In Marvel With Guild System

Chapter 17: The Castle's Secrets & A Glimpse of Baron Strucker

The cold, biting winds of Sokovia were a familiar comfort to Wanda and Pietro, far more so than the bustling, chaotic streets of New York. But as they approached 'The Castle', an ominous, monolithic structure looming over the landscape, the familiarity dissolved into a chill that had nothing to do with the weather. This place, once a childhood nightmare whispered in hushed tones, was now a tangible, living threat.

They moved like ghosts, their Guild-provided stealth suits adapting to the low light, making them almost invisible against the crumbling stone and snow-dusted ground. Pietro, a blur of motion, scouted ahead, his enhanced senses picking up heat signatures and faint sounds. Wanda, her mind reaching out, felt discordant energies, faint echoes of agony and cold calculation.

"There's an entrance," Pietro's voice whispered in Wanda's Guild comms, a small earpiece in her ear. "A service tunnel. Minimal guards, seems like they think no one would bother."

"Typical Hydra arrogance," Wanda muttered back, remembering Adam's dry observations. "They underestimate everyone."

They slipped inside, the air immediately heavy with the metallic tang of machinery and the faint, unsettling scent of chemicals. The interior was a labyrinth of concrete corridors, some ancient, some newly renovated with stark, modern equipment. They used their infiltration kit, placing tiny cameras in vents and wiretaps on comm lines, their movements silent, efficient.

They found labs first. Gleaming, sterile rooms filled with monitors displaying complex genetic structures and energy readings. Cages, empty now, but with tell-tale signs of recent occupancy. It made Wanda's stomach clench. Human experimentation. Her own origins, twisted by a different hand, echoed in these sterile hells.

Then they found it. A massive chamber, humming with a barely contained power. At its center, behind a thick, reinforced glass, was a pulsating, electric blue sphere. It wasn't exactly the Tesseract, but the energy emanating from it was undeniably similar, yet… darker. Distorted.

"That's… that's the cube Adam mentioned," Pietro breathed, his voice tight. "But it's not a cube anymore."

They saw him then. Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, impeccably dressed, a cruel smile on his face as he observed the pulsing energy. Beside him stood a gaunt, intense man with severe features – Dr. List. Strucker was giving orders, his voice carrying an icy authority.

"...the 'twins'… they are anomalies. Our failures. Their powers are unstable. But this… this is true power. The Mind Stone. We will harness it. Turn humanity against itself. Project Insight will be realized not by SHIELD, but by Hydra. And then… we control the world."

Wanda froze, her blood turning to ice. The Mind Stone. And his words… 'failures'. They were talking about her and Pietro. Her rage flared, crimson energy threatening to burst forth, but Pietro grabbed her arm, his grip surprisingly firm.

"Not now, Wanda," he whispered, his voice tight with suppressed fury. "Adam said no heroics. Recon. We have what we need."

They spent a few more moments, their mini-cameras recording the data streams on the monitors, focusing on the energy readings, the schematics for what looked like highly advanced drones. They even managed to download a few fragmented data logs before a patrol approached their position.

"Move!" Pietro hissed, pulling Wanda away.

They retreated, a frantic dash through the labyrinthine corridors. Pietro's speed was their salvation, a blur that allowed them to evade detection. Wanda used her nascent abilities to subtly manipulate shadows, creating distractions, nudging a door closed behind them, making a loose pipe fall, just enough to buy them precious seconds.

They burst out into the biting Sokovian air, panting, adrenaline coursing through their veins. They had been in that viper's nest, and they had extracted vital intelligence.

[Mission Complete: 'Sokovian Castle Recon'] [Objective: Infiltrate 'The Castle', gather intel on Hydra activities, advanced tech, and human experimentation. Avoid direct confrontation.] [Rating: Excellent. Guild Master Efficiency Bonus: 10%.] [GP Reward: 200 GP + 20 GP (Bonus) = 220 GP!]

[Wanda Maximoff – GP Earned: 110 GP] [Pietro Maximoff – GP Earned: 110 GP]

[Adam Stiels – Guild Points (GP): 145 + 220 * 0.55 (Adam's cut) = 145 + 121 = 266 GP!]

"We got it," Wanda said, her voice shaking slightly but with a fierce resolve. "We saw it. The glowing thing. And Strucker. He spoke of… the Mind Stone. And us."

Adam's voice, calm and steady through the comms, was a reassuring anchor. "Good. Get back to the safe house. We'll debrief. You two did good. Better than good. You're becoming true Guardians."

A Special Message to My Amazing Readers!

To keep  In Marvel With Guild System growing and deliver more chapters faster, I've launched a Patreon! Join today for 5$ unlock 20+ additional chapters and become a vital part of this story's journey. Your support means the world!

you can read also 20+ chapters of "In Marvel With Auction System" " IN MARVEL WITH MISCHIEF SYSTEM" "MCU/ARROWVERSE : With Trading System" "Marvel : Please Kill Me" "Sitcomverse: TBBT, HIMYM, B99, & Modern family" "The Boys: I'm the New Hue, I Need More Power" and "legends of tomorrow : Im a Legend Now"+"Arrowverse: I'm a Hero"+"The Flash : Please Kill Me" "Arrowverse: I m A Fifth Dimension Being"

Click here to dive deeper: [patreon.com/TheFinex5]