer it," she said. "Let's see if I can dig out something useful from its counter-signal."
"Be careful," Arthur reminded her. "Don't get infected by a 'virus'."
"I know."
Wanda's Chaos Magic, like the most nimble of tentacles, carefully reached out through the gaps in the barrier to touch the counter-signal of the mechanical consciousness.
In an instant, a massive amount of information fragments flooded in.
It wasn't language or images, but a more direct "data sensation".
She "saw" the rugged, angular outlines of a starship, with its energy core emitting a ghostly blue light.
She "perceived" several fixed patrol routes, tracing cold trajectories in deep space.
She also "touched" a complex IFF code, and… an undisguised rejection and hostility toward "non-Kreelifeforms".
"Got it!" Wanda said. "Partial ship energy signatures, patrol route fragments, and…"
Before she could finish, the mechanical consciousness seemed to detect her prying, and the intensity of its counterattack suddenly spiked!
A colder, sharper mental shock stabbed toward Wanda's consciousness like an awl!
Wanda let out a muffled groan, her face turning pale.
But the next second, the dark red light on her flared brightly.
The mental shock slammed into her Chaos Magic shield, like an ice cube crashing into magma, quickly melting and evaporating without even a splash.
"That's it?" Wanda blinked, a bit surprised. "I thought it would be tougher."
Arthur chuckled. "Not bad, wife. You've basically maxed out your resistance to this kind of 'deus ex machina' mental attack."
"It's too 'rigid'," Wanda said. "It's all pre-set programs, no spirituality. My magic seems to… specifically counter this kind of stiff stuff."
As they spoke, the interference on Arthur's end reached its conclusion.
The energy fluctuation he controlled successfully covered five of the seven marking nodes. Although the remaining two weren't completely covered, their signals were in such a chaotic mess that they essentially lost their coordinate positioning function.
"That's enough," Arthur said. "If we keep playing, it'll call for its 'parents'. Retreat!"
He decisively cut off the energy projection.
The golden magic circle in front of them dimmed and then dissipated.
The mechanical consciousness that had been tracking them back also retreated rapidly after losing its target, disappearing without a trace.
The living room quieted down.
Wanda let go of Arthur's hand. There was a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead, but her eyes were bright.
"Did it work?" she asked.
"The marking signal is scrambled for now." Arthurbrought up the monitoring interface of the early warning system and looked at the red dot representing the Kreetractor source. "But it's still there; it hasn't disappeared. This means we only interfered with the'spray painting', not smashed the 'paint factory'. But in the short term, it shouldn't be able to continue precise positioning."
"What I managed to parse." Wanda imported the information she had just obtained directly into the master console via magic.
A bunch of new data popped up on the screen: several blurry energy outline maps of starships, several fragmented deep space routes, and a complex set of code fragments.
"Kree Empire patrol ships, no doubt about it." Arthurlooked at the outline maps. "This design, these energy signatures, they are identical to those in the database. The patrol route… it looks like they depart from an outpost in Centaurus and regularly sweep the outskirts of the Solar System."
He pointed to the code. "This is the most valuable part. The IFF code, although incomplete, is enough for Tony to analyze a lot of things."
"What now?" Wanda asked.
"Sync it to Tony," Arthur said. "The situation has escalated from 'aliens might be peeping' to 'aliens have already drawn demolition lines at our front door'. We need to get him to hurry up and start planning the Earth orbital defense system; we can't delay any longer."
He connected to Tony's encrypted line.
A few seconds later, Tony's face popped up. The background was still the lab, but he was holding a cup of coffee and looked a bit tired.
"What is it now?" Tony asked. "Did Hulk tear up the house again? Or is Hydra up to new tricks?"
"More exciting than that," Arthur said. "An alien 'demolition crew' came to draw lines."
He quickly and simply recounted the analysis and interference operation from earlier, then bundled the parsed data and sent it over.
After listening, Tony stopped drinking his coffee, set the cup down, and his expression became serious.
"Energy marking? Pre-deployment coordinates?" He stared at the data on the screen. "Are you sure?"
"My wife's perception is more reliable than your satellite radar," Arthur said. "And we just had a run-in with its 'firewall'. It's pure mechanical consciousness, with dull attack patterns but strong defense. This isn't something a reconnaissance squad could do; this requires support from a rear base."
Tony quickly browsed the data Arthur sent. Jarvis's voice sounded from the side: "Sir, the energy outline matching rate is 87%, highly consistent with the known Kree Empire 'Sentinel-class' patrol ship characteristics. Analysis of the patrol route fragments indicates that its operational range has reached the outer edge of the Kuiper Belt. The IFF code is standard for the Kree Empire's Seventh Legion…"
"That's enough, Jarvis, I get it." Tony interrupted it and looked at Arthur. "The situation has indeed escalated. Before, it was just a 'potential threat'; now it's 'pre-deployment'. These Kree really treat the Solar System like their own backyard."
"So your 'Earth Defense War' plan needs to speed up," Arthur said. "At least get the orbital monitoring and basic defense framework set up first. Don't wait until their fleet arrives while we're still arguing over 'which model of missile to use'."
"It's already in the works," Tony said. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has… significant resistance, bureaucracy, you know how it is. But with this intelligence from you guys, I can slam it on some people's desks and tell them, 'Either pay up now to build a defense line, or wait for the aliens to come and collect protection money'."
"Do what you have to do," Arthur said. "Give a shout if you need support from the magic side. Also, I've given you the patrol route fragments; find a way to have your satellites focus on monitoring those areas to see if you can catch them in the act."
"Understood." Tony nodded. "You guys be careful too. This interference was successful, but it might alert the enemy. The Kree Empire aren't fools; they'll discover the marking was interfered with, and they might strengthen reconnaissance later, or… switch to a more covert method."
"Let them come," Arthur smiled. "Anyway, our family has rich experience in 'demolition'. We've even dismantled Hydra's 'The Cradle', so this won't be any different."
Tony also smiled. "Alright, keep the comms open. Let me know if there are any new developments."
He hung up the call.
Arthur leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
Wanda sat down beside him.
"Tired?" she asked.
"A little," Arthur said. "Ultra-long-range magicprojection is more mentally draining than fighting. But it was worth it; at least we figured out the opponent's intentions and managed to dig out some intel."
"My magic…" Wanda looked at her hands. "It seems particularly effective against that kind of mechanical stuff. That mental shock earlier—before, I might have fainted, but now, I didn't feel a thing."
"You're just gifted," Arthur hugged her. "Chaos Magic, rewriting reality—it's inherently incompatible with those stiff programs. If we ever really go to war with the Kree Empire, you'll be our 'anti-AI special forces'."
Wanda smiled and leaned on his shoulder.
The two sat quietly for a while, looking at the red dot on the screen that had temporarily gone quiet.
"It will come again," Wanda said.
"I know," Arthur said. "But next time it comes, we'll be better prepared. Tony will get moving, and our early warning system will continue to upgrade."
He paused.
"And, I have an idea."
"What idea?"
"Since they can 'draw lines' at our front door," Arthursaid, "then can't we… go to their front door and 'throw out some trash'?"
Wanda looked up, her eyes lighting up again.
"You mean… reverse tagging? Or interfering with their communication network?"
"We'll have to figure out the specifics," Arthur said. "But we can't always be on the receiving end without fighting back. We have to let them know that Earth isn't a pushover, and that we have 'concerned citizens' here who specialize in dealing with all sorts of dissatisfaction."
Wanda laughed out loud.
"Then next time," she said, "I'll be in charge of 'throwing out the trash', and you'll be in charge of keeping watch."
"Deal."