Avengers: Infinite Wars

by free man writer

The Clone Wars are in full swing with the galaxy divided. The Jedi lead the clone army against the infinite droid army of the Separatists. Yet a wild card enters the fray. The Avengers. From there, newer, more sinister and deadlier threats emerge and The Galaxy, no, the universe, shall never be the same again. Co-written by Jebest4781 and BulletStormX. Now in Season 4.

54. Mister Doctor Strange

Honestly, no need for any intros.

Let's just GOO

Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day.

Avengers Infinite Wars Chapter 54: Mister Doctor Strange

"No, no, no, no, NO!" Celeste Morne stormed into Kamar-Taj, conveying nothing but a distraught demeanor that was close to breaking.

She was breathing heavily, sweat being easy to see on top of tears threatening to break out.

"Celeste." Bucky Barnes, the Jedi Shadows lover and Winter Soldier went right up to her and pulled her into his arms. "Celeste, babe, shhh calm down. Easy, take it easy."

"How can I?" Morne asked in near hysteria, clinging onto her boyfriend with all her might. "I thought I was rid of him, I thought the Master locked him away for no one to find him. And now it's come to this?"

Bucky instead turned to face Wong and Mordo who were present with them.

"What in the hell happened?" Bucky asked, expression fierce and angry. "Last I checked, Muur was trapped inside the talisman. How in the blue hell does he have a body now?"

"He has upset the established order to a grave degree." Mordo muttered, visibly terrified at what they had just seen a few minutes ago.

"What the hell was wrong with him?" Robbie spoke up, tense and eyes literally ablaze with hell fire. "I sense a lot of fucked up things inside him."

"Muur has done something truly egregious and dangerous would be putting it mildly." Wong spoke up, shaking his head. "He must have absorbed interdimensional enemies, pulling them into his own being and is acting as their vessel whilst forcibly taking their own power for his own gain."

"He must've been really desperate to pull that off."

Wong shook his head. "I do not believe it to be desperation."

"He's right." Celeste spoke in a shaken voice. "Karness Muur is a Sith first and foremost and the Sith are only known for one thing. The pursuit of power above all else and to keep that power at all cost."

"But to absorb the essence of interdimensional entities…" Mordo whispered, almost not believing what he was saying. "He doesn't even realize what he has done. That power will either rip him apart from the inside out, drive him to complete insanity or both. He's festering a hunger in him, I saw it in his eyes."

The group looked at him, Wong next to the experienced Master with an equally grim expression.

"What… does that mean?" Bucky slowly asked.

Wong answered for Karl, tone deadly serious.

"I told this to both of you," Wong said, eyeing Bucky and Celeste. "That there is no knowledge in Kamar-Taj that is forbidden. Only certain practices. Brief as it was, I have been able to deduce that Muur didn't just absorb the power of these interdimensional beings but the beings themselves. He tried absorbing their life essence itself. But he did not do it properly.

"So, what now then?" Robbie asked. "What's gonna happen to this cabrón?"

"He's become a timebomb." Mordo gravely said. "He doesn't know it yet but now that he has gotten a taste of the power that comes with forcefully taking it from beings beyond our understanding; he will begin to crave it until it rips him apart internally and externally. And when that happens-"

"All those things he has inside him will be unleashed on the world, right?" Bucky finished with Mordo nodding in affirmation. "Well that's just perfect."

He scoffed, fist clenched tightly as he gazed down at his lover who had opted to embrace him once more.

Barnes could feel her trembling, distraught in knowing Muur was alive in the literal sense and was now about to terrorize the rest of the world both with his plague and whatever other hellish abilities he has now.

"We have to find him and bring him down." Robbie proclaimed before pausing for several moments as if listening to something, or rather someone. "Zarathos, he thinks he can find a way to track that crazy bastard."

"You sure?" Celeste shakily asked, looking over at the Rider who only shrugged.

"That guy is a bag of crazy energy that can be picked up by just about anything really." Reyes remarked. "Even if it is all mystic shit, wouldn't put it past it for regular equipment to pick up on that freakshow."

"Robbie is right." Wong said firmly. "The longer we stand around here debating what our course of action should be, the longer Karness Muur remains unrestrained in the world with abilities and creatures that would bring it's ruin."

Bucky was going to speak when he had noticed the others quickly became weary in some sense. More so than previously.

"Uh… guys?"

Robbie held a conflicted, if not startled and disturbed look when both Wong and Mordo's heads snapped in the direction as to where the library was.

In an instant, the duo quickly sprinted away from Bucky, Celeste and Robbie. The trio only shared a brief moment of bewilderment before they ran after the two sorcerers.

They caught up in time to see them running into the sections reserved for The Ancient Ones personal collection.

Inside, what was peculiar to the relative newcomers to Kamar-Taj was something that was met with vocal alarm by the two residents of this place.

Stephen Strange stood before a table and around his neck he wore a medallion or some sort of pendant that had a glowing green stone stored inside of it.

Around both hands were bright green symbols that radiated with a power that actually made Robbie and Celeste recoil back.

To Bucky, he could only see Stephen appear to have a pair of green holographic, runic gauntlets and not knowing the significance behind the display.

In front of Strange was what could best be described as diamond and mirror-like, conjoined glass pillars that when one looked close enough, you could see reflections of Strange and… others in his place.

The glass-diamond structure however was cracking apart it seemed and didn't last long.

"STOP!" Mordo shouted at the top of his lungs.

In an instant, the glass structure seemingly collapsed and vanished without a trace.

Stephen was thoroughly confused and startled to say the least, now being surrounded by the group.

"Tampering with continuum probabilities is forbidden." Mordo practically seethed out.

"I-I was just doing exactly what it said in the book." Strange defended himself.

"What did the book say about the dangers of performing that ritual?" Asked Wong.

Strange cleared his throat slightly. "I don't know. I hadn't gotten to that part yet."

"Have you lost your mind?!" Mordo all but shouted. "Temporal manipulations can create branches in time. Unstable dimensional openings. Spatial paradoxes! Time loops! You wanna get stuck reliving the same moment over and over forever or never having existed at all?"

"...Really should put the warnings before the spell."

"Your curiosity could have gotten you killed." Chastised Wong. "You weren't manipulating the space-time continuum, you were breaking it. We do not tamper with natural law. We defend it."

Mordo then looked like he was about to explode. "We are already dealing with an ancient spirit that has just absorbed an encyclopedia of demons from other dimensions, we just witnessed you messing with time itself and all you can do is joke?!"

No one doubted Mordo having a desire to vent his worries from earlier. Unfortunately it had to be at this time.

"Hey." Bucky's voice cut through the tense atmosphere sharply. "Now isn't the time to be shouting at one another. In case you all forgot, we have two psychopaths loose in the world that need to be taken out and us just standing here isn't gonna help."

Mordo only huffed, looking away whilst the Winter Soldier's lover gazed upon Strange intently.

Celeste then asked Stephen a question. "How did you even do that?"

"Hmm?" Stephen looked at her, expression asking for clarity as to what she meant.

"That spell, that magic, I've never seen something like that." Celeste stated. "What even was that?"

"Time manipulation." Wong spoke up. "An advanced series of spells that only a select few in this order grasp and even fewer who can actually utilize it properly."

"Where did you learn the litany of spells required to even understand it?" Celeste asked in genuine awe. The thought of manipulating time itself was a fascinating yet also frightening concept.

"Better yet, how'd this loon pull it off?" Robbie inquired, gesturing to Strange who gave the young man a flat look.

"I've got a photographic memory. That's how I got my M.D. and Ph.D. at the same time."

Mordo shook his head, pointing at Strange. "What you just did takes more than a good memory."

"Even though you excelled in the field of science and medicine, you were born for the mystic arts." Wong noted, almost sounding impressed.

"And yet my hands still shake." Strange stated in frustration.

"It sounded like you almost just broke time." Bucky stated. "Can't believe I just said that, and all you care about is your hands?"

"Alright, you know what, I've heard enough." Stephen said, clearly annoyed now. "I thought this was just a place of enlightenment or some generic crap like that. When are you gonna start telling me what we are?"

The air was tense for a few seconds until Mordo looked at Wong and gestured his head towards a circular room with three doors and a display of the Earth above it.

"While heroes like the Avengers protect the world from physical dangers, we sorcerers safeguard it against more mystical threats." Wong explained, standing in the center of the room with the group surrounding him.

The Asian Master looked upon Strange intently.

"The Ancient One is the latest of a long line of Sorcerers Supreme going back thousands of years to the father of the mystic arts, the mighty Agamotto. The same sorcerer who created the Eye around your very neck, which you so recklessly borrowed."

Stephen had the decency to look sheepish as he stared down at the necklace he wore.

"Agamotto built three Sanctums in places of power where great cities now stand." Wong pointed towards the door behind Stephen. "The passageway behind you leads to the Hong Kong Sanctum." He then waved his arm to the doorway behind Bucky. "That one goes to the New York Sanctum." Lastly Wong turned around to the door behind himself. "And this is the one to the London Sanctum. Together, the Sanctums generate a protective shield around our world."

"The Sanctums protect the world and we sorcerers protect the Sanctums." Mordo added.

"From what?" Strange looked at them all slightly nervous.

"Other dimensional beings that threaten our universe." Wong said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Like the ones currently trapped inside a meatsack named Muur." Robbie said in a terse manner.

"What?" Strange looked at him, not getting what he said.

"That's literally spot on right about now." Bucky said with a withering sigh.

Strange was silent for a few moments when he recalled some new information he had just learned of.

"Is there a... Dormammu involved in this list of enemies?"

Mordo froze in slight surprise. "Where'd you learn that name?"

"I just read it in the Book of Cagliostro. Why?" Strange said slowly.

Celeste looked at Wong and Mordo who in turn gazed at one another until Wong placed his hands upon the pedestal that is the place holder for the eye of Agamotto and spun built in runic discs that changed the appearance of the display of Earth.

In an instant, the earth darkened and began transforming into a display of cosmos of darkened planets and celestial bodies.

Strange found himself squinting as what he saw… he had been there before.

The best way to describe the change in scenery was that of a literal acid trip.

"Dormammu dwells in the Dark Dimension. Beyond time." Wong said. "He is the cosmic conqueror, the destroyer of worlds."

"Arrogant title much?" Bucky muttered under his breath, something Wong heard.

"One which was sadly earned. He is a being of infinite power and endless hunger on a quest to invade every universe and bring all worlds to his Dark Dimension. And he hungers for Earth most of all." Wong stated.

"Sounds stereotypical to say this but, why?" Robbie dryly said.

"Earth is a powerful nexus point within this universe." Wong revealed. "As is all but this Earth in particular stands apart from all the others."

"Aren't we special…"

"This is the home of the Sorcerer Supreme." Mordo said, slight reverence in his voice. "The home of our master who is the foremost user of magic for all realities near and far."

"That sounds a bit much." Strange quipped, a contemplative look then appearing on his face. "The pages that Kaecilius stole… it's a ritual to contact Dormammu, isn't it?"

"Along with drawing power from his domain." Wong tacked on.

Stephen then chuckled, trying to relieve some tension in the room.

"…And this… Muur guy you mentioned?" the former Surgeon asked. "What's his deal again? I'm rather out of the loop here."

"He recently absorbed a couple dozen or so demons from other universes and now threatens the world as much as this door bastard." Robbie summarized for the new Sorcerer who nodded his head along almost comically.

"Alright… I'm out." Strange declared, earning confused looks from all. "I came here to just heal my hands. Not to fight in some mystical war."

"You do realize you're involved in this now whether you like it or not." Bucky drably pointed out.

"I beg your pardon but how is it that I'm not ok with this but you are." Strange said in disbelief. "You fought in the Second World War, why throw yourself into another war like this one? Especially one that's something you barely look like you understand."

"People's lives are in danger." Bucky said in the plainest tone he could give. "What other reason is needed? Besides, I'm pretty sure Celeste here isn't gonna sit this one out and I'd rather not be sidelined while my girlfriend fights Sauron and his lackeys."

"...You don't get out much, do you?" Strange said, amused slightly. "Your references are not all that great in the present times."

"Lord of the Rings is timeless." Wong said, standing up for his fellow Tolkienite.

Bucky shot his new friend an appreciative grin, the normally stoic mystic smirking in return.

Suddenly, the group froze up upon hearing bells tolling all around them.

"What is it?" Strange asked aloud. "What's going on?"

Wong and Mordo quickly opened the doorways to the three Sanctums to see that all was well, the doorways shutting afterwards.

"If it's not in any of the Sanctums…" Mordo murmured, clearly unsure as to what was going on.

"MASTER MORDO!"

The six of them all spun to see a young Sorcerer in her early twenties run into the room with a panic stricken look.

"Pooja, calm yourself." Mordo instantly said, going over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "What is it?"

"Kamar-Taj." She panted out. "It's under attack!"

Mordo had an alarmed expression now. "By who? Kaecilius?"

"Rather bold move, don't ya think?" Robbie said, unlacing the chain around his chest and having it dangle from his hands. "Didn't we just talk about-"

"No. It's not him." Said the young sorcerer. "It's worse."

Celeste's eyes widened upon realizing just who it was that would dare attack the main fortress of the Mystic Arts.

"Muur." She said aloud.

"Shit, they're here!" Bucky said, and without warning ran off.

Robbie instantly followed after him, Celeste and Mordo a moment later.

"Wait, wait, what?" Strange spoke up in slight fear. "Muur? That guy you mentioned with all those demons inside him?"

"Yes." Wong said, stringing his hands together in creating some sort of sphere. "Strange, if you would, I would like your assistance in this endeavor."

Though his eyes conveyed hesitancy, Strange still stepped forward and held his hands up.

"And what is it we are doing?" He asked.

"Erecting a barrier that will repel whatever monstrosity Muur sends our way." Wong plainly said. "Follow my hand motions in the opposite directions."

Strange could only nod, still clearly put off by what was happening as he began copying the motions of Wong though in the opposite way as he had instructed.

Meanwhile, Bucky, armed with a glowing staff and some kind of greave on his metal wrist, was running towards the exit of Kamar-Taj.

With his super enhanced legs, he ran ahead of a majority of the group that was running with him having only Robbie, Mordo and Celeste keep up with him.

They soon reached the exit and burst out of the sanctuary to see Rakghouls plaguing the people of Kathmandu.

"By the Force." Celeste whispered in horror.

It didn't take long for Bucky and the others to realize that the Rakghoul terrorizing the streets before them were not the usual ones they had encountered up to this point.

Most of them were glowing with strange tendrils and appendages that were clearly not the usual sort that would come with them.

Some had snakes for tails, others with curved goat horns. There were bat wings, hooves, overly muscular arms and other indescribable additions that didn't belong to any known animal found on Earth.

"Great~ they're all juiced up now with demonic, eldritch funk." Said Robbie, enflaming his chains before whipping at the nearest demon Rakghoul.

The chain went right through the chest of the Rakghoul and quickly wrapped itself around the poor transformed human who was quickly turned to ash.

"We gotta get the people to safety." Bucky shouted over the pandemonium. "Get these bastards cornered and keep them from running rampant and spreading the damn plague."

"Oh fuck." Robbie said in dread, looking ahead.

All eyes turned to see a street ablaze with fire and terror…

And Rakghouls literally bursting out from the ground, more and more demonic in appearance, if that was even possible.

"Holy fuck." Barnes couldn't help but say. "He's not even infecting people with it. They're just being created now."

"We need to take them out now." Mordo stressed out.

Celeste nodded, igniting her lightsaber. "Right we should-"

Before she was able to get a word in, golden symbols suddenly descended upon the large collection of mystics.

The symbols peppered the sorcerers, disappearing upon contact to whichever body a symbol would land on with a golden aura surrounding each one.

Then, the air around them seemingly cracked and split apart and out came none other than The Ancient One.

The Sorcerer Supreme.

She stood tall and strong, facing the ever growing horde of Rakghoul with an unflinching gaze.

Tao momentarily glanced back at her many students and two guests that were staying in Kamar-Taj.

"Those runes will help in protecting you from the infection of the Rakghoul plague." She said, voice amplified by magic for all to hear. "Mordo, take half and work on getting the people of this city to safety. Use the water of Idun to help those who have been infected. The rest of you, take out any and all Rakghoul you see with all your might. They shall show you no mercy. Return the favor."

Mordo nodded and said out loud for the majority of sorcerers on the right hand side to follow after him.

The rest divided up into groups of three to seven and dispersed amongst Kathmandu.

Only Bucky, Celeste and Robbie stayed with Tao.

"How long will this enchantment of yours last?" Robbie asked straight away.

"It is unneeded for you, Mr. Reyes." Tao stated. "Zarathos would have simply burned the plague out of your system."

"Well then, no point in holding back." Robbie threw his head up and instantly, the Ghost Rider took his place.

He proceeded to use his hellfire to launch himself into the air, throwing his flaming chain out to snag a flying Rakghoul and bring it down for incineration.

Bucky inspected the glyph before letting out a huff. "Doubt it will last long, but I'll make use with every moment of it."

Tao chuckled. "I'm the Sorcerer Supreme, Mr. Barnes. It will last as long as I allow it."

"Good to hear." Was all Bucky said, spinning his staff about with a blade popping out on one of the ends which was quickly stabbed through the head of a Rakghoul that pounced upon him.

