Chapter 52: Post-Battle Afterglow
The dark red crystal rotated slowly above Wanda's palm, emitting a very faint buzzing sound, as if energy were flowing inside.
Arthur walked over to take a closer look.
The crystal wasn't large, but the silver filaments inside were constantly changing and recombining, looking quite complex.
"It worked?" Arthur asked, his tone filled with a mix of surprise and joy.
"Yeah!" Wanda nodded vigorously, unable to hide the smile on her face. "It feels... very stable. I can feel its connection to me; although it's very faint, it definitely exists. It's like... having an extra fingertip that's really, really far away."
As she spoke, she flicked her finger gently.
The crystal floated up obediently, flew a circle around Arthur, and then returned to her hand.
"Not bad, wifey!" Arthur laughed. "How far can this thing sense? And what can it sense?"
Wanda thought for a moment. "It's still a prototype, so I haven't tested it yet. But I feel... if we put it in our house, it could cover the entire Brooklyn area, sensing relatively strong anomalous energy fluctuations. For example, the kind of level Loki used to open the Portal, that should be no problem. Any further, or if the energy is more concealed, it's hard to say."
"That's enough for now," Arthur said. "Let's start with a 'Brooklyn Pilot'. Once successful, we can copy and paste, do the 'New York Region', and finally 'Global Networking'. Trying to reach the sky in one step isn't realistic; we need to develop stealthily."
Wanda laughed at his words. "What do you mean by 'develop stealthily'?"
"It means keeping a low profile, taking it slow, and not doing anything too big right off the bat that scares everyone," Arthur explained. "Look, we and S.H.I.E.L.D.know each other's cards, but not completely. They know we can fight, but they don't know we can also create a 'magic Internet'. We have to keep this trump card."
Wanda nodded, thinking it made sense. She gently held the crystal, and the faint sense of connection became clearer.
"Hubby, then where should we... test this prototype?" she asked.
Arthur rubbed his chin and paced around the living room.
"Putting it in the house definitely won't work," he said. "This is our base camp; it must be absolutely clean, without any'signal sources' that could possibly expose us. We need to find a place that's within the sensing range, inconspicuous, and safe."
His eyes lit up. "Got it. Let's put it on that old oak tree in our backyard. I'll use magic to apply a 'mimicry' to it, making it look like an ordinary tree scar or a lump of resin. No one but us will notice."
"Good idea." Wanda stood up, though she was a bit tired, she was full of energy. "Shall we go now?"
"Let's go."
The two came to the backyard.
The old oak tree had certainly seen some years; its trunk was thick, and the bark was mottled.
Arthur pointed to a spot about three meters above the ground with a natural depression. "Right here. Wifey, put the node inside, and then I'll 'apply makeup' to it."
Wanda nodded, raised her hand, and the dark red crystal floated over lightly, embedding itself firmly into the depression in the tree trunk.
As soon as the crystal was placed inside, the dark red light on its surface quickly receded, turning grayish, looking just like a piece of old tree bark.
Wanda closed her eyes and carefully sensed it.
"The connection is normal," she said. "I can'see'... centered on this tree, an energy field with a radius of about... two kilometers? It's very blurry, but there is definitely feedback. It's mainly natural energy and the city's background electromagnetic fields; there are no anomalies."
"Beautiful!" Arthur snapped his fingers. "That counts as powered on. Now watch me."
He walked to the tree, raised both hands, and began to cast a spell toward the place where the crystal was embedded.
Golden magic light flowed from his fingertips—not the ostentatious kind, but very thin, faint threads, covering the crystal and the surrounding bark like a spiderweb.
"Concealment... energy assimilation... physical camouflage... and add a layer of trigger-based alarm; whoever touches it is in for it," Arthur muttered as he worked. "Alright, done."
He lowered his hands.
Now looking at that depression, it was completely just an ordinary, slightly bumpy piece of old bark, blending into the whole tree with no flaws.
"Unless a mage uses detection magic to scan this tree inch by inch, they absolutely won't find it," Arthur was very satisfied with his handiwork. "Even if it is actually discovered, the moment it's touched, it will self-destruct and send an alert to you and me. Very stable."
Wanda also sensed it; indeed, the presence of the node had become extremely weak, but the connection with her remained solid.
"Hubby, you're truly amazing," she said.
"That's a must. Your husband here is a direct disciple of the Sorcerer Supreme, a mason in the magic world, specializing in all kinds of renovation and camouflage." Arthur put his arm around her shoulder. "Let's go, back inside. Let's see how effective our first'surveillance camera' is."
The two returned to the living room.
Wanda sat on the sofa, closed her eyes again, and focused her attention entirely on the connection with the node in the backyard.
Arthur didn't disturb her; he went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water, placed it on the coffee table in front of her, then sat down himself, turned on the TV, and turned the volume to the lowest setting.
The TV was still broadcasting follow-up news about the Battle of New York, the camera sweeping over the unpatched hole in Stark Tower.
After about ten minutes.
Wanda opened her eyes.
"How is it?" Arthur asked.
"The range is slightly larger than I thought," Wanda said, her eyes sparkling. "It can cover a radius of about three kilometers. Within this range, I can 'feel' the overall flow of energy. It's very calm, with nothing particularly eye-catching. But..."
She paused and pointed to the east. "In that direction, about two kilometers away, near the East River, there is a tiny bit... of very weak residual energy. It's not magic, more like... radiation leaking from some kind of high-tech equipment? It's very faint and is dissipating; I suspect it's some Chitauri wreckage from yesterday's battle that hasn't been cleared yet."
Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Can you pinpoint the exact location? Down to the street?"
Wanda shook her head. "Not yet, the sensing is too blurry; I can only know the general direction and distance. I might need more nodes, or to optimize this node further to improve the 'resolution'."
"That's good enough, that's already awesome." Arthurwas very gratified. "On the first day of going online, we can already find 'historical legacy issues'. This shows our approach is correct. When Pietro gets back, let him go to that direction you mentioned and verify it. If we can really find it, that means our'system' is effective."
Just as he was speaking, the door opened with a "click".
Pietro rolled in like a gust of wind, carrying two large plastic bags filled with pizza, burgers, and various snacks.
"I'm back!" He put the bags on the dining table. "Shopping done! By the way, I heard some 'rumors'."
Arthur and Wanda walked over.
"First, tell us, what did you hear?" Arthur picked up a slice of pizza and took a bite.
Pietro took a slice of pizza himself and said while eating, "Things are getting crazy out there. People are saying all sorts of things. The mainstream narrative is that S.H.I.E.L.D.has a secret team of super-powered individuals who intervened at the critical moment yesterday to save New York. Some people are swearing that they saw a Witch in red clothes using a magic shield to protect people on several streets. By the way, Wanda, they gave you a nickname:'Scarlet Witch'."
