Hey guys. I'm so sorry for this long and terrible absence. During the summer, I work very hard. I do a physical job that exhausts me and takes up all my time. I have very little free time. Luckily, today I'm better.
I am happy to have been able to write this new chapter to this story that I intend to go to the end.
Good reading!
Chapter 8: Disillusionment
« Ba ba ba, ba ba ba,
WandaVision
Ba ba ba, ba ba ba,
WandaVision
We've got something cooking and it's looking good.
We've got something cooking and who knew we could.
All great expectations lead to complications
But it's groovy and fun, it's me and it's you.
Together one plus one is more than two.
Ba ba ba, ba ba ba,
WandaVision
Ba ba ba, ba ba ba,
WandaVision
Some sudden surprises
Come in all shapes and sizes
But it's rainbows and sun, it's you and it's me,
Together one plus one is family. »
Wanda and Vision couldn't be happier. It was good weather to live in Westview. Many people had reunited with their loved ones. But the happy event to come was that Wanda was going to become a mother.
Vision brought the necessary to welcome their future child. But without knowing that J'onn J'onzz was observing them discreetly, being the only one not to be under the mental influence of Wanda.
The Martian didn't know what to do. His allies had once again become automatons unconsciously controlled by Wanda. And reasoning with her wasn't easy. What could he do?
He had discovered that Wanda had the power to change reality. Had she really brought back the other half of Westview's population? Supergirl and Natasha Romanoff also came back?
J'onn didn't know what to do. Alone in his detective agency, he spent hours meditating, hoping to find answers about what he needed to do to save his loved ones and the small town.
While meditating in his telepathic phase, a familiar voice called out to him:
« J'onn… »
The Martian opened his eyes… and saw in amazement his own father M'yrnn Jonzz, dressed in simple civilian clothes, smiling pleasantly at him.
"J'onn, my son, you need my help, it seems," said M'yrnn with a sparkling look.
Stunned, J'onn looked at his father. Was he alive? Did Wanda Maximoff bring him back too?
"You… are you there? I can not believe it…"
"You wanted to get in touch with me," M'yrnn reminded him, still smiling with a natural air.
"Yes, but I thought I would only feel your presence or hear your voice. I didn't know you could come. Did Wanda bring you back?"
"Who is this Wanda? I'm here because you need my help." M'yrnn began to look around, observing the agency, as well as the outside. "And apparently you're not the only one. This town suffers with its people. And I guess it has something to do with this Wanda. Tell me about her, my son. Tell me what's up. And tell me what's happened since we last met."
"It's a long story," J'onn muttered.
M'yrnn put his hands on his son's shoulders.
"We have plenty of time. Tell me."
And J'onn then told his father everything that had happened in the past few weeks. The meeting of the Avengers on another Earth. The arrival of Thanos with the Six Infinity Stones. The Snap. And finally, Wanda Maximoff and the Westview's Anomaly.
When he finished, M'yrnn looked stunned and upset.
"I'm really sorry about everything you've been through. It must have been horrible."
"We may have discovered a way to reverse what Thanos did," J'onn explained. "But we need Wanda. And she turned this town into a completely fictional peaceful paradise. She controls people like puppets, like she did with my friends. She has the power to change reality. I don't know how to help this town and my friends. They are helpless."
M'yrrn remained calm and smiling as he replied:
"My son, you don't have to save Westview or your friends. It's Wanda. If you want to stop this anomaly and save everyone, you have to save Wanda Maximoff."
"Save her from what?" J'onn asked, puzzled.
"Behind this illusion that surrounds this town, I felt this woman's emotions. And you, too, feel them. Immense grief, grief that is impossible to overcome. Wanda has been through some tough times. She has lost a lot and not just because of Thanos. Long before that, she lost loved ones. It is her grief that is the cause of all this. And you're in the best position to understand what she's going through. She and you have a lot in common other than telepathy. You're the only one who can show her the way so she can be the hero she's meant to be."
"I don't know how to do it," J'onn replied. "I tried to reason with her. But she is too powerful."
"Show her who you are, J'onn," M'yrnn urged. "By saving Wanda, you will save everyone, including your friends."
Later, J'onn was determined to try a new approach with Wanda. While he was thinking in the street, he saw Peter pedaling a joyful bicycle. J'onn joined him.
"Peter? Peter?"
The young man stopped his bike and stared at the Martian with a cheerful smile.
"Hello, you are the new detective of the town, right?"
"Peter, we need to talk," J'onn urged him. "Nothing around us is real. Wanda controls everyone."
Peter looked confused.
"I don't understand."
