Chapter 230 - Scarlet Witch: I've Become a Stand-In Agent

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Splash!

However, before Steve Rogers could get up from the ground, an iron arm burst through the helicopter's glass and extended out, grabbing his neck.

Then, Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers, and the helicopter all plunged into the water below.

When Bucky Barnes slowly regained consciousness, he found himself in an abandoned factory, with a large machine clamping onto his left arm.

Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson quickly rushed over.

"Steve," Bucky Barnes called.

"Which Bucky is talking?" Steve Rogers asked.

"Your mother's name is Sarah, and you used to stuff newspapers in your shoes," Bucky Barnes said with a smile.

"They don't teach you that in a museum," Steve Rogers replied.

"Is that enough?" Sam Wilson chimed in from the side. "I guess we're all right then?"

"What did I do?" Bucky Barnes asked.

"Enough," Steve Rogers said.

"Oh my god, I knew it would be like this," Bucky Barnes lowered his head. "All the things Hydra indoctrinated me with are still there. All he needs to do is trigger a few words."

"Who is he?" Steve Rogers asked.

"I don't know," Bucky Barnes said.

"The explosion that framed you killed a lot of people," Steve Rogers said. "That doctor went to great lengths just to have a 10-minute conversation with you. You can't just say 'I don't know.'"

"He wanted to know about Siberia, the place where I was held captive," Bucky Barnes said. "He wanted the exact location."

"Why does he need to know that?" Steve Rogers asked.

"Because the Winter Soldier isn't just me," Bucky Barnes said slowly.

"Who are they?" Steve Rogers inquired.

"The Elite Death Squad, the deadliest killers in Hydra's history. And that's before they were injected with the serum," Bucky Barnes explained.

"Have they all become like you?" Sam Wilson asked.

"Worse," Bucky Barnes replied.

"That doctor, can he control them?" Steve Rogers asked.

"Close enough," Bucky Barnes said.

"He said he wants to destroy an empire," Steve Rogers said.

"Those guys are helping him, and with their assistance, he can achieve it," Bucky Barnes said. "They speak 30 languages, vanish without a trace. Infiltration, assassination, subversion – they can destroy a country overnight, catching you off guard."

"A week ago, this would have been much simpler," Sam Wilson commented.

"If we tell Tony..."

"He won't believe it."

"Even if he does..."

"Who knows if the Accords allow him to help."

"We can only rely on ourselves."

The screen darkened, and the video ended.

"So, the Sokovia Accords are more of a disadvantage," Nick Fury stated. "In situations like the one in the video, waiting for a group to deliberate and decide would undoubtedly waste time."

"Waste time?" Bucky Barnes shook his head. "Whether they believe it or not is still a question. Maybe they won't believe it at all and refuse to send anyone."

"We might not need to consider this Accords anymore. Without Ultron and with Hydra gone, the Accords probably won't come up again," Steve Rogers said.

"Even if they do, I doubt we'll face a situation where the Avengers split over it again," Tony Stark said. "I'm different from my future self now. I'm also against these Accords."

"I am too," Natasha Romanoff added.

"That Zemo surprised me quite a bit," Tony Stark spoke up at this moment. "He managed to find a few super soldiers like the Winter Soldier, but instead of using them for anything, he simply killed them all in their sleep."

"In this aspect, I must say I admire Zemo. He resisted this temptation," Nick Fury said. "As Bucky mentioned, this group of people could destroy a country overnight. With them around, I can't even imagine the extent of their actions."

"I think Zemo definitely has issues with super soldiers. He was willing to cause the Civil War and didn't hesitate to kill innocent people. It's clear he's not a benevolent individual," Bruce Banner said. "If he wanted to destroy the Avengers, he could have awakened those super soldiers and had them go after the Avengers. But he didn't do that, he chose to kill them directly."

"Yes, those few super soldiers, without any limits, without emotions, only knowing how to kill ruthlessly. If they were to assassinate the Avengers, I can't even imagine how long the Avengers would last," Clint Barton added.

[Question Eight begins, please be prepared.]

[Please watch the following video first.]

The scene began with a beautiful night in Scotland.

Wanda Maximoff and Vision walked hand in hand on the street.

"There's a train to Glasgow at 10 tomorrow morning. The timing is right, and we'll have some extra time," Wanda Maximoff said.

"What if I miss that one?" Vision asked.

