From Tony Stark's announcement that Stark Industries would shut down its weapons division, to his battles in New York as Iron Man, and finally, to the globally broadcast congressional hearing a few days ago...
The more Wanda saw, the deeper her confusion grew.
The confident, arrogant hero who saved the world on TV — Iron Man — was completely different from the Tony Stark in Henry's memories, the one tormented by guilt and pain. And that was also nothing like the cold, ruthless arms dealer she and her brother had hated for years.
Which one… was the real Tony Stark?
"Maybe… maybe they were right," Wanda said softly, her voice uncertain. "Maybe we really have been hating the wrong person all this time."
"So what?" Pietro leapt down from the bed, pacing irritably around the room.
"Even if HYDRA started the war, the weapons were still made by Stark! If it weren't for their bombs, our parents wouldn't have died!"
His voice rose with emotion — the collar around his neck flashed red, discharging a light electric current that made him jolt and instantly calm down.
"Calm down, Pietro," Wanda frowned. "Don't forget where we are right now."
Pietro slammed a fist against the wall in frustration, but an invisible energy field absorbed the impact with ease.
"I just… can't accept it." He leaned weakly against the wall, his tone hollow. "For ten years, revenge was the only reason we kept going. But now they're saying we've been targeting the wrong people this whole time. Then what the hell was the point of these ten years?"
Wanda fell silent. She felt the same way.
At that moment, the TV screen in their room suddenly lit up on its own.
On the screen appeared a face both familiar and unfamiliar — Tony Stark.
But this time, he wasn't at a press conference or in a lab.
He was wearing his red-and-gold armor, hovering in midair, with a burning wasteland behind him.
"Ladies and gentlemen… and all you HYDRA scum hiding in your dark little holes," Tony's voice carried through global networks, reaching every corner of the world with crystal clarity.
"Good day. I'm Tony Stark. And I'm sure many of you are wondering why I'm making such a big scene today."
The camera zoomed out, revealing that he was standing in a mountain base — or what used to be one. Now, it was an inferno.
"Just a few minutes ago," Tony continued, his voice laced with mocking amusement, "my brother and I did a little cleanup here. And we found some… interesting things. For example—"
He held up a metal badge marked with a skull and tentacles.
"Yeah. These old fossils that should've been thrown into history's trash bin long ago."
"So, I've decided to launch a charity event." He grinned confidently.
"I call it… The Global Pest Extermination Project."
"From today, Stark Industries will establish a special fund — a bounty system for all HYDRA-related intelligence. Anyone who provides valid information leading to the destruction of a HYDRA base will be handsomely rewarded."
"And," his tone hardened, eyes gleaming like steel,
"To every HYDRA member still out there — this is your final warning."
"Wash your necks clean."
"Because…"
"We're coming for you."
The transmission ended abruptly.
Silence filled the hospital room.
Wanda and Pietro stared blankly at the now-idle screen, their minds completely blank.
They had… really declared war on HYDRA?
...
Nighttime — Malibu Beach Villa, Laboratory.
"I gotta say, that speech wasn't half bad," Henry leaned back in his chair, munching on a donut as he watched Tony's global broadcast. "Especially that 'wash your necks' line — pure gold. I bet every HYDRA agent in the world is panic-buying shampoo and body wash right now."
"That's called artistic intimidation," Tony said smugly, removing his armor and grabbing a cup of coffee.
"I want those rats in the dark to understand that their end is coming. I want them to live every second in fear — waiting for our judgment."
"This guy…" Henry rolled his eyes at Tony's smug expression.
When it came to narcissism, Tony was truly unmatched.
Still, the bigger the commotion, the better — the louder they roared, the faster HYDRA would panic. Pierce and his old cronies would eventually expose themselves.
"So, where's our next stop?" Henry asked, swallowing the last bite of his donut and dusting off his hands. "Strucker's memory map has quite a few red dots. But just the two of us going around smashing bases one by one… isn't that a bit too slow? I'd rather not spend my best years playing hide-and-seek with a bunch of decrepit Nazis."
"Of course, we can't handle everything ourselves," Tony replied, shaking his head as he pulled up several files on a holographic screen. "I've already had JARVIS sort and assign the cleanup missions — some have been passed along to a few… enthusiastic citizens. But for the tougher ones, we'll have to deal with them personally."
He paused, frowning thoughtfully. "Still, you're right — the efficiency's too low. We need manpower. People who can fight… and don't need babysitting."
At that, Henry's eyes lit up, a sly grin spreading across his face.
Here it comes! Finally, the topic he'd been waiting for.
Time for the Avengers — no, the Demolition Crew — to make their debut!
"Speaking of manpower," Henry leaned closer with a knowing smirk, "remember those two guys we brought back from General Ross in New York?"
Tony blinked, then caught on.
"You mean Banner and that big soldier guy?" he frowned. "The base is still under construction. After you gave them that 'Future Heroes Reserve Program' talk, I didn't keep tabs on them. What, you planning to drag them into this now?"
"Why not?" Henry said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Bruce Banner — seven PhDs, brilliant mind, and he was helping me with nanotech research last time. The other guy, Emil Blonsky — a super soldier who's been a good boy ever since I beat him. They've both been idle for too long. I heard Banner's been working on controlling his 'other side' lately, with decent progress. I think it's time to give them something productive to do."
Tony's expression turned uncertain.
"But… are they stable?" he asked cautiously. "One's the Hulk, the other's Abomination. If we let those two loose, HYDRA might not get wrecked — half of Europe might. And you know me, I don't want calls from city officials demanding compensation or repair bills. My lawyers are expensive."
"Reasonable concern," Henry shrugged.
He wasn't wrong — Hulk's instability was notorious. But under his supervision, plus Banner's own progress, things were far more manageable than in the original timeline.
As for Blonsky — the guy was a disciplined soldier at heart. As long as he had clear orders and proper restraints, he was an excellent hammer for smashing HYDRA bases.
"Then it's settled," Henry said decisively, grinning. "Let's have them come to the villa."
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