Chapter 355: On the Eve of Civil War
"Hmm?" The communicator in Silas's ear chirped.
"I need to talk to you," Tony's voice came through, sounding like he had a massive headache.
Silas set down his fork. He knew the tension between Tony and Steve was finally reaching its breaking point. The Civil War was about to begin.
"What's wrong? Does Stark have more business with you?" Wanda's cheerful expression instantly withered.
"Good guess," Silas replied. He hadn't expected Tony to reach out so soon.
Wanda sighed dejectedly. "He locked me in here. I know it's so I don't cause more destruction, but Pietro is out on missions, and I don't even have anyone to talk to. Now he sends you here, only to call you back immediately."
Wanda assumed Stark was calling Silas away for good.
"You're misunderstanding. He just has something to discuss with me," Silas said, looking at the moping Wanda with a bit of amusement. Is it really worth getting that depressed?
"Oh! That's great then." Wanda's smile returned instantly. Truly, a woman's mood shifts like the wind.
After finishing dinner and chatting with Wanda for a bit longer, Silas headed over to Tony Stark's residence.
"You finally decided to show up," Tony said with a resentful glare.
"Please don't look at me like that," Silas said as he took a seat.
Tony's expression quickly turned serious. "Remember the task I gave you?"
"Of course. Watch over Wanda, don't let her run off." Silas had already guessed the intent.
Tony nodded, knowing Silas was sharp. He handed Silas a transparent tablet. It displayed a news alert: Captain America, Steve Rogers, is now a wanted man. The government had ordered the Avengers to bring him in.
"So, you're going to capture Steve?" Silas handed the tablet back.
"I have to. Otherwise, they'll cause an even bigger problem," Tony admitted.
"And what do you want from me?"
Tony tapped the screen, projecting a hologram of Wanda's face. "The same as before. Do not let her leave that house," he said earnestly.
This was Tony's primary concern. He had finally managed to quiet the public outcry against Wanda. If Steve Rogers went to her for help and she got involved in another incident, the public backlash would be irreversible. Public opinion could crush a person far faster than any villain.
"I understand," Silas said, adding, "I'll do my best."
"I hope so." Tony sighed. He had a nagging feeling that things were about to get much more complicated.
Silas stood up and patted Tony on the shoulder. "Why don't you consider the possibility that what Steve is saying is the truth?"
"It doesn't matter anymore. They are wanted by the government." Tony shook his head. As things stood, there was only one path forward: a fight.
Silas shrugged. He wasn't an Avenger; he wasn't bound by their rules.
"By the way, one more thing," Tony added suddenly.
"What?"
Tony looked at Silas, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I need to borrow your brother for a bit."
Silas smiled. "That is something you'll have to discuss with Peter yourself."
"I know. I'm just giving you a heads-up. I don't want to add another 'trouble' to my list because you didn't approve," Tony joked. He knew if he dragged Peter into this without talking to Silas first, he might face Silas's wrath. Even though it was an internal Avengers conflict, it was still going to be dangerous.
"Don't worry, I'm not that petty. Just ask Peter what he thinks." Silas waved a hand and stepped through a Shadow Portal.
Tony watched him leave and was about to head to bed.
Ding-dong!
"Sir, you have a new encrypted email," Jarvis announced.
Tony frowned. Who would be emailing him at this hour?
"Open it." Tony waved his hand, and a massive blue screen appeared. It was a video—specifically, surveillance footage.
"Who sent this?" Tony clicked play.
The video showed a desolate road. A car sped along, pursued by a motorcycle. "Barnes..." Tony muttered. He would never forget the man on that bike. He was the catalyst for this entire conflict.
Boom!
In the video, Winter Soldier shot out the car's tires. The vehicle spun out and crashed into a guardrail. Barnes parked the bike, his metallic left arm gleaming as he approached the wreck.
"Dad!" Tony cried out as he recognized the driver. It was Howard Stark. His mother, Maria, was in the passenger seat.
The footage showed Howard frantically locking the windows and pulling a gun, but the glass was nothing to the Winter Soldier. Barnes smashed the window, grabbed Howard, and dragged him out. Then, he began brutally punching Howard in the head with his metal fist.
Tony's heart hammered against his ribs with every blow. His breathing became shallow and ragged. Before he could even process the rage, Howard was dead on the ground. Barnes then opened the passenger door, grabbed Maria by the throat, and snapped her neck with a sickening crack.
"No!" Tony screamed in agony.
At the end of the video, Barnes looked up and shot the camera, turning the screen to static. Tony sat there for a long time, unable to move.
"Barnes..." Tony hissed through clenched teeth. "He killed them."
Tony slammed his fist into the wall. He couldn't stay calm. He began to go into a frenzy, smashing everything in the room.
"WHY?!"
He flipped the table, sending equipment flying across the room.
"Sir! Please, remain calm," Jarvis urged.
The AI's voice brought Tony back slightly. He panted, "Jarvis! Trace it! Find out who sent this!"
"I'm sorry, sir. The sender left no trace." Jarvis replied. The sender was like a ghost in the machine.
"No trace?" Tony immediately thought of one person: Silas.
Silas had two AIs of his own. Tony knew that only an AI comparable to Jarvis could hide from Jarvis. But why would Silas send this? To fuel the fire? Tony couldn't see the benefit for Silas, but Silas was the only one with the tech to pull it off...
Queens
"He probably suspects me now," Silas chuckled, lying on his lounge chair.
He was indeed the one who sent the video. He wanted to see how Tony would change if he knew the truth before the actual battle. The plot was supposed to follow a certain path, but Silas enjoyed shaking things up. More importantly, he didn't want Tony to be kept in the dark by Steve any longer.
"I wonder what you'll do, Tony," Silas whispered to himself. He fully expected Tony to come knocking on his door tomorrow to ask about it.
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