---
The Stark missile that landed in her home had left an unforgettable mark on Wanda. Even though she now understood that Tony himself wasn't responsible, it wasn't something she could let go of so easily.
Kai noticed the hesitation on her face and quickly reassured her. "Wanda, I'm not asking you to change your mind about Tony right away. Just take your time. Now that you know the truth, maybe, over time, your feelings will change naturally. No rush."
Hearing that, Wanda's tense shoulders relaxed a little.
Kai nodded. "Good. There's no hurry on that front. But I do have something important to talk to you about."
Hearing him emphasize "important," Wanda and Pietro both turned to him, waiting for him to continue.
"The thing is… you're both still young. Staying cooped up in the manor long-term isn't a great idea. If you don't interact with people your age, you'll start losing touch with the outside world."
Banner, who had been listening, mulled over Kai's words and nodded in agreement.
Wanda frowned slightly. "What are you saying?"
Kai leaned forward. "I think you should go to school. Studying, making friends, just… being around people your age—it'll be good for you."
Maybe it was his previous life's mindset kicking in, but Kai always believed kids should go to school, have some normalcy, and interact with their peers.
Wanda and Pietro were stunned. Out of all the things Kai could have said, they hadn't expected this.
"This… this…" Wanda struggled to respond.
Banner spoke up first. "Kai, I agree with you. If they want, I can even help get them an invitation letter from a good school. But… there's a problem."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "What's the issue?"
"Do they even have legal U.S. identification?"
Kai froze.
Right. That was a problem.
His plan sounded great, but Wanda and Pietro weren't U.S. citizens. They didn't have any legal documents. Kai scratched his head, frustrated with himself for not thinking of that sooner.
Standing up, he said, "You two eat first. I'll go handle this." Without waiting for their response, he left the manor.
Banner, seeing the confusion on Wanda and Pietro's faces, smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about him. He'll be back soon."
He had a pretty good guess about who Kai was going to see, and he had no doubt that person would have a solution.
---
Sure enough, just as Banner expected, Kai headed straight to Tony Stark's villa.
When he arrived, he found Tony and Pepper on the couch, sharing a massive pizza while Tony regaled her with stories of his recent trip to Asgard.
Kai smirked. "Oh, am I interrupting a romantic moment?"
Tony and Pepper both turned to look at him. Pepper quickly sat up, smiling. "Kai! You're not interrupting. Have you eaten? Come join us!"
Kai didn't bother with formalities. He strolled over, grabbed a slice of pizza, and sat down. He had been too caught up in everything at the manor to eat much earlier.
After finishing a slice and washing it down with a cold drink, he finally got to the point. "Tony, I got intel on a facility experimenting on kids."
Before he could continue, Pepper gasped. "Oh my God! Did you save them?"
"Of course I did," Kai replied. "They're safe now and living at my manor. But I don't want them just sitting around all day. I want them to go to school, have a normal life. The problem is… they don't have any legal documents. And while I *could* forge some, that won't hold up under scrutiny. I need the real thing—identities that can't be questioned. That's why I came to you."
Tony was about to respond, but Pepper beat him to it.
"Oh, don't worry about that, Kai. Leave it to me. I'll get it done."
Kai exhaled in relief. "Thanks, Pepper. That'll make things a lot easier. Banner is already helping with the school arrangements."
As he spoke, he glanced at Tony, who had gone oddly quiet.
Pepper followed Kai's gaze and realized Tony had been silently listening, his expression unreadable.
Kai decided to explain further. "I didn't bring them here directly for a reason. Their home was destroyed by Stark missiles. They grew up blaming you, Tony. I need them to change their minds gradually—on their own terms."
Pepper covered her mouth, her eyes filled with emotion. "That's… horrible," she murmured, visibly upset. "Those poor kids…"
Tony remained silent, absorbing the weight of what Kai had just told him.
Sensing the mood turning heavy, Kai decided to switch topics. He gestured toward them. "So, I heard you were telling Pepper about Asgard?"
Tony finally looked up. "Yeah, she wanted to hear about what it's like up there."
Kai smirked. "Next time we go, we should bring Pepper along. Consider it a vacation."
"Really?!" Pepper's eyes widened with excitement. She had been picturing vacations around the world—but a vacation *in space*? That was beyond anything she had imagined.
"Absolutely," Kai said with a grin. "I promise."
Pepper beamed. "You better not forget!"
"I won't," Kai assured her, patting his chest.
With that, Pepper got up to start making calls, ensuring Wanda and Pietro would have proper identification.
Kai leaned back, finally feeling like things were coming together.
________