Everyone looked at Steve with slightly surprised expressions. You want to stop Wanda, but you can't drag Greed into this. The only difference between this and adding fuel to the fire is that this is much more intense than oil.
"Going to Massachusetts is definitely out of the question," Greed said, "Massachusetts isn't big, and there are so many universities and Magic Academies. Sending a bunch of witches there is really too dangerous."
"However, if we were to eliminate all the witches, it would be too inhumane. No matter what, they haven't done anything harmful to society, and they are also natives of Earth, they have the right to live here."
"But if we leave them unchecked, some of the superpower users among the witches might cause trouble, affecting social stability and endangering the safety of ordinary people. In that case, it'd be better to keep them where we can see them. How about New York?"
"I'm pretty sure if you dare to bring them to New York, you'll kiss your office goodbye," Natasha said, "Nick will go crazy."
"He underestimates his own tolerance," Greed said, "Last time, so many Batmans came to New York, and nothing big happened, right?"
"But New York is more important than other places," Coulson said, "I absolutely do not mean to discriminate, but this is, after all, the political and economic center of the East Coast. Recklessly introducing dangerous elements here might have a bigger impact than in other regions."
"It also depends on where you put them," Greed said, "Isn't Hampton now in need of a group of magical experts to help solve their troubles?"
"You want the Witch Family to move into Hampton?" Stark initially frowned, but he quickly figured it out; it's actually not a bad solution.
Back in the day, Hanix was able to temporarily solve Hampton's troubles, which proves that the witches are capable. Even if they can't solve the problem at its root, they can suppress the situation for the time being. If they make this their base, they'll definitely take the initiative to help suppress the supernatural phenomena in Hampton. With so many people joining forces, the situation will surely ease.
Moreover, they have already obtained key clues, namely Hanix and Violet Resort Village. As long as the investigation continues, the root problem can also be solved. Peace will soon return here.
But Stark still felt insufficient, he said, "But these witches have little contact with society and can easily be deceived by sweet talk. What if they're used by the residents here to do bad things?"
Wanda had similar concerns, she looked at Greed and said, "Don't think of them as some kind of justice warriors. In fact, their Greed surpasses many people's imagination. Being victims in the past doesn't mean they still are. Many lower-level witches in New Salem have also been oppressed by them. If they join forces with those wealthy and unkind people, more people will be harmed."
Others shared similar views; the key problem with leading witches here is that they have no reason to oppose these rich people. On the contrary, they're more likely to collude and stand on the same side. After resolving Hampton's issues, they might very well turn and harm ordinary people.
"We should find them a powerful enough enemy," Greed continued, "Certainly not that sea monster. That thing, at most, just looks intimidating, but its combat strength is not strong. Remember the recent interstellar trend?"
"Are you talking about those unscrupulous real estate developers?" Steve did recall. Many in the cosmos are eyeing Earth for real estate speculation; some have already made moves, but they have yet to grasp Earth's dynamics and trends, so they dare not act too boldly.
Greed nodded and said, "That's right. These Alien real estate developers have the resources and means. Their first target will definitely not be civilian or middle-class communities; those places are too troublesome to stir up. After all, not many economically struggling people will migrate to Earth; they must be aiming for high-end business."
"There are only so many stunning and well-facilitated areas on Earth. Hampton can definitely be considered the crown jewel of the East Coast. They haven't made a move yet, merely out of fear of Earth's powers. But if we merely provide them with some commercial information, they won't miss out on such a golden opportunity."
"To raise Hampton's land price, it would need proper packaging. Besides maintaining the natural scenery here and renovating houses, security is also a crucial aspect. Left with one Ghost and right with a Witch, how can the interstellar council members be satisfied? As soon as interstellar real estate merchants decide to make a move, the first thing they'll do is clean the place up."
"But this may not make them enemies of the locals and the witches," Bucky suggested, "Eliminating supernatural phenomena could become a common goal for all three parties."
"But that's also our goal, isn't it?" Greed said, "We can't let this place be haunted forever, or something will inevitably happen sooner or later."
"They're bound to clash with the witches," Wanda said, "The witches simply don't have the money to buy property here. If they come here, it's either seizing other's houses by force or simply residing in parks and beaches."
"Recently, a lot of people have died here," Natasha chimed in, "A lot of houses have been vacated; they could live there. If that's the case, the real estate developers will eventually eye them, because they are illegal and occupy good houses, and the developers will try to drive them away."
