#multi author

*There are at least eight people wandering around the cabin. If not for their almost zombie-like movements, they looked exactly like hikers or tourists, complete with backpacks and flannel. In fact, they could have been. Now a purple glow radiates from their eyes and their hands are blackened similar to Agatha’s. They don’t patrol together, but wander aimlessly around the area, not getting further than 15 feet away from the cabin itself which has smoke coming out of the chimney. The building itself looks like it could have been pulled from a Christmas card with how stereotypical it looked for a one-story wooden cabin, minus the snow. All in all, it looked pretty ordinary on the surface.*

Steve (low whisper):  Looks like we have company.  With those eyes, they’re probably brainwashed.  We’ll have to knock out and restrain them.

Me (quietly):  Think they’re all on some sort of trigger too?  Like…If one of them falls even out of view, it might set the others off?

Peter: I could try knocking something over with my web shooters? See what kind of a reaction we get?

Tony: No, we can’t risk alerting all of them to us being here if they do work under a hivemind. We need to find that crystal keeping Trix trapped first before we give up our presence.

Prettywitch: I wonder…What if I used my divination to find out?

Me (staying quiet):  Go ahead.  *I encourage her.*

Tear: Just remember not to push too far. We can’t have you draining your magical energy so early into the mission.

Prettywitch: Okay. * She pulls out the tarot deck from her satchel and quickly cleanses it. Then she shuffles the deck while asking herself, “Is there some sort of psychic link between the group in front of us or no?”, five times before finally stopping to pull the first card that “calls” to her. She pulled the Six of Wands* Six of Wands?

Tony: *Lifts a skeptical eyebrow at the card* Is that supposed to be a variation of NATO?

Prettywitch: *Glares at Tony* No, Stark. It’s saying that, yes; they do share a link…At least I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s saying.

Tear: That’s amazing! Then we won’t get their attention until we are certain Trix’s crystal will be safe from Agatha retaliating.

Tony: It’s a bug’s life, after all. Right, Lang, you are up. What do your ant eyes see? Any way for you and the girls to approach in search of Trix and those anti-magic runes without triggering anything?

Scott: *He doesn’t answer Tony right away. He’s busy communicating with one of the ants.* AnToinette’s saying there’s zombies everywhere. Our best bet is for someone to cause a distraction.

Prettywitch: Guess that means Harrass Harkness is up.

*Steve raises an eyebrow.*

Steve:  Harass Harkness?

Prettywitch: Yeah. That’s the name of the group name for everyone who stays behind to deal with Agatha’s goons. 

Me:  Let’s strategize, then.  One part of the group stays here and plans a diversion tactic.  The other part shrinks down and sneaks into the cabin to try and swipe Trix’s crystal.  What else did you foresee, Prettywitch?  Anyone in particular need to stay or go in? 

Prettywitch: Hmmm…Let me think. *She cleanses the deck again and shuffles them, asking, “Should anyone in particular come with Antman?” five times before pulling three cards that “call* to her. They are; The Chariot (Past), Two of Cups (Present), Ace of Coins (Future)* Huh?...That’s kinda weird…Unless-

*As PrettyWitch begins to explain, one of the zombie-like guards shuffles around the outskirts of the clearing, slowly and almost stumbling over their own feet with a blank look on their face. He is slowly getting closer to the group and is about twenty feet away at the moment.*

*Steve gestures silently at the group to duck down and stay as quiet as possible.  We all do so.*

*The guard wanders in front of where the group are hiding and pauses as if he hears something and looks around, almost looking like all of his limbs and neck are limp as he lazily scouts out the woods from his position.*

*We stay quiet, waiting for him to leave.*

*After about thirty seconds, the guard seems satisfied even if it doesn’t reflect on his face. He wanders off again around the rest of the perimeter.*

*Steve watches for a bit to make sure nobody else is around before gesturing to let Prettywitch finish speaking.*

Steve (polite, but down to business):  The coast is clear.  Go on.

Prettywitch: So in tarot, Ace of Coins represents new beginnings, opportunity, potential. But more in the sense of possibilities, not success. So, we’ll still need to plan accordingly. 

Me:  Since I can sense spirits, maybe that’ll give us an edge.  Plus, I have lockpicks.  I’ll go in with Scott.

Tear: Tony taught me how to set up the explosives Steward requested too, so I can be backup help if she needs it. Plus, if we manage to find Trix… We don’t know what condition she’ll be in when we find her, and I want to do everything I can to help her. So I’m going too.

Prettywitch: Perfect. I’ll stay here so we can keep the rescue party small.

Steve:  Okay.  Scott, go ahead and shrink down with the two girls.  Report back as soon as you can.  We’ll provide a diversion when needed.

Scott: Alright. Let’s go.

*Scott, Tear, and I shrink down and climb onto three winged ants already waiting for us. They easily fly us across the field and into Agatha’s cabin. We are tense and dreading the activation of any traps, but everything remains quiet as we stealthily pass through a crack under a baseboard, unnoticed.  At least for now.  None of us sees or senses Trix in the small house.  Agatha is bustling around, looking frustrated.  It seems she’s preparing something.  We don’t see any crystals on her person or anywhere in the cabin.  However, Scott quickly points out scuff marks on the floor, barely covered by a rug.  We quietly slip under the rug to avoid detection and find a trapdoor with a lock on it.  Scott inspects the lock for a bit and tries to pick it with one of Cassie’s old barretts he keeps on hand. It doesn’t open the lock.  Meanwhile, Tear is a lookout to make sure Agatha doesn’t step on or notice us.*

Scott (using his earpiece, whispering): Just like I thought; we can’t get it open through conventional means.

*I pull out the small ring of lockpicks with a smirk and pass Scott the tools.*

Scott: Thank you. (He takes the lockpicks from Steward and carefully  fiddles with each one until he finally gets it open.) And…open sesame!

*Agatha continues to grab some ingredients for a spell and is grumbling to herself.*

Agatha: I am going to hex every single person who decides that Washington should be a city. I have been to eighty-eight of them and still no trace of that specific magic. That kid isn’t lying so there’s a missing piece of the puzzle. It should only take a session or two more before she shatters… *she continues muttering to herself*

*After Scott opens the lock, we barely open the trapdoor, just a crack, to squeeze through, not moving the rug either to reduce the chance of detection.  We drop into what appears to be a small cave system beneath the cabin.  To Tear and me, the place feels like a veritable hornet’s nest of magical activity now.  We try to sense Trix, nerves mounting even further from Agatha’s “shattering” remark.  The path is slippery and treacherous.  I detect the energy of the runes’ spellwork and follow it to its origin points. It’s easy to spot the glowing purple runes on different stones, and we make a mental note of the locations of all the carvings. There seem to be even more secrets and artifacts in the caves, but we can’t stray too far because we sense…things…hidden somewhere in the dark recesses.  Tear and I are trying our best to push away flashbacks of the mine we explored with Stephen months ago.*

*Eventually, we see a dimly-lit area and head towards it, being careful of any potential traps.  Anything that looks or feels even vaguely suspicious is avoided.  We reach a candlelit chamber and deem it safe enough to grow back to normal size. Scott takes up the role of lookout at the entrance while Tear and I sense the room.  I attempt to scan for Trix’s presence, but feel nothing.  There are a few shattered crystal fragments swept into a pile at a corner on the floor.  My pulse rises further as I cannot help but fear the worst.*

Tear: Steward… *I gently grip Steward’s wrist to catch her attention and point over at a desk on the opposite wall* 

*I look at Tear and then the desk and let out a sigh of relief.*

Me:  Thank goodness…Good eye, Tear.

*There is an intact pair of dark purple crystals on that desk.  Each one has a leather band attached to them, making them look like pendants.  They’re both identical, and I touch them carefully and sense life within each one.*

Scott: Guys! Agatha’s coming! AnToinette said she and the other ants can buy us some time but we gotta be quick about it.

Me (quickly):  Coming!  If these are the only intact crystals here, one of them has to have Trix inside.  The other is probably some other poor soul that got caught.  We’ll take both of them to be sure.  

*I snatch both of them before we turn around to head up.  As we ascend, Tear and I plant Tony’s explosives on each rune we found earlier.  Then, we shrink back down with Scott’s tech and slip back out of the caves through the trapdoor.*

*While under the rug, we see Agatha is swearing up a storm as thousands of ants have swarmed her kitchen and are even crawling up her hands and arms.*

Agatha (pissed off): Get a cabin in the woods they said! I am going to get a nice city apartment so I don’t have to deal with all of this nature *She sneers and uses her magic to set as many ants on fire as she can* I’m going to find a spell to wipe as many of you pests off the face of the Earth as possible… *She pauses as she realizes that something is off* Wait…Weren’t you an Avenger’s…?

*She whirls around and stomps back to our hiding place, making the floorboards shake under our feet. At Scott’s command, we cling to the fibers of the rug moment before Agatha grabs it and flings it aside in her rush to check the trapdoor. She pales as she realizes it’s unlocked.*

Agatha: Little brats think they can steal from me? *she growls and slams the trapdoor open with a flick of her hand before storming down the stairs that lead to the caves*

*A bit shaken from the sudden carpet ride, we stumble our way out from under the discarded rug and make sure that Agatha isn’t looking before scuttling back outside of the cabin through the cracked baseboard. We then climb back onto our rides and fly out into the field.  We grow back to normal size as soon as we rejoin the group.*

Me (holding out the loot):  Crystals secured.  They’re both inhabited with a soul, but we don’t know which one’s Trix.  It’s some sort of enchantment.  By the way, Agatha’s onto us.  She almost caught us just as we were leaving.

Steve (proudly impressed):  Good work.  As soon as you disable the runes, Steward, you girls start working on breaking that spell and freeing the hostages.  We’ll draw Agatha out for capture.  Seeing as she’s gotten suspicious, it shouldn’t take much to get her out of her cabin now.

Me:  Yes, Sir.  *I grin evilly.  It’s rather unsettling since there’s some actual venom behind it this time.*

Tony: You copy that, Strange, Wong? We have visual confirmation that the crystals are now in the girls’ possession. The second those runes blow, you two are free to portal in.

Strange (via earpiece):  Copy.

Wong (via earpiece):  We’re ready.

Tony: *He turns to Peter.* I want you to stay with the girls, okay? Once the explosion happens, we’ll be heading in guns blazing. I’m sure it’ll help the wizards concentrate if they know you’re watching over their ducklings while they Wingardium Leviosa those crystals. It’s a lot of responsibility, kid. You up for it?

Peter: *He can smell the reverse psychology trick a mile away, but he can’t help standing up straighter and puffing out proudly with his new orders.* I won’t let anything happen to them, I promise.

Me: Ready for me to detonate, everyone?  *I’m holding the detonator button, ready to be pressed.*

Tear: Blow that witch to pieces.

Prettywitch: Ready!

Scott: Ready!

