The first thing Bant did upon returning to Earth was visit Uncle Ben and Aunt May.
As it happened, Mary Jane's family and Felicia's family were also in Plemos.
He explained his whereabouts to them together, using the cover story of working as a technical consultant for the Skyhammer Bureau, of course.
Neither girl believed that explanation for a second. Felicia took it in stride—after all, she had already "learned" Bant's whereabouts from Loki.
But Mary Jane didn't know.
And she had no way to ask.
A quiet sadness settled over her. She didn't know when Bant would finally be honest with her about everything.
Bant spent some time with them, and it didn't take long to lift both Mary Jane's and Felicia's spirits considerably.
Then he threw himself back into work.
As a matter of fact, Bant was very busy now.
The Skyhammer Bureau had a mountain of matters requiring his attention. Rebuilding the Manhattan area was a monumental undertaking. Norman Osborn's take on it was: since Stark and T'Challa were footing the bill, why shouldn't Plemos contribute the labor?
At first, Bant thought Norman intended for Plemos to take the initiative in constructing Manhattan.
But Norman shook his head and said, "I'm thinking Plemos handles the infrastructure. Since Stark and T'Challa are putting up the money, who cares who earns it?"
The moment he said that, Bant understood immediately.
He did some mental calculations. Plemos's production capacity could actually pull this off.
Then a thought struck him. "In that case, why stop at Manhattan? Let's just give the whole of New York a makeover. Perfect timing to roll out our hover-car transit routes while we're at it."
Originally, although Plemos automobiles had already gone on sale, outdated traffic laws and the fact that city airspace didn't permit vehicle travel meant that very few people were actually driving anti-gravity cars.
Of course, not being able to afford one might also be a factor...
Why don't you drive a Rolls-Royce?
Is it because you don't want to?
Still, there was never any harm in planning ahead. As it happened, Bant was also looking to renovate Queens.
Since Uncle Ben and Aunt May had no intention of moving, why not just transform Queens into the safest, most comfortable neighborhood around?
While Bant and Norman were busy with urban planning,
on the other side of Plemos, someone else was quietly falling apart.
Despite the symbiote telling him to accept his other personality, one失控 and rampage after another had caused Banner to lose all faith in the Hulk entirely.
Under these circumstances, even the symbiote had no good solutions.
Furthermore, now that the crisis with the Chitauri advance force had been resolved, they too wanted to leave Earth.
Norman had no intention of keeping them by force. Instead, he helped them repair their spaceship and then sent them on their way.
Bruce Banner's inner turmoil was something only he could resolve. Bant wasn't a psychiatrist; he couldn't really help him.
After discussing and finalizing the city reconstruction plan with Norman, he headed up to the satellite.
He placed the Mind Stone onto the machine.
Immediately afterward, the planetary defense shield activated once more, with one key difference—this time, no one was going to come and shut it off.
"There's actually no need to keep the shield running at all times."
Otto, Plemos's chief physics doctorate, spoke up.
"Those new elements you discovered earlier, paired with the mega-reactor, can sustain the planetary defense shield for a considerable duration."
"We only need to activate it when necessary. Before the energy is depleted, we simply replace the reaction core."
He had said all this, naturally, because he wanted to study the stone.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has a substantial amount of遗留 data concerning the Tesseract, but as for this Infinity Stone, we know absolutely nothing."
Otto spoke, a hint of anticipation on his face.
"I disagree."
Banner shook his head. "These stones are saturated with gamma energy. Researching gamma energy is far too dangerous."
The Hulk was a cautionary tale.
Bruce Banner had no desire to witness the birth of another monster.
"And what if humanity's future lies within it?" Otto disagreed with Banner's view.
He believed that if something could be gleaned from studying the stone, it might benefit humanity's future.
As long as that possibility existed, it was worth attempting.
Banner maintained that the Infinity Stones were excessively dangerous, but Otto was well aware of Banner's past.
"With all due respect, Dr. Banner, the accident in your original experiment stemmed more from your own carelessness." He spoke bluntly.
This was the truth.
Before becoming the Hulk, Bruce Banner was a genius among geniuses, and naturally, supremely confident.
His own hubris had led to that tragedy.
Otto continued, "Fire is dangerous, but if humanity hadn't learned to harness it, we'd still be eating raw meat and drinking blood!"
The two men were at an impasse, each clinging to their own argument.
Listening to their debate, Connors pulled his head in, thinking thankfully that his focus was biology. A single variable generator was already enough to keep them researching for a long time.
Bant, however, upon hearing Otto's desire to study the Mind Stone, thought of two people whose powers had been awakened by it.
—Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.
In the films, the two siblings had voluntarily participated in HYDRA's research program, gaining superhuman abilities through the power of the Mind Stone.
However, according to WandaVision's补充, it was clarified that Wanda was already a witch before coming into contact with the Mind Stone.
The stone's power merely提前 awakened her abilities, which were still a far cry from her true power.
"If I recall correctly, at this point in time, Wanda and Pietro should still be in Sokovia, right?"
Bant pondered.
This universe had no mutants. Clearly, the life trajectories of Wanda and Quicksilver were very likely to overlap with the cinematic universe.
