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MISADVENTURES IN PARADISE
vii. BREAKING CHARACTER

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   SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT IN Westview. And by something, Violet really just meant Pietro Maximoff.

   Truthfully, plenty was wrong with Pietro. He appeared out of nowhere (and clearly uninvited), he was loud, and he was suffocatingly annoying. But these reasons weren't why she felt strange around him.

   Deep down, all Riley could think about was how Pietro and Vision were supposed to be dead. Not only that, but Pietro looked... different. Not like himself.

   The Pietro she knew and loved was tall and buff. His slate-blue eyes held a mischievous twinkle in them at all times, and he had a beautiful Sokovian accent. The Pietro of Westview, however, was lankier and didn't smile as much as the original Pietro did. Even their personalities were different. The old Pietro was funny and compassionate. Sure, he was annoying, but he was an angel next to this new Pietro. It was like someone created this new Pietro after hearing a half-assed description of the original one. Riley didn't understand why Wanda didn't create an exact replica of him the same way she did Vision.

   It was late in the afternoon when Violet returned to the Maximoff household.

   "Knock-knock!" she greeted, only for her smile to fall once she spotted Pietro in the living room. "Ugh, not you again. Isn't there anywhere else you can stay while you're in town?"

   Pietro rolled his eyes, running a hand through his unbrushed hair. Although it was 4:00 PM, he had just woken up. "Where else would I stay, genius?"

   Violet shrugged. "I hear Sparky's dog house is free!"

   "At least I'm wanted here," remarked Pietro. He towered over her, but the ego in Violet was strong enough to match his level.

   "Are you kidding? I get paid just to show up!" she ricocheted. "What do you do all day besides make fart jokes and hog the couch?"

   "Yeah, yeah, whatever," he grumbled in defeat. "Good morning to you, too, Val."

   "My name is Violet," she irritably corrected. "I've seen you every day and you still can't be bothered to remember my name!"

   "No, I remember your name," Pietro calmly replied. "Val's a nickname."

   Now, Violet was perplexed. She tried to ask what he meant, but Billy shouted from the kitchen, "VIOLET!" He and Tommy sprinted toward her, pushing past their uncle and tackling her in a hug.

   "Woah!" Riley nearly fell as she crouched to hug them back. "Happy Halloween, munchkins!"

   It'd been a while since Violet started babysitting the twins. Honestly, she lost track of how long it had been. One minute, it was August, and now, it was Halloween. She figured spending so much time with the Maximoffs was making the days fly by. The twins grew on her faster than she wanted to admit, especially out loud. Then again, she didn't have to say it for them to notice it. Those boys were annoyingly keen, especially Billy. Sometimes, she swore he could read her mind.

   Tommy groaned. "When will you stop calling us that?"

   "Hm, when you're taller than me, Munchkin Number One," Violet mused, pinching his cheek lovingly. He made a face at the action, but he didn't do much to fight it.

   "How come he's Munchkin Number One?" Billy complained.

   "Because he's older. He came out of your mom first," Violet explained matter-of-factly. All three boys in the room audibly cringed. "What? It's true! Anyway, what's your costume, Billy?"

   Billy was wearing a crimson cape with a navy blue headband that matched his shirt and jeans. He held his chin up high as he revealed, "I'm a wizard! Tommy's boring and doesn't have a costume."

   "I said I'm the cool twin!" Tommy defended. He looked back to Violet, only now realizing that she was wearing a costume, too. A red jumpsuit clung to her body, and underneath it was a pair of black leggings. She wore a black mask over her eyes. Tommy's eyes went wide. "Wait, are you one of the characters from that new movie? The Incredibles?"

   "Uh-huh!" she beamed. "I decided to go as Violet Parr! Y'know, because we have the same name!"

   "That's rad!" Billy cheered. "But... I thought you didn't believe in Halloween?"

   Tommy snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah! You said it's a holiday made up by big businesses to steal our money and give people diabetes! Why'd you dress up?"

