While Reed's situation within S.H.I.E.L.D. was growing more dangerous, on the other side, Tony had been stuck in Sokovia for a month but still hadn't discovered any trace of Magneto's three children.
LexCorp had been doing everything it could to track them safely, and according to their satellite data, the last confirmed sighting of them was in Sokovia.
But ever since Tony arrived in the country, he hadn't found a single clue. If the company had not assured him that none of them had left Sokovia through any known method, he might have already given up.
Still, for the sake of the sub-plan's success, he stayed persistent. And because of that small bit of determination, he finally found a lead.
"People don't just vanish into thin air. It's like a stealth jet. It's still there, just using some method to block radar."
Tony sat in his sports car, ignoring the flirtatious looks from the women on the Sokovian streets.
"And if there's a special coating that can block radar, then with the right tools, it can also be detected. It's just a matter of stability. Based on what LexCorp shared, there haven't been any spatial energy fluctuations strong enough for teleportation in Sokovia. Which means they must be using some kind of low-energy method to stay hidden."
Deep in thought, Tony pinpointed the key issue.
"So all I need to do is scan for areas in the country with unusual energy readings, and check them one by one. That should take me right to them."
* * *
Three days later, in a remote town somewhere in Sokovia.
The nation itself was already small, and this so-called town was home to only a few hundred people. It was a quiet place with barely any presence.
Yet here, in an ordinary-looking house, a silver blur flashed across the front yard, and in the next second, every single weed on the lawn was gone.
Then, wearing a tracksuit, Pietro appeared, wiping nonexistent sweat from his forehead as he frowned at the freshly cleared ground.
"These weeds grow back so fast. It's seriously annoying."
After grumbling, he began spinning on the spot. When he stopped, he was fully dressed in a sharp suit.
"Lorna! Did you take my laptop?"
Noticing that his laptop was missing, Pietro raised his head and shouted toward the attic window.
But instead of hearing his sister's soft reply, the first thing he saw was his laptop flying down, wrapped in a glowing green magnetic field.
"Hey! That's way too far!"
Just as the laptop was about to crash to the ground, Pietro darted forward and caught it in time.
"Lorna! This thing cost me half a month's salary! Can you be a little more gentle?"
At this moment, the attic window finally opened, and Lorna, with her shoulder-length green hair, leaned her head out.
"A cheap secondhand laptop is really that precious to you? Honestly, I think you'd be better off using your powers to grab some cash from the town's bank. That would be way more useful than slaving away at your job."
With that, she pulled her head back in, giving Pietro no chance to lecture her.
"Lorna! Ugh..."
Pietro clearly wanted to say something about her mindset, but for some reason, he only sighed.
"Pietro, be careful out there."
By now, Wanda also stepped out to the yard. She had heard everything between the two from inside. But like him, she didn't have a real way to change how their sister felt.
After all, it wasn't her or Pietro who had to watch someone dear be killed right before their eyes. It was Lorna.
Thanks to their constant persuasion, she had at least agreed to restrain her vengeful impulses. But the hatred and distrust she held toward humans had already taken deep root. It wasn't something that would disappear easily.
"It's fine, Wanda. As long as the three of us stay together, things will get better. And you too, don't overstrain yourself maintaining the barrier."
"I know," Wanda replied, watching her brother leave the house.
He worked at a small accounting firm outside the town, and this quiet place had become the main sanctuary for the three siblings.
To ensure secrecy, Wanda had used her Chaos Magic to construct a peculiar barrier that subtly affected the minds of anyone who entered the area, making it difficult for outsiders to even notice the town's existence.
At the same time, the local residents didn't reject the siblings' powers. And whenever anyone left the place, all memories related to the three of them would be erased completely.
This method didn't make the town disappear, but it did provide cover, allowing the siblings to live here freely without hiding who they were.
Seeing Pietro vanish in the distance, Wanda let out a deep sigh, then turned and headed back inside.
Crimson threads of Chaos Magic swirled in her hands as she manipulated the kitchen utensils, preparing food with ease.
"Lorna! Come down and eat!"
Like every morning, she called Lorna for breakfast. And once again, the reply was just as expected.
"I'll eat later, Wanda. Go ahead without me!"
In the past, when Pietro and Wanda had chosen to leave the mutant academy of their own will, Magneto's attention shifted more and more toward Lorna.
This didn't just strengthen her deep belief in mutant supremacy, it also meant that she had very little emotional connection to her older siblings. Even though she knew they shared blood ties, she still struggled to adjust to living with them.
Wanda, however, had long grown used to it. Finishing breakfast alone, she left the house. Like Pietro, she too had a job—teaching at the local school in town.
Once Wanda was gone, Lorna slowly walked out from the attic and looked at the generous spread of breakfast left on the table. Her discomfort toward this new life began to fade, bit by bit. Maybe it won't be long before they really become a family.
Done eating, she headed out as well. Recently, Wanda and Pietro had grown concerned seeing her cooped up inside all the time, so they convinced her to go out and walk around the town a little each day.
She had kept up that habit for a while now, but today, Lorna noticed something unusual in this otherwise quiet and unchanging town.
"Did someone here buy a drone? But something that advanced… is there really anyone in town who could afford it?"
Hovering in front of her was a drone. Sleek, high-tech, and clearly not something a random local could get their hands on.
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