Wanda was drinking water and almost choked. "Scarlet Witch?"
"Yeah, it sounds pretty cool," Pietro said. "As for you, brother-in-law... they didn't see exactly what you did, just knew a golden light was flashing everywhere, and then the alien monsters exploded. So your nickname is quite simple: 'Golden Lightning', or 'Mysterious Golden Armored Man'."
Arthur laughed. "Golden Lightning? Not bad, better than 'Takeout Hero'."
"What about the official side?" Wanda was more concerned about this. "S.H.I.E.L.D. or the government, do they have any statement?"
Pietro lowered his voice. "I wandered over to Times Square, and there happened to be a temporary S.H.I.E.L.D.press conference. Fury, that one-eyed dragon, didn't show up; it was a female Agent named Maria Hill. What she said was basically standard rhetoric: thanking the citizens for their cooperation, emphasizing that the crisis had been resolved. Regarding the 'mysterious allies', her exact words were: 'We are grateful for all the forces that stepped up in the moment of crisis; details cannot be disclosed for security reasons.' Anyway, they admit you guys exist, but won't say who you are or where you came from. The attitude... let's call it neutral-leaning-friendly, at least they didn't label you as a threat."
Arthur nodded. "That's handled appropriately. It both pacified the public and didn't put us on the spot. Fury, that guy, still has some sense of propriety."
"Also," Pietro continued, "In Queens, near the edge of yesterday's battle, I did feel something off. It wasn't energy, it was... people. There were a few guys in plain clothes, but they moved very orderly, eyes scanning everywhere, wandering through those destroyed blocks. They didn't look like ordinary police or disaster relief personnel, but more like... looking for something, or observing something."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. field Agents, or the military personnel," Arthur judged. "Probably assessing the battlefield, collecting debris, or seeing if there are any 'fish that slipped through the net'. Standard procedure."
Wanda recalled her earlier sensing and said, "Pietro, through the newly made sensing node, I found a tiny bit of abnormal energy residue about two kilometers away in the direction of the East River. It's very faint, possibly Chitauriwreckage. If you have time tomorrow, can you go to that area and take a look? You don't need to get close, just confirm from afar whether there are cleanup personnel working."
Pietro's spirits lifted upon hearing this. "Sensing node? You guys made it? So fast?"
"Your sister is a genius." Arthur explained the function and camouflage of the node on the tree in the backyard.
Pietro was stunned. "Holy crap... a magic surveillance camera? And it has energy sensing? Our family is about to establish a 'Earth Defense Private Enterprise'! That's so cool! No problem, leave it to me, I'll go scout it out first thing tomorrow morning!"
The three ate and chatted, the atmosphere very relaxed.
After eating, Arthur clapped his hands. "Alright, intelligence summarized. Now, let's have a formal family meeting."
Wanda and Pietro both sat up straight.
"After today's small-scale test," Arthur said, "Wanda's 'Global Threat Early Warning System' theory is feasible, and the first node is running normally. So, the framework of our'Special Operations Team' is officially established."
He held up three fingers. "The division of labor is as follows: Me, Arthur, responsible for global strategy, high-risk target intervention, and magic technical support, commonly known as 'Fire Chief and Technical Director'."
"Wanda, my wife, responsible for the core construction of the early warning system, maintenance of the magicsensing network, and large-scale battlefield protection and control; she is our 'Chief Technology Officer and Defense Master'."
"Pietro, my brother-in-law, responsible for rapid reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, peripheral support, and... running errands. He is our 'Intelligence Director and Rapid Response Force'."
Pietro raised his hand. "Is this 'running errands' a serious job title?"
"Very serious." Arthur said with a straight face. "Without fast and accurate intelligence, even the best strategy is just shooting in the dark. Your speed is our eyes and ears. From now on, the code name for our group will be... 'Watchers'. Sounds low-key, yet has that vibe."
"'Watchers'..." Wanda recited it once and nodded. "Sounds pretty good."
"No objections!" Pietro raised his hand in favor.
"Good, passed unanimously." Arthur continued. "The next step is, while ensuring absolute concealment, to deploy more sensing nodes at key locations in New Yorkfirst. I suggest the preliminary sites: near the New York Sanctum (needs the Ancient One's tacit approval), around Stark Tower (Tony is easy to talk to), and a few historical energy anomaly points. Wanda will lead this, and I will assist."
"Second step, Pietro, you need to start consciously building your own intelligence sources. It's not for you to be a spy, but to pay attention to street rumors, and focus on some fringe channels that might come into contact with anomalous information. For example, those small groups that specialize in studying supernatural phenomena, or black market brokers who deal in alien debris. Keep your distance, listen only, don't speak."
"The third step, and also the most important," Arthurlooked at Wanda and Pietro, "Our bottom line remains unchanged: protect what should be protected, and live our own little lives. We don't go looking for trouble, but we aren't afraid when it comes. Our power is a tool, not a burden. Remember that?"
"Remembered!" Wanda and Pietro said in unison.
"Alright, meeting adjourned." Arthur leaned back on the sofa. "That's it for today. Testing is tested, planning is planned. The rest is to enjoy the rare peace after the war."
The sky outside the window was completely dark.
The night in Brooklyn was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of cars in the distance.
On the old oak tree in the backyard, inside that inconspicuous 'tree scar', the dark red crystal flickered slightly, silently transmitting information about the stable energy field in the surroundings back to the mistress's perception inside the house.
Everything was just beginning.
Chapter 53: Early Warning System
The dark red crystal hovered steadily above Wanda's palm, emitting a faint buzzing sound.
Pietro leaned in to look, his eyes wide. "Is that it? The tree in our backyard is now a signal tower?"
"You could put it that way." Arthur walked over and patted Wanda on the shoulder. "Good work, honey. You get top marks for this. But one 'tower' isn't enough; we need to test how far it can'see' and how clearly."
Wanda gently gripped the crystal and looked at Arthur. "Test it now?"
"Right now." Arthur walked to the center of the living room. "Strike while the iron is hot. Pietro, stand by. If the system detects any abnormal energy points, I need you to use your speed to confirm if it's real or a false alarm."
"Copy that!" Pietro immediately stood straight, looking ready to dash out at any moment.
Arthur nodded at Wanda. "Honey, as the 'core', connect to the node on the tree in the backyard, then use that node as a relay to spread your Chaos Magic sensing range as wide as possible. Don't push it too hard; take it slow. Focus on'scanning' for unusual, high-energy, or... malicious fluctuations. We aren't here to monitor ordinary people living their lives."
"Understood." Wanda sat cross-legged on the sofa again and closed her eyes.
