Wanda had envisioned countless reactions from Tony Stark when she finally confronted him for revenge.
She had imagined him screaming hysterically, calling her a raving lunatic; or turning pale as a sheet, desperately making excuses for his past atrocities; or perhaps even dropping to his knees like a sniveling coward, begging for his miserable life.
Yet never in her wildest dreams had she expected things to unfold like this.
Her sworn nemesis—the very architect of the misery that had sustained her through ten dark, agonizing years—was now calmly and openly admitting his past sins.
"Regarding Sokovia... I am profoundly sorry," Tony spoke slowly, laying his true feelings bare before the world.
"I have to admit, back then, I was a complete bastard. In those days, all I cared about was selling weapons. I never once considered whose hands those weapons would end up in, or what innocent targets they would be pointed at."
"It wasn't until last year—when I was struck by a missile of my own design, when shrapnel nearly took my life, and when I was held captive by terrorists in Afghanistan and forced to build weapons of mass destruction—that I truly realized the horrific weight of my mistakes."
He paused, his eyes locking onto Wanda with raw, unfiltered sincerity:
"I am not telling you this to play the victim or beg for your sympathy."
"I am acutely aware that your parents are dead. No matter what I say or do, they will never come back."
"I am saying this purely out of genuine repentance. I want to offer an apology—one that is many years overdue—to you, and to countless families worldwide who shared your trauma and suffered at the hands of Stark Industries' weapons."
The live chat streams across the globe were instantly flooded:
"I never thought I'd see the day... Iron Man actually apologizing?"
"No excuses, no dodging responsibility. Tony Stark is a real man. My respect for him just went through the roof."
"I went through the exact same thing as the Scarlet Witch, but I've already chosen to forgive Mr. Stark. Compared to the blood shed by his past weapons, what he's doing now has more than repaid that debt."
After delivering his apology, Tony continued with solemn gravity:
"I know that everything happening right now is being watched by millions across the globe. Therefore, I stand here ready to declare:"
"I, Tony Stark, am willing to pay my debts for the sins of my past. I am prepared to provide reasonable financial restitution to all those who were displaced and tormented by my company's weapons—including the two of you!"
Turning back to Wanda and Pietro, he stated firmly:
"I am willing to offer everything Stark Industries has left to compensate you and your brother."
"However... I will not choose to pay with my life here today."
"Not because I fear death, but because my redemption is far from complete!"
"I must live. I must use every ounce of intellect I possess to shield this planet from alien threats, push our technology forward, and help humanity build a better tomorrow. I believe that dedicating my life to this path is infinitely more meaningful than simply dropping dead on this field today!"
The entire wasteland fell dead silent for several seconds following Tony's declaration.
Hovering mid-air, a complex wave of turbulent emotions flickered across Wanda's crimson eyes.
Even the swirling vortex of Chaos Magic behind her suffered a momentary disruption, causing the magical chains binding the superheroes to loosen and threaten to shatter.
Yet in the very next second, the scarlet radiance in Wanda's eyes flared violently once more. The chains constricted with savage force, squeezing the breath straight out of everyone on the field:
"Don't try to deceive me! That's nothing more than a silver-tongued lie to save your own skin!"
Seeing Tony on the verge of being strangled to death by the tightening chains, the global chat erupted in panic:
"Stop! Mr. Stark was completely sincere, why won't the Scarlet Witch let him go?!"
"Girl, please! Spare Iron Man! I'm practically begging on my knees here!"
"Tony is right! Letting him live to help more people is the best form of redemption!"
"Arbiter! Use your invincible brain and power to do something!"
Despite the frantic pleas flooding the broadcast, Peter remained an aloof observer.
He did nothing, simply watching as Wanda's chains tightened around Tony's throat.
Tony's face began to turn a bruised purplish-blue, his eyes bulging, his tongue protruding as oxygen was cut off.
Yet right at that critical juncture, the crimson chains suddenly slackened by a fraction of an inch—giving Tony room to gasp for air.
Seeing this, Wanda felt as though she had been struck by lightning. She stared at her own trembling hands in total disbelief, unable to comprehend why the Chaos Magic within her was refusing to obey her conscious intent.
"Finally noticed it, have you?"
Peter's voice chimed in at that exact moment, carrying an effortless lightness:
"Your desire to kill Tony right now... is it truly born of pure hatred, or is it merely an obsession? Or perhaps... what you've wanted all along was never vengeance, but simply an outlet to vent your pain?"
In the span of a single breath, he flickered beside Tony, lightly tapping the magical chain with his index finger. The construct attempting to retighten instantly shattered into harmless sparks.
Enraged by his intervention, Wanda let out a sharp, ear-piercing shriek:
"You're asking to die!"
A wave of Chaos Magic surged toward Peter. Unfazed, Peter raised a single finger, channeling his Celestial energy to neutralize the magical impact effortlessly:
"I understand where you're coming from. In that case, let it all out."
"However you want to fight, I'll keep you company."
He gestured toward the bound superheroes around them: "But they are innocent in this. Let them leave first. That's a fair condition, isn't it?"
Wanda went quiet for two seconds before giving a stiff nod.
The chains uncoiled and dissolved—though not entirely, as she kept Pietro restrained near her side.
Having broken free from the golden web remnants, Quicksilver stumbled to his feet and rushed over to Wanda.
Glancing at Pietro's frail build, Peter raised an eyebrow: "You sure you want him sticking around?"
Wanda frowned: "He's my brother."
"Right, which is why I'm giving you a friendly heads-up—the shockwaves from our clash will turn your brother into minced meat. If you don't care, be my guest."
Quicksilver's face turned instantly pale.
Though he didn't know the full extent of Peter's power, he had seen Wanda erase Gravik into mush with his own eyes. The collateral damage between these two monsters... was definitely not something a fragile speedster like him could survive.
"Wanda, he's making sense," Pietro offered pragmatically. "I'll just be dead weight if I stay."
Gritting her teeth, Wanda released the magical grip on her brother.
"I'm staying."
A clear voice rang out from the side.
Gwen stepped forward, golden Celestial energy rippling around her as the Santen Kesshun barrier deployed automatically around her frame.
Peter turned to look at her.
"Santen Kesshun can completely isolate the battle's shockwaves," Gwen said, meeting Peter's gaze. Without any dramatic bravado, she simply added in a quiet, matter-of-fact tone: "And besides... I just want to stay with you."