If you're concerned that Wanda's taking this all very lightly, we're about to deal with that. Oh, and excuse the grammar.
Act 1, Chapter 3- Mastermind
Lance was right; Wanda still held out hope that what had been revealed to her was part of some elaborate prank. She went through possible scenarios in her mind... what if Pietro had told them to tell her that, but they didn't know it was a joke? But why would Pietro do that? Someone else must've told them. One of the X-Men?
But what about her dreams? Why did she dream about being taken away from her father? Why did she dream about small rooms with barred windows, about being restrained by uniformed men? And why did the events at Mount Arrowrose make absolutely no sense to her?
Wanda held her coat closed. The wind had picked up. At six in the evening, the sun had already set, and in Bayville, the nights were usually chilly. Wanda had walked almost aimlessly for the last hour, not knowing where to go, but wanting time to herself. She had made it as far as the docks, which were closed down for the day and devoid of any real people. She saw the last hint of the sun's pink glow disappearing over the water, and sat down at the dock to watch.
As far as Wanda had known, Magneto had always been a loving father to her. She still refused to accept that anyone might have tampered with her memories. Even if memories of Magneto's abuse had been removed, how could images of him as a caring person be implanted? As far as Wanda knew, that was impossible. The memories were too real. There was too much warmth in them to have been manufactured and just placed there. And yet... they felt empty.
"Nice view," said a familiar voice behind her.
"Go away," Wanda said in a tired voice. "I don't want to see you right now."
"I understand," Todd replied, "But I figured you might like someone to talk to. Even if it's me." Todd sat down next to her, and for a few moments, they looked out at the ocean in silence. "Wanda, I didn't mean to-"
"Toad, if you knew all this, why didn't you tell me before? I thought you were my friend."
"I am. I just... I was afraid," Todd confessed.
"Of my father?"
"Yeah... and, you. A little. I thought that if you knew I'd kept this from you for so long, that you'd... I dunno, snap. And I knew you were happier not knowing any of this."
"So why did you tell me?!" Wanda cried. "You should've let me think I was happy! How should I feel if I know that my father abandoned me, and that someone went into my head to keep me from remembering it?!"
"Wanda, maybe it ain't pretty... but it's th' truth. I know if that happened to me, I'd want to know. I just... I didn't mean to hurt you. You know I'd never do that."
"I don't know. I don't know anything anymore." There were tears in her eyes. "I don't even know if I can trust you. Or Pietro. Or the anyone. How do I know that you're not all in this together?"
"Maybe it don't seem that way sometimes, but I do care about you, Wanda. And I like to think that in your own way, you care about me too. Whatever happens, I'm here for you." No amount of lead time would have prepared Todd for the sudden hug Wanda gave him, resting her head on his shoulder. She needed a shoulder to cry on. Even if it was Toad. This was the second time in two days that Todd had seen her so vulnerable. He put his arm around her, careful to note that she was leaning on him as a friend and nothing else.
"There's something else you should know. I know where we can find th' guy who messed with your head." Wanda looked up at him. "I don't know how his thing works, but I think he can get your memories back."
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"Mmm-hmm," Pietro mumbled to himself, closing his eyes. Lance and Fred stood in the kitchen with him, after Pietro's search for Wanda had turned up empty. "Okay. I'm going to turn around. I'm going to talk to you guys again. And I'm hoping that I don't get the same shit-headed answer I did last time. Okay." Pietro turned back to face them. "So, gentlemen, where is Wanda?"
"She went out for a walk," Fred replied. "She wanted time to think."
"Good. Good. Okay. Did she say why?"
"This is retarded," Lance groaned. "You want us to lie to you? Fine! She went out because it's her time of the month! Are you happy?!"
"Of COURSE I'm not happy!" Pietro shouted. "How could you... you.. idiots let Toad explain everything to her?!"
"She didn't take it so bad, settle the fuck down." Lance took a beer from the fridge. "She wasn't so much mad as just a little depressed. Toad's probably already found her. Here. Have a drink."
"I don't want a drink!" Pietro slapped the bottle away, but Fred caught it, unfortunately smashing it with his grip. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this could be? What if Toad takes her to Mastermind? Did you morons think about that?!"
"Then that's your problem, not ours," Lance snapped. "You're the one who kept this under wraps. Fuck, Fred and I didn't even know about any of this until like a month after it happened. You don't tell us shit! Toad had to tell us about it! Some leader you are. We're done covering for your ass."
"Then I need to find him before he does something stupid." Pietro tried to dash for the door, but Lance had already positioned himself at the kitchen doorway and grabbed his arm. "Let go!"
"You're not the boss around here. If you really gave a shit about your sister, you would've told her a long time ago. So we all just did you a favor."
