Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 943 The Uses of the Staff (First Update)

"Constantine, get me a copy of today's divination report from the New York Sanctum planetary defense system, the one from the period of the battle. A 12-inch parchment copy, the one stamped by the sorcerer Daniel Dram. Sorry, darling, I want to see the local news in Los Angeles first, let me see for myself if the locals saw anything. Wanda, continue. Stephanie has already called the Los Angeles council members; the police won't arrest you or Ghost Rider. But just to be safe, a law firm that Immortal City employs locally is on its way to assist you. Whatever questions the police ask you, insist on waiting for your lawyer. I don't want to see you arrested." Salomon covered the microphone with his hand. "Contact the agent monitoring Wanda and have him submit a report as well. Damn it, they didn't even notify me after this happened."

"Please don't blame Victoria Hand, my lord. Not everyone can work 24/7 like we do," the Imperial Guard suddenly interjected on the communication channel. "Being too strict is not good for your rule. It's my duty as an advisor to remind you, isn't it? Ms. Wanda Maximov, please remain calm. The Immortal City will not let anything happen to you."

There was a moment of silence on the communication channel.

Salomon had to admit to himself that he had made a mistake; he had overlooked the gap between himself and ordinary people. Demanding others meet his own standards was hardly commendable, especially since Victoria Hand had been handling a lot of work today, and being overly critical was unfair. "Fine, I'll give Agent Hand a day off sometime," he muttered, "but not today. Self-purification is no excuse for slowing down intelligence transmission. Put the details on tomorrow's to-do list, and don't let it happen again."

He tried to lean back on the soft cushions of the sofa to ease his spine; this morning, while watching the Skrull purge, the only thing he could lean on was a large rock. He was now pondering what gift to give Agent Victoria Hand.

"Okay, Wanda, continue, don't waste time."

"Whoa! Mr. Reyes!" The scorching air rushed towards her, and Wanda had to raise her arm to shield her eyes from the flames. She felt her skin drying out and becoming oily, as if she were under the midday sun of summer, her pores opening and releasing copious amounts of sweat. A small flame was still clinging to the skin of her palm, but an invisible membrane separated the flame from her skin, so the only injury Wanda suffered was a small burn, like a blister from touching a car hood that had been baking in the sun all day.

Although it hurt a lot, it didn't stop her from continuing to cast spells to protect herself.

Just as Kamar-Taj required sorcerers to endure pain while maintaining focus during close combat, Salomon imposed similar demands on Wanda. While the Maximoffs were still imprisoned in the castle jail, he repeatedly pricked Wanda's skin with fine needles until she could recite spells without pain. This test later escalated into a mental whip used by the sorcerer to drive the slave to work—a teaching version, the difference between the original and the raw, painful experience being like the gentle touch of a feather.

Compared to the sudden, direct pain that stimulates the brain, this burn is nothing.

"I need you to calm down, Robbie Reyes!" Wanda took a deep breath of the scorching air; she could almost smell the grime of the sun-baked concrete. She stepped back, lowered her hands, and squinted at the skeleton emerging from the flames. "I don't want to hurt you. Stop, stand there. I don't want to repeat myself!"

"Chaos..." The Ghost Rider, engulfed in flames, pressed closer. Wanda had no choice but to reach out, and a staff almost as tall as her appeared out of thin air, which she gripped tightly in her hand. At the top of the staff was a silver-plated python skull encircled by a heavy steel ring, around which were arranged metal spikes in a cross shape. She had used this staff when the angels attacked New York, and since then, this staff, crafted by Salomon himself, had belonged to her. It was a true dual-purpose weapon, capable of both spellcasting and melee combat; being struck by the spiked ring was no less devastating than being hit by a warhammer.

The dense red anti-slip ropes wrapped around the staff broke the blisters on her hands, and blood seeped into the grip. The smell of dried paint and the pain simultaneously fueled her fighting spirit.

Salomon interrupted the description with a rustling sound of paper being rubbed together.

"We know the results, Wanda. We want to know how you got Ghost Rider into the ICU. Damn it, is some other force involved? Why can't I see any news reports about it in Los Angeles? Contact the intelligence department. I need to know which force is involved in this."

"Wow! Almost every bone is broken. Blunt force trauma and puncture wounds to the skull. No organic brain damage, probably because Ghost Rider wasn't thinking straight at that time. Robbie Reyes' survival is all thanks to this." Jeanne pointed to a line on the medical report, her expression more dramatic than when watching a TV drama. "Looks like Wanda was pretty ruthless; she must have smashed the staff into Ghost Rider's head. Ceresia, this is what we taught her; she learns pretty quickly."

Bayonetta took the medical report with a look of relief on her face, as if Wanda were her apprentice.

“I pinned Robbie Reyes under the house until he was exhausted and turned back into human form.” Wanda’s high boots clicked together, the stark white light of the hospital corridor making her eyes dry. “The police didn’t show up until I got him to the hospital. We fought for almost thirty minutes, and the police didn’t show up the whole time. This is a slum, teacher, the police don’t come here at night. They dealt with three shootings tonight, they definitely don’t have time for this.”

"I don't think it's that simple. She definitely smashed the staff into Ghost Rider's head until he couldn't recover," Jeanne continued her relentless rant. "While I admire that approach, magic is important too. Hey, use more magic, Wanda, you're a witch!"

That's exactly right; Wanda had no idea where she got such strength. She was screaming and smashing things wildly with her eyes closed, not even knowing what she hit.

Salomon relaxed after repeatedly confirming that the battle hadn't caused any repercussions in the spirit world or the news. He tossed aside the parchment and printing paper, retreating back to his seat as if he were still watching a TV show. Bayonetta subtly loosened the sash of her silk nightgown and moved closer silently.

She was certain that the next part of the day would be bedroom time.

"You make it sound like you didn't cause any trouble for the police. This battle set six houses on fire, blew up at least three gas canisters and four cars, and caused no fewer than five explosions. You should be glad no one lived there, otherwise it wouldn't just be Ghost Rider who would be held accountable, but you would too. Now we can team up with the police and claim it was a gas pipeline explosion."

“Teacher, I have one last question. What is chaos? Why did Ghost Rider keep repeating that word?” Wanda asked. “I’m pretty sure he wanted to kill me, and Robbie Reyes couldn’t control it at all.”

"You'll find out later, my good apprentice. Now get on with the mission; you don't have time for anything else. I need that contract." Salomon glanced at Bayonetta and Jeanne, signaling them to be quiet. "This new Ghost Rider is too weak; he shouldn't cause too much trouble. I suggest you visit Gabe Reyes at the Reyes house first, and then bring Robbie Reyes to the hospital before he wakes up. That will help you. Get moving, girl. I can't take care of you forever; you have to learn to make your own decisions."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)