Secret Crisis:The Kang Dynasty Chapter 16
Earth-838 Baron Mordo prepared tea for the Earth-616 Prime travelers upstairs in the Sanctum.
"Thank you" said Strange
"So. It appears you are your cohorts are not from this earth. Stating the obvious of course" said Mordo.
"It was a complete accident. You see on out earth we were currently in the midst of a battle between someone called Kang the Conqueror and next thing we know, we opened a portal through different universes and end up here" Explained Strange.
"Now we're just trying to find our way back home" added Sara.
"A Multiversal traveler. Thank the stars you brought Doctor Strange to safety." said Mordo.
"Well just because we jumped ship doesn't mean we're safe." said Strange.
"Kang has torn our asses apart and sent monsters from other universes after America." Peter adds.
"So this Kang has the Darkhold?" Asked Mordo.
"How do you know about the Darkhold?" Asked Strange
"Oh yes we have a Darkhold in this universe too. I guard it here in this Sanctum. We would never risk a weapon like thsg falling into the wrong hands" Explained Mordo.
"Damn right." said Strange.
"We have one on my ship. But a version from a merged timeline." Explained Sara.
"Our Sara Lance had the Darkhold too." said Mordo
"Wait what?" asked Strange.
"Our Sara was struck with grief. For you see on this earth, this universe, she lost her heart. Her wife Ava Sharp-Lance was killed. Believing magic could solve her resurrection, she first went to John Constantine for help. But after being told there was nothing he could do, she killed him and took his power. Wanting to learn how to use this newfound power, she came to Kamar-taj. Similar to our Stephen Strange. But growing impatient, she discovered the Darkhold. As her power grew, so did its corruption. The likes of The Flash, Supergirl and Superman couldn't stand a chance. Even after successfully resurrecting her beloved, Ava couldn't stand to bare what Sara had become. So our mightiest heroes banded together to finally put her down for good." Explained Mordo.
"Oh God. We came back to the Hall of Justice on the Waverider. If the book is on there, Kang must've gotten it after he went through our friends. There's no telling what he can do with it" said Peter.
"What do you know about the Book of Vishanti?" Asked Strange.
"The Darkhold's antithesis. It can give a Sorcerer whatever power they need to vanquish their enemy." Explained Mordo.
"Is it just me or does this tea taste funny?" Asked America feeling queezy.
"America you alri-"
"I'm sorry Stephen. But I hope you of all people understand that it's not Kang thsg threatens our reality, it's the four of you" said Mordo.
"What did you put in our tea!" Demanded Sara getting weak in the knees.
Peter tried to twhip a web but passes out.
Doctor Strange stumbled back and sees the cause of the deception.
"You son of a-"
"The Sanda of Nisanti"
"I only acted. As you would"
Strange and Sara along with Peter and America all pass out and taken elsewhere by Mordo.
Kang's Fortress
Kang with the Darkhold taken from The Waverider flips through its pages as he combined his tech with a spell to have the reborn Carnage on his way to find America Chavez and the others.
"Find them. Take advantage of your Rebirth Cleutus Kassidy. Bring them all back to me. Or I will find you" ordered Kang.
"Only if we get to kill along the way" said Carnage taking form.
"Kill as many as you wish. But remember your goal"
Hours later,
Doctor Strange awakes finding himself in a holding cell along with America, Peter and Sara in theirs.
"This universe sucks!" shouts America.
"Doctor Strange noticed his cloak of levitation was gone and he was in cuffs along with Sara and Peter.
"The hell happened?" Asked Peter waking up without his mask on rubbing his head.
"Hey Sara? You alright?" Asked Peter.
"I got a throbbing headache and I'm in cuffs." she answered.
"So that's a no then" Peter continued.
"Hey! Lab coat!" shouts Strange.
One of the scientists turned out to be Earth-838 Ray Palmer.
"Oh hey Doctor Strange! No wait. Hey Doctor Strange of Earth-616." said Ray.
"Ray? The hell are we doing here?" Asked Sara.
"We're studying you of course." Explained Ray.