"Favor nothing! Maybe you're too brainless to understand, but-AAAGH!" Fred grabbed Pietro from behind and squeezed him with his arms until he passed out. Fred walked to the living room, tossed Pietro onto the couch, and dusted off his hands.
"About time he shuts up," Lance said. "Man. All this drama's making me tense. That was the last beer, so let's go get some more."
"You have your fake ID?" Fred asked.
"I don't feel like looking for it. Your fist is my new fake ID. C'mon."
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Allerdyce wandered into an alley behind a soup kitchen, having already exhausted himself running from the police following his escape from the Bayville jail. He ducked behind a dumpster to catch his breath.
"Well?" said a voice with a Scottish accent. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Aaah!" Allerdyce almost jumped a foot into the air when he saw his employer. A tall, handsome man with a blond mane of hair, wearing an elegant white dress shirt with a leather vest, matching his black leather pants. He had a confident smirk on his face. "I... how are you doing? I'm fine!"
"You must be very proud of yourself," the man said. "Escaping a local jail all on your own. No help at all from your friend Lucas."
"Lucas," Allerdyce said, for the first time learning his employer's name, "Thanks a bunch, mate! You're not mad at me?"
"Mad? For what? I hired you to take care of Toad. If the Scarlet Witch was there as well, I can imagine how he survived. Whatever it was that you did, it may work in my favor. So, I'll let you keep your money."
"So, is that it, then? You have any other jobs for me? Anyone else you'd like me not to kill?"
"No, we're not done yet. But let's clear something up." Allerdyce was telekinetically lifted into the air. "I'm keeping track of you, just in case. I know you spoke to Magneto. If you tell anyone else anything, I'm killing you. Are we clear?"
"...Crystal..." Pyro gasped.
"Good, now..." Lucas paused. "Toad has gone missing. Move on to the others."
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After an hour of walking, Todd had led Wanda to an old-fashioned theatre in a run-down neighborhood near downtown Bayville. The theatre had been long been closed, but in years past, it was one of the artistic and intellectual cornerstones of Bayville. It wasn't anywhere near as old as it looked; it had been built to mimic the look of an 18th century theatre, the kind that were no longer built by the time Bayville had been founded. The theatre had been more popular in earlier years, but even by the time a college-aged Hank McCoy had donned tights, the theatre was little more than a relic of an older time and older mentality. In the last few months, there were even claims that the old theatre was haunted.
"I didn't even know Bayville had a theatre," Wanda commented, following Todd down the dark aisle inside the theater. On their way in, they had managed to turn on the lights, though they were very dim. It struck Wanda as odd that a closed theatre would still have some electricity, but given the dimness of the lights and their tendency to flicker, she assumed it was being run on a portable generator.
"Neither did I. They should tear this place down and put like a mall or somethin'."
"Whatever, where is this guy?"
"Hang on. Lemme see if I can get this right." Todd jumped onto the large stage while Wanda waited in the aisle. Todd kept low to the stage and began to knock on it, letting his knocks resonate on the curve of the theatre. He knocked exactly six times, then paused, then knocked twice again. Suddenly, the dusty curtain vanished, revealing that there was, in fact, no curtain at all- it had been an illusion. Sitting in the bare backstage area, littered with abandoned props and equipment, was Mastermind, dressed in a ragged old coat, holding a styrofoam cup with some steam coming out of it.
"Toad. What do you want?" asked a grumpy Mastermind. Despite looking like a homeless man, he sounded educated. Almost academic.
"We ain't here for trouble." Todd said. "Look, we got a small favor to ask."
"I don't do favors," Mastermind sighed as if he was regularly asked to use his powers. "If you have need of my services, I'm available for a price."
"You'll help us," Wanda growled. Her hands were glowing with hex energy. Rather than risk her wrath, Mastermind yielded.
"So much like your father. Alright. What can I do for you?"
"You changed my memories before," Wanda explained. "Can you undo it?"
"Undo? I... I don't know what you're..." A wave of blue energy ran through his body, striking every nerve on his skin and jolting him with pain. "Yes! Yes, I did it! I didn't want to. Magneto bullied me into it."
"I don't care why you did it. Can you undo it?"
"I... I don't know. I've never reversed implanted illusions. My specialty is illusions, not memories."
"Can you at least try?" Todd asked.
"I can try... but I can't guarantee anything. Come with me." Mastermind led them to further into the backstage, with a sleeping cot and a few chairs. "Excuse the mess. Take a seat, please." Wanda looked at the nearest chair, dusted it off, and sat down.
"What do you want me to do?" Todd asked.
"Nothing. I don't need you for this. Just sit back, and don't touch anything," Mastermind barked. "Wanda, close your eyes." Wanda looked at the ugly old man and nervously did as told. "Any direct mind alteration can put a strain on a conscious mind. I'm going to put you into a trance."
