(Harbinger of hope.)

Chapter forty eight:

Wanda Maximoff created a red forcefield around us with a swift motion, her telepathic abilities allowing her to momentarily strip their power's. The five Kang's that surrounded us turned their attention towards her as Wanda Maximoff turned back to face them. Captain America pounded the forcefield with a punch, clearly worried about her safety.

"Wanda! What are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed!" Said Captain America.

"I'm sorry Steve, but I can't lose another friend today." Replied Wanda Maximoff.

"Wanda! Please, let us out of here! You're making a mistake!" I said.

Captain Marvel then spoke up, her words thick with anxiety and dread.

"They'll kill you! You can't fight them alone!" Replied Carol Danvers.

Wanda Maximoff's eyes glimmered with determination as she addressed her friends and family.

"I'm sorry. But I have to try." Said Wanda Maximoff.

"This is madness!" Replied Thor.

The Kang's begin to advance on her, their formidable presence filling the air with a almost palpable tension. Wanda Maximoff fought back fiercely, using her red chaos magic to hurl massive rocks at them with the strength of her telekinesis. With her red chaos magic, Wanda Maximoff managed to rip the armor off of one of the Kang's, her telepathy taking a hold of another, causing him to turn on his allies.

But the Kang's were no ordinary fore, their minds too strong for her abilities to work on them for long, but holding off five of the most powerful beings in the multiverse was no mean feat. Wanda Maximoff realized in that moment how incredibly powerful she was, even before becoming a Nexus Being, before she was gifted the power of the Celestials.

Despite her valiant efforts, Wanda began to falter against the Kang's, but she refused to let the forcefield down unwilling to put her friends in harms way. Suddenly, the clouds above them parted, revealing a colossal Celestial head looming in space. It was Arishem the Prime Celestial, his enormous body eclipsing the earth itself. His robotic face was adorned with six glowing orbs that served as his eyes.

In a instant, Wanda Maximoff was whisked away by the Prime Celestial, carried away into space just beyond the Earth's atmosphere. Arishem extended his hand, cradling Wanda Maximoff gently in his palm as she gazed up at him in wonder and terror, completely awestruck by his presence.

His voice was deep as he spoke.

"Wanda Maximoff." Said Arishem.

"What? What are you?" Replied Wanda Maximoff.

"I am the Prime Celestial of the universe and the overseer of the expanding galaxies, and I am here for judgement." Said Arishem.

"Judgement?" Replied Wanda Maximoff.

"This is the most important part of your life. Whatever questions will follow. Answer them to the fullest of your capabilities. For the fate of existence hangs in the balance." Said Arishem.

"I don't know what you're talking about. What is this? Take me back! Now!" Replied Wanda Maximoff.

"What is that your fighting for? You try to protect your world, but you prevented your allies from helping you." Said Arishem.

"My friends are in danger! You need to take me back! Kang will kill them all!" Replied Wanda Maximoff.

"If I take you back now, the only difference it will make is your inevitable death. Then theirs will follow soon after. But I can give you the means to alter events so that this war never happened in the first place." Said Arishem.

"Alter events?" Replied Wanda Maximoff.

"The power already lives inside of you, it only needs to be amplified. By a lot. Such a feat requires near infinite energy... Answer my questions and I will see to it that you save the multiverse." Said Arishem.

"I... I don't think I know the answer to your question... I know I am fighting for the lives of everyone on my world, but I can't bare losing someone I love in the process." Replied Wanda Maximoff.

"Why risk your own life for theirs?" Said Arishem.

"Because their lives are just as important as mine. They were going to die. I had to at least try to do something." Replied Wanda Maximoff.

Arishem noticed that Wanda's connection to her loved one's made her headstrong. Family was always the one thing that made her what she was living for... What she was fighting for. Her unbreakable tie with her loved one's made her strong enough to handle any sort of attack or corruption. It was the reason she became the only person to ever break free from the Darkholds corruption when she saw how afraid her children was of her. (This has not happened to Wanda Maximoff in this timeline yet since this is a flashback to her original life.)

"You showed great courage in putting your life on the line to protect the ones you care about. But would you have done so if it was another person in danger? Perhaps someone you were not personally tied to." Said Arishem.

"I saw what war can do to the most innocent people. I saw families losing father's, mother's, children. I saw loved ones being separated from each other, never seeing each other ever again. It made me realize that everyone is worth fighting for. No one deserves to lose the people they love. If a child was about to become motherless... Or if anyone was about to lose someone close to them and I had anything to say about it, I would do anything to save them." Replied Wanda Maximoff.

"You speak like a true hero. But what if were given a impossible choice... A choice to save your family... In turn for the destruction of your entire world along with the multiverse... Or save the world in turn for the lives of everyone you've ever loved." Said Arishem.

"That... What? I can't answer that. How can I even begin to... Replied Wanda Maximoff.

She then realized that her loved one's may be in danger.

"What do you want with my father? What are these questions?" Said Wanda Maximoff.

"I am determining if you are worthy enough to be the Chosen One." Replied Arishem.

"I don't understand." Said Wanda Maximoff.

"Would you give up everything you hold dear to save the multiverse?" Replied Arishem.

This was too much for Wanda. Her loved one's are the thing that she holds dearest to anything in the world. She can't even imagine losing one of them, not to mention all of them. But if it came down to saving countless lives... Countless families, she knew deep down what the right answer was.

"Why would you ask me such a question?" Said Wanda Maximoff.

"To test your heart." Replied Arishem.

"I don't think that I would have a heart left if everyone I love is gone..." Said Wanda Maximoff.

She then closed her eyes before answering.

"But I understand that if their lives stood in the way of countless lives, I would have to choose the world over them. It's not a choice... It would tear me apart, but if it means other's will live... If it means other families will be happy... Replied Wanda Maximoff.

She then touched her head while shaking it.

"I don't know... I know it's the right thing to do but... How can one even begin to make such a big decision?" Said Wanda Maximoff.

"If your heart knows what to do when the moment arrives. You will make the right choice. Even if that choice destroys your entire life." Replied Arishem.

"Wait... Is this actually going to happen? Will I be forced to choose between the world or the people I love?" Said Wanda Maximoff.

She then began to cry.

"No. I can't do... I... Why choose me?" Replied Wanda Maximoff.

"We searched for beings across the universe with the potential to alter reality. We searched for someone who would be strong enough to preserve their humanity. A worthy vessel that would be able to break from the overwhelming entities that would be gifted to them." Said Arishem.

"There really is no other choice is there?" Replied Wanda Maximoff.

Wanda Maximoff then closed her eyes and whispered a goodbye to her loved one's.

"I'm sorry... I will miss you all so much." Said Wanda Maximoff.

She then looked up at Arishem with despair and hopelessness.

"I will do it." Replied Wanda Maximoff.

"Wanda Maximoff? Are you ready?" Said Arishem.

"No, but I will never be ready. So you might as well continue." Replied Wanda Maximoff.

"Very well." Said Arishem.

Arishem formed a large ball of cosmic energy in his hands and he merged all 11 nexus entities into one, creating one single Nexus Being. At this moment, Wanda Maximoff knew there was no going back, but every ounce of her being wanted nothing to do with this.