Dark red Chaos Magic energy began to emerge from her body. It wasn't as turbulent as it was during combat, but rather rippled outwards gently like water. These energies didn't spread out of the room; instead, when they touched the barrier Arthur had upgraded, they seemed to find an invisible exit, rapidly connecting to the node on the old oak tree in the backyard along a pre-set magical path.
Wanda's brows furrowed slightly as she focused on sensing.
Arthur wasn't idle either. A faint, imperceptible golden glimmer appeared in his eyes. Combining his Super Visionwith his own magical perception, he functioned like an invisible radar, starting a macroscopic scan of the energy field with their home as the center. His "seeing" and Wanda's "sensing" were two separate systems, and now they needed to compare and fuse data from both.
The living room was quiet, save for Pietro's slightly nervous breathing.
About five minutes passed.
Wanda suddenly spoke, her voice soft but clear. "Hubby, there's something."
"Tell me." Arthur didn't move his eyes.
"The New York Sanctum... in that direction." Wanda said, pointing towards Manhattan. "A very faint magical fluctuation is coming from there. It's extremely weak; if I hadn't used the node to amplify my sensing, I might not have noticed it at all. But it's... very'strange'."
"How so?" Arthur pressed. His Super Vision had also locked onto the general area of the New York Sanctum, but it was shrouded by powerful protective magic, making conventional scanning difficult to penetrate.
"It's not Kamar-Taj's system." Wanda said firmly. "I'm familiar with the magic the Ancient One taught me, as well as the energy characteristics described in the books Mordobrought. This fluctuation... is very unfamiliar, and it feels... less like maintaining dimensional stability, and more like... 'peeking'?"
"Peeking?" Pietro interjected. "A magical voyeur?"
"Something like that." Wanda opened her eyes and looked at Arthur. "The fluctuation carries a very clear intent of 'analysis' and 'prying'. Its target... doesn't seem to be the Sanctum itself, but rather, using the Sanctum as a coordinate point, it's scanning the surrounding area, focusing seemingly on... individuals with relatively high energy signatures?"
Arthur rubbed his chin, his gaze darkening. "Individuals with high energy signatures? The Avengers, the Arc Reactor at Stark Tower, Dr. Banner... even our house, all qualify as high-energy targets. This is intelligence gathering after the war."
"Can you track the source?" Pietro asked.
"The fluctuation is too weak, and it's intermittent, as if it's using some method to hide." Wanda shook her head. "I can only determine the general direction comes from the Sanctum; more precise positioning... requires getting closer, or having more sensing nodes."
Arthur snapped his fingers. "Pietro, you're the fastest. Go take a lap around the perimeter of the Sanctum. Don't go in, and don't alert anyone. Just use your ears and eyes to see if there are any suspicious people or unusual events. The main focus is whether there are people around who aren't dressed like Kamar-Taj sorcerers."
"On it!" Pietro's figure flashed, kicking up a gust of wind, and he was gone.
Arthur looked at Wanda. "Honey, we can't just sit here and wait. Although this fluctuation is hidden, now that our system has caught its tail, there's a way to bite back. Do you dare to go out for a stroll with me?"
Wanda stood up, her eyes firm. "Of course. This time I won't need you to protect me; I can cover you."
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Arthur smiled. "Let's play a game of 'counter-tracking'. Use your Chaos Magic to simulate a 'harmless' but 'conspicuous' fake energy signal and throw it towards the Brooklyn Bridge. Let's see if this 'peeper' takes the bait, or at least, we can follow the return path of its sensing to find its lair."
"Understood!" Wanda raised her hands, dark red energy condensing in her palms. But this time, it didn't form a crystal; instead, it wove into an extremely complex, constantly shifting magical network. She carefully injected a hint of "curiosity," "harmlessness," and even a touch of "bewilderment" into it, then gave it a gentle push.
The dark red magical network drifted silently through the barrier towards the Brooklyn Bridge. To ordinary people or even average sorcerers, it looked like a strand of unintentionally leaked, unformed Chaos Magic that would be easily ignored. But to a peeper actively "scanning" for high-energy targets, it was like a glimmer of light in the dark.
Arthur held Wanda's hand. "Let's go, we'll follow it and see. If it's really coming for high-energy individuals, there's no reason for it not to take a look at two 'big lightbulbs' like us."
A golden light flashed, and a Portal opened in the living room, leading to a quiet alley near the Brooklyn Bridge.
The two stepped through.
The Brooklyn Bridge area was crowded in the evening, with tourists and commuters coming and going. Arthurand Wanda walked through the crowd holding hands like a normal couple, but their perception was fully engaged.
Wanda closed her eyes, relying on the weak connection to the released fake signal network to carefully sense every change in energy around them.
"There's a reaction." Wanda suddenly said in a low voice, her fingers tightening slightly. "That 'peeper'... it noticed my fake signal. It's trying to analyze it... very cautiously, but it definitely took the bait. The return path... points to..."
She opened her eyes abruptly and looked at an abandoned newsstand under the bridge not far away. "There! The strongest point of the fluctuation is around there!"
Arthur's Super Vision focused instantly. The newsstand was empty, and there were only a few pedestrians passing by in a hurry; there was no one who looked like a spellcaster.
"The fluctuation is weakening... it disappeared!" Wandafrowned. "It's very alert; it cut the connection immediately after realizing it was a fake signal."
The two walked quickly to the newsstand. A trace of an extremely faint, almost dissipating magical mark remained here.
Arthur crouched down, his fingers pressing into the ground. Golden magical filaments seeped from his fingertips, acting like the most precise probe to capture and analyze the remaining mark.
A few seconds later, his expression changed slightly.
"Honey," Arthur stood up and brushed the dust off his hands. "This just got interesting."
"What did you find?"
"The energy signature of this magical mark..." Arthurlowered his voice. "It has similarities to the energy on Loki's scepter. But it's more obscure, more... 'artificial'. It's not the original Infinity Stone energy; it's more like someone analyzed the scepter's energy, imitated or extracted a portion of it, and made it into this kind of magical tool for 'peeking' and 'analysis'."
Wanda gasped. "Loki's scepter? Wasn't it taken by S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"It was taken." Arthur sneered. "But S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't monolithic, and it's certainly not a safe. It seems that besides us, the Avengers, and S.H.I.E.L.D., other 'friends' are very interested in the Infinity Stones, or rather, the power of the stones. And they're quite good at picking the right time, choosing to act just after the war ended, when everyone is busy cleaning up the mess."
"Is it the remnants of Hydra?" Wanda asked.
"Not necessarily, but it's a high possibility. It could also be some other organization, or some 'Collector' hiding in the shadows." Arthur looked around. "Whoever it is, they are already in action. The goal is clear: to collect intelligence on superhumans and high-risk energy on Earth. If they can'see' Stark Tower and the Sanctum today, they might'see' our home tomorrow."
