Chapter 48 - 48 : Aftermath
.
---
Over the Broken London Bridge
At the moment, Finn floated behind a scarlet shadow. A pair of beautiful eyes glowed with an eerie red light, and a stunning face revealed a cold charm.
Her pale hand, smooth as porcelain, reached for Finn's mask.
She gave a sharp tug—
But the mask didn't move. The power of runes flickered across its surface, preventing it from shifting even half a centimeter.
Whoosh!
In the next second—
Finn's figure dissolved into a swirling mass of black energy, drifting several meters away before reforming into his human shape. His tone was teasing as he spoke:
"Scarlet Witch, it's very impolite to steal someone else's mask."
Wanda Maximoff's eyes were icy cold, but she didn't immediately attack.
She had a strong feeling that Agnes's presence in her life had been no coincidence.
Nick Fury's warning from earlier echoed in her mind: No stranger does something nice for free.
Recalling her interactions with Agnes, she realized how the woman had always been watching her, tracking her movements—especially when they'd met in Germany.
Chaos magic alone wasn't enough to explain this. Everything felt... off.
"Who the hell are you?" Wanda asked. "Why did you kill Agnes?"
Finn raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by her reaction. He had expected her to attack outright. After all, Wanda had trusted Agatha and believed the old woman to be a friendly neighbor.
But perhaps this was for the best. Otherwise, he might have been underestimating her.
"You mean her?" Finn's voice was casual. "Her name isn't Agnes. Agatha was her real name."
Wanda's expression remained unreadable.
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
Finn chuckled.
"I think you know how to prove it."
He didn't elaborate further, merely watching her with an easy smile.
Wanda frowned, her thoughts racing.
Chaos magic could interact with lingering memories of the dead. If Finn was lying, she would know.
But he wasn't worried—he had already erased Agatha's memories of him.
Wanda muttered under her breath, "Chaos magic..."
Slowly, she knelt beside Agatha's lifeless body. The woman's eyes were still open, frozen in death.
After a brief hesitation, Wanda reached out and gently closed Agatha's eyes. Scarlet light flickered at her fingertips as she delved into the remnants of the corpse's mind.
For a brief moment—
Wanda's eyes dimmed. She had found her answer.
Finn's voice was softer this time. "Are you okay?"
Wanda exhaled sharply, pushing her emotions down. "I'm fine. Thank you, Shadow."
But she wasn't fine.
The so-called "good neighbor," her kindness and warmth, had all been a front to steal the Chaos Magic within her.
Even though she had suspected something was off, learning the truth still hurt.
Nobody wanted to be lied to.
"No thanks necessary."
Finn could tell that Wanda was grieving, but she never let others see her vulnerabilities.
She always masked her emotions with indifference.
And yet, looking at the way she stood—silent, shoulders tense—it was clear that she was struggling.
If the death of one manipulative witch could shake her this much...
What would she do when the truth about him came out?
"Shadow, you've caused a real mess," a gruff voice interrupted. "The World Security Council has been blowing up my phone."
Nick Fury had just descended from the tower, still catching his breath, his expression full of irritation.
Finn had fought all the way from Germany to London—
Now, the Security Council was in a panic, constantly calling, demanding answers.
Their message was clear: Don't let the Shadow destroy London.
Finn smirked. "I thought they'd go to S.W.O.R.D. for this."
Fury scoffed. "What? Please. S.W.O.R.D. is just a baby compared to us. As long as it's happening on Earth, S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't going anywhere."
Finn kicked a fallen drone toward Fury's feet, his tone dry. "Yeah? I didn't expect the dignified director of S.H.I.E.L.D. to be fooled so easily."
Fury's eye twitched as he looked down at the wreckage.
His voice was clipped. "In this day and age, you really can't trust appearances."
"Yeah. Who would've thought the great Nick Fury would get played by an unknown?"
Fury sighed, choosing not to engage with Finn's taunts.
Instead, his eyes shifted toward Agatha's lifeless body.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Wanda turned toward him. "Fury, where's Spider-Man?"
Her voice was exhausted. She had no energy left for distractions. "He should've been here by now."
At that moment—
Boom!
A distant figure swung through the air, moving at high speed before landing with a thud nearby.