Tony: Set off the fireworks, kid.

Peter: All set here, Steward!

Steve:  *Gives me a thumbs-up.*  Affirmative.  Detonation in T-Minus 3 seconds.  

*I quietly gesture “three…two…one!” with my fingers and then push the button.  The charges explode, blowing up the runes. Though since the caves were apparently soundproofed, we hear nothing.  FRIDAY confirms the detonation shortly before the cabin collapses in on itself from the newly-expanded caves below. Agatha’s magic wards are down.*

Steve:  All right.  *He speaks into his earpiece so that Stephen and Wong can also hear the signal.*  Avengers, assemble!

*Meanwhile, a loud angry screech comes from the now collapsed cabin. Agatha floats upwards, her purple magic glowing dangerously around her hands and her hair curling in the air with her power like the snakes on Medusa’s head. She’s covered in dust and debris but still looks regal in her full witch attire. Dark purple light radiates from her glaring eyes as she snarls, and a pulse of raw energy booms across the entire valley, making all of us tense.*

*Within seconds, a large portal of golden sparks appears in the clearing and two furious sorcerers come charging out.  Stephen and Wong have joined the fight and their magic immediately snatches Agatha’s attention. They unleash a volley of offensive spells towards the witch, and all Hell breaks loose in the clearing.*

Agatha: So, you decided to invite yourselves over and literally crash the party. *She grins as she absorbs the magic of Stephen and Wong’s attacks and takes a deep breath as it rejuvenates her and turns into purple mist to dodge the Eldritch weapons being thrown at her* You’re going to have to do better than that, dearies. *She summons a large orb of purple magic before pushing it forward, where it shoots dozens of purple orbs of magic out into the clearing like falling meteors. A few hit her minions, who screech as their bodies wither away quickly into what almost looks like mummies, completely sapped of energy and life.*

Steve:  Avengers, shields and defensive positions!  Devices on!  *He rushes in after Stephen and Wong, ready to protect the others if needed.*

Tony: Lang! Wrangle up all of the zombies. We can’t have the witch killing civilians left and right! *He shoots up into a wide arc in the sky, aiming his repulsor blasts straight at Agatha as he provides the sorcerers with cover fire.*

Agatha: *She easily dodges the attacks and reforms in the air above the group* Pretty brave to attack a witch on her home turf, but you Avengers were never quite that bright to begin with. *She raises her arms and the remaining zombies are given spectral weapons and they charge the Avengers*

Tony: Ah, shit. Lang! Change of plans! *He swiftly propels himself in another direction, heavily landing behind Steve and protecting his six from a zombie tourist swinging down a phantom-looking scythe.*

*Meanwhile, Stephen and Wong cast their shield spells to offer an additional layer of protection to the Avengers without giving Agatha more power.  This frees up some of the team to provide a counteroffensive with their tech.*

*While Agatha is occupied with the chaos of battle, Prettywitch, Tear, and I join forces to cast an invisibility spell on us and Peter. We then sneak into the brush so we can figure the crystal issue out.*

Peter: Huh, this is weird… *He’s looking down at his hand, which looks oddly transparent, as if he was now made of clear water. We look the same to him so he can tell where we are even with the invisibility spell active* So how do you guys reverse engineer an enchantment?

Tear: To be honest, Wong hasn’t taught us that yet. The magic witches use is very different to the sorcerers’. I can’t exactly make heads or tails of how this transmutation worked in the first place.

*A loud boom makes us all tense and snap our attention back to the on-going fight in the distance. Iron Man has brought out his elliptical shield, and Peter looks like he really wants to join the fight and help, but he resolutely stays crouched down with us.*

Me:  Crap, crap, crap…*I frantically try to think of something before getting an idea.*

*I turn to look at Barry, who has been following us as usual.  After all, it’s not as though he can really leave since he bound himself to me before.*

Barry:  …Seriously?

Me:  We’ve been trying to make peace with each other, right?

Barry:  …Yeah, but how do we know that bitch’s jewelry isn’t gonna vaporize me or something?

Me:  The crystal’s some kind of soul trap.  It’s a container.  Containers don’t generally zap their contents into oblivion.  Look…If this works out, then I promise to let you listen to every single Kurt Cobain performance ever recorded.

Barry:  *Scoffs*  Has to be better than that…

Me (desperate):  We can’t do this exchange right now!  *Still arguing with Barry.*

Peter: *He leans over a bit to whisper at PrettyWitch, a bit unnerved as he watches Steward and the empty air next to her* Is this normal behavior for her…?

Prettywitch: Yeah. She’s a medium and can talk to ghosts. Most people can’t see or hear them.

*This does not comfort Peter in the slightest as he continues to watch in disturbed fascination.*

Barry (unfazed):  I still want a favor.

Me:  After!  Just name it after we free Trix.  PLEASE.

Barry (reluctant, but still snarky):  Fine…

*He drifts over towards one of the crystals and touches it before it sucks him in.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Barry is disoriented by what he sees as he looks around.*

Barry (processing what he just experienced):  What the fuck…

*Loki immediately is on guard as this unknown suddenly appears in his astral realm and stands between him and Trix, blocking the young woman from being spotted as she is currently recovering and is as close to being asleep as she can be in the astral plains*

Loki (snarling): Who are you? Why did Agatha send you here? Leave before I have to take drastic action. *he summons two daggers and leans forward menacingly*

Barry (raising his hands):  Whoa!  I’m here for the chick, not you, dude!  

Loki (incredibly serious): Wrong answer. *he darts forward extending his daggers to attack*

Barry:  SHIT!  Fuck you, Steward!  *He shouts to seemingly nobody in particular.  All the while, the surrounding color of the crystal seems to be slowly starting to shift.*

*Loki perks up at the mention of Steward and uses the forward momentum to feint at last moment and stares at Barry*

Loki: I’m sorry, did you say Steward– *he’s cut off as seemingly an earthquake hits his side of the astral plains and cracks begin to form everywhere, including the invisible wall between his area and Trix’s* What did you just do?!

Barry:  Nothing!  I don’t know!  She told me to try and get in here to check who was trapped!

*There’s a blinding flash.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*The crystal that Barry entered starts to glitch out, flashing several different colors at once before it poofs, revealing a very confused, disheveled, and exhausted Loki.  Barry gets launched forcefully out of the god’s body as soon as it reforms.  The girls are shocked by the sudden appearance, and their broken concentration makes their invisibility spell fail. Peter immediately leaps up to stand in front of the girls protectively. He aims both webshooters at Loki and immediately webs him back against a bush, leaving a sight reminiscent of a Halloween decoration.*

Peter: Mr. Loki? What are you doing here? *His voice sounds shocked behind his mask, but he still doesn’t drop his protective stance in front of the others.*

Me (small voice):  W-What?!

Loki (dazed): Well that was entirely unexpected but it seems her plan worked. *He looks at the girls and Peter gathered around him and stares blankly down at the webs only to focus in on the crystal that’s still left in Steward’s hands. His expression softens a bit* There you are…

Me (privately praying that this Loki isn’t about to somehow screw the group over):  O-Okay…So, Trix is in the other one, right?  Right?

Loki (starting to collect himself): Yes, yes she is. Agatha just had her in a session and she was quickly reaching the end of her rope.

*The group of girls relaxes slightly at the news of Trix still being alive.  I turn to Barry again.*

Me:  …Please?

Barry:  HELL NO.  I’ve already had enough surprises being dragged around this damn multiverse!

Loki (unamused): Perhaps trying to overshadow someone’s unprotected soul isn’t the best way to introduce one’s self. *He hears the fight going on in the background and his face quickly turns to rage when he spots the witch* Oh, that woman has another thing coming to her– *He tries to get out of the webs but quickly gives up due to his exhaustion.*

Prettywitch: Uh, Loki? Maybe you should sit this one out. I’m sort of an amateur at tarot, you can help me with that! What do you say?

Loki: *he stares at PrettyWitch for a moment before calming down and finally nodding* I am not familiar with this…tarot, but I can recognize a seer easily. I can help.

*We all look around at each other, and silently conclude to trust him. Peter carefully approaches Loki and narrows his mask’s eyes at him.*

Peter: I’ll dissolve the webs, but you make any move to attack us and I won’t hesitate to fight you.

Loki (nods): I vow on my magic that I will not bring harm to any of you or your allies.

*He sprays his dissolvent onto the webs, freeing Loki, who sort of shuffles closer to PrettyWitch and looks at her for permission to cast a spell.*

Prettywitch: Uh…I don’t know where you’re going with this, dude. But I just wanna be friends. 

Loki: I just wish to give you a boost if you would allow it.

Prettywitch: Oh! Well then, by all means. Sorry about that.

*Loki performs a quick hand gesture and a shimmering green aura gently settles on PrettyWitch.*

*Prettywitch performs the tarot ritual and draws three cards; Two of Cups (Past), King of Cups (Present), Ace of Coins (Future). This time, she asked the cards the quickest way to defeat Agatha, so she’s a bit flummoxed by her reading.*

Prettywitch: Ace of Coins, again!? That doesn’t make any sense! *She looks over the spread again and her eyes widen.* Unless… Remember I said Ace of Coins is for new opportunities and manifestation? Well, Two of Cups represents a connection, a happy bond or partnership; that’s in the past. King of Cups, the present, represents devotion, loyalty, faithfulness, even wisdom. I think it’s trying to say that two people who’ve formed a bond recently are the key to beating Agatha.

Loki (frowning): It honestly sounds like Trix and I in the Astral Plains. Honestly she kept me sane in that place… 

Prettywitch: I think you’re right! What do you think, Steward?

Me:  *Thinking for a moment.*  Hmm…Yeah, that tracks.

Prettywitch: Alright! Now we just need to come up with a plan. I’m thinking that if we can distract Agatha long enough, it should give Loki and Trix enough time to deliver the finishing blow.  

Me (frustrated):  Provided I can convince Barry to follow through.

Prettywitch: True. Have you considered bribing him?

Me:  Already did.  I owe him one.

Prettywitch: Fuck! Guess we’ll have to force him into it. I can’t see any other way and we’re on borrowed time as it is.

Me:  I’ll keep trying.  *I turn and go back to arguing with the ghost.*

Loki (looking around at the girls): I do apologize that I am not your friend and that I am of a rather untrustworthy sort. However, I am fully committed to ending the witch’s reign of terror and I have not witnessed Trix’s bravery from risk to her own person only to not assist her friends.

*He is pensive for a moment before looking back up at the group*

Loki: I was rather startled when her first reaction to me was joy instead of anger or fear. I will not betray her trust. I am not Sylvie. I refuse to look out only for myself.

*It’s then that a rogue spell from Agatha comes hurtling towards their position and both Loki and Peter react instinctively. Peter tackles his friends out of harms way, but his actions are unnecessary since Loki pulls up a shield and effectively stops the spell at the same time. However, he finds that his shield is now made of crystal rather than magical energy. He stares at it, confused.

