Chapter 19:
[Wanda Maximoff POV]
[1 day later, SHIELD HQ, New York City]
[Mission-room.] Spartan and I reported the case to Cap and the others, informing them of the situation and that we may be dealing with a rogue SUPER who had already killed two people. Not wanting anyone to take this sicko alone, Cap ordered the team to go out with a partner while on an op. Karai types away on the holo-computer, searching up info on the latest vic. "Got something," she calls out. An image of a man in his late-20s named Jericho Orton pops up on the screen. Like the previous victim, he, too, had a bogus identity. Jericho Orton was a fabricated alias of a man who did not exist. "Another ghost," Spartan comments, arms crisscrossed over his chest. "Maybe so, but this ghost left a trail," Karai says, pulling up another tab, "He was a frequent visitor to a place called Excalibur."
[Excalibur, New York City]
The two of us set foot in a club, drawing a few eyes. We make our way toward a bar. Excalibur is the type of place where people come for drinks or a night with a companion. Right on cue, the bartender appears ready to take our order. "Hey, stranger, what are you and the lady friend having?" Just then, a man tugs at her arm- hard. It's clear to both of us they have a history. They try to keep their voices low, but the intensity of the conversation makes it easy to overhear. "You have to listen to me, Angelica. If you stick around, you'll end up dead or worse. Come on, Angelica, think!" The bartender shoots the man a harsh glare, offended, "I think plenty, Jace. I'm getting a Ph.D. at NYU. And how am I paying for it? Bartending tips. There are faster ways for a Brooklyn girl like me to earn that kind of scratch, but I'm not taking that route. So what do you want from me?"
"I want what you want. A better life. A better world for everyone. Yevon can give you that," Jace states. Angelica rolls her eyes, "I heard all this before." "This isn't some type of trick for us to get back together. Things are different now. I'm different. Yevon can help both of us-" Jace tries his luck to reason with the woman to side with him on the matter. Angelica's face is hard, armored with low expectations, "Yeah, no. Yevon is for other people, Jace. Rich Bellevue types that can afford membership their fees and voluntary donations." "This it isn't about money. It's about binding the worlds together. Come with me and attend one of the meetings. Get to the core of who you are. There's a seminar on the omniverse-" Jace presses. "The answer is no, Jace. I like where I am. My family's here, and I trust them far more than any of your Yevon buddies. Now please leave," her tone leaves no question that the conversation is over. Jase takes his leaves.
Angelica turns back to us, "Sorry about that." "Yeah, the guy got the strength of the righteous, doesn't he," Spartan remarks. Angelica's eyes narrow, "Be careful whose private conversation you listen in on. Some people are not as friendly as I am." "It is not really a private conversation when you are shouting," I jab. "Fair point," Angelica states, letting the matter go, "You two are not here for the entertainment. What do you want?" Spartan gazes at me, "Your show." Then, with firm determination, I turn my focus toward the bartender, "Do you know a man named Orton? Jericho Orton?" She bobs, "Yeah, he's a regular customer. Keeps to himself. Never slack on the tips. A good dude. One of the few. Tidus's a friend of my boss. Ms. Bayek." "She the woman who runs this place? Can we talk to her?" I request. "Yeah, she's in the back," the woman points in the direction.
[Back-room.] Ms. Bayek eyes us from across the room, sizing us up as we approach. As we draw closer, I see she's biracial. African and Latina/Hispanic. Her demeanor states, 'This is my house mess with it at your peril.' Posted at her side is a large muscular man wrapped in a tailored suit. He steps protectively in front of Bayek, but she places a hand on his shoulder, "It's fine." He nods. Her eyes shift back to us, "Business?" The two of us bob our heads acknowledgedly. She folds her arms over her chest, "Angelica told me as much. So what is this business you have with me?" Bayek drags a hand over her black hair, cursing a storm under her breath after we informed her of Jericho's fate. Bayek's hands balled into tight fists, forcing herself to stay strong. Her eyes shine wet, but tears don't fall. "Damn it! Stupid! Stupid! Why did I not do more! I just pushed him out when he needed my help," Bayek berates herself in a whispering voice. Spartan and I fixed a stare at the woman, puzzled.
