Sebastian’s colossal Death Raven form shrank swiftly, reverting to a common raven before spiraling into his human shape, suspended midair above the wreckage of the third Helicarrier.

Tapping the communicator in his ear, he spoke calmly. “My Helicarrier’s down. Anyone need backup?”

Tony’s voice crackled through, brimming with confidence. “I’m good, Sebastian. Just about to breach this Helicarrier’s core and shut it down. By the way, that giant raven—was that your new trick? Tearing a Helicarrier apart? Impressive stuff.”

“It’s a draining spell,” Sebastian admitted, a hint of exertion in his tone. “Not as effortless as it looked.”

“Don’t need you here,” Tony added. “But the Captain? Not sure about him.”

Steve’s voice cut in, steady but strained. “As Tony said, I—”

His words halted abruptly. Over the communicator, Sebastian caught heavy breathing, low snarls, and intermittent shouts of Bucky’s name, punctuated by the thud of fists and flesh colliding. Steve was locked in a fierce struggle.

After a tense pause, Steve’s voice returned, panting. “Alright, I could use some help, Sebastian. But please—don’t kill him. He’s my friend, brainwashed by Hydra.”

The mention of brainwashing and friendship clicked for Sebastian, identifying Steve’s opponent as Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. Transforming into a vortex of black smoke, he evaded two fighter jets closing in for an attack, dispatching them with a swift Reducto from his wand. Diving onto the middle Helicarrier, he located Steve grappling with Bucky in a brutal melee.

With a whoosh, Sebastian emerged from the smoke, striding forward. A flick of his wand sent Bucky hurtling backward, suspended upside down bound by a Wingardium Leviosa, his struggles futile against the spell’s grip.

Sebastian’s magic, proved devastatingly effective against those lacking magical resistance.

“Steve, reprogram the core,” Sebastian said, his voice steady. “I’ll handle him.”

Glancing at Bucky, thrashing helplessly in midair, Steve nodded sincerely, gratitude in his eyes, and hurried to the Helicarrier’s control panel to alter its programming.

Bucky, realizing escape was impossible, extended his silver mechanical arm, drawing a pistol and aiming at Steve’s back. Before he could fire, Sebastian unleashed a precise Expulso, shattering Bucky’s arm at the elbow. The severed limb and gun clattered to the deck.

Another spell followed—a Stupefy that struck Bucky’s chest, rendering him unconscious. Sebastian lowered the Winter Soldier gently to the ground, then turned to Steve, who had completed the reprogramming. With a nod, Sebastian enveloped Steve and the unconscious Bucky in a swirl of black smoke, Apparating them to the Triskelion’s rooftop.

“Tony, the core’s reprogrammed,” Steve announced through the communicator, his voice steady despite the battle’s toll.

“About time!” Tony replied, his tone brimming with anticipation. “Let’s give Hydra a spectacular finale!”

At Tony’s cue, the two remaining Helicarriers unleashed their reprogrammed arsenals, firing upon each other in a blaze of roars and erupting flames. The colossal vessels plummeted from the sky, crashing into the lake below, sending up torrents of water and a cacophony of explosions. Hydra’s prized weapons, the culmination of years of covert labor for Project Insight, lay submerged and shattered.

With a metallic thud, Tony touched down beside Steve and Sebastian on the Triskelion’s rooftop, his Mark 43 helmet retracting to reveal his face. His gaze settled on Bucky, unconscious nearby, then flicked to Steve. “Cap, what’s the plan for this Hydra operative?”

Steve began, “He’s not a Hydra agent—” He trailed off mid-sentence, catching Sebastian and Tony’s skeptical looks. Clearing his throat, he corrected himself. “Alright, he was a Hydra agent, but he’s brainwashed. He’s my comrade, my best friend. I can’t give up on him.”

Tony shrugged, unconvinced but pragmatic. “No objections here, but you can’t lock him up forever. What if he breaks free and rejoins Hydra?”

“I’ll help him remember,” Steve insisted, his voice carrying fervent belief. “He’s already recalling fragments.”

Sebastian, eyeing the vibranium shield slung across Steve’s back, spoke up. “Steve, let me study your shield. In exchange, I’ll use my magic to break his brainwashing and restore his memories.”

Steve’s eyes widened with cautious hope. “Sebastian, you’re serious?”

