Chapter 362: Civil War IV
"I've tested this in the lab many times, but man, that tearing sensation is still a nightmare."
Scott Lang released Steve's hands and sprinted toward an elevated platform.
"What is he doing?" Steve asked, confused.
On the Tarmac
Wanda continued to blast away the surrounding Shadow Ninjas, but they were endless. For every one she destroyed, two more emerged from the darkness. She was panting heavily, her energy flagging.
In stark contrast, Silas, the culprit behind the army, was lounging comfortably on a summoned sofa. He popped a piece of fruit into his mouth—offered by a ninja—and took a casual sip of juice.
"Tired yet, Wanda? Want some snacks to keep your strength up?" Silas asked playfully, holding the juice up for her to see.
"You really know how to enjoy yourself," Wanda wheezed, her chest heaving.
Silas realized the time was right. He stood up and handed his drink back to a ninja. "Alright, my turn to perform."
Wanda immediately snapped back into a defensive stance, but Silas vanished before her eyes.
"Where did he go?" She noticed the Shadow Ninjas were also retreating, which only made her more uneasy.
"Pardon me."
Suddenly, a voice whispered directly behind her. Before she could react, a Shadow Portal opened in front of her. Silas appeared behind her and—without any hesitation—delivered a sharp kick to her backside, sending her tumbling headfirst into the portal.
The moment she was through, Silas snapped the portal shut. The entire sequence was fluid and perfectly timed.
"I've handled it, Tony. See ya." Silas opened another portal for himself and vanished before Tony could even respond.
With Silas gone, the thousands of Shadow Ninjas surrounding the airport melted back into the ground.
"That was... surprisingly violent," Pietro remarked. He had witnessed the whole thing. Silas—his brother Silas Parker—hadn't given Wanda any face at all, just a direct boot to the rear.
"Glad we're on the same side," Pietro muttered. Since his mission was to get Wanda away, and Silas had already done that, Pietro prepared to slip away as well.
But Tony, sensing his intent, called out: "Don't leave yet, Speedster. We've still got a big problem."
"Do we?" Pietro asked.
Just then, a massive figure rose from the tarmac. Scott Lang, now a hundred feet tall, grabbed Rhodey out of the air. "Whoo! This is awesome!"
"What is that thing?!" Rhodey yelled, trying to fly, but his legs were pinned in Scott's giant grip.
"Okay, yeah. We definitely have a problem," Pietro sighed, looking up at Giant-Man.
Steve and his team were just as stunned. They knew Scott could shrink, but turning into a skyscraper? That was new.
"Alright, does anyone on our side have a hidden talent? Now would be the time," Tony asked. Unsurprisingly, no one else could grow to the size of a building.
"Whoa~ How does he not rip in half?" Peter asked, staring in awe at the giant.
"Worry about the science later!" Tony tried to fly up to rescue Rhodey, but he was intercepted by Steve's shield.
CLANG!
Tony's patience finally snapped. "Enough!"
A blindingly hot laser burst from Tony's chest piece, causing the temperature on the tarmac to skyrocket. Steve raised his shield and pushed through the intense pressure, charging directly at Tony.
Steve slammed his shield into Tony's jaw, followed by a flurry of combat strikes. Because Ant-Man had damaged the internal weapon systems, Tony found himself struggling to keep up with Steve's veteran combat instincts.
"Analyzing Captain Rogers' fighting style..." Jarvis began the process automatically.
After taking a beating for several seconds, Tony finally caught Steve's fist mid-swing.
"Analysis complete. Commencing counter-measures," Jarvis announced.
Before Steve could process how his punch had been blocked, Tony delivered a brutal knee to his solar plexus. As Steve tried to recover, Tony leapt and kicked him squarely in the head. Steve spun in the air and hit the ground hard, his shield sliding away across the concrete.
"What do you have left?" Tony asked, walking slowly toward him.
"Steve!" Bucky Barnes broke away from his fight with T'Challa and rushed to Steve's side, helping him up. Steve had blood trailing down his forehead, but Tony wasn't in much better shape. Beneath the armor, he was covered in bruises, and a cut had opened on his face.
"Barnes..." Tony snarled, his voice thick with rage.
Bucky stood in front of Steve. "Your fight is with me."
"No," Steve grunted, pulling himself up by Bucky's shoulder and raising his fists. "I can do this all day."
"Heh..." Tony gave a bitter laugh. "You say he's your friend. What about me?"
Steve didn't answer. He and Bucky shared a look and charged Tony together.
A Secluded Island
"Where did you take me?" Wanda looked at the endless ocean and realized she was far from Germany.
"A deserted island. Nice view, right?" Silas had considered the Shadow Kingdom, but it was too corrosive for humans over long periods. His lab was out of the question—too many secrets. So, he settled on this.
Wanda watched the waves crash against the shore. She let out a long breath and sat down on the sand. "You aren't leaving, are you?"
"Not yet. Can't just leave you alone on a rock in the middle of nowhere." Silas realized she was done fighting and sat down beside her.
"Why did you side with Stark?" she asked.
"It's not that I'm siding with him. I just agree with his motive," Silas explained. "Tony's heart is in the right place. He wants to keep the team together. He didn't want you in a government cell, so he used his influence to find you a safe place."
"But that place was a cage. Even a gold cage is still a cage, and birds are meant to fly," Wanda said, shaking her head.
"But your actions are making things worse for everyone," Silas countered. "The Avengers are already under a microscope. Having a 'prisoner' break out to cause a riot only gives the government more ammunition."
Wanda wasn't a fool; she knew he was right. Her help would likely reignite the public outcry against them.
"Ignoring all that... I personally don't agree with the Accords either." As Silas spoke, the black mist of his mask dissolved, revealing his handsome, youthful face.
"Destiny..." Wanda's eyes widened. She had expected a hardened veteran, not a boy barely older than herself. Now she understood why Stark called him "Masked Boy."
"Surprised?" Silas laughed at her stunned expression. It seemed everyone reacted the same way to his true face.
"Yes... it's incredible." Wanda reached out with trembling hands to touch his face. Silas didn't pull away; he leaned in slightly.
Her fingers were soft against his skin, her eyes reflecting a sudden, intense emotion. Without warning, Wanda leaned forward, her red lips moving toward his.
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