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The Darkhold called out to Wanda from her wooden cabin. It always did.
No matter if it was wrapped up under her bed, in another room, or buried six miles away in the woodland it still called to her.
She had avoided it but even she knew it couldn’t be maintained, it was fate. She was forged for the Darkhold, the Darkhold was forged for her.
Sooner or later she wouldn’t be able to resist it’s call.
She had secluded herself far away from humanity in a rustic wooden cabin to recover, to exist and isolate herself from the world. She was dangerous, the Darkhold was dangerous. Both of them needed to be far away from everyone else, for their safety, for hers.
She had existed in tense circumstances before the Westview incident, America had been desperate to recuit her as an Avenger or a less than legal secret agent, but the minute she made one mistake because she had never been trained properly, because she hadn’t known, they called her dangerous and a threat.
She could show them real danger.
Westview was an accident that became controlled, she had indulged herself for the first time in her life. Before then, every single action Wanda Maximoff had done was for others, mostly Pietro but once he died It was for his memory, for her so called new family the Avengers, until they imploded and left Wanda with the pieces of their piss poor decisions.
Her and Vision’s sacrifice had meant nothing to Stephen Strange, he had made her see Vision die twice.
He had sacrificed and displaced half the world, killed more who would never return because of his arrogance, that it would eventually be fixed. That was Dr Strange, focused on the result, ignoring the bloody path taken to get there.
She hated him, she wanted to rip him apart.
It’s only natural Mistress. Sorcerers and Witches have never been able to coexist The Darkhold whispered as Wanda blinked in surprise.
The Darkhold was floating in front of her, a few stray clumps of earth falling off being the only indication it hadn’t always been there.
“y-you….how?” She stuttered
It is destiny Mistress, Do not Fight it. It warned, Wanda knew the consequences of denying it.
If she embraced it, it would be painless as she and it become one, a powerful being capable of reshaping the universe, The Scarlet Witch.
If she fought it, she would be in immense pain only to eventually loose herself. The Scarlet Witch nothing more than a demon in human flesh.
She knew she should resist, that the Darkhold would encourage her to create mass destruction. That it would not be what a hero does.
She had long stopped considering herself to be anything as childish as a hero.
But Billy hadn’t.
Her sweet, beautiful son, who always had seen the best in her. Even when he could hear the screams of the ungrateful residents of Westview, even when she had begun to unravel. Her son who was so much like her, but so much better. Billy would be a hero.
He could have been a great hero.
And Tommy, her chaotic bundle of joy, so much like her brother, her real brother, not Agnes’ imitation. He stuck by his brother like glue. Nothing could separate them.
Except for Death.
Wanda choked out a sob as she processed that they would never return to her. That her sweet, wonderful boys were gone forever, that she had sacrificed them for another ungrateful American town. For civilians that would curse her name, for people who never knew the real Wanda Maximoff.
But what if they could The Darkhold tempted as Wanda’s anger rose.
“Don’t you DARE talk about them. This is between me and you. Not them” She scolded as her magic flared, threatening to destroy the book.
The book seemed to laugh at her.
You do not have the power Wanda. Besides the universe is not done with your boys yet. They have a part to play. The Book teased as Wanda blasted the book.
That proved to be a fatal mistake as the book latched onto her power much like a certain witch she had recently encountered using her power to burst open its pages releasing a torrent of Dark power.
Let go the book ordered or suffer.
Wanda sobbed.
She considered giving in.
It was only Billy’s memory that stopped her.
She barely managed to close the book, breaking the bond. Wanda Sagged to the floor panting heavily.
The Book purred, undeterred. It knew it was only a matter of time.
William Kaplan shakily put on his clothes, preparing to go to a start over. A year after the accident and he had still not remembered anything, his parents were getting restless and his friends had begun to drift away.
The last year of middle school had been Hell. The new William Kaplan had made everyone give him a wide birth. At first his friends would tell him about the old William, who was popular, funny, athletic.
