Far in the north, in the eerie darkness of a Nordic forest, a sinister aura hung heavy in the air.
Caw, caw, caw…
A black raven circled in the sky, landing gracefully on the roof of an old house.
"Heh heh heh… That aura!"
An older woman in a black robe sat in front of an old television set, her eyes gleaming with excitement. The TV screen displayed a grainy image of Wanda putting out the fire.
"Oh, Almighty Allah! The great Chthon, Chaos Magic, has finally appeared!"
The woman gripped the sides of the television. In the dim room, her blue eyes reflected the image on the screen, her gaze filled with insatiable greed.
If Amon were here, he would recognize her instantly.
The woman was none other than Agatha Harkness!
"New York! Chaos Magic! I'm coming!"
Agatha Harkness threw her arms open, her black robe billowing in the windless air. Black mist billowed from beneath her robe, instantly engulfing her. The next moment, Agatha Harkness vanished from the old house.
...
...
Avengers Base.
Today had been Wanda's busiest day ever. She was exhausted from all the interviews, but secretly, she enjoyed it. She had planned to go back to her room to rest, but when she entered the living room, she saw all the Avengers waiting for her.
"What's going on?"
Wanda looked at them, surprised. "Why is everyone still up so late?"
It was rare for everyone to be together at the Avengers Base. Seeing them all sitting there made her wonder if something big had happened.
"Congratulations. Your public approval ratings have skyrocketed today. It won't be long before we completely reverse the situation."
Tony was the first to raise his glass, smiling. Today's PR campaign had been a success. Public opinion was already shifting. They would be able to escape the current predicament soon.
"After what you did, those annoying guys outside finally stopped chanting about how they were going to overthrow us."
Sam Wilson shrugged, his tone teasing. Those guys had been waving signs outside every day. Even though the Avengers Base was soundproof, it was still annoying to see them. No one could stand seeing a bunch of crazies yelling outside their house.
"I can't believe you did something so big without saying anything. It's a real surprise."
Natasha's legs were draped over the table. Wanda had indeed surprised them today.
"You did great, but what's your new ability?"
Steve was curious.
Everyone's eyes were filled with curiosity. The flames had been mixed with a mutagen that could cause mutations. If Wanda had just compressed them, she wouldn't have been able to get rid of the green mist. But she had used a power they had never seen before.
"I didn't awaken a new ability. I just used my old power."
Wanda walked over to Natasha and sat down, casually picking up a pillow. "I just learned how to control it better."
They were all teammates. She didn't want to hide anything, so she told them the truth.
"Not a new ability?!"
Tony was shocked. He hadn't considered that Wanda's power could change. And he learned from Wanda that she had always had this ability, she just discovered it today.
"Didn't you get your power from the Mind Stone?"
Tony was confused.
Wanda hugged the pillow, shaking her head in confusion. "I don't know. He didn't tell me..."
When Wanda said "he," Tony Stark quickly caught on. "Who's this 'he'?"
Clearly, it was someone they didn't know. He must have been the key to Wanda learning to control her powers.
"This..."
Wanda realized she had slipped up. She couldn't tell them about Amon and her relationship. She couldn't think of a good excuse. But if she told them...
How would she explain her relationship with him?
"If you're hiding something from us, even a small mistake could ruin everything."
Tony didn't stop his questioning. He pressed on, his expression serious. This unknown person could interfere with their plans!
Wanda hugged the pillow tightly, burying her face in it. She gritted her teeth, her face full of hesitation. She really didn't want to tell them about what happened.
"Wanda, why don't you go rest?"
Just then, Steve stepped in to help Wanda.
"Yeah, you've been busy all day. You must be tired."
Natasha also chimed in. As a woman, she had a hunch about something. Only these guys couldn't see the blush on Wanda's face. This person must be important to Wanda, otherwise, she wouldn't be hiding it from them.
Wanda was relieved to hear this. She quickly dropped the pillow and hurried out of the room.
"You..."
Tony watched Wanda leave, his brow furrowed.
"Tony, she has the right to choose, and everyone has their secrets."
Steve stopped Tony, his voice serious. "And maybe it's better not to know some things."
"But this affects all of us."
Tony's expression was grim.
"If you have the energy to worry about this, you might as well figure out how to convince Ross."
Steve's face was tight. If they joined the government, the Avengers would become tools.
Tony snorted coldly. "Then you guys decide."
He turned and left.
Back in his office, Tony Stark sat in his leather chair and dialed Pepper's number.
"Go find out who's been in contact with Wanda lately."
He wouldn't rest until he knew the truth.
"I'll get on it right away, Tony."
He hung up the phone, his face etched with worry. He had been under a lot of pressure lately, and he didn't know how to vent it.
"Maybe I should go see Amon?"
The thought was quickly dismissed. Amon was always busy.
After much deliberation, Tony walked out to the balcony, donned his suit, and flew off. He needed a good drive to clear his head.
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