Pietro appeared beside them like a gust of wind, breathless. "I took a lap around the perimeter of the Sanctum; there's nothing. A few sorcerers were cleaning at the entrance; everything looked normal. How about you guys?"
Arthur briefly explained what they had found.
After hearing this, Pietro cursed. "Damn! Is there no end to this? Aliens are done, now voyeurs are popping up? Are these people flies?"
"Greed moves hearts, especially power on the level of the Infinity Stones." Arthur was quite calm. "Our system's first battle was a success; it wasn't in vain. At least we discovered this undercurrent in advance."
"So what now?" Wanda asked. "Tell S.H.I.E.L.D.? Or Tony Stark?"
"We definitely have to tell them, but not everything." Arthur pulled Wanda and Pietro towards a less crowded area. "We'll be anonymous. Use the channel we used before to send anonymous tips to S.H.I.E.L.D. and send a 'friendly reminder' to Tony Stark. Write: 'Pay attention to information security after the war, especially regarding energy fluctuations related to Loki's scepter; a third party is collecting intelligence on Avengers-level targets.' With Tony Stark's brain and his distrust of certain people within S.H.I.E.L.D., he will definitely take it seriously and investigate it himself."
"What about us?" Pietro asked.
"Us?" Arthur smiled. "Our 'Global Threat Early Warning System' has officially added a 'Priority Target' today—codenamed 'Peeper'. Add it to the core monitoring list and raise the priority. From now on, as long as it dares to show its face and scan again, our system will sound the alarm immediately."
He looked at Wanda. "Honey, your Chaos Magic did a great job this time. The discernment of those subtle energy differences will depend on you in the future."
Wanda nodded. After this real-world tracking and counter-tracking, she indeed felt that her perception of energy had become more sensitive and refined. "I will continue to optimize the sensing nodes and try to lock onto its specific location next time."
"Alright, that's it for today." Arthur opened a Portal. "Home, dinner. We've tested what needed testing, discovered what needed to be discovered, and... we've dug a hole for certain people. As for the rest, let that rich guy Tony Stark worry about it."
The three returned to their home in Brooklyn.
The sky outside the window had completely darkened. The old oak tree in the backyard stood quietly, and the dark red crystal in that inconspicuous "tree scar" had recorded all the data from today's first live test.
In the living room, Arthur typed an anonymous message on the encrypted communicator. Wanda leaned on the sofa, savoring the subtle feeling of magic flowing during the tracking just now. Pietro was flipping through a takeout menu, pondering what to eat for dinner.
Beneath the calm daily life, a new threat had quietly emerged. And this time, they were no longer unprepared.
Chapter 54 Further Clues
In the living room, Arthur stared at the wisp of grayish-white Mark above his palm that he had forcibly condensed with magic and had not yet completely dissipated, his brows furrowed.
"Husband, did you see anything?" Wanda leaned over, dark red Chaos Magic slightly flickering at her fingertips, helping to stabilize the fragile Mark.
Pietro also stretched his neck to look, although he didn't quite understand things on an energy level.
"This thing... is not naturally formed." Arthur traced his fingers through the air, golden magical threads cutting into the Mark like a scalpel, peeling its structure layer by layer for display. "Look here, the weaving method of the energy circuit has very obvious traces of human intervention. It's as if... someone obtained a high-level energy template and then tried to imitate and invoke it with crude technology."
"Template?" Wanda keenly captured the keyword. "Loki's scepter?"
"Ninety-nine percent." Arthur nodded, his tone certain. "The similarity in energy characteristics is too high, especially that 'analysis' and 'induction' property that goes deep into the soul level; this is the signature of the Mind Stone. But the energy in this Mark is very 'thin' and very 'volatile', as if a small portion was stripped from the scepter, or it's just a 'knockoff' made after analyzing surface data."
Pietro cursed, "Damn! Is S.H.I.E.L.D. useless? Didn't they take away Loki's scepter? How could they let someone steal energy from it?"
"It might not be the physical object that was stolen." Arthur dissipated the Mark in his hand and clapped his hands. "The Battle of New York was so chaotic; it's possible that energy samples or data leaked during the transport, storage, or even research of the scepter. Don't forget, we aren't the only ones eyeing this thing, and neither is S.H.I.E.L.D."
Wanda's expression turned serious. "Hydra?"
"That's the most likely possibility." Arthur walked to the middle of the living room, hands in his pockets. "These people are like cockroaches; you can never get rid of them. Previously, they conducted 'Project Fledgling' in Sokovia, grabbing superpowered children for experiments; it was essentially a craving for supernatural power. Now that there's a ready-made scepter containing cosmic-level power sitting on Earth, would they not be tempted?"
He paused and sneered, "Moreover, this is a good opportunity. The battle just ended, and S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers are both busy cleaning up the mess, their attention scattered. Launching some shady research projects at this time is the least likely to be discovered."
"Then what do we do now?" Pietro asked. "Tell S.H.I.E.L.D.directly? Let them investigate?"
"Tell them?" Arthur shook his head. "Whether that old fox Fury believes it is one thing, and even if he does, the inside of S.H.I.E.L.D.... hmph, the water is too deep. We'll be anonymous and throw the clue to someone who is smart, has resources, and isn't so trusting of certain people within S.H.I.E.L.D."
Wanda immediately understood. "Tony Stark."
"Exactly." Arthur walked to the workbench, opened an encrypted communication terminal, and his fingers tapped quickly. "We'll send him an 'anonymous package'. The content... 'Post-war trash not cleaned up, beware of energy radiation residue from Loki's toy, unidentified persons are secretly taking photos. Suggest self-checking warehouse and logistics records.' With Tony's IQ and his 'profound understanding' of certain colleagues, he will definitely understand."
A few minutes later, a message that had gone through multiple layers of magic and technological encryption and could not be traced to its source was silently sent to one of Tony Stark's private security servers.
"Done." Arthur closed the terminal. "Now, let's go about our business and wait for the fish to take the bait."
Tony Stark was in the laboratory on the top floor of Stark Tower, worrying about a pile of battle-damaged Mark VII armor parts.
Jarvis's voice suddenly sounded. "Sir, received a highest-priority encrypted message. The source cannot be traced, and the decryption protocol is... the 'Mysterious Ally Dedicated Channel' you set up."
Tony paused in his movements and wiped the grease off his hands. "Play it."
A virtual screen unfolded in front of him, displaying the short message.
Tony stared at it for three seconds and sneered. "'Unidentified persons are secretly taking photos'? This wording is really quite euphemistic."