He was none of those things, his mumbling, responses to words never spoken, frequent staring into space, and distance nature had pushed all but the most loyal of his friends away.
Until the day they graduated, when one of them had confessed to him and William had felt nothing. He turned her down, telling her she had loved the Old William but he wasn’t Him.
The rest of his friends had called him crazy, rude, and an asshole. The Girl had cried and vowed to never speak to him again.
He still couldn’t remember their names.
It was weird, despite remembering his parents names, his own name, certain parts of Old William’s life had stayed unknown to him. Old William’s friends faces remained unknown, their names blurring together.
It was strange, like some mysterious force was tugging away his memories every time he was close to regaining them. It was frustrating.
He had now accepted that he would never be the Old William. But convincing his parents of that was another matter.
“ready to go Champ?” His father asked from the doorway.
William looked over his room, now painted darker colours, beginning to feel more like his.
“Yeah I think I’ve got it.” William replied flashing an overly easy smile, his father briefly frowned before smiling back at him.
He didn’t stop me calling him Champ. I guess he’s still recovering. But the Doctor said we should have seen improvements by now. Maybe we should go see that Specialist in New York….
“I’m fine dad” William said a little too loud as his father blinked in confusion.
“Ok then! Let’s hit the Road!” Jeff said smiling as they walked towards the car.
Rebecca still couldn’t step foot in a car after the accident, choosing instead to walk to the bus stop half an hour away. Jeff had gotten better but he insisted that William would sit in the front, William couldn’t remember ever sitting in the backseat.
“Can we stop off at the strip mall after school?” William asked his dad cautiously.
“Sure bud, buying teenage junk or witchy stuff?” Jeff asked curiously.
“Witchy stuff…theres an uh….ritual I want to do….with both of you….it’s kind of important” William admitted.
“uh oh, not raising the dead are we?” His dad teased as William tensed.
“Uh no….it’s a goodbye ritual, Witches do it to wish safe passage to their departed covenmates” William explained, nervously fiddling with his hands.
“Oh? Who are we saying goodbye too?” His father asked trying to sound jovial but a sense of concern was present on his face.
Has one of his friends died? Is that why he’s acting so downcast? Or is he going to die? Oh God please William no. I can’t lose you again. Jeff Kaplan thought to himself.
“Oh my God! No! I’m not dying! At least not in that way!” Jeff’s eyebrows rose in alarm.
“God I’m not explaining this well” William said softly to himself burying his head in his arms.
Jeff sighs and pulls the car over at the side of the road, signalling William to speak.
“look, I don’t think…..the old me will ever come back. I’m not him. I’ve been…trying to be Him for the past year and it’s just not…working, I’m not him! And I’m sorry! I’m Sorry but I can’t be him! I’m not…I’m not!” William blurted out, his voice speeding up as he panicked.
“William! William calm down!” His dad cut through slightly panicked as he put a hand on his shoulders.
“Everyone expects me to be Him but I’m not! I’m not funny, I’m not outgoing, sporty or popular. His friends aren’t mine! I don’t like the same people he did! I don’t even like girls! I am very very gay but that’s not the point! I can’t be the Old William, I’m Me” William explained as his dad hugged him.
“wow that is not how I wanted to come out” William said as his voice was muffled in his dad’s chest. Jeff laughed.
“You’re cool, I already knew Kiddo” he replied, William bolted up and looked at him in the eyes.
“You did??! And you aren’t mad?” William asked.
“No William, I could never be mad at you, worried yes but never mad” Jeff explained softly.
“I’m sorry” Jeff said after a moment.
“what? Why?” William asked earnestly.
“Because I didn’t realise how much pressure we were putting on you. We shouldn’t have pushed you so much. People grow and change all the time, friends drift apart. It’s normal William” He explained slightly tiredly.
“It’s not your fault….it’s mine. I’m the one that can’t be normal, that can’t remember how I used to be. It’s like my old self is a complete stranger” William confessed sounding guilty.
“William no one is normal. Trust me. I think you’ve been putting too much pressure on yourself.”
