Since repelling Dormammu at Kamar-Taj, Pietro had awakened his powers and taken to the streets of New York as a young superhero. He called himself Quicksilver, fighting crime after school and building quite the reputation.
Rumor had it that a month ago, when Kingpin mysteriously disappeared, Quicksilver even stormed several of his strongholds. His actions had already made him a small legend among the street-level heroes.
Even young Peter Parker knew of him, though he didn't always agree with Pietro's way of doing things.
At the dinner table, Peter sat opposite Pietro, cheeks puffed with food, his eyes filled with disapproval.
Meanwhile, Natasha and Aunt May chatted easily. Natasha, ever the master of conversation, hit all the right notes, and by the end of the meal May was laughing warmly, treating Natasha like an old friend. She even suggested they wash the dishes together, telling Peter and his siblings to go relax in the living room.
This halted Malrick, who had been ready to use his powers to clear the table in one sweep. Natasha caught the hesitation and raised an eyebrow.
"Actually, we've got a dishwasher. No need to use magic for something so small," she teased. Despite her words, she and May still insisted on handling the dishes.
Malrick chuckled and ruffled Peter's hair. "Looks like Natasha really likes your Aunt May."
Peter's face lit up. "That's great! Aunt May is the best person in the world!"
"Oh? Really?" Pietro leaned closer, smirking. "Didn't you just say at the table that Iron Man was the best?"
"That's different!" Peter shot back, standing up on his chair. "Iron Man's the best out there. Aunt May's the best at home!"
"No, no, no, repeat it a thousand times—Quicksilver is ten times better than Iron Man!" Pietro challenged.
"No way!" Peter jumped up. "Quicksilver's cool, but he's new. Iron Man is the best!"
"Quicksilver!"
"Iron Man!"
Their back-and-forth gave Malrick déjà vu. He glanced around the room and noticed Yelena and Sherry curled up on the couch watching Tom and Jerry. The scene reminded him of something familiar, almost like an echo of family bickering.
"Your brother used to be like this too?" Malrick asked Wanda quietly.
But Wanda was already sneaking glances at him. When their eyes met, she froze, quickly looking away with a flush spreading across her cheeks.
"He, he's always been like that," she stammered. "Like someone who never really grew up. Don't mind him."
Her words were casual, but the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her. Malrick noticed every flicker, every small smile she tried to hide.
…Wait. Why did this feel like something out of a romantic comedy?
Had Wanda become even more shy and innocent than before? He thought back to the last time they met. Her reaction back then—her racing heartbeat, the way she ran away—it hadn't faded. If anything, it had grown stronger.
It made sense. Even though they hadn't met in person, Malrick's face had been plastered across the news over the past month. Headlines shouted things like Superman Saves the World Again, with pictures of him that made ordinary men and aliens alike stop and stare.
What girl, already harboring feelings, wouldn't have her dreams filled with him?
Recalling Tony Stark's endless lessons and demonstrations on charm, Malrick decided to test the waters. He leaned closer to Wanda, lowering his voice.
"A month's gone by and you never came looking for me. How's your Chaos Magic practice going? Or… are you avoiding me?"
Wanda's head lifted slightly, courage flickering in her eyes. "No…" she whispered, but her voice faltered the moment their gazes met.
The closeness made her instinctively step back.
"It's been going well. I just… didn't come find you," she said, though even she seemed unconvinced. She shuffled back another step, cheeks burning.
"Really?" Malrick pressed forward with a teasing smile. "Because you don't sound very convincing."
Step by step, Wanda retreated until her back hit the wall. Her breath hitched, and before Malrick could say another word, she let out a small squeak, pulled two vials from her pocket, shoved them into his hands, and bolted.
"This is the blood you wanted! I—I'm going to the gym upstairs to practice!"
Her heart hammered as she flared her Chaos Magic, clapping her hands together. To Malrick's astonishment, she opened a portal right in the middle of the living room, slipped through, and disappeared to the gym above.
The portal snapped shut behind her.
Malrick blinked, staring at the empty space. "She used Chaos Magic to open a portal? She's been practicing seriously… and even developed a new technique?"
In the movies, no Scarlet Witch had ever opened portals with Chaos Magic. This had to be something Wanda had created herself.
"Impressive," he muttered, then looked down at the vials in his hands.
Inside was the blood of Pietro and Wanda. His heart beat faster. "If the Blacklight Virus absorbs Wanda's blood… could I gain Chaos Magic directly?"
Though he doubted it, the thought made his pulse quicken. He sent the samples into his inner world, where his Blacklight clone—shifting like a dark humanoid liquid—quickly devoured them.
Pietro's blood was absorbed first, strengthening the super-speed already within Malrick's arsenal.
Then came Wanda's blood. It carried traces of Chaos Magic, faint but undeniable. The Blacklight energy burned through its protections and absorbed it.
Malrick's clone twisted, sprouting black-and-red tendrils before transforming into Wanda's form. It raised its hands, trying to summon Chaos Magic.
But nothing came.
"Of course… it's not just genetic," Malrick muttered. "Chaos Magic must be tied to the soul itself."
He tried channeling the Space Stone's power, but it too yielded nothing.
"Even the Skrulls wouldn't be able to replicate this," he realized with a sigh. "I'll have to talk to Wanda directly."
Tracing a circle in the air, Malrick opened a glowing golden portal and stepped through, heading toward Wanda in the gym above.
_____
Damn, y'all are stingy with power stones
Anyway, if you want early access to chapters, check out my Patreon: Patreon.com/Zphyr"