And now that HYDRA had been destroyed, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this pair of siblings' powers would gradually increase, but whether Wanda could become the Scarlet Witch was another matter entirely.
Bant was somewhat curious about the Scarlet Witch, who wielded Chaos Magic.
In many universes, the Scarlet Witch was a kind of anchor being. So-called anchor beings referred to existences crucial to maintaining their universe.
Like the elderly Wolverine who died in Deadpool 3.
Within a few thousand years of his death, that universe and its timeline would cease to exist.
If Wanda in this universe didn't become the Scarlet Witch, perhaps it could lead to a similar outcome.
He hadn't thought of it before, but now that the two of them had crossed his mind, Bant decided to recruit the brother and sister into the Sky Bureau.
On one hand, this would ensure Wanda could become the Scarlet Witch. On the other, it would also expand the Sky Bureau's membership.
With that thought, Bant immediately had Eunice help search for information on Wanda and Pietro.
Very quickly, Eunice located the targets.
"Confirmed. Both individuals are within the borders of the Eastern European country, Sokovia."
"Book me a flight to Sokovia."
"Yes, sir."
The next day, Bant met the highly vigilant brother and sister in Sokovia.
Thanks to Xiaofan @ for the 100-point tip.
Chapter 207: Bant: Wait, I Have to Make Another Choice?
Sokovia.
A small Eastern European country existing only in Marvel.
It retained considerable architectural styles from the Roman period, appearing steeped in historical ambiance yet also somewhat dilapidated.
A few months prior, Steve and Peter had been here and destroyed the HYDRA base in Sokovia.
Back then, HYDRA hadn't yet acquired the Mind Stone, so Wanda and Quicksilver had not joined HYDRA either.
Right now, they were just nineteen years old, the prime age for university.
Of course, attending university was out of the question.
Contrary to the stereotypical image of developed European countries, Sokovia was as impoverished as nations in South America or Latin America. A large number of residents lived in slums; they were gaunt and sallow, their cheeks and eye sockets sunken.
The entire country had only one international airport, built by the HYDRA remnants that had once been stationed here.
It was deeply ironic, to say the least.
Wakanda ought to distribute the international relief subsidies they received to Sokovia instead. The people here were the ones who truly needed help.
Take those older sisters, too poor to afford proper clothes, standing at their doorways, writhing with discomfort from hunger—no, not writhing, clutching their bodies—gazing hopefully at every passerby, longing for a bit of protein to supplement their nutrition...
They were in desperate need of assistance!
Of course, Bant didn't dare go over. Mei You any particular reason—he was just a little You worried, that's all.
He followed the address Eunice provided, searching for Wanda and Pietro's home.
Along the way, quite a few "kind souls" brandished knives to offer Bant directions. After Bant expressed his thanks with some enthusiastic fist-and-foot interaction, he finally located his target.
It was a house that looked utterly dilapidated. Large sections of the outer walls had aged and crumbled away. Sticky, oily grime was everywhere by the doorstep, and the air was thick with foul odors.
It was appallingly broken-down. Even in Hell's Kitchen, such a house would seem out of place, but here, it was just one of thousands of Sokovian homes.
Bant stood before the house's door and knocked gently. He wasn't a mannerless lout like Nick Fury, who didn't even know how to knock.
No response came from within the house, though with Bant's hearing, he could detect faint sounds of movement inside.
He knocked three more times in succession, then waited patiently.
He heard soft footsteps approaching the door from inside, then stopping. Separated by a flimsy door that could be torn down with a little force, those footsteps fell silent for a long time.
Bant showed no trace of impatience.
He could sense that the person inside was likely observing him.
It was Wanda inside. Just as Bant suspected, she was indeed scrutinizing him, with the utmost wariness.
Although Bant's youthful appearance seemed harmless—a girl her age might even be more inclined to feel favorably towards his looks—
in a place like Sokovia, especially in the backward neighborhood where she lived, the sudden appearance of someone like Bant signaled an anomaly.
Children who grew up here were all filthy. Any family with a pretty girl or boy was destined for a tragic fate.
If she hadn't possessed some witchcraft from a young age, she and Pietro could never have grown up together safely this long.
Her instincts told her something was off, yet no matter how Wanda looked, she couldn't perceive anything special about Bant. He seemed like an ordinary young man from a wealthy family.
Coupled with the fact she had her witchcraft as a lifeline, after hesitating for a good while, she slowly pulled the door open a crack.
"Creak—"
The wooden door groaned in protest.
Bant looked towards the sound and met Wanda's single exposed eye.
"Who are you?"
"Bant Parker." Bant handed her a business card.
Wanda took it, glanced at it indifferently, then placed her hand back on the door. "Sorry, I don't know you..."
With that, she moved to shut the door again.
Seeing this, Bant quickly pressed against the door. "I know you don't know me, but I'm here looking for you and your brother."
Wanda froze.
Her first thought was, had her brother gotten into trouble again?
To make a living, Pietro had joined a small local gang. This made Wanda worry about him constantly, terrified he'd run into danger.
