Leo didn't know what was happening inside S.H.I.E.L.D., nor did he care how much chaos his existence had caused in the world.
Right now, he was waiting for the first dinner that Wanda and No. 18 were cooking together.
However, No. 18 was proving completely useless in the kitchen—she was either giggling or deliberately causing trouble for Wanda.
"Ah! You're so annoying, Lali! Get out!" Wanda finally snapped, glaring furiously.
"Hehe, nope! I'm not going anywhere!" No. 18 replied with a mischievous grin, sneaking bites of food every chance she got.
"Damn glutton, can't do anything except eat like a champion!" Wanda fumed, twisting her apron in frustration.
Half an hour later, a loud call echoed from the kitchen.
"Dinner's ready! Husband, come get the dishes!"
"Coming, coming!" Leo shot up instantly and rushed to the kitchen.
Wanda had worked hard on this meal, and he wasn't stupid enough to just sit and wait to be served.
If he acted lazy now, he might end up sleeping next to a durian—one with extra-sharp thorns.
"My wife's cooking is amazing," Leo said as he helped carry the dishes. "You can even make Chinese food now. Way better than Lali, who only knows how to eat."
Wanda's anger vanished in an instant. Her lips curled into a proud smile as she shot No. 18 a smug look.
"See that? My husband praised me."
No. 18 chuckled and raised her hands in mock surrender. "Yes, yes, Sister Wanda is amazing. I'm just a little maid; I can't compare."
('Compare? I'd rather fight robots than deal with this kitchen drama,') she thought silently.
Who was Wanda Maximoff?
An abandoned child who grew up in hardship with her twin brother, Pietro. The Maximoff couple who adopted them were hopeless drunkards, gamblers, and thieves.
After graduating high school at sixteen, Wanda and Pietro wandered from job to job, surviving on their own until she met Leo.
"By the way," Wanda said between bites, "wasn't Dr. Banner hiding at Tony's place? How did he turn into Hulk again?"
Leo nearly choked on his food. "He went to see Betty. Got a little… emotional, and boom—Hulk time."
"Emotional?" Wanda tilted her head. "Why?"
"He was discovered by General Ross's men, who were protecting Betty."
"Oh, I see." Wanda nodded lightly.
But Leo's grin betrayed his thoughts.
(C'mon, who are we kidding? He finally met his long-lost love—after so long, he got too excited and transformed right before the big moment.)
Luckily, Hulk came out before anything happened. Otherwise… well, Betty might not have survived that "date."
Leo chuckled quietly at his own mischievous thought.
Dinner was warm and pleasant—aside from No. 18 constantly stealing bites like a food ninja.
After they finished, Wanda was washing dishes when Leo called from the living room.
"Wanda, come here for a sec. I'm taking you to Tony's house to hang out with Pepper. Some uninvited guests are about to drop by."
Wanda blinked. "Bad guys?"
"Yeah," Leo said with a small smile. "Some people are coming to die, and I'll just be granting their wish. But I don't want you to see it—it's not a pretty sight."
"Okay," Wanda nodded. "Be careful."
"Always."
He held her hand, and in an instant, the two vanished—teleporting straight to Tony Stark's villa.
Tony almost dropped his drink when Leo appeared. "What the hell! You again? And with your woman? What did you do this time?"
Leo smirked. "What, not happy to see me?"
Tony crossed his arms. "You don't knock anymore? You're like a walking bad omen."
Leo's smile widened. This guy's been too comfortable lately. Maybe it was time to remind him who ran the show.
Tony suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine under Leo's gaze. Oh no. That look never meant anything good.
Leo finally said, "Relax. I'm just dropping Wanda off. Pepper can keep her company. I'll head back after this."
Then he added casually, "By the way, where's Banner? Tell him to come out—I'll take him to witness a miracle."
"Coming, coming!" Banner's voice echoed as he climbed up from the basement. His face said it all—he already knew trouble was brewing.
"I'll go," Banner sighed. "Though I already know I'm going to lose this bet."
Tony frowned. "Wait, bet? You two bet on whether General Ross would show up tonight?"
Leo grinned. "Smart man. That brain of yours really works. Mind if I lift your skull to check how it functions?"
Tony froze, eyes wide. "You're joking… right?"
Leo's grin widened. "Am I?"
Tony swallowed hard. He knew Leo well enough—that guy never jokes about weird stuff like this.
Before Tony could reply, alarms in Leo's villa went off.
Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers were already surrounding the property—each carrying a black containment box.
Ross had arrived.