All Along
Spoilers for Dr Strange MoM: the after credit scene I needed and wanted but didn’t get.
Summary: It was the last place she wanted to go, it held no happy memories for her. Then again, few places did. And even fewer existed where those happy memories weren’t washed away by the bad.
But it was where she left her. It was where she could find the last person on this planet, perhaps in this universe, that could, and would, help her.
Exhaling slowly, Wanda strode into Westview.
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A knocking sounded from the front of the house, making her smile. It wasn’t often her neighbors visited.
Moving through the house, humming to herself, Agnes shook her head when the knocking became more persistent. “Hold your horses!” She called cheerfully ahead of her, chuckling at some people’s impatience.
The knock became a pound.
Slightly disconcerted, Agnes slowed only a moment before the feeling vanished and she made for the door once again.
Not bothering to check the peephole, really, it wasn’t as though she’d turn away a neighbor in crisis, Agnes opened the door.
Something ferocious slammed against the inside of her skull at the sight of her visitor, but, once again, the feeling faded without it leaving much of an imprint.
Shaking her head to clear it, because something was thrumming in the back of it, Agnes smiled widely at the woman in front of her. “Hiya hon!”
“Agatha.” The woman muttered, head down and covered with an overlarge hood.
Bemused, Agnes stepped aside to admit the woman. “Agnes, dear, but hey, all those old timey names sound the same don’t they?” She wrinkled her nose teasingly.
Not responding, the woman slipped inside and immediately made for the couch in the other room.
Suspicion flared, how did this woman know the layout of her house? But Agnes couldn’t hold onto it, her mind sliding back into a peaceful state. Clearly this young woman had been here before and Agnes was having another one of her memory slips.
She trailed after the woman’s hunched figure and sat across from her. “Want something to drink, doll? I’ve got tea, coffee, water…”
A curt shake of the head was the woman’s answer. “I need your help, Agatha.” Came a hoarse whisper.
“Agnes,” she corrected, smiling. “But sure thing, what do ya need? Cup of sugar?” Amusement colored her tone as she waggled her eyebrows at the still withdrawn woman.
Head snapping up, the woman glared at her. “Enough.” Her hand shot out and, before Agnes could blink, was touching her temple.
Pain erupted inside her head.
Memories, centuries worth’s and many of them unpleasant, flooded back. Snarling, Agatha shoved out of her chair. “That didn’t need to hurt. Still want to punish me for how your little Westview mess turned out, Wanda?” Her sneer and venomous tone should’ve cowed the young witch, but now that the spell’s veneer was gone, Agatha could truly see the woman in front of her.
Broken.
Not in the way she was before. No. This was different. These weren’t just fractures and cracks anymore, this wasn’t just grief. Wanda had truly and fully broken.
This conclusion was evidenced even further when Wanda didn’t bother to engage with her antagonistic comments.
Agatha straightened her shoulders and tipped her chin up, trying another tactic. “Back for my help already? Told you you needed me.” She let the condescension seep into her voice.
Her lips twisting sourly, Wanda exhaled slowly. “Yes.” She grunted finally, accent thick. And before Agatha could gloat further, the witch held out her hands.
Eyes widening in delight, Agatha brought her gaze back to Wanda’s face. “Oho,” she chuckled, “I see.”
And she did. Oh, she saw.
Goody goody Wanda had been playing with the Darkhold; and judging from how the corruption extended to nearly the second knuckle, had been for some time. Possibly since she left Westview.
A wolffish smile unfurling on her lips, Agatha crossed her arms. “Someone’s been a naughty girl.”
Grimacing, Wanda hid her hands within the depths of her oversized hoody once more. “I couldn’t stop,” she admitted, “once I started, it felt so good. And my thoughts, they, they…” she waved her still partially hidden hands to try and explain what her words couldn’t.
“Weren’t your own anymore.” Agatha supplied. “Or not fully, anyway.” She knew all too well how the book spoke to the reader, even after the pages were closed. How they whispered, suggested, prodded… especially in the beginning.
Wanda nodded, tears gathering in her eyes. “Exactly. I, I did horrible things.” Her gaze met Agatha’s, filled with pain and regret. “I hurt—killed—“ she painfully amended, eyes squeezing shut, “so, so many people.” Her hands fisted, effectively hiding the damage from the Darkhold.
And though Agatha wanted to twist the knife, to be cruel as Wanda had been to her when imprisoning her in this life, Agatha found she couldn’t hold the grudge.
No, she was too intrigued.
It also didn’t hurt that her prediction came true. That Wanda was here, essentially groveling at her feet.
Trying not to appear too smug, Agatha settled on the couch next to Wanda and wrapped an arm around the younger witch, pleased when the girl leaned into her side, desperate for the comfort.
Oh, she could work with this.
Smiling, Agatha gently soothed Wanda as she broke into sobs, all the while planning all the things they could accomplish together.
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re: this reddit post i found that discusses the idea that bedelia was too focused on being safe from hannibal, and that she neglected to consider the danger of actively provoking will (and his jealousy), who is just as dangerous. she did this by taunting him about how she was hannibal's wife, and with him "behind the veil" unlike will. OP says that bedelia seems like will's primary post-fall target because of this, and mentions the end credit scene of bedelia in TWOTL. (i really recommend reading their whole post! it was a very interesting observation and theory)
i am going to work with this idea that will is jealous of/angry at bedelia for her being in italy with hannibal instead of him (because will was supposed to be the one hannibal ran away with), and that the end credit scene of bedelia is reality.
i think there is significance to the fact that bedelia specifically had her leg (and most likely the rest of her limbs) cut off, cooked, and eaten by will and hannibal.
who is the only other person we have seen killed this way? gideon. why did hannibal want gideon dead in the first place? because gideon was effectively stealing hannibal's identity as the chesapeake ripper.
both gideon and bedelia were living lives that were not their lives to live. gideon falsely living as the chesapeake ripper, and bedelia falsely living as hannibal's companion, "behind the veil," in will's place.
i also thought it was interesting that in antipasto, the episode switches between the b&w flashback of hannibal cooking and eating gideon's limbs, and hannibal and bedelia's life in europe. i thought this could've been some subtle foreshadowing — as bedelia is living a life that wasnt hers to live, we see what happened to a man who was living a life that wasn't his to live.
as hannibal and gideon eat together, gideon learns about the real chesapeake ripper ("you were determined to know the chesapeake ripper, gideon. now is your opportunity"). i imagine that will and hannibal would do the same thing to bedelia. explaining their life together post-cliff, which what was supposed to happen post-mizumono, to bedelia who was in will's place, living a life that wasn't hers to live.
even further, i noticed that the painting changes in the room bedelia is in from the last time we see her in TWOTL (when will tells her his plan to fake hannibals escape) to the post-credit scene, which indicates that time has passed. so, they didnt instantly go to kill bedelia after the cliff. this time between the cliff and the post-credit scene could be the story of will and hannibal's life together that they explain to bedelia
so, bedelia gets the same treatment as gideon. they both get to see how it feels to (literally) have a part of them, their identity, their lives, taken from them. as they learn about the life they were stealing from the person whose life they were stealing. the divine punishment of a sinner mirrors the sin being punished.
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