Celeste ran forward, using a spell enhanced Force pull to bring a Rakghoul close to her so she would cleave it in two.

Tao silently watched all this, hearing an intense hum behind her.

She looked back to see Kamar-Taj a glow with a mystical barrier that had just been erected around the entire structure.

'Wong.' Tao thought with a fond smile. 'Leave it to him to think ahead.'

Without even looking, Tao held up her hand, an eldritch symbol appearing and expanding into a shield that blocked a Rakghoul pouncing upon her.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Tao chided as if the ghoul was a child. "That is considered rude, you know?"

The Sorcerer Supreme slowly twirled her hand, going into a fist.

In return, the magical barrier that held back the Rakghoul before her ensnared the demonic Sithspawn and began squeezing it.

It screamed aloud, writhing in pain as the uncomfortable sound of skin being burnt and bones being broken was heard as it was shrunken down until there was nothing left.

Tao then whipped out her other hand, forming a glowing runic fan with her opening up her closed fist to form another.

She soon jumped up into the air and began unleashing spells in all directions, targeting any and all Rakghouls she could see or detect.

Elsewhere, Bucky, Celeste and Robbie were fighting a particularly large cluster of Rakghouls that were all being held together by the Rider's molten chain.

All that were on the edges of the cluster were directly being burnt by the hot metal yet those in the center were fighting to free themselves.

Just as some started jumping out, Celeste and Bucky killed them off in rapid succession.

Once the center dwindled down, Rider pulled on his chain, the links blazing with hellfire that melted through the flesh of the ghouls and ripped them apart.

Over with Mordo, a number of his students were guiding civilians away from the fighting with him acting as the vanguard.

Any Rakghouls that had the foolish notion of coming after them were met with extreme force, courtesy of Master Mordo.

He disposed of another demented Sithspawn and looked up to see two more charging at him only for miniature portals to appear for a split second that closed as fast as they opened.

The portals closed around the midsections of the ghouls, tearing them apart into pieces.

From another portal, out stepped Wong and a clearly reluctant Dr. Strange.

"How bad is it?" Wong asked straight away.

"Pandemonium." Mordo bluntly said. "Muur is summoning the Rakghouls rather than just infecting people with the plague. And worse, they have clear differences from the ones we have seen before. Additions not of their own."

Wong understood in an instant, conjuring a portal for a Rakghoul to jump through and another portal was made for it to pounce onto and sink its teeth into a fellow Sithspawn.

Strange looked at all this with a deeply troubled face.

"Stephen." Mordo said, voice firm, getting his attention. "You are a Doctor, yes? There are people that are being taken to safety who are undoubtedly injured. Go to them, see what you can do to help them. Use your sorcery if need be to stave off the plague if there are those infected."

The surgeon stammered slightly but upon seeing a pair of siblings being escorted to safety, his face became resolute and immediately went after them in a determined manner.

"We need to find Muur." Mordo stated. "He's undoubtedly here."

"Locating him should not be difficult unless he's masking his presence." Wong remarked, unleashing a spell that cut through several Rakghouls. "What matters most is containment and taking out these rampaging spawn."

"Then let's continue." Karl said, using the Vaulting Boots of Valtorr to jump high into the air and with the Staff of the Living Tribunal, struck down a flying Rakghoul.

Wong was joined by several other Sorcerers and apprentices, summoning multiple portals for them to run through and attack the Rakghouls rampaging across Kathmandu.

-Scene Cut-

The Ancient One was busy collecting one ghoul after the other and bringing them together to forcibly turn them into paste, butterflies, ash or whatever is one her mind at the time of their capture.

Her portion of Kathmandu was more or less secured as she had cleared out a majority of the Rakghouls. Her students were coming in after to clean up the mess and any stragglers left behind to be killed off swiftly and effectively.

She stood atop a building, overlooking the city with a downtrodden expression.

Tao allowed this to happen right under her nose and now innocent lives have been lost because of it.

It will be a long while for the city to recover from this attack. Outside of the country's government getting things back in working order here, the citizens will need time to recuperate from the great amount of loss they suffered.

Suddenly, her head snapped to the left and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

In an instant, she used her magic to conjure eldritch steps to help her travel over to what had gotten her attention and she landed in a slight flurry.

"You have a great amount of nerve in coming here, Karness Muur." The Ancient One said aloud, hands summoning her usual eldritch fans.

Before her stood the Sith Lord who radiated with unstable magic.

His skin was no longer the slightly orange tint that he had when he first transformed the stolen body he had. Now, it seemed paler though certain parts shifted about and changed color entirely.

"Glad to have finally met you, Ancient One." Said the ancient Sith. "The boy I possessed before he expired held you with much regard."

Tao only glared upon him. "Do you truly think that what you have done has given you power? True power?"

"I wouldn't be standing here if it didn't." Muur said in a grandiose fashion. "This planet has introduced me to an idea of power I could only dream of."

"You sound like so many fools who have come before." Tao said with a shake of her head. "You think that power you hold to be yours?"

"I have taken it, have I not?" Muur said in an overconfident fashion. "The creatures that reside within me abide by my power and rules. They are nothing but mere tools to be used for my own ascension."

"And how long will it be before they unshackle from your restraints and ruin you from the inside out?"

"I am Karness Muur!" the Sith Lord proclaimed theatrically. "The first of the Sith Lords in all the Galaxy, nay, the Universe. My power stems from thousands of years ago to a time where the Force was at its most raw. You believe these deformed simpletons within me to even come close to my level of power?"

Tao remained stoic and unperturbed by the mad Sith's declaration.

"You forget yourself, Muur." Tao spoke calmly. "Whilst you were trapped within your little trinket, I have been the Sorcerer Supreme for centuries. And in holding that title, I believe your time spent with Kaecilius clearly shows you have failed to realize something. I am one of the strongest beings in not just this Universe but many others beyond your grasp and understanding."

The Sith lord only gave her a mocking clap, unconsciously spasming as the edges of wings nearly burst out from his back.

"Oh~ did you hear what those within me just said?" He rhetorically asked. "To knock you off that pedestal you so claim to stand upon."

Muur gave off a crazed, unhinged smile that greatly disturbed the Ancient One.

"Muur." She said slowly. "I will only give you this warning once. You must surrender those beings you've trapped within yourself. You have no idea what you have done to your body, mind and spirit."

He adopted a thinking posture. "Let me think about it." He said in a mocking tone.

The ancient Sith soon conjured a large volley of glyphs from all sides and released a magical blast towards the bald woman.

Tao simply threw her hand up and easily absorbed the power directed at her.

"You may be powerful in what you know to be the Force." Tao lectured. "But in terms of the magic that I wield, you are only a novice."

"Then explain to me how I gained so much in a short amount of time." Muur boasted, slamming his hands down to the ground.

The ground shifted and outburst stone snakes that made a beeline for the Sorcerer Supreme.

In response, she conjured a sphere that she tossed into the earth before her which expanded into an electric dome that repelled the oncoming snakes.

"You stole the power. Power, unearned, can be a very volatile force. It'll get the best of you, eventually. On one plane, or another."

"There is an Earth phrase I have heard in my travels when I was trapped in my talisman." Muur mused aloud. "What was it again? Ah yes. Pot meet kettle. We aren't very different."

"So you say." Tao said calmly.

Tao threw her hands up and conjured multiple spheres that shot light beams that connected with one another before being shot at towards Muur.

Karness snarled, raising his hands and shot out black Sith lightning that connected with the beams of light.

He soon began laughing maniacally whilst Tao retained her cool and calm expression.

"It is such a shame that someone as powerful as yourself chooses the path to self-destruction." Tao said aloud, shaking her head with clear disappointment.

"While you do it for Earth's preservation from outer realmed threats, I'm doing it for my own desires. And right now, I'm having so much fun!" Muur bellowed out a laugh. "I've been cramped in my talisman for Force knows how long. I have been so damn bored and now that I'm out and kicking again, I want to finally let myself loose. And I'm not gonna stop anytime soon."

The centuries old Sorcerer crossed her hands together, ring and index fingers touching her thumbs. Glowing blue, kaleidoscope-like hexes appeared in between her hands and she shot her hands out and from those hexes came literal lightning tigers that charged forward.

Karness raised his arm which morphed in a clawed dragon hand and sliced through the lighting cats before jumping towards the Ancient One.

Tao encased herself in a glowing golden aura and charged forward.

Both combatants met head on in an explosion of light and magical power as they continued their duel.

All the while…

Mordo, Celeste and Wong both casted simultaneous Earth swallowing spells at a large group of Rakghouls.

Beneath the feet of the ghouls, the earth opened up and out came purple tendrils that ensnared them and they struggled in a futile fashion as the tendrils dragged them into the ground before it was sealed above them.

Not far was Bucky Barnes who swatted a Rakghoul into the hands of Ghost Rider who turned them into embers upon grabbing hold of them.

Even Strange had joined them, using eldritch whips to beat back the enemies.

"Is that the last of them?" Wong asked aloud.

"No, no, there's still more." Celeste said, hand hovering next to her head with an expression of concentration. "I can feel them."

"How can you do this?" Mordo asked.

"Is it the Force you utilize?" Wong followed up with Morne nodding at him.

"Come on, there isn't much left." The Jedi said, gesturing for them to follow.

They ran at full speed when Wong halted in his tracks.

"Wong?" Bucky said, looking back at him with the others stopping.

The Sorcerer pulled up one of his sleeves and around his wrist was a bracelet of some kind that was pulsing with light.

"Dammit! We were so distracted, one of the Sanctums was greatly undefended. Kaecilius exploited this and now London is under attack." Wong said aloud.

Without provocation or any word being uttered from the group, he summoned a portal that led into the nexus of the Sanctums and jumped through it.

"Go." Mordo commanded the entire group. "I shall stay behind with the rest. The Ancient One is undoubtedly here so she'll need help in having a semblance of order."

"Mordo." Celeste said, clearly unsure about this.

"I shall be fine." He said, already turning to run off. "Help Wong. Protect the Sanctums."

They watched as he ran away and heard Wong shout-

"Kaecilius!"

They then jumped into the portal, back into the multi-door area in time to see the open doorway to the London Sanctum.

In front of the entryway was a dead Master and in the hall leading down the Sanctum stood Kaecilius with his followers conjuring a sphere of pure energy.

"NO!" Wong yelled out in vain as Kaecilius slammed the orb down into the floor, unleashing a magical explosion that undoubtedly destroyed the London Sanctum.

It also released a powerful shockwave that was sent directly towards the group and in an instant, Bucky jumped in front of his lover, throwing his arms up.

"LOOK OUT!"

*KABOOOM*

Bucky standing in front of the Jedi did little in protecting her from the powerful shockwave that sent all five of them flying back.

Strange along with Celeste and Robbie went through one door whilst Bucky and Wong went into another.

The trio landed hard on the ground and they looked up in time to see the doorway to Kamar-Taj collapse in with multiple rocks blocking their path.

"Bucky!" Celeste shouted, wrought with worry. "Wong!"

"Dammit." Robbie stood up, walking over to the mountain of rocks and debris that now stand before them.

The Jedi shadow shook her head and held up both her hands, preparing to conjure a portal when she saw something was missing from her left hand.

"My sling ring!" She said in alarm, patting down her body a moment later and visibly froze. "No… I lost it."

Hearing her say this, Strange checked his own hand and cursed himself internally. He hadn't taken it with him when he was in the library at Kamar-Taj and now he was stuck here.

Whichever Sanctum here was.

Either New York or Hong Kong.

"We need to get back there." Celeste nearly shouted. "They need our help."

"Wait a second." Strange spoke up, making the two who had come with him through the doorway to whichever Sanctum this was look at him. "Before all that crazy shit, what did Wong say about these Sanctums? This is a Sanctum that we just flew into, right?"

The Jedi and Drifter looked at one another in a slightly conflicted manner before the former sighed in resignation.

Celeste nodded in response. "We'll just need to figure out which one it is then."

Stumbling out of the present room, the trio ended up in the Sanctum's foyer. There was a large flight of stairs in the middle of it which momentarily split off near the top to reach both ends of the next floor up. The lights were severely dimmed with only a more prominent light coming from the skylight above.

Seeing the entrance on the far end of the hallway, they made their way towards it. Opening the door, Strange and Celeste were greeted with the cool afternoon air with the happenings and goings going on with the city.

Twirling around a little, Stephen saw the address of the Sanctum they just came out of: 177A Bleecker Street.

The two sorcerers noticed a few people staring at them in intrigue before they moved on, the duo going back into the Sanctum a moment later.

"So where are we in New York?" Robbie asked, seated at the foot of the stairs; clearly knowing they weren't in Hong Kong.

"New York." Said the ex-surgeon. "I recognize the street. I sometimes pass by here on my way to work."

Robbie rolled his eyes at that. "No shit. I meant which part of New York in particular."

Strange gave a flat look towards Reyes. "Manhattan."

"Thank you, was that so hard?"

"Alright, now's not the time for bickering." Celeste quickly cut in. "Kamar-Taj is in a Force storm with the Rakghoul and the London Sanctum was just attacked."

"So then what do we do about it?" Robbie asked, looking between Morne and Strange.

"Need to find a way to get in contact with the others." Celeste said straight away. "Or at least find a Sling-Ring somewhere here."

The trio thus began exploring the New York Sanctum. They ascended the stairs and went through the top floor.

"Hello? Anyone here?" Strange called out aloud.

"The protector of this place could've been at Kamar-Taj when the attacks happened." Morne noted since nobody responded to them.

"Your guess is as good as any right now." Robbie commented, inspecting an urn of some kind. Possibly Egyptian in descent.

"Do you know who it could be?" Strange asked, looking at Celeste who pondered to herself.

"Er… maybe, I'm not sure." The Jedi mused, rubbing her chin in thought. "Possibly Master Drumm but I'm not certain."

They soon came across a long corridor that led to a somewhat familiar design or appearance of sorts.

The room was slightly circular with three large windows, each of them leading to another place on Earth.

Kinda like the nexus room of the Sanctums at Kamar-Taj.

"Whoa." Celeste murmured, going over to the center window.

One was of a tropical forest, the other at a frozen tundra and the last being a gorgeous mountain range.

Strange gazed over at a circular dome on the side of each of the windows and cautiously placed his hand upon one and found that it could rotate.

Stephen twisted it, to have the mountain range become a desert. Celeste used the one with the tundra to shift to an ocean.

"Think maybe this could be a way back to Kamar-Taj?" Robbie asked, inspecting the window from all corners.

Rather than vocally respond, both Celeste and Strange decided to test that theory and cycled through a litany of environments only none led back to Kamar-Taj.

"Oh for Kriff's sake, really?"

"Safety measure, I think." Stephen theorized. "Why have another way of getting there with the doorway near the foyer?"

"That's one bullshit safety measure." Robbie stated in annoyance.

"Come one, it's best not to dwell on it." Strange said with a sigh, walking away from the three windows.

They went up to what seemed to be the top floor of the Sanctum and saw a whole host of antiques and relics on display.

The items were either hung on the wall, placed upon a display case behind glass, had its own pedestal or just lodged in a shelf.

Helmets, masks, cloth, weapons, tools and an assortment of other items that couldn't be quite identified.

"Gotta be a sling ring around here." Celeste said aloud, walking around the many old magical relics.

Strange and Robbie didn't respond, momentarily engrossed in the assortment of items that surrounded them.

The latter gazed upon two axes hung upon the wall that looked as though they could cleave through just about everything.

He nodded his head in approval and from the momentary buzz he got from the spirit of vengeance, it appeared he shared the sentiment.

"Find anything useful?" Celeste said, coming up to stand next to him.

Robbie nodded his head forward with a small smirk forming as he saw the Jedi sag her shoulders dramatically as she noticed what he was looking at.

"Really?"

"Hey, you asked for useful." Robbie argued. "And this can be useful."

Morne only rolled her eyes, not stopping the younger man who casually took off one of the axes on the wall and attached it to his back.

"Strange." The Jedi Shadow said aloud, voice echoing off the walls. "Have you found anything useful? Any sling rings?"

She didn't hear a response and she grew a bit worried.

"Strange." she called out again nervously. "Are you-"

"Huh?" the wayward doctor responded, getting a relieved sigh from Celeste. "Sorry, sorry, no didn't find anything other than… this floating cloak."

"A floating cloak." Celeste repeated, momentarily looking down at the blue Kwa robe draped around her shoulders. "And…?"

"And what?"

"Anything else? Any Sling Rings?"

"No, nothing on my end."

Celeste sighed in resignation, a growing sense of irritation and anxiousness.

She wanted to go back to Kamar-Taj immediately since it was under attack by the Rakghouls but she had also just learned about the importance of these Sanctums from Wong.

And one had just been destroyed.

If the other two go, the apparent end of the World.

So here she was, reluctant as she may be, in a Sanctum that apparently stands between the Earth and eternal torment.

As a Jedi, she had to deal with many things such as galactic conflicts and wars with many planets being ravaged by the two.

Yet somehow, those all suddenly felt miniscule in the grand scheme of things as she had taken a moment to step back and realize just what she had gotten herself into.

She was now part of an order that operated not in one universe but the multiverse. Other universes, dimensions, realities, whatever one may call it.

