American comics: From Hogwarts to God on Earth

Chapter 168 Conflict

A rough-looking man with a thick beard came to Rune's workshop.

"What requires you to manipulate puppets—" Logan stopped speaking before he could finish. There was something else mixed in with the scent of Rune's workshop—a scent he thought he would never smell again.

"This can't be!" he muttered to himself, his adamantium claws involuntarily extending three inches from his fingers. He turned his head.

Adjusting its angle like a wolf tracking scent. That faint fragrance—a blend of jasmine and sandalwood—hidden beneath was a surge of magical energy, like an electric current. It was the Scarlet Witch's scent.

Logan's muscles tensed. Some time had passed since M-Day, and since Wanda Maximoff's declaration, "No more mutants," which stripped millions of mutants of their powers, no one had seen her. Some said she was imprisoned by the Avengers, others said she had gone mad, exiling herself to some corner of the world. And now, she was actually in Rune's workshop?

"By Charles," Logan stared directly at Rune, "you found her, didn't you? You found the Scarlet Witch!"

Rune nodded, and Wolverine immediately asked, "Where is she?"

"She'll be back soon," Rune said. It wasn't just Logan who was summoned by Rune, but also the other heroes who had previously obtained the puppet.

Erica arrived with her boyfriend Daredevil, and they sat down on the sofa together. Daredevil stared intently at Rune, probably having heard from someone that Rune had killed Kingpin.

After the Punisher entered, he stood in the corner, accompanied by Moon Knight. At this moment, Moon Knight was not wearing a mask, but was dressed in an exquisite suit and holding a cane. He didn't look like a superhero, but rather like a shrewd businessman.

When Rune looks at him, he will smile at Rune.

At this point, Moon Knight should be called Steven Grant. He is Mark Spector's millionaire persona, and he is indeed a corporate president. Most of the money he earns is used to upgrade Moon Knight's equipment.

The little rascal yawned, giving Rune a sidelong glare: "I feel like I can sleep for another five hours, oh my god—"

Blade stood there silently, saying nothing.

Last but not least, the Scarlet Witch arrived, carrying a child in her arms. Frankly, it was just a research facility; what threat could they pose to the Scarlet Witch? Wanda could annihilate a research facility in seconds—even if it contained a large number of superhumans.

"Thomas Shepard?"

Scarlet Witch nodded, and Rune was quite satisfied. Although he didn't care whether Wanda would take children from other families to raise, if Scarlet Witch was willing to understand the feelings of other families, it meant that if Rune wanted her to do something that would harm her own interests, he would have a chance to gain Wanda's understanding.

Wolverine walked up to Scarlet Witch. Wanda glanced at Wolverine and Scarlet Witch.

"You've come to kill me?" Wanda's voice was soft, yet sharp as a blade.

Logan didn't answer, but simply sniffed the air, his gaze passing over her and landing on the sleeping Thomas. "Is that your child?"

"Yes, he is my child." Her tone left no room for doubt, and the energy of chaotic magic flowed around her, causing the temperature in the room to drop suddenly.

Although it was indeed strange to encounter the missing Scarlet Witch here, Rakshasa thought for a moment, then stepped forward and said firmly, "You can't just take him away like this."

"Why? Because you think I'll go mad again? Because you're afraid of me?" At this moment, the Scarlet Witch's eyes were obscured by the dissipating chaotic energy, displaying a crimson appearance, and the red light at her fingertips grew increasingly intense. Everyone present, except for Rune, became alert.

Logan sighed. "You know perfectly well that your child's existence is inherently unstable. He is Wanda, whom you created with magic. If he disappears again, can you bear it?"

Wanda's fingers tightened slightly, while in her arms, Thomas stirred gently in his sleep, completely unaware that he was becoming the center of this confrontation.

"He's no longer that deformed creature created by magic, and I've already lost them once, Logan." Her voice was low and broken. "I won't let anyone take him away again."

The Rakshasa sighed, removed her gloves, revealing hands that could drain life force: "We are not enemies, Wanda. But it is my responsibility to ensure he does not become the next victim of a reality warp."

The immense chaos magic distorted Wanda's voice, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips: "So you're here to 'monitor' me?"

"We're here to help you." Logan took a step forward, his adamantium claws still gleaming coldly. "But if you insist on repeating the same mistakes, we won't stand idly by."

Just as it seemed the two sides were about to fight, Rune stood up: "Alright, Scarlet Witch is mine now."

She will not stay in your universe anymore.

"No!" Wolverine and Rakshasa shouted at the same time.

Rune frowned: "I'm doing this for your own good. The chaotic energy within the Scarlet Witch will gradually affect her mind, and she's already becoming somewhat mentally unstable."

"Do you think she'll be alright with you?" Wolverine retorted, and to his surprise, Rune actually nodded.

"Of course, the Scarlet Witch's power originates from Sythorn, and his power is constantly eroding Wanda's sanity, but—" Rune glanced at Wanda and continued, "If I take her to other universes, then Sythorn's power will be weakened due to the inherent defenses of those universes..."

That's right, Rune is referring to the Wall of Origin, but actually, this thing doesn't have the function of blocking energy.

Rune's real goal is to introduce Marvel's magic system into DC. He doesn't want the Hanged Man to come to the Light Multiverse in the future and wipe out most of the world's magicians with a snap of his fingers. Rather than using it secretly and getting punished in the end, it's better to "borrow" from the beginning. If you borrow and return, it's not difficult to borrow again.

Xithorn was certainly not the first choice for runes. He was brutal and dark, far less virtuous than the Vishanti. He was even less virtuous than Cyttorak, the evil god who granted the Juggernaut his power. At least Cyttorak's crimson chains were frequently used by the mages of Kamar-Taj—which usually indicated that the spell was effective and cost-efficient.

But there was nothing he could do; the only evil god Rune could contact right now was this Sithon. Rune just hadn't expected that even with his explanation, Wolverine and Rakshasa still looked completely unconvinced.

"Ah, I really didn't expect this, Logan." Rune waved his hand, and everything around him was covered with magic. The air suddenly rippled like water, and the light was stretched into flowing golden threads. The surrounding walls twisted like melting honey, and the entrance to the mirror dimension slowly unfolded like a curtain tearing through reality. Blue-green energy patterns intertwined in the air to form a complex star map, and every trace of light seemed to pulsate with life.

Wolverine and Rakshasa were pulled into this strange mirror dimension almost instantly. The whole world was like a shattered mirror thrown into a prism, with everything around them folding and growing at an angle that defied the laws of physics.

"Last time, another you fought alongside me." Rune snapped his fingers, and countless tiny crystal fragments cracked open at the top of the ceiling, each fissure reflecting another spinning magic workshop. "Now that I see you again, you want to fight me? And that Rakshasa woman—"

"Have I been too lenient with you?"