Chapter 21: Confrontation in the Shadows
After the barrier was set up, Arthur stood on the balcony without moving.
He always felt like something was still missing.
The Ancient One's words, "Just observe," were still spinning in his mind, but when he reinforced the barrier earlier, he sensed something else.
It was like a very thin thread, drifting over from the Himalayas, lightly touching him.
"Master?" Arthur asked in his heart.
The thread transmitted a message, very short, but the meaning was clear.
"Hydra remnants, operating in secret, target Sokovia, magic fluctuations."
Arthur frowned.
"Details?"
"Three strongholds in Eastern Europe, currently analyzing recent energy data, have identified the source of the anomaly as having Chaos Magic characteristics. Handle with caution."
The thread snapped after saying this.
Arthur stood there, the night wind blowing over, feeling a bit cold.
Hydra.
That persistent nuisance.
When he first saved Wanda and Pietro, he had dealt with those Hydra Agents who came to capture them quite thoroughly, leaving not even ashes behind. Logically, the trail should have been broken.
But now it seemed that Hydra was a multinational organization after all, and a starving camel is still bigger than a horse; they could actually still track him to Sokovia.
And they had locked onto the Chaos Magic characteristics.
"Fine," Arthur said in a low voice, "playing the shadow investigation game with me, huh?"
He turned and went inside.
Wanda was sitting on the sofa, holding a cup of hot water in her hands, not drinking it, just holding it.
"What's wrong?" She looked up at Arthur, "You don't look so good."
"A little trouble," Arthur sat down next to her, "Hydra is investigating us."
The cup in Wanda's hand wobbled, and a few drops of water spilled out.
"They... came again?"
"They haven't reached the door yet, they're probing from afar," Arthur said, "They're analyzing energy data, trying to pinpoint our location. I guess when I dealt with the magic disturbance in New York a few days ago, a little bit of energy leaked out and they caught it."
"Then what should we do?" Wanda put down the cup, her fingers rubbing unconsciously, a bit of red energy flashed at her fingertips, then was suppressed.
"I'll go take a look," Arthur stood up, "You stay at home, I've reinforced the barrier, it's very safe."
"Where are you going?"
"To their strongholds to take a look," Arthur grinned, "It is impolite not to reciprocate. They investigate me, I must investigate them; this is called courtesy."
Wanda grabbed his hand: "Is it dangerous?"
"Dangerous for them," Arthur patted her hand, "For me, it's just going for a walk."
He walked to the middle of the living room and drew a circle in the air with his finger.
This time the Portal opened very small, and the golden light was faint, almost invisible.
"I'll be back soon," Arthur said, stepping inside.
The door closed.
Wanda sat on the sofa, looking at the empty living room, and rubbed her fingers again.
This time the red energy wasn't suppressed, like a small flame, jumping twice in her palm.
She stared at that ball of energy and took a deep breath.
"Calm down," she said to herself, "He said he'd be back soon, so he'll be back soon."
The energy slowly shrank back, retreating into her body.
But that feeling of unease remained.
An Eastern European country, a border town.
An ordinary-looking three-story building, all windows covered with thick curtains.
Arthur stood in the shadows of an alley across the street, his clothes changed into black casual wear, his face covered with a faint magic disguise, looking just like an ordinary passerby you wouldn't notice in a crowd.
Super Vision scanned over.
The first floor was a warehouse, piled with some miscellaneous items. The second floor was the living area, a few people were eating. The third floor...
There was something on the third floor.
Several monitors, a pile of instruments, and three people sitting there, staring at the screens.
Arthur narrowed his eyes.
X-ray and microscopic vision allowed him to see the content on the screens even through the wall.
Energy fluctuation analysis chart.
Spectrum comparison.
Geographic coordinate positioning.
On one of the screens, there was clearly a map of Sokovia, marked with three red circles, one of which was in the area where he and Wanda lived.
"They actually found it," Arthur muttered.
His body flickered, drifting across the street like a shadow, silently sticking to the side of the building.
He pressed his hand against the wall.
magic perception seeped in like Water.
The three people's heartbeats, breathing, brainwaves.
And what they were saying.
"Data match rate is 87 percent," a man's voice, with an accent, "Confirmed to be Chaos Magic characteristics, consistent with the residual energy recorded when the previous mission in Sokovia failed."
"Can the location be precise?" another voice asked.
"We need at least two more energy bursts for triangulation," the first person said, "But the general area is locked, it's in this residential district. High population density, we need a plan to act."
"The higher-ups want it done as soon as possible," a third voice, sounding older, "Wanda Maximoff, and that brother of hers, Pietro, are both important test subjects. The last mission failed and we lost three squads; we cannot fail again this time."
"What about her husband? The files say his name is Arthur, Chinese, background is very clean, can't find anything."
"Bring him back together," the older voice was cold, "Someone who can live with a Chaos Magic host and be fine, either the ordinary person is lucky, or... there's a problem. Better to capture mistakenly than to let go."
Arthur listened from outside the wall and smiled.
Capture mistakenly?
Fine.
He tapped his finger lightly on the wall.
A wisp of golden energy burrowed into the wall, crawled along the wires to the third floor, and silently sneaked into the pile of instruments.
The data on the screens began to jump around.
The energy fluctuation chart distorted, the geographic coordinates drifted wildly, the three red circles ran all over the screen on the map, finally stopping in the... middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
"What's going on?" The first person slapped the keyboard.
"Data anomaly! All readings are drifting!"
"Check the equipment! Hurry!"
The three people were in a panic.
Arthur tapped again.
This time it was mental interference.
Very slight, just like a thought suddenly flashing through their minds.
The older person suddenly said: "Wait, I received new intelligence. The target may have already moved to North America, this Sokovia side is a diversion."
The other two were stunned for a moment.
"What intelligence? Who sent it?"
"Encrypted channel, just received." The older person was a bit confused himself, but the thought was very clear, as if it were real, "High priority. We need to readjust our direction."
"Then these data..."
"Discard it," the older person waved his hand, "Clean it up, prepare to report it, and apply for resources to shift the investigation to North America."
Arthur withdrew his hand.
Done.
Confusing the data, plus a little misleading information, that would keep them busy for a while.
But he didn't leave.
Super Vision scanned the faces of the three people, remembering every detail. magic Marks were silently placed on them, like three invisible GPS trackers.
Then he turned and disappeared into the shadows of the alley.
The Portal opened in the home living room.
Arthur stepped out, the disguise on his body dissipating.
Wanda was still sitting on the sofa, and seeing him return, she was visibly relieved.
"How was it?" she asked.
"Solved," Arthur sat down next to her, "Three strongholds, all in Eastern Europe. They were indeed investigating Chaos Magic fluctuations, and had locked onto our area."
Wanda's hand tightened.
"But it's fine now," Arthur held her hand, "I messed up their data, and stuffed some fake intelligence into their heads, saying we might have run off to North America. That should keep them busy for a few months."
"What about after a few months?"
"After a few months?" Arthur smiled, "After a few months, it's debatable whether they can even find us. Even if they do..."
He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.
Wanda leaned on his shoulder.
"I'm a little scared," she said softly.
"Scared of what?"
"Scared they will come in like they did back then, break in, capture people, do experiments," Wanda's voice was very low, "Scared that to protect me, you will have to..."
"Have to what?" Arthur interrupted her, "Have to reveal my strength and deal with them all?"
Wanda looked up at him.
"Wife," Arthur said very seriously, "You have to understand one thing. I'm not hiding from them, I'm giving you time so you can live a peaceful life. But if they really dare to come..."
He paused.
"Then I will let them know what it means to kick an iron plate, a red-hot one at that."
Wanda looked at him for a good while, then smiled.
"You always talk like that."
"Like what?"
"Both ruthless and funny," Wanda said, "But I love to hear it."
Arthur hugged her: "Then listen more. In any case, remember, with me here, no one can touch a hair on your head. Hydra can't, and even if God himself comes, he can't."
Wanda nodded and leaned back into his arms.
After a while, she suddenly raised her hand.
Palm facing up, a ball of red energy slowly emerged, like a gentle Fire, very stable, not shaking at all.
"I just tried," she said, "When you weren't here, I tried to control it. It seems... a bit more stable than before."
Arthur looked at the energy ball in her hand.
It was indeed stable.
Chaos Magic is essentially emotion-driven; the more panicked you are, the more chaotic it gets, and the more chaotic it is, the harder it is to control. Wanda was clearly very uneasy just now, but this energy ball was unusually stable.
