Magyk

viii

abatement

suppression or termination

~~~

Four men stood in a circle around a table in the middle of a dark room. The room was moist despite there being barely any air to breathe. It was cold, and white puffs of air could be seen coming from each of the men's mouths.

On the table in front of them were papers strewn out, displaying a wide variety of blueprints and diagrams. Their words were hushed, making sure that any bystanders outside the door wouldn't be able to hear their conversation. The room was dimly lit by a lamp in the corner, and it was a wonder how the men could see the plans in front of them. 

The men started arguing amongst themselves, their words mixing together and blending messily. They were so immersed in their conversation that they didn't notice the black mist slipping through the thin crack under the door.

The mist traveled lazily, spreading out and separating like tentacles, as it made its way towards the men and the table slowly. The wisps wrapped themselves around the men's ankles, making their way up to their mouths.

Their eyes widened at the sight of the black mist wrapping around the others' throats and only a choked sound came from their throats as the mist, tightening and trapping the air out of their lungs.

Outside the room, Faerie leaned against the door, her eyes screwed shut in concentration. Wanda stood in front of her, her hands and mind braced for any sort of threat. She couldn't help but watch in awe as Faerie's fingers twisted and turned as they controlled the dark mist inside the room.

Four thuds signaled the men's deaths and Faerie relaxed, letting out a slight puff of air in relief. She blinked furiously, shaking her head about. She looked at Wanda and nodded silently. Faerie braced her hands against the door, and just a moment later, she pushed it open effortlessly.

The pair walked in, their steps quiet but purposeful. The mist cleared to reveal four men lying on the floor, dead, and a metal table in the center. The two walked in, Wanda to the table, and Faerie to the men.

She stood above one of them. He was the largest and had a scar running from his eyebrow, through his eye and halfway down his cheek. She toed his head gingerly and grimaced when she noticed how dirty he was. The tip of her clean shoe was covered in a layer of grime of sorts and she grumbled under her breath, wiping it away on his shirt.

She felt zero respect for the men in front of her. She unsheathed her sword and walked in a circle, silently slitting each of their throats in turn. The sword left a mark, of sorts, to let Hermes or Thanatos know that they were not good men and they did not deserve a trial.

Wanda cleared her throat and Faerie nodded at her in reply. The sounds of battle outside had silenced, indicating that the rest of the Avengers had completed their job. They walked out, the papers in Wanda's hands and a black mist swirling around them as they walked through the facility.

It was eerily empty and the quiet was overbearing. It was worrying to Wanda because normally, the sound of Sam and Steve's bickering could be heard for miles but this mission was different. It was quiet, which was to be expected from a facility full of dead people, but this quiet was uncomfortable, heavy.

Faerie stopped in her tracks and Wanda stopped as well, turning to look at the goddess. Faerie stiffened, and her eyes grew dark as mist pooled around her hands. Wanda frowned when she noticed the dark look crossing Faerie's face.