The Maximoffs

I exited onto a plaza, coming face to face with a mob of protestors, anti-america and anti-stark signs and slogans all around, all eyes turned to me and the glowing neon portal I came out of.

The man at the head of the protest, standing on the roof of a converted van turned to me with shock and awe.

"Y-you..."

"Yes?" I tilted my head, urging him to go on.

"You've come to support us!" He cheered on the microphone, looking back at his supporters.

"The Saint Of New York! He's come to support us!"

A wave of cheers rang out behind him, people swarming me, as I struggled to hold back a chuckle.

Saint? Me? What a joke!

The man climbed down from from his van, shoving a mic into my face.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at him amused.

"Tell us Saint, what do you think of the Americans bombing our country?" He asked.

"Well, first things first. I'm no Saint. But thanks for the compliment." I smiled.

The man shook his head.

"No. No, you truly are a saint. You perform miracles! Bring dead back to life! Create universe!" He said.

"Yeah. With science. But anyway, I'm not here to support your movement." He froze up for a moment as everyone shifted uncomfortably.

"Quite the opposite actually." I smiled, and took out my laser pistol.

Suddenly, their looks turned sour and the leader stepped back.

"You're here to...kill me?" He asked.

"Not quite." I replied, wagging my finger at him, and twirled the gun around handing it to him, while I snapped my fingers and two chairs fell out of a portal.

"I am here to end your revolution. By solving all of Sokovia's problems. Take that..." I pointed to the gun, "...as a gesture of goodwill. Let's talk." I gestured at the chairs.

Giving him the gun was a tactical move. To make him feel powerful. In control, so he relaxes and misses the obvious clues in my deception and swallows the cool aid without questioning why I, a stranger from another world was helping out some random tiny nation.

With my forcefield, he wouldn't actually be able to do anything to me anyways.

He looked down at the gun, hesitantly before taking a seat as a news crew crept closer.

I ignored them.

Let them record it if they want. It's not like it will affect me in any way after today.

I'm just doing this to improve Wanda's impression of me even more so recruitment becomes a breeze.

After all, people are easier to manipulate when they are indebted to you beyond measure.

Also because I wanted to make sure to destroy any connection they have to their current movement, lest I risk split loyalties between them.

And the easiest way to do that was to solve all their problems so that the revolution dissolves on it's own.

"This protest, revolution... Whatever you want to call it. Why are you doing this?" I asked, even though I knew full well why.

Some of them were concerned citizens, some others were HYDRA plants to stir up trouble. But my research showed that the leader. He was true to his cause. An idealist, yet untarnished by greed. He wasn't far from it, no. Give him another year or so and he'd be as corrupt as any Charity CEO.

But right now, he was of use.

His idealism and pure charisma was of use to me.

I gave him a genial smile and urged him on.

"Go on. Tell me. This is your one chance to solve all your problems."

He sighed and put down his mic, thinking for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"Our country. It has been influenced by American interests, and terrorist factions, for longer than I have been old enough to remember what it was like, should ... have been like. The Americans bomb us when they feel like it, Russian mercenaries roam the countryside like bandits, raping, pillaging, destroying. People starve in the streets and freeze in winter snows.

Those who survive, they get maimed, shot or blown up. Hospitals are full of injured and sick. We have no medicine. No food. I just want peace. I want no child to go hungry. I want no more bombs, no more wars. You have children right, Saint? You want your kids to grow up somewhere like this?

No? I want my children to get the same. I want them to grow up in a peaceful, happy country."

I nodded.

I can understand the sentiment. I patted his shoulders and assured him.

"Alright. I'll solve these problems. And once they are solved you will have no reason to protest, right?" I asked, scanning the public, spotting Wanda and Pietro in the back.

Our eyes met and I smiled at them.

Pietro returned my smile while Wanda looked conflicted.

Well, I'll change that soon enough.

"Let's start with the hospitals shall we?" I said, "Computer, set boundary around Sokovia. Heal everyone in the country. Cure all diseases."

"Wait, really?!" The leader exclaimed.

I nodded and waved my arm around projecting dozens of holoscreens, displaying different hospitals around the country.

Portals opened up everywhere, and patients were injected with CodeRed by the thousands.

The man watched as a woman's hand regrew out of her stump.

On another screen, a little boy scratched at his eye and pulled out off the eyepatch to reveal a new eye, as tears welled up in his eyes, his father giving him a hug.

On another screen a veteran's scarred face began to peel off and fresh skin replaced the scar tissue, as he touched his face in disbelief.

His wife and children exclaimed happily, and pointed to his hand.

He looked down and only then noticed that the fingers that had been blown off by a claymore were back on his hands.

Tearful hugs, relieved families and solemn prayers filled the screens as the protestors watched in awe.

Some fell down to their knees in worship.

"This...is ...thank you! Thank you so much, Saint!" The leader offered, grabbing my arms.