And she's now supposed to defend a safe point from zealots who worship a cosmic entity from another universe that eats other universes and worlds for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Celeste was fairly certain this wasn't in any Jedi or Sith text or code.

"Seriously, how is it that this place has no Sling Rings?" Doctor Strange said in clear aggravation, returning to the two of them as they all now stood before the circular window of the Sanctum.

"Maybe we just haven't checked in the right place." Robbie suggested.

Celeste hummed in thought. "No, I gotta agree with Stephen on this one. This is a Sanctum, something they've emphasized to be really important. Would figure a Sling Ring would be one of the first items we would find. At least one being kept here in case of emergencies."

"When this is all over, I'm gonna have to talk to Tao and make that mandatory." Stephen grumbled.

"Kind of like what it was decades ago with phones." Robbie commented.

"Why's that?" Asked the Jedi.

"Every place had a required telephone before cellular became a community. A lot of people saw the old, styled phones as a waste of space and useless, surviving no further purpose with an excess of communication devices. Only ones you see of those would be at certain businesses like at office buildings or restaurants."

"I find that weird." Commented the Jedi. "Back where I'm from, every place I recalled going to had a communication device."

"Lucky you."

Strange sighed. "Ok so what're we-"

*VVVVVVR*

A distinctive rumbling could be heard and felt from the foyer. It surprised the trio, making them investigate quickly. Along the way, sounds of conflict were now present.

They ran to the front to see an African American Master Sorcerer fighting off-

"Rakghoul!" Robbie shouted, vaulting over the railing and going to aid the man.

"What the hell are they doing here? I thought they were only attacking Kamar-Taj!" Strange exclaimed in shock.

Robbie's eyes glowed as he snarled. "Bastard. Muur must be attacking all the Sanctums."

"Not the time for that." Celeste shouted, igniting her lightsaber. "Hold on Master Drumm!"

The man turned to see the Jedi shadow performing an astonishing multi-front flip up and over him and coming down to cut a ghoul in two.

"Celeste." He breathed aloud in relief. "Thank god you're here."

Drumm looked over to see Robbie's head turn back into the flaming skull of the Rider and headbutted a Rakghoul that burnt its head off.

"What are you doing here, Celeste?" Drumm asked.

"London has fallen and we got sent here through a blast. The only way back is heavily blocked off."

"Where are your Sling Rings?"

"We lost them." Strange revealed embarrassedly, conjuring an eldritch whip that he roped around the mouth of a Rakghoul and tugged on his ethereal rope.

The ghoul was angled to crash face first into the ground, quickly being killed by Celeste a moment later.

Robbie, meanwhile, snagged a Rakghoul with his inflamed chain and rather than toss the Sithspawn around allowed the chain itself to burn the creature to a crisp.

Switching out from his chain whip, the Ghost Rider pulled off the axe weapons from his back. As he swung them, the blades ignited as they helped cleave through the opponent in front. The Spirit of Vengeance then followed through with the motion to bring the other axe around in a spinning motion.

Soon, screaming was heard, coming from outside the Sanctum.

"Oh shit." Strange said aloud and quickly ran out onto the street to see Rakghoul running around Bleecker street. "Shit, they're here too."

"No shit." Yelled out Rider, sprinting out of the Sanctum to join the doctor.

In an instant, his fiery chain was quickly wrapped around the edge of his new Axes handle and he flung it forward.

The razor edge of the axe became molten red, steam emanating off of it.

It found itself embedded into the chest of a particularly large Rakghoul who shrieked aloud in pain.

Tightening his grip upon the chain, Rider whipped his hand once, sending a wave of hellfire racing down the chain to the end of the axe it was attached to.

Once it reached its target, the Rakghoul convulsed momentarily before it exploded into a hundred charred pieces that now littered the ground.

Drumm was utilizing his own magical relic known simply as the Spectre-Staff. Wherein most Mystics used the basic, thin Quarterstaff, this one was modified by Drumm to better go with his broad frame and natural strength that was enhanced with his sorcery.

He bashed the edge of his weapon into the jaw of a Rakghoul, watching the teeth shatter. He then delivered a blow to its stomach that brought it down to the ground with it being finished off by Drumm smashing its head in.

The Sanctum Master of New York heard windows breaking and people screaming in terror.

He turned back to see people running for their lives and Rakghoul breaking into apartments and the Sanctum itself.

"The Sanctum's being attacked!"

"Strange." Celeste shouted, sprinting towards the Rakghoul chasing innocent civilians. "Protect the Sanctum. We'll handle things out here."

Stephen appeared momentarily conflicted, watching as people ran for their lives.

He wanted to help them.

Needed to.

Strange then clapped his hands together and conjured his eldritch whips and flung them out to a number of the nearest Rakghouls.

"Robbie." Strange yelled out, flinging them all towards Rider before he ran into the Sanctum to fend off the ghouls inside.

Ghost Rider turned around in time to see nearly a dozen Sithspawn slide at his feet.

If one looked closely enough, it appeared as though the skull head was grinning as he slammed a fiery fist into a fiery palm.

"Oh~ WhaT a GIft I have ReceiVeD."

Knowing he can't be of much help with the ones before him, Stephen quickly moved around them and repeated the same actions he performed earlier. Using the whips to more or less fling them outside was a tricky process within the confined foyer.

Stephen struggled to fend off the final Rakghoul attacking him. He was doing his best with the conjured net emanating from his hands to block their onslaught. The former surgeon was forced to fall back and find a better vantage for him to overcome his adversary.

Luckily for him, the Rider's hellfire whip quickly killed the Rakghoul chasing after him. Regardless, Stephen needed something to assist on this present issue in Manhattan.

When he got back into the Sanctum, he made his way upstairs to where the litany of weapons and artifacts were kept. Surely one of them can at least help him, despite having little to no experience using a weapon at all.

Back outside, the Ghost Rider guarded the Sanctum's entrance so no more enemies could get inside. Once again, he whirled around and cleaved through another Rakghoul.

It was at this moment did he notice something from the corner of his gaze. Turning, he wasn't the only one to see what it exactly was.

"No." Celeste whispered in dread, looking at the portal in dread.

Drumm was by her side, tense and ready as they gazed upon Kaecilius stepping through the portal with five of his followers.

The fallen Sorcerer regarded Drumm first.

"Daniel." Kaecilius greeted cordially. "I see you have been made master of this Sanctum."

Drumm tightened his grip on his Spectre-Staff.

Kaecilius momentarily looked back and saw the Rakghouls rampaging about and turned to the two Zealots to his left.

"Keep them back, I want no interference here."

The two nodded and ran off.

"You say that but we stand before you." Celeste stated, standing tall as she summoned an eldritch sword in her other hand.

Kaecilius squinted at the Jedi for a second until recognition dawned upon his face.

"Ah yes, what was it that you were called again?" Kaecilius rhetorically asked. "A Jedi, yes?"

"And now a Master of the Mystic Arts." Celeste said, getting into a Jar'Kai battle stance with Drumm following suit.

Rider went to stand next to them, his menacing presence throwing off the other two zealots for a moment whilst their master remained firm.

"Such a shame that you follow her." Kaecilius chided. He brought his palms together, fingers pointed away from one another and created a space shard that bent the visage around it.

His two students did the same and quickly engaged their three opponents.

Drumm fought a male Zealot whilst Rider went to engage in the female.

Celeste clashed with Kaecilius, their weapons letting off sparks of energy as they duel with one another.

The follower of Dormammu pushed her back and reached to the ground with one hand and spun it about.

In an instant, the entire ground began to shift and change and moments later, the entire world around them seemingly transformed into a moving kaleidoscope.

"Behold the power of my master." Kaecilius boasted.

Rider tried whipping his chain towards Kaecilius but was quickly deflected by the female zealot and repulsed her into a shifting building.

"Robbie!" Celeste shouted, turning back in time to hastily block a powerful strike from the fallen master.

She sailed high into the air and crashed back into the New York Sanctum.

Drumm was on the backfoot, the male zealot relentlessly attacking him as each blow came with wisps of dark energy flowing off his weapon.

The two dueled back into the foyer of the Sanctum just as Strange returned now garbed in a red flowing cloak and several scratches on his body.

He came back in time to see Drumm being double teamed by Kaecilius and his follower.

The student grabbed onto Daniels' staff and it seemingly disintegrated, glass shards floating into the air.

Kaecilius then had his hand glow a purplish red and slammed it into the chest of the Master.

Strange heard a sickening crunch of Drumms ribs and jumped the railing in vain.

"NO!"

Drumm fell to the floor bleeding and fading from existence.

"Urgh." Strange turned his head to see Celeste clutching her side, wincing in pain.

"Morne." He went over to her, propping her up to sit and lean against the wall before facing Kaecilius.

The former Master gazed upon Strange curiously. "Haven't seen you before I left. You must be new. Who might you be, Mister…"

"Doctor."

Kaecilius actually paused at that name. "Mister Doctor?"

"It's Strange." Stephen clarified.

The fallen master seemed to find brief amusement in this. "Maybe. Who am I to judge?"

He then flung his dimensional shard at Strange who hastily blocked it.

The female zealot had entered into the foyer and instantly saw her fellow student run alongside the wall to get to Strange and Celeste and quickly joined him.

Strange grit his teeth, resummoning his eldritch whip to fend off the male Zealot whilst Celeste waited for the female zealot to get to them at the right moment.

Once the woman jumped from the wall, Celeste threw out her hand and sent a magically enhanced Force push to send the follower of Dormammu flying.

Strange hoisted her up and they ran back as the three Dark Magic users engaged them.

Strange ran down the hallway that led to the three windows to other parts of Earth with Dormammu's Master follower crossing his hands together and held them out in their direction.

The hallway started to shift, multiply, twist and turn.

Stephen lost his footing and almost dropped Celeste but was able to recover when the cloak he wore kept them in the air.

He then dropped Celeste down as she physically maneuvered to be free from his grip so she could activate her lightsaber once again.

With this bit of advantage, Stephen resumed the fight by conjuring some ethereal whips to get onto the offensive. He was even able to ensnare the space shard his opponent conjured, yet they now played tug-o-war with each other.

With Stephen pretty much preoccupied and leaving himself exposed, the female zealot leapt up into the air, ready to bring down her shards onto Celeste when something caught her in the air.

She looked down in genuine terror at a molten chain wrapped firmly around her waist.

"COME HERE!"

The female zealot could only scream as she was pulled right into the waiting hands of the Ghost Rider.

She struggled and squirmed, trying to incline herself as far away from the flaming skull as possible all while trying to escape.

"You~" The Rider's voice was now entirely demonic with barely a trace of Robbie's voice being heard. "GUILTY. Look into my eyes. Your soul is stained with the blood of the innocent. It's time for you to know their pain."

The female zealot could only struggle in a vain attempt in the end as she literally felt her soul begin to feel some sort of burning pressure.

She tried escaping her body through astral projection but found herself trapped within her own body.

"You're not going anywhere." The Rider spoke menacingly. "FEEL THEIR PAIN!"

The young woman slowly began moaning before it turned into a full blown screaming session of pure and utter pain and agony as all the wrongs she had done, especially in these last few weeks, began to literally burn her soul alive.

Kaecilius turned around, eyes wide with shock as he saw fire explode out from his followers eyes as she kept on screaming.

After what felt like an eternity, the girl finally stopped and then slumped over, dead with her eyes being replaced with a molten surface.

Rider slowly turned his hellish red eyes in Kaecilius' direction when suddenly, he got tackled by two Rakghouls that came through from nowhere.

"They're still here?!" Celeste shouted in pure aggravation now, leaving the male Zealot she was fighting and ran off to aid Rider as more ghouls came in through the windows and door of the Sanctum.

Seeing Kaecilius distracted in looking at his freshly dead acolyte, Stephen whirled his arm to let the ensnaring spell construct to whip the traitor to a nearby wall. With one last swing, Stephen canceled his spell which got his opponent to flail in the air and crash into some furniture.

With him down, Stephen continued bringing Celeste to the "armory" so they can figure out their next move.

It was at that point did he feel a rather odd tug coming from the red colored coat he presently wore once setting Celeste down.

Strange was unsure as to why his newly acquired cape was pulling him so much towards whatever that skeletal contraption was on the wall. But it was determined as hell to direct him there so after deftly pulling Strange out of the way from a near fatal swing from Kaecilius, he acquiesced to his demanding capes direction.

Grabbing whatever this thing was on the wall, Strange threw it right at the unsuspecting Kaecilius.

In an instant, the skeletal structure clamped down upon the Mystics body and forcibly positioned him into a clearly uncomfortable pose.

On his knees, back and neck pressed forward with both arms stretched up behind him.

If it wasn't for the conflict occurring, Stephen would've laughed at the sight.

Strange let out a long breath, leaning slightly on his knees as he caught his breath.

The former surgeon then heard some mumbled chants from the bound Kaecilius. More or less curious about it, he pried off the mouthpiece and heard the mystic traitor continue.

"Oh, stop it." Strange said, rolling his eyes at the lunatics' crazed devotion.

"You cannot stop this, Mister Doctor." Kaecilius said in the calmest tone he had.

"I don't even know what "this" is." Strange countered, clearly fed up with everything he has gone through in less than a few hours.

"It's the end… and the beginning. The many becoming the few becoming the One." The follower of Dormammu recited.

Stephen was having a migraine now with the weird bullshit he was going through today.

"If you're not gonna start making sense," Stephen held up the mouthpiece of Kaecilius' prison contraption, "I'm just gonna have to put this thing back on."

"Tell me, Mister Doctor-"

Oh Stephen had-had it.

"My name is Strange. Doctor Stephen Strange." The former surgeon corrected with a poignant look that conveyed 'do you understand?'.

Kaecilius regarded the man. "...You're a doctor?"

"Yeah."

"A scientist."

"A medical practitioner." Stephen clarified.

"You understand the laws of nature." Kaecilius soon continued with some examples. "All things age. All things die. In the end, our sun burns out. Our universe grows cold and perishes. But the Dark Dimension… it's a place beyond time."

"...That's it." Stephen called out. I'm putting this thing back on."

"This world doesn't have to die, Doctor Strange." Said the traitor, before Stephen could put the mouthpiece back in place. "This world can take its rightful place alongside so many others as part of the One. The great and beautiful One. We can all live forever."

It was by this point did a familiar voice speak up.

"Nothing is meant to live forever."

Strange looked back to see Celeste walking up the steps.

"Reyes?"

"He's handling the Ghouls outside." Celeste said. "The other follower of his was tossed into one of those windows."

Strange nodded at her with the two now looking at the imprisoned Kaecilius.

"You're a fool if you think you'll live forever." Celeste said straight away. "Seldom is immortality a blessing when in reality, most who have achieved it found it to be a curse."

"You… you know of those who have attained everlasting life?" The former Master of the Mystic Arts asked in awe.

Morne slowly nodded. "I know of two, one that is a twisted and vile ritual and the other… that allows you to transcend while keeping your consciousness on the mortal world. But it is only for those who are truly enlightened. A Jedi who is at one with the Force and the Force with them."

"That is what Dormammu promises, Jedi." Kaecilius all but whispered.

"Really?" Strange said, clearly not believing in what he was hearing. "What do you have to gain out of this New Age dimensional utopia?"

"The same as you. Same as everyone else. Life. Eternal life." Kaecilius soon explained his thoughts. "People think in terms of good and evil when really time is the true enemy of us all. Time kills everything."

"It isn't cruel. People just misunderstand the concept. Time is a gift." Said Celeste. Thoughts of her time before being put into the cryo-sarcophagus and coming out of it briefly flooded her mind. "People don't really realize it, but what time we have must be preserved. It's what gives life meaning. And sadly they don't take it for granted and squander it away."

"What about the people you killed?" Asked the former surgeon.

"Tiny. Inevitable and momentary tiny specks within an indifferent universe.

Celeste ignited her saber and held it up to the man's neck.

"How dare you." She hissed, glaring angrily at the man. "Who are you to decide such a thing? You took away innocent lives who didn't have a chance to live their lives as they saw fit."

"Are you truly getting upset over a few poor souls-"

The man barely winced as he felt the lightsaber now hover over his cheek, lightly burning his skin.

"One more word out of you." Celeste said with barely restrained anger.

Before she could say or do more, she felt a hand placed upon her wrist.

Morne turned to see a stoic Strange shaking his head.

She let out a startled breath, quickly deactivating her lightsaber and taking a step back.

Kaecilius saw the opportunity to continue from where he left off. "This world is not what it ought to be. Humanity longs for the eternal… for a world beyond time because time is what enslaves us. Time is an insult. Death is an insult."

"Only because we fear it as we seek to see more out of life. Many seek to escape it, but we can't in the end." Celeste added in with a glare.

"Doctor… Celeste… we don't seek to rule this world. We seek to save it, to hand it over to Dormammu, who is the intent of all evolution, the why of all existence."

"A misguided one." Morne said dismissively.

"The Sorcerer Supreme defends existence." Stephen said after her.

"What was it that brought you two to Kamar-Taj?" Kaecilius said towards the pair before him. "Enlightenment? Power? Or was it to be healed like everyone else?" He chuckled to himself. "Kamar-Taj is a place that collects broken things. We all come with the promise of being healed and instead the Ancient One gives us parlor tricks and never resolves our issues." He spat out. "The real magic she keeps for herself. Did you ever wonder how she managed to live this long?"

"...I saw the rituals in the Book of Cagliostro." Said Stephen, looking away slightly.

"So you know," began Kaecilius, earning a curious look from Celeste on what was unsaid. "The ritual gives me the power to overthrow the Ancient One and tear the Sanctums down. To let the Dark Dimension in. Because what the Ancient One hoards, Dormammu gives freely. Life everlasting."

"You're a deluded fool." Celeste spat out. "All you've done is go about freeing evil Sith Lords and murdering people. How dare you say that you're a bringer of peace."

Strange tacked on. "The "Dark Dimension" doesn't exactly sound like a place of pleasantries."

"Who says dark and light are evil and good respectively? They're labeled as such because one can be easily feared while the other is quickly accepted. In reality, there are all sorts of greys."

"I'd rather not philosophize with someone like you." Strange interjected yet Kaecilius pressed on.

"He's not the destroyer of worlds. He's their savior."

"No. I mean, c'mon. Look at your face. Dormammu made you a murderer. Just how good can his kingdom be?" Stephen then saw his captive laugh a bit. "You think that's funny?"

"No, not that. What's funny is that you both don't have a sling ring?"

Celeste patted hers and saw that it was gone.

"Oh come on." She cursed herself. "I just got one back."

Strange, instead, heard something from the bottom of the staircase behind them and turned around in time to receive a dimensional shard straight into his heart.

"STEPHEN!" Celeste shouted.

She faced the male Zealot who ran up the stairs at them and she clenched her fist in response.

The man seized up and he proceeded to be tossed into the ceiling and down to the floor and he lay there unmoving.

The only proof that the man was still alive was the floor beneath fogging up slightly where his mouth was.

Strange nearly fell down the stairs when Celeste caught him.

The man was gasping, clutching his bleeding chest as he stumbled down even with Morne holding his arms.

"C'mon, stay with me." She stressed out.

Stephen let out a choked breath, lazily reaching for "Give me… sling ring."

"I can't."

"J-Just do it!"

Using the Force, Celeste ensnared the sling-ring from the unconscious zealot upstairs and had it hastily come right at her. Once catching it, she reluctantly handed it to the bleeding man she was carrying.

Stephen shakily opened up a portal, showing the other side to be a supply room.

Without any further choice, Celeste had to drag Stephen through it as it closed up behind them.

"Where are we?" She asked in bewilderment. "Is this a-"

"Metro-General Hospital." Strange answered. "Through here. We need to find Dr. Christine Palmer."

Exiting out of the supply room, Celeste saw some commotion going on within the medical facility. Doctors were running around with recent cases with the recent attack.

The Jedi Shadow was about to approach one of them before someone did so.

"Ma'am? Can I help- Oh god, Stephen?"

Celeste looked between the woman and the man she was carrying.

"Hello Christine." Stephen wheezed out.

The identified woman stammered and sputtered as she tried to make sense as to what she was looking at.

"Stephen, what happened? Where have you been? Where did you even come-"

"Ma'am." Celeste cut in sharply, making Christine stare wide eyed at her. "He's badly hurt. Nearly got stabbed through the chest. We could really use your help right now since he apparently came looking for you in particular."

Christine could only gape until she managed out a single nod and guided the two to an ER.

-Scene Cut-

Kaecilius grunted, massaging his wrists as he had at last freed himself from his restraints.

This Doctor Strange proved to be more resourceful than anticipated.

He turned over to his unconscious student and walked over to him.

The former master turned his disciple over and with a tap upon his head brought him back to consciousness.

"Master Kaecilius?" The student grunted, shaking his head.

"Come." He said, helping him up to stand. "We have work to do."

"Master!"

His other two students whom he had sent out to deal with the Rakghouls returned in a panic.

"Yes, yes, what is it?" He asked, put off by the state of them both.

"The Rider." the one closest to him gasped out. "He was about to kill us."

"We must flee now." The other said with a look of absolute fear in his eyes.

Kaecilius' gaze hardened, looking out at the window and heard the tell-tale signs of a flaming chain being used followed by screeching ghouls.

"Come." Kaecilius declared. "We shall fight him together."

"But maste-"

"Together." Kae emphasized. "He may be a spirit of unimaginable power but with our gift from Dormammu we shall overcome this vile wretch."

The three students that stood around him saw his resolve and slowly allowed it to come over them as they all stood up straight and soon followed their master down to the first floor and out of the Sanctum.

They all walked out just in time to see a Rakghoul's incinerated corpse land before them.

The Zealots all looked up to see Ghost Rider clutching another ghoul by its neck and literally melting it away by having magma spew from its mouth.

Upon seeing it dead, the part of the body that wasn't burned off was tossed away and Ghost Rider glanced over to the four mystics who stared at him unflinchingly.

Now, most would assume that a duel or an epic fight between them would go down to the setting and scenario.

However…

*FFFFSSSS*

*SHHHHHH*

All five craned their heads over to another portal that suddenly opened in between them and out stumbled a wheezing and beaten Sith Lord who hastily closed the gateway behind him.

He fell to his knees, coughing and hacking whilst his body convulsed with a litany of animal parts and other things momentarily freeing themselves from the body before they were forcibly pulled back in.

The Sith Lord gasped out, feeling his body painfully heal at a rapid rate.

Karness Muur took a moment to regain himself and looked around and took note of the multitude of dead Rakghoul lying about and in particular, the flaming skull with a chain and axe.

Around him were a pile of his creations all charred to the bone.

"I see." Muur croaked out and instantly fired off a powerful blast of Sith Lightning that struck Rider with such force, it sent him flying back several blocks.

"You." Kaecilius murmured in disbelief and anger.

The Sith Lord blinked and looked over at-

"Ah yes, Kaecilius." Muur said with a vicious sneer. "Yet another captor that must die by my hand."

"You have a great nerve in coming to face me, spirit." Kaecilius declared.

"Correction, I'm no spirit any longer. I'm living, breathing flesh after all these years." Muur said, a crazed smile in place.

"If only you were able to live to enjoy it longer." Kaecilius said, summoning two lances of dimensional shards.

Muur huffed, whipping his left hand down as a pillar of energy ignited from his grasp. Bringing it up, he smiled as the dark orange-red light from it highlighted his face. It was as if he was wielding his old lightsaber once again.

"My disciples, stay out of this fight. I shall handle him."

"But Master-"

"GO!"

With reluctance, the zealots conjured a portal and fled through it so they may return to their hideout.

Kaecilius and Muur then began to slowly circle one another as the sling-ring portal closed back up.

They continued this circling motion until both jumped at one another at the same time.

Their weapons clashed, letting off sparks and cracks in reality itself. Sparks flew as they met again and again, hoping to take down the other.

Through their mortal kombat, each combatant threw several spells which started to destroy the outside walls of the Sanctum. Ethereal chains sought to bind Muur, yet the ancient Sith leapt and whirled in the air. Using his cloak, the revived practitioner hovered and used Force Lightning and blasted Kaecilius away.

Muur jumped a distance away and threw out his hand, unleashing another torrent of Sith Lightning.

This time however, his opponent was ready for him.

Kaecilius rotated both arms once and held out his hands, the Sith Lightning striking his palms.

Rather than harming him, the lightning splintered apart into multiple branching webs that grew into a makeshift wall of sorts.

Once the lightning stopped coming, Kaecilius held his hands vertically apart and brought the split apart lightning together and morphed it into a crackling sphere.

He reared his arm back and flung it at full force towards Muur who sneered, arms morphing into a more draconic appearance, catching the lightning sphere.

The Sith Lord grunted, feeling his face shift into a lizard-like skin when he shook his head back to normal.

He crushed the thunder sphere in his hand and both glared now.

They ran towards each other with their magics flaring. Both collided, repelled and crashed into their own nearby windows, tumbling onto Bleecker Street with shards of glass falling on top of them.

Rising from the concrete, both fighters shook off the glass and stared at each other in their own ways.

"Now that was fun." Said the ancient Sith.

"To me, it wasn't." Kaecilius grunted.

"To each their own." Muur then spoke with a deranged flare in his voice. "Once I kill you, your master is next."

Kaecilius froze upon hearing this and gazed upon the man who was clearly losing his mind.

"Impossible. Dormammu can't be killed."

"Who said I'll kill him, exactly? I mean to take his power." Karness' hunger was clear as day to see. "Once I take the power of a being like Dormammu this universe, no, all universes shall be mine to consume. Everlasting and eternal power for me, the greatest Dark Lord of the Sith to have ever lived."

Before the two men were able to fight any further, an unexpected set of individuals came upon the scene.

"HEY, assholes."

The two mystics turned their heads to see two men standing before them in stances indicating they were here to fight.

"Mind telling us the hell are you doing in our city messin' up shit like that?"

"Cage, Rand, did you find the source?"

From an alleyway behind came a man in a white suit that was reminiscent of a feline creature.

"Looks like it."

Muur and Kaecilius looked up to see a woman in a leather jacket floating down from on high and landing beside the three men.

"These the bastards causing all the ruckus?" The woman asked.

"Yeah." Spoke what appeared to be the youngest of the group.

He raised his fist which began glowing a yellow aura that soon encompassed his entire arm.

"You know guys, I know we haven't fully decided on this but I think it's time we show these clowns who we are."

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Cage said, slamming his fist into his palm.

Muur looked at them in curiosity. "Interesting." He muttered before a smile slowly grew. "Can't wait for the fun."

The African American wearing the yellow shirt sighed to himself until he adopted an amused smirk.

"Guess we're Avengers now, huh Danny?"

"Yup."

-Scene Cut-

"HERO! Ore o tataeru koe ya kassai nante hoshiku wa nai sa HERO! Dakara hitoshirezu aku to tatakau!"

"How do you even listen to that crap?"

Within a secluded area of Manhattan, Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye of the Avengers, was seeing their newest resident listening to her preferred music in her workshop.

"Don't you have kids?" Shuri, Princess of Wakanda asked.

"I do, but I know they have better taste."

Shuri shook her head in disapproval, coy smirk in place.

"You say that, but you might not know them entirely."

"Uh huh."

Clint didn't want to give the Wakandan princess the satisfaction that she may be right.

Blasted teenagers.

"So, what're ya working on this time Princess?" The expert marksman asked, taking a bite of his shawarma.

Ever since 2012, this was the go to food for practically all the Avengers.

Before they up and vanished to who knows where, Clint and Tony got the Maximoff twins, Peter Parker and Matt Murdock onto the stuff.

It became an impromptu rite of passage.

"Stop calling me that." Shuri said with a pout, doing her best to emulate it as she saw on her favorite anime.

Hawkeye only gazed upon the teen girl with a deadpan stare.

It was… interesting when they were approached by the Wakandans when their crown prince disappeared alongside two of their new initiates. They sought answers, much like they did. Ever since that meeting, Shuri basically moved into the converted Stark warehouse facility as an "ambassador" or liaison so they can resolve their present issue faster.

So far, no such luck. All Clint had been getting in turn were possible grey hairs due to the reckless, stir crazy princess.

"My one year old son behaves better than you." Clint dryly remarked.

"Is he smarter than me?" Shuri asked in a bragging tone.

"Scientifically? No. Emotionally-" Barton tilted his head out of the way from the crumpled up paper thrown at him.

In response, he flicked the wrapper from the straw of his drink, hitting her dead on the forehead.

"Hey~" Shuri whined, rubbing her forehead. "That hurt~"

She puckered her lower lip up, making it tremble as much as she could make it whilst her eyes watered up.

A moment later, a towel was thrown over her entire face.

"I've been a father for years, Princess, gonna have to do better than that." Clint said, sipping his drink and watching with an amused smirk as he watched the princess remove the towel over her head in a huff.

"Baba isn't usually this rude."

"Baba clearly let you do whatever you want." Clint tsked aloud disapprovingly. "Spoiled little brat."

"I'm not that spoiled!"

"Oh yeah? Do you know how to make an omelet without it being cooked for you? Or at least boil an egg?"

"It's not that hard." Shuri shot back.

"Oh really? Wanna show me and put my foot where my mouth is?"

"Yes, I actually really do!"

Clint shrugged and stood from his seat. "Alright, but you're fixing the kitchen if you burn it again."

"That was only-"

"Two times too many." Clint cut her off. "Now come on. Try not to poison me with your cooking."

Shuri huffed, crossing her arms. "I won't."

"Sure~"

Thus, the unlikely and strange duo of an Avenger from Rural America and Princess from a hyper advanced technological city made their way over to the HQ kitchen.

"Alright, so that there is the fridge." Clint immediately said, pointing to said object.

His hand was promptly slapped out of the face of Shuri who flicked her tongue at him only to receive a flick to her forehead.

"Hey!"

"Get to it."

She grumbled beneath her breath. "If Okoye was here-"

"She'd be encouraging it, now c'mon." Clint said, walking over to the fridge and opening it up to take out a number of ingredients. "We'll start small and work our way up."

Shuri muttered under her breath but followed after the archer regardless and walked around the kitchen counter.

She watched as Clint placed down a bunch of foods and sauces before her.

He then held aloft a single, pristine-white egg.

"Your goal… is to not blow this up."

Shuri scoffed, attempting to swipe the egg out of his hand only to grasp it right and it fell to the ground.

It's fate was obvious.

The genius inventor felt her face heat up as she gazed back at Clint who was close to laughing hysterically.

"Best two out of three?"

"I'll be docking points out of your performance."

The Princess withered slightly before shaking her head rapidly and putting up a determined front.

"I… am ready." She declared.

Clint arched a brow up and smirked at her in amusement, holding up another egg for her to take.

"How about you take it as slow as possible?"

Shuri wanted to rebuke him but after that last action…

She delicately took the egg out of the founding Avengers' hand and held it in front of her.

"Ok, get some pots ready and some water and let's get started."

After some time, Clint and Shuri were busy making one small dish after another with some minor hiccups here and there.

A burnt dish here, spilled milk there, flour dusting one of the counters over by the edge.

They were so engrossed in their cooking that neither noticed somebody else had walked in on their little session.

"Am I missing something here?" Both didn't need to look over to see Tony Stark entering the premises. He saw what was happening and paled slightly. "Please don't tell me she's cooking again. I don't wanna deal with another kitchen fire."

"It wasn't that bad!" She blurted out.

"Most of the wall melted off. It wasn't fun on the insurance." Stark pointed out, gesturing over to the newly refreshed wall.

"Don't you already have it covered in spades?"

"That's not the point."

"You colonizers are the worst."

"Ok Dead Memes, no need to get snippy with your hosts."

"I promised I'd rebuild the next thing that blows up with vibranium, didn't I?"

"Did you now?" Tony's smirk became mischievous in a "deadly" sense as Shuri froze upon realizing her blunder.

"N-n-n-w-wait." She stammered.

"Nope, nope, nope, no take backsies." Tony declared. "Friday."

"Already recorded it, boss." Spoke the personal AI to Stark.

"Gonna wonder what will get wrecked next." The Iron Avenger said with glee now.

Despite the good fun here, Clint did get worried on a passing thought. "Please don't wreck one of your suits on purpose, Stark."

"Oh now there's an idea."

"No way in hell." Shuri declared, coughing into her hand. "Unless you let me help."

"Deal."

Clint rolled his eyes at the two. Sometimes he wondered who was the mature one.

"God, I wish Peter was here so he can deal with her better than I can. Even you." Clint quipped.

"You and me both." Tony said offhandedly.

"Shut up you two yanks!"

"Oh did ya hear that? She learned a new word. She really is growing up." Tony taunted cheekily.

Their bickering ended when an alarm went off.

They hardly heard this sound, making it feel alien to them.

Pulling up what was happening from her Wakandan beads around her wrist, Shuri's fingers blurred across the holographic screen.

"Did you finally crack something?" Clint asked the Princess, now completely serious.

For days, the princess has been running algorithms to figure out a number of issues with their wayward members and loved ones. So far, no success.

"Not that, Mr. Barton." Shuri spoke, tone matching Clint's. "Something else is happening."

"How so?"

"There are unusual readings happening over in New York. Primarily the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Very erratic, in fact, and escalating."

She quickly enhanced the readings and with it came imaging of the place in particular where all the energy readings were coming from.

"Something bad is happening right now. It's on the news."

She quickly pulled up news coverage of the present incident being reported by various bits of media.

The trio watched as a news reporter with her cameraman peaked around the corner to see four familiar figures fighting off two men who seemed to be fighting them with energy they couldn't quite identify.

"Looks like our new recruits are in the fight already." Clint said aloud, looking at the Princess of Wakanda. "Are you ready?"

She looked back at him and her jaw dropped. "Y-you… you want me to come?"

"What's the point of everything we've been teaching you if you're not gonna use it." Clint said firmly. "You wanted to do this for us and your brother, right?"

Shuri continued to stare in disbelief until her face scrunched up into that of pure determination." I most certainly do."

"Good. Time to suit up." Tony said, looking up at the ceiling. "Hank?"

A moment later, the genius behind the Pym Particles responded.

"What is it, Stark?"

"We're suiting up." Tony stated. "Jolly Green with you?"

"I'm here Stark." A woman responded this time. "There some commotion going on?"

