The Scarlet Apprentice 2: The Multiverse Between Us

Tricks on the mind

The illusion was different to everyone. That was the irritating beauty of Agatha's powers. What everyone saw in front of them was personal, it was meaningful. Which meant that it was to be more painful when Agatha ruined it for them.

By the time y/n would've tried to figure out a plan, she was already captivated by the scene before her. In front of her was the clear image of her younger self's bestfriend. The little blonde girl who she used the spend every second with when she was younger was standing in front of her, happy and healthy like she once was.

If she was in her own state of mind she would've questioned how Agatha could've possibly known that. She'd never told anyone that, not even Wanda. And she hadn't thought of it in years. There was no possible way Agatha couldn't known about her.

Seeing the girls face once again captured her attention in the way Agatha wanted it to. Stepping forward, y/n's entranced eyes followed the girl as she giggled and paraded around.

Then, when y/n was close enough to her, the girl stopped and acknowledged her finally. Y/n stopped and watched the girl, before hearing her recite the same lyrics they'd always sing to each other when they were younger.

"Bye, bye, miss American pie," she sung, innocently and softly.

What was supposed to draw y/n in even more was the thing that snapped her out of it. Hearing that song, seeing that face- it was surreal.

Blinking her eyes rapidly, she backed up as quick as she could, shaking her head roughly to get the image out of her head. When she looked at her surroundings, she could barely see the others through the thick smog. But she knew they were falling for the same trap. She could feel it.

"DON'T LOOK AT IT!" She shouted the moment she broke from its trance, "ITS NOT REAL, DON'T FALL FOR IT!"

Her head spun to find the others. Through the approaching fog, she couldn't see anyone right away. When she finally saw someone - Bucky, she saw that he'd already been entranced by his own sight.

It was Steve Rogers in the 40s, laughing and drinking in a bar. The illusion was looking at Bucky- Steve was looking at him. When Bucky stretched his hand forward to touch Steve, the truth of the illusion became noticeable to y/n.

Amethyst energy cracked when Bucky was close to it, stretching out in a plan to grab him. God only knows what would've happened if Bucky touched the trap, because y/n didn't let him.

She darted forward, lunging herself at him without giving any warning. The mirage faded away when it was no longer captivating Bucky's attention - its energy joining another illusion to capture someone different.

"Bucky- Bucky, please, you have to help me break everyone out of this trance," y/n explained to him, her voice shaking in a panic while she helped him off of his feet.

He rubbed the ache at the back of his head, "what?"

"Please- just don't let anyone touch the illusions, they're not real- Agatha is using them as a trap. We can't let them fall for it, Bucky."

With an understanding nod, he set off into the fog to find someone to help, and y/n did the same thing. Thankfully, it didn't take long to find the next person, which was, as she'd hoped, Wanda.

"Wanda, we-," she tried to say before the illusion caught her attention.

In front of Wanda was a creation of her two, alive and well, young boys. They were close to her - y/n realised they were the closest they could be without touching Wanda. Then, like she'd expected, one of the boys reached his arms open for a hug, while the other spoke to Wanda like a child speaks to their mother.

Y/n snapped herself out of the trance that wasn't her own before gently grabbing Wanda's arm and turning her, forcing her to look away from it. She saw the purple light disappear out of her eyes and Wanda return to herself.

"Wanda, it's not real," y/n assured her, "I'm sorry, but it's not real. It's a trap, Agatha's tricking us."

"They were-," Wanda looked at the same spot to see them no longer there, "my boys."

She bit down her tongue, "I know. But It's not real. Don't let her get you."

The witch took a deep breath with a shaky exhale before focusing, "are the others okay?"

"I don't know," she worryingly shook her head, "I know that Bucky's free. I'm sure he went to get Sam."

"I'll look for Strange," Wanda offered.

Before she could leave, y/n gently grabbed her wrist, "no, stay with me. I'm not letting you out of my sight until I have a clear shot on Agatha, you hear me?"

After softly nodding her head, Wanda focused on something behind y/n, something that was approaching quickly. When she pulled out her frightening hand of energy in an instinct to protect y/n, the thing produced a whimpering voice.

"It's us," Bucky assured her, clearly in distress. "I- we got Strange and Wong, they're on their way over here now."

Y/n's brows furrowed the moment she saw the state the boys were in, making her way over to them in worry, "what the hell happened to you guys?"

"Agatha almost got him," he told her, "almost."

"That can't be the only wave coming. Agatha can throw these at us with the snap of a finger, but we can't resist them much longer," Sam told the group, leaning on his knees to catch his breath in the little time he had, "someone's got to end this now."

Wong and Stephen caught up in time to hear Sam's words, so they were there to see y/n looking at the storm as a reaction. Strange and Wanda shared a look that no one else saw, whilst y/n scowled at the fortress.