《Fated Chaos: A Marvel SI-OC》 Chapter 1: The Ritual (General P.O.V) In the larger context, the classic narrative of "good versus evil," "black versus white," has always struck me as overly simplistic. It''s rarely so straightforward, you know? It''s more about perspective, I suppose. During my upbringing, I was immersed in tales where the hero consistently triumphed over the villain, where morality was neatly defined. However, as I grew older, I came to realize that reality doesn''t conform to such clear-cut distinctions. It''s messy, complex, filled with shades of gray. Consider heroes, for instance. They may perform noble deeds, yet they are not flawless. They err, they harbor their own imperfections and uncertainties. And what about villains? Not all are entirely malevolent. Often, there''s a backstory of suffering or desperation driving their actions. This prompts contemplation: are they truly evil, or merely products of circumstance?- By SorcererPrime. (1 month after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron) -Wanda- Pietro was dead. Her brother...the rock of her life. The last piece of sanity in an insane world...had been mercilessly taken from her. All because she made the decision to play hero. But even joining the good guys did little for the misfortune that had followed her since she was a little girl. "But that changes today." Wanda muttered to herself, inspecting the formation drawn on the floor of the Warehouse for the fifth time. The Warehouse was located in an abandoned section in Manhattan, closed off by the City Council due to the damages caused by the Chitauri invasion a few years back. It was a place with potent energy. Not quite a Leyline node but according to the book, those were few and far in between. That said, it was sufficient for what she wanted. The natural energy hanging around would conceal the mystic energy produced by the ritual once she begun. She couldn''t get this wrong. The book was very insistent on that. Every line had to be perfect, every curve smooth. It''s why she had used her own finger to draw it out. Her finger as the brush and her blood as the ink. "Mother, Father...Pietro, I''ll be seeing you soon." Wanda spoke into the empty air. "P-please...let us...go." A voice weakly moaned from the ground beside the magic formation. ''One of them is awake.'' Wanda noted. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The male. He should have been unconscious for another 30 minutes, at least until the ritual was over. ''Sleep'' She whispered in a language only known to her. The book called it the language of Gods but the alien words leaving her throat always tasted of taint and evil. She had vomited uncontrollably the first few times she tried to pronounce the letters and words. But after 2 weeks of learning, followed by another 2 weeks of preparation, she could speak the language as well as any native. That''s how she knew it wasn''t the Language of Gods but one of Demons and Devils. She stepped back from the formation after ensuring it was perfect. Her attention falling to the book. It was black, a hardcover that was 12 inches long widthwise. It hovered in the air next to her shoulder, close by for when she needed it. It was always so eager to be used. She could always hear it calling out to her. The book held immense power. Impossible hexes and spells. Some of which were capable of destroying the world many times over. In fact, the destructive spells made up 50% of what the book had allowed her access to. That was another thing- on top of favoring destruction and any kind of disorder, as far as she could tell the pages in it were infinite. However most of the spells, charms and hexes were unusable without the user sacrificing a piece of themselves in the process. It was why Wanda had foregone some of the more powerful rituals like ressurection. Bringing Pietro back to life would require more than power, it would consume a piece of her soul, corrupting her in the process. Wisps of red energy manifested around her form, turning her eyes a blood red color. Her hand glowed with large amounts of this same energy, and with a simple wave, the book''s pages started flipping before stopping on the one she wanted. The exact ritual she was performing. [Regression] -A ritual spell that sends a target''s mental self with all their memories intact back in time, to inhabit their younger self. The souls merge ensuring no rejection from the body- There was a longer description that went into detail and outlined the steps to performing the ritual. One would need their own blood as a catalyst and two sacrifices, a man and a woman. All of which she had. The immorality of her actions wasn''t lost on Wanda. A month ago she was helping The Avengers fight a self-replicating genocidal AI that wanted to bring about the end of humanity. And now here she was, about to sacrifice two humans for her own selfish gain. What would the Avengers say if they learned of her plans? Most likely fight to stop her. "It doesn''t matter. None of them do." She shook her head to get rid of the distracting thoughts. "Besides, once I go back, it will be like nothing happened. It will be a fresh start. A clean slate." She was doing this for her family. Her power flowed through the air in streams, folding around the man and woman before carrying the two of them to the center of the ritual circle. Ever since the book found it''s way to her, all her previous abilities had gotten a bump up. Using her telekinesis had never felt easier. With the sacrifices in place, it was now time for the final step. A chant that if done correctly, would transfer the life essence of the sacrifices onto the circle, offering Chthon their souls for consumation in return for using his power to open a Path into the past. The ritual carried no discernible risk for her, except for the unfortunate sacrifices who would have their souls consumed. But because she was travelling back into the past, this current present would cease to exist. Her family will be alive and she won''t have to wait on dreams and nightmares to see them again. "Wait for me." Wanda stated, closing her eyes as she begun her chant. The wisps of red energy around her body grew in volume and intensity, her hair begun to dance in a non-existent breeze and her feet left the floor as she levitated above the ritual circle. Foreign words, guttural and nonsensical to anyone who would have been listening, left her lips, filling the warehouse with a powerful aura. In the same vein, she visualized the result she wanted in her mind. Her destination was set for 12 years ago, when she was 6 years old. The ritual circle begun to glow, her blood on the floor pulsing with the power surging through her veins. Wanda had only touched upon magic a month prior, but it''s energy was way different from anything else she had ever sensed. If she had to make a comparison, she would say it felt similar to the power of an infinity stone, primal and old. The chant came to an end just as the ritual circle hit a peak in intensity. The two sacrifices above the circle had awakened to find their hands and legs bound by rope constructs made of her power. They thrashed about, terror apparent on their faces as they tried to scream, but due to Wanda binding their mouths, they could only watch on in horror as the circle started pulling in their life force. Wanda did not look away from the scene. Even as the bodies begun to visibly decay and the ritual circle got brighter and brighter. A glowing blue portal, the size of a basketball popped into existence above the ritual circle, growing larger as the screams died down. Wanda''s excitement soared along with her relief. It was working! The book hadn''t lied. All she had to do now was wait for the portal to stabilize before walking through it, and she would start over. A new beginning. The portal was now wide enough that a child could walk through. The opening in the middle revealed stars and pinpricks of light on the other side. The night sky. She remembered watching the stars with Pietro whenever their parents went to sleep. The weight of her emotions forced her to land on the floor, too agitated to keep levitating. On the ritual circle, the bodies of the two sacrifices were now mere skeletons and even the bones seemed to break down and dissolve into dust. ''I''m sorry.'' Wanda looked away from the remains, sparing a look behind her, before steeling her heart and approaching the now stabilized rift. The second her foot breached the ritual circle, everything went wrong. There was an explosion from the portal that spread out, slamming into the hastily set up defensive shroud of magic around her and throwing her body back. Wanda ragdolled on the floor as the Warehouse around her was decimated by the blast of mystical energy, leaving her gasping on the ground while staring up at the cloudless sky. "No..." The word, full of dread, escaped her lips as she staggered to her feet, eyes wide and focused on the magical formation that had taken her week to create. "No..." The word came out again, this time her voice cracking with a swirl of negative emotions. Her portal! Where was it?! She waved her hand, expelling the dust obscuring the area, only instead of a Path into the past, all that remained of her efforts and sacrifice was a magic deprived ritual circle and the body of a man lying on top of it. That wasn''t the worst of it. It is said, bad things come in threes. The Avengers arriving in a Quinjet at that very instant only served to reinforce that phrase. Chapter 2: Locke Mastif (General P.O.V) (The Avengers Compound) (Upstate New York) "Data suggests her powers begun as little more than telekinesis and some form of mind control." Tony stated, pulling up video clips of Wanda during the fight against Ultron and the practice sessions afterwards. "So how was she able to learn magic?" Clint asked, doing maintenance on his bow. "If, magic is even a real thing." "Oh it''s real alright. Remember Loki?" Tony asked, sliding his hand over the plasma interface, producing files that showed the Asgardian prince performing magic. "Illusions, the same mind control, energy blasts...it all matches. What we scanned in that warehouse shares the same vibrational frequency as most of what Loki could do." Tony turned to face the rest. "It was magic. Through and through. And if that isn''t convincing enough, there''s the-" "Book." Cap finished for him, entering the room with a black man dressed in all black and wearing an eye patch in town. "Its called the Darkhold." Nick Fury, director of Shield, revealed. "A nasty piece of work. Two of my guys studying the motherfucking thing had a meltdown and started screaming about the end of all days." He stepped up closer to the console. On one of the screens, Wanda was floating above the ground in a cell made of hard light. Her body was shrouded in scarlet energy. "So, how is she?" "She''s doing fine." Vision stated. "Her biometrics are in flux but healthwise, she is at peak functionality." "Right." Fury nodded, throwing a weird look Vision''s way. "I''ve arrived with transport. Hand her over and I''ll be out of your hair Avengers." At his words, Tony and the others looked at each other. "No can do Spyman." The billionaire refused. Fury frowned. "Tony, you do realize she killed 2 people right? And from the statement you gave, it was not in self defense. She had a fucking demonic pentagram on the ground! And a book that has been making people crazy for centuries. So why oh why, is she exempt from justice? Or is it because she''s an Avenger?" "You''re bloody righ-" Tony begun, only for Cap to stop him by placing a hand on his shoulder. "That''s not what he meant Fury. No one''s above the law. Least of all us." The Super Soldier pointedly stared at his teammates. "However, before we can hand her over, we need to know why she did what she did. Natasha and I will go in to talk to her." Seeing that no one was objecting, Steve nodded before adding, "Tony, you and Vision interrogate our other...guest." "Other guest?" Fury muttered in question. "What other guest?" If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. -Locke Mastif- Dreams. My third psychiatrist thought I was lying, when I told her I had been dreaming about the same thing for the last 10 years of my life. It had started just as I hit puberty. Every night, I would find myself in a desolate world, the ground blackened, cracked and scalding hot. The air- a cloying smoke filled atmosphere under a blood red sky with a half destroyed moon hanging overhead. And I''m walking alone in this hellish landscape. Not knowing where I''m going or where I''m coming from. And right before the dream ends, I look up and see her, a figure draped in a torn gown made of feathers, a black and red crown on her head and red eyes watching me intently. Her face is beautiful. Too beautiful in fact. Yet it''s a deadly kind of beauty. I know, like I''ve always known that this woman, this thing, is dangerous. She opens her lips and let''s out a bloodcurdling scream full of hate, righteous anger and so much pain. The pain is what overwhelms me and I wake up either on my bed or on the floor below it, covered in sweat. The Psychiatrist like the two before her, prescribed me with anti-depressants that made me sluggish and sleepy and called it a day. Yesterday I tried to kill myself. Today I don''t know where I am. Or who these people are. Though, they look eerily familiar. -0- "I know this must be confusing and shocking to you, but I need to know, who are you?" The Man asking the question had a pair of yellow tinted glasses, light stuble on his chin, a thin moustache and his black hair was smoothed out. The bags under his eyes showed he hadn''t had a good night sleep in a while. I could relate. "Locke. Locke Mastif." I answered, realizing that he and his partner were waiting on my reply. "What is the last thing you remember Mr. Mastif?" His partner asked. He had a clean shaven face and moved with a smoothness I had never noticed on anyone. I stared down at my hands, they were bound by handcuffs attached to the table before me. "Look, I realize I tried to off myself, but sending in two actors to talk to me is a bit extreme don''t you think? I mean, who even put you up to this?" The two of them shared a strange look, making me less confident in my initial assessment. "Unless, the two of you aren''t the real RDJ and Paul Bettany and I''m having another episode where I''m dreaming I''m in Marvel." I chuckled at the absurd notion. That kind of shit belonged in shitty fanfics. Though even a shitty fanfic was better than my real life. Their silence was telling. And then, "I am flattered that you think I could be an actor, I do have the looks for it after all but," The Robert Downey Junior lookalike, pulled the chair on the other side of the table and sat down. "Hate to burst your bubble kid, but this is real. I don''t know what the hell Marvel is, but this, you, in this room in handcuffs is real. And so is this..." Saying that, he tapped the side of his glasses and a holographic panel appeared in the air between us, floating in place. A video file started playing. It showed me, lying naked on a strange circle painted on the floor of an unfamiliar building. And a woman, covered in a red energy standing before said circle. The second I saw her, I felt a jolt pass through my spine. I knew her. I don''t know how, but I KNEW her. "What are you doing Wanda?" The words came from a blonde haired man in a red, blue and white costume, with an A symbol on his forehead. Strapped to his arm was a star sprangled round shield. The feed cut off. I couldn''t help but rub the sides of my temple in agitation. "So, you mean to tell me, that that was Captain America?" "Last I checked." The RDJ lookalike shrugged. "Which would make you Tony Stark, The billionaire." I guessed. "There''s Philanthropist and Playboy somewhere in there but Bingo." He confirmed, making my headache fully bloom. What the fuck. Did I pass out drunk again? I mean...looking around the room I was in, it didn''t seem as if this was one giant nightmare like I was hoping. So that means, this is actually real. This is happening. And I''m starting to hyperventilate. Fuck. Okay. I need to calm down. My breath evened out as I repeated the Mantra I had learned from my brief stint in India. My family heard there were spiritual gurus who could help me with my condition, and financed the trip. The dreams didn''t stop but I did find a way to center myself whenever it got worse. ''I am here. With the ground. With the air. With life, I find a center. I am here. With the ground. With the air. With life, I find a center.'' And I could feel it working. Better than I was expecting infact. It felt as if there was something within me, a sort of anchor right above my chest that was pulsing, sending fiery red warmth across my body with every breath I took. It was so strange. I could feel it lure me to someth- "-Mr. Mastif!" "What?-" I looked around, realizing that I was on the floor and the handcuffs on my hands seemed to have been melted off, the end of the chain links still glowing red. I looked up and my eyes widened like saucers. Tony was still in his seat, hands folded on his chest while staring at me with a curious glint. Beside him however, was what I would describe as a red skinned man in a blue body suit and yellow cape levitating inches above the ground. "Vision put away the comicon cosplay, you''re scaring our friend, Mr. Mastif." Tony ordered and in the blink of an eye, Paul Bettany was back. There''s a saying, When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Gulping, I turned to face To- Iron Man. "I''m guessing you want answers to something. Most likely why I appeared in that...building?" He nodded, making me sigh in relief. "As long as you don''t hand me over to the authorities...I''ll answer any and all questions you have." I was especially worried about Shield/Hydra. If this was another world, I wanted Fury and his people as far away from me as possible. Tony and Vision stared at each other. "Okay. It''s a deal." The Iron-Man held out a hand for me to shake. I did, only for him to pull me up to my feet with surprising strength. That''s when I realized I wasn''t wearing any shoes and the floor was cold. I was also hungry. "Could I also get some food? If it''s not too much trouble." I requested. Tony was just about to answer when a loud rumble rocked the building, throwing me against the table. Alarms immediately begun to blare out, and Vision without a word, sank through the ground. "Stay here." Tony ordered before leaving through the door and closing it shut behind him. Chapter 3: A Connection To Die For. (General P.O.V) -Wanda- She had failed. No not failed. Sabotaged. "The Avengers. They did this." She muttered to herself. ''No!'' Another part of her cried out in refusal. The Avengers were her friends! Nat had taken her clothes shopping. Cap was like the older brother she and Pietro never had, Bruce had been cordial and welcoming, and despite being too talkative, Clint was an excellent cook. He''d whipped up some amazing meals that tasted homecooked. Different from the stuff the chefs Tony had in his employ served. And speaking of Tony...underneath all that self righteous, arrogant demeanor was a hero. A good man. ''The same man responsible for your pain. He killed your parents and yet you consider him a friend. How naive.'' Another voice snidely butted in on her inner thoughts. ''No! Tony is my friend too. He wants to do the right thing.'' Her moral self countered. ''Right thing? Don''t make me laugh. The only right thing to do is to kill them all and get your revenge. If that''s too much, then find a way to bring Pietro back.'' "I can''t kill them...I can''t do it...and I can''t bring Pietro back...i don''t have the book anymore. I don''t know where..." She stopped. That was not exactly true... Yes. She couldn''t kill them. But that didn''t mean she had to stay here. She could escape if she wanted. Escape and then look for the book. Besides, it''s not like it was lost forever. She could still feel the connection between them. All she had to do was get off her ass and find it. The door to her cell/room opened and in walked Nat and Steve. The latter was pushing in a trolley with food. Food that upon sniffing made her mouth water. So, it was the soft approach then, huh? Evident by them sending in the two most reasonable and logical of the Avengers. The two closest to her as well. Except for Vision, he...was easy to understand. More logical than Natasha and arguably easier to talk to than Steve. "Hope you don''t mind left over Casserole." Steve said, moving towards the security pad on the side of her energy cell and without hesitation, he turned it off. Wanda watched them both with a raised eyebrow, not failing to notice the way Natasha stood, her body angled in a position that would let her access her gun quickly. Steve pushed the trolley into the cell, before sitting on the bed she was hovering above. The Super Soldier sighed, staring at the floor between his feet. "You know Wanda, no one can understand what you''re going through." He looked up at her, his blue eyes full of so much understanding, Wanda had to focus on something else. Like the connection between her and the book. A connection that, now that she had enough time to feel it out, felt a touch different. "...losing Pietro was devastating to all of us but to you, it was a nightmare. One that maybe you think you can''t wake up from. But we''re here Wanda. To talk, to shout at, we''re here for you." Steve concluded. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Nice speech Cap." Natasha added, walking inside the cell, her guard still up but less so. "Where were you when Ultron filled him with bullets, turning my brother into a sieve?" Wanda bitterly questioned. The two Avengers stiffened somewhat at her cold tone. "I was going to get him back. To undo all the suffering we have endured." Wanda continued, anger leaking into her voice. Steve shared a look with Natasha, before reluctantly turning to face the Scarlet Witch. "Wanda, you killed two people...no matter how good or noble your intentions are...that is never right. Pietro would not have wanted that." Red energy filled the room and in a chaotic burst of power, Steve''s body was thrown onto the wall and held there. "DO NOT SPEAK HIS NAME!" Wanda yelled. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE WOULD HAVE WANTED!" The room quieted down, only for the click of a gun to resonate out. "Put Cap down Wanda." Natasha''s calm voice trailed into Wanda''s ears. The latter blinked, coming to realization of what she was doing. "It''s o-okay Wanda...just, just breathe." Steve told her in a strained voice, his throat and torso gripped in tendrils of her powers. This was wrong. Cap and Nat were her friends. So what was she doing? Wanda took a few unsteady steps back, only now noticing that she had stopped hovering above the bed and was on the floor beside it. "I...I..." She muttered, grabbing her head as her thoughts and emotions roiled about in a never ending cacophony of anger, grief and hatred. Steeling herself, she pushed everything away into the only place she could, the connection with the book. It somewhat became easier to think, causing her to release her hold on Steve, who landed on the ground smoothly. Although he was rubbing the skin of his neck. "You alright there Cap?" Natasha asked with concern, her gun still trained on Wanda. "Yeah." Steve replied, "Put that away Nat. You''re not shooting anyone, isn''t that right Wanda?" For her part, the Scarlet Witch seemed world''s away, lost in thought. Or rather, the voices that were back. One in particular- the loudest of them all was not even her own. It came from the shadows in the room. And before she could push it away, she stopped. ''It''s a distraction, SHIELD is leaving with the book.'' The voice echoed. She straightened up. "I see now." Wanda stated, her power leaking out of her body in waves of scarlet, causing the entire room to shake. "Ah Cap, you might want to rethink that idea. I might not want to, but I will shoot her." Natasha stated, moving backward with her finger ready to press on the trigger. "Wanda, calm down." Steve raised his hands in a show of no hostility. "Whatever this is, we can work it out. We can fix things." Wanda begun floating, her hair dancing behind her in waves. "Wrong. There is no we. I see that now. We can''t fix it, but I can Steve." "Wanda! No!" Cap yelled but it was too late, the Scarlet Witch spread out her hands and lashed out with her powers, producing a telekinetic wave that threw everything back. The trolley with the food, the bed and matress were launched to the wall. The glass on the windows behind shattered and Natasha slammed on the wall outside the cell. "Fuck! Code red! We need backup!" Black Widow spoke into the earpiece on her, one hand held to her chest. ''2 cracked ribs.'' She swallowed the pain with practiced ease, not daring to divert her attention from her front. Dust and smoke showered down from the ceiling, along with a bulb on the hallway flickering unstabily. Wanda levitated out of the cell...with Steve hanging in the air next to her, bound in place by tendrils of her telekinesis. "Don''t make me shoot you Wanda. I don''t want to hurt you." Natasha warned. "You already have Nat. I know this was a diversion for Shield to take away the book." Wanda responded in an accusatory tone. "You betrayed me. THAT BOOK IS THE ONLY WAY TO BRING PIETRO BACK!" Her voice shook the whole corridor. Both Women stared at one another, each unwilling to stand down. "Think about this Wanda, the whole world will be after you. Shield, the Avengers." Wanda raised her hand, a smile working it''s way to her face. "I say let them come. I''m done making the world happy, while I suffer. What''s the use? What''s the use of all this power if I can''t use it to save my Family?!" She demanded, a bolt of red energy leaving her palm and slamming into Falcon as he emerged from the end of the hallway. Natasha used that opportunity and pulled the trigger. The sound of a gunshot resonated across the corridor. Natasha lowered her hand as a shocked expression appeared on her face. The bullet had slammed right in the middle of Wanda''s forehead, only to flatten against the shimmering red shield above her skin. "Huh." Wanda made a surprised noise. "You actually went for the head. Natasha, I''m hurt. I thought we were friends." She punctuated the statement by lashing out with a few bolts that Natasha rolled away from, evading the attacks that left holes on the wall. Bang! Bang! Bang! A series of more gunshots sounded out, each bullet aimed with precision, each failing to break Wanda''s defense and falling to the floor. Up until the gun clicked empty. "Move out of the way, Nat." Wanda told her. "This is your last warning." Natasha lowered the gun, eyes shifting from Wanda to Steve then back to Wanda. "No." She refused. Wanda smiled. "I was hoping you would say that." She raised her hand, pointing it at the spy, with the fingers curled into the shape of a gun. "Bang." Wanda intoned. Iron Man and Hawkeye burst into the hallway, just in time to see a red bolt of energy in the shape of a bullet blow apart Black Widow''s head. Her blood and brains painted the wall behind and for a few seconds, no one could breath out of shock. The sound of her body dropping to the ground was especially loud, and served to wake them out of their stupor. "YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Hawkeye finally lost it, grabbed an arrow, notched it and sent it flying toward Wanda. Chapter 4: No More Avengers part 1. Chaos magic works in extreme ways. There are no rules except for the ones the wielders make. -Locke- There was a book floating in front of me. It had appeared without warning, right after Tony and Vision had left. The cover was black with strange symbols on the spine. I don''t know where it came from. Or what it was, given the fact it was subtly glowing with a red aura. All I knew, was that it was bad news. My ears captured whispers coming from it. Whispers that promised power and escape from my predicament. I looked around the interrogation room, hoping to find some sort of explanation for this phenomenon. Books don''t just appear out of nowhere. It had to be a prank, or some sort of trick. However, there was nothing and no one else in the room with me. Tony and Vision had already left, the Billionaire securing the lock on the door behind him to prevent my escape. From the periodic sounds of explosions and rumbling that caused the entire room to shake, it was evident they were dealing with some sort of attack. And it might have been my imagination, but the sounds were getting closer and closer. With the alarm still blaring out loud, whatever was going on was yet to be resolved. I turned my attention to the book in the air above the table. I could just reach out and touch it. The Whispers coming off it, promised me freedom from my cell. All I had to do was flip it open. And with desperation urging me on, something in me wanted to do exactly that, regardless of any consequences that may result from coming into contact with the strange book. And that was primarily due to the connection between me and It. I had no idea what was waiting for me. Maybe I would be burned and turned to ash, or go crazy from reading the contents within. Or maybe I could get some answers as to why I was in Marvel. Anything could happen. My hand inched forward toward the hard cover. But mere inches away, the wall behind exploded in a shower of plaster and dust. The impact threw me and the table away, slamming my body onto the metallic door, only managing a duck at the last minute to avoid getting hit by the table, which clattered to the side. The dust settled and I looked up, only for my body to freeze on the ground I was lying on. The feeling of being prey is something most humans have never experienced. I was familiar with it though. My nightmares always left my blood cold, my skin feverish and breathing became much more difficult. This time the sensation was worse. I felt bile rise up to my throat as the scarlet clad woman floated through the hole on the wall. "No no no..." I found myself muttering while gazing at my nightmare in real life. Her eyes were bloody and held an icy madness that threatened to undo my own reasoning- thrusting me in whirl of negative emotions. No one was supposed to have such a heartbroken yet rage filled expression. No face was supposed to be that twisted. And hovering to her side, entangled in scarlet energy bindings was a blonde haired Chris Evans. Though in this universe, going by what I had seen already, he was better known as Steve Rogers. His eyes widened upon spotting me. And from the way he was shifting his gaze from me to the door behind, I could infer he wanted me to run. But even breathing was an exercise. To calm my terror filled mind and my wildly beating heart down, I mentally recited my mantra, helping me center myself. Once again, reality seemed to sharpen in my focus. This really is happening. And the woman herself was familiar. And it wasn''t because her identity was obvious due to her powers. Only the Scarlet Witch aka Wanda Maximoff had enough power and mental instability to go along with, to actually cause problems in the Avenger''s base, which is where I suspected I was. But I knew her much more deeply than that. From my nightmares. Take away the scorching aura that covered her, the black crown on her head and I realized she was the woman from my dreams. That...entity of destruction. My nightmare, now made real. It was undeniably her, but here she was younger, which is why I didn''t recognize her immediately from the video clip earlier. But now, there was no mistaking it. "It''s...you." I stated, somehow finding the strength to get to my feet. -Wanda- For Wanda, nothing else mattered other than getting the Book and leaving. It was more than obvious she wouldn''t be welcome after what she had done to Natasha. The fact that she had killed her friend didn''t bother her more than the fact, Natasha herself had pushed her to that limit. She hadn''t wanted to do it. But after Black Widow had tried to send a bullet through her head, well...she shouldn''t blame Wanda for reciprocating. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Too bad Natasha was weak and died. The rest of the Avengers and by extension SHIELD would definitely come after her though. Which is why after the the deed, she has used her connection with the Book to track it down. She couldn''t let SHIELD take it away. It was the only way to make everything right. The only way to bring Pietro back. This culminated in her bursting through walls, ended for a direct path toward where she could sense it. And as for anyone that tried to stop her? Well...one fate awaited them. Death. "Mmmphhm." Cap tried to speak but with the tendrils of her power binding his mouth, all he could manage was unintelligible noises. Wanda ignored him. He was her hostage to be used against Iron-Man and the others but that didn''t mean she had to listen to him spouting ''words of reason.'' It was too late for that. Throwing one final look at Natasha''s corpse, she glared at the wall infront of her, causing her eyes to pulse with energy before twin beams of chaos energy tore through the wall. Then the next and the one after that, and so on. up until only one wall blocked her way. She recognized the hallway and the interrogation room, remembering Tony''s tour of the place a few weeks prior. "Finally." She breathed out, creating a maelstrom of energy on her palm before blowing the wall down. However, on the other side, she didn''t find the Book inside the room. No, what she found was a man. "It''s...you." The man stated, further adding to her confusion. The connection she had forged with the Darkhold had led her here. And even now, she could feel the book''s presence but not perceive it. She spread out her newly gained magical senses, scanning the room for any trace of it, only to come up empty. Hence, her attention turned to the only thing in the room. The man. Dressed in a T-shirt and pants with the Stark logo, he was blonde haired like Pietro, only with his hair cut shorter to his scalp. Blue eyes wide with fear stared at her and despite sitting on the ground while leaning on the door, she could tell he was just a bit taller than Pietro. Handsome too, with a nice jawline. Too bad he was going to die if he didn''t tell her where he was hiding the Darkhold. Her connection with it seemed to suggest he had it in his person. Although she couldn''t see where he could have possibly placed it. It was after all too big to fit in his pocket. "Who are you? Do you work for SHIELD?" Wanda questioned in frustration, floating forward with a radiant scarlet glow gathering in her hands. The Man seemed to shrink in fear at her approach, plastering himself onto the door while holding her gaze. She sneered at him, whilst feeling a surge of pride. It was the prerogative of the weak to cower before the strong. "I won''t ask again. Who. Are. You?" She repeated, lifting her hand and telekinetically raising him up by his neck. Locke couldn''t breathe. For real this time. The edges of his vision were soon growing hazy due to the vice grip on his neck. "Where is the Book!? Tell me or suffer!" Wanda demanded, approaching the limits of her patience. Locke on the other hand couldn''t understand what her issue was. She was asking who he was but due to her powers preventing him from speaking, he couldn''t answer! Not to mention, The Book she was most definitely asking from him, was floating in the air between them! Couldn''t she see it?! It was too conspicuous to remain unnoticed. Who would ignore a large book glowing with red energy floating before their eyes?! Alas, even if he wanted to tell her, he couldn''t due to the telekinetic grip on his neck choking the life out of him. So he did the only thing he could, he pointed at the Book. Wanda blinked at the action. She could see his hand was raised, the index finger extended out and pointing up. Following the direction of his gaze, Wanda''s annoyance got the better of her. "I''m out of patience." She stated, and then begun to telekinetically twist his neck. Slowly. The fear in Locke''s eyes intensified as he felt his neck muscles shift in a way they were not supposed to. She was planning on killing him! And the subtle glee in her eyes showed that she wasn''t the slightest bit remorseful of that fact. Anger suddenly took over his fear. Dammit! Why was this happening to him? He always went out of his way to avoid other people, and by extension trouble. But the world seemed hellbent in making his life a living hell. And while before he had been planning on killing himself, he now found out that he actually wanted to live! "Stop struggling and enjoy the pain...blame yourself for wasting my time." Wanda whispered. Locke''s eyes bulged out of their sockets. He couldn''t even move his hands or legs. Slowly, Wanda pulled his body toward her, a curious glint in her eyes. "I can feel the connection I share with the Darkhold in you. Clearly you know of the thing I''m searching for. So you can hide it from me, but after you''re dead, I will harvest your soul and scour it''s contents to find out where you''ve hidden it. Or maybe it might appear after you die. I''m hopeful." ''It''s right fucking there, you crazy bitch!'' Locke wanted to shout, but his neck was now almost facing the back of his shoulder. His windpipe was constricted and it felt like his spine would shatter at any second. "I never thought I could enjoy the expression on someone''s face as they die, but looking at you, I can definitely see the appeal..." Wanda mused, caressing his cheek with her nails, leaving a trail of blood. She didn''t know why, but seeing him suffer excited a part of her. ''You evil Bitch! If I don''t survive this, I''m haunting your ass!'' Locke yelled inwardly, finally giving up, as the last of his awareness leaving him. ''Oh well...at least I got to live in marv...'' "Wanda." Up until a sudden voice broke Wanda''s concentration and caused her to let go of Locke. The time displaced man fell to his knees coughing his lungs out. "Vision." Wanda turned to the new arrival, who phased through the wall to the side, gently floating in. "I''m here Wanda." Vision replied, his feet landing on the ground before his body shifted from his Android form into his human one. "Captain." He nodded at Steve, who seemed relieved. Then Vision turned to Wanda. "Talk to me, why are you doing this? You''re hurting your friends." The softness of his tone caused the Scarlet Witch to look away, eyes closed as she battled with herself. With guilt and shame. A part of her wanted to blast him to kingdom come as he presented another obstacle to her goals. Another part resisted. Her heart. "You wouldn''t understand." She shook her head. "I don''t have a choice." "Wanda, you killed Natasha." Vision said in the same soft voice, slowly walking toward her. "With your powers, incapacitating her would have had a 78% chance of success." That was true. But...but... "I- I..." Wanda stuttered, her fingers scratching her scalp in agitation. "Sh- She tried to kill me first! I told her to move out of my way! But she didn''t listen, Vision! None of you will listen!" Wanda growled, looking up to reveal the red that had completely taken over her eyes. The same colored aura covering her pulsed in intensity, increasing to the point it made the air warp. "Wanda, please calm down." Cautiously, Vision tried to reach out to her shoulder. "I just want to save my brother! I have a way! So why won''t you JUST LET ME?!" Wanda exploded, spreading out her hands and producing a wave of chaotic force that impacted Vision. The Android phased his body through the initial blast, the energy passing through his vibrating molecular structure before bringing further destruction into the already decimated room. Vision tried to endure but as time went on, the more oppressive the wave became, and as a consequence he was thrown back through the newly created wall. -Locke- Things had gone from ''I''m about to die!'' to, ''thank god I''m saved'' when Vision appeared, back to ''Oh shit, I''m still going to die!'' When Wanda released what I could only describe as a wave of destructive scorching power. Without anything to shield me, I jumped at the black book that seemed to be the cause of the quarrel and grabbed it. I don''t know why I did that, but the second I had it in my grasp, I knew I had done the right thing as the energy passed by me without harming a single strand of hair. Vision though, not so much as his form passed by me, slammed away by the blast. Oh shit. I was about to make a break for it before she could bring her focus back to me, when I stopped. A droning sound appeared from the hole on the wall behind her, and flying in, Iron Man situated himself between us, his armor unfolding to reveal dozens of weapons, all of which were aimed at Wanda. "Stand down Wanda." Tony''s voice came out of the Armor. "Or what?" Wanda spat back, not looking the least bit intimidated. "You know that Armor won''t protect you from me Tony." "That''s why I brought the cavalry." Iron Man answered and through the destroyed wall, Hawkeye, Falcon, Nick fucking Fury, War Machine and a bunch of agents dressed in black tactical gear came through, quickly surrounding her. The room was instantly crowded, even with the added space from the destroyed walls. And floating through the ground, Vision returned to action. With such a force between me and her, I couldn''t help but think that maybe, just maybe, I would survive this. Chapter 5: No More Avengers part 2. -Locke- Of course what happened next abruptly cast my survival rate down. For starters, she didn''t look the least bit worried, I would even go as far as to say, she seemed excited about the prospect of fighting her teammates. "I won''t lie." Wanda smirked. "Since the first time I fought you Avengers in Sokovia, I''ve always wanted to finish what we started." "You didn''t win then, you won''t win now." Iron Man replied, a lot of light pulsing from the middle of his chest and palms. "But if you want a rematch, put the good Captain down. I bet he''s itching to kick your ass as well. " The tension was palpable. And the smart thing for someone as squishy as yours truly was to retreat. Yup, a strategic retreat. I steadied my breathing and begun inching back towards the door behind me. A door that was still miraculously standing, despite the havoc the room had sustained in just under an hour. Wanda swept her gaze across the room, her eyes eventually landing on me. I instantly froze on the spot, the grip on the book she called the Darkhold(and that carried with it some scary implications) tightening as I held it before me like a shield. A confused frown took over her face, and I cursed myself for my stupidity. The damn book was invisible in my hands, so of course she would notice it if my hands appeared to be holding onto something that was not there. The abrupt change in her expression and focus did not go unnoticed. "Vision, get the civilian out." Iron Man ordered and the Android flew toward me. "HE''S NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Wanda screamed, the sound that left her lips decibels higher than it had any right to be. I wasn''t the only one caught off guard, but the book protected me while the Avengers and SHIELD agents staggered in place. I blinked and behind Vision, Wanda was hot on his heels, her gaze never leaving mine. A blast of blue energy caught her on the side, throwing her back out of the room. "Take her down!" Iron Man cried out through the armor''s speakers while flying out. Before I could see what happened next, Vision grabbed my shoulders and we shot upwards. "Wait! wait! wait!" I called out for him to slow down, closing my eyes before the top of my head smacked onto the ceiling above. I felt a brief sensation of weightlessness, and then we were outside, the sun glaring down on us. He had phased us out. -Wanda- The repulser bolt from Iron Man hit like the Hulk, Wanda noticed, groaning as she waved a palm and threw off the debris on her. A consequence of the strike was that she lost grip of Steve, and also sight of that man, the one with the Darkhold. "Vision." Wanda growled in answer, her body lighting up with red energy in response to the SHIELD agents rushing her way. "Get out of my sight." Her hair struck out, the strands lengthening to snake like tendrils due to the chaos energy she poured in them. With one smack, the formation of Agents fell away. Before she could follow through and kill them, Iron Man exploded into the room, slamming onto her blindside and carrying her through a glass window and out into a wide chamber with a swimming pool. The armored man spun in the air before letting her go, her body slamming onto the edge of the pool and bouncing on the surface of the water. She dropped in, her figure sinking to the bottom. "Friday, give me the target." Tony instructed the AI on his suit, which tracked Wanda''s form and indicated it on the HUD. Missiles shot from Iron Man''s shoulders and into the pool. The explosion that followed threw the water into the air. "Sir, I''m detecting large amounts of the same exo-energy scanned in the Scarlet Witch. The amount is steadily growing." The AI warned but before Iron Man could give a response, the water in the air froze in place. Each individual drop congealed together and formed sharp spikes covered with an outline of red energy. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "I told you Tony." Wanda levitated out of the pool, an expression of mockery on her face. "You can''t beat me." "Friday!" Iron Man yelled, deploying a blue forcefield just as the water missiles controlled by Wanda shot at him. The forcefield managed to block them all, but with another wave of her hand, Wanda enclosed him in water, packing as much volume and quantity as she could in the sphere that formed around Iron Man. A strange word escaped her lips. Similar in intonation as the language she had learned from the Darkhold, and immediately the sphere froze into ice. She grabbed it with her power and threw it out through another wall, sending the frozen Iron Man crashing into the woods around the perimeter of the compound. "That''s less than you deserve." Wanda said, looking at the direction she had sent Tony flying. The twang of a bow sounded out and Wanda turned her head toward the source. Only for an arrow to stop inches to her neck, held at bay by her telekinesis. Unexpectedly, the arrow point beeped and an explosive impact rippled forth. Only to leave no lasting damage to the shield she had covering her body. Wanda made eye contact with Hawkeye, raising her eyebrows in an expression that seemed to say, ''was that it?'' The Archer grit his teeth, uncharacteristically quiet as he notched another arrow. He fired it, but the Scarlet Witch parried it away while slowly flying his way. Hawkeye repeated the action, shooting out a variety of special arrows that did absolutely nothing. Before he noticed it, Wanda was in front of him. And his body was locked in place by her power. "I can feel your anger and grief at Nat''s death." She stated in a sorrowful tone, "I understand Clint." She tapped his head and his eyes turned red, bringing him under her control. "Go forth and Avenge her." Wanda whispered to his ear, causing Hawkeye to turn around and start releasing ballistic arrows at his back, in the direction of the SHIELD agents. Explosions rang out, along with the barely audible, ''Retreat!'' from Fury. In one simple attack, Clint had caused the collapse of a portion of the second floor, crushing several agents under debris. "Nicely done." Wanda congratulated and then snapped his neck. Hawkeye fell like a puppet with it''s strings severed. "Damn you!!" From the air, Falcon sailed in, one of his hands wrapped in bandages, while the other shot down bullets at the Scarlet Witch. Wanda used the debris hanging around to cover her front, blocking the bullets. She also fired the rubble at Falcon, who weaved and ducked with expert maneuverability... Only for two large chunks of the fallen walls to crush him in between them. Blood dripped to the ground from the space in between the debris. "Useless surplus Avenger." Wanda mocked, discarding the rubble with Falcon''s remains away. Inside the console room at the back portion of the building, Fury, a contigent of Shield operatives and Antman stared at the screens in horror. 3 Avengers were dead. Antman put on the helmet of his suit before grimly looking at Fury. "If I don''t make it...tell my daughter I love her." Fury nodded with a heavy gaze. "Don''t engage her directly. Hold her back for a minute. Reinforcements are on the way." Antman nodded, shrinking into a miniature size before riding on his ants and leaving the room. Outside, Wanda was turning the place upside down while searching for Vision. She didn''t even notice when an ant sized man tried to punch her on the cheek. The personal shield around her flared up for a split second and instantly turned Antman into ash. Wanda on the other hand continued plowing through walls and rooms, until all that stood before her was a massive vault like door. In her magical senses, she detected the small collection of souls inside. With with ease, she ripped out the door and threw it away, revealing Fury and the rest of his SHIELD agents on the other side. They had weapons trained her way. "I will only ask once, Nick." The Scarlet Witch begun. "Where are you hiding Vision?" "You killed 4 Avengers. And several of my own men." Fury replied. "No matter how powerful and misguided you are, I WILL make you pay for that." Fury cried out as a metal pipe lying on the ground found itself sticking through his belly. The agents immediately opened fire, the ground under Wanda filling with bullets that had failed to penetrate her defense. "Wrong answer, Director." Wanda tsked at Fury, who was on the ground surrounded by his agents. Wanda waved a hand and all of them were lifted into the air, their weapons leaving their hands and flying her way. She arranged them above her and aimed the barrels at the agents. "Last chance Nick. Where''s-" The ceiling above them collapsed as Iron Man came crashing down. "Sorry to drop in and ruin the fun." His repulsers lit up, producing another blast of light that collided onto Wanda. But unlike last time, the Scarlet Witch had packed more power into her defensive shield, so the blast had little effect except for pushing her slightly back. "That won''t work again Tony." Wanda said, spreading out her hands and overpowering the beam with her own before forcefully dispersing the energy outward. The surroundings were destroyed even further. In the commotion, SHIELD wisely evacuated Fury and the injured agents. "Friday?" Within the Armor, Tony called to his AI expectantly. "Analysis of exo-energy 60% complete, sir." The AI answered. "That will have to be enough. Do it. Activate the grav-field." Tony indtructed, shifting his focus onto Wanda. "You were right. I can''t beat you." Iron Man admitted dropping his hands and powering down. "But I don''t have to beat you. Immobilizing you is enough." The whole floor of the building lit up with a blue hum and Wanda inexplicably found herself pulled to the ground, her personal shield warping as she fell to her knees. "W-what is happening? What is this? What did you do?!" She angrily demanded, finding that controlling her power felt like pushing a heavy boulder up a hill. "Something I originally cooked up for Thor and the Hulk, you know how those two get." He shrugged. "A gravity field under the entire compound specifically created to target their energy signatures and subdue them if they ever got too...rowdy. I merely had Friday calibrate the effect to match you by scanning your powers." The Armor''s metal plates unfolded from the feet up to the helmet as it opened up, allowing Tony to step out, a blank expression on his face as he stared down Wanda. "You were the last person I thought I would use it on. What happened to you Wanda? " Wanda clenched her jaw, her anger mounting at the look on Tony''s eyes. "Don''t you dare PITY ME!" She yelled, carelessly exuding large amounts of scalding red energy that ate at the floor. "Sir, she''s outputting 10000% more energy as previously recorded. I advice getting back in the Mark XLIII." The AI, Friday, informed him through his ear piece. But it was too late, as with another loud cry, Wanda exploded. -Locke Mastif- Not even a 100 feet above the Avenger''s building, Ultron stopped, my shoulders still held in his grip. I didn''t dare to look down, afraid that my fear of heights would leer it''s ugly head. I turned to the Android. "Not that I''m not thankful for the save, but could you maybe take us down?" For a second, I thought he wouldn''t answer. "I have a question. Wanda seemed awfully interested in you, why?" Vision asked. "I also couldn''t help but notice that you have something in your hands. Yet, my optics cannot capture it''s image." I tightened ny hold on the Darkhold. That was a question I wasn''t sure how to answer. Fortunately, the building below us exploding and being consumed by waves of red energy, proved to be a good distraction. But as Vision and I turned to stare at it, Wanda appeared out of nowhere right behind him. And before I could so much as give a warning, she had placed her hands on the sides of Vision''s head, leaked her power into him, and the gem on his head changed from yellow to a bloody red. That was the Mind Stone. Oh no. Oh my friggin god... Chapter 6: What Now? (General P.O.V) A man was walking across the barren landscape of a desert. The heat of the naked sun glared down on the dry terrain. Nothing but sand and rock stretched out for miles. No life. No activity. Not snakes, dung beetles, scorpions or lizards known for living in such harsh conditions. For all intents and purposes, he was the only living thing within this entire region. A region that was meant to be his personal hell. For it brought forth memories that he wished to forget. And yet, it was those same memories that pushed him on. To where? He had no idea. But adversity was something he had faced time and time again. And above all things, above the billions, above the women, above the armor, Tony Stark''s true arsenal lay in his mind and spirit. And so he forged onwards, through the hunger, through the thirst. Only stopping to sleep when necessary before continuing on his seemingly never ending journey. The sun had set over the horizon and risen a number of times now. Yet he stayed the course. Up until his body ate away at his muscles. Up until it depleted his stores of fat. And still he walked, only stopping to affix the damaged arc reactor that was the only thing that had survived the trip, onto his body. Fueling it''s energy through his biological system in a last ditch attempt to stay alive. And somehow, someway, he actually succeeded. So intimate he was with his invention, that his ingenuity was able to pull it off. And so he walked. His soles turned raw and scabbed over. His hair grew long enough to cover his face and reach his back. His clothes were mere shreds of fabric by now. But he walked. Sometimes even through the night, the fading light of the Arc Reactor lighting his path. He walked until the Arc Reactor''s energy dimmed. The ingenious way he was using it being too inefficient. Too wasteful. And so he crawled, on and on. His pride had disappeared, his spirit exhausted. The only thing that kept him moving was her face. Wanda. Wanda did this. Instead of a quick but nasty death like the others, she had decided to punish him in the worst possible way, by throwing him into a barren world filled with nothing. Because she knew he wouldn''t quit. Because she knew he would die indignant. Finally, her wish seemed to come true as Tony Stark, now a gaunt and skeletal shell of his former self, fell onto the ground face first, his abused body refusing to move anymore. Death had come for him. He could even hear her footsteps. And despite the situation, Tony couldn''t help but form a smile on his cracked lips. How long had it been since he sensed someone else''s presence? Even if it was Death herself, the former billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, was only happy that during the end, he wasn''t alone. "Jesus, Tony you look like shit." Captain America, coming to stop before his friend commented. "Let''s get you home, buddy." -Locke- 5 days had passed. 5 days after the Avengers soundly lost. 5 days in which I''ve been stuck in a cold and dark cell with deplorable conditions. Only allowed a loaf of bread and a glass of water a day. But I''m getting ahead of myself. As soon as Wanda used her powers and corrupted the Mind Stone on Vision''s head, the Android had lost its will and been turned into her slave. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The first thing that she ordered it to do was to never let me out of its sight. I became her prisoner, held in Vision''s tight grip as we flew away from the destroyed Avengers building. I had watched with horror at the smoke as it rose to the sky over Vision''s shoulder. The Darkhold was tightly held to my chest, being the only assurance that Wanda wouldn''t kill me like she did Iron Man and the others. Not without having it in her possession first. But not dying didn''t mean I was in for a good time either. By now it was pretty obvious what had happened. In this world Wanda had turned evil. And somehow I had gotten caught up in the mess she had created. The fact that she came straight for the book suggested she was probably the last owner and could sense it in some way. She had also seemed surprised to see me, so I can infer that my presence was not something expected. Nor was the Darkhold choosing me as it''s owner. Something that revoked her own claim to it and as a result, she could only sense it, not take it for herself. So as long as I had the book and was the only one who could see it(maybe even use it?), she was probably not going to outright kill me. Not without ensuring that it would fall into her hands. All these thoughts passed through my mind as we left New York behind and unexpectedly, flew across the ocean. "Where are we going?" I took a chance and asked her. She hadn''t bothered to answer me before, so I wasn''t confident that she would now. So imagine my surprise when she responded a few seconds later. "An acquittance of mine owes me a favor. We''re paying them a visit." She said, slowing down to fly next to Vision. "What are you planning to do to me?" I took another risk and asked. Wanda turned to stare at me, a cold light in her eyes. "Torture you until I find out where you''re keeping the Darkhold." I gulped. "You don''t have to go that far." I answered hastily. Torture doesn''t sound fun. "If we can come to an...arrangement, you can have it." She stopped in the air, prompting Vision to do the same. "That would be something I''m open to." Saying that, she held out her hands, beckoningly. "Hand it over. You were never part of this anyway. You can still walk away." I swallowed. Here goes nothing. "Can you guarantee that you will let me go, unharmed, in a safe place with the promise that even if you do conquer the world or whatever evil plans you have, I''ll be left out of it?" That was my condition. Her lips stretched into a beautiful smile. "I swear it on my brother." I shook my head with a wry smile. She killed her friends. I would be dumb to accept that at face value. No, it needed to be a concrete promise. "Not enough. Swear it on your magic." Instantly, the smile on her face thinned, and I realized I had made the right move. "I swear on my magic, that if you hand over the Darkhold right now, I shall let you go, unharmed and will not pursue you in any sort of way afterwards." Holding up a single hand, she pledged. The sky suddenly rumbled and flashes of red lightning streaked overhead, surprising the two of us. Wanda looked as if she had bitten into something sour. "I have made the vow. If I break it, I shall lose my powers. Now it''s your turn to keep the end of the bargain. Give me the Darkhold." Was I potentially putting the world in danger to save my own skin? You bet your ass. I''m no hero. And besides, this wasn''t my world. It wasn''t even the real world! I was a normal dude, what hope do I have to deny her what she wants when even the freaking Avengers failed? So call me a coward, call me a wimp, but I don''t care. "Here." I stretched out my hands, the Darkhold in my grip. With a purple shimmer, it materialized into being, somehow responding to my intention. Wanda''s eyes widened, as an hungry expression took hold of her. "The Darkhold. Finally...its within my grasp." She wasted no time in reaching for it, only for Vision to jerk away unexpectedly, spinning us both as his forehead lit up and a red beam of energy shot out. An instant later, it made contact with an object in the sky behind us and a massive explosion rippled out. "What?!" Wanda, who had been on the verge of turning the Android to scrap due to the interruption, turned to face our back. With a barely audible drone, a formation of 6 modern looking jets were speeding towards us from the mainland. What Vision had destroyed was a missile that had been targeting us. Okay, rude. Can''t they see I''m a hostage!! "Excuse me for a second." Wanda growled, her body lighting up with a red aura. "I have a few pests to get rid of." Okay. This is actually good! If they manage to shoot her down, I''m free! I doubt even Wanda can survive a missile to the face. One of Iron Man''s blast was enough to knock her through a wall after all. "Good luck!" I called out after her. With a smooth takeoff, she blasted off towards the jets, already charging a bolt of chaos energy that made my heart thrum in a strange way. "Shit." My heart sank as she released it and pandemonium took over. The sky itself was torn apart in it''s path. And with every split second, the sphere was growing in size as it got closer to the aircrafts. The jets tried to evade it''s path, some strafing to the sides while others pulled up. But like a black hole, the chaos sphere pulled all 6 jets in, shredding the metal apart and tearing chunks of them apart. The pilots that managed to eject were also pulled in by the sphere, which had ballooned to a massive size that it briefly blocked the sun. Just as it seemed ready to burst apart in a massive explosion, the sphere collapsed upon itself, imploding. Space around it twisted into a red vortex as a sudden calm blanketed the atmosphere. Even the wind stilled. A bad feeling took over me. Wanda turned around and started flying towards us. Behind her, the vortex suddenly released a massive shockwave that spewed out metal debris and flames into the air, preceded by a loud soundwave that almost burst my eardrums. I felt a familiar sensation of weightlessness spread across my body, just as the debris shower reached us, and we phased through them. When everything had stopped shaking, I was left gaping. All the clouds around us had disappeared, and in an area of 100 meters, the sky was torn apart, revealing the night sky. She...used one attack. Just one. With her shield shimmering around her, Wanda arrived, her eyes set on mine expectantly. "Now, where were we?" And suddenly, despite being a coward, I didn''t want to hand over the Darkhold anymore. If she could output such levels of destruction without it, what could she do with it? Shit. I just realized she might really torture me now. Chapter 7: The Guardians of The Multiverse. -General P.O.V- Tony took a week to recover. Not physically, but psychologically. All his injuries from endless walking, exotic energy poisoning from the arc reactor radiation and malnutrition, had been taken care of upon arrival. His mental scars on the other hand, caused by the ordeal, had placed him in a coma for an entire week. What woke him up was an argument. And loud voices yelling. Opening his eyes bombarded his sight with bright lights, causing him to wince and turn his head to the side. His hand reached out blindly, knocking over a vase of flowers. The sound of the porcelain shattering caused the voices to stop talking. "Argh, wa- water..." He groaned weakly, trying to get up only for strong arms to grab his shoulders, and gently lower him back onto the bed. "You need rest." A familiar voice said to him. "C- Cap? That you?" Tony called out, peeking his eyes open to find Steve smiling down at him. "In the flesh." The supersoldier replied. "We can talk later. Right now, sleep. Sleep while you can." Something in his voice eased Tony''s agitation and he felt his eyelids get heavier. The darkness of sleep took him over once more. -0- A few hours later, Tony was wheeled out of his room by Steve. "I can walk by myself." He grumbled on the wheelchair, hands gripping the arms tightly. Though he didn''t seem to notice. "We both know that''s a lie." Cap responded. "Just bear with it for a little longer." "Fine." The genius inventor acquisced. "But you know, if I had some tools and a workplace, I could install an automatic self-propelled system on the sides." He tapped the wheelchair. "Or hover tech. That would need a considerable amount of resources." He stared at the bricklaid walls on either side of them. "Though with the architecture around, I''m guessing we''re in a place where such tools and resources are in short supply?" "It was the best we could do. You''ll understand why soon enough." Cap responded. "The others...Nat, Clint, Sam...they''re dead Steve." Tony said in a low voice. "I know. We will Avenge them. I promise." Steve''s voice rang with resolve as he replied. The conversation ended there, and the rest of the way, the two stayed silent as they passed through a few more hallways before arriving at a door framed by two silver statues. Voices could be heard coming from the other side of the door. Steve knocked and with a push, he entered, wheeling in Tony. Immediately, every eye was on them. There were five individuals inside, surrounding a large table in the middle. A fireplace crackled at the end of the room and 4 massive glass windows framed the walls. What surprised Tony was the view outside. Unfamiliar stars and a purple miasma that seemed to cover the ground. Tony didn''t have time to consider the implications, as one of the six individuals walked up to the two of them. "Tony Stark, as I leave and breathe." The woman said. She was dressed in a form-fitting blue suit with red and gold accents. A star emblem lay prominent on her chest and a red sash was tied around her waist. Lastly, her blonde hair was cut short and looked good on her. She could even be called beautiful if it wasn''t for the prideful aura around her. "The name is Captain Marvel. It''s a pleasure to meet you." She introduced herself. "The pleasure is all mine, Captain." Tony returned the cordiality, eyes roaming over the rest behind her. "Let me introduce you to the others." Captain Marvel genially stated. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. She turned around and motioned at a dark skinned muscular man dressed in a blue and white costume. "This is Blue Marvel." "Mr.Stark, I have to say, you''ve looked better." Blue Marvel spoke in a deep voice. The sheer presence and power he exuded reminded Tony of Thor, only more controlled. Or rather, contained. "Ah, forgive me, but do we know each other?" Tony asked, noticing the look Blue Marvel shared with Captain Marvel. "Also, what''s up with the similar name? Are you two partners or something?" "It''s complicated. We''ll explain everything in a bit." Captain Marvel assured, moving on to the next person. "The woman beside him is Jean Grey. Also known as the Phoenix." The redhead dressed in a green costume and a black trenchcoat with an X symbol nodded at him but remained silent. "Then we have..." Captain Marvel went to introduce the next person but she was cut off. "Spiderman." The black and red costumed teenager(Tony could tell from his voice) came forward and shook his hand in excitement. "I''m from a parallel Earth where you are a legend. It''s such an honor to meet you sir!" "Parallel Earth?" Tony turned to questioningly glare at Steve. "It''s...part of what we were going to brief you on." Cap responded. "These good folks are all from other worlds Tony. Earths like our own but separate. Different. Yet some elements are the same. It''s a bit like-" "I know the Multiverse theory Steve." Tony interrupted, rubbing his temples. His mind was already working at hyper speeds. The maths, the implications... "Then that should make everything easier." A new voice stated from behind them. And walking in, was a tall man dressed in a long, flowing blue tunic paired with a red, high-collared cloak with an intricate gold trim. His beard was trimmed and the hair at the sides of his head were gray. To complete the ensemble, an ornate golden amulet hang from his neck. "Stark, meet Dr.Stephen Strange. Sorcerer Supreme." Captain Marvel introduced. "You have him to thank for treating your injuries." "Thank you doctor, when can I expect an invoice?" Tony shook Strange''s hand. "No worries on that front Mr.Stark. I haven''t practiced in many years." Strange replied. "A shame." Tony sighed. "I remember I was at death''s door. Anyone capable of bringing me back from that...let''s just say you''re leagues better than my physician." "Then let''s call it a favor. I might need your assistance one day." Strange proposed. "Any time doctor." Tony nodded, before turning to the final person in the room. A man, shrouded in a green cloak standing next to the fireplace. "And you are...?" Stark questioned. "The Host." Replied the man, turning around to face Tony, revealing a figure in an intricate metal armor with a similar full face mask on. "The Rightful king of Latveria, Victor Von Doom. And you''re in Doom''s castle, Stark." Ominous lightning flashed outside the windows. "Okaaay." Tony trailed off, throwing his gaze around the room. "Clearly, there''s something big going on here. So why don''t we cut the crap and get down to business?" "Tony''s right." Steve agreed, walking forward with his gaze turned to the sky. "Instead of wasting more time, why don''t you join us Watcher?" "Watcher?" Tony repeated with his brows raised. "Who''s that? A super powered voyuer?" Spiderman started laughing. "Oh man, you have no idea how close to the mark you are." "It would be wise not to antagonize him." Strange cautioned. "As opposed to interference as he is, he is still a being of unfathomable power." "And yet he''s content to sit still and watch as entire worlds perish." Jean seethed bitterly. There was a gasp, as the chamber lit up in white. A huge figure dressed in a white and blue robe appeared in the air above them. The most outstanding bit was his huge head and completely white eyes. His form shrunk into something close to human size, although he retained his massive head. "I have sworn an oath that prevents me from ever changing the course of events, Jean Grey. That is my burden, as I''m sure you know, given yours." Jean looked away without saying a word. Tony saw the way she shrunk in on herself, reminding him of the guilt he held over his weapons being the cause for the loss of so many innocent lives. Shaking his head, he faced the new arrival. "You must be the Watcher. So, what''s your deal? Do you like, see everything with those white eyes?" "I see the future, present and past of infinite worlds. What can be, what is and what was." The Watcher replied. Tony scoffed, remarking, "Oh. Then what can you tell me about my past, present and future, oh powerful Watcher? Or what I had for breakfast on Saturday." "Tony Stark." The Watcher begun. "Genius Billionaire Inventor. A man burdened by his own legacy. The redemption you seek is close Stark. You just have to believe. Oh, and you skipped breakfast on Saturday." Tony rolled his eyes. "Believe in what? Magic?" He pointed at Dr. Strange who was leaning on the table. "No offense doc." "None taken." Strange threw in. "Parallel words?" Tony continued, motioning at everyone present. "Or self proclaimed gods that can see everything in existence?" He mockingly pointed at the Watcher. "And that last bit? You could have easily picked off the web." "I understand you''re skeptical Stark, but listen to what we have to say. You can make a decision afterwards." Blue Marvel intervened. Tony snorted, clearly dismissive. "Tony, if you can''t trust them, trust me." Cap told him, and the two held gazes before Tony sighed and gave in. "Fine. Humor me." "Great!" Spiderman clapped, shooting a web that snared a chair close to the table, and pulled it closer to the fireplace. At everyone''s stares he shrugged. "What? I need to warm my feet. It''s really cold in here." "Okay, what''s a kid doing here?" Tony asked. "Dude! So not cool." Spiderman protested. "Spiderman is like us." Blue Marvel came to his defense. "The last survivor of his universe." "Survivor?" Tony frowned. "Of what?" The others exchanged knowing looks. "It will be easier if I showed you." The Watcher stated, lifting his finger and pointing it at Tony''s head. A rush of memories poured into his mind. Memories filled with screams, suffering, death and Chaos. With wide eyes, Tony looked around at the occupants. "Wait, wait...you''re telling me, a parallel version of Wanda went crazy, murdered a sub-race of humans known as Mutants, and when a different version of the Avengers and other heroes from that Earth tried to stop her, she killed everyone? And took over the world?" "She didn''t just kill them." Jean said with gritted teeth. "I saw her suck out their life force. I saw her devour their souls. Everyone I care about..." She covered her face with her palms, the anguish of loss in her tone. "And she didn''t stop there..." Spiderman cut in grimly, "She somehow figured out there were other worlds out there. And also how to travel across them, so she came for us next. And destroyed everything in her path. My entire world was gone in a day." Captain Marvel sighed, staring at the floor. "I remember fighting a losing battle. She was just too powerful. None of my attacks could do anything." "The only reason any of us survived was due to the Watcher. At the last possible second, when the only thing awaiting me was death, he pulled me out of my universe." Blue Marvel narrated. "I never see it coming." Dr. Strange said with a shake of his head. "She first lures her own Parallel Versions with the promise of power. Targeting them when they are at their lowest by sending a copy of the Darkhold their way. And once they get corrupted by it, they become her slaves." "You mean...that book?!" Tony exchanged looks with Steve, who nodded. "Yeah. Our Wanda fell for the same trap." Steve disclosed. "Then it''s only a matter of time before the Entity of Extinction finds its way into your Universe." Doom pitched in. "She will wreak havoc, using your Scarlet Witch as a puppet to destroy any opposition. And when she arrives, she will consume her variant along with your entire Cosmos, sinking it all into the realm of Chaos." "You wanted to know why we''re all gathered here Stark?" Captain Marvel posited. "You have your answer. To stop her wave of indiscriminate destruction. To avenge our families and friends. Our worlds are already gone, but yours can still be saved." Marvel stretched out her hand. "So what do you say, Iron Man? Will you join us and save everyone? Will you join the Guardians of the Multiverse?" Chapter 8: The X-Men. -Wanda- (An Abandoned Facility in Sweden) Hidden behind dunes of snow and nestled at the foot of a mountain, a white building complex stood stark against the cold breeze that ruffled the tall pines and spruces native to the region. The facility blended seamlessly with its environment, surrounded by a high electric fence marked with ''Restricted Zone'' and ''Keep Out'' signs. Despite the warnings, the compound lacked any visible security or personnel. This was a Hydra base, abandoned after Strucker''s apparent death. Wanda knew of it because she and Pietro had accompanied the deceased Hydra leader here in the past. It was the perfect place for her to lay low until she reclaimed the Darkhold. Or found a way to bring Pietro back. Whichever came first. The mountains contained a natural node of mystical energy deep underground, making it an ideal location for performing rituals and complex magical spells. The latent magical energy radiated up to the surface, infusing the soil, rocks, and even the snow. There was also a village a few hundred miles below the forest surrounding the mountain, providing no shortage of human sacrifices for her rituals. After days of non-stop flying and distance-shrinking through magic, her reserves and mastery of Chaos magic had grown significantly. On the other hand, her hesitation in taking human life had also rapidly decreased. All that remained was a yearning to see her brother. Damn the consequences. Even if she lost her soul, she would bring Pietro back. Wanda softly landed inside the empty compound, the scarlet aura of her magic fading to a simmer. Behind her, Vision, holding Locke in his arms, touched down, his feet barely making a sound on the snow-covered ground. "Would you mind putting me down? I''m a grown ass man, and this is embarrassing." Locke requested, his voice tinged with irritation. Vision remained silent. "It''s like talking to a wall..." Locke muttered, turning to Wanda, "Hey! I couldn''t escape even if I wanted to. We''re deep in the mountains. I would freeze to death in a few hours if I ran." "Silence," Wanda commanded, her mind elsewhere. "Come on," Locke insisted. "We''ve been flying non-stop for five days straight. My back is killing me, and I can''t feel my lower half. Faster than a jet he might be, but your android buddy is far from a luxury ride." Frustrated with his complaints, Wanda''s hand flared with energy, sending a strip of red fabric to cover Locke''s mouth. However, the spell was dispelled instantly, dissolving into motes of light. "We both know that doesn''t work. Not as long as I have ''that''." Locke snickered. Loathe as she was to admit it, he was right. Her powers couldn''t affect him. After refusing to hand over the Darkhold, Wanda had tried the spell she used on Vision to bewitch Locke, only to discover her magic could not influence his mind. No matter what spell or hex she used, his body seemed to soak it up without any visible harm. At Locke''s snide response, Wanda''s eyes flashed with rage before she forcefully calmed herself down. He had been getting bolder because he knew she couldn''t hurt him. Yet. "Let him go." she ordered, and Vision complied, immediately releasing Locke, who fell to the ground with a groan. "So not cool, man." Locke complained, dusting himself off as he rose to his feet and stretched his body. "I thought it was what you wanted." Wanda shot back with a hint of satisfaction, before adding, "Don''t let him out of your sight, Vision." The Android instantly fixated on Locke, who felt unnerved by the lifeless gaze in his eyes. "Let''s go." Wanda ordered, moving deeper into the compound. Locke hesitated, eyes shifting between the gate and Wanda. He considered making a break for it before shaking his head. Vision was watching him like a hawk. ''I need to find a way to escape, but I can''t do that with his attention on me,'' he thought, sighing as he began following Wanda. Vision watched him pass and fell in step behind, as silent as a ghost. Shivering in his simple Stark T-shirt and pants, Locke tightened his grip on the Darkhold, which radiated a comforting warmth against his chest, staving off the icy wind blowing through the empty premises. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Mistress, I sense life coming from within." Vision''s voice broke the silence. "Someones''s watching us." Locke noted, sweeping his eyes over the premise''s metal barred windows, but spotting nothing. Yet the sensation of being watched remained. The warmth of the Darkhold intensified, closer to heat, reacting to something as they approached the main entrance of the building. "The Android is right...there''s something in there." Locke said to Wanda''s back. Wanda turned, curiosity in her eyes. "You can sense it?" Then her gaze fell to his chest. "Or rather, the Darkhold can." Above them, dark clouds gathered, obscuring the sun and casting a shadow over the ground. Before Locke could answer, a loud bang echoed from the massive steel door at the entrance of the facility. Wanda''s body instantly flared with a scarlet aura, just as the door was forcibly blasted outwards. Through the opening- poured out numerous white-skinned monsters with red eyes, rotting skin and patches of fur. They looked like humanoid apes, with huge forearms that dragged on the ground and long legs. "Are those zombie yetis?!" Locke exclaimed, backpedaling until he collided with Vision. "Strucker''s abandoned experiments." Wanda answered, her eyes flashing scarlet. "They must have been corrupted by the latent magic in the surroundings." She reasoned while levitating forward, her hands moving in a circular motion, spell weaving. "I shall clear them out. Vision, watch the prisoner." Something in her tone made Locke run for cover behind an overturned jeep close by, Vision''s eyes still following him. After seeing the devastation she caused to those jets, he''d learned that Wanda didn''t have a low setting. Her magic couldn''t affect him, but the shockwaves could definitely liquefy his insides if he wasn''t careful. ''She''s about to release a big one. Better get out of the way,'' he thought, clutching the Darkhold like a lifeline. First, it was the Scarlet Witch, then the Avengers, and now zombified yetis who had probably been regular humans. In a single week, everything he knew about reality had been overturned. In the air above them, a sphere of blood-red flames roiled between Wanda''s palms. She cackled madly, compressing it and turning it darker, so hot that the snow on the ground began melting. The Experiments surged toward them from various parts of the facility, some breaking through windows, while others climbed out of manholes. They differed in sizes, but they all had an animalistic nature that reminded Locke of rabid dogs. "Burn for me!" Wanda declared, dropping the flame sphere meters away from the monsters. The sphere didn''t touch the ground before destabilizing. It ballooned and ruptured into long tongues of flames that swept through everything in the compound. Strucker''s Experiments immediately turned to ash, and the explosion of red flames continued on, seeping into the facility through the mutiple entrances and windows, decimating everything inside. The flames reached all the way into the vents and tunnels, erupting out of the manholes on the compound in tall pillars of fire. Locke''s eyes widened from his position behind the jeep. ''She really went all out.'' His mind was enraptured by Wanda''s glowing form. No matter how many times he saw it, it always left him amazed at just how powerful she was. It was to the point he was afraid he was getting Stockholm syndrome. The awe battled with his fear of her. How much stronger was she going to get if he handed her the Darkhold? No. Handing it over was out of the question. For whatever reason, the book had chosen him. And his connection with it had been steadily growing. Maybe... maybe he could become just as strong as Wanda through it. He probably wouldn''t match her firepower (she had destroyed the Avengers like it was nothing), but he only needed to learn a spell that would let him escape. He could then regroup with whatever was left of the heroes and hide behind them. At least until he found a way to permanently keep himself safe from the Scarlet Witch''s hands. ''Yeah. That''s the plan.'' The second he had some privacy, he would flip the Darkhold open and read it. His contemplations were cut off by a falling piece of one of the manhole covers, which smacked onto his head. The impact sent his body flopping to the ground, passing out instantly. All the while, Vision just watched, like he had been ordered to. -New York- -SHIELD Headquarters- Director Fury stood before the newly revamped World Security Council. "Fury, how goes the search for Wanda Maximoff?" one of the council members inquired. "Minimal progress, I''m afraid. She''s turned into a ghost." Fury replied, knowing what was coming. And sure enough, "Your incompetence is showing again, Director. With most of the Avengers dead or missing under your watch, why should the Council not vote to have you replaced?" one of them demanded. Anger and bitterness surged within him, but he clamped down on the emotions. He knew they were dead; he didn''t need to be reminded of it. They had lost soldiers, but he had lost friends. "Because I am still your best shot at finding and stopping her." Fury responded calmly. "My team has narrowed the search to somewhere around Europe. I have experts going through any off-the-books Hydra facilities that might be in the area." He added. "That''s not what you said." the same council member grumbled. Fury smirked. "You didn''t let me finish." "Nick, what about the missing Avengers? Have you located Thor and Hulk?" another asked. "I couldn''t get in touch with either of them. Knowing Thor, he is probably fighting a battle in one of the other realms. As for Banner, the Quinjet he commandeered crash-landed in Indonesia, empty. A clear indication he does not want to be found." Fury explained gravely. "That is unfortunate." A council member stated, "Even if you do find her, bringing her in without their help might be impossible." "Not might," Fury corrected. "It will be impossible." "Then what are you suggesting, a heavy bombardment with missiles?" one of them proposed. Fury held back from criticizing their tendency to resort to extreme measures. He understood their perspective. After all, Wanda had proven herself to be a threat that needed to be taken seriously. "Before we spook the world into