   "Well, since your parents gave me the night off, I decided I'd go out tonight," Violet explained. "Maybe I'll hit up some parties, prank the Neighborhood Watch, graffiti the park... Not sure yet! I was supposed to drag James around town with me, but I haven't heard from him all day. Honestly, I have a feeling he got stuck in his costume."

   "So... you dressed up as a superhero to go annoy people?" Tommy wondered.

   "When you're older, you'll realize that's basically what superheroes do already," she dismissed. "Besides, I think it's ironic. I'd be a terrible superhero."

   "Well, you'd make a great start to turning your hero career around by leaving!" chirped Pietro. "You'd save my day, at least."

   Violet rolled her eyes. "I actually do have to get going if I wanna set up some pranks before the Neighborhood Watch starts patrolling. But the reason why I stopped by is because I brought you guys something." She reached into her bag and pulled out two giant candy bars. "Happy Halloween!"

   "WOAH!"

   "YOU'RE THE BEST BABYSITTER EVER!"

   The twins jumped to hug her again. Violet wasn't expecting such an explosive reaction, but then again, this was their first Halloween, making this their first-ever Halloween treat. (Yeah, it didn't make sense to her either, considering Billy and Tommy were supposedly ten years old, but she decided to just go with it).

   All the noise seemed to attract Wanda Maximoff. She hurried down the stairs, adorned in a red unitard, cape, tights, and a headpiece that resembled a crown. "Ohh, somebody better be bleeding, broken, or on fire!" she frantically shouted.

   "Woah, Mom! Are you old Red Riding Hood?" Billy gasped.

   Ignoring how Pietro and Violet both snorted, Wanda just said, "I'm a Sokovian fortune teller!"

   "Wow, that is so..." Pietro started.

   "Rad!" Tommy cheered.

   "...lame."

   Tommy quickly corrected himself. "Lame."

   Billy waved his giant candy bar in the air. "Mom, look what Violet got us!"

   Wanda smiled at her son's excitement. "Well, that was very sweet of her. Pun intended," she said. "But, Violet, I thought you didn't believe in Halloween?"

   "I don't," Violet said. "That's why I stole them!"

   "Violet!"

   "What?" she defended. "It's like I always say—"

   "It's okay to steal if you're stealing from rich people," Tommy and Billy chanted in unison.

   Violet wiped away a tear that wasn't there. "They grow up so fast," she gushed. "Well, I'm off, munchkins! Get into as much trouble as you can tonight! And stay away from the mailman!"

   "Why do you hate the mailman so much again?" Billy asked.

   "Why not?" With that, she was gone.

   There was something so charming about Westview in the fall. The world's greens shifted into cozy yellows and oranges. Pumpkins and fallen leaves gathered across the streets, along with the lines of lights and spooky Halloween decorations. The crisp autumn air brought forth the sweet scent of candy apples. Halloween was a wonderful holiday for the people of Westview.

   As the afternoon sun went to sleep, Violet finished checking off everything she wanted to do on her list. Prank the Neighborhood watch? Check. Teach some kids how to ding-dong-ditch? Check. Screw with the haybale maze so that no one can escape it? Check, check, check. Overall, Halloween was a success!

   Still, Violet couldn't help but notice that something was missing from her night — or rather, someone. She still hadn't heard from James. He didn't show up at their usual meet-up place, he wasn't answering the phone, and his house was empty. It was like he vanished into thin air! Where could he have gone? The thought nagged at her, which made her feel strange. She was never the kind of person who worried or cared much about people or things. Not until recently, at least.

   She strolled near Ellis Avenue. The dark streets were mostly empty, which she supposed made sense since everyone had gathered at the Town Square Scare to celebrate the Halloween festivities.

   That was when she noticed a silhouette standing in the middle of the street.

   He stood with his back toward her, a hoodie pulled over his head. He wasn't doing anything, lingering beneath the dim light of the flickering street lamps. Against her better judgment, Violet approached him.

   "Hello?" Violet beckoned. "Uh, hey, are you okay?" The stranger didn't respond. "O...kay, then. Are you hurt? High? Both? Listen, man, you shouldn't stand in the middle of the street. You could get hit by a car or something."