He walked to the bar, poured a glass of wine, and took a sip, but his eyes sharpened. "Jarvis, pull all official transport, storage, and research records regarding the Tesseract and Loki's scepter after the Battle of New York, with the highest authority. At the same time, in the name of Stark Industries, secretly investigate all records of abnormal purchases or transport of high-precision energy detection, isolation, and... equipment and materials that could be used for life or energy body research worldwide over the past two weeks. Focus on those shell companies or research institutes with dark histories or vague backgrounds."
"The workload is huge, sir," Jarvis reminded him.
"I know." Tony downed the wine. "That's why I'm having you check. Also, send a reply to the 'mysterious friend' who sent the message, using the same encrypted channel. Say... 'The photos were taken well, but the focus wasn't right. Any interest in sharing the lens to see a clearer picture?'"
He put down the wine glass, a familiar, slightly cynical, and shrewd smile curling the corners of his mouth. "I want to see which little mouse dares to steal things under the noses of Stark and... hmm, those 'mysterious friends'."
In the Brooklyn home, Arthur's encrypted terminal lit up with a notification light.
He clicked on the reply, and after reading it, he was amused.
"Tony, this guy is on the ball." He showed the message to Wanda and Pietro.
"Is he trying to cooperate with us?" Wanda asked.
"Not just that, he wants to pull us in to investigate together." Arthur touched his chin. "Sharing the lens... means sharing information and cooperating on the investigation. He provides technology and resources; we provide magic and... unconventional means."
Pietro was a bit excited. "So are we doing it? Conducting a secret investigation with Iron Man sounds exciting!"
Arthur didn't answer immediately and looked at Wanda. "Wife, what do you think?"
Wanda thought seriously for a moment. "Tony Stark... although he sometimes seems arrogant, he was at the forefront of the Battle of New York, and he is willing to trust us. Cooperating with him is simpler than dealing directly with S.H.I.E.L.D. At least the goal might be more consistent—find the person making trouble and clear the hidden dangers."
She paused and added, "Besides, if it really is Hydra using the Mind Stone's energy for research, the danger could be significant. Finding out sooner means we can stop it sooner."
"Alright, the wife's analysis is logical and well-founded." Arthur slapped his thigh. "Then it's settled. Pietro, starting tomorrow, besides your daily 'wind-listening' tasks, keep an extra eye on the surroundings of New York. See if there are any abandoned factories, warehouses, or remote research institutes that have had abnormal personnel or vehicle activity recently. Especially those that look suspicious and don't seem to be doing legitimate business."
"Understood!" Pietro rubbed his hands together.
Arthur then replied to Tony, "The lens can be shared, but the photographer must be low-key. Provide a few coordinates of suspicious shooting locations, and we'll go scout them out first."
Not long after the message was sent, Tony's reply came.
This time it wasn't text, but a short encrypted data packet.
After Arthur decoded it, an electronic map marked with three locations appeared on the screen. Two were within New York State, and one was in New Jersey, all remote locations far from the city, marked as "suspected abnormal energy procurement record connection points" and "abandoned industrial facility, intermittent unknown frequency signals emitted recently."
"Quite efficient." Arthur projected the map onto the big screen in the living room. "This guy Tony seems to have noticed something wrong a long time ago and was just waiting for someone to give him a lead."
Wanda looked at the map and lightly tapped on one of the icons of an abandoned factory located in northern New York State, near a lake. "The energy residue here... feels very faint, but it has that kind of'sense of disharmony' similar to the 'peeper' fluctuations we captured before. Need to get closer to confirm."
"Then that's it." Arthur selected the target. "The first investigation object. Pietro, tomorrow morning, you first use your speed to go around the perimeter. Use that enhanced energy sensing patch I gave you to scan from a distance and confirm if there is any abnormal energy protection or a large amount of personnel activity. Remember, absolutely do not go in, and do not let anyone see you."
"Rest assured, I am Quicksilver, professional reconnaissance." Pietro was full of confidence.
"Wife, you are responsible for staying at home tomorrow. Through the'signal tower' in our backyard, focus on monitoring the macro energy field of this coordinate area. Once Pietro approaches or during our subsequent actions, if there are violent energy fluctuations there, issue an immediate warning." Arthur arranged.
Wanda nodded. "Okay. Then what about you, husband?"
"Me?" Arthur smiled. "I'll give our 'three-party informal intelligence cooperation group' an operation codename. Let's call it... 'Operation Sweeping'. Specifically for cleaning up these pieces of trash hiding in the corners. After Pietroreturns from reconnaissance, if it is confirmed that there is a problem, I will go'sweep' it myself."
He looked at the coordinates on the screen, his eyes slightly cold. "Let's see which deity dares to mess around with the Mind Stone's energy."
The family meeting ended here, and the preliminary cooperation intention of the three parties was reached.
Pietro began to check his equipment, while Wandareturned to the sofa, sat down, closed her eyes, and concentrated, beginning to try to project her perception more precisely toward the distant target area.
Arthur stood in front of the window, watching the night scene of Brooklyn.
The direction of Stark Tower was vaguely visible.
A secret intelligence line connecting "Watchman" and "Iron Man" was thus quietly established.
And the first target that needed to be "swept" had already been lit up on the map.
Chapter 55: Infiltration and Evidence Gathering
A flash of golden light, and Arthur, Wanda, and Pietroappeared in a forest.
About two hundred meters ahead was the coordinate Tonyhad sent—an old factory that looked like it was built in the 70s or 80s, with peeling wall paint, shattered windows, and looking as desolate as could be.
"Is this it?" Pietro lowered his voice, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
"It's the coordinate Jarvis gave, it can't be wrong." Arthur's ears twitched, and his Super Hearing scanned the entire factory grounds like radar. "There are people inside, not many, about seven or eight. Their heartbeats are steady; they don't sound like ordinary vagrants, but rather like they are… on duty."
Wanda closed her eyes to sense, then opened them again: "Honey, I can feel that energy. It's very faint, but it is indeed from the same source as the mark of the 'Peeper' from before. It's underground, about… fifteen to twenty meters deep."
"Underground laboratory, a classic Hydra routine." Arthur nodded. "Alright, let's stick to the plan. Honey, set up a barrier on the perimeter, covering the entire factory area. Focus on anti-detection; don't let the people inside discover we're here, and don't let any signals get out."
"Alright." Without wasting words, Wanda raised her hands, and dark red Chaos Magic spread out from her feet like water ripples, silently covering the area. Wherever the magic passed, the air twisted slightly before returning to normal, as if placing an "invisibility cloak" over this area.
