Snowy Night in Sokovia, the Twins Called "Miracles"

Eastern Europe, Sokovia.

The bitter winter wind howled through the pitch-black forest, while heavy snow dyed everything pale white.

This was Hydra's final stronghold—the castle research base of Baron Strucker.

At that moment, the silence of the snowy night was torn apart by the roar of Avengers engines.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Tony Stark piloted the brand-new Mark 43 armor, weaving nimbly through the trees as his repulsors precisely blasted Hydra's light tanks into the air.

Hulk barreled through the snow like a rampaging bulldozer, smashing reinforced concrete bunkers apart as if they were building blocks.

"Hey, has anyone seen my hand warmers?"

A white figure swung over the treetops, using her momentum to kick a Hydra sniper hiding behind a tree into the air.

Gwen Stacy wore her signature black-and-white suit, except this time she had added a short white down vest over it. It looked warm and a little... adorable.

"It's too cold here! My web-shooters are about to freeze up!" Gwen complained over the comms, her voice trembling slightly.

"Hang in there, Spider-Woman. This is part of the superhero curriculum too—adapting to extreme environments."

Jiang Li's voice came from the flank.

He had not transformed. Instead, he wore a black-and-gold nano combat suit specially made by Stark Industries and held a pulse rifle while "taking it easy."

"Besides, there are two big shots waiting for us up ahead."

Jiang Li looked at the faint blue light flickering atop the distant castle tower, a slight smile curling his lips.

The Mind Scepter was there. Guarding it were the most infamous overpowered siblings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Just then.

Hawkeye, who was advancing on the front line, suddenly felt his vision blur.

"Whoosh—!"

A silver-blue afterimage flashed past in an instant.

"Bang!"

Before Hawkeye could react, it felt as if he had been hit by a high-speed train. He was sent flying sideways into a snowbank.

"Someone's hurt!" Black Widow shouted.

"No one is," Hawkeye said as he painfully climbed to his feet. "I didn't see anything."

"Of course you didn't."

The silver afterimage stopped beside a pine tree, revealing a young man in a blue tracksuit with dyed silver hair.

Pietro Maximoff, Quicksilver.

He looked at the fallen Avengers with an unruly grin. "That was way too slow. Did you come here for a stroll?"

With that, he flashed forward, charging straight at Captain America.

"Didn't see that coming, did you?"

However, just as his hand was about to touch the shield.

"I saw it. And it was... too slow."

A blue-black afterimage cut forcefully into the battlefield at an even stranger, even faster speed!

"Bang!"

The two high-speed figures collided in midair, kicking up a massive wave of snow.

Quicksilver felt as though he had crashed into a wall moving at high speed. He spun through the air and was sent flying backward, plowing a deep trench through the snow.

He looked up in shock.

An alien with a pointed helmet and black wheels for feet stood before Captain America with his arms folded.

"XLR8!"

"Not bad, kid."

Jiang Li, as XLR8, lowered his visor and mocked him electronically. "But you want to play speed in front of me? You think you're worthy?"

"Monster..." Pietro gritted his teeth and vanished again.

"Want to race?" The wheels beneath Jiang Li's feet spun. "Come on!"

In an instant, two streaks of light appeared in the forest, chasing one another.

Pietro discovered in horror that no matter how much he accelerated, the blue monster remained at his side like a shadow—and even had time to make faces at him!

"I'm done playing."

Jiang Li suddenly stopped short, his long tail lashing out like a steel whip!

"Smack!"

Pietro was struck directly in the ankle and spun into a snowbank like a top, landing headfirst.

"One down." Jiang Li transformed back and tossed the dizzy Quicksilver to Captain America.

"Jiang! Watch the entrance!"

Just then, Gwen's scream exploded through the earpiece.

Her Spider-Sense was frantically warning her. The level of danger even surpassed facing a Leviathan.

At the castle entrance, a girl in a red leather jacket stepped out.

Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch.

She looked at her captured brother, red fury burning in her eyes.