Loki: Oh. That probably isn’t good. *he shakes his head to clear it* Though we should consult your Doctor Strange and Wong as they would be more familiar with the consequences of being trapped by that spell than I.

*Meanwhile, Barry has adamantly refused to help any further.*

Me:  Barry, you’re the only one who can do this.  

Barry:  …And?!

Loki (sighing): Unfortunately she’s correct. I don’t have the energy to be of assistance so your rather (he pauses and sneers) invasive way of overshadowing the crystal may be the only way of pulling Trickstress out of it. Though, I can help with my part of the plan. *he’s rather smug despite looking exhausted*

Barry (stubborn):  It’s not like I’m a damn magician like you people claim to be.  Why do I have to do all of this soul stuff?  Can’t any of you actually conjure ANY useful magic for this?!

Me (flatly, at Barry):  Fine.  Have it your way.  *I look at the group.*  Guys, make sure we don’t get blown up and look after my body, please.  *I turn back to the ghost.*  Barry, kick me out.  

Barry (confused and taken aback):  What?

Me:  Seeing as you won’t go into the crystal, I will.  I can't do astral projection by myself yet.  So, go ahead and possess me.  Kick me out of my own body.  I’ll break the spell myself.

Barry:  …and if you get your ass killed, then three of us are screwed.

Me (firmly, my mind made up):  Then don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.

*He stares for a moment.*

Barry:  Fine.

*He floats over and enters my body.  Since I’m not resisting, the only thing that happens is an involuntary shudder and my body momentarily going stiff as control is shifted.  My astral form lurches out and I get my bearings for a second before gliding over to the crystal and touching it, being sucked in.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*The astral plains are a muted orange and violet haze as a figure is lying on the ground, looking devastated. Getting closer, I can see that it’s Trix who looks worse for wear.*

Me (worried and scared):  Trix!  *I go over to her.*  I’m so sorry, Trix…We came as soon as we could.  I’m gonna get you out of here, I promise.

Trix (dazed): Are you really here? Or did Agatha find a way to torment me here too? Loki is already gone so she probably killed him…

Me (sincere):  No, I’m really here.  Remember Barry?  He’s being an ass again.  So, I came in here myself.  Though, he kinda accidentally freed Loki from the first crystal.  Anyway, he refused to try again and now he has my body.

Trix (hopeful): *she starts to sit up* Tell me something only we know. Something that even Stephen wouldn’t.

Me:  Okay.  Well, first off, you were the first group member to see Stephen when I was trying to hide him.  Also, back around last Christmas, I got you that Loki headband with the horns.  I don’t think anyone besides you, me, and the other two would know these facts.

Trix (tearing up): Oh god. It’s really you. *She starts to sob* This is all my fault, I’m so sorry. Is everyone okay?!

Me (raising a hand to indicate to her that it’s okay):  Trix, no.  It’s not.  Agatha manipulated you.  It’s what she does.  She finds people’s pain and insecurities and picks at them until they snap.  It could have happened to any of us. It was just crappy luck that she picked on you.  Any of us could have done it and would feel the same way afterwards.  It’s not your fault.  Yes, we’re all relatively okay.  The battle’s raging outside and Agatha’s apparently able to siphon off Stephen and Wong’s magic to boost herself.  They can’t do much besides distract her.  The Avengers are throwing everything they can at her too.  The group is hiding with Loki while we bust you out of here.

Trix (sniffles): I’m taking her off my favorite villains list, that’s for sure. Though I did manage to learn some stuff while she had me…

Me:  Think you know anything that could screw up her latest spells? PrettyWitch has a Seer-hunch.

Trix (beaming): I have a trick or two up my sleeve.

*The astral plains starts to crack around them*

Me (glancing around as the spell glitches):  Okay…Well, here’s our ticket out.  You ready?

Trix: You got it! *She takes the opportunity to take a breath and center herself, just like Wong taught her.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*As the spell breaks, Trix reappears in her body. I’m inside too like what happened to Barry and Loki, but I quickly eject myself to avoid straining Trix’s body and magic more. It’s easier if there’s already another soul there.  Particularly if it’s the one that actually belongs to the body in question.  Still, Barry continues to refuse to give me my own body back, so I remain stuck outside in Astral form.*

*Barry, inhabiting my body, goes over to check Trix.  He seems…different.  More pensive.  It’s honestly hard to tell.*

Me:  Tear, think you can heal Trix?

Tear: *I cast a glowing diagnostic spell, and frown at the results* I don’t know, I’m not picking up any physical injuries. The forced transformation seems to have left no damage, so I guess we have to thank Agatha’s quality spellcasting for that. A half-done transformation could have been lethal. However, it’s her mind and soul I’m mainly worried about. I’ll try my best to give you some magical energy back to encourage a speedier self-healing.

Trix (grimacing with her eyes closed): Fuck, I never thought it would hurt this much to be in my own body. Everything is stiff, at least it’s hard for me to move. *She seems to be speaking to herself*

*Loki frowns and moves closer*

Loki: Likely because of your body being transformed the way it was plus the torture being done on your soul itself. It’s likely not hitting me as hard as I am a god but even I can feel that my joints are harder to move. *He fusses over her but isn’t surprised by her reaction*

Me:  I can’t even imagine…*I watch over Trix.*

Tear: Alright, I’ll begin. Please try not to move, Trix. *I concentrate in casting the slightly modified healing spell Wong taught us. It is easy to fall into the familiar flow of energy, feeding my own desire to help our friend until I feel that innate connection begin forming between our essence. Immediately, Trix’s real pain syphons through the bond, making me grit my teeth in shock. My very blood feels like its boiling with painful shocks of electricity, and I’m surprised Trix has been withstanding the feeling for so long. My hands begin shaking and perspiration coats my forehead, but I refuse to break the connection and end my spell, focusing instead in sending Trix my own care and calm through the bond.*

*Trix finally looks around as she starts to figure out what’s going on as the healing starts to help. She has been in a bit of a daze. She smiles weakly as she sees all of her friends around her.*

Trix (relieved): You’re all safe! Thank god, I was worried that Agatha had killed you or something horrible. I was holding out hope but y’know how it is…

*She slumps back as Tear is healing her and Loki moves to help hold Trix up. For such a relatively short amount of time kept captive together, the two are rather protective of the other.*

Peter (Nervously): Okay, Tear. I think Trix is looking a bit better now. That should give us enough time to take her back to Kamar-Taj, right? You’re starting to look a bit pale yourself…

Trix: *flustered* I can’t leave yet! Agatha is only going to get stronger as they keep fighting! *She looks out at the battle*

Me (cautiously):  You sure you’re up to this, Trix?  Those injuries look pretty bad on the scan.

Trix: I may have bartered information to stall her *she realizes the implications of that news* It was all nothing that we would deem important! I just wasn’t allowed to lie and had to keep her busy! So in exchange for telling her everything and I mean absolutely every non relevant detail, she would teach me something about witchcraft. So she eventually taught me about runes…she did it without the right context but I know exactly what runes and the sequence they need to cast to pull off the end battle of Wandavision. *She blinks* Without being sucked dry of course.

Tear: *I flicker a look up at Trix, panting with exhertion by now* I don’t know, Trix. Your energy is already near its limit. You promise you can control the magic to stop before you reach zero?

Trix: I have to do it. I just have to have one last burst of energy and I can pull it off. Though…Loki-

*He perks up as Trix looks at him*

Trix: I just need something to work off of. You know the limitations.

Loki (nodding): I can pull off one last big trick before I’m spent as well. Might as well make it flashy.

*Trix grins in response*

Trix: There’s a reason we get along so well. But yeah, *she turns back to the others* So long as we don’t die from energy exhaustion I can do it. I’m not going to actually fight her. Just cast the runes.

Tear: …Okay. I’ll trust you with this, Trix. Go give her hell. *I close my eyes and shove more energy into the healing spell. The connection created by my magic broadens, and I drain more of Trix’s pain into myself. I yell with the effort, but force myself to stop the spell only when I’m sure Trix has all the energy she needs to perform her last trick. When I do, the echo of Trix’s pain vanishes as quickly as it reached me and I collapse sideways against Peter, limbs twitching with the remaining phantom pains.*

Trix: Thank you. So much. I am so sorry you have to go through this too. I’ll make it quick!

*She smiles before suddenly her body goes limp. Then, a moment passes before she flickers into view a few feet away in her astral form. She vanishes again quickly, the others not able to catch a good glimpse of her quite yet.*

*Trix finally reappears on the battlefield, a ghostly version of herself with glowing orange eyes and a surprisingly commanding presence. Parts of her astral body are either made of crystal or are missing altogether like a chunk of her arm. Trix stares down Agatha, who freezes when she spots the apprentice sorceress. All around, the Avengers and sorcerers pause in their fighting too.*

Trix: You made a mistake, Agatha. *She glares at the witch*

*Loki grins from his spot and uses all the magic he can to create six large pillars of green crystal that emerge from the ground surrounding the clearing. It nearly takes the rest of his strength but he is absolutely delighted*

Trix: You never should have made a deal with me. And that’s your downfall.

*Trix raises her arms and six familiar runes carve themselves in the crystal pillars one by one, illuminating an orange glow and effectively nullifies all magic in the clearing and her cabin. Agatha looks around in horror as she realizes her mistake and stares at Trix in both anger and grudging respect. She hadn’t expected to be outsmarted by a baby sorcerer.*

*After she casts the runes, Trix’s eyes finally lose their glow and they roll back into her head. Her astral form disappears as she is forcefully shoved back into her now restored body. She has pushed herself way too hard. Loki immediately scrambles over to her and checks to make sure if she’s still alive.*

*Meanwhile, as Agatha is suddenly depowered, the Avengers make their move to capture her.  Stephen and Wong use a set of relics to bind her to make sure that the witch can’t break loose later on during transport to custody.  Other members of the Avengers tend to the remaining now passed-out and/or disoriented guards.  As soon as the sorcerers are sure that Agatha is secure, they jog over to our group to check on us while Steve guards the witch.  They’re relieved that we’re all alive and safe, but shocked to see Loki amongst the group.*

Stephen (relieved):  Thank the Vishanti, you girls are okay.  *He glances at Loki with a mix of confusion and apprehension.*  How did…?

Wong:  Steward, do you need help?  *He’s looking at my astral form still drifting about above the group.*

Me (meekly):  Yes.

*Wong looks at my possessed body.*

Wong (gruff):  Okay, get out.  

Barry (through me):  I…Okay…*He looks…sad.  As though he finally realized something.  The ghost leaves my body and it crumples, empty.  Wong helps me back in.  I gasp for air and have a brief coughing fit.*

Me:  Thank you…

Loki (exhaustedly sitting on the ground in a heap): Ah, you must be Doctor Strange and Wong. I have heard good things about you both.

