Peter heard the echo of Wanda's scream and grew nervous. Iron-Man whizzed past a stunned Spider-Man, shooting with all his power at the Sorceress.
"Snap out of it Spidey it's only us three!" War-Machine called. Rhodey was right, it was in fact only Tony, Peter, and Rhodey up and fighting, Vision now refusing to leave an injured Wanda's side unless absolutely necessary. Peter never expected for this to be such a huge fight. In fact he only thought he would swing in and help a little. Peter looked at his fists now clenching, realizing that this was a serious brawl and he had to step up, maybe even impress Mr. Stark. He smiled at the thought of making his mentor proud and stared down the Sorceress down, ready to pounce.
Iron-Man spoke up "Rhodey, come up on her 6 and stun her when I say so. Kiddo that's when you web her up into a burrito. Alright? Let's do it." James and Peter both nodded and retreated to get into their positions. Iron-Man turned to directly face the Sorceress.
She knew where War-Machine was the moment he was boosting at her. Her head tilted to the side, her eyes pinpointing War-Machine, she confirmed her magical senses correct. She giggled to herself, swiveling her head back to Iron-Man who was now getting close. "She knows!" Rhodey shouted.
"I know, I know! Keep on going, she cant get out of this one, blast her in 3!" Both Iron-Man and War-Machine held out their right armored wrists to blast her with sound waves.
Just as they were about to practically squash her, she blasted off with the palms of her hands aimed at the ground.
'Too easy'. She thought as she smoothly dodged the two. Two shouts were audible as both the machines collided into each other. Her focus was now on the kid.
Spider-Man was still hiding in the shadows waiting to web her up.
She knew he was close, in fact she could sense him with her mysterious powers. The Sorceress swiftly landed on top of a tall building from the boost of palms. Her bare feet hit the cement roof, gently walking around. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes gathering her power. She exhaled all at once, pinpointing Spider-Man's exact location.
"You can come out now little bug. I said I can drag whoever I want with me...and I have no intention to take back my word." She cooed.
Peter's breath hitched as he peeked around the large vent. His Spidey sense blared within his head. 'What happened to the others?' He knew he couldn't speak into the comms, it would expose him fully if she was tricking him. Peter did not fully believe her but crawled away from the vent and stood his ground anyways.
The Sorceress hummed to herself, cocking her head at the sight of him. "Let's go somewhere else shall we? But not too far...I want them to know."
The woman did not hold the power to summon portals often but only once in a while. It was certainly a rare occasion and typically the last resort during a fight. She wanted it to end here and now with a big bang. She lied to Spider-Man, she could not simply locate her portal far from herself, the farthest she can manage being a good amount of miles. She began to move her two fingers in a circular motion, already feeling physically weak and drained of magic the further she expanded her portal.
"Shes here...North of Be-AGHHH" The Sorceress crashed into Peter before he could finish and held his neck firmly.
They were on the edge of the portal, black and gold sparks spinning continuously non-stop. Peter compared the sound to hundreds of sparklers all going off at once. They struggled against each other, the Sorceress pushing him inch by inch into the portal.
"Spit it out son, North of where?" Steve Rogers spoke from the Quinjet standing at the front looking out over the city for him. Seconds ticked by of silence from Peter's comm, the team growing nervous each beat. Only few of the members had a real connection to him but they all would undoubtedly take a hit for him.
Peter looked back into the ring of sparks viewing the one and only Central Park within the portal. Anyone else would see it as a couple of trees and grass but Peter has practically memorized the city...his city. He gathered his strength and started to pry her arm away from his neck. Visibly shaking and struggling, she tilted her head upwards.
"What the!?" Peter looked down at her pale yellow dress, the holes were beginning to fill again with the same oozing spikes from before. "Oh no…" He began to shuffle his way away from her until he was on the verge of being teleported into the park. Peter could hear distant repulsors approaching. 'Oh thank goodness, this lady is crazy strong!'
"I got you." Iron-Man's static mic said in his ear.
He made the mistake of letting go of her wrists in attempt of avoiding the spikes. Spider-Man staggered back waving his arms trying to balance himself. His Spidey sense warned him clearly, but Peter could do nothing but take the kick square in his chest. "UAGHH!" Peter screamed, shooting his web shooters randomly, praying that they would stick to something...anything. Just as he fell he could spot Iron-Man's shiny suit approaching behind her wispy blonde hair.
Next thing Peter knew he slammed into the ground followed up by a punch straight in the nose. He was confused as to what was happening as punch after punch came pounding onto his head. She was sitting on top of him having at it when he suddenly collected his senses and kicked her hard in the stomach. The Sorceress slammed into a tree, struggling to breathe. 'Where did the portal go? Mr. Stark was right there!'
"Hey Karen, how far away is Mr. Stark and the Quinjet?" He asked.
"Approximately 6.4 miles Peter. Friday has already informed Mr. Stark of your location."
"Thanks Karen." The AI hummed in response and went back to silence. 'Alright just a little longer, this is where you can prove yourself!'
She wiped her bloodied mouth with the back of her hand.
"Alright wizard, you're clearly at your breaking point. And if you don't mind I got some summer reading that I've got to finish, so can we call it a night? I'm sure you can totally relate, right? Don't they have homework in Hogwarts?" He said knowing he was annoying her.
"Pfft, I am far from-" She began but was quickly interrupted by a web to her mouth.
"Nuh-uh Miss wizard, and the others will be here soon and I'd like to be the one to get the last punch...for once."
The teen shot another web towards her arm to start bonding her against the tree. As soon as her skin made contact with the sticky substance she pulled her opposite arm out of hiding in her cloak. Her right hand was glazed and dripping with a gold and black substance. She sliced the web as if it was warm butter and snatched the web mid air with her left. 'Man this wizard has too many trick up her sleeves...literally!' Peter thought as he began pulling the web that was attached to the woman towards himself. She ripped the web off of her mouth along with the blood and hid her right arm under her cloak once more. She focused all of her energy towards her lower back, summoning a single spike, this time twice as big. The spike was going to take double the time to grow as her body was at its limits.
The magic was slowly destroying the woman's body over the course of the brawl, she would end up killing herself if she dared to go much further. The Sorceress was very self aware of what the dark magic was doing to her frail body, but could no longer find a reason to care after The Ancient One booted her out.
Peter looked around quickly searching for any police officers or bystanders but mysteriously found none in sight, for now.
"Question!" Peter yelled.
The woman relaxed her chest slumping her shoulders attempting to convince Spider-Man that it was safe to relax also. Peter tensed up even more, still holding to the web but not pulling. He was somewhat happy to come face to face with a Sorcerer when he thought about it, sadly fighting and not being the best of buddies.
"Hm?"
"Why do you want everyone to see? Why draw attention to yourself knowing you'll lose." Peter asked quickly.
"Well, I sadly cannot deny that I will lose, but you boy, will also lose too." She replied.
Peter squinted his eyes confused. "I don't think you've got it, ma'am. You do realize you are fighting against THE Avengers right?"
The Sorceress exhaled in annoyance. Flashbacks pouring into her mind all at once. The woman was never as strong as the ones in the sanctuary and never would be no matter how many hours she poured into training. She became agitated towards innocents who were even stronger than her and turned to dark magic. 'They will never feel what it's like, I must drag someone with me.'
"You are ignorant Spider-Man, when you simply cannot manage to do something, you will be shunned and rejected by this world. You do not deserve the abilities you are capable of having, you do not understand the pain. And you Spider, will now lose apart of yourself. JUST LIKE I HAVE!" He was taken aback, baffled at the sudden burst. She crouched down in an instant snapping the spike off of her back, still concealing it beneath the thick fabric. She pulled with all of her might at the web they were still both holding.
Peter's six sense delayed, he stumbled forward at the pull. She let go of the web with her left arm and raised it to punch. Peter pounced towards his left ready to dodge it and got into position for a kick in her ribs that were already cracked. She revealed her right arm gripping the deadly spike. Before Peter could even realize that the weak punch was a bluff, she ducked underneath him and stabbed through the blue fabric.
Peter gasped loudly at the shock of a spike piercing all the way through his right kneecap. Through and through, Peter's kneecap was impaled. He took in a shaky breath as he fell to the ground attempting to scramble away. 'Oh no no no NO NO NO NO!' Peter fought back the urge to scream as he shuffled his bottom behind a tree. His right leg felt as if someone poured boiling water over it.
The Sorceress stood there and watched him with an emotionless expression as he scooted behind an oak tree. 'It's not enough.' She thought as she focused the last of her energy on her back. She hunched over letting the growing spikes protrude through her skin. She threw her cloak off revealing the loose dress sticking to her body. Black dripping from her body, leaving evidence where the spikes were spawning.
Peter pushed his back against the bark, his now trembling hands cradling his knee. He began to spray his webs over the front of the wound, hoping it would stop some of the blood now seeping through his suit. Hopefully the rush of adrenaline would mask most of the pain for now. The spike began to branch out mimicking the full trees in the park around him. His jaw dropped as he could only watch the spike slowly stretch itself below his knee. Peter let out a strangled sob as he felt every root of the spike seeped into his leg.
He spoke into the comm his shaking hands struggling to find the device. "Whe-where are you g-guys? I need you all no-NOW." If he had not had a spike all the through his leg at the moment he would have been embarrassed at the amount of stuttering. He sucked in a breath and twisted his leg over to observe the wound. It was placed in the center of his knee cap and went completely through the other side.
"Hol…WANDA...on….son..youre...too..JUST...far….fo..th" Captain-America's voice filled the comm finally giving out. The device apparently could not manage the distance between Peter and Steve.
Tony Stark's voice came in much clearer. "Give me two minutes kid, i'm comin in hot."
'
'Okay Peter, Mr. Stark is close just two minutes...you can manage.'
Silence filled the scene only the distant sounds of fountains running and the wind breezing through the leaves. The dying grass crumpled beneath the Sorceress' bare feet as she sluggishly walked to the tree where he was, his neck buzzing in response.
She was extremely weak and ready to crumple any minute but her goal was yet to be completed. Peter's muffled voice was becoming clearer the further she swayed. She could barely hear the boy behind the oak, hearing a few words such as "please" and "I can't." She thought she felt a bit of remorse towards the boy's pleas, but quickly eliminated it from her mind. She curled in on herself unable to walk further with the spikes almost painfully finished.
Peter heard her sudden stop and stretched his left leg out to get up. He hissed at the pain unable to bend his right knee. beginning doing slow hops on his left leg, he gathered the courage to swing. He shot a web with his right arm with a 'thwip' to two trees down and attempted to swing. He failed horribly and ended up being half dragged by his own web. At least he put distance between himself and the wretched woman. Peter was halfway on the ground still scrambling to get up when he took a long look at his right leg.
The base of the spike was slowly shrinking, still expanding itself down inside and outside of his calf. He noticed that the growing slowed down and predicted it to stop once it reached his ankle. Without thinking he spoke into the comms to Mr. Stark. " my-my leg its ruined" He hated the way he was on the verge of sobbing. He realized what they may have to do.
"Almost there kiddo, nothing we can't fix back at the compound." Peter slumped a little, not at the reassurance but at the haze that was overcoming his mind.
"Peter, you need to find a way to block the wound from more blood exiting your leg, may I suggest-" Karen said seriously.
"I don't know Karen THEY'RE COVERING EVERY INCH OF MY LEG!" Peter snapped at his AI. "I-Im sorry, I just-how far away is ?"
"It's quite alright, he will arrive in approximately 40 seconds, if he keeps his speed consistent" She answered.
Spider-Man's head turned in every direction at neck breaking speed realizing that the Sorceress disappeared. He hobbled towards the cement path under a dim street lamp. There were hardly any people near.
'May is going to kill me for being out this late.'
His spidey sense went haywire. In response, Spider-Man quickly pushed away from the lamp and stood his ground. It was as if Peter had a film over himself, his senses muffled and delayed. Must be the magic lingering in the air. More and more black sparks floated inches above the ground that appeared out of thin air. Peter's leg begun to slightly spas, reacting to the magical roots taking most of his lower leg up. Spider-Man slightly crouched waiting for whatever his senses were warning him about, he was so focused on his surroundings that he must've went numb to voices in his ears. Forcing his attention from the park he noticed that the spike had stopped growing and took place in his leg firmly, looking as if a colony of sea urchins decided that the inside of his leg was a habitat.
'TO YOUR RIGHT'
Without another second passing, he leaned on his left side to slip out of the way, but cried out when pain shot up his thigh in response. He fell to the ground in a heap as the Sorceress got on top of him and ripped part of his mask off with her hand that once helped her rip off his webs earlier. Gold and black dripped from her hand. The mask sizzled at the touch of her decaying hand, the fabric dissolving within seconds. His eyes went wide as fresh air exposed the right side of his face, most of his sweaty hair now sticking out. She looked similar to a porcupine, oozing spikes protruding through her back and torn dress.
"Has anyone told you that you look like a tall, blonde, gorgeous...hairbrush?" Peter tried to mask the fear, but it was hard when she bore her gaze at him, her golden eyes at his frightened doe ones. Jokes must've not been her thing, because the next thing she did was take a hold of his brown curls, lifted his head and then slammed it with force against the cement. She pinned her leg on top of his now swinging right arm. The Sorceress pounded his head against the ground without mercy, blood beginning to pool around his head. 'KRACK!' The crunch of the device in Peter's ear was barely audible over the sound of repulsors approaching. She quickly loosened her grip acknowledging the presence of Iron-Man.
"Get off of him you Houdini." Tony held up his repulsor ready to fire. The cement underneath cracked as the MARK XLV suit landed firmly.
Peter lifted his head, he felt numbness and pain all at once and groaned. Despite the pain he pushed through and looked past the woman at the suit aiming at the both of them. Stars began swimming in his vision as he tried to focus on the figure that was now speaking, sounding as if the man was in another room he gave up focusing on the red blob. He weakly tried to move his right arm pinned by her leg but soon gave up that too. Peter decided it was best to trust whoever was now there and relaxed his head. Maybe he should not have done that. "Owww" His head now pulsing along with his heartbeat.
Tony shivered at the sight of the pale woman, a yellow dress hanging onto her frail body as a few dripping spikes (Tony estimated to be two feet long) were stuck into her back. He could only see Peter's legs out from underneath the woman. 'What the hell?! What did this bitch do!?' His gaze quickly left the kid's leg and back at the witch. Still, the Sorceress made no effort to get off him so Tony shot without hesitation. She never turned her head so Tony was mildly shocked at how smoothly she dodged the beam. He lifted his other arm about to shoot her with the other repulsor when he spotted War-Machine approaching the opposite way of him. He decided it was best to wait for his friend to land before he made any risky decisions with the Sorceress' grip onto the kid.
'Get UP Pete!' Tony's facial features deepened as he began to worry as to why Peter was not fighting or at least saying anything.
"Friday, vitals." Tony commanded.
"You are relatively-" Friday began.
"Not me, the Spider-ling!"
"He is suffering a grade 2 concussion, and a severe leg wound that needs immediate medical attention."
'Could be worse.' Tony knew it was bad but he remained calm.
Peter heard a muffle of words from Karen but pushed them aside studying the Sorceress. The blackness around the corners of his visions pulled away each beat, his awareness slowly coming back to him. He noticed that her attention was taken away from him and towards a? Mr. Stark! 'Better late than never.' Peter never felt such relief in his life.
"Get off of me!" Peter's words slightly slurred but loud. He threw his free arm at her in a fist.
The next few actions were quick as unpredictable. Before Iron-man can do anything but warm up his repulsor to fire again, she snatched his left wrist on the spot, the suit quickly dissolving, and soon his skin also at her decaying touch. She half stood up, her grip still firm. With the last of her strength she dragged his light body up and slammed him against the ground, this time at a different angle. His arm gave a sicking snap as her left arm reached behind her snatching a spike greedily from her back.
It happened all too fast, she dodged yet another repulsor beam and heard Iron-man quickly approaching. Peter saw the spike that was close to impaling his forearm but had no time to react. Peter screamed in agony as she slammed the spike into his immobile arm. The same second the spike sliced through his arm and into the concrete, Iron-Man slammed his whole suit weight into the Sorceress sending her flying off of Peter.
War-Machine slammed into the ground guns at ready, this time not hesitating to shoot. He aimed and immediately fired at the woman's legs, immobilizing her but not killing her. Captain-America made it clear to try their best to catch the woman alive to bring in, after telling Rhodey to go with Tony to help Spider-Man. Wanda needed the med bay immediately back at the facility. He believed he heard over the mics something about her having a chunk taken out of her back? He was unsure.
Peter looked towards the Sorceress that he lost against horribly, her stomach on the ground, blood began to pour from her legs mixing in with black liquid. War-Machine stomping towards her with cuffs that matched the color of his suit.
"Mr. Stark! You have to take this thing out!" Peter yelled on the verge of tears.
The suit's face unfolded away, revealing Tony's face with a small cut on his cheek. He quickly ran over to the teen quickly taking a knee beside him. Before Tony could do a full body scan of Peter he caught the spike in the boys forearm moving. It expanded fast, surprisingly faster than the one before. Peter threw his left arm away from his body as far he could. "Pete what is this? What did she DO?" His hands hovered over his body unable to think of what to do.
"Take it out! TAKE IT OUT!" Peter shrieked, tears blurring his vision.
Tony sighed, trying to stabilize himself and gripped on the base of the spike. He gave a tug at the thing, hesitant to pull at full force. The only thing that moved was Peter's body as he began panicking, his instincts taking over, his back arched trying his best to get away.
"No, okay just hold on, Kid." Tony held Peter in place with his left arm on Peter's other shoulder. His suit activated the mic with a wave of Tony's hand. "Cap, we need the Quinjet now." He took a few breaths trying to stay calm. Peter squeezed his eyes shut feeling the spike seep in every direction inside his arm. He couldn't hold back the quiet whimpers that escaped his throat. The kid threw his head side to side kicking his right leg, not knowing how to react to the excruciating pain.
Tony stepped back a few steps giving the kid some room. "STEVE!" He yelled into the comms. Tony's speaker system activated since his helmet was off.
"We just dropped Wanda off at the med bay, Tony her injuries are serious."
"Is sh-she gonna be alright?" Peter blurted out.
"Oh shush." Tony rolled his eyes at the kid's acknowledgment of his own injuries. It was obvious that the adrenaline was leaving the kid's body, and fast. "Come here as fast you can, or send something that will! Whatever is left of the med team that Wanda doesn't need has to be on there." Tony said staring at the kid.
"Vision is willing to go before we depart."
'Good.'
Suddenly a ring of golden sparks appeared not far from them. Iron-Man's helmet immediately shielded Tony as Rhodey dropped the unconscious woman ready to fire. Out of the ring stepped out a clean cut man with a crimson cloak.