#ask prettywitch

[prettywitchiusaka]

Royai for the ship bingo

Okay.

Oh, and before anyone asks, relationship goals is marked for their portrayal in 03, where they feel more like a couple/act like husband and wife.

Exact opposite of relationship goals is marked for some of the problematic shit from Brotherhood I've ranted about before on my blog.

Don't get me wrong, I love Royai (in general) to death, but even I find some of the scenes Arakawa wrote for these two questionable (out of context). And I just put Animal House of my list of favorite movies, so you can imagine how low my standards are.

Also, apologizes to @maripr for not getting this out sooner, today.

[stewardofningishzida]

Stephen Strange Meta-Fic Sequel Chapter 10: Trix is for Avengers!

A showdown commences! Stay tuned and read on!~

TRIGGER WARNING: Torture, kidnapping, mental manipulation

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*The Quinjet lands in an open field near October Mountain Wilderness.  On it, four Avengers and three very angry and worried young women disembark, ready to rescue their captive friend.  The rest of their journey to the witch’s lair will have to be done on foot.  Using Tony’s GPS, the group silently approaches Agatha’s cabin.  They stop at the edge of the clearing to perform some recon and locate potential traps.  Tony scans the area with his devices while the girls concentrate to perform some basic magical scans of their own. Meanwhile, Scott encourages some of his ants to begin spreading around the area.*

*There are at least eight people wandering around the cabin. If not for their almost zombie-like movements, they looked exactly like hikers or tourists, complete with backpacks and flannel. In fact, they could have been. Now a purple glow radiates from their eyes and their hands are blackened similar to Agatha’s. They don’t patrol together, but wander aimlessly around the area, not getting further than 15 feet away from the cabin itself which has smoke coming out of the chimney. The building itself looks like it could have been pulled from a Christmas card with how stereotypical it looked for a one-story wooden cabin, minus the snow. All in all, it looked pretty ordinary on the surface.*

Steve (low whisper):  Looks like we have company.  With those eyes, they’re probably brainwashed.  We’ll have to knock out and restrain them.

Me (quietly):  Think they’re all on some sort of trigger too?  Like…If one of them falls even out of view, it might set the others off?

Peter: I could try knocking something over with my web shooters? See what kind of a reaction we get?

Tony: No, we can’t risk alerting all of them to us being here if they do work under a hivemind. We need to find that crystal keeping Trix trapped first before we give up our presence.

Prettywitch: I wonder…What if I used my divination to find out?

Me (staying quiet):  Go ahead.  *I encourage her.*

Tear: Just remember not to push too far. We can’t have you draining your magical energy so early into the mission.

Prettywitch: Okay. * She pulls out the tarot deck from her satchel and quickly cleanses it. Then she shuffles the deck while asking herself, “Is there some sort of psychic link between the group in front of us or no?”, five times before finally stopping to pull the first card that “calls” to her. She pulled the Six of Wands* Six of Wands?

Tony: *Lifts a skeptical eyebrow at the card* Is that supposed to be a variation of NATO?

Prettywitch: *Glares at Tony* No, Stark. It’s saying that, yes; they do share a link…At least I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s saying.

Tear: That’s amazing! Then we won’t get their attention until we are certain Trix’s crystal will be safe from Agatha retaliating.

Tony: It’s a bug’s life, after all. Right, Lang, you are up. What do your ant eyes see? Any way for you and the girls to approach in search of Trix and those anti-magic runes without triggering anything?

Scott: *He doesn’t answer Tony right away. He’s busy communicating with one of the ants.* AnToinette’s saying there’s zombies everywhere. Our best bet is for someone to cause a distraction.

Prettywitch: Guess that means Harrass Harkness is up.

*Steve raises an eyebrow.*

Steve:  Harass Harkness?

Prettywitch: Yeah. That’s the name of the group name for everyone who stays behind to deal with Agatha’s goons. 

Me:  Let’s strategize, then.  One part of the group stays here and plans a diversion tactic.  The other part shrinks down and sneaks into the cabin to try and swipe Trix’s crystal.  What else did you foresee, Prettywitch?  Anyone in particular need to stay or go in? 

Prettywitch: Hmmm…Let me think. *She cleanses the deck again and shuffles them, asking, “Should anyone in particular come with Antman?” five times before pulling three cards that “call* to her. They are; The Chariot (Past), Two of Cups (Present), Ace of Coins (Future)* Huh?...That’s kinda weird…Unless-

*As PrettyWitch begins to explain, one of the zombie-like guards shuffles around the outskirts of the clearing, slowly and almost stumbling over their own feet with a blank look on their face. He is slowly getting closer to the group and is about twenty feet away at the moment.*

*Steve gestures silently at the group to duck down and stay as quiet as possible.  We all do so.*

*The guard wanders in front of where the group are hiding and pauses as if he hears something and looks around, almost looking like all of his limbs and neck are limp as he lazily scouts out the woods from his position.*

*We stay quiet, waiting for him to leave.*

*After about thirty seconds, the guard seems satisfied even if it doesn’t reflect on his face. He wanders off again around the rest of the perimeter.*

*Steve watches for a bit to make sure nobody else is around before gesturing to let Prettywitch finish speaking.*

Steve (polite, but down to business):  The coast is clear.  Go on.

Prettywitch: So in tarot, Ace of Coins represents new beginnings, opportunity, potential. But more in the sense of possibilities, not success. So, we’ll still need to plan accordingly. 

Me:  Since I can sense spirits, maybe that’ll give us an edge.  Plus, I have lockpicks.  I’ll go in with Scott.

Tear: Tony taught me how to set up the explosives Steward requested too, so I can be backup help if she needs it. Plus, if we manage to find Trix… We don’t know what condition she’ll be in when we find her, and I want to do everything I can to help her. So I’m going too.

Prettywitch: Perfect. I’ll stay here so we can keep the rescue party small.

Steve:  Okay.  Scott, go ahead and shrink down with the two girls.  Report back as soon as you can.  We’ll provide a diversion when needed.

Scott: Alright. Let’s go.

*Scott, Tear, and I shrink down and climb onto three winged ants already waiting for us. They easily fly us across the field and into Agatha’s cabin. We are tense and dreading the activation of any traps, but everything remains quiet as we stealthily pass through a crack under a baseboard, unnoticed.  At least for now.  None of us sees or senses Trix in the small house.  Agatha is bustling around, looking frustrated.  It seems she’s preparing something.  We don’t see any crystals on her person or anywhere in the cabin.  However, Scott quickly points out scuff marks on the floor, barely covered by a rug.  We quietly slip under the rug to avoid detection and find a trapdoor with a lock on it.  Scott inspects the lock for a bit and tries to pick it with one of Cassie’s old barretts he keeps on hand. It doesn’t open the lock.  Meanwhile, Tear is a lookout to make sure Agatha doesn’t step on or notice us.*

Scott (using his earpiece, whispering): Just like I thought; we can’t get it open through conventional means.

*I pull out the small ring of lockpicks with a smirk and pass Scott the tools.*

Scott: Thank you. (He takes the lockpicks from Steward and carefully  fiddles with each one until he finally gets it open.) And…open sesame!

*Agatha continues to grab some ingredients for a spell and is grumbling to herself.*

Agatha: I am going to hex every single person who decides that Washington should be a city. I have been to eighty-eight of them and still no trace of that specific magic. That kid isn’t lying so there’s a missing piece of the puzzle. It should only take a session or two more before she shatters… *she continues muttering to herself*

*After Scott opens the lock, we barely open the trapdoor, just a crack, to squeeze through, not moving the rug either to reduce the chance of detection.  We drop into what appears to be a small cave system beneath the cabin.  To Tear and me, the place feels like a veritable hornet’s nest of magical activity now.  We try to sense Trix, nerves mounting even further from Agatha’s “shattering” remark.  The path is slippery and treacherous.  I detect the energy of the runes’ spellwork and follow it to its origin points. It’s easy to spot the glowing purple runes on different stones, and we make a mental note of the locations of all the carvings. There seem to be even more secrets and artifacts in the caves, but we can’t stray too far because we sense…things…hidden somewhere in the dark recesses.  Tear and I are trying our best to push away flashbacks of the mine we explored with Stephen months ago.*

*Eventually, we see a dimly-lit area and head towards it, being careful of any potential traps.  Anything that looks or feels even vaguely suspicious is avoided.  We reach a candlelit chamber and deem it safe enough to grow back to normal size. Scott takes up the role of lookout at the entrance while Tear and I sense the room.  I attempt to scan for Trix’s presence, but feel nothing.  There are a few shattered crystal fragments swept into a pile at a corner on the floor.  My pulse rises further as I cannot help but fear the worst.*

Tear: Steward… *I gently grip Steward’s wrist to catch her attention and point over at a desk on the opposite wall* 

*I look at Tear and then the desk and let out a sigh of relief.*

Me:  Thank goodness…Good eye, Tear.

*There is an intact pair of dark purple crystals on that desk.  Each one has a leather band attached to them, making them look like pendants.  They’re both identical, and I touch them carefully and sense life within each one.*

Scott: Guys! Agatha’s coming! AnToinette said she and the other ants can buy us some time but we gotta be quick about it.

Me (quickly):  Coming!  If these are the only intact crystals here, one of them has to have Trix inside.  The other is probably some other poor soul that got caught.  We’ll take both of them to be sure.  

*I snatch both of them before we turn around to head up.  As we ascend, Tear and I plant Tony’s explosives on each rune we found earlier.  Then, we shrink back down with Scott’s tech and slip back out of the caves through the trapdoor.*

*While under the rug, we see Agatha is swearing up a storm as thousands of ants have swarmed her kitchen and are even crawling up her hands and arms.*

Agatha (pissed off): Get a cabin in the woods they said! I am going to get a nice city apartment so I don’t have to deal with all of this nature *She sneers and uses her magic to set as many ants on fire as she can* I’m going to find a spell to wipe as many of you pests off the face of the Earth as possible… *She pauses as she realizes that something is off* Wait…Weren’t you an Avenger’s…?

*She whirls around and stomps back to our hiding place, making the floorboards shake under our feet. At Scott’s command, we cling to the fibers of the rug moment before Agatha grabs it and flings it aside in her rush to check the trapdoor. She pales as she realizes it’s unlocked.*

Agatha: Little brats think they can steal from me? *she growls and slams the trapdoor open with a flick of her hand before storming down the stairs that lead to the caves*

*A bit shaken from the sudden carpet ride, we stumble our way out from under the discarded rug and make sure that Agatha isn’t looking before scuttling back outside of the cabin through the cracked baseboard. We then climb back onto our rides and fly out into the field.  We grow back to normal size as soon as we rejoin the group.*

Me (holding out the loot):  Crystals secured.  They’re both inhabited with a soul, but we don’t know which one’s Trix.  It’s some sort of enchantment.  By the way, Agatha’s onto us.  She almost caught us just as we were leaving.

Steve (proudly impressed):  Good work.  As soon as you disable the runes, Steward, you girls start working on breaking that spell and freeing the hostages.  We’ll draw Agatha out for capture.  Seeing as she’s gotten suspicious, it shouldn’t take much to get her out of her cabin now.

Me:  Yes, Sir.  *I grin evilly.  It’s rather unsettling since there’s some actual venom behind it this time.*

Tony: You copy that, Strange, Wong? We have visual confirmation that the crystals are now in the girls’ possession. The second those runes blow, you two are free to portal in.

Strange (via earpiece):  Copy.

Wong (via earpiece):  We’re ready.

Tony: *He turns to Peter.* I want you to stay with the girls, okay? Once the explosion happens, we’ll be heading in guns blazing. I’m sure it’ll help the wizards concentrate if they know you’re watching over their ducklings while they Wingardium Leviosa those crystals. It’s a lot of responsibility, kid. You up for it?

Peter: *He can smell the reverse psychology trick a mile away, but he can’t help standing up straighter and puffing out proudly with his new orders.* I won’t let anything happen to them, I promise.

Me: Ready for me to detonate, everyone?  *I’m holding the detonator button, ready to be pressed.*

Tear: Blow that witch to pieces.

Prettywitch: Ready!

Scott: Ready!

Tony: Set off the fireworks, kid.

Peter: All set here, Steward!

Steve:  *Gives me a thumbs-up.*  Affirmative.  Detonation in T-Minus 3 seconds.  

*I quietly gesture “three…two…one!” with my fingers and then push the button.  The charges explode, blowing up the runes. Though since the caves were apparently soundproofed, we hear nothing.  FRIDAY confirms the detonation shortly before the cabin collapses in on itself from the newly-expanded caves below. Agatha’s magic wards are down.*

Steve:  All right.  *He speaks into his earpiece so that Stephen and Wong can also hear the signal.*  Avengers, assemble!

*Meanwhile, a loud angry screech comes from the now collapsed cabin. Agatha floats upwards, her purple magic glowing dangerously around her hands and her hair curling in the air with her power like the snakes on Medusa’s head. She’s covered in dust and debris but still looks regal in her full witch attire. Dark purple light radiates from her glaring eyes as she snarls, and a pulse of raw energy booms across the entire valley, making all of us tense.*

*Within seconds, a large portal of golden sparks appears in the clearing and two furious sorcerers come charging out.  Stephen and Wong have joined the fight and their magic immediately snatches Agatha’s attention. They unleash a volley of offensive spells towards the witch, and all Hell breaks loose in the clearing.*

Agatha: So, you decided to invite yourselves over and literally crash the party. *She grins as she absorbs the magic of Stephen and Wong’s attacks and takes a deep breath as it rejuvenates her and turns into purple mist to dodge the Eldritch weapons being thrown at her* You’re going to have to do better than that, dearies. *She summons a large orb of purple magic before pushing it forward, where it shoots dozens of purple orbs of magic out into the clearing like falling meteors. A few hit her minions, who screech as their bodies wither away quickly into what almost looks like mummies, completely sapped of energy and life.*

Steve:  Avengers, shields and defensive positions!  Devices on!  *He rushes in after Stephen and Wong, ready to protect the others if needed.*

Tony: Lang! Wrangle up all of the zombies. We can’t have the witch killing civilians left and right! *He shoots up into a wide arc in the sky, aiming his repulsor blasts straight at Agatha as he provides the sorcerers with cover fire.*

Agatha: *She easily dodges the attacks and reforms in the air above the group* Pretty brave to attack a witch on her home turf, but you Avengers were never quite that bright to begin with. *She raises her arms and the remaining zombies are given spectral weapons and they charge the Avengers*

Tony: Ah, shit. Lang! Change of plans! *He swiftly propels himself in another direction, heavily landing behind Steve and protecting his six from a zombie tourist swinging down a phantom-looking scythe.*

*Meanwhile, Stephen and Wong cast their shield spells to offer an additional layer of protection to the Avengers without giving Agatha more power.  This frees up some of the team to provide a counteroffensive with their tech.*

*While Agatha is occupied with the chaos of battle, Prettywitch, Tear, and I join forces to cast an invisibility spell on us and Peter. We then sneak into the brush so we can figure the crystal issue out.*

Peter: Huh, this is weird… *He’s looking down at his hand, which looks oddly transparent, as if he was now made of clear water. We look the same to him so he can tell where we are even with the invisibility spell active* So how do you guys reverse engineer an enchantment?

Tear: To be honest, Wong hasn’t taught us that yet. The magic witches use is very different to the sorcerers’. I can’t exactly make heads or tails of how this transmutation worked in the first place.

*A loud boom makes us all tense and snap our attention back to the on-going fight in the distance. Iron Man has brought out his elliptical shield, and Peter looks like he really wants to join the fight and help, but he resolutely stays crouched down with us.*

Me:  Crap, crap, crap…*I frantically try to think of something before getting an idea.*

*I turn to look at Barry, who has been following us as usual.  After all, it’s not as though he can really leave since he bound himself to me before.*

Barry:  …Seriously?

Me:  We’ve been trying to make peace with each other, right?

Barry:  …Yeah, but how do we know that bitch’s jewelry isn’t gonna vaporize me or something?

Me:  The crystal’s some kind of soul trap.  It’s a container.  Containers don’t generally zap their contents into oblivion.  Look…If this works out, then I promise to let you listen to every single Kurt Cobain performance ever recorded.

Barry:  *Scoffs*  Has to be better than that…

Me (desperate):  We can’t do this exchange right now!  *Still arguing with Barry.*

Peter: *He leans over a bit to whisper at PrettyWitch, a bit unnerved as he watches Steward and the empty air next to her* Is this normal behavior for her…?

Prettywitch: Yeah. She’s a medium and can talk to ghosts. Most people can’t see or hear them.

*This does not comfort Peter in the slightest as he continues to watch in disturbed fascination.*

Barry (unfazed):  I still want a favor.

Me:  After!  Just name it after we free Trix.  PLEASE.

Barry (reluctant, but still snarky):  Fine…

*He drifts over towards one of the crystals and touches it before it sucks him in.*

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*Barry is disoriented by what he sees as he looks around.*

Barry (processing what he just experienced):  What the fuck…

*Loki immediately is on guard as this unknown suddenly appears in his astral realm and stands between him and Trix, blocking the young woman from being spotted as she is currently recovering and is as close to being asleep as she can be in the astral plains*

Loki (snarling): Who are you? Why did Agatha send you here? Leave before I have to take drastic action. *he summons two daggers and leans forward menacingly*

Barry (raising his hands):  Whoa!  I’m here for the chick, not you, dude!  

Loki (incredibly serious): Wrong answer. *he darts forward extending his daggers to attack*

Barry:  SHIT!  Fuck you, Steward!  *He shouts to seemingly nobody in particular.  All the while, the surrounding color of the crystal seems to be slowly starting to shift.*

*Loki perks up at the mention of Steward and uses the forward momentum to feint at last moment and stares at Barry*

Loki: I’m sorry, did you say Steward– *he’s cut off as seemingly an earthquake hits his side of the astral plains and cracks begin to form everywhere, including the invisible wall between his area and Trix’s* What did you just do?!

Barry:  Nothing!  I don’t know!  She told me to try and get in here to check who was trapped!

*There’s a blinding flash.*

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*The crystal that Barry entered starts to glitch out, flashing several different colors at once before it poofs, revealing a very confused, disheveled, and exhausted Loki.  Barry gets launched forcefully out of the god’s body as soon as it reforms.  The girls are shocked by the sudden appearance, and their broken concentration makes their invisibility spell fail. Peter immediately leaps up to stand in front of the girls protectively. He aims both webshooters at Loki and immediately webs him back against a bush, leaving a sight reminiscent of a Halloween decoration.*

Peter: Mr. Loki? What are you doing here? *His voice sounds shocked behind his mask, but he still doesn’t drop his protective stance in front of the others.*

Me (small voice):  W-What?!

Loki (dazed): Well that was entirely unexpected but it seems her plan worked. *He looks at the girls and Peter gathered around him and stares blankly down at the webs only to focus in on the crystal that’s still left in Steward’s hands. His expression softens a bit* There you are…

Me (privately praying that this Loki isn’t about to somehow screw the group over):  O-Okay…So, Trix is in the other one, right?  Right?

Loki (starting to collect himself): Yes, yes she is. Agatha just had her in a session and she was quickly reaching the end of her rope.

*The group of girls relaxes slightly at the news of Trix still being alive.  I turn to Barry again.*

Me:  …Please?

Barry:  HELL NO.  I’ve already had enough surprises being dragged around this damn multiverse!

Loki (unamused): Perhaps trying to overshadow someone’s unprotected soul isn’t the best way to introduce one’s self. *He hears the fight going on in the background and his face quickly turns to rage when he spots the witch* Oh, that woman has another thing coming to her– *He tries to get out of the webs but quickly gives up due to his exhaustion.*

Prettywitch: Uh, Loki? Maybe you should sit this one out. I’m sort of an amateur at tarot, you can help me with that! What do you say?

Loki: *he stares at PrettyWitch for a moment before calming down and finally nodding* I am not familiar with this…tarot, but I can recognize a seer easily. I can help.

*We all look around at each other, and silently conclude to trust him. Peter carefully approaches Loki and narrows his mask’s eyes at him.*

Peter: I’ll dissolve the webs, but you make any move to attack us and I won’t hesitate to fight you.

Loki (nods): I vow on my magic that I will not bring harm to any of you or your allies.

*He sprays his dissolvent onto the webs, freeing Loki, who sort of shuffles closer to PrettyWitch and looks at her for permission to cast a spell.*

Prettywitch: Uh…I don’t know where you’re going with this, dude. But I just wanna be friends. 

Loki: I just wish to give you a boost if you would allow it.

Prettywitch: Oh! Well then, by all means. Sorry about that.

*Loki performs a quick hand gesture and a shimmering green aura gently settles on PrettyWitch.*

*Prettywitch performs the tarot ritual and draws three cards; Two of Cups (Past), King of Cups (Present), Ace of Coins (Future). This time, she asked the cards the quickest way to defeat Agatha, so she’s a bit flummoxed by her reading.*

Prettywitch: Ace of Coins, again!? That doesn’t make any sense! *She looks over the spread again and her eyes widen.* Unless… Remember I said Ace of Coins is for new opportunities and manifestation? Well, Two of Cups represents a connection, a happy bond or partnership; that’s in the past. King of Cups, the present, represents devotion, loyalty, faithfulness, even wisdom. I think it’s trying to say that two people who’ve formed a bond recently are the key to beating Agatha.

Loki (frowning): It honestly sounds like Trix and I in the Astral Plains. Honestly she kept me sane in that place… 

Prettywitch: I think you’re right! What do you think, Steward?

Me:  *Thinking for a moment.*  Hmm…Yeah, that tracks.

Prettywitch: Alright! Now we just need to come up with a plan. I’m thinking that if we can distract Agatha long enough, it should give Loki and Trix enough time to deliver the finishing blow.  

Me (frustrated):  Provided I can convince Barry to follow through.

Prettywitch: True. Have you considered bribing him?

Me:  Already did.  I owe him one.

Prettywitch: Fuck! Guess we’ll have to force him into it. I can’t see any other way and we’re on borrowed time as it is.

Me:  I’ll keep trying.  *I turn and go back to arguing with the ghost.*

Loki (looking around at the girls): I do apologize that I am not your friend and that I am of a rather untrustworthy sort. However, I am fully committed to ending the witch’s reign of terror and I have not witnessed Trix’s bravery from risk to her own person only to not assist her friends.

*He is pensive for a moment before looking back up at the group*

Loki: I was rather startled when her first reaction to me was joy instead of anger or fear. I will not betray her trust. I am not Sylvie. I refuse to look out only for myself.

*It’s then that a rogue spell from Agatha comes hurtling towards their position and both Loki and Peter react instinctively. Peter tackles his friends out of harms way, but his actions are unnecessary since Loki pulls up a shield and effectively stops the spell at the same time. However, he finds that his shield is now made of crystal rather than magical energy. He stares at it, confused.

Loki: Oh. That probably isn’t good. *he shakes his head to clear it* Though we should consult your Doctor Strange and Wong as they would be more familiar with the consequences of being trapped by that spell than I.

*Meanwhile, Barry has adamantly refused to help any further.*

Me:  Barry, you’re the only one who can do this.  

Barry:  …And?!

Loki (sighing): Unfortunately she’s correct. I don’t have the energy to be of assistance so your rather (he pauses and sneers) invasive way of overshadowing the crystal may be the only way of pulling Trickstress out of it. Though, I can help with my part of the plan. *he’s rather smug despite looking exhausted*

Barry (stubborn):  It’s not like I’m a damn magician like you people claim to be.  Why do I have to do all of this soul stuff?  Can’t any of you actually conjure ANY useful magic for this?!

Me (flatly, at Barry):  Fine.  Have it your way.  *I look at the group.*  Guys, make sure we don’t get blown up and look after my body, please.  *I turn back to the ghost.*  Barry, kick me out.  

Barry (confused and taken aback):  What?

Me:  Seeing as you won’t go into the crystal, I will.  I can't do astral projection by myself yet.  So, go ahead and possess me.  Kick me out of my own body.  I’ll break the spell myself.

Barry:  …and if you get your ass killed, then three of us are screwed.

Me (firmly, my mind made up):  Then don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.

*He stares for a moment.*

Barry:  Fine.

*He floats over and enters my body.  Since I’m not resisting, the only thing that happens is an involuntary shudder and my body momentarily going stiff as control is shifted.  My astral form lurches out and I get my bearings for a second before gliding over to the crystal and touching it, being sucked in.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*The astral plains are a muted orange and violet haze as a figure is lying on the ground, looking devastated. Getting closer, I can see that it’s Trix who looks worse for wear.*

Me (worried and scared):  Trix!  *I go over to her.*  I’m so sorry, Trix…We came as soon as we could.  I’m gonna get you out of here, I promise.

Trix (dazed): Are you really here? Or did Agatha find a way to torment me here too? Loki is already gone so she probably killed him…

Me (sincere):  No, I’m really here.  Remember Barry?  He’s being an ass again.  So, I came in here myself.  Though, he kinda accidentally freed Loki from the first crystal.  Anyway, he refused to try again and now he has my body.

Trix (hopeful): *she starts to sit up* Tell me something only we know. Something that even Stephen wouldn’t.

Me:  Okay.  Well, first off, you were the first group member to see Stephen when I was trying to hide him.  Also, back around last Christmas, I got you that Loki headband with the horns.  I don’t think anyone besides you, me, and the other two would know these facts.

Trix (tearing up): Oh god. It’s really you. *She starts to sob* This is all my fault, I’m so sorry. Is everyone okay?!

Me (raising a hand to indicate to her that it’s okay):  Trix, no.  It’s not.  Agatha manipulated you.  It’s what she does.  She finds people’s pain and insecurities and picks at them until they snap.  It could have happened to any of us. It was just crappy luck that she picked on you.  Any of us could have done it and would feel the same way afterwards.  It’s not your fault.  Yes, we’re all relatively okay.  The battle’s raging outside and Agatha’s apparently able to siphon off Stephen and Wong’s magic to boost herself.  They can’t do much besides distract her.  The Avengers are throwing everything they can at her too.  The group is hiding with Loki while we bust you out of here.

Trix (sniffles): I’m taking her off my favorite villains list, that’s for sure. Though I did manage to learn some stuff while she had me…

Me:  Think you know anything that could screw up her latest spells? PrettyWitch has a Seer-hunch.

Trix (beaming): I have a trick or two up my sleeve.

*The astral plains starts to crack around them*

Me (glancing around as the spell glitches):  Okay…Well, here’s our ticket out.  You ready?

Trix: You got it! *She takes the opportunity to take a breath and center herself, just like Wong taught her.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*As the spell breaks, Trix reappears in her body. I’m inside too like what happened to Barry and Loki, but I quickly eject myself to avoid straining Trix’s body and magic more. It’s easier if there’s already another soul there.  Particularly if it’s the one that actually belongs to the body in question.  Still, Barry continues to refuse to give me my own body back, so I remain stuck outside in Astral form.*

*Barry, inhabiting my body, goes over to check Trix.  He seems…different.  More pensive.  It’s honestly hard to tell.*

Me:  Tear, think you can heal Trix?

Tear: *I cast a glowing diagnostic spell, and frown at the results* I don’t know, I’m not picking up any physical injuries. The forced transformation seems to have left no damage, so I guess we have to thank Agatha’s quality spellcasting for that. A half-done transformation could have been lethal. However, it’s her mind and soul I’m mainly worried about. I’ll try my best to give you some magical energy back to encourage a speedier self-healing.

Trix (grimacing with her eyes closed): Fuck, I never thought it would hurt this much to be in my own body. Everything is stiff, at least it’s hard for me to move. *She seems to be speaking to herself*

*Loki frowns and moves closer*

Loki: Likely because of your body being transformed the way it was plus the torture being done on your soul itself. It’s likely not hitting me as hard as I am a god but even I can feel that my joints are harder to move. *He fusses over her but isn’t surprised by her reaction*

Me:  I can’t even imagine…*I watch over Trix.*

Tear: Alright, I’ll begin. Please try not to move, Trix. *I concentrate in casting the slightly modified healing spell Wong taught us. It is easy to fall into the familiar flow of energy, feeding my own desire to help our friend until I feel that innate connection begin forming between our essence. Immediately, Trix’s real pain syphons through the bond, making me grit my teeth in shock. My very blood feels like its boiling with painful shocks of electricity, and I’m surprised Trix has been withstanding the feeling for so long. My hands begin shaking and perspiration coats my forehead, but I refuse to break the connection and end my spell, focusing instead in sending Trix my own care and calm through the bond.*

*Trix finally looks around as she starts to figure out what’s going on as the healing starts to help. She has been in a bit of a daze. She smiles weakly as she sees all of her friends around her.*

Trix (relieved): You’re all safe! Thank god, I was worried that Agatha had killed you or something horrible. I was holding out hope but y’know how it is…

*She slumps back as Tear is healing her and Loki moves to help hold Trix up. For such a relatively short amount of time kept captive together, the two are rather protective of the other.*

Peter (Nervously): Okay, Tear. I think Trix is looking a bit better now. That should give us enough time to take her back to Kamar-Taj, right? You’re starting to look a bit pale yourself…

Trix: *flustered* I can’t leave yet! Agatha is only going to get stronger as they keep fighting! *She looks out at the battle*

Me (cautiously):  You sure you’re up to this, Trix?  Those injuries look pretty bad on the scan.

Trix: I may have bartered information to stall her *she realizes the implications of that news* It was all nothing that we would deem important! I just wasn’t allowed to lie and had to keep her busy! So in exchange for telling her everything and I mean absolutely every non relevant detail, she would teach me something about witchcraft. So she eventually taught me about runes…she did it without the right context but I know exactly what runes and the sequence they need to cast to pull off the end battle of Wandavision. *She blinks* Without being sucked dry of course.

Tear: *I flicker a look up at Trix, panting with exhertion by now* I don’t know, Trix. Your energy is already near its limit. You promise you can control the magic to stop before you reach zero?

Trix: I have to do it. I just have to have one last burst of energy and I can pull it off. Though…Loki-

*He perks up as Trix looks at him*

Trix: I just need something to work off of. You know the limitations.

Loki (nodding): I can pull off one last big trick before I’m spent as well. Might as well make it flashy.

*Trix grins in response*

Trix: There’s a reason we get along so well. But yeah, *she turns back to the others* So long as we don’t die from energy exhaustion I can do it. I’m not going to actually fight her. Just cast the runes.

Tear: …Okay. I’ll trust you with this, Trix. Go give her hell. *I close my eyes and shove more energy into the healing spell. The connection created by my magic broadens, and I drain more of Trix’s pain into myself. I yell with the effort, but force myself to stop the spell only when I’m sure Trix has all the energy she needs to perform her last trick. When I do, the echo of Trix’s pain vanishes as quickly as it reached me and I collapse sideways against Peter, limbs twitching with the remaining phantom pains.*

Trix: Thank you. So much. I am so sorry you have to go through this too. I’ll make it quick!

*She smiles before suddenly her body goes limp. Then, a moment passes before she flickers into view a few feet away in her astral form. She vanishes again quickly, the others not able to catch a good glimpse of her quite yet.*

*Trix finally reappears on the battlefield, a ghostly version of herself with glowing orange eyes and a surprisingly commanding presence. Parts of her astral body are either made of crystal or are missing altogether like a chunk of her arm. Trix stares down Agatha, who freezes when she spots the apprentice sorceress. All around, the Avengers and sorcerers pause in their fighting too.*

Trix: You made a mistake, Agatha. *She glares at the witch*

*Loki grins from his spot and uses all the magic he can to create six large pillars of green crystal that emerge from the ground surrounding the clearing. It nearly takes the rest of his strength but he is absolutely delighted*

Trix: You never should have made a deal with me. And that’s your downfall.