“But I’m not the son you once knew. My head got all messed up from the accident”
“William, I’m your father, I know you. I’ve watched you grow for fourteen years. This New you and the Old you aren’t as different as you believe”
“Oh really?” William asked sounding sceptical.
“Really, for starters, the old you wasn’t very straight either. There’s a reason he and Bess never got together before the accident”
“That’s her name?!” William explained as Jeff roared with laughter.
“So trust me when I say, we love you for you, don’t worry about trying to fit in or any such nonsense. We love youWilliam. Now and forever” Jeff affirmed as William sniffled.
“Thank you Dad” William said quietly
“No problem Kiddo, Text me a list of things you need for your ritual. I’ll talk to Mom okay?” Jeff said as he pulled back onto the Road.
“You’re the best Dad”
“I know I know. I’ll be here all day” Jeff replied smiling at his song.
“See I’m pretty sure a lawyer would know that they shouldn’t be lurking outside a school in broad daylight” William quipped.
“But in darkness I’m all good?” Jeff asked winking.
“Daaaad”
William prepared to go out of the car after Jeff pulled into the high school carpark, William had chosen to go to Westview High instead of Eastview High, partly for a new start away from his old ‘friend’s, partly because Westview was the only nearby school with space thanks to the shrinking population, and partly because it just felt right.
The minute they pulled into Westview Billy felt home. Which was strange considering he had never been there before applying.
“William” Jeff said stopping William from getting out of the car.
“This is a new start, a chance for new friends. So don’t worry about the ‘old’ you, just focus on the present. You can do it Son”
“Thanks for the inspiring speech” Billy said rolling his eyes whilst smiling.
William got out of the car and slowly walked up the steps of Westview High, breathing out slowly, he went inside.
--
“So what do we need to do for this ritual William?” Rebecca asked curiously.
“We draw a circle with candles lined at even intervals, then place the bowl in the middle with the firwood in it.” William explained looking at his spellbook even though he had long since memorised the ritual.
Rebecca drew on the floor as Jeff moved the bowl into the middle
“Then on a piece of parchment we write the name of the deceased” William continued.
William wrote the name William Kaplan down on the paper. It felt strange.
“Are you ok William?” Rebecca asked worriedly
“yeah just writing my own name feels a little strange”
“perhaps….perhaps we shouldn’t do this” Rebecca asked cautiously.
“No I want to. It’s importance. Witches do rebirth rituals all the time”
“Really?” Jeff asked curiously.
“yeah, sometimes when joining a coven a witch would abandon her old identity and be ‘reborn’ anew. Her coven would give her a new name”
“Well then perhaps we should think of a new name?” Rebecca suggested as William looked at her in surprise.
“That’s a good idea. But are you ok with that?” William asked them concerned.
“William, a name is just a name, it will never take priority over you and your wellbeing.” Rebecca affirmed as William hugged her.
“How about Billy?” Jeff blurted out as Rebecca and William turned to look at him in surprise.
“That’s…random” Rebecca said curiously.
“Ah…you know my great uncle William? The one our William is named after, he actually hated the name and went by Billy his entire life. So I just thought….” Jeff trailed off.
“I love it” Billy said to their surprise “I can’t explain it but…it just feels right.”
“Billy it is then” Jeff said smiling.
Billy neatly folded the piece of paper with his old name as Jeff lit the fire. It roared to life as he held the paper over it, pausing a moment before letting go.
“Te plangimus, te celebramus, te plangimus, te amamus, resurgimus et renascimus” He chanted as the paper burned.
When the paper burned away he said the final words, coming out of his mouth almost involuntairly.
“Puer Maximoff de novo surge” he said shuddering.
With the fire still burning, Billy put his hands in his pockets realising the wooden token was there.
The token that was given to William at his Bar Mitzvah, the Old William.
Perhaps William would need it in his next life too.
And so Billy threw it into the fire.
And William Kaplan’s soul finally walked to the Afterlife, Death’s hand in his.