"Pietro," Arthur turned to his brother-in-law, "you're responsible for rapid reconnaissance and support. Use your speed to circle the factory a few times, focusing on identifying any hidden sentries, cameras, or other exits. Remember, don't go inside, stay on the perimeter. Once you spot something wrong, or receive my signal, take Wanda and retreat to the safety point immediately. Don't worry about me."
"Understood!" Pietro gave an OK gesture. "Then I'm off?"
"Go."
Pietro's figure flickered, kicking up a breeze, and he was already gone.
Arthur looked at Wanda: "How's the barrier?"
"It's set." There was a light sweat on Wanda's forehead, but her eyes were steady. "As long as a sorcerer of the Ancient One's level doesn't come to scan it personally, they absolutely won't discover us. Electronic signals from inside can't get out either; I added a layer of magical interference."
"Awesome, honey." Arthur chuckled, leaned in to kiss her on the forehead, "Then you wait here, keep an eye on the barrier, and watch out for Pietro. I'll go in for a stroll and see what kind of performance art these remnants of Hydra are up to."
"Be careful." Wanda grabbed his hand, "If there's a trap…"
"Don't worry." Arthur patted her hand. "Your husband here is a direct disciple of the Sorcerer Supreme, with Krypton blood, and a mason cum demolition supervisor in the magic world. A mere Hydra underground workshop? Going in there is just like walking into my own backyard."
After he finished speaking, his body moved slightly.
It wasn't teleportation, it was just very simple… he merged in.
Literally merged in. He was like a faint shadow, crossing the forest and skimming over the overgrown grass. When he approached the factory wall, a layer of almost invisible golden magical shimmer appeared on the surface of his body, and then he simply "flowed" into the gap of a broken window.
Wanda watched from the perimeter, exhaling softly, and focused her spirit on maintaining the barrier.
The inside of the factory looked even more dilapidated than the outside.
Arthur floated down the hallway like a ghost, his Super Vision penetrating the walls and floors, getting a general view of the underground structure.
"There really is an basement, and more than one level." He muttered, avoiding two guards yawning at the doorway—these two were in casual clothes, but their waists were bulging, clearly packing heat.
He walked down the stairs.
The further down he went, the more obvious the residual sensation of the Mind Stone energy became.
When he reached the second underground level, the environment changed.
Although the exterior was still dilapidated concrete walls, there was a smell of disinfectant in the air, and the hallway was much cleaner. There were hidden vents on the walls, and the fluorescent lights overhead, though old, were on.
Arthur stopped in front of a heavy metal door.
There was an electronic lock on the door, and a fingerprint scanner next to it.
"This is it." He pressed his ear against the door to listen; there was the buzzing of machines inside, and the sound of typing on a keyboard.
He extended his index finger, a point of golden magic light glowing at his fingertip, and gently tapped it onto the interface of the electronic lock.
"Password deciphered… fingerprint simulated… done."
With a soft click, the lock opened.
Arthur pushed the door open and entered, his movements very light.
Inside was a not-so-large laboratory, about fifty or sixty square meters. Several long laboratory tables were filled with various instruments—some looked very advanced, while others looked like antiques scavenged from a second-hand market.
Three researchers in white lab coats were busy; two were typing code at computers, and one was tinkering with a transparent container emitting blue light at an operation console.
Arthur's gaze swept across the entire room.
His focus was on those computer screens.
A large amount of data was scrolling by: charts, waveforms, molecular structure simulations… and several folders with very straightforward names: "scepter Energy Extraction Record_Batch 3", "Mental Interference Threshold Test_Volunteer Group A", "Energy Stabilizer Formula_Iteration 7".
"Good grief, they really are researching Mind Stoneenergy." Arthur sneered inwardly. "'Volunteer Group A', Hydra's 'volunteers' are probably volunteering with a gun pointed at their heads."
He walked silently behind the nearest computer and pulled out a silver device the size of a USB flash drive from his pocket—this was a "little gift" Tony had stuffed into his hand last time they met, said to be the latest "plug-and-play fully automatic data copier" from Stark Industries, which also had a very flashy name called "Data Vacuum Cleaner".
Arthur plugged the device into the computer's USB port.
The device's screen lit up, displaying "Connection successful, starting copy… Estimated time: 47 seconds".
He turned to look at the blue-glowing container.
A small cluster of pale yellow energy was suspended in the container, constantly twisting and changing, looking unstable. The researcher at the console was carefully dripping a silver liquid into it; every time a drop fell, that energy cluster would fluctuate violently.
"Energy stabilization experiment…" Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Trying to artificially create controllable Mind Stoneenergy? Quite the ambition."
His ears suddenly twitched.
Footsteps came from the corridor outside, getting closer and closer.
A researcher in the laboratory looked up at the door: "It should be Doctor Hansen bringing the new samples over."
Arthur quickly glanced at the copy progress: 32 seconds.
He stepped back, pressing himself into the shadows in the corner, turning his magic stealth effect to the maximum, lowering his breathing and heartbeat to the minimum.
The door opened.
An old man with glasses and graying hair walked in, carrying a small silver case.
"Doctor Hansen!" The researcher at the console stood up immediately. "Was the new energy sample extraction successful?"
"Barely." The old man placed the case on the table and opened it, revealing three glass tubes filled with pale yellow liquid. "The third batch of raw energy stripped from the scepter fragments has a higher purity than the first two, but the stability is worse. Be careful when testing, don't turn the test subjects into idiots like last time."
"Understood." The researcher took the glass tubes, handling them carefully.
Arthur's copy device screen flashed: 100%.
He reached out, and the device automatically ejected from the USB port and flew back into his hand.
Data acquired.
Just as he was preparing to withdraw, his Super Hearingsuddenly caught a different sound.
Very faint, like… suppressed breathing, and the sound of chains rubbing.
Coming from deeper inside.
Arthur frowned, his Super Vision penetrating the floor beneath his feet, looking toward the third underground level.
The space below was larger, like a prison. Over a dozen iron cages were arranged, most of them empty, but in three of the cages… people were locked up.
Two adult men, and one girl who looked only in her teens.
They were curled up in the corners of the cages, wearing tattered hospital gowns, with chains on their wrists and ankles. Their mental state looked very poor, their eyes hollow.
"Life signs…" Arthur's expression darkened. "These scumbags, not only are they researching energy, they're also conducting human experiments."
He glanced at the researchers in the laboratory, and then at the three people locked up on the third underground level.
The copied data was already in hand; according to the plan, it was time to withdraw.
But…
Arthur took a deep breath and tapped his communicator twice—this was the signal for Wanda, indicating "Unexpected situation discovered, need more time."
Then he sank downward, like a water droplet seeping into the floor, silently passing through the concrete layer and entering the third underground level.
Chapter 56: Hidden Dangers
The third underground level was even colder than the ones above.