So, hearing Bant mention Pietro, Wanda immediately tensed up and blurted out:
"What happened to my brother?!"
"Don't hurt him!"
"I'll give you anything you want!"
Bant: ???
Did that line sound a bit off to him?
Was his next line supposed to be: Wanda, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your brother, would you?
This was American comics, not Japanese manga!
Dial it back!
"Ahem, you misunderstand, Ms. Maximoff," Bant said. Maximoff was Wanda's surname.
"I know that both you and your brother possess certain special abilities, so I wanted to invite you to join us... I assume you're aware of the Battle of New York a few days ago?"
At this, Wanda immediately understood.
The Chitauri invasion had long since become known worldwide.
Since the battle concluded in Manhattan and the destruction was limited to New York, it was still commonly referred to as the Battle of New York.
"So, you're an Avenger?"
Wanda's expression grew complicated.
On one hand, she did know the Avengers were protecting Earth. But on the other hand, Tony Stark was also among the Avengers.
Sokovia's current poverty and backwardness couldn't be said to have nothing to do with Stark. Back when Stark Industries was still selling weapons, Sokovia had been endlessly plagued by warfare.
Her parents and neighbors had all died in the crossfire. She and Pietro themselves had nearly been buried by a missile, and to this day, she could still recall the English lettering on that missile.
Stark!
That man was nothing but a murderer, yet now he had reinvented himself as a superhero saving the world.
Perhaps Tony Stark truly had contributed a great deal. But to those who had died under missiles manufactured by Stark Industries, it was all far too absurd and laughable.
"Leave. I won't join the Avengers."
With that, Wanda immediately moved to shut the door.
"Wait, I'm not here on behalf of the Avengers."
Bant covered his face as he spoke.
"Not the Avengers?"
Wanda paused, then heard Bant say, "The Avengers played a significant role in the Battle of New York, but don't forget, what decided the outcome of the battle was the Sky Bureau."
"The Sky Bureau?"
Wanda's motion to close the door slowed. She asked, puzzled, "I know of the Sky Bureau. The enormous spaceship that appeared at the end was from the Sky Bureau, wasn't it? But I heard the Sky Bureau is an organization founded by aliens..."
An alien organization, seeking her out?
Wanda was deeply confused.
Bant said, "To aliens, Earthlings are also aliens. The universe should be one big family."
"The fleet that came to Earth back then was the Sky Bureau Headquarters' cosmic armada. In fact, there's also a Sky Bureau branch on Earth. I'm the security officer, which is to say, the person in charge of the Earth branch."
Bant briefly explained the situation.
Then he decided to give Wanda something concrete.
"I sincerely invite you and your brother Pietro to join the Sky Bureau. The current salary is one million US dollars a month.
"We can provide you with a villa in Queens... three workdays a week, from 2 PM to 6 PM... complimentary employee meals, all at the highest standard... full benefits including five insurances and two pensions... a company car..."
Bant rattled off the Sky Bureau's employee benefits. Each perk that spilled from his mouth made Wanda's brain short-circuit.
A monthly salary of a million dollars?
A villa and an anti-gravity car provided?
Twelve hours of work per week, and the job was getting familiar with her own superpowers?
Wanda shot Bant a sideways glance, thinking, Is he even speaking human language?
Why does it feel like I can't quite understand?
For her, living in Sokovia, where her and Pietro's combined income barely sustained them, a million dollars was likely more money than they could earn in several lifetimes.
And now, Bant was laying these terms right in front of her. Just nod, and it would all be hers.
"I... I need to discuss this with my brother." Wanda scratched her head, saying.
"Of course. May I come in and sit for a moment?" Bant nodded.
Then Wanda, her eyes dazed as if her soul had left her body, pulled the door open and let Bant inside.
Only then did Bant get a clear look at Wanda's attire.
She wore a white blouse, though the color had yellowed with age. Bant followed her to a worn-out sofa. In front of him sat a black-and-white television even older than the one at Uncle Ben's house.
After Bant sat down, a mouse on the sofa seemed to be startled, darting out and skittering under the sofa in a flash.
This environment was even worse than Hell's Kitchen. By comparison, the old house in Queens was practically a luxury mansion.
A moment later, Wanda came over carrying a glass of somewhat cloudy water. As she handed it to Bant, she was still muttering to herself, counting on her fingers.
"A million... how many zeros is that? Five, six?"
"You'll need to convert that into Sokovian currency first," Bant reminded her.
That nearly made Wanda suffocate.
She had no clue about that sort of thing.
It was dusk by the time Pietro returned.
The moment he came home and found a stranger in the house, he immediately bristled like a cornered porcupine.
So Wanda briefly explained Bant's identity and purpose to him.
"Everything you said is true?"
He seemed even more agitated than Wanda.
To them, Sokovia was like a quagmire, trapping them, suffocating them, yet impossible to escape.
If they could truly join the Sky Bureau, it would be an excellent option for them.
But he still had one question.
"If in the future we want to go after Tony Stark, whose side will you take?"
Hearing this question, Bant couldn't help but feel it was just like when Cap and Iron Man had each asked him who he really supported.
Bant: Why am I always being forced to choose sides?
/-\
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