Rebecca let out a sob, feeling strangely emotional, she felt like she had lost William all over again despite knowing he was right there Infront of him.
Perhaps she finally realised the boy she knew before would not return. She had been running away from that truth for a while.
Bill gasped as Rebecca ran over to her son confused, he let out a small smile.
“I remembered something! You used to bake gingerbread for me when I felt down, Dad always joked it matched your hair”
Rebecca froze, she had never made gingerbread, she had always been a horrible baker, Jeff was the one with the culinary skills though he had never made gingerbread with William.
But hesitant to ruin her sons joy she simply smiled and said “Gingerbread huh? You hungry?”
The deflection didn’t seem to work as his smile faded, that happened often now. Her attempts to hide her feelings from William always seemed to be in vain after his accident. Like he was constantly aware of something she wasn’t.
“Want to watch the Wizard of Oz Wi-Billy?” Jeff offered.
“Yeah, it’s always nice to revist the propaganda piece from time to time”
“Propaganda piece?” Jeff sputtered
“I think he’s talking about that musical Cryptid”
“it’s Wicked! Moooom”
“Oh sorry sorry” Rebecca said playfully.
“you will be!” Billy laughed light-heartedly.
-
“Billy” The Scarlet Witch Whispered, her darkened hands gripping at her bed.
Mistress? The Darkhold called
“He’s out there, Alone” She said darkly as she prepared to get up and find him.
Impossible, they are gone from this world. That is why we need the Girl remember?
“Cut the bullshit, I can feel him and I know you can too. My poor baby has been alone all this time.”
How did he survive without a body? He should have died.
“Wow the Darkhold is unsure about something. How unusual. And he’s my son, of course he’s powerful in his own right.” The Scarlet Witch argued back.
“Turns out I have no need for America after all, time to dispose of her. After all such raw power may serve to help the Avengers separate my family, Again” Wanda chuckled darkly as she sent all of her monster army after America and Dr Strange. Strange would no doubt survive though his death would be a bonus.
With that the witch teleported over to where she could feel her son, the full power of the Darkhold under her skin waiting to be used.
“I wonder why he was only visible to me now” the Scarlet Witch thought aloud.
Someone hid him from you. They might not let you take him back peacefully. The Darkhold crooned.
“They may try but nothing will stop me from taking my family back. There are no false heroics holding me back now” The witch replied, her accent strong as her voice was filled with hate.
She floated down onto a seemingly unassuming street, it felt eerily familiar to Westview, ordinary, suburban.
But Wanda had seen government bases pretend to be harmless and ordinary so the Scarlet Witch was taking no chances.
She blasted through the door of the house where she found a family eating dinner, a mother, a father and a teenager, his face was different, his appearance much older than she had known but Wanda, The Scarlet Witch would know her son anywhere.
“Billy” She whispered as she ran to him, her son backed away in fear.
“Billy…it’s me, it’s your mother” She said softly starting to shake.
“You aren’t…..you aren’t my mom” He stammered out as her heart shattered.
See what they’ve done to him? They’ve changed him, forced him to be someone else. Save him wAnDa
Red magic gathered in her wrists
“I don’t know you!” He cried out
“Billy” She said firmly as the two strangers ran over to her son attempting to block her from approaching.
She flicked her wrist sending them both flying into their kitchen counter.
“MOM! DAD!” He cried trying to run over to them, The Scarlet Witch grabbed him forcing him closer, hugging him.
“shhhhhhh, it’s ok Billy, It’s ok, Mama’s here” the Scarlet Witch whispered attempting to sound soothing but appearing deranged to Billy.
The Scarlet Witch face darkened as she cupped her sons face, forcing herself into his thoughts.
“Billy, it’s ok. I. am. Your. Mother.” She said more firmly as he looked at her in terror.
Who is she? Why is she tormenting us? We didn’t do anything! Please please please let her leave. She’s angry…..what if she hurts us? Are mom and dad ok? I have to go to them Billy’s thoughts echoed in her mind
“You are SAFE, Billy” She said harshly as she used her magic to make him fall asleep.
