After eating, Renzo and Wanda walked side by side through the streets of San Francisco. Night had fallen, and the number of pedestrians had noticeably decreased. In the United States, it was generally understood that the dark wasn't exactly safe.
Renzo walked a little ahead, with Wanda following close behind. Before long, they wandered into a quiet residential area.
"I think Sam was stationed somewhere around here," Renzo said casually.
Wanda blinked at him, her expression stiffening.
'Seriously? In a moment like this, you bring that up?'
"…Maybe," she replied flatly.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Renzo's mouth. He suddenly stopped walking, and Wanda, distracted, nearly bumped into him.
"What's wrong?" she asked, confused.
Renzo pointed toward a house ahead. "Something's happening inside."
"Huh?" Wanda followed his gaze.
At that moment, a helicopter overhead began to lose control, wobbling dangerously as if it might crash at any second.
Renzo's expression sharpened. Even if he had no fondness for Hydra, Wanda was with him—he didn't want her to see a colder side of him.
He shot into the air, his appearance reverting to his original form. Catching the falling helicopter, he stabilized it, then pulled the people inside out and dropped them—none too gently—in front of Wanda.
"They're Hydra," Renzo said. "Keep an eye on them. We'll hand them over to Fury later."
"Hydra? What are they doing here?" Wanda asked in surprise.
Suddenly, screams erupted from the house. Someone inside was shouting for the police.
"Is it a robbery?" Wanda's tone turned serious.
"It's worse than that."
Renzo phased through the wall and entered the courtyard.
Inside, two figures—one in red, one in yellow—were fighting. Just as he arrived, Scott Lang was sent flying by the man in yellow.
Scott spotted a ping-pong paddle nearby, and an idea immediately struck him.
The man in yellow shrank his body and darted forward. Even at that size, his strength remained unchanged—only his mass had decreased. Renzo couldn't help mentally criticizing the so-called "quantum technology." It was beyond unscientific.
Scott grabbed the paddle and swung hard. The tiny figure was launched through the air, slamming into a streetlight with a crack and a burst of sparks—then went completely still.
Renzo watched with mild amusement. The whole thing felt like a battle in a miniature world—oddly entertaining.
Scott seemed to relax, turning back toward the family inside. "It's okay!"
Then he froze.
His eyes widened as he noticed Renzo hovering midair.
"Who are you?" Scott demanded, instantly on guard. He knew the Avengers—but he had just gotten out of prison a few days ago. Renzo, as a newly emerged member, was completely unfamiliar to him.
"I'm Vision—an Avenger, Scott," Renzo said, gliding over the pool. He gestured for the family to call the police while slowly approaching Scott.
"You know me?" Scott asked, stunned. Considering he had recently stolen from the Avengers and fought Sam Wilson, it wasn't hard to assume they might be here to settle the score.
"Look, I messed up, okay? But I was following orders—Hank Pym told me to do it. I was just the guy carrying it out. If you want someone, go find him!"
Scott spoke nervously, clearly worried Renzo had come to cause trouble.
"It's not about that," Renzo said calmly. "We just happened to run into you. I know who you are from the data in my system."
"Hands up! Don't move!"
Two police officers rushed in, guns raised.
Scott turned, and one of them stared at him in disbelief. "Scott?"
"Paxton… listen to me—"
Scott immediately recognized him—his ex-wife's current partner, Cassie's stepfather. A cop. The complete opposite of him.
The other officer fired without hesitation.
The bullet shot toward Scott.
Renzo moved instantly, stepping in front of him.
Bang!
The bullet struck Renzo and dropped harmlessly to the ground with a faint metallic clink.
"Why did you shoot?" Paxton snapped at his partner.
"He looked dangerous!" the officer said, pointing between Scott and Renzo.
Paxton squinted at Renzo. "You look familiar…"
"Vision! Are you okay?" Wanda hurried in, her voice laced with concern.
Recognition dawned on Paxton's face.
"You're Avengers… the new ones from Sokovia. Vision and Wanda."
As American citizens, they knew the Avengers well. Their names were known worldwide.
"Whew… that scared me," Scott muttered, exhaling in relief.
"What are the Avengers doing here?" Paxton asked.
"Just a coincidence," Renzo said, gesturing vaguely between himself and Wanda. He paused, then added, "We're here for Scott—to recruit him into the Avengers."
Everyone stared at him in shock.
"He stole from us," Renzo continued evenly. "So he has two choices: join the Avengers and make up for it… or go back to prison. I don't think Scott wants the second option."
"I… uh…" Scott blinked, completely caught off guard.
"I see…" Paxton gave Scott a sympathetic look. Stealing from the Avengers—what kind of courage did that take?
"Then what were you doing here?" Paxton pressed, eyeing Scott's unusual suit. "A helicopter just crashed nearby. That wouldn't happen to be related, would it?"
"What a coincidence…" Scott whistled, avoiding eye contact.
"Oh—right! That guy—Darren. He did it. He's right there."
Scott pointed toward a light fixture in the corner, where the Yellowjacket had landed.
The officers approached, peering closer. Their expressions shifted to confusion.
"See? I told you," Scott said, hands on his hips. "I took down the villain myself. Pretty impressive, right?"
Paxton and his partner exchanged a glance, then pulled out handcuffs.
"There's nothing there, Scott," Paxton said seriously. "No one. No ants. Just come quietly—I'll try to get you a lighter sentence."
Scott froze. "He's right there! Can't you see him? He's—"
He pushed past them and stared hard at the spot—but there was nothing.
"He was—"
Wanda tugged lightly on Renzo's cloak. "What's going on?"
"His opponent's gone," Renzo said after a pause. "A size-shifter. Minor threat."
"Oh…" Wanda nodded.
Scott kept arguing, desperately trying to convince the officers, but Paxton wasn't having it.
"Scott, don't make this worse. You don't want Cassie to see you like this—not just a thief, but something worse. Turn yourself in."
"I told you, I didn't—" Scott's voice rose, almost shouting.
Then he froze.
"Wait… Cassie!"
His expression changed instantly. He grabbed Paxton's arm.
"Cassie's in danger. Darren knows she's my daughter. We need to find her—now!"
Paxton's face hardened.
"Scott," he said firmly, "I'm Cassie's father now. I know you care about her—but this isn't something to joke about."
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