*Trix raises her arms and six familiar runes carve themselves in the crystal pillars one by one, illuminating an orange glow and effectively nullifies all magic in the clearing and her cabin. Agatha looks around in horror as she realizes her mistake and stares at Trix in both anger and grudging respect. She hadn’t expected to be outsmarted by a baby sorcerer.*

*After she casts the runes, Trix’s eyes finally lose their glow and they roll back into her head. Her astral form disappears as she is forcefully shoved back into her now restored body. She has pushed herself way too hard. Loki immediately scrambles over to her and checks to make sure if she’s still alive.*

*Meanwhile, as Agatha is suddenly depowered, the Avengers make their move to capture her.  Stephen and Wong use a set of relics to bind her to make sure that the witch can’t break loose later on during transport to custody.  Other members of the Avengers tend to the remaining now passed-out and/or disoriented guards.  As soon as the sorcerers are sure that Agatha is secure, they jog over to our group to check on us while Steve guards the witch.  They’re relieved that we’re all alive and safe, but shocked to see Loki amongst the group.*

Stephen (relieved):  Thank the Vishanti, you girls are okay.  *He glances at Loki with a mix of confusion and apprehension.*  How did…?

Wong:  Steward, do you need help?  *He’s looking at my astral form still drifting about above the group.*

Me (meekly):  Yes.

*Wong looks at my possessed body.*

Wong (gruff):  Okay, get out.  

Barry (through me):  I…Okay…*He looks…sad.  As though he finally realized something.  The ghost leaves my body and it crumples, empty.  Wong helps me back in.  I gasp for air and have a brief coughing fit.*

Me:  Thank you…

Loki (exhaustedly sitting on the ground in a heap): Ah, you must be Doctor Strange and Wong. I have heard good things about you both.

*Both sorcerers are on-guard, uncertain of this new version of Loki.  They’re watching him.*

Stephen (defensive, but trying to figure Loki out):  Which universe are you from?

Loki: I’m not sure what it is called however Trix mentioned that I was a remnant of the Avenger’s time heist. 

*It dawns on Stephen.*

Stephen:  So, you’re the one who stole the Tesseract.

Loki (grimacing): Trust me, it was not worth it. Infinity stones are apparently just trinkets anyway. When I was…taken, I found a handful just being used as paperweights in an office desk drawer.

*Both sorcerers are taken aback and look skeptical.*

Wong:  Infinity Stones as mere trinkets?

Trix (weak): He’s right. It’s why we were so worried about the TVA. *She had woken up as the conversation started and was curious as to where it would go*

Stephen (concerned):  …We’ll gather more information on this later.  *He looks at Trix and this new Loki.*  You both need to recover.  Astral imprisonment in your own crystalized bodies takes a heavy toll.  Especially given what you went through.

Trix: I just have one question. *She looks up at Stephen*

Stephen:  Yes?

Trix (grinning): Did I finally look cool?

*He sighs and gives her a reluctant smile.*

Stephen (gently mussing her hair):  Yes, dear.  You all looked cool.  I’m very proud of you girls.

*I’m practically glowing from the unexpected praise.*

Trix: *She smiles wider and leans into his touch before closing her eyes* Alright, bring on the tentacle soup I know is coming. I wanna sleep for a month.

*Now that the threat has passed, the adrenaline has worn off.  I try to walk with the group once Wong opens a portal to Kamar-Taj’s hospital wing.  However, after the adrenaline is gone, my legs finally give out from being pushed too far.  The Cloak comes off of Stephen’s shoulders and helps me up.  Seeing as I’m stubborn and refuse to be carried, it satisfies itself by hoisting my torso up enough for me to at least attempt to look like I’m walking through the portal on my own.  Stephen fusses over all of us, checking each of us over and over just to be absolutely sure that he doesn’t miss anything.  He also checks Loki and demands that all of us spend some time under observation.*

Loki: I’m rather surprised that you trust me enough to be here. *He’s exhausted and hasn’t really fought off any help or healing and is happy to just be in a bed again*

Wong:  Given the extenuating circumstances and the fact that Trix appears to trust you, we will accommodate you.  However, we will still keep you under strict observation.  No funny business.

Loki (resigned): Trust me, I have had more nonsense in the past three months than the previous 1300 years. *He looks up at Wong seriously* I was told that my previous life, well, future me that is dead didn’t particularly get along with you both. I would like to state that I am not him and have no such reservations. I have only heard good things and I will not do Trix the disservice of disrespecting her mentors and friends.

*Stephen is stunned by his earnest behavior.*

Stephen:  It is appreciated.  

*Loki grimaces as he summons a large book into his lap and frowns as the spine is coated in green, orange, and violet crystals*

Loki: As a bit of a peace offering, this is what Trix spent much of her time and… *he frowns deeper* torture on. I recorded all of the knowledge she gained from Agatha on witchcraft in this grimoire. I hope it helps in any future endeavors. *His arms shake as he holds up the rather heavy book*

*Wong carefully, but gratefully accepts the book and begins to look through it.*

Wong:  Thank you.

Stephen (gently, to the group):  Rest.  We’ll make sure you all recover safely.  *He sounds practically paternal here.  Wong gives him an amused look.*

*After going an entire day running around, fighting, and sneaking without any food or rest, we’re all famished and exhausted.  So, the food, even if some of it is some sort of interdimensional abomination, is more than welcome.  We sit together in our area of the medical bay and bring each other up to speed on everything that happened.  After checking in with each other, each of us eventually succumbs to exhaustion.  I still feel incredibly guilty that the group got in danger in the first place since I had led us this far.  Since they had mentioned me as a leader before, I felt responsible for our group’s safety and still feel as though I had failed us.  I don’t say anything about it out of shame, instead satisfying myself by forcing myself to stay awake until I know that the others are safely asleep.  Then, I listen to our surroundings for a while before my own fatigue finally takes me.*  

***To be continued***

[loving-matt]

Addressing Shit:

TW: Self Harm, Eating Disorder, OCD

1. this hatepage that decided to surface is making shit up, please don't listen or believe anything they've spoken

2. my pronouns are they/them and my preferred name is matt, since anons are inboxing me about them

3. i don't think i'm a slut atleast, saying i've only dated 2 people and am still a virgin

4. yes i've dealt with self harm, and i do have an eating disorder but ridiculing me, and telling me to go back to my old habits isn't right. it takes a lot for me everyday to just get out of bed and eat breakfast or to not harm myself

5. telling me that my brother is going to get killed or that your going to kill my entire family if i don't do something really gets to me. i have ocd and i can't even turn a light switch on or off

6. @coconutjay @prettywitches thank you for all you've been doing, i extremely appreciate it

i'm sorry to all of those who have been innocently dragged into this situation, but i ask if you could reblog, or share to others so word can get around

tags: @blindedbythelightt @rhyrhy462 @bubsdolan @bittywitches @lightinthedeep @briannartist

note: to whoever runs @loving-matthatepage fuck you

[muzenikmaya-blog]

Which zodiac sign should I draw first?? I was thinking of doing it in chronological order, what do you think?? I am so excited for this series and I spent the whole day searching for some inspiration for the first drawing of my #zodiacsigns!! And ended up drawing nothing ☹️ Anyways what is your sign(I did ask earlier but don’t have the story results so thought I should ask again 🙃) . . . . . . . . . . . . . #emperorsnewgroove #disneyvillain #Procreatevideo #yzma #procreatedrawing #animateddrawing #inktoberwitches #witchofinstagram #digitalartninjas #procreatesquad #procreateillustration #cutedrawings #witchdisney #disneywitch #disneyinktober #disneydrawings #procreate #fanartdisney #disneyartsharer #prettywitch #zodiacsignart #digitalartworks #animeartstyle #pencilsketches #procreatesketch #procreateillustration #artistoninstagramm #digitalartistoninstagram #artistically https://www.instagram.com/p/BsTFREHlfqC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xg5hyuzfo9em

[blindedbythelightt]

12, 21, 23, 31!

what’s the most interesting schools gossip you’ve ever heard?

This is gonna be a very 2020/pandemic answer but all the people that were out from having or being exposed to COVID. I have connections and they’d tell me. Haha

what’s a conspiracy you believe in?

This is a good question but I literally don’t know. I don’t really dive into them

if you could break one of your bad habits which would you choose?

Hmmm probably eating when I’m bored 😐

you can change one thing about your life right now. what are you changing?

How much money I make (or teacher in general make). Money isn’t everything and I’m lucky that I’m doing okay but it’d be nice to be able to travel more.

[rhyrhy462]

Hi my love, how’s your morning going? Here’s a random update: one of the guys in my class turned his camera on for the first time today and his hair has grown so long he has the emo boy hairstyle now 🤭 I mean good for him ig living his truth

hihi! good morning! i just woke up so pretty good! what about youu? no pleaseeee 😭

[prettywitchiusaka]

Lines From Stephen x Clea Fanfics  I May Never Write (Out of Context) Post 83:

Stephen: I’ve been thinking about love these days-

Christine: You’re not gonna tell me you’re still in love with me, are you? Oh, God! Stephen, I’m married, for God sake!-

Stephen: What? No! No! No! This has nothing to do with you, I swear!

Christine: Oh!...Oh. Good.

[stewardofningishzida]

Stephen Strange Meta-Fic Sequel — Chapter 18: Grim Grinning Ghosts

Crossover ahoy! Marvel x Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Also, more multiverse bait. ;-) Enjoy!~

TRIGGER WARNING: Scary situations, death mentions, language, just a lil bit of Disney office politics

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 18: Grim Grinning Ghosts

*After a couple of days, I’m about half-healed.  Still semi-limited in movement, but I can do some basic stuff again.  Wong has asked us each to workshop some ideas for our universe’s Sanctums and the organization of our Order.  So, Trix, Prettywitch, and I are having a meeting in the library to discuss it.*

Me:  So, since we don’t have to work as a shadow organization and the various countries have swarms of cryptids running rampant, we’ll probably have to train legions of new sorcerers to help keep things in-check.  Plus, with people being people, we’ll probably need to work alongside law enforcement to prevent abuse of magic and capture any rogue sorcerers before they can become a major problem.  That last bit, we’ll approach when it comes, I think.  Still, we’ll not only need the main Sanctums, but several smaller, reserve Sanctums to provide backup and house other sorcerers so they can look after their respective regions.

Trix: First things first, though: our version of Kamar-Taj and the Sanctums. We need somewhere of our own first so when we start recruiting, people have a place to go.

*I nod in agreement.*

Prettywitch: Maybe we can pool our money together and start a small ad campaign for recruitment. I mean after what happened recently, people are bound to believe in magic at least a little bit more.

Me:  True.  Once the Sanctums and our version of Kamar-Taj are up and running, we can start recruitment.  What do you think, Tr-

*I pause and look scared for a moment.  There’s also a familiar feeling of nausea washing over me, as though I’m in a dangerous situation in an area filled with spirits.  After a few seconds, I look at Prettywitch and Trix.*

Me (hesitant):  Did either of you feel something just now?

Trix (frowning): I didn’t…

PrettyWitch: I felt something faint. 

Me:  Wanna describe it?  *I don’t want to skew Prettywitch’s perspective and want to know exactly what’s going on.*

Prettywitch: I felt like…a wave of unease washed over me, like I could feel that something was coming.

Me:  Weird.  I felt as though a bunch of distressed souls all just cried out at once…

Trix (concerned): That’s really not good. *She pauses before standing up* Let’s go get Stephen’s opinion on this if something is going on.

Me (shaken):  Yeah…I think he’s in New York.  Let’s head to the Rotunda of Gateways to get over there.

*We get up and use the active portal to the New York Sanctum.  Stephen is currently watching the Orb of Agamotto, looking perplexed.*

Trix: Hey Stephen, we think something weird is going on. Something just affected Steward and PrettyWitch.

Stephen (looking up at us):  I sensed it as well.  It’s not in your universe or ours…I’ll have to do some more scanning to pinpoint it.

Clea: Good morning, Stephen… *She’s wearing his Colombia U sweater and rubbing sleep from her eye.*

Stephen (preoccupied):  Good morning.

*Trix glances over at Steward and PrettyWitch and is trying not to make an excited face and play it calm at the fact that it’s finally happening.*

*I’m indifferent, more focused on the matter at hand than the romantic happenings.  Stephen is currently concentrating.  After a few minutes of silence, it seems he has it figured out.*

Stephen:  It’s a distress call, much like the one I had sent out to Wong while I was trapped in your universe.  From universe…Hmmm…196971.

Me:  Do we check it out, then?

Stephen:  …You three DO need mission experience, but I should come along to make sure you stay safe.

Trix: Oooo first official missions in our mastery. *She’s smiling despite the internal worry.*

Prettywitch: Oh, I’m down for that!

Me:  Looks like we have to gear up.  Oh.  Hi, Clea, by the way.  *I’m polite as usual.*

Clea: *She waves.* Hello. So, what’s going on?

Trix: Apparently a distress call from a different universe that we’re going to check out..

Clea: Really? *She smirks.* Stephen, dear, would mind if I tag along?

Stephen:  Actually, Clea, I cannot leave the Sanctum unguarded.  Out of all of the choices I may have, I shall entrust you with this sacred duty.  *He’s sincere, showing his trust in her.*

Clea: *Her eyes turn, starry.* Oh, Stephen! *She smiles playfully and wraps her arms around him.* And to think, I was about to tease you for locking me in here by myself.

*He blushes deeply.*

*I go about my business, letting them have their moment as I quickly open a small portal to grab my gear from.*

Trix (coyly): I’m glad you both get along so well. *She then gets serious before using a small portal to grab her small go-bag.*

*Stephen is still a bit pink in the cheeks.*

Stephen:  Erm…That aside, I’ll open the portal.  Multiversal travel is finicky.  So, I should do it until you three get a better grasp of the technique.

Me:  All right.  Let’s go.

Trix: Ready!

Prettywitch: Let’s do this!

Clea: You girls have fun! *She turns to Stephen, sweetly.* See you later, my love. *She gives a sweet peck on the lips.*

Stephen (awkwardly):  Thank you, dear.

Clea: *Giggles.*You’re welcome. Have fun.

Me (to seemingly nobody in particular):  You there, Ancient One?  *It seems I do check from time to time and I’ve been seen conversing with her and other spirits on occasion.  More of a casual conversation since I figure it’s probably lonely existing as a ghost.  That and I do want her around for help since things do tend to be chaotic around us.*

*The image of The Ancient One flickers into view for a moment before it flickers out again, like static.*

*I relax slightly, knowing she’s there.  It seems that Stephen is a bit calmer too.  At first, I don’t really notice the quick flicker since I’m currently preoccupied with the mission.  Though since I saw The Ancient One there, I assume it’s fine.  Stephen opens the portal and we walk through.*

*It’s a dark and stormy night wherever we have ended up. Dead trees line the old dirt path we stand on which leads to a set of open iron gates.*

Trix: Well, this seems ominous.

Me:  …Did we just land in an old-school horror movie or novel?

PrettyWitch: …Well, at least it’s not the Overlook Hotel…

Stephen:   …Stay close, girls.

*We head up the path towards the gates when a building comes into view. The house looks like a mixture of brand new and ancient. Four white pillars stand imposingly at the entryway like sentries, reaching up two stories. There is a wrap-around porch on both levels of the two outdoor accessible floors. It is all trimmed in an elegant green metal trim that seems rather familiar in style. The plants on the grounds were trimmed to perfection despite the signs that the place seems abandoned.*

Trix (in awe): Oh my god I know where we are.

Me (curling my lip):  Really?  A real Haunted Mansion?  Like the Disney ride?  *I’m amused at the seeming-goofiness of the situation.*

Trix (growing more and more excited): You don’t understand, I know everything about the Mansions. From names of the ghosts to how they designed the wallpaper. This is so incredibly COOL! *This is probably the most excited she has ever admitted being.*

Prettywitch: *Giggles.* It’s nice to see you’re so enthusiastic about this, hun.

Stephen (looking at Trix curiously):  You’re probably the biggest Disney fan out of the three of you, eh?

Trix: I sold my soul to the Mouse years ago. *She pauses for dramatic effect before grinning.* I worked at Disney World for a year and have been a lifelong fan. If there’s anything I know the most about it’s probably Disney and the intricacies of their storytelling through so many different mediums. I always wanted to be a storyteller and it fascinated me. *She starts walking forward again to enter the gates because she wants to investigate despite the fact she would normally be terrified.*

Me:  I’m more of a casual fan.  I appreciate their history and work, but don’t like their business practices much.  I actually boycotted them for a while after they bought Marvel, but seeing as it’s not gonna change anytime soon and I love Marvel, I came crawling back.  Used to live near Disneyland and visited regularly before the Marvel thing.  Then, I stopped for a while.  I eventually resumed visiting, but it takes a while to save up.  They’re super-expensive now.

Trix (She turns back to the group): Yeah, the upper management is absolutely horrible and I have many comments about them, but honestly working for them was my first taste of creating magic. It was as simple as making a little girl smile from a good deed and Disney, at least before the pandemic, usually brought out the good in people and let kindness thrive. Just little acts of kindness were usually the true act of magic in our world before, y’know *She shrugs*

Prettywitch: I love Disney but I fear for the company’s future as well as Marvel’s. Luckily, there’s a shareholders meeting coming up which looks to be a huge ass executive bloodbath. *She smiles maniacally…until she notices her friends staring at her with some genuine concern. Her smile slowly fades.* Too much…?

*I smirk and subtly give her a thumbs-up, indicating that I lowkey support the corporate “dethroning”, as it may be.*

Trix: I’m all for it. I’m for the lower branches of the tree, the people who actually make the magic. Not counting the money.

Me:  Yes, please.  They deserve far better than they get.

Trix:…we could absolutely try and get away with creating our own magic getaway vacation spot to fund our Order… *She grins, bringing up the previous conversation.*

*Stephen’s been listening to all of this and silently agrees to most of it.  Though when it comes to the “magical getaway”, he raises an eyebrow dubiously.*

Me:  Yessss...As long as we make sure that the workers are all treated well, paid decently, and have good benefits in the long-run.  *I notice Stephen’s face and quickly change the subject.*  Anyway, we should keep going.  Wanna lead the way, Trix?

*With a salute, Trix continues leading the way up to the gates. It is exactly the same as the parks but seems…off. She steps through.*

Me (smartass as I get ready to walk through the gate):  Maybe they’re just having a problem with their Doombug-*I shudder as I pass through, going pale.  Sweat begins to bead on my face and I look sick.  My aura also seems diminished.*  Eugh…What IS this?

*Stephen follows closely and goes to check on me.*

Stephen:  What’s wrong?  

Me:  I feel weaker and nauseous.  It’s kinda muggy here, right?  

Stephen:  A bit, but let me see.  *He feels my forehead and checks a few things.  Whatever this is, it isn’t from germs.  He makes a disconcerted noise.*    

PrettyWitch: What’s wrong? *When he doesn’t answer her, she crosses the threshold and feels that same, faint feeling she did before. She ignores it though.* Stephen, what’s wrong with Steward?

Stephen:  There’s something about the energy of this place affecting her.  I should get her out of here.

*As he says that, the iron gates snap shut behind us.*

Prettywitch: Shit!

Stephen:  We can still get out.  Here.  *He uses his Sling Ring to attempt to make a portal.*

*There are a few sparks, but the attempt fails.*

Stephen (irritated):  Shit, not again…

Trix (frowning): There was a distress signal, though. This could be related to that…

*Prettywitch pulls out her tarot deck and asks the cards what kind of spirit it is that they’re up against. She pulls The Moon, inverted.*

Prettywitch: *She sees the card and, knowing it’s meaning, shudders.* Oh, we’re fucked, aren’t we?

Me (deadpan):  So, it was a trap.  Wonderful.

Trix: I guess we just have to keep going then. *She’s more cautious now, but something doesn’t seem right about this.*

*The group walks up to the porch before heading up the stairs to the front door. Trix reaches for the handle but it opens on its own.*

Trix: That figures.

*Stephen steps defensively up front.*

Stephen:  I’ll take a look first, girls.

*The entryway is almost lackluster as it appears normal at first glance. Gunmetal colored patterned wallpaper and rich wood accents tastefully highlight the cobweb-filled chandelier in the center of the room. It seems to be lit with actual candles and yet there is no sign of life in the room. There is a small table near the front door that holds a vase of dead roses.*

*There are two doorways across from him: one directly in front of him and one to the wall on his left. On the right wall, there is a fireplace with glowing embers still in the hearth. The most curious thing, however, is a painted portrait of what seems to be Stephen himself above the fireplace.*

*Since we see him looking around and unharmed after a while, we follow him in.  I look up and notice the portrait.*

Me:  Interesting choice in location, there, Alternate-Stephen…

Trix: So we’re probably dealing with another version of Stephen then. Great. *She looks over at our Stephen* Sorry, but our track record with other you’s doesn’t seem to be the best. At least at first and that’s not counting the ones we know exist from our media.

Stephen:  No offense taken.

*I creep slightly closer to him to both keep an eye on him, but also now there’s a chill in the air.  His Cloak subtly wraps around me.*

Prettywitch: Let me see if I can figure out which pathway to take.  *She cleanses her tarot deck and decides to use a simple, one card spread, asking the cards if the right passageway is safe? She pulls The Chariot.* Hmmm. Apparently, the right passageway is safe, according to the cards. Let’s just hope they’re right.

Trix (curious): Let’s go then. I think I have an idea of what might show up…

Prettywitch: *She nods.* Yeah, me too…

Me:  Mm’kay.  *I go along with it, conserving my energy.  I figure I’ll need it.  In addition, I’m semi-meditating while still paying attention so I can keep a level head to assess the situation.*

*They head in through the door opposite of where they entered. The room they enter into is a dead end. It is an octagonal room that is rather small, about the same size of the foyer they were just in. Dark wood paneling reaches up about eight feet high on all of the walls and at each intersection of the walls, a wooden gargoyle is perched, each holding a lit candle in each hand. They peer down menacingly at the group.  Above the paneling is striped wallpaper in reds, yellows, and greens.*

*On every other wall there is a painting. One features a young brunette woman in a pink ballet outfit with a pink parasol. The next, a gruff looking man in a bowler hat with his arms crossed in frustration. After that, an old woman with her grey hair pulled up in a bun, a maroon shawl was held on her shoulders by a cameo brooch, and she held a red rose in her hands. Finally, the last painting was of an official-looking bald man standing proudly holding one edge of his black jacket with a red sash underneath and he held documents in his other hand. As we fully enter the room, the door shuts behind us with a click and it seemingly melts into the wall.*

Me (turning to look at the disappearing door):  Hmmm…Should’ve known this version would have an extra trick up its sleeve.  

Trix (confused): But there’s something missing…where’s the Ghost Host?

*I shrug.*

PrettyWitch: Uhhh…Beats me.

Stephen:  The Ghost Host?  So, this theme park of yours had gimmicky rides that looked like this and had some sort of narrator?

Trix: Yes, he was the narrator of the ride. *As she speaks, the walls begin their metamorphosis, the paintings stretching and revealing their full images* See, this is The haunted house people think of in our universe when they think of a haunted house. Like this same exact effect happens and it’s this whole history of it taking a decade to build but the thing is, this place is acting just like the ride, but what happened to the host? 

*The room has stretched to its full length. The lights flicker out and the ceiling is revealed to have disappeared and a corpse hangs from the rafters, illuminated by a lightning strike outside before the lights come on again and the ceiling is back to normal.* 

Trix: See, that’s supposed to be his body which is clearly still there…and is horrifying now because it’s actually real here, but something is wrong.

Me (unperturbed, accustomed to being around the dead):  Maybe we have to restore him to his position or something?

Stephen:  The spirits of this place feel weakened.  In turmoil.

PrettyWitch: I mean…possibly? I confess, I don’t know much about The Haunted Mansion, so I’m stumped.

Trix: Basically, we have to keep going until we find Leota’s room. We aren’t supposed to actually see any spirits until she does her spell. She’s a medium and psychic who died and now resides in her crystal ball. That’s who we should try and find. *She turns to the wall that has the painting of the ballerina and knocks on the wall, revealing a door that opens. She turns back to the group and grins* I hoped that would work the same.

Me (realizing something):  Whoa, wait a sec, guys.  *I concentrate for a moment, attempting to sense something…anything.*

Prettywitch: Anything? 

Me (unnerved):  …No.  I can’t even feel The Ancient One or any of the other spirits who were with me.  It’s completely silent.  Can’t see or hear anyone at all…The only thing we have going for us is I don’t detect any soul eaters.  So, they’re not behind this.  Guys…spirit-wise, I’m blind here.

Trix (unnerved): Well that’s terrifying.

Stephen (firm):  We do NOT leave anyone’s line of sight, understood?

*I nod quietly.*

*Trix frowns but nods as well.*

Prettywitch: Agreed. 

*We move forward into the next hallway. It has a wall of paintings on the right hand side while windows cover the wall on the left. Curiously, the paintings seem to be completely normal.*

*Trix frowns.*

Trix: Those aren’t right either. They’re…for lack of a better term, lifeless compared to what they’re supposed to be.

*I scan every once and a while to determine if I can detect ANY remote flicker of spiritual energy.*

Pretywitch: I’m gonna keep an eye out, just in case. *She summons a magic rapier.*

*Stephen keeps a sharp eye out, scanning for traps.*

*We continue forward despite the oddities. There’s a lingering energy in the air, powerful but almost…wrong in a way at the moment. We finally happen upon a stairwell and start to walk up them. It’s only when we’ve been climbing for two minutes with no end in sight and the walls have shifted to darkness that we truly realize what’s going on.*

*I cough wetly, vaporous ichor beginning to flow from my nose and eyes.  I wipe at my mouth with a tissue.  Ectoplasm.*

Stephen (worried):  Whatever is generating this energy, we need to find it quickly.  

*He senses something else…leylines.  There’s a moment of realization dawning in his face.  The energy, the architecture…*

Stephen:  This place isn’t just a haunted mansion, it’s a Sanctum.  Its energy is being catastrophically altered.  That’s why there was a distress signal!  *He isn’t really shouting, but his revelation is obvious.*

Trix (horrified): That’s why there was a portrait of you at the front! You’re the Master of the Sanctum! But how the hell is this a Sanctum? *She goes up a couple steps and watches as her hair suddenly stands on end and she lets out a yelp as she suddenly falls…upwards?*

*The Cloak swoops off of Stephen to stop Trix’s fall.  It returns her to the group.*

Me (garbled from the leaking ectoplasm):  *Blows nose again*  Okay…The gravity here seems to work on Mirror Dimension logic.  We should probably toss something small forward to see which way each gravitational field goes so we can advance safely.

Trix (realization): That’s probably the best solution…but this shouldn’t be in here. This is from the Florida version, not California like the rest of the house is… *She looks over at Stephen.* Each mansion has some similarities but they also have some significant differences as well. This is the mirrored staircase. 

Stephen:  Every Sanctum is unique.  Also, since our universe was slightly different from the visions your universe had of it, perhaps this one is similar.  Regardless, I strongly suspect that whatever is altering this Sanctum’s energy is a powerful relic…One that really shouldn’t have been placed here.  As for the other me…I don’t know where to start.

Prettywitch: Well, maybe the house did something to compromise him.

Trix: He might be trapped in here somewhere.

Me:  Possibly.  I don’t know whether or not I imagined it, but I thought I heard his voice mingled in with the others when I detected that distress call.

Trix: That’s concerning.

Stephen:  I’ll go first.  Levi will help me navigate these stairs.  Follow me when I say it’s safe and the Cloak will help you girls along when needed.  *He steps forward and cautiously begins to negotiate the stairway.*

*It’s slow going, but we cautiously make our way up the stairway. It takes about ten minutes before we finally reach the top. It leads into the beginnings of a hallway.*

PrettyWitch: Okay, which way now?

*My eyes are streaming now.  So, it’s hard for me to see.  Stephen helps guide me.*

Trix: Okay, so if my guess is right, we’re going to be going into the endless hallways. So long as we pick the right path we should be fine. We just need to keep moving. *She glances over at Steward, concerned.*

Me (wiping my eyes):  Trix, you know the most about this place.  You lead.  Everyone link arms so nobody gets separated.  *I blindly reach out to try and find and grasp her with one arm while my other arm stays anchored to Stephen.*

*Trix grabs her arm and links up. Prettywitch does the same but to Stephen so we’re in a chain.*

Trix: Okay, we’ve got this!

*It’s a decently long trek as it seems the Mansion is pretty defensive right now. Occasionally, we will spot a floating candelabra that points us in the correct direction to go. It’s almost ten minutes before we finally make it to a larger hallway filled with identical doors. They are silent.*

Trix (unnerved): I know where we are, it just seems like the ghosts aren’t around. Up ahead as soon as we come across a grandfather clock, the next door should be Leota’s.

Stephen:  The relic should be close by, if Steward’s reaction is any indication.

PrettyWitch: I think you’re right.

*I’m quiet, just trying to get through this now.*

*Trix leads the group down the hallway only to be confused when it leads to a different room entirely.*

Trix (stunned): I absolutely wasn’t expecting this here *she gestures around at the room* but it looks like we found the library. Another room that normally isn’t in this particular mansion.

*There's a nasty hacking sound as I spit up more ectoplasm.  Then, I take in a gulp of air.*

Me (relieved):  Well, at least it’s getting further away from whatever THAT is…*I’m still in bad shape, but I look a little less likely to drop now.*

Prettywitch: *She places her hand on Steward’s shoulder and gives her a smile that says, “You’ll be okay.”* 

Stephen:  How many other rooms do you know of, Trix?

Trix: The other room that might be here that wouldn’t match this mansion would be the music room. Other than that? Leota’s parlor, the ballroom, the attic, and the graveyard. I hope to god that Constance isn’t in the attic…

Stephen:  Who’s Constance?

Trix (wincing): She’s known as The Bride. She had 5 husbands because after each marriage she would- *she mimics slitting her throat*  her current husband before finding another man to marry and move up the social ladder. She has a hatchet and likes to behead people.

Stephen (sarcastic):  Charming.

Trix: I mean her last name is Hatchaway… *She smirks*

Me:  If it comes to that…Wait, let me test something out.  In my physical body, I’m hindered.  Think it might help if I…step out?  

Trix: If this thing is affecting spirits then wouldn’t it, y’know, hit harder?

PrettyWitch: Yeah, I’m with her. Wouldn’t that put you at greater risk?

Me:  Maybe, but I sense that we finally have company…*I look relieved and look in the direction of Leota’s Parlor.*

*Trix looks around at the library longingly before she focuses on the mission.* 

Trix: Let’s get there first before you start exploring because Stephen might actually kill you if you attempt to astral project now and he can dispose of the body easily here.

Me (morbidly amused):  Har har.

Stephen (giving me a look):  Don’t even try it.

Me (shrinking at his glare):  Okay!  Okay!

Prettywitch: Alright, let’s go.

*With one last longing look at the library, Trix leads the way out. They pass through a music room with a piano then the next room is the atrium which seems to be set up for a wake. A coffin is propped up and the normally loud person in there is completely silent. He isn’t pushing up against the nailed lid. Finally, they reach the grandfather clock and the door that leads to Leota’s parlor.*

*I scan again, sensing some promising signatures.  They don’t feel hostile.  So, I reach out.  My energy is still limited, but I give it my best shot.*

Me (in a meditative trance as I reach out to any spirits in the area):  I reach out to the spirits who dwell here as a friend.  I am accompanied by my companions and master.  We mean no harm and seek to help rid this place of the corrupting influence that diminished your presence here.  Please reveal yourselves and we will help you in any way that we can.  *I’m sincere.*

*There’s a considering pause before the door slowly creaks open, allowing us access. After we scurry in, the door closes behind us and we find ourselves staring at a round table with a large crystal ball sitting in the middle of it. Within the crystal ball floats the head of the great Madam Leota who looks astonished to see us, particularly Stephen.*

Leota: I could have sworn the emergency shields went up but how did you three get here? *She becomes annoyed* Stephen, what did you do? You disappear for days and show back up here looking completely different!

