Fear instantly drowned out every thought in Strucker's mind.
In her fury and terror, Wanda made a decision she would forever regret.
She would crush his mind.
The crimson glow in her eyes flared again—but this time, instead of releasing external energy, it transformed into a strange psychic wave that stabbed directly into Henry's consciousness.
"I'll make you see your deepest fear!" Wanda's voice echoed through his mind.
But the scene she expected—Henry clutching his head in pain, his sanity shattered—never came.
The instant her consciousness entered Henry's mind, she felt as though she had rammed headfirst into an endless, star-filled cosmos.
There was no fear.
No darkness.
Only warmth—radiant, like sunlight.
Then, countless memories that weren't hers flooded in all at once, drowning her awareness completely.
She saw a man smiling tenderly at a baby under the sunlight.
She saw two little boys chasing each other across a beach, sand flying everywhere as they laughed.
She saw Tony Stark, always wearing that roguish grin, hammering together the first Arc Reactor from a pile of scrap in an Afghan cave—hammering out hope for survival.
She saw Henry Stark, the one everyone dismissed as a carefree playboy, drifting alone through the void of space, enduring silence and cold... just to absorb more sunlight, to become stronger—strong enough to protect everyone.
She saw Stark Industries' weapon contracts, the same weapons twisted and abused by terrorists. But she also saw Tony's unwavering eyes as he announced the shutdown of the weapons division before the press.
She saw their grief after losing their parents...
Their arrogance as they faced Congress...
Their perfect coordination when they fought HYDRA side by side...
It was the life of the Stark brothers—filled with glory, pain, duty, and love.
Finally, the vision froze—on the ruins of Sokovia.
Strucker's mind snapped back to reality.
He stared blankly at Henry, who was now slowly walking toward him like the Reaper himself.
His mind blanked, and primal instinct took over.
He turned and ran.
He didn't even bother shouting for Wanda.
He just bolted for the other exit, stumbling and crawling in desperation.
"Leaving already?" Henry chuckled. His body blurred and vanished.
In the next instant, he was in front of Strucker.
One hand shot out, gripping Strucker by the throat and lifting him effortlessly into the air.
"Mr. Breadwinner," Henry tilted his head slightly, his tone relaxed.
"The party's just getting started. As the host, isn't it rude to leave early?"
His voice was casual, almost playful—but his grip tightened until Strucker's face turned deep purple.
"Le... let me go..." Strucker rasped, clawing helplessly at Henry's arm, which felt harder than steel.
"Let you go? Sure." Henry nodded thoughtfully.
"But... I might need to do a little surgery first."
He raised his other hand slowly, fingers poised to twist Strucker's neck.
"Stop!"
A scream—half rage, half anguish—pierced the air.
Wanda's mind was already on the brink. She had watched her brother collapse, unconscious, and now her last ally, Strucker, was being toyed with like a doll.
Hatred detonated.
She no longer aimed at Tony.
All her fury turned toward Henry.
Crimson energy burst violently from her body, far stronger and more chaotic than before!
The underground lab's lights flickered wildly. Instruments and consoles exploded one after another, unable to withstand the energy's distortion.
"You monster!!!"
Wanda's eyes glowed an intense red as she rose into the air, her hair whipping in an invisible wind—like a witch delivering divine punishment.
"You'll pay for Pietro's life!!"
"Oh boy." Henry glanced at the destruction behind him, then at the nearly suffocated Strucker in his grip. A faint look of exasperation crossed his face.
"Seems your ally doesn't take orders well."
With that, he casually tossed Strucker toward a corner. The man hit the wall with a sickening thud, followed by the crunch of bone, before sliding limply to the floor—unconscious.
With the nuisance gone, Henry turned back, gazing up at the floating Wanda with a calm, almost amused look.
Through his eyes, Wanda's power was transparent. Her energy had only recently awakened—untouched by the Mind Stone's full activation.
It looked impressive... but in truth, it was weak.
To put it bluntly: high in flair, low in substance.
"First off," Henry said, raising a finger and shaking it lightly, "I need to correct a little misunderstanding."
"Your fast-running brother? I just knocked him out. He's fine. Second, even if I had wanted to kill him, it's not your turn to avenge him. And finally..."
He paused, smiling with quiet confidence.
"Are you sure you have what it takes?"
"I'll kill you!!!" Wanda screamed. Rage had completely taken her over.
She thrust both hands forward.
This time, the energy didn't form a beam—it erupted as a storm, a crimson vortex that twisted reality itself as it swept toward Henry!
"Henry! Get out of there!" Tony's voice shouted urgently.
"That energy's warping my systems! It's not normal—don't take it head-on!"
He had barely stabilized his suit from the earlier attack. His shield hadn't fully recovered, and Jarvis's systems were flooded with indecipherable errors.
Tony tried to rush forward—but his thrusters sputtered, jammed by Wanda's chaotic energy interference.
Yet Henry didn't move.
He just stood there, calm and still, as the scarlet storm swallowed him whole.
BOOM!!!
The explosion ripped through the lab, tearing up the ground and hurling debris into the air. The shockwave turned everything to dust.
Tony's heart lurched. His pupils constricted sharply.
"Henry!!!"
Inside the glass chamber, Wanda hovered midair, panting heavily. A sick thrill crept across her face.
No one could possibly survive her full-power blast.
But when the smoke finally cleared—her expression froze solid.
The center of the lab was now a crater.
And in that crater stood Henry.
Untouched.
Not a single scratch marked his armor. A faint golden radiance surrounded him, divine and serene.
"Not bad," Henry rolled his neck, a faint crack echoing in the silence. His tone was utterly calm.
"A little stronger than a tickle... but still pretty weak. Your attack's too inefficient."
"No... No, that's impossible!" Wanda's eyes went wide, disbelief twisting her face.
"What the hell are you?!"
"Monster?" Henry repeated, then smiled faintly.
"Oh no, little girl. I'm no monster."
He raised his gaze, locking onto hers, his eyes glinting with playful menace.
"But since physical attacks don't work..."
He tilted his head slightly, voice smooth and dangerous.
"How about... we play something a bit more interesting?"
Wanda froze as his eyes seemed to pierce right through her soul—seeing everything she was, everything she feared.
Her heart skipped a beat.
***
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