Chapitre 95: Chapter 93
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...
"Did you fall for that little spider just now?" Natasha asked, not teasing but shifting the conversation. She had clearly noticed the bank robbery earlier.
Leon shook his head slightly. "That kid is different from us."
As he said this, it was clear he wasn't interested in bringing Spider-Man into their circle, at least not for the time being. His decision was based on Spider-Man's personality and experiences.
Leon, Natasha, and Wanda all had one thing in common: a tragic past. Each of them had faced darkness at a young age, experiencing the harsh realities of the world. Because of this, they now lived only for themselves and their chosen family, with Leon at the center.
Though they were inherently kind-hearted, even with powers far beyond those of ordinary people, they didn't feel the need to flaunt their abilities recklessly or impose their will on others. They showed compassion when dealing with everyday people.
However, when it came to enemies, once someone was marked as a threat, there was no hesitation—man, woman, young, or old—they would be eliminated. The only thing they truly cared about was each other and their family.
They had lost family members before, which made them value their relationships with each other even more than most people. Anyone who threatened to destroy that bond would see their kindness stripped away, revealing a fierce, blood-stained resolve.
But Spider-Man was different. He was too kind, so much so that when bonded with the Venom symbiote, the darkest part of him only sought a raise from his boss and the chance to dance in the street. This stark difference in mindset was why Spider-Man wasn't like them. He didn't walk the same path.
Because of that, Leon would consider bringing Spider-Man into their circle, but only if the young hero faced a life-threatening crisis.
"Impressive kid," Natasha remarked, having noticed it too. She then glanced at the phone on Leon's desk. The screen displayed Tony Stark's press conference.
"You saw it?" she asked.
"Uh-huh," Leon responded.
"You don't seem surprised by his decision."
"I'm not," Leon said, shaking his head with a small laugh. "When someone's been kidnapped and out of touch with society for months, you can't be shocked by what they do when they come back. So, did he agree to our deal?"
"Yes. He's using all future Ark reactors as bargaining chips in exchange for our friendship and for us to secretly protect him for three months."
"Sounds like something he'd do," Leon mused. "It seems he's very interested in you—or us."
Leon immediately understood Tony's intentions.
"Indeed, that's why I agreed," Natasha said.
"Then I'll leave the trouble to you," Leon chuckled.
Natasha rolled her eyes, annoyed. "You're really an unscrupulous capitalist. Maybe I should hire a group of robbers to steal from you."
"Just make sure the robbers you hire are stronger," Leon replied nonchalantly.
Natasha glared at him but then frowned and asked, "We've made a deal with Tony, but what are you going to do about Wanda and Pietro?"
Wanda and Pietro had moved on from their darker days in recent years, but that didn't mean they'd given up on the idea of revenge against Tony Stark. When Leon arrived in New York, the twins were already contemplating how to get their revenge. They just hadn't expected Tony to get kidnapped.
Now that Leon had made a deal with Tony, Natasha knew the twins wouldn't hesitate to put aside their grudge because of their loyalty to Leon. But she also knew Leon well enough to realize he wouldn't make that choice lightly, especially when his family had been wronged.
"What will you do?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"I won't deny my family their justice. If Wanda and Pietro want revenge, I won't stop them," Leon shrugged. "And I believe Wanda will find a way to get what we need when the time comes. It's up to her how she wants to handle it."
"That's really your style," Natasha said, her red lips curling into a smile.
Leon's character was distinct. The way he approached things, especially regarding family, always felt reassuring and never disappointing. Natasha felt the same; she didn't care who Tony was—billionaire, genius scientist. If Wanda wanted revenge, she could break Tony's hands and feet without hesitation and throw him at her feet.
"That guy must be working on something big in these three months," Natasha mused.
"In three months, what could he possibly do to give him the confidence to face any crisis or conspiracy?"
"What do you think?" Leon raised an eyebrow.
"Armor," Natasha replied. "In the cave, I saw what he built. It's hard to imagine that, in such conditions, he could construct that massive thing and even shrink the Ark reactor. He's truly a genius."
Tony might have thought Natasha didn't notice everything while she was rescuing him. But in reality, even before her physical enhancements, Natasha had been a top spy, skilled in visual capture and analysis.
Although things in the corner of the cave were covered, the commotion from Natasha violently opening the iron door revealed enough clues. She immediately noticed the partially covered rags and wires connecting it to the Ark reactor on Tony's chest, which was powering something much larger. It wasn't hard to guess what that "big thing" was.
Natasha's praise of Tony as a genius on the plane had been a double entendre.
"Then we'll see what fate has in store for him," Leon said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Will it be death or rebirth?"
Leon was also curious about what Wanda would choose—what path her future destiny would take. He found himself looking forward to it.
Natasha narrowed her bright eyes slightly. It was the first time she had seen him like this. It seemed the playboy was more important to him than she had thought.
...
In a small Texas town, the population was sparse, and it lacked the hustle and bustle of a big city. But it had the charm of the Texan countryside: shrubs, forests, and rivers, neatly arranged flower beds, cobblestone paths, and quaint buildings on either side. In the distance, cowboys rode horses and herded cattle on the vast grasslands. Everything seemed calm and peaceful.
But if you thought the people here were friendly, you'd be wrong. Anger a local, and you might find a redneck pulling out his long shotgun, aiming it at your crotch with a crazed grin.
