Seeing his brother starting to struggle restlessly, Thor simply knocked him out with a strike of his hammer and said to the group:
"We have to get the scepter back!"
"An Infinity Stone must be a precious treasure of some kind. We absolutely cannot let that evil sorcerer have it!"
With that, Thor didn't even wait for the others to agree. He just spun Mjolnir with a "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" and took to the sky, flying toward the east.
Natasha looked utterly speechless. "Does he not know that the West Side of Midtown is to the southwest?"
Tony Stark was equally speechless at Thor getting the direction completely wrong. He left behind a single sentence, "I'll go after Thor first, and then we'll find that sorcerer. You guys do whatever you need to do."
With that, his repulsor thrusters ignited, turning him into a gold-and-red blur as he shot high into the sky, chasing after Thor's direction.
The remaining three Avengers looked at each other. The big guy was just about to leap out and chase after Tony and Thor.
"Wait."
But Natasha called out in time to stop him.
"Hulk, your fight is over. Let those two handle the mission of finding the sorcerer."
"We still have to deal with the messy aftermath of the war."
The big guy cast a highly reluctant look back at Natasha before his massive frame gradually shrank, transforming back into the human form of Dr. Banner.
However, the atmosphere suddenly became extremely awkward.
Because...
Dr. Banner wasn't wearing any clothes...
——————————
2:30 PM.
The National Guard, arriving belatedly, rolled in with wheeled armored vehicles and military jeeps to control the chaotic situation in Upper Manhattan.
S.H.I.E.L.D. also dispatched hundreds of field agents to help maintain order and carry out post-disaster rescue operations.
Clint and Natasha, two high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, couldn't rest for a single moment.
They shuttled busily through skyscrapers billowing with thick smoke, rescuing civilians trapped inside the buildings.
Many rescued civilians looked at these two exhausted figures with eyes full of gratitude.
Dr. Banner, meanwhile, had returned to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, utilizing the space satellites' thermal imaging to help pinpoint the real-time location of that evil sorcerer.
And the main culprit responsible for the Avengers having no time to rest, Harvey, was currently in the living room on the first floor of his villa, taking his sweet time examining his newly acquired loot.
The scepter was about four feet long and only about two fingers thick.
The surface of the uniquely antique golden scepter was engraved with many arcane Runic symbols with unknown effects.
At the top of the scepter, there was an oval metal protective casing emitting a faint yellow glow.
Regarding the Mind Stone, Harvey knew he wasn't yet qualified to deeply research this most precious of cosmic artifacts.
Instead, he was more interested in the Runic symbols on the scepter's surface.
Runes are an ancient and powerful magical script, carrying mysterious power and magical energy.
Many sorcerers or wizards use Runic symbols when casting spells, crafting magical artifacts, making contracts, or creating seals.
Harvey was pondering.
Should he return to the lab, make a rubbing of these Runic symbols with unknown effects, and study them slowly?
Beside him, Wanda, still draped in the white bath towel she wore fresh out of the shower, exuded a faint, sweet fragrance all over her body.
Seeing Harvey staring blankly at a golden spear, she couldn't help but step forward and wrap her arms around his waist.
"Is there something special about this spear?"
Feeling that astonishingly soft sensation pressing against his back, Harvey remembered that the Mind Scepter was the key artifact to awaken Wanda's Chaos Magic.
Turning around, Harvey unabashedly looked over this stunner—whose heavy breasts blocked her view of her toes—and asked in a bewitching tone, "Do you want to have superpowers?"
Hearing Harvey's words, Wanda's deep blue eyes filled with desire, and she replied eagerly, "Of course I do. Can I learn magic too?"
Harvey's tone was low.
"Not just magic. You can obtain superpowers powerful enough to rival the gods!"
"But you must know, Miss Wanda, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."
Wanda's cheeks flushed pink. Lowering her small head, she spoke with a hint of girlish shyness:
"I am willing to offer up my... youth."
But Harvey slowly shook his head and said, "I am not such a superficial man."
"Besides, there are so many beautiful girls in this world. Why should I give this vital, destiny-changing opportunity to you?"
Wanda panicked. The inferiority complex from her lowly background surged in her heart, making her pretty face flush red and pale, yet she still forced out a humble smile and said:
"I am willing to give everything I have, just... just to gain your approval!"
Harvey still shook his head, keeping a straight face as he said, "Wanda, I actually admire you a lot."
"To come from a poor refugee background and still maintain a kind heart is a rare quality."
"But you have to realize that once you possess the power to change your destiny, your kindness will become your weakness."
"I don't want you to be bound by kindness, or morally hijacked into doing things I don't want to see."
"Furthermore, you should know that I am a wizard, and wizards never care about the moral bottom lines of the secular world."
"Therefore, if you want to gain superpowers, we must first make an Unbreakable Vow."
"Because I don't want a future where you become a prisoner of morality and take up arms against me!"
Wanda's foresight was not as far-reaching as Harvey's, nor could she understand the true purpose behind his words.
But in order to gain the power to change her destiny, she didn't overthink it and said with a firm tone, "I agree to make the Vow!"
Wanda had long had enough of that miserable life where she was looked down upon by everyone and possessed absolutely no dignity.
Now that an opportunity to change her destiny was right in front of her, she wouldn't let it slip by no matter what.
Even if it meant selling her soul and making a pact with the devil, she thought it was worth it!
Harvey knew that the current Wanda had no idea how massive of an impact she would have on the future.
The Scarlet Witch's stance could even influence the development of all subsequent events in this universe.
"Are you sure you agree to make the Vow?"
"I am sure, Mr. Ferguson!"
"Very well."
Harvey rarely took out his wand—whose wooden surface glimmered with a faint purple hue—and with a thought in his mind...
The wand levitated on its own, flying into the air between the two of them.
"Take my hand."
Wanda obediently reached out her fair, tender little hand and clasped Harvey's broad palm tightly.
Under the witness of the wand.
"Wanda Django Maximoff, will you for the rest of your life follow Harvey Ferguson, and unconditionally obey his commands?"
"I will!"
"Will you be his servant, to be used and taken from however he desires?"
Wanda hesitated for a moment.
"I... I will!"
"Will you..."
With every vow spoken, a thin, elongated strand of tangerine-red fire would extend from the tip of the wand, wrapping tightly around their clasped hands.
After the Unbreakable Vow was established.
Harvey's face lit up with joy; he now had an immensely promising servant under his command.
He had to admit, this was destined to be the most correct decision he had ever made in his life.