Mordo didn''t seem happy at all, but since the Ancient One had spoken, he couldn''t argue against it.

    "Tony, we should leave," Liam said.

    "Yeah, yeah. By the way, does this place need a little—let''s call it ''modernization''? I could send some people in to upgrade the infrastructure. Y''know, throw in some better lighting, maybe a heating system?" Tony suggested.

    "Mr. Stark, these walls were woven with magic, not mere bricks and mortar. They cannot be altered so easily. However, if you truly wish to contribute, I would be intrigued to see a blueprint that blends magic with modern innovation. Kamar-Taj would welcome such a creation," the Ancient One replied smoothly, amusement flickering in her tone.

    Around them, several apprentices stifled chuckles.

    Even Liam smirked. If Tony wanted to flaunt his wealth, might as well put it to good use.

    "Oh, challenge accepted," Tony said, completely unfazed. "Give me a week, and I''ll draft something that''ll make this place look like a five-star magical retreat."

    "Fenrir, take us to his home," Liam said.

    Fenrir barked happily and stepped forward, opening a swirling black portal. The gathered apprentices stared, stunned.

    "Wait, that''s a portal?"

    "That doesn''t look anything like ours."

    "I don''t even know how to use a Sling Ring yet, and this thing just rips open space like it''s nothing? Am I officially worse than a wolf?"

    "If you know you''re worse than a wolf, maybe try training harder," another apprentice shot back.

    Their murmurs carried on for a while before they reluctantly returned to their studies.

    The Ancient One, however, remained unfazed. She had witnessed far stranger things in her lifetime.

    But his happy days were soon over as Fury called him to Stark Tower one day. He didn''t turn it down—he was getting a bit bored at home anyway.

    "Fenrir, how do you feel about a little fun?" Liam asked.

    Bark

    "Good boy..." Liam said, then asked him to open a portal to Stark Tower. As soon as he walked in, he saw that everyone had already arrived.

    "You held out on me, didn''t you?" Liam asked, eyeing the room.

    "Wasn''t my idea. But you''re the one who gave us the intel, so you needed to be here," Fury said, arms crossed.

    "What intel?"

    "The Red Room," Natasha said, her voice laced with venom. Her anger was unmistakable.

    "Alright, I''m in," Liam replied. That didn''t exactly make Rogers or Tony happy, but they weren''t about to argue.

    "Our guys in SHIELD finally tracked Dreykov to an abandoned gulag in Siberia," Fury said.

    "Siberia? A gulag? Wow. Nothing screams ''Soviet nostalgia'' like that," Tony scoffed.

    "From what we know, he''s trying to build what looks like a flying ship—thanks to a bunch of kidnapped scientists from all over the world. If we go in, this won''t just be a takedown mission—it''s a rescue op too," Fury said. He then opened a satellite image of the place and pulled up a 3D model of the facility.

    " This place is built like a fortress. The main structure is a reinforced Soviet-era gulag, but Dreykov''s made some serious upgrades. High-tech security, automated defenses, and patrols running on a tight schedule. We''re looking at a total lockdown if we trip any alarms."

    He swiped a hand across the interface, highlighting a large underground section.

    "This is where they''re keeping the Widows. Converted prison blocks—cells reinforced with biometric locks and surveillance at all times. From what we gathered, there are at least thirty active Widows being held here, possibly more. We don''t know how Dreykov why he keeps them in prisons, I am guessing they don''t listen to his commands well, possibly instable minds of all of them."