The Ritikia immediately raised their hands in defense and shot out rays of gold but Doctor Strange immediately deflected them.
"Stop!" Thor called out in his most commanding voice. "He's a friend!"
Doctor Strange smiled at Thor and gave a polite nod toward all the other humans present. "I wish to commend you. They presented you with an intricate puzzle, and each of you found pieces. No one can blame you for not putting it all together as the whole thing is rather, convoluted, but as Thor said, that is not the fault of anyone here. Blame their ancestors."
"Who are you?" The Leader became brave, taking long steps toward Strange.
"He's Doctor Stephen Strange, he's like the Chief Wizzard back on earth!" Peter said. "He's amazing. We traveled into space with him and we fought Thanos and…"
"His title is Sorcerer Supreme," Steve said. He let go of Bucky to approach their new visitor.
"Sorceror!" The Ritika all pulled back their hoods as one. It was like a religious moment. Bucky half expected them to kneel, but they remained upright.
"If you aren't sorcerers then what the hell are you?" This time it was Bucky's turn to step forward, taking up a position in front of the group, turning to face them. "I've seen you cast spells and do magic! You created a portal, you can freeze a person…"
"They are descendants of apprentices. Centuries ago, the powers of this place banished the sorcerers but their students were left behind. Their education was incomplete, but they passed down and preserve what knowledge they had." Doctor Strange levitated himself down to join them at the foot of the hill. "And you have done an excellent job."
"That's why you call yourselves Unworthy! I knew it!" Bucky said. The Leader nodded in acknowledgment.
"Have you been watching us this whole time?" Steve directed his question to Strange. "And you did nothing…"
"They put measures in place was to keep us out. We were forced to stand back until someone broke the curse although it's not a curse, in the strictest sense of the word. More like a barrier."
"Why were you banished?" Bruce asked. The Hulk had torn his shirt, and he looked a little bruised but otherwise was back to normal.
"I'll try to break this down as much as I can and keep it short. Science and magic both have a basis in reality. In time, the disciplines merge, as they did on Asgard. Here, however, the practitioners of both became arrogant, believing they knew more than they did, and tried to merge them before it was time. They discovered they could by combining science and magic, manipulate a simple element to appear and do whatever they wished. Because of this, they felt they had no more need for us, and sent us away. We cannot stay where they do not want us, but we isolated the system, put it in a bubble if you will, to keep it as safe as possible from unseen threats, but despite this, they still had a great deal of knowledge and power."
"Was Regina real?" T'Challa asked.
"She was a real person. During her time, an epidemic swept through the planet and the leaders and scientists isolated themselves, reasoning they could not find a cure if they were dead. They created an elaborate network, as you saw, and in time learned to become one with the system. How that happened, we don't know. It might have been accidental. Perhaps what they created turned on them. They became a strange blend of life, science, and magic. They lost themselves in there, prolonging their natural life, existing long after the epidemic had run its course and people here on the outside assumed she and all the others had died in their isolation. The society moved on, but Regina and her group remained, stuck in their elaborate prison, still thinking they were working on a cure. In time, the technology aged and the personalities and programs bound to it disintegrated. To Regina, it was as if they had simply disappeared. The ones left could see out into the Universe and while they could not leave, they discovered they could bring other here substituting them for the ones they had lost. Then they happened upon the decimation, the snap, and saw life disappear all over the Universe, in the confusion they believed that was what happened inside their small world and then saw what appeared to be the same life returned. They could not know what we did behind the scenes, Captain. I know this group of enhanced humans would have kept the system going for a long long time as you surmised. Ironic that you were its downfall."
"So those people inside are all dead?" Wanda asked.
"Their energy was spent a long time ago but if it is any consolation, they died while under the influence of beautiful illusions, as you saw yourself."
"We should do something for them," T'Challa said. "Treat them with respect, perhaps return them to their homes."
"We will take care of them," Strange said.
"Regina and Regulus should be in the Hall of Rulers," The Speaker said. "There's just a plaque there, saying she disappeared during the epidemic and they presumed they died while searching for a cure."
"And so they did," T'Challa said. "Even when she was acting at her most erratic, her first concern was always for her people. She might have behaved arrogantly, but I don't believe she was evil."
"She was desperate," Bruce said and let out a sigh.
"Earth is in a state of suspended animation. The people we left behind…" Wanda began.
"It still is. We took care of that," Strange said.
"We? Who are we?" The Leader asked.
Strange opened another portal and a small group of five people stepped out. Bucky knew at once they were sorcerers.
