Chapter Text
Mother, help!
Rio froze.
"Why'd you stop?" Agatha panted. She tapped Death's shoulder. "Hey...What's wrong?"
Someone's coming for- Nicky's scream faded away as something took him.
"We have to go," she growled. Rio slid of her wife's lap. "Someone's taken Nicky." The heart in her chest began to pick up in pace.
Agatha sat up quickly and began to pull on her clothes. "When and where?"
"Eastview. Park." Rio took a deep breath. "Just now...But I don't think he's there anymore." She gripped the hilt of her dagger as her wife crackled with fury. "Agatha, we can't do anything rash. We don't know who took him."
The goddess sent her a look. "Someone's taken our son. There's no way I'm going to sit still while some fucker does who knows what to him!" Purple arced around her gloriously. It was a feat to get the woman so riled up her magic manifested in such a way. The dumb fuck would regret being born.
"I understand, but exploding will only make things worse. We need to be smart about this," Rio hissed. "We'll torture the dumbass after we rescue him." She gripped her wife's arms tightly. Agatha buzzed with so many emotions she was practically humming. "Time to wise up, detective."
The couple moved to the scene of the crime. Eastview's uptown park and play area. As far as they could tell, nothing was out of the ordinary. Well, almost nothing.
Rio took a deep breath, feeling the air with her senses and the grass under her feet. There was a scent of chaos magic, and another type. It blended the mystical arts, which left only a handful of people.
"There's a burn mark over here," Agatha said. She was crouched near a shrub. The goddess touched the black soot with a scowl. "Wanda's magic." She rubbed the ash and debris between her fingers.
Rio turned her head as familiar feet stepped onto the grass. Their smiling faces only grew as their sights landed on the couple. She narrowed her eyes as Agatha turned on the coven. They didn't know.
"Where the hell is Nicky!" Agatha's voice thundered across the park. The coven clapped hands over their ears with a wince.
Death almost pitied the adults. Almost It wasn't like watching their son was hard. He kept to himself, so how had they managed to lose him so completely. "Who else is missing?"
"Tommy," Billy choked out. Slowly, he removed his hands from the sides of his head. "What's going on?" He looked between the two with wide eyes.
Rio blistered with irritation. "Why don't any of you know that? You were just supposed to go out and eat for a little bit!" She wasn't going to be able to control her temper any better than Agatha was. Death gripped at her dagger again.
"Wanda was with him," Jen argued. "Who's stronger than her?"
Who, indeed? That was the real issue. They were up against someone who knew what they were dealing with. By why kidnap the trio? What did they want? To ransom Death and the Divine Mother? The heart in her chest clenched with fear.
Agatha gasped. "Rio, it's not..." She choked on her words as tears began to fill her eyes. "They wouldn't..."
At least Rio could assure her of that. "It shouldn't be. They would have left Wanda alone if that was the case." But the more she considered the strange circumstances, Death began to wonder anew. The Ancient Ones could certainly put a hit out on their son and force her to reap him. She had to hold on to hope that this wasn't the case. Rio had yet to feel the tug of his soul. Unfortunately, she couldn't sense his soul either. Whoever had him had sequestered Nicky away behind powerful magic. The wheel of possibilities turned once more.
The goddess composed herself, turning back to the coven. "Has anything been different? Did anyone approach you at the restaurant? Did Nicky say anything about seeing anyone?"
"Uh..." Jen and Alice shared a look. "We've not really paid attention lately," the goth mumbled.
"Yes, because you two have been too busy fucking to worry about anything else. Next," Agatha growled. She faced the Kaplan's. "Has anyone sniffed around your house lately? Anyone come to the door giving random gift baskets to Billy?"
"Not since Jen," Jeff told her. "I haven't noticed anything off lately. Well, except for a few smooshed poinsettias I was trying to nurse back to health."
"Where?" Rio asked. It might tell them who the real target was. Nicky was likely someone in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Along the back of the house, near the back door." Jeff reached for his wife's hand, stressed.
Agatha rubbed a temple with a huff. "No dice. That's Billy's doing. Don't ask questions," she was quick to tell the mortal couple. "Okay, we've got jack diddly. Spread out. Look for clues. You two," she said, pointing to Jen and Alice, "split up. I don't want any distractions. Kapeesh?"
The women nodded before moving in opposite directions.
Rio sat down and let herself sink into the grass. She pulled air into her lungs, trying to get a better sense of the other magic that had briefly clashed with Wanda's. Most magic wielders had a unique scent to their magic. A unique shade to display their skill and talent. The person who had taken her son, however, was a dabbler. It carried the scent of others on it. Had an older weight to it that didn't sit right with her.
"Find anything?" Agatha asked. There was an edge of panic in her tone. Rio knew it wasn't directed at her...yet. If they didn't find Nicky soon, Agatha would lay waste to the planet.
Death took her dagger and sunk it into the ground. She'd need an outlet for her manic energy soon, or there would be hell to pay. "We're looking for someone who has a decent amount of mastery over magic. Someone with knowledge on Wanda. Probably someone that knows her since Nicky had time to send a message." Rio stood up, eyes scanning the park. "Not much is disturbed. No one reported any witches, or S.W.O.R.D. would have been here in a heartbeat."
The goddess growled. She began to pace, her heel digging into the grass. Her expression reminded Rio of Detective Agnes. (She had called her a detective as an ill-timed joke, but maybe it was a good thing. Agatha was certainly using the skills handed to her by Wanda's hex.) "Who would want Wanda so bad that they'd kidnap children?"
They met gazes once more.
"Which Avengers can use magic?" Rio asked. She never did bother to keep track of all those brightly colored toys. They all came to her the same, broken and battered. Death never cared for them, silly things that they were. Always trying to save people, and for what? For every action was an equal and opposite reaction, or so some crazy-haired man had said. She didn't understand much of his ramblings as she ferried him over, but that was beside the point.
Agatha tapped her chin. "To be honest, I didn't pay much attention. There are just too many of those bright-eyed, goody-two-shoes." She glowered at the Kaplan's. "What if they put somebody up to it?"
"I highly doubt it," Rio laughed. "They value their own limbs far too much." She eyed the couple as they asked the park inhabitants. "Jeff is too doting, and Rebecca wouldn't betray Billy like that."
"Well, whoever it is, I'm gonna spear them Vlad the Impaler style." Agatha glared at the others. Her magic crackled around them with tiny pops. "Why couldn't they just do their damn job for once? What the fuck was the point of creating a coven when I'm still having to do all the hard bits? They're useless!"
Rio sighed through her nose. Her wife was definitely slipping into old habits. If they didn't make headway in their investigation, she was bound to say something she'd regret. "The coven's good for you. I'm sure they're good for Nicky, too. We just...dropped the ball. We should have never let him leave one of our sides."
Agatha slouched ever so lightly. Her face paled, and her eyes shifted. "Should we pay them a visit? Maybe they'll help us look."
Death laughed harshly. "As if!" She scoffed, bitter and irritated. "We have a better chance of beating down every door until we find him than we do going to those biddies. Not to mention how much they'd enjoy making us beg."
The goddess hummed, eerily silent. After a beat, she turned to face the pond. "Surely there was a sign of some sort..." She scanned the area. "Can you think of any spell I might be forgetting? Some kind of locator one?"
"There's an idea," Rio told her. "Have any personal items of his on hand?"
Agatha frowned. "Not for him, but we might have something for Wanda back at home."
"You go get it. I'll see if the others have found anything." Rio squeezed her hand before moving towards the Kaplan's. She stopped a few paces from her wife and turned back. "Nothing rash," she reminded the woman. "We can't risk him getting hurt."
Agatha clenched her jaw. "No promises." And then she was gone into the Ether and speeding away as a gentle glow of lilac light.
Death sighed heavily. She couldn't blame Agatha for how she was feeling. If anything happened to Nicky...
The ground rumbled as her anger threatened to overflow.
"Did you guys find anything?" Billy asked as he jogged over to her. "We didn't find anything over the rest of the park."
"No. Agatha's getting what she needs for a locator spell." Rio waved him along as she moved towards his mortal parents. "Any leads?"
Jeff shook his head. "No one has been here for all that long. No reports of magic or yelling or anything useful."
Rebecca rubbed her hands together. "When Wanda left, it was because Nicky and Tommy wanted to play with the ducks. They left maybe forty minutes before we left the restaurant."
Forty minutes wasn't much time. Their attacker had to have known where they were headed, and the exact time, in order to have ambushed them. Such a calculated move could only belong to one of those idiotic mortals in flashy tights.
Agatha reappeared with a red hoodie in her hand. Her blue eyes were surrounded by red. She was definitely not happy about something. "It's not working," she growled. "It doesn't know where to go."
Rio clenched her jaw. "Fuck...I can't sense their souls, Agatha. They're being held somewhere protected." She regretted delivering the news the second it left her lips.
Agatha roared her frustration, a tree exploding into purple flames. "Now you tell me!"
"We're trying to avoid a spectacle," Rio reminded. "If they know we're onto them, they might move Nicky and the others." She would wreak havoc later. Her son was too important to lose thanks to an ill-timed temper tantrum. Something Agatha couldn't seem to understand in the moment.
Billy muttered an incantation and pulled water from the pond to put the tree out.
Agatha rounded on him with waving hands. "What the hell do you think you're doing! There are people around us."
"I'm putting out your fire," he huffed. "Forgive me for wanting to do the right thing."
"This isn't about heroics, Billy! This is about the mess your sneaking around probably caused," the goddess growled. "I told you someone probably saw you levitating, but you wouldn't listen."
"We levitated all the time in your backyard," Billy argued. "How is that any different?" He took a step forward, chest puffing in that irritating display of maleness.
Agatha stepped right up to him, a finger pointing in his direction. "I had a privacy shield up, you dunce-capped dolt. No one could see what was going on around the house unless they were a part of the coven."
Rio pushed the two apart as they drew closer with matching glares. "We don't have time for your petty squabbling. Focus, Agatha!"
Her wife combed her hair back, one hand on her hip. "Can't use magic to find them at all. We need a clue. A lead of some sort. Someone had to have been interested in Wanda and left a sign. She rarely leaves home, so who could have seen her? How would they know she's alive and still in the area?"
Billy's eyes widened. His face fell, drawing everyone's attention. "Mr. Vincent," he gasped. "He really liked my art piece."
Rio had a sinking suspicion it was the same art piece he'd been working on for some time. She'd heard him ramble on about it to Bobby in the week she was gone.
"What. Did You. Draw?" Agatha's tone was low and dangerous. Rio could practically taste the fires of her wife's rage. This conversation was not going to end well.
The teen hunched his shoulders in self-defense. "It wasn't much. Just a sketch of the coven," he told her. He scuffed the grass with the toe of his shoe. "But he mentioned the Maximoff Anomaly earlier." Billy winced. "And I mentioned we were going out to eat."
Rio wrapped her arms around Agatha before the witch had time to attack anyone. Her wife screamed, spit flying. This time, trees were uprooted and burned to ash. Death held her tightly for fear of Agatha hurting a mortal. The Ancient Ones would have a field day with her if she did. "Cálmate, mi amor."
"Don't tell me to calm down," the goddess growled. "Our son is probably halfway to an Avenger compound for testing because Billy No Brains doesn't know how to keep his damn mouth shut!"
"They're heroes. They wouldn't hurt him," Billy argued. Rio didn't miss how red his eyes were or the way his mascara began to run down his cheeks.
"Heroes!" Agatha cackled, her magic crackling and popping around them. "Wanda was a hero too, but that didn't stop her from tearing across the multiverse and killing hundreds. There are no such things as heroes, Billy. There's just a bunch of people who think they're right and will do anything to impose their will."
"Sounds just like you except they didn't hide behind their trauma," he shot back. Blue sparked around him, a lamppost light popping nearby. "I'm not a coward like you. I'm going to use my magic for good, and I'm going to use it to save my brothers and mother. I'll make them understand."
Rio shot Billy a glare. "That's a party foul, kid. Same goes for you, Agatha. We need to keep our heads. We have a suspect, now let's go sniff him out." She released her wife slowly, just in case Agatha decided to strangle him.
"Now, you call her mother," Agatha grumbled. She fixed her coat and glowered at the coven.
"She's better than you," the teen huffed. He opened his mouth to add another comment before shaking his head. "You're not worth the energy. We'll get more clues at the school." He flew away, not bothering to look back at the others.
Rio wanted to cut everyone up if only to ease the growing tension. They didn't have time for the mother-son pair to be at odds with one another. But she also knew those words had cut her wife deeply. "Agatha-"
"I'm fine," her wife bit out. She refused to meet Rio's eye. "Let's just get to the school. To hell with the rules. I've already given us away." Agatha brushed past her before taking to the skies.
Death shook her head. "You two should stay away just in case," she warned the Kaplan's. "I can't guarantee your safety."
Rebecca nodded. "Call us if you need anything."
Rio mumbled a thanks before sinking into the ground. "School," she ordered the coven before the dirt finished swallowing her up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Agatha reached the school shortly after Billy did. She could see traces of his charged magic like glitter forming a shimmering road. She grumbled to herself about his foolishness as she entered the building. Class was already out, so the halls were blessedly empty. Agatha followed Billy's path until she reached the art room. Her son pupil stood at the teacher's desk. He didn't bother to turn and acknowledge her. (He probably wouldn't for some time.)
"Any clues?" she managed to say without dissolving into a rambling mess. (She'd worry about apologizing later. Right now was about Nicky.)
Billy glared at her over his shoulder. "Just an empty room."
She stepped up next to him and fought back tears as he stepped away. Agatha pushed the hurt to the back of her mind and opened the portfolio. The evidence was damning. Not only was her own face in great detail, but so was Rio's, Wanda's, and Jen's. Whoever this 'Mr. Vincent' was, he now had four faces of the most infamous witches to roam the earth. Agatha closed it, choosing not to comment on the contents. "Do a sweep of the school. You find anything, you let me know first." She exited the room, never once having made eye contact with her son student for a second time.
Was she being dramatic about Billy's hand in everything? Maybe. But she had every right to be. Three members of her family had been kidnapped because the Maximoff still didn't think before opening his mouth. An Avenger had Wanda, which spelled disaster for her. She wasn't exactly forgiven for the atrocities she caused while under the influence of the Darkhold. Tommy was a new mutant that the group would want to exploit immediately. And Nicky? Nicky was just a child. But he was with Wanda, so they'd probably poke and prod at her son with needles and all sorts of other barbaric instruments. The very thought brought more tears to her eyes.
The air grew thick as Rio slid to her side. "There's a giant hole in this school that I can't see into," her wife informed. "And there are runes all around it."
"We've found our holding cell then." Agatha turned to face her wife. "If we go in there, I need you to stay off to the side. I can't promise to keep my anger in check, so one of us needs to be available for Nicky."
"Agatha," Rio hissed.
"I'm serious," she told Death. "You're on thin ice, but I'm not."
Rio gripped her shoulders tightly, fingers digging into her skin. "Don't do anything stupid," she growled. "We can save him without incurring their wrath. We grab them and we get the hell out. Wanda can throw up a hex around the house and-"
"And I can spend another three years in a damn hex?" Agatha scoffed. "Thank you, but no. Look, I don't plan on killing anybody. But if I can persuade them into thinking we're not worth pursuing..." She gave her wife a tight grin. "It'll work. If not, I've got magic to make them forget. I just need to get in that room and distract them long enough for you to have Billy and the others tear those sigils down from the outside."
Rio grit her teeth, eyes flashing green ever so briefly. "That's more doable, but still just as risky. You're immortal, Agatha, but you're not invincible."
Agatha cupped her wife's face and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I'm enough to get our family out of that room. I'm counting on you to do what I can't. Rally the coven. Get rid of those sigils. I'll handle the big bad. Just like old times."
Death pulled her in for another quick kiss.
They knew she couldn't die, but she could definitely be hurt. That, in and of itself, was a painful thought for Death to bear. The Divine Mother was already weak thanks to the sun. Facing off with whoever was inside that room would likely wound her in some capacity. It didn't sit well with the cosmic entity. They both had hoped things would be different now that she was immortal.
"Go. Get the others."
Rio tilted her head to the side, words hanging on her lips. "Head down the hall and go left. The double doors should be a way in," her wife said instead of whatever sappy confession she had. (The goddess made a note to coax it out of her later once they did a victory tour.)
Agatha squared her shoulders with a nod. "See you in a bit, my love." She stepped away from the cosmic entity and towards the end of the hall. The pressure in the air righted itself as Rio moved away to inform the others of her plan. She reached the double doors and steeled herself. With a deep breath, she threw the doors open and stepped inside.
Wanda was floating in mid-air with a band of deep orange magic surrounding her. (She looked a bit like the way Agatha had imprisoned her when she was interrogating her about the hex.) Nicky and Tommy were sat on the floor not far from her. They, too, were bound. What really set Agatha's blood aflame was the gag placed over their mouths. She turned towards the culprit, lips curling.
"Stephen Strange...Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," she bit out. The witch stepped deeper into the room, eyes searching for any hidden helpers.
The sorcerer looked at her, brows rising ever so slightly. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
Agatha shrugged. "Aren't you?"
He scowled at her. "What do you want? I'm busy with something." The physician turned 'protector' lowered Wanda to the ground.
The goddess strolled around the spacious gym with a hum. "See, that's just the thing, Strange. You've sort of got my coven members tied up. Not a fan, if I'm being honest." She eyed his outfit. "Woof. When'd you get that dusty old thing? The government couldn't spring for a nicer suit? The cape's fine, but the rest..."
The man ignored her comments regarding his outfit. "You don't have a coven," he argued. "You're just a serial killer without her fancy book."
She pulled a face as she shrugged. "Dearie, me. My feelings are so hurt. Mind you, you had to use said fancy book just to take Lil' Wandsy down."
Strange rolled his eyes. "I'm not giving you Wanda, Agatha. So, turn around and go home." He waved her off as if he were shooing a stray dog away.
Her eyes flitted over to her sons as they pulled at their bindings. Agatha looked over at Wanda. He'd started binding her magic. She bristled. "Why do you have them gagged? They're children." She waved a hand, just to test the level of his runes. No purple came bounding forward. "Pity," she muttered to herself. She'd have to wait just a little bit longer.
The Not-So-Good Doctor laughed. "Not so powerful now, are you? You can thank Wanda for that." He moved her behind him and put her in a bubble. "I'm not giving you the children either. We both know your reputation regarding children."
"Another child sacrifice?" Jen's words rang in her ears, stoking her ire.
"As it so happens, there's no one to sacrifice children to. I'm actually more interested in eating them these days. That one," she said, pointing to Tommy, "has been marinating for a few months. He'll be extra tasty once I get him quartered and roasted." For some odd reason, her older son bobbed his head in agreement. She'd check on that one later.
"Don't you get tired of going around making places worse?" Strange asked her. He snapped his fingers, the doors slamming shut. A rune appeared over the white paneling. "The Avengers will be here soon. I guess you can take a ride with the others."
Agatha stuffed her hands in her pockets with a chuckle. "That's pretty funny. You should have been a comedian. You already dress like a clown."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "You look old, Agatha. How long before you finally shrivel up and die? Will you even have anyone to mourn you?"
Had anyone mourned her when she died? There was Rio, of course, but did anyone else stop and think fondly of her? She hated how it ate at her. That uncertainty. Would anyone miss her if she were to die now? But then she heard a muffled shout that could have only come from Nicky, and she strengthened her resolve.
"I may look old, but that's because my wife likes me this way. Makes her feel younger than she is," she said with a laugh. She resumed her strolling. Maybe he'd lose his patience and blast her. Those were always fun ways to steal power. She ignored the implications of why it was so easy for her to annoy people.
"You're not married."
"You also said Wanda didn't have any children, yet here we are." Agatha laughed as his face twisted like he'd sucked a sour lemon. "Oh, don't worry! I know all about your little stint with Wanda. My wife informed me in great detail. She enjoyed watching the way necks were snapped, and heads were exploded. Personally, I see nothing wrong with what she did," Agatha said, holding her hands up in a half shrug. "But the wifey did say you taunted her first, so...Maybe learn how to talk to grieving mothers and you wouldn't lose a bunch of men in tights."
Strange glared at her. "They were good people," he growled.
Agatha blew a raspberry and waved him off. "Don't give me that load of crap. They were arrogant fools who thought they could overpower a woman who just wanted to see her kids again. I, myself, have some experience in that department."
"Then you shouldn't have sold your child for the Darkhold," the man laughed.
The goddess stopped moving, her blue eyes shifting towards the 'hero'. "I never sold my child," she informed calmly. "But again, how would you know?" Agatha finally moved towards her children. She rested a hand on each of their heads. "I created my son from magic you would never be able to understand with a woman you could never hope to best." Nicky and Tommy looked up at her. They leaned into her touch, eyes softening.
Strange pulled them away from her. They joined the bubble with Wanda. "You're a sick woman," he spat. "Those children aren't yours to take."
Agatha slowly closed her hands over the air that had once been her sons. She raised her eyes to glare at the man. Her magic pulsed beneath her skin as her breathing deepened. She bared her teeth.
The door burst open as Thor and Iron-Man stepped in. They trained their sights on her, weapons raised.
Strange made sure to shut the door once more, a smile twitching into place. "This is where you put your hands on your head," he told her. "It's about time someone got justice for all your victims. How many of them are there, exactly? Did you ever count?"
The northernmost wall shook, dust falling to the floor in a soft patter. Agatha smirked.
" "Course I did. I'm someone who likes to be the best. Can't really beat your body count, though, can I? Half the Universe died because of you." She cracked her neck as the wall shook a second time. "I left a lot of people alone for the sake of children. I mean, I still killed a fuck-ton, but that was more for my wife." Agatha gestured to a darkened corner. "Shouldn't have opened the door boys. She gets ever so mad when she's left out."
Death stepped out of the shadows, skeletal face on display. It was enough to have the Avengers take a step back each time she took one forward. Rio stepped up to Agatha. "Almost through," she informed with a purr.
Agatha brought her hands together as the thrum of her magic and anger began to increase. She leaned forward, confident and collected. "I will give you one warning. Release Wanda and the boys, and I'll let you go. Refuse, and I can't be held accountable for my actions."
Thor aimed his hammer at Death. "Shouldn't you be working?"
The goddess shifted her gaze to the Asgardian. "Excuse me?" she laughed. "Don't tell my wife what to do." Agatha shared a look with Rio. "I didn't even know that one could speak. Loki was always the better brother in my opinion."
"Enough," Iron-Man ordered. "Surrender yourself, or lethal action will be taken."
The walls had stopped shaking. Agatha mouthed a 'sorry' to Rio before jerking towards the tin-can man. He fired a blast at her and sent her crashing into a window. It cracked, but didn't give way. She grit her teeth as she stood. "What the hell was that? I thought you were guys had all these juiced up weapons. That wouldn't kill a fly, much less an ant. Pathetic!"
Thor furrowed his brows in confusion. The poor ape didn't know how to grasp the situation. He swung his hammer at her.
Agatha dived from the top of the bleachers down to the court. She landed in a heap but was still very much alive. Rio took a step towards her, but Agatha raised her hand. "No interfering, my love." She wiped her chin where blood from a busted lip had run down. "You can lick that later," she promised the cosmic entity. Agatha sent her a wink as she got back up.
The hammer, at least, had made a small hole in the wall. Unfortunately, it didn't hit the rune. She'd need more to get full range of her magic. However, it was enough for Rio to slip through if needed.
"Be a dear and see what's taking the others so long," Agatha told her wife. Rio looked between her and the losers. "I'll be fine," she laughed. "I'm having a grand old time. Haven't had this much fun since you and I last did this dance."
Death glared at the men before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke.
The runes were hurting her wife, Agatha realized. It was only in a small capacity, but no one was allowed to hurt her wife but her. Agatha's rage coiled tighter. "Don't worry about her. She was just here in case I make a mess of things. Now, where were we? Oh, yes! My little ducklings. Hand them over, and nobody gets hurt."
"We have you surrounded," Thor laughed. "You haven't a lick of magic, woman."
Agatha smirked despite the glare in her eyes. "Is that what you think? Did Wanda tell you that before you turned on her?" The witch cackled; head thrown back. "Maybe you should check up on feeble women more often. As you can see, we have a habit of returning with a vengeance."
The walls began to shake anew. This time, the three outer sides vibrated. More dust was kicked up into the air.
"What are you doing?" Strange asked. He raised a shield to protect his and the Avengers' heads from falling debris.
Agatha wiggled her fingers as the roof began to open up little by little. Her magic tingled and cracked and sparked as the runes began to give way. "You thought you could go toe to toe with the likes of Agatha Harkness?" She cackled manically.
Strange moved to transport his bubbled captives, but Agatha was quicker. Purple flared to life and shattered the feeble conjuration. He turned to face her, face reddening. "I won't let you have them. You're worse than Wanda." (There it was again. Another calling her second-rate when it came to the other woman.)
Her magic arced around her like electricity. She weaved her fingers and magic round and round. The ape and dented can of lentils were slammed into a wall. The feeble structure finished giving out on top of them.
