Chapter 44: The Discovery of the X-Academy

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Garus walked through the school corridors alongside Wanda and Pietro. The mutants at the academy were in the middle of a chemistry class, and watching the students triggered a sense of nostalgia in Wanda and Pietro, reminding them of their own days as students. It had been a long time since they had experienced anything resembling a normal life, not since their powers had been discovered and Hydra had taken them away.

"I'm in," Pietro said, breaking the silence. He glanced at Wanda. "What about you, Wanda?"

Wanda nodded but hesitated. "So what will we do here? Are we supposed to be students?"

"No. This place needs you to be teachers," Garus replied. Currently, Logan was the only mutant teacher at the academy, and the staff was stretched thin. Garus had no doubt that with Wanda and Pietro's abilities—and Logan's support—they could manage any challenge, even unruly students.

Spotting Logan about to return to his room, Garus called out, "Logan! Come here for a second."

Logan turned, gruffly acknowledging Garus. "What?"

"These are Wanda and Pietro," Garus introduced. "You've probably heard of them. They're mutants too, and from now on, they'll be part of the X-Academy."

Logan's expression tightened as he recognized Wanda. Memories of their last mission to rescue mutant children resurfaced. He had barely understood what had happened before blacking out completely—one of his most humiliating moments.

A notification popped into Garus's mind:

[System task complete: Rescue and recruit Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver for the X-Academy. Reward: 7,000 exchange points.]

Just then, the school bell rang. Garus gestured for Logan to take Wanda and Pietro to the classroom.

The students erupted in chatter upon seeing the new arrivals.

"Quiet down!" Logan barked, his voice carrying an authority that instantly silenced the room.

A tall boy named Roth stood up, unable to contain his curiosity. "Logan, why are they here?"

Logan's gaze narrowed. He wasn't aware of any specific grievances between the students and the newcomers. "I don't know what they might have done to you in the past," he admitted, "but from now on, they're your teachers. The principal and I will ensure this place remains safe for all of you."

The students exchanged uneasy glances. Over the past few months, the academy had become a sanctuary. They had warm beds, good food, and no fear of persecution. None of them wanted to jeopardize that.

Wanda and Pietro couldn't help but feel awkward under their scrutiny. Their time with Hydra haunted them. Back then, they had turned a blind eye to the organization's cruel experiments and even helped subdue other mutants who tried to escape. Now, regret weighed heavily on them.

At S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Triskelion Headquarters.

Agent Coulson knocked on the door to Director Fury's office.

"Come in," Fury called out.

"Director, we've lost track of the two mutants we were monitoring," Coulson reported.

Fury frowned. Recruiting those two for the Avengers had been his goal, which was why he'd assigned their surveillance to the top-tier agent Grant Ward. Yet, even Ward had failed to keep tabs on them.

The intel on mutants had initially come from the Ancient One, who had provided records of events during World War II. Those records revealed how mutants had almost vanished from the public eye.

As if he didn't have enough problems, Fury was also dealing with a recent crisis: a military base's weapons system had been hijacked, resulting in the destruction of an entire town. Miraculously, the lack of survivors had kept the event from becoming a media firestorm, sparing the government from backlash—for now.

Fury's thoughts drifted to the mutant's mind-control abilities. Could she have been involved in the missile incident?

"Leave this matter to me," Fury finally instructed. "Focus your efforts elsewhere for now."

At a Hydra Base.

Baron Zemo smirked as he activated the tracking devices embedded in Wanda and Pietro. It was thanks to these devices that he'd located them so quickly after their escape.

"Baron, we've pinpointed their location," a subordinate reported. "They're in Westchester, near New York City."

The red dots on the screen marked their positions. Zemo noted the speed of their journey from the small town where his failed missile strike had taken place. Traveling over a thousand kilometers to New York in such a short time was no small feat.

"Excellent. Send a reconnaissance team," Zemo ordered. "Make sure they remain undetected."

"Understood, sir."

A small squad of Hydra operatives set out, infiltrating the wooded area near Westchester. As they approached, the sight of a sprawling campus surrounded by high walls and barbed wire caught their attention. The team's leader deployed a drone, sending it to scout the interior.

Through the drone's camera, they observed children inside the buildings, with Wanda among them. The operatives made sure to keep the drone at a safe distance, avoiding detection.

"Baron, we've located the targets. They're in a building with a group of children," the team leader reported.

"Transmit the video feed to me," Zemo commanded.

When the footage reached Zemo, his eyes widened. Among the children were mutants who had escaped from Hydra months ago, including Experiment Ten—the key to artificially creating mutants. The prospect of recovering such valuable assets filled him with excitement.

"This time, you won't escape," Zemo muttered. Still, he knew the risks of launching a direct assault near New York. Any large-scale conflict would inevitably attract the military and S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Perhaps it's time to involve Senator Kelly," he mused.

To the reconnaissance team, he issued new orders: "Record their use of powers and return immediately. Do not engage."

"Understood, Baron."

The team continued their surveillance, gathering footage of the mutants in action before retreating into the shadows.