Scarlet Witch's hands were trembling.
She had only tried to hypnotize him, but it was as though she had seen corpses piled into a towering spire.
At its peak sat a gray-skinned monster.
Any living thing that came near it would be devoured.
It was a monster utterly devoid of kindness, compassion, or any other beautiful emotion. All Scarlet Witch sensed from it was a savage urge to destroy everything.
The flood of negative emotions left Scarlet Witch's mind blank. She was still growing into her powers, nowhere near as strong as she would become.
She nearly lost herself in those emotions. By the time she finally broke free of those violent thoughts and came to her senses, it was too late.
Scarlet Witch looked up. The gray-white monster was right in front of her.
Only its clothes and the complicated look in its eyes showed that it had once been Ryan.
"No." Scarlet Witch was close to tears. She found she couldn't run and could only watch the monster's huge hand reach for her.
Its hand was bigger than her head. She had no doubt that one touch would make her skull burst like a watermelon.
Her companions seemed stunned by the monster's presence and sudden appearance. No one reacted in time to help her. She closed her eyes, hoping the pain would come quickly and pass just as fast.
A long moment passed.
Scarlet Witch hadn't lost any body parts. Someone was merely patting her head.
She cracked one eye open to look.
The monster was gone. In its place stood a man whose shirt had burst apart.
It was Ryan, his face pale and weak.
As he patted her head, Scarlet Witch breathed a sigh of relief. A sense of safety washed over her. She heard Ryan