"There's another one at 11," Wanda Maximoff replied.

"And if I miss that too?" Vision inquired. "What if I never leave?"

"You promised Stark you would go," Wanda Maximoff said.

"I'd rather stay with you," Vision said.

"Steve is also waiting for me. Both of us made promises to others," Wanda Maximoff said.

"But what about the promise between us?" Vision placed his hand on Wanda Maximoff's shoulder and said, "Wanda, over these two years, we've overcome difficulties and stayed together. I don't know, I just want to speak my mind. I... I feel like..."

"I understand, I understand." Seeing Vision's incoherent expression, Wanda Maximoff burst into laughter.

"Stay, be with me," Vision said. "Or, we can just stay the way we are..."

Before Vision could finish his sentence, Wanda Maximoff's attention was drawn to a large screen nearby.

They turned to look, and on the big screen, a breaking news report was playing. It showed the arrival of Ultron and Black Dwarf in New York, and the battle involving Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, and others.

"Who are they?" Wanda Maximoff was surprised.

"It's the warning given by the Stones, it's about them," Vision kissed the back of Wanda Maximoff's hand and said, "I have to go."

"No, Vision, if this is true, it's too dangerous for you to go alone," Wanda Maximoff expressed deep concern.

Seeing this, everyone admired Vision. In just a moment, he had been reluctant to part, but now, upon learning that New York was in trouble, he immediately set off.

No, it wasn't just Vision; it was this couple, Vision and Wanda, that garnered admiration. They were deeply in love, wanting to be together, but due to their respective commitments, they had to separate, had to give up their promises to each other.

However, this was only the original course of events. Now, Vision wouldn't be born, and the Civil War wouldn't occur. This heartbreaking parting would never happen again.

"Wanda, I..." Vision had just opened his mouth when a sharp blade stabbed directly through his back, leaving him lying on the ground.

Seeing the situation, Wanda Maximoff was about to take action, but she was a step too slow. Ebony Maw, who appeared at the side, launched an energy attack, sending her flying.

The two newcomers were two of Thanos' Black Order: Proxima Midnight and Ebony Maw.

After being struck by Proxima Midnight's attack, Vision's human form was no longer present, and he transformed back into his original robotic form with red skin, lying on the ground.

Proxima Midnight stepped on Vision's chest, her deadly blade poised at the Mind Stone on his forehead, preparing to extract it.

"Ah!" Vision let out a painful scream.

Wanda Maximoff acted just in time. She fired two scarlet energy blasts, sending both Proxima Midnight and Ebony Maw flying.

She reached out, enveloping Vision in energy. Then, carrying Vision, she ascended into the night sky and landed on another street.

"That blade... I can't control my body anymore." Vision clutched his abdomen and said, up to this point, there was still a large gash in his abdomen, and faint yellow light was seeping out.

"How is this possible?" Wanda Maximoff exclaimed.

"I don't know what's happening either, my systems are malfunctioning," Vision said. "If I had known it would turn out like this, we might as well have stayed at home."

Wanda Maximoff smiled and started healing Vision's abdominal wound.

Just as the wound had healed, Proxima Midnight charged forward and engaged Vision in a fierce battle in the night sky.

Meanwhile, Wanda Maximoff wasn't idle either. She was locked in combat with Ebony Maw.

For some reason, perhaps to prevent Vision from getting distracted, the powerful Scarlet Witch didn't seem to be fighting at her full strength against Ebony Maw. She was mostly on the defensive, struggling to keep up.

On Vision's side, the situation was also grim. He was once again pinned by Proxima Midnight's deadly blade at his forehead, attempting to extract the Mind Stone.

"Ah!" A long, agonizing scream pierced the night sky.

Hearing the scream, Wanda Maximoff immediately pushed back Ebony Maw and flew to Vision's side. She sent Proxima Midnight flying once more, rescuing Vision, and the two soared into the night sky.

Whoosh!

Ebony Maw twirled his spear and launched an energy attack into the night sky, striking down the unfortunate couple.

"Get up, quickly!" Wanda Maximoff rushed to help Vision to his feet. "We need to go, and fast."

"No, you go," Vision sat there. "You need to go quickly."

"You're the one who asked me to stay," Wanda Maximoff said. "I'm staying."

With just these few words, Proxima Midnight and Ebony Maw closed in on them, weapons at the ready.

