Ryuuto wiped mercury residue off his blade, eyes glowing with a wicked spark.
"Magneto, you better pray your goons don't all die before I get bored. Otherwise, who am I supposed to play with?"
With one flick of the wrist, Mercury's liquified body disintegrated into microscopic dust—gone from the world.
Ryuuto didn't wait to admire the work.
High-Speed Movement.
He burst forward in a streak of red, racing toward Wanda's last known location.
Far away, Wanda had found a strange kind of peace.
No metal storms.
No screaming powers ripping apart reality.
Just a little village where she washed clothes, fetched water, and—somehow—felt safe.
"Grandma, the laundry's done. I'll go to the dam and catch some fish for lunch."
The elderly woman beamed. "Good child! You're a blessing."
Wanda flushed shyly. She worked tirelessly to repay the old woman who'd taken her in, and the villagers adored her gentleness—completely unaware of the explosive power sleeping beneath her skin.
"Come sit," the old woman urged, grabbing Wanda's hand. "Talk with me for a bit."
"Sure."
But then the woman sighed softly, voice turning serious.
"My dear… don't you remember anything? Your parents, your home? Someone must be looking for you."
Wanda's face dimmed.
"Mother-in-law… I… I can't remember anything. I don't even know if I still have a home."
Her mind was a blank fog—except for a terrifying instinct to unleash power she didn't understand. She couldn't recall the name "Scarlet Witch." She didn't know she was being hunted by half the world.
Only pain.
White-hot pain.
"Ugh—!! My head—!"
Wanda clutched her skull, gasping as another violent spike of agony stabbed through her memories. She nearly collapsed.
"Easy, child," the old woman whispered, stroking her hair. "Don't force it. You're safe."
Wanda leaned into her touch, trembling.
For the first time in forever…
someone made her feel like she belonged.
But today wasn't going to stay peaceful.
It never does.
The entrance to the village exploded with noise as a wave of menacing figures marched in. Panic spread instantly.
"You—who are you?" the elderly village chief asked, leaning on his cane, voice unsteady.
Quicksilver sneered and shoved him down.
"Old man, get lost! This isn't your business!"
"Quicksilver," Magneto said sharply, "show some restraint."
Yet his smile was cold, predatory, as he surveyed the village.
"Old man," Magneto said, "has any… unusual woman appeared here lately? Tell me where she is, and I'll grant you any wish you want."
The villagers froze.
The chief trembled.
"No… no, sir. Our village is too poor—who would come here? Please, leave us be. We have nothing."
Magneto's eyes glinted.
"You don't believe him, do you?"
"NO!" the Brotherhood shouted in unison.
"Then search," Magneto ordered, voice dropping to a death sentence. "Dig the ground three feet deep if you must. Bring Wanda to me."
"Yes!!"
The Mutants stormed through homes like bandits, flipping furniture, breaking doors, terrorizing the villagers.
Moments later—
"REPORT!"
A telepath sprinted forward and knelt. "I sensed her! Scarlet Witch is at a dam nearby!"
A sinister smile curled Magneto's lips.
"Excellent. Bring her to headquarters."
He shot into the air like a missile, aura crackling with power. The villagers shrank back, terrified into silence.
"There! It's her! Capture her—NOW!"
Dozens of Mutants burst from the treeline and surrounded Wanda and the old woman.
"Who are you?!" the old woman cried, shielding Wanda.
Seeing her only warmth in this world terrified, Wanda's heart ignited with fury.
"Stay behind me, Grandma."
Chaos energy swirled into Wanda's palms—unstable, radiant, trembling with lethal power. She stood firm, shielding the old woman, refusing to let the intruders take a single step closer.
And then—
A chill swept the dam.
"Wanda," Magneto said coldly as he floated forward.
"You don't recognize me? Have you forgotten your own father? Or are you truly betraying the Mutant Brotherhood?"
His voice stabbed into her skull like a drill.
The moment their eyes met—
A violent surge of memories slammed against Wanda's mind.
She shrieked, collapsing to her knees, clutching her head.
Everything shattered—
Pain.
Fear.
Flashes of blood and loss.
Her powers pulsed violently.
The Mutants flinched back.
The old woman screamed.
And Magneto…
smiled.
...
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