"Do you know what you're doing then?"

"You've only explained it four times already."

"I'd like to get a yes or no just so I can be sure."

America had her hands on her hips and was rolling her eyes as she spoke with Wong. Yaz was finding it highly amusing, watching the interaction. It was almost comforting to see that someone with such amazing powers was just a typical teenage girl at heart, giving the same sort of attitude that parents across the world knew all too well. The sort of attitude that she had likely given her own parents once or twice (or maybe more than that but who was keeping count?). Then there was Wong, the almighty Sorcerer Supreme, who was as helpless to corral her provocative mood as any other guardian. In a strange world with superheroes, it was comforting that some things didn't change.

"I know," America ground out through gritted teeth. "I'm to search through the multiverse, checking to see if there are any threats that could potentially traverse between realities. It's a fairly easy reconnaissance mission."

"And that's what I'm worried about," Wong said. "Your attitude towards all this. It's too relaxed. If such a threat does exist, then doing this will paint a target on your back. You need to be careful and constantly vigilant. Any sign of danger and you bring yourself back here right away."

"You worry far too much about me."

"I have a duty to protect you. Strange would never forgive me if something were to happen to you whilst he's away. And…maybe I've grown fond of having you around, even if you're the incessant cause of my migraines."

She did a little curtsy though Yaz could tell that the girl was rather taken aback by the comment. She wondered whether she had heard such affection from someone else before or whether it had just been an incredibly long time since she'd experienced that sort of feeling. The Doctor wasn't too happy about the plan that was forming in front of her, which explained why she was now holding her hand up, waiting to be acknowledged.

"Uh…you don't need to do that," Wong told her. "You can speak freely in the Sanctum. Unless I'm in the middle of one of my boxsets. No one's allowed to distract me during that."

"Sorry," the Doctor replied with a pout. "I was just trying to be polite. Thought I'd give it a whirl. Anyway…this plan of yours. Is it really the only option we have? Because I'm not too thrilled about risking someone's life who is so…"

"Young?" America finished for her, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, you've gone and done it now," Wong muttered darkly. "I'm just glad that it's not my fault this time. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of what's to come."

"First of all, I'm older than I look! And I've been through quite a lot! Let's just gloss over the fact that I lost my mums because of my stupid mistake. We could focus on the fact that everyone who has come across me since hasn't seen me for who I am, but as someone who could be utilised. I'm an object more than a person, at least until I came here. Even then, this world almost killed me. I am tired of people underestimating me, especially someone who hardly knows me."

The Doctor smirked, not phased by the backlash. "I just had to be sure. It's good to know that our fate is in such good hands."

Whatever America had been expecting in response, it didn't appear to have been that. She took a step back, blinking. "Oh."

"All the spells I've learnt and mastered over the years," Wong murmured. "After all the experiences I've been through. And I've never been able to silence her so effectively. Maybe I should be looking to you for guidance, Doctor."

She nodded her head in his direction. "I still think that this course of action could do with some tinkering. Why does she need to go alone? Couldn't someone accompany her? Safety in numbers, that sort of thing. It could be a fun group activity!"

Kamala raised her hand, prompting Wong to groan tiredly. "Miss Khan, if you have something to say, I have already told you that you can just say it."

The girl smiled bashfully. "I was just going to agree with that idea. I'd love to travel through the multiverse. Imagine the things I could see! Worlds where different fates happened!"

"Absolutely not."

"But you're letting America go! And we're basically the same age!"

"America is the only one out of us who can physically go through this process unassisted. Therefore, it is a decision born out of necessity rather than through any want of my own. And, frankly, I still need to assess your power levels. Do you have a family?" He paused, watching her nod her head. "Precisely another reason why you shouldn't go. There'd be a pile of forms that I'd have to fill in afterwards if we lost you."

"But could we go?" Yaz asked excitedly. She was up for anything, especially something that she would probably never get to experience again.

Kamala looked at her as if she'd been stabbed in the back. "Would you really go without me?"

"There's no need to answer that," Wong interrupted before an argument could break out. "Because I don't think it's a good idea for anyone to go with America. The journey will already be a difficult one as it is without the responsibility of looking after other people. As much as her skills have improved in a remarkable amount of time, honed to a certain level, exterior forces outside of our supervision could cause you to lose control of her powers. What happens if you are lost in another universe with no way to communicate with or reach us? I trust America to accomplish this task."

"Are you actually paying me compliments now?" she responded with a smile. "Because I could get used to this."

"I'm just bigging you up in front of the guests. Don't let me down. I have a reputation to uphold."

"Looks like I'm going on a solo expedition. Is it wrong to be excited? This is my first proper mission. I'm basically a superhero now. Do I get to call myself an Avenger? I've been reading up on them."

"You can ask Strange to bring it up at the next meeting when he gets back."

"You said it. You promised now. You can't take that back." America pointed a finger at him in warning. "I'll expect a badge or something when I get back."

With little fuss, she arched her arm back and punched the air, a now familiar star forming in front of them. They tried peering through the hole, trying to make sense of what lay beyond. It looked like a normal street, except all of the constructions were made out of over-sized sweets. Dan licked his lips hungrily, wondering whether he could sneak through without anyone noticing.

America gave them one last smile before jumping through, the five-pointed opening quickly swallowing shut once she was away from it. A silence descended amongst the group as they tried to decide what to do next. It would be a waiting game now. Either America would return or trouble would turn up at their doorstep. One or the other. But the Doctor felt like there were worse places one could be with a long time to wait. She'd been thinking about the contents of the library ever since she'd first stepped inside.

Kamala lifted her hand and Wong began to walk away, realising that no one was going to listen to that rule. Why should they? He was only the Sorcerer Supreme after all. He liked being at Kamar Taj, mainly because everyone respected him there. Even Strange had bowed before him. This new group appeared to require a lot of breaking in. It was a job that he didn't know whether he was ready for.

"I was just wondering if those Avengers badges are a real thing and whether there's one going spare," Kamala said. She didn't get a response.

xxxxxxxxxx

Dan sat lazily in an armchair, his legs resting up against the arm of the seat, as he gently threw a small object into the air. He would catch it and repeat, keeping his mind occupied as they waited for any developments. This wasn't like them. On their adventures, there wasn't usually a lot of downtime. Even in the Tardis, they would invariably be transported from one disaster to the next. He should have been happy that he was being given the opportunity to relax for once. But it was as if his mind and body had become adjusted to that way of life, used to it by now, and he ached for some thrills once again. Surely this new world had more to offer than simply sitting around.

The Doctor was prowling around the room, investigating every object on display that she came across with fascinated attention. Some of the names were impossible for her to pronounce and she wondered why the Tardis was struggling to translate them. Maybe her linguistic circuits weren't up to scratch. Or maybe it was because this was a language from another world. It was something else for her to ponder. She could put it to the back of her mind for the time being, with much more important matters to attend to.

"So you're telling me that there's a guy who literally turns green when he gets angry?" Yaz was looking at Kamala with a disbelieving look. But how could she not trust her when this world contained such impossible things? Green men shouldn't have been that surprising after she'd experienced magic right in front of her.

"I think Doctor Banner would prefer to be known for his scientific mind…but yeah," Kamala replied with a grin. This was her heaven. She was being given the chance to talk about her beloved passion to a group of people who had no knowledge of superheroes. They were a blank canvas for her to utilise. Maybe she would ask her dad to download her powerpoint presentation from her laptop, though she doubted whether he would be able to work the computer so deftly. "The lines between the man and the big guy are a bit blurred nowadays, judging from the accounts we can get. He's a bit of recluse, as you can imagine if you had that ability. It makes having relationships practically impossible."

"So there are downsides to having these powers?" the Doctor pointed out, joining the conversation. There were only so many books she could go through before she wanted something else to occupy her mind with.

"Well, there are downsides with everything," Kamala argued. "Having superpowers is one of the greatest gifts you can have, in my view, but that means that the negatives have to be pretty heavy too. It's like a counterbalance."

"Does that mean there are negatives with your powers?" Yaz asked gently, not wanting to push too hard. They hardly knew her after all.

"When you first met me, I was floating in space against my will so it's not all fun and games." They could tell she was trying to joke about it, trying to make light of it, but it was clear to see that there was no true levity there. "I suppose the hardest thing about it was hiding my abilities from the people I cared about. I was worried that they would think I wasn't trusting them or that I was somehow betraying the relationships we had. In the end, it felt like I was hiding my true self from them. I was lucky enough that my family were willing to embrace what I'd become, as well as my friends. I don't think many people would have been that lucky."

