Two Days Later - Sokovian Palace
"Here you go, Miss Wanda," one of the palace maids said politely while handing over a steaming cup of coffee, the rich aroma filling the office.
Hearing the maid's voice, Wanda finally put down her pen and stopped writing, her hand cramping slightly from hours of work.
Looking at the ornate wall clock mounted above her desk, she realized it had already been 7 hours since she'd started working. Seven hours of reviewing files, cross-referencing backgrounds, analyzing potential security threats.
That damn Elric, bringing so many superpowered people here unannounced, she thought with a mixture of frustration and concern.
Although there was Elric himself to control them if anything went wrong, and he was certainly powerful enough to do so, they still couldn't just trust some unknown people so suddenly. Not when national security was at stake. These weren't ordinary refugees—these were individuals with abilities that could level cities.
So after discussing the situation extensively with Anastasia, they had decided to keep close surveillance on the mutant refugees for some time, monitoring their activities and behaviors before they could truly integrate them into Sokovian society.
Better safe than sorry.
While she was about to take a sip of the coffee, savoring the brief moment of rest, suddenly the door to her office burst open abruptly without any knock or warning.
A silver blur of light directly appeared in front of her desk, papers scattering from the sudden wind.
"Sister! Did you hear?! The—ioafoaoiwadjjad—and then he—" Pietro's words came out in an incomprehensible rush, too fast for even enhanced hearing to catch.
"Stop, stop! Pietro, you're talking too fast!" Wanda interrupted, holding up her hand. "Slow down and use your words like a normal person!"
After taking a deep breath, forcing himself to speak at human speed, Pietro finally managed to get his words out properly.
"Sister, you don't know this yet, but brother-in-law took a girl to his home! To live there! Alone!"
"Okay, first of all, stop calling Elric 'brother-in-law,'" Wanda said firmly, though a faint blush colored her cheeks. "We are just friends. That's all."
"And as for the girl," she continued, forcing her voice to remain casual, "anyway, it has nothing to do with me. Maybe he brought her there for something work-related. You know, they are superpowered individuals. Probably training or something."
Although she denied her romantic relationship with Elric firmly and decisively, her subconscious had immediately found an excuse for him without any doubt or hesitation. Defended him automatically.
Pietro couldn't help but feel speechless at his sister's obvious denial. All of your thoughts are written clearly on your face, he thought. What's the point of lying to me?
But anyway, he still felt obligated to explain the full situation, to make sure she knew what she was getting into.
"You don't know the full story," Pietro said, leaning on her desk conspiratorially. "After bribing a mutant kid with a fat chocolate bar, I found out some very interesting information about our dear Elric's time away."
"That lady's name is Storm," he continued, watching his sister's expression carefully. "And after big bro went to the other universe, he was stuck there for almost three years. Three whole years, sister."
"And you know what?" Pietro's voice dropped lower, more meaningful. "During that time, he was living with two girls. Two beautiful women, alone together for three years."
He let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "You know, a young man living with two beautiful ladies for three years straight, traveling together, fighting together, sharing everything..." His voice trailed off meaningfully at the end, letting her imagination fill in the blanks.
BOOM!
Scarlet energy flared around Wanda's hands, her coffee cup shattering as reality itself seemed to warp slightly around her.
"What are you babbling about here?!" she snapped, her voice sharp with anger. "Stop wasting my time with gossip! Go do some useful work instead of spreading rumors!"
"Otherwise," she added, her eyes glowing red dangerously, "I will throw you to Leo as food. You'll be useful that way at least. I'm sure the tiger hasn't eaten speedster before."
Looking at his sister who looked truly angry now, scarlet energy crackling and scattering around her like static electricity, Pietro wisely decided it was time to make his exit.
He quickly slipped away in a blur of silver, not even bothering with the door this time—just phasing through the wall.
Looking at the silver figure running away, Wanda tried to focus on her work again, picking up her pen and staring at the documents.
But the words of Pietro kept coming to her mind again and again, unbidden and unwelcome.
Three years. Two women. Living together.
"Okay, I'll just go check it out tomorrow," she muttered to herself, trying to sound casual. "It's nothing. They were probably just friends, right? Teammates. That's all."
Although she tried to calm herself down, rationalize it away, deep down she always felt a little restless. Unsettled in a way she couldn't quite name.
The coffee sat forgotten on her desk, growing cold.
On the Other Side of the Earth - Vietnam
After being cooped up at home for almost two days straight, barely leaving the cabin, Storm's mood had not improved much. The melancholy that had settled over her remained like a heavy cloud.
So Elric had decided to take her out today, to show her some of this new world. Help her adjust, maybe.
They were currently inside a small family-owned restaurant in Vietnam, tucked away in a narrow street in Hanoi, enjoying the local food. The place was packed with locals, the air filled with the sounds of conversation and laughter and the sizzling of cooking.
"How—mmm—it—mmm—is?" Elric asked while stuffing his face enthusiastically with fried fish, barely pausing to breathe between bites.
"Stop talking while you eat first," Ororo said with a slight laugh, shaking her head at his terrible table manners. "You'll choke."
"Anyway, it's good," she added, though her voice was a little distracted, unfocused. Her eyes kept drifting away from her food, looking instead at some children who were playing on the roadside just outside the restaurant window. Simple games with a worn soccer ball.
She really couldn't explain why she felt so sad, why this melancholy wouldn't lift.
In her old world, in the universe that was now gone, there hadn't been many good memories. Her life before meeting Elric and Hela had been hard, lonely, filled with struggle and discrimination.
And all of the genuinely good memories she had from that universe had come after meeting Elric and Hela. Their adventures, their travels, their companionship.
So logically, she shouldn't miss her old world at all, right? There was nothing there worth mourning. It had been dying anyway.
But after coming here to this new universe, she'd always felt a little melancholic. Like something was missing.
Looking at Elric, who was now quickly stuffing the rest of his food down like he was in an eating competition, she suddenly figured out the real reason for her sadness.
No, she realized with startling clarity. She wasn't missing her old world at all.
She was missing their old lifestyle together. The three of them—Elric, Hela, and herself—traveling freely without responsibilities. That simple existence was what she'd found herself growing accustomed to over the past three years. What she'd come to treasure.
But after coming here, although she knew that this was technically the same Elric, he was also fundamentally different at the same time. He was no longer the lazy wanderer who would lay around all day doing nothing, content to just exist.
Here, he was a king. He had a country to take care of, responsibilities weighing on him. People he knew and cared about—people who had known him longer than she had, who had history with him.
Maybe he even had a lover here too, someone from before?
The thought struck her like a physical blow, and she found herself staring down at her food, appetite suddenly gone.
"Storm?" Elric's voice cut through her thoughts, concerned now rather than playful. "You okay? You've barely touched your food."
"I'm fine," she said automatically, forcing a smile. "Just... adjusting. It's a lot to take in."
Elric studied her face for a long moment, and she had the uncomfortable feeling that he could see right through her lie.
But he didn't push, didn't pry. Just reached across the table and squeezed her hand briefly.
"Take your time," he said simply. "There's no rush."
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