another arms race, we have another option we could explore." He informed them. "Well? What is it?" A council member asked impatiently. Fury breathed out, knowing the gravity of what he was about to suggest, "The X-Men." The room immediately erupted into heated arguments. "Mutants? Are you out of your mind?" one council member shouted. "We can''t rely on them. They''re too unpredictable," another chimed in. "We have a deal with Charles Xavier and his people. They stay out of sight, and we stay out of theirs." Added, another. Fury raised his hand, signaling for silence. "I understand your concerns, but hear me out. The X-Men have experience dealing with powerful threats, especially ones that involve magic and otherworldly forces. We need their expertise." What he said made them thoughtful. "And remember, without the Avengers, we''re out of safe options." He pushed. "Do you really think they can handle her?" One of the council members asked skeptically. "They are our best chance." Fury replied firmly. "Professor Xavier and his team have faced similar challenges before. If anyone can stop Wanda, it''s them. And if they fail and she destroys them, that''s one less security risk for you to worry about." The council members exchanged uneasy glances through the displays, weighing Fury''s words. "We can''t afford to ignore any potential solution." Fury pressed on. "The longer we wait, the more powerful Wanda becomes. If we don''t act soon, there might not be anything left to save." There was a moment of silence as the council members considered his proposal. Finally, one of them spoke up, "Very well, Director. You have our approval to contact the X-Men. But remember, this is your last chance. If your plan fails, we will proceed with more drastic measures. Ones you won''t like." Fury nodded. "Understood. I''ll reach out to them immediately." As the meeting concluded, Fury left the room, determination etched on his face. He knew the risks involved in seeking the X-Men''s help, but he also knew it was their best shot at stopping Wanda. Come what may, he would Avenge his fallen friends. Wanda would pay, he swore on their memory. Chapter 9: Reaching Out. -Xavier''s School for Gifted Youngsters- (General P.O.V) Professor Charles Xavier sat in his study, deep in thought. The recent events had sent shockwaves through the world, and the mutant community was no exception. The news of the Avengers'' defeat and Wanda Maximoff''s emergence as a powerful and dangerous entity had reached them quickly. As he pondered the situation, Cyclops entered the room after briefly knocking. "Professor, you have a visitor," He announced. "Who is it, Scott?" Xavier asked, looking up from his desk. "It''s Nick Fury. He says it''s urgent." Cyclops answered in a tone laced with distrust. "Send him in." Xavier instructed. Moments later, Fury walked into the room, his expression serious. "Charles." Fury greeted, extending his hand. "Nick," Xavier responded, shaking his hand. "I assume this visit has something to do with Wanda Maximoff." Fury nodded, taking a seat across from Xavier. "You''re right. We need your help, Charles. Wanda is a threat we can''t handle on our own." "So it''s true. The Avengers lost," Xavier sighed, his expression growing somber. "Her power has grown exponentially. What exactly do you need from us?" "I need the X-Men to stop her. " Fury stated plainly. "She''s too powerful for SHIELD to handle with conventional means. Your team has the experience and abilities necessary to confront her." Xavier leaned back in his chair, considering the request. "This won''t be easy. Miss Maximoff is not only powerful and dangerous, but also deeply troubled- if she could kill her teammates in cold blood. But that is not the biggest reason why I hesitate." Xavier fixed Fury with a steady gaze. "Tell me, Nick, why should I use my people to help the World Council and SHIELD? I''ve kept mutants out of sight, yet they''re still being oppressed and executed. Has SHIELD ever done anything to help those mutants?" "I get where you''re coming from," Fury admitted. "It''s not fair. But the world has never been fair." "What a crudely true response," Xavier replied. "You''re not making it easy for you to convince me with such a jaded outlook." "Would you prefer if I lied?" Fury shot back. "The world is skewed on the side of the majority. My job is to ensure it''s still there in the morning." "Even at the expense of a few?" Charles questioned. Fury had no immediate response. Mutants were a touchy subject. The fear for mutant abilities was the main driving factor for their discrimination. Not everyone was a murderous maniac with too much power, but the world treated them as such. "Look, we can sit here and argue like politicians, but that would be a waste of time." Fury deflected. "Wanda is a threat to everyone, Charles. If she continues unchecked, the consequences could be catastrophic for the whole world. Mutants and regular people included." It took a little convincing but finally, Xavier nodded slowly. "Very well. I''ll assemble the Team. We''ll do what we can. But I can''t promise you any more than that, Fury. My X-Men''s safety comes first." "Thank you, Charles." Fury said while getting up, "I''m counting on you, X-Men. As soon as we have her coordinates, I''ll let you know." -X-Men Briefing Room- As Fury left the mansion, Xavier activated the intercom. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "X-Men, report to the briefing room immediately." Within minutes, the core members of the team gathered: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Wolverine, and Beast. "What''s going on, Professor? And does it have anything to do with Fury?" Cyclops asked. "We have a mission." Xavier began in a serious tone. "Wanda Maximoff has become a threat that we cannot ignore. Nick Fury has requested our assistance in stopping her." "Stopping her? You mean killing her?" Wolverine asked bluntly. "Not necessarily." Xavier replied. "Our primary goal is to contain her and prevent further harm. But be prepared for anything." "Do we have any leads on her location?" Storm inquired. "Fury''s team has narrowed it down to somewhere in Europe. I''ll use Cerebro to try and pinpoint where exactly." Xavier explained. Jean Grey''s eyes narrowed in thought. "This won''t be a regular mission. If she managed to defeat the Avengers, we might be facing an enemy on the level of Apocalypse." "Then we''ll handle her like we handled him." Storm concluded. -Cerebro Chamber- After the briefing, Xavier sat in the dimly lit chamber of Cerebro, his fingers delicately adjusting the helmet that connected his mind to the immense network of mutant consciousness. Beside him, Jean and Scott exchanged worried glances. The room hummed with the low, rhythmic pulse of Cerebro''s machinery. The walls of the chamber flashed blue, then shifted to a white color that covered the entire room, turning it into a white void. Hundreds, then thousands of red silhouettes that resembled people, started appearing in the air before them, interconnected by a network of lines. These were the minds of every mutant on the globe. None could hide from the most powerful Telepath in the world. "Professor." Jean began hesitantly, surveying the numerous minds being shown by Cerebro. "Wanda is not a mutant. How are you going to find her?" Charles closed his eyes, a furrow of concentration deepening on his brow. "She may not possess the X-gene, but power like hers leaves a psychic imprint. The fact she''s not a mutant should make it easier to locate her." His mind expanded, and with it, tendrils of his telepathic ability extended throughout the State before encompassing the entire Nation. He was doing a thorough sweep. Scott, standing next to him, shifted his legs uncomfortably. He had concerns that he couldn''t share during the briefing. "Professor, why are we helping Fury?What if this turns out to be a setup? And even if it''s not, I''m not sure we can arrest the Scarlet Witch. Not without casualties on our side." "The alternative is to let her do what she wants." Jean interjected. "She could be planning something bad, Scott. It makes sense why Fury would come to the Professor. We''re likely the only ones that stand a chance." "But we don''t know anything." Scott argued. "We don''t know why she attacked her teammates. Can we trust information given to us by a government spy?" "No. And yet, we have no choice." Charles cut in before the argument could continue. "The act of destroying the Avengers may not be an isolated incident. She could turn her sights on us next." "But..." Scott began, only for Xavier to interrupt him. "I understand your concerns, Scott. However, my mind is already made up. Wanda Maximoff is too powerful and too dangerous to be left unchecked. The sooner we find her, the sooner we can hear her side of the story and try for a peaceful resolution. A fight may not be necessary. Does that ease your mind?" "Only a little," Scott replied bluntly. "It will have to do." Charles told him, expanding his range beyond North America. "Fury''s information points to Europe, but that''s still a vast area to cover." He muttered, perusing the minds of all mutants he came across and any other interesting psychic phenomena. Scott adjusted his shades, the lens reflecting the pale light of Cerebro, "With thousands of mutants around the globe now, many hiding their abilities, it''s like finding a needle in a haystack. But if anyone can do it, it''s you, Professor." Charles nodded, a flicker of determination in his eyes. He kept extending his telepathy, sifting through the myriad of thoughts and energies that emanated from every corner of the globe. Minutes turned into hours. And before long, it was night. The Professor decided to take a break after the fruitless search. He was yet to find her. The next morning he was back in Cerebro, running through every mind that caught his attention. He was pushing his limits, extending his search with an unyielding resolve. Each attempt left him more exhausted than the last, but he refused to relent. With every telepathic scan, he was getting close. He could feel it. He wasn''t just searching for mutants now. He was perusing the surface thoughts of anyone that strongly thought about the Avengers, specifically their deaths. But that didn''t help narrow it down, as almost every person in the world was thinking about that. People were worried about the future without their protectors, while also being terrified of the Scarlet Witch. On the fourth day, as fatigue weighed heavily on his shoulders, a sudden surge of energy cut through the noise like a lightning bolt. Charles'' eyes flew open. "There!" he exclaimed, his voice strained yet triumphant. Jean and Cyclops leaned in, their faces etched with anticipation. "You found her? Where?!" Jean asked. "Sweden." Charles whispered, his mind diving into the beacon of energy. He found himself standing on the precipice of Wanda''s consciousness, a scarlet wasteland stretching out before him. The air inside her mind was a swirling maelstrom of power and emotion. Charles felt as if he was in the middle of a brewing storm. Her sheer potential was on the same level as the Phoenix force he sealed away in Jean''s mind. And it terrified him. Luckily for him, Wanda didn''t seem to notice his presence, which was just hanging before her mental shields. Her mind seemed occupied with something. A ritual of some kind. But the second Charles attempted to probe deeper into her thoughts, Wanda sensed him. Her eyes, fiery with a mix of rage and sorrow, met his in the psychic plane. Yet the look in them seemed far away. She didn''t speak. "Wanda, I-" Before Xavier could finish his sentence, she swatted him out of her mind like a fly. Back in the physical world, The psychic backlash was overwhelming, and Charles recoiled physically, the shock knocking him out of the Cerebro interface. Jean and Cyclops rushed to his aide as he regained consciousness, his breaths ragged. "Professor, are you alright?" Cyclops asked, concern lacing his voice. Charles nodded slowly, his face pale, "I''ve found her. Wanda. She''s somewhere in "northern Sweden." Relief and trepidation washed over Jean and Cyclops. "Time to act then." Cyclops said, his voice steely with resolve. "There''s more." Charles added, his voice trembling slightly. "In the brief moment before she attacked, I glimpsed her memories. I saw her family... I saw Eric." "Magneto?" Jean gasped, her eyes widening. Charles nodded gravely. "Yes. It appears Wanda is his daughter. Eric had a family in Sokovia before the bombings that took them from him." The revelation hung heavy in the air, the implications profound and far-reaching. Jean and Cyclops exchanged stunned looks, the enormity of the situation sinking in. "We need to inform the others," Cyclops said finally. "This changes everything." Charles agreed with a nod, his voice hardening. "Indeed, it does. We need to reach Wanda before it''s too late." They left the Cerebro chamber, the shadows of the past and the uncertainties of the future looming large. The revelation of Wanda''s true parentage added a new layer of complexity to their mission. How would Magneto react to knowing his daughter still lived? And what would he do if he figured out they were going after her? The path ahead was fraught with danger. And Charles agonized over the consequences of his coming decision. Should he tell Magneto, or leave him out of the loop? Knowing Eric, he would fight the whole world for his daughter. But perhaps the thing that nagged him the most... There was another smaller surge of power he had felt besides Wanda''s. And while weaker, this power felt strange. Like a mix of two different sources of energy. And one of those sources felt distinctly like a mutant. Wanda was not alone. She had a mutant with her. Chapter 10: What Is Magic? -Locke- Magic. What is it? I never thought I''d ask myself that question. Mysticism never interested me. Even as a kid, parlor tricks didn''t impress me. Not when I had a voice screaming in my mind all the time. But now, magic might be my only hope. So, what is it? And how do I get it? I sighed, staring at the gray ceiling above me. It''s hard to find an inspiring answer when you''re stuck in a cell. A four-by-four room with sturdy walls and a steel door that could only be opened from the outside. I woke up here a few hours ago with a nasty bruise on the back of my head, courtesy of Wanda''s rampage. I must have been caught in the crossfire and passed out. She probably had Vision lock me in here to prevent my escape, especially since I still had what she wanted. The Darkhold. Which brought me back to the first question: What is magic? A phenomenon that can''t be explained by science? A weird energy that breaks all known physical laws? Or just the power of imagination made real? It could be any or all of these answers. I don''t think there''s a wrong one. I also don''t think I could stall any longer. "Time to open the damn thing." I exhaled, sitting up in a lotus position. With a thought, the weight of the Darkhold settled on my lap, a large black book that oozed an ominous aura. I stroked the spine, the cover shivering in delight and anticipation. It was as if it could sense what I wanted to do. What I was about to do. "Read it," my inner voice ordered, destroying the last of my hesitation. I grabbed the edge of the front cover and opened it. The first thing I noticed was the picture on the first page: an image of a fully dissected child, with the organs and body parts clearly labeled. I threw the book on the bed and ran to the toilet, the taste of bile filling my mouth. Heaving produced nothing; my stomach was empty. I hadn''t eaten or drunk anything for the week it took to get here. Wanda had refused to make any stops. I think she kept both of our bodies nourished through chaos magic. But that''s beside the point. "What a vile thing," I muttered, staring at the book lying innocently open on the bed. I was now less eager to read it after seeing what was on the first page. It made me consider what other nasty stuff was waiting for me inside its brown pages. Although a shudder rocked me at the thought of touching it again, the Darkhold was unfortunately my only ticket out of here. "Okay, you piece of shit..." I breathed out, determination and the will to live welling up in me. "I''m not going to die by that insane woman''s hands, not if I can help it. So get ready, ''cause I''m not backing down." To prove it, I grabbed the book, placed it on my knees, and made myself comfortable. Ignoring the gory details of the image, I focused on the text above it: a header I hadn''t noticed earlier. "Magic Extraction Ritual." I read, my eyes passing over the image to the rest of the text below. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Magic, as humans understand it, comes in three forms. The first, Universal Magic, is the natural energy suffusing everything in creation. It is in the air, the water, the trees, the rocks, and is the most readily available, yet the most stubborn to move. Sorcerers and Mystics prefer to carry out rituals in locations with a high concentration of Universal Magic called leyline nodes." I see. If I recall correctly, Wanda did mutter something about this place having a high amount of mystical energy. It was the reason for the Yeti Zombies that attacked us. And the rituals the passage mentioned¡ªcould that be why she brought us here? I wonder if I can tap into this Universal Magic. Not very likely. If it was that easy, the Darkhold would have said so, but instead, it described it as "stubborn to move." I continued with the text. "The second, Dimensional Magic, involves summoning or channeling power from other dimensions or mystical entities. It taps into the energies of powerful beings or realms, offering potent and versatile abilities. This is achieved by opening the Third Eye." How shrewd of the Darkhold not to mention the part about owing favors or attracting the attention of powerful beings when channeling magic from other realms. I saw how Kaecilius turned out in the first Doctor Strange movie. For now, let''s leave that out. "The third, Personal Magic, is drawn from the practitioner''s own life force or psionic energy. It involves abilities like telepathy, telekinesis, and other mental powers. This type of magic requires significant skill, training, and can be draining on the user." Personally, this was more my style. But the part about requiring training and the danger of being draining on the user made it less useful than the other two kinds. For starters, my situation was far from ideal. I was a novice with no training. Expecting me to somehow learn how to access my life force or psionic energy out of the blue, and without an instructor, was asking too much. Secondly, it was risky to try something the Darkhold itself warned against. As if to remind me of my situation, the memory of Wanda tearing through the Avengers flashed in my mind. That could be me... I can''t give up yet. Giving up means dying. Even if there are risks involved, do I really have the luxury to avoid them? My eyes fell back onto the page. Another row of text continued at the bottom. Hopefully, it was information on how I could use magic. Any of the three was welcome. I just needed a clear way. "Anyone can use magic to varying degrees. Universal Magic requires a complex understanding of incantations and arcane knowledge. Dimensional Magic requires one''s spirit to be expanded to a level where they can interact with other realms. Personal Magic requires dedicated discipline and meditation." Fuuuuck. None of this is helpful to me. Fortunately, before my hopes were completely dashed, the passage continued, "However, for those without the patience for learning the mystical arts and would rather skip to the end, the Magic Extraction Ritual is for you. Through the careful dissection of a sorcerer whose body has grown accustomed to magic, or a virgin child yet to reach adulthood, you can harvest their life force into a magic circle and absorb it into yourself, thus stirring your own Personal Magic..." I stopped there, disbelief coloring my face. What in the actual fucking hell?! Now I know the purpose of the Heading. This was a spell or rather a ritual for someone looking for a shortcut to power. I guess this is why the Darkhold and anyone who uses it are branded as evil. The text went on to describe the exact procedure to be followed in the ritual to attain the maximum benefits. Thoroughly disgusted after completing the first page, I flipped to the second one, only to find it blank. The third, the fourth¡ªall the pages were blank except for the first one. I guess the Darkhold judged that with no magic of my own, showing me anything else was a waste of time. With a defeated sigh, I closed the book and placed it on the side of my bed, stumped on what I was supposed to do to use magic. Without it, I was basically a sitting duck, waiting for Wanda to find a way to take possession of the Darkhold, likely ending me in the process. I considered the information I''d learned. Universal Magic was impossible to use for the current me. Dimensional Magic relied on having my Third Eye open to be able to channel power from other dimensions. Also impossible. And Personal Magic required lots of discipline and meditation. And while not impossible, it was time-consuming and carried with it certain risks. Unless you went the route of sacrificing someone in a ritual to skip all of that. And there was no way I considered that as an option. With that said, it was clear what path I was going to take. Personal Magic. The long way of course, no shortcuts. "Meditation, huh? I''m not unfamiliar with that..." I said, recalling the guided meditative practices I''d been taught by a guru in India to deal with my mental issues. And while I had no idea the specific disciplines to follow to activate my personal magic, I had loads of pop culture memories to draw inspiration from. Who knows, I could be a prodigy like one of those anime protagonists. And even if I failed, when I do meet my end, I can say I tried. My hope reignited, I sat up on my bed, crossing my legs in a lotus pose. My forearms rested on my knees, with three of my fingers on both hands splayed open. The middle fingers curled inwards, held in place by each of my thumbs. This was a position meant to promote spiritual healing by opening hidden gates across the body, according to my guru at least. The next step was meditation. I closed my eyes and tried to quiet my mind. Due to past practice, I was able to mostly succeed, with only the occasional stray thought passing through. The next step was syncing my breath with the rhythm of my heart, which had slowed down dramatically. ''Now what?'' A stray question arose in the blank canvas of my mind. According to the Darkhold, awakening one''s Personal Magic relied on being able to sense life force. So I should be looking for a weird energy in me. Okay, let''s try that, although I''m sure it''s going to take more than one meditation sessio¡ª WHOAAA! A strange warmth invaded my entire body. It rushed up from my toes, reaching my legs, abdomen, torso, all the way to my head before going down to my toes again. It was so unexpected that I dropped out of the meditation, a shocked look on my face. "D- Did I just succeed on the first try?!" Chapter 11: Creating A Path. -Locke- It took a few more meditation sessions to accurately sense the Personal Energy within me. Now, even without meditation, I could feel an electric charge under my skin, like the fuzzy sensation when a t-shirt rubs against your back. The sensation was spread out across my entire body with no discernible source of origin¡ª just a chaotic river of charged energy. After two days, I fully cultivated my sensitivity of it. On the third day, I finally tried to move it. According to the book, Personal Energy could either be Lifeforce or Psionic in nature. I first tried to manipulate it like Ki or Chi, attempting to speed up or slow down its flow. That didn''t work. Trying to change its direction also failed. The energy stubbornly maintained its cycle¡ª from my toes to my head, then down again. "If it¡¯s not physical like Lifeforce, then it must be Mental, which means Psionic," I reasoned, approaching the farthest wall of my cell and focusing on the three items on the bed: my water-soaked pants, dry T-shirt, and the Darkhold. Yup, I was only in my underwear. Luckily, there were no cameras inside the small cell, and I had a few hours before Vision brought my daily meal. Anyway, I knew Psionic abilities usually manifested in three ways: Telepathy, Telekinesis, and Psychokinesis. I couldn''t test Telepathy as there was no one else around. Telekinesis and Psychokinesis, however, were different. I closed my eyes, visualizing the T-shirt floating into my hands, while also keeping tabs on my Personal Energy. After a minute with no result, I opened my eyes. The T shirt hadn''t moved from the bed, and the energy within me hadn''t shown any reaction. I then tried Psychokinesis by attempting to heat up my water-soaked pants. I imagined the water molecules vibrating fast enough to change states into steam. That also failed; the pants remained cold and drenched. Maybe my control over the Personal Energy was too low, but I should have at least felt something, right? So caught up in my frustration, I didn¡¯t notice Vision phase through the door. Luckily, his steps were audible. I turned around to find him blankly staring at the Darkhold on the bed, a tray with bread, jerky, and a jug of water in his hands. "Your meal," he said, holding out the tray. "Bread and jerky again? Even actual prisoners have variety in their diet," I complained. The bread was always dry and the jerky bland. Vision said nothing. Resigned, I took the tray and sat on the bed, placing it atop the Darkhold in my lap. Sue me, I didn''t have a table, and the tray was cold. Ain''t no way I was placing it on my naked thighs. I quietly began eating while Vision stood off to the side. Over the last two days, he had never left the tray with me. Perhaps Wanda was worried I¡¯d try to do something with it. Still, even her overcautiousness wouldn''t stop me from escaping once I figured out how to use my Personal Energy. Hey, wait a minute... I stopped drinking the water midway, eyes landing on the silent android. Vision not only had the Mind Stone on his head, but Wanda¡¯s chaos corruption was magic, right? Maybe he had some information I could learn from. Placing the cup back on the tray, I cleared my throat. "Can I ask you something? It¡¯s not anything that will get you in trouble with Wanda, I promise." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. He didn¡¯t respond, but that wasn¡¯t anything new. Luckily, I knew how to get him talking. "It¡¯s about this book." I tapped the Darkhold, and his expression changed a little. The distant and lifeless gaze was replaced by a bit of interest. "You see, I opened the first page and couldn¡¯t make sense of the strange text," I said, holding it up for him to see. His eyes lit up with a yellow light that scanned the page. A frown appeared on his face. "My optics inform me the page is blank. It contains no text." "Really?" I was confused. Maybe only I could read the Darkhold? Good to know. "I can tell you what it says and then you can help me figure out what it means." I offered. Hesitation appeared in his eyes¡ªsomething unexpected from an enslaved android. So, Vision wasn¡¯t completely gone... "Look at it this way, you would be serving your Mistress¡¯ interest. Wanda wants the Darkhold, right? Maybe this way we can learn why it bonded to me in the first place." My words had the desired effect. "I shall comply. For now." Vision answered. "What does the page contain?" I hid my smile and promptly told him about the three types of magic: Universal, Dimensional, and Personal. Of course, leaving out the part about the Magic extraction ritual. Wanda was likely listening in or had a way to extract information from Vision. Everything she had done so far, pointed to her obsession with the Darkhold. "My question is, how would one go about utilizing these three types of magic if they had the potential for it?" I asked vaguely, hoping Wanda would interpret it as me trying to find a way to use magic. Despite the risks involved- it also seemed naive of me, a complete noob. I was counting on her underestimating my potential, not knowing what I could already do. Vision didn''t answer right away. When he did, it was with the deductive reasoning only capable of a supercomputer. The Mind Stone on his forehead probably helped as well. "From your explanation, Universal and Dimensional magic rely on outside catalysts, while Personal Magic relies on the user''s talent and understanding of themselves." He said. "Oh, I see," I replied, trying to act as if I was getting it. "Then what''s the difference between Universal and Dimensional? If someone in a different dimension could tap into the natural energy of this universe, wouldn''t it make it, at least to them, Dimensional Magic? So what¡¯s stopping someone from simply using the methods of learning Dimensional magic to tap into their universe''s natural energy?" "That likely depends on the comparison between both realities. A universe might be bigger and more complex than a dimension. A dimension can simply be a pocket of space cut off from the universe or layered onto the universe. Both scenarios suggest the physical rules of the universe would be more complete. Which in turn would make the natural energy or its essence share the same properties." Vision explained. I understood what he meant, as it was close to my own conclusions. Basically, a dimension had simpler rules, while the universe had more complex rules due to its wide variety. For example, the Dark Dimension, Dormammu¡¯s realm, was saturated with darkness and the Dreadlord''s essence. In comparison, no corner of the universe was the same. The Quantum Realm could be considered a different dimension yet it¡¯s a part of the universe¡ªa layer. "So to tap into Universal Magic without complex incantations and calculations, would mean more than just opening yourself up to the Universal energy around, right? But what more can someone do? And how would they even be able to sense it? Let alone control such power?" I questioned the Android. Too fast for me to catch, the Mind Stone on Vision''s forehead flashed. I didn¡¯t see it, but I sensed it¡ªthe same feeling I got whenever Wanda cast a spell on me. A little of her magic spilled out of Vision and dissolved into my body. The look in the android¡¯s eyes had changed slightly, only noticeable if you were keenly looking for it. I dont think I was facing the android anymore; it was most likely Wanda. "That''s a good question," Vision complimented, another indication it wasn¡¯t him in control. "Natural energy is very, very hard to sense, let alone use. And without learning a magical language from a book like the Darkhold..." His vision fell onto my lap, and a flash of hunger passed through his eyes before he continued, "You would need to construct a magical array¡ªa compound-sized magic formation, that would then gather the natural energy and store it in specialized crystals created from souls. As spirits are not a part of the material world, they can be shaped to isolate and hold vast amounts of Universal Energy." Damn. That¡¯s Wanda all right. She was just speaking through Vision. "But...wouldn''t that mean killing people?" I asked, knowing she had no qualms about it but still curious about her response. "Of course. But they would be serving a greater purpose," Vision answered almost immediately. "Greater purpose? What do you mean?" I was confused. "Universal Energy is the breath of the universe," Vision said, his breathing quickening, almost as if Wanda was excited. "An energy only surpassed by the God''s divine power as it can do anything. Enough of it under someone''s control can enable one to bend reality to their will. A remote control to all existence." Vision''s eyes were practically lit with obsession. "And once ''its'' ready, nothing will stop me from changing the channel..." Okay...none of that sounded remotely good. I hadn¡¯t seen Wanda for two days, and I assumed she was busy with something really evil and bad for my health. Our conversation about souls and sacrificing them to create something that could hold vast amounts of Universal Energy, confirmed it. We¡¯re literally on top of a Leyline node. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what she was planning. Shit! I really need to get out of here soon... After concluding the explanation, Vision''s eyes returned to normal, and I was now back to staring at the blank-faced android. Wanda was gone. "Any more questions?" The android asked. "No, I think I''m good. What you answered is enough for today. Same time tomorrow?" I tried a joke, which fell flat as the android simply grabbed the tray and phased out of the cell. Now I was alone again. At least I had somewhat of an answer to my previous question. What is Magic? Magic is the expansion of human consciousness through the exploration of the arcane¡ªa spiritual dimension accessed through imagination and will. But for that to happen, you couldn¡¯t just half-ass it. The power, the imagination, and the will might be present, but you also need direction. After all, you can''t walk a path that doesn''t exist. But if you''re like me, meaning out of options, you create the path yourself. And fortunately, I knew where to start. I grabbed the Darkhold, opened the first page, and then flipped onto the second page. The energy within me stirred at the row of new texts. Chapter 12: Basic Spells For Dummies: Blood Magic. -Wanda- Below the snowy mountain, was the abandoned Hydra base. Compared to 4 days ago, a shimmering pale yellow dome of energy now covered the entire compound. Inside the dome, way above the ground and floating in the air, was the Scarlet Witch, the red glow of her magic extending out in numerous tendrils across the entire dome. She was studying her work. Work that had taken almost a week to complete. If the Darkhold had still been in her possession, she wouldn''t have had to go through all that extensive work. But fortunately, the first step was done. The formation was fully set up- she just needed one final ingredient that would absorb and store the Universal Energy that would bring Pietro back. But even after his resurrection, there would be plenty of it left. And she had a few ideas on how to spend the excess. The Darkhold would be back in her hands, one way or the other. And it wouldn''t be long either. In fact... "He should be back by morning...I can still feel his presence near the settlement." She muttered to herself, eyes cast out in the direction of the village close by. She had sent Vision to kidnap the sacrifices needed to create the final ingredient, the Soul Crystals. Once the crystals were refined, she would then activate the formation around the base, tapping into the Leyline node below and absorb all that Natural Energy running through it. Before the dusk of the 5th day, tomorrow, she would have Pietro back. ''You''re close...but others will seek to stop you, be ready for them. Be ready for the X-Men...'' The same voice that had been speaking to her warned. Wanda raised her eyes to the sky, at the shifting clouds, rolling in from the mountains. Dusk was approaching, along with a heavy snow storm. "Let them." She softly said. -Vision- 20 people. The Mistress needed no more or less. The village was a small one, not enough to abduct 20 people without it going unnoticed. So he went out of his way to target those who lived on the outskirts. Or those who wouldn''t immediately be noticed were missing. He also conveniently avoided children. Anyone below 16- even if the Mistress hadn''t explicitly told him, he knew she would have preferred young ones, as their souls were purer. However, his programming showed him that in the long run, it was better for his Mistress'' mental health if he picked adults. And so after scouting the village the entire day phased and invisible, he made his move during the snowy night when everyone was huddled inside their homes. He put those he had picked into a heavy sleep and transported them to the back of a truck a ways off from the village. It was one of the Hydra vehicles, designed to commute the snow and rocky terrain of the region. To avoid noise and leaving behind tire tracks, he lifted and carried it back by flight. The Android''s considerable strength was more than enough to lift a few dozen tons. By the time he made it back up to the mountain, dawn of the 5th day was breaking, although it was hard to tell due to the dark clouds covering the sun. Luckily, the Hydra base was visible from a distance owing to the subtle yellow glow of the dome placed over the compound. -Locke- Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The third page had contained exactly what I needed. Hope for escaping with my life. Wanda had no idea how much she had helped me. While her words had been cryptic and not contextualized enough to tell me how to use magic, she had unknowingly led me to the perfect solution for my predicament. Using the Darkhold. Or rather, the spells I could learn from it. And the second page which had been blank before was now filled with a row of texts detailing 3 spells. The Header read, ''Basic Spells For Dummies: Blood Magic.'' Don''t let the insulting title fool you. The spells described were anything but basic. It''s worth remembering that the Darkhold was semi-sentient and could intuit what it''s User required, taking into account the limit of their ability. In other words, these spells were tailor made for someone like me. A magic novice with no training whatsoever. Without opening my third eye, having knowledge of complex incantations or magic tools like a wand to draw out my magic, the three spells relied on Blood as a conduit. The first spell was a summoning one and it read, (CALIGO CHAOS:- By clapping two bleeding palms together, the user can summon an Umbris Devourer. An entity composed entirely of mist that eats through matter at an accelerated rate. The user needs to keep the Palms clasped together, pulling them apart banishes the Umbris Devourer back to the Dark Dimension.) The second spell was more of a support one:- ARMAMENT CHAOS:- (By drawing the symbol of an Inverted Cross using blood onto an object, the User can extract a single Characteristic from the object and temporarily imbue it onto themselves. The effects lasts 10 minutes or until the User''s magic energy is spent.) And the final spell was literally a lifesaver:- CORRUPTION CHAOS:- (By drawing an Inverted Cross onto a corpse, the User can transfer injuries, curses and hexes sustained into it. The corpse will instantly be devoured by Chthon''s black flames. And as a result, the User will feel his presence more strongly.) It was also the spell I was most wary about. Catching the attention of THE Chaos Lord himself was a bad idea. It also worried me that the spell itself was called Corruption Chaos. The very nature and purpose of the Darkhold was to corrupt... I was going to have to be careful and avoid getting hurt as much as possible. Fortunately, with the first two spells, Caligo Chaos and Armament Chaos, as long as I wasn''t necessarily reckless, then I wouldn''t have a need for the final spell. The third and fourth pages were predictably blank. Just like the rest of the Book of Sins. I suspected that the Darkhold was intentionally hiding the rest of the spells and hexes contained within it. Most likely because I was too green to put them to good use. Thats okay. With these 3 spells, my escape is all but guaranteed. But first, I had to familiarize myself with them. The rest of the 4th day was spent training with the spells. Without a sharp object in the cell to draw my blood with, I settled for using my canines to pierce the skin. Eren Yaeger made it look easy, but the pain was nothing to scoff at. The little bit of blood that spilled from my finger was used to draw the inverted Cross sign in the middle of my palms. And once I was ready, I stood close to the entrance with my back facing the metal door. Summoning an Umbris Devourer required slapping both palms together and then holding them in place. I breathed out, calming myself down while setting my eyes on the target, which was the metal toilet. Then I clapped both palms together, the sound audibly resonating through the confined space. The Energy within me fizzled up to my hands in a rush, spreading down to the forearms and out through the the palms. There was a brief surge of heat followed by sparks that flew from the sides of the clasped palms. And then a red vortex appeared in front of me- only big enough for a small dog to pass through. What came out of it was a strange black cloud that instantly shot towards the target. And in a second, the toilet along with a small section of the wall behind dissolved into nothing. "Stop!" I yelled and the dark cloud left the wall, churning about the cell violently, before it suddenly headed my way. It was so fast, I barely reacted, pulling my palms apart before I was swallowed by it. In the blink of an eye, the summons was gone. Just as fast as it had arrived. A heavy breath full of terror escaped me. Before banishing it, numerous red eyes had flashed across it''s mist body. Eyes that gave off the same feeling as Wanda''s chaos magic. I shook off the fear and hurriedly went to study the space where the toilet had been. The wall was smooth, with no dust or debris from the metal structure of the toilet to be seen. The Umbris Devourer truly ate through matter completely. If I hadn''t stopped it, it would have eaten through the wall to the outside. I can''t imagine what it would do to a Human body. I resolved to never find out if I could help it. But if push comes to shove...I was going to protect myself. Even if I had to kill. A snicker escaped me as I leaned on the wall, the floor below filling up with water from the destroyed toilet pipes. The smell coming off the hole on the ground was also terrible but I didn''t care. "Hard to believe I wanted to kill myself to get rid of the voice...but now I can''t imagine dying..." I muttered. The memory of the Avengers and Shield agents getting mowed down as they tried to protect me from Wanda, appeared in my mind. It was because of them I was no longer suicidal. "I can''t let myself get killed. Not when they died saving me. I owe them that at least." My words resonated with a deep desire. A desire to see things through. "And if I can...I''ll Avenge them." I added in determination. Only to slap my face at the insane thought. Avenging them meant going up against Wanda. Even with my new spells that was simply impossible. The smart thing to do was flee. Yeah, fleeing as far away from the Crazy Witch as I could get. "Even Antarctica is not far enough..." After the success of my first spell went to my head, reason soon returned. To hide the evidence, I stuffed one of the sheets onto the leaking pipes and pulled the bed back against the wall to conceal the missing toilet. It wasn''t time to escape yet. Through my strange ability to sense when Wanda''s magic was active, I could feel her awareness spread out across the entire compound. Making any move right now was risky, so I sat back on the bed and continued practicing the second spell while trying to feel how my Energy reacted. The goal was to get better at handling it. And then tomorrow morning, I was out of here. Chapter 13: Day Five. -Locke- I breathed out, opening my eyes. It was time. Wanda''s magic was silent. She was no longer spreading her perception throughout the compound. The Darkhold on my lap cloaked itself from view upon my will. It became intangible and invisible, phasing out of this reality into a false one. My steps made no noise as I jumped off the bed and approached the door, placing my hands on it. There were many ways I could do this, but after much consideration- I had to be sneaky. Vision no doubt had super senses. Using my bleeding finger, I drew an inverted cross on my palms, slapping them together to summon the Umbris Destroyer. The entity made of dark mist launched out of the red portal, devouring a small hole on the door. I pulled the palms apart, unsummoning it. My hand fit through the created hole, searching for... I knew it! There was a door latch. I pulled it down and the steel door swung open outwards. Freedom at last. My heart threatened time burst out of my chest in relief and happiness. I had done it. I had escaped the cell. Now all that was left was to make a run for it. -Cyclops- "What''s our ETA Beast?" Cyclops enquired from his seat inside the X-jet. "1 hour. We should be entering Europe in a bit." Beast answered from the Cockpit. "Good." Cyclops nodded with a heavy tone, sweeping his gaze out at the rest of the Team. Storm was strapped in to his left staring out through the window of the jet, behind her, Wolverine was asleep, his snoring louder than the hum of the engines. Rogue was next to the feral mutant, reading a book- she smiled at Cyclops when she felt his gaze. On her other side, Gambit was shuffling his cards deftly- he held one up and drew it across his neck as a warning to Cyclops. The former Mutant wasn''t happy to see his girlfriend smiling at the latter. The Leader of the X-Men swallowed a scoff, instead shifting his focus to the couple at the back. Kitty Pride was sitting on Collosus'' lap. He thought about telling her to buckle up in her own seat, before he decided it wasn''t worth it. Let Collosus have his fun. "Hey, are you okay?" Jean, who was closest to him on his right, asked concernedly. Cyclop''s mind said ''no'' "Yeah." But his lips uttered something else. Despite lying to his Telepathic girlfriend, Jean only smiled in response and hugged his bicep. "Don''t worry. As long as we''re together, we''ll keep each other safe." She assured. Cyclops nodded with a grunt. But inside, he was still skeptical about their chances with Wanda. Luckily, they weren''t alone. -Locke- The building had multiple floors. Just my luck I was stuck on the lowest one, deep underground. Behind me was a long corridor with huge pipelines. My cell being further behind. "Sub level 9." I read the plaque on the wall before some stairs, staring up at the long ass staircase leading upwards. A sigh inevitably escaped me. I hate taking stairs. "There''s gotta be an elevator around here. I can''t picture Strucker walking down hundreds of steps." Thankfully looking around paid off. But while I did find a lift, it was unfortunately out of service. Luckily, there was a freight elevator at the end of the floor. It was risky to ride it, but better than wasting my energy. I was saving that for when I had to run. The freight elevator had a control panel that was easy to understand. The yellow button was for Up and the red for Down. Green probably meant Stop. Pressing on the yellow, the elevator begun ascending with a rumbling sound. ''Finger''s crossed, Vision or Wanda won''t notice the cell is empty.'' My hope grew stronger the more levels I passed, body tense and heart wildly racing. A light appeared above me. ''Almost there...just a bit more...'' A few minutes later, the rumble of the freight elevator fell silent as it came to a stop on its one. I looked around in relief. I made it. This was the Ground Floor. Or as the plaque on the wall read, ''Section 1: Loading Bay.'' The area seemed to be a sort of Garage/Storage facility. There were large containers stacked upon one another, almost reaching the roof of the warehouse. A few trucks and dozens of snowmobiles were packed on the other side of the chamber, leaving an open path between us- probably reserved for moving cargo. And there, at the back was the exit, blocked by metal doors. Nothing the Umbris can''t handle. Exiting off the elevator, I quietly hid behind a container, senses peeled for signs of any presence. Mostly Vision- the Android could go intangible and invisible at the same time. Add in flying and that made him a literal ghost. If he discovered me, I was fucked. Even the Umbris Destroyer didn''t have my confidence in dealing with him. The Android would merely phase through it. Fortunately, there was no one around. And no cameras either. Which meant I was able to sneak to the Exit without an issue. Now all that remained was to summon the Umbris Destroyer and have it eat through the doors. I almost missed it. The feel of Wanda''s magic coming from my front. Only very very subdued. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. It was a film of energy perpetually running through the exit doors. Not only that, but it covered the entire wall to my front. A magical boundary, no doubt. Passing through it would probably alert Wanda. Damn. I was naive to think escaping would be that easy. For all her faults, the Scarlet Witch came prepared. She wouldn''t let the Darkhold slip away from her hands again- meaning countermeasures. But on the other hand, I was done with being her prisoner. Nothing was going to stop me from getting out of there. Antarctica is my next stop. Believe it. Maybe that''s why, after a brief consideration, I came up with a stupid plan. I was going to use the second spell, Armament Chaos, to imbue the characteristic of the boundary field into myself. Told you it was dumb. There was a lot I didn''t know about magic. And there were a million ways things could go wrong. The spell was not even meant to be used like that. But if I could match the boundary field''s wavelength, there was a chance I could pass through undetected. Or I could horribly die by exploding from the inside. Chaos magic was risky like that. Biting my finger was no less painful now than the first time, but I was able to draw some blood. With a deep breath to calm myself, I sent a prayer to any gods listening and proceeded to trace the inverted cross on the invisible field. My finger stalled before touching it, however. Without a word, I quickly ducked behind a few crates, just as the front half of a Truck phased through the exit doors. The surprise at seeing a floating truck was overtaken by the sight of Vision holding up the underside while flying in. I shrunk behind the crates, making myself small and hoping I hadn''t been spotted. The Android was preoccupied with his task, as he continued on to the end of the storage facility without stopping, phasing through the wall into the other side. I was about to sigh in relief, when the breath caught in my throat. My eyes widened in stupefication. Just before the Truck disappeared through the wall...I caught a glimpse of what lay inside. People. My mind immediately added, ''Sacrifices.'' -Wanda- Despite how large the Hydra base was, it took no time at all, with phasing, for Vision to pass through the outer sections of the building, and into the spacious inner court yard. The courtyard was a few hundred square meters in scope. Surrounded by tall fences with four watchtowers it looked more like a prison yard. In fact, a prison yard was accurate as a description. One meant for Strucker''s abducted subjects back when the base was still in operation. But then it had been abandoned after there was a containment breach, that led to the spread of a virus. Hydra evacuated and the experiments- now infected, were further mutated by the natural energy emanating from the Leyline. Shortly afterwards, Shield discovered Hydra''s existence and promptly destroyed most of the Organization. -0- Gently, Vision touched down, placing the truck he had been carrying, just outside the entrance to the yard. Wanda, levitating in the air with her eyes closed, opened them to stare at the Truck hungrily. "Finally." She gratefully flew down, waving a palm and melting a part of the chain fence- creating a hole big enough for someone to pass through. The entrance happened to be facing the back of the truck. Whimpers could be heard coming from it. "Do not be afraid, come out." She softly beckoned, her body aglow with a scarlet aura, feet hanging a few inches off the ground. At the failure to heed her words, Wanda looked to Vision, who punched the side of the truck, rocking it and leaving behind a dent. The scared whimpering increased. "Come out. I won''t hurt you." Wanda tried again, and this time, the abducted villagers complied, filing out into the courtyard and huddling close together. Wanda found herself the target of their terrified gazes. The group consisted of adults. Most of them 25-40. Though two looked older than 50. The oldest of them was a gray haired mam who stood at the front of the others, holding a hat in his hands. Unlike the rest who held fear in their eyes, he was calm and stared down Wanda. "You." The scarlet witch pointed at him, angry that he wasn''t cowering like the others. "I see courage in your gaze. But courage without power is nothing. You''re like an ant to me. Learn your place, Old Man!" Scarlet wisps of energy surrounding her palms flew out in a burst of electricity, that landed on the old man. He grunted in pain and fell to the ground, body seizing up in agony. Laughter bubbled it''s way out of Wanda. A glee of amusement coloring her eyes as some of the villagers went to help the old man, only for remnants of her spell to electrocute them too. ''They''re Weak and Undeserving to breath the same air as you. Tools to be used. Livestock to be slaughtered.'' The voice in her mind spoke, justifying her actions for her. ''Yes.'' Wanda agreed. In the end she was doing all this for Pietro. Her love for her brother made her strong enough to take actions others would condemn. Tony and the rest couldn''t understand. That''s why they had to go. More importantly, she turned her head to the side, a knowing smirk spreading across her lips. "How long are you going to keep on hiding...Locke?" -Locke- Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!!! I should have just ran when I had the chance. But something in me had hesitated after seeing those people. Innocent people that didn''t deserve to be sacrificed for Wanda''s goal. So I had decided to tail Vision, hoping for a chance to rescue them without being noticed. But Wanda had easily discovered me. ''Stupid! Stupid!'' Curse my bleeding heart. Peeking at the yard from one of the building''s pillars I was hiding behind, I found Wanda looking directly at me. I quickly ducked in fear, heart hammering in my ears. She looked completely different from before. Scarier. The skin around her glowing red eyes was colored black, just like her lips. And the chaos magic I sensed running through her was 10 times more than before. ''I''m utterly fucked. There''s no way I can beat her.'' ''What should I do now? What can I do? Not to mention she has Vision with her.'' In the middle of freaking out, a yellow laser tore through the pillar, just above me, missing my head by inches. I jumped out of my hiding spot with a frightened scream and ran down the hallway. Vision''s laser beam- which came out of his forehead, cleaved through the sides of the building, destroying even more pillars. Things were about to get worse as the corridor ended in a wall, that I was quickly approaching. My head swerved around, eyes jumping to Vision then to Wanda before a dangerous plan came to mind. But first, you need to understand something. The second spell from the Darkhold was seriously broken. Armament Chaos let me copy one single characteristic from anything I drew the inverted cross on. Even energy. Wait that makes no sense Locke! Oh but it does. See, I knew that there was no way to beat someone like Wanda or vision, but that didn''t mean, I couldn''t injure or incapacitate them. Lucky for me, I had a few ideas on that. So before arriving to the yard, I had torn off a power cable from within the building, using Umbris to expose the live wires. And then drawn a small inverted cross on the wire itself. And because Armament Chaos let me pick one characteristic off something and imbue it onto myself, I picked the electricity running through the wire. And now, a dangerously high charge current was running through my body, cycling my energy channels- eager to be used. I called it out just as Vision''s laser passed rhrough the last pillar. The current jumped into my control. It was so easy, I was caught off guard by the wisps of electricity running across my hands, harmlessly. Most of it poured down my legs, directed by thought, energizing my lower body so that I ran up the wall, evading the laser as it passed below me. In the air, I slapped my hands together, summoning Umbris and setting the target as Vision. The Android phased through it, proving my theory correct. The Umbris destroyer could not target incorporeal things. So it instead ate through the half destroyed pillars, causing the hallway roof to fall on the Android. That brief respite would buy me a few seconds at least. Thats all the time I had to deal with Wanda. I safely landed and quickly cut towards the courtyard, the chained fence between me and her. Armament Chaos had a time limit of 10 minutes. And since activating it, only a short time had passed. Meaning there was plenty of electricity still within me. If I released it at once, even Wanda wouldn''t come out unharmed. But the problem was her personal shield, which she had on at all times. I had to get through that first. Something that was easier said than done with her attention on me. Curiously watching me rush the chain fence. A major characteristic of electricity is Conductivity. And as I had essentially imbued it onto myself, I became electricity itself. Which means, I could move as it did. ''It''s now or never.'' I thought, lunging forward. The second I touched the chain fence with my forehead, my body literally shifted state from matter to energy. I became living lightning. It was seamless and easy, unbelievably so. My consciousness melded with the current as I conducted through the metallic fence, flashing out of view, surprising Wanda by the look on her face. Streaks of blue electricity covered the entire chain fence, confusing her senses. Only for me to revert back into human form behind her, launching a single bolt at her back. The bolt landed but was blocked by a shimmering red shield around her body. Wanda quickly turned around to face me, hands lighting up with chaos magic. The look on her face was one of dark anticipation and malice. A contrast to my terror filled expression. Only for the Umbris Destroyer to slam into her from behind, devouring the personal shield on her body. Through the whole thing, I hadn''t pulled my palms apart, keeping the Umbris Destroyer in this reality. And that stupid plan, spectacularly paid off. I sent it away before it could reach me, glad at its usefulness. Before Wanda had time to recast the shield, I pulled out all the erratic electricity blazing in me. The current sped down my hands, turning them a glowing white with strange red symbols across the length. And with a guttural roar filled with all my frustration, hunger for revenge, and satisfaction at finally besting her, I pushed every last bit of the energy out, a full on, inescapable blast delivered in close range. She didn''t have time to even scream, the radiant laser beam of blue light that left my palms, swallowing her, immediately shredding her form apart and leaving nothing behind. Chapter 14: You Killed My Daughter! -Locke- That attack took everything out of me. All the current I had absorbed from the building''s power grid was gone. In return Wanda was turned to ash, the floor of the yard was a blackened soot and the chain fence around it, had a massive hole with still glowing red edge. "I''m never trying that again..." A groan escaped me, my body shaking with weakness as I bent with exhaustion. My breath came out harshly. It felt like I''d run a marathon. After taking a few seconds to rest, I turned to the group huddled at the corner, staring my way in fear despite the fact I''d saved them. "Are you guys ok-" My question was cut off by a loud crash. Following the sound, I tensed up in preparation. The ruins of the hallway Umbris had destroyed and trapped Vision under, had shifted. "Get away. Now!" I told the group in urgency, scrambling for my pockets for a sharp piece of metal I had carried with me. If I had to fight Vision, I was probably going to die. Let''s just hope Wanda''s bewitching hex was undone when she died. Under the guidance of an old man, the villagers run out of the yard through the hole I had created, escaping towards the building. "That''s one less thing to worry about..." I breathed out, eyes focused on my front. Under a sharp gaze, the debris shifted once more, rocks and concrete falling off of something with a rumble. The dust cloud produced washed away to reveal Vision, floating above the rabble. We made eye contact and I immediately stepped back in terror. The mindstone on his forehead had been scarlet in color before. Well, now the red was so deep it was almost black. And oozing malevolence. The Android threw a gaze at the retreating Villagers and without a second of wasting, I slapped my palms together and summoned the Umbris, sending it on a direct path to intercept the now red laser beam that escaped his forehead. The Umbris devoured the energy before it could reach the intended targets, providing cover until they were past the truck, disappearing inside the building. With no time for relief, I set the Umbris onto Vision as a diversion to make my own escape. Only- the Android was missing from his previous position. Shit. I had lost track of him. Head jerking side to side, I spun in place. Looks like the Hex put on him by Wanda was still active. Which made no sense. From what little I knew of magic, a mage''s death was supposed to undo the effects of any active spells they had previously cast. Yet here we are, with Vision trying to kill me. Could this be an exception because I was dealing with chaos magic? Maybe. The alternative was that Wanda wasn''t dead despite turning her to ash myself... All I knew at that moment, was that my escape was far from being successful. If Wanda left a binding compulsion on Vision to kill me, I was fucked. Nothing in my arsenal was going to work on the Android. A cold breeze blew across the yard, intensifying the tense atmosphere. I called the Umbris to me, setting it''s target on a path around myself, shielding my body inside the swirling mass of darkness. It wouldn''t work on Vision''s phasing form, but it would stop anything else, specifically, the laser beams. It also ensured I would sense his approach from all sides. Unexpectedly, the Android appeared from the ground below my feet. And before I could do respond, his fingers had wrapped around my throat in a tight grip- cutting off my air supply. In a panic, I broke my palms apart, unintentionally banishing the Umbris, while trying to tug off Vision''s hold with my hands. It didn''t work. My vision started swimming, the Android easily lifting me off my feet. I clapped my palms, summoning the Umbris again. Only for it to fail spectacularly. Vision simply selectively phased his entire body except the fingers. My hands fought to find purchase on his forearm, weakening by the second. Wide eyes met his own glowing red ones. The lifeless gaze I had come to expect was different now. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Vision seemed to be...enjoying inflicting pain. ''I''m...gonna die...'' The thought passed through my mind for the millionth time. I could feel the toll of death grip my soul, metal fingers tightening around my neck. ''It''s g- getting...blurrier and blurr-'' Suddenly, the terrible pressure was gone, and I fell to the ground, sucking the air back into my lungs in huge gulps. A force lifted the Android and threw it back so hard, it was buried into a wall. I turned around, heart racing at how close to death that time was. That''s when I saw my savior. A man in a red and black costume with a flowing cape was floating down my way. An iconic helmet covered his head. And behind him was a familiar black colored jet hovering above the yard. Magneto. And the X-Men. I didn''t care what a villain was doing with the X-Men. At that moment, I simply held my face in my hands and started laughing. Or maybe it was crying. I was too relieved to care. -0- "Relax my boy, you are safe now." Magneto offered words of consolation at the young man on the ground. ''Charles didn''t mention anything about a mutant with Wanda.'' Magneto thought with a frown. After many years of being a key figure in the mutant community, he had developed a sense for telling Mutants apart from normal people. And this young man was definitely a mutant. He had a familiar aura about him. Above him, with a steady hum, was the X jet. "Stay level, Beast. And keep your eyes in the air. We don''t know what to expect." Cyclops called out, unstrapping from his seat. "Got it." Beast responded, stopping the craft''s descent at just a few feet above the buildings. The hangar doors opened to reveal the outside and the scene below them of a devasted yard. The signs of battle were unmistakable. "I don''t see Wanda. Can you scan the compound Jean?" Cyclops asked her, the rest of the team gathering around him at the exit. Jean closed her eyes for a second or so before giving a head shake. "I sense 12 people, 11 of them hiding inside the building. The other one is the man below us. None of them are Wanda." "What about him?" Gambit questioned, pointing with his handheld staff at Vision, who was imprinted on the wall, held there with magnetism. "He seems suspicious, no?" "That''s Vision, an Avenger. Intel says he''s been compromised. Magneto seems to have it handled but it pays to be cautious nonetheless." Cyclops instructed in a firm tone. "X-men, let''s head down." He continued, giving Storm a signal. Using her wind control, the latter slowly controlled their descent onto the yard, leaving Colussus and Kitty on the jet with Beast. The second they touched down, Cyclops begun to issue orders, directing Gambit, Rogue and Storm to secure the Yard, while he, Wolverine, and Jean, approached Magneto and Locke. "Something smells off." Wolverine grunted from Cyclop''s left, sniffing the air. "I can feel it too." Jean echoed, rubbing her temples. "A subtle pressure." Cyclops tapped his googles, activating the combat mode. "Be on your guard." Hearing their approach, Locke struggled to his feet, looking at them with a mix of relief and anxiety. "Are you the cavalry?" He asked, his voice strained from the recent struggle. Cyclops nodded firmly. "Yes, we''re here to help. Where''s Wanda? And who are you supposed to be?" Locke hesitated, glancing nervously at Magneto before answering, "My name is Locke Mastiff. As for Wanda, that''s a bit complicated. She''s...gone." He tried to evade the truth about her fate, unwilling to admit he had killed the Scarlet Witch. Locke remembered she was supposed to be Magneto''s daughter in the comics. He hadn''t expected this world would have the X-Men yet here they were. So the chances of Wanda and Magneto being related were pretty high. If the latter learnt he had turned his daughter to ash, regardless of the fact it was in self defense, well...death would quickly follow. To that effect, he began walking away from Magneto. There was still the escaping thing to do. "Thank you for the save, Sir." He even saluted him in passing. Respectful to a fault, that was his M.O. Especially when dealing with someone who could pull the iron from his blood. However fate had other plans. Jean, with her telepathic abilities, narrowed her eyes at Locke and then widened them in surprise. "He''s telling the truth. He actually managed to kill her..." The air grew frigid cold. Locke crossed his eyes and cussed Jean''s entire family line. From the ancestors to 10 of her descendant''s generations. Snikt! Wolverine brandished his claws. "Probably shouldn''t have said that out loud, Jeanie," He muttered, casting a wary glance at Magneto, whose gaze had turned intense and focused on Locke. Jean looked in between Magneto and Locke before realization dawned on her. ''Oh shit. I Fucked up.'' "Tell me boy, you killed... my daughter?" The master of Magnetism asked, voice low but filled with menace. Locke was shaking where he stood. ''I can''t catch a break, can I? Okay, don''t freak out, I can still resolve this peacefully.'' He turned around slowly, hands raised and lips parted to speak. Only for nothing to come out. "You did, didn''t you? Your silence says it all." Magneto whispered the accusation. Locke felt like crying. There was nothing he could say to that because, he actually did kill her! Sensing the rising hostility, Locke instinctively began to back away. "You wouldn''t kill someone who you saved, would you?" he stammered, fear creeping into his voice. In response, Magneto started to levitate into the air, every piece of metal in the compound responding to his magnetic command. "I have killed for less." Locke could only watch in horror, as the chain fence groaned and unraveled into twisted pieces that floated up. The truck outside the yard broke into individual parts, and long metal railings snaked out of the debris, all rotating ominously around Magneto. The eyes under the helmet were cold and full of vengeance. They triggered Locke''s fight or flight instincts. But he knew this was unlike any other foe he''d faced. Magneto wouldn''t waste time. Magneto wouldn''t let him run. The only option Locke had was to fight. Though he very much hoped the X-Men could calm Magneto down before things escalated to that point. Or at least protect him if it came down to it. Luckily for him, Cyclops stepped forward, trying to diffuse the tension. "Magneto, calm down. We need to assess the situation first." he urged, positioning himself between Locke and the irate Magneto. Jean and Wolverine stood with him, ready to intervene if necessary. As for Storm and the others, they too had noticed the rising tensions and arrived. Thus Locke found himself surrounded in a protective semi-circle. And the line up had crazy powerful mutants. ''Surely Magneto won''t try anything with such a force right?'' Locke hoped. As if to trample upon his hope, Magneto snorted with an air of arrogance. "You think you can stand in the way of my vengeance? How naive." -0- On the wall where Vision was pressed against, the Mind stone on his forehead pulsed ominously. Unbeknownst to Locke, Wanda had tethered her soul into The Mindstone. And the X-Men''s arrival had just given her enough time to properly settle into her new body. Chapter 15: X-Men vs Magneto. -Locke- ''Am I cursed with forever bad luck?'' Just when things had finally started to go my way, now there was a dangerous mutant supremacist after my life. "Don''t worry, we''ll keep you safe." Storm, (who else could the goddess with white hair and an aura almost on Wanda''s level be if not Ororo Monroe?) assured. I had half the mind to tell her not to make promises she couldn''t keep, but the other half won over and I shamelessly huddled behind her. The fact that my clothes were reduced to rags after the attack that reduced Wanda to ash, coupled with the beard I''d grown over the past few weeks- and I looked like a creep. Standing behind the beautiful African Goddess that was Storm, only intensified that vibe. Bless her heart, Storm simply smiled at me, making my stomach flip flop in funny ways. Then she turned her attention to the Master of Magnetism, who was imitating the sun- with pieces of metal rotating around him like planets. Without hesitation, Storm took to the air. "Eric, you will not harm the boy on my watch." She declared ''Boy? We''re not that far apart in age!'' I thought wryly, my mind focusing on that instead of the situation. "Storm''s right." Cyclops stated, the X-Men getting ready for a fight. For me, no less. "The Professor believes he might be a mutant. But even if he is, we won''t stand by and let you kill him." ''Okay. Hold up. What? A mutant? me?'' I gave the back of Scott''s head a confused look. Up above us, Magneto''s face twisted, and he finally turned his killer stare from me to Cyclops, "You and Charles have always been nuisances. But this time, I believed we were on the same side. I was wrong." "You''re always wrong Bub." Wolverine growled out, the aura coming off similar to a wild animal. Something that was at odds with his relatively short size. Short he might be, but he was wider than two of me. With muscles under his yellow costume that would make a body builder die with envy. "Well, then. The time for talk is over." Magneto''s statement was followed by him suddenly attacking. The small pieces of chain link under his control rained upon us like pellets from a hundred Shotguns. I got ready to summon the Umbris, only for Storm to spread out her hands, creating a whirlwind around us that redirected the bits of chain away from our front. The metal bits pelted the walls of the building behind with a sound akin to raindrops on iron sheets. (''We need to get you out of here.'') I heard a voice inside my head, just as a red haired woman grabbed my hand, pulling me away from the fight about to unfold. "H-hey wait. Who-" I begun only for her to me cut off. (''My name is Jean. Jean Grey. And if you don''t want to be turned into a Pincushion, shut up and run.'') She said, rushing towards the building while tugging me along. Storm''s whirlwind provided the perfect cover to make our escape. Making me wonder if they''d planned this. ''As long as I survive I don''t really give a damn.'' I thought, keeping pace with Jean. The sound of impacts, metal getting shredded, animal-like grunts that I guessed were from Wolverine and the occasional flashes of lightning told me of the mayhem behind us. We had moved past the yard, about to enter the building when I spared a look behind me. I was so glad I did. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Duck!" I jumped towards Jean and tackled her, the two of us rolling out of the way of 2 red beams that passed right where our heads were. The beams slammed into the building before us with a concussive impact, splitting it from the right to left in a slanted upwards angle. The roof tilted and the upper portion collapsed, raising a cloud of dust. Jean mentally yelled out, (''Move!) She pushed my body off herself and created a telekinetic shield, protecting us both from the chunks of debris raining down As the dust settled, I picked myself up, coughing slightly, "The debris has blocked the entrance. Can you move it?" Jean shook her head, breathing heavily. The timely shield seemed to have taken a toll on her, "My telekinesis isn''t as strong as my telepathy." I considered our options, my mind racing. ''The Umbris Devourer could eat through the debris easily, but continuously bleeding myself is starting to take a toll on me. My body feels exhausted.'' I thought to myself, weighing the risks of summoning it and passing out due to blood loss, against doing nothing and dying. Before I could decide the next move, the wind picked up above us. I looked up, shielding my eyes with a palm. The X-Jet was descending closer ti the collapsed building, and a rope ladder was thrown out from the open hangar. I gaped at the metallic figure standing inside the jet, motioning for us to climb. "Rescue''s here. Let''s go before Magneto takes control of our ride and drops it on our heads." Jean spoke out loud, handing me the rope ladder. "You go first, I''ll cover you." I didn''t hesitate, throwing a quick ''thanks'' her way before grabbing onto the ladder. The X-Jet immediately began to ascend, pulling me away from the chaos below. As I climbed, I glanced back and saw Jean running back towards the fray instead of joining me. Conflicted emotions swirled within me; relief at escaping alive battled with guilt for leaving someone else to fight my battles. Memories resurfaced of past losses, reminding me of the consequences when others fought on my behalf. The X-Men''s battle against Magneto had devastated the surrounding buildings. Sixty percent of the base lay in ruins, with Magneto''s powers accounting for forty percent of the destruction alone. Despite the odds, the X-Men''s teamwork appeared to be winning the day. Storm confronted Magneto head-on, using elemental attacks to disrupt his control over metal. Cyclops and Gambit provided cover fire, while Rogue and Wolverine attempted to close in on Magneto, only to be thwarted repeatedly. ''Jean is holding them together.'' I reasoned, watching from the ladder, the X-jet retreating from them. ''Her telepathy is helping them coordinate their powers.'' Faced with the overwhelming mutant abilities on display, my limitations became clear. "I''m still too weak. Just because I lucked out with Wanda doesn''t mean I stand a chance against a mutant like Magneto." I muttered, still grappling with the bitter feeling of running away like a coward. I turned to continue the climb. The X-Jet was just about to leave the edge of the compound when there was a sudden jerk. A surprised yelp left me, barely hanging on as the rope ladder swung wildly. My hands tightened around it, holding on for dear life. I looked up in question, only to find the X-Jet frozen in place. Horror filled me. There was only one person capable of something like that. I swiveled my head back to the fight in the yard and found Magneto''s hand pointed at the X-jet. He was stopping it from flying away. Even from this distance, I could feel the Master of Magnetism''s determination not to let me go. ''What about the X-Men? Weren''t they keeping him occupied?'' I thought, sweeping my eyes over the battlefield. Shock warred with fear, and my facial expression changed. Vision, who had earlier been thrown away by Magneto, was now keeping Storm and the others occupied, blocking the X-Men from getting to the leader of the Brotherhood. "Shit." I muttered, understanding the situation. Magneto was forcefully controlling Vision. Like a puppet. The android was made up of Vibranium which meant the Master of Magnetism could move it. First it was Wanda, now it''s Magneto. Vision can''t catch a break. With everything that had happened¡ªbeing captured by Wanda, killing her, then Magneto coming after me for defending myself¡ªseeing Vision, someone who had tried to protect me before, used like that was the final straw. Fury surged through me. I narrowed my gaze at the chaos unfolding below. My anger ignited something within me, a resolve I hadn''t felt before. Along with my killing intent. "Enough is enough." I growled under my breath. Gripping the ladder tightly with one hand, I reached into my pocket with the other, pulling out a small metal shard. The Umbris Devourer would be my last resort. He forced me to this... I sliced my palm, letting fresh blood drip down my hand. With a slight maneuvering, I was able to bring my hands around and slap the palms together. The red portal manifested in the air before me. Dark, shadowy tendrils of the Umbris Devourer began to emerge from the depths, swirling with malice. "Time to end this." I muttered, focusing on Magneto''s helmet and setting it as the target. -0- Without hesitation, Locke released the Umbris Devourer, its shadowy form surged forward with incredible speed, tearing through the air towards Magneto. The dark tendrils moved with an unnatural swiftness, devouring everything in their path. Magneto, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, released his hold on the Jet. And using both hands, he hastily erected a shield of metal to defend himself. From his vantage point on the Ladder, Locke watched with a grim satisfaction. "Checkmate, Magneto." He muttered under his breath, a wry smile crossing his face. Down below, the Umbris Devourer tore through Magneto''s metal shield effortlessly, leaving him too shocked to react. It consumed everything in its way before engulfing Magneto himself and swallowed him whole, leaving nothing behind but an eerie silence as the Umbris disappeared into nothingness. All the metal in the air along with Vision dropped to the ground before the X-Men, who were now realizing what had happened. On the ladder, after confirming Magneto was no more and unsummoning the Umbris, Locke sighed. The adrenaline of the battle subsided, letting him feel the effects of his actions as they caught up to him. Blood loss and magic exhaustion overwhelmed him. With a final thought tinged with bitter irony, he reflected on how both Wanda and now Magneto had met their ends in similar fashion. "Kinda fitting, Father and Daughter go out the same way." he murmured weakly before succumbing to unconsciousness. His body slipped from the Ladder, plummeting towards the ground below. -End of first Arc- Chapter 16: X-Mansion. (General P.O.V) -Nexus of Realities- A kaleidoscope of mirrors, surrounded the Watcher''s front and back. His eyes could see all. His mind knew ALMOST all; The enigmas of everchanging reality were hard to properly predict after all. Even for a being that could see the future like him. Speaking of which, the Entity of Extinction''s influence had already taken over more than half of the known realities. Half of the earth''s displayed in the mirrors of the nexus were covered in her aura. An ominous cloud of red hanging over worlds and bleaching out into the respective universes, infecting billions of planets. Those who stood to oppose her were felled one after the other, buried under a swarm of dark creatures summoned from the Chaos realm and Dark dimensions. Or destroyed by the numerous bewitched Heroes and villains under her command. Not even The Watcher knew which world The Entity of Extinction came from. All he knew was that left to her devices, Wanda Maximoff, The Scarlet Witch was going to destroy the whole Multiverse. And the only ones ready to stop her were a shoddily put together team of survivors from the worlds already conquered. Every future he looked into where the Guardians of the Universe fought the Entity Of Extinction, only defeat awaited. Uatu was at wits end. A sigh escaped him as he turned his sights onto the Castle surrounded by a green barrier of energy, floating in the Nexus of Realities. Maybe a change was in order. Afterall there was one world where the Scarlet Witch had failed to spread her influence. -0- "Stark, will you stop reworking the calculations?" Doom growled at Tony, who was wiping off sections of numbers from a complex equation on the white board in front of the room. "Your calculations are off Victor." Tony told him with an imperious tone. "The equation as it is will spaghettify us before we can sneak in to her base." Doom stalked forward, snatching the feint pen from Tony. "Rude." Stark snorted as Doom turned to the white board and begin rewriting sections of Tony''s own equation. "You forget, Stark, that the exact science behind opening a portal through the Quantum Dimension is not applicable in this case, without accounting for the difference in physical laws between this plane and the target universe. But if we add a variable to the phasing matrix..." "No no no." Tony shook his head, cutting him off. "That''s your problem Victor. You see things in two dimensional." "How dare you? Doom does not see things in Two Dimensional you arrogant git." Doom replied in anger. "Git?" Tony scoffed. "What are you? An 1800''s victorian era grandma?" Behind them, seated while listening to what was supposed to be the mission briefing, Spiderman turned to Captain America, "Huh? Should we...separate them or something?" "Nah." Cap shook his head, hands crossed over his chest. "They''re geniuses. They''ll clash with their minds where normal men would use fists. Let them work it out between themselves." Strange, standing close to the door, felt a gaze piercing into the room from the outside, and turned his attention to the direction it was coming from. "Excuse me." He said to no one in particular, turning to leave. "Strange." Captain Marvel called out, floating off her chair, "I''m coming with you. This...dick measuring contest seems like it might go on for a while." If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Doctor Strange shrugged, "I don''t mind the company." "If this was a real class, I would note you down for truancy." Blue Marvel informed them, his attention on the Whiteboard. He was probably the only one who could keep up with Doom and Tony''s argument. Seeing as he was rapidly jotting on a note book. "Lucky for us, it''s not." Captain Marvel threw over her shoulder, she and Strange entering a portal. The portal emptied outside Doom''s castle in the Nexus of Realities, right next to the Watcher. "You called?" Strange asked, floating forwards with Captain Marvel close behind. "I did." The Watcher replied, pointing a finger at one particular world displayed by the nexus. "I also found a potential solution to our extinction problem. An Earth resting in the middle of the conquered and unconquered worlds." "Interesting." Strange breathed, eyes falling on a blonde haired man fighting Wanda and Vision. Eventually, with a burst of electric might, he annihilated the Scarlet Witch. "Who is he?" "I do not know." Uatu responded, "But I do know he stole the Darkhold from that world''s Wanda Variant. He might also be connected to our Iron Man and Captain America. The very ones on the team." "Incredible." Captain Marvel butted in, admiring Locke and the X-Men''s battle with Magneto. "To think he was able to succeed where Stark''s Avengers failed. Are you thinking of recruiting him?" Her question was meant for the Watcher. "No." Unexpectedly the Watcher gave a negative. "I cannot see his future nor his past. Thus I cannot determine his true intentions. Joining the Guardians of the Universe could do more harm than good." "Yeah? Well what choice do we have?" A new voice spoke from their back. Levitating across the Nexus space, clad in red flames, the Phoenix Jean Grey came forward. "I can sense him near my Variant. There is a Jean Grey in that world. With our connection, I could scan his mind and figure out whether he''s a friend or foe. We need all the help we can get." -Massachusetts- -Xavier''s Mansion- -Locke- Good news. I was still alive. Somehow, I didn''t die from the fall. Storm was able to catch me, I hear. To add to the good news, my injuries were all healed up. My new favorite physician, said I only needed a few days to a week to fully recover. In the meantime however, I was confined to bed rest- inside the Xavier''s Institute for gifted Children no less. I geeked out a little when I woke up to find Beast performing a medical check up on my body. Seeing the Iconic X-Men stirred memories of my childhood. And no, if you''re still waiting for bad News, there''s none. My luck had changed for the better. I was truly and really verily fine. No sarcasm detected here. No siree. Thank god all that exciting and traumatizing shit is over. Wanda was dead, Magneto was dead...no need for a ticket to Antarctica anymore. Damn, I feel alive! "Are you okay?" Noticing my agitated good mode, a girl next to my bed asked. She had mousy colored hair and was cute in that next door girl- type of way. She could also phase through things. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Kitty Pride. "Yeah. Just happy to not be dead. I think the Adrenaline is just catching up to me." I replied, still jittery. A strange look was thrown my way by the Metal man Kitty was sitting on. "That is not how Adrenaline works." He drawled in a heavy Russian accent. "And you would know how colussus?" I curiously asked, motioning to his body. There was a collective silence in the room as everyone waited for his reaction. "Hm." The gray colored Mutant snorted in amusement, "Funny. You''re referring to the fact I am made of metal. I like you." Huh. A guy that could laugh at my borderline offensive jokes. I had a feeling we would be good friends. Not many could stand me. "And I love your accent." I scooched closer to the side of the bed and we fist bumped, a smirk on my face. "The name is Locke Mastiff. Friends call me Locke." "Colussus." He motioned to himself, and then to Kitty, "Girlfriend, Kitty." "Hi." Kitty waved with a cute smile. Colussus pointed to the rest in the room with us, introducing them as, "X-Men. My family." Seeing as I had just woken up, this was our first official meeting. Nonetheless the line up was made up of the same mutants that had come to my rescue in Strucker''s base. On my left was the gorgeous Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Jean, Scott and finally Collusus and Kitty. They were all in civies. Except for Gambit. The Man had a killer style. The only one missing was Wolverine. Probably training or drinking beer somewhere. I bowed my head in a show of gratitude- a lesson I''d learned from my Guru, "Thanks to all of you for saving my hide. I would have died had you not showed up." "No thanks needed. Happy to lend a hand to a fellow Mutant." Gambit gave me a thumbs up. His voice had a distinct accent I couldn''t place. Cajun maybe? "But, we would have done so regardless of whether you were a mutant or not. Our mission was to stop Wanda. You ended up doing that for us. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn''t? so thanks back to you, sugar." Rogue added in smooth southern. I could listen to her and Gambit all day and not get bored. "Yeah..." I trailed off, reminded that I had killed Wanda and Magneto. Heroes don''t kill and the X-men were heroes right? Was it jail for me? Someone placed a hand on my shoulder. Looking up, I was met with an understanding expression on Storm''s face. "No one blames you for their deaths. Killing may not always be the right answer but sometimes it is the only one available." She said firmly. "Storm''s right." Jean echoed. "I shared your memories with everyone, including the Professor. You''ve been through a lot, Locke." The way she said his name, told me I was due for a talk with Xavier. Him and Magneto were fre-nemies of a sort. If there was anyone I could expect hostility from, it was him. Damn, I couldn''t help but wonder what Scott thought. He hadn''t said anything yet. It was also impossible to read his expression under the red googles he wore. He stepped closer to the foot of the bed. "On the field, the lives of the team are the Leader''s responsibility. I could have lost my teammates fighting the Scarlet Witch. If that were to happen, I don''t think I would have stopped myself from trying to kill her." Scott admitted with a heavy expression. Huh? Further surprising me, he bowed his head my way, "You prevented that from happening. And for that I am thankful. I wholeheartedly believe you did nothing wrong, Mr.Mastiff." I was speechless. Just then, the door opened and Beast walked in, a tablet in his hands. "Alright, visiting hours are over, let''s give Mr.Mastiff time to rest." "Bye." Kitty waved as they all filed out. "I wish you a quick recovery." Storm addded, being the last to leave. Only after the door was closed behind them did I recall I had some questions to ask. For starters, what happened to Vision? And why did they seem to think I was a mutant. I was only alone for a second before the door opened again. It wasn''t Beast like I expected though. "Perhaps I can provide you with the answers to your questions, Mr. Mastiff." A bald man said as he entered, sitting on wheelchair pushed in by the Wolverine. My eyes made contact with Xavier''s, and all I could say was, "Crap." Chapter 17: A Special Gene. -General P.O.V- "Logan if you could excuse us please?" Xavier requested. "Sure thing Chuck." Wolverine gave a grunt in confirmation, eyes falling on Locke, who fearlessly held his gaze steadily. Logan''s chest rumbled in a growl before turning and leaving the room. Once the door was closed, the Professor chuckled. "He likes you. That''s a first. He never takes well to new people." "That was him liking me? I thought I was about to be skinned and eaten alive." Locke sweatdropped. "Don''t worry Mr. Mastif, he''s properly trained." Xavier said in an even tone. Locke laughed at the joke, only to find Xavier deadly serious. ''He was kidding right?'' Locke thought to himself. "Tell me something Mr. Mastif." The Professor pushed his Wheelchair closer to the bed, eyes sharply boring into Locke''s "Do you know what you are?" "I''m not sure...how to answer that." Locke admitted, finding the whole interaction strange. "You register to cerebro as a mutant, and yet, now that I see you with my own eyes, my mind tells me I''m wrong. Or rather less-right. You''re not simply a mutated human, you''re something more. Your consciousness seems to waver between readable and unreadable. What are you really?" Xavier had his brows furrowed in interest, as if trying to figure out a difficult puzzle. "Confused." Locke stated, brows furrowed. "Am I a mutant or not? Let''s start with that." The Professor blinked. "You are. Or perhaps you''re not." "Explain." Locke had enough of the crypticness. He was surprised Xavier had not brought up his Killing of Magneto, and seemed more focused on his possible Mutation. Locke didn''t like that. Not one bit. This Man was a borderline invasive Telepath. If his interest led to him reading his mind and finding out a Locke''s true origin, who knows what would happen. More importantly, the Crypticness was annoying. He now wished the discussion was about killing Magneto. Xavier blinked, realizing Locke''s frustation. He didn''t need to read minds to understand he was the reason. "Ah, I apologize Mr. Mastiff, I got carried away by my train of thought. Please take no offence. My name is Charles Xavier." The Professors offered his hand with an apologetic look. Locke stared at the palm for a few seconds. ''He seems genuine.'' He concluded, stretching out his own hand, and shaking the Professor''s. "No problem sir. And call me Locke. Thank you for sending your X-Men to bail me out." "Don''t mention it." Xavier said. "Actually, I was hoping you would consider living here." Locke was surprised by the offer. "The others think fondly of you." Xavier added in a soft tone, "In the Mansion, you would be accepted. No more running- it can be home. Your home." ''Home?'' The word felt foreign to Locke. In his last world, he never settled down in one place, long enough to call it home. Leave alone this marvel world. The reality was he had nowhere else to go. It only made sense that he should accept. His lips parted to say yes, only for a look of suspicion to cross his face. "You''re not...influencing my mind to agree, are you?" Xavier shook his head. "No. And that''s precisely why I want you to stay. Locke, you''re not aware, but besides reading your surface thoughts, my power simply fails when I use it on you...I believe you have the potential to be an Omega level Mutant." -0- The door opened and out came the Professor, wheelchair pushed by Locke who had changed from a patient''s gown, into a blue shirt and black shorts. The clothes were left behind by Cyclops for when Locke was medically cleared. Thankfully they had the same build.(Locke was a bit slimmer) Leaning on the wall, the Wolverine gave him a glance but stayed silent. "Logan, we''ll be heading to Hank''s Lab now. Mr. Mastif is curious to find out what his Mutant ability is." Xavier informed him. "Please drop the formality Professor. Call me Locke. Mr. Mastif is my Step-Dad." This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Locke reminded Xavier, moving to the back as Logan took position behind the Professor. Locke didn''t know the mansion, it only made sense to let a resident lead the way. The three proceeded through the hall, Locke in deep thought from his talk with the Professor. Particularly regarding Vision''s fate. Turns out Shield had secured the Android and were attempting to reverse Wanda''s control hex. In the meantime, Vision was being kept in a specialized containment cell, that negated his phasing. ''I gotta find time and go see him.'' Locke decided, as they turned a corner, passing by a group of kids running through the mansion. ""Professor! Professor!"" The kids blocked their way, huddling around Xavier. "Hello children, off to your next class?" Xavier humored them, while Logan''s glower seemed to increase. Locke noticed the physical mutations on a few of them. One boy, who was in a stare off contest with Logan, had whiskers on his face, black colored ears and a long striped tail. His skin was also covered with a light gray fur. ''A cat mutation?" Locke guessed, throwing a wry glance at Logan. ''Natural enemy then huh?'' His attention was pulled away by a girl, who looked the oldest of the group. She had Dragonfly wings tatoos across her hands and yellow eyes. She was also staring at him. "Professor? Who''s he?" And now she was pointing his way too. Locke was suddenly conscious of the curious young eyes locked on him, causing him to stiffen. He''d never been good with Kids. His Guru once told him he gave off a depressing energy field. His aura had even made one of the monastery kids cry. "Children, this is Locke. He''ll be living here with us." Xavier told them. "Is he a mutant too?" Another kid asked. Xavier turned and stared at Locke critically. "That''s what we''re going to find out." As if on cue, there was a ''Bamf'' sound and with a ripple of dark purple smoke, a man appeared on the hallway. Locke blinked at his blue features. With completely white eyes, long tipped ears and a slim tail that headed in a sharp tip, the new arrival would have been mistaken for a Demon. "Zo, thiz iz vere you kidz vere? You''re late for my lezzon." He said in a heavy German accent. -0- After Nightcrawler led the kids away, they continued on to Hank''s lab. "I''m curious, Locke. What did you think of Kurt?" Xavier broke the silence. "Nice guy." Locke shrugged, answering honestly. "Besides the fact he looks like the Devil?" Logan questioned, prompting Locke to stop. The Wolverine did so as well, bringing the Wheelchair to a halt. "Trust me, I know the real Devil." Locke muttered, eyes on the floor. No matter his appearance, Kurt had nothing on Wanda. Locke saw her kill her own team in cold blood. If he hadn''t risked his life to save those villagers, she would have sacrificed them without a second thought. She was the Real Devil. heartless and cold, her ambitions fiery and devastating. "Mmh." Logan snorted, "You look haunted Kid." Locke turned his gaze up. "Maybe I am. But I made sure to send the Devil back to hell. A little trauma is something I can live with." A look of approval glimmered in Logan''s deep eyes. He jerked his head in a nod, "Good. Not the worst trade." Then without another word, he pushed the Wheelchair forward. Locke followed after a brief pause spent looking through a window to his left. The Mansion''s yard was neatly spread out in his eyes, only ending where the woods begun. A soft breeze blew through the trees, sending leaves drifting along the air. ''It''s peaceful here.'' Locke breathed in slowly. ''Maybe staying isn''t such a bad idea.'' -0- ''This place is like a maze.'' Locke thought after passing a few more hallways and rooms. They also came across more residents; mostly kids in their teens(the Professor informed him most mutations awakened during adolescence) There weren''t a lot of adults- turns out the chances of mutants surviving to see 20 was lower than for normal people. The world wasn''t kind to anyone different, and the X-men had many enemies(even in the shadows of anonymity) Which made the X-Men even more impressive in Locke''s eyes. They were fighting against the world and holding their own. ''At the end of it all, it always comes down to Power. Power gurantees the option to live how you want. Especially in this world.'' Locke concluded, which made him curious about something, "Professor, what did you mean by Omega level?" He asked, thinking back to their talk. The Professor began his explanation- as they descended the staircase to a section below the Mansion- almost as if giving a lecture, "There are four classes of mutants, based by strength or potency of their mutant Ability. The weakest class is Epsilon- mutants whose powers are deemed weak or a hindrance, such as a mutation that can make your body glow but not much else. A big percent of Mutant population are Epsilon level. Next we have Beta class, mutants whose powers have some practical application (as opposed to the lower Epsilon level), but are generally minimally useful. Above them we have the Alpha Class, Mutants whose powers have applicable uses and the ones who possess them have the ability to control those powers within reasonable limits. Most of the X-Men are within this range. As for Omega level, well...you will find out soon enough. After all, we''ve finally arrived." Xavier finished saying, the three of them stopping before a steel door. Loud explosions, impacts and voices could be faintly heard on the other side. Locke noticed a camera above the door, filming. With a hiss, the entrance opened by swinging inwards. Logan pushed the professor forward, Locke following closely behind, eyes gazing around. "Welcome to the Danger Room, Locke." Xavier said, sweeping a hand out at the wide chamber bigger than the mansion itself. The chamber was oval in shape and separated into two sections. They stood on the first section, at the beginning of a metal walkway that went around the whole room, overlooking the section below. Through the glass walls of the walkway, Locke saw a shimmering blue forcefield in the middle of the second section. "Danger Room? I thought you said we were going to Hank''s Lab?" Locke questioned. "Charles, I wasn''t expecting you in the middle of a battle Simulation. The team is knee deep in Sentinels..." Beast said, appearing from the staircase connecting both sections- the direction of the Danger Room''s Operations Console. Upon spotting Locke, the blue furred Mutant frowned, stopping on the last step. "Doctor''s orders have you resting in your room Mr. Mastiff, what do you think you''re doing up?" Locke scratched his head, throwing a glance at Xavier. "Huh...you were overruled?" Beast threw a glance at Xavier who simply kept a small smile on his face. "Spare us a minute if you can Hank." "Fine. But once we''re done, it''s back to bed with you." With a sigh, Beast turned to their front and started walking deeper through the Walkway. They followed along after him, Locke''s eyes stuck on the blue forcefield below them. He couldn''t see anything through the shimmering energy field, but he could hear battle sounds and voices emanating forth from it. ''I''m guessing that''s the Danger room. I would be lying if I said I didn''t want to check it out.'' Almost halfway around the chamber, Beast stopped before a door and entered a passcode on the security pad beside it. The entrance rose up, revealing a room with all sorts of scientific appliances and equipment. "Welcome to my Lab." Beast said and they all filed in, standing at the Lab entrance. Meanwhile, Beast showed Locke a seat opposite his on the long table sitting in the middle of the Lab. "I''m assuming you''re here to find out what your Mutant Ability is, correct, Locke?" He went straight to the point. Locke gave a firm nod, fingers curling into fists above the table. "The Professor says it will answer most of my questions." "Incorrect." Xavier cut in. A surge of anger bloomed within Locke. "What do you mean? That''s exactly what you told me!" A growl escaped his lips, eyes staring into Xavier''s unflinching gaze. "Back off Kid." Logan said in a low tone. The underlying ''or else'' was like a bucket of cold water that instantly put out Locke''s anger, making him realize he had left his seat and was looming over the professor. ''Shit, why am I so mad. I never lose my temper that quick...'' Locke mentally questioned while backing away to lean on the table, taking calming breaths with closed eyes till he had cooled off. "Locke, my boy." The Professor spoke, prompting himto look up at Xavier, "We''re not here to find out whether you''re a Mutant or not. It may sound complicated..." The Professor paused, turning to Beast. "Hank, will you inform our guest what you found when you carried out a dna test on his blood?" Beast sighed, pulling out a folder that he handed to Locke with his name on it. The latter received it with a confused frown, flipping it open. At the same time, Beast began explaining, "Normal mutants have a single X-gene in the chromosomes of their DNA, which grants them their unique abilities. You have the X-gene as well, but it''s different and unlike anything I''ve ever seen before. For starters, it''s not a single gene; instead, you possess two X-genes, each bonded together in a unique way. This dual structure forms a mutated version of the regular X-gene. You are the first mutant in history to exhibit a double mutation, which could potentially give you powers and abilities far beyond what any mutant has previously known. The strangest part, the gene is semi-dormant. In simpler terms, you''re halfway to activating it." Chapter 18: Danger Room part 1/2. -Locke- Beast''s explanation left me speechless. The idea of a double mutation seemed absurd, yet the prospect of gaining more power thrilled me. Ever since my encounter with Wanda, it became glaringly obvious that I needed a way to defend myself. With the kind of foes my bad luck seemed to attract, having a bigger stick was a necessity, not a luxury. Whoever said, ¡°absolute power corrupts,¡± never spent a week as a Witch''s prisoner. "Do we know what the mutations are?" I asked, hoping he had some answers. If I could unlock my own powers, I wouldn''t have to rely on the Darkhold as much. As powerful and cool as the spells inside were, using my blood every time was a real drag. "Sadly, no. There''s no conclusive way to find out." Beast sighed, sounding just as disappointed as I felt. "Damn it." I muttered, frustrated. Maybe the Professor knew something. Why else would he bring me down here? I turned to face him, noticing a small smile forming on his lips. "Do you want to awaken your mutation, Locke?" he asked, his voice laced with certainty. I almost bit my tongue in my haste to say yes. "Good. That is precisely what we''re going to do." He wheeled himself forward, his confidence igniting my hope. "By having Logan hunt you inside the Danger Room." Wait, what? "Come again?" I asked, but my question was brushed aside. "Ooh, that might definitely work. Mutant powers commonly awaken during stress." Beast jumped in, his excitement contagious as he sprang to his feet. "I''ll start prepping the simulation." Wait, wait...this is moving too fast... *Snikt.* "I''m gonna enjoy this, bub." Wolverine growled, a savage grin spreading across his face as his claws extended from his crossed hands. What the hell is going on?! --- A few minutes later, I found myself standing alone at the entrance to the Danger Room. The tunnel''s transparent walls hummed with an electric tone, the shimmering forcefield casting a blue opaqueness over the entire chamber, obstructing my view of what lay inside. The loud noises and frantic voices coming from within made it obvious that the practice session was still in full swing. Whoever was inside was facing a tough opponent, and to my surprise, the thought of it made me excited. I glanced back. Beast was manning the controls on the Operations deck on the second floor, the Professor by his side. Logan¡­ well, he¡¯d gone to change into something more ¡°hunt-worthy.¡± The way he bared his teeth at me when he said that made it clear who the prey was. My heart had pounded in my chest then, fear creeping in. Even now, just thinking about how sharp those claws were, made my pulse race. "Come on, you¡¯ve faced worse," I muttered to myself, slapping my face a couple of times to calm down. Besides, he might be a hunter, but he¡¯s never tried to hunt someone like me. Like a cockroach, I¡¯d do whatever it took to survive. Scurry into the shadows, bite, claw my way out¡ªwhether I awakened my mutation or not, Logan was going to understand who Locke Mastif was. I had a few minutes alone before he came back¡ªenough time for a game plan. That thought quickly died as the simulation in Danger Room ended, the blue forcefield dissolving to reveal the chamber¡¯s smooth, silver walls. On the chamber''s ceiling, a circular lens glowed subtly, looming over a raised platform where Cyclops, Jean, and a group of unfamiliar teens stood. They looked worse for wear, burn and scuff marks covering their X-Men-lite uniforms. Scott seemed to be lecturing them. A heavy hand slapped me on the back. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "One lesson ends, another begins," Logan stated, striding past me to enter the Danger Room. I turned to face Xavier, making eye contact. "He got jokes now?" My voice was loud enough for him to hear from a distance. *(Like I said, properly trained,)* the Professor cheekily responded through telepathy, two fingers pressed against the sides of his head. *(Good luck, Locke. Something tells me you¡¯ll need it.)* --- "I don¡¯t think this is safe, Professor. Locke just woke up." Jean voiced her disapproval as she joined Xavier, Scott, and Beast in the Operations room. All four focused intently on the wide screen in front of them. "Relax, Jeanie. Logan will know to hold back," Scott reassured her, defending his mentor¡¯s decision. Jean¡¯s expression remained conflicted as she stared at Locke¡¯s image. Scott thought she was worried about him, but the truth was, she was more concerned about Wolverine. After touching Locke¡¯s mind when they first met, she sensed something¡­ sinister coiled around his consciousness. It had set her off, and ever since then, her powers had been acting strangely whenever she was around him. -Locke- I opened my eyes, finding myself in a dense jungle. Trees draped with vines and lichen surrounded me, while my feet stood on a wild carpet of green thicket and grass. The ground felt soft and pliable beneath me, the air carrying a slightly swampy smell, buzzing with mosquitoes and other unfamiliar insects. I rapped my knuckles on a nearby tree. ''This is hard light?'' I thought, slightly disbelieving as I recalled Beast¡¯s explanation of the Danger Room¡¯s true nature. Everything looked and felt so realistic it was hard to believe it was all simulated. Suddenly, my danger sense¡ªhoned by the recent brushes with death¡ªwent haywire. Without thinking, I jumped, my back slamming against a tree just as Wolverine¡¯s claws dug into the soil where I¡¯d stood moments before. I looked up, locking eyes with the mutant. "Shit." I cursed under my breath, scrambling to bite my thumb, only to abandon the move in desperation, dodging a slash aimed at my neck. I fell back, landing on my ass as the claws sliced clean through the tree behind me, the wood groaning as it tilted and crashed down on us. Fortunately, I managed to roll away just in time, breathing hard, surprise etched on my face. Wolverine was on the ground, a branch sticking through the side of his neck, his body pinned under the fallen tree¡¯s weight. Despite that, he still snarled at me, blood staining his teeth. "That looks like it hurts," I commented, watching him struggle. He tried to speak but choked on blood. *Snikt.* So, he deployed his claws instead. The message was loud and clear: he would slice the tree up, but it would take time, and by then, I would be long gone. Unexpectedly, I walked forward and pricked my thumb on the tip of his middle claw, drawing a drop of blood. "Thanks." I said, ignoring Logan¡¯s confused glare as I drew an inverted cross on the skin of his left arm. Then, I did the same to my own palm, though I left the symbol halfway, so it resembled an ¡°I.