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The island battlefield.
Although they had already heard the final result from Gwen, everyone still stood guard here anxiously, quietly waiting for Peter's arrival.
One second, five seconds, ten minutes... one hour.
A full hour had passed.
Although everyone knew that facing such a terrifying monster, it certainly wouldn't be easily resolved in just an hour.
But everyone still couldn't help but wait anxiously.
Wanda's eyes, in particular, were filled with concern.
Even now, she was still reminiscing about Evil Peter's domineering line, "How dare you touch my girl," and her face unknowingly flushed as red as fire.
That reassuring feeling was simply too intoxicating.
Would she... still have the chance to enjoy that luxurious sense of security?
Just as she was thinking this, Tony suddenly let out a startled cry:
"Huh? This voice is... Jarvis, you're back?!"
The HUD interface inside the Battle Suit lit up, and Jarvis's familiar voice echoed in Tony's ear:
"Yes, sir, it is good to see you again. Although I do not know what exactly happened, I have indeed returned, and my database has not shown any anomalies."
"Could it be..."
Tony's eyes lit up, and in the next second, he discovered that the Ultron robots, shattered across the ground and still struggling from time to time, dissolved into the wind in perfect unison!
"This is..."
Everyone looked at each other, surprise and joy appearing in their eyes.
For such a "miracle" to occur, there was probably only one explanation!
"It seems he succeeded," Ancient One said with a smile, sealing the conclusion.
"Of course, he is the all-powerful Arbiter!" Gwen chimed in without a second thought.
Just then, a purple light glowed on Daisy, and in the next second, Peter appeared behind everyone, completely unharmed.
"Hey, everyone, is the victory party ready?"
...
Late at night, when all was quiet.
Inside Peter's room.
He and Gwen lay side by side in bed, enjoying the peace after the great battle.
"Speaking of which, I have to thank that fellow Ultron. If it weren't for him, I would have had to wait another seventy-three days to taste my sweetheart."
Hearing this, Gwen couldn't help but burst into laughter, and she couldn't resist leaning in to bite his chest gently.
"You always know how to make me happy."
"You say that as if you'd be happy if I went to make Felicia and the others happy instead."
"You're terrible~"
After a bit of playful roughhousing, Gwen lay back in Peter's arms and suddenly spoke up rather abruptly:
"Speaking of which, it's been almost two months since Wanda joined the Avengers, hasn't it? Don't you plan to... handle her situation?"
Peter instinctively sensed danger, subconsciously tensing his core:
"What could there be between us? We're just pure comrades-in-arms."
"Like I'd believe you!" Gwen rolled her eyes dramatically, then leaned against Peter's chest and said seriously:
"I can feel that she relies on you a lot, and she really likes you."
Peter was stunned for a moment. Looking at Gwen's serious expression, he vaguely realized something.
Seeing his expression, Gwen decided to put everything out in the open:
"Teacher Ancient One told me everything about the darkhold and the Scarlet Witch."
"Wanda currently lacks an emotional anchor. Once her mind is eroded by negative emotions, she can easily be tempted by the power of the darkhold and fall into a demon capable of destroying the World."
"Although I am confident that, if forced to, I can use the power of the Book of Vishanti to subdue her..."
Gwen paused, then lay back in Peter's arms, almost greedily inhaling his reassuring scent, and snuggled gently into the most comfortable spot:
"But I still feel that only love is the best insurance for her."
"A Scarlet Witch bathed in love and with a heart full of sunshine is someone who will never be consumed by darkness."
"So..."
At this, she released her arms from around Peter's neck and kissed him gently on the forehead:
"Go on. Tell her that from now on, she is no longer a poor girl who only has her brother to rely on."
...
A burst of scarlet magic unlocked the door.
When Peter entered the room, this was the scene he beheld—
Wanda was sitting alone on the carpet, intently watching an old black-and-white sitcom playing on the television.
It was the show she and Pietro loved to watch most when they were children.
Whenever she saw the warm and harmonious family in the show, she would temporarily forget the war in Sokovia and the cruelty of reality.
Hearing a knock on the door, she turned off the television in confusion, walked over, and opened it.
Seeing Peter standing outside, a flash of surprise crossed her face, followed by a touch of uneasiness.
"Peter? It's so late, is there something you need?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I wanted to find someone to talk to." Peter walked in with a smile and naturally sat down beside her.
The room fell into silence for a moment, with only the television screen glowing, silently playing its images.
Peter was the first to speak: "Watching 'I Love Lucy'?"
"Yeah," Wanda nodded, her voice very soft.
Peter sat right down beside Wanda with complete familiarity:
"Tell me about it, what's this show about?"
Wanda's body visibly tensed, but after taking two deep breaths, she forced herself to relax.
She began to describe this old TV show—which she had watched no less than twenty times—as naturally as possible.
She could accurately recount the classic moments of every episode, and even mimic the characters' tones and accents.
As the two chatted about the show's plot, the atmosphere became relaxed and warm, and a smile unknowingly graced Wanda's usually tense face.
Wanda could no longer remember how long it had been since she had felt happy simply because of a small thing like this.
Since her parents passed away, her World had been filled with nothing but hatred and revenge.
Even after joining the Avengers, she had always only acted alongside Pietro, drifting on the fringes of the organization like an outsider.
Only in front of Peter could she feel an unprecedented sense of relaxation.
This man always seemed able to see through her hard exterior to the vulnerability and anxiety underneath.
"Peter."
Finally, Wanda spoke up suddenly, interrupting the canned laughter from the television.
"Hmm?" Peter turned his head to look at her.
The moonlight spilled through the window onto her face, and in her beautiful eyes, Peter's reflection was clearly mirrored.
"I think... I've fallen for you."
Peter just looked at her, saying nothing.
Wanda gradually forgot to breathe, her mind going completely blank, and her face even grew slightly pale. She lowered her head, murmuring as if mocking herself:
"I'm sorry, did I... cause trouble for you? Just pretend I didn't say anything just now."
As she spoke, she made to get up and flee the room.
But in the next second, her wrist was caught by a warm, large hand.
With a slight pull, Peter drew her back into his embrace.
"The one who should say sorry is me."
Peter looked down at the petite figure in his arms, a hint of apology in his voice.
"I should have come to find you a long time ago."
With that, he leaned down and kissed Wanda's still slightly trembling lips...