"The witches won't leave," Wanda shook her head, "They choose secluded living not because they love peace, but they too desire convenient living. Once they taste the benefits, they won't leave easily."
"Could they be opponents for those real estate developers?" Steve asked, "How many superpower users are among them? Are they formidable?"
Wanda felt slightly troubled, "Actually, true witches are the minority. Some only possess mystical tools or have a bit of theoretical research. Many are simply ordinary people who were wronged. You know, a true witch would never be burned at the stake."
Everyone let out a sigh together. In fact, the witch hunt was essentially the Western version of 'taking advantage of widows and orphans,' aiming to steal money from women who inherited wealth by falsely accusing them of being witches and burning them. As for true witches, who could ever tie the Scarlet Witch to the stake?
"Then they'll soon be wiped out." Steve said, "By then, these locals will definitely add insult to injury; the witches won't be able to compete with them."
"That's true." Greed nodded, "But you forgot something that witches are really good at, and that's calling for reinforcements. Haven't they already reached out to Wanda?"
"Oh, I see." Coulson said, "The witches are weak, but they do have strong backing, namely Wanda."
"But I don't want to..."
"Just say you're busy and ask a friend to help out, wouldn't that work?" Greed chuckled, "It doesn't matter who steps in, as long as the problem gets solved."
"Oh, God." Natasha exclaimed, "Here we go with another proxy war."
Everyone present understood. Whether the witches can handle it or not doesn't matter, because in the end, it won't be the witches—they're more likely to be S.H.I.E.L.D. or some other organization. The Witch Family is just an excuse for these forces to establish a presence in Hampton.
The witches migrated back north, then claimed that they've been living in Hampton for generations, since the landing era. Now they're merely returning to their homeland, asserting strong claims here.
If the locals and interstellar real estate agents try to band together to drive them out, they will seek Wanda's assistance. Wanda only needs to say she's busy and let S.H.I.E.L.D. handle it, then S.H.I.E.L.D. has the reason to intervene in Hampton's affairs.
This is a typical proxy war strategy. Due to public opinion constraints, major powers can't directly interfere in regional conflicts, but if one seemingly innocent party actively seeks international support, it changes things. The major powers have a reason to act, being able to alter regional situations or gain benefits.
It's not a chore, actually. On the contrary, causing a stir in a place where so many wealthy individuals and interstellar merchants gather can bring significant benefits to S.H.I.E.L.D. Just charging protection fees under the name of peacekeeping can fill their coffers.
"You never cease to amaze." Steve gave Greed a thumbs-up, "If you need, The Avengers can also help maintain stability in Hampton. We could be the witches."
"Yeah." Stark looked at Natasha, saying, "We happen to have a red-haired lady here who's a master of spikes and missile magic—a glass of wheatgrass juice and she's yours."
"That's not enough, kid." Natasha scoffed, "Give me a bottle of vodka, and I'll show you some traditional magic from Russian grandmothers."
Everyone laughed. Wanda was even happier, blinking and taking her phone back outside, evidently to notify the witches. Greed shouted to her, "Remember to lay claim to your contribution, madam, so they'll turn to you again next time."
Wanda gestured through the window. At this point, Arrogant folded the newspaper and looked at them, saying, "I'm planning to visit Violet Resort Village's location tonight; who wants to come with me?"
Although he was asking, his gaze was already fixed on Steve and Bucky. Steve immediately chimed in, "Let Bucky go with you; he's more familiar with the roads here."
"No, no, it has to be my good buddy Steve. He's been here longer and remembers things more clearly."
"9 o'clock tonight, I'll be waiting at the estate entrance for you guys." Arrogant stood up and left. Steve and Bucky slumped slightly to the left and right, sighing together.
When it comes to going out to investigate and thoroughly resolving the ghostly disturbances in Hampton, they're quite willing. The problem is, anyone venturing out at night with Arrogant tends to seem suspicious, which could indeed result in them not being up to any good.
"Why don't I go?" Bucky said, "I am psychologically more resilient than you, Steve. After all, I have stayed in the Red Room."
"Forget it, I'll go. You've never done anything proper in Hampton; you're clueless about this place. If tonight doesn't resolve everything, we'll have to make another run."
Natasha drank the rest of her water, glanced at them, saying, "Can you guess why he chose 9 p.m.?"
"A murderous night in the moonless wind?" Steve subconsciously replied.
Natasha stood up, sighed, and said, "Take me to Violet Resort Village's location now. I'll go with him tonight."
Everyone looked at Natasha with admiration.