Arthur stood in front of the cage, looking at the three people inside. The two men were about thirty years old, their eyes vacant, huddled in the corner and shivering. The girl looked younger, perhaps sixteen or seventeen, hugging her knees with her head buried.
"Hey." Arthur lowered his voice, flicking his fingers as three tiny golden lights drilled into the chains.
Click. The chains opened.
The three people didn't move, as if they hadn't realized what happened.
"Can you hear me?" Arthur crouched down and looked at the girl. "I'm here to save you. Can you stand up?"
The girl slowly raised her head. Her eyes were red and swollen, and there were tear stains on her face. She looked at Arthur, her lips moving, but no sound came out.
A man next to her suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse: "You... you aren't one of them?"
"No," Arthur said. "I'm here to tear this dump apart. We don't have much time, so if you can walk, get up quickly. I'll send you out."
The other man struggled to stand up, but his legs went weak and he sat back down. "They... injected us with something... my whole body has no strength..."
Arthur frowned and reached out, scanning the three of them through the air. His magic perception swept over them like a scanner.
"Residual energy extraction, plus some sedative components." He smacked his lips. "Fine, might as well finish the job."
He lifted both hands, and three gentle halos of magicenveloped the trio, lifting them gently from the cage and suspending them half a meter off the ground.
"Don't be afraid, I'll take you out just like this." After saying that, Arthur turned and floated toward the stairwell.
Just as he floated to the stairwell, his ears twitched.
His Super Hearing caught a faint heartbeat coming from deeper underground.
It was very weak, almost stopping.
"There's more?" Arthur stopped, letting the three suspended people hover behind him, and used his Super Vision to peer downward.
The fourth underground level. It wasn't big, like a backup power room or a storage closet.
A person was lying on the ground, wearing a lab coat, their chest stained dark red, breathing intermittently.
Arthur hesitated for half a second.
"Wait here for me for one minute," he said to the three behind him, then his body sank, passing through the floor.
The fourth underground level was piled with old machines and crates, and the air smelled of rust and blood.
The researcher lying on the ground was an old man with gray hair, his glasses broken on one side, and he was clutching a data disk in his hand.
Arthur landed beside him and crouched down.
The old man opened his eyes a slit, saw Arthur, and made a rattling sound in his throat.
"Don't talk, your lung is punctured." Arthur tapped his chest, golden magic light seeping in to temporarily stabilize his injuries. "Who did this?"
The old man shook his head—not because he didn't know, but because he didn't want to say. His other hand trembled as he raised it, pointing to an inconspicuous console in the corner of the room.
On the console screen, a red countdown was jumping: 00:00:47... 46... 45...
"Self-destruct sequence?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.
The old man's lips moved, his voice as small as a mosquito's: "Run... run quickly..."
"Besides this, is there anything else you want to say?" Arthur asked. "For example, what exactly are you researching here? It's not just the energy of the Mind Stone, right?"
The old man's gaze scattered for a moment, then suddenly focused, staring fixedly at Arthur.
His lips moved again, and this time Arthur leaned his ear closer.
"...The Cradle..." The old man's voice was as thin as a thread. "The Accords... Sokovia... They... are replicating... the barrier..."
Arthur's eyes sharpened: "Replicating what barrier? Speak clearly!"
But the old man was already gone. He exhaled a final breath, his hand loosened, and the data disk fell to the ground.
His eyes closed.
"Damn it." Arthur cursed, picked up the data disk, and quickly scanned the console again.
Countdown: 00:00:32.
He pressed his hand onto the console, magic energy pouring in frantically, trying to crack the program.
The screen flickered, a prompt for insufficient permissions popped up, and then a new window appeared—the startup interface for a simple teleportation device, displaying "Receiving remote command... Startup countdown: 00:00:15."
"There's a teleportation device too?" Arthur hesitated for less than half a second before making a decision.
He grabbed the old man's corpse—it might still be useful—while simultaneously using magic to sweep up the data disk. His body shot upward, passing through the ceiling back to the third underground level, wrapping the three floating people in magic halos, and then passing through two more floors to rush back to the laboratory on the second underground level.
The three researchers in the lab were still busy. Seeing Arthur suddenly appear from the floor with a bunch of people and a corpse, they were all stunned.
"You..."
Arthur didn't waste words. He flicked his fingers, and three magic shocks knocked all three of them unconscious.
He quickly swept across all the computers in the lab, opened his hands, and released countless golden threads from his palms, connecting to every host like a spiderweb.
"Data copy, full disk!" he shouted in a low voice.
The golden threads flashed wildly, and massive amounts of data were forcibly extracted, compressed, and injected into another "data vacuum" he carried with him.
Countdown: 00:00:05.
The teleportation device startup interface displayed: 00:00:03.
"Too late." Arthur decisively abandoned the remaining data, grabbed all the copied storage devices in his hand, and used a magic force field to wrap the three researchers, the three test subjects, and the one corpse all together.
He looked up, his Super Vision penetrating layers of architecture to lock onto Wanda's position in the woods outside.
"Wife! Retreat! Immediately! Explosion incoming!" He roared through the magic link.
Outside the factory, Wanda was closing her eyes to maintain the barrier.
Pietro rushed back like a gust of wind and stopped beside her: "Sis, the perimeter is clean, didn't find anything... Huh? Why is your face so pale?"
Wanda opened her eyes, her forehead covered in sweat: "Hubby just sent a message... There's an explosion, retreat immediately."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a dull roar came from deep within the factory.
It wasn't an explosion, but more like the hum of some energy device starting up.
Immediately after, the barrier Wanda had set up vibrated violently, and a powerful, hostile spatial fluctuation erupted from the core of the factory, slamming into her magic.
"What the hell is that?" Pietro's eyes widened.
On the roof of the central factory building, a blue-white pillar of light shot into the sky, unfolding more than ten meters above the ground to form a blurry holographic projection.
In the projection was a man wearing a high-ranking Hydrauniform, his face hidden in shadows. He seemed to be looking in a certain direction—exactly the location of the underground laboratory where Arthur was.
A processed, cold, mechanical voice came through the projection, echoing in the night sky:
"Found you, Guardian."
As the voice fell, the projection instantly dissipated.
Then, the real explosion began.
Starting from deep underground, a series of explosions like ignited firecrackers erupted layer by layer, from the inside out.
Fire, thick smoke, shattered concrete, and steel sprayed outward wildly.
"Hubby is still inside!" Pietro panicked and was about to rush into the fire.
Wanda grabbed him: "Trust him!"
Just as she finished speaking, a flash of golden light appeared in front of them.
Arthur appeared in the open space like magic, carrying a whole bunch of people—three unconscious researchers, three floating test subjects, and one corpse.
