Chapter 5

Each punch and kick delivered by the boy carried tremendous force. Bullets pierced his body but had no effect at all. The more Baron Strucker watched, the more his happiness and fanaticism grew.

"Perfect, simply perfect," he murmured. "Strength, speed—once HYDRA can mass-produce such warriors, our era of rule will begin."

His voice rose with excitement as he grabbed his subordinate by the collar. "Find him! Hunt him down at all costs. I want his experimental data. I want to see his body lying on the test bench!"

Strucker's eyes were wild and bloodshot as he roared with fervor.

"Yes, Baron!" the men responded loudly, startled by his intensity. They quickly turned and left.

Baron Strucker poured himself a glass of wine and stood by the window, watching as the castle gates opened. He observed the convoy of cars carrying soldiers and the planes taking off. As he sipped his wine, he murmured, "Long live HYDRA!" Then, he downed the rest in one gulp.

...

Yekaterinburg, the capital of Sverdlovsk Oblast in Russia, is an important center for industry, transportation, trade, science, and culture. This industrial city was developing rapidly, though its population density remained low.

A truck carrying lumber entered the city, and when no one was paying attention, Leon quietly slipped out and jumped onto a secluded section of the road.

Like many people from Eastern European countries at that time, Leon understood Russian, so he had no trouble communicating, which is why he came to Yekaterinburg alone.

It was snowing heavily as Leon made his way through a commercial street. His oversized fur coat and hat made him stand out, but in this era, Russia's economy was still struggling, and most people were more concerned with their own survival than with the appearance of a stranger.

Leon found a shop on the commercial street and bought clothes that fit him. While there, he also asked about the current year.

It was 2005.

No wonder the purchasing power of the ruble during this period was still strong. Leon had brought almost all his rubles with him, along with a stack of U.S. dollars, just in case. There were still seven years before the Battle of New York, but that was more than enough time for him to grow.

In 2005, Russia was in a stage of economic recovery, but the variety of goods was somewhat limited. When Leon found a car dealership, he didn't go for an off-road vehicle or a truck; instead, he focused on buying an RV.

However, buying the RV didn't go as smoothly as expected. The main issue was Leon's age—the dealership owner thought he was joking and nearly dismissed him. Fortunately, Leon had cash on hand. Once he pulled out a stack of U.S. dollars, the owner's attitude changed immediately.

As far as the owner was concerned, money made you an adult. The issues of age and a driver's license suddenly became trivial, and the dealership owner no longer cared about them. He filled up the gas tank and even added a few extra barrels of oil to the RV. With a cheerful wave from the burly dealership owner, Leon drove away.

Before leaving the city, Leon stocked up on a large amount of clothes and supplies. Everything went smoothly, without any unexpected incidents.

This surprised Leon a little. It confirmed what he already suspected—having money made things easier, even for a thirteen-year-old buying so many supplies.

...

By the time he completed the trip, it was nearly nightfall.

When Leon returned to the wooden house, Wanda and the other children heard the noise. They cautiously peeked through the window. When they saw Leon get out of the car and open the door, they happily opened the wooden house door.

"We can leave now," Leon announced.

Under his direction, he and the children carried the metal boxes from the wooden house and loaded them into the RV. The RV, converted from a heavy truck, was enormous—15 tons in weight, 11 meters long, 2.5 meters wide, and 3.85 meters high. It was equipped with two large beds, a kitchen, a bathroom, an 800-liter freshwater tank, a 600-liter wastewater tank, and a 300-liter toilet water tank.

Leon didn't bother with the rest of the RV's specifications; they didn't really matter to him. The RV was just a means of transportation and a temporary residence. Once they built their wooden house in the Ural Mountains, the RV would no longer be of much use. He planned to drive it away and scrap it eventually, just in case HYDRA traced it back to the car dealership owner.

In the future, he would buy a pickup truck for daily necessities. 

After all the children were inside the RV, Leon turned on the air conditioner and began driving out of the cabin. Their next destination was three hours away.

Driving through a heavy snowstorm in the middle of the night was undoubtedly dangerous, but with the map and accurate route he had purchased in the city, Leon was confident they would make it.

The warm air conditioning and cozy cabin made the children excited. Under Leon's guidance, they took turns using the bathroom to bathe and change into new clothes.

During the drive, Wanda, being older, helped the two youngest girls take their baths. After changing into clean underwear and a sweater, she took a seat in the passenger side.

At thirteen, Wanda was still growing into the powerful and beautiful Scarlet Witch she would become. The constant pain from the experiments had left her looking haggard. She looked like she wanted to say something but kept stopping.

Noticing Wanda's hesitance, Leon, focused on the road, asked, "What's on your mind, Wanda?"

"Leon, I—uh—I—" Wanda began, struggling to find her words.

"Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed about the future?" Leon asked gently.

Wanda nodded, her gaze distant. "Hmm."

She wasn't one to be insincere, but she carried many burdens.

"Believe me," Leon reassured her, "the future will be better than that hellish place we came from. Time will prove that."

"I know," Wanda replied softly. "I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed." She sat, hugging her legs, her chin resting on her knees, gazing out the window at the encroaching darkness and the vast expanse of white snow.

"Hatred is just one part of life," Leon said. "Living in hatred only brings more pain. I'm sure your parents wouldn't want that for you, Wanda."

"Maybe," Wanda said, unable to fully respond. She tilted her head and looked at Leon's face. "You're very different. Even though I don't know why, you remind me of the pastors in church."

"Really? It's a shame I don't believe in God," Leon replied.

"So, who do you believe in?" Wanda asked.

"I don't have faith in anyone else," Leon said. "But I do believe in myself. Remember to not give away your faith too easily, Wanda."