Wanda and Pietro stood in a corner of the laboratory, the two of them standing close together, shoulder to shoulder.
Wanda's gaze fell upon Tony; those brown eyes no longer held the anger of a week ago, replaced instead by a more complex expression.
Pietro stood beside her, a bottle of water in hand. He took an occasional sip, quietly watching everything unfold.
During these seven days, they had remained at Stark Tower—not because they wanted to help Tony, but because Mavuika was here.
Mavuika hadn't asked them to stay, nor had she asked for their help.
She had simply said, "We will be staying at Stark Tower for a while. If you want to go back, you can tell me at any time."
They stayed.
Wanda looked at Tony's weary back, an indescribable feeling stirring in her heart.
She hated this man. She should hate him. His weapons had killed her parents, his arrogance had created Ultron, and his conceit was pushing the World toward the abyss.
But she also saw another side: a man who hadn't slept for seven days just to make up for his mistakes; a man betrayed by his own creation who still refused to give up; a man who hadn't retorted a single word after being subjected to her cold mockery.
She looked away, gazing out the window.
The Manhattan sunset was sinking into the skyline, dyeing the sky a golden red. This city was beautiful—so beautiful it made one forget how much ruin it was built upon.
Pietro lightly touched her arm. "Wanda, what are you thinking about?"
Wanda shook her head. "Nothing."
Pietro didn't press her. He knew her, and he knew she didn't want to talk right now.
Finally, on the eighth day, Tony found a trace of an anomaly.
It wasn't through scanning or algorithms, but by accident.
While Jarvis was reconstructing data, he discovered a fragment of encrypted information. It wasn't left by Ultron, but rather a small piece Jarvis had torn from Ultron's core code while Ultron was consuming him.
That small piece of code contained a set of coordinates.
Eastern Europe, Sokovia.
Tony stood before the holographic projection, staring at those coordinates, silent for a long time.
Sokovia, the homeland of Wanda and Pietro, a nation torn apart by the flames of war.
He didn't turn to look at Wanda and Pietro, but his voice lowered. "Jarvis, confirm the coordinates."
"Confirmed. The coordinates are located in an abandoned industrial zone in Sokovia. There was brief data transmission activity seven days ago, and the source address highly matches Ultron's signature code."
Tony's fingers tapped a few times on the console. "Who was the recipient?"
Jarvis was silent for a second. "Part of the data has been decrypted. The recipient is a man named Ulysses Klaue. He is a black-market arms dealer specializing in rare metal transactions. Intelligence indicates he possesses a large amount of—Vibranium."
Tony's hand stopped.
Vibranium. The rarest metal on Earth, bar none. It came from an extraterrestrial meteorite, is nearly indestructible, and is the ideal material for creating the strongest armor.
"Ultron wants Vibranium." Banner walked to Tony's side, looking at the data on the holographic projection.
"He wants to build himself a body."
Tony nodded. "An unbreakable body."
Thor put down the sandwich in his hand and stood up. "Then what are we waiting for? We go to Sokovia, find this Klaue, and ask him where Ultron is."
Tony didn't answer immediately. He turned and looked at Wanda and Pietro.
Wanda stood there, her face pale, her hands trembling slightly as a dark red light flickered at her fingertips.
Pietro put down his water bottle and stood up straight.
"Sokovia," Pietro said, his voice low, "is our home."
Tony nodded. "I know."
Wanda spoke, her voice shaking slightly. "You're going there."
"Yes," Tony said. "If Ultron appeared there, there might be clues. Or perhaps—he's still there."
Wanda was silent for a moment, then said, "We're going too."
Tony looked at her and didn't refuse.
The group was soon ready.
Tony donned the latest version of his armor, a mix of silver and red, with larger thrusters mounted on the back.
Banner didn't have a suit, but he was no longer that anxiety-ridden patient who could turn into the Hulk at any moment.
Spending these few months with Mavuika and Tony had taught him how to better control his emotions.
He sat in Tony's jet, responsible for data analysis.
The warplane cut through the sky, flying toward Eastern Europe.
Sokovia was once a quiet mountain country, surrounded by peaks and dense forests, with clear rivers and ancient churches in the valleys.
But now, it was a scarred land. Traces of war were everywhere: burned villages, abandoned factories, and craters and ruins scattered throughout.
The jet landed on the edge of an abandoned industrial zone. This was a steel mill left over from the Soviet Union era; it had long since ceased production, its rusty chimneys standing like tombstones driven into the Earth.
Tony was the first to jump off the jet, his armor's sensors running at full power, scanning the surroundings.
Banner followed behind, holding a portable data scanner.
Thor carried his hammer, looking around vigilantly. Loki walked last, his pace elegant, but his emerald green eyes showed no sign of relaxation.
Wanda and Pietro walked in the middle of the group. Wanda looked at the ruins, her hands clenched tightly. Pietro's hand rested on her shoulder, patting it gently as if to comfort her—and perhaps himself.
Mavuika walked at the very front, her steps steady and her gaze calm.
"Over there." She pointed toward the largest factory building.
The group followed her over.
The factory doors were wide open. Inside, it was filled with discarded machinery and rusted pipes. Sunlight spilled through the broken skylights, illuminating the dust and footprints on the floor.
There were many footprints, and they were fresh.
Banner crouched down and used the scanner on the footprints. "At least five people, about six to eight hours ago."
Beneath his armor's faceplate, Tony's brow furrowed. "Klaue's men?"
"Likely," Banner said, standing up. "Ultron contacted him; he would definitely come here."
They continued deeper into the factory.
When they reached the innermost area, they saw a man.
He was a middle-aged man wearing a gaudy suit, a gold chain around his neck, and holding a cigar.
He stood before the control console of a large piece of industrial equipment, checking something.
Ulysses Klaue.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw a group of people emerging from the shadows.
His eyes widened—not in fear, but in surprise.
"Tony Stark?" He grinned, revealing golden teeth. "What a rare guest. How did you find me?"
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150 POWER STONE = BONUS CHAPTER
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