Wanna Take You for a Ride
Author's Note: Tilda Swinton has always been my fancast for Ruby Heart. Set prior to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Enjoy the story and R&R.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel vs. Capcom, or Marvel Comics.
Summary:
Earth-292000. Home reality of the sea monster Gargantos, where the Scarlet Witch conscripts Gargantos during a battle with a Variant of the Ancient One.
In the infinite Multiverse, the astral form of Wanda Maximoff (a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch) is searching for a proxy to act in her stead in her crusade to reunite with her children. A monster to bind to her will and cut loose on the supernatural being who holds the power to make her cancelled sitcom dreams a reality.
She scouts a suitable candidate for hunting America Chavez in a world of maritime magic and gunpowder.
Here, Earth-292000, a familiar face dominates the high seas. The face of Earth-616 and others' Ancient One, elsewhere oftentimes the mentor to Doctor Stephen Strange.
She is Ruby Heart, captain of the pirate ship Partenaire and noted connoisseur for priceless Relics. Even on Earth-292000, her collection of ancient artifacts is second to none, and her wisdom and authority respected, envied, and even feared.
When the Scarlet Witch's mind touch lands on the planks of the Variant's vessel, the pirate captain's crew is embroiled in a battle with a vicious sea beast that has dragged itself abroad. A colossal octopus with a massive central eye, hard-scaled tentacles, and suckers with sharp fangs.
Wanda recognizes the creature's profile from the Darkhold, where it is referred to by a different name. This universe's – like Ruby Heart – is nothing but a Variant. An alternate version of a more notorious and infinitely more powerful and calculating demon with his eye set on the Multiverse itself.
Here, Gargantos.
Out there, Shuma-Gorath.
There is a veritable legion of hellbeasts chapter to chapter. An Abaddon Index. That the Scarlet Witch is mentioned among them in the Darkhold, Wanda is only marginally disturbed.
She's been the outcast most of her life, even as an Avenger. The hero, once the enemy, who the public had the easiest time viewing as the enemy regardless of her sacrifices.
Gargantos is no Shuma-Gorath. Not even close.
However, for her crusade, Gargantos is the acceptable level of reasonably threatening and mercifully murderous she is looking for.
Wanda reaches out with her mind, penetrating Gargantos' thick hide and wrapping the tentacles of her Chaos Magic around the monster's hostilities. Witches' runes burn into being over Gargantos' green skin like the fires used to light the stakes at the Salem Witch Trials, these symbols identifying Gargantos as her slave.
Ruby Heart had kicked open a treasure chest of ghosts to subdue Gargantos when Wanda cast her spell and tore the octopus out of Earth-292000.
To a well-versed voyager such as Ruby Heart, the traces of Chaos Magic floating on the sea breeze were a foreboding scarlet letter left by the woman who cavorted with demons. Who was chosen by the First Demon.
"Cette magie…C'est la malédiction de Chthon!" Ruby Heart despaired. "La Sorcière rouge…Nous sommes perdus!"
