Logically speaking, Pietro, as the hostage Strucker used to threaten Hawke, should not have much freedom here.
But the opposite was true.
In this HYDRA Base located on the deep-sea bed, Pietro and his sister Wanda's movements were not restricted much.
Except for some important areas, Pietro and Wanda could move freely.
This was not only because Pietro and Wanda voluntarily participated in HYDRA's superhuman experiments.
It was more because Strucker was not afraid of them escaping.
Because in the underlying genes of Jean, Billy, and Tommy, a genetic bomb had already been set.
With just a gentle press of a button, Jean, Billy, and even Tommy would die instantly.
Pietro and Wanda didn't know if it was true, but Strucker said it was, and they didn't dare to gamble.
Alright.
It was Wanda who didn't dare to gamble; after all, these three children were indeed carried in her womb for ten months and born by her.
Hawke didn't care about these three children.
But Wanda cared a lot.
A woman is naturally weak, but a Mother is strong.
Moreover—
Pietro and Wanda, or Jean, Billy, and Tommy, did not receive the absolute top-tier treatment in this Base, but it could be said to be on par with Strucker's.
Strucker even provided a package of services, including preschool teachers.
Billy and Tommy were just over one year old, but Jean had already started receiving an education.
Let's put it this way.
Three-year-old Jean was already proficient in Sokovia language, English, and German; it was unclear whose learning talent she inherited.
Pietro, in any case, felt that his sister certainly did not have such a talent.
Soon.
Just as Pietro was thinking about the word "son" he had heard when he left the office, he had already arrived at their home in this underwater Base.
Hmm.
Home.
Passing through the corridor, it seemed unremarkable, but upon opening the door, one would find a World of its own inside.
In a word.
The interior of the room was almost a replica of 521A Palm Street before it was sold to Hawke.
It couldn't be said to be identical, but it could be said to be carved from the same mold.
The electronic bonfire in the living room burned brightly.
Wanda, with a head of soft red hair, slightly curled at the ends, currently resting her chin on one hand, sitting on the carpet in front of the fireplace, looking about twenty-six years old, was smiling at her eldest daughter Jean, who stood before her excitedly recounting her recent experiences.
Jean was gesticulating wildly, telling her Mommy how Daddy Hawke had crushed Uncle Pietro.
Just then.
Pietro pushed the door open.
Wanda, who was smiling as she listened to her daughter, looked up at Pietro entering the room.
Jean also turned to look, then her eyes lit up, and she ran to Pietro, grabbing Pietro's finger and pulling him back to the living room: "Uncle, tell Mommy that your speed can't match Daddy's; Mommy doesn't believe me."
Wanda heard this and smiled, looking at Pietro.
Pietro met Wanda's gaze and nodded.
Wanda's smile then became a little stiff.
At this moment, Wanda was not yet the Scarlet Witch; in her Worldview, Pietro's speed was already the fastest known.
As a result... Pietro grabbed Jean with both hands, held Jean in his arms, and then looked at Wanda: "He is really strong, stronger than ever before. I can feel that if he wanted to kill me, I would have no room to resist."
He thought of himself already in the speed space, Hawke looking at him, the corner of his mouth curving into a charming, dismissive, and arrogant smile.
Wanda heard this and also subconsciously stood up from the carpet.
"You really met him?"
"Yes."
Pietro came back to his senses, then his eyes lit up, and he looked at Wanda: "Oh, by the way, he's not like we imagined; he's not old, he's very young, and very handsome."
Jean, held in Pietro's arms, also looked at Wanda upon hearing this: "See, Mommy, Daddy is really handsome. Daddy used to come to see me every month before, but it's strange, why can't you see Daddy?"
At this point, three-year-old Jean also felt very confused.
She went out this time because Hawke had told her that if he didn't come to see her one day, she just had to think of Daddy to find Hawke, and he said that if she actively found Hawke, then their family could reunite.
Hawke didn't come this month.
So... Jean was so excited to go find Hawke.
Wanda also knew about this.
Even Strucker knew, but before Jean disappeared this time, neither Wanda nor Strucker took Jean's words seriously, considering them childish prattle.
Until now.
Wanda once again listened to Jean's words and looked at her eldest daughter: "Jean, the first time you saw him..."
Jean corrected Wanda's statement.
"Mommy, that's not him, that's Daddy."