*Both sorcerers are on-guard, uncertain of this new version of Loki.  They’re watching him.*

Stephen (defensive, but trying to figure Loki out):  Which universe are you from?

Loki: I’m not sure what it is called however Trix mentioned that I was a remnant of the Avenger’s time heist. 

*It dawns on Stephen.*

Stephen:  So, you’re the one who stole the Tesseract.

Loki (grimacing): Trust me, it was not worth it. Infinity stones are apparently just trinkets anyway. When I was…taken, I found a handful just being used as paperweights in an office desk drawer.

*Both sorcerers are taken aback and look skeptical.*

Wong:  Infinity Stones as mere trinkets?

Trix (weak): He’s right. It’s why we were so worried about the TVA. *She had woken up as the conversation started and was curious as to where it would go*

Stephen (concerned):  …We’ll gather more information on this later.  *He looks at Trix and this new Loki.*  You both need to recover.  Astral imprisonment in your own crystalized bodies takes a heavy toll.  Especially given what you went through.

Trix: I just have one question. *She looks up at Stephen*

Stephen:  Yes?

Trix (grinning): Did I finally look cool?

*He sighs and gives her a reluctant smile.*

Stephen (gently mussing her hair):  Yes, dear.  You all looked cool.  I’m very proud of you girls.

*I’m practically glowing from the unexpected praise.*

Trix: *She smiles wider and leans into his touch before closing her eyes* Alright, bring on the tentacle soup I know is coming. I wanna sleep for a month.

*Now that the threat has passed, the adrenaline has worn off.  I try to walk with the group once Wong opens a portal to Kamar-Taj’s hospital wing.  However, after the adrenaline is gone, my legs finally give out from being pushed too far.  The Cloak comes off of Stephen’s shoulders and helps me up.  Seeing as I’m stubborn and refuse to be carried, it satisfies itself by hoisting my torso up enough for me to at least attempt to look like I’m walking through the portal on my own.  Stephen fusses over all of us, checking each of us over and over just to be absolutely sure that he doesn’t miss anything.  He also checks Loki and demands that all of us spend some time under observation.*

Loki: I’m rather surprised that you trust me enough to be here. *He’s exhausted and hasn’t really fought off any help or healing and is happy to just be in a bed again*

Wong:  Given the extenuating circumstances and the fact that Trix appears to trust you, we will accommodate you.  However, we will still keep you under strict observation.  No funny business.

Loki (resigned): Trust me, I have had more nonsense in the past three months than the previous 1300 years. *He looks up at Wong seriously* I was told that my previous life, well, future me that is dead didn’t particularly get along with you both. I would like to state that I am not him and have no such reservations. I have only heard good things and I will not do Trix the disservice of disrespecting her mentors and friends.

*Stephen is stunned by his earnest behavior.*

Stephen:  It is appreciated.  

*Loki grimaces as he summons a large book into his lap and frowns as the spine is coated in green, orange, and violet crystals*

Loki: As a bit of a peace offering, this is what Trix spent much of her time and… *he frowns deeper* torture on. I recorded all of the knowledge she gained from Agatha on witchcraft in this grimoire. I hope it helps in any future endeavors. *His arms shake as he holds up the rather heavy book*

*Wong carefully, but gratefully accepts the book and begins to look through it.*

Wong:  Thank you.

Stephen (gently, to the group):  Rest.  We’ll make sure you all recover safely.  *He sounds practically paternal here.  Wong gives him an amused look.*

*After going an entire day running around, fighting, and sneaking without any food or rest, we’re all famished and exhausted.  So, the food, even if some of it is some sort of interdimensional abomination, is more than welcome.  We sit together in our area of the medical bay and bring each other up to speed on everything that happened.  After checking in with each other, each of us eventually succumbs to exhaustion.  I still feel incredibly guilty that the group got in danger in the first place since I had led us this far.  Since they had mentioned me as a leader before, I felt responsible for our group’s safety and still feel as though I had failed us.  I don’t say anything about it out of shame, instead satisfying myself by forcing myself to stay awake until I know that the others are safely asleep.  Then, I listen to our surroundings for a while before my own fatigue finally takes me.*  

*Wong nods grimly.*

Wong:  Strange did not intend to put her in such danger, but the Catacombs are vast.  It is easy for hostile entities to find their way there and conceal themselves.

Trix (hesitantly): But…Steward killed it, right?

Wong:  Yes.

*Trix frowns to herself.*

Trix: Tear and Steward were a mess for a while after the mine. We’ll have to keep an eye on her after this for a bit but thank god she’s safe. Plus PrettyWitch got to meet Bats! And you willingly hugged me so today has turned out well all things considered. *She shakes herself out of her funk.* Let’s go find the others then.

Prettywitch: *She comes running out in her new robes.* Hey guys! *She stops to show off her new wardrobe.* Well? What do you think?

*Her robes are an elegant shade of indigo with an intricate yellow trim.  The overall design of the robes has a distinctly Japanese influence.  It beautifully encapsulates the principle of wabi-sabi; the acceptance of transience and imperfection while appreciating the beauty of nature and life.  While it appears simple, the details within the fabric give way to a subtle grace that reflects the harmonic chaos of the universe.*

Trix (grinning): Absolutely gorgeous! What do you think of mine? *She does a little twirl.*

*Meanwhile, in the sickbay, I’m awake again and try to sit up.  It’s rather painful to breathe too deeply or attempt to sit up.  To top it off, I’m still slightly woozy.  So, after a bit of concentration and struggling, I cautiously use telekinesis to prop myself up and move some pillows behind my back.  It hurts, but after I let go, I’m at least in a semi-reclined position.  It took a lot of effort and I pause to cough up some ectoplasm.  It’s a side-effect from having had 55 spirits inhabit my body at once.  When I hear someone approach, I quickly compose myself and wipe my mouth, wanting to at least be semi-presentable.  Stephen comes in to check on me, looking horribly guilty.*

Stephen (grim and sincere):  Hey, Steward…I’m sorry for what happened during your Trial.  I should have looked more into it and I screwed the whole thing up-

Me:  Stephen, stuff happens.  Since when did anything run smoothly or as intended?

Stephen (frustrated):  This SHOULD have gone smoothly.

Me:  What’s done is done.  It’s in the past already.

Stephen:  You got hurt because of my mistake.

Me:  The Catacombs are literally an enormous underground maze, Stephen.  It would be hard for anyone to see everything down there.  The important thing is that I’m alive, right?

Stephen:  I would have preferred alive and uninjured.

Me:  Hon, I’m not even mad.  I chose to go confront that thing on my own because I didn’t want it to keep eating innocent people.  That fight was my choice.  I had help, yes, but I acted of my own free will.  I could have ran.  You know that.

*He stares at me for a moment and sighs.*

Stephen (resigned):  Gods, the Ancient One really did call both of us out, didn’t she?

Me (giving him a small smirk, to indicate to him that I’m sincere and truly not angry at him):  Yep.

*He’s quiet for a while.*

Me:  I’ll be okay.  You popped in right during the fight and got me out of there safely afterwards.  This kind of thing is what you and Wong were training us for, right?

Stephen:  Well, yes, but I didn’t want it to escalate so quickly out of control.

Me:  *Teasing him slightly, imitating the Ancient One*  You cannot beat a river into submission.  Surrender, Stephen.

*He huffs, trying to be annoyed, but he can’t.*

Me:  We’re good, Stephen.  Okay?  The danger has passed for now, I’m here, and I’m not even mad.

Stephen:  Fine, but I’m keeping an eye on all of you.

*I stick my tongue out to tease him again, also doubling as a way to good-naturedly comfort him.*

*He finally cracks a small smile.*

Stephen:  I’m proud of you.  

Me (smartass, but more just to make him laugh):  I know.

*He musses my hair affectionately.*

*Trix walks into the infirmary with Wong and PrettyWitch behind her*

Trix: You better not be dead. I know your thing is ghosts but that would be a bit much. *She grins at Stephen and Steward.*

Prettywitch: We’re glad to see you’re okay, hun.

Me:  Heh.  Nah, that’s for next week.  *I joke a bit with Trix, indicating to her and Prettywitch that I’ll be fine.  I look at both of them.*  Nice new robes.  Seriously, they’re freaking magnificent!  

Prettywitch: I know, right!? I can’t wait to see you in your new ones when you get better.

Trix: Yeah, did you get to see yours yet?

Me:  Not yet.  I kinda passed out after a while.  Can’t move too much yet either.  The box is on the nightstand next to my bed.

Stephen:  Your stamina should be recovered enough from that rest to have another healing session done.  After that, you should be in decent enough shape to get up and move around again.  I’d still avoid anything strenuous for a week, but otherwise, it looks like you’ll be okay with a few more sessions throughout this recovery period.  Prettywitch, could you go get her robes from her room while I make sure the healing session goes well?

Prettywitch: You got it! (She runs off.)

Trix: I don’t want to be in the way while you finish up. I’ll be out waiting with Wong in the courtyard!

Me:  See you guys in a few moments.

Prettywitch: (She comes back and holds the robes out to Steward.) Here you go, love.

Me:  Thank you!  I’ll meet you in the courtyard after I change.  *I give her a small smile as I accept the ornate box of robes.*

 *Trix heads out to the courtyard and finds Wong waiting by himself.*

Wong:  At least Steward seems to be taking this in stride.  That is a good sign.  I lectured Strange about his oversight during her Trial earlier.

Trix: True. A lot better than last time…probably because it was killed this time around. And that is absolutely not surprising. Honestly, you were very subtle about keeping an eye on me. If I hadn’t found out at the end the way you revealed yourself, I wouldn’t have guessed. If Stephen didn’t remember someone watching him I could see the oversight happening. *She’s trying to rationalize it because she knows it absolutely wasn’t Stephen’s intention for this to happen.*

Wong:  His Master’s Trial was…different.  When the Ancient One died, it was in the midst of Kaecillius’ uprising.  When his Zealots killed Master Drumm in the New York Sanctum and Stephen acted to defend it AND our dimension from the Dread Dormammu, he had earned his title.  It was a trial by fire, so to speak. 

Trix (shocked): Oh. Yeah. I hadn’t realized that that ended up being his trial… *She looks down before looking over at Wong.* I don’t think it would be a good idea to show Stephen because it might bring up trauma, but I think someday you should take a look at our movies about this universe. It may…help with clarification of things for the Kamar-Taj records at least in the general sense since it’s not a one for one but seems to follow similar lines. *She has a small smile and fidgets with her hands.* At least, I’m trying to figure out how to go about this from a future librarian sort of view. 

*Wong listens to her and nods.*

Wong:  I will take a look when I have time.

Trix: I had some questions for you as well, if you don’t mind me asking.

Wong:  Very well.  Ask.