"Okay," Wanda whispered, trying not to show her nervousness. Mastermind's eyes began to glow a pale blue and he waved his hands around Wanda's head, his fingers twitching and corresponding with each change in Wanda's mind. The process would be long and complex, but Mastermind had done this to Wanda once before.
In Wanda's head, the changes were far more drastic than she'd expected. A day at the amusement park became a traumatic first night at the asylum. A day in the park with her father became a tray of tasteless food being slid into her cell. A lesson at a public school became a tutor escorted into her cell with armed guards as security. Her father tending to her scraped knee was replaced by asylum employees wrestling her into a straitjacket.
Todd watched with great anxiety, fearful both for Wanda's safety, and once she snapped out of her trance, for his own.
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"Shit, did you bring any money?" Lance asked Fred as they walked through a parking lot to a convenience store. Fred shook his head and shrugged. "Dammit. We better go back, then."
"Why don't we just steal the booze?" Fred asked.
"Look, I'm all for fake IDs and all that, but stealing ain't something I do."
"Why, 'cuz Kitty doesn't approve?" Fred teased.
"Fuck you. She doesn't own me." Lance looked down rather casually at a ball of fire rolling around his ankles. "Oh. We've got company."
"Right you do, mate," Pyro said, walking out from behind the store and wearing his orange uniform, complete with his custom flame tank. "Nothing personal, but I'm here to shut you up for good. Who wants to go first, the fatty or the roughneck?"
"I ain't fat!" Lance yelled as he rushed towards Pyro. Both of his flame emitters went off and produced twin streams of flame, but Pyro suddenly lost his balance and fell onto his back, losing his mental hold on the fire. He tried to get up, but his tank weighed him down and slowed his reaction time. Lance was already on top of him, smashing his fist into Pyro's face. "You never learn! What's your problem, man?! You never learn!" Lance punctuated his next words with his fists. "You... never... fucking... LEARN!"
"I think you got him," Fred said. Pyro's goggles were cracked, his nose and mouth both bleeding, and his jaw bruised and probably dislocated. Lance's own knuckles were bleeding as well, though only slightly, to Lance's own surprise. Once Lance was off, Fred took Pyro and threw him onto his shoulder. Lance unfastened the tank from Pyro's back and threw it aside. He then ripped part of Pyro's sleeve and bandaged his knuckles, still amazed at how little damage he sustained. "So, what do we do with him? Take him to the police?"
"Yeah, the police around here are so competent. Let's just take him to Xavier's."
"Gonna have Kitty kiss your boo-boo?"
"Yeah. So shut up."
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"Listen, we've got a problem," Pietro said to his father outside of Xavier's mansion. Magneto walked with him, away from the ears of the other X-Men so that they could discuss the matter in private. "Toad told Wanda everything."
"Everything?" Magneto asked carefully.
"The asylum, the illusionist, everything. Worse, he's taken her to get her memories restored."
"...What?!" Magneto yelled. "And you let him?!"
"I had no choice! I wanted to stop him, but Avalanche and Blob-"
"ARGH!" Magneto threw his hand aside and pipes from the angel fountain cracked out of the concrete, spewing water in all directions. "Gather the others and find Toad. Stop him at all costs."
"They're not going to listen to-"
"This order comes from me." The motorized front gate opened and a familiar green jeep drove in. Lance drove with Fred riding shotgun and a tied-up, bruised Pyro in the backseat. "Good, they're here. Avalanche, Blob, go with Quicksilver and-"
"And what? We brought you a present." It was only then that Magneto noticed the bound Pyro in the backseat. "Moron tried to attack us. He's all yours."
"I'll take him inside, but there are more important matters. Go with Pietro and find Toad and Wanda. Keep them from finding Mastermind."
"Wait, wait, wait," Lance said, "Toad said you had told him to get her memories put back."
"What?!" Magneto bellowed. "Why would I order such a thing?"
"We figured since you were so nice to her now..." Fred began.
"I am trying to make amends, but not at the cost of her sanity, or my safety. Have you all forgotten how dangerous Wanda can be in her unaltered state? When she's done with me, she'll go after you. We've wasted enough time. Go. Now!"
"We're not going anywhere," Lance said. Pietro palmed his forehead in frustration. "I'll take Blob or Toad's word over yours any day. He says you told him to do this. Now why are we supposed to stop him?"
"We don't have time for this!" Magneto growled. "Pietro, go find them. You'll be much faster without them." Pietro nodded and sped away from the Institute. "I will not tolerate this disobedience."
"You're not our boss anymore," Lance protested, crossing his arms. Before Magneto could react, Professor Xavier rolled out to see them.
"What seems to be the problem?" Xavier asked.
