And now we're in the next chapter of the story. I want to thank Aragorn II Elessar and Brainstorm Sorcerer for their help on this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Ghost Rider. They belong to Marvel Studios, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures, Stan Lee and Kevin Feige.
Darkhold Castle, Mount Wundagore, Earth-616
It didn't take long for Strange and Ghost Rider to reach the Darkhold Castle. While flying through the castle, Strange saw his friend Wong clinging for his life on the mountain as he was fighting against the Knights of Wundagore. One of the Knights noticed Strange and before he could attack him, he was taken out by Wong, who summoned his Eldritch Whip into his head and pulled him out of the castle.
"Come on!" Wong taunted as he saw the Knights of Wundagore closing on him before his expression turned into shock. "Uh oh."
One of the Knights grabbed a rock from the castle and threw it at Wong, who used his powers to create a shield that protected him from the hit. Just as the Knights could attack Wong again, Strange arrived and utilized his magic to blast off the creatures. Wong looked around and saw Strange, who was dreamwalking into his variant's corpse and utilizing the Spirits of the Damned to fly into the mountain.
"Strange!" Wong said as he laughed upon realizing the deliverance had finally arrived.
One of the Knights got up and attempted to attack Strange with his magical powers. Wong saw the Knight approaching Strange.
"Behind you!" Wong yelled.
Just as the Knight tried to apprehend Strange, Wong saw the Ghost Rider riding his motorcycle onto the cliff and leaped off of it, sending it crashing into the Knight's head, before utilizing his Hellfire Chain to destroy the two remaining Knights, while the other Knight threw his projectile at Strange, who blocked it using the Spirits of the Damned, which absorbed the blast, before taking the Knight out with a magical blast. Wanda turned around and saw Strange confronting her, realizing that he was now dreamwalking into his alternate counterpart, while America Chavez, under Wanda's grasp, breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Strange coming to rescue her.
"Strange!" Wanda sneered. "Dreamwalking, you hypocrite!"
Wanda threw her magic blast at Strange, before the Ghost Rider jumped in and used his Hellfire powers to block Wanda's attack, protecting Strange. Wanda raised her eyebrows in surprise, seeing that Strange had bought company with him to stop her from using Chavez's powers.
"This time, it's going to take more than killing me to kill me!' Strange declared.
"So, you've bought another visitor with you." Wanda remarked. "Luckily, I've got someone with me as well."
A magical portal opened besides Wanda and a mysterious man wearing green robes emerged from the portal. Strange recognized the man who came out of the portal, having not seen him since he imprisoned him with the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak and had also seen another version of him in a different dimension not too long ago.
"Mordo..." Strange sneered.
Mordo chuckled at the sight of his old nemesis. "We meet again, Doctor."
Mordo was freed from imprisonment by Wanda, who promised him to take out the remaining Masters of the Mystic Arts in exchange for eliminating Strange. Once Wong found out about Mordo's freedom, he warned Strange and the two sorcerers spent the next few months trying to find him, but to no avail. Strange was bewildered over the fact that Mordo was now allied with Wanda.
"You won't get away this time." Strange declared.
"Take him out." Wanda ordered.
"With pleasure." Mordo nodded.
"Go and save Wong." Strange told the Ghost Rider. "I'll handle Mordo myself."
While Strange charged at Mordo, the Ghost Rider headed to the cliff, where he saw Wong hanging for his life before the rock that he was holding cracked and he began to fall before the Ghost Rider grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the cliff. As the Rider helped out Wong, Wong noticed the Rider's skull on fire and couldn't believe his eyes.
"What the..." Wong said in a sense of disbelief.
The Ghost Rider tilted his head and looked at Wong, leaving Wong confused over the fact that a man with a flaming skull had saved him.
"Nevermind." Wong shrugged before the two saw Strange fighting against Mordo.
Mordo threw his green magical blast at Strange, who blocked it with the Spirits of the Damned. Believing Strange was hesitant to fight back, Mordo chuckled.
"It seems you've gotten weaker since our last meeting, Strange." Mordo sarcastically remarked.
"Your crimes end here, Mordo." Strange told his former mentor.
"And what of yours?" Mordo sarcastically remarked. "Your sacrifice of the Time Stone had cost the lives of half of the Earth."
"And does that make you any better?" Strange snapped at Mordo. "You betrayed our order and attempted to kill other sorcerers! You defied the very laws you once promised to uphold and protect!"
Mordo laughed. "What laws?! Time travel! Cosmic manipulation! Necromancy! I've seen through the lies of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, Strange! Such perversions of nature, and none of you can stop yourselves!"
"There was no..."
"Choice?" Mordo remarked. "On that we agree."
Mordo then began chanting a spell in Latin, which passed through the corpses of the Knights of Wundagore and began resuscitating them. As the Knights of Wundagore were whole again, they began to approach Ghost Rider and Wong as the two took on their fighting positions while Mordo and Strange glared at each other.