"Pretty much. We got ourselves a situation…"

-Scene Cut-

Back at Bleecker Street, the conflict happening between the six fighters was trying to get controlled. Yet it was starting to escalate as the boundaries were being breached.

"Dammit." Luke shouted, jumping out of the way from a blast of Sith Lightning.

In response, Hector Ayala AKA White Tiger pounced forward with a broken car door in his hands and flung it towards Karness Muur.

The Sith Lord simply grabbed the flying door with a tentacled hand and crushed it in an instant.

His compacted ball of metal was then flung back to its sender, who leapt out of the way and avoided it.

Muur was about to send a wave of spells at the two when he was struck from behind.

"Eat this you bastard." Jessica Jones said, drop kicking the Sith Lord who was sent flying towards Luke Cage.

The man readied his arm for a clothesline and managed to deliver it dead on in the chest of Muur. The blow and throw caused the Sith to be flung a good distance away, right in the path of Danny Rand. With his Iron Fist, he struck the man hard into the ground.

Before he could deliver another blow, Danny was flung away by a Force Blast by their ancient opponent.

Luke and Hector were thrown away as well, both men landing in a hard manner on the ground.

"Your clothesline needs work." Was the immediate, pained response from White Tiger.

"That's the first thing you say?!"

"I'm a wrestler, bite me."

"Focus you idiots." Jessica said, watching as Muur was suddenly attacked by Kaecilius who then swatted away Danny, who recovered and tried to attack the other magic user.

The wielder of the Iron Fist had his hand stopped by Kaecilius who grabbed hold of his wrist and spun him around to throw him away.

Jessica flew up and caught him in time, bringing him back down to the ground.

"God dammit." Danny murmured, giving Jones a quick appreciative look before the three parties of fighters all stood in a triangle against one another.

"This planet just keeps on getting better." Muur cackled out madly. "I never knew so many powerful beings exist in one location like this."

"Did he just say planet?" Hector asked.

"Focus." Luke said aloud.

The four heroes got back into position, ready to continue their fight against Muur and Kaecilius, both of whom called upon weapons to fight with.

As this was happening, a sling-ring portal appeared within the New York Sanctum and from it came Stephen Strange and Celeste Morne stepping out of it as the portal closed up on them.

"She was nice." the Jedi commented with a smile.

A fond look came over him. "She is. More than I ever deserve."

"You still have a chance with her, you know." Morne stated. "I could feel it."

It was awkward with how they saw each other again, given their last interaction wasn't entirely great.

Christine no doubt had a whole litany of questions about her ex-boyfriend. They sadly had to be held back as she needed to fix him back up.

While Stephen was more or less knocked out, he used his astral projection to assist the doctor in getting himself back in working order.

This no doubt freaked her out on what she witnessed as she was unnerved but went through with the procedure.

As Stephen recovered, his astral self-helped explain to Dr. Palmer what went on with him since they last saw each other. Celeste filled in a few blanks, especially with what's presently happening at this time.

Since they were in a bit of a time crunch, Celeste had to use Force healing to help speed up the process so Stephen can get back onto his feet.

As they walked through the battered and beaten Sanctum, they made their way down to the foyer and found-

"Glad you two finally showed back up."

Sitting upon one of the steps was the host of the Ghost Rider.

"Robbie." Celeste said, glad to see he was alright.

"Something going on?" Strange asked.

"That would be putting it mildly." Reyes dryly said, patting some debris and dust off of him. "And yeah, something is definitely going on. It's right outside."

"Why aren't you-"

"Needed to stay until you got back." Said Robbie. "And things are getting a bit bad."

Strange opened his mouth to ask just how bad it was supposed to be when-

"Strange, Celeste." Spoke a familiar voice from one of the halls of the Sanctum.

All three of them turned to see Karl Mordo rounding a corner and a look of relief washing over him, quickly going over to them.

"You're all alright." Mordo exhaled, smiling slightly.

"In relative terms." Strange remarked.

"How's Kathmandu?" Celeste asked.

"It's fine at this time. But now we have other matters to attend to."

"Yeah, like our two dark lords outside fighting four others with powers." Robbie said, gesturing his head towards the exit to the Sanctum.

The three sorcerers looked at Reyes in bewilderment when they heard an explosion outside.

"Time to get to it." Strange muttered out.

Rushing towards the entrance, they went through and saw the damage on Bleecker Street.

They came out to see a weird sight to say the least…

Then again, the entire day for the four of them have been crazy and weird so really, they're not sure how this compares by this point.

"Who the hell are you guys?" Strange asked aloud, gaining the attention of the six fighters on the street.

They were faced with the four newcomers to this fight and gazed upon the four magically based heroes in confusion.

"Who the hell are we? Who the hell are you?" Jessica Jones asked, staring at the four of them in suspicion.

"We're here to stop those assholes." Stephen bluntly stated, pointing at a rather bamboozled pair of Muur and Kaecilius.

"Funny, so are we." Danny said conversationally.

"Rand." Cage and Jones said at the same time.

"What, if they're here to help, they're here to help." The wielder of the Iron Fist remarked in a repetitive manner.

"Oh yeah, and how do they plan on helping us?" Hector asked in a tone that conveyed he wasn't convinced of them just yet.

"By kicking their ass." Was Robbie's response, allowing the Rider to take hold.

The four new heroes had their eyes bulge out at the sight of what they just saw whilst the three Sorcerers called upon their magic to engage against the rogue Master and Sith Lord.

Muur, in response, threw both hands up.

Around him, the ground cracked and burst open, deformed and different types of Rakghoul clawing their way out.

Kaecilius clenched his jaw slightly, looking around at the large group of adversaries. Powerful as he has become with the empowerment from Dormammu, even he was not so foolish as to try to take on so many enemies at once.

With a wave of his hand behind his back, a portal opened up to his back.

From it stepped out his three remaining zealots who stood at their masters' side and face down against the other two teams.

"Shit." Strange said to himself. "This is too much."

"We can take them on." Mordo declared in confidence, holding aloft the staff of the Living Tribunal.

"You sure about that?" Strange murmured, eyeing the now growing number of foes they had to compete with.

As the two parties clashed, another was making their arrival.

Flying in from a Quin-jet, the quartet consisting of Stark, Barton, Shuri and their newest member were flying in as fast as their aircraft could take them.

"So what were you able to learn about this energy reading, Shuri?" Clint asked in the main pilot's seat with the Princess as his co-pilot.

She was still busy analyzing the constant spikes in energy, frowning in concentration.

"It took me a bit while longer but…" Shuri frowned for a moment, holding up her vibranium beads around her wrist.

A holographic display of a certain structure that the Avengers have been studying appeared.

"This stargate here has similar readings to all of this and it reminds me of the Panther ritual back home."

"Panther ritual?" Their newest member spoke up in intrigue.

"Yes." Shuri nodded. "To simplify it, it's a mystical ritual that allows the royalty of Wakanda to commune with the Panthers of the past who now run in the endless savannah of the afterlife."

"So you guys do have an afterlife." Tony mused to himself. "Well… if gods and monsters are real, honestly heaven and hell aren't out of the question anymore. What do you think Clint?"

The world class marksman only shrugged. "I stopped caring about the crazy and just decided to roll with it since I saw Thor."

Stark chortled aloud to himself, glancing over to their new member.

"So Jen, ya ready for your first outing as an Avenger?"

The woman he spoke to was named Jennifer Walters, an accomplished lawyer who just so happens to be really tall, really strong and really green.

Why was she green?

Well because she was given a blood transfusion a few years ago when she nearly died of a gunshot from an attempted mugger.

Who was it that gave her this blood transfusion?

Her beloved and lost cousin, Bruce Banner.

Otherwise known to the whole world as the Incredible Hulk, one of the founding six Avengers.

On the rare time the cousins interacted with each other, ever since Bruce went on the run, the incident occurred and he was the only one with the closest blood type available to her. Neither really knew the consequence of what would happen from the transfusion.

Originally she was nearly 6 ft. in height, but once she transformed she grew an extra foot. Her slender form became more muscular, yet slimmer to compensate for the drastic height change. Her short dark hair grew quite long, reaching the end of her back with an emerald sheen to it. And the meek, timid look seen in her dark eyes was replaced with a fierce confidence on the bright green she now bore.

Her attire was made in collaboration with Tony Stark and Hank Pym, due to Jennifer's drastic change of height on her transformations. While it was a form fitting bodysuit, only exposing her hands and head, it was quite durable. As for the color scheme it was purple and light grey.

When Tony, Clint, Hank and Shuri first met her, it was quite the sight.

But that's a short story for another time.

Right now, the four of them were headed for a fight and they needed to be ready for just about anything.

"We're getting close to the source of where all the energy output is coming from." Shuri said aloud in anticipation.

"Alright then." Tony's helmet snapped shut around his head. "Let's get to it, Avengers."

The Quin-jet flew over the location of Bleecker street, circling around it for a moment.

Putting the vehicle on auto-pilot, the four heroes stood from their seats and got themselves ready.

Tapping the necklace around her neck, the nano-bots did their work. They sprouted from the Wakandan accessory to quickly cover the majority of Shuri's body to show off the sleek Black Panther suit as it soon encompassed her head.

The major differences between the design of her brother's outfit and her own were the fur collar-like Shaul hanging off her neck and the slight bulkish gauntlets.

Clint snapped his arm forward, his quiver snapping open.

Jennifer merely cracked her knuckles and Tony's suit hummed with power.

Upon making their arrival, the aircraft hovered in the air with the ramp opening up. Friday had control of the systems and would park the vehicle elsewhere once it's occupants vacated.

Departing in their own respective fashions, the assembled Avengers rushed onwards upon their landing and came across an unusual sight.

A sight that looked back at them in equal confusion and now some awe thrown in.

There was a silent and tense standoff as all in attendance tried to make sense of the now truly bizarre collection of individuals that now stood on Bleecker Street.

Nobody really knew what to say or do in this instance so of course, Tony would be the first to do so.

"Ok." Iron Man said aloud, hovering in the air as he gauged the situation. "So uh… is this Harry Potter in the park or what?"

"Well now, Cage, Jones, you two mind explaining yourselves?" Clint spoke up, eyeing the two who stood with Rand and Hector.

"We're Avengers now, it seems." Luke commented in a mock-resigned fashion.

"We can more or less put this as your audition to see if you qualify." Said the Iron Avenger.

"Then who the hell are you guys?" Walters asked, gazing at the three sorcerers and one drifter.

She especially couldn't help but gaze in slight fright at the one with a fiery skull for a head. Those fire red eyes didn't help in trying to calm her down.

"All you need to know is that we're the good guys and we're here to stop those two from either consuming the world or letting it be devoured by a cosmic entity of overwhelming power." Doctor Strange summarized for them.

"Oh, are you now?" Iron Man remarked. "And the guys with pink eyes and the clearly evil pointy-eared bastard are the bad guys."

"That's what we just said." Celeste said, holding her Lightsaber up.

"Oh what fun." Muur said, manic grin in place and Rakghoul snarling and roaring around him. "More fools to fall by my hand."

"Yeah," Clint said with a roll of his eyes, notching an arrow in his bow. "Bad guy."

Things were about to devolve into unbridled chaos since the four parties readied themselves for a fight but Doctor Strange had other plans.

"If we fight here, things are gonna spiral out of control." Strange said, slightly nervous in having so many enhanced people here.

"It's already spiraled out of control, Strange." Morne stated.

"Yeah but it's still been more or less confined to this portion of the city." Stephen rebuked. "Once we all start fighting, there's no way in hell things are gonna be isolated.

"So what do we do then?" Mordo asked, tensing up as the fight was about to resume at any given moment.

"Take it to a place where it doesn't affect the real world."

Celeste, Mordo and the Rider quickly understood what the former surgeon was implying.

"Strange," Karl said in a warning tone. "If you're about to-"

"We have no choice, Mordo." Stephen said, already weaving his hands together for what he was about to do. "If we stay here, the entire city will be destroyed."

"Whatever you're planning, do it quick."

"I'll assist in getting it up."

As the Jedi assisted Strange, the others took off to attack the summoned Rakghouls, their master and the traitorous Sorcerer.

And like that, the fighting resumed with all the new players joining in with insanity exploding all around.

Jennifer was clobbering a few Rakghouls and collaborated with Luke and Jessica on a few instances. Shuri and Hector clawed through a few, but Rand was quick to assist them. Clint fired off a number of exploding arrows a safe distance away while Mordo and Robbie covered him. Tony used his repulsor blasts to knock some away before firing some shots at Muur, Kaecilius and his acolytes.

Just as this happened, Strange smacked his hands against the ground and what could be described as rippling mirrors appeared on the floor and soon spread to encompass all the fighters present on Bleecker street.

The fighting ground to an immediate halt with everyone looking around as to-

"What just happened?" Shuri asked in confused astonishment.

"We are now in the Mirror Dimension." Strange said, voice echoing all around them. "We can't affect the real world while we're in here."

"They can't escape, unless they have a ticket outta here." Said Celeste, holding up the Sling-Ring in her possession.

"And the mirror dimension is-WHOA!" Iron Man said, deftly avoiding a dimensional shard a zealot threw at him.

Strange retaliated, sending a spell that struck the zealot that tried to skewer Iron Man as the former neurosurgeon faced Kaecilius and Muur directly.

"Look who's laughing now, assholes."

The revived Sith looked at Stephen as a smile soon graced his lips.

"I am."

With a wave of his hand, Muur ended up bending the reality within this pocket dimension. Everything started to swiftly shift and churn with the city landscape.

As they tried to move away from their adversaries, more of the cityscape changed even further. Cars were starting to ride off in interesting angles, streets started to bend, buildings twisted and split apart, people apparently walked up walls, sideways and upside down like it was nothing.

"Okay, who let M.C. Escher go crazy here?" Iron Man said, eyes wide behind his helmet.

"Wait, I only thought the Ancient One could do that." Strange said aloud in shock.

"Muur's present power and Kaecilius' connection with the Dark Dimension are making them more dangerous in the Mirror Dimension. They can't affect the real world, but they can still kill us." Mordo revealed.

"We knew the risk, but we couldn't afford the Rakghouls to spread out even further and Kaecilius and his followers to blow up half of New York." Celeste said. "Now let's move."

The battle recommenced with all sides clashing all at once.

The majority in numbers that the heroes had was quickly taken away when Muur summoned dozens of his ghouls to give him the edge as they went on the attack.

It quickly devolved into a madhouse amongst the fighters, all sides flinging energy, arrows, fists, kicks, debris, magic, anything and everything they had at their disposal.

Luke Cage held his hands, grunting slightly as Ghoul bit his arm.

It didn't pierce his skin, the teeth breaking slightly but the force of the bit still managed to hurt.

Before he was able to beat it back, the Sithspawn was promptly sliced in half, courtesy of Celeste Morne.

"Nice sword." Cage noted straight away.

"Thanks. And make sure these things don't bite or scratch you or else-"

Luke cut the Jedi off, already knowing where she was going with the warning. "I've seen enough horror films to know how that goes down. Appreciate the heads up."

Morne nodded and the two split off, just the street beneath them split into four different segments.

"Whoa, what the hell is happening?" Danny asked aloud, looking around as the buildings started to fold in, multiple, expand, shrink, grow and an assortment of mind bending actions that couldn't quite be identified.

"Ok, seriously, what in the actual fuck." Said Jessica, the twelve heroes either standing around together either upright, sideways, upside down or on a floating piece of whatever was part of the ever shifting background.

"What is going on right now?" Hector asked, mind trying to make sense of everything he was seeing.

The world around them kept segmenting and shifting, breaking apart and reangling itself into a near endless distorted mirror of reality.

"This is some Inception level shit right here." Hawkeye commented, standing atop a moving bus with a passenger being none the wiser to an Avenger standing up right on a bus.

"Ha, that is hilarious." Laughed the passenger to himself, reading a book on mystical energies and chakras.

With a swift gesture, Kaecilius caused the Mirror Dimension to fold in on itself, making the present environment become ever complicated.

The world then lurched and shifted into a 90 degree angle turn.

When this happened, many of the heroes swiftly fell down towards a seemingly endless abyss of cityscape structures and risked hitting any and all of them.

Tony and Jessica swiftly flew and tried to grab several of their allies. Strange assisted what he could, but he hissed when a pair grabbed hard onto his hands. Mordo used his boots to quickly form magical glyphs to help slow down his fall. The rest, however, had to quickly come up with their own strategies before making their abrupt landings.

The White Tiger and Black Pantheress dragged their claws along several surfaces before leaping across others before doing recovery rolls. Luke landed with a stereotypical superhero landing with cracks littering his spot before catching Celeste. Clint was dropped off alongside Danny, courtesy of Tony.

Jessica landed without much problem whilst Robbie used his chain to swing down and land on a moving, splitting train.

Strange and Mordo's relics allowed them to land without any issue

It was by this point did they shift more of the chaotic reality shifting around them all.

"Did you ever see this when you went through that wormhole four years ago?" Clint asked, sticking close to Stark.

The Iron Avenger could only blankly shake his head. "I… didn't even know this was possible."

"Jesus, so much for a first outing as Avengers." Hector Ayala said aloud in utter wonder and fright. "Don't think anything is gonna top this crap anytime soon."

"Incoming!" Shuri yelled out and they turned to face the swarm of Rakghoul coming upon them.

