Chapter 23

A/N: You can join p@treon for more chapters.

p@treon com/GreekGreenGlass

Here is the bonus chapter for the reviews!

Throw some POWERSTONES I might give another bonus chapter.

...

Hydra, a terrifying organization from World War II, was thought to have vanished into history. Yet, to Natasha's surprise, it remained hidden in the world.

However, after practicing the breathing technique, Armament Haki, and Observation Haki—and witnessing the destruction Leon casually caused during his training—her concern about Hydra began to fade.

Natasha believed that if Leon truly dedicated his time and energy, wiping out organizations like Hydra wouldn't be much of a challenge for him.

The ability to control light was truly terrifying. Natasha couldn't help but feel a deep sense of security around Leon. She glanced at him subtly, his calm demeanor somehow reassuring, and her eyes flickered with unspoken thoughts.

Leon, seemingly oblivious to Natasha's quiet observation, remained focused on some secrets revealed by a so-called truth-owning hacker group. But suddenly, an immense spiritual energy surged through the air, so vast that time and space seemed to freeze for an instant.

The energy was hidden, swift, and almost impossible to detect—except for Leon. His heightened senses, honed by two years of practicing Observation Haki, caught it immediately.

He shot to his feet, startling the two small sables resting on him, who yelped in protest as they tumbled off. Leon, however, ignored them, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, eyes glinting with alertness.

Wanda's expression shifted too, clearly sensing the disturbance. Leon's sudden reaction caught the attention of everyone else—Natasha, Sergei, and the others removed their headphones, standing up to look at him in confusion. They had rarely seen Leon so unsettled.

Only Wanda, leaning on the sofa, had a knowing look, her eyes glowing faintly with red energy.

"Leon?" Natasha called out, testing the waters.

Leon lowered his gaze slightly, his brow furrowed in surprise and uncertainty. Something unusual had just happened, and he wasn't sure what it was yet.

"That's what it was? Just now, a huge spiritual force swept through," Leon explained briefly before noticing something off with Wanda. He walked over to her, squatting down in front of her. With everyone's concerned eyes on him, he looked directly into her eyes and softly asked, "Wanda, what did you see?"

Wanda took a deep breath, her face pale, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and sorrow. "I saw... fragments of a scene," she began.

"What scene?" Leon pressed gently.

"I saw the experiments again—what we went through before. Leon, those children... they were thrown onto the test tables, tortured in the cruelest ways. I couldn't... I couldn't stand to see it." Her voice cracked as she struggled to recall the horrifying vision, her eyes welling up with tears.

The memory struck close to home for her, Leon, and the others. It was a haunting reminder of their past, but what she saw seemed even worse.

Pietro, who had been standing by, knelt next to Wanda, taking her hand in his to comfort her. Seeing this, the rest of the group gathered around as well. Alina and the two little ones climbed onto the sofa, leaning against Wanda silently, offering their wordless support.

Natasha, watching this unfold, felt her heart ache. She had grown close to Wanda and the children over the past year—they were family now. Seeing Wanda like this pained her deeply.

Leon frowned, watching Wanda's eyes fill with more unshed tears. He then turned to the others, explaining, "The surge of spiritual energy earlier must have triggered Wanda's Chaos Magic."

He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Chaos Magic itself stems from a powerful source, with energy beyond comprehension. What Wanda saw could be a connection—something that triggered her magic and spirit, allowing her to glimpse a possible future."

Leon's statement wasn't just baseless speculation. In fact, there was only one person he could think of with such immense spiritual power—Professor X. And it would require the use of the Cerebro helmet to amplify it. Given the vision Wanda had of children being subjected to cruel experiments, the source of the image wasn't hard to deduce.

Pietro, as Wanda's twin, was less concerned about the mechanics and more focused on her well-being. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

But to his dismay, Wanda didn't respond to him. Instead, she reached out and took Leon's hand. She opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, her eyes filled with uncertainty.

Leon held her gaze, understanding the unspoken message in her eyes. "You want to help those kids, don't you?" he asked gently.

Wanda nodded. "Yes, we've all been trapped in that abyss of despair, but you... you were the light that saved us." Her voice faltered, and she couldn't bring herself to continue. She felt selfish for even asking, worried that pushing her feelings would disrupt the peaceful life they had built together.

Sensing her inner turmoil, Leon squeezed her hand gently. "Wanda," he said earnestly, "I've told you before—we're a family. What matters to you matters to me."

"I know, but..." Wanda bit her lip, conflicted.

"Listen, you are my family. What I want is for you to be happy. We face everything together—whether it's mountains, tsunamis, or bullets," Leon said softly. "We're always one. And if you want to save those kids, that's the right thing to do."

He spoke gently, but his words carried weight. As he motioned around the room, Wanda turned and saw Sergei, Pietro, and Alina looking at her with concerned but determined expressions.

"And besides," Leon continued, his voice growing colder, "we shouldn't fear losing our peaceful lives because of a group of villains and scum. It's them who should be afraid. We'll send them to hell in the most ruthless way possible."

To him, they were nothing more than trash. Even if the entire world stood against him, Leon wouldn't care. The value of the whole world was virtually non-existent compared to the value of people he loved. If Wanda became depressed or broken, that was a loss far worse than anything.

Sergei made a dramatic pose, grinning. "Ha, my cross sword has been itching for action these past few years."

"Exactly. Let's take them down," Pietro added.

"We can finally get out and do something!" another chimed in eagerly.

The chorus of support from everyone warmed Wanda's heart, her eyes misting up from their kindness. She felt an overwhelming sense of belonging.

"Then let's get moving. It's time to put what I taught you to use in real combat," Natasha added with a shrug, a small smile on her face.