"Alright, alright, we can talk about all this later," Malrick said, brushing a hand through Wanda's crimson hair with a calm smile.
"Wanda, you've got school tomorrow, don't you? Go on, return those books and get some sleep."
Wanda blinked, glancing down at the thick grimoire in her hands. "Right… right, I almost forgot. I need to hurry back. Diana, Kara — when you come to New York, you have to visit me, okay?"
Diana waved warmly. "Of course. Kara and I will be moving to New York soon. It won't be long."
"You're moving to New York too?" Wanda paused, surprised. "Where exactly? Maybe we'll be close."
Diana smiled gently. "We're not sure yet. Kara and I have never been to New York, but we'll be staying at Malrick's place for now. You know where that is."
Wanda froze.
"Malrick's house…" she repeated.
So, Diana and Kara were going to live with Malrick.
Her heart tightened. The idea of the three of them under the same roof felt like a knife twisting deep in her chest. Earlier, when she saw them standing close together, that pain had been unbearable. Now it returned — dull but sharp enough to sting.
Still, it wasn't as overwhelming as before.
Maybe it was because she now understood Diana and Kara's situation — the tragedies they'd endured, their loss, their displacement. How could she possibly hate them for that?
But then again… why did it still hurt this much?
Natasha and Yelena lived with him in his apartment — both gorgeous, confident, and intimidatingly perfect. He also had Ada and Jill in other worlds, and Wanda had learned about them only recently.
That knowledge had left her suffocated at first, but she'd managed to convince herself that she was different.
That she was the one who would stay by his side until the end.
After all, Malrick had always seemed like a recluse, spending his days sunbathing on his balcony with no interest in meeting anyone new.
So, she only had to be wary of her friend Gwen — not anyone else.
But today changed everything.
She had watched Malrick in that small world, surrounded by two stunning strangers — both with beauty that could outshine supermodels. The way they stood beside him, the way they looked at him, the familiarity in their gestures — it was too much.
Jealousy ignited inside her like wildfire, consuming everything rational.
And when Malrick interrupted her emotions earlier, she suddenly understood — he wasn't stopping her for her sake.
He was protecting them.
"You're covering for them," Wanda whispered, realization striking hard. "You were misleading me to protect them."
A wave of hurt crashed through her.
She knew her emotions had spiraled, that her magic had nearly gone out of control — but even then, he hadn't chosen her.
He had chosen to protect someone else.
Was she really so unworthy?
Natasha and Yelena had been with him longer; Wanda couldn't fight that. But Diana and Kara — they were new. She was the one who came first this time.
She was there before them. She was loyal, devoted, and willing to stand by him through anything.
So why wouldn't he accept her?
He wouldn't even touch her. Instead, he went off to another universe and came back with more women.
Was it because of what she and Pietro had done to Tony Stark in the past?
That was years ago. She had changed since then. What more could she possibly do?
Wanda's chest heaved. Her lips trembled as tears welled in her eyes.
Malrick's face blurred through the haze of emotion.
"You're the biggest jerk in the world, Malrick!" she cried.
She slammed the magic book hard against his chest, the sound echoing between them. Then she spun on her heel, opened a glowing scarlet rift, and disappeared into it — back to her apartment.
Malrick stood frozen, the echo of her sobs hanging in the air. A single tear drop — flung from her shaking head — landed warm against his cheek.
"Wait— Wanda!" he called out, startled.
A minute ago, they'd been smiling, saying warm goodbyes. And now… this?
He sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck.
Is this just how girls are? he thought bitterly. Like there's a weather forecast inside their hearts, switching from sunshine to thunder in a second.
"Still standing here?" Diana nudged him firmly.
She raised her chin toward the direction Wanda had vanished. "Aren't you going after her? Don't be as heartless as Zeus."
Kara folded her arms, her expression puzzled. "What just happened? You should really go talk to her."
Malrick exhaled slowly. Among women, Diana was bold and direct, while Kara was gentle but just as sharp. They were both right — Wanda was hurt, and it was his fault.
He had tried to protect everyone, and in doing so, ended up hurting the one who trusted him most.
"You two wait for me on Themyscira first," he said. "I'll be back soon, and then we'll head to New York together."
He handed each of them a compact communication device from Stark Industries — sleek, silver, and more advanced than anything on the market.
Then, with a swift gesture, he drew a circle in the air. Sparks flared into a golden ring — a Mystic Portal, leading directly to Wanda's apartment.
But before he could step through, scarlet energy pulsed from the other side, sealing the portal shut. The space twisted and repaired itself instantly.
Malrick blinked. "...Did she just block me?"
He tried again, focusing his power — but every time he opened a portal, Wanda's Chaos Magic mended the space immediately, rejecting him.
It was like she was hanging up every magical "call" he tried to make.
"Wow," he muttered. "A magical version of a blocked number. That's new."
After a few more failed attempts, he sighed and redirected the portal to his own apartment instead.
Natasha and Sherry weren't home. The place was quiet.
Stepping out onto the balcony, Malrick launched into the air, heading toward Wanda's location — but before he could get close, a red spatial rift appeared out of nowhere and swallowed him whole.
He reappeared back in his apartment almost instantly.
"She's not even letting me approach now," he said under his breath. "Yeah, she's really angry this time."
Still, he could feel her presence. Her magic wasn't trying to hurt him — it was keeping him out.
Which meant she was watching.
Malrick frowned slightly. In times like this, words wouldn't help. A forced apology wouldn't reach her. And brute-forcing his way through her barrier? That would only make things worse.
He wasn't about to pull a move like some cocky action hero and storm through her magic field to grab her in his arms.
"Compared to anger, she looks more… sad," he murmured. "I should give her some space."
He sighed, opened another portal, and returned to Kamar-Taj.
He'd wait three days — the same day Wanda was scheduled to return her borrowed books. That would be his chance to make things right.
And, conveniently, it was also when his Malrick Clone experiment would be complete.
"Since it's come to this," he said quietly, sitting cross-legged as magic runes began to glow around him, "I might as well train while I wait."
The runes circled him slowly, ancient symbols pulsing with steady light as he closed his eyes. Despite his calm posture, his thoughts remained fixed on one person alone.
Far away, behind layers of scarlet barriers, Wanda sat curled on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. Her tears soaked into the sheets as Chaos Magic flickered faintly around her — unstable, wounded, and aching just like her heart.
_______
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