Stephen (taken aback):  I think you may have the wrong Stephen.  I was escorting the girls here on a rescue mission.  We received a distress signal from your universe and came to investigate.  The gate on your perimeter sent up a series of wards that cut off our exit.

Me (faintly):  Prettywitch, our Stephen, and I detected the energy signature from here…Also, I’m quite sure that your Stephen’s voice was intermingled with the others when I heard the cry for help.  *Currently, I’m recovering my energy since using my abilities took a lot out of me in this condition.  There is still a little bit of ectoplasm leaking from my eyes, nose, and mouth; but not as severely as before.  I’m unsure how to go about this yet since I suspect that this version of Stephen is still around, but want to apologize for the abrupt announcement to Madam Leota.  Still, I do my best.*

Leota (startled): Oh, apologies. Everything in the Mansion has been upended lately and being effectively trapped again has me on edge. *She squints at Steward.* My dear, you wouldn’t happen to be a medium, would you? *She glances over at PrettyWitch as well and her face brightens.* Oh my, and a psychic as well! It seems the Mansion asked for help from the right people.

Me:  I am.  I’ve gotten into the practice of helping troubled and lost spirits whenever I come across them.

Prettywitch: Yeah. And i’m slowly learning to hone my abilities to see the future.

Leota: A wonderful practice to take on, very respectable. -response to Prettywitch- Once this mess is solved, I simply must see what skills you possess. I would love to pass on skills to the next generation of mediums and psychics. What are your names? And yes, I don’t need your full names. What shall I refer to you as?

Me:  Steward.

PrettyWitch: And I’m Prettywitch.

Leota (smiling): A pleasure to meet you both.*She finally looks over at Trix and Stephen.* I know him, unfortunately, so who might you be, dear?

Trix (slightly nervous): I’m Trix

Stephen (dreading the response, but curious):  Unfortunately?  What did this version of me do?

Leota (deadpan): Agreed to court me. Stephen has been missing for three days.

Me:  Hmm.  The Stephens’ signatures are all rather similar.  Maybe I can “lock on” to it and track him down?

Leota: He said he was going to check up on the wards in the graveyard the last time I saw him. That was when the Mansion began to rebel and started to… *She frowns* it has started to lose its magic.

Stephen:  Do you remember anything happening right before all of this started?  Maybe someone came in who wasn’t supposed to or a relic was misplaced?

*Leota frowns in thought and her crystal ball begins to float around the room as she muses to herself.*

Leota (distractedly): Wong had brought a number of the apprentices from that sorcerer school over with the relics we are meant to protect. *She turns back to the group* We keep safe the items that can easily harm the living *She continues to roam after clarifying* and the sorcerers are still in the process of finding and moving everything. They had been gone for about a day when a few of our regular ghosts disappeared and some of the monitoring spells failed. Then everything began to get worse…

Me:  Harming the living…So, this version of Stephen is…?

*Before Leota can respond, the entire room begins to shake and rattle as if a strong earthquake has hit.*

Trix (started and trying to keep her balance): What’s going on?!

*I reflexively duck under the table and grab Trix to bring her down with me, gesturing for Prettywitch and Stephen to get down too, covering the back of my head and neck until the shaking stops.*

*Stephen checks on all of us and looks around for debris before getting up.*

Stephen:  We need to hurry up and figure this out.  If a Sanctum loses its magic, not only does it bring down a part of Earth’s protective barrier, but it could release a wave of dangerous magical energy from the relics contained within it.

Trix: But what about- *She turns back to Leota but during the earthquake it seems her crystal ball has been shattered and the ghost has disappeared* Oh…oh no.

PrettyWitch: Oh my God! Where did she go!?

Me (quietly):  She’s with me.  Don’t worry.  *I have my hand on some of the shards.*

Trix (concerned): I know we’re on a mission to save the Mansion, but it just feels like this hits…harder since I love this place so much even if I always thought it was just a ride and a labor of love from the imagineers…

Me (gently):  I know.  The good news is, Leota isn’t gone and that crystal ball can be replaced.  It’s not great, but not irreversible.  Now, let’s get our butts in gear to sort this out.  *I’m determined.*

PrettyWitch: Okay. So what should we do in the meantime?

Stephen:  We’ll check the remaining areas for this version of me.  That should solve at least part of the problem.

Trix: She mentioned he was in the graveyard. If we go down to the ballroom, there should be a hearse crashed through the wall that we can use to get out to the back easier.

Me:  Lead the way.

*We carefully make our way out of Leota’s parlor through the other door and down a dark hallway. The floor is covered in additional dust and debris but things seem to be steady for now. It’s not long until we’re on the balcony above the ballroom looking down.*

Trix: We may need to jump down because I don’t know how to get down there otherwise and I don’t want to risk doing a portal in an unstable Sanctum.

Stephen:  I’ll go down first and Levi will help you.

Trix: Works for me! *She smiles weakly at him.*

Prettywitch: Okay.

Me:  Ok.  *I’m still weakened.  So, I don’t want to risk trying and failing to cast a levitation spell to break my fall.*

*Stephen descends down into the empty ballroom before sending Levi up to escort each of us down. Luckily, everything goes to plan. We squeeze past the hearse and into the large graveyard that takes up the entirety of the back part of the property. It is eerily quiet.*

Trix (nervous): I’m almost more scared of this place without the ghosts… *She looks around.* Now we just need to find this Stephen. Luckily I think I have an idea to help. *She crafts a spell and it manifests into a teal butterfly which remains perched on her finger.* A tracking spell but adjusted to look for the Stephen with the same energy as this universe. *She releases the butterfly before turning to the group.* Now we just need to be on our guard.

Stephen (proud of Trix):  Clever girl.

PrettyWitch: I’ll say! That was awesome!

Me:  Nice.  Will do.  *I give Trix a small smile.*

Trix (grinning): Thanks! 

*The butterfly meanders around the graveyard.  After around ten minutes, it lands on a headstone.*

*Stephen goes over to look at it.  He gets an odd look on his face and turns to us.*

Stephen:  Well, Steward, it seems your hunch was correct.

*I wander over and look.  Despite us not knowing this variant, I still feel a bit sad about it.  Though I’m quiet and just gently pat our Stephen’s shoulder in a silent condolence.  Our Stephen knows that I’m subtly trying to comfort both him and myself and looks at me.*

Stephen (reassuringly):  Don’t worry, Steward.  I’m not planning to go anywhere for a while.  

Prettywitch: *She smiles.* Don’t worry, we know.

Trix: So… this Stephen ran the Sanctum then died?

Familiar Voice: Actually, the opposite.

*Rising from his grave is the ghostly image of Stephen Strange. Almost a mirror copy of our Stephen despite there is no recognition in his face other than for his duplicate.*

Ghost Stephen: I see you received the summons, though I was expecting Wong other than someone from a different universe.

Me (focusing on the mission because I’m worried about the potential fall of the Sanctum):  Not sure how it happened either, but do you have any ideas of which relic might be causing this problem?  Madam Leota told us that a group of apprentices left some here before things started going wrong.  *I have Madam Leota’s dormant spirit with me.*

*Ghost Stephen glows brighter for a moment at the mention of Leota before focusing on the problem at hand.*

Ghost Stephen: I had cataloged the relics we were receiving and had gone to visit Leota after her meditation. I was initially going to head out here to check on the residents when something caught the Mansion’s attention in the relic room. I only got a glimpse of it: a silver cylinder of sorts that was just laying on the ground. I couldn’t get closer before the Mansion yanked me out and I haven’t been able to enter again since. I felt incredibly weak after getting close, however, and have been spending time in my grave trying to recharge my energy. 

Trix: I’m glad the Mansion was able to save you.

Prettywitch: Yeah, same. *Internally, she can’t help worrying; this Stephen seems to be having similar reactions to the relic as Steward is.*

Me:  Unfortunately, that relic weakened me and Leota as well.  I’ll release her here where it’s safe so she isn’t subjected to more of that relic’s energy field.  *I do so, her dormant spirit floating forth from my body.*

*Ghost Stephen rushes forward to cradle her up to him, incredibly worried that she is still seemingly asleep.*

Ghost Stephen: We need to get her to her resting space. Come.

*He floats away quickly, clearly expecting us to follow.*

*We follow him.  Meanwhile, our Stephen follows us while silently thinking about what this silver cylinder relic could be.*

*As we reach a small headstone with a copper face that looks like Leota decorating it, Ghost Stephen finally stops and allows Leota to drift out of his arms and into the ground below. He floats there for a moment, in quiet contemplation, before turning back to us with relief clear on his face.

Ghost Stephen: Thank you, for saving Leota. She’s…very special to me and has made my afterlife worth living…other than protecting our reality of course. Is there anything else you need to know? I can tell you the layout of the Mansion-

Trix (interrupting): Oh, I know that. *She blushes when Ghost Stephen stares directly at her.* In my universe this place is actually based on a theme park ride. You weren’t in it but everyone else here was. The house layout is the same at least for the most part.

*Ghost Stephen is clearly intrigued but decides to focus on the situation at hand.*

Ghost Stephen: Anything else? Weapons just in case?

616-Stephen:  How do we access the relic room?  

Ghost Stephen: You need a portal to access it. It’s completely closed off from anyone stumbling across it accidentally. It’s why we were chosen to host them other than Kamar-Taj or the other three sanctums. I can open the portal but it will have to be quick.

Trix (interrupting): Wait, how are you even able to do magic as a ghost?

PrettyWitch: Yeah, that’s a good question.

Me:  Honestly, knowing about this might help.  None of us can make any portals here right now.

Ghost Stephen: Ahhh. The Mansion is reacting the way it was trained to when the relic room is under attack. It restricts portal access first to everyone except the Sanctum Master, then if the attack continues, it shuts down access to the wards and closes everything as a precaution. Some of those relics are intensely horrible and this is supposed to keep thieves or rogue sorcerers from escaping with anything. As for magic… *He smirks* …there are perks to learning necromancy in that it isn’t like the stereotypical meaning of the art. It is using the energy beyond the veil of death in order to do magic. Leota taught me before I died when I was trying to break the curse on the Mansion. It allowed me to continue using the mystic arts despite being in my astral form and eventually just as my soul after death. I have dedicated myself to learning all I can about it so I can train others and keep the art alive without the stigma it carries now.

Me:  If it’s not too much trouble, provided we get things sorted out, would you mind teaching me a bit?  It might help expand my skillset as a medium.

Ghost Stephen (nodding): Of course. Anything to help an apprentice of mine… I’m assuming. *He glances over at 616-Stephen for confirmation*

*616-Stephen nods.*

616-Stephen:  Yes.  The girls are my apprentices.  Our version of Wong also took part of the responsibility by training Trix.

Ghost Stephen: I see. *He looks us over.* And which one of you is Trix?

*Trix perks up and gives a little wave.*

Trix: Hi! That’s me! Honestly, other versions of you have recognized us so I guess we assumed you knew us as well.

PrettyWitch: Yeah. But it is the multiverse, so odds are we’ll run into Stephens who never met our group.

Me:  There was also a bit of a run-in with a different version of you a while back.  Anyway, now that we have the information, any other questions, guys?

Trix: No, not now. Not when we have to keep the Mansion from breaking.

Prettywitch: Oh right! The mansion!

Me:  Then, we should get a move on.  *I turn to Ghost Stephen.*  Could you please open the portal, then?

616-Stephen:  First, you stay here.  That relic was damaging you enough without even being in the same room.

*I give a half-hearted glare, wanting to help more, but knowing he’s right.*

Ghost Stephen: If anything, I can take the time to show you how to start conjuring a spiritual weapon while they’re working. *He summons a rather large two handed spiritual battle axe* It can be handy.

Me:  All right.  *I turn to Trix, Prettywitch, and 616-Stephen.*  PLEASE, be safe and get back here in one piece, okay?

Trix: Got it!

PrettyWitch: Of course.

616-Stephen (with resolve):  We will.

*With that, Ghost Stephen opens a portal. Rather than the usual golden sparks, it is more of an inky teal color with occasional sparks appearing from it. A rather full room awaits us on the other side and 616-Stephen, PrettyWitch, and Trix all quickly step inside before the portal closes once more.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

616-Stephen:  Okay, a silver cylindrical relic.  Each of us should take one third of the room and start looking, but don’t touch ANYTHING.

Trix (on guard): Got it.

Prettywitch: *Nods.* Right.

*It’s a decently sized room, slightly larger than the foyer of the New York Sanctum. Various relics are on display however they are scattered about the floor, some hanging onto their displays by a thread as the floorboards expand and contract below them. The same could be said for the walls and ceiling. Where it expands, the walls come apart at the seams and only pitch blackness resides beyond. It almost seems like the Mansion is …breathing, or rather wheezing as it is under attack.*

Trix (horrified as she looks around): This is very bad.

Prettywitch: Ummm…Why does it look like the mansion is breathing?

*We turn to Stephen for answers.*

616-Stephen:  Every Sanctum is infused with magic and due to how much energy is present from the spells, relics, and leylines, they tend to gain a “life” of their own.  They often have a rudimentary sentience that grows with age.  *He glances around, looking for any potential leads.  There’s too much energy present in this room for his detection spells to work effectively.*

Prettywitch: *The moment she hears that, she reaches for her deck and cleanses it.* Yeah…I’m just gonna consult the cards on this one. *Once she’s finished, she shuffles the deck again and asks the cards, “In what part of the room is the relic we’re looking for?”. She pulls Judgement (Past), Four of Pentacles (Present), and Five of Wands (Future)* Huh? *She’s not sure what that could mean, at first. Then, she remembers that she too has been sensing the relic. She closes her eyes and feels for it. It takes a few seconds, until she finally feels a mild sense of nausea overcome her. She clasps her head and moans…and opens her eyes. Sure enough, she can see a blue outline signifying the relic.* Hey, guys!? I think I found it!

*Stephen looks at her.*  

616-Stephen:  Lead the way.  *He’s cautious, but hopeful.  It seems he has grown to trust us.*

Prettywitch: *She beams.* You got it, Doc! *She points to a huge pile of nicnacs in the corner where, in the center, she can see the relic’s outline, clear as day.* There it is! Let’s go. *She walks slowly towards the pile and motions them to follow her.*

*As PrettyWitch steps forward, the floorboards underneath her suddenly contract and she is pulled about five feet away from Stephen and Trix while a gaping void in the floor remains.*

Prettywitch: What the fuck!?

Trix (worried): Are you okay?!

Prettywitch: Yeah, I’m alright.

*616-Stephen maintains his balance and uses his Cloak to glide over to Prettywitch.*

616-Stephen:  I’ve got you.  Point me in the right direction and I’ll get the relic out.  You’ve practiced your levitation techniques, right?

Prettywitch: Uh…Not really. *She points ahead.* That pile right in front of us, see the blue outline in the center?

616-Stephen (concerned):  Okay.  Levi, take Prettywitch back to Trix.  

*The Cloak carefully puts Stephen down and grabs Prettywitch, placing her safely next to Trix.  Meanwhile, Stephen heads towards the pile.*

*A glow of light catches his attention. On his right is a mirror covered in various runes and languages. In the right light, the markings almost seem to glow. There’s something about the relic that seems odd and this relic doesn’t exist in his universe so he isn’t quite sure what it does. Meanwhile, the room returns to normal as the floorboards expand again.*

*He can’t help but look as his eye is drawn to the light.  As he glances at the mirror, he notices the runes and engravings.  They’re beyond fascinating and he feels compelled to keep looking.  Stephen’s common sense kicks in and he shakes his head, tearing his eyes away from the mirror, suspicious of the dangerous relic.  Out of an abundance of caution since he knows they have no time to lose, he conjures a sheet and telekinetically drapes it over the mirror to cover it.  With that out of the way, he proceeds forward.*

*Trix and PrettyWitch follow slowly behind him, cautious of the various relics and of the room itself. Suddenly, the floor rumbles again and the room shudders, causing various relics to scatter about, one of which is a crown that falls right into Stephen.*

*By reflex, Stephen catches it, but unfortunately that’s all the Crown needed.  He has an irresistible urge to put it on and as he dons the Crown, he feels all of his worries and concerns melt away into bliss. On the outside, Prettywitch and Trix see the Sorcerer Supreme giggling and clapping his hands like a child.*

Trix: Fuck. *She turns to Prettywitch* You go for the relic so the Mansion doesn’t come crashing down around us and I’ll help Stephen.

Prettywitch: *Nods* Good idea! *She dashes for the relic.*

*Trix creeps forward and carefully maneuvers around some missing parts of the floor before reaching Stephen. A wave of aura tries to influence her but she quickly raises her mental shields and fortifies them, exactly like she did during her trial. Now she just has to get the crown off of Stephen without touching it.*

Trix (overly pleasant): Hey Stephen, whatcha doing?

616-Stephen (giddy):  Hi, Trix!  I feel great!  *He goes over to hug her.*

Trix (wary of the relic but trying to distract): Hey! I just thought of a game we haven’t played before. Want to try it? I don’t know if they have it in your universe. It’s called Simon Says.

616-Stephen (cheery):  Yeah, I’ve heard of it.  Sure!  

Trix: Okay, so the rules are you have to do whatever Simon, which I’m going to be, tells you to do but only if I say Simon Says first, okay?

616-Stephen:  Okay!  *He doesn’t seem to have a care in the world right now.*

*Before Trix can do the first round, another earthquake hits and the room begins to shake again.*

*Prettywitch meanwhile, continues running for the relic before getting hit with another wave of nausea. This one, more intense, like she ate too much chocolate for breakfast. BUt she has no time to be sick and pushes forward. When it becomes too much, she creates a shield that wraps around her body, encasing her in a pink glow, or sorts and walks towards the relic.*

Prettywitch: Alright, let’s end this… *The floor rumbles around her again.* Now…? 

Trix (slightly panicking): Simon Says don’t fall into the void! *The floor has disappeared next to her and she rights herself after a moment of unbalance.*

616-Stephen (oblivious):  Wheeeeee!  *He hops onto a stable set of planks.  The Cloak hovers nearby, concerned.*

Trix (shouting): Simon Says hold your crown above your head! *She’s panicking but trying not to show it*

616-Stephen (blissful):  Okay, but I’m not gonna lose it!~  

*As soon as he obeys and lifts up the Crown, the Cloak quickly yanks it out of his grasp and hurls it into the void.  Stephen lets out a startled yelp and turns, ready to scream at his relic until his eyes refocus and his expression of bliss goes from surprise to betrayal to horror.*

616-Stephen (coming to his senses):  What did I do?!  *The Cloak has resumed its proper place on his shoulders, keeping him steady.*  

Trix (relieved): Oh thank the Vishanti. *She breathes out a sigh of relief and the floor rights itself once again and Trix finds herself next to Stephen and hugs him.* A relic, a crown, landed on you and you just- *she gestures wildly* zoned out and started acting like a kid. Luckily Levi and I managed to trick you into getting the crown vulnerable.

*He accepts the hug from Trix and pats his Cloak in silent thanks to both of them.  Then, he quickly focuses on Prettywitch, watching to make sure she’s okay.*

*The shield seems to be holding well for Prettywitch as she advances, however a relic nearby begins to rattle and begin to move on its own. Trix yelps and rushes over between Prettywitch and the relic as green smokey magic reaches out, catching Trix instead of its intended target. The relic appears to be an old spinning wheel, its wheel now spinning faster and faster as a green glow appears in her eyes. She slowly advances forward with a handle outstretched towards the spindle.*

*Stephen summons the Hand of Hoggoth, grabbing Trix and pulling her back from the spinning wheel, attempting to get her out of range of the dangerous relic.*

Prettywitch: *Growls.* Dammit! We don’t have time for this!- *That’s when it hits her; time! She can stop time and get the relic. She chuckles.* Can’t believe I didn’t think of that sooner. *She goes to form the sealing wand and Time Card…only to remember what Stephen has been trying to teach her and stops. That just leaves her with one question; how can she make time magic her own. She starts snapping while thinking…until looking at her poised fingers gives her an idea. She smirks.* Well, no one will say this ain’t creative.

*Prettywitch taps her foot and snaps her fingers simultaneously. When this happens, the room becomes encased in a gold glow where everything and everyone has frozen in place. Satisfied, she takes a moment to admire her handiwork and turns back to face the relic.*

*Next, Prettywitch calls upon the Crimson Bands of Cyttorakk, mimicking the movements of her mentor as she throws the bands at the relic. She tightens the bands to secure its grasp and, with a quick gesture, she makes the bands bounce back to her with the relic in its tendrils.*

*Her last act is to encase the relic in a protective bubble for now.*

Prettywitch: *Smiling.* Not bad if I do say so myself. *Then she looks around and is reminded that she stopped time, so she taps her foot and snaps her fingers again, resuming time.*

*The room shudders one last time in relief before it finally settles. The heavy aura of distress is finally receding as the Mansion settles after the threat has been contained. Everything is calming down, except for Trix whose mind is still ensnared by the spinning wheel. Her face is blank as she is held by the Hand of Hoggoth, arm attempting to extend still.*

616-Stephen:  Nope.  Not having any of that.  *He maintains the Hand’s Grip and looks at the spinning wheel, using telekinesis to jam a dowel into the spokes, stopping its movements. The glow finally recedes from Trix’s eyes.*

Trix (drowsy): Did we win?

616-Stephen:  Yes.  Now we need to send that thing to this universe’s Wong.  He’ll know how to deal with it.  *He releases Trix when she’s back next to him.*

*Trix wearily turns to PrettyWitch*

Trix: Great job tracking that thing down. What is it anyway?

Prettywitch: This! Uh…I don’t know, your guess is as good as mine. Kinda looks like a Kalidescope, though.

616-Stephen (looking at it):  That’s a flashlight and it’s still on.  Turning it off would probably ensure that it won’t collapse the Sanctum if the bubble breaks.

Trix (baffled): I know it’s a relic, but how the hell did a flashlight manage to do all this?!  *She gestures around the room.*

616-Stephen:  No idea, but if the lockdown spells have lifted, let’s send it to their Kamar-Taj and make sure their Wong turns it off.

*Trix takes the hint and opens a portal to this universe’s Kamar-Taj. It seems to have worked.*

Prettywitch: *She peeks into the portal and sees the grand staircase.* Hello!?...Anyone home!?

*There’s no answer for a moment before 196971-Wong suddenly appears in front of the portal.*

196971 Wong: Who are you and why are you trespassing? *He spots 616-Stephen and blanches. Then he realizes exactly where we are.* What happened?

616-Stephen (coolly):  A misplaced relic almost collapsed this Sanctum.  Your Stephen and the Sanctum sent out a distress call, which we picked up in our universe.  We went in to extract it since that relic’s energy weakened not only your version of Stephen, but all of the other spirits present and the Sanctum itself.

*196971 Wong frowns and invites them into Kamar-Taj, away from the other deadly relics.*

196971 Wong: We have been in the process of connecting the New Orleans Sanctum to the various network wards across the world as it has been a few months since it has become a Sanctum. Unfortunately that means we were too absorbed in our work to realize the danger that was occurring. *He turns to PrettyWitch who has the relic floating next to her.* May I ask what relic caused this?

Prettywitch: Well, to be honest…we were kinda hoping you could tell us that. We don’t have anything like this in either of our worlds, as far as we know.

*196971 Wong raises an eyebrow at 616-Stephen at the ‘worlds’ comment but inspects the relic in the bubble with a frown.*

196971 Wong: We do not have any records to my knowledge of this relic. *He activates some identification spells around the bubble to try and gain more information.* It seems that it should not harm the living. It seems particularly geared towards combating things beyond the veil. We would not have willingly or knowingly brought it to the New Orleans Sanctum.

616-Stephen (unamused):  Precisely.  

196971 Wong (deadpan): We will do research on it of course, and store it properly and investigate how it came to exist in the forbidden relic room.

616-Stephen:  …and hopefully more thoroughly inspect relics before they’re placed into Sanctums to prevent further incidents.

196971 Wong: Naturally. *He eyes 616-Stephen* I’m assuming you became Sorcerer Supreme in your universe?

616-Stephen:  I did, yes.  Also, I had intended to send some new Masters on their first missions to deal with this, but elected to come with them just in case.  It seems that it was the right call.  This relic almost incapacitated one of them, poisoned the other one, and the threatened Sanctum’s relics and reactions nearly killed the four of us.

*Trix nudges 616-Stephen slightly.*

Trix: I know it was a bad move to have all those in there but I think you already explained the severity of what happened. It seems like it was an accident gone wrong…

196971 Wong: No, he’s right to scold me for not doing my due diligence. Our mistake should not have caused visitors to nearly meet their demise and nearly take out our fledgling Sanctum. *He bows to all four of us* I apologize for my actions and the actions of Kamar-Taj. *As he straightens, he frowns.* You mentioned four of you, is your last member alright?

*616-Stephen calms a bit.*

616-Stephen:  She’s still on the New Orleans Sanctum grounds with your Stephen.  While she recovers, your Stephen agreed to teach her some of his techniques.  *He looks at 196971 Wong calmly, clearly having forgiven him.*

PrettyWitch: Oh yeah, what do you want us to do with this relic in the meantime?

196971 Wong: We turn it off and drop it off in the library for cataloging before going to check on Stephen- *He glances at 616-Stephen* -my universe’s Stephen after that. *He comes to a realization.* I must apologize once more. I do not know your names. I am Wong.

*616-Stephen gently nudges Trix and Prettywitch to let them introduce themselves.*

Prettywitch: Oh! I’m Prettywitch.

Trix: I’m Trix! Another version of you actually helped train me. I’m going to eventually be our universe’s librarian since the three of us are actually from a different universe from this Stephen but magic just recently got introduced into our universe! *At this point she’s babbling. It’s been a long day.*

*196971 Wong stares at PrettyWitch and Trix for a moment before nodding with a hum.*

196971 Wong: Nice to meet you. Come. *He leads the group to the library.*

Trix (while walking): So why do you suddenly have an extra Sanctum?

196971 Wong: It was not intended. Stephen was on a mission to the mansion when the cloak pulled me from what I was doing to drag me back there. Stephen was trying to break a curse on the grounds but nearly killed himself on his first attempt. He forgoed treatment in order to stick to the terms of the wager with the party responsible for the curse and managed to break it at the cost of his life. The Mansion was gifted to him and due to its positioning and Stephen’s lack of desire to pass on, we decided that creating a Sanctum focused entirely on the other side of the veil would be advantageous.

616-Stephen:  I see.  It’s a logical conclusion.  *He nods in agreement.  In addition, he privately thinks about the scenario that his counterpart went through with empathy.*

Prettywitch: Yeah, but I wonder if it might be better to have a human sanctum master on the grounds, too. That way, the sanctum doesn’t fall into disarray like it did here.

*They enter the library.*

196971 Wong: We did consider it, however the Mansion is not meant to truly house the living anymore, with one exception. The Groundskeeper is typically on hand just in case. He was also affected by the curse since he was a child and somehow does not need everything we would to survive. Clearly we need another way for him to contact us, just in case.

*We reach a relic containment area and 196971 Wong gestures to Prettywitch.*

Prettywitch: *She holds it out to him.* Here you go.

*He takes the relic, turns it off, and stores it. Then he creates a portal to the graveyard where they left Ghost Stephen and Steward only to find Steward’s body laying in a casket with an old decrepit man about to put the lid on it.*

*616-Stephen freezes in horror.  His heart skips several beats as he goes pale.*

616-Stephen:  What in the name of Ostur happened here?!

*I twitch and let in a gasp of air before sitting bolt-upright in the coffin.  Then, I quickly turn my head to look at the Groundskeeper in shock.*

Me (almost screechy in my flurry of adrenaline):  EXCUSE ME!  I STILL HAVE A PULSE!  

196971 Wong (unamused): We’ve been over this plenty of times, just because someone is unconscious doesn’t mean they’re dead. *Clearly this has happened numerous times before.*

Groundskeeper (rather rattled): I’ve told you that I can handle ghosts but zombies are where I draw the line Master Wong. *He turns to Steward.* Apologies Miss! *He helps her out of the coffin.*

*I look at him, still bug-eyed, before shifting my glance towards the group.*

Me (slowly settling down):  Okay…You’re all okay…Good….*I pause to catch my breath.*

Trix: Some close calls with some relics but nothing we couldn’t handle! *She glances at 616-Stephen.*

616-Stephen:  Yes, we’re fine…*He’s clutching his chest as his heart rate finally starts to go back to normal.*

PrettyWitch: I think the better question is are you okay?

Me:  I’m better.  I’m guessing that the rest of the symptoms lifted once you guys extracted the relic.  Still feeling pretty drained, but I have all of my faculties back.  Plus, quite a bit more.  *I smirk.*

*Ghost Stephen materializes next to Steward.*

Ghost Stephen: I am finally back to full strength and Leota should be waking up soon as well. *He glances over at Steward and smirks as well.* I took the time to show Steward some tricks of the trade, as it were, since there was little else we could do and I would like to help train the next generation of mediums and necromancers. *He turns to PrettyWitch* Leota would absolutely love to talk to you about your psychic abilities. She’s been wanting me to find her an apprentice for ages and though it would only be for a very short time, this would appease her. 

Prettywitch: *She gets starry-eyed.* Really!? *She looks at her Stephen and gives him puppy dog eyes.*

616-Stephen:  Provided that you don’t nearly get buried alive or otherwise, fine.  *He doesn’t want to cheat Prettywitch out of an opportunity to learn.*

Prettywitch: Yes! *She traps her Stephen in a bear hug.* Thank you, Stephen!

616-Stephen:  Ack!  Yes, yes…I want you girls to learn as much as you can and keep an open mind so you can continue to learn throughout your lives.  This is a chance that shouldn’t be passed up.

Trix (hopeful): *She turns to Ghost Stephen* Does this mean I could possibly have permission to look through the library while the specialty training is going on? I’m sure you want to teach Steward some more things too!

Ghost Stephen (amused): Yes, so long as your version of me stays with you. I will chaperone Steward while Leota has PrettyWitch. As much as I love the Mansion, I am fully aware of the dangers it can pose to the living despite it not actively trying to kill anyone anymore. 

196971 Wong: I will begin to personally sort through the relics once more to make sure everything is in order and will not harm anyone else.

Trix (sheepishly): You will be one short. One ended up in the void when the Mansion was falling apart in the relic room…

616-Stephen:  It was a crown of sorts with deleterious mental effects.  

196971 Wong: Ah, yes. The world will not be at a loss with the demise of the Crown of Fools.

Trix (trying not to laugh): The Crown of Fools?

*616-Stephen gives Trix a look.*

196971 Wong: Yes, it was a rather insidious relic. Very tricky to manage. Too bad it…fell in the void. *He gives us a look before opening a portal back to Kamar-Taj.* It was a pleasure to meet you all. *And with that, he closes the portal and the five of us stand there, the Groundskeeper having snuck off while Wong was talking.*

Trix (turning to Stephen with a look): So you’ll chaperone me?

616-Stephen (smoothly):  I will.

*Trix turns back to Ghost Stephen with a grin.*

Trix: Then it’s settled! Special tutoring for all of us!

