Watching the crimson energy around Wanda gradually recede, Heisenberg let out a quiet sigh of relief.
That was... genuinely startling for a Kryptonian.
If you had to ask who Heisenberg feared most on this Earth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
Honestly, there was only one: the Scarlet Witch!
Because Wanda, even up to the end of Endgame, was still in a phase of growing power.
Judging purely from what the movies showed, Wanda had never once demonstrated a clear upper limit!
Unlike the Hulk, whose limit in this cinematic universe was taking fourteen punches from Thanos...
Unlike Thor, whose peak was Stormbreaker Thor, nearly killing a six stone Thanos with a single axe throw.
And definitely unlike Captain America, whose limit was wielding Mjolnir, his shield, and an axe simultaneously, the true master of the cosmic fifty fifty split.
But Wanda's limit...
At least until the end of the cinematic saga, no one knew just how strong she truly was!
And if it were just raw power, Heisenberg wouldn't have been too concerned.
But Wanda's strength was precisely the kind of mental and psychic power that Kryptonians dreaded most!
Right from her debut, she had toyed with the minds of the entire Avengers team!
Iron Man was still traumatized by it, Thor had never fully recovered his confidence, and the fact that Cap could go back to dance with Peggy was almost certainly influenced by Wanda's illusions!
Therefore...!
The instant Wanda showed signs of losing control, Heisenberg pulled out the Mind Scepter and hit her with a full on blast of the Mind Stone!
And this marked the very first time Heisenberg had actively used an Infinity Stone!
So, in a way, he gave his "first time" to Wanda?
Ahem...
Anyway, Heisenberg held the Mind Scepter and, while attuning to the Mind Stone, commanded Wanda to fall asleep!
He had no interest in negotiating with a chaotic mess. Given Wanda's current state of heartbreak and confusion, who knew what she might do with her chaos magic!
And so, while manipulating the Mind Stone, Heisenberg spoke gently to Wanda.
"Sleep, Wanda. Don't think about..."
"Thank you, Mr. Heisenberg. I feel much better now. It doesn't hurt as much anymore!"
Before Heisenberg could finish, Wanda had already expressed her gratitude with a face full of serene calm.
Her speech was perfectly fluent, showing absolutely no sign of drowsiness whatsoever!
Hearing her words of thanks and seeing that expression of peace and even happiness on her face...
Heisenberg blinked in surprise and secretly increased the output from the Mind Stone.
"Uh, Wanda, I know you've been trapped in your grief, but it's all in the past now. You need to look forward. So just rest first!"
He said this while commanding the Mind Stone to operate at full power.
Five seconds later.
Wanda was still blinking her big eyes, gazing at Heisenberg with perfect serenity...
"Alright, fine. Enough of that."
Heisenberg sighed and put the scepter away, shoving the useless thing back into his pocket. Then he asked Wanda softly.
"You came here to ask for the Mind Stone so you could resurrect your lover, Vision, correct?"
"Yes, Mr. Heisenberg. I'm very sorry.
My sudden intrusion seems to have interrupted your... hunting expedition."
"Emm, that's nothing..."
Heisenberg shook his head and continued with a wry smile.
"I'll be straight with you. You want me to leave the Mind Stone here in your universe. That's absolutely impossible.
Because each universe has only one Mind Stone. There can only be one.
If my stone stays here, the Mind Stone native to this universe will never be reborn along with the other five stones.
In other words, if I leave this stone behind, at least one of our two universes will forever be missing an Infinity Stone.
You understand that, right?"
He looked at Wanda, waiting for her answer...
Wait. It seemed he didn't need an answer.
Because the woman who had been perfectly calm just seconds ago was once again consumed by impulse and agony!
The chaos magic that had settled down mere moments before erupted from Wanda's entire body.
"Mr. Heisenberg, are you telling me that even though the very gem that created my beloved is right in front of me, I cannot use it to save him?!
Is that it?!"
BOOM!!!
In the blink of an eye, crimson energy exploded outward. The massive Hollywood sign was instantly obliterated, and that was just the shockwave.
The main force of that energy was entirely focused on Heisenberg!
Heisenberg instantly experienced the same "pleasure" Thanos had felt. A sludge like energy lifted him into the air.
And that energy was relentlessly prodding at Heisenberg's mind, flooding him with increasingly violent impulses!
Without hesitation, Heisenberg yanked out the Mind Scepter again. With strength far surpassing Thanos, he pushed through Wanda's telekinetic hold and pressed the scepter firmly against her chest once more!
Moments later, the crimson energy vanished completely, and the pressure on Heisenberg disappeared.
And Wanda? Her face was as calm as it had been before.
"I understand, Mr. Heisenberg. What's past is past. I shouldn't keep dwelling on a past that can never return."
"Mm hmm. I hope you truly understand."
Heisenberg nodded and retrieved the scepter.
And indeed, Wanda did not go berserk again.