This is Texas.
At least, that's what Wanda and Pietro thought, as they had encountered such things more than once.
Of course, it was either a robbery or an attempted one. After all, Wanda had blossomed since she was a little girl, becoming more beautiful and charming. But people often overlook one important thing: sometimes, the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it becomes. There was no need for Sergei to intervene; Wanda could handle it all on her own. With just one look, she could tamper with someone's will, making them find a quiet place to end their own life.
In a small-town restaurant, Wanda, Sergei, and Pietro sat eating. The restaurant's TV was broadcasting the news, but the sight of it soured the twins' appetite.
Wanda and Pietro stared at the screen with cold eyes, while even Sergei frowned, remaining silent.
"Tsk, let's deal with him later," Pietro muttered, cracking his neck, his displeasure clear.
Wanda's breathing grew heavier as Tony Stark's face on the screen brought back memories of the tragedy that had struck them when she was ten years old. Both of them were clearly in a bad mood.
Just then, Wanda's phone rang. She pulled it out to answer, and Leon's voice came through the speaker.
"Wanda."
"Hey, Leon," Wanda replied softly.
"You're aware of this, right?" Wanda glanced at Pietro and Sergei across from her and said coldly, "That guy is back."
"It was me who asked Natasha to get him out," Leon replied.
Leon's words didn't unsettle Wanda. Years of trust had built between them, and she considered Leon family. She listened quietly as he explained how the Sky Fortress and the Ark Reactor were part of the deal Tony had made with him.
After everything was explained, Leon's gentle voice continued, "We all support your decision, Wanda." He paused briefly before adding, "Oh, and Pietro too."
Across from her, Pietro curled his lips, pretending not to hear.
"Leon~~," Wanda murmured, her mood lifting despite her earlier frustration about Tony still being alive. What made her even happier was that Leon continued to treat her and Pietro just like always. This was what family meant to her.
She took a deep breath and whispered, "We can let go—"
"Wanda~~," Leon interrupted, his voice serious. "Although we've never made any formal promises, I will always support you. A mere transaction doesn't mean anything. It's not worth you giving up your revenge."
"Even compared to your bad mood for a day, it's not worth it," Leon continued. "I just want to tell you, if you decide to take revenge, go ahead and do it."
"I get it, Leon," Wanda replied.
Their conversation was brief, but after hanging up, Wanda and Pietro both felt their earlier frustration ease.
"Wow, Texas food is really good," Sergei remarked, clearly more relaxed now as he shifted the subject.
Pietro cut into his steak with a knife and fork, remarking, "Well, it's a little worse than what we cook." Despite his words, he continued to eat enthusiastically.
He couldn't help it—his time spent homeless and subjected to experiments had left him with an unforgettable appreciation for food. Unless something was absolutely inedible, he always made sure to finish his meal. In fact, this was a habit the entire family shared.
"Okay, we've followed the clues to this place, but his location keeps changing. Could he be avoiding us?" Wanda asked, putting down her finished plate and pulling out a tablet from her bag, looking slightly frustrated.
The three of them had come to Texas to track down the flaming skeleton guy who rode a ghost-faced Harley. But ever since they left Houston, finding this figure hadn't been easy—their target seemed to move unpredictably with no clear route.
Additionally, most of the time, he left at night, moving so quickly that the three of them couldn't keep up in their car.
"Who knows, but this guy is seriously cool—he's so badass," Pietro commented, and even Sergei nodded in agreement.
After all, it's hard not to be impressed by a guy in black leather armor, leather pants, with a flaming skull, riding a ghost-faced Harley through the night.
Wanda rolled her eyes, clearly not sharing the boys' admiration for this strange aesthetic.
Seeing Wanda's look, Pietro quickly lowered his head and focused on his food, while Sergei coughed awkwardly and shifted to a more serious tone. "Whether he's avoiding us or not, we can't seem to analyze his route, and he moves really fast."
"He can cover several cities in a single night," Sergei added.
"This is really a problem. I don't think we'll be able to track him without flying over in my fighter jet," Wanda muttered thoughtfully, her voice lowered as she glanced around the room.
"But something feels off," she said suddenly.
"Off?" Pietro and Sergei immediately became alert. Given Wanda's unique abilities, especially her enhanced intuition, if she sensed something wrong, there was definitely a reason for concern.
Even out of caution, they knew they had to stay vigilant.
"What is it?" Pietro asked.
Wanda shook her head. "I can't tell. I feel a sense of something being off. It's as if, besides us, there's something else tracking that skeleton guy."
"Something else?" Pietro raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Wanda replied. "I don't think it's human. Plus, there seems to be another group involved, but I'm not sure who they are."
"That sounds interesting. Seems like that guy's caught the attention of a lot of people." Pietro popped the last piece of steak into his mouth, wiped his lips with a napkin, and leaned back in his chair with a look of amusement. "Looks like we've got plenty to deal with."
"So, what's the plan now?" Sergei asked, tapping the table lightly with his index finger.
"The biggest issue is if this guy is just wandering aimlessly. We won't be able to predict his next move," Pietro added, running his hands through his hair in frustration.
"We don't actually need to rush," Wanda said, her eyes gleaming with a quiet confidence. "Since we can't catch him right now, we can just slow down and keep following. When the final scene is ready to play out, that's when we'll make our move."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone