When two worlds collide

Chapter 8

As Y/N and Wanda approached Agent Carr, the air seemed to thicken with tension. His expression remained unreadable, but Y/N could feel his gaze drilling into them, as though he was already piecing together something they couldn't see. Wanda stood firm by Y/N's side, her magic pulsing just below the surface, ready to strike at the first sign of a threat.

Carr didn't waste any time. "Have you made your decision?" he asked, his voice sharp and businesslike.

Y/N glanced at Wanda, and she gave a slight nod. They both knew what they had to do. "We're not going with you," Y/N said, keeping their voice steady. "But we're not backing down from this. Whatever's coming—we'll deal with it ourselves."

Carr's lips twitched, but it wasn't quite a smile. "I expected as much," he said coolly. "But you're making a mistake. There are forces at play here that you can't begin to comprehend. This is bigger than you—bigger than both of you."

Y/N felt a flicker of doubt creep in, but they pushed it down. They weren't about to be intimidated by someone like Carr. "We'll take our chances."

Carr sighed, shaking his head as though disappointed in their decision. But before he could respond, a sharp sound crackled through the air—like static, but more jagged, more dangerous. Y/N tensed, instinctively reaching for Wanda as she quickly conjured a glowing red shield around them both.

Suddenly, the lights on set began to flicker wildly. The air buzzed with an eerie, electric energy, and the temperature seemed to drop several degrees in an instant. Y/N's heart raced as they looked around, trying to figure out where the disturbance was coming from.

"Wanda..." Y/N started, but before they could finish, something ripped through the air—a violent gust of wind that carried with it a surge of dark energy.

The world around them distorted, and for a split second, Y/N's vision blurred. Everything twisted in on itself—sets bending, lights warping, reality itself seeming to glitch and unravel.

And then... it all snapped back into place.

Y/N blinked, disoriented, trying to get their bearings. They were still on set, but something was off. The air felt heavier, like it was filled with invisible pressure. Wanda stood beside them, her eyes glowing bright red, her hands crackling with energy as she scanned their surroundings. Carr, however, seemed unfazed, as if he had been expecting this.

"Something's wrong," Y/N muttered, their voice tense.

Wanda nodded slowly, her gaze narrowing as she looked past Y/N. "Look."

Y/N turned, following her line of sight—and froze.

Standing at the far end of the set was another figure, one they hadn't noticed before. Clad in dark, flowing robes, the figure was surrounded by a swirling cloud of black and red magic. Their face was obscured by a hood, but there was something eerily familiar about them. The energy radiating from them was intense—almost suffocating.

Y/N's heart raced as they realized the truth: this was the source of the attacks, the sabotage. The one who had been targeting them.

But when the figure finally spoke, their voice was calm, smooth, and unsettlingly familiar.

"Well, well, well," the figure said, stepping forward. "It seems you've been playing your part perfectly, Y/N."

Y/N's blood ran cold. "Who are you?" they demanded, stepping forward, though they could feel the fear rising inside them.

The figure chuckled, a dark, hollow sound. And then, in a slow, deliberate motion, they reached up and pulled back their hood, revealing their face.

Y/N's breath caught in their throat. It was... them. But not exactly. The figure looked identical to Y/N in every way—the same face, the same eyes, the same smirk. But their doppelgänger's eyes gleamed with dark energy, their features twisted with malice.

"What the hell...?" Y/N whispered, their mind reeling.

Wanda's eyes widened in shock as she took in the sight of Y/N's double. "This isn't possible," she muttered, her magic flaring up in response to the threat. "How—?"

The other Y/N grinned wickedly, taking another step forward. "Oh, it's very possible. You see, I'm not just a copy of you. I am you—or at least, a version of you. From a reality where things went... differently."

Y/N's mind was spinning. "A version of me?" they repeated, struggling to process the revelation. "What do you mean?"

The doppelgänger's smile widened. "In my reality, the magic that's been messing with your life? It wasn't something that just targeted you. It was something that consumed you. It twisted you, gave you power beyond your wildest dreams—but it came at a cost."

Wanda stepped forward, her voice sharp. "You're from another universe," she said, her tone accusatory. "You've been crossing over, manipulating things from the shadows."

The other Y/N's gaze flickered to Wanda, and their grin softened into something almost sympathetic. "I have to admit, I've been impressed by you, Wanda. You're more powerful than the version of you in my world. But even you can't stop what's coming."

Y/N swallowed hard, their thoughts racing. "What do you want?" they demanded, their voice thick with anger and fear.

Their double tilted their head, their eyes glinting with something dangerous. "What do I want? I want what I never had. A chance to take control of my own destiny—to take what's mine."

They raised a hand, dark energy swirling around their fingertips. "And you, dear Y/N, are standing in my way."

Wanda immediately stepped in front of Y/N, her hands glowing with magic. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

The doppelgänger laughed, the sound sending chills down Y/N's spine. "Oh, Wanda. You can try—but you'll find that I'm not so easy to defeat."

Y/N's mind raced as they tried to comprehend the gravity of the situation. Their own double—corrupted, twisted by some dark force from another reality—was here, and they wanted to take Y/N's place. To claim the life they had lost in their own universe.

The pressure weighed heavily on Y/N's chest. They felt out of their depth, but they knew one thing for sure: they weren't going to let their double win.

"We're going to stop you," Y/N said firmly, stepping up beside Wanda. "You're not taking my life."

The doppelgänger's smile faded, replaced by a look of cold determination. "We'll see about that."

And with that, the battle began. Magic crackled in the air as Wanda unleashed a barrage of energy at the doppelgänger, who responded in kind with their own dark magic. The two forces collided with a deafening roar, sending shockwaves through the set.

Y/N's heart pounded as they watched the chaos unfold. This was bigger than anything they had ever faced before. But despite the fear gnawing at them, they knew one thing for certain:

They weren't going down without a fight.