This meant her control had actually improved under pressure.
"Not bad," Arthur gave a thumbs up, "This mental fortitude is top-notch."
Wanda put away the energy and held his hand.
"Because you are here," she said, "I know you will come back, so I am not afraid."
Arthur felt a warmth in his heart.
Just as he was about to speak, the door was blown open by the wind.
Pietro swept in like a gust of wind, carrying a plastic bag in his hand, filled with bread and milk.
"I'm back! Hey, what are you two doing, hugging in broad daylight." He put the bag on the table, suddenly remembering something, "Right, when I just came back, I saw a stranger downstairs."
Arthur and Wanda looked at him simultaneously.
"A stranger?" Arthur asked.
"Yes, a man, about thirty years old, dressed quite ordinarily, sitting in the cafe across the street." Pietro said, "But I saw him sitting there for almost an hour, just ordered a cup of coffee, didn't drink it, just stared at our building."
Arthur's eyes darkened.
"What does he look like?"
"Brown short hair, a bit of a beard, a scar behind his left ear." Pietro gestured, "Looks like an ordinary person, but the feeling is wrong. Who stares at a building for an hour?"
Wanda's hand tightened again.
Arthur patted her hand, stood up and walked to the window, lifting a corner of the curtain to look out.
Cafe across the street, by the window.
A man was sitting there, with a cup of coffee in front of him, his eyes indeed glancing this way.
Behind his left ear, there was a scar.
Just like Pietro said.
"Hydra scout." Arthur let down the curtain, "They act quite fast, I just came back from their stronghold, and they already have someone in place here."
"Should we deal with him?" Pietro asked, his tone containing a bit of excitement.
"No need." Arthur shook his head, "Keep him, he's useful."
"What for?"
"Let him watch." Arthur said, "Let him see that we are just an ordinary family, living a normal life. See what he can find."
He turned to look at Wanda and Pietro.
"From today on, our alert level is raised by one. Wanda, be more careful when controlling magic, try not to let it leak. Pietro, be more observant when you go out, if there are suspicious people or cars, write them down and tell me."
"Understood!" Pietro nodded.
"Also," Arthur looked in the direction of the window, "I need to communicate with Master, to establish a closer connection. Hydra has targeted us this time, we must guard against them acting out of desperation."
Wanda walked over and held his hand.
"We'll do it together," she said.
"That's a must." Arthur smiled, "Husband and wife with one heart, their sharpness can cut through metal. Hydra is nothing."
Pietro interjected from the side: "What about me?"
"You?" Arthur glanced at him, "You are responsible for running errands to buy bread and milk, and serving as a scout by the way. It fits your skills, speed advantage, perfect."
Pietro: "...Fine."
Outside the window, the man in the cafe glanced at the building again, then took out his phone and sent a message.
The message was very short: "Target area normal, no abnormal energy fluctuations detected. Continue surveillance."
He put down his phone and took a sip of coffee.
Completely unaware that he had just skirted the gates of hell.
And even more unaware that the family he was watching was currently discussing how to arrange him and the organization behind him thoroughly.
Chapter 22: Preparations Before Dawn
The streetlights outside were still on, but the man in the café was already gone.
Arthur stood on the balcony, unmoving.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the railing, and an almost invisible golden thread drifted from his fingertips. Like a spider's silk, it pierced through the night sky, extending toward the Himalayas.
A few seconds later, the thread trembled.
It was here.
This time, it wasn't just three words.
It was a detailed message, poured directly into Arthur's mind.
"Hydra's Eastern European command has confirmed the presence of a high-value Chaos Magic energy source in Sokovia, codenamed'Scarlet'. A twelve-man tactical squad equipped with energy tracking devices has been dispatched, infiltrating the city from the southeast at 3:00 AM local time. Objective: Locate and mark the energy source's coordinates to provide precise guidance for subsequent capture operations. Recommendation: Interfere or eliminate."
Attached to the message was an energy fluctuation simulation diagram, showing the working principle of the Hydra tracking device.
Arthur finished reading and smiled.
"They even came up with a codename." He turned and went inside.
Wanda was still sitting on the sofa, clutching a throw pillow.
"What did Master say?" she asked.
"It's quite detailed." Arthur sat down next to her. "Hydrasent a squad over, twelve people, carrying something that can track Chaos Magic energy. They're creeping in from the southeast at 3:00 AM. The mission is to find the location of our home and mark it, to make it easier for their main force to come and capture us later."
The throw pillow in Wanda's hand tightened.
"Then what should we do?"
"What to do?" Arthur leaned back. "If they want to look, let them look."
Wanda looked at him.
"But we can't let them find the real one." Arthurcontinued, "We have to give them a fake one."
"A fake one?"
"Right." Arthur sat up straight. "On the other side of the city, I'll create a fake Chaos Magic energy source. I'll tune the fluctuations to be very similar to yours, but it will actually be empty. Once they sneak over and test it, hey, they've found it. And then…"
He made a fist-clenching gesture.
"Then they'll fall right into the trap."
Wanda thought for a moment: "Do you need me to do anything?"
"I do." Arthur looked at her. "You need to help create some energy fluctuations. It doesn't need to be strong, just a little bit, like the real Chaos Magic occasionally leaking out of control. The location will be in the area where I set the fake target. Can you do it?"
Wanda took a deep breath and nodded: "I can."
"Good." Arthur stood up. "Then that's what we'll do. You go rest first; I'll go scout the location and set up the fake target. When Pietro returns, I'll have him go to the southeast to keep watch. That kid is fast; he's suited for reconnaissance."
As he was speaking, the door was blown open by the wind.
Pietro swept in like a gust of wind, carrying a bag containing sandwiches.
"I'm back! Hey, guess what I just saw in the old industrial zone in the southeast?" He put the bag on the table. "A team of people, twelve of them, dressed like ordinary workers, but their walking posture screams 'trained.' They were also carrying a few metal cases. They were acting all sneaky, creeping into the city."
Arthur and Wanda exchanged glances.
"What time did you see them?" Arthur asked.
"About ten minutes ago." Pietro picked up a sandwich and took a bite. "They aren't moving fast. I estimate it will take another hour before they reach the residential area. What's wrong?"
"That's them," Arthur said. "The Hydra squad. Pietro, go back there. Don't get close; just keep an eye on them from a distance. See what specific route they take and which area they finally stop in to perform their tests. Remember, don't get discovered."
"Got it!" Pietro stuffed the rest of the sandwich into his mouth, his body blurred, and he disappeared.
The door closed again.
Wanda looked at Arthur: "What now?"
"Now I go set the trap." Arthur opened a Portal. "Wait for my signal. Around 2:30 AM, I will send you a message. You will release a tiny bit of Chaos Magic fluctuation toward the area where I set the fake target, just like… just like a small sneeze, understand?"
"Understand." Wanda nodded.
Arthur stepped into the Portal.
Sokovia, the abandoned factory district in the west of the city.
Arthur stood on the roof of a dilapidated factory building and looked around.
This place was remote enough; no one lived within several kilometers. The factory was so broken that only the framework remained, and the ground was covered with weeds and broken bricks.
"This is the place." He crouched down and pressed his hand onto the concrete floor.
A golden magic circle spread out from his palm, covering the entire rooftop like ripples in water.
Then he began to "pour" energy into the center of the circle.
It wasn't his own magic energy, nor was it Chaos Magic, but a simulated "fake energy" that carried the characteristics of Chaos Magic. This work was quite delicate; it was like mixing a cocktail, blending various energies in specific proportions, and it had to ensure that the Hydra tracking device would measure a match rate of over ninety percent with Wanda's energy spectrum.
After half an hour of busy work, the energy mass in the center of the circle took shape.
Arthur stepped back two paces and took a look.
A dark red energy phantom was slowly rotating above the center, emitting weak but continuous fluctuations. It felt as if a Chaos Magic host had fallen asleep here, and energy was occasionally leaking out naturally.
"Perfect." He snapped his fingers.
Next, he set up an illusion barrier around the factory.
This barrier didn't harm people; it was just a high-level version of a "ghost wall." Anyone who walked into the barrier's range would see different scenes: it could be a wall, a dead end, or they might walk and walk only to find themselves back where they started. At the same time, the barrier would interfere with electronic signals, causing communication equipment to fail.
Finally, he embedded memory-erasing spells at several key nodes of the barrier.
