[TWD x Resident Evil] — Chapter 279 - Sunshine Rainbow Little White Horse, Wakanda Wakanda

"A herd of sunshine rainbow little white horses," Hermione sneered. "Sitting on a massive vibranium deposit, and the tech they've tinkered out isn't any more impressive than Tony's. Yet every single one of them struts around like they're the center of the universe. Honestly? They'd have a brighter future going back to picking cotton. Ultron, you'd better step it up and give them a proper thrashing first."

Wakanda, oh Wakanda, oh Wakanda...

Sunshine rainbow little white horses, Wakanda Wakanda...

Hand over the vibranium, hand over the vibranium, go back and pick your cotton...

She hummed the mocking little tune soundlessly, a glint of calculation flickering in her eyes.

Ultron robbing Wakanda, what does that have to do with me? When the time comes, I'll destroy Ultron. That'll count as avenging them.

As for the vibranium... what vibranium? Those are this Witch's rightful spoils of war for defeating the evil villain Ultron and saving the world. Perfectly justified.

Mine. All of it, mine.

Ava and Sitwell recognized that expression immediately. The Witch was scheming again, someone was about to get played.

They exchanged a glance, straightened sharply, and bowed in unison. "As you command, Lady Witch!"

They were just turning to withdraw and carry out their orders when Hermione spoke up.

"Ava. Wait."

Ava stopped. She turned around, looking at Hermione with quiet apprehension.

"You," Hermione said, her gaze settling on Ava with a trace of genuine inquiry. "Do you still want your original ability back?"

Ava's body trembled, barely perceptible, but it was there. Terror surfaced on her face.

She remembered the agony. Her body constantly tearing apart and reassembling between quantum state and solid form. The relentless storm of sensation that never stopped, never quieted. It was the definition of a nightmare.

"Don't be afraid." Hermione saw it and softened her tone. "I'm not going to undo the magic and make you go through that again."

She paused. "If you'd rather not keep it, I can keep using a stabilizing spell instead. My power now is far beyond what it was before. Each casting can hold you out of that unstable quantum state for at least a year, and there won't be any pain during that time."

Ava let out a slow, shaky breath.

Hermione reached into her robes and produced a crystal vial filled with deep blue liquid. She held it out.

"There's another option. This is a Sensory Blocking Potion. Drink it, and you keep your quantum phasing ability — without the pain that comes with it."

She let a beat pass.

"The price is that you lose all your senses. Permanently."

Ava went still.

She thought about the ability she used to have. That freedom of slipping through the intangible, passing through every physical barrier as if it didn't exist. It was far more powerful than the Invisibility Cloak the Witch had given her, far more flexible. If she could have it back, she could do so much more. Instead of spending most of her time as nothing more than a regular field agent.

"Mere senses," Ava murmured to herself. Then she snapped her head up. "If it's possible — yes. I want my ability back. Losing my senses is nothing. Being able to help you is what matters."

She didn't hesitate after that. She tilted the vial back and drank it in one go.

A warmth bloomed in her throat and spread outward.

Moments later, she felt her body begin to change.

She reached for her ability. Her form started to blur and turn translucent. The searing, tearing agony she'd braced for never came.

She could sense herself entering the quantum state clearly. Every particle of her body vibrating and reassembling, shifting in some profound and intricate way. But the process was smooth. Natural. Completely painless.

She vanished with a SHHK. A heartbeat later, she coalesced silently on the other side of the room.

Ava stared down at her hands. Her power was back. Really back. And the pain that had followed her for so long, truly gone. She'd lost every positive sensation along with it, but the joy of her power returning was more than enough to fill that space.

"Good." Hermione nodded, satisfied, and produced a small collection of enchanted items. She held them out. "These are magical tools fitted to your ability. They'll let you perceive your surroundings even without your senses, and they'll boost your combat effectiveness."

She paused, looking Ava over with something almost fond.

"Take care of them. You'll eventually be teaming up with a whole group of strange-looking characters to fight Sentinels. Don't embarrass me out there, Ghost."

"?"

Ava's brow furrowed. She had absolutely no idea what Hermione was talking about.

But she accepted the items with both hands, clearly extraordinary things, even at a glance, and the gratitude she felt toward Hermione settled deeper than ever.

Sitwell, watching from the side, had been slowly turning green.

Ava got her power restored. Ava got a pile of treasures on top of that. His gaze drifted miserably down to the plain black healing bracelet on his own wrist, then crept back up to Hermione. He looked exactly like a puppy that had been left behind.

Hermione felt a crawl run up her spine under that stare. She couldn't take it.

"Alright, stop. Stop looking at me like that." She crossed her arms, irritated. "I gave those to Ava because she had an ability to work with in the first place. The equipment is compatible with her power, and it won't tip Ultron off. You have no superpower. If I handed you items at that level, Ultron would spot the anomaly immediately, and the first thing it would do is put you down."

Sitwell absolutely understood. He understood completely. That didn't stop him from muttering under his breath, "But I'm still so jealous..."

The sheer wretchedness in his voice was impressive.

Hermione pressed a hand to her forehead. This man's shamelessness was genuinely growing.

She sighed. "Relax. When this is over, there's something waiting for you too. Until then, do your job. Keep a close eye on Ultron's side and don't let anything slip."

"Really?!"

Sitwell snapped back to life like someone had thrown a switch. His eyes went wide, grievance evaporating off his face so fast it might never have existed. In its place: pure, radiant delight and shameless flattery.

He shot forward in one step, rubbing his hands together furiously, and the floodgates opened.

"Lady Witch! You are truly beyond compare, brilliant, wise, and so considerate of your subordinates! This servant knew it, knew it all along! Your eyes miss nothing, Lady Witch, you would never overlook a loyal and devoted servant like me! To serve under Lady Witch is a blessing I, Sitwell, must have spent several lifetimes earning! I, "

Hermione listened to the familiar torrent and felt her mood lift.

Honestly? It was comfortable to hear.

She had to admit, nobody ran flattery quite like Sitwell.

...

Inside Avengers Tower, Tony stood in front of a large screen and raised his voice.

"Found Ultron. It's on a cruise ship — making a deal with black-market arms traders."

They all understood that what had shown up was just a single body. But for Ultron to appear in person meant something significant was in play.

What exactly? They'd find out when they got there.

It was the only lead they'd had in all this time. They weren't letting it go.

The Avengers assembled. Geared up. Ready.

➤ Next: Thor Gets Flashed and Headshot