"Peter, you don't live in Westview. And Alex Danvers is not your mom. Just like Supergirl isn't your aunt."
"Do you know Supergirl?" wondered the stunned young man.
"Peter, you're Spider-Man!" insisted the Martian. "You live in Queens, New York. With your Aunt May. You're the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."
The mention of his aunt made Peter react. He looked stunned.
"May… I… What the…? What am I doing here?"
With a look of understanding, J'onn put his hand on his forehead.
"It's okay, you'll figure out."
Anxious, Peter let his forehead be touched, and was assaulted with memories. Memories as Peter Parker and Spider-Man.
Peter looked overwhelmed by all his memories. He tried to regain his senses, with panic. He looked at his long 70s hair.
"Holy crap! I'm still a girl! And I keep calling Alex Mom! I went crazy, man!"
"It's not you, Peter, it's Wanda," J'onn told him softly. "She's the one who makes you think you live in this town."
"Wanda who has the power to change reality," Peter realized anxiously. "What do we do? We can't go to her house and convince her to stop all this! You saw what happened when she landed on us!"
"We must try to reach her," said J'onn. "Wanda is the only one who can stop all this! I'm sure there's a way to reason with her. We couldn't do it because someone set her against us."
Peter frowned, surprised.
"Someone wants Wanda to keep this sitcom universe? Why?"
"I don't know. But if we want to save everyone, we have to find out who that person is."
"What do we do now?" Peter asked.
They found Alex in her fictional doctor's office. The "doctoress" greeted them with a cheerful smile.
"Hello Mr. Johns. Are you coming for a consultation? Why are you with my son?"
Before Peter could answer, J'onn walked up to her, raising his hand to her.
"I'm here to help you, Alex."
As he had done for the young man from Queens, the Martian wanted to return Alex's memories in order to free her from Wanda's mind control. His eyes turned red, and as he was about to put his hand on the doctor's forehead, Alex suddenly took fright and moved away from J'onn's hand.
"No, leave me alone! Don't! Stop!"
Intrigued, J'onn tried to comfort her.
"Alex, it's okay…"
"J'onn, don't! I don't want you to give me back my memories! I am happy here. I have a job, a son. And I also have my sister who came back."
"Alex, I'm not your son," retorted Peter curtly. "Wanda created all of this!"
"Leave me alone both of you! Go! Get out!" Alex begged with a look that sounded like an order.
J'onn tried to reason with her again.
"Alex, listen to me…"
"GET OUT!" she yelled angrily.
Realizing there was no need to reason with the young woman, J'onn and Peter left the doctor's office in disappointment.
"Why didn't she want you to help her?" asked Peter.
"Alex has become like Wanda," answered the Martian. "She's blossomed by the universe of sitcom. She has her sister Kara with her again. Returning to the real world is returning to a world without Kara. Like Wanda, the real world's a world without Vision. Each has a void they can't fill, and Westview's anomaly makes them happy."
"Wanda said we were going to stay in her dream world," Peter said with anguish. "What can we do?"
"I intend to go see Wanda, but first, I have someone else to see. A person who will agree to help us. It's time to contact Aunt Kara."
"Supergirl?" wondered Peter.
Kara worked at her desk at the Westview Gazette newspaper. She wrote an article on her typewriter. She remained focused on her text, when she noticed something strange. Some of her fellow reporters wrote while others pretended to write. She noticed a journalist sitting on his desk with a coffee in his hand without drinking it. He was completely still. It looked like a statue.
Perplexed, Kara went to join him. She called him, but her colleague didn't react. She snapped her fingers in front of his face, but his face remained frozen. She also noticed with amazement that the man's coffee was ice cold. He had cooled down.
"What's going on?" asked Kara, frowning.
"Kara," said a voice behind her.
Turning around, she saw Peter and J'onn who had just walked into the reporters' office. She joined them cheerfully.
"Peter? What's my nephew doing here?"
Tired of being considered a member of a fictional family, the young man from Queens replied with exasperation:
"I'm not your nephew. And Alex is not my mom. I don't live in Westview. I'm from Queens."
"Peter, what are you saying?" wondered the Kryptonian.
J'onn stood right in front of her.
"Hello Kara. I'm so glad to seeing you again."
But Kara frowned at the Martian.
"Uh… Do I know you?"
It was J'onn's turn to be intrigued. He found it strange that the Kryptonian didn't recognize the Martian.
"Don't you recognize me?"
Kara shook her head, confused and flabbergasted.
"I know you're the new detective who just came into town. You're Jon Johns."