   The person slowly turned toward her and pulled down his hoodie. The light glowed against his eyes, causing the galaxies in them to shift colors.

   "What the hell? James?" Violet picked up her pace. "Where have you been? I've been trying to get a hold of you all day! I went to your house, but no one was home—!"

   "Shut up."

   Violet halted in her tracks. "...Excuse me?"

   "And my name isn't James. It's Roman," he went on.

   Violet rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever, come on. I don't know what kinda prank this is, but I'm not buying it. Let's go find a party to crash or something."

   "I'm not surprised you don't recognize me though. Look at you, you can't even break out of her spell," he sneered.

   "Spell? What are you talking about? And who's Roman? Is that a reference to something?"

   Roman sighed, nodding to someone behind her. "Hit her."

   "What—?" Violet started, but she never ended up finishing her sentence. A bright purple cloud flashed before her eyes. It seeped through her and stole her vision, and soon, the world went dark.

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   When she woke up, the first thing she realized was that she wasn't Violet anymore. The mind-control spell was broken, and Riley Stark was herself again.

   The second thing she realized, however, was that although she was granted full control of herself again, she was tied up.

   Riley tugged at the restraints. They weren't of any material she was used to — not rope nor tape, not even zip-ties. A purple leash of what she assumed was magic tightened around her wrists, cutting into her raw skin. Grimacing, her eyes scanned the room she was trapped in as they adjusted to the darkness around her.

   Thorny vines crawled up the arched walls, which each had strange carvings in them. Perhaps they were letters from a language she didn't know or an odd choice in decoration. Shafts of light poked through the ceiling, revealing the dusty cauldrons in the corners and cobwebs that housed prickly bugs.

   Everything was so fuzzy. It couldn't have been more than a week since she entered Westview, maybe less, but the days inside the Hex flew by so quickly.

  The Hex... Wanda... "Violet"... the twins... Vision... Pietro... James... No, James was Roman. Speaking of Roman, where did he go?

   "It must be my lucky day!" a woman sang. She walked forth from the shadows, long chestnut hair falling over her shoulder messily. In her arms was a rabbit, which should've made her seem friendlier, but honestly, she looked batshit crazy to Riley. "I think I hit the jackpot!"

   Riley narrowed her eyes. "Uh... Agnes, right? Wanda and Vision's neighbor? I don't think we ever got the chance to properly meet."

   "You'll have to forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. I... didn't want to get too close. The sun is blinding, after all. My real name, darling, is Agatha Harkness. It's a pleasure to finally meet you!" she beamed. "No need to introduce yourself. I know who you are, Riley Stark."

   Riley's cheeks puffed out. "Right, okay. Does everyone have a secret identity I wasn't aware of? First, it was James, and now you," she complained. "Well, I knew James was Roman, but then I got dragged into Westview and forgot because of the whole brainwashing thing. Didn't know your real name was Agatha, though. That one's new."

   Agatha's lips curled with disdain. "No need to over-explain yourself, dear. I already knew that."

   "You know, every time you call me dear or darling, I kinda feel like you mean it in a mean way," Riley muttered. "Now, is there a reason you have me tied up here? I can't say I particularly enjoyed being kidnapped. The last time it happened, it kinda ruined my weekend."

   Agatha circled her as she set her rabbit down. "Riley Stark... I've seen you on the news quite a bit over the years. Daughter of brilliant scientists, who you killed in a freakish accident, taken in by S.H.I.E.L.D., trained by the best of the best, helped save the world a multitude of times, and adopted by your billionaire bestie. What a tear-jerking story!"

   Riley blew at the strand of hair that had fallen over her face. "Yeah, that's the gist of it. You want an autograph or something? 'Cause you could've just asked," she muttered. "By the way, just curious, how do you have control over yourself?"

   "Wanda's not the only magic user in this dreary town."

   "Wait," Riley faltered. "...Are you an evil magician, by chance?"

   "What?"

   "Never mind," she quickly said. "So... you're...?"

   "I'm a witch, dear," Agatha finished. "And you're Valor."