"You're damn right I'm more dangerous," she cackled. Agatha felt her rage reach a fever pitch as the sorcerer took hold of Nicky. Before she could even stop herself, her magic whipped around the room. It grabbed the sorcerer and slammed him into the ground.
Strange held her off, his magic just as potent. He reached out a second time, aiming for Tommy.
Agatha snapped as his magic bruised the teen's arm. "You're hurting him!" She needed more power. Needed to ruin the man for all eternity.
The ground shook as she extended her might outwards. What remained of the gym was blasted away from the court. Agatha lifted her hands to the sky, her coat elongating and glowing. Her hair fully turned white, and her eyes shone brightly. Overhead, the sun was forced down as the moon rose to full height.
Stephen Strange didn't look so high and mighty now.
"How are you...?"
Agatha laughed at him, her voice booming across the town. "Don't you know a god when you see one?" She fired a blast at him.
The sorcerer's shield held, but only barely. He struggled under the force of the spell. He dug his heels into the slick court flooring as he was pushed back. Strange tried to send the trio away through a portal, but Agatha snapped it shut.
"I've killed gods before," he laughed. "You're no different, Agatha Harkness." The man used his magic to sling chunk of rubble after chunk at the woman.
She grinned. Agatha swatted the debris away as if it were nothing more than pebbles. She conjured a hand with her magic and moved to grip the man. Unfortunately, the two-toned tin can shot her in the back with a firmer blast of whatever his power came from.
Thor appeared from above and swung his hammer down.
The goddess scoffed. She held up a hand and caught the flat of an edge. Agatha didn't stop the movement, but she did redirect its path towards the ground. The Asgardian used the distraction to swing a fist at her. He caught her in the chest and sent her flying.
Agatha slowed herself in mid-air. "Oh," she teased. "Almost got me with that one." She flicked a wrist and undid the bindings around her trapped covenmates. "Give Mama a second, boys. She's enjoying her game too much."
The three charged her again. She dodged the hammer again but took a blow from Aluminum-Foil Boy. Agatha gripped him by the throat and swung him into the beefcake. She turned her sights back on Strange who was preparing to recapture Wanda.
"I gave you your warning," she growled. "But you can't leave well enough alone." Agatha coiled her magic and shot it forward like a spear.
Strange gasped as it pierced through a lung. She wasn't aiming to kill, but he'd been in the middle of performing a spell. Her purple immediately drunk in his magic.
Agatha tipped her head back at the rush with a moan. She'd gone so long without a pure hit since reforming. Wanda's magic was tasty, but it wasn't the same as draining the life force from a body. The way it tingled on her tongue like a fizzy drink. Agatha inhaled the ancient magic voraciously. Sunk her teeth into the vastness and feasted.
"NO," Rio shouted. But it was too late.
The corpse of Dr. Stephen Strange thudded to the ground.
Agatha heaved in a breath as her pulse settled. She turned her gaze back to the two Avengers. "Come after my family again, and there will be hell to pay," she warned. "Leave."
"You won't get away with this," Thor growled.
Agatha flicked him away with her magic. Her and Odin would have a chat about his little monster another day. Right now, the goddess was buzzing with energy. She'd moved the moon.
She'd moved planets for a power boost. If that didn't scream powerful, she didn't know what did. The Moon Goddess drifted down to hover inches off the ground. The earth shuddered under her proximity. She would need to pull this card out more often now that she knew she had it.
"What do you think, Hot Stuff?" She shimmied her shoulders, white hair drifting as if she'd turned the gravity off to her body.
A beam of light struck her. White hot and full of rage. Agatha gasped and lurched back as she was raised into the air. A small part of her wanted to laugh. She probably looked like she was being abducted in one of those cheesy sci-fi movies.
"Mom," Billy shouted. He tried to fly to her, but Wanda held him back.
The goddess tried to reassure her coven. Tried to explain what was happening, but the pain in her body had closed up her throat. She clenched her eyes shut as the light yanked her up like a bad puppet being pulled from rotation.
Rio gave a strangled cry and fell to her knees as a card floated down in her wife's wake. Death didn't need to pick it up to know what it said. She knew. Rio clawed at the ground with a roar as the coven moved to comfort her.
A gust flew the card over to taunt the cosmic entity. Its message was displayed in sprawling cursive that only belonged to one group. The coven leaned forward, unsure of its meaning.
Agatha Harkness...Your presence is requested.