"Both squads have disappeared without a trace… what happened?"
A trace of unease flickered across the stern face of Baron Wolfgang von Strucker.
For a brief moment—
A dangerous thought crossed his mind.
Has the base been exposed?
If that were true, he would have no choice but to abandon Sokovia immediately.
Strucker's expression darkened.
The report from earlier echoed in his memory—
"We encountered… Godzilla."
At the time, he had dismissed it as incompetence.
Or a tasteless joke.
Now—
Both squads had vanished.
Without even a distress signal.
"…If I had taken it seriously…"
Strucker muttered under his breath.
He rarely regretted his decisions.
Unlike the hidden faction of Hydra embedded within S.H.I.E.L.D., Strucker's ideology was… pragmatic.
Loyalty?
Irrelevant.
He had once stated plainly:
"I don't care about the survival of Hydra."
To him—
Hydra was nothing more than a tool.
"Sir!"
A scout ran up, slightly out of breath.
"We've found a body ahead… and—there's a trench."
"Searchlights. Now."
Moments later—
Under harsh white beams, the scene revealed itself.
A massive ravine carved into the earth.
Stretching nearly a hundred meters.
The ground was scorched, fractured—
Like something had fallen from the heavens.
Strucker's pupils shrank.
"…A meteor strike?"
Even as he said it—
He didn't believe it.
"Sir, we found footprints," another soldier reported.
"Should we pursue?"
Strucker crouched, examining the tracks carefully.
They were human.
Leading outward.
Away from the forest.
"…No."
He stood up slowly.
"Call it off. We return to base."
A faint breath of relief escaped him.
They've left Sokovia.
That meant—
His operations were still safe.
For now.
"…Wait."
Strucker raised a hand suddenly.
"Leave one squad behind."
"Collect samples. Hair. Blood. Anything."
There was something in his eyes now.
Not just fear—
But hunger.
Strucker had always been fascinated by power beyond human limits.
His Sokovian base existed for one purpose:
To recreate miracles like Captain America.
He had even requested access to the Tesseract—
Only to be denied by Alexander Pierce, citing jurisdiction.
That refusal…
Still lingered in his mind.
If this "Godzilla" is real…
Then it may surpass even the Tesseract.
Two Weeks Later
Nothing happened.
No intrusions.
No investigations.
No retaliation.
Inside the forest outskirts of Sokovia—
By a quiet lakeside—
A small wooden cabin stood, hidden among the trees.
Within the cabin—
Wanda Maximoff was slowly moving her arms under Adrian's guidance.
Her face was still pale.
But far better than before.
Nearby—
A radio crackled with local news.
"Urgent report, urgent report!"
"The Sokovia Central Bank was attacked at 2:31 PM today by armed terrorists!"
A brief pause—
Then the announcer's tone brightened.
"But citizens, please remain calm!"
"Our city's new guardian—the Silver Musketeer—has once again intervened!"
"This marks the eleventh successful prevention of a terrorist incident!"
"Let's give him a round of applause!"
Wanda stopped mid-motion.
She turned toward Adrian, worry written across her face.
"…Is Pietro really okay?"
"They're using real weapons…"
Adrian calmly picked up a towel and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Relax."
"Even if you don't trust him…"
"You trust Yuumi, don't you?"
Wanda nodded immediately.
"Mm. I trust Yuumi."
If Pietro Maximoff heard that—
He would probably collapse on the spot.
Yes—
The so-called "Silver Musketeer" mentioned in the news…
Was Pietro.
It started with something trivial.
A grocery trip.
A random encounter.
A crime in progress.
And one impulsive decision.
After using the modified Holy Gun and experiencing Yuumi's enhancement firsthand—
Speed.
Strength.
Recovery.
All amplified.
Pietro was hooked.
Since then—
Stopping crimes had become… routine.
Add to that Yuumi's constant presence—
(And a steady supply of fish as payment)
—
And just like that—
Pietro had unofficially become Sokovia's first "superhero."
"You won't need to worry much longer," Adrian said with a faint smile.
Wanda tilted her head.
"Huh?"
"Why?"
"Is Pietro going to stop being a superhero?"
"…Oh, he'll stop."
Adrian glanced toward the door.
His tone carried a hint of amusement.
"And very soon."
At that moment—
The door burst open.
Pietro rushed in, face flushed with excitement.
"Did you hear that?!"
"They mentioned me again!"
"The Silver Musketeer! That's me!"
Adrian looked at him quietly.
Then shook his head slightly.
Still hasn't noticed…
Those "terrorist incidents"—
Too frequent.
Too convenient.
Too… controlled.
This wasn't random crime.
It was staged.
And somewhere in the shadows—
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker was already watching.