The Maximoff siblings possessed remarkable potential—especially Wanda. Her Chaos Magic ranked among the most powerful forces in the Marvel Universe.
Malrick had been considering bringing her into Kamar-Taj for some time now.
They were still one person short for the planned confrontation with Asgard in three months. Scarlet Witch's presence would fill that gap perfectly.
However, since their tense first encounter at Columbia University, Malrick hadn't reached out to them. He'd mostly kept to his apartment and hadn't seen the siblings since.
As he closed the Mystic Portal, he was mildly surprised to discover their apartment was only a few blocks away from his own.
Inside, the two were seated in the living room, completely immersed in their studies.
Pietro was grumbling, complaining about how he'd intended to take a major focused on athletic training, but somehow ended up in Sports Management instead—and now had to deal with piles of theory textbooks.
Meanwhile, Wanda was quietly reading a book on economic theory, methodically taking notes.
Their calm and studious behavior was a far cry from what Malrick had imagined. It was clear Tony Stark had been a positive influence on them.
They didn't notice Malrick's presence until he stepped closer.
"Ma–Malrick!" Wanda gasped, nearly sliding backward into the couch cushions. Pietro's eyes widened with alarm.
The fear on their faces showed just how deeply their previous encounter with Malrick had scarred them.
Appearing in their apartment unannounced, in the dead of night, certainly didn't help.
It wasn't until Malrick calmly explained his intentions that their posture relaxed slightly.
"You want to help us awaken our powers and then have us help protect something called a Sorcerer Sanctum?" Pietro asked, confused. "What even is a Sanctum…?"
Though they didn't understand the terminology—Sorcerers, Sanctums, Demon Gods—the siblings exchanged a glance. After a moment of hesitation, they followed Malrick through the portal.
In an instant, their world changed.
Night turned into day.
The steel-and-concrete skyline vanished, replaced by temple structures crafted from stone, glazed tiles, and ancient architecture.
On the paved walkways between temple halls, robed individuals trained in formation. Some carried exotic weapons; others pushed what looked like century-old artillery.
Among them were people of all races—and even Minotaurs. With simple gestures, they conjured glowing orange whips of energy and opened portals that pierced through space itself.
They looked like characters straight out of a mythological epic.
And when they saw Malrick, they all stopped, bowed respectfully, and addressed him as Sorcerer Supreme.
Wanda and Pietro stood frozen, struggling to comprehend what they were witnessing.
Only when Malrick snapped his fingers and said, "Let's go," did they follow, still dazed, into a large hall.
Inside, they found four people. The only familiar face was Tony Stark.
Listening to the discussion, the siblings slowly pieced together the situation: this place protected Earth, and a monstrous entity—some kind of Dimensional Demon God—was preparing to invade.
And Malrick planned to face it alone.
Shock washed over them.
This assertive, slightly intimidating man wasn't just powerful—he was Earth's guardian, shouldering a cosmic responsibility.
Watching the group plan Earth's defense, and the sorcerers outside readying themselves for war, a heavy silence fell over the siblings.
Their past desire for revenge suddenly felt childish. Shame crept up their spines.
Their view of Malrick shifted—no longer as an enemy, but something far more complicated.
In the inner sanctum, the final phase of the plan came together.
Malrick confirmed the timeline. "Everyone, head to your Sanctums and begin mobilizing. We regroup at the library in two hours."
Everyone nodded.
Wong and Mordo opened portals and disappeared.
Tony tapped the Arc Reactor in his chest. Tendrils of mycelium burst outward, and the Ten Rings on his arm lit up, forming a massive suit of armor.
He pointed his wand at himself and shouted, "Velavito!"
The armor shrank, compressing until it wrapped perfectly around his body.
"Mark 10," he said proudly, "a condensed Fungus God Armor powered by a Deformation Charm. Ten times power amplification. Not bad, right?"
Malrick shot him a look and smirked. "Your charm work's still crude. Needs practice."
"Crude? This took six months of work! It only changes appearance, not power. You kids have no appreciation," Tony grumbled as he flew off toward the library, where he could access the portal to the New York Sanctum.
Banner jogged after him. "I'll meet you there!"
Once they were gone, Malrick turned back to the Maximoff siblings.
"Alright, let's awaken your powers," he said, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.
In the blink of an eye, the three of them vanished from the temple grounds and appeared inside Malrick's inner world.
Wanda's eyes widened as she took in the sight.
Before them stretched an infinite expanse of land, and in the far distance, blue mist veiled towering mountain peaks.
The mountains pierced the sky—tens of thousands of meters tall, disappearing into clouds so high they were practically in orbit.
"Wanda… look over there!" Pietro pointed.
What they saw stunned them.
A colossal pair of bare feet stood in the ocean, each toenail larger than a building. The legs vanished into the mist above, suggesting the presence of a giant of impossible scale.
Malrick spoke calmly. "This is my Small World. A contained space filled with amplified energy."
"The air here is infused with a unique form of energy. It will help unlock your abilities."
"Start focusing—can you feel anything stirring inside?"
His plan was simple: use energy derived from the Space Stone to catalyze their awakenings.
In the original timeline, it had been the Mind Stone that unlocked their powers. But Wanda's Chaos Magic was always there, latent and waiting.
When she was ten, the unexploded Stark bomb was no coincidence. Her innate ability had bent probability to protect her.
Now, all she needed was a push.
As for Pietro, his power—enhanced speed and reaction—aligned perfectly with spatial manipulation.
"Awakening…? Is this like a demonic possession?" Pietro muttered nervously, remembering Dormammu.
"Relax. It's not possession," Malrick replied dryly.
He guided a strand of shimmering blue energy toward Pietro.
"Do you feel anything now?"
"No… wait. My heart. It's—"
Pietro clutched his chest and collapsed.
The energy surged through his system, triggering a chain reaction.
His heart pounded like a jackhammer. Blood flooded his veins, muscles tightened, his skin flushed red-hot, and his cells began transforming at a cellular level.
"Pietro!" Wanda panicked, reaching for her brother.
But Malrick moved faster, appearing at Pietro's side and exhaling a controlled blast of frost breath.
A wave of cold surrounded Pietro, lowering his body temperature and preventing overheating.
"He'll be fine. His body is adapting," Malrick explained. "He'll complete the transformation in about ten hours."
Fortunately, time within this Small World moved thousands of times faster than outside. Ten hours here would be less than a minute on Earth.
Pietro continued to writhe, so Malrick calmly knocked him out with a tap to the temple.
"Now," he said, turning to Wanda, "your turn."
"M-me?" Wanda stammered, suddenly flustered.
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