Chapter 8: The Operation
The resistance hideout buzzed with quiet preparation as the mission briefing concluded. Wanda stood apart from the others, her eyes fixed on the crude map spread across the table. The Hydra compound they were about to infiltrate loomed large in her mind—a labyrinth of steel and shadow, teeming with guards. She could feel the tension in the air, the unspoken fear that not everyone would make it back.
"Fear is a tool," Fracture's voice whispered in her mind, smooth and insistent. "Yours to wield against them, not to carry on your shoulders."
Wanda clenched her fist around the Chitauri Scepter, its faint hum resonating with her chaos magic. "And how do you propose I do that?" she muttered under her breath.
"Begin with their minds," Fracture replied, her tone almost soothing. "Your enemies cannot fight what they cannot understand. Confuse them. Control them. Let them destroy themselves."
Wanda's jaw tightened as the implications sank in. She had used her telepathy before, but always sparingly, as though it were a forbidden power. Now, the symbiote was urging her to embrace it fully.
"You're asking me to become like them," Wanda whispered, her voice tinged with defiance.
"No," Fracture corrected. "I am asking you to become more than them."
The steel walls of the Hydra compound loomed ahead, bathed in the pale glow of floodlights. Wanda crouched low in the underbrush alongside Eska and a handful of resistance fighters, her heart pounding in her chest. The plan was simple: the resistance would create a distraction on the south side while Wanda infiltrated through the north gate and disabled the comms tower.
Eska's hand rested on Wanda's shoulder, her grip firm. "You're the key to this, Maximoff. We'll keep them busy, but you need to get in and take out that tower before reinforcements arrive."
Wanda nodded, her grip tightening on the scepter. "I'll handle it."
As the resistance fighters moved into position, Wanda took a deep breath and let her telepathic senses extend outward. The compound was alive with minds—guards patrolling the perimeter, their thoughts a jumble of boredom and vigilance. She focused on the nearest pair, her crimson eyes narrowing as she reached into their minds.
It was easier than she expected. Their thoughts were fragile, like threads she could unravel with a single tug. A flicker of chaos magic danced at her fingertips as she planted a single command in their minds: Turn on each other.
The effect was immediate. The two guards froze, confusion flickering across their faces before one of them raised his weapon and fired. The other fell with a strangled cry, and the first guard turned his weapon on himself moments later.
Wanda exhaled slowly, the power coursing through her both exhilarating and terrifying. Fracture's voice hummed in her mind, low and approving. "Good. You see now how fragile they are. Their minds are yours to command."
Moving silently through the shadows, Wanda reached the north gate. Two guards stood watch, their weapons slung over their shoulders. She extended her senses again, brushing against their thoughts with delicate precision. Fear, pride, duty—they were a storm of emotions, easy to manipulate.
You hear something, she whispered into their minds. It's coming from inside the compound.
The guards exchanged glances, their expressions tense. One of them muttered something under his breath before they both moved to investigate, leaving the gate unguarded. Wanda slipped through without a sound, the scepter's glow dimmed to avoid detection.
Inside the compound, the air was thick with tension. Wanda could feel the weight of the mission pressing down on her, but she pushed it aside, focusing instead on the steady rhythm of her breathing and the whispers of Fracture in her mind.
"You are doing well," the symbiote murmured. "But do not grow complacent. Stealth is your ally, but ruthlessness is your strength."
Wanda's lips curled into a faint smirk as she approached a group of patrolling guards. She reached out with her mind, weaving her magic into their thoughts like a spider spinning its web. Their movements slowed, their eyes glazing over as her influence took hold.
You are tired, she whispered. So very tired.
One by one, the guards slumped to the ground, unconscious. Wanda stepped over their bodies without hesitation, her grip on the scepter tightening as she neared the comms tower.
The tower loomed ahead, its hum a low vibration in the night air. Wanda's path was blocked by three more guards, their weapons at the ready. She crouched behind a stack of crates, her crimson eyes glowing faintly as she assessed the situation.
"Now," Fracture urged. "Show them the price of standing against you."
Wanda didn't hesitate. She surged forward, the scepter crackling with energy as she swung it like a mace. The first guard crumpled under the force of the blow, his weapon clattering to the ground. The second guard turned, his eyes widening in surprise, but Wanda was faster. She drove the bottom of the scepter into his chest, the sharp tip piercing his armor and sending him sprawling.
The third guard raised his weapon, but Wanda extended her free hand, a wave of chaos magic slamming into him like a battering ram. He collapsed in a heap, his body limp and unmoving.
The comms tower was unguarded now, and Wanda wasted no time. She placed her hand against the control panel, her magic surging into the machinery. Sparks flew as the circuits overloaded, and the hum of the tower fell silent.
Shouts echoed from the compound as the resistance fighters launched their attack. Wanda turned, her heart racing as she saw a group of civilians being herded into the open by Hydra soldiers. The sight ignited a fury within her, and she gripped the scepter tightly as she moved toward them.
"Be precise," Fracture whispered. "Do not let your emotions control you. Use them to control your enemies."
Wanda extended her telepathic senses, targeting the soldiers holding the civilians at gunpoint. Their thoughts were chaotic, panicked, and she seized on that fear, amplifying it until it consumed them.
You are surrounded, she whispered into their minds. There is no escape.
The soldiers' eyes darted wildly, their hands trembling as they turned on each other in blind terror. Wanda advanced steadily, her magic flaring as she deflected stray gunfire and struck down any remaining threats with the scepter.
The civilians cowered nearby, their faces pale with fear and confusion. Wanda knelt beside a young woman clutching a small child, her voice soft but firm. "You're safe now. Go with the others."
Eska appeared at her side, her rifle slung over her shoulder. "You've got a talent for chaos, Maximoff. I'll give you that."
Wanda straightened, wiping a strand of hair from her face. "It's not chaos. It's control."
Eska chuckled, though there was an edge of unease in her tone. "Whatever it is, you're getting results."
As the mission wound down and the resistance fighters escorted the civilians to safety, Wanda felt a strange sense of calm settle over her. The battle had been brutal, but she had been in control—of her power, of her enemies, and of herself.
"You are learning," Fracture murmured, her voice laced with approval. "But there is still more to master. Mind and body alike must be unbreakable."
Wanda glanced at the scepter in her hand, its faint glow reflecting her crimson eyes. "I'll get there," she said quietly. "One way or another."
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