"Let him go!!"

Wanda screamed, and Chaos Magic surged forth like a crimson tide.

Tony, in the air, was the first to be hit.

Jiang Li glanced at Tony, his eyes flickering, but he did not immediately move to stop it.

Sorry, Tony, but this nightmare is something you have to experience.

"Argh!"

Tony was struck by the red light. His armor lost power and fell. In his mind, an illusion unfolded with terrifying clarity: every Avenger dead, Earth destroyed by an alien fleet. This was the seed of Ultron's birth.

After dealing with Tony, Wanda aimed the red light at Jiang Li.

"Do you want to see hell too?" Wanda roared.

"Don't touch him!!"

Before Jiang Li could move, a white figure swung over and stood in front of him.

Although Gwen instinctively feared the eerie red light, she still spread her arms and shielded Jiang Li with all her strength.

"Gwen, step back."

Warmth rose in Jiang Li's heart as he pulled Gwen behind him. "I have a better way to deal with this kind of mental attack."

His fingers rested on the Omnitrix.

"Switch!"

Bzzz—!!

Gray mist spread through the air.

Wanda's magic pierced through the mist, only to strike empty space.

A gray ghost clad in a tattered cloak, with only one purple eye and an icy aura around its body, floated out of the fog.

"Ghostfreak!"

"You want to see inside my heart?"

Ghostfreak's hoarse voice, like fingernails scraping across a blackboard, sounded beside Wanda's ear.

He suddenly pulled open the "skin" on his chest, revealing his true form within—filled with tentacles, eyeballs, and indescribable terror.

"Then take a good look!! See what's inside the abyss!"

"Aah!!!"

Wanda had intended to frighten Jiang Li, but Ghostfreak's terrifying Ectonur life form instead inflicted a backlash on her. That pure darkness was far beyond what a newly awakened young witch could endure.

Wanda screamed. Her red magic instantly dissipated, and she collapsed onto the ground in terror, her face pale.

At the same time, a broadcast echoed from inside the castle.

"Activate the self-destruct sequence! Seal all exits! Leave the test subjects outside as bait!"

It was Baron Strucker's voice.

"Did you hear that?"

Jiang Li returned to human form and walked over to the despairing Wanda, pointing at the tightly shut castle gates behind her.

"You treated Hydra as home. They treated you as lab rats and disposable tools."

Jiang Li extended his hand, his gaze calm.

"Wanda Maximoff. If you want revenge, if you want to kill Tony Stark, then get up."

"But if you want to save your brother and learn the true source of your powers... then come with us."

Wanda lifted her head and looked at Jiang Li through tearful eyes. Then she looked toward Pietro, who was being protected by Captain America, and at the white-clad girl, Gwen, who remained vigilantly focused on her even in battle as she guarded Jiang Li.

The red glow in her eyes flickered a few times before finally... going out.

Ten minutes later.

The castle was breached. Baron Strucker was captured, and the scepter was recovered.

On the Quinjet.

Gwen sat beside Jiang Li, wiping down her web-shooters while secretly glancing at Wanda in the back row. She muttered quietly:

"That girl... the way she looks at you seems a little strange. Is that fear, or... admiration?"

"That's awe," Jiang Li explained.

"Hmph, I think it's curiosity." Gwen pursed her lips. It was a woman's intuition. "Let's make this clear first, Mr. Landlord. There isn't enough room on the couch at home anymore. I'm not sharing it with anyone."

Jiang Li smiled and rubbed Gwen's head, even though her mask was in the way.

"Don't worry. They have somewhere to go. Avengers Tower is big enough."

He looked out the window, idly turning the Mind Scepter in his hand.

Elsewhere, Tony, who had just awakened from the nightmare illusion, stared at the scepter with an almost obsessive light in his eyes.

"Peace... we need armor. Armor around the world." Tony murmured.

Jiang Li heard him.

He knew the nightmare had awakened.

Ultron was about to come online.