Bayek straightens, realizing we are still present. Her eyes taper suspiciously, "You're not police. No, that much is for sure. You do not carry yourself like those morons in blues. It doesn't matter, nor do I care. If you're looking for the murderer who killed my friend, I'll assist by providing any information." Spartan crosses-arms, "Base off your private rant. Jericho was in trouble." Bayek pours herself a drink, saying, "Yes, Jericho got himself involved with bad people. A cult." She consumes the alcohol with a shaking hand. Spartan interjects, "What's the name of this organization?" "Yevon," the woman tells us.
[Spartan POV]
[The Church of Yevon, New York City]
It takes nearly 30 minutes to get to the other side of Brooklyn on track of a lead, the only solid lead we had. Wanda and I stand in front of what appears to be a newly built building of worship. A fancy facade that sports neon highlights and an enormous set of double glass doors. I heard of Yevon only a handful of times. On the surface, they seemed like a typical New Age Religion. Much of the detail about Yevon's inner workings remain undisclosed to outsiders. As we approach the double glass door, a man wearing all-white garb strolls in our path. "Welcome, friends. Get to the core of who you are. A better life. A better world. Yevon can give you that," he says. Wanda and I size the man up, already getting an edgy vibe. Unfortunately, the man misinterprets our silence as an invitation to continue his pitch. "We are giving away the secrets of a more fulfilling, happy, and productive life," he tells us. I intertwine my arms on top of my chest, shedding the man a harsh skeptical gaze, "Okay, I'll bite; what's the secret to a more fulfilling, happy, and productive life?" "Following the path of Yevon," he voices, "The first step is only to listen. Right now, we are hosting a seminar. Please join in and find unity through Yevon." With a smile, he walks away. "Definitely drank the Kool-Aid," I remark once the man is out of earshot. Wanda nods agreeingly.
[Lobby.] In contrast to the noise and energy outside, the lobby of Yevon is sedate, tranquil, and servile. The low music pipes through the room are from a day spa mixed with a planetarium sky show, allowing listeners to achieve maximum relaxation while reaching for the stars. Yevon members mill about with blissful and shining eyes. The sweeping walls, the muted colors, and soothing music are all designed to relax a person as they come in. Yet, my instinct tells me to keep my guard up. We move to explore the facility.
[Inner-sanctum.] Down the hall is a large metal door guarded by two armed men. "Since when does a house of worship employ armed security?" I question in a whisper. Under stealth-camo, I sprinted toward the two guards and quickly knocked them out. Once the two goons are dealt with, I hack the control panel. The opens to a freight elevator. I draw my pistol and make my way in, with Wanda following behind me. The elevator descends past the basement. A very different environment emerges from the one we left. The soothing atmosphere of Yevon's public face is gone, replaced by something more sinister within its shadows.
[Wanda Maximoff POV]
[Lower-level.] Trekking forward, eyes alert, Spartan sweeps the surrounding for threats, pistol set. Clear so far. We emerge within an open space sector of the cellar. Hearing footsteps drawing in close, Spartan pushes me up against the wall. Unlike Spartan's suit, mine does not have stealth-camo capabilities. My cheeks redden from the sudden touch of his body pressed on me. Yevon acolytes walk right past us; each wears robes and masks. Sticking to the shadows, we follow after them into another area. Enter what looks to be a temple. I note strangely designed markings on the walls. A man donning a black-&-red intricate rube walks into a pavilion flanked by the Yevon acolytes. He addresses the crowd and speaks in an unfamiliar language. Even the HUD's translator can't make heads or tails of it. A dreadful chill runs down my spine.
Suddenly, the pavilion's markings glow a dark violet, and a portal opens. A hellish monster erupts out of the gateway. It possesses muscular anatomy with an exoskeleton frame. "Rather as well show yourself, Witch. I sensed your presence the moment you stepped inside the building," the man voices out loud. The two of us emerge out in the open. Spartan has his pistol aimed, and I have my powers charged up through my hands. The man barks a laugh, "By coming here, you saved me the trouble of hunting you down, Wanda." My brows spring up in surprise; despite being a member of the AVENGERS, I'm not known within the public eyes. Never even made an official debut outside of the HYDRA's attempted interruption incident.