Ghost Stephen: Let’s get started then.

*We end up spending three days at New Orleans Sanctum, still lovingly referred to as The Mansion by its residents.*

*I learn to summon spirit-based weapons, open portals, and use spells while astral-projecting.  This includes a specialized type of portal for spirits.  I also check on the ghosts who were with me before the incident started.  When I realize they aren’t there, I get worried until Ghost Stephen lets me know that they’re most likely waiting for me in the 616-universe.*

*Prettywitch learns to start channeling psychic energy so that she can not only improve her tarot reading, but that it will allow her to eventually call upon her future vision at will. Leota also was delighted to teach her a number of her original spells from her grimoire.*

*Meanwhile, Trix has been, with Ghost Stephen’s permission, making copies of all of the books in the library so she can peruse everything when she has more time. She picks up certain things here and there and spends her Stephen-mandated breaks dragging 616-Stephen around so she can ask the various residents of the Mansion questions she has always wondered and finally gets to meet the Ghost Host, a lovely man who was originally named Sebastian Gore.*

*616-Stephen keeps an eye on Trix, making sure that she stays safe and takes regular breaks.  He listens to what’s going on and also checks on me and Prettywitch periodically to ensure that there are no further incidents.  Though he does have to drag Trix back to rest for the night a few times.*

*Finally, the time has arrived for us to go back to 616.*

Ghost Stephen: You’re welcome back anytime whether it be for knowledge, visiting for a friendly chat, or to explore the Mansion more. We're always haunting the place. *He smirks. A noticeable difference between the two Stephen’s is Ghost Stephen’s very morbid humor and a deliberate and frequent use of puns.*

Trix (exhausted but smiling): Thank you again! For everything! *She has enchanted at least five bags to hold the entirety of the library for her to bring back.*

Me:  Thank you, Sir.  *I give him a smile.*

PrettyWitch: Yes, thank you.

616-Stephen:  Thank you for your hospitality and sharing your knowledge with us.  We’ll be going now.

Leota (coy): Don’t stay away too long! It’s always a pleasure staring at two Stephen Strange’s.

*As we leave through a portal, Ghost Stephen is both blushing a bright blue while whispering loudly to Leota who grins at us. As the portal closes behind us, we find ourselves back at 616-Kamar-Taj. Exhausted, covered in cobwebs, but alive.*

*I notice that the ghost of The Ancient One has sensed our arrival and she has already appeared at my side.*

Ancient One (appearing to everyone): It seems you have gone on quite the adventure… *She looks Steward up and down before looking at the rest of us.* It’s a shame we didn’t know where you were to know where your new chapter began… *She’s rather formal at the moment.*

*I cringe, recognizing the tone and bow in apology.*

Me (earnest):  My sincere apologies.  I didn’t know that you and the other spirits wouldn’t be able to follow me.  *I stare at the floor.*

*The Ancient One stares at her for a moment before nodding.*

Ancient One: See that it doesn’t happen again. *She stares at Stephen.*

*Stephen withers under her stare.*

Stephen:  I’ll be sure of it.  *He bows as well.*

Ancient One (finally smiling): Good. *She disappears to the group, nodding at Steward as she heads further into Kamar-Taj.*

*I’m quiet.  Meanwhile, the other spirits reform and join me again.  Hearing the conversation of familiar voices in the courtyard, Wong comes out in a huff.*

Wong (growling):  I’ve been scanning for you for four days.  Where have you been?  *It’s clearly anger born of worry.*

Trix (holding up the giant bags): Saved another universe’s Sanctum and I brought you back an entire ghost library! *She grins at him*

*Wong glares at each of us and then his eyes settle on Trix before he sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.*

Wong (weary):  While it was a worthwhile endeavor, please for Vishanti’s sake, don’t disappear like that without warning us and leaving some information for us to be able to find you…

Trix: Come on, we can all get tea while we tell you about this ghostly fourth sanctum that got established and how PrettyWitch was a badass and saved the day.

PrettyWitch: *Blushes.* Well, I wouldn’t call myself a badass but yeah, I rocked!!! *Then she remembers something.* Oh yeah! Stephen, we should totally invite Clea to tea! I’m sure she’d love to catch up with us.

Stephen:  Erm…Sure.  *He flushes a bit.  He DID miss her.*

***To be continued***

[stewardofningishzida]

Stephen Strange Meta-Fic Sequel - Chapter 11: Recovery Daze

OKAY, PARTY PEOPLE! WE ARE BACK! This is Tear’s last chapter for now, but everyone else is still onboard with Trix, Prettywitch, Blackie, and me. It was a long time in the making, but here we go! Enjoy!

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Some injuries, bad language, and mentions of death

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 11: Recovery Daze

*When we eventually wake up, Trix is being taken care of by healers.  Doctor Strange watches closely to make sure that things are progressing.  Loki is in the bed to her right.  He’s being looked after as well.  Both are rather worse for wear after their ordeal.  The other three women are in beds to Trix’s left.  After everything that happened, the sorcerers and Avengers want to keep them under observation to make sure that they’re okay.  With the extended high-stress situation and running around like a madwoman with my friends all day yesterday, my legs are in agony.  I’m currently in the throes of an inflammatory episode triggered by the strain of what happened.  So, I can’t really walk.  I do manage to force myself to crawl to the bathroom when needed, but that’s about it.  As per usual, I’m being stubborn and don’t want help.  If anything, I’m more concerned about Trix’s recovery and worried about how our encounters with Agatha have affected my friends.  I verbally check up on Tear and Prettywitch to ask if they’re okay periodically.  Despite everyone being alive and here, I seem just as tense as before.*

Me (checking in on the group for the 3rd time this morning):  Is everyone okay?  *I glance at each of them, checking their responses.*

Trix (exhausted): I mean, I’m not trapped so that’s good in my book.

Tear: The room is no longer spinning. That’s a win.

Prettywitch: Yeah, I’m fine. Are you?

Me (trying to give a perky smile, but it looks more like a grimace):  Yeah.  I’m fine.  Just wanted to make sure.  Do any of you need anything?

Trix (leaning forward and looking over): Y’know, if there’s ever a time to not be fine it would be after the past…(*she frowns as she has no idea how long it’s been*) however long it’s been.

*I sigh*

Me (quietly):  I’m sorry…You guys kinda mentioned me as the group leader before and part of a leader’s responsibility is to protect the group they’re in.  I should have done better.  Every place I’ve led us into has been a death trap and now…this…I screwed up.  I shouldn’t be leading anyone at this rate.  Hell, before we even met, I could barely survive myself.  I…I’m just sorry.  I know that won’t fix anything, but it’s all I can say or do now…You guys didn’t deserve any of this.  I should have kept you guys safer.

Prettywitch: But you did everything you could. You can’t predict what’s going to happen all the time.

Tear: She’s right, you know. Not even Stephen or Wong could do anything to prevent it.

Trix (she fully sits up and grimaces): First off, no offense to anyone who is originally from this universe in this room, but this entire place is a death trap.

*Loki shrugs to her right. She ignores him*

Trix: But there’s no way we could have been safer in the hell room than we were unless we were unconscious and locked in a box even more than we were. I’m coming to terms with the fact that it wasn’t my fault that I had a complete breakdown due to what was actually outside interference. But: we’re still learning. You’re learning how to lead, and from what I’ve heard about the rescue plan it was completely badass, but we’re gonna get there. We grow as a team and as individuals and we’ve barely started. I have faith in every one of you and it absolutely wasn’t misplaced because you got me back. You even got Loki back who you didn’t even realize was there!

Me (slightly sour chuckle):  That was just dumb luck.  Tear noticed the two intact crystals, but we couldn’t tell who was in there.  I just figured that one had to have you in it and the other would be some other victim who deserved to be freed from that witch.

Loki (interjecting): And yet not everyone would have done that. I cannot tell you how much of my life has been sheer dumb luck on both my part and Thor’s.

*Trix looks over at him and gives him a deadpan stare and he raises his hands in surrender. She flops backwards into the bed with a groan*

*Stephen is currently focusing on healing a section of her arm that just re-crystallized.  It returns to normal after a few seconds.*

Prettywitch: They have a point, Steward. We’re all still learning and while it’s okay to feel bad, the only thing you can do is learn from your mistakes and try to be better next time.

Me (grim):  I suppose.  In that case, I’ll definitely have to step up my game because this *gestures to our current state* and anything worse than it is unacceptable.  I refuse to let you guys get hurt like this again.  Not on my watch.  *I’m firm in my resolve.*

*Stephen finishes aiding Trix’s healing session and looks up at the rest of us.*

Stephen (firm, but gentle):  Steward, that’s enough.  You and the other girls did your best and far exceeded Wong’s and my expectations.  If anyone is to blame for this, it should be me.  My accident initiated all of this.  I’m sorry that it escalated so severely and that Trix was taken hostage and injured.  If anything, your deeds and reactions to such adversity have shown that you and the others are more than worthy of becoming a most excellent array of new sorcerers for your world.  Yes, you all still have a lot to learn, but you girls have shown that you are more than capable of doing so and handling these abilities responsibly.  *He’s warm and sincere, attempting to comfort us while also being honest.*

Tear: Aww, we love you too, Stephen. *I send him a fond smile, touched beyond words by his genuine praise*

*I sniff and look away to compose myself, still keeping a straight face.  I still hate to show vulnerability like this.*

Trix: *is actively sobbing and is honestly too tired to hide it* Y’know that helps a lot. Also, not your fault either.

Prettywitch: Yeah. It shows you trust us enough to be vulnerable in front of us.

*I’m quiet for a while, wanting to be calm again before I reply.*

Me (hoarse, but having calmed down):  Thanks.

Trix: Don’t forget we care about you, even if you're the leader or not!

*I chuckle a bit.*

Me:  Heh…Thanks.  I care about you guys too.  *I give my friends a small smile.*

Tear: This is where I’d pull you all into a group hug if we weren’t all bedridden right now. So just picture it and feel our mutual affection.

Prettywitch: Oh yeah, where is Wong? I’ve been meaning to ask you that all morning, Stephen.

Stephen:  Oh, Wong is ensuring that Harkness is thoroughly restrained and can no longer utilize her “bypass” from before.  He also confiscated her copy of the Darkhold to carefully analyze and keep locked up until we can find a way to destroy all copies throughout the Multiverse.  Don’t worry.  He’ll take enough precautions to avoid corruption.  

Trix (her eyes are closed): For the love of all that is holy, blow up the mountain.

Stephen:  Ah, Wundagore.  Yes, we’ll take care of that.  Though given the Scarlet Witch’s dominion over the fortress on top, it may be more difficult than we thought.  Seeing as Wanda is free of Harkness’ influence, perhaps part of her community service sentence can be to eliminate her cursed base.

Trix: Blindfold her then have her blow up the mountain. *her eyes are still closed but she’s being completely serious for once. She is sick and tired of corrupted witches*

Prettywitch: That…honestly doesn’t sound too bad. It’s certainly better than what happened in our universe, that’s for damn sure…

Me:  Better safe than sorry.  Maybe tell Wong to lock that book up and put it in the mountain fort so it gets blown up with the rest of it.  Just to be sure.  Don’t bother with the analysis.  That thing will only try to latch onto anyone who tries to read it and if it somehow knows it’s going to be destroyed, then who knows what it’ll do to the poor person who looked through it?

Stephen:  A fair point.  I’ll tell him.  Now, do any of you need anything?  

Me (having calmed down considerably):  I’m good, thanks.

Prettywitch: I think I’m okay, thanks.

Tear: A snack that’s not still wriggling would be nice…

Trix: A hug or any form of human contact, really.

*He looks at Trix a bit awkwardly, but leans in to give her a reassuring hug.  He’s careful, though, to avoid hurting or triggering her.  When he separates, the Cloak reaches out and teasingly musses her hair a bit.*

*She beams up at him and the cloak in response*

Trix: Thanks. You kinda take it for granted until something happens. *she blushes slightly at the reminder of the past adventure but quickly recovers*

Stephen:  I’ll let you ladies rest for a while, but I’ll be back. Lunch time shouldn’t be far off. *He portals away, presumably to check on Wong and update him.*

*We rest and chat amongst ourselves, taking the occasional short nap.  After a couple of hours, we have more visitors.*

Steve:  How are we doing, ladies?  *He walks in with the other Avengers.*

Me:  Hanging in there.  Getting better.

Trix: Could be better, but I’m not trapped so yay! *her hand is having a slight relapse again but she kinda ignores it since it sometimes goes back to normal on its own*

Prettywitch: Not bad, just working on some tarot readings.

Tear: The healers say PrettyWitch and I should be free to leave in two days if our condition stays stable.

Tony: *He leans against one of the wooden cabinets set up against the wall in front of the girls, keeping them all in sight as he smiles brightly at them* That is great news. It’s no wonder Stephen has been waddling around like a proud peacock.

Scott: Sounds like you guys are settling in just fine.

Peter: Do you think the sorcerers will let us bring in some food to celebrate once you’ve all been cleared from the hospital? *He follows in after Tony, but he instead leaps up onto Tear’s bed in one limber move*

Me:  I think so.  The main threat has been dealt with.  Now, it’s just Trix recovering from her ordeal and me dealing with my rogue immune system.  It didn’t like me pushing so hard for that long and decided to take out my legs again.  *Wry smirk*

Loki: *He's cautiously looking at Steve and Tony, ready to flee if necessary but does not want to. He already knows Peter seems fine with him now.*

Tony: *Feeling Loki’s gaze, he lifts an inquisitive eyebrow at him* And what about you, Reindeer Games? Having fun at the slumber party?

Loki (cautious): Still recovering I’m afraid but otherwise I am having an enjoyable time. The ladies are quite hospitable for allowing me to stay here as well. 

Trix (groans): Don’t start that again.

Steve:  No trouble so far, right?  *He glances at the girls and at Loki, still distrustful of the god.*

Me:  Not so far.  He’s been decent company and even helped advise Trix and Prettywitch a bit.  No backfires or anything.

Steve (polite, but firm):  Good.  Let’s keep it that way.  *He looks at Trix and Loki for a moment, trying to figure out what’s going on.*

*Loki and Trix are in a staring match where she is incredibly determined and he is starting to fail at keeping his composure*

Trix: This idiot would like to say something but is too self deprecating to do it properly.

Loki (deadpan): I hate you.

Trix (grins): A lie!

*Loki finally cracks a small smile before turning back to the Avengers, fully serious*

Loki: I do want to apologize for my previous actions in New York. While I would absolutely claim it to be my entire fault, Trix is adamant that I inform you that it wasn’t entirely due to the nature of the scepter and Thanos who I received it from. I still maintain it was my plan and I apologize for any undue strife it caused. Though, getting the tesseract did open my eyes to what I really needed to learn. *He nods towards Tony* So thank you for giving yourself a heart attack. Infinity stones are not worth the hassle.

Tony: *He tenses, Loki’s insider knowledge taking him by surprise* I’m not just… That’s… Is this place magically messing with my brain or did Loki just apologize and thank me in the same breath?

Steve (flatly, still not fully believing it himself):  No.  He really did just apologize and thank you.

*Loki gets visibly grumpier while Trix grins*

Trix: He’s being honest about it. He admitted it while we both couldn’t lie. I knew a bit from what we had seen in our universe but we did talk about things while I was…trying to be distracted in there.

Loki (still grumpy): I still hate you.

Steve (shocked and digesting this new information):  I do trust Trix.  She’s been reliable since the day we met.  However, even a genuine apology can’t fix everything that your actions caused, Loki.  It’s a start and we can try to work something out, but unfortunately you’re still a wanted criminal for numerous crimes against humanity.

Loki: I would like to state that I only lived up to when I left with the tesseract during your time heist and I have no idea what the other timeline version of myself did. Otherwise I do intend to take action for what happened during the tesseract…battle.

Steve (wary):  What kind of action?

Loki: Trix mentioned that sometimes human criminals are rehabilitated by performing acts for the community at large while serving their sentence. Once I can reliably keep my magic under control once more, I intend to do so at the Avengers’ discretion.

Trix (prompting): And also-

Loki (realizing): Oh yes. You didn’t want to be the one to say after this last time. There’s a multiversal dictator that is planning on waging a war between unlimited universes since one of my alternate selves killed the dictator that held complete control over our timeline to suit his own needs but kept the worse versions of him in check. *He says this all with a straight face* I have no idea when it’s going to start however because timelines are annoying though multiversal travel would not have been possible otherwise because there was only one universe.

Tony: *He stares at Loki blankly, hyperaware of the silent stillness that descended upon the room. Finally, he blinks and stands up-straight* That’s it. I’m retiring. Have fun punching more multiversal nazis, Cap. *He waves dismissively and makes a show of heading for the exit*

Loki: I don’t blame you. Do you think I’d wear a tacky suit of my own accord? *he stares over at the pile of TVA clothes sitting on a nearby chair*

Me (recovering from the shock, knowing that this affects all universes):  Ah, right…We almost forgot about that…Great.  *The “Oh, crap.” face has reappeared.*

Trix: I mean, it could happen in like a thousand years from now in this timeline…they did jump through time a lot during the show. And we don’t know what happened with the planned season 2. They were working on it then our universe broke. I think our foresight other than Prettywitch is gone now that the universes are intertwined. Either way, we can’t exactly do anything until someone comes to us.

Me:  Okay.  Then, I guess that means we have to train and be ready.

Loki (regretful): I didn’t mean to cause more strife, but wanted to extend an olive branch by warning you of what I have been dealing with before I got dropped back off in the timeline only to be captured by that witch. *he scowls*

*As we recover over the weeks, we get a few visits from the therapist Christina Raynor, at Sam’s recommendation.  She helps us come to terms with what happened and what is currently ongoing so we’re better-equipped to mentally handle what might be coming.  We also gradually get back to our studies.*

Prettywitch: Hey, Stephen. What’s up?

Stephen (looking up from his pensive state):  Hm?  *He seems preoccupied.*

Prettywitch: You just look like you’re out of it. Is everything okay?

Stephen (absentminded):  Ah…Nothing worth troubling you about, my dear.  I appreciate the concern.

Prettywitch: My dear? Oh, you must be feeling out of it if you’re calling someone dear.

*He pauses and gives her a look, now embarrassed and fully paying attention.*

Stephen (resigned):  Very well…I’ve been having some recurring visions as of late.  A woman clad in purple, the Dark Dimension, and…*He’s still rather triggered by the last bit.*  …Dormammu.

Prettywitch: A woman in purple…? Did she have silver hair and big blue eyes?

Stephen:  Yes.  I take it you know of her?

Prettywitch: Uh…Sort of. (She starts tapping her finger to her chin.) Gee, I’m not sure if I should tell you…

Stephen:  Judging by how things played out last time, I would advise against it.  *He’s being more cautious after the Agatha incident.*

Prettywitch: No, that’s fair.

*The curiosity is eating away at him, but he refrains, not wanting a repeat disaster.*

Prettywitch: I will ask you one thing, though. In the dreams, is the woman helping you or Dormammu?

Stephen:  She appears to be assisting me.  A citizen of the Dark Dimension…helping a Terran…*He’s thinking about this, intrigued.*

Prettywitch: *She grins.* So, you’re intrigued by her?

Stephen:  There is something more to her.  I know that much.

Prettywitch: Okay. *She gets up.* Well, I’m not gonna tell ya. But I will wish you luck, you’re gonna need it. Trust me. *She’s referring to how much Stephen sucks at flirting.* *She walks off to find the others.*

*Stephen gives Prettywitch a weird look, but lets her go.*

*Meanwhile, Trix and Tear are in the library.  I’m currently having a conversation with seemingly nobody out in the courtyard.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me (to Barry):  You’ve been quiet lately.  Like, not the sulky kind of quiet.  It’s been the pensive type of quiet.  What’s on your mind?

Barry:  Y’know…Feeling alive again when we were fighting that crazy bitch…I dunno how to describe it, but I didn’t wanna let go.  

Me:  I figured.  Wong had to chase you out.  *I’m still peeved with him about it, but am willing to listen and have a civilized conversation.*

Barry:  I’ve been dead for over 30 years, Steward.  I was kinda starting to forget what it was like…Also, I didn’t really do much while I was REALLY alive.  *He huffs regretfully*  I wasted my life, dude.  While here, I figured I could just keep going, but after all of this…

Me (grim):  You realize you’re limited even more now and that life has moved on without you?

Barry:  Yeah…But at the same time, I don’t want it to end.

Me (gently):  Barry, an end isn’t really an end.  It’s a transition point.  It just means that the stories shift focus.  You played a part and now, you move onto your next chapter while the world moves onto its own.  

Barry:  I guess, but I didn’t really do anything.  I was just some burnout who lived in his parents’ garage, got way too drunk one night, and keeled over.  

Me:  It may not have been the best life, but it was still yours.  Look…How could we have greatness without some ordinary people around?  If everyone was super, then in reality, nobody would be.  Everyone plays a part.  Even if it’s just mundane.  There always has to be a counterpart so we can know and understand the different things in our world.  You still had an impact.  It might not have been what you wanted, but ultimately, it’s what you got.  

Barry:  *Sighs*  I know.  

Me:  So, what do you wanna do?

Barry:  Well, it’s better to burn out than fade away.  I…I guess it’s probably time to move on.  

Me:  You sure?

Barry:  Yeah.  I’ve been dragging this out for too long and everyone I knew has moved on.  

Me:  Well, as much as we fought, thanks for helping Trix and me back there.  

Barry (sincere):  Sorry for being a dick.

Me:  Apology accepted.  I’ll help you move on, all right?

Barry:  Thanks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*After a long chat, I walk over to Trix and Tear.*

Me:  Guys, Barry wants to move on.

Trix (surprised): Really? Wow, that’s a tough decision.

Tear: I’m happy for him. Living stuck as a spirit is no way to spend your afterlife.

Me:  Yeah.  I should let Prettywitch know too and then we need to find Stephen and Wong.  I don’t know how to do it exactly.  Do you guys know where any of them are?

Trix: I think I saw PrettyWitch head into the library before…

Me:  Huh.  Ok.  Let’s find her.

*We find Prettywitch.*

Me:  Hey, Prettywitch.  Barry wants to move on and I don’t know how to help him.  Have you seen Stephen and Wong anywhere?  

Prettywitch: I just talked with Stephen, actually. He should be around here, somewhere.

*We go to find the older sorcerers.*

Stephen:  Hmmm…Helping a spirit to move on, eh?  

Wong:  I’ve got this one, Strange.  You have a meeting with the other Sanctum Masters in 15 minutes.

Stephen:  Right.  *He wants to help, but his higher duties as Sorcerer Supreme have gotten his schedule more bogged down.*  Let me know how it goes.

Wong:  I will.  Steward, come with me.  

Trix: Are we allowed to go with? It would be like going home for Thanksgiving when you’re in college. *She casts a hopeful look at Wong*

Tear: It has been a while since we’ve seen our families…

Prettywitch: Yeah, and I wanna go make sure my friends are okay.

Wong:  Very well.  As long as you all stay close.  You all deserve to know what is happening in your home universe anyway.

Trix: *She smiles softly* It’s honestly been a long time.

Me:  Yeah.  We should check on our folks.

Tear: I can’t even imagine how the bakery must be like right now…

Prettywitch: I just hope my mom isn’t in the fetal position watching CNN.

Wong:  If you are all ready, then I will open the portal.

Trix: *She nods*

Me:  Yep.

Prettywitch: Anytime, Wong.

*Wong opens the portal to our universe and we step through, back into our old neighborhood.  It looks almost the same as when we left.  The burn scar from the phoenix fire is still there.  The ash is gone now, but it seems like the civilians are just as skittish, if not even more so now.  It appears as though people are talking more in-person since the internet and cell towers went out.  Though a lot of people prefer to stay indoors thanks to all of the new cryptids and monsters.  However, we do notice something considerably different from before:  The presence of a latent magical field.  We can sense it and it feels “right” somehow.  As though it’s more in-tune with our bodies and even our spirits.  Marvel’s magical field, when we learned to sense it, felt different.  Not hostile, but definitely not exactly “befitting”, which made our transition feel more jarring.  Returning here, the shift in fields feels almost similar to coming from a rather static-filled area where every move is slightly uncomfortable to a nice warm bath.  It’s hard to describe exactly, but we feel a bit better about our chances after sensing this.*

Me:  Okay.  So, what do I do?  *I look at Wong seriously.*

Wong:  You need to feel the connection binding Barry to you.  When you do, both of you need to mutually agree to sever it.  Then, you perform this gesture.  *He demonstrates.*  Once the connection is severed, Barry must release his own ties to the mortal plane.  Basically, he needs to think of what kept him here all of this time and let it go.  When he does, Steward, you may psychically reach out and channel Barry’s inner peace.  While doing so, open a portal with a clear mind.  It will allow him to pass through into the next life.  Ah, and the remaining energy he held in this realm as he passes through to the next plane will pass onto you once he moves on.  It will help enhance your abilities so that you may help more spirits.

Me (listening intently):  Got it.  Are you ready, Barry?

Barry (taking one last look and nodding):  Yeah.  

*I follow the steps that Wong told me and Barry moves onto the afterlife.  After the portal closes, I let out an involuntary shudder, getting goosebumps.*

Me:  Well, Barry was difficult at times, but at least he finally found peace.  Brrr…That energy feels weird.

Wong (smirking):  You’ll get used to it.

Trix: *She can’t help but stare at their neighborhood around them. The group has changed a lot in the months it’s been since they first left and it’s odd to be home*

Prettywitch: *She notices Trix is staring at the neighborhood. She’s not sure why at first but upon seeing the awkwardness in her eyes, she gets it. It’s no different than when she used to go on vacation as a kid than come back feeling off.* It feels kinda weird coming back here, doesn’t it?

Trix (distractedly): Yeah, after everything we’ve been through it’s like waking up from a dream.

Me (pensive):  Agreed.  *I’m not sure what to think anymore.  It’s home, but it’s definitely not how it used to be.  Not only has our universe changed, but we have too.  For now, all I can do is quietly take things in.*

*For the first time in 2 months, my old phone from our home universe rings and it startles me.  I answer it, surprised.  It’s Tony.  He finally got this world’s cell network and internet working again.*

Tony (on the phone): Hey, kiddo! Stephen told me Wong was bringing you all back to your home universe on a low-risk wizard quest. I swear those two gossip even worse than Happy. Anyway, I’m glad he did because now I can tell you this myself. Surprise! Took me longer than I would have wanted, but your world finally decided to let Iron Man get his hands all over their satellites. There shouldn’t be a spot in the world with no cell signal, so hopefully that will keep hikers happy.

Me (on the phone):  W-Whoa.  Thank you so much, Tony!  Seriously!  *I’m incredibly grateful.*

Tony (on the phone): No need to thank me, Steward. The Magnanimous Tony Stark, that’s me. One last thing. It took Cap’s biggest disappointed stare ever, but your world’s countries finally agreed to another little SI device of mine. Say hello to free, global, high-speed wi-fi!

Me:  Thank you again!  We’re so grateful!  Okay, we’ll see you soon.  Bye for now!

*I turn to the group*

Me:  Guys, Tony fixed our internet and cell service!  We can talk to our families again!

Trix: Oh god- they have to be worried sick at this point. *She’s starting to freak out again but pulls out her phone and starts to text her family to see if they can talk*

Tear: Our phones work now? *I eagerly bring out my cellphone and speed dial my mom*

Prettywitch: *Pulls out her phone and calls her dad’s number.* Hey, dad. It’s me. *She listens.* Yeah, we’re okay. How’s mom?

Me:  Okay, just a sec.  I need to call my folks and check on them.  Wong, is it okay if I stand over there just so I’m not being obnoxious?

*He grunts affirmatively.  I walk over to my driveway and video call my parents to check on them.  We check up on each other and talk for a long time; at least 2 hours.  They’re worried sick and definitely have been through a lot, but are otherwise alive and in one piece.  I’m relieved to see them and we’re all almost in tears because we missed each other and were scared for each others’ safety.  They want to come home to see me in-person, but the world is still essentially on lockdown due to all of the mystical interference.  Travel is still incredibly dangerous and difficult.  I try my best to fill them in on everything.  They’re very worried for all of us, but can’t do anything about it at the moment.  So, all they can ask is that I stay close to the group, listen to Stephen, Wong, and the Avengers, and do my best to be safe.  I promise that to them and let them know that I’ll teach them everything I know whenever we can meet in-person again so they can protect themselves.  They agree to this.  We tell each other that we love each other before hanging up.*

*We all take some time to call and catch up with our families.  Though it turns out that Tear’s family really needs her help.  Since the internet was down for months, they couldn't get a lot of their orders in on time and the business is suffering.  There is also some ongoing family drama and she needs to sort all of this out.  It’s quite a mess.*

Tear (to the group): I’m not dumping my responsibilities as a member of the Order, but I might have to stay for a short period of time until things have stabilized at home again.

Me:  Okay.  We understand.  Do what you need to do.  Thank you for being with us as long as you could, Tear.  *I give her a genuinely grateful look.*

Trix: Thank you so much for absolutely everything. You helped save my life and we’ll be here when you get everything settled.

Prettywitch: Yeah, thanks Tear. It was nice getting to meet you in person.

Tear: *I blush, flustered* You don’t have to thank me for anything. I promise I won’t be long.

Wong: Indeed. It is still not a good idea for any of you to be left unsupervised for some time. You have until I finish building a new training program to reduce the amount of pain your healing spells absorb.

Tear: Thank you, Wong.

*We get a group text.  Tony is inviting all of us for a tour of Stark Industries.*

Me:  Oh.  Erm..What should I say, then?

Trix: I say we go for it. Any opportunity to learn from Tony is a great one, especially if he has any ideas for our universe.

Tear: I’m not passing on a direct lesson from Tony! Wong, please! *I bring my hands together in a pleading motion and implore dramatically*

Wong: *He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation. With a deep sigh, his shoulders slump in defeat.* This is all Stephen’s fault…

Tear: Yay! *I grin happily and give his arm an enthusiastic hug*

Prettywitch: I just hope it doesn’t involve building a doomsday bot.

*As we discuss this issue, we hear a strange series of noises approaching.  They sound semi-human, but not completely and we notice a figure stumbling towards us.*

Wong (to us):  Get behind me.  *His attitude changes immediately and he prepares to defend us as the thing approaches.*

*As the figure comes closer, we see a familiar face, but it keeps on shifting into a litany of various animal features.  They appear to be terrified and disoriented as they struggle towards us, tears streaming from their eyes.*

Me (confused):  Wait…is that…?

Blacky (letting out animalistic groans):  I'm sorry…I didn't mean to scare you. And I need help…

Me (urgent):  Wong!  Stand down!  That’s our other friend Blacky!  

*He lowers his shield.*

Wong (watching her closely):  She’s in bad shape and has no control over this shapeshifting.  I will portal her to Kamar-Taj right away.  *He acts quickly to help her, portalling Blacky safely away and updating Stephen as to what just happened.*

Me:  Shouldn’t we-?

Wong:  It is best that Strange stabilize her first before she has visitors.  Given her uncontrollable shapeshifting and response, she needs some time to recover.  We will check on Blacky after your tour of Stark Industries.  That should give Strange enough time to help her and for her shock to wear off.

Me (worried):  Okay…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Stephen receives Blacky and immediately begins to work on stabilizing her.*

Stephen (concentrating):  Almost…got it.  *He reverts Blacky to her human form and helps her stay that way for the time being.*

Blacky (I sigh, relieved but also exhausted): Thank you…I thought it would never stop.