This spell was gentler; those affected wouldn't lose their memories but would only feel like, "I think I just zoned out," or "Did I forget something?" Then, the memories of this area would become blurry and chaotic, and they wouldn't be able to recall specific details.
By the time everything was finished, it was already 2:20 AM.
Arthur stood on the factory roof and sent a message to Wanda.
"It's ready, wifey, sneeze."
At home.
Wanda sat on the sofa, eyes closed.
Arthur's message rang in her mind.
She opened her eyes, raised her right hand, palm upward.
A little red light lit up in her palm, very weak, like a candle flame.
She focused her mind, imagining that the energy wasn't coming from her own body, but from a very distant place, from the direction of the abandoned factory in the west of the city, gently "leaking" out a little.
Then she flicked her fingers lightly.
The red light vanished.
But almost simultaneously, the mass of fake energy on the roof of the abandoned factory in the west of the city suddenly surged for an instant, pulsating like a heartbeat, before returning to calm.
At the edge of the factory district.
Twelve figures moved in the night.
The leader was a bald man holding an instrument the size of a tablet; on the screen was a radar map with a red dot blinking.
"There's a response." The bald man lowered his voice. "The fluctuation characteristic match rate is ninety-two percent; confirmed as a Chaos Magic energy source. Distance is 1.5 kilometers, direction northwest."
"What about the intensity?" asked a bespectacled person nearby.
"Very weak, looks like a natural leak." The bald man stared at the screen. "But the source point is very stable; it should be a fixed location. Everyone, maintain silence, advance toward the target point."
The squad continued to advance.
They didn't notice at all that several hundred meters above them, Pietro was squatting on top of a utility pole, watching them.
Pietro took out his phone and sent a message to Arthur.
"They've taken the bait and are heading your way. The route is along the old railway line to the west; they'll reach the factory district in another two blocks."
Arthur replied with an "OK" emoji.
On the factory roof.
Arthur watched as the team in the distance got closer and closer.
They were very professional, moving in a dispersed formation, covering each other, and wearing night-vision goggles.
But no matter how professional they were, it was useless.
When the first person stepped into the fifty-meter range of the factory perimeter, the illusion barrier activated.
The bald man looked at the instrument in his hand; the red dot on the screen was just one hundred meters ahead.
"Almost there," he said.
But they walked for five minutes, and the red dot was still one hundred meters ahead.
"What's going on?" The bespectacled one frowned. "We've walked at least three hundred meters."
The bald man stopped and looked around.
Dilapidated factory, weeds, broken bricks.
It was exactly the same as five minutes ago.
"Something's wrong." He raised his hand. "All personnel, be alert!"
It was too late.
Arthur snapped his fingers lightly on the roof.
The memory-erasing spell triggered.
The twelve people swayed simultaneously, as if they had all stumbled together.
The bald man shook his head and looked at the instrument in his hand again.
The red dot on the screen… had disappeared.
The radar map was blank.
"What's the situation?" He was stunned.
"I… what were we just doing?" The bespectacled one rubbed his temples. "I remember we came to carry out a mission, but the content of the mission… I can't remember."
The others were also looking blank.
They remembered they were Hydra Agents, remembered they were supposed to come to Sokovia, but specifically what they came to do, what the target was, and how they got here, it was all blurry.
The bald man tried to recall, but his mind felt like it was covered in a layer of mist.
He only remembered a very vague thought: The mission seemed to be completed? Or maybe it wasn't?
"Withdraw first," he finally decided. "Return to the safe house and re-receive instructions."
The squad turned around quickly and returned the way they came, moving much faster than when they arrived.
On the roof, Arthur didn't stop them.
He traced his fingers in the air, and a golden thread extended from his fingertips, silently connecting to the bald man.
That was the tracking mark he had taken the opportunity to place earlier.
Through this mark, he could reverse-track the squad's magic communication link, all the way back to their superior command node.
The thread extended for several kilometers in the night sky, suddenly stopped, and then began to transmit information back.
A large amount of encrypted data flow poured into Arthur's mind.
The location of the regional command node, communication frequency, encryption method, personnel configuration…
"Done." Arthur packed this information up, used the Sorcerer Supreme encryption method taught by the Ancient One, and sent it along the magic thread leading to the Himalayas.
After doing all this, he opened a Portal and went home.
In the living room, Wanda and Pietro were both there.
"How was it?" Wanda asked.
"The pit was dug, the people fell in, memories were erased, and the intelligence was obtained." Arthur flopped onto the sofa. "I also happened to thoroughly investigate the information on their command node and sent it to Master."
Pietro gave a thumbs-up. "Awesome, brother-in-law, that operation was god-tier."
Wanda breathed a sigh of relief. "Then will they come again?"
"Not in the short term," Arthur said. "Their brains are muddled right now; they have to go back to reorganize intelligence and reformulate plans. By the time they finish all that, it will take at least a month. Whether we'll still be in Sokovia by then is another question."
Wanda sat beside him and held his hand. "I was… nervous to death just now. I was afraid I wouldn't control it well, that the fluctuations would be too big or too small."
"You controlled it just right." Arthur held her hand back. "It was just like the real thing. Wifey, your mental fortitude is pretty good; for your first time providing combat support, you were super steady."
Wanda smiled. "Because you were by my side."
Pietro made a vomiting expression on the side. "You two, that's enough. I'm still single here."
Arthur glanced at him. "Then hurry up and find a partner."
"Can't find one." Pietro shrugged. "I run too fast; the girls all say I'm like a gust of wind, impossible to catch."
The three chatted for a while, and Pietro went back to his room to sleep.
Arthur and Wanda also finished washing up and lay down.
It was almost dawn, and the sky outside was turning a pale White.
Wanda fell asleep quickly.
Arthur closed his eyes, but he didn't sleep.
His perception spread out as usual, sweeping across Sokovia, across Eastern Europe, across the Atlantic Ocean…
Suddenly, his eyelids flickered.
In the direction of New York, very, very far away, he sensed a new fluctuation.
It wasn't magic, nor was it technological energy.
It was something more obscure and darker, like an undercurrent hidden in the deep sea, slowly breeding.
The fluctuation was weak, but its nature was very troublesome.
Arthur opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling.
"Another one." He whispered.
But he didn't move.
The threat right in front of him had just been resolved, and the Hydra situation still needed to be monitored.
That one in New York… he'd note it for now.
Wait until dawn to talk about it.
He turned over, held Wanda, and closed his eyes again.
Outside the window, the sky before dawn was the darkest.
But it wouldn't be dark for much longer.
Chapter 23: Undercurrents
The sky was almost bright, but Arthur had not slept.
He stood on the balcony. The thin line of magic transmitted back from the Ancient One was still unbroken between his fingers, humming as it vibrated, pouring information into his brain.
The amount of information was much larger than before.
"The node is located in a neighboring country southeast of Sokovia, in the border city of 'Kruger', District 3, three levels underground in the old City Hall. It has been confirmed that they have financial dealings with three local high-ranking officials who are providing shelter and operational convenience."
"The node has had frequent communications and abnormal resource mobilization recently. It is suspected that they are planning a large-scale operation codenamed 'Project Fledgling'. The target is not a single Chaos Magic host, but... a list of underage individuals with supernatural potential."
"A portion of the list has been preliminarily intercepted and is currently being decrypted. Recommendation: Confirm on-site and obtain complete intelligence."
Once the information transfer was complete, the thin line snapped with a "pop".
Arthur withdrew his hand and rubbed his temples.
"Good grief," he whispered. "They stopped targeting Wanda and switched to bulk purchasing? Hydra's business expansion is quite wild."
He turned and went inside.
Wanda was still lying on the sofa, not asleep, her eyes open, staring at the ceiling.
"Did Master reply?" she asked.
"Yes, and the amount of information is explosive." Arthursat down beside her. "Hydra has a regional command node in a neighboring country and has colluded with local officials. They are working on a new plan called 'Project Fledgling'. They aren't specifically targeting you anymore; they've switched to casting a wide net, intending to kidnap a bunch of children with potential for superpowers."
Wanda sat up abruptly. "Children?"
"Yes, and the list is probably not short," Arthur said. "Master intercepted a portion, and it's still being decrypted. I need to go to that node and bring back the complete list and the details of the plan."
"Now?"
"Now," Arthur nodded. "Before they make their move."
Wanda grabbed his hand. "I'll go with you."