"Don't be so quick to thank me. Watch!" I snapped my fingers again and the screens merged to form one huge screen, displaying something in low earth orbit.

A pill shaped satellite.

It's shell split opend to reveal little bumps and sensors all around it, the shell turning into a forcefield projector and a shimemring barrier surrounded the satellite.

"You wanted no more war? I can't do that. War is the nature of humanity. But, I can make sure your country will not be bombed or shelled for the next 100 years. That satellite will shoot down any missiles that cross your borders so long as Sokovia doesn't start any wars of aggression. A near perfect air and space defense.

As for ground defence, if you can't even protect your country from a ground invasion, ask yourself, do you truly deserve this country? Take this relief from the bombings and train yourself a militia. Or don't. It's your choice." I shrugged.

"And as for food." I pulled out my portal gun and opened up a portal on the side of the road.

"That is a portal to the pizza dimension where everything is made of pizza. A whole world made of unlimited pizza. It will remain open for the next twelve hours. So, go in, and take as much pizza as you want. Feed anyone and everyone that you can. But remember. The portal closes in about twelve hours. And when that happens, if you're not on this side, you're trapped in there forever. So take care with the timing."

"I don't know how to thank you, Saint. You have saved-"

"You have done this country a great service, Saint!" A voice came from behind as the police parted the crowd and a fat man in a suit walked in.

"But we will take it from here."

"Minisiter Misha Tchaikovsky, you slimey bastard! Don't you dare claim this. The Saint gave this to us. We will save this country. Go away!"

"Go Away!"

"Go Fuck Yourself, Misha!"

Jeers broke out in the crowd and people pushed back against the police, trying to get to the fat man.

"Terrorist like you don't deserve this gift. Saint, we will take care of this-"

"Like hell you wi-"

"Alright shut it!" I shouted.

"I have given you guys infinite food for twelve hours. And the clock is ticking. You can either bicker like little bitches or work your bullshit out later and use this opportunity right now. But I know you won't stop fucking fighting. So here's what I'll do. I will leave cameras focused on the portal. People who want food can go in and take as much as they want. And no one...." I turned to the minister, "....and I mean no one, will be allowed to stop them. Or I will turn you into a human toilet with gene editing. Capische?!"

I projected an image of an experiment I had done on a clone above the plaza.

"So no fucking fighting!" I added, just to drive the point home.

There was a stunned silence in the plaza and slowly everyone nodded.

The leader of the protestors hung his head in shame.

"Sorry, Saint. You don't know what he has done...this man, he's the devil incarnate!"

"Oh I know everything. But here's the thing. I. Don't. Care. Just like the Russian bandits on your borders, he is now your problem. Now shut up and help distribute food to those starving people you were bleating about so much. Fucking idiots." I rubbed my temples and looked across the crowd.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some people to recruit." I said, jumping to my feet as the crowd parted in my path.

"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Come. Let's talk."

"Us?" Wanda asked, surprised.

"Yes. You two. I have an offer for you. Let's talk somewhere private." I replied.

"But the pizza..." Pietro said, eyes stuck to the portal.

I looked at him incredulous.

This glutton!

I sighed, and snapped my fingers, pulling out a huge slice of pizza from a portal to the pizza dimension.

"Here. Do you want one too?" I turned to look at a supremely embarrassed Wanda sending a death glare at her brother.

"No. Thank you." She smiled, courteous as she dragged her brother along by the ear.

"Owowowowow!"

.

We sat down in a cafe and ordered some coffee, Pietro rubbing his ear looking at his sister, confused while Wanda held her head in her hands, trying to process the walking faux pas that was Pietro, watching him pick his nose.

"I'm so sorry, about Pietro, he-"

I raised a hand to stop her.

"Don't worry about it. I understand." I smiled, and joked "At least he's got his priorities in order."

"See, he understands." Pietro said, only to get pinched again.

"Pietro!" She scowled.

"Not fair!" He cried, pinching her back, and I sighed.

Why is everyone acting like children around here?

"Hey!" I called out to them and they turned to me.

"Relax. I'm not mad. Let it go." I told Wanda.

She looked back at Pietro one last time, and nodded.

"Now let's get straight to it. I'll be honest with you two. You have the potential to manifest special powers. And I can help you with that, if you come and work for me."

Why was I telling them that? Wouldn't it be better to make them think that I gave them their powers so they're grateful to me?

No. Because they aren't idiots. I specifically chose them out of the crowd to recruit so they will eventually figure put that they must have had powers and that I manipulated them.

That will breed resentment, turning them against me, and then I wouldn't have to kill them.

That would be a waste of resources.

It was better to just be honest with them, while making it clear that they need me to awaken their powers and they can't do it without me.

A compromise between manipulation and honesty.

"Special powers? Like in the comics?" Pietro asked.

I put on my game face and continued.

"Yes. Like the comics. Superpowers. Super strength, super speed, telekinesis. That sort of a thing."