"My name is J'onn J'onzz, retorted the Martian in a neutral tone. "I am not a detective. And you and I, we both know each other. With Alex."
"Alex? You mean my sister?"
"And I'm Peter Parker," Peter added insistently. "I live in Queens, and I'm Spider-Man."
"Spider-Man?" wondered Kara as if the young man was crazy. "Peter, are you sure you're okay?"
"And we know you're more than Kara Danvers. You're Supergirl." resumed J'onn in a natural tone.
Kara looked stunned.
"How do you know? Did Peter tell you that? Peter, how could you…"
"No, not Peter. Because I know you, Kara. We are friends. We even work as a team. And we have things in common. For example, the fact that we are the only survivors of our worlds. I am the last of Mars, just like you are the last daughter of Krypton."
At the mention of her home planet, Kara looked even more confused.
"Krypton? What is a Krypton?"
J'onn looked stunned, frowning.
"You don't know where you come from?"
Kara shrugged, looking even more confused than before.
"Honestly, I've no idea where I come from. As far as I know, I've always lived in Westview… but my memories are hazy. Looks like I've never left this town. And yet, I have this strange feeling… I have a hunch that all this, this job as a journalist and even the fact that I am Supergirl in a small town made no sense. Why am I Supergirl in a small town where there's almost no crime? And when I fly in the sky, I want to go further than Westview, but every time I approach the city limits, iit's like something makes me forget why I want to leave. Like I couldn't think of leaving Westview. So I change into Kara and then… I feel like someone's controlling my life. As if I could no longer think for myself."
Peter looked confused and worried.
"I don't understand any of this."
J'onn sighed and spoke to Kara in a matter-of-fact tone.
"I know what's happening to you. You are not the real Kara, nor the real Supergirl."
"What?" Kara exclaimed puzzled.
"Wanda didn't bring everyone back by changing reality. They're just incarnations of the people living in Westview who were dusted by Thanos. The same for Natasha Romanoff. And also for Kara. She created an incarnation of Supergirl, as she met her. Wanda knows nothing of Kara's past, which explains why Krypton's name is unknown to her. Kara, Natasha and the other people of Westview are only puppets of Wanda in her fictional universe which she created in spite of herself."
"What are you talking about?" Kara exclaimed slightly frightened by these revelations.
"It's okay, Kara," J'onn told her softly, holding out his hand to her forehead. "You'll understand very quickly."
And he returned Supergirl's memories to this version of Kara, who was overwhelmed by all of Supergirl's memories. Her childhood on Krypton upon her arrival on Earth, with her life as Kara Danvers until her entry as Supergirl.
When the memories stopped flooding her mind, Kara looked shocked and stunned.
"J'onn… Peter…"
"It's gonna to be okay, Kara, you're yourself again," the Martian assured her with an encouraging look.
"But I'm not real! I'm not really here! Wanda created me!"
J'onn sighed with a sympathetic look.
"Unfortunately yes."
"We can't let her hurt the people of this town and make them believe in a dream world!" Kara said very worried.
"Finally someone sane," Peter answered relieved.
"I'll find a way to reach Wanda," J'onn replied. "I think I have an idea how to reach her. But I'm going to need reinforcements. There's someone interested in Wanda. We don't know who this person could be."
"I'm going to talk to Alex and convince her that all of this isn't real," Kara said resolutely. "She must understand the reality of the situation."
Vision had just come out of the house to get some fresh air and let his pregnant wife rest at home. But as he crossed the path to his garden, he noticed a disturbing fact: there was no one on the streets of his neighborhood. As if the town had become silent. How could this be possible? How was it that the population of Westview had suddenly increased? And Supergirl? Where did she come from? Why had he never heard of her before today? As far back as he could remember, he had never seen her. But… had he really spent his entire life at Westview? Even this information seemed wrong to him. He had tried to tell Wanda about it, but she had completely ignored him, just telling him that he was imagining things.
Vision took on his normal synthesoid appearance and soared into the sky. It flew above the houses of the city. He didn't notice anything suspicious. After several turns in flight, he finally descends to his neighborhood. Then a female voice began to shout:
"Help! Help me!"
Vision came to the frightened woman across the street. It was Agnès, his troublesome neighbor.
"Agnes!"
The brunette woman looked very distressed, as if something was scaring her.
"Please help me! Please!"
"Agnes, what's happening to you?" Vision exclaimed, determined to want to help the young woman.
Agnes stammered in an agonizing voice:
"I don't understand what's happening to me… I'm in pain…" (Then she looked at Vision and seemed to calm down a little.) "You… You're one of the Avengers. You're Vision. Are you here to help us?"