Jennifer grabbed a nearby driving car which then duplicated itself as she swatted several Rakghouls away.

The car she had was completely unscathed as she set it down and it drove off and up a road going straight up into an endless void.

"Jesus, has Bruce ever gone through something like this?" Walters asked next to an upside down Hawkeye who fired an arrow at the zealots who had now joined in on the fray.

"Not that I know of."

"We can't stop moving now!" Yelled out Mordo as they all were forced to separate and flee.

"Worst… Funhouse… Ever… of all… Time!" Came Shuri's complaint.

Iron Man was blasting at all the ghouls before engaging one of the Zealots.

The magic user managed to grab both of Stark's arms and direct the repulsors away from his direction but he didn't take into account of his chest.

A powerful beam shot out from his center repulsor and blasted the zealot into a folding set of buildings.

Danny, Robbie, Jessica and Walters found themselves face-to-face with Karness Muur who transformed his arms into a set of draconic, clawed hands with multiple eyes appearing on his head.

"You are one messed up dude." Rand commented, fists alighting with his power.

"I am Muur, you creten." The Sith Lord said. "Soon to be the master of this world."

"Uh-huh, pretty sure Bruce dealt with megalomaniacs like you before." Walters murmured.

"So who are you exactly?" Jessica Jones abruptly asked. "You related to the Hulk by any chance?"

"Not the time for questions." Ghost Rider's demonic voice pierced through their little conversation as he ran forward, wielding his chain and axe.

"Right." the two women muttered in slight embarrassment and fear at Robbie.

Rider threw his chain out first, the metal being wrapped around Muur's left arm.

The Sith pulled Reyes towards him with a magical replica of a lightsaber in his other hand.

His weapon collided with that of the Riders' new axe, the two going into a momentary test of strength against each other.

The world then jolted and once again transformed.

This gave Danny, Jessica and Jennifer the chance to attack at the same time.

The trio went on a physical offensive that caught the Sith Lord off guard as he wasn't expecting such power behind mere fists.

He summoned a shield that Danny's glowing fist punched straight through and was then uppercutted in the chin by Walters and swatted down into the endless expansion of the mirror dimension by Jessica.

They were unable to celebrate their victory for long as the world around them changed again and they were all separated.

This was something all of the fighters went through with them all falling into an endless expanse of a multiplying and transforming Manhattan.

The flyers like Jessica and Iron Man managed to keep themselves right but by this point, they were just lost.

The fighters have all scattered to who knows where in this insanity and the eight heroes who came to this fight were truly out of their depth as of right now.

"Avengers." Tony spoke through the comms. "Come in. Anyone on comms come in and please tell me you're still alive in all this."

He breathed a sigh of relief when he got an immediate response from Clint.

"I'm here, Stark." Hawkeye responded. "Got Shuri with me."

Tony flew towards what he guessed was… a random street in Manhattan that he sorta recognized.

"Oh, good. Got worried I couldn't get a signal in this mirror dimension-thingy."

"How are we getting-TSSSHHZKK."

Tony froze. "Clint? Clint?!"

"Tony, it's Shuri, Clint just-WAAH!"

"Princess!" Tony yelled, now in alarm. "Dammit, can anyone else hear me? What the hell is going on on everyone's end? She-Hulk, you there? Cage? Rand? Wrestler? Anyone?"

Like his fellow Avengers, he too was abruptly pulled by some unknown force.

"Dammit, dammit, dam-WHOA!" Tony said, finding himself hurtling into a portal that he went through.

And like that, he found himself elsewhere.

As this went on, Strange, Mordo, Celeste and Robbie had managed to regroup and were fending off the Zealots and whichever Rakghoul made their way towards them.

"Where's the Avengers?" Stephen asked, cutting a Sithspawn in half.

"I don't know." Morne said, deflecting a dimensional shard. "I lost track of them all."

"We need to keep moving." Mordo instructed. "They pin us down in any way shape or form, we're dead."

"Wait." Strange looked around in a panicked state. "Where are the Avengers?"

"You lost them?"

"You know I didn't lose them."

"Boys, now isn't the time." The Jedi Shadow shouted in all the ever changing commotion, sprinting and jumping from one moving platform to the other. "We need to figure out what to do next."

Celeste was so distracted with her running that she did not notice Kaecilius tackling her. She fell down hard and fought against the traitor. In the struggle, the Dormammu zealot took her Sling-Ring from her. He then conjured a shard in his hand and sought to end her.

Yet the action never succeeded.

With an ever present yank, Celeste was seemingly pulled away from having her life being snuffed out. In that moment did she see a litany of objects fling themselves towards the surface around her to form a large mosaic surface.

Looking around, the Jedi Shadow soon saw her savior and smiled at the arrival of the Ancient One.

She was garbed in yellow robes and from her hands, she "held" her signature eldritch fans.

But something was rather off about her. A feeling radiating off her very being at this present time.

As the others arrived onto the scene, Mordo, Robbie and Stephen helped Celeste get onto her feet. At this time did the veteran Sorcerer notice the Jedi's troubled line of sight and follow through it.

He squinted at The Ancient One and spotted something he had seen before. A symbol of sorts.

A symbol he had only seen before on Kaecilius and his followers.

It was there he voiced a shaky inquiry.

"That mark… She draws power from the Dark Dimension?" Karl couldn't believe it at first.

Stephen looked as well and saw the mark on Tao's forehead.

"Didn't know if Kaecilius was bluffing to buy time or being honest." Muttered Stephen.

"What are you talking about?" Mordo demanded, with Celeste wanting to know as well.

"When we had him momentarily captured earlier, Kaecilius was spouting a number of things." Explained Stephen. "But I've seen the missing rituals from the Book of Cagliostro. A few things slowly came together in my head while I was recovering and I didn't know if they were legitimate. Turns out the source of the Ancient One's longevity has been her drawing from the Dark Dimension."

Mordo looked crestfallen upon seeing this. "Sh-she… she lied to us?"

"There's a lot she did that she didn't tell us but right now, she's gonna help kick Kaecilius to the curb." Strange quickly retorted.

"You can voice your grievances with her once this whole mess is taken care of." Said the Ghost Rider.

A soft thud was soon heard as Kaecilius and his acolytes made their arrival to the present vicinity. The leader of the small band of zealot sorcerers glared at Tao, who looked on evenly.

"Kaecilius."

Said man walked forward as the others went on guard.

He glared at her in clear spite and rage. "I came to you broken, lost, in need. I trusted you to be my teacher and you fed me lies."

"I tried to protect you. Guide you on a better path." She shot back in an even tone.

"From the truth?"

"From yourself." She corrected him. "The shadow of grief overcame you, Kaecilius. You couldn't accept what happened and let go like what your family would've wanted."

"I have a new teacher now." Kaecilius boasted.

"Dormammu deceives you." Tao stressed out. "He'll only use you like a tool. Once broken, he'll discard you. You're too blind to realize what he truly is. His promise of eternal life is not paradise, but torment."

"Liar!" The rogue master snarled, being joined by his zealots, all summoning shards in the shapes of spears or blades.

Tao simply walked forward, hands behind her back as two of the zealots attacked.

One performed a corkscrew kick that she sidestepped and he began tumbling around from the floor moving about.

She whipped up a shield to block the only female zealots blade, making the shield encase itself around her to keep her trapped.

The third zealot came in with Kaecilius and the two went for her head and midsection though she was quick to deflect them.

They were overly aggressive, allowing their emotions to rule their actions rather than their training.

"We gotta help her." Strange said, ready to jump in only to be held back by Celeste.

"We'd only get in the way."

"How can you say-"

*BBRAVVVVSSS*

The four onlookers suddenly found themselves flying forward as Tao, Kaecilius and the zealots halted in their fight to look over to the commotion.

"There you all are." Said a sadistically gleeful voice.

All turned to see none other than Karness Muur floating down to them. He may appear to portray a cocksure and arrogant attitude yet for those who looked closely, there was a sheen of sweat to be seen on top of random parts of his body twitching out of his control.

"You know, I've never had this kind of fun in all my centuries in being alive and as a spirit." Muur said conversationally, landing on the edge of the mosaic platform they were all fighting upon.

There was now a triangle of three parties.

Muur stood alone whilst on either side in his line of sight were Tao with her group and Kaecilius with his followers.

Karness had a wide grin as he whipped his hands out and red and black lightning shot out from his fingertips. The lightning appeared more volatile and chaotic, the black aspects representing the further corruption and influence of the many entities within the Sith Lord.

Tao instantly casted a powerful barrier that absorbed the lightning yet she grunted slightly, taking note of the noticeable cracks appearing around her dome.

Kaecilius simply used the power he gained from the Dark Dimension to cause the lightning to expel itself around and away from him and his zealots.

Once more, madness descended as now spells were being flung on all sides upon the platform.

Muur was fending off Celeste, Mordo, Strange, Robbie and a zealot whilst Tao dealt with the other two zealots whom she quickly beat back.

While his former teacher was distracted in defending herself, Kaecilius conjured his weapon and swiftly came upon the Celtic woman.

She caught sight of him and was about to deal with him when suddenly one of the zealots she knocked back pounced at her again.

Tao caught his hand, decking him in the face, and trapped his arm.

She spun him about as a means of keeping distance between herself and Kaecilius who tried for an overhead attack.

This attack was deflected easily but the next one…

Tao gasped in shock and pain, shakily looking down at the dimensional shard shoved firmly into where her liver was.

Her former student had used his own student to hide his fatal attack that she was now suffering through.

The blade was pulled out from Tao and the now dead zealot, the body falling over whilst the Sorcerer Supreme fell to her knees.

She clutched her bleeding midsection as the traitorous Sorcerer stood over her with his hands holding two dimensional shards.

"It didn't have to be this way." He said softly. "You could have helped me find peace… but you chose to lie and hide secrets from me to sate your own ego and power."

Yet before Kaecilius was able to land the killing blow, he was promptly swatted away by Muur who now towered over the Ancient One.

"Once I have your power." Muur whispered in unrestrained hunger. "I shall have the power necessary to absorb Dormammu."

She fell to her knees, gasping and wheezing, trying to keep Muur's hands away in vain as he grasped both sides of her head.

"Now, you are mi-GACK!"

Karness bellowed aloud in pain as he felt searing, burning metal digging into his side.

He looked down at his side in fear and fury, seeing the flaming axe attached to a fiery chain that was embedded into his side.

The Sith Lord then glared up at the owner of the chained axe, pure hatred radiating off his form whilst the burning eyes of the Ghost Rider glared back.

With a tug of his outstretched hand, the chain pulled the axe out of the man's side, the Sith howling in pain.

Tao slumped back, eyes fluttering to a close only to be caught by Strange and Mordo with Celeste taking the Celtic woman's Sling-Ring and summoned a portal for them to escape.

To make sure that no one followed after them, Robbie made a large sweeping swing of his chain that Muur, Kaecilius and the zealots either blocked, dodged or got hit by as the sorcerers and Rider jumped out of the mirror dimension.

-Scene Cut-

Strange, Mordo, Celeste and Robbie were running down the hallway of a hospital, a very familiar hospital to one former employee here.

Between the four of them was The Ancient One placed on a rolling stretcher as they wheeled her down the hospital hallway towards the ER.

"CHRISTINE!" Strange yelled out at the top of his lungs.

His former girlfriend stood at a counter and held her head up with her eyes closed.

"You've got to be kidding me." Palmer said to herself, turning to face her ex-boyfriend when she spotted Tao.

In an instant her mood shifted from shock into laser focus as she ran towards the "strange" group of individuals who delivered her now latest patient.

"What happened?" Christine asked straight away.

"It's not fibrillation. She has a stunned myocardium." Strange answered immediately, as if it were clockwork for him.

"Neurogenic?"

"Yes."

They quickly pivoted Tao's stretcher into a set of doors whilst Strange momentarily hung back to quickly get an assortment of garments and gloves on him.

Celeste, Mordo and Robbie moved to go into the ER when they were stopped by Palmer.

"I'm sorry but you three have to stay out here."

"But we-"

"Understand." Mordo said with a dour look.

"Why does he get to go and we stay?" Robbie asked, gesturing at Strange who walked by them into the ER room.

"He may have lost his hands but his mind is still intact." Christine responded without missing a beat. "He's the best surgeon this hospital has ever had. Look through the observatory room there."

The trio wanted to argue further but the doors to the Emergency Room shut on them, prompting them to go into the observation room Palmer directed them towards.

There, they could only stand and watch as The Ancient One was wheeled into the center of the room as the doctors moved about at a rapid pace.

It was the commotion of the rushed procedure that was underway.

Stephen had to quickly get the appropriate sanitation attire on before he could be able to step foot into the operating room. Millions of thoughts and scenarios were playing in his mind on how to help save Tao. Nothing of the mystic nature, but scientific.

He already talked to Nic beforehand and told him he wouldn't be able to use any of the medical equipment, due to his hands. But he may help guide the others if the opportunity arose for his expertise.

While the Ancient One didn't suffer any damage to the head, he saw Muur grasping it as he sought to absorb her power. Who knows what might've happened from that.

Once everything was ready, Stephen entered the room and stood at a reasonable spot so he wouldn't interfere with the others, all the while keeping a good view of the happenings.

It was at this point did something happen.

Strange squinted at the heart rate monitor, noticing it flickering. Not on the actual heart rate, but on the display.

He then turned to Mordo, Celeste and Robbie who were all staring back at him with Strange focusing on the two Sorcerers in particular.

In an instant he tilted his head back and his astral form burst from his body.

Celestes and Mordos joined a moment later and the three spirits spotted the translucent form of The Ancient One floating away.

They briefly glanced back at Robbie who surprisingly was staring right at them and gestured his head for them to go after Tao.

The trio nodded and swiftly flew after the Sorcerer Supreme.

"Master." Mordo called out to her.

"What are you doing?" Stephen demanded. "You need to go back. You're dying!"

They all floated after her, through rooms, halls and walls until they all saw her stop at a balcony.

Tao was staring out at the cityscape with an apparent thunderstorm going on right now though the raindrops were moving at a snail's pace.

Everything was in fact.

"You have to return to your body now. You don't have time." Strange emphasized.

"Time is relative. None of your bodies have even hit the floor yet." Tao remarked oh so calmly.

"Master." Mordo said through a strained voice. "Please."

"Come now Mordo." The Sorcerer chided affectionately. "You know as well as I do what I was stabbed with. I think enough rules of the natural order have been broken on this day, yes? No need for anymore."

Celeste was silent, frowning with her lip quivering.

Though she knew she couldn't cry in her astral form, that didn't stop her eyes from shining with remorse and sadness at realizing her new teacher was in the last few moments of her life.

"I've spent so many years peering through time looking at this exact moment. But I can't see past it. I've prevented countless, terrible futures. And after each one, there's always another. And they all lead me here, but never further." Tao said in a reminiscent manner.

Strange shared looks with Celeste and Mordo, realization dawning on them all.

"You think this is where you die." He stated.

"I know so. I've known ever since I was just a mere child, shortly after I escaped the Black Death by stumbling upon the London Sanctum on accident." She revealed. "I lost everyone I knew and loved and I feared I would be next."

While Celeste wasn't in the know of what Tao was referring to, Stephen and Mordo knew. A medieval bubonic plague in the mid-1300's which wiped out millions throughout the Afro-Eurasian territories.

"It's the reason why you drew from the Dark Dimension at one point," speculated Stephen. "The Black Death wiped out most of the known world back then."

"And it decimated the Order to a frightening degree." Tao added in. "After what practitioners remained back then saved me, I owed them a great debt of preserving the order. So I had to do what was necessary to rebuild it."

"Yet you went on longer than you should've." Mordo said in a slight accusatory fashion. "The Dark Dimension is volatile. Dangerous. What if it overtook you?"

"I knew the risks and made sure actions would be placed if such an occurrence would happen."

"You taught us it was forbidden and yet you did it anyway. Kaecilius and his zealots are your fault. And now we are in the consequence of your deception. The universe will be on fire."

Tao nodded her head. "Yes. I did. And you were an exemplary student, Mordo. In the end, it is entirely my fault. But you allowed yourself to be rigid, unmovable. Those who do not allow themselves to change are doomed to fall over and over again."

Mordo closed his eyes and turned away. "I… cannot change."

"Yes you can because you have." Tao stated. "You may believe it to be false but you are not the same man who first came to me in Kamar-Taj."

Karl opened his eyes to gaze upon his mentor for many years.

"You told me that I taught you to beat your demons, to rise above them." Tao said. "So I am asking you again, my friend. To let go of control as you did before, the same as Strange did when he first came to us. The two of you need each other with Celeste and Wong to guide the future of our order."

She gently floated back for a moment, a look of guilt flashing across her expression.

"I know it was selfish of me of what I did, but I wanted to see through on how my journey would end after I first peered into the future. I just didn't know what routes would take me to this point in time."

The bald Celtic looked on at the slow moving scenery in the distance, eyes glistening.

"I went through many hardships, losing more friends and loved ones than I never would've imagined by prolonging my own life." Tao said, voice breaking slightly. "But… In my many centuries, I've seen the worst and most broken of individuals find their way back. Find a way… to start again."

A wide smile, brimming with joy, was directed at her three pupils.

"Do you think I did a good enough job of it all?"

They didn't respond as she simply went on.

