Spider-Man 0X

Ch: 249 [Wanda snapped]

Thanos's brow furrowed as the temporal streams continued to encircle him, each moment a twisted reflection of his own arrogance and will. The vast rings of yellow magic and green infinity energy constricted, pulling him further into the endless cycle of fractured timelines.

The Ancient One's eyes were locked on him as she controlled the flow of time. But the more she twisted the threads of time, the more Thanos's rage began to build. He would not be contained. Not by this, not by anyone. He clenched his fist, feeling the pressure of the intense power threatening his very existence. Time itself seemed to grind against him, the weight of infinite possibilities bearing down on his shoulders. He could see his own failures—his plans crumbling, his ambition faltering—but even then, something in him stirred.

The will to win.

With a growl, Thanos turned his attention to the Space Stone. His fingers twitched as he focused every ounce of his concentration on the swirling, chaotic energy that surrounded him. He moved his finger barely while controlling the stone with his mind, the familiar blue glow of the Space Stone erupting from the gauntlet, and with a thought, the fabric of the Mirror Dimension began to tremble. The endless spirals of time cracked as he opened a rift in space.

He created a black hole.

The edges of the dimension groaned under immense pressure as the black hole expanded, its pull starting to distort the very nature of the space around them. The streams of time bent and twisted, drawn inexorably toward the singularity's center.

The Ancient One's eyes widened as she realized what was happening. She moved to close the rift, but it was already too late. That pull from the black hole was strong enough to break her attention which created an opening in her control. Thanos used Omnipresence which allowed him to exist in multiple places at once. In this case, multiple Thanos appeared around the Ancient One and they used the Power Stone to attack her from all directions, trying to push her into the black hole.

"This is the end!"

Blasts of purple energy rushed toward her.

The Ancient One couldn't use the Time Stone and stop the rift at the same time while defending against the oncoming blasts. However, she was the strongest when it came to magic and her knowledge was vast. She instantly used ancient magic. Multiple arms appeared behind her back, creating magic sigils in the air. Multiple golden magic shields appeared around her. The blasts collided with her shields, shattering them one by one. But to Thanos's surprise, she opened multiple portals that redirected the power of the Power Stone right back at him and his counterparts.

The Primary Thanos grunted in surprise. His counterparts opened multiple rifts to absorb the blasts, and then he stopped the Omnipresece, "Now, try to avoid this." He merged all the rifts together and concentrated the absorbed blast into a single powerful attack. "ARGGG!!" He threw the blast with all the strength of the Power Stone.

The Ancient One was about to use her magic, but she found herself unable to move. Thanos has already used the Mind Stone's power, telekinesis, to bind her in place. He knew her magic was too strong to be broken by a simple binding spell, but it was enough to blast her off with raw concentrated energy.

Her shields shattered like fragile glass, and the force of the explosion sent shockwaves through the collapsing realm. Golden magic crackled around her as she struggled against the bindings of the Mind Stone, but the sheer power of the blast overwhelmed her.

The Mirror Dimension fractured entirely, its broken pieces spiraling into nothingness as both combatants were hurled back into the reality of Kamar-Taj.

Thanos looked at the Ancient One, who lay on the ground, her form battered and bleeding.

His eyes glinted with dark satisfaction as he extended his gauntleted hand toward her. The Eye of Agamotto glimmered faintly on her chest, its mystical protections repelling his grasp. A surge of green energy erupted from the artifact, forcing Thanos to step back with a growl.

"Your trinkets won't save you," he snarled. His massive hand reached down and seized her by the throat, lifting her effortlessly into the air. "Remove the spell, or I'll make you suffer in ways even your wisdom cannot imagine."

The Ancient One coughed, her voice weak but steady. "You… underestimate the will of humanity… and the forces you meddle with."

Thanos's patience snapped. The Mind Stone glowed fiercely, its golden light intensifying as he invaded her mind, tearing through her memories and consciousness in search of the spell's key. The Ancient One gasped, her body convulsing as Thanos pushed deeper into her thoughts, unraveling her most closely guarded secrets.

Suddenly, a distortion in the air rippled through the sanctum. A crimson energy flared to life as Wanda Maximoff, exhausted and battered from her own battle against Knull, materialized in a flash of chaotic magic. Her gaze fell on the towering figure of Thanos holding the Ancient One aloft. The chaos magic around her flared instinctively, swirling in chaotic tendrils that lit up the room. "Let her go," she said, her voice trembling with anger and exhaustion.

