Siren

For Love, We Fight!

Something unexpected as this left her unprepared for what was coming. Wanda knew danger was coming but she hadn't expected what sort would come for her. All she knew was that she had finally lost her soulmate. The witch felt faint. Her daughter noticed her distress and reached her arms out and groped the air for her mama's cuddles. Steve helped her to her feet and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before she broke down into tears and threw her face into his chest, dampening it with her tears. At the conclusion of her breakdown, Steve escorted her and Iris towards their car, seeing as how she had done her part in stealing the Stones from the past to help their future.

"Thank you, Steve." Wanda sniffled and weakly smiled at the patriot.

"You sure you're gonna be okay? You're still welcome to stay?" Steve replied casually.

"I'm sure. Just, just keep me updated with anything you might find about Gia. She's everything to me. I can't lose her or, or..."

The two adults stole a glance at Iris before returning their eye contact with each other.

"I understand. Once we replicate the particles, we'll find her and bring her back in one piece." Steve assured her and gave her a warming smile.

"Thank you, Steve. For everything."

Wanda gave him a kiss on his cheek and took her leave for her car and strapped Iris in before leaving the compound grounds to commence her long drive home. To kill the silence, Wanda turned on the radio which started playing a particular song she was not familiar with, yet she liked how it suited her current mood and managed to catch onto the lyrics quickly. The more distance she made, the more she felt something was off.

"Could they be hiding something from me? Or has Gianna run off on me with another version of me? No. That's just ridiculous. Oh God... where are you, darling?"

The rear view mirror caught the redhead's eye, to which a great, dark shadow laminated over the compound when very faint explosions went off in the distance, causing Wanda to slam her foot on the break and stick her head out the windows to get a better view of an alien warship that had just bombarded the estate where all her friends were. Dread filled her as she immediately reversed and drove back to the compound as the sky grew dark with clouds rolling over.

Applying her baby strap, Wanda flew over the land turned into a makeshift war zone where something caught her eye. Thunder rolled over a specific part where lightning shot down and three figures appeared, walking along the ground towards someone wearing rusty, golden armour. Wanda set herself on a wide patch that was a small hill where someone was waiting for her. Emerging from behind a boulder, a masked figure stood directly in front of the brunette as Wanda activated her powers and stared down her opponent.

Monotonously, the stranger spoke out to the sorceress. "I've been waiting for you... You don't know how long I'd waited for this moment."

"Do I know you?" Wanda spoke cautiously and began to walk in a circle with the stranger.

The stranger let out a laugh that deepened their true voice.

"You do not know me, but I know you. I've been watching you, Wanda Maximoff."

"Who are you?"

"I'm someone who wants you dead, heretic."

The stranger charged towards the brunette, a spiked mace in their grasp as they swung similarly to the form of a dance as they forced Wanda to defend herself and use her magic to divert the course of the mace from hitting her. One wrong move and it was all over. Relentless, the assassin was foiled with hurting the Scarlet Witch as she had every intent of disarming them and discovering their identity. 

"Enough of this!" Wanda yelled and fired an energy ball at the stomach of the assassin before she used her other arm to catch them with her magic and raised them upwards, stopping them from breaking free. "Who are you!? What do you want with me?!" 

Compelled to answer, the assassin confessed to the witch, scarlet, knowing there was no point in resisting or lying, yet refused to say anything at all. Using her free hand, Wanda removed the mask of the assassin and discovered the face of a young boy with curly hair stared menacingly at her. 

Wanda gasped. "Horatio?" 

The man grunted as he uselessly squirmed in the magical grip of Wanda's magic. 

"Where. Is. Gianna?" She snarled as she began to squeeze tighter. 

Horatio chuckled as his voice began to high-pitch. "You'll be pleased to hear I haven't the faintest idea. But I know... Agh! I, I know this... The soul bond. I-It can be broken... I know how... You won't t-take her from me! AGGH!! I kill y-you, then I can have her all to myself!" 

"She's not yours. She's mine." 

A bright green light shone in Horatio's core that became so bright Wanda had to cancel her magical cast on Horatio so to cover her eyes until the light dimmed. Before Wanda, stood now a completely different person. A woman with long greying hair and wrinkly skin appeared before the young sorceress who seemed keen for a fight. 

"Come, now. Let us see what you're really made of. Let's settle this the old way: first one to die, loses; the victor shall gain forever Gianna's love!" The woman said challengingly. 

Wanda gasped. "Amora..." 

Taking advantage of her shocked emotion, the woman flung her arms around, casting spells to match that of Wanda's to make it a fair fight. Both women fought hard while another fight occurred nearby. With the invasion just waiting for the call, every hero willing to stand up to the invaders of Earth were preparing for the biggest fight of their lives to date. It was now or never.