"I am Vision, I do want to help," retorted the android. "But what is an Avenger?"
"Why don't you know?" asked Agnes, taken aback. "What's going on? Why is Wanda keeping us from going out?"
Intrigued by all this mystery, Vision tried to keep his composure.
"Agnes, I have no idea what's going on, but I promise you I'll fix it."
Suddenly, Agnes' confused and frightened look disappeared and took on a sly tone.
"Oh I don't think so!"
And she recited something in Latin, and immediately, Vision collapsed to the ground, lifeless. Agnes chuckled devilishly as she gazed at the android's limp body.
"Poor Vision! But what can I say? You're not really there. No more than half of Westview. It's time I had a talk with Wanda."
In her doctor's office, Alex was sorting through files, while humming a WandaVision song that was playing on the radio. When a blur appeared in the doctor's office that caused the radio to turn off. Taken aback, Alex turned around and saw to her amazement her sister Kara in the guise of Supergirl.
"Kara, what are you doing here? You need to change…"
Calmly, Supergirl stood in front of her, raising her hands in appeasement.
"Alex, listen to me. You have to resist Wanda…"
"What?" exclaimed Alex suddenly frightened at the mention of Wanda.
"None of this is real. Nor this office. Nor this town. Everything that makes up your life in Westview doesn't exist. You've never lived here. You live in National City with me. You work at the DEO. You are not a doctor, just like Peter is not your son."
Alex looked stunned, then began to moan in anguish and shake her head.
"Kara… You're wrong… We have a life here."
Knowing that what she was saying hurt her, Supergirl put her hand on her sister's shoulder as she spoke calmly to her with a sympathetic look.
"I'm not really here, Alex. Nor is Natasha there. Wanda created me. As well as the other people of this town. Wanda brought us back to be her puppets. You must resist."
Alex had tears in her eyes.
"No… No… No… You're here, Kara! Thanos made you dusted, but Wanda brought you back. You're here!"
Still calm, Supergirl resumed with a sorry look.
"Wanda sent for me. But I'm not the real Kara, nor the real Supergirl. Look around you, Alex. You know I'm right. Why would I be Supergirl in a town where there's no crime? And you're not Peter's mom. He's not your son. He's Spider-Man. And he already has a family. None of this is real. We have to go to Wanda and convince her to make this all go away."
Alex sobbed even louder before retorting:
"But if she cancels her sitcom frenzy, that means…"
"Yes, I won't be here anymore," confirmed her sister with sadness.
Alex looked even more distraught.
"Who am I without you?"
"I know you can bring me back. I've faith in you," Supergirl told her with a sympathetic look.
"How?" exclaimed Alex still with tears in her eyes. "Thanos made the Stones gone."
"But the Avengers found a way to change that, according to J'onn. When you'll leave Westview, you will bring us back. I trust you, Alex. You are able of this. But you have to give up this fictitious life that has no place to be. The whole reason I became Supergirl was to save you. And you're still gonna be the reason. When you bring me back, I'll still be me. And you can resume your life at the DEO on our Earth. But not here. You don't belong here, Alex. And you know I'm right. You are not Doctor Alexandra Danvers. You are Alex Danvers, my sister, my favorite person. And now is your chance to be your own superhero. Once I saved you, now you're gonna save me."
Alex nodded, still with tears in her eyes, then snuggled up in her sister's arms, who gently comforted her, telling her that everything was going to be fine.
"I'm afraid I won't see you again, Kara!"
"You'll bring me back Alex, I'm sure of that. You're going to save me this time."
Wanda was resting on her sofa, stroking her round belly. She was impatiently awaiting the arrival of her future children. She finally had what she wanted. A dream life with Vision. And soon, a family. She was the happiest woman in the world.
Suddenly, J'onn burst into her living room through the walls.
"Wanda…"
Immediately, the pregnant young woman stood up and stared at the Martian with hatred.
"What are you doing here?" she roared angrily.
J'onn held up his hands in an effort to appease her.
"Wanda, can we talk calmly? I have no intention of hurting you. I just want to talk to you."
"I don't talk to people who plot against Vision and me," she said angrily, waving her hands causing flashes of red light to flash.
"I have nothing against you or Vision," replied the Martian, still very calm. "I don't know who told you this, but it's not true."
"ALL YOU DO IS LIE!" Wanda yelled furiously.
She waved her hands right at J'onn's head, wanting to control his mind. But the Martian still replied calmly.
"It doesn't work on me, Wanda. I'm from Mars, and I'm also a psychic. You can't control my mind."