"You say my name like you know me, but I don't know you," I fire back. "The name is DeGuzman. And I know much about you, Witch. The Darkhold whispered it to me. It knows your past, present, and future. The raw power that flows through you will make a fine addition among the ranks," DeGuzman says. He faces the monster standing at his side, "Dead or alive, bring the girl to me." The creature goes on the attack. Despite the pitch of slight unease, Spartan and I stand our ground.
[Spartan POV]
As the monster storms toward Wanda and me, I open fire on the monster, but the discharges have no effect due to the armored layer shell. It plunges onto me, clawing and biting with primal ferocity. I hold it at bay with my foot, jam the pistol to its chest and squeeze the trigger. Gunshots rip through the soft flesh of the torso. Eyes blazing hot rage, the monster raises a fist and swings a sharp punch. Acting fast, Wanda conjures an energy barrier, but the blow still sends her flying across the cavern, slamming her on the rocky stone wall. She drops to the ground out cold. The eldritch stalks to her, intent on finishing her off. Dashing into the fray, I leap onto its back, draw my knife, and stab into the gap of its armored shell. Black blood spits out. The creature howls in pain. Thrashing about, it rams toward the wall, catching me in between. It does it multiple times until my grip loosens. Reaching over, it grapples me and flings me away. I recover just in time to jump-roll out the way of a large boulder hurling right toward me. Two more flies in my direction. I zig-zag side to side, dodging the onslaught. The last boulder manages to tag me. I hit the ground hard. Ears are ringing.
Mounting on top of me, the Eldritch rains down fist after fist onto my face and body. Blood expectorate from my mouth and other parts of my body I didn't know I could bleed from. "You put up a better fight than I expected, mortal. But the end result never changes," it says. Finally, the monster stops its assault. Blocking out the pain, I compel myself to stand, "Let's try that again." It glares a nasty scowl at me with genuine surprise. The eldritch teleports, tagging me with a cheap blow to my back, knocking me to the ground.
Rolling to the side, I pepper a full mag into its frame. It barely flinches. 'Well, shit!' I power up the shock-knuckles. Sprinting forward, hit the eldritch in the face, forcing it to stagger back a bit. Its arm forms a solid mass and swings it at me like a fucking wrecking ball. The blow sends me flying to a nearby wall. "Ow," I groan. He swings the chain ball again. I dodge the attack. From my pack, I grab a few charges and pitch them at the eldritch. They attach to the Eldritch's body, blasting him back a few steps, but t didn't do much of anything due to its armored shell. I charge him, hitting him with a jump-knee. The eldritch just takes the blow, and I fall on my ass. Grabbing me by the leg, the eldritch swings me around, throwing me to a pack of crates.
I force myself to stand. The eldritch rushes forward; I drop under its attacking fist and jam a thumb to the only weak point of its body. The eyes. The thing shrieks out in pain. Quickly, I grasp the eldritch's head and electrify him with the full power of the shock-knuckles. The eldritch powers through the pain and takes hold of me in a tight bear hug, squeezing the life out of me. Freeing my arms, I start to punch it repeatedly. Finally, I manage to break free from its hold and slam his face down to my knee. Enraged, the eldritch grabs me by the throat, lifts me over his head, and throws me through a solid stone wall. I try to stay conscious, but it's a losing battle. My enhanced regeneration is at its limit. It struggles to heal the minor injuries. Then, just as my vision starts to fade, I spot Wanda rising to a stand. Her body is completely enveloped in an aura of starlet energy; sparks of electricity crackle through the air; her eyes blazed red.
The monstrous abomination switches his attention to her. Wanda takes a single step forward. To my absolute shock, the eldritch backs away. Wanda raises her hand toward the eldritch monster, "Vanish!" With an unearthly scream of agonizing pain, it's hit with a wave of power. Heavily wounded and damaged, the eldritch monster fires a blast at Wanda. Wanda leaps to the side and streaks in close, bashing a psionic charged fist to the monster's face. Blocking the blow, the eldritch counters the punch with an arm-throw. Wanda is sent flying, but she lands on her feet, unharmed. She generates an energy blast and fires it at the monster, obliterating it. DeGuzman's temple is damp with sweat. Realizing this is a losing battle, the man makes an escape via a portal. Exhausted, Wanda drops to her knees, and the flaring blaze in her eyes starts to dispel. The girl blinks, perplexed as if she's waking up from a dream. Everything goes blank.