Trix: Just- how do you do it? Manage to keep calm all the time and sort of be this…pillar that keeps everything upright? I know it’s likely going to be me who ends up needing to be the one holding down the fort while the others go out on missions, but I honestly don’t know if I can manage that without breaking down myself. I almost lost myself from caretaking for years and while I’m excited, I’m also terrified about setting this up in our own world.

*Wong thinks about this for a bit before answering.*

Wong:  Well, one of the more important things to remember is that everyone has their limits.  So, keeping this in mind, I don’t necessarily do everything myself.  I delegate.  Remember how I had you sorting the shelves, doing basic repairs, and cleaning during training?

*She nods.*

Wong:  I know that I need help.  So, I use the community that I am a part of and have a team of my own to help me keep things in order.  I do most of the more complex tasks myself, but when I need to, I ask one of the other Masters for assistance.  We sorcerers, although individuals, still work as a cohesive unit.  We have each others’ backs.  I also take care to help others when they need it.  With all of us working together with our own niches and subsections, we are able to work fairly efficiently.  Then, I make sure to take some time for myself.  At least an hour every day where I relax my mind and take care of my own needs.  It does not always happen, especially during the more intense periods we sometimes deal with, but whenever I do have a chance, I take it.  It is good to clear your mind from time to time.

*Trix chuckles softly herself.*

Trix: I guess I’m just so used to ending up by myself again that it didn’t occur to me to ask for help from the others. It’s why I’m a bit clingy, I end up by myself eventually through one way or another and it’s kinda messed with me. I do have a feeling that this is going to stick though, even if I am cautious to get my hopes up. It’s just something I have to meditate more on I guess. *She shrugs with a wry smile.* Thanks for always listening to me. I haven’t felt as…free to speak my thoughts and not be my people personality self as much. I can relax. I’m nearly there with PrettyWitch and Steward but that anxiety just… *She trails off.*

Wong (gently):  It will come with time.  *He reassures her.*  As for being left alone again, it is highly unlikely now.  With the challenges your world faces, sticking together is a matter of survival.  You will need each other.  That much, I am certain of.

Trix (smiling): True. And you’re stuck with me now. You hugged me back after the trials, that’s no take-backsies.

*Wong curls his lip, amused.*

*After a moment, I finally walk out of sickbay.  I’m a bit stiff and slower since the injuries are still healing, but I’m able to move around now.  Prettywitch had given me my robes so I could change.  So, now I’m wearing them properly.  They’re predominantly indigo with tan and magenta trim.  The patterning across the front clasps of my robes makes up the symbol of the Third Eye chakra.  Other more subtle patterns present within the trim on my robes consist of the Endless Knot and the Ankh.  These small details are found in the embroidery making up the hems of the robes.*

Me (smiling):  So, how do I look?

Trix (grinning): Like a proper Master of the Mystic Arts, so gorgeous!

Prettywitch: I know! (She’s trying not to squee.)

Me (smirking):  You’re not so bad yourselves.  *I’m teasing a bit.*  Seriously, though.  You both look majestic as hell.  *I’m sincere about the last part.*

Trix: We’re going to rock the hell out of our world once we start setting up our Order, that’s for sure. *She smiles softly.* The group of us.

Me:  Yes.  Yes, we are.  *I offer Trix a high-five, but then flinch and put my hand back down awkwardly.*  Right!  Dumb!  *I chuckle morbidly to mask the pain since I just did a stupid move.*

*Trix shoulder bumps her gently instead before doing the same to PrettyWitch.*

*Prettywitch laughs awkwardly and holds her hand out for Trix to high-five her. Trix returns the high-five.*

*Stephen comes out of sickbay, having sorted things out.*

Stephen (warmly):  Nicely done, girls.  You three look magnificent.  

PrettyWitch: Thanks!

Trix: Thank you!

Me:  Thanks!  

Stephen:  How about a celebration dinner?  You three can choose a place.

*Wong nods approvingly.*

*As they work on a decision, Clea portals into the courtyard.  She’s carrying several shopping bags and a few books Stephen recognizes from his Sanctum Library.*

Clea: Hello everyone. (She notices the girl’s outfits.) What’s the occasion?

Stephen:  The girls just earned their Master ranks.  *He can’t help but be proud as he says this.  It’s obvious in his face and voice.*

Clea: *She smiles brightly.* Oh, that’s wonderful! Congratulations, girls!

Trix: Thank you Clea!

Me:  Awww, thank you, Clea!

Prettywitch: *She blushes awkwardly.* Awe! Thanks, Clea.

Clea: Don’t mention it.

*A pillar of green smoke appears as Loki arrives in his usual fashion. His eyebrow raises at our change in attire.*

Loki: I suppose I should be congratulating you all. Congratulations on your masteries, ladies.

Trix: Thanks Loki!

Me:  Thank you, Loki.  *I give him a small smile.*

Prettywitch: Yeah, thanks.

Wong:  I take it you sensed a shift in Trix’s aura?

Loki (smirking): Absolutely. *He eyes her robes before grinning widely* I also must commend the choice of robes. One befitting a ward of a god. *He sniffs haughtily before breaking into a laugh. He’s clearly delighted.*

Trix (slightly embarassed): You’re just happy you’re being represented.

*Loki shrugs before turning to Steward and PrettyWitch.*

Loki: Both of you wear your talents well. You will have to regale me with the tale of your trials since I will be joining your celebrations.

*I smile at Loki before letting out a small squawk, remembering something.*

Me:  Ack!  I promised to free the ghosts with me.  Just a sec, guys…Lemme take care of this before we go.  

*I center myself before opening a portal with blue sparks.  This is the first time Trix and Prettywitch have ever seen this portal to the afterlife in-person.  Interestingly, whatever’s on the other side of the portal isn’t properly visible.  It just looks like an opening with a rippling veil across it.*

Me (to seemingly nobody):  Okay.  Those who wish to move on, please step forward.  Anyone who isn’t ready yet, stay put.  *I wait for a minute before slipping briefly into a meditative state.  After the outbound spirits and I mutually sever our bond, I gesture to them to indicate that they’re free to go.*  Thank you for all of your help earlier.  Goodbye and may you all enjoy a restful existence in the afterlife.  

*Those who leave, depart.  The only indication to the living that something has gone is a subtle change in temperature and the veil within the portal shifting wildly, as though in a high wind.  After a moment, the veil settles back down and I close the portal.  I inhale and then shudder involuntarily.  It feels as though my energy has become slightly stronger.  Also, there are now a few small balls of fiery blue light drifting lazily around me.*

Me (calmly):  Okay.  It’s done.  A few chose to stay, including The Ancient One.  So, where would we like to go?

Trix: I’m fine going anywhere really.

Prettywitch: Ooooh!!!! Why don’t we go to The Olive Garden!? Or Famous Daves!? *She’s practically salivating.*

Trix: I vote Olive Garden!

Me:  All right.  *I’m hungry from the healing sessions and exertion due to sending the outbound spirits away.  So, I’m fine with anything.*

Stephen:  Okay.  I’ll get us there.  *We portal to the front of the restaurant.  Wong goes to get us a table.*

Clea: *She notices the decor inside.* Hmmm…This place seems slightly upscale. *She snaps her fingers and her clothes change to reflect the casual dress environment of everyone there. She’s wearing a low cut, purple top with a nice pair of jeans. She smiles.* Much better.

*Stephen is subtly looking Clea up and down after her outfit change.  It seems she has his interest.  Wong smirks at him, making Stephen blush slightly.*

Loki (slightly confused): I thought we were going to a garden of olives. 

Me:  It’s Italian.  *I shrug nonchalantly*

Trix: Just keep eating breadsticks and you’re golden.

*We’re seated and as we have dinner, we catch Loki and Clea up with what went on during our Trials.*

Loki: Tell me, what was the hardest part of each of your trials?

Clea: Oh yes! I’m dying to know, myself!

Trix: Probably staying focused during mine. The book I was cleansing kept trying to corrupt my thoughts but apparently everyone here has helped me finally get past enough of my self-doubts to get through it. *She smiles softly.*

*I gently pat Trix’s back, clearly proud of her.*

Prettywitch: Mine was pretty straight forward. I had to outwit a certain Ghost Dog.

Trix: Are you telling me…you got to meet Bats?! *She’s both excited and jealous.*

Prettywitch: Oh yeah! And let me tell you, he’s a bit of a smartass. Anyway, after that my biggest challenge was having you expand my range of magic. I’d been performing magic using a lot of what I’d seen in anime and manga I like, as well as comics, and…well, I had to start thinking outside the box. So I took inspiration from some of my own unpublished works. *She smiles.* And it felt really good doing that, actually.

Wong:  Good.  It’s about time that you learned to act as yourself.  *He’s happy about this, although it’s as subtle as he always is.*

Prettywitch: Thanks, Wong.

Trix: I’m super excited to see what spells you came up with!

Me:  *Grinning, amused.*  Really?  Nice!  Trix and I will have to find and talk to Bats later, then!    Also, whoo!  Good job, Prettywitch!  I can’t wait to see some of your new spells!  *I’m both excited to meet Bats and proud of Prettywitch.  Then, go back to Loki’s question.*  Anyway, my Trial started out fairly straightforward, but there was a bit of an accident.  It wasn’t Stephen’s fault at all, but a soul eater showed up and I had to borrow the energy from over 50 spirits who had decided to follow me so I could boost my abilities enough to dispatch it.  Was still a close call…I’ve faced one before and it really messed Tear and me up, but I suppose the reason this one wasn’t as bad was that not only did I have help from the spirits and Stephen’s original mentor, but I had grown stronger with training and had more of idea of what I was doing.  We’ve seen and been through so much together that it just kinda became yet another thing to deal with instead of a huge unbeatable threat.  Still terrifying, but I knew I had a way out if I couldn’t handle it.  We didn’t have the luxury of expending more magical energy for portals in our world the first time.  So, with all of these factors, it just sorta…clicked.

*Stephen squeezes my shoulder gently.  He’s still just relieved that I’m okay.*

Loki (impressed): A soul eater is not one to trifle with. Very well done. *He looks at all of us proudly.* You’ve clearly all earned your masteries well…and now we can easily bail you out of Kamar-Taj without lessons being an excuse. *He grins.*

*Stephen raises an eyebrow.  He still wants to keep an eye on us just in case for obvious reasons.*

Clea: I must say, all of your trials are fascinating. You overcame difficult odds and came out of it stronger; I’m sure you’ll all make wonderful masters back home.

Prettywitch: Oh, you’re just saying that!

Clea: No, not at all. Stephen and Wong should be proud they’ve trained such fine girls as yourself.

Prettywitch: Awe! *She gives her a small hug.* Thank you.

