Chapter 247: Symbiote 0247: Extreme Measures (2/3)

Symbiote 0247: Extreme Measures (2/3)

Wanda heard the threatening scream of Bael along with Alex’s warning and widened her eyes. She instantly stopped the absorption process. As for that excess energy that was coursing through her body, “Go fuck yourself,” She brought both hands together and sent a crimson Kamehameha at Bael who had just now appeared in her vision. She released all of the energy that she had pulled from the core.

As her attack died down, the dimension’s fabric was left unstable, constantly warping as cracks appeared before disappearing. As for Bael, the demon was nowhere to be found, its physical form completely vaporized.

As for the energy that Wanda had released, it naturally found its way back to the core — its natural housing. Seconds later, the dimension stabilized as the twenty or so percent of the core became whole once again.

“Alex,” Wanda said with a heavy voice, “You didn’t think to tell me that before I started absorbing the heart?”

“My bad …” He said, appearing in front of Wanda. “I didn’t think things through beforehand and got greedy when I thought about you devouring the heart of the dimension.”

“I’m trying my best to go back home and you almost made it impossible for me to do that, Alex.” Wanda crossed her arms.

“I’ll make it up to you, okay? I promise,” He gave her an apologetic smile and hugged her. “Since you just killed this Bael guy, how about we quickly make our way to his domain and take back his fragment?

Wanda nodded and greeted a huge tear in the fabric of the dimension.

“You know where his domain is?”

“This dimension is funny,” She explained casually. “I just have to want to get to Bael’s domain. The dimensional crack that my spell created just follows my will and leads me to the spot that I want.

“Cheats, I say,” Alex shook his head as he and Wanda quickly passed through the crack and appeared in front of the fragment.

“Almost the same size as the one back at the castle,” Alex examined the large red fragment. “He could wrestle away twenty percent of it from those other demons. He must be strong.”

“Then it’s good that I killed him first,” Wanda said with violence in her voice as she waved her arm and destroyed the husk that was pulling energy from the fragment to reform itself. “I’ll take it back.” She created a vortex right under the fragment that started sucking the crystal directly into it and sent it to the remnants of the castle where she had left the main fragment.

“Are you using spells that you are already aware of or are these spells abruptly coming to your mind?” Alex said with narrowed eyes. Ever since Wanda had entered the Chaos Dimension, she had been using spells that she’d never learned in front of him.

“It’s more like an instinct,” Wanda told him. “I feel that I just know the correct spell for the occasion.”

“Be cautious, okay?” Alex said. “The spells that you’ve been using ever since you entered the dimension are of the same nature as the ones inscribed in the Darkhold. Be prudent in what spell you cast.”

“I know what I’m doing, Alex,” Wanda smiled. “But I still appreciate your concern,” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, “Get ready, we’re moving to the next closest fragment. If need be, help me pull energy from our fragment of the dimensional heart, okay?”

Alex nodded as Wanda created another crack that the duo passed through to reach the next biggest fragment.

Just as Wanda appeared, she felt a wave of powerlessness pass through her body as her energy seemed to get suppressed by her surroundings. She honed her gaze in on the source of the suppression and saw the half-formed head of the two-headed hound.

“Your brother doesn’t seem to be in the best shape right now,” Wanda said with an expression of anger as she glanced at the other end of the demon. The magic caster head seemed illusory as it continued siphoning energy from the core of the dimension to regenerate itself. The Anti-Magic head roared at Wanda but its helplessness was easily discernable from its body language.

The Scarlet Witch had no compassion for the demon and pointed her finger at it, releasing a bolt of lightning that pierced through the head of the hound. The action warped the still regenerating skeletal body of the hound into nothingness.

Wanda followed the same process as before, creating a vortex under the fragment of the dimensional heart that pulled away all of its energy and sent it to the main fragment.

“Two down, eight more left to go,” Wanda said, creating another crack in the dimension.

“Not the next biggest one,” Alex shook his head. “Find Azathoth next — that worm demon. That’s the only other one that can cause you any problems with sucking away your attacks.”

Wanda nodded, dispelling the crack and creating another, “Shall we?” She asked, turning to Alex with a casual yet slightly annoyed expression on her face.

