Power Is Not the Answer, but a Tool

In the living room of the Long Island Villa, a golden portal slowly unfolded, and Xiao Han stepped through.

Wanda sat cross-legged on the sofa, holding a book as scarlet energy flickered at her fingertips, flowing gently with the turning pages.

Hearing the sound, she looked up, her red hair glimmering in the sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Mr. Xiao, you're back?" She closed the book, her voice much brighter than when they had first met.

"Just call me Xiao."

Xiao Han nodded, took off his coat, and hung it on the rack by the door. "The hearing was nothing special, just a formality."

Wanda's gaze fell on him, and she seemed to hesitate.

At last, she asked softly, "Xiao, do you know Tony Stark?"

"Yeah."

Xiao Han walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. "I became a shareholder of Stark Industries recently. You could say we're business partners."

Wanda's fingers unconsciously tightened around the page, her knuckles turning slightly white.

Xiao Han glanced at her without urging her on, merely leaning against the island counter and waiting quietly.

After several seconds of silence, Wanda finally spoke, so softly that she was almost inaudible. "Does he... know about me? Turing said you knew about my past. You know what I mean."

"He does." Xiao Han set down his glass. "He's seen your file."

Wanda abruptly looked up, a flash of scarlet passing through her eyes. "Then did he say anything? About Sokovia? About those missiles?"

Xiao Han met her eyes directly. "He said that batch of weapons was smuggled to Hydra by Obadiah Stane. He didn't know about it."

"He didn't know?" Wanda gave a cold laugh. The Chaos Magic in her palm burst out of control, scorching a blackened mark into the book.

"Stark Industries weapons, bearing his name, killed my parents, and now he says he didn't know?"

Xiao Han did not argue. He simply raised a hand and tapped lightly, creating a golden energy barrier that confined the unruly magic around the sofa and kept it from spreading through the living room.

"I'm only telling you the truth."

His voice was calm. "Whether you believe it is up to you."

Wanda's chest rose and fell violently, and the red glow in her eyes gradually faded.

She lowered her head to look at the scorched page and suddenly felt exhausted.

"If... if it really was Hydra..." Her voice trembled faintly.

"Then who should my hatred be directed at?"

Xiao Han walked over to her and crouched down, meeting her gaze at eye level. "Hatred doesn't need a target, Wanda. It only consumes you."

He extended his hand, and a phantom image of the Mind Stone appeared in his palm. "I can teach you to control Chaos Magic, make you powerful enough to destroy all of Hydra, even rewrite reality. By then, you can do whatever you want."

"But before that, you need to understand one thing..."

His golden eyes stared into hers. "Power is not the answer. It is a tool. Whether you use it for revenge or protection depends on you."

Wanda stared blankly at him as the anger in her eyes was gradually replaced by confusion.

"I... don't know."

She spoke softly. "All these years, the only thing keeping me alive was the thought of revenge. Without that, what else can I do?"

Xiao Han put away the Mind Stone and stood. "You can become a hero, like the ones you saw on the news today."

He pointed at the television, where footage of the hearing was replaying. The crowd held up signs reading "Support Superman," and their cheers came through the speakers.

Wanda fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Did you save me because you saw my potential, or simply because... you heard me calling for help?"

The corner of Xiao Han's mouth lifted. "Both."

He turned toward the floor-to-ceiling window, sunlight outlining his tall figure. "Training starts tomorrow. Rest today."

Wanda looked at his back and suddenly called out, "Wait!"

Xiao Han turned around.

"If... if I want to find Hydra and take revenge myself," a trace of determination flashed in her eyes.

"Will you help me?"

Xiao Han smiled. "I'll teach you how to control your power. As for how you use it, that is your choice."

With that, he pushed open the glass door and walked toward the beach, his black-clad figure gradually fading into the sunlight.

Wanda lowered her head and looked at her hands. Scarlet energy curled docilely around her fingertips, no longer as violent as before.

She gently gripped the necklace at her chest. The Mind Stone pulsed steadily, as though responding to her resolve.

"Hydra..." she murmured the name, the red light in her eyes no longer chaotic but condensed into a sharp edge.

Outside the window, waves crashed against the shore, the tide rising and falling like the emotions surging within her before finally settling into calm.

Wanda suddenly rose from the sofa and hurried after Xiao Han outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Wait!"

She stepped barefoot onto the beach, fine sand slipping between her toes. "I can start training today."

Xiao Han stopped and turned to look at her. "Why?"

