Chapter 354: Quicksilver's Views
"Destiny?" Pietro appeared in the room, holding two ice cream cones in his hands.
Initially, Tony had considered letting Pietro watch over his sister, Wanda. However, knowing their sibling bond, he worried Pietro might help her escape or cover for her. Tony reached out to Silas instead. First, Silas wasn't an Avenger and wouldn't feel the need to pick sides. Second, and most importantly, Wanda's power was immense; Tony needed someone equally powerful to keep her in check, and Silas was the perfect candidate.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Pietro said, surprised by Destiny's appearance.
Pietro held a great deal of goodwill toward Silas. After all, Silas had essentially saved his life twice during the Ultron incident.
"Sorry, I didn't know you were coming, but it works out since I'm not a big fan of ice cream anyway." Pietro offered one of the cones to Silas.
"No thanks, you eat it," Silas declined.
Pietro didn't push the matter and immediately started eating the ice cream himself. "The Avengers have changed a lot lately..." he mused.
"Yeah. What do you think about the Sokovia Accords?" Silas asked.
As an Avenger, Pietro was well-aware of the Accords; the UN had presented them while all the active Avengers were present—excluding Dr. Banner, who had gone off the grid, and Thor, who was away in Asgard.
Actually, the UN had initially demanded that Destiny be included in the Accords, as his potential for destruction was no less than that of the Hulk or Thor. Tony had flatly refused them, giving a simple reason: Destiny wasn't an Avenger, and the Accords had no jurisdiction over him.
"Maybe it's for the best," Pietro said with a wry smile.
In Pietro's view, the lawless nature of the Avengers' past actions had indeed caused significant damage to cities. While they saved many lives, the public often felt the destruction outweighed the heroism.
Silas hadn't expected Pietro's stance to differ so much from Wanda's. It seemed likely Pietro would side with Tony. Wanda, on the other hand, would likely lean toward Captain America's side, as she felt she needed to atone for her actions on her own terms.
Wanda remained silent, quietly licking her own ice cream. She felt lost. Every time she used her power, something bad seemed to happen. She wanted to help people, but the results always seemed to make things worse.
"Anyway, are you guys hungry?" Pietro asked, trying to shift the heavy atmosphere.
"I'm fine with whatever," Silas replied.
Silas spent the afternoon chatting with the siblings before leaving the mansion and returning to his room.
Queens
When Silas returned to his room, he found Peter lying on his bed, looking completely despondent.
"What's up with you? Heartbroken?" Silas teased.
Peter turned to look at Silas. He didn't know if he should tell him that Harry was the Green Goblin. Earlier at Oscorp, Peter had hesitated. He had sworn to bring the Goblin to justice, but knowing it was his best friend changed everything. He had only left the building after ensuring Harry and Kingsley weren't planning anything immediate.
"Seriously, what happened?" Silas felt that everyone was acting strange lately.
Peter decided to keep the secret for now. "Nothing, just thinking about stuff. I'm going back to my room." He slipped through the window.
"Hmm." Silas didn't let it go. "Gaia, what happened with Peter today?"
Peter had apparently forgotten that Gaia was Silas's AI first. Quickly, Gaia relayed the day's events. Silas now knew that Peter had discovered the Green Goblin's identity.
"I see." Silas turned his attention away from his brother and toward a small rabbit.
A Shadow Ninja emerged from the Shadow Kingdom, holding a small wild hare. This was a new breed of rabbit developed through genetic engineering. It wasn't guaranteed to outrun a cheetah yet, and according to Big Black, it only had a 10% chance of surviving to adulthood. The gene modifications were making its body unstable, and its left leg twitched frequently from bone pain.
"It's a pity I don't have the Horse Talisman yet," Silas muttered, stroking the rabbit's head to soothe it.
The System prohibited the use of machinery or magic for this task; he had to rely purely on biology. Since the System's cheetah could reach 300 km/h, this was a massive challenge.
Dinner Time
"Where did Peter go again?" Aunt May asked, looking at his empty seat.
"Probably at that pretty girl's house again," Uncle Ben said, taking a bite of pizza. "Mmm, this is good."
"He's been out so much lately," May sighed.
Uncle Ben didn't stop Peter from going out at night anymore. Ever since learning Peter was Spider-Man, he understood he couldn't stop the boy's sense of duty. He could only pray for his safety.
"I'm finished!" Silas finished a quick bite and ran upstairs.
"And what about him?" May asked Ben.
Ben shrugged. "How should I know?"
Upstairs
Silas opened a Shadow Portal and stepped back into the mansion where Wanda was staying.
"I'm glad you're not late," Wanda said, turning toward the portal. She was holding dinner trays.
"Sorry, I got held away for a bit." Silas was relieved he hadn't forgotten his promise to have dinner with her.
"Where's Pietro?" he asked.
"Him? He can't stay still in one place." Wanda set the trays down, looking around the room with a self-deprecating smile. "Do you think he can handle staying in this 'prison' for long?"
Silas began to eat in silence.
"I'm sorry," Wanda said suddenly, feeling she had ruined the mood.
"You don't need to apologize to me." Silas pointed his fork around the room. "At least it's a prison with all the amenities."
"True." Wanda's lips curled up. "Can I see your face now?"
"No, I told you, not happening." Silas refused again.
Wanda puffed out her cheeks and tried to tug at the mask, but it wouldn't budge.
"Don't bother. It's magic," Silas said, tapping her hand with the back of his fork.
"Could you teach me that magic?" Wanda asked, her eyes lighting up. If she learned the spell, maybe she could figure out how to take the mask off herself.
"I know exactly what you're planning, and the answer is no," Silas said, focusing on his food. He was starving after the rushed dinner at home.
"Destiny..." Wanda pouted.
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