"No," Arthur shook his head. "That place is a Hydra nest; the defenses will definitely be tight. If you go in with me, the target is too big. Besides, your Chaos Magicfluctuations are too conspicuous; you'd be scanned by their energy detectors as soon as you got close."
Wanda pursed her lips.
Arthur looked at her and suddenly smiled. "However, you can provide remote support."
"How?"
"I'll be inside gathering intelligence, and you can be outside, find a safe place, and provide cover for me," Arthur said. "Use your magic to create some 'interference' around the perimeter of the node. It doesn't need to be too strong—just create some energy turbulence to make their monitoring equipment malfunction or scramble their data for a short time. It's like... putting an 'invisibility buff' on me."
Wanda's eyes lit up. "Can I do that?"
"Give it a try," Arthur said. "It doesn't matter if it fails anyway; at most, I'll get discovered, then I'll just beat them all up and take the list. Not much of a difference."
Wanda was amused by him, and her tension eased a little. "Then teach me."
"It's simple," Arthur held her hand. "Focus your mind. Imagine your energy is not an attack or a defense, but a 'mist'—a 'mist' that can interfere with electronic signals and energy detection. Then, remotely project this 'mist' to the coordinates I give you. It doesn't need to last too long, just a few minutes—enough for me to sneak in and find the core database."
Wanda closed her eyes and tried to feel it.
A few seconds later, a faint, almost invisible red halo appeared in her palm. The halo was very diffuse, not as concentrated as usual.
"Yes, that's the feeling," Arthur said. "Hold it. I'll send you the coordinates in a moment, and you just 'throw' this thing over."
Wanda opened her eyes and nodded. "Okay."
Arthur stood up, walked to the middle of the living room, and drew a circle in the air with his finger.
This time, the Portal opened was exceptionally small, and the golden light was so faint it was almost non-existent.
"I'm leaving," he said. "Stay in touch and wait for my signal."
After saying that, he stepped inside.
The door closed.
Wanda sat on the sofa, took a deep breath, and the red "mist" in her palm slowly swirled.
Kruger City, three levels underground in the old City Hall.
Arthur stepped out from the shadows of a corner in an abandoned ventilation duct. The clothes on his body had already transformed into a black low-level Hydra attendant uniform, and his face was covered with a layer of magical disguise, making him look like just another face in the crowd that no one would notice.
He scanned with Super Vision.
The corridor was very long, with heavy metal doors on both sides, equipped with electronic locks and energy sensors.
At the end, there was a larger door, with two guards standing at the entrance wearing advanced tactical gear, with energy pistols holstered at their waists.
Arthur hugged the wall and slid past like a shadow.
When he was almost at the end, he stopped and sent a message to Wanda in his mind.
"Coordinates: East Longitude XXX, North Latitude XXX, southeast corner of the old City Hall's surface building, above the power distribution room. Throw it."
In the home in Sokovia.
Wanda received the message and immediately focused her mind.
The red "mist" in her palm suddenly flared, and then vanished with a "whoosh".
Almost simultaneously, in the air ten meters above the power distribution room in the southeast corner of the old City Hall in Kruger City, an invisible, chaotic energy field quietly unfolded.
The energy field didn't hurt anyone or destroy anything; it just caused interference.
On the monitoring screens on the third underground level, there was a sudden second of static.
The readings on the energy sensors in the corridor jumped erratically.
A piercing noise suddenly came through the communication headsets of the two guards at the door.
"What's going on?" the guard on the left pressed his headset.
"Don't know, short-term interference." The guard on the right glanced at the detector on his wrist; the screen flickered. "Probably the surface transformer aging. No big deal."
Neither of them paid it any mind.
Just that one second of interference.
Arthur moved.
His body blurred, and he passed between the two guards like a gust of wind, tapping the back of their necks lightly.
The magical mark was applied, and their eyes instantly went blank for a moment before returning to normal, completely unaware that anyone had just passed by.
Arthur had already flashed to the large door.
The door was a fingerprint and iris lock.
He raised his hand, pressed his palm against it, and a sliver of golden energy seeped into the lock cylinder.
"Click."
The door opened.
Arthur flashed inside, and the door closed silently behind him.
Inside was a command center.
Dozens of display screens, stacks of instruments, and seven or eight people sitting at operation consoles.
On the large screen in the center, a map of Eastern Europe was displayed, marked with over a dozen red dots, each with a name and profile next to it.
Arthur scanned it at a glance.
"Anna, 10 years old, suspected telekinesis... Milos, 12 years old, abnormal body temperature... Eva, 8 years old, animal communication..."
It really was a list of children.
He hid behind a large server rack, Super Hearing fully activated.
"...Phase one of 'Project Fledgling', prioritize the capture of these twelve targets." A middle-aged man in a suit with a bald head stood in front of the large screen, holding a laser pointer. "They are scattered across three countries, but they are all in border regions, which facilitates our operations. The local officials have already been taken care of; they will turn a blind eye."
"What about funding and equipment?" someone asked from below.
"Headquarters has approved it, double the budget," the bald man said. "If this operation is successful, our influence in Eastern Europe will greatly increase. Remember, we want them alive. Try not to cause any deaths to avoid international attention."
"What about that'Scarlet' target in Sokovia?"
"Temporarily shelved." The bald man waved his hand. "The last operation failed, we lost a squad and also lost data. The higher-ups believe we should prioritize dealing with the easier-to-get 'Fledglings'.'Scarlet' can wait for the second phase."
Arthur listened from behind the server rack, sneering inwardly.
Second phase?
You won't have a second phase.
His gaze locked onto an operation console next to the bald man.
There was an independent encrypted terminal there, with the words "Project Fledgling Full File - Decrypting" displayed on the screen, and the progress bar was already at 98 percent.
That's it.
Arthur waited for two seconds.
The progress bar jumped to 100 percent.
"Decryption complete," the person at the console said.
The bald man walked over. "Pull it up, I want to verify it."
Now is the time.
Arthur flicked his finger lightly.
A golden thread of energy, thinner than a hair, floated over silently and drilled into the USB port of the encrypted terminal.
The next second, all the data in the terminal—the complete list, the operation timeline, the flow of funds, detailed information on the colluding officials—surged into Arthur's brain like a tidal wave.
Done.
He immediately severed the connection, and the golden thread retracted.
The entire process took less than three seconds, and the terminal screen didn't even flicker.
The bald man was still looking at the screen, completely unaware that the data had been copied.
Arthur turned around, preparing to slip away.
Suddenly, he paused.
His Super Vision penetrated the wall, seeing into the room next door.
It was a temporary holding cell.
Two people were being held there.
A woman who looked to be in her thirties, and a seven or eight-year-old boy.
Both of them were wearing restraint handcuffs, their faces pale, huddled in the corner.
Arthur's eyes darkened.
"Catch them red-handed?"
He changed his mind.
Five minutes later.
In the command center, the bald man had just finished checking the list and nodded with satisfaction.
"Very good. Start the operation tomorrow morning. For the first batch of four targets, you must..."
He didn't finish his sentence.
"Bang!"
A muffled sound came from the direction of the adjacent detention room.
Then there was a short, muffled exclamation, followed by silence.
"What's going on?" the bald man frowned.
A guard picked up the walkie-talkie: "Zone B detention room, report the situation."
There was only static in the walkie-talkie.
"Zone B, answer!"
Still no sound.
The bald man's expression changed. "Send someone to check!"
Two guards drew their guns and walked cautiously toward the adjacent room.
Just as they pushed open the connecting door...
"Boom!"
An invisible force surged out from the doorway like a wall, slamming the two guards against the opposite wall and knocking them unconscious.
Everyone in the command center stood up, some drawing their guns, others hitting the alarms.
But the alarm didn't sound.
All electronic equipment, screens, and lights went dark for a second before returning to normal.
Only the encrypted terminal in the center had a black screen that refused to light up again.
"Enemy attack! Highest alert!" the bald man roared.
It was too late.
A black Shadow flashed out from the adjacent door, moving too fast to see clearly.
"Pop, pop, pop, pop—"
A series of soft sounds followed.
Seven or eight people in the command center, including the bald man, felt a numbness in the back of their necks, then their vision went black, and they all collapsed.
Arthur stood in the middle of the room and shook his hands.
"Done."
He walked over to the blacked-out encrypted terminal and pressed his hand against it.
"Sizzle..."
A faint scorching sound came from inside the terminal.