"More bugs," Thanos said with a scowl. He controlled the Ancient One's mind and made her unlock the Eye of Agamotto with her magic. It opened and the time gem rose into the air. He threw her toward Wanda. But as he tried to grab the Time Stone, Wanda quickly used her last bit of Chaos Magic to throw Thanos away from the Stone. She blasted him off, at least a few km away.

As the Titan was thrown away by the blast of chaotic magic, the Ancient One regained consciousness. She gasped for air, struggling to breathe as she felt the pressure of the Mind Stone lift from her mind. Wanda rushed to help her, supporting her as she slowly rose to her feet. "Are you alright?" the girl asked. "Your arms!!" Wanda noticed her missing arms and the blood oozing out from her stomach. She was in critical condition, yet somehow maintaining her consciousness.

"Wanda, I'm fine," the Ancient One said. "What about Peter?"

"He's still fighting Knull," Wanda replied. She glanced worriedly toward the sky. "He teleported me here after Knull tried to kill me."

"Don't worry. He's strong. Right now, you have to protect the Time Stone. If Thanos gets his hands on it, he will become unstoppable."

"But what about you? You're hurt. You need medical attention."

"There's no time to waste. He's coming back."

As soon as the Ancient One spoke, a blue portal opened and Thanos walked out of it. Wanda rushed over and grabbed the Time Stone, but she wasn't in any condition to fight. She has already pushed herself to destroy the symbiotes and sever their connection with Knull.

"Surrender the Stone and I'll let you live. Resist and die like all the others."

Thanos stepped forward and extended his hand expectantly. His expression darkened when Wanda raised her fists in defiance, her crimson eyes glowing fiercely. "I'm not afraid of you," she said.

The Titan snarled. The Power Stone lit up with a violet light as he prepared to unleash its full force upon his enemies. He would tear them apart with his bare hands. He would rend them limb from limb and hang them on hooks as a warning to all those who dared to oppose his will.

Suddenly, Wanda raised her hands and unleashed a blast of crimson energy, sending Thanos stumbling back with a roar of pain. He fell to his knees, clutching at his face as blood poured down his cheeks. "You insolent child!" he spat. "You'll pay for that! I'll rip apart everyone and everything you ever cherished. I'll kill them slowly and you will watch them die, slowly while screaming in pain. That's the lesson I'll teach you for this insolence."

Thanos's words echoed into Wanda's mind.

Wanda's breath hitched as Thanos's cruel words wormed their way into her mind, each syllable like venom. The air around her began to crackle with raw, chaotic energy, her emotions stirring a storm of magic that made even the Ancient One glance at her with a mix of awe and fear.

Images flashed in Wanda's mind—Aunt May smiling as she placed freshly baked cookies on the table, Gwen's laughter echoing as she swung through the city, MJ's confident smirk as she worked on her latest song, Sue gently holding her growing belly, Michelle playfully teasing Peter, and Maddie whispering sweet nothings. They were all glowing with life, their futures filled with hope… and then, in her imagination, they were snuffed out. A crimson-streaked vision of Thanos standing over their broken, lifeless forms filled her vision.

"No…" Wanda whispered, her voice trembling. Her hands began to tremble, and her eyes glowed brighter, a deep, fiery red. The chaotic tendrils of energy around her thickened, swirling like a storm barely contained. The crown of the Scarlet Witch appeared over her head.

Thanos stood, brushing the blood from his face, his expression darkening. "Your resolve is admirable," he sneered, "but futile. They will all die. And their screams will be music to my ears."

That was the final spark. Wanda's rage erupted, obliterating what little control she had left over her powers. The ground beneath her cracked and buckled as crimson light surged outward, filling the air with raw, unbridled chaos. The Ancient One stumbled back. Without her arms, it was difficult for her to use magic, so she decided to use the power of the Dark Dimension to create a portal to go far away, leaving Thanos to Wanda.

"You won't touch them!" Wanda pointed her finger at the Titan, her voice layered with raw emotion, the echoes of her fury reverberating through reality itself. Her magic lashed out, creating a vortex that bent the very fabric of existence around them. Time and space warped, and for a moment, it felt as though all of reality trembled in response.