"You are joking right? That's not ...." Wanda caught herself mid sentence as she realized something.

"If we get powers, will they be stronger than Stark and his Avengers?" She asked her voice tinged with hatred.

I smiled.

There goes the hook.

"Way stronger. It won't even be a competition." I told her.

Wanda's eyes lit up with ambition.

"We will do it!" She replied.

"We will?" Pietro stopped her, grabbing her hand, "Are you sure, Sis?"

"I am. This is the best chance, maybe the only chance we will get to have revenge on Stark. You heard him. He hates Stark too!"

"Uh...I don't." I interjected.

"What?" Wanda asked.

"I don't hate Stark. I don't like him, sure, but hate is a strong word. He's mostly a nuisance. Just wanted to make that clear. I am not going to go on a crusade against him."

"Why?" She asked, "Did you not see what he did? That invasion was his-"

"Wanda, can I call you Wanda? I'm gonna call you Wanda." I didn't wait for her opinion and continued,

"Tell me Wanda, what do you do when you see an ant crawling on the walls? Do you go around chasing it down till you squash it? Or do you just let it go? What if it's an ant that bit you? Do you go and kill it or do you deal with the itch first?"

"I just let it go. It's an ant. It doesn't matter." She said before she realised what I meant.

"That's what Stark is to me. An ant. He is harmless.

And when I give you your powers, that's what he will be to you as well.

But still, I don't want to lead you guys on with promises of revenge or anything. Because you probably won't get it if you work with me. Maybe after our contract is over you can do it yourself, if you still feel like it."

"Contract? What do you want with us?" She asked directly.

"Lots. Help with research, some odd jobs, resource gathering and a bit of mercenary work." I undersold it, "It will be hard but the pay will match it. All in all, shouldn't take more than a decade. Then you're free to go get revenge on Stark if you want. If you survive the jobs, of course. Mind you, the things I will ask you to do are going to be dangerous. Even things you are morally opposed to, sometimes. Horrible things. So think it over."

Wanda was silent for a moment and hunched over in thought before she looked up at me.

"Why...tell us? Why are you being so honest? Why not just lie?" She asked, confused.

"Why.....huh? Why indeed." I hummed, scratching my cheeks.

"There are many reasons.

Mostly, because I need people who are loyal. People that I can trust with the more...delicate missions.

Things have moved up in the schedule faster than I would have liked. I need trustworthy agents in the field, fast.

And good working relationships are not built on lies. They are built on trust and honest communication."

And because I don't want a crazed, raging Wanda tearing across my ship crying vengeance. That'd be a pain to deal with.

Though that was left unsaid.

They looked at me skeptically, or rather Wanda did.

Pietro just nodded in agreement.

A simple man.

I like that. Easier to manipulate.

"Besides, I would rather you work for me out of simple self interest than out of fear. It's the same reason I didn't force you into my service or pressure you with the help I offered your country. If you refuse me here, I will not take back anything I have given to your country. So don't worry about that either and make a decision based on what you truly want. No pressure." I assured.

Of course there was the underlying implication that not choosing it would mean losing a chance to get that superpower, but hey, that's their problem.

The illusion of choice can be a powerful and disarming tool in the right hands after all.

And it's not like they ever really had a choice anyway.

While we were speaking, I had already gathered their DNA samples and started on cloning them. By the time I reached home, if they weren't with me, I'd have two fresh clones of them waiting in my lab for me anyways. These though would be less agents and more meat puppets, given that souls exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and magic requires a soul to be wielded properly, in multidimensional sense.

Because magic I had found was intricately linked to the soul.

If Wanda's clone awakened magic, it would likely, at best be a living battery for chaos energy, which while useful wasn't what I was looking for.

After a moment's pause, Wanda looked at Pietro, who just shrugged.

She turned to me, catching me in her piercing gaze.

"Here in Sokovia we have saying for when something seems too good to be true. The moldy bread isn't extra spicy." She paused and reconsidered.

"That sounds better in Sokovian."

I translated it to Sokovian and nodded.

"It does, yes. But I get the gist."

I slid back in my chair and called for the check, silently finishing my coffee.

"It's a no then?" I asked one last time for confirmation, as I paid the bill, and went to get up.

Wanda caught me by the hand.

"No. I didn't say that." She stood up too.

"What I meant was....me and Pietro, we grew up in an orphanage."

I raised an eyebrow, confused.

"The moldy bread may not be extra spicy, but we grew up learning to swallow it all the same."

I smiled.

"Is that so?"

Wanda nodded, extending me a handshake.

"Yes. We are in."

_____________________

MC recruits waifu number 2, and helps Sokovia.

Of course, he only does it so that the movement Wanda is associated with breaks apart and the twins are left without a purpose in life. Then, mc can swoop in and give them a new purpose. To serve his goals.

But that is for the next chapter.

Till then, see ya in the QnA segment for the week!

Thanks for reading and bye!

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