Physical destruction, ensuring the data could not be recovered.
After that, he turned and returned to the adjacent detention room.
The woman and the little boy were still huddled in the corner, looking at him in horror.
Arthur crouched down and pinched the restraint handcuffs on their wrists.
"Click."
The handcuffs shattered.
"Can you walk?" he asked.
The woman nodded blankly.
"Follow me, and don't make a sound."
Arthur picked them both up, one in each hand, opened a Portal, and stepped inside.
The door closed.
In the command center, only the unconscious people and the terminal emitting wisps of smoke remained.
At home in Sokovia.
The Portal opened, and Arthur walked out with the two of them.
Wanda stood up immediately. "Who are they?"
"Saved them on the way," Arthur said, setting them down on the sofa. "Hydra caught them. They were probably on the list and hadn't been transferred yet."
The woman hugged the little boy tightly and said tremblingly, "Th-thank you..."
"Don't mention it," Arthur waved his hand and looked at Wanda. "The cover was beautiful. I went in and got the stuff as easily as returning home."
Wanda breathed a sigh of relief. "Did you get the list?"
"Got it. It even comes with a full set of operation plans, funding flows, and a list of corrupt officials," Arthur said, pulling a USB drive from his pocket—though it was actually an energy storage device he had temporarily condensed with magic. "It's all here."
"So, what now?"
"Now?" Arthur took the Water Wanda handed him and took a sip. "Now we have to get ahead of Hydra and protect the children on the list. But we can't do it alone; we don't have enough manpower."
He walked to the computer and plugged in the "USB drive."
The screen lit up, and data began to transmit.
Arthur typed a few keys on the keyboard and pulled up an encrypted communication interface.
"So, we need to find some 'concerned citizens' to help."
Wanda leaned over to look. "This is…?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s anonymous intelligence receiving channel," Arthur said while typing code. "Fury set it up. He claims it's absolutely confidential and specializes in receiving all kinds of 'untraceable' but useful intelligence. I was bored a while back and cracked the encryption, so it's coming in handy now."
He packaged the complete data packet for Project Fledgling, added the locations of the Hydra nodes and the information on the corrupt officials, encrypted it, and clicked send.
The screen displayed "Transmission successful."
"Done," Arthur leaned back. "Next, let those S.H.I.E.L.D.Agents play hide-and-seek with Hydra. We'll be responsible for filling in the gaps, focusing on the ones nearby that are at high risk."
Wanda looked at him. "Aren't you afraid S.H.I.E.L.D. will find out you sent it?"
"They won't," Arthur laughed. "The encryption algorithm I used is the Sorcerer Supreme version taught by Ancient One, mixed with some understanding of the Kryptontechnology tree. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s tech trying to crack that? In their next life. At most, they'll know the intelligence source is reliable and the content is true, and they'll rush to save people."
As they were speaking, the woman on the sofa spoke softly, "Um… can we… stay here? Just for one night. We'll leave at dawn…"
Arthur and Wanda looked at each other.
"Sure, you can sleep in the guest room," Arthur said. "Don't worry, it's safer here than anywhere else."
The woman thanked him profusely and took the little boy to the guest room.
Arthur and Wanda were left alone in the living room.
Wanda leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "You… saved people again today."
"It was just a small thing," Arthur said, holding her. "Mainly, those children on the list can't fall into Hydra's hands. Otherwise, they'll all be trouble in the future."
"Hmm," Wanda nodded, then raised her hand.
The red "mist" in her palm had dissipated, but a few subtle, unstable red energy threads were still flickering at her fingertips.
Arthur held her hand. "How do you feel?"
"A bit tired," Wanda said truthfully. "Controlling that 'interference mist' is harder than I imagined. You have to stay distracted to maintain its shape and intensity. And after you came back just now, I relaxed, but then I felt the energy in my body… restless, like I couldn't suppress it."
"That's normal," Arthur said. "The first real combat consumes a lot, and once your focus slips, your control easily declines. Come, sit down. I'll guide you through some deep meditation to consolidate it."
Wanda sat cross-legged on the sofa and closed her eyes.
Arthur sat opposite her, holding her hands, and a trace of gentle golden energy slowly flowed into her.
This wasn't a simple soothing; he was guiding her Chaos Magic energy to circulate through her body along a specific path, like combing out tangled thread, smoothing out those restless energies bit by bit.
Ten minutes later.
Wanda opened her eyes and let out a long breath.
The unstable red threads on her fingertips disappeared.
"Much better," she said.
"But you still need to practice," Arthur let go of her hands. "Your control is stronger than before, but your foundation is still unstable. It's like a child who just learned to walk—if you run too fast, you'll fall. For the next few days, meditate with me for half an hour every day to cement the basics."
"Okay," Wanda nodded, then looked at him. "What about you? You broke into the Hydra lair alone just now. Are you okay?"
"What could happen to me?" Arthur laughed. "Their defenses were like paper. I walked in like I was strolling through my own backyard, and I even managed to save someone on the way out after grabbing the stuff, without breaking a sweat."
Wanda laughed and squeezed his hand tightly.
Outside the window, it was fully daylight.
A new day.
But Arthur knew the undercurrents hadn't stopped.
He had leaked Hydra's plan to S.H.I.E.L.D., so the two sides were bound to clash.
He had to save as many children on the list as he could.
And Wanda's magic control needed urgent practice.
"Oh, by the way," Wanda suddenly remembered something. "You mentioned focusing on the nearby, high-risk children. Who's the first one we're watching?"
Arthur walked to the computer, pulled up the list, and pointed to one of the names.
"This one. Lia, 9 years old, lives in a town north of Sokovia. Her suspected ability is 'Object Levitation.' She's the closest to us, and according to Hydra's operation schedule, she's the first target in the first batch."
Wanda looked at the little girl's photo on the screen, her eyes firm.
"When are we going?"
"This afternoon," Arthur said. "We'll go scout the location first and see the situation. If Hydra's people get there first…"
He didn't finish.
But Wanda understood.
If Hydra's people got there first, then they couldn't be blamed for a little "concerned citizen" intervention.
Arthur turned off the computer and stretched.
"Let's eat first, rest for a bit, then head out this afternoon."
Wanda nodded and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Arthur stood in front of the living room window, watching the street outside grow lively.
Undercurrents were surging.
But this time, he didn't want to be passively defensive anymore.
Take the initiative, attack, and nip the threat in the bud.
That was his style.
Chapter 24: Silent Confrontation
"The first on the list, Leah, nine years old, lives in the northern town, suspected of having object levitation abilities." Arthur turned the computer screen toward Wanda. "Hydra's operation schedule shows she is the first of the initial targets, and it's happening this afternoon."
Wanda looked at the photo of the little girl on the screen and nodded. "Shall we set off now?"
"Yes, we need to get there before them." Arthur stood up. "We need to change our approach this time. If we just show up and say 'Hi, we're here to protect you,' we'll probably scare them to tears. We need a strategy."
"What strategy?"
"You play the good guy, and I'll play... well, anyway, you're responsible for communicating with the child, and I'm responsible for cleaning up any potential tails." Arthurgrinned. "This is called division of labor, a professional team."
Wanda was amused by him. "Fine, I'll listen to you."
Arthur walked to the middle of the living room and traced a circle in the air with his finger.
This time, the Portal opened steadily, the golden light so faint it was almost invisible.
"Let's go."
The two stepped inside.
The door closed.
In the northern town, outside an ordinary two-story building.
Arthur and Wanda stepped out from the shadows of an inconspicuous alley.
Wanda had already changed into casual clothes that looked gentle and approachable, while Arthur had covered himself with a faint layer of magic disguise, making him look like a passing young husband.
"This is the house." Arthur used Super Vision to scan the interior. "The little girl is playing with a doll in her room on the second floor, and her mother is in the kitchen on the first floor. There is no abnormal energy fluctuation in the house, and the Hydra people haven't arrived yet."
"Then should we go in directly?" Wanda asked.
"No, observe first." Arthur pulled Wanda back to the street corner. "If Hydra is coming, they will definitely send people to scout first. We'll wait for their scouts to arrive before we make a move."
No sooner had he finished speaking.
A black sedan slowly drove into the street and parked diagonally opposite the small building.
Two men got out of the car, wearing ordinary jackets, holding folders similar to those used by real estate Agents, and were pretending to point at the small building.
But Arthur's super hearing caught their conversation.