Wanda Maximoff also stood up, her hands glowing with scarlet energy, ready for a fight.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

At this moment, a train suddenly passed by behind her.

Ebony Maw was the first to notice something and turned to look behind the train.

Then, Wanda Maximoff also turned her head in the direction of the train.

The scene paused at this point, and the question appeared.

[Who is behind the train?]

[A Black Panther T'Challa]

[B Hawkeye Clint Barton]

[C Captain America Steve Rogers]

[D Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes]

[Correct answer rewards Stand-in Assassin Queen. Wrong answer deducts one year of life.]

"Wanda and Vision, one promised Captain, the other promised Tony, so they had to part ways. That's because of the Civil War," Natasha Romanoff said.

"Most likely," Steve Rogers agreed. "But that won't happen now, the Civil War won't occur anymore, well, of course, Vision won't exist either."

"I don't think it's T'Challa," Pietro Maximoff said. "During the Civil War, Wanda and T'Challa were on different sides. Although the misunderstanding about Bucky being the killer was resolved in the end, T'Challa and Wanda didn't seem to have any connection."

"Moreover, I wouldn't likely be in Scotland," T'Challa added.

"In that future, Clint is kind of like my mentor, teaching me to be a hero. Our relationship seemed good, but I don't think it's him," Wanda Maximoff said. "Clint uses arrows, and in that situation, he should be hidden somewhere high up, aiming with his bow and arrow. Why would he be standing behind a train? That position would hinder his use of a bow and arrow."

"Besides, I also don't have a reason to be in Scotland," Clint Barton chimed in.

"Bucky is friends with Cap, but I don't have much of a connection with Bucky, so I'll go with Cap. The video also mentioned that I promised Cap," Wanda Maximoff said. "I choose C!"

[Correct answer! Reward granted!]

The group saw a white humanoid creature, similar in appearance to a human, appear in the quiz space, standing next to Wanda Maximoff.

The next moment, the white humanoid vanished.

"Is that the Stand-in Assassin Queen?" Pietro Maximoff asked. "What's the use of that thing?"

"What does 'stand-in' mean?" Scott Lang questioned.

"Stand-in refers to the powerful projection created from the life force within a person's body. The white figure you just saw was my stand-in, named the Assassin Queen," Wanda Maximoff explained. "The ability of my stand-in is to create explosives."

"Creating bombs out of thin air?" Tony Stark asked.

"Turning objects I touch into bombs," Wanda Maximoff explained.

In reality, the detonation method of the white queen bomb had two variations. One was that the person touching the bomb would be detonated while the transformed object remained unharmed. The other was that the transformed object would explode on its own.

However, Wanda Maximoff didn't specify this level of detail.

"So, you need physical contact to create a bomb? This ability seems quite limited in certain situations," Thor commented. "And that stand-in looks quite conspicuous."

"No, under normal circumstances, you wouldn't see the stand-in," Wanda Maximoff clarified. "Only the Stand-in User can perceive the stand-in. But I believe, other than me, there's no other Stand-in User in this universe."

"Others can't see it!" This news caused the group's expressions to change. With the condition that others can't see it, this stand-in was incredibly powerful.

Because you wouldn't know when you're suddenly accompanied by a bomb.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of the passing train echoed, and the video resumed playing.

After the train had passed, a figure stood silently in the shadows. While the face wasn't clear, the imposing aura indicated that this person was anything but ordinary.

Ebony Maw's hand twitched, and his blue-glowing spear was sent flying toward the person in the shadows.

To his surprise, the person extended their hand and caught the spear in midair!

Ebony Maw was taken aback. This person was no ordinary foe!

The person walked slowly out of the shadows, revealing a face weathered by experience and adorned with a full beard. It was none other than Captain America, Steve Rogers!

As Steve Rogers stepped forward, Ebony Maw suddenly felt a sense of unease. He quickly turned his head and saw a person already in the air beside him. Before he could react, he was kicked by that person.

Flying alongside Steve Rogers was his steadfast ally, Sam Wilson, known as the Falcon. Flying was second nature to them.

This kick wasn't gentle. Ebony Maw was sent flying for over ten meters, crashing through a window and into a nearby room.

While suspended in mid-air, Sam Wilson tapped a few times on his arm's screen, and several missiles shot out, homing in on Proxima Midnight.

Swoosh!