“Absolutely,” Sebastian affirmed. “I have the spells to help him, but it’s an equivalent exchange. You’ll allow me to analyze your shield and, without compromising its integrity, extract a small amount of vibranium for my own projects. That’s the cost.”

Steve nodded slowly, weighing the offer. “That’s fair. Deal.”

“Good,” Sebastian said. “Once this is over, I’ll handle his memories and brainwashing.”

“Appreciate it,” Steve replied, relief softening his features.

With Natasha and Clint’s expertise, Fury’s team swiftly reclaimed S.H.I.E.L.D. from Hydra’s grasp. Unlike its original fate, Fury chose not to dissolve the agency. Instead, he restructured it, assembling a select group of trusted agents, streamlining membership to ensure loyalty, and enhancing operational purity. The new S.H.I.E.L.D. abandoned a fixed headquarters, opting for mobile Helicarriers as command centers. Sebastian, uninterested in the finer details, learned little beyond this and cared even less.

In a secure cell within the Triskelion, Sebastian stood before Bucky, who was bound to a chair with elastic restraints, his severed mechanical arm removed. Bucky’s eyes, clouded with defiance, met Sebastian’s as he stirred awake.

Glancing at Steve and the others observing from outside, Sebastian raised his wand. A shimmering green thread of light extended from its tip, piercing through Bucky’s resistance and delving into his mind. With steady resolve, Sebastian began unraveling Hydra’s mental conditioning, erasing their insidious controls and coaxing forth the long-dormant memories of James Buchanan Barnes.

With a steady exhale, Sebastian vanished his wand, its glow fading from his hand.

Admittedly, Bucky’s condition proved challenging. Hydra’s decades-long control had woven deep psychological chains into his mind, requiring considerable effort to unravel without harming his brain. Restoring his original memories, however, was simpler—Steve’s earlier efforts had primed Bucky’s recollection, allowing Sebastian to guide those fragments to full clarity with relative ease.

Exiting the cell, Sebastian accepted the vibranium shield from Steve, and with a casual wave, it disappeared into his magical storage. Extracting a trace of vibranium for his Reality Stone medium, without compromising the shield’s strength, would be a straightforward task for his arcane expertise.

Leaving Bucky in Steve’s and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s care, Sebastian entered the Triskelion’s lounge, spotting Tony with a Band-Aid plastered on his forehead. Settling beside him, Sebastian spoke with an easygoing tone. “Tony, I haven’t had the chance to mention—the Dark Elves’ spaceship Thor defeated is in my possession. Think you could retrofit it for use?”

Tony’s eyes sparked with intrigue. “An alien spaceship? Hand it over, and I’ll position it in Earth’s orbit. Hold on—developing it solo might be tough. I’d need S.H.I.E.L.D.’s resources. Any issues with that?”

“None at all,” Sebastian replied. “It’s useless to me. If I hadn’t thought you could repurpose it, Thor and I would’ve scrapped it.”

“Good call,” Tony said, shaking his head helplessly. “Destroying it would’ve been a tragedy—either for the ship or for your Thor-like recklessness.”

Sebastian chuckled. “So, what’s your plan for it?”

“Keep it with you for now while I prep,” Tony said. “I’m thinking an off-world Avengers base—a transit hub or rest stop. If needed, we could activate it as a fully functional spacecraft. Sound good?”

“I’m indifferent,” Sebastian admitted. “Tech’s not my forte.”

Initially, Sebastian had considered transforming the spaceship into a mobile magic school for maximum security and flexibility. But he’d abandoned the idea—Earth’s magic school should be grounded, and he’d already scouted a prime location. A stable base would better attract promising students, and the spaceship’s unknown risks, beyond his technical grasp, were best left to experts like Tony.

Carrying Steve’s shield in his magical storage, Sebastian bid farewell to Tony and the others, returning to Avengers Tower. Rather than taking Alisha to her own home, he brought her to his fortified villa. Hydra’s leadership in S.H.I.E.L.D. was dismantled, but stray operatives could still pose a threat. The protective pendant he’d given Alisha offered some security, but his villa’s advanced defenses—layered with magical wards and technology—ensured her safety beyond doubt.

Sebastian arranged for Alisha to take an extended leave from her restaurant job, giving her time to rest and settle.

Alisha, brimming with curiosity, eagerly explored the villa, her enthusiasm freeing Sebastian to focus elsewhere.

Descending to his underground laboratory, Sebastian resumed his experiments, the vibranium and Reality Stone medium awaiting his attention.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep