Chapter 120: Two Can Play the Reinforcements Game—Meet an Old Friend!
The sudden appearance of the Illuminati shattered Wanda's fragile moment of stolen happiness.
Wanda, already corrupted by the Darkhold, was filled with fury. She released the doorknob, turned around, and shouted, "You sanctimonious bastards! Can't you just leave me alone?"
"You're the one who needs to leave, because you don't belong in this world," Reed Richards replied coldly.
This statement utterly enraged Wanda. She had traveled across the multiverse through unimaginable hardship, seeking to change her tragic fate. To her, these people weren't protecting universal stability—they were preventing her from claiming the happiness she deserved.
The commotion outside caught the attention of the other Wanda inside, who immediately opened the door to investigate.
The two Wandas suddenly came face-to-face, staring at each other with vastly different expressions.
The Darkhold-corrupted Wanda looked desperate and unhinged, while this universe's Wanda was terrified.
"An incursion point between two Wandas will cause a multiversal collision! We must eliminate that variant immediately!" shouted Mr. Fantastic Reed Richards, his tactical mind already calculating the cosmic consequences.
The Illuminati immediately rushed toward the corrupted Wanda, intent on neutralizing her in one decisive strike.
Captain Carter's vibranium shield flew forward first. Wanda blocked it with one hand, casually deflecting it with chaos magic and sending it spinning back.
CLANG!
The shield slammed into Mr. Fantastic's chest. His elastic body stretched infinitely backward, absorbing the impact without damage.
Captain Carter caught her returning shield, activated her Stark Industries jetpack, and charged directly at Wanda.
BOOM!
Wanda used chaos magic to send Carter hurtling backward through the air.
Black Bolt opened his mouth to unleash his devastating sonic scream, but hesitated—he didn't want to accidentally kill this universe's innocent Wanda. In that moment of conflict, he too was struck back by a wave of scarlet energy.
Wanda's power exceeded everyone's expectations. The Darkhold had amplified her abilities beyond anything the Illuminati had prepared for.
Just as Wanda was about to press her advantage, the Wanda of this universe, standing behind her, suddenly attacked with her own magic.
It was also red chaos magic, but far weaker—only causing Scarlet Witch to stumble slightly.
Chaos magic is a singular force across the multiverse. There's only one true Scarlet Witch destined to wield the full power of the Darkhold. While alternate Wandas possess innate magical abilities, they can only access fragments of the Chaos Force, their power severely limited compared to the prophesied Scarlet Witch.
Furious at this betrayal, Scarlet Witch backhanded a magical tendril that wrapped around this universe's Wanda's throat, lifting her off the ground. She could snap her alternate self's neck in the next second.
Just then, Tommy and Billy rushed out and attacked the corrupted Scarlet Witch with their small fists.
The children's punches were physically harmless, but each strike pierced Wanda's darkened heart.
"Let go of Mommy! Get out of our house! Go away! Go away!"
The sudden intervention of the children froze Wanda in place. In her moment of shock, Professor Charles Xavier, positioned further back, suddenly activated his telepathic powers through Cerebro's remote link.
Scarlet Witch was forcibly pulled into the psychic plane, and the magical grip on her alternate self's throat instantly dissipated.
This universe's Wanda immediately pulled Tommy and Billy back inside the house, shielding them with her body.
With the Scarlet Witch's mind temporarily controlled, Mr. Fantastic, Black Bolt, and Captain Carter rushed forward, intent on subduing her permanently.
Ryan couldn't let them take Wanda away—she was his only ticket home. Death energy surged from his consciousness directly into Charles's telepathic link, instantly severing his mental connection with the Scarlet Witch.
"Ugh!" Professor Charles recoiled, pulled back to physical reality, and turned his attention to Ryan.
The two wheelchair-bound combatants locked eyes across the battlefield, and Ryan smiled mockingly in response.
Elsewhere, the three Illuminati members charging toward Scarlet Witch were suddenly sent flying backward by an explosive wave of chaos magic, cratering into the ground dozens of yards away.
"She's too powerful! Call for backup! We need reinforcements immediately!" Captain Carter shouted into her comm.
Scarlet Witch ignored the recovering Illuminati members, turned around, raised her hand, and telekinetically ripped the wooden door completely off the cabin's hinges, flinging it into the open yard.
Then, with a Darkhold-corrupted expression of malevolent determination, she began walking back inside.
A voice in her head—the Darkhold's insidious whisper—seemed to tempt her: Kill her, and you can possess this life. It can all be yours.
"WHAM!"
This universe's Wanda was instantly telekinetically flung backward, crashing through the kitchen table and chairs before collapsing to the ground in agony.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Tommy and Billy ran toward their mother, only to be frozen in place by crimson magical bindings.
"I'm your mommy!" the corrupted Scarlet Witch screamed, tears streaming down her face.
The Darkhold's influence had pushed Wanda completely over the edge.
Just as she was about to strike the killing blow against her alternate self, Ryan's voice echoed from behind her.
"Wanda, this is her life, not yours. Do you really intend to become a murderer? A body-snatcher?"
Wanda froze, then whirled around and raised her hand, chaos magic crackling dangerously. "Ryan, stay out of this. You don't understand!"
Ryan sighed, his voice carrying genuine sympathy. "You deserve your own life, Wanda. I agreed to help you reach that world where Vision and Pietro are alive so you could build something real, not steal someone else's happiness."
Two thoughts fiercely battled within Scarlet Witch's corrupted mind: one urging her to kill this Wanda and claim these children as her own, the other begging her to let go and travel with Ryan to find the universe where Vision was about to be created and Pietro was still alive.
Scarlet Witch turned to look at the two frozen children.
Absolute terror was written across their faces, and they pleaded through their magical restraints, "Please don't hurt us. Please don't hurt Mommy."
In that instant, something broke through the Darkhold's corruption.
This was the life she desperately wanted, but it wasn't hers. It never would be. A tear trickled down Scarlet Witch's cheek, cutting through the black corruption staining her fingers.
"I won't. I won't hurt you. I'm not a monster. I'm so sorry."
The Wanda of this universe struggled to her feet and walked step by step toward the corrupted Scarlet Witch.
She reached out and gently wiped away the tears rolling down her variant self's face, and said softly in a tone filled with compassion: "They know their mother loves them. And someday, someone will love you too."
At this moment, the Darkhold-corrupted Scarlet Witch's conscience was completely awakened by her own alternate self's mercy.
Reluctantly releasing the children from their bindings, she turned and walked toward the door. Passing by Ryan, she whispered hoarsely: "Let's go. It's time to leave."
Ryan felt a wave of relief wash over him.
Thank God Wanda had regained her senses. If she'd truly gone dark side permanently, no one present could have stopped her—not even the full might of the Illuminati.
After leaving the cabin, they found that more combatants had inexplicably appeared in the open space outside. Illuminati reinforcements had arrived in force.
There were scores of Inhuman warriors with crystalline weapons, bizarre mutants with reality-defying powers, a contingent of sorcerers in the crimson robes of Kamar-Taj, and even ranks of Stark Industries Sentinels bristling with repulsor weaponry.
Wanda glanced down at Ryan in his wheelchair and apologized, "I'm sorry. I've dragged you into a war."
Ryan smiled enigmatically. "Don't worry. The fun is just beginning."
Mr. Fantastic stepped forward, his body stretching slightly in intimidation. "Witch, you're surrounded. Surrender now and face judgment, or be destroyed where you stand."
Scarlet Witch didn't attack this time, instead saying calmly, "We just want to leave this universe. I apologize for the death of Monica Rambeau and the chaos I've caused."
"It's far too late for apologies."
Just as the Illuminati forces were about to strike, several figures suddenly descended from the sky with the screech of metal on metal.
An elderly man in a flowing cape and iconic metal helmet landed at the forefront, magnetic fields rippling the air around him.
Anthony, who had departed earlier on his covert mission, landed beside Ryan. "Boss, this is the guy you wanted, right?"
Ryan looked at the newly arrived Magneto and chuckled. "Yes, that's him exactly."
Wanda was outnumbered and needed allies to escape safely. The old saying "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" proved remarkably useful in multiversal conflicts.
"Erik?!" Professor Charles Xavier exclaimed in shock, his voice carrying decades of complicated friendship and betrayal.
Erik smiled coldly. "Old friend. Long time no see, Charles."
"Why are you helping them?"
Erik scoffed, his voice dripping with vindication. "You once opposed my plan for mutants to create our own sovereign nation, Charles. Look at this world now—ruled by your precious Illuminati's secret council. You've become exactly what I warned against. Even more authoritarian than I ever was."
The appearance of Magneto surprised everyone on the battlefield.
While they confronted each other, more and more Brotherhood members arrived from all directions.
Anthony had successfully broken Magneto out of the Illuminati's high-security Raft prison. After receiving Ryan's carefully worded letter, Magneto had immediately liberated more imprisoned mutants, along with various anti-heroes, reformed villains, and everyone else who harbored grudges against the Illuminati's authoritarian rule.
They were preparing for the ultimate confrontation.
As more and more anti-establishment fighters appeared, the pressure on the Illuminati increased exponentially.
Scarlet Witch alone was already a nearly insurmountable challenge, but with Magneto's Brotherhood and a small army of vengeful super-powered beings added to the mix, the Illuminati's tactical advantage evaporated instantly.
Wanda asked curiously, "How did you find all these people?"
Ryan smiled mysteriously and replied, "The multiverse is fascinating once you understand how to exploit it. Every universe has its own underground—people the heroes have imprisoned or wronged. I simply offered them a chance at payback."
As they spoke, the superheroes led by the Illuminati collided with the anti-heroes led by Magneto.
The dazzling display of superpowers was overwhelming. Magneto telekinetically dismantled the entire Sentinel army into countless metal fragments, which swirled around him like a metallic hurricane.
