"The Queen of Sokovia," she said, "is Wanda Maximoff."
The name struck like thunder. Everyone froze, the tension sharp enough to cut through armor. Even Shalltear's eyes flickered in recognition.
"Oh, she is good." I murmur
And then the air shifted.
A crimson mist began to seep into the hall—not thick, not violent, but soft, like silk sliding across one's skin. The torches dimmed. Conversations ceased. From the far end of the corridor, a figure stepped into view.
She walked barefoot across the golden floor, the long red fabric of her gown flowing behind her like liquid blood. Her hair glowed faintly with embers, and her eyes shimmered—a swirling mix of sorrow and power.
Wanda Maximoff.
Kamala, Kate, and Shang-Chi immediately stepped back, weapons drawn. Blade Knight's armor shifted into a defensive stance, and even Zemo raised his pistol, though he knew it was pointless.
"Everyone, stand down," Valkyrie said sharply, stepping in front of Wanda. "She is our honored guest. Our savior."
"Savior?" Kate's voice cracked with disbelief. "She's the reason half the world looks like a nightmare!"
Wanda's eyes moved toward her, calm and eerily understanding. "You've seen the world as it is, child. Do you really believe I am the one who broke it?"
"Don't play innocent," Zemo said coldly, leveling his gun. "You unleashed the infection across the world when you tried to bring back your children."
Wanda looked at him, unbothered, her tone almost mournful. "You think too small, Baron. I didn't unleash it… I merely survived it."
Kamala stepped forward, her fists glowing faintly with Noor energy. "Survived it? You mean you became one of them."
Wanda's lips curled faintly. "Once, yes. I was consumed. I felt the hunger, the madness. But unlike the others, I still had power—chaos magic—and with it, I… rewrote my mind. My body remained cursed, but my soul endured."
The group hesitated. Even I studied her closely—her presence radiated death and life simultaneously. Her aura wasn't corrupted like the zombies outside; it was controlled, tempered.
She turned to Kamala then, her eyes glowing faintly crimson. "You've been dreaming of me, haven't you?"
Kamala froze. "…What?"
"The visions. The red mist. The voices calling your name." Wanda stepped closer, her feet not even touching the ground now. "You see, the universe chose you too, Ms. Khan. You and I… we share a bond with the energy that binds creation itself."
Kamala shook her head, trying to deny it. "No… those were just dreams. Nightmares."
"They were messages," Wanda said gently. "You and I can save this world. But I can't do it alone. There is a force—a vast well of energy—being hoarded by someone who doesn't deserve it. Someone who keeps it hidden from the dying multiverse."
She turned to look at me. "You know who I speak of."
I didn't answer.
Wanda smiled faintly, then looked back to Kamala. "With your power and my will, we can restore everything. Bring life where there is only decay. All I need… is your help."
Kamala's fists lowered slightly, confusion and hope battling inside her. "You want… to fix the world?"
"Yes." Wanda extended her hand, her crimson aura pulsing softly. "But to heal it, we need an army strong enough to challenge the forces guarding that power. I can make them follow us. Serve us. But first…"
Her eyes flicked toward the Asgardians.
"…they must be freed."
Before anyone could move, the feast tables began to tremble. The food—the meat, the bread, the fruit—began to squirm. Flesh twisted and pulsed as black veins spread through the hall.
Kamala screamed as one of the Asgardians at the table began to convulse. His skin grayed, eyes turning milky white as a guttural snarl escaped his throat. Another followed, then another—the entire feast erupting into chaos.
"What the hell—!" Kate shouted, firing arrows as the undead Asgardians lunged.
"The spoils," I muttered, watching the transformation spread like wildfire. "The tribute she brought you…" My eyes narrowed. "It wasn't food. It was zombie flesh."
Valkyrie's face paled as realization struck. "No—no, that's not—"
My voice cut through hers. "My instincts are never wrong."
Valkyrie turned, her sword gleaming as she charged at Wanda with a roar. "You deceived us!"
Wanda's gaze dropped in sorrow. "I'm sorry, Valkyrie. I truly am."
Her hand rose slowly, fingers curling. A surge of crimson magic engulfed the warrior, freezing her mid-swing. The blade shattered like glass in her grip as the energy lifted her off the ground and hurled her across the hall, crashing into a pillar.
Shalltear hissed beside me, her fangs bared, eyes glowing. "That witch will pay—"
"Wait." I raised my hand. "Let her speak."
Wanda's eyes flickered with regret as she lowered her arm. "I had no choice. The infection spreads faster than even I can control. I feed it… to contain it."
"By turning them into monsters?" Kate spat.
Wanda's voice softened. "By giving them purpose. They are dead, yes—but in my magic, they serve. They remember loyalty. Discipline. They fight to protect what remains."
"Bullshit!" Kamala shouted, her aura flaring. "You're no savior! You're just playing god again!"
Wanda turned toward her, sadness etched on her face. "You don't understand yet, Kamala. The power you hold—the light inside you—it's the missing piece. The only power that can rewrite the virus' code. With it, I can resurrect the world. But for that…"
Her expression darkened, voice dropping to a whisper. "…I need you."
Kamala's eyes widened. "What?"
Wanda raised her hand, crimson runes glowing in the air as the zombified Asgardians closed in. "I don't need the Intergalactic Transmitter. I don't need your weapons or your ships. I only need you."
And with that, chaos erupted.
Shang-Chi and Blade Knight charged forward as the undead swarmed. Zemo fired round after round into the horde. Kate launched explosive arrows that lit the hall in flashes of fire and blood.
Shalltear lunged, her lance slicing through the infected with terrifying precision, her voice dripping venom. "How dare a broken witch touch my Lord's world!" Well, she is angry for no reason.
Wanda hovered above them all, her eyes burning with grief and fury. Her chaos magic rippled across the walls, warping reality—the ceiling twisted into a vortex of red light as debris floated weightlessly.
I stepped forward, cracking my neck, locking eyes with her.
"Wanda Maximoff," I said quietly. "You say you want to save the world… But what you've done here isn't salvation. It's control."
Her gaze softened for a fraction of a second. "And what would you know of control, traveler?"
I smiled faintly. "Enough to know it always comes at a price."
The floor cracked beneath my feet as I powered up, my barrier flaring with white light to counter her crimson energy.
"Then come," Wanda whispered, her voice echoing through the trembling hall. "Let us see whose will shapes this dying world. I saw your power through my subordinate you slayed."
~~~