*Clea accepts the hug, albeit awkwardly.*

*I’m slightly red, but happy.*

*The rest of the meal goes well and we all enjoy some quality time together.  When it’s over, we head back to Kamar-Taj.  Stephen bids us a fond goodnight and after we go to our quarters he walks off, subtly gesturing for Clea to follow him.  He leads her to a nice, secluded area of the temple.  The architecture here is beautiful and the lighting is warm and inviting.*

Clea: You wanted to see me?

Stephen (awkwardly):  Over the past few months since you’ve arrived and gotten acclimated here, I’ve come to know you.  Your company is appreciated and since we have befriended one another, I was just wondering if…Well…ehhhhh…Perhaps you may consider a…date?  I’m not sure how fond you are of me now that you’ve been in close proximity for an extended amount of time, but-

Clea: *She cuts him off by cupping his face in her hands and kissing him passionately. When she breaks the kiss and sees his shocked face, she’s a bit nervous, but keeps it to herself and gives him a playful smile.* Does that answer your question?

*Stephen is breathless and as red as his Cloak now.  After a second, he composes himself.*

Stephen:  I…I like you too.  

*Clea smiles.*

Clea: So…did you have something in mind for our date?

Stephen:  Well, there are all of those movies the girls introduced me to…Perhaps you may like to see one tonight?

Clea: I’d love to.

*Stephen smiles and picks a movie, inviting her to one of the empty rooms so they can watch in peace.  As the movie goes, at times, Stephen is quietly more interested in Clea and her reactions to the film than in the movie itself.*

*Clea begins to notice this.*

Clea: What are you looking at? *Her tone is playful when she asks that.*

Stephen (slightly flustered):  It’s just fun to see your reactions, that’s all.

Clea: *Giggles* Guess we have that in common, huh?

*He smiles, blushing.  He’s finding it difficult to articulate himself.*

Clea: *She leans.* What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?

Stephen:  Ehhhhh…*He’s getting more flustered*

Clea: *Giggles.* I like seeing this side of you, it’s so cute.

Stephen (awkwardly):  Want to finish the movie or…?

Clea: *She kisses him again. Only this time she deepens it; she wraps her arms around his neck and runs her fingers through his hair.*

*He lets her and kisses her back, the movie entirely forgotten.  The rest of the night passes.*

Ancient One: Peace, Stephen. Your apprentices are just more powerful than you may have expected. Their latent magic is beginning to reveal themselves. *She reaches over and carefully pulls Steward back closer to her body when it starts drifting away again slowly*

Stephen:  …Is this common?  *He hasn’t trained apprentices before.  So, he doesn’t fully know yet.  He knows of his own tic, but hasn’t looked into it much.*

Ancient One: Every master of the mystic arts has a latent magic that tends to…depressurize the soul so to speak. Whether it manifests physically such as Trix’s or yours, or something more abstract like what the other girls seem to have, everyone has one. Right, Wong? *She raises an eyebrow at him*

*Wong clears his throat awkwardly.*

Wong:  …Right.  *He’s not about to say anything about what his does.*

*Stephen gives him a look.  Now he HAS to figure Wong’s involuntary casting out.  Wong looks at him exasperatedly, knowing that Stephen will never leave him alone about it.*

Ancient One (ignoring their silent conversation): Typically, the latent magic can vary in early stage apprentices between any number of things and mishaps. It’s when they have gained enough skill for the magic to not wipe out their reserves as well as stabilized to what their core will be, that their teachers must take notice. It’s typically a sign that they have matured enough to start testing for their masteries or secondary training at least. *She looks over at the girls* It’s not a surprise it manifested fully now.

Wong:  So, we must prepare their Trials earlier than expected.

Stephen:  After they wake up and we update them on the battle, I’ll have to tell them about this.  They need to start going on missions to enhance their studies.  *He’s still concerned, but has at least settled down slightly with this news.  In fact, even if he won’t admit it here, he’s rather proud of them for advancing so quickly.*

Ancient One: They will also need additional training as they will be traveling back to their own world to start up their own order from scratch. We do not have first-person records here of when our order was founded so we will have to do our best to prepare them. Find out their strengths and weaknesses and what roles they will end up playing. What do the two of you think, as their masters?

Wong:  Trix is more oriented towards theoretical aspects and diplomatic relations.  She does well in the field, but has difficulty handling certain phobias, which may restrict her ability to handle rapidly-shifting situations.  She can work under pressure, but it cannot be sustained for long.  I suspect that she may be more inclined towards becoming a Librarian and record-keeper.  Though she is more than capable of outreach and defense when necessary.

Stephen:  Prettywitch is highly creative in her spellwork and practices caution with her foresight.  Though she does struggle a bit socially.  She seems more oriented towards a strategist with her foresight and a battle-mage with her talent for offensive spells.  She can handle stressful situations decently enough.  Steward is intelligent and determined.  Though she can be incredibly stubborn if not sufficiently talked down in time.  She is a decent strategist and empathetic towards others.  However, she does need to work on her temper and patience.  She’s very resourceful and curious.  It has proven to be both an advantage and disadvantage in that it helps her solve problems very effectively, but can occasionally lead her into trouble.  I think she’s best suited to field work and research, but can be called into combat when necessary.

Ancient One (smiling): It seems they balance each other out. How lucky they are to have found each other. Very fortunate for their world to have a stable bedrock for their version of the order to form upon. We will have to wait for Blackie to bloom so we can find out just where her strengths lay, as well as Tear. What are your plans for their futures then? They don’t have to work in the shadows as we once did.

Stephen:  First, we should start sending them on missions both as a team and alone to see how they fare.  Once we see how they handle themselves, I think that we’ll have to assist them in building their Sanctums.  After we get them settled, it’ll have to be up to them to decide their next steps.  We’ll supervise and advise them for a while, but will gradually step back until they can support themselves fully.  We’ll do our best to help them whenever they need it, but otherwise, go back to our own business.

Ancient One (teasingly): And how will you survive not having your ducklings under wing all the time? *She grins at him*

*He gives her a withering look.*

Stephen (wry expression):  With all due respect, very amusing.  *He says sarcastically.*

Wong (smirking):  There’s no point in hiding it anymore, Strange.  You’ve gotten attached.

*The younger sorcerer gives Wong an annoyed look, having been called out again.*

Ancient One: You say that, Wong, like you haven’t been similarly affected. Perhaps not to the degree Stephen is, but well on your way yourself.

*Wong huffs to himself quietly.*

Wong:  They are simply our students.  We care about their growth because it is only the right thing to do.

Ancient One: I see. *She raises an eyebrow at him before summoning a Polaroid picture out of nowhere featuring Wong and the girls* Purely mentoring.

*He has no comeback for this one.  Stephen has a shit-eating grin when he sees the picture.*

Wong (at Stephen):  Don’t you start too.

Clea: (giggling) Awe! You two have become quite the pair of Mother Ducks, I see.

*Stephen blushes at her remark.  Wong simply lets out a half-hearted defensive grunt.*

Clea: That reminds me; we should probably move them to a safer place. Shouldn’t we?

Wong:  I don’t think it’ll be easy.

Stephen:  I’ll check.  

*He looks back at the girls.*

Stephen:  Those positions could hurt their backs.  I should see if they can be safely moved…

*He goes to try and carefully move Trix first to investigate her status.  Unfortunately, she appears to be fused to the ground by her crystalline growths.  He pauses to think for a moment before backing away, figuring that we’d only be upset if we woke up to each other having disappeared from sight.*

Wong:  Mhm.  *He gives Stephen a knowing look.*

Clea: *She’s grinning ear to ear.* Already found yourself in another difficult situation, I see?

Ancient One: Quite the conundrum. *She’s grinning*

Stephen (still slightly red):  I’ll spend some time meditating.  It’s long overdue after everything today.  Wong, you should rest.  You look like you’re going to fall over at any moment.  *He still doesn’t dare to try and shoo away the ghost of The Ancient One.*

Ancient One: You’ll likely want to grab some additional pillows and blankets for them. Perhaps for yourself as well for…meditation. *She gives him a smile before she disappears*

*Wong gives Stephen a look, but decides it isn’t worth arguing further and starts to shuffle off to his quarters for some rest.  He turns for a moment.*

Wong:  Clea, in the meantime, I will show you to a dormitory to sleep in for now.  It will be temporary until Strange has made his Sanctum’s guest room presentable for you.

Clea: Okay.

*Stephen watches Wong and Clea leave. Then, he gets some bedding to make us more comfortable.  Though he won’t do so for himself, wanting to be awake when we regain consciousness so he can make sure that we’re okay.  Once he’s satisfied with how we’re settled, he gets into the lotus position and meditates.*

*Around 12 hours later, we start to stir again.  Stephen lowers himself from the levitating lotus position that he had assumed and watches to see how we regain consciousness, alert for any warning signs of injury or poor health.*

*Trix begins to wake up slowly and make small noises before she suddenly freezes and inhales sharply as her eyes shoot open. She is unable to move at all, even moving her head to look around.*

Trix (panicked): He-help! *She squeaks as she begins to hyperventilate and tries to squirm*

*My astral form plummets into my body suddenly and I jump up with a yelp.*

Me (alarmed):  Ack!  Trix!  *I’m ready to fight or help.*

Prettywitch: *She sits up.* What’s going on?-What the hell!?

*Stephen quickly comes over to Trix and starts to calm her down.*

Stephen:  It’s okay.  Trix, let me free you.  You’re safe.  You just accidentally cast a crystal spell in your sleep.  Here.  *He carefully casts several targeted spells to break the crystals so she can free herself.*

Trix (out of breath): Ste-Stephen! *She’s incredibly dizzy from the mild panic attack but immediately tries to shift focus* You’re okay! *She shoots up to sit upright and grabs him in a bear hug, still freaked out by how she woke up*

Me (wobbly from the freakout, but otherwise recovering):  Y-you’re okay.  Okay, good.  Everyone is okay, right?

Stephen (gently):  Yes, everyone is okay.  Clea, Wong, and I defeated Dormammu and his army.  Your home universe will not be threatened by him again.

*I tear up and hug him tightly.*

Me (muffled slightly because the Cloak has joined in.):  Thank you.  I wish there was an even greater expression for how grateful we are.  Truly.  Thank you for coming back in one piece and thank you for saving everyone again.

PrettyWitch: *She joins the hug and nuzzles her face into the arms of Stephen’s tunic.* Yes! Thank you! You have no idea how worried we all were about you guys!* 

Trix (slightly muffled from being at the center of the hug): Thank you so much!!!! How did you all manage it? You didn’t get hurt, did you?

Stephen:  As much as I want to scold you for your recklessness, the tomes and artifacts that you all recovered from Dormammu’s Keep were invaluable aid.  Not to mention the boost from your collective energy.  Wong, Clea, and The Ancient One were vital in translating everything once we looked through the plundered material.  Wong and Clea helped hold back the army of Mindless Ones that were set to march on your world.  Several of your world’s soldiers fell after going astray, but no other significant injuries or fatalities.  *He winces slightly as he repositions his hands to hold us better.*

Me (starting to fuss over him):  Your hands are bothering you again, aren’t they?

