Wanda's Chaos Magic was a force unlike any other — a power shaped entirely by thought and emotion.
It was an idealistic magic, and like all idealistic forces, it fluctuated with the heart of its wielder. When Wanda's emotions soared, her power surged; when her confidence faltered, it wavered.
Her control came from dreams — countless visions of other Scarlet Witches across the multiverse. Through them, she had absorbed their experience and understanding. In raw power, she rivaled even the Wanda Maximoff of the main timeline. Yet her strength was unstable.
The other Scarlet Witches had been forged in tragedy. They grew stronger through pain, loss, and sacrifice. Wanda, however, had learned secondhand, living those lives through dreams rather than scars. She had skill, but not the discipline that came from suffering.
When her emotions shifted too sharply, her magic acted on its own, bending reality to her subconscious will.
Not long ago, Wanda had made plans with Malrick to watch a movie together. But when the day came, New York was blanketed in snow — the streets frozen, the theaters closed. She stood there shivering in her coat, disappointment flickering across her face.
Then, in an instant, the entire city transformed. The snow melted into sunlight, and winter clothes morphed into T-shirts and summer dresses.
Realizing what had happened, Wanda panicked. She rushed to reverse the change, muttering frantic incantations as the snowstorm reappeared. She turned to Malrick, face flushed.
"I swear, I didn't mean to do that!"
Malrick had only laughed softly and suggested she spend some time studying with Wong at Kamar-Taj.
"Chaos Magic is powerful," he'd told her, "but if you strengthen your foundation, you'll control it — not the other way around."
Since then, Wanda had thrown herself into study, borrowing one book after another from the Kamar-Taj library. For over two weeks she'd maintained a steady pace — one spellbook every three days.
And tonight, book in hand, she'd walked right into the worst possible scene: Malrick laughing with two unfamiliar women.
At first glance, she'd assumed they were Natasha and Yelena, but when she saw clearly — when she saw how close he was standing to them — something inside her twisted.
Her joy curdled into bitterness, then anger.
The magic responded before she did.
Her subconscious screamed that those women should vanish, that they were temptresses trying to steal Malrick from her. Red mist coiled around her hands, her thoughts spiraling.
They should die !!!
Yes, they really should die!
But before reality could shatter, Malrick stepped forward and, without hesitation, lightly smacked his palm against her forehead.
Pop!
The sharp sound echoed through the air. Wanda froze, eyes wide, then whimpered softly, clutching her book as her magic fizzled out.
"What are you thinking?" Malrick asked with mock confusion, scanning the area as if nothing had happened. Inside, though, his heart was pounding.
That was close.
Despite all his power, Malrick had never been good at handling women's tempers — or emotions in general. He was, by his own admission, a terrible multitasker when romance got involved.
He remembered Tony Stark's old advice, delivered years ago from behind the wheel of a sports car:
"When a girl finds out you've been flirting and starts to get mad, don't argue — just distract her. Break her focus and she'll forget why she was angry."
The Tony method usually involved a million-dollar check, but Malrick didn't think money would work on Wanda.
She wasn't greedy — she was kind. That was her flaw.
Drawing on that thought, he quickly grabbed her wrist before she could spiral again.
"You've come at the perfect time, Wanda!" he said brightly, pulling her toward the two waiting women. "Come on, I'll introduce you."
Wanda blinked, still dazed from the forehead slap.
"This is Diana Prince, and this is Kara Zor-El," Malrick said. "They came back with me from the DC universe."
Diana and Kara, already briefed, greeted Wanda with friendly smiles.
"DC universe?" Wanda repeated. "You mean, like... the actual DC I know?"
"That's right," Malrick replied with a grin. "Technically, it's one of the universes under our superhero company's multiverse branch."
Her eyes widened. "So you can travel between universes? Wait — that means you're Superman? And she's Supergirl?"
Kara raised a hand, looking flustered. "My cousin's name is Kal-El, not Malrick," she clarified quickly.
Wanda nodded, still processing. "Right... right, of course."
For a moment, she forgot her jealousy — until her mind caught up. Wait... wasn't I mad a second ago?
But Malrick spoke before that thought could bloom.
His tone softened, turning solemn. "Their world was overrun by Darkseid. The apocalypse came, and Earth was destroyed."
Wanda's breath caught.
He continued gently, "Kara's home planet was already gone. She wandered the universe for years before crash-landing on Earth. She was just a child... and Lex Luthor imprisoned her."
Wanda's eyes widened in horror. "Luthor? That Luthor?"
Malrick nodded gravely. "She was held captive for years, until I found and rescued her. Not long after that, Darkseid's invasion wiped out everything. I couldn't let them die there."
He didn't mention his own triumphs or the details of battle — only their tragedy.
Wanda's anger melted away, replaced by empathy. Her eyes welled with tears as she listened.
"And Diana," Malrick added softly, "lost her entire home — every sister, every memory of peace. I couldn't abandon them."
By the time he finished, Wanda was wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.
She turned to Diana and Kara, her voice trembling. "You're both... welcome to visit me anytime. I don't have much, but my home's open to you."
The two women exchanged a look — half touched, half uncertain.
They'd actually been doing quite well since leaving their universe, but after Malrick's emotional speech, saying otherwise felt heartless.
So they nodded politely.
Wanda smiled faintly, though the confusion still lingered in her eyes.
Why do I feel sad for them? she wondered.
Malrick, meanwhile, just smiled innocently, silently thanking Tony for his "million-dollar distraction" trick.
The red haze around Wanda's senses finally dissipated completely, leaving behind only exhaustion and a dull ache behind her temples. She hugged her book closer to her chest, grounding herself in its familiar weight.
Unnoticed by anyone else, faint traces of Chaos Magic still shimmered in the air before fading away — a quiet reminder of how close the world had come to unraveling once more.