As Nick Fury read the contents of the diary, his frown deepened.
What does it mean that "S.H.I.E.L.D. is not really S.H.I.E.L.D."?
And being "blinded by those people"?
If even S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't safe, how many people could he truly trust now?
An uneasy, almost absurd premonition crept into his mind.
"Director…" Natasha began, looking up at him.
Nick Fury raised a hand, cutting her off. With a press of a hidden button under his desk, an invisible signal-jamming field instantly enveloped the office.
"I don't know what these diary entries mean," Fury said calmly, "but it's clear that in his parallel world, something happened to S.H.I.E.L.D."
Though he already had a suspicion—one so ridiculous even he hesitated to voice it—he held back.
"Let's keep reading. We'll ask questions or draw conclusions after we finish."
Natasha nodded, though filled with doubt, and continued reading.
If the earlier parts of the diary were aimed at Nick Fury and Natasha—meant to earn their trust and avoid "awkward" future encounters—the next section was written with Wanda in mind.
After all, there were three diary holders. Su Che couldn't leave Wanda out.
He had a talent for spinning a tale.
It was a shame that the system's reward for his first diary entry was turning the ice cream shop across from Stark Industries into his own café—instead of making Stark Industries his.
Even Hammer Industries would've been better!
Oh well, at least it's something.
[Across from Stark Industries, there used to be an ice cream shop. Now, it's a café.]
[Yes, this café is mine.]
[I love sitting by the window here, watching the world outside. It brings me a rare sense of peace.]
[I named this place "Peach Blossom Grove" because that's where I first met Wanda.]
[Back then, Ultron had just been created and was plotting to destroy the world.]
[Wanda and Pietro joined Ultron at first, driven by their parents' death and his lies.]
[Later, the Avengers defeated Ultron, and Wanda became one of them.]
[After that… we found each other.]
In Sokovia, Wanda's eyes brightened as she saw herself mentioned again.
She was curious about her future—and whether she would eventually avenge her parents.
Even if the diary's owner was a bit of a rogue, always calling himself her husband…
Well, I don't really believe that.
But seeing "Peach Blossom Grove" mentioned made her pause.
He knows my favorite place is a peach blossom grove?
Could he really be my future husband? How else would he know that?
A flicker of curiosity urged her to keep reading.
[The reason I opened a café was that it was something Wanda and I had dreamed of together.]
[When we were together, I said I wanted a café. She said she'd open a flower shop right next to it.]
[We agreed the café and flower shop would be for our future daughter. Our son, we'd send off to become a doctor or a lawyer.]
[We used to snuggle up and talk for hours, imagining what our children would become. We were always looking forward to the future.]
[Who would have thought that the future we dreamed of would one day turn to dust…]
"Snuggle? Son and daughter? Why does he write all this in his diary!" Wanda's cheeks flushed.
She couldn't help but wonder what this Su Che looked like.
After all, he might really be her future husband!
At fourteen, her heart was full of fantasies and yearnings.
Reading his words, she felt a faint sense of anticipation.
[My first thought when I came to this world was to go to Sokovia and find Wanda.]
[But… is this world's Wanda really my Wanda?]
[Besides, I can't do that. She's only fourteen right now.]
[More importantly, though she and Pietro were born with abilities, they aren't aware of them yet.]
[Even if the Mind Stone awakens their powers someday, right now, they're just ordinary people.]
[I can't—I shouldn't—decide their fate.]
[But I did see her. Even if it was just from a distance.]
[Maybe Wanda is my deepest regret… my last connection to that other world.]
[I know the Wanda of this world doesn't belong to me. At least, not yet…]