   "Of course witches are real," Riley grumbled. She was able to put the pieces together rather quickly. Agatha used her magic to bypass Wanda's spell, blending in as though she was like the rest of Westview. She didn't know how or why, but she could understand that, at the very least.

   Ignoring her, Agatha mused, "Oh, what an anomaly you are, Val! Can I call you that? Valor's a great name, but Val's got a ring to it." She continued to circle her. "I always wondered if I'd ever get to meet the sun's chosen one. Child of the Sun, you are radiant."

   Riley tugged at her restraints, but they wouldn't budge. "I'm sorry, I'm a little lost. Can you explain to me what's going on? I feel like I just woke up from a coma."

   "I was hoping you'd tell me that, gumdrop," Agatha confessed. "Has Wanda always been this powerful of a witch? When I sensed the afterglow of this place, I couldn't stay away. Who taught her how to cast these spells? I'm seriously impressed. She's running illusions in her sleep!"

   "Uh, I helped train Wanda, but I don't know anything about spells, sorry. If you're so interested, why don't you just ask Wanda yourself? You guys are friends, right?" Riley replied.

   "Patience, dear," the witch cooed. "I've been here from the beginning, watching Wanda run through her little sitcom fantasy with her dead husband. It's pitiful, truly. Pitiful, but fascinating. I need to know how she did it. It's been a long waiting game. Lots and lots of waiting. And patience. I've had a few obstacles along the way: that Geraldine girl, Roman..."

   Riley pulled at her restraints again. "Where is he?"

   "He's safe," Agatha impatiently said. "He was in my way when he showed up. He saw right through me with his stupid Soul Searching ability. I thought about getting rid of him myself. I couldn't risk him getting through to Wanda before I figured out how she pulled all of this off. But his power is quite remarkable. I offered him a place with me. He refused, of course. He's an Avenger." She rolled her eyes. "I had to take matters into my own hands."

   "You turned him into a puppet. Not Wanda," Riley realized. "That's why he didn't recognize me. That's why Monica couldn't get through to him."

   "Yes, I thought I could use his power to my advantage, but I still can't discern how Wanda did all of this," grumbled Agatha.

   "This whole time, I thought Roman was under Wanda's spell, just like me," Riley added. "But it was you all along. Were you responsible for all those other weird things? Like Sparky's sudden death? And that weird Pietro look-alike?"

   "Yes, finally! Someone's acknowledging my hard work!" Agatha chirped. "Speaking of you, that was a real plot twist. When I saw you show up, I was shocked. You just walked right in here! I was tickled when I realized Wanda took your free will from you, too! So much for friendship, huh?"

   "She thought she was helping me," Riley defended, though it wasn't very convincing. She felt betrayed by Wanda's decision to brainwash her as she entered Westview. She only ever changed things that didn't belong. Did that mean Wanda thought Riley didn't belong in her perfect life?

   "Yes, by inflicting her pain onto you. How kind of her," Agatha cackled. "Child of the Sun, don't you realize it? She brought you here because she wanted to control you. Wanda isn't your friend. Not anymore."

   "Oh, and you are?"

   "No, but I'd like to be," Agatha admitted. "Your powers are special, Child of the—"

   "I'm sorry, can we back up? What is this Child of the Sun crap? Is that, like, a thing?" Riley interrupted. "I thought Thanos just called me that to make me feel special."

   Agatha faltered. "You seriously don't know? Well, that explains a lot," she scoffed. "Val, your powers are often described as ultraviolet manipulation. It's light manipulation, sun summoning. The sun's energy runs through your veins like it's your blood. In the magic world, light manipulation isn't a gift that can be inherited, taught, or learned. It's only been heard of in theory, never in practice. When you first stepped into the limelight, the magic community became very interested in you. Word travels fast with us, especially when it comes to you. You achieved something we all believed was impossible. You embodied the sun's light. The sun chose you."

   "...And... that's a big deal...?"

   "Yes! Do you realize the kind of raw power you wield? The sheer energy coursing through your veins is insurmountable, rare, powerful! You could slice mountains in half if you wanted to!" Agatha exclaimed. "You can only imagine my joy when you showed up in Westview. The sun's chosen one came to me."