[Karai POV]
[AVENGERS HQ, New York City]
[Room.] I sit in front of my workstation, running a quick system diagnostic to ensure EYPYON runs smoothly with the new upgrades. Everything's all green. After a moment, I realized Spartan and Wanda hadn't checked in yet. Multiple red flags go off in my head. I know Spartan better than anyone; the guy's insanely punctual. 'Something's up.' Turning around, I interface with the holo-computer, pinpointing Spartan and Wanda's current location. The two icon markers abruptly vanish somewhere within Brooklyn. Acting fast, patch into Spartan's visor HUD feed. On the main Monitor, I watch as Spartan and Wanda enter a building of worship. The overhead sign reads 'the house of Yevon.' The feed cuts off when they enter the building. Something is jamming the signal. Acting fast, I push away from the workstation and dash out the door, calling the team via comlink, alerting them Spartan and Wanda are in trouble.
[Steve Rogers POV]
[The Church Yevon, New York City]
Following Spartan's and Wanda's GPS signals, Natasha pilots the quinjet to the location. Once on-site, Karai wasted no time and burst into the Yevon building. A few security staffs try to deter her, but she pushes past them with minimal physical force. The girl is deadset on finding her best friend and partner. A small part of me is a little envious of her. In some way, she is a reminder of my failure. I failed to save Bucky, He may still be alive, but I still failed to save him from the pain inflicted by HYDRA. The damage was done. Even if I find Bucky and help him, he'll never be the same. Maybe close, but never 100%. But Busy isn't the existent concern right now. Wanda and Spartan are. It didn't take long to find the back elevator. After Karai brute force hacks the command terminal, the lift decreases to the lower level.
[Lower-level.] With me on point, the team and I follow the path. "Spartan! Wanda!" I call out. In the distance, we hear the echoes of someone answering the call, "Up ahead on your north!" We dash to the source of the voice. The whole team stops dead in our tracks when our eyes gaze on Spartan's and Wanda's wreck state. "Oh, god," Karai says in a weak voice. She slides over next to two. I quickly call in EMS. The paramedic team secures Spartan on the stretcher and readies him for immediate extraction.
[AVENGERS HQ, New York City]
[Med-bay.] The room is completely silent. No one said a word. Karai sets her eyes on the ground, rubbing her hands nervously, shoulders slumped. I can relate to what she's going through. Hell, everyone in the room can. My gaze shifts toward Wanda. She has her head buried in her hands. It didn't help her powers pick up on individuals' thoughts and emotions, dragging her deeper into the mud. Clint places a comforting hand on her shoulder. It helps slightly. Tony pulls me to the side and shows me a tablet. "What am I looking at?" I query, scanning the tablet. "I don't know. That's the problem. I've never seen this type of energy," Tony whispers conspiratorially, "In fact, Wanda is emitting small traces of it."
"Leave it alone for now. We'll get answers soon enough," I say to the man with a sigh. After what feels like forever, Dr. Cho pushes past the double door. Karai is the first on her feet, "What's the status?" The doctor beams a reassuring smile, "Stable. Spartan's enhanced regeneration was overloaded, causing a negation for a short period. He'll make a full recovery." Everyone breathes a sigh of relief at the news. "Can we see him?" Wanda asks, rising from her seat. Cho nods, "Yes, you may."
[Mission-room.] Once Spartan's fully recuperated, both he and Wanda fill in the blanks on what transpired on the op. The account is wild, to say the least. Everyone is rivet attention to their every word, myself included. Cult, magic, portals, demons. It's crazy, but no one argued or debated. Finally, Spartan pulls up footage captured via HUD. The whole team switches their attentiveness to Wanda after watching the feed where she takes down the eldritch monster, displaying insane power. The girl's face expresses perplexion, truly unaware of her actions. And the feed supported the claim. It's as if she was a completely different person. Clint, Karai, Spartan, and I share a silent glance. We were all thinking the same thing, noting the times we witnessed Wanda divulging her wild level of power. DeGuzman called her a witch.