With a flick of Steve Rogers' hand, Ebony Maw's spear was sent back toward him. Natasha Romanoff leaped out and caught the spear. Perhaps due to the element of surprise, she managed to stab Proxima Midnight in the abdomen, a move that even Vision had struggled to accomplish earlier!

Thud!

Proxima Midnight fell painfully to the ground.

In the next moment, the spear flew out of Natasha Romanoff's hand, returning to Ebony Maw. However, Steve Rogers had also reached the scene. He joined forces with Natasha Romanoff to pummel Ebony Maw.

Facing these two skilled combatants, Ebony Maw was already flustered. Sam Wilson swooped down from the sky, narrowly missing Ebony Maw's face with his large foot. He kicked Ebony Maw away.

"Get up quickly," Ebony Maw said as he crawled toward Proxima Midnight lying on the ground.

"I can't get up," Proxima Midnight replied.

"For now, I'll spare you. Don't come back," Natasha Romanoff warned the couple.

"Don't get too cocky," Ebony Maw retorted.

In the next moment, a beam of light descended from the sky, enveloping Ebony Maw and Proxima Midnight. The two slowly ascended.

As the space darkened, the video ended.

"Outrageous." After the video concluded, Thor was the first to speak.

"What's outrageous, Thor?" Tony Stark asked.

"Proxima Midnight is one of the most powerful underlings of Thanos. She's well-known in the universe. Yet, she was easily injured by Natasha. That's quite unbelievable," Thor's expression was one of disbelief. "According to reason, there's no way Natasha could have harmed Proxima Midnight."

"The battlefield is ever-changing. Sometimes, strength doesn't necessarily determine the outcome," Steve Rogers explained. "Proxima Midnight may indeed be much stronger than Natasha, but in that recent battle, she lost to Natasha."

"Perhaps he underestimated his opponent, maybe he was careless, or maybe he just remembered a funny joke at that moment," Clint Barton remarked. "No matter the reason, he lost. There's no reasoning around that."

"What was that thing in Ebony Maw's hand? It managed to disrupt Vision's system in an instant," Bruce Banner chimed in. "Considering Vision's power, Wanda shouldn't have had such a hard time."

"Speaking of Wanda, I think she could use some combat training," Nick Fury couldn't help but interject. "She's incredibly powerful, but that recent battle was really tough for her."

"If I see them now, I'd send them to meet their maker with a bomb," Wanda Maximoff stated.

"Question nine begins. Get ready."

"During Yondu Udonta's captivity by his subordinates' mutiny, who wasn't on that spaceship?"

"A. Nebula"

"B. Gamora"

"C. Groot"

"D. Rocket Raccoon"

"For this question, if answered correctly, you will be rewarded with a 'Cell Revival Card.' With the target's cells, you can bring them back to life. If answered incorrectly, one year of your life will be deducted."

"What? Yondu faced mutiny! We need to find a way to tell him and make him believe!" Peter Quill exclaimed upon seeing the question.

"I thought you and Yondu had a strained relationship. I didn't expect you to care about him," Stephen Strange remarked.

"It's not that I care about him. He's just really bad at catching me, even after trying several times," Peter Quill said. "In case he's betrayed and someone smarter becomes the captain, I won't have an easy time escaping."

"Quill, your words sound insincere," Natasha Romanoff said. "Who are the Ravagers? How could the person leading them be considered foolish?"

"Exactly, Quill. He couldn't catch you because he didn't really want to catch you," Steve Rogers added.

"How could he not want to catch me? Don't you know he's put a bounty on me several times?" Peter Quill argued. "The reason he can't catch me is that I'm clever."

"Quill, don't say any more. Everyone here has seen the video of you waking up Thanos. Do you think anyone would associate you with the word 'clever'?" Tony Stark pointed out.

"... " This time, Peter Quill couldn't come up with a retort. That incident was indeed the biggest stain on his life. Even if he had the thickest skin in the world, he couldn't defend such behavior.

"What about you and the Annihilator? Why aren't either of you on board?" Clint Barton asked. "Could it be that one of you died in this mutiny?"

"How could that be!" Peter Quill exclaimed. "How could we die? Didn't we all make our appearance during the battle against Thanos?"

"Who said it had to be before the battle against Thanos? Maybe this event happened after that battle," Clint Barton proposed.

*Vote Stones  Plz*

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[END OF CHAPTER]