   "Technically, I came here for my friends—"

   Agatha went on, "Dark magic, sometimes called shadow magic, is common in the magic world. It's powerful, dangerous, and taboo to wield. But it's common, for the most part. But now that you're here, I can finally have a chance at using the sun's light in my spells. I can be one of the few people in history to use it!"

   "What are you talking about?" Riley demanded.

   "The thing about your powers, doll, is that they're flexible. You don't only use your powers to turn invisible and create forcefields, right?" asked Agatha.

   That was true. The list of things Riley learned she could do with her powers alone was long. Invisibility, forcefields, energy beams... She could charge her body and objects like a human solar panel. She could manipulate her forcefields to take on different shapes, too, like spears and boards to stand on to take flight. She was even learning how to phase through solid objects, just like that time she accidentally snuck onto an alien spaceship.

   "Because your powers are so flexible, they work as an incredible enhancement when combined with the powers or magic of another," Agatha said. "Haven't you had an incident where your powers meshed with the abilities of another, whether human or not, a bit too well?"

   There were a few instances Riley could think of off the top of her head. Creating Vision alongside Thor was one. Destroying the Infinity Stones was another. Was that why Thanos had been so insistent about Riley being the one to destroy the stones?

   There were even moments where her powers created explosive reactions when combined with Wanda's and Pietro's. There was that time when Riley and Doctor Strange united their forcefields in outer space, too. Even standing near Vision at times sent her powers into a frenzy because of the Mind Stone in his head...

   "With the use of your light manipulation, I can amplify my strength. Both of us can become more powerful than you ever imagined," Agatha persuaded. "You and I could become a team, with Roman by our side, too. Aren't you tired of leading these superhero nobodies?"

   "Those nobodies are my family. It sounds like you need me more than I need you," Riley jeered. "I don't care what kind of magical world records you're trying to break. I don't know what you want with Wanda, but I'm not joining you, and neither is she. I'm not letting you near her or Roman ever again."

   "That's not going to work, but I understand. If you won't work with me, I'll just take what I want," Agatha growled. Dark purple shadows shrouded her hands. "That's my party trick. I take power from the undeserving."

   She flicked her wrists, shooting her magic forward. It raced toward the teenager eagerly, stretching out to touch her, but Riley just raised a forcefield around herself. The magic darted past her, unable to penetrate her shield.

   Riley looked up patiently. "Was something scary supposed to happen?"

   Agatha glared. "Fine. If that's how you want to play this, I'll have someone else deal with you. I've been teaching Roman some new tricks while he's been under my custody. He'll beat you down. He'll rip your soul apart until you're pleading for mercy... until you're begging to join me. You'll regret this, Val."

   So, maybe Riley was a little freaked out by Agatha's threats, but that didn't stop her from jeering, "Bring it, Hag-atha."

   Agatha simply raised her hand, waving it aside as though she was swatting away a bug. The ground shifted beneath Riley, shooting her into another room. Her forcefield lowered out of sheer surprise, causing her to jerk out of her seat and smack against the dirty ground.

   Riley groaned. "Fucking hell..."

   She pressed her palms to the floor, pushing herself up, only for a strong force to collide with her ribs. She floundered, face-planting again. Riley winced as she looked up at her assailant, discovering Roman standing before her with a blank expression.

   "Roman—?" Roman kicked her again, this time with more force than before. "Oof, okay. Good to see you, too, buddy."

   "Get up," Roman snarled. "Don't tell me you've gone soft on me. What, are you too scared to fight me?"

   She rolled over, grumbling, "I'm not scared of anyone, especially not you, you idiot."

   When he tried to kick her a third time, she grabbed his leg and flipped him over. It wouldn't do much, but it gave her a chance to get back on her feet. Roman bounced back with ease. His eyes gleamed red as he marched toward her and swung a fist.

   She quickly raised a forcefield to protect herself. "C'mon, Roman, this isn't you! That witch is mind-controlling you! You might not be James anymore, but she's still controlling you! Listen to me!"