Stephen:  You’re welcome.  How long have you been experiencing this involuntary shapeshifting, if you don’t mind my asking?  *He’s checking her and making sure that she’s fully stabilized.*

Blacky: A couple of days…but it quickly got out of control as you could see…

*He makes a noise of acknowledgment and then steps back, satisfied that she’ll be okay.*

Stephen:  It looks like you’ll be fine for now.  I’ll make sure that you receive training to get better control of your new abilities.  *He’s being professional.  Though he looks quite tired.  It seems like he’s been incredibly busy for a while.*  

Blacky: Wait…could you tell what's going on, please? Because last time I checked, magic isn’t real and you're a comic character and there you are…in front of me. Sorry if I sound rude but I'm scared to turn crazy.

Stephen:  *He gestures mildly to indicate for her to relax.  It’s fine.*  It’s a long story.  Admittedly, to you and other civilians from your world, it sounds more than a little crazy…Your friends who alerted Wong to bring you here know, but they most likely didn’t tell you because they were afraid that nobody would believe them at first.

Blacky: Okay…I need to sit down. *I let out a sigh and sit on the floor trying to gather my thoughts together*

Stephen:  Here.  A chair will be better so you’re more comfortable.  Then, I’ll explain when you’re ready.  *He conjures a comfortable chair for her to sit in.*

Blacky:  Thank you. 

*Stephen sits across from her and begins the long explanation from the beginning.  He starts with his accident and catches Blacky up until the point where the group found her.  It takes a while.*

Stephen:  Do you have any other questions?  I know it’s a lot to handle.  *He’s being gentle.*

Blacky: Okay…that's a lot to handle…so the magic sinking into our world gave me those "abilities" ? It won't go away?

Stephen:  Yes.  Unfortunately, it won’t go away on its own.  There are ways to strip someone of their magic, but it’s very painful and can have lasting consequences for them.  The better option is to train you so you can control your abilities safely.  

Blacky: I see…well…maybe it's for the best…I always had animal tendencies anyway. *I chuckle softly*

Stephen (mildly amused):  Is there anything else you have questions about?  Otherwise, I have some visions to decipher.  The others should be back in a few hours.

Blacky: It'll be fine…thank you, Stephen. *I look at him with some admiration* It was nice to meet you.

Stephen:  You’re taking all of this well.  I can see why the group likes you.  *He gives her a small, comforting smile.*

Blacky: Freaking out never helps…and it's happening so it's useless to go against it. *I smile*

Stephen:  I’ll be on my way for a while, but I’ll check on you periodically.  Welcome to Kamar-Taj, Blacky.

Blacky: *I nod respectfully* Thank you. And be safe.

Stephen:  I’ll do my best.  *He gives a nod in return as he leaves the room.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Wong opens a portal and escorts us to the driveway of Stark Industries’ HQ.  The building is massive and formidable.  I text Tony to let him know that we’re here.  Within a few minutes, he jogs out of the largest elevator to meet us inside the lobby, Peter hot on his heels wearing a Stark Industries Intern ID badge. At the sight of Tony, Wong nods at all of us before heading through another portal to check on Stephen and Blacky.*

Tony: *He throws his arms out in a grandiose welcoming gesture, which is amped up by his tailored suit and his hot rod red arm* Baby wizards! Glad to see your Uncle Wong agreed to let you all come along on such short notice. Petey here panicked when I told him you had all gone back to check on your families and wouldn’t calm down until I sent the invitation.

Peter: I didn’t panic! *His eyes widen, and he slaps Tony’s metal arm for embarrassing him* I just thought you would all be leaving for real, and I remembered how much you all wanted to see Stark Industries since we first met.

Tear: Aww, thank you, Peter! This really is a dream come true! *I’m grinning widely, split between gawking at Tony in his natural element and looking around at the grand lobby*

Me (taking in the sights):  I never thought I’d see this in real life either.  First, an actual sorcerer landing in our universe, then monsters, then Kamar-Taj, and now this.  At times, I still catch myself questioning our reality.

Prettywitch: Right back at ya! 

Trix: Honestly, while all the magic stuff was always my favorite, this *she gestures around at Stark Industries* is always somewhere I dreamt of being as well.

Tony: Wow, now that’s something I’ll be rubbing in your Supreme Mom’s face for months to come. Would you mind saying that again so that I can record it and stuff it into a teddy bear I’ll then gift Stephen?

Trix (grins): Absolutely!

Tony: Excellent! FRIDAY, be a dear?

*He and Peter herd everyone back into the private elevator.*

*For now, I quietly observe everything and take it in, absorbing our surroundings so I can ruminate on some thoughts later.  Even the elevator panel looks more advanced than the ones we normally have.  I look at it silently with a mild curiosity.  When the doors open again, we see one of the many labs in front of us.  My eyes widen as I ogle all of the amazing equipment.  I’m totally geeking out, but attempting to conceal it.*

Me (trying to play it cool and stoic):  Fascinating…

Trix (excitedly): We get to learn about the technology version of magic!!!! *She is incredibly excited and is trying not to wander off*

Tear: Uuuf, you probably shouldn’t let Stephen hear you saying that.

Tony: Probably not if you don’t want to see him lose at another debate against me.

Peter: *Leans over to whisper at Trix* Last time, they were at it for six hours. 

Trix: Listen, for most of my life I thought the closest I was ever going to get to magic was technology so I love it a lot, okay? *She blushes, embarrassed* 

Prettywitch: Oh please! You have nothing to be embarrassed about; when I was a kid, I wanted to be Sailor Moon. *She chuckles sheepishly.* Hell, I used to try transforming with the toy transformation brooch I had as a kid. I still have it, actually.

*I’m visually examining a particular piece of equipment and it’s easy to see the wheels already turning in my head as the beginning of a smirk forms on my face.*

Tony: That’s because tech is superior to magic, everyone knows that. Anyway, gather around, ducklings! *He claps like a teacher would to gather everyone’s attention, although it is widely unnecessary* And Steward, whatever it is you are thinking…do it when Wong’s not meant to come pick you up, please? Do me a solid here, kid.

*I look at him and quickly slink back to the group.*

Me (innocent):  Yes, sir.  

Tony: Good. Now, the lower block of R&D has been assigned to our biological and medical engineering teams. If Peter here didn’t have such a…stellar…first interview, he’d be probably interning here.

*My ears perk up at the mention of biological and medical engineering.  I listen intently.*

Peter: Wh– I would? That’s so cool!

Tony: *He sighs and gives Peter an aggravated look. Really? Cooler than being an Avenger and his personal intern?* I must admit Stephen did help steer our focus into the right directions. Christine Palmer is now a direct liaison for SI, and we strive to release new equipment and consumer products as soon as we can. Pepper made sure we had strong financial aid and charities to help every patient get the best care at our disposal. Peter, anything you wanna add?

Peter: *He startles slightly, not exactly having expected to be given the floor, but he soon grins widely at the chance* Well, yeah! Lots of things! This department has taken over the creation of advanced prosthetics, advancement in the research against autoimmune diseases and cancer, and even improving the equipment surgeons use in the operating room! And this is all thanks to Mr. Stark–!

Tony: Okay, take a breath, Pete. I think they got it. *He gives him a warm pat on the shoulder*

*I look starstruck at this point. I won’t say it out loud, but if I had been born in the Marvel universe, I probably would have desperately wanted to work in this laboratory division.  Though life certainly didn’t work out that way.  The medical researcher in me would love nothing more than to try everything out in here and do the best research possible.  I’m content with the path that has laid itself before me, but in another life, I could definitely see this happening and I would be happy with that too.*

Trix (responding automatically): Fuck cancer. *She realizes what she said and blushes* So when Stephen brought back the Covid test, this is where it ended up to be studied?

Tony: *He makes a so-so motion with his hand* Highly contagious viruses are a little harder to work with due to all the precautions we must take. But yes, this is where most of the information was processed and evaluated. New vaccine production and testing was done by a renowned medical company. We develop tech, we don’t get our hands messy with the creation of new drugs.

Me (not-so-subtly fangirling over the medical research division):  Which one?  Are any of them similar to ours?  Man…I remember the first time I got to do some BSL-2 hazmat work…*I’m getting excited.*

Peter: I really don’t want to be rude, but your universe’s medical companies suck.

Me:  Nah, I know.  It’s kinda why I find this lab so exciting.  That and I was sorta trying to get my bearings while looking at the equipment.  *I’m sheepish.*

Tony: Don’t worry, we’re working on ways to help give your world an urgent update. It’s been one of the biggest causes of our devilish lawyer’s migraines. But let’s move on with the little Cradles tour. I still have two more areas to show you and I agreed to meet Pepper for lunch. *He herds the group back to the elevators just like he would a classroom full of preschoolers*

Trix (looks over at the rest of our group): *mouths the word ‘Cradles?!’ Before turning back to Tony* Oh I’m excited! 

*I shrug at her about the “Cradles” remark.  I figure it’s probably their version of “MTV Cribs”.  The elevator takes us up a few more floors, and the doors open to reveal a more spacious lab. Most of the equipment has been placed against the walls to allow large pipes and tubes to stretch over almost the entire floor. The large, cylindrical glass containers at the far back of the room all glow with an odd light blue energy. And on the ceiling, looming above it all, is a massive Arc Reactor.*

Tony: Don’t wander too far, now. This place is on a higher security level for a reason. As you might have already guessed, this next block of floors are all dedicated to the improvement and development of alternative sources of energy. Greener, cheaper, and much more powerful than nuclear energy.

*I listen curiously.*

Prettywitch: I certainly hope so.

Trix: Wow! *She stares up at the giant arc reactor*

Tear: Amazing! And this is all done with Starkium?

Tony: *Shrugs casually* Most of it, but the Reactor technology is still too expensive for us to commercialize properly. Electric cars have been our main point for sales so far…

Trix: Well it does make the Tower distinctly more…you! *She tries not to giggle*

*Tony pauses for a moment before he gives her a knowing look, not quite succeeding at hiding his satisfied smirk.*

Tony: Sounds like we’re doing things right then. Now, back into the elevator before any magic makes this place blow up. 

Peter: *He trails along with the girls* He’ll never admit to this, but he totally saved the best for last. 

*I follow along.*

*Trix grins at Peter, still extremely excited*

Trix: I can’t wait!

PrettyWitch: Yeah, me too!

Tony: Well, we obviously had to put everything we learned down there to good use. And so, we’ve claimed the last set of floors for our highest security level. *Ever the showman, he waits until the elevator doors open before continuing for full impact* Ladies, welcome to the Avengers Lab.

Me (awestruck):  Whoa…

Trix (also awestruck): Oh my god

Tear: Shut up! *I hold my hands up to my cheeks in disbelief. My eyes are already tearing up with how excited I am by the sight*

PrettyWitch: *Her eyes light up with wonder.* Wahhhh!!!!!!

*The Avengers Lab is a massive combination of all the previous floors we visited. The stark white walls and floors reflect all sorts of colorful lights from huge computer screens, holograms, and energy cells. There are glass doors leading to whole different areas for construction and experimentation, and even some of the entrances are marked by the logo of an individual Avenger. There are weapon prototypes and what seem to be half-completed superhero costumes for nearly every hero on the roster. There is even a mannequin that is sized eerily similar to Wong.*

*The windows at the farthest side of the elevators reveal a glimpse of the circular helipad that was added after the Battle of New York nearly toppled the top part of the Tower. And overseeing it all from a place on an otherwise empty wall, is a gigantic A styled just like the Avengers’ logo.*

Trix (looking over at Tony hopefully): Can we look around at least a little bit more if we promise not to touch anything? *She has her pleading eyes on because this is absolutely one of the top places she has ever wanted to visit in the MCU*

Tony: *He flicks a hand out toward the entirety of the Lab* Knock yourselves out. Maybe just not…literally. I’m still supposed to hand you all back to Wong in one piece.

Me (happily):  Thank you!  Don’t worry, we’ll be careful.  *I go to check out some of the prototypes, tools, and costumes.  As promised, I’m not touching anything.  Though I’m definitely asking a lot of technical questions, clearly analyzing what I’m seeing.*

Trix (extremely excited): Thank you thank you thank you!!! *She can’t help but finally let herself nerd out and squeal before going over to look at everything she can*

Peter: *Smiles at Tear and PrettyWitch* Wanna come look at my work station? I keep most of my projects here since it’s closer to home than the Compound.

Tear: Sure, Peter!

PrettyWitch: Yeah! Let’s go!

*I watch carefully whenever anyone’s working at the bench, keeping a respectful distance, but also trying to memorize technical details and figure things out.*

*We end up spending almost another hour in the Avengers Lab. Tony settles to do some idle work at the workbench closest to Peter’s and takes a few calls, trusting us and his mentee to not blow up his building. We manage to find another costume that simply screams Sorcerer Supreme, but we fail to get anyone to admit that Tony Stark is now designing clothes for Stephen and Wong no matter how hard we try. We even find a boardroom that seems to keep an eternal video call with the Wakandan research division led by Princess Shuri herself, and Peter briefly explains the ongoing conversations to allow SI to venture into Vibranium usage.*

*Our fun is eventually cut short when we get a text from Wong.*

Wong (via text):  Blacky has been stabilized.  Tear, I will drop you off at your bakery so you can conduct your business.  Trix, Steward, Prettywitch, I will take the three of you back to Kamar-Taj.  Meet me in the driveway.

We all reluctantly make our way back to Peter’s workspace, where Tony is still fiddling with his phone. He lifts an eyebrow at our entrance and takes one more moment before finally putting his phone away and looking up at us, his arms crossed proudly over his chest.*

Tony: So, how did it go?

Me (sincere):  Honestly, that was amazing and I’m grateful that you trust us enough to let us see so much of your labs.  In another life, had I been born in your universe, there would be a good chance that I’d quite eagerly apply to work here, provided the sorcerers didn’t find me first.  *I give a slight, teasing grin before getting serious again.*  None of us have ever seen such advanced technology except for in the movies.  It’s bittersweet in a way.  I can only imagine how our society would have been by now if we actually advanced this far.  Though, at least now we have a start in it.  I hope that we can live up to everyone’s standards.  Especially after the work you’ve all put in to help us.

Trix: Yeah, honestly I completely stand by my initial statement. I love Kamar-Taj and it’s becoming a second home to me, but I had always dreamed of getting to be here! *She then grins* Also if you haven’t already gone through the movie stash we sent with Stephen, you and Peter absolutely need to watch an animated movie called “The Incredibles”. I feel like you’ll love it and find a new favorite character. *She winks*

Peter (Failing epically at concealing his grin): Oh, we already did!

Tony: *Points at finger with his metallic arm* Hey hey! Zip it!

Trix (brightens up): Tony Stark I know your secret now!!! *she glances back at the costumes and cackles*

Tear: Oh gods, so it was true! Those designs really were…! *I can’t even finish the thought. I’m smiling so widely my cheeks hurt*

Me (grinning):  So, the Cloak’s an exception since it’s sentient and can move on its own, huh?  *Imitates Edna*  NO CAPES!

Trix (joining in): NO CAPES! ONLY CLOAKS!

Prettywitch: YES!!! CLOAKS ONLY!!!

Tony: *He practically melts where he sits and hides his face behind one hand as the giggles continue on around him* Didn’t you have to go or something? I think it’s time I dumped the babysitting duties back on Wong’s lap…And you can tell Stephen he can keep full legal custody of you lot while you’re at it.

*I roll my eyes at him, jokingly, before giving him a sincere look.*

Me (grateful):  Honestly, Tony, we can’t thank you, Stephen, Wong, and the other Avengers enough for all that you’ve done for us.

*Tony catches on to the change in tone and peeks at the girls over the hand he still keeps up against his face. The look in his eyes is undeniably fond.*

Trix (finally serious again): Seriously, we’d probably be dead ten times over without all of your help. You helped save our universe even at your own expense as well as us. Thank you so much! *She smiles at him again* And you can at least have the Uncle role if you don’t want to keep us permanently to annoy Stephen.

Prettywitch: Yes, thank you! You have no idea how happy my mother was to hear from me today.

Tony: *He chuckles and finally sits back up-straight, giving them his full attention* You don’t have to thank us for anything. We’re the Avengers. It’s literally in our job description. 

Tear: Well, I know it might not mean much, but you’ve always been my favorite Avenger. You’ve taught me to never give up and always get back on your feet no matter how often I make mistakes or feel like the universe itself is against me. I promise to keep that in mind as I train harder with Wong to improve my healing spells.

Tony: Tch, alright. Stop now before you all actually make me blush. *He flicks a hand dismissively, but the soft pink on his cheeks is undeniable.*

Peter: I told you you were cool, old man. *He leans against the workbench and nudges Tony with his elbow, a fond smile on his face. He’s incredibly proud that his new friends all appreciate his mentor like he does.*

*We say our goodbyes and the two heroes get back to work in the lab.  I text Wong to let him know that we’re ready in the driveway and he comes back to bring us to Tear’s bakery to let her go and reunite with her family.*

Me (sincere, though my voice does crack):  Good luck, Tear.  I hope everything works out.  You know how to find and contact us if you ever need to, okay?  Please be safe and take care of yourself.  We all know how you are.  So, do your best, but try not to run yourself ragged, all right?  *I give her a small, brave smile.*

Trix: Honestly, we just need a hug so you guys can’t see while I sob uncontrollably. *She’s grimacing as she is trying to hold back a wave of tears*

Prettywitch: *She’s trying to hold back tears too…and failing miserably.* Goodbye, Tear. If you need anything just call, okay?

Tear: I’m gonna miss you all, too! *I’m already tearing up too, although I’m smiling brightly at your sweet words. I rush forward and meet you all in a big hug* I’ll try my best not to over do it, but you all promise me not to get into any more trouble too, okay? I’ll practice really hard so that I can always be ready to heal you when you need it.

Wong: *He places a hand on Tear’s head, the only place he can still reach with her surrounded in the group hug.* I’ve asked Master Hamir to come watch over you while you help your family get the bakery back in working order. He will bring you back to Kamar-Taj and begin training you in more resistance and defensive magic until I am ready to help you with your healing spells. Stephen wants you to report straight back to him once you are ready to return with Master Hamir.

Tear: Understood. Thank you so much, Wong. I promise not to let any of you down!

*We group-hug for a while.  After all that we went through together, saying goodbye really stings even if it’s not forever, but it’s for the best.  Life goes on and we know it.  So, after the hug, we wave goodbye one last time as Tear goes into her bakery.*

Me (trying to keep my chin up):  This is gonna feel weird…

Trix (trying to pull herself together): This feels like graduation all over again…

Prettywitch: I know…

Me:  Looks like it’s time to meet up with Blacky, then.  I hope she isn’t too scared.  That uncontrolled shapeshifting looked rough.  *I’m concerned.*

Trix (trying to be reassuring): If anyone has it handled, it’s Wong and Stephen.

*I nod.*  

Me:  Wong, we’re ready to go.

Wong:  Very well.  Your friend should be with Strange in the hospital wing…and don’t think that I’ve forgotten your graffiti in the basement.  You and Prettywitch are on cleaning duty.  *He smirks wryly.*

*I smile sheepishly.*

Prettywitch: *Pouts* Ah man!

*He portals us back to Kamar-Taj where we head to the hospital wing to find Stephen looking after Blacky, who has been properly stabilized into her normal human form.*

Me (to Blacky, concerned):  How are you feeling?

Blacky: As fine as I can be. *I chuckle* 

Trix: I’m so glad you managed to find us so you could get help!

Prettywitch: Do you need anything?

Blacky: Nah…for now it's under control.

Me:  Erm…We should also probably be fully honest with you now about what’s going on.  It’s a rather long story.  Heh…Lemme explain…

Blacky: Stephen actually told me what happened.

Me (slightly ashamed that we had to hide everything for so long):  Oh…Yeah…It’s a lot, we know.  We didn’t say anything before because nobody would believe us and if they did, we didn’t want to start some sort of mass panic.  Though now that all of this is happening, you have the right to know how and why.  I’m sorry we couldn’t fill you in sooner.

Trix: But yeah, surprise you get to join magical boot camp! Don’t piss off any witches and you’re fine. *she then whispers* The food sucks though. *she makes a face before glancing back at Wong and Stephen*

*Wong raises an eyebrow at the food remark.*

Prettywitch: Oh yeah… *She shudders at the memory.*

Stephen:  Rest assured, we will train you to the best of our ability.  Do you have questions for me or Wong about the training?

Blacky: Yeah…what are the class prices ? But seriously, should I get in physical shape or something like that?

Stephen (amused):  There’s no charge.  *He gets serious*  As for physical shape, we do encourage sorcerers to be as fit as they can be within reason.  Even then, we can work with physical limitations.  Disabilities can be accounted for.

Wong:  Indeed.  Sorcery is more about strength of mind, but it is good practice to have a healthy body to withstand stronger spells.

Blacky: Well it's good to know. *I smile softly*

Stephen:  After I make sure that you’ve recovered properly, I’ll show you to your room.

Blacky: *I nod* Thank you.

Wong:  Prettywitch, Steward, come with me.  *He conjures a bucket, some cleaner, and sponges.  It seems we’re not getting away with it after all, true to his word.*

Me (meek):  Yes, sir.

Prettywitch: *Sighs* Alright, let’s do this. But I’m not gonna enjoy it.

Trix:  *She grins from ear to ear* I never did find out what you guys did to deserve this but good luck! *She waves them off*

*I stick my tongue at her as Prettywitch and I leave with Wong.*

Stephen (sarcastic):  How very mature of you.

*Trix keeps Blacky company while Prettywitch and I do our cleaning.  Kamar-Taj in question feels rather peeved at us, but eventually, its aura seems to calm down after we’ve scrubbed its walls clean of our markings from earlier.*

*After Blacky settles in and joins our training, things slowly begin to return to whatever passes for normal at this point.  However, as time goes by, it seems that Stephen has been getting less and less sleep.  After he nearly falls asleep during meditation training for the 4th time that week, we decide to ask him about it.*

Me:  Stephen, what’s going on?  You’re looking really out-of-sorts lately.

Trix: Yeah, you’re not sick, are you?

Prettywitch: *She’s concerned too, but a thought strikes her and her eyes widen. Is it because of his dreams, she wonders?*

Blacky: *I observe Stephen's face, seeing he's clearly exhausted*

Stephen (mildly defensive):  It’s nothing that any of you should worry about.  

Prettywitch: Hey, don’t be like that! We’re just worried about you.

Stephen:  I know.  However, I have to get this under control myself.  You four have enough on your plates.  

Me (matching his old, snarky tone):  Really?

*He glares tiredly at me and sighs.*

Stephen (reluctantly):  That woman I mentioned before is still haunting my dreams.  There are also brief flashes of Dormammu.  It seems like he wants to attempt to absorb Earth again, but that shouldn’t be.  He is bound to his word not to return here.  *That’s about as much as he can figure out at the moment.*

Me:  Wait…Shit…*I put two and two together.*  

*The weary sorcerer looks at me, still calculating.  His severe lack of sleep is slowing his thoughts.*

Prettywitch: Wait…Steward, you don’t think Dormammu…that he might…you know?

Trix: Oh shit

Blacky: An entity as powerful as him can't ignore a vulnerable world like ours.

*I look at the group with an all-too familiar face of resigned dismay, which all but confirms what I’m thinking.*

Prettywitch: Oh great! We’re fucked!

Trix: So that’s an absolute jump from Agatha to fucking Dormammu *she groans and holds her head in in her hands*

Blacky: Wait it's a bit soon to panic. Stephen could send him away once. Together we can do it again.

Stephen (massaging his temples):  No, no.  I confronted him before and headed him off.  Despite not having the Time Stone, I’ll figure something out.  You girls don’t need to get caught in the crossfire.

Prettywitch: Dude! You got squashed, stabbed, maimed, and every other painful way to die till next Sunday! Are you sure you’re even powerful enough to face off against him, again?

Stephen:  His power is beyond any of you, even working together.  I know his strengths and weaknesses and learned more about him than anyone else on this plane of existence from the millions of loops I spent confronting him.  If anyone has a chance of stopping him, it will be me.

Me:  Can we evacuate our people to here or something?

Prettywitch: I feel like that would require hours and a lot of manpower that neither of our worlds have.

Trix: Not to mention the amount of people who wouldn’t want to leave anyway. People don’t leave for category 5 hurricanes!

Stephen (reassuring):  I will stop him.  

Me:  At least let us transfer some of our energy to you so you’re not about to pass out in battle.  We’ve gotten stronger.  So, it shouldn’t hurt us as much anymore.

Prettywitch: Exactly!

Trix: It’s absolutely been a while, so we shouldn’t end up sleep drunk!

Stephen:  Okay.  I’ll allow it for old times’ sake.  *He attempts to cheer us up slightly with this small joke.*

*The three of us perform the energy transfer ritual and donate portions of our energy to Stephen.  He absorbs it, becoming more awake and alert.*

Stephen:  Thank you, ladies.  

Me:  Do your best to come out of this alive, all right?

Prettywitch: Yes. Please do.

Trix: And no getting yourself killed at all even if you’re able to possibly come back!

Blacky: Or we'll find a way to find you in death's realm and kick your arse!

Stephen:  First, I’m keeping your universe safe.  Then, we’ll talk other stuff.  *He’s determined and serious.*  Though I WILL do my best to come back to you however I can.  Take care of each other, okay?

Me (worried):  Okay.  *I’m wringing my hands.*

Trix: We will! Don’t worry about us. All your focus should be on Dormammu.

Blacky: We'll take care of stuff here, don't worry.

Prettywitch: *She runs over and hugs him.* I’m sorry I doubted you, Stephen. I just get nervous really easily..

*He grunts at the sudden hug, but accepts it.*

Stephen:  I know.  

*The Cloak pats Prettywitch’s shoulder reassuringly, as though silently promising to keep Stephen safe.*

Prettywitch: *She smiles.* Thanks, Cloakie. Oh yeah, and remember what I said about your mystery woman. *She gives him a peck on the cheek and lets go of him.* Good luck. 

Me (trying to stay composed while still worried sick for him):  Good luck…

Trix: Seriously, good luck. *She gives him a small smile while wringing her hands*

Blacky: Just don't be stubborn if things turn bad and not go all alone in the fight.

Stephen:  I’ll remember not to.

*With our well wishes said and energy transferred, he opens a portal and disappears through it to the Dark Dimension, on his way to confront the Dread Dormammu.*

***To be continued***

[stewardofningishzida]

Stephen Strange Meta-Fic Sequel — Chapter 15: Who Broke It?

More character bonding and development, plus some backstory! Not all is revealed, but enough to wonder. Also, multiverse shenanigans ahoy! The start of more to come in future chapters. Be warned: This chapter goes hard into real-life situations too.

TRIGGER WARNING: Attempted kidnapping, coping with grief/loss, mention of fatal house fires, mention of drunk drivers, mention of a mental breakdown

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 15: Who Broke It?

*We’re gathered together in the library, studying for our Master’s Trials.*

Me (concentrating hard on an advanced spellbook):  Trix, am I translating this phrase right?  Is it “नोद” or “आकर्षति”?  

Trix (slightly distracted): The first one. *She continues on her work.*

Prettywitch: What are you working on, exactly?

Trix (looking up): Me or Steward? Because I’m working on creating more concise spell books from ancient texts that they were having difficulty translating. It gets my translating going, my record keeping and textual context practice in, and eventually my book binding. I have to do at least like four more of these so Wong won’t just stare at me when I ask if it’s enough for now.

Prettywitch: Oh sorry, I meant Steward.

Me:  I have to go back under Kamar-Taj and sort out the spiritual wards and interact more with the guardian spirits down there.  Update them, train new ones, etc. There are also a few older spirits who are ready to move on while the new ones come in.  Also, I have to report my findings.  Then, The Ancient One wants me to try some new techniques so I can refine my abilities.

Trix: What are you up to PrettyWitch?

Prettywitch: Oh, well I’m trying to see if maybe I can make my visions come at will. Or at least, trying to, anyway.

Me:  Did Stephen have any advice?

Prettywitch: Actually, I haven’t talked to him about it yet. 

Me:  I’d ask him.  No shame in asking for help.  I wish I knew more about foresight beyond the basics so I could give you anything useful.  *I really do want to help, but her skill level with this type of magic is beyond mine.*

Prettywitch: No, you’re right. I gotta get better at asking for help anyway. *She picks up her tarot deck and stands up.* 

Trix: I wish you luck! Honestly, yours is the trickiest and I have all the respect in the world for you figuring it out and being so good at it already!

Prettywitch: *Laughs awkward* Ah, it’s nothing. I wish I had your power, honestly. It’d make international travel much easier for Moi.

Trix: Thank god the days of my brain breaking are over. I do have to learn how to speak everything though…which is likely to suck. But hey, all of ours are pretty interesting *She chuckles as she rubs the back of her head awkwardly.*

Me:  We’ve all made it pretty far, huh?  *I’m proud of us.*

Trix: Absolutely. I don’t think I would have made it without you guys.

Prettywitch: Yeah…Yeah, me too. I probably would’ve gone insane without you guys.

Me:  Likewise.  You guys already know what a mess I was in before meeting you all in the first place.  *I give a morbid smirk and look at the floor for a moment before perking back up.*  Anyway, back to work!  I should go see what I can do with those ghosts.

Trix (jokingly): If you ever teach them to sing Grim Grinning Ghosts I will give you $100. *She grins*

Me (playing along):  I’m sure they do get bored down there…I may have to give it a shot.  *I’m amused.*

Prettywitch: *Laughs* Alright, I’m gonna go find Stephen. Ciao! *She waves goodbye and leaves the room.*

Me:  The psychic connection’s almost always open.  Contact me if there’s anything going on.  *I get up to head to the basement.*

Trix: Good luck! I’ll stay here and keep working on these translations!

*Meanwhile, Blackie has been training with Wong and has improved considerably.  She has risen to the rank of Adept.*

*A small mist forms outside the temple to Karmar-Taj. It slowly turns into Stephen, but one from a different universe. He leans his hand against the wall for a moment to catch his breath. He takes in his surroundings and sees where he is; Karmar-Taj. He decides to make his way in.*

*He senses some rather distinctive magical signatures…That and the spiritual energy in the complex is shifting.  Old spirits departing and new spirits joining.  Someone new is weaving the enchantments.*

*That when he feels a familiar magic signature. One that feels different, yet familiar all at the same time. He turns and sees Prettywitch and is stunned to see her. He goes up to her.*

Broken Stephen: Hello…?

Prettywitch: *She gets startled and looks up to see who it is…only to be confused.* Stephen…?

Broken Stephen: What? Oh yes, it’s me. *He clears his throat.* Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.

Prettywitch: Uhh…No, that’s okay…*She looks him up and down, cautiously. Sure, this man looks like Stephen Strange, but there are subtle differences in his aura. The Stephen she knows has a more relaxed aura, this one’s aura feels sporadic, like it doesn’t know who or what it wants to be. And that terrifies her, not because it’s an unfamiliar Stephen, but because of who this Stephen’s reminding her of.* I was actually coming to look for you.

Broken Stephen: Well, you’ve found me. Why don’t we go for a walk?

Prettywitch: Actually, why don’t we go get some tea first? I don’t know about you, but I’m parched.

Broken Stephen: Oh, okay. 