Stephen:  It is typical after any battle.  *He attempts to wave it away.  Though he flinches when he tries it.*

Trix (suspicious): Hey, only we are allowed to hide what we do to help you. Why are you extra hurt?

Stephen:  You three are no longer allowed to hide things either, Trix.  *He gives her a look before tiredly admitting to how the battle went.*  Besides magical combat, I had to face Dormammu in a hand-to-hand duel involving the Pincers of Power.  I did what was necessary.  *Though physical fighting is still quite painful for him.  Especially with the many pins screwed into the bones in his hands.*

Me:  I’ll make a warm basin with Epsom salts.  That should help a bit.

Stephen:  You don’t have to.

Prettywitch: Yeah, but she wants to.

Trix: Let yourself get pampered! You took on the ruler of the dark dimension in a fist fight and won. Speaking of which, how did it even get to that point?

*Stephen agrees to it and I summon the supplies, mix the salts into the water, and place it in his lap so he can put his hands in.  Stephen soaks his hands and relaxes a bit before beginning to answer.*  

Stephen:  The books your group provided us had counterspells against Dormammu’s magic.  We used that against him and then I remembered Harkness’ anti-magic runes…While Clea had him distracted, I engraved them around him to form a barrier.  It effectively neutralized his casts and he agreed to a duel.  Despite his attempts to break the barrier and cheat, I managed to subdue him before he could break free, albeit just barely.  Your energy donations helped me eke out a narrow victory.

Trix (in awe): I hope to god someone recorded that because damn, that sounds badass. *She smiles at him* Glad we were able to help protect our world in some fashion, even if it was through the power of friendship… *She smirks*

Me (with a stupid grin):  So, you’re saying that…Friendship is magic?  *I’m amused by my own terrible joke, as per usual.*

PrettyWitch: *Giggles sheepishly.* I was going to make a power of love joke, but I think I’ll stop there.

*Trix can’t help but burst out laughing, the first true loud laugh in a while.*

*Stephen softens a bit at seeing that.  It’s reassuring that we seem to be recovering well, both physically and mentally.*

*The laughter cuts off suddenly as Trix sits up alert, almost as if she’s trying to hear something in the distance. Her eyes are out of focus and have a faint green glow as her head tilts to the side.*

*I pause quickly when I notice what’s happening and watch Trix with deep concern.  At first, I nudge her and try to get her attention to see if she’s mentally there.*

Me:  Hey.  HEY.  *Taps Trix’s shoulder and then starts gently shaking her.  Something is “off” and I shudder involuntarily.*

*Stephen senses something too and is on-edge.  He’s back in defensive mode and watches Trix when he sees what’s going on.*

Prettywitch: Trix…? Honey…? Are you okay…?

*Trix is too distracted by whatever it is that caught her attention. Meanwhile, a pillar of green flame suddenly comes to life next to the group. As it dies down, a very frantic Loki appears*

Loki (frazzled): Did you feel it? There’s something going on and after the strange occurrences of the girls’ magical signatures, I rushed over.

Stephen:  The girls temporarily gave me their magical energy to fight off Dormammu in their world.  Then, they were recovering properly until this.  There’s a disturbance in the Multiverse.  The energy everywhere…It’s shifting.  *He’s genuinely unnerved.*

Trix (almost in a trance): It’s…familiar… *She blankly looks up at Loki who stares down at her in shock before noticing the glow to her eyes*

Loki (gently): Hello darling. *He kneels down next to her* How is it familiar?

Trix (dreamily): It’s like being in the crystal. When I felt safe. *The glow dissipates and she snaps out of it* Loki? What are you doing here?

*I’m currently staring at Trix in concerned horror.*

PrettyWitch: Well, that was…weird.

Loki (worried): I teleported here a few minutes ago. Dear, I believe whatever happened just now had an effect on you. *He looks over to Stephen in concern*

*Stephen goes over and checks Trix more thoroughly, going into doctor mode.*

Trix (startled): What do you mean what happened? I’m fine! *She almost scrambles away at the sudden attention*

Me (bluntly):  You went into a trance for a moment.  Whatever this was, we all sensed something “off”.  *I’m using the tone I usually use when worried and wanting help or cooperation.*

Loki (patiently): Your eyes were green. You said it was like in the crystal.

*Trix flinches at the mention of her former prison but winces at her own response*

Trix: I remember the last thing before realizing Loki was here was feeling something like Loki’s magic but…more in a way. The way he would try to heal me after Agatha dragged me out. It was the only time I was truly calm there… *She frowns to herself* But whatever just happened…it’s over, right?

*Stephen scans as much as he can and then summons a few relics, testing them out and then using them to increase his detection spells’ potentcies.*

Stephen (cautious):  It appears to be.  *He’s still wary of whatever this was.*

Me:  Do we have any idea of what “it” was?

*Loki suddenly pales as he comes to a realization*

Loki (trying to keep calm): I think that this…situation may have been the resolution to a problem we luckily did not have to solve. 

Me (dawning realization):  Oh…OH.  That.  *I look at Trix and Prettywitch.*

Trix (shocked): Oh. Yeah, that would make sense, especially if things are still happening. We would have been dragged into it but we’re still here.

PrettyWitch: No kidding.

Stephen:  What do all of you mean?  The Order needs to investigate a shift of this magnitude.  *He looks about ready to go investigate for himself.*

Me:  We’ll explain, but trust us, the Order should stay out of this one.  

Trix: Besides, we’re in the Order and we have a pretty good suspicion on what’s going on. We might not have confirmation from our universe since the world kinda went to chaos but based on how things were going to go…

PrettyWitch: It’s best if you listen to us. 

Stephen (firm):  Fine, but I want an explanation.  *He looks at Loki suspiciously, as though privately debating whether or not to have us leave so he can interrogate Loki alone.*

Loki (placating): I know it’s suspicious but I swear on my magic that I do not have any tricks. This is not my particular doing. *He suddenly stiffens as a dark green glow begins to shine from his eyes and around him*

Trix (concerned): Loki?!

Loki: Peace, your variant of Loki is fine. I will not have another version of myself have his life ruined for actions not of his own making. *The being overshadowing Loki turns to Stephen, making eye contact* Sorcerer, the multiverse is safe enough. You and your apprentices will live now. You in particular know the art of winning through strife. A perpetual time loop to win against all odds. Let another handle this burden and live your life.

*Stephen watches and listens intently.  He senses truth in these words and the power behind the being responsible.*

Stephen (respectful nod):  Very well.  *Whatever this was, it resonated strongly with him.  The group lets out a collective sigh of relief.*

*Loki nods before the glow disappears and Loki staggers a moment, staring wide eyed at the others*

*The group of girls gives Loki a knowing look.  It’s oddly comforting.*

Loki (shakily): It seems the last of my existential horrors has resolved itself leaving me a free man.

Stephen:  I’d still like the information for our records in case of future incidents.  *Though he’s relieved that at least HE didn’t have to be the one to go through it this time.*

Me:  I’ll get the basin again and we’ll talk while you rest your hands.  Trix, want to take dictation and maybe add extra info in when needed?

Trix: Of course! *She shakily stands up before linking arms with Loki* Storytime and then we are going to have a self care week and treat ourselves. Because all of this has been bullshit but we have survived!

PrettyWitch: Yes! Maybe I can get a massage!

*Stephen finally relaxes a bit and follows us to a more cozy area of Kamar-Taj.  I make his hand soak and we brew some tea to go with some cookies.  We make ourselves comfortable and sit while catching Stephen up on the TVA incident.  Trix uses magic to write everything down so she doesn’t have to scramble with a pen and paper.  I’m back to sitting down with a warm blanket over my legs to soothe my own painful joints.  Wong eventually finds us.*

Wong:  I take it that you and the group have information on the recent disturbance?  *He looks at the magical parchment filling itself and then at Trix. Trix waves in response before focusing back on recording.*

Me:  We do.  This record Trix is generating will show everything.

Wong:  I see that my lessons are beginning to stick.  Good.  *He gives a small, rare smile at Trix.*

Trix (beaming): Thank you! I do listen…sometimes.

*After the paper is finished, Wong looks it over curiously.  His expression is hard to read, as usual.  Though after a while, he seems satisfied and puts it down to let Trix bind it properly, watching her technique.*

*She’s somewhat nervous but casts the spell to bind the book. It is a bright orange, but seems to be rather solid and isn’t falling apart.*

Trix (nervously): Well?

*He picks the book up and checks it.  After a minute, he looks at Trix and gives an approving nod.*

Wong:  Yes.  You have learned well.

*Trix grins and flails in joy before trying to collect herself.*

Trix: Thank you!

*Stephen is amused by Trix’s reaction to praise.*

Loki (pinching the bridge of his nose): Norns, you are like a younger version of me. *He rolls his eyes before turning to Wong and Stephen.* Now, since it appears I am free to forge my own path as it were, I was wondering if I may be given refuge here. I would be willing to share my knowledge of mage magic of course. I just can’t go to New Asgard. I am not Thor’s Loki and frankly I would appreciate being my own person. Being surrounded by people who appreciate magic would be a wonderful start.

*Wong looks at Stephen dubiously, but the younger sorcerer gives Wong a sincere nod, indicating that it really is safe.  Wong surveys his friend for a moment before turning to Loki.*

Wong:  Yes.  You may stay here so long as you do not abuse magic.

Loki (frowns): Of course.

Wong:  Then you are welcome.  *He is respectful.*  I will show you to available quarters.

Loki: Thank you, Wong. *He turns to everyone else* I will see you all soon.

*I wave as they leave.  A few seconds later, Blackie walks in.*

Blackie: So…What's up ? *smile*

Me:  Not much now that the latest incident’s been handled.  How are you feeling today?  *I’m happy to see her up and about.*

Trix: Just the same old world shattering events. *She grins.* Luckily we got to sit this newest one out. 

Blackie: I should be the one asking how you are feeling.

Me:  Eh.  Could be better, could be worse.  I’m just happy that everyone’s in one piece.

Trix: Any mission we don’t land in the infirmary at the end is a good one.

Blackie: I think that's the most important. 

Me:  Exactly.

Stephen:  Welcome to the group, Blackie.  We’ll help you adjust in any way that we can.  For now, we’re taking a bit of a break before tackling the main project.

Blacky: Thank you, Stephen. I'll do my best to help around. *she nodded respectfully*

Me:  So, what would we like to do?  

Trix: Actually relax for once. We’ve been constantly going or almost dying since the stupid Chupacabra.

Me:  Yeah…Honestly, I still feel like I could sleep all day, but I know my brain won’t let me.  How about a movie night like old times?  

Blackie: To be honest…I crave that.

