Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
"Goddammit," Solomon cursed under his breath, grabbing his phone from the table.
"Can't I even have one peaceful TV night?!"
"Master! I think I—" Wanda's voice was frantic. Solomon didn't even have time to get annoyed before instinctively shifting into a calming tone to keep her from spiraling. He heard her take a deep breath, and then in one breathless rush she blurted out the sentence.
"I think I killed the Ghost Rider!"
It sounded like she was trying to suck in all the air in the world just to scream it back out. "I'm at the hospital right now—this is real!"
Constantine pointed to his earpiece and gave a nod, confirming the intel. Before Solomon even responded, the Royal Guard had already delivered Robbie Reyes' hospital admission data.
Bayonetta and Jeanne leaned over curiously to take a look. They both knew what the Ghost Rider was—so when Wanda said she might have "killed" one, their curiosity was thoroughly piqued. They were dying to know how she managed to take out a flaming skeleton who literally couldn't die.
"Oh, he's hurt bad!" Bayonetta remarked. "And somehow still not dead. Not yet, anyway."
"Slow down, okay? Wanda, are you listening to me?"
Wanda leaned back against the hard plastic bench at the hospital, grimacing at the discomfort. She let out a long sigh.
"I'm listening, I'm listening. Okay, I'll start from the beginning…"
—
"You're Robbie Reyes?" Wanda walked straight into the garage bathed in the orange-red glow of the evening. She'd intentionally chosen this time to approach her mission target—according to the report, sunlight weakened the Ghost Rider, so she figured he might feel safer now. The intel team had her monitor this new Ghost Rider for some time, and only after getting a good read on his routine and family life did she feel confident enough to approach.
The garage smelled strongly of motor oil and metal shavings, with several newly-repaired cars parked inside.
Wanda didn't know much about cars—Sokovia had no car culture—she couldn't even tell what most of the logos meant.
"You know me, miss?" Robbie Reyes said with a grin. "Shop's closed, though. If you need work done, bring it back tomorrow." He said this while flipping off the overhead lights, pulling down the steel shutter in front of her, and locking it. Only then did he turn back to face her, still spinning his car keys on one finger, the jingle of metal echoing.
"If your car's nearby, I can take a quick look, but I can't stay long—I've got to get back and take care of my family."
"No, I'm not here for a car," Wanda shook her head. Her deep red hair shimmered in the fading light. "Have you ever considered not using your powers in public? Unless you're not the Ghost Rider, in which case you definitely know what I'm talking about."
"Who are you?" The smile vanished from Robbie's face. He scanned her top to bottom.
"Do I know you?"
"You're not the first Ghost Rider," Wanda said, stepping forward but carefully maintaining distance. "Someone gave you that power. You're new to this—you don't fully understand what the Ghost Rider is. My teacher met the first one. I know the kind of voices you hear—the spirit inside you constantly pushes you to burn the guilty. You can't control it, can you? I'm here to help you, Robbie Reyes. I've seen the graffiti—Ghost Rider symbols all over the streets. You're too conspicuous. That breaks the rules. Oh—right, I'm Wanda. Wanda Maximoff. I'm a sorceress."
She offered a nervous smile, doing her best to leave a good impression.
"A sorceress…? Well, I don't need help, Ms. Maximoff," Robbie said, trying to brush past her. His 1969 Dodge Charger was parked just outside, and Wanda happened to be blocking his path. Still, he restrained himself and walked around her.
"I hear the voice in my head, sure, but I can control myself."
"That's only because it's still new to you," Wanda said, following him but keeping her distance. "As time passes, the Spirit of Vengeance will start to take over. You'll stop being you. Tell me—do you remember everything that happens when you transform? Do you want to lose control and hurt your brother?"
Robbie had just reached his car and opened the door when he froze, stiff as a board.
"You investigated me?"
"Outside of what's in your head, you're a normal person—and so is your brother. It wasn't hard for the Eternal City to uncover your family."
"You're saying I'll hurt Gabe?"
"Eventually, yes, Robbie Reyes," Wanda said, stepping up and grabbing the car door frame. Her confidence in the briefing's guidance was now absolute. Gabe Reyes—Robbie's only real weakness, and the reason he fought LA's gangs in the first place. "The one who gave you this power was tormented by it too. He had to leave the people he loved, live a life on the run. Even my teacher could only clear his mind temporarily—those spells don't last forever. You still have time. We've studied the Ghost Rider. I can help you control the Spirit of Vengeance!"
"…Alright. I believe you're not lying," Robbie said, locking eyes with her. "Tell me everything. You know, you're not the first person to come looking for me."
Solomon gestured to Constantine, who activated a fuzzy facial-recognition search.
"Who? Describe them, Wanda."
"A woman. Mixed heritage, brown-black hair, looked exhausted—like she hadn't slept in days," Robbie said, spinning his keys again. "But that's not important. What is it you want to tell me?"
"Fine. Before we talk about the Ghost Rider, you need to understand the Spirit of Vengeance. It's not just a flaming skull. It's not just a voice in your head. It's your soul…"
—
"Sounds like your talk went well," Solomon said, glancing at Bayonetta and Jeanne. The Sorcerer Supreme had long suspected a link between the Spirit of Vengeance and stigmata, but there wasn't enough data to confirm it yet. "So what went wrong? Was it Daisy Johnson or Coulson and the S.H.I.E.L.D. crew?"
"No," Wanda said, clearly disheartened. "It was entirely my fault."
"What?"
"You're telling me there's an ancient angel living inside me that thirsts for slaughter?"
"Yes, Mr. Reyes," Wanda nodded. "Johnny Blaze could share his power with you because the spirit inside him awakened another Spirit of Vengeance. That's never happened before. Johnny doesn't even know why the spirit chose you. I need your cooperation—we want to understand why…"
"If you really know me, then you know I don't have time. I can't leave L.A. for your Eternal City or your teacher. My family is here. Gabe needs me." Robbie opened his car door and got in. He looked up at Wanda with a serious expression. "Thanks for telling me all this. But I can't go. I've still got unfinished business. I have time, don't I? You've got my number. If anything comes up, call me."
"Yes, but you'll be seen. You'll be—" Wanda frowned as she saw her target about to drive away. Panicking, she bent down and grabbed Robbie's arm.
She hadn't even finished her sentence before the last rays of sunset vanished. Darkness cloaked the garage.
And then—heat.
A scorching light exploded into existence, fire and pressure roaring outward from the car door in waves.
Wanda immediately released him and jumped back.
She saw Robbie Reyes' face burn away, flesh turning to ash under the searing heat. From beneath, a white skull surfaced—wreathed in blazing orange flames.
"Chaos…" the skeleton growled.
"DEATH."
______
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