it was agatha all along
MARLENE saw Vision holding Wanda's hand as the walked through the town square of Westview. Vision had transformed himself to look like a regular man, a handsome one at that. She could see Wanda's eyes full of nothing but love as they spoke about the town they wanted to live in so badly.
"Where did you meet this Agnes?" Vision asked her after he noticed Marlene's eyes flickering around the large lawn of the town square.
Marlene felt her head begin to hurt all of a sudden, hand reaching for the nearest of the two, which happened to be Vision. Vision grabbed her hand.
"What is it, Marlene?"
Marlene looked up, and Wanda noticed how her eyes began swirling blue and yellow. Wanda turned her head to see a woman walking forward with a smirk on her lips. Wanda became on edge immediately, allowing her own hands to alight.
The people of Westview noticed the two witches, all staring with wide eyes at why Avengers were in their small town.
"Oh, dear," Agnes began. "Why such hostility?"
Marlene stood up straight, moving in front of Vision and Wanda as she allowed her magic to flare. "You want us. Why?"
"That is the question, isn't it?" she replied before her own eyes grew purple as her hands held wisps of purple energy. "Now, ladies... Vision, let's not start off our friendship with a fight. Wouldn't want these innocent people to be hurt."
Suddenly, Agnes sent her purple wisps at the nearest members of Westview. They were frozen in time, pain etched on their faces.
Wanda looked around worriedly. "What are you doing to them? Stop it!"
"Oh, but you see, this was supposed to be your reality," she said. "Agatha Harkness is who I really am, and let me just say, Marlene, you have caused quite a stir. I didn't think anything of you when you were confused and innocent... but you ruined everything. People were supposed to die. Little Scarlet Witch was supposed to go nuts over the dead Vision. How did you do it, Marlene? How?"
Wanda and Vision both hesitated at her words, but Marlene did not. She flew up in the air, and Agatha followed. "Your little friends in the sky didn't tell you about the true reality, did they? Everyone you saved... even Pietro should have stayed dead. It's not RIGHT, Marlene! It's not fair. How do you have the power?"
Wanda and Vision finally flew to be on the side of Marlene, Vision now looking back to normal. "I did what I was told to do. I don't know how or why I was gifted these powers, but I never once abused them."
"Oh, did you not? Not when you brought Pietro back? That's the kicker, isn't it? You brought him back for you."
"No, I brought him back for Wanda. They had already lost so much!" Marlene yelled. "I don't know what you want from me!"
"I want the reality to go back to the way it should have been!"
Marlene's eyes flared as she went into Agatha's head. She was kicked out immediately, but she saw a glimpse of Wanda exploding in red wisps of energy—much like after Ultron. "Do you think that'll change a thing?" Marlene asked. "Wanda still beat you."
"But, she unleashed something worse," Agatha sneered. "And now, I want to make everything right in the world."
"You'll have to beat me first," Marlene said to her. "I have help."
Agatha smirked as she sent a blast as Vision, but Vision deflected it with the stone in his head. Marlene and Wanda pieced it together quickly. She wanted to kill Vision first.
Marlene flew forward, tackling Agatha to the ground as Wanda released Agatha's powerful hold on the people around them. She yelled for them to leave as Marlene let her fingers crackle with energy in front of Agatha's face.
"Hit me. I dare you," Agatha murmured.
So, Marlene did. Agatha's eyes rolled to the back of her head as she seemed to absorb Marlene's power. Marlene gasped, flying back by a powerful punch by Agatha.
"Again, Marlene! Give me the power to correct your flaws!"
Vision dropped by Marlene's figure, helping her stand. "You need to take Wanda out of here. She's Agatha's main target. I'm just in her way."
Agatha and Wanda were floating around each other as Agatha told Wanda of how she lost her shit and enslaved all those people. Marlene could see Wanda's resolve faltering as she thought of how she could be capable of that. Vision nodded.
"Go."
Marlene flew to punch Agatha again as Vision grabbed Wanda from the air. Wanda struggled in Vision's grip, but he pulled her away from the battle. When he cupped her face, he told her, "Marlene needs help, but it can't be us. That's what Agatha wants."
"I don't care. Marlene isn't dying because Agatha wants me. You call for help," Wanda muttered to him, flying back off to see Agatha taking more of Marlene's power.