"...Confirm the target is at home, the second-floor window is open. The operation time is set for half an hour later, after the mother goes out to buy groceries."
"...Understood. Team B is in position, standing by two blocks away."
"Good. This mission is high priority. Headquarters requires a live capture, no accidents allowed."
After the two men finished speaking, they took a few more pretentious looks, then got back in the car and drove away.
Wanda looked at Arthur. "They're making their move in half an hour."
"That's enough time." Arthur said. "Wife, it's your turn to perform."
Wanda took a deep breath and walked toward the small building.
Arthur flickered and disappeared from where he stood.
In front of the small building.
Wanda rang the doorbell.
A few seconds later, the door opened, and a woman in her thirties poked her head out with a look of confusion on her face. "Hello, who are you looking for?"
"Hello, I am a volunteer from the community child welfare agency." Wanda flashed a gentle smile and magically produced an ID card—which was, of course, temporarily forged by Arthur using magic. "We are currently conducting research on children's potential development and would like to invite you and your daughter, Leah, to participate. It won't take much time."
The woman hesitated. "It's not very convenient right now..."
"It will only take ten minutes." Wanda said sincerely. "And participating families will receive a small gift, a set of children's picture books."
Upon hearing about picture books, a little girl's voice came from the second floor. "Mom, are they giving away books?"
The woman looked back, then at Wanda's friendly face, and finally nodded. "Then... come in, just for ten minutes."
"Thank you." Wanda walked into the door.
Meanwhile, two blocks away.
The black sedan was parked on the side of the road, and the two men inside were debugging their equipment.
Suddenly, the man in the driver's seat felt a chill on the back of his neck.
Before he could react, everything went black.
The man in the passenger seat was just about to draw his gun when a palm pressed down on his shoulder.
"Sleep for a while."
He also saw darkness and passed out.
Arthur stood outside the car, his hand pressing on the roof.
A trace of golden energy seeped inside.
All the electronic equipment in the car—communicators, trackers, data loggers—emitted a faint "crackle" sound simultaneously, and their internal circuits were completely fried.
"Group one done." Arthur clapped his hands, and his body disappeared again.
On the second floor of the small building, in the child's room.
Leah was a little girl with brown hair, hugging a doll and looking at Wanda curiously.
"Auntie, are you really going to give us books?"
"Yes, I am." Wanda crouched down to look at her at eye level. "But before that, Auntie wants to play a little game with you, is that okay?"
"What game?"
"Look at this." Wanda extended her hand, palm up. A faint, almost invisible red halo emerged in her palm, very soft and not scary.
Leah's eyes widened. "What is this? magic?"
"You could say that." Wanda said softly. "Can you feel it?"
Leah stared at the halo and nodded. "It feels... warm."
"Then can you try to make this doll 'warm' too?" Wandapointed to the doll in her arms.
Leah paused, looking down at the doll.
She concentrated, her little face slightly scrunched up.
A few seconds later.
The doll slowly floated up from her arms, hovering ten centimeters above her palm, stopping steadily.
Leah was startled herself. "Wow! It's flying!"
Wanda smiled. "See, you have magic too."
Just then, the doorbell rang downstairs.
Leah's mother shouted from the kitchen. "Coming, coming!"
Wanda's eyes narrowed, and she immediately said to Leah, "Put the doll down and play hide-and-seek with Auntie, okay? We'll hide in the closet and see if Mommy can find us."
"Okay!" Leah nodded excitedly, and the doll fell back into her arms.
Wanda picked her up, walked quickly to the closet, opened the door, and hid inside.
The door had just closed.
A stranger's voice came from downstairs. "Hello, we are from the gas company. We received a report that there is a risk of pipeline leakage in this area and we need to enter the house for inspection."
Leah's mother's voice was somewhat confused. "Gas company? I didn't receive any notice..."
"It's an emergency inspection, please cooperate."
Footsteps went upstairs.
More than one person.
Inside the closet, Wanda covered Leah's mouth and signaled with her eyes for her not to make a sound.
She raised her other hand, palm facing the closet door.
A very thin, invisible membrane of red energy covered the inside of the closet door.
Chaos Magic: Silent Illusion.
From the outside, this closet was just an ordinary closet; it wouldn't even attract any attention, and people's eyes would subconsciously ignore it.
The footsteps entered the child's room.
"Where's the kid?" a man's voice asked.
"Maybe she went out to play," another voice replied. "Search first. The target item could be hidden anywhere in the room."
Wanda held her breath.
Leah was in her arms, eyes wide open, but very well-behaved, making no sound.
Sounds of rummaging came from outside.
Drawers were pulled open, the mattress was flipped over, and the toy box was emptied.
"No abnormal items found."
"Strange, the energy detector clearly had a faint reaction just now..."
"Maybe it was a false alarm. Let's retreat and come back tonight."
The footsteps left the room, went downstairs, and went out the door.
Wanda waited another minute before dispelling the illusion and pushing open the closet door.
Leah whispered, "Auntie, are those people bad guys?"
"Yes." Wanda picked her up and walked out. "But don't be afraid, Auntie and Uncle will protect you."
She walked to the window and lifted a corner of the curtain to look outside.
The two men disguised as gas workers were walking toward the street corner, but after taking a few steps, their bodies suddenly swayed, and they leaned against the wall as if they were drunk, then slid down limply and stopped moving.
In the shadows of the street corner, Arthur walked out and gave an "OK" gesture toward the window.
Wanda let out a sigh of relief.
Five minutes later.
Arthur and Wanda took Leah and her mother back through a Portal to a safe house in Sokovia—this was a hidden apartment Arthur had prepared in advance using magic.
Leah's mother was still shaken, clutching her daughter tightly. "What... what is going on? Who are those people?"
"A very bad organization that specializes in capturing children with special abilities." Arthur explained simply. "Your daughter has a special talent and was targeted by them. This place is very safe. Stay here for now, and you can go home after this matter is resolved."
"How long will that take?"
"It depends on the situation." Arthur said. "But don't worry, I've prepared food and supplies, just treat it like a vacation."
After comforting the mother and daughter, Arthur and Wanda walked to the next room.
"I dealt with the two scouts and the two posing as workers. Memory wiped, dumped in the suburbs. But they are just the vanguard. Once Hydra realizes they are missing, they will definitely send an operation team to search."
"Then what do we do?" Wanda asked.
"Stick to the plan." Arthur walked to the wall where a map of the town hung, with several points already marked on it. "I deliberately left a tiny, subtle trace of magic in that small building. Hydra's energy detectors have been upgraded, so they should be able to pick it up. They will follow the trail and come after us."
"Follow it to where?"
"Here." Arthur pointed his finger at an abandoned factory icon on the edge of the map. "I've set up a'surprise' there in advance."
Wanda looked at the map and understood. "You're luring them into a trap."
"Yes." Arthur smiled. "Don't they like capturing people? This time, let them taste what it's like to be 'locked up' themselves."
Half an hour later.
On the edge of the town, at the abandoned factory.
Arthur stood on the highest beam of the factory building, looking at the empty ground below.
He had just set up a triple magic trap here.
The first layer, space folding. People who walk into a specific area will find themselves walking in circles, unable to leave.
The second layer, energy suppression. All electronic equipment within the range will malfunction, and superpower effects will be significantly weakened—of course, this is ineffective against Krypton physiology and Supreme Magic.
The third layer, memory interference. Those who fall for it will experience brief amnesia, forgetting the last half hour of their experience.
"Perfect." Arthur snapped his fingers, and his body faded into the shadows.
A few minutes later.
Three black SUVs silently drove into the factory area and stopped.
Twelve heavily armed Hydra Agents got out of the cars. Leading them was a bald, burly man holding a flickering tablet detector.
"The energy trace points inside the factory." The bald man said. "Team A and Team B flank left and right, Team C enters from the front with me. Maintain communication, report immediately if you find the target."
"Understood!"
The three groups dispersed and carefully crept toward the factory gate.
They completely failed to notice that on the outer wall of the factory, an almost invisible magic rune lit up for a split second.
The trap was activated.
Inside the factory.
The six members of Team A entered from the left passage, and after walking for a few minutes, found themselves back at the entrance.
"What's going on?" one person frowned. "Didn't we just walk through here?"
"A ghost wall?" another muttered.
Team B entered from the right and encountered the same situation.
Team C followed the bald man through the main entrance. Just ten meters in, the communicators on everyone's wrists simultaneously emitted a "crackle" sound, and the screens went black.
