𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒙 || 𝑳. 𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒇𝒆𝒚𝒔𝒐𝒏

𝟙𝟡

"She does look shocked to meet the real us, doesn't she?" Agatha chuckles at the rabbit in her arms, Y/N brings up her hands and tries to pry into Agatha's mind, Agatha feels the attempt and laughs.

"That's adorable. My thoughts are not available to you, toots. They never, ever were. So don't go givin' yourself a migraine!" Y/N's expression darkens and if looks could kill, Agatha would be six feet under. "We've got work to do, Y/N, dear."

"Where are my children?" Y/N says, her thick Sokovian accent coming back out.

Agatha laughs and mocks Y/N, "'Where are my children?' That accent really comes and goes, doesn't it?"

"Where are they?" Y/N tries to use her magic, but nothing happens, Agatha sets the rabbit down and binds the angry mother with Agatha's magic, creating magical restraints. Y/N is now powerless in a dangerous situation, Y/N hovers in the air as Agatha walks around her 'basement'.

"Oh, your magic's no good here," Y/N grunts and gasps struggling to get out of the magic restraints, but she can't.

"Didn't you notice?" Agatha points to the walls, "Basic protection spell, one in each wall? No? Nothing?" Agatha rolls her eyes at the witch without any witch knowledge.

"These are runes, Y/N. In a given space, only the witch that cast the runes can use her magic. How do you not know the fundamentals? Who are you? Who are you?" Agatha circles the hovering Y/N in the middle of the room, tapping her finger against her head, trying to fit all the pieces together, "All those costumes and hairstyles," Agatha sighs.

"I was so patient, waiting for you to reveal your true self, I got close with fake Pietro, Fietro, if you will, but no dice."

"That was you?" Y/N questions, hearing about 'Fietro'.

"No, it wasn't literally me. Just my eyes and ears. A crystalline possession. Necromancy was a non-starter since your real friend's body is on another continent. Not to mention, full of holes, but you're so crippled by your own self-doubt that you believed it," Y/N flinches at the mention of the bullet holes, but Agatha doesn't notice and she continues her rant about Y/N's powers.

"Oh, Y/N, oh, when I sensed this place, the afterglow of so many spells cast all at once... Oh, I couldn't make heads or tails of it," Agatha stops at a table in the corner of the room, flipping through a spellbook, "Mind control. A classic. Quick incantation and a feeble psyche and you're good to go."

Y/N gasps.

"With thousands of people under your thumb, all interacting with each other according to complex storylines. Well, that's something special, baby. And of course, there's transmutation. Years of study to achieve even the smallest convincing illusion. But Westview through your lens, Y/N..." Agatha takes a spider from the wall, showcasing her magic, she turns it into a bird, "Every little detail in place down to the crown molding."

"You're even running illusions miles away at the edge of town, magic on autopilot. What's your secret, sister?"

Y/N turns her head away from Agatha and shuts her eyes, Agatha grabs Y/N's face and turns it to face her, Agatha lets go and speaks, "Listen, I need you... Hey, Y/N, I need you to tell me how you did this."

"I didn't do anything. I'm not..." Agatha tightens the magic restraints, "I tried to be gentle, to nudge you awake from this ridiculous fantasy, but you would rather fall apart than face your truth. You left me no choice. What was it you said to your not-brother-friend? Hmm? All you could recall was the feeling. You felt empty. Alone. Endless nothingness. Let's start there."

"It's been fun playing pretend for a while, hasn't it, Y/N?" Agatha chants something in Latin and a door appears, "But it's time to look at some real reruns. All right, let's go," Agatha lets Y/N down from her magical prison, Y/N drops to the ground on her hands and knees before getting up slowly, "No."