Peter Parker tore off his mask, revealing a face battered with fresh bruises and cuts. He was panting, visibly exhausted, and limping slightly as he stepped forward.
His voice was hoarse. "I... I think I did something bad."
Fury frowned. "What did you do now?"
Peter swallowed hard. "I didn't mean to, but... Quentin Beck—Mysterio—he's dead."
There was a moment of silence.
"He was hit by a drone. It was an accident, but... he bled out."
Fury exhaled sharply, relieved that it wasn't something worse. "Kid, that's not on you."
Peter's expression remained stricken.
"Mysterio's death was inevitable. If he had lived, things would've only gotten worse," Fury continued. "You didn't kill him. His own actions led to this."
Finn stepped forward, placing a hand on Peter's shoulder. "You have nothing to blame yourself for."
Under his mask, Finn frowned slightly.
His presence hadn't changed the course of events as much as he'd hoped.
Quentin Beck's final battle with Spider-Man had still played out—
Which meant...
The doctored footage of Mysterio's death would still be released.
Peter Parker's identity would still be exposed.
The world would still turn against him.
And in desperation, Peter would go to Doctor Strange for help.
Which would lead to a multiversal collapse.
The Three Spider-Men Event was inevitable.
Peter ran a hand through his disheveled hair, looking lost. "But Quentin and I... we should've been friends."
Finn sighed. "I get it. But you're a superhero, Peter. You're going to face situations like this again. You need to learn to move forward, or you'll fall apart."
Peter clenched his fists.
There was no escaping this.
No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried—
The multiverse was coming.
And Finn had a sinking feeling that things were about to spiral out of control.
---
---
Peter Parker remembered how he had been influenced by the mysterious guest while standing alongside the three other heroes.
"Shadow, thank you."
Hearing those words, Peter nodded, feeling a lot better.
He couldn't allow himself to be beaten so easily. Mr. Stark had entrusted him with the glasses—after all, heavy is the head that wears the crown. He had a responsibility now, and he couldn't afford to falter. Not when Quentin had been lying to him from the very start.
"Are you good at comforting people?"
From the back, Wanda Maximoff, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, watched the figure of the black-clad hero as he consoled Peter. There was something strangely familiar about him, something that reminded her of another presence—Finn.
"This is just wisdom passed down from those who've walked this path before."
Hearing Wanda's comment, Finn turned to meet her gaze—and was startled.
Why do I always feel like she's seeing right through me?
He needed to leave, fast. Staying any longer could lead to trouble.
With that thought, he glanced at the horizon, where the sun had already dipped below, and found the perfect excuse to slip away.
"Since everything's settled, I suppose it's time for me to go. Until next time."
"Hey, Shadow, about what I said earlier—"
Seeing him about to leave, Nick Fury quickly stepped forward, trying to bring up the offer of joining S.H.I.E.L.D.
But Finn didn't give him the chance. With a snap of his fingers, a black vortex swirled into existence behind him, swallowing his body completely in the blink of an eye.
He vanished on the spot.
"Motherfuc—seriously? There are more and more freaks on Earth these days."
Nick Fury's face darkened. He was supposed to be the world's top spy, but he had just been blatantly ignored—twice.
"Mr. Fury, Happy is waiting for me. I gotta go."
Peter Parker, seeing the sky darken, didn't even wait for Fury's response.
Pulling up his hood, he shot a web, leapt into the air, and swung off toward the bridge.
"Great. Another one."
Fury sighed, feeling like he was losing control of things.
"Fury, I'm heading back to Germany."
Wanda, seeing that everything was wrapped up, decided it was time for her to leave. If she hurried, she could make it back by 8 PM and still have dinner with Finn.
Nick Fury didn't refuse. He knew that this entire mission had been a mess—and largely his fault. His superiors would tear into him, and his colleagues would probably never let him hear the end of it.
Before long, a Quinjet arrived to pick up Wanda. Fury, however, stayed behind. He had other matters to handle.
As he and Maria Hill got into a car and left London, Hill turned to him with an irritated expression.
"Fury, did you tell him?"
Nick Fury, gripping the steering wheel, shook his head.
Then, something unexpected happened.
