Ordinarily, Sebastian might have declined such a troublesome mission, but since Baron Strucker was likely the one who took Wanda and Pietro, finding him would probably lead to their whereabouts.
"I'm in. I'll go with you," Sebastian declared.
His words surprised Tony and Thor, who knew him well, prompting them to glance at him in astonishment.
Quickly recovering, Tony said to Sebastian, "I was ready to launch into a full pitch to convince you, but it seems I didn't need my trump card—you joined up on your own."
As he spoke, Tony swiped the holographic screen beside him again, displaying photos of a young man and woman.
Though blurry, Sebastian immediately recognized them as Wanda and Pietro.
"So, Coulson found them, right?" Sebastian asked.
"Exactly," Tony confirmed. "Coulson was actually tracking them to fulfill your request, and by chance, he discovered they're currently under Baron Strucker's command.
After uncovering this, Coulson reported it to us. I planned to use their whereabouts to persuade you to join this Avengers mission, but you signed on before I even had to try."
Of course, Sebastian didn't reveal that he'd joined precisely because he already suspected Wanda and Pietro were with Strucker.
Ignoring Tony's teasing, Sebastian shrugged and asked,
"Tony, when do we move out?"
"If you're on board, I'd say we can roll out in half an hour. What do you think?" Tony replied, then turned to the others.
"Thirty minutes should be enough for everyone to gear up, right? Though if certain old-timers aren't as agile as they used to be, I can stretch it to an hour."
Tony's jab was clearly aimed at Steve, no question about it.
When two people with leadership qualities clash, trouble is almost inevitable.
At Tony's taunt, Steve gave an exasperated smirk, stood up, and shot back, "I guarantee I'll have my shield ready faster than you can suit up. Want to bet?"
--------------
At Avengers Tower, in the underground equipment plaza, the team prepared for action.
Natasha and Clint selected a specialized off-road vehicle, designed to handle all types of terrain.
Steve chose a custom motorcycle, equally suited for combat as a mount. The others, possessing powerful mobility abilities, required no such equipment.
As for how they would reach their target location on the Sokovian border…
With Sebastian present, airplanes were entirely unnecessary.
"Everyone ready?" Sebastian asked.
Seeing the team nod, Sebastian didn't hesitate.
Raising his right hand, his wand materialized, and with a swift motion, he cast Portal, conjuring five portals—two on the ground and three on the ceiling.
The team sprang into action. Natasha, driving the off-road vehicle with Clint and an untransformed Banner, sped through the largest ground portal.
Steve rode his motorcycle into a slightly smaller ground portal. The three ceiling portals were for Tony, Thor, and Sebastian, who could all fly.
Tony, in his Iron Man suit, and Thor, wielding Mjolnir, entered a portal one after the other, followed by Sebastian, who transformed into black smoke using his Phase Form and soared through.
As the five portals slowly closed, the Avengers arrived at the perimeter of Baron Strucker's castle base in the Sokovian border mountains, converging from five directions toward the fortress.
Sebastian appeared directly above the castle, gazing down at the structure below. Once again, he shifted into Phase Form, descending as black smoke.
But just as he approached, a blue energy barrier blocked his path, impervious to penetration.
Sebastian sensed clearly that even his Phase Form, as an Animagus death raven, couldn't pass through this barrier.
The defensive layer, formed from the Mind Stone's energy, blocked not only physical intrusion but also mental and soul-based attacks.
Magical infiltration was equally impossible unless the barrier was shattered, leaving Sebastian no way to bypass it.
Of course, under normal circumstances, this would be true, but Sebastian possessed an unconventional weapon.
The Space Stone!
Extending his left hand, he pressed it against the energy barrier.
The Space Stone began to emit a faint blue glow, matching the barrier's hue.
The blue light gradually spread across Sebastian's body.
His left hand slowly sank into the barrier, and soon his entire form passed through, allowing him to infiltrate the castle successfully.
As black smoke, he seeped through a vent, landing on the floor and reverting to his human form.
Surveying his surroundings, Sebastian followed the resonance between the Space Stone and Mind Stone, casting a Disillusionment Charm to vanish and moving toward the Mind Scepter's location.
Dodging Hydra soldiers rushing out, Sebastian reached the Mind Scepter, embedded in some device.
As he stepped forward to retrieve it, a blast of scarlet energy shot toward him.
"Who's there? I know you're there—simple invisibility won't fool me!" a voice called out.
With those words, a man and a woman emerged from a nearby shadowed corridor.
Sebastian's heart skipped as he saw Wanda, her face igniting a rush of longing.
For a moment, he lost his composure, his voice catching as he whispered, "Wanda…"
His hand reached out instinctively, yearning to bridge the distance between them, to pull her close and erase the time they'd been apart.
Her presence overwhelmed him, a reminder of the love they'd shared, now buried beneath her forgotten memories.
In that fleeting moment of vulnerability, Pietro seized the opportunity, darting forward in a blur to snatch the Mind Scepter from its device.
Sebastian, gazing at the two familiar faces, swiftly dispelled his Disillusionment Charm to reveal himself, addressing them with urgency.
"Wanda, Pietro, don't you recognize me?"
Wanda, seeing Sebastian appear, instinctively gripped the Frost Ring on her right index finger, her expression a mix of confusion and caution.
Before she could piece anything together, Pietro, now holding the Mind Scepter, smirked mockingly at Sebastian.
"Hey, that outdated pickup line is way past its prime. I don't know how you learned our names, but for people like you, digging up that info isn't hard. We don't trust anyone tied to Stark!"
Sebastian glanced at Wanda, noting her brief flicker of doubt toward him shift back to hostility.
Sighing in resignation, he addressed Pietro. "Pietro, when your memories return, you'll regret what you just did and said."
If knowing their names could be explained by investigation, how did Sebastian know about their amnesia—a secret only their parents knew?
As twins, Wanda and Pietro shared sharp intellects and quickly grasped the implication.
One wielded the Mind Scepter, the other's hands glowed with crimson energy, and they advanced toward Sebastian.
"How do you know that?" Wanda demanded.
Turning to her, Sebastian spoke with a mix of affection and exasperation, as if addressing a wayward child. "Wanda, I already told you. If you've forgotten me, it proves you've lost your memories. Isn't that obvious? Do you even know your father's name?"
"Of course we do. Our father is…" Pietro began.
Sebastian cut him off. "I'm not talking about the man who raised you later, though he was a great man. I mean your biological father. Do you remember his name?"
"Biological father… I…" Wanda stammered, clutching her forehead.
Finding their biological father had once been their driving goal.
When they located Erik, they kept their distance, never fully reuniting.
Erik remained a lingering obsession in their hearts.
Sebastian's words stirred something within them, a weight that felt suffocating, demanding release.
Looking at Sebastian, Wanda and Pietro now believed he knew them, but they remained wary.
He could be a friend—or an enemy. Sometimes, enemies knew you best.
"Tell us, what's our biological father's name?" Pietro pressed.
A faint smile curved Sebastian's lips as he looked at Wanda. "Erik Lehnsherr. Do you remember?"
The instant she heard the name, Wanda blurted out "Magneto," then looked at Pietro in confusion, unsure why the name had slipped out.
Seeing their expressions, Sebastian knew he was close to breaking through.
Stepping forward, he urged them, "Come with me. I'll help you recover your memories and discover who you truly are!"