"...Alright."
Wanda chuckled: "Then do you remember when you first saw your Daddy?"
Jean thought for a moment: "I don't remember, but I remember Daddy said he was there when we were still in that castle, and also, Daddy was there when I was born."
Pietro, holding Jean, gasped.
Wanda and her brother Pietro exchanged glances.
"He can also travel through time?"
"I don't know."
Wanda shook her head: "However, if what Jean said is true, we can confirm one thing."
Jean said loudly: "I'm not lying."
Pietro looked at Wanda.
"Confirm what?"
"He has no ill will towards us... towards Jean, Billy, and Tommy."
"That's true."
Pietro listened to his sister's speculation, thought for a moment, and nodded: "My speed is like a snail in his eyes, and he had the chance to kill me, but he didn't."
Although Hawke did not ask him to bring Jean back.
But Pietro, when leaving New York S.H.I.E.L.D., figured out one thing on his way back.
Although Hawke did not let him return, he also did not stop him from leaving.
Pietro was certain that with the speed Hawke displayed, he would not have been able to leave with Jean.
It's just... Pietro pinched Jean's cheek and told Jean to go upstairs to look after her brothers Billy and Tommy.
After Jean left, Pietro then looked at Wanda, lowering his voice.
"But Strucker plans to use Jean, Billy, and Tommy to threaten him."
"Yes."
After Jean left, a hint of worry appeared in the corners of Wanda's smiling eyes.
Although at first, Wanda agreed to cooperate with Strucker's experiments to make herself and her brother stronger, possess extraordinary powers, and also to reduce some of their suffering.
But ever since Jean's birth, some ideas had naturally and inevitably changed.
Once again.
A Woman is naturally weak, but a Mother is strong.
For Hawke, Jean, Billy, and Tommy's birth came from a HYDRA experiment, but for Wanda, these were her children.
Pietro looked at the melancholy in his sister's eyes, seemed to think of something, his mouth moved slightly, and when Wanda saw it, he gave her a look.
Wanda saw it and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I already created an illusion when you came in. What they see is a normal conversation."
Creating virtual illusions.
This was something she had slowly figured out after her psychic abilities were activated by the Mind Stone.
Wanda felt that she should be capable of more than this, and what she could do should not be limited to just covering a room.
But for now, being able to cover a room and create a realistic virtual illusion was her limit.
She had never told Strucker or anyone else about this.
Because... she now not only had her brother but also her three children.
Pietro listened to Wanda's words, nodded, and then took out the andromeda necklace from his arms and handed it to Wanda.
Unlike the golden color when Hawke put it on Gwen.
Because Gwen had used it once, over time, the color of the andromeda necklace had changed from pure gold to something similar to rose gold.
Wanda looked at the andromeda necklace her brother Pietro handed over and subconsciously took it.
Just as she took the necklace and was about to say something, with a hum, in a vast and boundless Universe, a phoenix, whose gaze, both scorching and icy, seemed to cover the entire Universe, opened its eyes and landed on her.
The next second.
The illusion disappeared.
Wanda's eyes constricted, then she instinctively clutched her chest, sitting on the sofa behind her, gasping for breath.
Pietro was slightly stunned and quickly stepped forward.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know."
Wanda recalled the fleeting image she had just seen, shook her head, looked at the andromeda necklace in her hand, and then at Pietro.
"What is this?"
"His fiancée gave it."
"What?"
Wanda heard these words, her eyes widened, she looked at Pietro, opened her mouth, wanting to say something but hesitating, but the words came to her lips.
"She... gave this for."
"She said this is for Billy and Tommy. This thing can protect them."
Pietro relayed Gwen's words truthfully.
Wanda frowned, looking at the andromeda necklace in her hand, and then suddenly thought of something, looking at her brother Pietro.
"That's not right, didn't they search you when you came back?"
"Hehe!"
Pietro heard Wanda's question, the corners of his mouth turned up, and he looked at Wanda: "In front of him, my speed might be slow, but in the eyes of others, my speed can be so fast that they can't even perceive it."
When he drank the happy Water at the time, he had already placed this necklace on a HYDRA Agent.
Then, when the submarine docked at the HYDRA Base, at the moment he was carried to Strucker's office, he once again used his speed advantage to retrieve the necklace.
As for why it was so precise.
It's simple.
He didn't even drink the happy Water at all...
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