Mages and Witches

"So, you just brought the two of them here?"

Having not visited Avengers Tower for some time, Oaks found that the place had changed quite a bit.

But when he found Tony, the guy had no idea that two grim reapers had come looking for him.

After Oaks tactfully explained the reason, Tony’s eyes widened:

"Even if you can resurrect people, I don’t want to die once first!"

"No, I dropped them off at the Nature Guardian on the way.

And they both said they wouldn’t resort to violence."

Oaks patted Tony on the shoulder reassuringly:

"Relax. Since I dared to bring them here, I naturally have confidence. Even if they pull some unconventional stunt, I can handle it."

"Shit! Who was the one who bombed Sokovia back then? At most, I was only secondarily responsible!"

Tony rubbed his hands anxiously. Ever since before he became Iron Man, countless people had called him a "murderer."

Back then, he had not cared in the slightest. Instead, he had taken it as praise.

Later, when he realized he had been wrong, even after he had remade himself and become the superhero Iron Man, he had never denied the mistakes he had made in the past.

Perhaps it was precisely this mentality of Tony’s that had allowed him to carry a nuclear missile through a wormhole.

Seeing that Tony had never even considered resisting after hearing about this, let alone putting on the Iron Man battle suit and fighting the twins to the death…

Oaks finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"You should both calm down first. I arranged for them to look through Hydra’s files. I have an appointment this afternoon. Once I’m done with that, I’ll arrange for you to meet."

As he spoke, Oaks opened a Portal to the Nature Guardian:

"Once this matter is settled, I have something major to discuss with you… something very important!"

After calming down, Tony watched Oaks shut the door and leave, then scratched his head irritably:

"Something major and important? Fine, if he says so, then at least my problem doesn’t count as a major one."

He muttered under his breath. As soon as he returned to his lab, Jarvis’s voice rang out:

"Sir, new data has been received from the Howling Commandos: research materials from Hydra’s Sokovia base… Perhaps you will find them interesting."

"Hm?"

Tony’s attention was drawn back. He was in no mood to complain about why he had been left out of another operation against Hydra, or when Captain had found himself an old buddy:

"Open them up. I heard that base was pretty technologically advanced…

Hm? Remote-controlled robots? That’s old stuff to me."

Tony browsed through the holographic files, and gradually, his movements slowed.

"Research data on Loki’s Scepter…"

He pulled over a chair and sat down, one hand on his chin as he carefully examined this unexpectedly surprising research:

"Oaks said the Scepter is with him, right?"

"Yes, sir."

Jarvis’s voice sounded:

"The Scepter came from beyond Earth, though not merely from Asgard.

Dr. Oaks came into contact with it during the Battle of New York. This time, he wishes to study whether it can be rendered completely harmless.

For ordinary people, it is simply too dangerous."

"Mm… that’s true. I’m an ordinary person too."

Tony’s eyes spun a few times, and he curled his lip:

"It’s just that the guy who plants trees everywhere doesn’t understand artificial intelligence. He failed to grasp the deeper meaning of Hydra’s research data…

Wait, could this be the important matter he wants to discuss with me?"

An astonishing gleam appeared in his eyes:

"Then I’m extremely interested!"

"Sir, you would be best advised to prepare a speech in advance, so as to avoid being at a disadvantage during your later conversation with the twins."

Jarvis kindly reminded him:

"Judging from the files, their abilities are troublesome, but they would also be highly dependable allies—

Perhaps that is why Dr. Oaks is committed to resolving the conflict between you and them."

"Mm… a speech, a speech… Jarvis, you should know speeches are useless to me."

Tony scratched his head fiercely again, then slumped into his chair:

"I mostly improvise, and besides, I’m in the wrong this time. I don’t want to argue my way out of it with rhetoric…

Forget it, I’ll deal with it then. This theoretical model, on the other hand, needs some serious study…"

While Tony immersed himself in the possibilities contained in Hydra’s files, Oaks returned to the Nature Guardian and had lunch with Pietro and Wanda.

The unprecedented nature-style cuisine left the siblings thoroughly astonished.

"Is this the invention of that environmental technology company of yours?"

Pietro curiously cut off a piece of what looked almost exactly like steak… steak, then put it into his mouth and chewed carefully:

"This has far more protein than beef, but less than half the fat and calories!"

With his superhuman metabolism, Pietro could tell that this "meat," identical to beef in texture, taste, and even appearance, was not beef at all.

"Mm, plant-based beef. After years of development, it has become convincing enough to pass for the real thing—

Of course, we aren’t making fake beef. This is healthy food for a new era."

Oaks pointed to the Big Acorn that Wanda was holding beside her with a bewildered expression:

"We haven’t expanded the Drink Acorn business to direct sales in Europe yet, but we will soon.

Also, this chicken and tuna steak is plant-based too.

After years of improvements, they are now almost indistinguishable from real chicken and tuna, and they have a significant fat-loss effect.

We’ve been supplying the green lines of major fast-food brands for over half a year now, and the response has been very good."

"Uh… so we’re eating grass?"

Wanda took another sip from the Passion Fruit Drink Acorn in disbelief. What girl would not like something like this?

"That’s amazing… Your magic can do things like this too?"

A faint red glow coiled around her hand:

"Then does this… count as magic?"

"Mm…"

Oaks swallowed a bite of beef, thought for a moment, and nodded:

"These results belong to science, because ordinary people can replicate them. But magic was indeed involved at the beginning.

As for your ability, that is indeed magic, just different from the magic traditions currently found on Earth."

At that point, Oaks hesitated, wondering whether he should pay Ancient One a visit.

But then he remembered that Ancient One could not possibly be unaware of Wanda’s Chaos Magic, and he felt relieved.

Once the Sorcerer Supreme had finished dealing with her disciple’s affairs, they could study it slowly. Still, he could give Wanda a hint in advance:

"Strictly speaking, Hydra’s experiments did not ‘give’ you and Pietro your abilities. You already had the potential for them. Their experiments merely ‘awakened’ and ‘strengthened’ your abilities.

Mages on Earth learn to master magic through study, but people like you, Wanda, who are born with magical abilities, are not unheard of."

Oaks thought of Asgard’s Queen Frigga:

"She calls people like you ‘Witches.’"