*Prettywitch leaves for the temple with this other Stephen behind her. She has no idea how long she can keep this up, but hopefully she can find Stephen soon. If not? Well, it’s not like she doesn’t have magic at her disposal.*

*Luckily, she sees Stephen and Clea walking towards them.*

*616-Stephen is walking at a brisk pace.  It seems he sensed something “off” and wanted to go check it out.  When he sees this new Stephen walking with Prettywitch, he speeds up more, but does his best to remain composed.*

616-Stephen:  Excuse me, can we help you?  *He’s looking at his alternate self, already suspicious.  He also casts a short glance at Prettywitch to see if she’s indicating anything to him.*

Prettywitch: Oh, Stephen. I was looking for you, I just happened to find this guy- *She feels Broken Stephen grab her shoulder and pull her away while he fabricates a shard from thin air and points it at Stephen & Clea.*

616-Stephen (growling):  You do realize that there are two of us and one of you, right?  *He opens a portal underneath his alternate self in an attempt to trap him and sends his Cloak to grab Prettywitch back, looking to Clea to run interference if needed.*

Broken Stephen (now floating and having blocked the Cloak): I’m aware of that. *Grins.* But I doubt you can beat me. 

Clea: Would you like to test that theory?

Broken Stephen: *Laughs* If you’re so eager to lose your life, then come at me, faltine.

*The whole time they’re boasting, Prettywitch is quickly conjuring her makeshift Clow Card staff and a familiar looking card to boot.*

Prettywitch: Yeah, well. See you around, Bateman. Time!!! *She activates the card, which only affects the Stephen holding her captive. She slowly removes his hand from her shoulder and draws another card.* Sword!!! *Her staff becomes a sword, which she uses to destroy the shield blocking the Cloak. Then she holds her hand out. *

*The Cloak acts quickly and grabs her to get her away from this hostile version of Strange.  616-Stephen summons a pair of cuffs and restrains his doppleganger.*

Prettywitch: Thanks, Cloakie.

616-Stephen (concerned, at Prettywitch):  Are you okay?

Prettywitch: Yeah, I’m okay.

Clea: That was a most impressive feat of magic.

Prettywitch: Thanks, but I don’t know how long it’ll last for.

616-Stephen:  I’ll get him to a holding cell.  *He opens a portal and pushes the man through.*

*In the meantime, I’ve finished up my tasks.  The enchantments are back up, I helped 3 spirits move on, and integrated 3 new ones into the barriers.  My aura has gotten a bit stronger from me having absorbed the leftover dregs of energy left behind from the spirits that moved onto the afterlife.  On my way up from the undercroft, I notice what appears to be Stephen in a holding cell, but he looks “off”.  Not to mention his aura is a bit different.  This one looks more desperate.  His eyes are bloodshot and his appearance is slightly neglected.  I can’t help but stare in confusion.*

Me (trying to figure this out):  What the hell…?

*Broken Stephen looks up and sees Steward.*

Broken Stephen: Steward…?

Me (tilting my head curiously):  …Yes?  

*I’m suspicious and won’t give any other information, but I’m privately assessing what might be going on.  He sees me watching him.*

Broken Stephen: What’s wrong…?

Me (calmly):  Nothing.  I’m just gonna head back up.  *I’m not giving anything away with my expression and turn to leave, watching him out of the corner of my eye.*

*Broken Stephen watches her leave and stares at the ground like a sad puppy…a sad puppy that soon begins to look angry.*

*I speed up when I notice the change in expression.  Meanwhile, upstairs in the courtyard, Wong has joined the group and is getting information from 616-Stephen.*

Wong:  I see.  A hostile version of yourself from another universe.  You do have a talent for attracting such things, don’t you, Strange?  *He’s exasperated at the situation.  Though not mad at his friend.*

*I emerge from the basement.*

Me:  Hey guys, did you see-Oh.  Ehhhhh…I dunno how long that cell’s gonna hold.  He’s already pretty pissed off.  *I shift uneasily.*

Prettywitch: Oh? That bad, huh?

Wong:  We’ll have to figure out which universe he came from and send him back.  We can put up wards to block off specific realms.

Prettywitch: Yeah, but are we gonna do with Patrick Bateman in the meantime.

616-Stephen:  We’ll have to neutralize his magic so he can’t pull anything.

Me:  He seemed to want to talk, but I already had my internal alarm bells going off.  That’s why I ran up here.  Better to not give any information to someone we suspect is dangerous.

616-Stephen:  I’ll go down and seal him.

Me:  Please be careful.

*He gives a quick nod and heads down to the undercroft.*

*Broken Stephen is just sitting in the corner of his cage hugging his legs when he hears someone approaching. He looks up and sees the other him, the one who belongs to this universe.*

Broken Stephen: *Grumbles* So, Mr. Pretty Boy’s come to visit.

616-Stephen (cautious):  It didn’t have to be this way.  We could have just talked.

Broken Stephen: *Shrugs.* If you say so.

616-Stephen:  Will you tell me why you decided to try and kidnap Prettywitch?

Broken Stephen: *He’s silent for a moment.* Because you don’t deserve her.

616-Stephen (raising an eyebrow):  What makes you think that?  *He’s privately getting angry, but keeping it well-hidden.*

Broken Stephen: It’s not fair! Why? Why do you get to keep your girls while I lose mine?

616-Stephen:  Tell me what happened.  *He’s still willing to listen, if only to figure out his other self’s motives and whether or not he can peacefully resolve this.  Stephen figures he’ll give this alternate version of himself one chance to be reasonable before he has to enact the sealing ritual.*

Broken Stephen: *Sighs* Agatha kidnapped Trix. We needed to rescue her, so the Avengers and the girls found her hideout. Lang went in to set-up an explosive device to level her house and…I stupidly let the girls go in with him to find Trix. *He starts tensing up.* Before I knew it, a fight broke out between the girls and Agatha as they escaped. I tried to…I tried to save them, but…but it was too late. She killed Trix, right in front of her friends. Before the others had a chance she…vaporized them…I…I couldn’t…I couldn’t…*He curls himself into a ball and softly sobs into his knees.*

*616-Stephen watches him and listens silently.  Hearing this, he is filled with compassion for his counterpart.  This one has experienced his worst fears realized in this past year.  He stays calm in an effort to be professional, but he does want to help.*

616-Stephen (sincere):  I’m sorry…Honestly, that scenario came dangerously close here too.  The only things in their favor were luck and the ghost that happened to be following Steward at the time…That and Lang decided to get clever and sent several colonies of ants into the cabin to distract Harkness.  She apparently almost stepped on the group while they were miniaturized, but they narrowly avoided it.  I didn’t want them to go on the mission in the first place, but we couldn’t find any suitable alternative.  The girls were hell-bent on acting.  So, Prettywitch stayed outside the cabin to provide cover fire while Steward went in with Tear and Lang to steal Trix’s crystal.  It worked with a very narrow escape.  Look…I’m sorry that this happened to you, but kidnapping different versions of them isn’t the answer.  

Broken Stephen: *Chuckles defeatedly.* I know, but…What am I supposed to do?...I don’t have a place to call home anymore.

616-Stephen:   What happened to the Sanctum?

Broken Stephen: Don’t worry, it’s still standing.

*616-Stephen listens, trying to figure out what else happened.*

Broken Stephen: You see, I…I left. I used the time machine we keep in the Avengers compound to travel back in time, so I could save them. I wasn’t successful. But I didn’t give up. I tried again and again and again. I hadn’t noticed things had changed until I looked out the window…I…I saw Scott and Hope’s wedding being held on the courtyard…they introduced Wong as Sorcerer Supreme when he came up to MC. That’s when I knew…I was gone for so long they must’ve thought something happened to me…So I left…

616-Stephen:  You may want to consider returning.  They might still have a place for you.  While I was Blipped in this universe for 5 years, Wong became Sorcerer Supreme.  After I came back, he trained me to take the role and then abdicated.  You know Wong…He prefers his books to administrative work.  *He tries to make a small joke in an attempt to comfort his counterpart.*

Broken Stephen: *He shakes his head.* You don’t understand. I acted selfishly. Instead of grieving, I took it upon myself to play God and in doing so, neglected the friends and responsibilities I still had…just like I did when I lost my hands. I don’t deserve to be Sorcerer Supreme of my World, or any world for that matter…But I’m…I’m just so lonely…

*616-Stephen genuinely wants to help his counterpart.  At the same time, he knows that this one has nothing left to lose.  So, he errs on the side of caution and doesn’t release Broken Stephen from the holding cell just yet.*

616-Stephen:  …I can’t pretend to know exactly how you’re feeling, but I have an inkling.  Unfortunately, I can’t release you just yet, but we can continue to talk this out.  *He’s being honest.*

Broken Stephen: I try abducting your girls and you still wanna reason with me? *He laughs harshly.* I don’t know if you’re just stupid or naive.

616-Stephen (shrugging, not letting this one get under his skin):  I’m another version of you.  So, you tell me.  I’m just as human as you are.  I simply wanted to see if we could resolve this peacefully first.

Broken Stephen: I suppose…

616-Stephen:  That and if you took them by force and/or harmed me in the process, they would only resent you.  The only way this could work out for everyone is if you stand down and agree to negotiate peacefully.

Broken Stephen:*He takes a while to think about this.* No. No, you’re right. They would resent me if I did that to them…but I’m not sure if I’m ready to accept that just yet.

616-Stephen:  Have you attempted to abduct other versions of them before?

Broken Stephen: Yes.

616-Stephen:  How did that work out for you?

Broken Stephen: Not good. I’d always end up hating myself for doing it.

616 Stephen:  What did you do to them after you took them?

Broken Stephen: I’d kidnap but after a while, they escaped or I’d let them. I tried several times to use magic many times to make their will bend to mine, but…I could never bring myself to do it.

616-Stephen:  I see…*He watches his counterpart as he speaks.*

Broken Stephen: I would see the horror in their eyes and just…stop. 

*Meanwhile, since it’s been a long time, I decide to go down and check on what’s happening, albeit secretly via astral projection first.  I lie down and project myself out of my body, phasing through the ground to invisibly check on the undercroft.  I silently hover nearby behind 616-Stephen.*

Broken Stephen: They reminded me so much of Donna at that moment. How scared she'd be whenever it was thundering or whenever mom and dad fought. And I remembered all I wanted was to protect her…and them.

*616-Stephen is silent for a while hearing this.  It brings back some memories that he had been hoping to repress.  He senses a certain energy behind his shoulder and glances over.*

Broken Stephen: Are you sensing something, too?

*I silently go to phase back through the ceiling of the undercroft, trying to avoid being caught.*

*I rejoin my body and head down since it seems they’re just talking.*

Me (awkwardly):  Erm…Is everything okay down here?

616-Stephen (flatly, with slight annoyance):  Yes, Nosey.  Did you seriously think that we wouldn’t notice you astral-projecting into here?

*I turn red.*

Me (defensive):  I just wanted to check on you.  It’s been a while since you went down.  *I’m slightly embarrassed at having been caught so quickly.*

*Broken Stephen chuckles at Steward before returning to his depressed state.*

Me:  What exactly has been going on here?

616-Stephen:  Just getting some information.  *He’s still guarded.*

Me:  So, why is this happening, then?

616-Stephen:  It’s a long story, but in short, Harkness killed all of you in this version of me’s timeline.  He was kidnapping other versions of you to try and overcome his grief and loneliness.  

Me (quietly):  Oh…I’m sorry.  *I look at the floor.*

Broken Stephen: It’s okay.

Me (gently):  …I know it’s not exactly the same situation, nor does anyone process grief in the same way, but maybe I could help?

616-Stephen:  As long as the situation remains safe.

*I nod at him and then look at Broken Stephen.*

Me:  So…wanna talk?

Broken Stephen: *He’s taken aback by this…for a moment. He gives her a small smile.* Sure.

*I sit down on the floor just to get the strain off of my legs. 616-Stephen stays nearby just in case.*

Me (serious):  Okay…Well, I kinda know what it’s like to have grief slowly eat you alive…I don’t like talking about this stuff much and generally try to keep things light, but in this case, it’s probably good to confront what’s going on.  *I take a deep breath to calm myself before continuing.*  I’ve lost a lot of people I loved.  Eleven of them.  Some to accidents, some to diseases, and other such things.  Every time, it hurt.  However, one of the worst ones happened when I was 16 at the start of a long chain of horrible events that brought me lower and lower until I didn’t even care what happened to myself anymore.  I was supposed to take care of them.  They had survived a bout of cancer before and because I was already interested in medicine, I wanted to try and help them through round 2.  So, I threw myself completely into it and looked after him all day, every day.  There were some good days and some bad days.  It looked like he might have a chance at getting better, but then during New Year’s Eve, he took a really bad turn and before I knew it, he was dead.  I tried to talk to him to see if he would wake back up.  I held his body.  Nothing.  Just that horrible ventilator pumping air in and out, even though he wasn’t alive anymore.  The nursing staff present didn’t do CPR or use an AED.  They just…stood there.  My parents had to carefully pull me away because I refused to leave him.  Despite that, I couldn’t cry.  Days later, at the funeral, I still couldn’t cry.  The intrusive thoughts started…along with the nightmares.  Some part of me had begun to believe that somehow, I screwed up.  Maybe, if I had somehow done something more, he’d still be here.  Honestly, still, I don’t know.  Was it somehow my fault?  Then, a couple of weeks after the funeral, we got more news.  My aunts had both burned to death in a house fire.  My mother was devastated and developed a lifelong fear of fire.  Later on in the year, we also lost our house, my friend got killed by a drunk driver, and life just kept on hitting and hitting and hitting…After pretending to be fine for months, I failed my precalculus final and that was what finally broke the dam.  I had a huge mental breakdown in my senior year of high school and went into a depressive spiral…but I refused to act on it.  Do you know why, despite everything, that I didn’t go far enough to harm anyone?  

Broken Stephen: No…Why didn’t you?

Me:  …I knew that if they were still there, they wouldn’t want me to.  If the situation were reversed, they wouldn’t do it either.  I certainly wouldn’t want them to.  Out of respect for them, I didn’t.  I wanted to…Gods, did I want to sometimes, but I held on and opted to devote my life to helping others, both because it would make them proud, but also because I know how badly it hurts…I never want to inflict that kind of pain on anyone.  Even on my worst enemy.

Broken Stephen: *He’s tearing up.* Steward…I…I don’t know what to say…

Me:  I suppose that what I’m saying is that letting your grief consume you to the point of hurting others only leads to more pain.  In a way, I kinda channel my pain into my determination to protect and help people.  That way, instead of it constantly gnawing away at me, I acknowledge it and decide to find a better outlet.  It’s okay to grieve.  Healthy, even.  However, dwelling on it constantly and letting it drive you crazy isn’t.  It sucks and it’s gonna suck.  Over time, it’ll slowly get a little easier to handle.  Though you’ll still have bad days every once and a while, especially if something pops up to remind you.  That’s kinda why I hate New Year’s so much.  Anyway, you’re allowed to feel sadness like any other person…Just please, out of respect for those you love, don’t use that pain to hurt others.  I’m sure that the other me wouldn’t want that, nor would the others…I know I’m not her, but if we’re similar at all, I’d hope that you’d know that.

Broken Stephen: No, no you’re right…She wouldn’t. *He starts to cry into his hands.* I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry…

*616-Stephen has a lump in his throat, but is doing his best to stay composed.  He undoes the force field keeping Broken Stephen in, knowing that he’s no longer a threat.  I sit quietly, letting Broken Stephen let his grief out.  I’ve been trying to keep a straight face myself.  Reliving these events was very painful, but I knew it had to be done.*

*After awhile, Broken Stephen begins to talk through his sobs.*

Broken Stephen: What can I do?...What can I do to make amends?...How can I stop this pain…?

Me:  I don’t know exactly how many attempts you made beforehand, but if it were me, I guess I’d start with this…For every person that you hurt, help 2 more.  That and, to be honest, one of the reasons the various versions of us loved you was for your compassion and devotion to your oath.  The fact that you held such a respect for life and always tried to find another way for everything to turn out better.  Please…We’d like to see another Stephen like that in the multiverse.  Go back to your oath, to your duties.  I know it’ll be difficult, but that would be one of the most noble things that you could do.

Broken Stephen: *He smiles.* I’d like that. I just…I’m just still afraid I may be rejected by my friends after all this time. I mean, what will they think of me knowing I just ran away?

Me:  They’re your friends.  If you explain yourself, apologize sincerely, and go back to helping and supporting them and others around you, then they’ll eventually forgive you.  If not, then so be it.  There are billions of people on the planet.  Surely, you can forge some new friendships.  Though frankly, I think that they’re good enough people that they’ll eventually forgive and accept you again.  Just the act of showing up again is pretty brave in and of itself.  That and backing up your words with actions will help a lot.

Broken Stephen: *He nods.* Okay…

Me (smiling slightly):  On a really bad day, if our version of Stephen is okay with it, you can always come by and we can talk.  There’s actually a pub that I used to hang around during the bad days.  I could show you if you want.  *I look at 616-Stephen.  He nods.*

616-Stephen:  I’m coming with you.  *He’s not being defensive this time.  More curious since I hadn’t discussed my past before.*

Broken Stephen: Okay. Sure.

Me:  Let’s head up, then.  You should probably apologize to Prettywitch and meet Trix.  Tear’s still around too, but she’s busy with work and family things.

Broken Stephen: Oh…right. *Sigh.* Well, let’s get this over with.

*We head up.  Wong is currently with Prettywitch in the courtyard.*

Me:  Hey, you two.  Erm…Prettywitch, someone has something to say to you.  Don’t worry, he’s not out to hurt anyone.  *I reassure her and look at Broken Stephen.*

Prettywitch: Okay. - *She sees it’s Broken Stephen and becomes nervous.* Oh, hello crazy-I mean, Stephen. You…wanna talk to me…?

Broken Stephen: Actually, I wanted to apologize to you for…earlier.

Prettywitch: Oh…Oh, right…

Broken Stephen: I don’t expect you to forgive me, right away. Hell, you might never forgive me. But I want you to know that I’m sorry. And that I’m going to…no, I will work to become better…

*Prettywitch is stunned.*

Prettywitch: Well, you’re right, I can’t forgive you right away. Hell, I’m nervous being around you, right now.

Broken Stephen: That’s fair.

Prettywitch: But I’m glad to hear that you want to get better. AND I believe you will; there’s just something in you that’s inherently good, Stephen, and that’s you always succeed, by becoming the best version of yourself.

Broken Stephen: *He smiles.* Thank you.

Wong (still guarded):  So, what else are you planning to do while here?  *He’s not being directly confrontational, but he IS ready to defend if necessary.*

Me (calmly):  I was going to take everyone for drinks.  Trix could use a study break.  *I’m hoping to reassure Wong.*

Wong:  Fine, but I’m coming too.

Me:  Okay.  Let’s go get Trix.  *We head to the library.*  Hey, Trix…You’ve been studying really hard and some stuff almost went down.  It’s already sorted out, but you should meet someone.  Also, we’re all heading out for drinks.  I think you could really use a break, even if just for this evening.

Trix (out of sorts): Huh? *She looks up to Steward and glances behind her to see two Stephen’s* Oh, I must have been studying too long if I’m starting to see double. *She groans and rubs her eyes*

616-Stephen:  No, he’s really here…

*I lightly elbow Broken Stephen to nudge him into introducing himself.*

Broken Stephen: Oh, uh… *Clears his throat.* Hello, Trix. I’m Doctor Stephen Strange but from a different universe. I was here for nefarious reasons, but I’m not now. So…nice to meet you…?

Trix: *She blinks at him for a moment before smiling* Hello! *She frowns for a moment, looking him up and down before closing her books. She gets up and walks over to him.* Normally I’d shake a person’s hand when greeting them but Stephen Strange’s tend to be a different case. Plus you look like you need one of these. *She gives him a large hug instead.*

Broken Strange: *He blushes. Then he slowly puts an arm around her.* Uh…thank you…

Prettywitch: *Chuckles.* I guess all Stephen’s have trouble being affectionate.

Trix (still hugging): Being an awkward dork is a multiversal constant. That’s why we’re here to help! *She finally releases him before turning to Steward.* Now are we going to the one with the good quesadillas or the other one? I’m purely invested for the food and the company.

Me (rubbing the back of my head):  Actually…I haven’t taken you guys to this one.  It used to be the place I went on bad days before I knew you well.  My past is still kind of a sore spot, but I think you guys have more than enough right to at least see a bit of it.  The food is great and so are the drinks.  It’s a bit old-fashioned, but it has some comfy seating and people generally leave you alone.  It’s not obnoxiously loud and shows classic films on the tv over the bar.  Admittedly, the bartender kinda knows me…

Trix (gently): Lead the way! *She gestures to Steward*

*I open a portal and lead the group to the sidewalk in front of the pub.  It’s a rather small, plain-looking building that blends in with everything else, but every time the door opens and shuts from customers, delicious smells waft our way and we can hear the sounds of idle chatter mingled with a movie playing.  I let everyone in and the bartender greets me.*

Bartender:  Welcome to The Slaughtered Lamb-*He recognizes me*  Hey, Steward!  It’s been a while!  You holding up okay?

Me:  Yeah.  Thanks, Martin.

Martin:  No prob.  I see you brought friends.  *He’s mildly surprised.*  I’ll get you seated in a few minutes.

*After a few minutes, we’re seated.  The lighting is rather dim, but overall, the atmosphere of the pub is warm and inviting with various historical photos of the town on the walls.  There’s a very small open area with a piano in the corner and although the bar’s interior is clearly worn-down, it’s kept clean.  Tables are spaced out enough that people mind their own business.  We look through the menus.  There’s a decent list of craft and imported beers, some wines, and some cocktails.  Also, there’s a lot of comfort food.*

Me:  So, what looks good, guys?  I used to get the garlic cheese fries, a burger, and some beer.

Trix (smirking): A Shirley Temple and some snacks.

Prettywitch: I’ll take cheesecake if you have any. If not? Nachos and a nice cold Stella, please.

Wong:  I’ll try one of their beers.

616-Stephen:  I’ll have a negroni.  It’s been a while since I’ve had one.  

Broken Stephen: I’ll have whiskey and coke.

*After the waitress takes our orders, we wait.  I absentmindedly glance at the tv to watch the show.*

Trix: Y’know, if you told me two years ago where I’d be, I absolutely wouldn’t have believed it.

Me:  No kidding.  I thought I was just gonna do my job, apply for a doctoral program, and quit my job to earn my Ph.D if I got in.  Was all focused on work and school stuff.  Didn’t think any of this would happen at all.

Prettywitch: I know, right!? It’s funny how life works, sometimes.

Wong:  We were fairly blindsided as well.  Now that it has happened, what are your thoughts on everything?  *This is his subtle way of checking up on us.*

Trix: Honestly? *She pauses a moment in thought* I know a lot of horrible things have happened to us but it’s also been some of the greatest moments of my life. It gives me purpose and I’ve gotten to be around some of the greatest people because of it.

Me:  Agreed.  Never been so worried about everyone in my life, but frankly, seeing as everything has turned out okay so far, I think I’m doing alright.  Experiencing and learning all of these new things gives me life and energy that I haven’t felt in a long time.  I love my medical research, of course, but these studies are on a whole different level.  Our little group from this universe has effectively become a team of pioneers.  I always dreamed of exploring new territory, whether it was metaphorical or literal.  So, yeah.  Despite everything, I’d say I’m actually happy…whenever we’re not being actively threatened, of course.

Prettywitch: Same. Especially since I haven’t been having such a great year.

*I give Prettywitch a reassuring look.*

616-Stephen:  Helping and training all of you is difficult work, but seeing you girls learn and mature so quickly is rewarding.  I’m proud of you.  

Trix (teasing): Are you saying we’re difficult? *She grins at him*

616-Stephen (curling his lip):  You ladies are really something else, you know that?  *He’s teasing back.*

Me (flatly, sarcastically):  Har har har…*I’m teasing him as well.*

Prettywitch: Yeah, I’m sure you say that to all the pretty ladies, Stephen. *She gives him a wink to let him know she’s teasing.*

*616-Stephen rolls his eyes in mock dismay.*

Wong:  I’m relieved to hear that you three are doing okay.

Broken Stephen: Yeah, me too actually. *He smiles sadly.*

*Our orders arrive.  Everything looks good.  So, we tuck into the food and drinks as we chat.  616-Stephen gives me a look when he notices my rather unhealthy choices.*

Me (noticing):  Don’t you start.  *I’m amused.*

616-Stephen:  You’re gonna regret that later.

Me:  Worth it for now.  I haven’t had this stuff in years.  Probably not since…Hmmm…Yeah, I stopped slipping off to be alone here after about a year of getting to know the group.  It always took me a while to get used to people, but Trix, Tear, and Prettywitch made me feel so welcome that I eventually stopped getting the urge to leave.  Usually, I feel like an outsider or downright invisible.  So, it was nice that they took the time to actually hang out with me.  I know I wasn’t exactly friendly at first, but I was nervous.  At least I warmed up to you guys eventually.  Heh…Remember the cake I made for us for the 1-year anniversary of the group?

Trix: It was delicious! You were super worried about the decorations on it as well until we inhaled that thing.

Prettywitch: *Laughs* Oh yeah!

616-Stephen:  So, you were always that nitpicky about cake decorating, huh?  *He smirks at me.*

Me:  Shut it.

Trix: I have it on good authority, Stephen, that you are also incredibly nitpicky as well so beware of the glass house you find yourself in.

Prettywitch: Ooh! She’s got you there.

Broken Stephen: *He laughs a little; apparently, nitpicking is a universal trait for Stephen’s across the multiverse.*

*Wong is quietly amused by our banter.*

Broken Stephen: *He takes a sip of his drink.*

Me:  So, Trix, what drew you to joining the group in the first place?  I joined in partly because I loved the Marvel comics and partly because I was lonely.  That and my parents were worried about my lack of social engagement.

Trix: The MCU in particular for me. I was fascinated by such an undertaking to weave so many stories together to create such a cohesive tapestry of a universe! *She grows more and more passionate as she speaks before she realizes she’s gotten a lot louder.* Oops… *She blushes.* But yeah, I have some good and great friends but I was still almost always alone. I always had to be the first one to reach out and when I finally stopped because I was tired of always being the first one, I found myself alone except for one or two people but they always were busy, understandably. At least, until I met you guys. I finally didn’t feel like I was a bother and was included without having to make the plans myself. *She can’t help but close in on herself a little bit more after finally admitting it*

*I gently pat Trix’s shoulder to comfort and reassure her.*

Me:  Yeah, I get that.  Though my main thing was that after so much loss, I kinda shut down and figured, “Why bother?  It’s just gonna happen again and again and it’ll keep hurting.”  However, as I got more isolated, I knew that I was only getting worse.  That’s when I realized that people need people.  Even if they don’t want to admit it.  So, I’m glad that I caved into my parents’ worries and my own loneliness to reach out to you guys.  Hell, some of the liveliest discussions I’ve had were when you and Prettywitch were involved.  *I smile gently at Trix.*

*Trix blushes and feels somewhat embarrassed at how much that helps.*

Prettywitch: For me, it was love for the good doctor that brought me to this group. 

*616-Stephen blushes slighty.*

Prettywitch: I do agree with Steward, though; people need people. I always used my interests to interact with people because it was the only way I could properly communicate with others, but it led me to being friends with some people who weren’t good to me. That’s why I’m glad for the trajectory my life has gone in; I never imagined I’d fall this hard into Marvel fandom, but it‘s special to me partly because it led me to meeting my friends back home as well as you guys.

Me (chuckling lightly):  To think that a small group of comic book fans turned into this.  *I smile gently at my friends.*

Wong:  You three are good for each other.  This is encouraging.

Trix: Well, there’s power in 3’s! *She smiles gently before turning to Wong.* Now, I wanna hear more Wong Thoughts. *She scoots her stool obnoxiously closer to him on purpose before grinning at him*

*Wong remains stoic, not about to give her the pleasure of having irked him.*

Wong:  What would you like to know?  Any specific questions?

Trix: Anything you’re willing to share! This is sharing and caring time but we will not press. *Her smile is more genuine than teasing now*

*He grunts.*

Wong:  Well, when the four of you first arrived in Kamar-Taj, I had my doubts.  Especially four young women from a universe that has never previously known magic.  I did not expect you to learn so quickly.  Admittedly, it was amusing seeing Strange’s shock when you four were able to start producing sparks before he could unblock his own energy when he was first starting out.

*616-Stephen gives Wong a look.*

Prettywitch: Eh, I have an overactive imagination, that’s all.

Trix: I, for one, am very happy we did not need a field trip to Everest unlike somebody…

*For now, I’m just listening and enjoying the company while sipping my pint of beer.  I snort at the last part.*

Me:  Gah…Trix, You’re gonna make me spew beer.  *I’m amused.*

Trix (staring Steward in the eyes): Good.

Me:  *Muttering, teasingly at her under my breath.*  Butt-munch.  

Trix: Love you too~

Broken Stephen: *He actually laughs in earnest at that. He doesn’t even try hiding it this time.*

*Wong shakes his head at Trix and me.*

Wong:  Anything else?

Trix (thoughtful): So, assuming we pass our mastery tests, what happens then? Y’all have been secretive about parts of it. *She looks at 616-Stephen and Wong.*

616-Stephen:  Assuming that you three pass smoothly, we’ll begin to assign you missions.  Some of them will be team missions and others will be solo.  We want to see how all of you handle different situations on your own and with different people.  

Wong:  Sorcerers need to be adaptive and think on their feet.  Missions will help reinforce that.  

616-Stephen:  When we think that you’re ready to handle the responsibilities, we’ll start work on placement and construction of Sanctums and a main complex in your world.

PrettyWitch: *She gets starry eyed hearing that.* Really!? Oh, this is gonna be awesome! I’m gonna totally set up mine to look like my ideal castle, with a pool and ASMR room and everything!!! 

Trix (a bit melancholy): Oh yeah…I almost forgot we’re going home by the end of this. I’m just so used to being at Kamar-Taj and with you guys…

*I’m just quietly thinking about all of this for now.  I have that distant stare into space that I usually do when in deep thought.  To be honest, I have mixed feelings.  I’m secretly fangirling over being able to have and run our own Sanctums, but also worried about all of the responsibilities this situation entails, and I’m a bit sad about not being able to hang around with Stephen and the group like we used to.  It’s bittersweet.  So, I continue to silently mull this over.*

616-Stephen (gentle):  Look, we’ll still be around for a while and you can always call us if you need us.  

Wong (gruffly teasing):  …That and you have Sling Rings.  I doubt that you will neglect to visit.

Trix: I swear on the Watcher that you will never be rid of me. *Pointing teasingly*

*Wong allows himself to look mildly amused at this.*

Me:  So, what’s with the specialized exams?

616-Stephen:  I would’ve thought that would be obvious-

Me:  Really?  We’re doing this?  *I’m catching his snark before it starts, arching an eyebrow dangerously while looking him directly in the eyes.*

616-Stephen (quickly backpedaling):  Erm-I mean-The exams are tailored to the sorcerer-in-training by their Master.  There will be general material, but seeing as every student has a particular talent, we attempt to help them refine it so they can play to their strengths.  These exams are structured to test you to your limits in every way possible and if you show a particular set of skills, then that gets even more emphasis so we can see exactly how much you know.

Wong (amused by the effectiveness of my death glare earlier):  Including that?

616-Stephen (glowering at Wong):  No…*under his breath*  …Though it should be.

Broken Stephen: *He chuckles.* Oh dear…

Trix (realizing something): Oh. Oh. *She points at Wong and grins* I knew you liked me. I get to be the Wong of our group! That’s why I’m being focused on the book stuff!

Wong (attempting to remain stoic):  I cannot show favoritism, but you do show considerable proclivity towards my own field.

*Trix just grins wider and scoots closer to Wong and wraps an arm around him.*

Trix: Book buddies have to stick together, I understand. *She attempts to look as serious as Wong does on a normal day as she gives a solemn nod.*

*I put my drink down because now I can’t help myself.  So, I end up snickering into the collar of my jacket.*

PrettyWitch: *She grins ear to ear.* Why if I didn’t know better, Wong, I’d say you’re acting a bit like a tsundere, right now.