Wanda drew a deep breath, her fingers unconsciously rubbing her necklace. "I... don't want to be haunted by nightmares anymore. Every time I close my eyes, those experiments..."

Her voice trembled slightly. "I want to learn to control it instead of being controlled by it."

Xiao Han watched her for a moment, then nodded. "Follow me."

The lighting in the underground training room automatically adjusted to a soft amber glow.

Xiao Han sat cross-legged on a meditation mat in the center and gestured for Wanda to sit opposite him.

"The Qi-Nourishing Technique of Kamar-Taj."

He rested his hands lightly over his knees, palms facing upward. "First, learn how to breathe."

Wanda copied his posture, only to realize that even sitting cross-legged made every muscle in her body tense.

Xiao Han reached out and lightly tapped her shoulder, and a warm current instantly dissolved the stiffness.

"Inhale for four seconds, hold for seven, exhale for eight."

Xiao Han's voice carried a peculiar rhythm. "Feel the energy flowing through your meridians."

Wanda closed her eyes and followed his guidance.

At first, she could hear only her own racing heartbeat, but gradually, a strange hum sounded beside her ears.

Scarlet energy began circulating around her body on its own, no longer violent but as gentle as a quiet stream.

"This..." She opened her eyes in surprise.

"Your magic is responding to you." Golden runes lit up at Xiao Han's fingertips as he traced intricate paths through the air.

"Chaos Magic differs from ordinary spells. It comes from an immensely powerful energy, and its essence is Reality Warping."

Wanda tried to touch the runes. Scarlet energy immediately resonated with them, weaving magnificent patterns of light through the air.

"So my ability isn't from a mutant gene?"

"Yes and no." Xiao Han waved his hand, dispersing the runes.

"Your mutant gene is like a door that allowed Chaos Magic to choose you. But what truly makes you powerful is the spiritual power you were born with."

Xiao Han taught her how to construct shields with her mind, condense chaotic energy into tangible weapons, and even use magic to briefly glimpse the future.

Training began.

Seven times in a row, Wanda screamed after being startled by suddenly incoming bolts of light.

After the eighth failure, she angrily smashed the ball of energy into the ground, only to hear a soft chuckle amid the exploding red glow.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I've seen many sorcerers," Xiao Han said, unable to hold back his laughter.

"You're the first one I've seen use Chaos Magic to smash the floor."

By dusk, Wanda had finally succeeded in creating a complete shield that lasted five seconds.

She turned around in delight, only to find Xiao Han tracing intricate golden paths through empty air. The streams of light formed from runes resembled a living galaxy.

Though she could now make scarlet energy transform into any shape she wished, Xiao Han seemed even more powerful. She still had a long way to go to catch up.

"I've never felt this relaxed." Wanda looked at the energy butterfly dancing in her palm, an unconscious smile appearing on her lips.

Xiao Han stood up. "Rest. Overexertion will only backfire."

Wanda rose with him and suddenly said, "I can cook. I can't keep eating and staying here for free."

Seeing Xiao Han raise an eyebrow, she hurriedly added, "When I was home, I often helped my mother in the kitchen."

"Okay." Xiao Han nodded.

In the kitchen.

Wanda fumbled awkwardly with the steak in the frying pan.

Oil splattered everywhere. She instinctively formed a shield with Chaos Magic, only to dye the entire stovetop pink.

"Uh..."

She looked awkwardly at the burnt steak. "Maybe I'm a little rusty..."

Xiao Han chuckled and took the spatula from her. "Heat control is the key."

With a flick of his wrist, he flipped the steak perfectly. "Chaos Magic isn't suitable for frying steak, but you can use it to sense the condition of the ingredients."

Wanda leaned closer to watch, the tip of her nose nearly touching his arm. "How do you even know how to cook?"

"I'm actually Chinese." Xiao Han sprinkled on a handful of spices, and the aroma instantly blossomed.

"In China, not knowing how to cook is a real shame."

Dinner was unexpectedly delicious.

When Wanda took her first bite of tender steak, her eyes lit up. "This tastes ten thousand times better than Hydra's synthetic protein!"

Xiao Han swirled his glass of red wine. "Tomorrow, I'll teach you more complex protective spells."

Wanda suddenly set down her knife and fork, her voice soft but firm. "Thank you... not just for the training. For giving me the right to choose."

Moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling window, casting their shadows onto the wall.

In the distance, the waves murmured softly, as though echoing this belated gratitude.