"Here." Fred took Pyro and tossed him onto the ground at Xavier's feet. "Brought you something."
"We figured you'd be able to handle him better than the police," Lance explained. "That's it. We'll be on our way." Lance and Fred shuffled back into the jeep and drove away, leaving Magneto behind in silent anger.
"I think we have a few questions for Pyro," Xavier commented. Magneto remained silent. "Is something wrong, Magnus?"
"No, nothing," Magneto answered quickly. "Let's take him inside."
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"That should do it," Mastermind mumbled to himself as his eyes returned to normal. Wanda remained seated, her head hanging back, while Todd hopped over to her.
"So, she'll snap out of this trance soon?"
"Yes. She should be alright. It's actually very difficult to completely erase a memory. I had overwritten them, but I was interrupted before I could completely erase them last time. Empty the garbage can, so to speak."
"How do you know you didn't screw it up this time?" Todd asked.
"We won't know until she wakes up." Mastermind waved his hand across Wanda's face. She raised her head and slowly opened her eyes, straining as if she was staring into a bright light. "Wanda, can you hear me? Can you see me?"
"...Yes..." Wanda said groggily.
"It is finished. How do you feel?"
"...Tired." Wanda rubbed her forehead. "Should I be this tired?"
"It's normal. You still haven't fully emerged from your sleep. Try to stand up." Mastermind held out his hands and took Wanda's, helping her to her feet. She faltered at first, but regained her balance. "Good. The next few moments may be uncomfortable. Your unconscious mind will be communicating with your conscious mind until the... flow of information, for lack of a better phrase, is complete. In a few moments, you should be fine."
Wanda nodded. She remembered the day when Magneto had her committed. She remembered the abuse she faced at the asylum. She remembered Pietro's betrayal and the attack of the Sentinel. She remembered Magneto's trap at Mount Arrowrose. She grabbed her head, clutched it, trying to hold back her anger. Everything now made sense to her. She realized that her father had never cared for her. That he never would care for her. Her brother was just like him. And she realized and understood that what Mastermind had done to her was tantamount to rape.
Without hesitating, Wanda screamed and raised her arms at Mastermind, her fingers crooked and stiff, and powerful bolts of hex energy, powered by Wanda's own anger, shot out and blasted the old mutant, throwing him across the stage until he nearly slid off.
"How could you do this?!" Wanda screamed. Todd watched, both fascinated and terrified by Wanda's display of rage. The bolts ripped through Mastermind's body like blue lightning, singing his nerves and piercing his organs, the sparks arcing and morphing the floor, leaving it dented and warped, as if burned and water-damaged at once.
"No! Stop this! Please!" Mastermind pleaded. Todd continued watching, hiding behind the chair Wanda had sat in, the blue light flashing onto his face between the bars of the chair's back. Despite the onslaught, Mastermind struggled to get up, but the hex was too powerful. He fell on his back as the energy intensified.
"How does it feel?! How does it feel to know that there's nothing you can do to save yourself?!" Wanda screamed. "Are you scared, Mastermind?! HOW DOES THAT FEEL?!"
Wanda exhaled, and ended her assault. She wiggled her fingers lightly, as if working the stiffness out of them, and took a deep breath. On the stage, Mastermind lay in a warped crater of the stage floor, smoking and struggling to breathe. His heavy wheezing was the only indication that Wanda hadn't killed him- Mastermind was absolutely still, unblinking.
"Toad!" Wanda called. Todd wasn't very well hidden behind the chair, and cautiously walked out into view. "There you are. You've been a great help," she said in a stern, authoritative voice. Not the Wanda Todd had gotten used to, but a Wanda he remembered. She almost sounded like Magneto.
"He's still alive... maybe... we should get him to a hospital?" Todd suggested, then flinched, expecting her retaliation.
"He'll live. I wasn't about to kill him for being an accomplice, and that's why I'm not attacking you."
"So... we're still friends?" Todd asked nervously.
"No," Wanda said pointedly. Even if he had braced himself for it, the word hit Todd worse than any hex bolt could. In that moment, he almost preferred to have been in Mastermind's place. "I don't need your help anymore. I don't need anyone's help." The Scarlet Witch jumped off the stage and walked up the aisle with determination, every step like a precise stab at the ground. She stopped halfway up and turned back to Todd. "I never want to see you again Toad. I don't want you helping me, I don't want you stalking me, and I don't want you giving me your empty apologies. Understood?"
"Yeah," Todd sighed, and his heart sank. Wanda stormed off and disappeared into the theatre lobby. Todd walked over to the injured Mastermind and carefully picked his limp body up. Toad lifted Mastermind onto his own back, and hopped away to the fire exit. No sense letting him die.
Shit's hitting the fan now. Read on...