"THEN GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! GET OUT OF OUR TOWN AND NEVER COME BACK, MARTIAN!"
She waved her hands, instantly, J'onn was bound in the air by a crimson energy that gripped his body, as if to crush him. The Martian moaned in pain, struggling, as Wanda levitated him out of her house. She levitated the Martian in the air about ten meters above the ground.
"WANDA! DON'T! I'M NOT YOUR ENEMY! IF I'M HERE IT'S AS A FRIEND, AND BECAUSE WE HAVE FIGHTED AND LOST TOGETHER!"
"And what does that get me?" Wanda roared, still furious. "I blew a hole through the head of the man I loved and it meant nothing!"
"What if I told you that meant something? That you can still do something for Vision and for yourself?"
At his words, Wanda stopped torturing him and brought him back down in front of her.
"What are you saying?" she asked him in a voice that had suddenly become calm.
Taking advantage of his freedom, J'onn came to Wanda still calmly.
"The reason we came to see you is because we found something. We found a way to undo what Thanos did. But we need you. Wanda, I sympathize with your suffering. You've lost more than you thought you'd lose. And you're not the only one who's been through this. But that... Westview, this whole crazy life has to stop. You're hurting these poor people. They've suffered enough, they don't need to feel your pain. Don't let them make you the villain."
"Maybe I already am," Wanda answered in a neutral tone.
"No, Wanda, you are an Avenger, not a monster. And you can honor Vision's memory. By stopping the anomaly of this town. And join us in helping us undo what Thanos has done. I can't promise you you'll see Vision again, nevertheless, you could make sure he didn't die for nothing. That his sacrifice helped fix this broken world. Help us, Wanda, please."
Wanda seemed to consider the Martian's words. While she was thinking in her head, her neighbor Agnes joined her with a sneer on her lips.
"That was very moving! But it's time to get serious!"(Speaking to J'onn.) "Martian, I think you overstayed your welcome. Poor Wanda's been through enough."
J'onn frowned and gave the brunette woman a firm look.
"Whoever you are, this doesn't concern you!"
"Run along, dear!"
"No," insisted the Martian firmly. "I'm not goin' anywhere!"
Agnes sighed in annoyance.
"As you wish!"
And she said some words in Latin, and everything went black for Wanda and J'onn.
A few hours later, Supergirl arrived by air, with Alex in her arms, while Peter joined them on a bicycle. His web-shooters were missing.
They all arrived in front of Wanda's house. But to their dismay, they realized that the dwelling was empty.
"Wanda is not at her house," said Supergirl.
"Where's she?" exclaimed Alex. "And where's J'onn?"
"We're in trouble," declared Peter anguished.
Wanda awoke painfully. She was lying on hard ground. As she got up, she saw that she was in a dark and gloomy place. She saw there symbols drawn on the walls. Symbols totally foreign to the young Avenger.
And she saw J'onn bound by magical bonds, for violet energies held the Martian prisoner.
Then a voice sounds.
"Oh, our little budding witch woke up!"
Wanda whirled around to see the woman who had taken her. Her neighbor Agnes, dressed in black with long hair that fell from her shoulders. She looked at Wanda while holding a rabbit which she stroked tenderly. Then she looked at her bunny, as if he was talking to her.
"What?" (She put her bunny to her ear as if it was whispering something to her. Then she snorted again in front of Wanda.) "No, I know. She does look shocked to meet us, doesn't she?"
With a hostile look, Wanda used her telepathy on her abductor, but the latter continued to giggle, as if she was enjoying herself.
"Oh! That's adorable! He-he-he! My thoughts are not available to you, toots! That's how it is! You can't get into my head! So don't go givin' yourself a migraine. We've got work to do. Seriously Wanda, you didn't think you were the only magical girl in town, did you?"
J'onn woke up in turn, and stared at the strange woman who sequestered her by magic.
"What the…"
Agnes turned to him.
"Our unwanted guest wakes up. He wasn't scheduled, but whatever. He's gonna witness our show."
J'onn stared at the woman in amazement and began to struggle against her magical bonds.
"I knew there was something strange about you. You're not affected by Wanda's telepathy. You turned her against us. Who the hell are you? I know you don't live in Westview, and I'm sure your so-called husband Ralph doesn't exist. So who are you?"
"My name is Agatha Harkness," answered the woman with a smirk on her lips and stroking her rabbit. "And I'm thrilled to finally get to know Wanda."
Wanda then realized that her "neighbor" was playing a double game with her. And now, what did she want?
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Glad I could make some progress on the Westview plot.
See you soon for a new chapter!