"Communication lost!"
"The detector is malfunctioning too!"
The bald man's expression changed. "Retreat! Immediately..."
Before he could finish.
The scene in front of them suddenly distorted, like water being stirred.
When the scene stabilized, the bald man found himself and his twelve subordinates all standing in the open space in the very center of the factory, forming a circle.
And the three entrances they had just come through had disappeared.
The walls were solid concrete, with no doors.
"What's going on?!" someone panicked.
"Calm down!" the bald man roared. "It's an illusion! Find a way out!"
Too late.
A figure floated down lightly from the beam above their heads and stood in front of them.
Arthur removed his magic disguise, revealing his true face.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen." He said with a smile. "Looking for someone?"
The bald man immediately raised his gun. "Target spotted! Open fire!"
Twelve guns fired simultaneously.
The bullets shot out, but stopped in mid-air a meter away from Arthur, as if hitting an invisible wall, and then fell to the ground with a "clatter."
Arthur didn't even blink.
"Is that it?" He tilted his head. "Hydra's training quality has dropped."
The bald man's pupils constricted, and he immediately pressed a button on his belt.
It was an emergency distress signal transmitter.
But there was no response.
"Stop pressing it, the signal can't get out of here." Arthurwalked over and reached out to pat the bald man on the shoulder. "Come on, let's chat. How many children do you actually want to capture in this 'Fledgling' project?"
The bald man gritted his teeth and said nothing.
Arthur sighed. "You choose the hard way."
He gently tapped the bald man's forehead with his finger.
A trace of golden energy burrowed inside.
The bald man's body stiffened, and his eyes instantly went vacant.
"Speak, plan scale." Arthur asked.
The bald man answered mechanically. "Phase one... twelve targets, spread across three Eastern European countries. Phase two... expand to fifty, global scale... as long as children with potential for superpowers are detected, capture them all... for... for 'evolution' experiments..."
Arthur's eyes grew cold.
Fifty?
Global scale?
Hydra must be crazy.
"What about the command structure? Who is in charge of this project?"
"Eastern Europe regional Commander... codename 'Vulture'... reports directly to headquarters, Doctor'Whitehall'..."
"Whitehall?" Arthur remembered the name. "Location?"
"Unknown... only 'Vulture' knows the contact method..."
"Fine." Arthur withdrew his hand.
The bald man swayed and regained consciousness, but had no memory of what he had just said.
Arthur looked at the twelve people in front of him and traced a circle in the air with his finger.
A large Portal opened on the factory floor.
"I'll send you to a place with nice scenery for a vacation." He waved his hand.
The twelve people fell into the Portal simultaneously and disappeared.
The door closed.
Arthur clapped his hands and turned to walk out of the factory.
Outside, Wanda walked out of the shadows. "Done?"
"Done." Arthur said. "Found out something. Hydra's 'Fledgling' project has much bigger ambitions than we thought. Twelve in the first phase, and they want to expand to fifty globally in the second phase."
Wanda's expression changed. "Fifty? What do they want to do?"
"Conduct experiments, what else." Arthur put his arm around her shoulder. "But now that one of their squads is gone, Commander 'Vulture' is probably going to be furious. We need to hurry and protect the other children on the list."
"Hmm." Wanda nodded, then rubbed her temples. "I was maintaining the peripheral illusion interference just now; I'm a bit tired."
"That's normal, continuous spellcasting is draining." Arthur held her hand and passed a trace of gentle energy to her. "Go back and rest for a while. Tonight we still need to contact S.H.I.E.L.D. to hand over that mother and daughter. Just the two of us can't protect everyone."
The two opened a Portal and returned to their home in Sokovia.
Wanda collapsed on the sofa and let out a long sigh.
Arthur sat in front of the computer, pulled up the list, and looked at the eleven remaining names, his brows furrowing.
The scale of Hydra's plan far exceeded expectations.
This was no longer small-time trouble.
He had to find a way to root them out completely.
Chapter 25: Interrogation and Decision
In the living room, the Hydra Captain, who had been teleported to the suburbs by a magic trap and then dragged back, lay slumped in a chair, his eyes unfocused.
Arthur pulled up a chair and sat opposite him, with Wanda standing beside him.
"Wake up, let's have a little chat." Arthur snapped his fingers.
The Captain jolted, his eyes focusing. When he saw Arthur's face, his complexion turned pale instantly.
"You... who are you? Where is this?"
"Who I am doesn't matter." Arthur leaned forward. "What matters is that you know who I am. And you also know why I invited you here."
The Captain gulped but didn't speak.
"'Project Fledgling', quite the name you've got there." Arthur tapped the armrest of the chair. "Twelve children in the first phase, and you wanted to bump it up to fifty in the second phase, while casting your net globally. Does your Hydra recruitment process skip the criminal code and go straight to the human trafficking manual?"
The Captain's pupils constricted: "How do you know..."
"I know more than you." Arthur smiled. "For example, I know your command node in Eastern Europe was just taken down by me, the data was copied by me, and the people were sent away by me. Also, I know that you have a rather large protective umbrella here in Sokovia, right?"
Sweat began to bead on the Captain's forehead.
Wanda spoke softly, her voice carrying a deliberate, unsettling resonance of energy: "Tell us who is helping you. Here, lying... will be very painful."
From her fingertips, a faint thread of dark red energy drifted out, circling the Captain without touching him, but the pressure unique to Chaos Magic, which seemed capable of scrambling thoughts, was pressed directly onto his face.
The Captain's breathing quickened.
Arthur struck while the iron was hot: "Look, my wife has a bit of a temper. As for me, I'm reasonable, but you need to cooperate. If you tell me everything, I'll give you a 'memory formatting gift package', throw you back to your hometown, and treat this as a dream. If you don't..."
He flicked his finger, and a point of golden light lit up at his fingertip, emitting energy fluctuations much stronger than Wanda's.
"If you don't, I'll have to take a look myself, but my 'way of looking' is quite rough, and I can't guarantee how much of your brain will be left afterward."
The Captain's psychological defense shattered with a snap.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" He said rapidly. "Here in Sokovia... it's General Reynolds! Victor Reynolds! A senior officer in the Army, the Commander of the Third Mechanized Brigade stationed in Sokovia! He provides us with intelligence, movement routes, and cover-up operations! The local children with potential that we captured were all identified through his internal screening list!"
Arthur and Wanda exchanged a look.
High-level the military. A brigade-level Commander. This protective umbrella was not small.
"And the evidence?" Arthur asked. "Empty words aren't enough; I can't just run up to people and say 'Hey, your general is Hydra', can I?"
"There is! There are documents!" The Captain said hurriedly. "In the old the military storage area north of the city, Warehouse 7, there's a secret office underground. It has communication records between him and our superiors, proof of fund transfers, and the complete target list and handover schedule for 'Project Fledgling' in Sokovia! The key... the key is with one of Reynolds' trusted adjutants, but we have backup entry permissions, and I can give you the password and the security vulnerabilities!"
Arthur finished listening, leaned back, and rubbed his chin.
"Wife, what do you think?"
Wanda frowned: "If what he says is true... that means Hydra's tentacles have already reached into the high-level the military of Sokovia. If we only save the children without dealing with this Reynolds, there will be an endless stream of 'projects' in the future."
"Great minds think alike." Arthur nodded. "It's like playing whack-a-mole; just hitting the heads that pop up is useless, you have to smash the machine underneath."
He looked at the Captain: "One last question. Your 'Project Fledgling', grabbing so many children, what exactly do you want to do? Don't tell me it's charity."
The Captain hesitated for a moment.
The red energy thread at Wanda's fingertips moved closer.
"I'll talk! It's to prepare material for 'evolution' experiments!" The Captain shouted with his eyes closed. "A project led by Doctor Whitehall! They believe these children with innate potential for superpowers have special genetic value, which can be used to research enhanced soldiers, or even... even create more controllable super-powered troops! The first phase is observation and capture, and the second phase is centralized experimentation!"
The living room was quiet for a few seconds.
Arthur smiled, but his eyes were cold.
"Well, human experimentation, child soldiers, you Hydraguys really have all the buffs stacked, afraid you won't die fast enough."
He stood up, walked to the Captain, and placed his hand on his head.
"Sleep now, you can have everything in your dreams."
With a flash of golden light, the Captain's head tilted, and he fainted. His short-term memory regarding the interrogation and the revealed intelligence was wiped clean.