"There must be a daunting amount of anonymity that comes with these powers," the Doctor remarked. "Especially when it's thrust upon you so randomly and unexpectedly. I honestly don't know how you managed so well."

"I'm not too sure about that anonymity. You'd be surprised how many people have both their identities in the public eye. Tony Stark wasted no time in telling people. Of course, the public doesn't know that Kamala Khan is the new superhero roaming around New Jersey…but I reckon it's only a matter of time before that secret gets out. I've got quite a big mouth."

Dan sat up straighter. "Does that scare you?"

"I can't be scared. These new abilities have given me a responsibility to use them…to help people with them. I can't be scared of them, otherwise this would all be for nothing."

"Of course you can be scared!" the Doctor argued. "Being scared is what keeps us connected to everyone else. A basic instinct that you should never ignore. The key thing to do is never allow it to control you. Acknowledge it whilst using it to fuel everything you do. I'm scared every single day…but it's what I'm scared of that makes me fight stronger."

Yaz wondered what could terrify the Doctor, who was basically the bravest person she'd ever met. Then again, wasn't bravery being scared of something and still doing it anyway? She felt like she could use that phrase on the Doctor one day, when the opportunity arose. More than anything, she felt like the conversation had become slightly too heavy when they were supposed to be taking a break from all the potential doom and gloom.

"So…" she began, "this Bruce Banner…and Tony Stark…they were a part of the Avengers?"

Kamala's face brightened considerably. "They were part of the founding members. The OG's. Only half of them are still alive, along with Thor and Hawkeye. It seems that superheroes don't get to live for very long, unless you're lucky."

"Does that worry you?" Dan asked, though surely it was fairly obvious. "I mean…you've been given these powers basically against your will…that's going to make your life a lot more difficult."

"To be fair, it's very similar to what happened to you," Yaz pointed out. "You got kidnapped by a giant dog from space and then your house was shrunk, meaning that your life got completely turned on its head. You were stuck with us from that point. And I reckon that's made your life a bit more difficult."

"Mainly because I have to put up with you and your bullying of me. Not to mention having to deal with your flirting with the Doctor."

Yaz's eyes went wide. "I do not flirt with her!"

The Doctor pulled a face. "Do you not? I was sure that's what you were doing. I thought I was doing my best to play along as well!"

Yaz didn't know how to respond without her brain combusting, so chose to clamp her mouth shut. Dan was enjoying every second of the chaos he'd caused. The Doctor was also rather red in the face as she considered all the flirtatious comments she'd presumed she was dropping into conversations every so often, wondering whether she'd misjudged their relationship. Multiverses she could deal with, but Yasmin Khan she could not quite understand.

Kamala was struggling to completely follow what was being spoken about. "I'm sorry but…did you mention something about a giant dog…from space?"

"A mate of mine," Dan answered. "Ultimately, his bark was worse than his bite. Mainly because he'd constantly choose to insult me."

"Strange," Yaz commented, finding her voice. "Lots of people tend to do that. Maybe it's just you."

"Do you really think you're in any position to be talking right now?" His fingers slid over the small object he had been throwing. "I'll throw this… thing at you. I've got a pretty good aim."

Kamala started laughing, not really knowing why. Maybe it was because she felt so at ease in their company, getting used to their antics and the way they spoke to one another. "The dog…could talk?"

Dan rolled his eyes. "It was taller than me, walked on two legs, and…again…was from space. Are you really that surprised by the talking?"

"I'm guessing that you don't have any Lupari in this universe," the Doctor said, leaning against the chair Yaz was sitting on. Even after their slight embarrassment, she still felt most comfortable when she was near her friend.

"Not that I know of," the youngest of the group said. "Maybe this universe isn't as mind bogglingly crazy as we thought it was compared to yours."

"Or you just haven't met a dog from space yet. Trust me, they take you by surprise." Dan could still picture his door breaking door, the helmet being removed to reveal the furry face, getting trapped in an electrified cage. It had been one hell of a day.

