Marvel: Death Knight

The Scarlet Witch's chaos magic effortlessly dissolved Garus' Death Gate spell, thwarting his escape plan.

Garus felt a headache brewing. It seemed this was going to be a tough fight. What he didn't know was just how powerful this world's Wanda truly was. Could she rewrite reality itself?

"Why didn't the suppression serum work on you?" Pietro, surprised to see Garus standing unaffected, couldn't hide his shock.

The suppression serum was derived from the X-gene of a mutant whose power nullified the abilities of any mutant he touched. After being processed, it could neutralize powers from a distance. Even Pietro himself had fallen victim to it before. The idea of it failing was unprecedented, especially since the serum also contained a tranquilizer potent enough to knock out a normal human with a single dose.

"Would you believe me if I said I'm not a mutant?" Garus asked, his tone calm.

Wanda narrowed her eyes. "An Inhuman? A mutate? A sorcerer?"

She seemed surprisingly knowledgeable about such distinctions.

"No, a death knight," Garus replied, watching her confusion. It was clear she had no idea what he was talking about. He realized he was speaking more than usual. Was it because she was a pretty woman?

Earlier, the destruction of the Death Gate had stranded Garus' undead army back in his domain. No matter—he could summon them again.

With the emergence of a green summoning circle, hunched ghouls clawed their way out, appearing in formation before him.

"What the hell are these disgusting things?" Wanda and Pietro both recoiled at the sight of the ghouls lined up before Garus. Even from a distance, the stench of decay was overpowering.

"Sis, leave the freak to me. You handle those zombies," Pietro said, choosing his target. No way was he going near those grotesque creatures.

"Ready?" Pietro adjusted his goggles and cracked his neck. As soon as he finished speaking, he blurred into motion, his speed so fast he left no afterimage. Along the way, he dodged the ghouls, cringing at their pus-dripping forms. One glance revealed maggots squirming in their mouths.

Before Garus could react, Pietro's attack sent him flying out of the ghouls' protective formation. He smashed through glass panels one after another before crashing into the ground.

Howling Blast! Chains of Ice!

As soon as Garus landed, he cast two spells in rapid succession in front of him. But no matter how fast he reacted, the slowing magic couldn't touch Pietro. All it did was whip up an icy storm that dramatically lowered the temperature in the underground fifth-level space.

Pietro dodged Garus's spells with ease. He even had time to taunt, "Hey, buddy, is that all you've got? You can't even hit me!"

"Damn it, someone catch him!" shouted Carden, who had just arrived. Watching the mutants in the base being rescued one by one left him frantic. Baron Zemo would never forgive him for this failure.

SMACK!

Mid-rant, Carden was sent flying, blood and teeth spraying as he crashed to the ground.

"Idiot. I don't need your orders," Pietro said disdainfully, glancing at the groaning Carden. He turned back to Garus. "Ready? Your face is next, and it's going to look like his—a mangled mess."

On the other side of the room, Wanda was struggling to deal with the ghouls. Lacking independent thought, they fought purely on instinct. Wanda tried to use her chaos magic to disrupt the control animating them, but all she encountered was a void—nothing to exploit.

The ghouls pressed forward relentlessly. She could only manage to fend them off, painstakingly disintegrating their bodies piece by piece to prevent them from touching her.

Realizing he couldn't match Pietro's speed, Garus thrust his Runeblade into the ground. Unholy energy radiated outward from his feet, creating a 20-meter-diameter zone of corruption. However, when the energy reached Wanda, it dissipated entirely.

Pietro, focused on his rapid movements, didn't notice and stepped directly into the corrupted ground. Instantly, his legs felt bound by some unseen force, and he tripped, tumbling awkwardly to the ground.

This was Desecration, a death knight's ability that corrupted the earth to hinder enemies. Within this zone, Pietro's superspeed was useless, leaving him an easy target.

Garus unleashed a flurry of slowing spells, one after another, freezing Pietro in place. Shivering uncontrollably, Pietro was completely incapacitated.

Wanda, seeing her brother defeated, erupted with anger. Her chaos magic surged in power. The ghouls charging at her were instantly disintegrated, vanishing without a trace.

With the ghouls eliminated, Wanda turned and sent a wave of crimson mist hurtling toward Garus. The mist moved like a living thing, swiftly enveloping him.

Startled, Garus reflexively activated an Anti-Magic Shell, encasing himself in a protective green barrier.

The collision of green and red energies produced no sound, but the tension was palpable.

"Attack! Attack!" Carden, now back on his feet and wiping blood from his mouth, screamed manically. The base's guards opened fire, their bullets clanging harmlessly against Garus's armor. While the shots didn't do significant damage, they disrupted his spellcasting.

The strain was beginning to show. Opening the Death Gate earlier had drained most of Garus's power. His body felt hollowed out, his strength waning rapidly.

"I'm a death knight, not a mage," Garus reminded himself. When had he started relying so heavily on spells, neglecting his melee abilities?

Casting aside all reservations, Garus charged forward under the cover of his shield, ignoring the hail of bullets. He couldn't afford to delay. Who knew what reinforcements Hydra might send next?

Blood Strike!

His Runeblade glowed with a sinister crimson aura. Even before reaching Wanda, she felt her heart falter, her blood threatening to burst from her veins.

She hastily channeled her chaos magic to envelop his weapon, attempting to corrode and disintegrate it.

The two locked in a stalemate, Wanda straining to resist the blood energy's effects, while Garus fought to preserve his blade from rapid dissolution.

"Sis!" Pietro, regaining mobility, was horrified at the scene. The foe before them was far more formidable than he'd anticipated.

Gunfire suddenly erupted again. Carden, apparently unhinged, had seized a guard's weapon and was firing wildly. He didn't care about collateral damage, aiming indiscriminately at both combatants.

Wanda, preoccupied with Garus, failed to dodge in time. A stray bullet struck her abdomen, and blood blossomed across her shirt.

"You bastard!" Pietro roared. In a blur, he disarmed Carden and turned the weapon on him.

RATATATAT!

Carden's body was riddled with holes, collapsing in a bloody heap. The guards froze, unsure of what to do.

Garus and Wanda, by unspoken agreement, withdrew their respective energies. Neither had the will to continue fighting.

Author's Note: The Scarlet Witch's powers are tricky to write. If she were like her comic counterpart, the protagonist would be obliterated. If she were more like her movie portrayal, with weakened abilities such as disintegration and mind control, she might feel too underpowered.

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