After Wanda's appearance changed, Cassandra's normally calm expression finally shifted, though only slightly. She carried herself with elegance and casual poise, but beneath that exterior was a core of absolute confidence in her strength—confidence born from growing up in the Void Land with unmatched natural talent.
"You seem very concerned about it," Cassandra said, raising the time tablet with a casual flick. "Or rather, you're concerned about that Malrick."
Her voice carried a mocking edge. "Let me think, yes, there was a Malrick in the memory of that TVA executive just now. So, he's Superman, is he? Good-looking, with a body much more impressive than Wolverine's, whom I just collected. Quite valuable… for my collection."
"Sorry, Witch," Cassandra continued with a smirk, tapping the tablet in her hand. "Your little boyfriend looks impressive. That means he's mine now."
Her words clashed against Wanda's silence, scarlet eyes burning like fire as the sky above rolled with crimson energy. Even the wind seemed tainted with red, pressing against everyone present.
The mutants at the base froze, their hearts pounding. They knew this newcomer was no ordinary being—this was a powerhouse who could twist reality itself. And now, she was angry.
Cassandra showed no fear. She believed she could stand against such a force. The others, however, knew better. Had they believed escape was even remotely possible, they would have scattered already.
"What? Malrick and Wanda—when did those two start dating? That kid never told me…"
Tony Stark's voice cut through the tension, though his timing couldn't have been worse.
The moment he turned to Wanda, he saw her wrapped in a haze of Chaos Magic, her eyes glowing red-hot. He immediately swallowed the rest of his words.
"Right, never told me. Forget I said anything," Tony muttered. "I suddenly feel like I shouldn't interrupt when ladies are talking."
He quietly engaged his thrusters, drifting away from Wanda.
"God, these young women have fiery tempers," he whispered to Jarvis. "I wanted to show off the new armor to that bald psychic down there, but I guess not today."
"A pity, sir," Jarvis replied, before highlighting a struggling figure below. "But I have located Captain America among the crowd."
Tony's HUD lit up with the image of a bound Steve Rogers.
"Cap? Another one? That's the third I've seen." Tony raised an eyebrow. "Wait… I've got an idea. Cap's tied up, which means those guys holding him are the bad ones. So if I go blasting them, I'm technically in the clear, right?"
"No problem, sir."
"Then let's go, Jarvis. Time to rescue Captain!"
With a grin, Tony redirected his thrusters and launched himself into battle, repulsors blazing as he dove into the crowd of mutants below.
High above, Wanda raised her hands. Scarlet energy swirled between her fingers, her face unreadable as she stared Cassandra down.
"You don't have to tell me anything," Wanda said coldly. "I'll see it myself."
Chaos Magic surged outward, sweeping across Cassandra's mental defenses like wildfire.
The smugness drained from Cassandra's face in an instant. Her vast psychic field—powerful enough to cover the Earth itself—was unraveling, collapsing layer by layer as if it had never existed.
"What… what is this?"
Desperation flickered across her features. She scrambled to erect walls of psychic defense, piling barrier upon barrier. But it was like chalk against a blackboard eraser. Every construct, every defense she made was instantly wiped away.
And then her consciousness was dragged into the depths of her own mind.
The blank space of her mental world stretched around her, filled with broken televisions, flickering film reels, and ruined screens. At the center stood Wanda, her scarlet figure glowing, eyes fixed on the memories playing around her.
"You don't need to resist," Wanda said flatly. "I'll leave once I find what I'm looking for."
Though Cassandra had mocked her earlier, Wanda didn't want to destroy her. She only wanted answers. Malrick's safety came first.
But Cassandra saw it differently. Wanda's calm words felt like a declaration of superiority, an insult, a dismissal of her very existence.
"Leave? In my own mind? That's a joke!" Cassandra roared. "Get out of my consciousness now!"
Her fury erupted, and with it came a surge of psychic force capable of shaking continents. This was her world, her domain. Here, she was the master.
Even if her opponent was the Scarlet Witch.
A tidal wave of psychic energy crashed toward Wanda, threatening to bury her completely.
Wanda didn't flinch. Her attention stayed fixed on the memory images flashing around her, her eyes flickering as she searched.
When the psychic flood reached her, circles of scarlet ripples spread outward. Color bled across Cassandra's blank mental space, painting it crimson.
"This is… impossible…" Cassandra whispered, horror filling her voice as her control slipped.
Wanda shook her head, never looking away from the memories. "Your power isn't nearly strong enough. Don't even think about making him yours."
At the mention of Malrick, Wanda's anger flared again—but just for a moment. Seeing Cassandra's helplessness, her fury faded into disdain.
This so-called rival was no threat.
Cassandra could only grit her teeth as her mental world turned scarlet, her consciousness shoved into a corner, powerless to resist.
Wanda ignored her completely, eyes locked on a sequence of memories that flickered across the broken screens. She saw Malrick—captured, caught up in the TVA's plans.
"The Time Variance Authority," she whispered. "So they're after him. I'll have to get there fast… maybe Stark can take me."
The vision faded, and Wanda turned back to Cassandra, who was trembling with suppressed rage.
"Things would've been much easier if you'd just told me," Wanda said coldly.
With that, her figure vanished. The tide of Chaos Magic receded, leaving Cassandra gasping in the ruins of her own mind.
She stood trembling, face twisted with a mixture of anger and fear.
"Scarlet Witch…" she whispered bitterly.
…
Back in the sky, Wanda turned to address Stark. "Mr. Stark, we can—wait, where's…"
Her voice trailed off as she realized Tony wasn't beside her. Instead, he was already deep in battle, fighting mutants with powers ranging from super strength to body spikes to teleportation.
"Why would he pick a fight with them now?" Wanda muttered, shaking her head. Then a thought occurred to her.
"All of them are enhanced… maybe Malrick could use their blood."