Wong (trying to ignore the comments):  …Do they have tea here?

Me (curious, but answering):  They do.

*He gets our waitress’ attention and orders a hot black tea.*

Broken Stephen: I’ll take some tea, too. It’s been awhile since I’ve had any.

*The tea arrives and Wong holds it close to himself.*

*Trix watches, amused, but still rather close as she hasn’t felt the need to move yet.*

*616-Stephen watches and notices something odd.*  

616-Stephen:  Wait…The steam isn’t just coming from the cup…*He looks at Wong and then the cup.  Suddenly, something in his brain seems to click and he gets a wide grin. *  So, THAT’s what your tic is.  

*Trix, listening to Stephen, takes a closer look at Wong before she starts to grin as well.*

Trix: That’s honestly super subtle and absolutely suits you.

Prettywitch: Oh my God! *She starts cackling.*

*I watch everything unfold with a smirk.*

*The steam intensifies slightly before Wong takes a slow, deep breath to calm himself, dispersing the involuntary cast.*

Wong (attempting to be stoic, but sounding slightly annoyed):  Well, now you know.

Trix: Honestly it makes me wonder what mine could have been if not for Agatha. I mean, I don’t think I ended up…as normal as a sorcerer could possibly be.

Broken Stephen: It’s hard to say, magic tics can manifest in all sorts of ways, especially when your innate magic abilities aren’t as grandiose.

Trix: Ever since I escaped the crystal prison, my magic is somewhat crystalline. It’s my passive magic, when I cast shields it tends to be made of crystal instead of a regular mandala. Loki also still has some of the effects as well but not nearly as much as me considering he’s a god and I’m just me. 

Broken Stephen: *His eyes widen when Trix mentions escaping Agatha unscathed.* Oh…right… *He swifts his gaze away and takes another sip of whisky.* How did you escape, anyway?

Me (calmly):  The whole situation and rescue were…complicated to say the least.  *I watch Broken Stephen to make sure that he’s okay.*

Prettywitch: Yeah. We ended up going through these labyrinths designed to trap us. 

Broken Stephen: Oh. *He nods and smiles sadly.* That’s good to hear.

*I look at him with a reassuring expression to calm him back down.*

Broken Stephen: *He looks at Steward and mouths “Thank you” to her.*

Me:  *I subtly nod at him to indicate a silent “you’re welcome” and give a slight smile to comfort him.  Then, I change the subject to steer away from this topic.*  So, do we wanna ask for the check, then?

Trix: Yeah, let’s head out.

*The group finishes up and we pay the bill before leaving.  We get to an empty alley outside and portal back to Kamar-Taj.*

Me (to Broken Stephen):  I hope this helped at least a little bit…*I think to myself for a second before shrugging and hugging the man to comfort him.  I hold him for a little while so he can feel safe before letting him go.*

Broken Stephen:  Yes, it did. Thanks, again for this, Steward.

Me:  No problem at all.  *I’m privately relieved that we’ve managed to come to a peaceful resolution this time.*

Prettywitch: Alright, let’s go home. I’m starting to get tired.

Broken Stephen: *He smirks.* That’s because you chugged your beer like it was going out of style.

Prettywitch: Hey! It’s not my fault I’m a lightweight.

616-Stephen: Actually it would be, in this case.

Prettywitch: Hey! Don’t give him any ammo!

Broken Stephen: *Laughs.*

616-Stephen:  So, what are your plans now, then?  *He still feels a bit weird with a variant of himself hanging around, but he doesn’t exactly want to start anything up again by being abrupt.*

Broken Stephen: *He shrugs.* Well, I figured I’d try going home and owning up to my mistakes. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough magic to send myself back. That’s kinda how I ended up here, actually.

Me:  We can help with that.  We’re strong enough now that it won’t take such a heavy toll on us.  *I’m calm and thinking logically.*

Trix: That’s true. *She’s a bit more subdued, almost lost in thought.*

Prettywitch: How did you get here, anyway?

Broken Stephen: Well, after I decided to leave I found a spell that would allow me to travel the multiverse by infusing crystals into my Sling Ring. The only catch was that it only had a limited number of times I could use it before the crystals ran out.

Prettywitch: And let me guess; you forgot you needed to replace said crystals, didn’t you…?

Broken Stephen: Well…Yeah. *He gives an awkward, embarrassed smile, like he got caught stealing books from the library in Kamar-Taj.*

Me:  What was the source of these crystals?  Maybe the other universe has some spares.

Broken Stephen: I think it was Hematite…? The spell required fusing the Ring with a gem that would protect you while traveling,so long as it’s “blessed” first.

Prettywitch: That should work. Let’s go find a gemstone store and see if they have any Hematite. If not? Well, that’s what Amazon is for.

Me:  I actually have some in my rock collection back home.  Things can be replaced.  So, it’s fine.

Prettywitch: Oh, that’s great!

*We portal to my house and I quickly grab the hematite from my rock collection, handing it over.*

Me:  Though blessing it…Hmm…Would you use the Vishanti or some other deity?

Broken Stephen: I’m pretty sure I used the Vishanti when I blessed the stone.

*Trix is in the background, scribbling into a journal and watching this go on.*

*I think for a moment to remember the correct incantation and then bless the hematite.*

Broken Stephen: *He removes his Sling Ring from his pocket and takes the Hematite from Steward.* Thank you. *He levitates the stone and ring and fuses them together before they become a bright, silver Sling Ring with a reflective surface. Then he places the ring on his hand.*

*I watch curiously and glance at Trix, thankful that she’s keeping a log of this new information.*

Broken Stephen: *He opens the portal, but before he steps through, he turns to us, nervously.* Uh…I know this is awkward, but…um…Could I…ask for a hug from you guys?

*I nod silently and open my arms so he can walk over to us.*

*Trix tucks her journal away before doing the same, ready for the group hug.*

*Prettywitch hesitates for a moment before caving in and hugging him tightly.*

*Broken Stephen hugs them and cries happily.*

Trix (still hugging): Is there anything else we can do? This entire thing has been difficult for you.

Broken Stephen: No. No, I’m good, for now. *He lets go of us.* Just let me know when you’ve returned home. I’d love to come and visit when I can.

Me:  We will…Though it may be a while due to our studies.  In the meantime, perhaps we could give you something to remember us by?

Broken Stephen: Yeah…I’d like that.

*Trix friend for a moment before her face lights up.*

Trix: I think I have an idea. *She creates three small crystals in the palm of her hand, each is clear. After a moment, one begins to turn orange and violet. She turns to Steward and PrettyWitch.*

Trix: I think this might help in remembering us, and our counterparts. If the both of you pour a little bit of energy in these *She holds one out to each of the others* they’ll eventually become something…greater over time if you *She turns back to Broken Stephen* treat them like seeds. *She then hands Broken Stephen her crystal seed.*

*I nod quietly and accept one of the clear crystals, holding it for a moment to infuse it with the energy of my aura.  It turns into the indigo, tan, and magenta of my soul’s signature, shimmering in the light.  I hand it respectfully to Broken Stephen when I’m done.  When Prettywitch infuses her crystal seed with her energy, I pass it to him as well.*

*Prettywitch forms a rose quartz keychain and gives it to Broken Stephen.*

Prettywitch: There you go; it’s not much, but it’s a reminder of your love for us, and the capacity you have to love and be loved.

Broken Stephen: *He smiles.* Thank you… *He lets the Cloak wipe the tears from his eyes.* Well, I should probably get going. Goodbye for now.

Prettywitch: Good luck!

Me:  See you later.  *I wave.*

*I turn to check on Prettywitch once I know that Broken Stephen is gone.*

Me:  You okay?  I know it was rough.  So, I didn’t wanna pressure you.  You can always psychically let us know if you’re uncomfortable.  In this case, we were just de-escalating the situation.  Though at least this variant was more of a lost soul needing help rather than a straight-up sociopath.  *I look her over carefully and respectfully.*

Prettywitch: Yeah, I’m okay. I just hope he gets better, that’s all.

Trix: I think we really helped him. Even if it was a talk and a meal, those can be the best remedies.

Me:  So, last check-up…You’re sure that you’re good?  *I want to be absolutely sure since I know what happened to Prettywitch and want to let her know that her voice will be heard if she needs anything.*

Prettywitch: Yes, love. I’m fine. Honest.

Me (relaxing a bit, knowing that she’s okay):  Okay.  On that note, we should head back to Kamar-Taj and study.

***To be continued***

[stewardofningishzida]

Stephen Strange Meta-Fic Sequel Chapter 7: Fury

Introducing, Director Nick Fury! SPOILERS AHOY! — Wandavision, Loki, & Secret Invasion. A little of Multiverse of Madness is touched on, but not much. TRIGGER WARNING: Language, threat of kidnapping, implied threat of torture ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Stephen approaches us in the mess hall, looking troubled.  We had all just sat down for breakfast, but clearly that was going to have to wait.  I look at him anxiously.*

Me (worried):  What’s wrong, Stephen?  *I’m worried that someone important died or our universe somehow got worse.*

Stephen:  SHIELD.  You’ve heard of Nick Fury, right?

Me:  Yes.

Trix: Oh boy.

Tear: Who hasn’t? For being a secret spy, his identity is even better known than Tony’s or Steve’s…

PrettyWitch: Jackson or Hasselhoff?

Stephen:  Apparently, he sent a message and he wants to talk to all of you.  He claims that he needs to meet with you four so that he can improve SHIELD’s aid response for your universe.  *He seems considerably less than pleased.  It’s clear that Stephen isn’t buying any of it.*  Steve and Tony know about it too and will join a conference call to make sure everything goes smoothly.  Unfortunately, declining the meeting would lead to SHIELD withholding aid and support for your universe.  So, it’s unavoidable.  *The sorcerer is grim.*

Trix: So how does he even know we’re here? I don’t see the other avengers telling him anything.

Me (sarcastic):  Greeeaaat…

Tear: *I chuckle humorlessly* He’s The Spy, remember? His secrets have secrets.

PrettyWitch: *I shrug at Tear’s remark.* Yeah, that sounds about right.

Stephen:  He has his own ways.  *He grumbles.*

Trix: I mean, we kinda have a leg up on him though. *she looks at the others* This universe is not caught up to what we know yet. It might be slightly different but we even know about…well… *she looks over at Stephen* the whole *she kinda flails around* thing with Fury and Captain Marvel. And what’s likely going to happen.

Stephen:  It’s something, at least.  Be careful how you talk to and bargain with him.  In fact, try not to bargain with him at all if that can be helped.  *He’s serious and lowkey trying to protect us.*

Trix: Of course. But I also want to know if it’s going to be him or the other him. Because if it’s actually Nick Fury we’ll get our answers immediately and there won’t be a delay. If it’s who I think it is, we’d have to wait while they stall and get him actually there. *she looks over at the others to see their reaction*

Me:  Ohh…Good point.  *I give her a knowing look.*

Tear: *I frown worriedly* Really? In this universe too, you think?

PrettyWitch: *I go wide-eyed.* Oh, HoaryHosts is gonna kill us when we tell her we met him…or rather…if we meet him.

Stephen:  “Who I think it is”?  *He ponders this, but dares not ask more.  He knows how fickle meddling with the timeline can be.*

Wong:  What about meddling with the timeline?  *He walks over, having overheard us.  He’s clearly displeased.*

Stephen (grim):  Fury.

Wong:  *Sighs*  I should have known…

Trix: Honestly, I have no idea how blending our universes is fucking with what we can say. Honestly, that fact that the TVA hasn’t shut us down either means that this is supposed to happen or the TVA got fucked up already which is a whole other can of worms. *she’s starting to get nervous*

Me:  Eeeeeeeeh yeah…..*I shift uneasily.*

Stephen:  Quick meeting before we proceed with speaking to Fury.  We need to establish a few things.

Wong:  We will need to figure out as much as we can without triggering potential negative consequences.

*They usher us to a private chamber for the briefing and make sure that nobody else is around.*

Stephen:  Judging by the variations we’ve experienced between universes, the timelines we’re all familiar with are different enough to avert most of it.

Wong:  So, we should be safe provided you only bring us up to speed on events leading up to the current present.  No further.  

Trix: Gotcha. I can do that. I have way too much of the movie timeline ingrained in my head. *she smiles weakly and stretches a bit* So the first thing to explain is that your universe was first introduced to ours in media because of comics. Marvel Comics to be exact. They have been around for decades which means that stories have been rebooted multiple times over, so even then, not everything is lined up. The big thing that happened though, is that someone decided they wanted to do a series of movies that all happened within the same universe and be interconnected that way instead of a bunch of series on their own. That is what started the MCU: the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Trix For complicated business reasons and debt, Marvel the company sold the movie rights of certain groups in the comics to other studios, and I promise this will be important in a minute, but it’s why the MCU doesn’t have mutants or inhumans in the story. Spider-Man didn’t even appear until a decade into the movie series because of the studios fighting. It’s still complicated. But it’s why our timeline for understanding what’s going on in your universe is a bit…different. Certain players weren’t a part of the story we know despite yours having an eerie similarity to what we know. Does that make sense as a sort of background?

Wong:  So far.  We’re still following you.  Go on.

Stephen:  I remember this from when I was first trapped in your universe.  Still makes as much sense.  *He’s half-joking.*

Trix: *she grins* It’s incredibly complicated but hey- capitalism! *she then frowns a moment* Basically, we have a kind of guide map for whereabouts you are in the timeline but there’s one big difference. Tony Stark is alive here. For us, he died from using the infinity stones to stop Thanos. That cascaded a few issues in the movies which I don’t think will happen here or have happened in different ways. Like the universe almost tearing apart due to a spell Stephen did for Peter in the movies isn’t going to happen here but instead Stephen ended up in our universe and you know the rest.

Wong (appalled):  He did what?!  *He scowls.*

Stephen (annoyed):  Hey!  I didn’t even cast the spell in this timeline!  Don’t get mad at me.

Trix: *she blushes at getting Stephen in trouble* Yeah, please no Runes of Kof-Kol on a major scale because Peter’s identity got out. It got borked. 

*Wong glares daggers at Stephen.  The younger sorcerer seems to slightly shrink under his mentor’s gaze.*

Stephen (glancing at Trix and then back at Wong):  Deal.  

Trix: *she tries not to laugh before getting back to the main point* Yeah, so the main thing for this Fury meeting is that back in the 90’s when Carol Danvers got her powers, there was a bit of a thing with Skrulls, aliens who can shapeshift, who were brought here as refugees from the Kree. By the time The Snap happened, Fury and Carol hadn’t found them a new home yet but they are still around. Fury tends to have one of his closest Skrull allies take his form while he’s up on a spaceship working on who knows what. That’s why we aren’t sure if the Fury who contacted us is actually Nick Fury, and we really want to keep our story as close to our chest as possible.

Stephen (subtly pleased with this new information):  Good to know.

Wong:  So, how do we tell them apart?

Trix: *trying not to laugh again* It’s pretty dumb but it’s subtle. First of all, we need to make it a breakfast or brunch meeting with food.

Stephen (raising an eyebrow):  Why?

Trix: Because apparently the real Nick Fury can’t eat his toast cut diagonally. *finally she can’t hold back her giggles* Yes, it’s incredibly weird as hell but it’s apparently a thing he admitted. Also, we know how he got the eyepatch. If he’s grumpy about how we know then it’s likely him. 

Me (small joke):  Meow.  *Mimes a cat scratching.*

Trix: I will admit that if I ever see Goose I will not be getting anywhere close to her. I appreciate and love her but I value my life.

Me:  Admittedly, as cute as flerkens are, they’re terrifying.

Wong:  Goose is a flerken?

Me:  Yes.

Stephen (curious):  What’s a flerken?

Trix: I have a feeling you will find out soon enough. *trying not to giggle again* There’s a reason Nick Fury has trust issues.

Stephen:  I get the feeling I’m not going to like this…

Trix: Oh! *realizes she almost forgot the other important parts* Speaking of other things you aren’t going to like: Wanda Maximoff is likely holding a town unintentionally hostage in New Jersey in a magic bubble that makes the world like sitcoms through different eras due to unresolved trauma while another witch is in there trying to get her to break so she can steal Wanda’s power with the Darkhold. *Trix makes a face as she then realizes the bombshell she dropped* That knowledge is easier to digest when it’s what you think is fictional stories versus real now that I’m considering it…

*Both sorcerers are silent for a moment.*

Wong:  I will see to Wanda and the Darkhold.  Strange, you ensure that the girls do not get tied into anything Nick Fury attempts to steer them towards.

Stephen:  Fine.  *He’s resigned to it at the moment due to all of the world-shattering information.*

Trix: Oh, and if you see anyone in what looks like riot gear that says TVA on it, we’re fucked.

*They stare at her.*

Stephen:  Noted.  *He’s dreading it, but knows that they should probably find out.*

Wong:  Dare we ask?

Trix: So, there’s no real easy way of explaining this, there’s a guy who exists outside of time and space who basically micromanaged your universe’s timeline to fit his needs. His organization, the TVA or Time Variance Authority, was in charge of keeping the ‘sacred timeline’ and would wipe out timelines that branch off how they weren’t supposed to go. The time heist from the Avengers? Supposed to happen because then he could get the science of time travel in the first place. Did they tell you about how they tried to get the Tesseract from 2012 but Loki ran away with it?

Wong:  That, I remember.  The Ancient One was surprisingly calm about it all.  I assume she probably knew about this.

Trix: Well that makes absolutely a bunch of sense. Anyways, the Loki that escaped was caught by the TVA and that entire timeline was erased and he was essentially arrested. The TVA is kinda the judge, jury, and executioner but in a 70’s vibe. Loki learned of what his timeline was ‘supposed’ to be and decided against it. TVA recruited him for a bit because apparently variants of Loki cause them issues a lot but things got crazy and he united with other Loki’s to take out the man behind the curtain because free will, yay! *she does half hearted jazz hands* Problem is that by Sylvie, the female presenting variant of Loki, killing the man behind the curtain instead of taking over for him kinda fucked up the multiverse because by keeping the universe under such tight scrutiny, the man’s variants wouldn’t rage a multidimensional war. So: good news is that because the multiverse is accessible then the TVA is down and we won’t be atomized and dropped off at the end of time to be eaten by a giant cloud that vaporizes you because we veered off the written path. Bad news is that there’s gonna be a multiversal war on the horizon and rogue agents may be out and about to try and get the TVA back up and running again. Tadaaaaa. *she is much less enthused by now*

Stephen (digesting this information):  …We’ll put them on the watchlist just to be sure and put all of this on record.

Trix: If you see Loki and he’s wearing an outfit that looks like office attire, dress shirt and tie with tan pants, he’s the good one!

Wong:  Noted.  Thank you for this information.  

*Stephen conjures a book and magically jots down everything Trix said.*

Stephen:  Okay…Now, we need to get going.  Fury isn’t known for being patient.

Trix: BRUNCH! Without eyeballs!!! 

PrettyWitch: *Sticks her tongue out, dreamingly.* I hope they have cheesecake after.

Me:  Good luck with Wanda and the other witch, Wong.  Please be careful.

Wong:  I will do my best.  *He warms up to us slightly, seeing that we care about him.*

Tear: Wait, you’re really going on your own? Wouldn’t it be wiser to bring backup? *I wring my hands in worry. While I have confidence in Wong as the Sorcerer Supreme, I also know that Agatha and the Scarlet Witch already make for powerful opponents without even considering the Darkhold*

Wong:  I will call for backup if needed.  Strange is going with you four to ensure Fury does not attempt to detain you.  Even then, with how many civilians are involved, keeping our numbers small in this delicate of a situation would be best.

Trix: Yeah! And be careful of the Hex, it can change people permanently if gone through too many times!

Wong:  Thank you.  I shall ensure this does not happen.  *He opens a portal to West View to confront the witches.*

*Meanwhile, Stephen opens a portal to SHIELD HQ.*

Stephen:  Stark and Rogers will conference call in as soon as we’re in the meeting.  It’ll help to have multiple Avengers there to prevent any funny business.  Are all of you ready?

Trix: As ready as I can be! *she smiles at him and then at the others*

Me:  Bring it.  *I smirk.*

Tear: *I’m still more worried about Wong than our own meeting with Fury, but I still nod in reply*

PrettyWitch: You know I am. *I smirk.*

*Stephen nods and ushers us through the portal and we walk into the building.  It’s heavily guarded, but the agents are at ease.  It seems that Director Fury was there in the main room waiting for us.*

Fury:  So, you four are in the middle of all of this.  Welcome to Universe-616.  Take a seat at the table over there.  We need to have a talk.

Stephen:  Mind if we eat while debriefing?  We came directly here.  *He’s secretly attempting to initiate the toast test that Trix mentioned earlier.*

Fury: *frowns* ……I don’t see why not. We can have some stuff sent in from the cafeteria. *He nods to Maria Hill who immediately steps away and begins to speak into her earpiece* Now why don’t we have a seat in the meantime, I hear you have a pretty interesting story. *He gives the group a look as he sits down in one of the plush office chairs*

Me:  It’s rather long and complicated, but the short version is that there was an accident from a demon stealing Stephen’s Sling Ring, which trapped him in our universe.  This caused a rift.  By the time Wong tracked him down and got him out, too much time had already passed and our universes became entangled with one another.  So, now energy from the multiverse is spilling into our home universe and all of Hell is breaking loose.  We came here to train in a safer environment so we can help clean up the mess.  That’s the summary of it.  *I’m direct, but polite, making sure not to give too much away.*

*Fury hums as he considers the story, staring at the group who is still standing on the other side of the table.*

Fury: Interesting that you would trust a man so quickly when he doesn’t fit in with the rest of your universe. Do you even have enhanced over there to have made such a judgment call?

Me:  No.  To be honest, his sudden appearance was…complicated.  When he first showed up, I nearly attacked him.  However, after a rather surreal discussion, we came to an agreement.  *I keep it vague, but honest.*

*Fury hums again and swings his chair to stare at Stephen with an eyebrow raised.*

*Stephen looks at him, stoic.  The conference phone rings.  It seems that Tony and Steve are calling in.  Meanwhile, the food is arriving.*

*Fury is still staring at Stephen as he answers the phone. When the call connects, holograms of Tony and Stephen appear in the room with us.*

Fury: This better be important. *he gestures to the agents bringing in the food to leave it on the table and then get out as soon as possible*

Steve (conference call, polite):  Director Fury.  *He gives a small salute.*  Due to our familiarity with the situation at hand, we request that we participate in this debriefing.

Tony: *He rolls his eyes at Steve’s formality before addressing Fury* It’ll be much easier on you this way, trust me. *His eyes drift over to Stephen and his newest novices, and he can’t help grinning* Aww, you guys are wearing matching outfits! Now you really do look like ducklings following their mother around.

*Stephen gives Tony a look that could shatter a diamond.  I turn away slightly in an attempt to conceal a blush.*

*Fury rolls his eye at Tony* 

Fury: I was under the impression that the both of you would be unavailable due to a rescue mission you didn’t see fit to share with the rest of the class. *He can’t help but glare at the hologram in front of him*

Tony: It’s called the magic of multitasking. Surely you’ve heard of it. How else would I find the perfect way to grace you with my presence while watching War Machine doing brilliant rescue work? *He cups his hands around his mouth and stares somewhere behind the camera* You’re doing amazing, Honey Bear!

Rhodey: *Out of frame* Screw you, Tones!

*Fury is visibly annoyed and is about to shout at the billionaire when he finds Trix pushing a plate of toast towards him, cut horizontally with nothing on it. Fury glances over to Hill briefly who gives him a nod and he accepts it, cautiously. After throwing some jam on it, Fury angrily takes a bite before pointing the toast at Tony’s hologram.*

Fury: For fucks sake, stop taking all of the Avengers on a multiversal road trip. *He turns back to the group in front of him* Now what I want to know is how you know so much you’re not supposed to know.

Me (calmly):  It’s rather odd to say, but in our universe, you are all fictional characters in a comic book series, coupled with several movies and video games.  Your stories are all told there.  However, for safety’s sake, it’s best not to say more than that.  We could tell you up to the present day, but no further.  Even then, the Avengers wanted to help us due to the ongoing multiversal debacle.  

Steve:  It’s a humanitarian mission, Sir.  *He’s defending our position as well as theirs.*

Tony: *He claps his hands and throws his hands out in a fakely innocent manner* Science!

Me (polite):  Would you care for another piece of toast, Director Fury?  You’ve finished the other one.  *I offer another slice of toast.  This one is also horizontally cut.  We’re secretly planning to catch him off-guard.*

*Fury was ready to start ranting when the plate is offered to him and it throws him off balance. He knows something is up but has no idea what*

Fury: Sure… *he takes it and takes out his rising annoyance on the toast with the knife for the jam but doesn’t immediately eat the toast* So what is stopping someone from just going over to your universe for that information anyway? If anything, we should have a guard on you 24/7 as you likely have classified information that could easily be…convinced to be shared. *Fury finally eats the toast as he’s getting confident*

Tony: *He points a menacing finger over at Fury* I’m just gonna pretend you didn’t just sit there and threatened four young girls right in front of the sorcerer put in charge of their protection, because if I don’t then I’m heading over there with every single Avenger to teach you some fucking human decency. Strange here might be their Mama Duck, but you’re now messing with their Dad. *His glare loses its effect when something off camera catches his attention, but he waves it off in a casual way* Just co-parenting business, Platypus, nothing to worry about.

*Fury just raises an eyebrow at him, but says nothing*

Steve:  Gentlemen, let’s be civil about this… *He skillfully ignores Tony’s offended spluttering* Director Fury, I can attest to these girls’ characters and traits.  They are, rest assured, completely harmless.  This escalation is far too much.

Me:  Plus, multiverse travel IS still rather difficult, even with magic.  Even then, what good is our “classified” information in a universe where none of you ever existed?  Plus, there are still some variations.  So, perhaps it’s worth it and perhaps it isn’t.  Hard to make the call and use so many extra government resources for such a project, no?  It may be seen as a tad excessive.  *I remain candid, subtly goading Fury with the reminder that he isn’t in total control.*

Fury: And why use the resources when the prize is right here at this table anyway? You don’t have counterparts here, no legal means of existence. Just some ties to Nepal that could easily be seen as trafficking in a certain light. I’m not sure I would turn on that light switch but someone might. The tech genius who could forge the paperwork is so off world that he can’t do much in time. *He finally finished his toast and takes a swig of orange juice from the bottle that was set in front of him*

Tony: Is that a fucking challenge?

*Stephen is seething in silence, but decides to speak up.*

Stephen (coldly):  …Be very careful how you complete that thought, Fury.  These young women came here willingly as refugees from their home universe and they are under Kamar-Taj’s protection.    

Fury: And yet they have the means of preventing future threats and won’t provide them. I’m just trying to keep our people safe, Strange. 

Strange:  Even in the case of Thanos, sticking our necks out with the Infinity Stones could have easily destroyed all of existence as we know it.  If the wrong information is disclosed from them, it could collapse BOTH of our timelines.  *He’s direct and almost growling.*  They stay with us and only disclose what they can do so safely.  WE know how to proceed with this better than SHIELD does.  

Fury: Somehow, I can’t trust that statement to be true. *he shrugs nonchalantly* Besides, they could have already done damage to our world anyway. What was that about a global pandemic?

Steve:  That was already taken care of.  They sent us some testing material with antibodies against the virus.  We’ve already reverse-engineered a vaccine and inoculated everyone prior to entering their world.  *He’s addressing each concern within his understanding as it comes up to keep things relatively calm.  Though now he’s getting more and more angry beneath the surface himself.  Steve is doing his best to remain civil.  His tone is becoming more clipped.*

Tony: Doubting the Holy Order of the Wizards of Nepal is one thing, but doubting both the Science Bros and Facial Hair Bros is astoundingly stupid, even for you. Friday, care to forward your newest work to Agent Dickhead? Here, I’ll even be magnanimous and speed things up for you. *He flicks his hands and images of brand new legal documentation for all four girls show up on his screen, ruining any opportunities for Fury to lie about their existence* What was that you said about a tech genius? And that was under four minutes, I believe. Congratulations on your new world record, Fri.

*Fury merely frowns but doesn’t seem overly bothered*

Me (simply):  If you detain or attempt to “influence”, harm, threaten, harass, or otherwise negatively affect any of us and/or our loved ones, no information and no more access to our universe.

Fury: All it takes is making it over there with the right kind of drive to get our own copies. *he shrugs and leans back in his chair and finishes his orange juice. So far he has been the only one to eat*

Tony: *He shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose. This is worse than talking to a wall*

Steve (innocently):  All interdimensional devices require a spell crafted by Stark and Strange in order to work in other universes, Sir. They are useless otherwise.

Stephen: *Starting out amiably*  With “our” influence *referring to the sorcerers*, they may not even be of any use to you anyway.  Not only do all devices require a spell crafted by Stark and myself to work, but the girls could simply “conveniently” fall asleep for as long as is needed.  Unharmed, but completely useless to you and your operatives.  *He hisses the last part of his speech.*

Trix: Wait- that’s a thing?

*Stephen lightly puts his hand on Trix’s shoulder to subtly reassure her.  Also as an affirmative that it IS in fact a real spell.*

Steve:  I’d say that the best course of action here would be to open a more diplomatic set of relations, Director Fury, SIR.  *He almost spits the title as he speaks.*

*Trix subtly grabs a last piece of toasts and cuts it diagonally before slipping it slowly to Tear*

Tear: *I accept the plate from Trix and reach over to place it on Fury’s desk, the movement not exactly kind* Right. A “token” of goodwill, for diplomacy’s sake. *My smile seems innocent enough, but we’re all observing him attentively*

Fury: *he pauses imperceptibly before frowning and pushing the plate away, he grabs his own slice of toast from the small stack remaining and cuts it himself, horizontally* No, I can get my own damn toast at this point.

Me:  *Smug smirk like a shark surrounded by chum*  So…We are now at an impasse with the real Director Nicolas Joseph Fury.  *I’m practically purring, knowing that we’ve caught him.*

Trix: You absolutely got played. *she’s beaming from ear to ear*

Tear: For someone who was desperately begging for information, you clearly failed to see it once we dropped it on your lap.

PrettyWitch: Who’s the wise guy, now? *She’s grinning stupidly.*

*Fury stills as the girls celebrate, looking down at what he grabbed versus what was offered when the thought finally occurs to him*

Fury: Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting you to know about that and call me out on it.

Me (innocently):  Need we say more about…that?  Perhaps the story of your eye as well?  

*Fury frowns at them before slumping back in his chair*

Fury: Fine. I can admit defeat. This group is certainly full of tricks.

*Stephen looks smug, clearly proud of our cunning.*

Tony: *Blinks in confusion at everyone in the room* Am I the only one who thinks I missed something? I don’t like it.

Me (smoothly):  We are glad that we have come to an understanding.  Now, the aid does need to continue until our universe can get back up on its own feet.  Let us be, leave our friends and family alone, and we will occasionally help your universe in return, provided the information doesn’t jeopardize any timelines.  That and if the Avengers or other hero teams need additional manpower, we will step in.  Sound reasonable?

Fury: *he sighs but cooperates* Fine. You win. I agree to your terms. *he rolls his eyes as he sits back but only does so once*

*Stephen seems to notice something and checks on a small, glowing relic from his pocket.*

Stephen:  Provided this truce remains intact, I’ll be back to come get you ladies in a while.  Wong needs my help.  