"Your magnetic signatures could be radioactive and you may be carrying diseases we just don't have the treatment for hense these amazing polycarbonate fishbowls" added Earth-838 Caitlin Snow.
"Thanks for that" said Peter.
However the doors to the lab open as the sound of mechanical footsteps echoed. Earth-838 Mordo with Ultron sentries flanking him arrive.
"Stephen Strange! Sara Lance! Peter Parker!. The Illuminati will see you now!"
"The Illumin-Whaty?" Asked Strange.
The ultron sentries open their cells grabbing the three.
"Hey wait. Do me a favor and make sure nothing happens to the kid." Asked Strange.
America only looks on in concern with her friends taken away.
"Don't worry, I'm sure they will fine" Ray assured with his usual upbeat nature.
"They'll be fine" Caitlin assured.
The Ultron sentries then escorted the three across the compound into the chamber of the Illuminati.
The three see several chairs a top a staircase with some shadowy silhouettes casting looks of judgment.
"Stephen Strange. Sara Lance. Peter Parker. You are all called before The Illuminati. I Baron Karl Mordo, The Sorcerer Supreme hereby..."
"Karl?" Asked Strange.
A shield gets tossed by his feet as it ricochets back to its owner.
"Captain Carter! The First Avenger"
"Peggy?" Sara asked.
"Blackagar Boltagon! Keeper of the Terrgien Mists! The Inhuman King!"
"Blackagon Boltagar?" Asked Strange.
"Is that a tuning fork?" Asked Peter.
"Captain Marvel! Defender of the Cosmos!"
"Monica?" Asked Peter.
"Maria actually. How do you know my daughter?" Asked Maria.
"Monica is your daughter?" Peter asks.
"Benjamin Tennyson! Wielder of the Omnitrix!"
"Who the hell are you?" Asked Sara.
"Ben 10. You know? World's greatest hero? Guy who can change into a million different aliens from across the Omniverse?"
"So your gimmick is you have a fancy watch. *scoffs* give me a break" adds Strange.
"You sound awfully a lot like one of my alternate selves." said Peter.
"Kira Ford! Yellow Dino Thunder Power Ranger. Protector of Reefside!"
"The Power Rangers are real now?" Asked Peter.
"Spinnerette! Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Woman"
"MJ?" Asked Sara.
"Peter?" Asked Spinnerette.
"Are we married in this universe?" Asked Peter.
"We are. But...You're dead" she explains.
"And the Smartest Man Alive. Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four!"
"Hello Stephen"
"You gotta be kidding me" said Strange.
"I'm sorry is this a joke to you?" Asked Maria
"One of your guys has a fork on his head so kinda" said Sara.
"You may not be here but you still got some nerve showing your face here" said Kira.
"You've taken a lot of lives. Including my grandpa, my cousin and my friend Kevin" said Ben.
Blackbolt then speaks in his own version of sign language towards the three.
"Be grateful Blackbolt doesn't engage with you on conversation" said Peggy
"Why? Does he have bad breath?" Asked Strange.
"This Strange is even more arrogant than ours" said Peggy.
"Just more alive" adds Strange.
"For now" said Maria
"Hey what is she talking about?" Asked Peter.
"Stephen, your arrival here, confuses and destabilizes reality. The larger the footprint you leave behind the greater the risk for an incursion" Explained Reed.
"Yeah. The collision of two realities destroying one or both" said Peter.
"I always knew of your great intelligence Peter" Adds Reed with a smile.
"Strange's alternate self created The Illuminati to make difficult decisions no one else could." Explained Peggy.
"Including killing our universe's Sara Lance." Added Kira.
"The very same that killed this universe's...my Peter Parker" Explained Spinnerette feeling a lump in her throat.
"It wasn't easy either." said Ben.
"Today we're here to determine what to do with you all and the child." Explained Peggy.
"So before we vote, if you have anything serious to say, now's the time" said Maria.
"Please you can't do this! We're not the enemy here, Kang is! He's on our earth right now with all our friends and if we don't get back home, all of the people we care about dies!" pleads Peter.