   "No one's mind-controlling me!" He kept throwing fists at her forcefield, one after another.

   She pushed her forcefield against him. "If that were true, you wouldn't be trying to kill me!"

   But Roman wasn't listening. He kept trying to punch his way through her forcefield. Riley could stand there all day until he tired himself out, but that wasn't good enough. She needed to figure out how to break the spell.

   "Okay, brain, time to work. How do you break a mind-control spell?" Riley muttered, ignoring Roman's shouts. "Magic would probably work, but I don't have access to that. All I've got are my powers, but those are physical. I need something that works internally..."

   "SHUT UP AND FACE ME, COWARD!"

   "SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO THINK!"

   Wanda could probably reverse the spell. But Riley couldn't leave Roman now, and she probably wouldn't get very far if she tried to run anyway.

   Natasha could do this. Natasha fought Clint when he was mind-controlled by Loki once, and she managed to break his spell. If Natasha could do it without powers, Riley could, too. But how?

   When Riley was being mind-controlled, she remembered having the faintest sense of awareness. She couldn't control herself, but she remembered feeling slightly aware that she wasn't herself. Roman had to be experiencing the same thing. Maybe his awareness was stronger since Agatha allegedly wasn't as strong as Wanda...

   But how could she use that to her advantage? If only she could utilize his Soul Searching powers for one minute... She could take over his soul and wake him up...

   Wait a minute.

   "You think you're so tough, don't you?" Riley taunted. "You can't even break through my forcefield!"

   "You and I both know I'm stronger than you!" Roman fired back.

   "Bullshit! Face it. You know, deep down, that I'm right! Agatha's mind-controlling you! But the Roman I know — my Roman — is in there. That's why you haven't possessed my soul yet!" she ricocheted. "Here's an idea: Why don't you try possessing your own soul and make yourself stronger, asshole?"

   If Roman could use his Soul-Searching powers on himself, he could bypass Agatha's spell and free himself. She hoped the Roman she knew and loved understood what she was suggesting. She would've just said it outright, but she didn't know if Agatha was watching them.

   It was a far-fetched and probably stupid idea, but she was getting desperate. Agatha said she'd been training Roman, right? Maybe he was strong enough to do it.

   Something in Roman's eyes shifted. Riley held her breath, watching him warily. But then he bared his teeth again and continued to punch her forcefield.

   'Alright, maybe I need to distract him while the real Roman works his magic,' Riley thought.

   Either Roman was going to free himself, or she was going to kick his ass until he fell unconscious. It was a win-win situation.

   Patience is a virtue, as they say.

   Riley lowered her forcefield and blocked Roman's next hit with her arm. She shrouded her free hand with energy and punched him in the gut. He went flying backward, but not without grabbing her arm and dragging her with him. They fell to the ground, only to immediately get up again.

   They kept throwing punches at each other, dodging them with ease. It was painful, for they both knew each other's fighting styles extremely well. It probably would've benefitted Riley to turn invisible, but right now, she just needed to fight him until something happened.

   Riley groaned as Roman threw her onto the ground, her spine aching at the impact. He got on top of her, fist pulled back to hit her again, but she created a forcefield over herself. It emerged from beneath him, throwing him off of her. She threw herself on top of him, pinning his body to the cement, ready to hit him again—

   Roman suddenly gasped, eyes clearing like the sky after a storm.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I JUST WANTED TO SAY, Riley realizing that she's the Child of the Sun/the sun's chosen one isn't supposed to be her own Scarlet Witch moment!!!! She isn't even a sorcerer OR a witch!!! Please don't take it as her trying to take Wanda's moment because that's not it!!!!!!

Riley has known for a long time that she was the "Child of the Sun", she just never knew what it meant exactly. It just means that she's exceptionally strong and her unique powers could be used for incredible things — whether it's good or bad. It's something she's somewhat known about for a long time, and it's alluded to a lot throughout this little series (such as when Thor refers to her powers as her "glow" and when Thanos refers to her as the Child of the Sun). These moments were always on purpose! Nothing about Riley has changed!