"I don't know you three act so surprised by what you see in this world when yours sounds so…thrilling! I wish I could see it."

"Honestly, without the Doctor, it'd be pretty boring," Yaz said, looking at the Time Lord with a soft smile. "But it's ours and I love it. Just not as exhilarating as being able to glow."

"I can do more than that! I'm still learning my full potential. That's why I'm not worried about the…you know…increased chance of dying. It's still so new to me. I suppose I'm still in the honeymoon period, just revelling in what I've been given. I've got to make the most of it. By the sounds of it, you lot go on wild adventures and don't seem too fussed about the danger. Why should I be?"

Dan held up his hands. "She makes a good point. I'm not trying to put a dampener on the whole experience for you. I'm just still completely baffled that… superheroes actually exist! And there's an entire team of them! The Avengers! With guys who have names like Thor and Hawkeye . People back home don't have those sorts of names."

"Thor sounds like some sort of pro-wrestler," Yaz commented, picturing a muscular in a one-piece suit made out of material that was just a bit too thin.

Kamala snorted with laughter. "I don't know whether he'd appreciate being called that. Or whether you'd survive telling a Norse god that he's just a fancy wrestler."

Yaz's mouth hung open. "Come on…you have to be making this up now. You don't have gods as your superheroes."

"Of course we do! Surely you've heard of Thor before!"

"In mythology! Because it's a legend! Strictly fictional!"

"You wouldn't be saying that if he was standing in front of you. Mainly because of the size of his muscles." She stared dreamily into the middle distance. "So many muscles. He could probably lift me with his pinkie finger alone."

"To be fair, it's not all too surprising," the Doctor mentioned, giving her the benefit of the doubt. She didn't reckon that Kamala would care if she disagreed, with how focused she was on her current mental picture. "I've dealt with plenty of gods. Akhaten came close to killing me. The Dalek Emperor certainly saw himself as a god but he'd gone a bit barmy by that point. Then there was the actual Devil…that was a tough trip."

"I don't know whether to take anything you say seriously."

"Join the club," Dan remarked, going back to his lazy hobby of playing catch.

"What are you doing?" Wong marched in in a huff. "Who said you could mess with the Sphere of Forgotten Curses? It isn't some sort of toy!"

"The sphere of…forgotten curses?" Dan looked rather pale as he obediently handed it over to the sorcerer.

"Trust me, it's a good job that they've been forgotten. Spells that were deemed to be too dark to even noterise in the ancient spell books. Open that up and it would be like a magical Pandora's Box."

"And you just have that…lying around?" the Doctor clarified.

"On display. Where it can be protected. Usually I don't have to deal with guests interfering."

"Hang on…Dan threatened to throw that at me!" Yaz complained.

The man in question gave her a sheepish smile. "Then it's a good job that I didn't do that."

"Precisely," Wong added. "It would have been one hell of a mess to pick up."

Dan was saved from a more severe tongue-lashing from his irate friend by a portal opening up in the room, the star-shaped hole now only serving to be a slight surprise. It was amazing what you could quickly become accustomed to in this world. It was all a part of the madness. The world beyond was vastly different to the one they had previously glimpsed, seemingly saturated in only black and white. It made it much easier to spot America coming towards them, her vibrant colour scheme standing out like a sore thumb.

The girl jumped through the portal heavily, unable to land at all gracefully. The fact that she collapsed to the floor upon impact was the first sign that Wong detected that everything wasn't alright. He was rushing over to her before the others could properly react, holding up her body as he crouched on the ground. It gave them a better chance to look at her. America was still conscious, which had to be a positive after her unorthodox entrance. She had scratches on her face, bruises mixed in with splotches of dirt and mud. She looked beaten up.

"America!" Wong barked. He'd never had the best bedside manner. "What happened? Where did you end up? Who did this to you?"

"Something's coming," she managed to croak out, feeling faint.

With the obvious distraction in front of them, they barely noticed that two figures had walked into the room, using the conventional doors rather than an interdimensional portal. Yaz looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps, at first thinking that it could be something to do with whatever threat America had witnessed. She relaxed at the sight of Carol stepping cautiously towards them, though she didn't know who the other impressively-built blonde woman standing next to her was.

Carol quirked an eyebrow. "Is this a bad time?"