“BILLY!” The thieves cried out as The Scarlet Witches head twisted to them unnaturally quick.
“Stay. AWAY” She roared causing the two to fly up against the wall, being pinned in place with her magic.
“Please…” The woman gasped as The Scarlet Witches magic choked her “ Please let’s just talk, This is all just a misunderstanding”
“A misunderstanding?” the Scarlet Witch mocked the woman’s tone “ You stole my son” she hissed.
“THAT’S OUR SON!” the male one roared. “I was there when he was born, his first steps, his first words, his Bar Mitzvah, his accident, his first day of high school! He is ours! I’m sorry if you lost your son but you can’t take ours!”
Wanda lost it.
She threw the man into the kitchen window smirking as a glass shared punctured his chest, the son stealer gurgled and choked on his own blood, his limbs spasming as he tried to prevent his death in vain.
“NOOOOO” The woman thief howled as the Scarlet Witch smirked, it was only the choked sob behind her that shook her out of her euphoria.
Billy had already woken up and was staring at the dead thief in horror, she approached him to console him and he crawled backwards in fear, his hands shaking.
“Billy” she said softly
“NO-NO! Stay back” He cried out as she approached.
“it’s ok Billy. They made you think you were someone else. They stole you from me” She crooned as Billy was backed into a corner, the Scarlet Witch smiled realising there was nowhere he could go.
“Shhhhh baby, it’s ok”
“You killed him! You killed my dad!” He sobbed as magic sparked in his fingers
“He is NOT your father Billy” She hissed.
“You aren’t my mother! Go away!” He cried as a burst of energy hit The Scarlet Witch sending her flying through the same window, landing harshly on the back garden, a garden gnome stabbed through her chest.
She yanked the gnome out shattered it in her hands as she contorted and twisted herself back into the correct position.
“Billy. How dare you hurt your mother!” She yelled as she used her magic to bind Billy making sure he would be unable to speak or move.
“PLEASE LEAVE US ALONE! PLEASE! WE’LL DO ANYTHING!” The woman pleaded as the Scarlet Witch turned to her.
“You beg for mercy? Really after all you’ve done?” She spat as the woman slumped on the floor of the kitchen, small pieces of glass embedded in her skin.
‘My mercy has long since died” She growled pushing a stray piece of glass further into the woman as Billy protested in the background.
“It died to bring me home” She continued as another piece of glass floated and launched itself at the woman.
“And as long as you're around My family's fate is left unknown” She hissed grabbing the woman’s throat.
“You plotted to steal my son, you planned to take my life” She cried throwing the woman into the cabinets again.
“All of you are going to die, You've filled my heart with hate!” She punched the woman as more glass flew up to embed itself in the woman crying in pain.
“All of you, who have done me wrong!” The Scarlet Witch thought of America, of Hydra, of the Avengers, of Westview and Sword and now these two imposters.
“This will be your fate!” The Scarlet Witch’s final punch went through the chest of the woman who stole her son, causing her to choke and gurgle like her partner had.
Billy through his gag sobbed, as his magic attempted to flair up and attack her, the Darkhold managing to subdue him syphoning his energy.
The Scarlet Witch stood proudly adorned in various shades of Scarlet, her own, the woman’s, the man’s and her magic, there was truly nothing stopping her now.
Her and Billy would rebuild this world anew, they would get their happy family.
She made her son fall asleep again making sure it would stick this time as she gently carried him through her portal to the cabin.
“We need a grander place, the rulers of the new world need better accommodations” Wanda declared.
I may know of a suitable location, Mistress.
It was there at Mount Wundagore the true Darkhold, that the Scarlet Witch built her palace melding it into the temple of the Darkhold, creating a place for her son to learn his magic, to relearn who he was, to realise he should join her, and made sure there was space for Vision and Tommy.
Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch Sat on her throne below a giant carving of herself, her true self as she was prophesied to be.
Billy Maximoff, the Demiurge, stood next to her silently, as a single tear fell down his thinning cheeks.