Chapter 7 Dr Strange explains the incursion

Tony's point of view

Once Fury had made all the arrangements, we left Stark Tower for the airport. Once we arrived at the airport, we got a shuttle bus to take us to the private plane owner's building. We got onto the Quinjet from there and when we landed in Malibu, we got onto the Stark Industries bus. The bus was driven by my Godfather — Obadiah. He took us to Phoenix Refuge. The rebuilt mansion I had in Malibu.

After the total failure with the Mandarin, Pepper and I had moved back to New York… and promptly went on our break. I rebuilt the mansion in Malibu after Killian knocked it, and me into the ocean, Constance helped me with the re-designing, and she suggested replacing the fountain in the front with a phoenix statue.

Jay oversaw the rebuilding while he was recovering from his injuries – the ones he sustained in Leipzig during the big battle between the team members. He fell from a massive height straight onto his back, he was very lucky to survive.

Vision was partly to blame for Jay's accident. He was trying to take out Falcon at the time and was distracted by Wanda Maximoff. Vision had predicted that a great tragedy would befall the team and unfortunately, he was right.

Professor X's Point of view

It was time for a special assembly. I had a surprise for the kids in my care. The surprise was necessary to thwart another attack from Ross and his goons - they wanted all enhanced beings - including mutants to register their existence with the government, but the children didn't have to know that. I didn't want to scare them.

Howard Stark had contacted me and said that we could come to Phoenix Refuge, California. At first, I was reluctant to go but then Metatron appeared.

"Professor we need you… there is a mission… to change the future. Please — gather your students and faculty and fly to California on the Quinjet. Maria Hill will be waiting at the airport for you. She will escort you to Malibu and you will be collected from the airport by Obadiah Stane."
"I am not sure if I want to endanger my students in this way."

"Professor, if you do not come to California, Thaddeus E. Ross will come to your school. He and Dr Crane and their anti-mutant squad will take your students into The Raft, and they will be experimented on… They aren't just experimenting on enhanced beings - including mutants any more they're experimenting on disabled children too."
"That's awful. I shall rally my staff and we and the students will come to Phoenix Refuge."

"You should know Professor that your school will be expanding once this mission is over. WWE LEARNING ACADEMY is going to have to close while its founders are incarcerated and because of the nature of some of their students… you're the only person capable of teaching them. You will, of course, have access to the faculty — you're going to need more teachers. Currently, I need you to bring your students and faculty to Phoenix Refuge as soon as you can, we can't start the mission without you. Tony said you can use Phoenix Refuge as a school campus if you like. "
"We shall discuss that later."

I called for an assembly

"Boys and girls, faculty members we are about to embark on a very important mission. We're about to join The Avengers and the faculty and students of the WWE LEARNING ACADEMY at Phoenix Refuge in California, I want everyone to pack all of their belongings because I do not see us coming back here."

We had the students pack their clothing, books and shoes in boxes clearly labelled with their name, date of birth and class teacher's name. We stacked the boxes neatly and put biodegradable plastic around them to stop them from falling out of the stack. Once we arrived in Malibu, Fury and Mr Stane brought us to Phoenix Refuge.

"Welcome to Phoenix Refuge, Dr Strange is about to explain what the multiverse is and what caused the incursion."
"Fury filled us in on that on the way here… Tony if I were you I'd be really careful around Strange… he lusts after you in the worst possible way. I'm telepathic and empathic, and I've seen his very disturbing mind. He's dangerous, be careful."

"Don't worry I will be."
Besotted Strange's point of view

I was in a corner of the room, in agony, Stark was all over that disgusting, horrid, awful Potts woman like a rash. He had his arms around her and his hand was resting on her butt. She was gazing adoringly into his eyes.

Suddenly, he got onto his left knee and pulled out a small purple felt box… inside it was a gorgeous ring… she gasped and covered her face with her hand and tears were running down her cheeks and she nodded. He stood up, put the ring on her finger and kissed her hard. I growled loudly.

"What's wrong Strange?"
"Oh nothing, don't bother wasting your time on the idiot they chose as Sorcerer Supreme… he's worthless and obviously not worth the hassle."

Loki came over, he saw the tears in my eyes and reeled me in and hugged me.

"Let them figure out why you're feeling the way you're feeling. By the time they've worked it out, I could make you feel better"
"No matter what I do, I won't get what I want, but thanks for at least trying to make me feel better."

"No problem… why don't you get a little revenge?"
"I could do that, I could curse him and Potts or kidnap him and have my wicked way with him, but that would only make me feel worse than I feel now."
"Right but… pranks are fun"

"I suppose"

"We don't have to do anything you don't want to do but if you're feeling lonely, you know where I am… and I am told that I am a very good cook and not bad between the sheets. I'm also excellent at pulling pranks."

I grinned. Glanced fleetingly over at Tony and Pepper, she was curled up on his lap, her head on his shoulder, her hands tightly in both of his. On some level, I was happy for him, but otherwise I was just… devastated. The more I thought about him and Potts, the more I felt my heart shatter into a million tiny fragments.

Loki squeezed my hand "you just need some time to get over him"
"I've been nuts about his for a long, long time. It's going to take me an even longer time to get over him." I replied, my voice wavering slightly.

"You don't want him to know though right?"
"Of course not, if he's happy with Potts, then I'm not going to hurt him by jeopardising that happiness… I've been through this before… I disguised myself as a woman and… Howard and I… but then when I told him the truth he… rejected me rather violently and I was so angry that I hurt him badly and… forgetting that certain biological factors were present I almost killed him. That's why I can't do anything about Tony." I paused and then I said

"Loki… let's prank him and Potts and his parents."

A wicked grin spread across Loki's handsome features.

"Let me figure out his fears"
"I already know his fears… I forced Wanda to tell me. Tony is petrified of spiders. Same as his old man. Potts doesn't like heights or mice. As for Stark's mother, she's petrified of mice and snakes."

When everyone met for the mission debrief downstairs, I explained what the incursion was

"An incursion occurs when the boundary between two universes erodes, and they collide, destroying one or both entirely.

For those of us who are more… mundane, it's a bit like a Newton's Cradle only, a lot more powerful.

So far this has happened to 64 of the 70 universes that were in the multiverse… the residents of each have taken refuge in the 6 remaining universes including ours and time is running out to save the last 6 which is why we're here."

When we went to bed, I let my tears fall onto my pillow… I had always been told to Save your tears for your pillow by my dance teacher when I was a child. Loki found me and stayed with me until I dozed off. He was still there when I woke up.

"The prank is ready" he whispered.

"Will you help me get over him? Without manipulating me."
"Of course… and maybe we'll end up… together."

"That would be fun"

"Yes, it would. We don't want it to be obvious that we're picking on people to prank… let's prank everyone everything is ready."