Hill's appearance suddenly shifted—her face morphing, skin turning a deep green with ridges running across her forehead.
She was a Skrull.
And the surprises weren't over yet.
Nick Fury, the man in the driver's seat, changed too. His form shimmered for a brief second before revealing that he, too, was a Skrull.
"You need to tell him," the female Skrull muttered, unimpressed.
"Alright, alright, but can you really blame me for this?" Fury—now Terry, the Skrull—grumbled.
"Do you have any idea how convincing he was? The data, the footage, the sheer destructive power? Even the way he carried himself! Hell, I have shapeshifting abilities, and even I started believing he was the real deal."
Face flushing with embarrassment, Terry let out a sigh and picked up his phone.
The name on the screen?
Nick Fury.
---
International Hotel, Berlin, Germany
Click.
The door opened.
"Finn, are you there?"
Wanda pushed the door open with anticipation, stepping into the cold and eerily silent room. She frowned.
Hill had confirmed that Finn hadn't left since the afternoon, but the atmosphere in the room felt too lifeless.
"Finn?"
She called again. No answer.
Walking inside, she noticed the bed was neatly made, the heating was off, and the autumn air made the room feel even colder.
"Not here?"
Curious, she reached out and touched the TV—it was ice cold. A small pang of disappointment settled in her chest.
Then—
Boom. Chhk!
"Witch, that you? I'm playing CS in the room."
At the other end of the room, a door opened, and Finn leaned out halfway, looking toward her.
In truth, he had just arrived. When he entered and felt how freezing the place was, he immediately turned on the heating. But since there wasn't enough time for it to warm up yet, he had rushed to the study to make it seem like he had been there all along.
"Finn, I thought you weren't here," Wanda said, relief washing over her as she hurried toward him, wrapping him in a tight embrace.
"What's wrong?" Finn asked, stroking her back gently.
" Agnes is a liar."
Wanda's voice was tinged with sorrow as she recounted the events of the day.
It was clear that Agatha's betrayal had shaken her deeply. She had genuinely believed they were friends, only to realize that Agatha had seen her as nothing more than a tool to steal her Chaos Magic.
"It's over now," Finn murmured, holding her close.
For a moment, he wasn't sure what else to say. After all, he was a liar, too. Maybe not in the same way, but the guilt gnawed at him all the same.
Sighing softly, he changed the subject.
"I made a reservation at a restaurant. Want to go out for dinner? We're heading back to Westview tomorrow, and if you don't try German food before we leave, you'll regret it."
Wanda's stomach let out a soft growl.
"...Okay."
---
Hotels Near Central Park
In the past, 8 PM was never the busiest time for this particular restaurant. But tonight was different.
People were practically fighting for seats by the window.
The reason?
From this spot, they could see a massive mountain peak rising right in the middle of Central Park.
A mountain. In the middle of New York City.
It was an unbelievable, almost surreal sight.
"Finn, why did you pick this place?"
Leaning against the window, Wanda gazed up at the towering peak in wonder.
"I didn't know Central Park would turn out like this," Finn swore, raising his hands defensively.
He had booked the reservation that morning, hoping to enjoy the usual scenery of Central Park.
Instead, he had somehow managed to destroy it by accident.
"Actually... it's kind of beautiful," Wanda murmured, resting her chin on her palm. "I've never seen anything like it."
The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.
Finn blinked, surprised.
He hadn't expected her to take it so well.
Curious, he asked, "What do you think of Shadow?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering. A lot of people admire him. They think he could become a great superhero."
Wanda tilted her head, pondering for a moment.
"I don't know him well enough to say," she admitted. "But he did expose Agatha today. If he hadn't, I would've been trapped in her lies forever."
She paused, her crimson eyes darkening slightly.
The deception had hurt her deeply. And Finn could see it.
He hesitated for a long moment, then finally took a deep breath.
"Wanda, there's something I need to tell you."
She looked at him, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"What is it?"
"...Wanda, I—"
------------------
1st Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
2nd Bonus Chapter -600 Power Stones
Dear Readers
Join Patreon for 40 Advance Chapters
https://www.patreon.com/UK21
Check out other novels
Haikyuu:The Unstoppable Force
Naruto: I'm Nine-tails And My host is Kushina