Cain Marko—the Juggernaut—charged forward with unstoppable momentum and grabbed hold of Mr. Fantastic, attempting to tear him limb from limb. However, Reed Richards's elasticity perfectly countered the Juggernaut's brute strength, allowing him to stretch and wrap around Marko, restraining the unstoppable force through physics rather than strength.
Several Illuminati enforcers rushed toward Ryan and Wanda. Anthony deployed his adamantium claws to block Ryan's wheelchair, snarling at the approaching enemies.
Scarlet Witch suddenly turned and ran back inside the cabin, saying to her alternate self and the two children, "I'll get you away from here safely."
Her intention was genuinely protective—to evacuate her other self and the children from the rapidly escalating battlefield. But not everyone wanted them to escape.
Inhuman warriors and several X-Men surrounded the cabin and immediately engaged Wanda in magical combat.
Ryan, feeling the situation spiraling out of control, yelled, "Wanda, open the dimensional portal now!" Simultaneously, he unleashed concentrated death energy, instantly rendering the combatants entangled with Wanda unconscious—not dead, but neutralized.
Scarlet Witch, freed from the immediate threat, turned and gestured urgently. "GO! Get to safety!"
Seeing this universe's Wanda flee into the forest with her two children, Scarlet Witch finally felt a measure of redemption.
The main battlefield in the wilderness raged on, devastating vast tracts of land and forest. The destructive power of god-tier mutants and magic users was staggering—reality itself seemed to crack under the strain.
The situation was rapidly becoming unfavorable for Magneto and the Brotherhood. Their forces had assembled too quickly, preparations were insufficient, and Black Bolt still hadn't unleashed his full power. If Blackagar Boltagon spoke at full volume, the Brotherhood's anti-hero faction would be obliterated in seconds.
SHUNK!
X-23—Laura Kinney's—adamantium claws pierced Anthony's torso. Anthony grabbed Laura's tactical vest and, without hesitation, stabbed his own bone claws into his opponent's abdomen, then tossed her aside with mechanical precision.
Each thought they had defeated the other, but they didn't realize their powers were nearly identical—enhanced healing factors and adamantium-laced skeletons. Both would be back on their feet in moments.
Hank McCoy—Beast—charged forward with feral grace, leaping high, his razor-sharp claws slashing toward Ryan's exposed throat.
Ryan merely glanced at the blue-furred mutant. Beast, still gliding through the air mid-attack, instantly fell unconscious—death energy inducing a coma-like state—before crashing into the earth with a heavy thud.
The tide of victory was clearly shifting in favor of the Illuminati's superior numbers and coordination.
Ryan warned urgently, "Wanda, time's running out. Establish a mental link with me immediately. I'll telepathically transmit everything I know about that target world. Let's hope it's enough."
Wanda nodded, and her Chaos Magic instantly intertwined with the Death Force Ryan projected. Once the psychic connection was established, Ryan immediately relayed detailed information about the Sacred Timeline's 2008 period—right after Tony Stark's escape from the Ten Rings, when the Marvel Cinematic Universe truly began.
Wanda closed her eyes, raised her head, and unleashed a massive cloud of scarlet Chaos Magic, as if searching across infinite realities for one specific thread. Moments later, she opened her eyes with certainty.
"HAAAAAH!!!"
The cloud of crimson Chaos Magic instantly converged, forming a single point of concentrated magical energy before Wanda. The dimensional portal tore open reality itself, revealing another universe beyond.
Ryan commanded Cassie and Anthony behind him: "Let's move. Now."
Regardless of whether the other side truly was the 2008 Sacred Timeline, Ryan refused to stay and continue tangling with the Illuminati's growing forces.
FWOOOOSH!
A concentrated photon blast broke through Magneto's metal barrier and struck the elderly mutant, knocking him from the sky. He fell to the ground just in time to see several figures about to pass through the dimensional portal.
Erik looked back at Professor Charles one final time—decades of friendship and ideological warfare compressed into a single glance—and then followed without hesitation.
Some of the smarter anti-heroes in the Brotherhood saw Magneto retreating and immediately abandoned their fights, rushing toward the escape route.
Magneto raised his hand, and metal fragments telekinetically lifted several of his most loyal followers, carrying them toward Ryan's group as they entered the dimensional rift.
"Don't let them escape!!!" Reed Richards shouted desperately.
Black Bolt immediately pivoted and prepared to use his ultimate weapon for the first time in this conflict.
His mouth opened, and reality itself seemed to hold its breath.
"DIE!!!"
As Black Bolt spoke, a catastrophic sonic shockwave—capable of leveling mountains—rushed toward the dimensional portal. The very air molecules ignited from the vibration. Just as the destructive wave was about to strike, the dimensional rift snapped closed.
One second too late.
The shockwave detonated against empty space, creating a crater fifty yards wide where the portal had been.
Silence fell over the devastated battlefield as the Illuminati realized their quarry had escaped to another universe entirely.
End of Chapter 120
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