Agatha smiled grimly. "Yes. Come on, Wanda! Come join the fun!"
Wanda's eyes flickered to Marlene's hand that was becoming black at the fingertips and up her palm. Marlene scowed, using her training from Steve and kicking Agatha right in the face to send her flying. Wanda then grabbed the nearest car, using it to hit her right into a house. Marlene and Wanda grinned at each other just as Vision floated next to them.
"Help is arriving shortly," he told them.
"Who's help? Why did you call for help?" Marlene asked him.
Wanda shook her head. "We have to play this smart. She's a witch as well, taking our power. That's her goal."
"Could she take Vision's?"
Wanda shrugged as Vision looked thoughtful.
"Like the bastard up, Vis. No holding back."
"Come on, Wanda! Stop letting her ruin this for me! My real battle is with you!" Agatha yelled with a smirk on her lips as she let her purple wisps take over her body.
Marlene and Wanda were nowhere to be seen as Vision suddenly appeared and sent a ray of energy right at Agatha. Agatha yelled in pain, not having expected it. She crossed her arms, creating a shield that reflected the power. Vision moved out of the way just in time, but he had distracted her long enough. Both Wanda and Marlene sent simultaneous blasts of magic, the woman not prepared to take it from them, so she was affected. She turned, eyes flaring purple as she tried to fight back.
Wanda disappeared as Marlene kept her occupied. When Wanda reappeared behind Agatha, she sent her red energy into Agatha's mind—both witches going into Agatha's darkest and most fearful memory. Marlene used this time to do what she had been made to do. Allowing the colors of the Infinity Stones to take shape now that there were no civilians left around them, she used the Power stone to send Agatha flying into the nearest building and the Reality to have the building encase her in the rocks. When Wanda left her memory, she looked a bit spooked, which was not normal. Agatha smiled at something until she realized where she was.
"One flick of my wrist, and I'll have you killed. Soul Stone and all," Marlene told Agatha with a smirk and tilt of her head, eyes narrowing as if daring her to move.
Agatha's eyes flickered behind Marlene, and the three witches and Vision knew their backup had arrived. The Quinjet landed, and Agatha hoped to use it as a distraction. Marlene did not even let her budge, pausing her in time with the Time Stone. Wanda glanced at her exasperatedly.
"You couldn't have done that earlier?"
Marlene shrugged a bit as she called for her magic from Agatha to return to Wanda and herself. Vision watched relieved as the color went back into Marlene's hand instead of looking like she was dying.
Next, Wanda yelped in pain before a bright light occurred around her. Marlene sighed in relief when it was only Wanda's appearance that changed. She looked beautiful as she lifted her hands to look at them to make sure nothing physically had changed on her body.
Turning, she floated to the ground as Bucky, Sam, and Natasha walked from the jet. Sam held the shield as he glanced around worriedly.
"Well? What is it? We had a good lead on those Flag Smashers," Natasha told the trio, about to continue until her eyes landed on the woman encased in rocks frozen in time. "Ah."
Marlene watched as Bucky pulled her in for a hug, a small smile on her lips when he moved away. "Steve's worried."
"We took care of her. Backup was just in case. Also, we needed a jet to get her out of here," Marlene told him softly as she hugged Sam next.
"Who? The Wicked Witch of the West in the rocks?" Sam chirped questionably.
Wanda held Vision close. Marlene sighed. "She told us how the future should have gone if I was not around. Apparently, Wanda was supposed to lose her shit when Vision would die. She wanted to rectify the situation by killing me and Vision, taking my power and Wanda's."
"Did she think she would win against you?" Bucky asked with furrowed brows as they all stared at Agatha.
"Dunno," she whispered back. "But, does that mean there are more people out there that want us dead? Because I have to tell you, I'm ready to be done."
Wanda nodded. "I'll get her. Mind releasing the rocks?"
Marlene flicked her wrist, releasing Agatha but keeping her frozen in time for the moment. Natasha sighed. "So, what? Do we keep her detained? Do we send her to a psych asylum?"
Wanda smirked as she placed the woman on the ground. "No, I think she likes it here. She's been here for so long, right?"
Marlene chuckled. "As much as I'd like to keep her here, I'm not putting these people at risk. We'll take her."