At this point, Wanda and Quicksilver had not yet been altered by the Infinity Stones.
As a result, their abilities were still far from what they would become during Avengers: Age of Ultron.
"Wanda, let go of me!" Pietro shouted angrily at his sister.
"No! I won't let go!" Wanda gritted her teeth, desperately slowing their fall.
"If you don't let go, we'll both die!" Pietro struggled against the Chaos Magic restraining him, but it was useless.
Lucas finally lost his patience.
In a flash, he appeared beside them, grabbed both of them, and pulled them out of the massive chasm.
After tossing them onto the ground, Lucas asked calmly,
"Where are Strucker and the USB drive?"
Wanda and Pietro stayed silent, clenching their teeth. Lucas frowned slightly.
In the next instant, Pietro vanished from where he stood, while Wanda rose at the same time—scarlet Chaos Magic erupting from her body and surging toward Lucas.
"Two rebellious kids, still in their teenage phase," Lucas sighed helplessly.
The next second, a brilliant light burst from his body, expanding outward and instantly enveloping Pietro as well.
"You're fast—but right now, you're still slower than light particles."
A powerful hand emerged from the light and accurately seized Quicksilver by the throat.
At the same time, Wanda used a Chaos teleport to appear behind Lucas, both hands glowing as Chaos Magic invaded his head.
A cold, chaotic sensation surged violently into Lucas's mind, attempting to disrupt his mental will.
"So you already have some psychic ability," Lucas noted calmly.
"Unfortunately—still far too weak."
White light flashed briefly in Lucas's eyes.
Wanda's Chaos Magic, which looked like drifting cosmic dust, was violently repelled as if struck by an invisible beast, scattering in all directions.
Lucas had practiced uninterrupted meditation and mental training since childhood.
His spiritual resilience had long surpassed that of ordinary beings.
If this had been Wanda after exposure to the Mind Stone, she might have posed a real threat.
But in her current state, this mental interference was no more than a mild irritation—like being tickled.
"Ugh!"
Sensing danger, Wanda tried to retreat using Chaos Magic—but Lucas's hand was faster, gripping her throat.
In the next moment, both siblings were lifted into the air, suspended in front of him.
"I'll ask one last time," Lucas said coldly, his gaze sweeping over them as if choosing a victim.
"Where are Strucker and the USB? If you don't answer, I'll snap one of your necks."
"I—I'll tell you!" Pietro gasped.
Lucas loosened his grip slightly.
"He's in a room below. The USB is on him."
"Go," Lucas said indifferently.
"You have ten seconds. If you don't bring him and the USB back, I'll break your sister's neck."
Lucas released Pietro.
Seven seconds later, Pietro returned—dragging Strucker and holding the USB.
Lucas released Wanda immediately.
She collapsed to the ground and was instantly caught by Pietro, coughing violently as she struggled to breathe.
After confirming that both Strucker and the USB were intact, Lucas wrapped Strucker in Ki and rose into the air.
"Leave this place," Lucas said to them.
"Go live your own lives."
He had no intention of killing them. After all, they had only submitted to experimentation in order to protect their homeland.
"Wait!"
Wanda suddenly spoke.
Lucas turned to look at her.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she asked softly,
"Can… can you help us?"
"Help you with what?" Lucas asked.
"You're so strong," Wanda said. "Can you drive the invaders out of our country?"
Lucas shook his head.
"I can drive them out—but once I leave, they'll come back."
"I know," Wanda replied, shaking her head.
"But you must have a way to solve it completely, don't you?"
"I understand there's no such thing as a free lunch," she continued.
"If you help us fix this, my brother and I are willing to serve you."
Lucas looked at the young Wanda—barely in her teens—her eyes filled with hope and desperation.
She was nothing like the Wanda from Avengers: Age of Ultron, whose soul had been scarred by endless war and the Mind Stone's corruption.
"Alright," Lucas said after a moment.
"Come with me."
Wanda's later overwhelming Chaos Magic potential—and her fierce devotion to family and love—made Lucas decide to take her in.
As for Quicksilver, his speed would be useful as well. Makkari was proof of that.
Lucas wrapped both siblings in Ki and carried them into the sky.
At high altitude, he turned back toward the research base below.
Raising a finger, a condensed sphere of energy rapidly formed at his fingertip.
Wanda and Pietro exchanged glances.
Their expressions shifted from confusion, to shock, and finally to disbelief.
They understood what Lucas was about to do—and fear crept into their eyes.
That research facility housed more than five thousand researchers.
Five thousand lives.
Lucas's face remained indifferent as the energy sphere dropped straight down.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion roared across the region.
A violent earthquake followed, toppling nearby trees and snow-covered mountains.
The peak on which the research base stood was completely engulfed by the blast.
When the dust settled, both the base and the mountain had vanished—only half the original mountain remained.
By then, Lucas had already flown dozens of kilometers away, hovering above a nearby city.
"You… you're not planning to destroy this city too, are you?" Wanda asked shakily.
"What if I am?" Lucas replied calmly.
"Then you're worse than Hydra—more terrifying than any demon!" Pietro snapped.
"Have you ever seen a demon?" Lucas asked lightly.
"You can't do this!" Wanda shouted.
"They're not Hydra! They're not soldiers—just ordinary civilians!"
Lucas chuckled and shook his head.
"Relax. I'm just messing with you. I'm not that insane."
Soon, he stopped above a single building.
This was Baron Zemo's residence.
Lucas did not hesitate.
Several energy beams fired in quick succession, erasing Zemo and everyone inside the building.
He could have spared Zemo—after all, Zemo had not yet lost his family and descended into madness as he would later.
But Lucas saw no reason to leave loose ends.
"JARVIS," Lucas said,
"Have you located the files on the Winter Soldier?"
_____
T/N:
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