"If incursions are your biggest threat do you think we're the bigger problem than Kang the Conqueror?" Asked Strange.
"Oh we can handle your little Conqueror. Whether or not he decides to show his face" assured Maria.
"Bullshit you can handle him!" said Sara
"Not unless you give us the Book of Vishanti!" adds Strange.
"We appreciate your concern but from our experience, the greatest danger to the Multiverse it turns out, is Sara Lance." adds Reed.
"And what about your Doctor Strange, earth's mightiest hero? Why isn't he here?" Asked Strange.
"We should tell them the truth!" said a familiar voice.
Out comes a giant yellow hover chair.
"Our final member. Professor Charles Xavier" said Mordo.
"What truth?" Asked Strange.
"We haven't seen our Strange in days. He last told us about his visit to Earth-637 where the Sorcerer Supreme there was Sara Lance." Explained Charles.
"You mean the one that died? Along with your Strange?" Asked Sara.
"Sara what are you doing?" Asked Peter.
"How do you know of the fate of our Strange?" Asked Maria.
"The other night I had a dream. A dream where I was Earth-637 Sara Lance with your Doctor Strange. We were both within reach of thr Book of Vishanti. Strange tried to take all of America Chavez's powers to kill the monsters that was after her. But we both died as she fell into our earth." Explained Sara.
"She's lying!" Maria objects.
"Wait. Let's hear her out. Professor! You can verify her story can you?" Asked Spinnerette.
Charles uses his mutant power of telepathy getting inside Sara's head to see that she was indeed telling the truth.
"Oh dear." said Charles.
"She was telling the truth?" Peggy asked.
"Sara wouldn't lie about that." said Peter.
"Peter Parker is indeed correct. Even our Sara was honest." Explained Charles.
"Speaking of which. How did you guys kill her? How did I die?" Asked Peter.
"Sara was too far gone. The Darkhold corrupted her beyond saving after her own wife who she brought back from the dead, only saw a monster. Our Strange believed the Book of Vishanti was our only answer. Our Peter Parker however, saw it differently. He believed somewhere deep down his friend was still there worth saving. His plan was to talk her down. Get her to surrender." Explained Charles.
"And what happened?" Asked Peter.
Spinnerette takes off her mask as she wipes off the tears.
"That bitch took the man I loved and the father to my daughter, took him up in the air and popped him like a Ballon." she answered with anger and Venom in her heart.
Charles again uses his powers to project the events as it happened.
Earth-838 Sara Lance was defeated, bound by magical restraints. Spider-Man's mask laying on a rock.
"I shall miss you my friend" Charles said holding the mask.
Blackbolt steps forward as he spoke the words
"I'm sorry"
However due to the Nature of Blackbolt's Inhuman ability, it was actually a very powerful sonic blast that obliterated Sara Lance. Leaving nothing left.
The projection ends as Sara with guilt and grief asks
"What have I done?"
The the building's alarm siren goes off.
"The Building has been breached" said Reed.
"No shit genius" said Strange.
"Status report on sentries?"
Peggy pulls up the camera feed as Carnage as infiltrated The Illuminati HQ. Ripping, tearing and eating Ultron sentries.
"The hell?" Asked Sara.
"He's going for the child" said Maria.
"Watch them. We'll vote on our return" said Peggy leading the charge.
"Stephen, should you manage to escape this chamber, you must guide America Chavez. Save the girl and get to the Book of Vishanti" Charles.
"Thank you professor" said Peter.
"CHARLES! We cannot trust them!" shouts Mordo.
"I do." said Spinnerette giving Peter a goodbye kiss.
"I wish we could have a little more time." she continued as she rejoins the team.
"And I also believe we can. Just because someone stumbles and loses their way, doesn't mean their lost forever. We will see what kind of Doctor Strange, White Canary and Spider-Man you are" said Charles.
"How do we even get to the Book?" Asked Sara.
"Find the waypoint. Within the lower levels of this facility. It shall lead you straight to the Book." Explained Charles taking his leave.