"Natasha asked you to save me and Pietro, didn't she?"
Looking at Linen's masked face, Wanda asked with a smile.
Linen didn't have a spoiler system, so Wanda naturally couldn't say she already knew him. After talking with Natasha in the theater, Wanda knew exactly how she should act toward Linen.
"That's right."
With a clear and steady voice, Linen looked at Wanda and Pietro. "You two should leave here with me first."
Hearing Linen's voice, Wanda smiled and nodded.
Only Pietro stared at her in confusion.
"We'll talk after we get out," Wanda said casually when she noticed his puzzled expression.
Then she asked Linen, "How do we leave?"
"Simple."
Hearing heavy gunfire echo from the corridor, she knew Tony and the others had broken in.
Linen casually opened a portal.
"Oh my god…"
Seeing the glowing circle open in the middle of the bedroom, Pietro was stunned.
This masked guy just waved his hand… and a portal appeared?
As Linen stepped through first, Wanda grabbed Pietro's arm. "Don't stand there like an idiot. Come with me."
Wanda went through the portal.
Pietro followed with a shocked expression. One second he was in Wanda's bedroom, and the next he was standing outside in the open wilderness—his eyes filled with disbelief.
They followed Linen to the Quinjet. When the two stepped aboard, Linen reported through the headset: "Targets secured."
"Received!"
Hearing Linen's voice, Natasha said to Steve, "Captain, Linen has Wanda and Pietro. Let's finish this quickly."
"Okay."
Retrieving his shield, Steve said to Thor, "Thor, proceed with the plan!"
Following the order, Thor flew upward with his hammer, summoning a massive bolt of lightning that struck forward like a cannon blast.
Inside the Quinjet
Facing Wanda's curious peeks and Pietro's wary stares, Linen sat quietly, saying nothing.
Just waiting.
The sensation of being secretly watched returned again—sharply, unmistakably.
Linen didn't act rashly. Wanda and Pietro were still just civilians, and the rest of the Avengers were not back yet. If he chased the observer and it was a trap, these two would be in danger.
After more than half an hour, all the Avengers returned.
Seeing Steve Rogers bring back Sitrick, Linen stood up. "You're finally back."
"Dude, wait—too late?"
Tony Stark started to ask, but before he could finish, Linen jumped out of the Quinjet.
"You head back to New York first. I have something to take care of."
The moment he finished speaking, Linen disappeared.
"Huh?"
Watching him vanish coldly like that, Tony blinked.
Then he turned to Natasha. "Did our 'boiling frog in warm water' plan fail?"
"It shouldn't have. Linen was full of killing intent when he left. He must've discovered something."
"But he didn't ask for help. That means he can handle it."
Natasha then approached Wanda. "Finally meeting you in person, Wanda."
In the Forest
"Just like the master predicted… The Avengers' real priority is Wanda and Pietro. Eliminating Hydra was only secondary."
Watching the Quinjet lift off, Somolo muttered to himself.
Just as he was about to leave, a cold, murderous voice sounded behind him:
"So… who is the master you serve?"
Somolo turned instantly.
Seeing Linen standing behind him in his mask, he froze—then smacked his forehead.
"Ah, I've been with the master so long, I've forgotten the most basic low-level undead in the Hell Dimension."
Green light flickered around Somolo's body. As it spread, several unconscious undead appeared nearby.
"It's my fault for being careless. I thought they were just undead whose spiritual senses hadn't fully scattered. I completely forgot you're also a psychic. These undead must be surveillance traps you set after noticing I was spying on you."
"It seems the master was right. The Avengers on this timeline are nothing compared to you."
As he spoke, Somolo—who had been hunched like an 80- or 90-year-old old man—slowly straightened up. His aura surged to its peak.
Linen didn't reply. Two undead chains tore through the air toward Somolo.
Knowing Linen wanted him alive, Somolo chuckled.
Hellfire erupted around him, blocking the chains.
"Your abilities are just like my last master. He used undead chains to hang me for three whole years before I finally surrendered."
A swarm of black ghost claws materialized around Linen, clawing toward him.
Just before they touched him, golden magic lines appeared—magic cutting—and sliced the claws into pieces.
"You're from the Hell Dimension."
From the abilities alone, Linen instantly knew.
Without another word, Linen teleported beside him and unleashed heat vision straight at Somolo's head.
Feeling the massive energy, Somolo's expression shifted. A shield made of swirling black mist rose in front of him.
As the heat vision hit, cracking noises echoed across the forest.
"How is this possible!?"
Seeing cracks spread across the shield, Somolo panicked and tried to retreat.
Bang—
The shield shattered. The heat vision pierced straight through Somolo's skull.
His body twitched twice, then fell.
Before the corpse hit the ground, undead chains shot out again and wrapped around him, yanking him to Linen.
"Don't pretend. A creature from the Hell Dimension doesn't die that easily."
Somolo opened his eyes, gray pupils slowly regaining a hint of vitality.
"That's why I hate dealing with you true psychics… You know far too much about us creatures of the Hell Dimension."
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