“You’re frustrated,” Alex said.

“Not particularly, no,” Wanda said. “I still want to go back as quickly as we can.”

“You don’t have to pretend,” Alex said. “This dimension ties very closely to your origin. What you should’ve felt is comfortable and welcome here. And you didn’t.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“It’s not that … I do feel the sort of intimate connection with the dimension that you’re referring to. But that connection seems to have been distorted into an irksome feeling instead. Maybe it’s because of the inhabitants, or maybe something else, I don’t know.”

Alex nodded thoughtfully as Wanda approached the rift that she’d created, “Shall we go?” She asked.

He followed her in.

…

Wanda groaned as she felt all of her energy constantly being siphoned away from her. Her eyes honed in on the slowly regenerating figure of Azathoth. Its mouth was pointed at her, constantly devouring all of the energy that was in her body.

Wanda growled and approached the demon, “My physical strength is enough to take care of you,” She threatened and the demon indeed faltered momentarily, but it didn’t stop its absorption ability.

Just as she was about to reach the demon, Wanda felt something appear right beside her ear. “Motherfucker!” She shouted, waving her hand past her ear and hitting nothing. She then noticed the hidden figure of the Mi-go demon emerging from subspace as it continued siphoning the energy from another fragment to regenerate itself.

A depressive feeling overtook Wanda’s thoughts, making her want to — “The third is here as well …” She said distastefully while ignoring the Mi-go’s attack on her perception. The two-masked-head demon was also here, distorting Wanda’s emotions and making her alternate between extreme happiness and sadness.

Just as Wanda was pulling herself together under such attacks, Yog Whateley appeared alongside Shoggoth — both of them absorbing their respective fragment’s energy to regenerate. The former had already split into countless tiny creatures that covered the slimy body of Shoggoth which approached Wanda. She wasn’t able to react before two suction cup-like tendrils approached her head and attached themselves to the sides, right over her ears.

Wanda didn’t know what was going on, but she felt a wave of powerlessness pass through her as her physical strength seemed to get suppressed, making it hard for her to even raise her arms. At the same time, Yog Whateley was putting pressure on Alex’s protection and attempting to get inside Wanda.

She had a stern, resistive expression on her face as another demon appeared in front of her. The Cthulhu.

“Wanda Maximoff,” The Octopus-headed demon spoke as the tentacles that covered its mouth seemed to stir. Despite having her ears covered, Wanda was easily able to hear the demon as if it was speaking in her head.

“Tell me, how do you wish to die?” Wanda said hatefully.

“Commendable resistance,” The demon spoke. “But you have no power here anymore. Azathoth has the power to devour any kind of energy with no limit in sight. Once your magical energy reserves run dry, its devouring will target the electrical impulses that run through your body. It is going to start with small twitches that you don’t notice, keep going until you can’t feel entire limbs, and eventually, your entire body will be disconnected from your brain. That’s when Mi-go will take it out to eat it, she loves freshly disconnected brains, you see. Human brains are specifically a delicacy. As for your physical husk, Shoggogh is very interested in examining what that parasitic slime suit-person is that you have following you around.”

Wanda had to suppress her disgust at the vivid picture that was painted in front of her. “That’s supposed to scare me?” She asked.

“Not particularly, no. It’s supposed to make you aware of your reality. With that bastard Bael gone, I can finally take over the dimension. Nightgaunt should already be at the place where you’ve taken the Hound and Bael’s fragments. I must say, I do feel grateful for you to have come here. Your emergence helped me finally take care of Bael. The previous two entrants were … sorely lacking.”

“So that’s it?” Wanda said apathetically. “You wanted to use me to shake up your hierarchies?”

“Of course. Did you actually think that we would welcome you into the dimension with open arms? Even if you are a remnant will of the lord, you do have not the power that is needed to manage this dimension. I will take over it in your stead.”

“Alex? Is it ready?” Wanda asked, making the Cthulhu’s bulbous head twist slightly, showing a very human emotion of surprise.

In the next instant, a crimson sheet exploded out of Wanda. Unlike the usual misty energy she utilized, this was perfectly opaque, passing through each and every demon and pushing them away from her.