In captivity, (Y/n) experienced pain worse on any scale than every before. While he had a moment to recover from the excruciating torture of having a blade dig into his chest, Aether drew his attention away from the (h/c) man so to dwell on the presence of the witches scarlet in the graveyard where would conduct a scare tactic in hopes of driving them away. Unfortunately, (Y/n) used what ounce of energy he had left to send a message to his current wife. When Aether realised what he'd done, he cursed him and subjected (Y/n) to a different form of torture: to watch the loves of his life die. 

With what time they had remaining, the witches resumed their adventure to the fort to save their beloved (Y/n) who remained the prisoner of the dark wizard, Aether. As the witches gained ground towards the fort, a chill swept over them. It was there that a blizzard blasted through the forest, trees and leaves turned to icicles, the ground covered in thick shin-high snow and a monstrous growl lurked amongst the trees. 

"Here comes the storm...," said Willow One in dread of what was to come. 

A monstrous roar came from ahead on the trail where a tall, large beast lingered, easily pushing trees over without an ounce of effort as its attention was solely on the women ahead of it. 

"What... is that?" Wanda asked as heavy thumping shook them. 

Willow Two conjured fire in her palms and blasted a stream at the tall beast made of rock and yelled, "It's the fort's guardian, Big Barda!" 

Big Barda raised its right fist up over its head, ready to slam it down on both Scarlet Witches who stood in their spot to use their magic to restrain the beast's fist while both Willow's circled Big Barda when it punched the ground, emitting a shockwave that knocked everyone off their feet. Elaine casted a spell in which green chains shot out of the ground and wrapped themselves around the beast's arms, physically restraining it, allowing all three witches to blast a beam of chaos magic at Big Bards until it exploded, leaving everyone to rest before continuing along the path to the castle.

"There. (Y/n) is in there." Willow Two spoke in relief.

"Will we be expecting anything?" Wanda Three questioned hoarsely.

"Just the bastard that kidnapped my husband," snarled Wanda Two.

"We find Aether, we kill him." Willow One ordered.

Everyone nodded at one another before they all began their assault on the fort which immediately activated it's defences to slow the sorceresses from reaching (Y/n) in time.

While (Y/n)'s attention to his lovers coming to his rescue grew, he could only imagine what he would do to the dark wizard that separated him from his family. But with the amount of time until the sorceresses' arrival, nobody had managed to anticipate what was coming next.

"They're here... I, I told you... they'd... come, for me." (Y/n) spoke through wheezed breaths. "You're... screwed now... Aether."

"Dan Aern, you know not your purpose. I did not kidnap you to simply kill you." Aether chuckled. "I do not expect any of you to leave the underworld, ever. After all, there is someone who is dying to see you."

(Y/n) narrowed his eyes at the dark wizard and asked, "Who?"

Before Aether had a chance to answer him, he'd conjured a spell in the room they were in and stood in silence, his staff glowing from keeping the spell active when six people entered the room: four identical yet slightly different as the other two were young but the youngest moat familiar as the daughter of (Y/n) Thatch. The women cursed and surveyed the room for its horrendous torture methods.

"Damn. He's not here," said a redhead. 

"No kidding." A younger version of the redhead spat in frustration. 

"He has to be here. I can practically feel it." One of the more ancient versions of Wanda Maximoff spoke positively. 

"But he's not," said the older girl. 

"Nu, are dreptate. Tata ar putea fi aici. No, she's right. Papa could be here," said Elaine. 

Suddenly, the room expanded where bony arms tore out of the ground, the women physically restrained from escaping or casting spells where (Y/n) was revealed as well as freed from captivity, but with Aether standing behind him, laughing evilly.

"(Y/n)!" Brunette Wanda yelled at her soulmates' anguish. "What did you do to him, you bastard?!"

"Now... Dan Aern, you will sit here and watch, while I reap their souls from their bodies." Aether spoke softly into (Y/n)'s ear before punching him in his gut, causing him to cough.

(Y/n) had one hand across his stomach whilst on his hand and knees as he looked up and watched the dark wizard start with one of the Willows on the far left. By placing the end of his staff over her left bosom, he raised his voice in a deep, foreign voice when she became lifeless and her body collapsed to the ground.

"NOOOOOOHOHOO!! YOU BASTAAARRD!! I'LL KILL YOU!!"

There was much suffering built within (Y/n) as he watched one of his past lovers die. Rage coursed through him as strength found its way back to allowing him to have full control of his body again and lashed out at his foe when (Y/n)'s current Wanda was about to meet her fate. A rage-filled (Y/n) took the dark wizard by surprise and grabbed the staff and fought for it when (Y/n) kneed the mage in the balls, rendering him exposed to the effects of the surprise attack that no spell could repel.

(Y/n) snatched the staff from the wizard and pointed it at the skeletal arms holding back his loved ones before tossing said staff to his daughter before using his own magic to suspend the mage in mid-air after disabling his ability to break free. Heavily, Aether breathed raggedly as he witnessed an unbridled fury kindle within (Y/n)'s eyes. Only then, did the dark wizard truly fear him and his capabilities. Only then, did he fear death as (Y/n) once asked his master before victory ensued the Gaelic warriors. Only now, did (Y/n) accomplish his task. 

"(Y/n)?" Wanda spoke nervously in fear of how the (h/c) man just maliciously killed Aether before them. 

(Y/n) panted heavily, blood literally on his hands as he held the dead heart of his foe similarly to what Wanda did to Ultron after he killed her brother, except when it was with an actual person with an actual heart, it was scary. They were scared of him. 

"I had to. It was either you, or him. And I was not going to let him take you from me." (Y/n) justified in ragged breaths. 

"What about Willow? You let her die - for what?" Wanda One asked harshly. 

"I just saw one versions of you die! You think I'd let another - maybe the mother of my daughter or two different versions of that woman - perish next?! No! Who would look after her? You?! You?! You?! How long did you take to come for me? A month? A week?!" 

"What? W-We were only a few hours?" 

(Y/n) scoffed and went to retrieve a cloak to cover himself so to spare the women from his bruised, scarred body. Something stole his attention to very faint marching drawing nearer and nearer. Trouble was lurking.