Madame Viper stared in stunned horror at the scene unfolding before her, a tremor of disbelief rippling through her.
Just to try and capture Pietro, they had sacrificed countless soldiers, paid a blood-soaked price.
His speed… it was a waking nightmare. That kind of velocity meant even the simplest punch could pulverize a living person into pulp on impact.
And yet now, that Pietro, that terrifying blur of motion, hadn't even lasted a second in front of him?
His godlike speed had been utterly meaningless.
"So this… this is the power of a god…" Madame Viper whispered, her gaze ablaze with fervor.
Martin stepped into the room, reaching down to seize a trembling Wanda.
"Get away from me!" Wanda snarled, lifting her head sharply. Her hair flew around her face as crimson light flared in her eyes, raw power roiling like a storm.
"A decent power," Martin said, almost casually. "But… still not enough."
Her magic crashed into him like a tidal wave, only to be shattered with a single punch. Without missing a beat, Martin grasped her throat and forced her gaze to meet his.
"Let her go, you monster!" Pietro roared, his body wracked with pain, his limbs barely holding together after the fight.
"I've no reason to harm you," Martin replied with utter calm. "You're not worth the effort, not yet."
He tilted Wanda's chin upward with gloved fingers, examining her face, then without hesitation activated the Mind Stone. A flash of golden light swept across her forehead, beginning a gentle yet probing scan of her consciousness.
The results?
Completely normal.
Aside from the psychological trauma from prolonged captivity, there were no traces of manipulation or external interference.
Martin gazed at her, deep in thought. Then, with a fluid motion, he slammed his palm into Pietro's chest, sending the speedster sprawling, before opening a vortex of twisted spacetime.
"I'm taking these two with me. You know what needs to be done."
With that, Martin vanished, taking Wanda and Pietro into the void.
Only Baron Strucker remained, face twisted in manic awe, while Madame Viper's expression shifted between rage and disbelief.
"No one can know the master was here," Strucker said coldly, his eyes glittering with lethal intent.
Madame Viper's face darkened. "Damn you, do you think I'd ever betray him?"
"Who knows?" Strucker sneered. "Everyone knows what a viper you are."
He stepped forward, slowly, ominously.
...
Earth, Base.
Martin emerged from the vortex, flinging Pietro and Wanda out like discarded toys.
"This is my domain," he said flatly. "You're safe here. No one dares trespass on my territory."
He turned to leave, his voice echoing behind him.
"Catch up on current events. You've both been gone a long time."
Left alone, the twins clung to each other in tense silence.
After a while, once the stillness had settled...
"I'm going out there," Pietro muttered, struggling to his feet. His body screamed in protest, every nerve on fire, but stubborn determination burned in his eyes.
Wanda hesitated, then nodded. "I'll go with you."
They stepped out of the room and into the main hall, only to freeze at the sight before them.
A long banquet table stretched before them, covered in lavish dishes and rich aromas. At the head sat a woman in black, calm and unblinking.
"I was wondering how long it'd take before you two found the guts to come out," she said coolly. "Not bad. You've got the instincts of warriors."
She clapped once, slowly.
Pietro immediately stepped in front of Wanda. "Who are you?"
"I serve Lord Martin," she replied. "And now, I'm also your instructor. I'll be training you both, mercilessly. Trust me, the worst pain you've ever known? You'll come to miss it."
She extended one finger. With a snikt, an adamantium claw slid out, which she used to neatly slice a piece of cake.
"Eat. Rebuild your strength. You'll need it."
Pietro narrowed his eyes, then suddenly blurred forward in a burst of speed, fist raised.
Only to be intercepted mid-swing by a sharp roundhouse kick that sent him flying backward.
"You're injured. Your speed is pathetic," the woman said, regarding him like one might a misbehaving mutt. "If I were you, I'd think before acting."
Then she turned to Wanda, who hadn't attacked but had subtly been gathering her magic.
"Smart girl. You know when to hide your claws. You're already ten times better than your idiot brother."
Wanda exhaled slowly. The fear left her eyes. She sat down at the table in grim silence and began to eat.
"Wanda?" Pietro called out, dazed and limping.
"It's fine, Pietro," she replied, her tone low. "If they wanted us dead, they wouldn't bother feeding us. I think… like Hydra, they want to turn us into weapons."
Wanda ate steadily, replenishing her strength. Red flickers danced behind her eyes.
The woman in black, Lady Deathstrike, watched her with growing admiration.
After some hesitation, Pietro joined her, glaring at Lady Deathstrike but devouring food at super-speed.
Smack!
A thick dossier landed in front of them.
"You've been cut off from the world long enough," Lady Death said flatly. "Time you saw what's changed. New gods have risen. This is a new age."
Wanda froze mid-bite, brow furrowing.
Pietro grabbed the file and flipped through it at lightning speed. Seconds passed, then his face went pale.
"What is it?" Wanda asked.
"…"
Pietro stared in silence.
Gods. Demons. Aliens.
The world had turned upside down.
But above all—Martin. That cold-eyed juggernaut who had humiliated him effortlessly… had killed gods and demons alike?
Whole worlds across the galaxy lived under his shadow.
"This is real?" Pietro croaked. "This isn't some elaborate mind control?"
Wanda set down her fork, pulled the file over, and quickly flipped through it with her powers. Her silence was her answer.
How could they possibly resist someone like that?
With Hydra, they'd at least had hope, some small chance of escape. But this man?
This god in human flesh?
She blinked slowly. "Is he even human?"
Lady Deathstrike smiled. The expression didn't reach her eyes.
"You'll find out soon enough."
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