¡± "Don¡¯t worry, Wolvie. This is just insurance." I smirked, patting his head, "Good doggy." Then I vanished into the lush woods, leaving behind a growling Wolverine. In the Operations room, Scott and Beast were doubled over with laughter, while Xavier looked stunned at the screen. "He¡¯ll gut him like a fish." Jean muttered, her worry for Wolverine now battling with her new worry for Locke''s wellbeing. Both mingling with amusement. "Hank, it¡¯s time." Xavier said grimly. "Release him." Having anticipated some sort of unexpected twist¡ªLocke Mastif was a man who had survived a psychotic sorceress and killed her and Magneto¡ªthe Professor had prepared a few surprises for the simulation. --- -Locke- ¡®I don¡¯t have a lot of time,¡¯ I thought, covering my face and body in mud. This was supposed to be a hunt designed to force the awakening of my mutation. Because of that, I¡¯d decided not to use the Darkhold¡¯s spells, with one exception. Technically two exceptions, but summoning the Chaos Devourer was more about tipping the battlefield advantage to my favor. But it was gone now, unsummoned back to the Dark Dimension. No easy wins. We''re on hard mode. Also, finding out I could draw the blood symbols on another part of my body besides the palms and still activate a spell was insightful. I tried it out of necessity and it worked. (My right palm had the unfinished inverted cross) No more slapping my palms together to summon the Devourer. Now if I lost a hand, I could simply draw the blood symbol on any other part of my body. Maybe put it on my face to summon the Devourer and let it fuck shit up. The fact it looked so cool when the portal had manifested before my mouth, made me want to make it a signature move. (Yes I drew it on my cheek when I summoned it) It could be known as, Dark Breath. In any case, I had confined myself to one single spell for this hunt: *Armament Chaos*¡ªBy drawing the symbol of an inverted cross using blood onto an object, the user can extract a single characteristic from the object and temporarily imbue it onto themselves. The effect lasts 10 minutes or until the user¡¯s magic energy is spent. The blood symbol I drew on Wolverine was to copy his healing factor. Despite this being a test, I wasn¡¯t going to take chances with my life¡ªnot after everything I¡¯d been through. I could always activate my X-gene later. Did it defeat the purpose of the hunt? Not really. Think about it¡ªLogan could still die from decapitation, so I was still in plenty of danger. I was just harder to kill. That said, it wasn¡¯t time to activate the spell yet. *Armament Chaos* only lasted 10 minutes. I needed to save it for when Wolverine found me. The spell would take effect when I completed the unfinished Inverted Cross in my right palm. For now, I hid, my body submerged in the swamp, leaving the top of my head above it''s surface. My eyes were locked on the trap I¡¯d set for the mutant. This wasn¡¯t just about survival¡ªI was also using this opportunity to gain experience. To learn. Thus, I remained in the sludgy water, suppressing the urge to recoil as slimy things brushed against my skin. Five minutes later, I heard it¡ªfootsteps. Wolverine stalked forth like an animal, nose sniffing the air. The wound on his neck had already healed, leaving behind pale skin. ¡®Just a little more,¡¯ I thought, anticipating the look on Logan¡¯s face when he realized he¡¯d been trapped. Wolverine stopped, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the branches and leaves covering the ground a few paces ahead. "I¡¯m insulted." He growled, his gaze shifting toward the swamp, landing on the reeds I was wading behind. "Come out, kid, and I¡¯ll only make it hurt a lot. The alternative is extreme pain." Snikt! The claws deployed, slowly. To reach his point across. He took a cautious step forward, his instincts finely tuned to the slightest disturbance. But I had taken that into account. Without warning, the ground beneath him betrayed those instincts. The thin layer of soil gave way suddenly, and he found himself plunging into the pit below. Yes! It was genius to use the Devourer to hollow out the soil under the surface of the ground. --- Acting on reflex, Wolverine thrust out his claws, the metal tips sparking as they gouged deep into the earthen walls, halting his fall. He hung there for a moment, suspended in the void, muscles tense as he assessed the situation. "I was baited." he growled, more to himself than anyone else. A shadow fell across him as Locke appeared at the edge of the pit, peering down with a smug grin. "Yup." Locke said, voice dripping with satisfaction. "The branches and leaves were just a distraction. The real trap was the seemingly normal ground. Too bad you couldn''t tell there was nothing under the surface. Did you really think I¡¯d make it that easy for you?" Wolverine¡¯s eyes narrowed, the sharp glint of respect mingling with the anger simmering in his gaze. The tables had turned, and Locke reveled in the role reversal. The hunter had become the hunted. For a moment, the usually unflappable Wolverine seemed almost impressed. "You had my interest, Bub." Wolverine said, his voice a low rumble. "Now you have my attention." Locke gulped, the bravado draining from his face as the full weight of the situation settled on him. "You can probably tell, but I am very terrified right now. However, Wolvie, this isn¡¯t my first rodeo. So come o¡ª" His words faltered as something caught his eye, a dark green shape streaking across the sky. "What the hell is that?" His eyes widened as it suddenly changed direction. Now the object hurtled toward them with frightening speed, slamming into the ground just a few dozen feet from where Locke stood. The impact shook the earth, sending tremors through the pit¡¯s walls. Wolverine, seeing a chance, climbed out with fluid ease, his claws leaving deep gashes in the dirt. He loomed behind Locke, ready to pounce, but then he too froze, his instincts screaming danger. "I-is that¡­?" Locke stuttered, his voice trembling, eyes locked to their front. Wolverine¡¯s expression darkened, his usual tenacity eclipsed by a rare flicker of fear. "Yeah." he muttered, his tone grim. "Run." Locke didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He bolted, his heart pounding in his chest, as the two enemies-turned-allies fled in unison. Behind them, the ground cracked and groaned under the weight of the new arrival. When the Apex Predator shows up, all other beasts scatter, and there was no beast more fearsome than an enraged Hulk. Chapter 19: Danger Room Part 2/2. -0- The jungle was relentless¡ªdense foliage obscured every step, roots and vines threatening to trip anyone not paying attention. But there was no time for caution. The thunderous roar of the Hulk echoed behind Locke and Wolverine as they sprinted through the thick undergrowth. Branches snapped like twigs as the jade giant barreled toward them, each step shaking the ground beneath their feet. "Run faster, kid!" Wolverine growled, his claws at the ready, slashing apart obstacles and carving a path through the trees. His enhanced senses had long detected the inevitable¡ª there was no outrunning the Hulk. He was gaining on them. Locke was already winded, his legs burned from the strain of pushing himself more than he ever had before. He could feel the blood pumping in his ears, the suffocating weight of the Hulk¡¯s fury pressing down on him. To make matters worse, the terrain was sloping upwards towards a mountain. "Fuck this- I...I''d rather fight!" Locke gasped, stopping abruptly and turning to face the approaching giant. "We can¡¯t keep running Logan!" Wolverine cursed under his breath. There was no need to fight that thing when they had the chance to keep running. However long that option remained. But before he could respond, the Hulk crashed through the trees and hurled a boulder their way. Locke barely had time to register the mass of stone, before it slammed into the ground between them, sending debris flying everywhere. It continued on and drilled into the side of the hill, shaking the ground. Locke gulped and on shaky legs stood his ground, raising his hands to summon the Chaos Devourer, his earlier promise to not use the spell forgotten. It was all for naught. In a single bound, before he could clap his hands the Hulk reached him. Locke''s eyes had just started to widen when a monstrous green palm connected with his chest, and he was sent flying like a ragdoll, his chest caving in under the blow. Air escaped his lungs in a single, sickening wheeze as he crashed into the ground, skidding to a stop against a tree trunk. "Idiot!" Wolverine snarled, rushing toward the limp Locke. He leaped in front of the Hulk, claws slashing at the green behemoth¡¯s skin, buying them some time. "You¡¯re not ready to take on the Hulk head-on, kid! Say something if you''re still alive." Locke managed a wheeze. He lay on the ground, gasping in pain, his vision swimming. His ribs were shattered-he could see the blood seeping through his t-shirt and his entire body screamed in agony. But in the chaos, a thought flickered in his mind¡ª the second spell. The one intended to be used on Logan. The only chance he had left. He gritted his teeth, half coherently slapped his palms together, activating Armament chaos on Logan''s blood. Instantly, the world shifted. Locke felt the sudden rush of energy coursing through him as he tapped into Wolverine¡¯s mutant power, copying his Healing Factor. His body responded immediately. He could feel his chest knitting itself back together, the bones realigning, his strength returning. But it wasn¡¯t just healing¡ªhis muscles bulked up, his senses sharpened, and his stamina surged. On instinct, he took a deep breath, the lingering taste of blood on his tongue waning. Ptew! He spat out a red glob of blood, hands flat on the ground. Muscles filled his forearms and patting his torso revealed a hard surface of flesh, his t-shirt literally bursting at the seams. It seems he hadn''t just copied the healing but the X-gene as a whole, granting him all of Logan''s powers. And because the gene was a single attribute from Logan, it didn''t break the rules of Armament chaos. It took a second to adjust to the enhanced senses but when he did, he could hear the rapid beating of Wolverine¡¯s heart, the blood splattering from the Hulk¡¯s open wounds, and the wet sound of their blows landing. He could even smell the acrid scent of sweat and blood in the air. Locke rose to his feet with a low, animalistic snarl. His hands clenched into fists as an instinct took over¡ªa raw, primal urge. His knuckles burned for a moment, then exploded in a spray of blood as three bone claws erupted from each hand.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. He felt alive, more alive than ever before. Outside the Danger Room, Cyclops tapped his visor as if trying to confirm what he was seeing, "No way. Did he just copy Logan¡¯s powers?" Beast leaned forward, his face lit with fascination, "Incredible. It appears he has. Could it be that his mutation allows him to mimic other mutants'' abilities? If so, this could place him on an entirely different class of mutants." Professor Xavier remained calm, but his eyes held a deeper understanding. "No. The copying ability is not his mutation. His true power remains locked. We are only scratching the surface." He observed. Jean¡¯s expression, however, betrayed concern. She could feel it¡ªsomething deep within her stirring at Locke''s performance, something dangerous. Back in the Danger Room, Locke leaped forward and sank his claws on the Hulk''s calf while he was distracted with Wolverine. The Hulk roared in pain and Logan took that opportunity to jump at his chest and stab his claws in. Evading a swipe, Wolverine springed off him, the momentum and unstable footing tripping the monster off the edge of the high ground, to the vegetation below. Now alone, Logan turned glare at Locke. "I told you to back off!" "And I told you, I''m fighting!" Locke shot back with an equal intensity that surprised Logan. The veteran X-Man snorted, "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the ground." Recalling the Hulk''s blow, Locke''s expression turned ugly. A simple hand swipe almost killed him. "I''m pissed about it." He growled, displaying his claws, "How about it, let''s teach this green oversized baby some manners." Logan narrowed his eyes at the bone claws before brandishing his own metal ones, "Can you keep up?" Locke''s response was a firm nod. Together- with a beastly snarl they jumped at the still recovering Hulk who roared up at their descending forms, welcoming the challenge. The resulting clash shook the air. Dodging a grab with an acrobatic move that left Locke impressed, Wolverine landed on the Hulk''s shoulders and began slashing at his eyes, giving Locke the chance to blaze a trail with his claws across Hulk''s side. Green blood coated his hand, sizzling with heat. They moved like a pack of wolves, coordinating without needing words. Their animal instincts communicated through glances and subtle movements, each anticipating the other¡¯s next move. All the while dodging direct blows from Hulk. The battle was filled with beastly roars and snarls, devastating everything around. Trees were felled, the earth torn and vegetation trampled as they moved around. At the 7th minute mark of Armament Chaos'' time limit, Wolverine stabbed the Hulk¡¯s head while Locke attacked from the back, his claws sinking through his heart. The Hulk let out a loud roar in pain and fury, falling on a knee as green blood splattered onto the jungle floor. Sensing victory, the two mutants tore into him even faster. But even with their combined assault, the Hulk was still stronger, and his own enhanced healing closed up his injuries almost as fast as theirs. "Kid! Watch out!" Wolverine yelled shoving Locke away, just before Hulk clapped his hands together. With an earth-shattering shockwave, Wolverine was sent flying backward into the trees. "Logan!" Locke hesitated for a moment, distracted by the sight of his limp form. That moment was all the Hulk needed. His massive hands closed around Locke¡¯s body, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. ''Shit...I messed up...'' Locke struggled, his arms pinned to his sides, unable to move or use his claws, unable to even cast a spell. The Hulk brought him closer, their faces mere inches apart. Locke could see the rage burning in the Hulk¡¯s eyes¡ªan unrelenting, animalistic fury on a face twisted with sadistic glee, "LITTLE MAN HURT HULK. NOW HULK HURT LITTLE MAN!!" Outside, Beast stood from his chair, "We need to shut it off! He¡¯s going to die!" But Professor Xavier shook his head. "No. Let it continue. If he survives this, we will have witnessed something extraordinary." -Locke- Ever had an 8 foot giant''s mouth roar at you from inches apart? No? You''re lucky, it''s not fun. Belatedly, I found myself wondering why they had to simulate the Hulk''s bad breath as well. Then again, I could possibly be distracting myself from the fucked situation I was in. ''Is this it?'' My heart was pounding, the sound of my own blood rushing in my ears. The Hulk''s massive, furious face and all, loomed in front of me, and I knew my time was running out. Literary- Armament chaos had just reached 0 countdown. I could feel the claws pulling back into my skin as the spell expired. My body returned to it''s original size and I lost the enhanced senses. Damn it¡ªnot now. The Hulk then grabbed each of my pinned hands and strung me up. As if punishing me, he started to pull them out of their shoulder sockets, slowly. Without Wolverine''s healing, the pain became unbearable, bones cracking and joints stretched to their breaking point. The guttural sounds of my screams sounded alien even to me. Panic swelled inside me as I wondered why Xavier wasn''t stopping the Simulation. Was this his revenge? I was trapped, out of options, my body screaming in agony. I had no plan, no backup and Logan was still indisposed. So I did the only thing I could think of¡ªI kicked him in the face. He growled, like it was nothing, like I was a fly trying to annoy him. And his grip tightened. I screamed even louder, the pain shooting through my shoulders like fire. ''Is this how I die? After everything? After Wanda, after all the nightmares, is this really how it ends?'' I couldn¡¯t believe it. Couldn¡¯t accept it. Something inside me snapped. It wasn¡¯t rage, not really¡ªit was something deeper, more primal. And suddenly¡ª BOOM. A surge of purple light erupted from my chest, a force so powerful it blasted the Hulk off of me, sending him flying across the jungle. He slammed into an invisible far wall with a deafening crash. The simulation ended, dissolving him and the jungle into bits of pixels, revealing the Danger Room, with the entire back section collapsed. I hit the ground, gasping for breath, every muscle trembling. I couldn''t move my arms but I also felt... different. The purple light was still there, forcing me to look up, and there she was¡ªWanda. I froze in terror. The Scarlet Witch, bathed in a purple aura that made her look like a Phantom, standing there like she¡¯d been waiting for me this whole time. But it wasn¡¯t just her standing there. I could feel her. Sense her. Command her. My terror was replaced by the dawning realization that we were connected, bound in some way that went beyond the physical. Stronger than the connection we had shared before. But now, I was in control. It hit me, clear as day¡ªshe was mine. I hadn''t just beat her; by killing her, I now owned her soul. Holy shit, my X-Gene had finally awakened. And my first mutant power:- Death Bind:- A part of me whispered- was horrifyingly powerful. Death Bind:- Whoever I killed, their souls became bound to me, their powers mine to control. And Wanda¡ª Wanda was my first. I stood up slowly, feeling a strange mix of awe and terror wash over me. Of all the powers I expected, from telekinesis to super strength to some form of energy manipulation, I never thought this would be It. And to think, I had a second mutation yet to awaken. Did I just become hopelessly overpowered? New **GHOST RIDER FANFIC** Title: Time''s Up, Joker. Chapter 1: A New Life. -0- Reincarnation is a real thing. I never believed it was possible to be reborn after dying. Especially with your memories intact. But it happened to me, soo...I guess anything is possible. Here''s the kicker, I wasn''t just given a second chance at life in a normal world. Oh no no no. The entity or God responsible for my second life sent me to the crazy world of the DC Universe. At first I had no idea where I was. And I didn''t try that hard to find out either. I mean, I was a normal kid with only faint memories of a past life. My childhood years were thus spent building sand castles, playing catch with my Dad and basically being a brat. At least in my Parent''s eyes. All until a kid named Clark Kent saved our school bus from falling off a bridge. That''s when my past life memories decided to pour in. I was 13 at the time. The influx of 38 years worth of information was hell. I was hit by migraines almost every day for a full year. And occasionally, I would black out at school/home or start mumbling incoherently. I think my mind was trying to come to terms with the memories and ended up bloated. It got so serious that my parents had to take me to a mental health specialist when I was 14. There, I ended up being diagnosed with split personality disorder. 15, 16 and 17 were spent popping medication pills and trying to adjust to my new condition. Fortunately, I got better. It wasn''t easy, but I followed the instructions given, took my medicine and did everything right. By the time I was ready to graduate High School, the memories had settled within me and I no longer got headaches or blackouts. It was a testament that sometimes hardwork pays. And with two sets of memories, school was not a problem. I did well on my tests and actually became Valedictorian, surprising many people and making my parents proud. Unfortunately, the world was determined to set the scales right. All my success became meaningless when I lost my Mom and Dad to a car crash. It was the most unexpected way for them to go. I mean, this was a world fraught with danger. Whether it was from supervillains, demons, aliens...it felt underwhelming and cheap for them to die in a car crash. I even tried to investigate, hoping to find something that would give my loss a meaning. Some villain to blame. But it turned out to be the wet road, which caused a truck to lose control and slam into their car. I couldn''t even direct my anger to the driver as he had died too, thrown out of the window by the impact. His only mistep being the failure to wear a seat belt. A lot of people showed up for the funeral. My parents were well known and loved by many. Smallville was a small place so everyone knew almost everyone else. Even the Kents showed up. Jonathan Kent gave his heartfelt condolences with his wife Martha. Clark looked apologetic and understanding. It felt like he could relate. But once everyone was gone, I realized how truly alone I was. The house felt unbearable. For 18 years, Travis and Angela Hawthorn had been my rock. My shield. They had protected me, cared for me and I had truly come to love and respect them as my parents. But now they were gone and I was confused at what to do. That night I cried myself to sleep. When I woke up the following day, I had made a decision. I would rent out our ranch and move. Selling it was out of the option. Even if it meant I would only receive a small sum of money every month, 1000-1500 dollars to be exact, I couldn''t let go of the memories we had created in our modest home. Modest was a stretch however, seeing as the entire land was about 90 acres. There was a substantial tax on a ranch that big, otherwise I would have received a lot more money. According to Jonathan Kent at least. He was the one who helped me finalize the deal, and I appointed him as overseer before packing up my stuff, loading it on the Pick up truck Dad had got me for my 18th birthday, and left Smallville, Kansas. My name is Michael Hawthorn, and this is the story of my not-so-normal life in DC. The only thing I can say, is I wish I''d been better prepared.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. -10 years later- The day had been long, filled with meetings, deadlines, and the usual hustle of the office. But as I turned the key in the lock and stepped into our home, a wave of warmth washed over me. The scent of dinner wafted through the air, and the sound of little feet pattering towards me made my heart swell with joy. "Daddy!" My five-year-old daughter, Emily, bounded towards me, her face lighting up the room with her radiant smile. She wrapped her tiny arms around my legs, hugging me tightly. "Hey there, my little artist," I said, ruffling her hair as I bent down to her level. "What have you been up to today?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she held up a piece of paper. "Look, Daddy! I drew a picture of our family!" I took the drawing from her hands and admired her work. There we were, stick figures with big smiles, standing in front of a house with a sun shining brightly overhead. Emily had drawn herself in the middle, holding hands with me and her mom. "It''s beautiful, Emily." I said, genuinely impressed by her creativity. "You''re getting better every day." She beamed with pride and took my hand, leading me to the kitchen where my wife, Sarah, was setting the table for dinner. Sarah turned and smiled warmly at me, her eyes reflecting the same love and happiness that I felt. "Dinner''s almost ready." she told me, planting a quick kiss on my cheek. "How was your day?" "Long," I admitted, "but it''s so good to be home." We sat down to eat, and the evening passed in a blur of laughter and conversation. Emily chattered away, telling us about her day at preschool and all the new things she had learned. After dinner, we put her to bed. I read her a story, and Sarah sang her a lullaby. As we stood by her bedside, watching her drift off to sleep, I felt a deep sense of contentment. In my past life, I''d been alone. I was glad this one was different. Sarah took my hand and led me to our bedroom. She could always tell when I was tired, and tonight was no exception. There had been a shipment coming in and one of the guys messed up the numbers. Mr. Fox, who was my boss at Wayne Industries where I worked, was NOT happy. We had to stay late to work out the issue. "You look exhausted." Sarah said softly, her eyes filled with concern. "Come to bed, love." I nodded, too weary to argue. As we lay down, she snuggled close to me, her warmth and presence soothing my tired soul. "I''m so lucky to have you." I whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "And I''m lucky to have you." Came the reply, her voice filled with love. We lay there in the quiet, the only sound being her gentle moans as we made love. Despite the exhaustion, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and gratitude. In that moment, I knew that no matter how tough the days could be, coming home to my beautiful wife and precious daughter made everything worthwhile. I drifted off to sleep, holding onto the image of Emily''s drawing. -0- Late in the night, I jolted awake, my head pounding and my vision blurry. I found myself sitting in a chair in the living room, arms painfully bound behind my back. Panic surged through me as I tried to move, only to find that my wrists were tightly tied. The warm comfort of my wife''s body was replaced by a chilling dread. "Sarah?" I called out, my voice cracking with fear. My heart stopped when I saw her across the room, tied to a chair just like me. Her eyes were wide with terror, and she was struggling against her bonds. "Michael!" she cried, her voice trembling. "Where''s Emily? Have you seen Emily?" My blood ran cold. Emily. Where was Emily? "Good evening, folks!" A voice, dripping with madness and malevolence, echoed through the room. I turned my head, and my heart sank into an abyss of despair. No. Not us. Oh God. Why...what''s he doing here!!??! The Joker, with his grotesque smile and twisted eyes, stood in the doorway, holding a small, struggling figure. My daughter. "Emily!" I screamed, straining against my bindings. "Let her go, you monster!" The Joker cackled, the sound filling the room with an eerie resonance. He held Emily up by the scruff of her dress, her tiny feet kicking desperately in the air. "Oh, don''t worry, Daddy. We''re just going to have a little fun." he sneered, his eyes gleaming with insanity. I wanted to kill him. How dare he?!! "Please, no! Let her go!" Sarah begged, tears streaming down her face. "Please, she''s just a child!" The Joker ignored her, his focus entirely on me and the hateful glare I was sending him. Unfazed, he took out a knife and brought it close to Emily''s face, making her cry out in fear. Seeing her like that broke something in me. I cursed myself for being weak. What was I thinking, this was DC! "Stop! Please, I''ll do anything!" I shouted, my voice breaking with desperation. "Anything?" The Joker''s smile widened. "Now, that''s what I like to hear." He placed Emily on the floor and walked over to me, the knife glinting in his hand. He crouched down, his face inches from mine. The stench of his breath made me gag, but I couldn''t look away from those crazed eyes. "You see, Daddy, it''s all a game," he whispered. "And I''m going to make sure you never forget it." He turned and walked back to Emily, who was now huddled in a corner, sobbing. He raised the knife, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. "No! Please, no!" I screamed, my voice raw with agony. With a swift motion, the Joker brought the knife down. Emily''s scream pierced the night, and everything went black. -- I woke up with a start, drenched in sweat, my heart hammering in my chest. I was back in our bed, the room dark and silent. Reaching out, I felt Sarah beside me, her steady breathing a soothing reminder of reality, beautiful blonde hair sprayed out on the pillow. "Sarah," I whispered, my voice shaking. "It was just a dream... just a nightmare." She stirred and turned towards me, concern etched on her face. "Michael, what''s wrong?" "I... I had a nightmare," I said, my voice barely audible. "It was so real..." She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me close. "It''s okay, love. It was just a dream. We''re safe." I melted into her embrace, my heart rate calming down. And as she held me I felt her giggling softly. The sound grew louder and more manic. My heart sank as I pulled away and saw her face, twisted into a grotesque grin, her eyes wide with terror. "No... no, no, no..." I stammered, realizing the nightmare was far from over. The laughter echoed around the room, and I saw her eyes rolling back. "Sarah, what''s happening to you?" I begged, but she continued to laugh uncontrollably. Suddenly, the darkness of the room shattered and I found myself back in the chair, my body aching and bloody from a brutal beating. An...an hallucination... I had briefly passed out from the pain of having my shins and hands broken by a bat. One of my eyes was shut and everything was painted red under the other one. Sarah was still in her chair, her hands broken from struggling against her bindings, frothing at the mouth, her laughter a symphony of horror. "Welcome back, sleepyhead." the Joker''s voice cut through the haze. He stood there with Harley Quinn, who was holding a crying Emily. She must have been so terrified. My heart shattered as I realized this could be it for us. This was Joker. Maybe if I beg hard enough...he''ll let them go. Or at least Emily. "Please." I whispered through bloodied and bursted lips, my voice barely audible. "Please, let them go." The Joker threw his head back and laughed. "Let them go? Oh, Daddy, you''re killing me!" "Why are you doing this?" I sobbed. "Is it because I work at Wayne Industries?" The Joker and Harley looked at each other and burst into hysterical laughter. "Wayne Industries? We didn''t even know you worked there! Isn''t that a riot?" the Joker cackled. One of the three goons in the corner hesitated, then spoke up, "Boss, I hear sirens..." The Joker spun around, pulled out a golden gun and shot him point-blank. "Don''t interrupt me when I''m having fun!" He turned back to Harley. "Come on, let''s bail and find Scarecrow. He promised this mix of Joker venom and his toxin would make someone laugh in terror until their heart exploded, but the wife seems to have gone mad instead." Harley looked at Emily. "What about the little one?" The Joker''s smile widened. "Let her go." Harley did so. Emily ran to me, crying, "Daddy, Daddy!" "Thank you, thank you," I sobbed over her shoulder, as she hugged my bloodied form. "Thank you for sparing their lives." The Joker paused at the door. "You''re welcome. Oh, and I forgot to mention, what does a rabid dog do?" He shot at Sarah''s cuffs, releasing her. Sarah''s laughter stopped. She began growling, her eyes wild and feral as she looked our way, sights lingering on Emily. I didn''t see anything that remained of my wife in those eyes. My heart sped up in fear as I realized, the Joker hadn''t spared us. "Emily, run!" I shouted. "Lock yourself in your room and don''t open it!" Emily obeyed, running up the stairs, but Sarah cleared the distance quicker, grabbing our daughter''s leg and throwing her back down. "No! Sarah, stop!" I screamed myself hoarse, trying to move. The chair tipped over and I fell to the floor. Sarah didn''t even spare a look my way as she lunged at Emily, her eyes empty and soulless. As I watched, helpless and broken, my wife, under the influence of the Joker''s enhanced venom, began to devour our daughter. "NOOOO!!" I screamed and cried, lunging against my restraints, but there was nothing I could do. My world shattered as I lost everything I held dear.