Trix: Uh oh.

Me:  Please be careful, both of you.  

Tear: Keep in touch whenever you can!

PrettyWitch: Yeah! And good luck.

*Stephen acknowledges us fondly and leaves quickly, portaling away.*

Steve:  In the meantime, we should more properly debrief and get our bearings on the full situation at hand.  I trust that Stephen already knows the information.  So, please let us know anything additional, girls.  

*We catch them all up on what we discussed with Wong and Stephen, no details spared all the way up to the present, but also confining it to what the other Avengers already know in the spirit of letting Fury catch up.  During the discussion, we compare events and notes to piece together the similarities and differences.*

Me:  As you now know, Wong and Stephen are currently on a mission that they learned about from our information.  This will ensure the mitigation of a major threat to the multiverse in the form of the Scarlet Witch.  *I give Fury a slight, withering look to emphasize my point that we are willing to cooperate, as per the deal we made.*

Fury: *he’s leaning back in his chair and puts up both of his hands in a gesture that he’s not going to do anything…visible at least*

Tony: The Scarlet Witch? You mean Wanda? What does she have to do with any of this?

Me:  Wanda is effectively being manipulated by another witch as we speak.  Potentially to the breaking point.

Tony: *His expression freezes in poorly concealed panic* She’s what!? And Wong and Stephen just went to confront that on their own? 

Me (grim):  If it isn’t too late, then they may be able to break her out of it.  Magic stands a better chance against other magic.  That and with a town full of trapped, brainwashed civilians, a group needs to be small to get through the Hex and be able to minimize damage.  That Hex Wanda unleashed changes people.  It basically rewrites reality in West View to a version that Wanda prefers to see and interact with as a coping mechanism rather than facing the actual reality everywhere else.  No matter who they are.  Stephen and Wong are probably the safest bets to get through and not get completely altered.  If a whole force of people tried to get in, they could very well be violently rejected from that reality bubble or killed outright.

Tony: What the fuck… *He has gone pale in horror, completely baffled by what he’s hearing. He turns and seeks out Steve, nearly ready to summon all the Avengers to assemble*

Steve (shaken):  Can we expect anything extra coming our way from what Strange and Wong are doing?  *He’s hoping that I’m right in regards to Stephen and Wong being able to free Wanda, but dreading everything else.*

Me:  Honestly, intervening at this period of time in order to prevent her multiversal rampage causes a divergence that we’re unfamiliar with.  So, I don’t have a good answer for that.  Though Wanda DID flip between hero and anti-hero a lot in the past.  So, there is a decent chance they might be able to stop this before it gets worse.

Steve:  Go ahead and alert the other Avengers so we can all be on standby.  *He’s quick about this and lets Tony send an alert via device.*

Tear: From what we’ve told you…Do you think Wanda’s divergences in your timeline compared to our own are significant enough to further influence the outcome of this conflict? *I’m shy if not a bit scared myself of what having to face off against a fully awakened Scarlet Witch would be like*

Steve:  There is a chance.  *He seems a bit shaky about this, but slightly more sure with what he remembers of her.*

PrettyWitch: Yeah…*She places a hand to her chin and starts to think what other potential threats could arise from preventing Wanda from fully awakening as the Scarlet Witch.*

Trix: The main issue is going to be the other witch there. If she pushed Wanda past a certain point then it’s a bit of a ticking time bomb. Wanda certainly needs therapy based on what we’ve seen. Add in the influence of the Darkhold and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

Me:  Somehow, the Darkhold needs to be destroyed.  All copies.  Before anyone else can get corrupted by it.

Trix: I don’t think Wong would allow us on a field trip to that mountain. I think Stephen would rather stuff us in a room of pillows with no sling rings first.

Tear: We wouldn’t even know in which dimension we should even start looking for Mount Wundagore anyway…

PrettyWitch: Even if we did, would that be wise? I mean, we have no idea how to destroy that damn thing.

Tony: Well, we can’t exactly nuke a mountain that’s not in this world without a proper location.

Fury: So you need somebody else to go destroy a magic book.

Steve:  I think it’s safe to assume that book can only be destroyed by magic anyway, right?

Trix: Uhh…*she tries to remember exactly how the book was destroyed in the movie* I know that the copy for this universe can be destroyed temporarily with anything but the place where it’s from has to be destroyed or it will come back eventually anyway.

Me:  Think Wanda’s the only one who can do it?

Trix: I think we need to blow up a mountain and not die. Is the risk of taking her there worth it?

Me:  Good point.  So, if the temple goes down, the Darkholds should go away?

Trix: I mean, when the temple went down the entirety of Darkholds across the multiverses were destroyed which is not a bad thing whatsoever. But again, that was the Scarlet Witch doing it. So we’re back to the same risk vs reward argument.

Fury: *raises an eyebrow* I’m guessing this is too far in our future to be frank about the details?

Me:  I think this is as far as we can say until we know that the timeline has been averted for certain.  At this period, it’s all hypotheticals based on whether or not the current situation turns in our favor.

Trix: Also we have no idea if a certain person will show up either. *she glances at the others and draws a star in the air*

Me:  *Nods at Trix*  True.  We’ll cross that bridge if it comes.  For now, let’s switch topics in case this goes too far.  Tony, how is the ongoing situation in our universe?  *I’m changing the subject in an effort to protect their universe’s timeline.*

Tony: *He doesn’t uncross his arms, still too concerned about the Wanda situation, but he relents to the change of topic* It’s slow going. The United Nations are less helpful than we expected when we first reached out. Murdock and co. have gotten a few promising headways with certain countries though, even if we’re still far from actually managing any kind of united global response. I thought universe-altering events would be enough to put an end to all discord but that was too Barbieland of me, I suppose.

Me (rather world-weary about this particular issue):  Yeah…It was a similar disaster when the pandemic hit.  

Steve (attempting to deliver some good news, though still being honest):  Despite that, we have managed to successfully evacuate thousands of civilians and some of them are actually being helpful.  Though not all of them.  Some of them seem to still be clinging onto the notion that this is all a hoax.  There are a ton of misinformation campaigns and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to reach certain people.  *He’s frustrated, but keeping it together.*

Tear: *I send him a small smile* I’m sure that more people will start believing you in due time. It’s only a matter of time they either encounter you or another being. That level of denial cannot persist much longer.

Trix: One would hope, but there’s still people who will stick their heads in the sand no matter what.

PrettyWitch: *I snort.* Ain’t that the truth.

Fury: The main focus is just getting the ones with the power and resources to get the ball rolling. PR can always happen after.

Me:  Any other news we should know about?

Tony: Uh…not much, really. At least, nothing cataclismic yet. Whatever Stephen and Wong did after you moved in to Hogwarts seems to have stabilized the appearance of the largest beasts. Thank Merlin’s stockings for that. The Kraken was horrifying enough. I have no wish of having to drag Godzilla back into the ocean.

*After a while, a portal opens and a disheveled Stephen and Wong emerge.  They look quite battered.*

Wong:  Wanda Maximoff is now in custody.  After we broke her free of the brainwashing, she surrendered willingly.  However, the witch responsible for Wanda’s corruption, Agatha Harkness, is still at large.  

Trix: Well, fuck. Good about Wanda but incredibly bad about Agatha. Are you guys okay?

Stephen (nursing a rather large cut on his side):  We’ll be fine.  We need to get you four hidden.  When she finds out you four warned us about what she was doing, she’ll start to hunt you down.  

*Both sorcerers are worse for wear, but ignoring it in favor of protecting us.*

Tear: Your definition of fine seems to be in an entirely different dictionary than ours… *I keep staring at the dark stain on Stephen’s robes, too anguished over their injuries to really spare a thought to Agatha*

Me:  Shit…  *I take a breath because I had stopped breathing after the announcement about Agatha.  This felt like a punch in the gut.*

Trix: Well, there’s the extra terror we’ve been missing since the Chupacabra incident. *she is incredibly pale in shock*

PrettyWitch: *She bites down on her finger and starts taking deep breaths. She’s trying not to panic, even as her coping mechanism for anxiety sets in.)

Tony: *Groans and covers his face with his hands* Great. These just won’t stop coming. Popping like daisies. *He takes a deep breath, braces himself, and then spreads his arms out at a loss as he turns to the sorcerers* Who is Agatha Harkness?

[stewardofningishzida]

Stephen Strange Meta-Fic Sequel Chapter 5: A Learning Experience

Shenanigans at Kamar-Taj, ahoy! This is what happens when novices from another universe poke around.

TRIGGER WARNING: Fainting

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stephen gestures to the open portal and the group stands in hushed awe for a moment before Trix suddenly jolts and scrambles for her camera.

Trix: Wait wait wait this is the whole point! *she turns the camera on and pans around at the group* I would like to say that as the first humans from our universe to travel beyond our own and into one we only dreamed of being a reality, this is an important step for the history of our universe. We document this as the next stage of exploration and discovery and will hopefully turn into a great new relationship between the cosmos. *she then grins and points the camera at herself* Alright losers, get in. We’re going universe hopping! *she turns the camera back around and steps into the portal, then pointing the camera back towards our universe*

*I look a bit frazzled, but decide to face the camera.*

Me:  We’ll do our best, make a good impression, and hopefully bring back some worthwhile knowledge.  Let’s do this.  *I make the “peace out” sign and then walk through the portal.*

Tear: And try not to die while at it, I guess. *I follow my friends into the portal, only sparing a small smile to the camera*

PrettyWitch: (I wave to everyone) Bye guys! Have fun storming the castle!

*After we step through, we’re suddenly walking into the courtyard at Kamar-Taj.  The air is clean and cool.  Being from the desert, it’s rather cold to me.  I shiver slightly.  However, I’m too busy being fascinated and borderline overwhelmed by the majestic sight around us.  Our first steps into a whole new universe.  I look practically hypnotized by this experience and can’t help but gawk at everything.*

Me (quietly):  Whoa…

Trix: *nods slightly as she turns off the camera and just stares at everything* Whoa…

PrettyWitch: (My eyes sparkle) Wha…!!!

*Wong is already waiting there to greet us.*

Wong:  Welcome.  I will show you to your quarters so you can put your things down and then the four of you will have a brief tour to get your bearings.  We have much to do and you all need to begin your recovery, studies, and training.  *He’s direct and goes right to business.*

Me (a bit shy, but snapping into professional mode):  Y-yes, Sir.  Thank you.  *I nod.*

Trix: Hi Wong! Thank you for hosting us and teaching us! *waves*

*He looks at Trix and gives a very slight smile in acknowledgement.*  

Wong:  Hello.  You’re welcome.  It is the least we can do after the trouble our universe caused.

Tear: I wouldn’t say there’s any blame to hand out, really. Accidents happen.

PrettyWitch: Oh please! I’d say meeting you guys and your Snarky Dilf was a nice trade off, if you ask me. 

Scott: Hey, wait, if Stephen gets to be a Dilf then what does that make me?

PrettyWitch: The Best Boi, that’s what.

*Wong just silently watches the banter as it unfolds, privately amused.  Meanwhile, Stephen burns in embarrassment and is trying to conceal his red face.*

Peter: *He pouts at PrettyWitch* But I thought I was the Best Boi.

PrettyWitch: No, Scott’s the Best Boi. You’re a precious cinnamon roll.

Scott: Oh yeah, that reminds me; since you’re teaching the girls magic, Wong I was thinking maybe you could squeeze in a lesson or two for me? What do you say?

Wong:  I think you get into enough trouble without magic, Lang.

Stephen:  Yeah…What was it I heard about that heist Hank used to bait you again?  *His eyes flash with a slight amusement.*

Scott: How did you…(He groans, irritably.) I knew I should’ve gone on that mission with you and Hope!

Stephen:  Anyway, I should get back and help Cap and Stark.  Vishanti knows they’ll need it.  Wong, try to keep the girls in one piece, all right?  Girls, behave.

Wong:  No promises.  *He’s teasing slightly.*

Me:  We’ll do our best, Stephen.

Tear: Be careful out there.

PrettyWitch: Yeah, don’t push yourself too hard unless you have to.

Trix: Good luck!

*Stephen gives him a look before waving goodbye to us and walking into a portal back to our universe.*

*After Peter and Scott see us off, we follow Wong to the dormitories so we can find our rooms and drop off our stuff.  It seems Kamar-Taj is far more vast than it appears to be.  So, the nice part is that we each get our own room.  They’re small and a bit modest, but pleasant enough. Plus, they all have excellent Wi-Fi. Wong waits for us in the hallway.  When we re-emerge from our rooms, he gives us a brief tour of the ancient complex.  It concludes in one of the training courtyards.*

Wong:  Now, I want all four of you to watch the training session closely.  Pay attention to what they’re doing, their posture, the gestures, any necessary equipment, and see if you can pick up any key phrases.  I will ask you about your first impressions afterwards.  Part of being competent in sorcery is attention to detail.  Understood?

Me:  Yes, Sir.

Trix: That I can do!

PrettyWitch: No problem here.

Tear: Crystal clear.

*The training session goes on for around 2 hours.  It’s a group of novices learning the basics of shield spell formation.  The gestures are very precise.  Though the actual verbalizations don’t sound like much to us.  There’s probably something else to it, but we can’t quite place it yet.  Posture-wise, they seem to ground themselves in a standard martial arts position with feet shoulder-width apart.  I privately think I have an idea of what’s going on verbally, but have to think it through.  As for the gestures, we all have to pay close attention to really see what they’re doing.  Their fingers are positioned in a specific way.  After the training session concludes, Wong approaches us again for a private talk.*

Wong:  So, what did you observe?

Trix: It’s almost like a dance. You have to learn the steps and nuance before you can start adding your own flair to it.

PrettyWitch: Yeah. And you really need to visualize what you want and think fast, like how the cowboys in the old west will draw their guns real quick.

Me:  Those verbalizations…They’re not just spells.  I mean, they ARE spells, but there’s more to it.  They’re also to make sure your breath is precise and the correct muscles get tensed at the right time, aren’t they?

Tear: I noticed there must be intention behind the spell. I’m assuming that just like in our decision-making, our degree of conviction strengthens our actions and results. The novices who still hold some hesitation moved their hands slower, maybe still getting used to the gestures. You have to fully believe in the magic and yourself.

Wong:  It seems that each of you has a unique approach.  There is some truth in your words.  Though you each need to keep all of these perspectives in mind, not just your own.  There is always another angle.  What each of you failed to notice is that for effective magic, one must also take into account the spell’s own resistance.  Every cast has its cost and energy exertion, including on the outside world.  Not just on the caster.  For the shield, it emits light and tenses the muscles throughout the legs, core, and arms because you have to be a part of the shield itself.  Your power is what gives it the resistance.  Every spell is different in its execution and how it affects the surrounding environment, not just on yourself.  Remember that.  

Trix: Not to be pedantic but because I’m genuinely curious, if the shield emits light and you have to take into consideration of the outside world, does that mean depending on what time of day or if the brightness around you or lack thereof play into how much energy is consumed to power it? I’m assuming there’s other factors as well of course. 

Wong:  It depends on the type of shield spell and how much protection or resistance you require.  Not to mention how large an area you’re defending and how long you need to sustain it.  As for brightness…It’s more of a detection problem.  Basic shield spells are not meant for stealth operations.  They’re too visible.  There ARE invisible shield spells, but those are more advanced.  The light is merely a byproduct of the energy put into the cast.

Trix: So it’s the excess energy like how heat is released. Got it.

Wong:  Precisely.  Better it be light than heat.  *He curls his lip slightly.*

Trix: *grins*

Wong:  Seeing as your group needs to recover, the last thing for today will be a brief meditation.  I need to know how effective you are at disciplining your minds and clearing them so I can establish a baseline.  Come.  *He gestures and guides us to a secluded area with some mats to sit on.*

Wong:  I will lead you into the meditation and then I expect you all to continue on your own.  I will be looking each of you over, but pay me no mind.  I am merely there to observe.

Tear: Sure, no pressure. We’ll just have the Sorcerer Supreme breathing down our necks…

Trix: *smiling* Come on, we’re living the dream right now! The School of Wong!

*He eases us into starting meditation, much like how Stephen did with us all of those months ago.  Then, he quietly gets up and walks among us, silently checking on each group member.  It almost seems as though he’s mentally scanning us.  Then again, he probably is.*

Trix: *she’s not in a traditional meditation pose but seems absolutely involved in the meditation*

*I sit cross-legged, unable to get into the lotus position due to arthritis.  Despite that, I sit up straight and take slow, deep breaths.  My mind is clear.*

**

**

*After around 20 minutes, he decides that this is a sufficient start and lets us stop.*

Wong:  I detected a few intrusive thoughts, but each of you appeared to handle them well, for novices.  Some refinement is needed.  However, it was a decent start.  I assume Strange had taught you some basics before he returned here.

Me:  He did, yes.  Though some of us had some previous experience with meditation already because they received training in martial arts.

*He grunts in acknowledgement.*

Wong:  For now, you are free to explore the complex and have dinner.  However, if you encounter any unfamiliar relics, rooms, or enchantments, do not touch or enter them.  Go back the way you came.  You may ask about them later.  Understood?

Me:  Yes, Sir.

Trix: Got it! *she is visibly excited to explore*

PrettyWitch: Okay. Thanks, Wong.

Me:  So, guys…Stick together or split up?  What do we think?

Trix: I mean, if we’re gonna recreate Scooby Doo this would absolutely be the place that would have hallways that actually worked like the show.

Tear: I think we should just stick together. After all, we all have to know where everything is located, so it’s not like splitting up would help us finish faster or anything. Besides, if Kamar-Taj is anything like the Sanctum, I don’t wanna be stuck in its hallways for hours without having dinner first.

Trix: Now, I agree with you but I also assume dinner is going to have something that’s going to blink back at me. I do want to explore more and at least find the library. Not that I’m gonna touch anything but the need to see it in person is high on my priority list.

PrettyWitch: Yeah! I’m dying to see if the library here’s like the one in my headcanons.

Me:  All right.  We’ll explore together.  I’d like to not get lost on the first day anyway.  Terrible sense of direction.

Trix: You got lost going to work and you’ve worked there for a decent amount of time. It’s less than 15 minutes away.

Me:  I figured out maps…It’s the route that keeps shifting…

Trix: *facepalms* Anyways- ONWARDS! *she starts heading towards the large main building*

*We follow Trix inside the main structure to find a myriad of hallways bustling with people. They seem rather confused at our presence, especially since we are still dressed in our own clothes, but everyone seems friendly enough since we couldn’t be in here without the Sorcerer Supreme’s permission.* 

*During the exploration, our group finds a lounge, a mess hall with tall ceilings, the kitchen, no less than seven bathrooms, four dry landscape gardens, a storage room which we quickly back out of, and finally–*

Trix: The library!!!! *she nearly squeals as she steps into the rather familiar room. It looks very similar to the movies we had watched back in our world but with some subtle differences* I cannot wait until we get to study more. Do you think my Allspeak thing works on written language as well? *she really wants to open a book but she also doesn’t want to die by opening the wrong book*

Me:  Possibly.  If it doesn’t work yet, then maybe it will after you’ve practiced more and learned more about how to use it effectively.

Tear: I’m sure Wong will be able to help you determine more about it. *Like the others, I’m beyond excited about the library. I’m already walking through the first aisle in-between the tall bookshelves, looking at all the spines of the books curiously. Logic tells me these first books so near the entrance must be safe, otherwise they’d be kept on the back inside the Masters’ section of the library. Near the end of the bookshelf, I finally spot a title written in English. It’s a basic astrology book, so I carefully pull it from the shelf and leaf through it. It’s full of math and physics equations.*  

*I’m intensely curious and am sorely tempted to pick something up like Tear, but resist.  I like keeping my soul inside of my body, thank you very much.  I glance at everything, getting as close as I dare without actually touching or disturbing anything.*

Trix: *she looks around and spies an open book on one of the tables and can hear someone nearby, likely getting another book* I mean, if we don’t touch it…it’s already open so it’s probably safe so long as we don’t read the thing out loud or try anything out…

Tear: *I look back over my shoulder at Trix* I’m sure it’s fine. The sorcerers here wouldn’t be so careless as to leave a summoning ritual open and unsupervised like that. Besides, the books in this section seem to be harmless enough… *I put back the astronomy textbook and turn to the bookshelf behind me* Oh! They even have a book on Japanese folktales here! *I flip through another book written in Japanese. Its chapter titles come with copies of ink art depicting each tale, and I can’t help but wonder if the original works hold some sort of magic secret*

*I trot over to the nearest desk, wanting a look at the open book Trix spotted too.  The book is written in Sanskrit.  That much, I can recognize.  However, I can’t read it.*

Me:  Huh…That detail was right too.  *I stare at the book, intrigued.  It doesn’t seem to be hurting me or anything of the sort.*

Trix: What is it? *she comes closer to Steward*

*I shrug.*

Me:  I dunno.  Can’t read it.  Sanskrit…and you, shut up.  *Points at seemingly nobody.  Probably the ghost again.*  No, we are NOT doing this exchange again.  *I quietly hiss at him.  At this point, I’m distractedly arguing with what appears to be thin air, doing my best to keep my volume down.*  What the-You can’t say that!  *I’m still keeping my voice low.  Though my irritation with the ghost is clear.*  

Trix: *she wanders over to the book and glances down at the pages* Huh. *almost immediately her eyes roll back into her head and she collapses unconscious*

*I hear the thud and look over to see Trix on the ground.  I race over.*

Me (not shouting, but definitely urgent):  Oh my God!  Trix, are you okay?  Answer us.  *I gently nudge her and then tap lightly on her face to see if she responds.*

Tear: *I hurriedly place my book back on the shelf and dart out the isle to join the others* What happened?

Me: PrettyWitch, Tear, can one of you go find Wong?  Trix looked at that open book and passed out.  She’s not responding.  *I desperately take her vital signs.  Her pulse, temperature, and breathing seem okay.  It’s just that Trix is unconscious.*

Wong (from a few shelves away):  No need.  *He comes over.*  Surely, spellbooks would fall under the “unfamiliar” territory…*He sighs and checks Trix before casting some sort of recovery spell on her.*

Trix: *her eyes flutter open but immediately squint shut again* Ow- what the hell?

Wong:  Be careful around the spellbooks.  Your ability’s side effects can be more intense when encountering the written word.  Come, you need extra energy.  The rest of you may accompany her if you wish.  *He helps Trix to her feet and supports her.*

Trix: *groans slightly* Can it at least not stare at me like what Stephen had us eat before? *is still fairly dizzy and the room is spinning a bit*

Wong:  I will see what can be done.  *He leads us to the mess hall and presents Trix with a bowl of…something else.  Whatever it is, it appears to have fingers?  Yet, the fingers aren’t on any discernible feature.  It pulsates gently.*

Trix: I mean, it’s fitting the request much to my horror. I have absolutely learned from this lesson and I won’t do it again. *is staring at the food in disgust before looking up at Wong* How likely is it that you’re willing to disguise the food as something else or is that a ‘Stephen is nice to us’ thing?

Wong (blunt):  More of the latter.  It is more practical to get used to the appearance.  Not just to avoid wasting more energy by casting a disguise on it, but also to become familiar with safe food sources.

Trix: *sighs wearily* Well fuck, if I can eat escargot I guess I can attempt this. *hesitantly she starts eating and is making a face but continues to eat slowly*

*I try to look, but can’t bear to watch for too long.*

Wong:  You may have regular food afterwards.  You do still need it.  This food merely sustains your magic.  Regular food is what sustains your body.

Trix: Oh thank god. *she has finished her food but is looking a bit pale. Whether it’s from fainting or from what she just ate is anyone’s guess*

Wong:  The rest of you appear to be okay for now.  So, feel free to eat.  

*I nod and then proceed to eye a steamer full of xiaolongbao.*

Me (to my friends):  You guys ever had these before?  They’re really good.

Tear: I’d say I have, but it depends on their filling. I’ve had Japanese nikuman before. They’re really tasty indeed.

*I taste one.*

Me:  It’s broth with ground pork and some chopped bits of vegetables.  Here.  *I share the dumplings with Tear and PrettyWitch.*

PrettyWitch: (I hold up the dumpling the way I’ve always seen in anime and take a bite.) Mmmmmm!!!! This tastes great!!!! (I continue eating with a big smile on my face.)

Trix: *her head is down on the table* If I have anything else after that I am gonna link the two foods in my brain and it will forever be ruined. I’m good.

Me:  All right.  Well, I’ll at least set something shelf-stable aside for you in case you’re hungry in a few hours.  *I try to comfort her.*

*We have some dinner and then clean up after ourselves.*

Wong:  I trust that you four can locate your quarters.  I have some work to do this evening.

Trix: No more exploring, only sleep. *she still seems pretty wiped out*

Me:  We’ll go to our rooms for tonight.  Lemme help you, Trix.  *I help her up.*  Good night, Wong.  Thank you again.

PrettyWitch: Yes. Thanks again, Wong.

Trix: Thank you! G’night!

Wong (polite):  Good night.

*He leaves to do his work.*

Trix: I’m not allowed on the internet at home or to leave anywhere, am I? *she sounds resigned*

Me:  Probably only allowed on English pages for now and no.  I don’t think we can leave yet.  We don’t even know the area.

Trix: Well, let’s just head to bed. I feel like I ran a marathon but it was just my brain on fire.

*We head back to the dormitories for the night to get some rest.  So far, it has been an eventful first day at Kamar-Taj.*

***To be continued***

[prettywitchiusaka]

hi do you have favorite romantic cleaphen quotes?

Hmmm...favorite romantic Cleaphen quotes?...

I've got two!

From Strange Tales Vol. 2 #18;

" I know the principles of Reason--Purity--all the structures of Magick and of Power--and Love is nothing of that. It is entrusting your soul in the hands of another. It is faith. It is hope. It is--Clea--!"

From Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme #3;

"For so long...for so long I thought love was an attachment to be overcome. I thought that love lured me away from the path. And I plunged into an abyss dark beyond belief. But love is the path itself. You are--and I had to become someone new to learn that, Clea."

"And you are someone new, Stephen. There is peace in you, joy. Love--all I ever need to find."

[prettywitchiusaka]

FMA Photo Collection Cards

So the last couple of days, I’ve been looking for scans from the Fullmetal Alchemist Photo Collection trading cards that were put out in 2005, but can only find a few.

I was wondering if anyone had anymore that they could be free to direct me to, or even scan them and upload them onto Tumblr?

[prettywitchiusaka]

Prettywitch Sailor Moon Rants: Miracle Romance - Love At First Sight

Welcome to the Sailor Moon Rant series, where I talk/rant about all things Sailor Moon related! Keep in mind that these are my own subjective opinions on the franchise, and you are free to disagree/debate with me in the comments section. Just know that if you decide to insult and/or harass me for having a different viewpoint, don’t think I won’t hesitate to report you.

Anyway, on with the show!

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Usagi and Mamoru; they were my childhood OTP, and remain one of my favourite couples to this day!

But if you ask me to choose which version of this pairing is my favourite, then I’d probably have to go with the Manga/Crystal’s take. Why? Because they’re just so sweet and loving with each other there, it’s beautiful and I love it!

But apparently not everyone shared my sentiments, because I saw a lot of push back when Crystal came out about this. And truth be told, it pissed me off.

Mostly because I’m a big fan of the manga, but also because I didn’t quite understand why?

Well, okay. I do know why; because it wasn’t like the first anime. People thought their romance happened too fast in the new series, as opposed to the original where it took them awhile before they started dating.

Well, this is where I’m gonna loose subscribers. Because while I love the 90s Sailor Moon series in its entirety, I will agree that the way Usagi and Mamoru’s romance is handled is one of the weaker aspects of Season 1.

Yes, the interactions between them as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask are great, but they never form a connection as Usagi and Mamoru. I mean, it would be one thing if it was like Black Cat and Spiderman where she loves Spiderman but hates Peter Parker, but that’s not how it comes off. They spend zero time together, mostly bicker for over 30 episodes, but then we get to the reveal and afterwards they’re all like “Woah! Total 180! I love you, now!”

I’ll probably go into this more in a future instalment of this series, but suffice it to say if you wanna see a slow burn with Usagi and Mamoru done right, go watch PGSM.

That’s not to say I don’t think Usagi and Mamoru’s romance wasn’t handled well in the first series. In fact, I can name plenty of times where I think their romance really worked! I just wished they would’ve spent more time on building a romantic connection out of costume as they did in costume. So when Crystal first aired in 2014, I actually really liked that they took some time to set up their connection before hand (like the manga did) and even add a few scenes like this one;

Now isn’t that a great meet cute? It sets up their attraction to one another, is well timed and paced, and it’s keeping in tone with the more romantic aspects of the manga.

In fact, it actually kind of reminds me of another meet cute that I really like.

And that’s where we get into the meat of this rant.

Like I said earlier, the most common complaint I heard from people about this relationship was that it was (as one ANN reviewer put it) “a generic, love at first sight story”. They don’t know each other, so what draws them to each other? That sort of crap (sorry).

I have two major problems with this.

1. Anyone with a passing knowledge of Sailor Moon would know that Usagi and Mamoru were lovers in a past life. And not only that, but they vowed to love only each other for all eternity. When you make vows in a story like this, they tend to stick. So if anything, I think Crystal did the right thing by setting it up earlier than the manga did.

And even ignoring the past lovers thing, why wouldn’t they be drawn to each other? She’s a cute teenage girl and he’s a handsome teenage boy, I think it stands to reason that they’d probably be interested in at least dating or even getting to know each other better if they bumped into one another on the street.

And before anyone else says “well, their initial attraction stemmed from how they looked.” Well what do you think dating works?

You don’t always form romantic feelings for someone who’s your friend, sometimes you see someone you’re attracted to physically and ask them out in the hopes of getting to know them better. That does happen, you know!

Which brings me to my next point.

2. I think the main reason people got upset over this is because…Well, let’s face it; it’s been shoved down our throats for the last however many years or so that “love at first sight” is not a good thing.

Which, let’s be honest here; it’s not.

And truth be told, I actually don’t mind stories where people deconstruct that idea and show the consequences and potential fall-out of basing a relationship purely on physical appearance.

But we’re not talking about Frozen or even Steven Universe, here. This is Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon has always used fairytale tropes and devices in its storytelling, and this is no different.

Is this really what we’ve become? We’re really gonna get on Sailor Moon’s case for using fairytale tropes? Something this franchise has done consistently for over twenty years at this point?

You know you can like something while recognizing that it’s not like reality, right? Oh, wait, of course not! Silly me!

But hey, what do I know? I guess I’m just a hopeless romantic, at heart.

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Anyway, thank you for reading this. Feel free to leave any feedback and as always, let me know what you think.

See you next rant!

[prettywitchiusaka]

Prettywitch Confesses #46

Someone asked about my pen name, so I figured it was now or never to reveal the origin of that.

Back when I was 10 and starting to get into anime, I tried creating an anime club in the basement of my parent’s house (ha ha, I know). If I remember right, I had made the decision that everyone who joined would have to have a codename of sorts.

This was when I first created the name Prettywitchiusaka. The name came from three different sources.

Pretywitchi came from the phrased used by the cast in Ojamajo Doremi. Whenever they would finish transforming they would yell out;

Pretty Witchi (insert name) chi!

usa came from the first part of Sailor Moon’s true identity, Usage Tsukino.

ka came from the last two letter’s of Sakura Kinomoto’s name (Cardcaptor Sakura)

The idea of having an anime club never really took off (even though I had the space in my basement that eventually came my office), but I always liked the name. So much so that when I started writing fanfics regularly at 14, I remembered that name and decided to use it as my pen name and online identity.

And that’s the story!