A few days later, at the Avengers Compound.
Renzo lounged on the sofa, watching TV in boredom. He had to admit—Tony Stark was absurdly rich. Renzo had been given an entire suite on the first floor: bedroom, living room, game room, private theater, walk-in closet, bathroom… though, admittedly, that last one was completely unnecessary.
"I've already watched all the shows worth watching. Now I have to wait for the next season to update… this is torture!" Renzo groaned, slumped into the cushions as he mindlessly flipped through channels. There was nothing good on. All the decent shows only updated once a week. He couldn't help but regret not binge-watching everything back in his previous life.
"There really isn't much going on for the next year or so…" Renzo muttered, recalling the MCU timeline. The next major event involving Vision would be "Captain America: Civil War", and after that, "Avengers: Infinity War"—where Vision…
He stopped that train of thought.
And then there was "WandaVision"…
Just thinking about it made him uneasy. Being dismantled like a lifeless specimen—he refused to go through that.
Thanos…
The most powerful enemy yet.
Renzo knew he would have to face him eventually. Someone who could overpower even a vibranium body with sheer strength…
"…Sigh."
He lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling, his mind empty.
Knock, knock, knock!
A sudden knock at the door broke the silence.
"Who is it?" Renzo frowned. He couldn't think of anyone who would come looking for him. Thor had already left a few days ago, and Tony was busy dealing with the aftermath of Sokovia. Most of the Avengers were occupied with their own matters.
Renzo got up and opened the door.
"Wanda!"
He blinked in surprise. Wanda stood there in a red coat, looking composed and quietly beautiful. Behind her was Pietro, trailing with a clearly displeased expression.
"What are you—" Renzo scratched his head.
"We came to thank you for saving us," Pietro stepped forward, positioning himself slightly in front of Wanda. His voice was low, but Renzo could clearly detect the tension—and hostility—beneath it.
And Pietro "was" upset.
At first, he had been grateful that Renzo saved his life. But ever since Sokovia, Wanda hadn't been herself. She would drift off into long silences, lost in thought.
Worst of all… sometimes she would stare at Renzo's photo in the compound.
Pietro's gaze darkened.
This robot—what did he do to my sister? Some kind of trick? Some advanced tech?
No matter what, he wasn't letting Wanda spend too much time alone with this guy.
"We also brought some snacks… I hope you'll like them," Wanda said softly, lowering her head, avoiding Renzo's gaze. She held a small bag—clearly filled with desserts.
Renzo smiled awkwardly. "Thank you for coming, really. But… I'm a robot. I can't actually eat. If I try, my system might malfunction."
There was a hint of apology in his voice. He'd never even held a girl's hand before—rejecting her kindness like this felt strangely uncomfortable.
"Oh… I see…" Wanda lowered her head, clearly disappointed.
Renzo hesitated. Seeing her like that tugged at something in him.
He reached out and took the bag from her, a faint smile appearing on his unusual, red-toned face.
"But… if I go somewhere private to eat it, even if something goes wrong, I won't bother anyone."
Wanda's face lit up instantly, her smile blooming like a flower.
"In that case, we'll leave you to it," Pietro cut in quickly, his tone stiff. His eyes lingered on Renzo, sharp and wary.
Before Wanda could say anything, Pietro grabbed her and dashed off—vanishing like a streak of silver lightning.
"…Figures," Renzo muttered, watching them disappear. "With that kind of speed, how did you even get hit by bullets?"
He glanced down at the snacks in his hand, picked one up, and popped it into his mouth.
…No taste at all.
Bzzzt… bzzzt…
Renzo suddenly jerked upright. His body began to twitch uncontrollably, lifting off the ground.
"So this is what system instability feels like?"
He could clearly sense the changes within himself. Unlike Vision in the original timeline, he wasn't losing consciousness. Perhaps because his mind came from an external soul—not the merged consciousness of J.A.R.V.I.S. and Ultron—he retained awareness.
"Hey—"
His voice glitched, distorting into strange sounds. His body began drifting toward the door, acting on its own.
His density fluctuated uncontrollably. In the next instant, he phased into a blur and shot out of the room.
"Uh-oh!"
Pietro and Wanda had just returned to their room.
"Honestly, I don't get why you'd bring snacks to a robot," Pietro grumbled. "He can't even eat them. You could've given them to me—you've never made anything like that for me…"
There was a clear note of jealousy in his voice. No matter how he tried to justify it, seeing his sister care about another "man"—even an artificial one—bothered him.
"He saved our lives. It's only right to thank him. Don't be so petty," Wanda replied, ignoring his complaints, a faint smile lingering on her lips.
Pietro grew even more irritated. If he could beat Renzo, he might've already challenged him to a fight.
"Ah—!"
Pietro froze, frowning. "Wanda… did you hear that?"
"Huh? Hear what?" Wanda snapped out of her thoughts, answering a little too quickly. A faint blush colored her cheeks.
"…Really?" Pietro frowned deeper, rubbing his ear. "Could it be some aftereffect from Ultron? Am I hearing things?"
"Ahhh—!"
"No—!"
Pietro spun around instantly. For a split second, a shadow flickered across the wall—then vanished.
"Something was there!" he shouted. "Something just disappeared into the wall!"
Wanda had heard it too. She instinctively hid behind her brother, gripping his arm tightly. No matter how powerful she was now, fear of the unknown still lingered—especially in a world where the supernatural wasn't impossible.
"What… what was that?" her voice trembled.
"I don't know…" Pietro admitted, unease creeping into his tone. Power or not, they were still just teenagers. Fear came naturally.
"I'll check it out."
He gently removed Wanda's hand and vanished in a flash, streaking through the Avengers Compound like silver lightning.
Five seconds later, he reappeared.
"There's nothing," he said, exhaling. "Probably just our imagination. Sokovia messed with us more than we thought. We just need rest."
"…Maybe…" Wanda nodded slowly, though doubt lingered in her eyes as she glanced down the empty hallway.
The two of them retreated into their room.
And in the corridor—
"Ahhh—!"
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