He looked a bit disheveled, his clothes covered in dust, but he was unscathed.
"Go!" As Arthur appeared, his hands had already carved out a huge golden Portal, with the living room of their home in Brooklyn on the other side.
Wanda immediately withdrew the barrier and, together with Pietro, helped push the unconscious and floating people into the Portal.
Arthur was the last to enter, looking back once before he did.
The entire factory was already engulfed in flames, and the explosions were still continuing; it would probably be reduced to ruins in a few minutes.
He stepped into the Portal, and it closed behind him.
The living room was suddenly packed with people.
The three test subjects were gently placed on the sofa by Arthur, the three researchers were thrown into the corner, and the corpse... was temporarily placed on the dining room floor.
Pietro panted, looking at the room full of people: "Damn... did our house become a shelter?"
"Temporary processing." Arthur clapped the dust off his hands and walked to the workbench, throwing all the data storage devices he had in his hand onto it. "Wife, check those three test subjects and see if there's anything else remaining in their bodies. Pietro, tie up those three researchers, stuff their mouths, and throw them in the basement. The corpse... leave it for now, it might be useful."
Wanda immediately went to check on the three people on the sofa. Pietro found some rope and started tying people up.
Arthur turned on the main computer and plugged in the data disk and the copy device.
Decrypting, extracting, reading.
Massive amounts of files unfolded on the screen.
The more he looked, the darker his expression became.
"Hubby, what's wrong?" Wanda walked over. She had just used Chaos Magic to clear the residual drugs and energy contamination from the three test subjects, and they were now fast asleep.
"See for yourself." Arthur turned the screen toward her.
Wanda leaned in to look.
The files were divided into several major categories. One was research on Mind Stone energy, which they had already guessed.
But another category was titled "magic Energy Characteristic Analysis and Reverse Engineering (Codename: Barrier)."
Inside were massive amounts of waveforms, energy spectrum analyses, and... the energy residual data from when Wanda constructed the large magic barrier during the Battle of New York!
"They were analyzing my magic?" Wanda's voice changed.
"Not just analyzing." Arthur clicked on a sub-folder containing experimental records. "They were trying to replicate it. Using the Mind Stone's energy as a primer, mixed with other energy sources, trying to simulate the energy characteristics similar to your Chaos Magic barrier. Although it's still rough now, the direction is correct."
He clicked on another file: "And this, 'The Cradle' project. It looks like a project combining superhuman genetic engineering and mechanical prosthetics; the ambition is not small. 'Sokovia Accords'... this thing looks more like the prototype of a political framework or international regulatory proposal, but it was infiltrated by Hydra and used to cover up their human experiments and weapons testing."
Finally, he called up a briefing with the highest security clearance.
The title was: "Project Insight — Preliminary Risk Assessment and Target Screening Model."
Inside, it listed a whole bunch of names, photos, and data. There was Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers(although he hadn't been dug out yet), Nick Fury...
High up on the list were the photos of Arthur and Wanda.
The label read: "High-risk individuals (couple), energy rating: unknown/extremely high, threat assessment: priority positioning, monitoring, and elimination when necessary. Associated events: New York magic barrier, Stark Towerunknown energy outburst."
"Good grief." Arthur laughed in anger. "We've become priority elimination targets? These remnants of Hydrareally think highly of us."
Wanda looked at the photos of herself and her husband on the screen, along with the word "elimination" next to them, and her hand tightened slightly.
But she wasn't afraid; instead, her eyes turned cold.
"They want to move against us," Wanda said.
"Yeah, they've got their eyes on us." Arthur leaned back and rubbed his temples. "And looking at the data associations, this factory is just one node. There are at least three other associated facilities distributed elsewhere. This 'Project Insight'... although it's still a prototype, the framework is already there. Using big data to predict potential threats, and then using that thing in the sky (he pointed to the ceiling, referring to the future helicarriers) for precision strikes. Old tricks, but combined with Hydra's brains, the lethality is doubled."
Pietro came back after tying people up and heard this, cursing: "It never ends, right? After fighting aliens, we fight Hydra, and after fighting Hydra, is it time to fight alien Hydra?"
"Pretty much." Arthur chuckled. "But this time they're smarter; they know to collect intelligence first, do analysis, and try to replicate our power. The projection in the teleportation device was clearly aimed at me. 'Guardian'... they probably locked onto my identity through some channels, like analyzing residual energy from the Battle of New York or leaks from within S.H.I.E.L.D."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the night in Brooklyn.
"Our early warning system needs to be accelerated. One point in New York isn't enough; we need a global network. Pietro, your speed training needs to be increased; future intelligence transmission and rapid reconnaissance will depend on you."
"No problem!" Pietro patted his chest.
"Wife." Arthur turned to look at Wanda. "You've been targeted. Be more careful with magic traces when you go out in the future. I'll upgrade the barrier at home. Also, regarding the characteristics of your Chaos Magic... we might need to study how to counter-analyze and anti-track it."
Wanda nodded, her eyes firm: "I will. They want to replicate my power? Dream on."
"That's the spirit." Arthur gave a thumbs up, then walked back to the workbench and opened the communication interface. "This matter can't be hidden from Tony. Hydra's tentacles run deeper than we thought. He needs to know about this 'Project Insight' thing. And..."
He paused, sneering: "That projection warned me, which is basically showing their cards. So let's not hide ours either. The cooperation needs to go deeper."
He quickly edited an encrypted message, attaching a summary of the data regarding "The Cradle," the facilities associated with the "Sokovia Accords," and the prototype of the "Project Insight," excluding core magic secrets, and sent it to Tony Stark.
At the end of the message, he left a sentence: "Ran into some tough guys while cleaning up trash. Found out they have a 'client list,' and it looks like we're both on it. Got time to chat about 'after-sales service'?"
After sending it, he closed the interface.
The living room quieted down. The three test subjects were asleep on the sofa, three Hydra researchers were tied up in the corner, and a corpse was still lying on the dining room floor.
Wanda walked to Arthur's side and took his hand.
"Are you afraid?" Arthur asked.
"Afraid of them?" Wanda shook her head. "I'm only afraid of you getting hurt."
"Funny, I'm only afraid of you getting hurt, too." Arthurgrinned. "So, to make sure neither of us gets hurt, we have no choice but to make those guys who are eyeing us... lie down permanently."
Pietro rubbed his hands nearby: "Brother-in-law, take me with you next time, okay? Just doing reconnaissance isn't satisfying."
"Next time for sure," Arthur said. "But for now, we have to deal with this house full of 'gifts.' Also, figure out how to pry more information about 'The Cradle' and the 'Accords' out of that corpse and those researchers."
He looked out the window.
The night was deep.
But some shadows hidden deeper had already been illuminated by the firelight.