Arthur casually opened a Portal and tossed this guy onto a park bench in his hometown square.
The gate closed.
Wanda walked over, her face clearly worried: "Are you going to that warehouse?"
"I have to." Arthur walked to the window. "A confession isn't enough; to topple a high-ranking officer, you need solid evidence. And that complete local list must be obtained. Who knows if Reynolds has any more urgent targets we haven't discovered yet."
"It's too dangerous." Wanda held his hand. "That's a the military facility, even if it's abandoned, it must have guards, surveillance, and alarms. What if..."
"If I get exposed, I'll just slap the evidence in their faces, and then we'll see if their guns are faster, or if I am." Arthur turned and held her hand. "But that's a last resort. The best strategy is to sneak in, sneak out, and keep our accomplishments hidden."
He paused: "But this matter needs to be reported to the Ancient One. After all, moving against the the military is a big deal."
Arthur walked to the center of the living room, his fingers tracing in the air, outlining a complex golden rune.
The rune flickered a few times, stabilized, and the Ancient One's calm voice rang directly in their minds.
"Arthur, Wanda. What is it?"
"Master, I've caught a big fish." Arthur quickly explained the situation with General Reynolds and the secret warehouse. "I plan to go get the evidence and incidentally take the local list. I might need the mage network to help watch the perimeter, to prevent other magic-side forces or Hydra mages from interfering."
The Ancient One was silent for a few seconds.
"Victor Reynolds... I know him. His family has been deeply rooted in the Sokovia the military for many years. Your judgment is correct; a confession alone cannot shake him. Obtaining solid evidence is necessary."
"You approve?"
"Approved. I will have Mordo lead a team of mages to monitor the Sokovia region on the dimensional level to ensure there is no external magic interference. But the conventional security inside the the military facility must be handled by yourselves."
"That's enough, thank you, Master!" Arthur was happy. "That's exactly what I needed!"
The rune dimmed, and the communication ended.
Wanda looked at him: "Master agreed?"
"Agreed, and even sent bodyguards, though they are invisible." Arthur rubbed his hands. "Now, let's make a battle plan."
He pulled Wanda to sit down.
"Target: The old the military storage area north of the city, Warehouse 7, underground secret office. The goal is all paper and electronic evidence, focusing on the collusion documents between Reynolds and Hydra, as well as the complete local 'Fledgling' list."
"I'll go in with you." Wanda said immediately.
"No." Arthur shook his head. "The physical security and surveillance systems in there are hard for your Chaos Magic to handle. If you go in with me, it's easier to trigger energy alarms. You need to be outside, providing cover for me."
"How to cover?"
"Remote magic interference, upgraded version." Arthursaid. "Not interfering with equipment, that's too obvious. It's to create a brief, small-scale 'cognitive blind spot'. Let the guards and surveillance systems near the warehouse 'ignore' any abnormal movements in the direction of Warehouse 7 for the next ten minutes, like the door opening, or a figure moving. It's like casting an 'Ignore Spell' on them collectively."
Wanda thought: "This is harder than simple interference... it requires very precise control."
"I believe you can do it." Arthur looked at her. "You controlled the 'Interference Fog' very well last time. This time it's just a different application, essentially both are applications of Chaos Magic on the mental influence side. Just imagine, putting an 'invisibility blanket' over that area, but it's not real invisibility, it's making people who see it think 'there's nothing worth looking at there'."
Wanda took a deep breath and nodded: "I'll try."
"It's not trying, it's a must." Arthur smiled. "Because you are my wife, and when we join forces, it's a royal flush. Dismantling a warehouse is just a piece of cake."
Wanda was amused by him, and her tension eased quite a bit.
"What about Pietro?" She asked.
"That kid already slipped out to scout." Arthur checked his phone. "Just sent a message back, confirming the location of Warehouse 7 and the perimeter patrol patterns. There aren't many guards, but they are all Reynolds' elite troops, rotating every two hours. The next shift change is in forty minutes. We'll act in the slack period after the shift change."
He stood up: "Get ready, we leave in ten minutes. Find a safe house where you can see the warehouse, give me the signal and I'll go in. I'll withdraw as soon as I get the stuff, we won't linger."
Wanda also stood up, her eyes firm: "Okay."
Arthur looked at her, suddenly leaned over and kissed her forehead.
"Don't worry, your husband, the King of Lurkers, is a professional at this infiltration stuff."
Wanda patted him, her face a little red: "No seriousness."
Ten minutes later.
North of the city, in an abandoned building overlooking the old storage area, Wanda stood by the window, her eyes locked on Warehouse 7 in the distance.
She closed her eyes and raised her hands.
Dark red Chaos Magic energy slowly permeated from her, not as violent as when attacking, but like an extremely thin, invisible gauze, drifting toward Warehouse 7.
The energy gauze covered the warehouse and the fifty-meter area around it.
Wanda concentrated all her energy, pouring her intention into it: Ignore this place, everything here is normal, there are no abnormalities...
In the shadows downstairs, Arthur received Wanda's magic message that "the blanket is set".
He grinned, his body seemingly merging into the night, sliding silently along the patrol blind spot to a vent on the side of Warehouse 7.
The vent grating was locked, but the moment his fingers touched the lock core, it was melted by a subtle golden energy.
He slipped in like an eel, landing without a sound.
The warehouse was filled with discarded the militarysupplies, and the smell of dust was heavy.
According to the Captain's confession, he quickly found the hidden small door that looked like a regular power distribution room.
The door had a keypad lock and iris recognition.
Arthur tapped the keypad, energy intruded, skipping the password verification step. Then he took out a special lens he had swiped from the Hydra Captain and flashed it at the iris scanner.
The green light turned on.
"Click."
The door opened.
Inside was a modern office, completely different from the dilapidated exterior.
Arthur scanned quickly. File cabinets, a safe, an independent encrypted server.
He opened the file cabinet first, flipping through it quickly. Inside were a large number of communication copies, fund transaction receipts, with signatures and recipients pointing to Reynolds and several known Hydra peripheral accounts. He took pictures of everything directly with his phone (magically modified, no signal but able to take photos).
Then he opened the safe. Besides cash and gold bars, there was indeed a thick list file, with "Sokovia Special Potential Individual Observation List" written on the cover. He flipped through it roughly, recording detailed information on a dozen children and teenagers, including addresses, schools, suspected ability manifestations, and scheduled "contact" times.
"Take it all." Arthur stuffed the list into his portable small magic space bag.
Finally, the encrypted server. He was too lazy to crack it, so he placed his hand on it, using his powerful mental force combined with magic to violently read the hard drive data, copying all files inside, including those in the deleted area.
After doing all this, it took less than five minutes.
He was about to withdraw when his Super Hearingsuddenly caught a faint, but definitely not ordinary equipment, energy buzzing sound.
The sound came from behind a wall further inside the office.
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
A secret room?
He walked to the wall, pressed his hand on it, and used Super Vision to see through it.
Behind the wall was a smaller room, with no documents, only a metal stand, on which a palm-sized, constantly emitting faint blue light cube was fixed.
The space around the cube had a subtle sense of distortion.
"Energy fluctuations... this isn't Earth technology." Arthur frowned. "Where did Hydra get this alien thing? Or is it a magic artifact?"
He noted this discovery, but now was not the time to study it.
After securing all the evidence, he cleaned up his traces, exited the office, closed the door, and returned to the vent along the original path.
The entire infiltration process was like walking into an empty room.
Outside the warehouse, Wanda felt the "withdrawn" signal sent by Arthur and slowly retracted the Chaos Magicgauze.
She let out a sigh of relief, wiping the fine sweat from her forehead. Maintaining this kind of precise, large-scale cognitive interference was more exhausting than she imagined.
A few minutes later, Arthur's figure appeared downstairs, waving the space bag in his hand at her, smiling like a fox who had successfully stolen a chicken.
"Done, evidence in hand, list complete. Also found an extra 'little surprise'."
Wanda came down from upstairs: "What surprise?"
"Talk when we get back." Arthur put his arm around her shoulders. "Withdraw first, go home for a midnight snack. Next, we need to think about how to use these 'good things' to send a'surprise gift package' to our General Reynolds."
The two figures merged into the night and disappeared.
The old storage area returned to peace, as if nothing had happened.
Only in the basement of Warehouse 7, that faint blue cube continued to emit an ominous glimmer in the darkness.