"If you would like us to stay, we can finish your education, but first, we must cleanse our Sanctorum. You may help, if you wish," Doctor Strange said to the Ritika. "I would advise the rest of you to stand back."
Steve nodded to the group of humans and accompanied by Thor, walked away from the building up to the top of the hill. Steve held onto Bucky, his arm tight around his waist as if he thought he would disappear on him again. Bucky didn't break away.
Golden rings shot out from Doctor Strange's hands, and his companions did the same. The aimed at the building and large double doors appeared. The doors opened by themselves, revealing the room Steve and the others had just left. Strange the sorcerers entered, the Ritkia following.
The group on the hill could see enough to observe the web of circuitry fall from the walls. Bodies were freed and gently placed on the floor. Silent explosions tore through the air and so did the sight of the constant spinning of golden circles. Then a large flash filled the building, causing everyone outside to turn away. When they looked back, Strange was at the door, motioning them to come in.
"The illusions are gone. Now we see things as they truly are," he said. "The hidden things are revealed."
Walking inside, the room reminded Bucky of the Sanctorum in New York. A long stairway, oversized windows, tall rooms filled with relics, the bodies gone.
"Oh man! This is cool!" Peter Parker's enthusiasm returned at once. "Look at all this stuff! This was worth the trip!" He stopped in front of what looked like a large futuristic suit of armor. It differed from they were used to on earth, but still recognizable. The boy bounced around from display to display, voicing his approval to anyone who would hear. The Ritiki moved through as one group, their murmurs of wonder were a little more muted than Peter's but it was obvious everything about the place amazed them as much.
Bucky became conscious of Steve still touching him, his hand positioned gently on his back, He relaxed, deciding not to fight it any longer. He noticed The Speaker, standing in front of a large glass case that contained a golden sword with a jewel-encrusted hilt, rapture on her face. He walked over to her, with Steve following close behind.
"You were right," he said. "There was a treasure."
"Yes!" She said. "I never dreamed it would be this." She turned to face him. "I'm sorry for everything…"
"It's ok. No lasting harm," Bucky said. Her eyes went past him to Steve.
"This is Steve?" She asked.
"The one and only," Steve replied.
"The one you love, the one who others abused and ridiculed, gifted with great powers but used them for good and not revenge. You are the one Bucky wishes me to emulate."
A bemused Steve allowed a small smile to cross his face.
"She sort of reads minds," Bucky said. "I'll tell you about it later, but yes. Use it all for good."
At that moment Doctor Strange and Thor called Steve over, leaving Bucky and the Speaker to admire the sword.
"He'll never leave you, you know," she said startling him out of his reverie.
"What?"
"No matter what decision you make, he'll never leave you. You're afraid you can't give him everything he needs, but he's beyond all that. He was given many gifts when he was enhanced, and his selflessness was increased. Keeping you close is what's important, no matter what form your relationship takes and you will be together forever."
"That's a nice thought..."
"I mean it," her voice took on an otherworldly tone. "It's not just poetry. I looked into other dimensions and you are there, together. Forever. There's a price, but you always find each other, again and again. It's what I see."
"And you need guiding," Doctor Strange said, startling Bucky. He didn't know if his surprise resulted from being caught up in The Speaker's words or if Doctor Strange floated over to them. "You were given too much information too soon. It's not your fault, but you must be taught how to use it. For your first lesson, it's not polite to inform people of their lives in other dimensions, but I fear in this case it might be too late."
Thor and Steve followed Strange over, Thor throwing back his head, laughing at something Steve said. Doctor Strange let out a small sigh. As soon as he was close enough Steve was immediately back at Bucky's side, he once again felt his arm go around his waist.
"So, can we go home now?" Bucky asked.
"We can see you home safe," Doctor Strange replied. "No one will have noticed your absence but you will remember it. I can't do anything about that. If you wish to tell others about your little adventure here, feel free to do so. It will affect nothing."
"So were you the ones pulling the strings, using what we did to advance your agenda?" Steve asked. "I'm not angry if it's true, but I wish we had known from the beginning."
The noise of the small crowd grew a little louder each time they made a new discovery. Peter was talking to The Leader who seemed to struggle to keep up with him. Steve's hold on Bucky tightened just a little.
"I admit, we hoped the situation would play out as it did," Doctor Strange said, "but to answer your question, Captain Rogers, someone else allowed all of this to come to pass, and I don't mean only what happened here but also, the Blending. We are not the ones with the higher agenda."
Bucky felt a shiver go down his spine at Strange's words. There was someone else out there, someone watching, and using them. A tingling sensation went through his metal arm, just enough to be noticeable. He dismissed it as after-effects of the struggle.