The Variant [Part One] [Wanda Maximoff [FF] | Elizabeth Olsen

Chapter 28

A loud ringing pierce her eardrums that for a moment the Scarlet Witch thought that she was going to go home to Milla with deaf ears. She and the angel are in the middle of a blinding bright beam that is oddly both comforting and incinerating to the touch. After what felt like an hour in the middle of the beam everything suddenly turned to pitch dark. The ringing in Wanda's ears is still there. The woman gently closes and tugs her ear, clinging to her cuffs a bit in the process, till the ringing finally subsides.

The redhead's green eyes adjust to the pitch darkness till she could make out the silhouette of colossal, white Grecian-style pillars surrounding her and the angel. The realm beyond them is just an endless swirling accumulation of dark stormy clouds. Wanda looked up and saw the upper side of the realm is the night sky with beaming stars. It looked tranquil, the opposite of the stormy clouds below her and the angel's feet.

The endless swirling of dark clouds suddenly manifests in front of Wanda and the angel into a humanoid form that still resembles the coiling of darkness, cloud, and a few lightning sparks in its form.

"Lord Erebus." The angel spoke. "The Scarlet Witch has been captured to whom captors she may be given." It said. The smoky mass tilted its head at the angel's word. Wanda could tell that the humanoid is looking at her. Scanning her entirety. Suddenly the dark mass spoke, revealing a deep and gloomy voice reminiscent of the sound of the growling lightning inside a solidified storm cloud. However, it also sounded solemn and wise hinting at its immortal existence.

"Since she has given herself up willingly, her captors would be considerate enough. However, she will still receive her punishment." Erebus said. It looked at the Scarlet Witch.

To Wanda's surprise, the angel unchained her hands and left her be. The angel nodded at her before slowly disintegrating into golden specks of powder. The cloudy figure named Erebus wisps back into the void. A bright light engulfed Wanda's view once more, the redhead could make out that the environment is shifting again. The realm's transformation produced a different scenery, the marble columns were replaced by glass ones that resemble clear cylinders that are tinged with multicolours whenever light hits them. There are also lit candles that illuminate the dim void-like atmosphere around her. Wanda's eyes widen as she faced an altar that looked like the natural geography of her homeland Sokovia, the part of the country that is not wartorn but flourishing with abundance.

As she walked towards the altar, a reflection of an animal starts to manifest in front of her. The silhouette of the mammal came from the nearby Sokovian waterfall. The falling gushes of water parted gracefully like a curtain revealing the magnificent beast. Wanda carefully back away as its four muscled legs walked towards her.

It was a panther. Its fur is as black as night, luxurious and glossy with circles of black and white adorning them. Its eyes are different-coloured: blue and green. It appeared ferocious but also serene. Despite the fearsome stance it walked towards her sensuously like a vixen ready on a prowl. Above all the animal smelled delightful, a flurry of aromas that are so multi-faceted and pleasant it warms her insides. The panther's scent felt like it was seducing her and at the same time lulling her to sleep. If this is one of her upcoming punishments then she must ground and alert herself as this might be a trap.

"Hello, Wanda." The panther suddenly spoke, surprising the redhead.

"I am your first captor." The panther said. The animal's voice is feminine. If this is her first captor then this one would likely pounce on her and ripped her to shreds. The panther appears to smile as if hearing Wanda's inside voice.