"Long have I lived in your shadow, Strange..." Mordo said as he took on his fighting position. "...But now, you shall die in mine!"
Mordo threw his green blast at Strange, who managed to evade it by dodging the blast and later blocking one of his attacks, before counterattacking by summoning the cloak to shoot the blast back at Mordo. Mordo then got up and attempted to throw a quick blow at Strange, who easily avoided it and stroke Mordo in the face. Mordo once again charged at Strange and did an air kick, which Strange easily ducked and blocked some of Mordo's punches before launching a projectile at him, sending him lying on the ground. When Mordo got up again, both sorcerers unleashed their magic at each other and both of their powers began to collide together, but Strange found himself overwhelmed by Mordo's power, as he felt his variant's body was becoming weaker.
At the same time, Ghost Rider pulled out his Hellfire Chain and charged at one of the Knights of Wundagore, striking his chain towards the creature and turning him into ash before launching the chain at the other Knight, turning him into dust as well while Wong blocked one of the Knights' projectiles before launching his Eldritch Whip through the Knight's chest, killing him instantly. The Rider then saw one of the resuscitated creatures trying to approach Wong before launching his flame ball at him, distracting him long enough in order for Wong to throw his blast and destroy the creature. Wanda was beginning her ritual to take Chavez's powers while the others were fighting. Though he was struggling against Mordo, Strange knew that time was running out as he saw Wanda beginning to take Chavez's powers.
"No!" Strange yelled as he saw Wanda commencing her ritual and charged all of his energy at Mordo, stunning him and knocking him unconscious.
After knocking out Mordo, Strange then summoned the Spirits at Wanda, preventing her from obtaining Chavez's powers. The Spirits began surrounding Wanda as she struggled to fight them off, but was overwhelmed by her own fear. Strange then utilized his powers to lift her to Wong, who contained her inside a magical barrier. Strange then utilized his magic to break Chavez from her restraints and the Ghost Rider caught her, helping her up.
"She's breaking free!" Wong said as he saw Wanda trying to break out of the barrier while the Spirits attempted to stop her.
"Come on!" Strange told the Ghost Rider.
The Ghost Rider then simply watched alongside Chavez as Strange and Wong tried to contain Wanda and keep her in control, having detected a strange presence that he hasn't felt in a while. He knew where this essence was coming from. Wanda was not the threat that he was looking for, but rather, it was someone else.
Suddenly, Wanda utilized her magic to break free from the barrier, sending Wong staggering back and removing the spirits from her, before being approached by the Ghost Rider, who charged at her before he was sent flying to the floor by her powers, and Wanda threw her blast at Strange, hitting him in the right arm.
New York Sanctum, Earth-688
The impact of Wanda's attack also took effect on Strange as well, who was still dreamwalking into his variant's corpse. Palmer noticed this and held Strange by his arm.
"I've got you." Palmer assured him.
Darkhold Castle, Mount Wundagore, Earth-616
Strange began to feel weak as he saw his variant's left arm being disintegrated by Wanda's powers. Wanda then amplified her powers and began torturing Strange, who let out a scream of pain as he saw his arm decaying further.
New York Sanctum, Earth-688
As Strange was affected by Wanda's attack, Palmer let out a groan of pain as she was affected by Wanda's attack, sending her lying to the ground. The candles began to turn off due to the impact of Wanda's powers.
Darkhold Castle, Mount Wundagore, Earth-616
The Ghost Rider got up and witnessed Strange being tortured by Wanda and realized what he needed to do. He knew this was the perfect opportunity to distract Wanda and extract the evil being within Wanda before taking over her completely. Then, the Ghost Rider's flames began transforming into the angelic blue Heavenfire as he pulled out his chain, which also had the blue Heavenfire as well, and hurled his chain into her, saving Strange and making Wanda let out a scream of pain as she felt the Heavefire.
The Ghost Rider charged at Wanda at high speed, grasping her head and looking into her eyes as she laughed at him.
"I'm not afraid of you." Wanda remarked.
However, Wanda's expression soon turned into fear as she became immediately frightened by the Ghost Rider's stare.
"Leave..." Ghost Rider sneered as he glared at Wanda's eyes, looking through Wanda's mind as he saw her crimes unfolding in front of him.
And that's the end of the second chapter of the story. I know some of you might be disappointed that Strange and Mordo's fight lasted more than a few seconds, but it's the first time I've done a huge epic fight like this, so I've struggled a bit with this one. I'm also disappointed that I didn't get to have Chavez get her moment to shine, just like in the film, but there were too many events to cram into one chapter.
The next chapter will finally see the Ghost Rider confront Mephisto, the man who has been controlling her, and finally free her from his control.
Let me know your thoughts on this chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. Stay safe everyone and take care.