Chapter Fifty-Four: Settling In

“So, these are the siblings you brought back from Sokovia?” Steve Rogers asked as he watched the two display their powers.

“Yes, that’s right. They gained their abilities after Hydra used Loki’s scepter to experiment on them,” Arthur explained Wanda and Pietro’s story in detail to Captain America.

“Those poor siblings,” Steve sighed. “Well, let them stay with you for now. The Avengers Headquarters is still under construction, and they trust you more.”

“I’ve got other things to handle and no time to look after them. How about they stay at my place for the time being? No one lives there anyway. Once the base is finished, they can move in and start training,” Arthur replied.

“Whatever you think is best. By the way, where’s Loki’s scepter? I didn’t see you bring it back,” Steve questioned.

Arthur produced the yellow Mind Stone, holding it in his palm. “This is the core of the scepter—the Mind Stone. Like the Tesseract, it’s one of the universe’s six Infinity Stones.”

“It’s beautiful. What are you planning to do with it?” Steve knew Arthur’s determination to retrieve the scepter was all about the stone.

“It’s incredibly important to me. With it, I can become much stronger. I can’t hand it over to anyone,” Arthur said seriously.

“All right, then you keep it safe. But be careful—Infinity Stones aren’t easy to control,” Steve cautioned.

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing! We’re off,” Arthur said, ushering the siblings onto a combat transport plane. It was his first time piloting since getting his license.

He could have flown back to New York on his own, but with the siblings in tow, it was more complicated. Wanda couldn’t fly, and Pietro couldn’t fully control his speed. Better to travel the conventional way.

“You’ll stay at my place for now. When the Avengers base is ready, you can move there,” Arthur explained.

“We can live anywhere. We’ve spent years in prison cells—used to it by now,” Wanda replied in a casual tone, though her words were deeply moving.

These two had truly suffered, Arthur thought. But things would get better eventually.

...

The plane landed on the lawn beside Arthur’s villa. He breathed a sigh of relief—at least the flight had been safe. He still lacked confidence in his piloting skills.

“This is my house—your home for now. It’s not large, so I hope you don’t mind,” Arthur said.

“It’s beautiful!” Wanda exclaimed.

“Can we really stay here?” Both Wanda and Pietro were mesmerized by the seaside villa. This would be their new home—it was stunning.

Arthur opened the door and let them in, giving them a tour and assigning each their own room.

“Wanda, you’ll stay in this one—it gets better sunlight. Pietro, this one’s yours. The room in the middle is mine. Are you satisfied?” Arthur asked.

“It’s perfect! I’ve never had such a nice room,” Wanda said, and Pietro agreed.

Poor kids, Arthur thought. He let them rest while he went to a large supermarket to buy some essentials for them.

He drove to the store and bought everything they might need, along with plenty of vegetables, beef, mineral water, milk, bread, and eggs—to fill the fridge.

He returned with a car full of supplies. Wanda and Pietro helped him carry everything inside.

After handing over the daily necessities, Arthur went to the kitchen to prepare a lavish dinner to welcome them.

Arthur busied himself in the kitchen. Wanda offered to help, but he shooed her out, insisting he could handle it.

The three sat in the dining room. Wanda and Pietro were stunned by the spread of seafood, meats, and vegetables. Was this how city people ate every night?

They’d never seen such food back home. Faced with the feast, they hesitated to start.

“Go on, help yourselves—let’s see what you think of my cooking,” Arthur encouraged, serving them steaks he’d already cut.

“This is delicious!” Pietro ate at a dizzying speed. Suddenly, he choked, and Arthur handed him a glass of lemonade.

Wanda ate slowly, savoring every bite. Arthur thought he saw tears glimmering in her eyes.

What’s going on? Is my cooking so good it brings people to tears? Am I some kind of culinary prodigy?

“Wanda, are you crying? Is the food not to your liking?” Arthur asked.

Wanda wiped her tears and said, “No, it’s all delicious. I’ve never tasted anything so good.”

“Then why are you crying?” Arthur asked, as Pietro looked at Wanda in concern.

“It’s just… you’re so kind to us, it doesn’t feel real. Pietro and I lost our family when we were young and wandered Sokovia. Later, we joined Strucker’s experiments to survive. Everyone we met meant us harm. No one’s ever treated us this well…” Wanda’s voice broke, and she began to cry. Pietro put his arm around her, comforting her.

“I’m not exactly a good person. I just think you two have had a rough time,” Arthur said to Wanda.

“No matter what, I can feel your kindness. I’ll repay you someday,” Wanda said earnestly.

“If you want to help me, focus on your training. Once you master your powers, you’ll be incredibly strong. I’ll help you both improve—let’s work hard together!” Arthur encouraged them.

“We’ll train hard and master our powers as soon as possible!” Pietro promised. Wanda nodded in agreement.

“All right, then let’s drink to new friendships. Cheers!” Arthur raised his glass.

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

Dinner was a joyful affair. Afterward, Wanda insisted on washing the dishes, while Arthur went to the living room to watch TV.

That night, none of the three could sleep. Pietro wasn’t used to such a soft bed. Wanda found the comfort almost unreal. Arthur lay awake, recalling Sartu’s words and feeling guilt over the destruction of Atlantis.

...

The next morning, Arthur woke to find the siblings were already up and nowhere in sight. He stepped outside and saw Wanda in the yard, practicing lifting rocks into the air.

When she saw Arthur approach, she became flustered and lost control; the rock dropped onto the lawn.

“Morning, Wanda. Why not sleep a little longer?” Arthur asked.

“Morning, Arthur… or, um, big brother. I’m used to getting up early,” Wanda said shyly.

Big brother? Arthur found the term strange; Wanda seemed older than him—he was only eighteen.

“Where’s Pietro?” Arthur asked.

“He went for a run,” Wanda replied.

“Wanda, can I ask—how old are you?” Arthur hesitated, but finally asked.

“Pietro and I just turned twenty,” Wanda said softly.

“…,” Arthur fell silent.