"You know what I see in all of your futures?" Tao didn't wait for an answer. "Endless possibilities for good and kindness."

She didn't need to look at the three of them to feel the doubt they had, not in her words but in themselves.

"I never saw the definite futures you all possess. None of it is set in stone. You'll go through many struggles, but above all you were able to hold a great capacity for goodness which would shape and mold many others."

She regarded Strange first.

"Stephen, you always had an issue with your ego, making you believe you can control everything. And yet you excelled, not because you craved success but because of your fear of failure."

"That's what made me a great doctor." Strange argued lightly.

"It's precisely what kept you from greatness. Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all."

"Which is?"

"It's not about you." She then gave him a bit of clarity. "When you first came to me, you asked how I was able to heal Jonathan Pangborn. I didn't. Through my teachings, he was able to channel dimensional energy directly into his own body."

"He uses magic to walk?"

"Constantly. He had a choice to return to his own life or to serve something greater than himself."

"So I could have my hands back again? My old life?"

"You could. And the world would be all the lesser for it."

Tao looked over to a clearly conflicted Mordo and floated over to him and gave him a warm smile.

"I'm sorry I had to keep what I did from you." Tao said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes… we do things, we compromise for something greater than ourselves. That means bending the rules when needed. Yet every time I drew from the Dark Dimension, I hated myself more and more. I wish I could have been a better teacher."

Tao then turned her head to Celeste who appeared torn and downtrodden.

"And I'm sorry for leaving you so soon and suddenly, my dear." Tao's voice was soft, accepting of the last few seconds she had on this earth. "I wish I could have stayed to teach you more."

"You taught me enough." Celeste's voice was shaky, cracked. "You took me and Bucky in. Gave me a home on a world that isn't mine."

She got a brighter smile in return.

Strange felt slightly stupid in trying this but…

"Is there any way that-"

"Death is what gives life meaning." Tao cut him off. "To know your days are numbered. Your time is short."

She exhaled shakily. "You think after all this time I'd be ready. But look at me. Stretching out this one moment just to watch the show… one last time."

The bald Celtic watched the slow moving scenery as she spoke again.

"You need to work together to help stop not just Dormammu, but Muur as well."

"I'm not ready." Said Stephen. "Neither of us are ready."

"No one ever is."

Tao turned back to the three of them one final time and gave them a wide, beaming smile.

"Do give my regards to Wong and Bucky, won't you?" Tao asked, though she knew she wouldn't hear their answer. "I'd like to make sure the One Ring is in safe hands."

They wanted to respond but she only looked ahead at the slow, pouring rain.

Her students wanted to, needed to speak with her more but the last thing they felt was her arms on their shoulders.

The trio looked at The Ancient One a final time only to see that she was gone.

Her spirit wasn't here.

It had moved on.

She was… gone.

Back in the ER, the long ringing sound of a heart that no long beat was heard by all in the room.

The three sorcerers had returned to their bodies with Rider having remained there, eyes closed and murmuring a prayer under his breath.

The doctors soon called it.

Strange separated himself from the others and needed a moment for himself.

Though he didn't have much time as Christine found him and joined him in washing their hands.

He wanted to stay.

He wanted to be with her.

His time away from her, in Kamar-Taj and in these last few hours, which was crazy for him to consider, have undoubtedly been life changing to the extreme.

Strange thought of the Ancient One's parting words.

He thought of the new compatriots he's made in these last few months.

And then he couldn't help but think of Bucky and Celeste, how the two would always be together whenever the former wasn't out or the latter training.

How it reminded him of his time with Christine.

He realized how he still wanted to be with her, how she still held his heart in her hands.

…

…

…

But he knew that he had a greater purpose and calling now.

The world was in danger and he was among the few that had the capacity to save it.

So, he bade her goodbye.

-Scene Cut-

"So…" Tony blankly gazed upon the tired and beaten, eclectic group of individuals all seated or standing around the foyer of the New York Sanctum. "Suffice to say… I have seen some shit. Like… fucked up weird shit. And I have taken some fucked up shit. But I'm fairly certain I have never had to go through something like that before."

It was a rather awkward scene to return to, seeing eight heroes in the foyer of the Sanctum that had no association with magic.

"Welcome to our world." Robbie plainly said, arms crossed with him leaning against a pillar.

"You know…" Danny mused aloud. "I've always heard about other planes of existence and all. My time at K'un Lun taught me as much… but I know they didn't have texts describing what we just went through."

"My daughter is never gonna believe this." Hector murmured, mask retracted to show his frazzled and tired face.

"My family would." Said Shuri.

Luke cleared his throat and gazed at the four mystically based enhanced humans.

"So what are all of you guys then?" Luke asked. "I sure as hell ain't seen a magic trick like that."

"We're Sorcerers." Mordo answered simply. "We harness energy from this and other realities to create magic."

"And you?" Clint said, gazing upon Robbie who shrugged.

"I get my tricks from a demonic spirit of vengeance."

"Right~" Barton dryly responded. "That doesn't just add a thousand questions to the few hundred we already have."

"I sure as hell ain't drunk enough for this crap." Jessica remarked, seemingly pulling a brown paper bag out of nowhere and pulling out a can of beer.

"Really?" Jennifer said in annoyed disbelief.

"Did you have that on you all this time?" Danny asked in bewilderment. "Or was that a magic trick of your own?"

"No and I went to the nearest gas station when we got out of that mirror dimension they conjured up." Jones stated, chugging down half the cans contents.

"Can we not right now?" Celeste said, somewhat impatiently. "We have bigger problems to take care of."

"And what have you guys been doing besides making balloon animals?" Iron Man couldn't help but ask.

Strange, new to this as he was, took offence to such a question especially with losing the Ancient One no less than an hour ago.

He went right up to the billionaire's face and stared him down.

"Protecting your reality, douchebag." Strange spoke with a challenging voice.

Not expecting such a response, Tony and Stephen found themselves in a glaring match that was quickly broken up by the others.

"Hey." Celeste said in a sharp tone. "We've got some serious crap we need to handle."

"She's right, two Sanctums have been attacked already." Robbie stated. "London has fallen, this one is barely being held together, the Ancient One is dead and Hong Kong is next."

"What does that equate to?" Hector asked. "Is that code for the end of the world is on its way?"

"If we don't stop the apocalypse, yes." Strange said, shooting one last glare at Tony.

"So then, what's the plan?" Clint asked straight away.

"Excuse me?"

Hawkeye stared back at the bewildered faces he was met with unperturbed. "What? They just said we're dealing with the end of the world. That's code for the Avengers getting involved and making sure that doesn't happen."

"While we appreciate the gesture and willingness, we must tell you that in this instance, it's best you all stay here." Mordo firmly said.

"I'm sorry, what?" Tony tilted his head. "You mind running that by me again?"

"Look, this is something that's out of your field." Robbie spoke up before anyone had a chance to reply to Stark. "We're the magic specialists, so we handle this sort of business."

"Dormammu is a being that we Sorcerers have been trained to combat." Mordo added on. "And we need the eight of you to remain here in New York for the time being."

"And why exactly should we listen to you?" Jessica challengingly asked, crossing her arms in a huff.

"Cause while we deal with Dormammu and Kaecilius, Karness Muur is still out there." Strange answered.

"Who's he again?" Jennifer asked.

Celeste quickly waved her hands in a vertical manner and a magical projection of the Sith Lord was displayed.

"He's who you all will need to keep an eye out for." Celeste stated. "If the Hong Kong Sanctum falls, that's where we will have to hold back Dormammu. But Muur is a separate agent of chaos in all this and is seeking power of all kinds to sate his hunger. Stay here and be on alert."

"Plus you saw those crazy teethed fuckers, right?" Robbie rhetorically asked. "He can conjure an army of those bastards like that." He finished with a snap of his fingers. "So having eight Avengers on standby would help."

The heroes all in the Sanctum were silent on this matter as they were all internally debating as to what to do now.

"We've gotta go now." Strange stated. "While we sit here and wait, Hong Kong for all we know could have already fallen."

"Our friends need our help." Celeste said, rising for her seat on the front stairs of the foyer. "We'll explain more once we get back… if we get back."

"That doesn't really help, lady." Luke Cage said flatly.

"Yeah, well, reality of the situation." Robbie said with a shrug.

Mordo only silently nodded, still clearly in turmoil with himself about The Ancient One but resolute in seeing to the protection of this world.

"Let's go." Celeste declared, holding her hands up and rotating one.

Conjuring a portal, the group of four made their way through the other side as it quickly closed up on them before anyone had the chance to follow.

-Scene Cut-

It was ringing.

Always the ringing that bothered him at the most inopportune times.

He remembered that during the war.

All those artillery shells, tanks, grenades, explosions and gunfire going on all around them.

Seriously, even before he went under the ice, he didn't know how he slept at night.

With a pained cough, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes forced himself to sit back up.

He took stock of the whole situation and suffice it to say, he only needed two words to express just how dire things had become.

"Oh Fuck."

He sat in the middle of what could only be described to be the war torn streets of Hong Kong all around him.

Buildings were either damaged or crumbling apart.

Multiple crashed and destroyed cars littered the area with more bodies then he was able to keep track of.

Grunting, he felt his body scream in protest as he forced himself onto his feet and stood there helplessly as he witnessed the destruction of the Hong Kong Sanctum.

"No…" He whispered, taking a shaky step forward.

His entire body was littered with scratches and bruises, his clothes torn up though somehow managing to stay together.

He and Wong got to the Hong Kong Sanctum earlier in the day or however many hours it was and found the place to be besieged by Rakghoul.

They had infiltrated the Sanctum from underground and thankfully had not spread on the outside so he along with Wong and a few other Sorcerers present here made quick work of them.

But their victory was not to last.

They all knew that it would only be a matter of time until either Kaecilius with his Zealots or Muur and his Sithspawn would arrive here.

So they needed to prepare for their inevitable fight because it of course came right at their front doorstep.

"Wong." Bucky said, coughing as he felt mucus, blood and dirt in his throat. "Wong? Anyone? Is anyone still alive?"

He received no answer, hearing only the sound of distant screams of terror.

The WWII veteran attempted to steady his erratic heart rate only to feel pain in his chest from every breath he took.

Bucky fell to his knees, hacking and coughing up more dirt and blood.

Rubbing his chest, he winced as felt the bruises and probably cracked ribs from that last hit he got from Kaecilius.

"Magic." He grumbled to himself when he heard a sort of rumbling implosion.

Looking up, Bucky's eyes widened upon seeing something appear over the ruins of the Hong Kong sanctum.

"What is that?" He asked himself in wide eyed terror.

A rift of some kind opened up in the skies above to reveal some kind of indigo gateway to a world, no, a universe that seemed endless with what looked to be planets connected together.

There were other celestial bodies floating about within that dark eternity but whatever it was, it was making its way down here on Earth.

It only took a few moments for Bucky to piece together as to what he was looking at.

"The Dark Dimension." Barnes whispered in a sense of growing dread.

He flinched, falling to his knee as he felt a wave of exhausted pain wash over him.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit." Muttered the Winter Soldier as he stood alone to face what to him looked to be the inevitable end of the world.

Right now, the hundred year old man was really questioning as to how his life had gotten here to this situation.

The man can say that the "exciting" part of his life was when he first signed up for the war back in the 40's.

But he would never have thought that in his wildest dreams that he'd be standing here, nearly seventy years in the future being part of a group of literal wizards who defended the world from things like Dormammu.

And speaking of which, even if the Hong Kong Sanctum had fallen, where the hell were all the other Sorcerers?

Kamar-Taj was locked down for the most part as several sorcerers came from there and informed them that the Sorcerer Supreme had defeated the Rakghoul invaded forces.

And whatever forces were here… they were most surely dead or at the very least unconscious or heavily wounded if they were lucky.

But there was the New York Sanctum.

What had happened there?

Were the others there?

Since he had heard or no inkling of an idea as what could have happened, he could only-

"BUCKY!"

Barnes seized up upon hearing his name being called by a voice he knew all too well and all to intimately.

He spun around in time to get a tackling hug from Celeste Morne who squeezed him with all her might.

"Morne." he gasped out in pain, joy and relief. "You're-"

He was cut off from a fierce and loving kiss from his girlfriend which he reciprocated for a moment until the rest of the body reminded him of his current state.

"Mmmph." Bucky lightly pushed her away. "Babe, I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that you're here but my body is about to-"

"By the Force."

He didn't need to realize what she's gazing at now, along with the others that had arrived, with what's happening in the sky.

"We're too late." Mordo whispered in horror.

Bucky clenched his teeth tightly and looked back at the oncoming storm. "Dormammu's coming."

"Can't we do anything?" Robbie asked straight away. "Why is Dormammu coming if New York still stands?"

Mordo shook his head. "It's defenses were breached twice, weakening the shield it was generating. It's too late. Nothing can stop them now."

Rather than fall prey to the grim reality before them, Strange's mind was ablaze in thought when he glanced down at what still hung around his neck.

"Not necessarily."

He quickly placed his ring and pinky fingers together and connected them to the thumbs with his middle fingers touching as well whilst his index fingers were pointed upwards. Strange then crossed both hands before slowly moving them apart.

This motion unlocked the Eye of Agamotto, it's metal casing shifting to reveal the glowing green jewel inside. Focusing to form a connection, he whirled his right arm forward as an ethereal, magical glyph gauntlet formed. Bringing his left hand to it, a complex magical circle appeared just as Kaecilius was about to strike him down.

In an instant, everything came to an abrupt halt.

Turning his hand in the counterclockwise motion, everything started to rewind. The destruction around the city was starting to self-repair in real time. Many people who were dying were regaining their life. The catastrophe was being reversed in its entirety.

Seeing his work being successful, Strange turned his arm towards his companions and had them no longer affected by the time dilated reversal.

"What the hell am I seeing here?" Asked Bucky, amazed with what's happening around them.

"The spell's working." Began Strange as he ran towards the Hong Kong Sanctum. "We've got a second chance."

The others ran after him, though Bucky struggled as Celeste gave him the assistance.

"Hey!" Bucky nearly yelled. "What is going on?!"

"Time's reversing, Buck." Robbie said plainly, rushing forward to keep up with Strange and Mordo.

Winter Soldier could only watch on as all the damage he had seen was undone before his very eyes.

"Wait, think you can repa-"

"Not right now Bucky." Celeste said, running forward, leaving her boyfriend behind.

The man didn't even bother making any complaints about it as he was still caught up in the astonishing sight of time being reversed before his very eyes.

When he was knocked back by a reversed pedestrian, Bucky saw Kaecilius and his zealots somehow were coming out of the Time Spell.

"Guys!"

The four mystics looked back to see Kaecilius and his zealots free themselves of the time spell and make a beeline towards them.

"How are they doing that?" Celeste asked in shock.

"They draw power from the Dark Dimension, remember?" Mordo stated. "Beyond Time."

"That's some convenient bullshit." Robbie remarked.

"Tell us about it." Strange groused.

Reyes shook his head, walking forward though a bit clumsily with all the debris being returned to its original shape before it fell apart.

"I'll buy you some time." Robbie said, fire engulfing his head. "Keep the spell going."

Whilst Rider went to engage in one of the zealots, another came up and around him with Celeste jumping up to meet his dimensional shard with her lightsaber.

The last Zealot Kaecilius had managed to sneak up on Strange and Mordo though the latter was quick to react by kicking him away.

Though he was persistent, ducking under Karls' tribunal staff and running straight for Strange.

The zealot leader delivered a flying kick to Strange's chest, sending him back. Recovering, the former doctor had to quickly defend himself and block a series of arm strikes. Upon grasping his opponent's arms, both sorcerers were soon flung back by a couple of barrels colliding onto them. Soon enough, their backs slammed against an adjacent building which was being repaired from an explosion earlier.

As the flames were quickly extinguished, Strange felt the hem of his robes being harshly pulled before being flung onto the street.

Coming out of a recovery roll, Strange had to quickly avoid being hit by a few moving cars. When that was done, his head snapped to the side, courtesy of Kaecilius punching him across the jaw.

Mordo battled against a pair of zealots, kicking one of them to the street. As she fell, she was suddenly smacked across the head by a manhole cover before a large current of water dragged her into a food restaurant. Before she could fully escape, the glass soon entrapped her, encasing her into a fish tank.

More and more debris were mending themselves with people moving back to whence they came. It seemed to become ironic in a sense that a nearby construction lot was being put back in its place.

The Zealot within the fish tank watched on as her fellow disciples and master fought against the Masters of the Mystic arts.

She was about to try to free herself when a clawed hand appeared from behind the fish tank and pulled her away from the fight.

The woman struggled against her captor, trying to escape the grasp when what held shifted into something more elongated and quickly wrapped itself around her entire body.

The Zealot felt her head get held back and she soon saw who it was.

"Glad I wasn't too late for the party." Karness Muur said with a malicious laugh.

Though time continued to go in reverse, he stood at a seemingly perfect epicenter wherein nothing transpired nor needed repair.

He slowly drew the zealot in closer to him who was fighting against her restraints with all her might to no avail.

She began screaming and yelling for her fellow students and master to come to her aid when what she realized was an octopus tentacle firmly moved itself to muffle her mouth shut.

"Come," Muur held the Zealot down, their eyes wide with fear and terror. "Become part of my collective."