The two of them floated in the air, staring at the newly destroyed Hollywood Hills in silence for a moment.
Then, Wanda pursed her lips and smiled. Heisenberg was startled by the sudden change.
"Suddenly smiling? Well, as long as you're happy."
Heisenberg commented, and Wanda rolled her eyes at him after hearing the question.
"You were in New York, and New York vanished. You're in Los Angeles, and Hollywood Hills vanish. Are you really Superman?
You're more like America's Destroyer."
"Haha, fine. Call it what you want."
Heisenberg shrugged helplessly. America's Destroyer it was. Given his fighting style, he'd probably end up wrecking even more American cities...
Then it hit him!
"Wait a minute! Hollywood Hills was your doing. You can't pin that on me!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Wanda flinched. She stared in shock at the ruined mountainside before her!
The devastation was absolute. The shattered Hollywood letters and the cratered hillside made Wanda clutch her head in anguish.
"I lost control again, didn't I? It's always like this. I can't control my own power anymore!!!
Why was I given this power? Why must I go through all of this?!
I wish the whole world had never exis... mmph."
Wanda, on the verge of another outburst, looked down speechlessly at her chest. Pressed against the pale, ample softness she'd once found awkward but now took pride in, was that familiar stick once again!
She looked at Heisenberg with a face full of serene calm, tinged with a hint of helplessness.
"Sir... I apologize for the trouble!"
"It's fine. Just... try to control your emotions. These constant outbursts aren't good for you."
Heisenberg said as he put the Mind Scepter away again and pointed to Wanda's head.
"Do you know where your power comes from?"
"Of course. I was experimented on by HYDRA using the Mind Scepter, so..."
"Hold on."
Heisenberg cut her off and raised the Mind Stone.
"This gem is right here. Do you really think your power comes from it?"
He brought the scepter closer to Wanda.
Sensing the gem's proximity, Wanda quieted her mind and tried to connect with it. But in the end, she shook her head helplessly.
"All I feel from the gem is peace and familiarity. It feels... like an old friend!"
"Exactly! Like a friend!"
Heisenberg nodded with a smile and continued to explain.
"Your situation is similar to Captain Marvel's. Both of you are naturally gifted.
The Infinity Stones weren't the source of your powers; they were the keys that unlocked your innate potential.
The impact of the Space Stone unlocked Carol's Binary form, granting her the power of a Nova.
And the Mind Stone connected you to the Dark Dimension, earning you the favor and investment of Chthon.
That's why the Mind Stone feels so familiar to you. It didn't create you, but it guided you.
Oh, and you might not know who Chthon is. Don't worry about that.
All you need to know is that every time you lose control, you take one step closer to the darkness!"
Heisenberg gave Wanda a deep, meaningful look.
"Don't force me to kill you. That... wouldn't bring good feelings to either of us!"
As he spoke, Heisenberg sighed internally.
He could kill Marvel without a second thought because he had always disliked her.
But for Wanda, whom he didn't dislike and actually somewhat admired...
He wouldn't resort to lethal measures so easily.
And what about Wanda at this moment?
Who knows if Heisenberg's words had an effect. She lowered her head, seemingly lost in thought.
Then, she suddenly looked up.
In that instant, Heisenberg clearly saw the look in her eyes. The pain within them far surpassed any of her previous outbursts.
She appeared incredibly calm, yet behind that calm exterior, Heisenberg could almost see a boundless, heaven spanning darkness!!!
At the same time, Wanda spoke.
"The Mind Stone is the key to my power?!
And that's why it feels familiar to me?!
Everything about my beloved came from the Mind Stone. The reason I fell in love with him was because he brought me peace and tranquility!
So I never had a lover. It was all just the Mind Stone!!!"
"Stop!"
Heisenberg was utterly speechless. A woman in love was terrifying enough, but now he was dealing with a woman who had lost that love, and one he actually found somewhat endearing...
What a headache!
He immediately jammed the Mind Scepter against Wanda's chest and, without another word, forced her to calm down.
The power of the Mind Stone radiated continuously. Under its influence, Wanda slowly raised her head and spoke coldly to Heisenberg.
"If you poke me in the chest with that damn stick of yours one more time, I'll send you straight to Vision!"
Heisenberg: (°_°)...
Crimson energy surged toward him, slamming him back into the Hollywood Hills behind him.
And just like that, Hollywood Hills was gone. At least everything from the midsection upward had been reduced to countless motes of dust.
As for Heisenberg...
He lay there, frustrated, grabbing the Mind Scepter and cursing loudly.
"Useless damn scepter! Worthless piece of junk!"
Ignoring the overwhelming chaos energy, he pried the Mind Stone loose and clutched it in his fist.
His right hand blazed with a brilliant golden light. Heisenberg shot forward with his glowing fist and planted it squarely on Wanda's face.
One solid punch to knock this crazy woman out cold!
/-\
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