He began the spell to absorb the power of the Dark Dimension from the zealot when he received an unexpected surprise.

As soon as the Sith felt the power begin to flow into him, he felt what could only be an outer body experience.

The ancient Force-User gasped aloud, throwing his head back with his eyes widening to the size of saucer plates.

Within his vision, he saw a world of unrelenting darkness, eternal torment and endless oblivion.

And in the center of it all was a being of unimaginable power that he couldn't even fathom.

He only gained a small portion from his previous host earlier, which he had used to help fuel the ritual he enacted earlier to become flesh and blood. But now that Muur was gaining a better taste, it was like nothing he ever felt before.

To him, it was like feeling the pure, unadulterated power of the Dark Side at its apex.

But… now he wanted- no, needed more! He outright demanded it!

Muur felt a greater flow of power, laughing maniacally as he began to feel the flow of the Dark Dimension enter into his body when-

"WHO ARE YOU TO TAKE POWER THAT IS NOT YOURS~?"

The Sith Lord jolted upon hearing the disembodied voice.

Within his line of sight, his vision was overtaken by that of a gigantic entity who's blazing violet and black eyes stared down at him.

Muur could only stare in wonder and hunger. "Dormammu, I take it."

"YOU HAVE SOME NERVE TO TRY TO STEAL THAT WHICH IS NOT YOURS." The ruler of the Dark Dimension said, voice rattling Muur's very being.

"Like the Sorcerer Supreme did? Like your followers?" Muur shot back snidely. "I only wish to take-"

"ALL THAT IS NOT YOURS, FOOLISH SITH LORD."

"So you know of me and my kind."

"YOUR KIND ONCE ATTEMPTED TO TAKE MY POWER THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO."

This actually shocked the ancient Sith Lord for a moment before his malevolent smirk returned.

"Then I shall be the first to successfully accomplish their task."

He heard the conqueror of worlds laugh, sounding like a multitude of voices overlapping one another.

"SO MUCH LIKE ALL YOUR FOOLISH AND WEAK KIN WHO HAD COME BEFORE AND AFTER YOU, ANT. TRYING TO CONTROL THAT WHICH YOU DO NOT FATHOM." Dormammu let out another rumbling chuckle. "BUT COME~ LET US SEE IF YOU CAN TAKE IT."

"CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!"

He didn't see it but he felt the smirk displayed upon Dormammu and in an instant felt an electrifying explosion course through his entire being.

Muur gasped until he began smiling gleefully as he felt power, true power flowing in every single cell of his body.

"Yessss~ Yesss~~ YEEE-"

And like that, Muur's demeanor fell as everything he had been feeling up to this point changed.

The Sith Lord began shaking incoherently, sweating now and gasping for air.

This… this was….

No…. no….

"NO! NOOOOO! S-STOP!"

As he was distracted, Muur greatly hissed in agony as he felt the arm carrying his talisman get severed off. The culprit being it's previous wearer for countless years.

"I knew I sensed your wretched presence." Celeste snarled.

She threw the talisman down and raised her lightsaber aloft.

Her hands glowed, multiple symbols and ruins appearing around them and flowing into her saber.

Once enough power was gathered, Celeste unleashed a mighty war cry as she brought her saber down and cleaved the Talisman in two.

The backlash of the ancient Sith artifact was immediate to its creator and owner as he felt something snap within him.

An eldritch tentacle shot out of the cauterized limb and connected with his severed one. It soon retreated back to his body just before the Jedi Shadow could destroy it with her lightsaber.

"STAY AWAY!" Muur screeched out, sending Celeste flying back from the explosion of his power alone. "MY SOUL! AURGH! MY SOUL BURNS!"

The Jedi Shadow managed to sit herself up in time to see the left half of Muur's face have its skin flake off in a gruesome fashion. Beneath his falling skin was the same texture and coloration that Dormammu's zealots possessed around their eyes; only this one was a sickly red that pulsed constantly with blood flowing out.

She could only watch as the Sith Lord continued to scream, body whipping about violently with the creatures trapped inside his body trying everything they could to escape.

Seeing the utmost opportunity presented before her, Celeste charged forward to strike down her tormentor once and for all.

Unfortunately for her, she was batted away by some debris returning to a nearby building as the Time Spell continued on.

Composing herself, she saw the revived Sith conjure a Sling-Ring portal and escaped through it to parts unknown.

"NO!" Celeste yelled, slamming her fist against the wall.

'I can't believe I let him get away!' she internally raged against herself.

All the while…

As more of the cityscape was getting repaired to the n-th degree, the opening to the Dark Dimension was receding. And yet by anyone who was paying attention to it, it appeared to be fighting back the Time Spell.

From nearby the Winter Soldier, a large pile of rubble rapidly flew into the air to reveal-

"Wong." Bucky said in horror at the sight of his impaled friend, blinking when the man was reversed back into the position before the apparent moment of his death.

He was quickly removed from the backwards flow of time, looking about in shock.

The man felt a hand placed upon his shoulder and turned to the relieved and overjoyed sight of his fellow Tolkienite before looking over to Strange who walked by him with a wry look.

"Breaking the laws of nature. I know."

Wong looked back to the metal debris he had been impaled upon and shook his head. "Well, don't stop now."

The scattered fighters quickly regrouped together and stood in front of the reconstructing Sanctum.

"When the Sanctum's restored, they'll attack again." Strange said straight away.

"Not to mention whatever Rakghouls died in the blast." Bucky added.

"We've got to defend it." Morne declared.

"C'mon!"

They ran forward, all the while not seeing Kaecilius freeing himself from the makeshift prison he was thrown into from the reversal of time.

Rising to his feet, Kaecilius gathered as much magic he could in his hand. At its apex, he slammed it down to the concrete street, sending a shockwave to knock the majority of them off their feet.

Amongst them was Strange, which caused him to abruptly end the Time spell when he fell down hard.

The surrounding environment was kept at a standstill, everything paused with only the zealots and their adversaries to move.

"Get up!" Mordo commanded. "Get up and fight!"

Stephen looked around to see the others get back onto their feet and ready to continue to defend the world.

Robbie was the first to be on his feet, Rider taking over once more.

Though he was confident that his friends would be able to defeat the Zealots, especially Robbie considering his power, he knew that they were no match for Dormammu.

Kaecilius casually began walking forward.

"You can't fight the inevitable." He said.

The rogue Master gazed up upon the coming doom of the Dark Dimension.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Kaecilius said with utmost reverence in his voice and demeanor. "A world beyond time. Beyond death."

At this moment, Stephen suddenly felt the gears in his head turning.

"Beyond time…" He muttered, quickly coming up with a plan.

He knew the warnings about using Time, but at this point he didn't care. He will have to break the rules if he can defeat the man behind the curtain.

Without warning, Strange turned round and flew up at full speeds directly into the Dark Dimension.

"Strange?!" Several of his companions shouted as he soon vanished from their sight.

Kaecilius smirked. "He's gone. Even Strange has left you and surrendered to his power."

Meanwhile…

Doctor Strange flew through what looked to be the endless expanse of this universe.

All around him were dark and twisted worlds and other indescribable objects that had become part of Dormammu's collective.

Strange soon landed upon one of the many floating entities within the Dark Dimension and held up his left arm.

Focusing on the green jewel within the Eye of Agamotto, Stephen called upon a peculiar spell which he greatly believed will help best the primordial entity.

The green glyphs surrounded his arm and he looked around, waiting for Dormammu to take notice of him.

It didn't take long.

Stephen turned around and was met with a large violet eye that glared upon him.

It soon reclined back to reveal Dormammu in all his size and power.

Unperturbed, the Doctor floated forward onto another planet before him. He briefly looked at his arm to see if his spell was in effect before facing the devourer of worlds.

"Dormammu," Strange walked forward, staring unflinchingly at the gargantuan trans dimensional being. "I've come to bargain."

"YOU'VE COME TO DIE." Bellowed Dormammu. "YOUR WORLD IS NOW MY WORLD LIKE ALL OTHERS."

Strange knew what was coming and soon began deflecting a multitude of large, sharpened shards that flew at him.

He held back a few until Dormammu opened his mouth and unleashed a powerful beam that he was barely holding back.

Stephen let out a pained grunt of exertion when it proved too much for the Sorcerer and he was disintegrated.

…

…

…

Strange soon landed upon one of the many floating entities within the Dark Dimension and held up his left arm.

Focusing on the green jewel within the Eye of Agamotto, Stephen called upon a peculiar spell which he greatly believed will help best the primordial entity.

The green glyphs surrounded his arm and he looked around, waiting for Dormammu to take notice of him.

It didn't take long.

Stephen turned around and was met with a large violet eye that glared upon him.

It soon reclined back to reveal Dormammu in all his size and power.

Unperturbed, the Doctor floated forward onto another planet before him. He briefly looked at his arm to see if his spell was in effect before facing the devourer of worlds.

"Dormammu," Strange walked forward, staring unflinchingly at the gargantuan trans dimensional being. "I've come to bargain."

"YOU'VE COME TO DIE." Bellowed Dormammu. "YOUR WORLD IS NOW MY… W-WHAT IS THIS? ILLUSION?"

"No. This is real."

The entity smirked. "GOOD."

Strange was then promptly killed by two pillars that fell upon him.

Yet no sooner did he die...

"Dormammu," Strange walked forward, staring unflinchingly at the gargantuan trans dimensional being. "I've come to bargain."

"YOU'VE… WHAT IS HAPPENING?"

Seeing as Dormammu was truly feeling the utmost sense of Deja Vu, Stephen explained to the extra dimensional entity's confusion.

"Just as you gave Kaecilius powers from your dimension, I brought a little power from mine." Raising his left hand, Stephen continued. "This is Time. Endless… looped… time."

When Dormammu heard this, suffice to say, it was none too pleased.

"YOU… DARE!"

Strange looked up to see a gigantic hand coming down upon him.

"Oh fu-"

He was crushed and promptly right back to where he started.

"Dormammu," Strange walked forward, staring unflinchingly at the gargantuan trans dimensional being. "I've come to bargain."

"YOU CANNOT DO THIS FOREVER." Dormammu snarled out.

"Actually, I can. This is how things are now. You and me, trapped in this moment… endlessly."

"THEN YOU WILL SPEND ETERNITY DYING."

"Yes. But everyone on Earth will live."

"BUT YOU WILL SUFFER."

Strange's expression became solemn. "...Pain's an old friend."

A moment later, he was incinerated.

"Dormammu…"

Impaled.

"Dormammu…"

Ripped apart.

"END THIS!"

"Dormammu…"

Dead again…

"Dormammu…"

And again...

"Dormammu…"

And again…

Stephen fell back onto the, groaning in pain though he forced himself back up.

"YOU WILL NEVER WIN."

"No…" Stephen struggled to get back onto his feet. "But I can lose… again and again… and again… and again, forever." He then stood triumphantly. "And that makes you my prisoner."

"NO!"

Strange was killed again.

"STOP!"

Only for him to reappear before the multiversal entity again.

"MAKE THIS STOP!" Dormammu all but demanded. "SET ME FREE!"

Stephen now knew he had him right where he wanted him. "No… I've come to bargain."

Gritting his teeth in utmost anger, Dormammu hotly glared at the sorcerer.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"Take your Zealots from the Earth. End your assault on my world. Never come back. Do it and I'll break the loop." Stephen glared back at the entity. "SWEAR IT!"

Dormammu and Stephen glared upon one another, neither breaking eye contact as they waited to see who would speak first.

Back in Hong Kong, everything played out as it was before Stephen swiftly departed to the Dark Dimension.

It was only a second later did he make his return when he suddenly appeared behind the zealots.

Sensing his presence, Kaecilius spun about to see Strange return relatively unscathed.

The former Master knew in an instant that something was amiss.

"What have you done?"

"I made a bargain." the Doctor said plainly.

Stephen sighed as he looked at Kaecilius, who started noticing something was terribly wrong.

"W-What is this?" Said the leading zealot, who looked at his arm.

It was changing color to an ashen grey with cracks appearing all over his hand.

"Well, it's everything you've ever wanted. Eternal life as part of the One." The former surgeon chuckled aloud. "You're not gonna like it."

It was then did Kaecilius and the rest of his zealots rapidly heat up and flake before they were swiftly sucked into the Dark Dimension. They screamed in agony before they were silenced upon entering their master's domain.

Looking onward, Strange clicked his tongue.

"Yeah, you know, you really should have stolen the whole book because the warnings came after the spells." He shook his head. "Why can they never do it before?"

With how intense things were, the group suddenly felt rather weirded out when they heard a fit of chuckles.

Looking towards the source, they soon saw it was all coming from Wong, who was now laughing.

"You okay there?" Robbie asked with a raised brow.

"O-Oh I'm good." Wong slowly calmed himself. "It… It was just funny."

Robbie and Strange momentarily glanced at one another with the latter commenting, "...Okay then…"

Using the Eye of Agamotto once more, Stephen used its power to finish repairing the Sanctum and restore the lives lost inside and outside of its walls. While he was at it, he saw the Rakghouls and swiftly focused in on them. Using the artifact's power, he rapidly deteriorated them so they could no longer be a nuisance for them.

"We… we did it." Bucky muttered in astonishment. "Holy shit, we did it."

"Yeah." Robbie grinned, slapping the super soldier on the back. "We most certainly did."

Though she hated to ruin the mood, Celeste knew better.

"We've taken care of one threat." She reminded the group. "Muur is still out there with all those things he absorbed and now, he's been inflicted with the madness of the Dark Dimension."

"Fuck me, we just can't catch a break." Robbie bemoaned.

"How will we find him?" Wong asked with Stephen humming to himself.

"Well… for starters… I figure we should head back to the Avengers back in Manhattan." Strange plainly said. "They're still waiting for us there."

"Yes, they are." Mordo said with a nod. "Perhaps their aid will prove beneficial in tracking down and defeating Karness Muur."

Strange, Mordo, Robbie and Celeste began to walk away whilst Wong and Bucky stood there in clear bewilderment.

They turned to each other, mirroring one another's' expressions of confusion.

"What the hell did we miss?" Bucky asked Wong who only shook his head.

"Come on." He patted his friend on the shoulder. "I think we should just roll with it by this point."

"Uh-huh."

-Scene Cut-

Karness Muur stumbled out of a portal, twitching and jittering about with his body undergoing constant transformation.

He was whimpering and moaning with pain, trying his damndest to contain the chaotic power within his body.

The revived Sith felt all of the entities within him greatly stir and it took every bit of himself to reign them back under his control.

It was through this whole process did he not know where he ended up at. He blindly made a destination as his means of escaping his demise.

He was so out of it he did not notice someone approaching him until he felt them come into contact with him.

Muur came face to face with an elderly Chinese man who crouched down to the Sith Lord with his face conveying concern.

"Are you alright, sir?" The man asked Muur in Mandarin.

Without warning, Muur felt a strange feeling of numbness come over him as he gazed upon the man before him.

That numbness quickly transformed into emptiness which was then replaced by…

"Hunger." Muur blankly said.

The elderly gentlemen tilted his head, clearly not understanding him.

"English?" The man managed out through a heavy Asian accent.

Karness didn't verbally respond, having slowly raised his hand up to the man and gently placed it upon his shoulder.

The Chinese man gazed at the hand momentarily before looking back at Karness and gasped in fright.

"Hungry." Was all Muur said as his eyes and mouth glowed.

The elderly man didn't even have a chance to yell out.

In mere seconds, the elder rapidly deteriorated as all that was left was a mummified husk, which collapsed onto the earth.

Muur had a dead expression present as he gazed up at his hand that was rapidly transforming between the many limbs of the creatures that were still fighting to get out.

"Need… more…"

The Sith Lord's eyes noticed a road and it went down that road, following it all the way to a noticeably large village not far from where he stood.

Hunger exploded within the Sith as he began walking forward.

"Nourishment…"

AN

Well fuck me, this was a larger chapter then anticipated but who cares, worth the challenge of it all in the end.

Betcha none of you guys saw the Avengers and Defenders making an appearance this time around, did ya?

Well that's what happens when the threats are far more escalated and crazier than what we saw in the films.

So Strange and Stark meet earlier as do a lot of heroes we never saw interact together.

Fun right?

Jebest4781: Anywho, the events of Doctor Strange are over, but now we're rolling into another, guess which one it is. We dare ya.

FMW: And after this arc, back up to the Star Wars galaxy we go as we close out the first arc of season 3 which turned out to be a lot larger than anticipated. So much crazy shit to come with so many events to write and play out. Really, this is all just escalation.

Jeb: Another "What If…" comes out tomorrow at the time of this chapter's release, not to mention the premiere of Star Wars Visions.

FMW: Oh my God, that's right, Visions is about to come out so a lot of whacky anime Star Wars content to come!

Jeb: Granted they'll be one-shot episodes that are disconnected from the overall Star Wars canon, but who cares we get new interesting stuff. Hopefully, their barks do have their bites.

FMW: Agreed, here's to hoping they go all out while giving us some good substance to chow down on. God knows how often Star Wars needs it with how many fucks ups Disney keeps pulling on it.

Whelp, other than that, thanks for reading this madness and stay tuned for the arc's conclusion next chapter.

Until next time.

Rate Read and Review and As Always Have Nice Day.