Trix: Hell yes! *She turns to Stephen eagerly*

Stephen:  I don’t see why not.  *He removes his hands from the basin gingerly and carefully flexes his fingers.  They seem to move a bit better now and Stephen looks relieved to not be in as much pain.*  Let’s head to the rec room.

*The group moves to the rec room and gets re-situated.*

Stephen:  I know the effects aren’t nearly as good in our movies, but want to try our version of “The Blues Brothers” to see what all of you think?

Me:  All right.  I’m curious.  *I smile.*

Trix: Absolutely!

Prettywitch:  Sure, I’d be up for that.

Blackie: I'm in.

*He puts the movie on and even Wong, Loki, and Clea decide to sneak in and join us.  I seem to be paying a lot of attention to the lyrics and melodies to try to see the differences.  Whenever a particularly absurd/bad special effect goes off, I lightly raise an eyebrow in amusement, but I don’t roast the movie out loud because I’m trying to be polite.*

Trix: I love this. In a Monty Python sort of way.

*I can’t help but let out an amused snort when the chase scene clearly cuts to an obvious toy car on a model track being led by a fishing line for the big bridge jump scene.*

*Trix is actively trying not to laugh but is watching Stephen out of the corner of her eye to see if it’s acceptable or not*

*Prettywitch quickly excuses herself and laughs it up in the bathroom before returning to the movie.*

Blackie: Doctor Who fan here. I'm immune to that kind of stuff. *She chuckled amused*

Stephen:  It’s fine.  You can laugh.  We all know it’s cheesy.  

*Like a dam erupting, Trix can’t help but burst out laughing*

Trix (trying to breathe): At least you know it exists as a masterpiece somewhere else in the universe!

*Trix’s outburst sets me off and I’m trying to be discreet as I laugh-wheeze into my collar.*

Me (laughing while talking to Stephen):  I-I’m sorry, hon.  O-Okay, okay.  The plot, writing, and soundtracks are still really good.  It’s just the effects.  We still love it, we promise!  *I laugh-snort a bit more and wipe away a tear before settling back down.*

Prettywitch: Yeah, honestly. *She curls her lips to keep herself from laughing.* Once you get past the effects it’s actually pretty entertaining.

Blackie: You are just mean. *She didn’t stop laughing though*

Loki: It wasn’t bad to me… *He seems puzzled* Is there something wrong with it?

Clea: I agree. It wasn’t bad, at all.

Wong:  Their universe’s movies have more…enhanced effects.  

Stephen:  Since their universe lacked magic before, they used a large budget and elaborate machinery and computers to make their entertainment look more realistic.

Loki: Ahhh. Well then, I will just have to see their version of movies then. I thought this was an enjoyable experience even if the music was a bit odd to me.

Trix: Don’t worry, I am introducing you to all of my favorites. All we had in our universe for the longest time was ‘movie magic’ and even that wasn’t even a century old until recently.

Clea: *Her eyes widened and intrigued.* Really!?

Trix: Yup! I’ll leave you a bunch so you and Stephen can watch them together! He’s not only really knowledgeable about music but also loves movies!

*Stephen watches the two women converse about movies.  Although he won’t admit it quite yet, Clea’s inquisitive expression is rather endearing.  She’s cute when she’s curious.*

Wong:  Indeed.  Normally, it is impossible to get him to shut up about music and movie trivia.  *He’s teasing.*

*Stephen gives him a look.*

Stephen:  You’re just mad because I beat you in trivia night again.

Me:  To catch Blackie up and get to know one another a bit better, wanna play “Truth or Dare”?  That way, you can opt out of a question if it’s too awkward.  We’ll keep the dares fairly tame so it isn’t too much pressure.  I figure it might be a fun way to talk about each other since we have so many new members.  *I glance at Clea, Loki, The Ancient One (although the others currently can’t see her), and Blackie.*

Prettywitch: *Shrugs.* Sure, I’m down for that. But no embarrassing questions.

Trix: Agreed.

Stephen:  All right.  

Blackie: Would be funny.

Wong:  Very well.

Clea: Fine by me.

Loki: I suppose… *He grins*

*The Ancient One nods silently, choosing to observe for the moment.*

Me: Okay.  We’ll go clockwise just because I’m feeling lazy and it was the first direction that popped up.  Truth or dare?

Stephen: Truth.

Me:  Okay.  Did you ever have a favorite pet? *I’m keeping it tame.*

Stephen (thinking for a moment):  Well, while growing up in Nebraska, I did have a pet horse named Bowie.  He was a very lively yearling and grew into a strong, sweet horse.  He loved apples and would always come running whenever he saw me.  He’d do this cute trot back and forth with his front hooves whenever I was at his paddock.  *When he finishes, he looks to his side at the next person.*  Truth or dare?

Trix: Truth

Stephen:  Okay…Before everything happened, what was the most adventurous thing that you did?

Trix (thoughtful): Hmmm… probably traveling cross country by train. I get twitchy if I don’t do something new and I love to travel but adore trains so I went from Chicago to Seattle by train. Would absolutely do it again. I tended to travel alone a lot too. *She turns to the next person* Truth or dare?

Loki: Truth.

Trix: Hmmm, I honestly thought you would say dare. *Thinks for a moment* What is your favorite spell to use?

Loki (smirks): Cloning myself if only to enjoy the reactions of those around me. Also easier to bounce ideas around when I’m trying to consider something or work an idea out. *He turns to the next person.* Truth or dare?

Prettywitch: Uh…truth, I guess.

Loki (smiles gently): What has been your favorite thing you’ve experienced since learning magic?

Prettywitch: Hmmm…good question. Probably using my magic to actually use Cardcaptor Sakura magic. That and getting to meet Stephen. *She turns to the next person.* Okay, Clea, truth or dare.

Clea: Hmmm…I’ll play it safe for now and pick truth.

Prettywitch: Really!? Wow, I thought for certain you’d go with dare. Anyway, uhhh…..are you enjoying your time here on Earth? Errr…Stephen’s earth?

Clea: *She beams.* Yes, I am.

Prettywitch: Okay… *Rubs the back of her head, embarrassed.* Sorry, I couldn't think of another question.

Clea: *She laughs earnestly.* Oh, it’s alright. Now, let me see…*She turns to Wong.* Wong, truth or dare?

Wong (He thinks for a while):  Hm…Truth, then.

Clea: Okay…*She thinks it over.* What’s one thing you’re better at than anyone else in Karmar-Taj?

Wong:  We are all works in progress and I am sure that someone will surpass me one day, but I have not yet failed in my duties as Kamar-Taj’s librarian.  *He’s staying humble.  Then, he turns to the next person.  There’s an empty chair, but Blackie is in the next one over.  Wong is uncertain whether anyone else is there, per say.  So, he simply asks and waits to see if anyone will answer.*  Truth or dare?  

*The Ancient One appears, calm and posed as ever.*

Ancient One: Truth.

*Wong looks at her respectfully and nods.*

Wong:  Very well.  What was your favorite activity in life?

*She pauses as the question catches her off guard before taking a moment to ponder. Then she nods.*

Ancient One: Watching the apprentices train. Seeing magic spark to life from their fingers for the first time and the joy it brought them always reaffirmed my beliefs that the mystic arts could bring joy and beauty and not just protection. I also enjoy being cryptic and mysterious because it keeps the sorcerers on their toes. *She smiles widely. She turns to Blackie.* Now, dear: truth or dare?

Blackie: Truth. *she smiles*

Ancient One:  Now that you have borne witness to many types of magic here, what is your favorite type?

Blackie: Well…to be honest all kinds of magic are beautiful and even though I love my natural bond with living creatures… I think elemental magic is my favorite.

Ancient One (small smile):  A fascinating choice, to be sure.

*The rounds continue and we learn a bit more about each other.  For instance, we learn that Prettywitch was originally a theatre major from Winnipeg.  Wong decides to do a dare involving answering the next question with a voice filled with helium instead of answering what his magical stress tic is.  We also learn about Trix’s hearing loss and my dislike for the holiday season.  Stephen opts to slow-dance with the Cloak rather than answer a different question.  Loki decides to take the dare of kissing someone instead of answering a question about his past. He ends up smooching Stephen.  Stephen is unamused and discreetly wipes it away when he thinks nobody is looking. The Ancient One answers a truth about how old she might be but doesn’t give concrete answers which is still the truth but incredibly frustrating.  Blackie manages to imitate many animals using her magic, even lion roars and chicken cackles.*

*At the end of the game, the atmosphere of the room has calmed down considerably.  It seems we’re getting more comfortable with one another.*

Stephen:  It’s getting late.  We should call it a night.  

*Trix yawns from her position, half laying on top of Loki’s lap and half on top of PrettyWitch. How she ended up there, no one remembers.*

Trix (sleepily): This should happen more often even with the rest of the sorcerers. There are other apprentices I’ve barely talked to and we’ve been here months.

Wong:  Well, your control of your abilities has improved considerably.  During this time of recovery, you are free to mingle.

*Trix gives him a sleepy smile and a thumbs up before cuddling into her friends more.*

*I’m currently sitting quietly in my chair with the blanket on my lap, staring into space with my eyes half-open.  It’s a bit hard to tell if I’m asleep with my eyes open or just barely awake.*

*Clea is already half-asleep but trying to keep herself awake.*

*Stephen looks around.*

Stephen:  Yeah.  Bed.  Everyone.  It was nice getting to know each other, but it’s time to get some rest.  We’ve all been through enough today.

*The group heads to their quarters for the night.  All three girls decide to sleep together in one of their rooms again after all of the stress from earlier.  The next day, we meet Blackie and Wong in the courtyard after breakfast to help her train.  It’s a light day.  So, nothing too strenuous.*

Wong:  Greetings.

Blackie: Good morning.

Me: Hello, Wong.

Prettywitch: Morning, Wong.

Trix: Good morning!

Wong (to Blackie):  I will supervise your technique.  Please perform the appropriate gestures that we went over, Blackie.

Blackie: Sure. *She manages to perform the hand gestures, slowly but surely*

*We watch.  So far so good.*

Wong:  Okay.  Now, assume the form of a fox and then change yourself back.  Remember how I taught you to control your shapeshifting.

Blackie: Eh I will try. *She took a deep breath to relax then fox ears appeared on her head with some mustaches on her face*

*The other girls watch to see how it goes.*

Wong:  That one was shaky.  Again.

Blackie: *she nodded then focused again. That time, only a fox tail appeared behind her*

*After she practices her own shapeshifting a few more rounds, she seems to get the hang of it.*

Wong:  Good…I sense some energy build-up.  You may choose to either disperse it into the universe as scattered energy or redirect it to another spell.  Be careful.

*Blackie seems to struggle again and she tries to disperse the energy harmlessly, but it backfires in a wave that consumes the group in the courtyard.  Within seconds, there is a group of confused animals standing around, wondering what just happened.  A big, fuzzy Tibetan Brown Bear groans indignantly at a small fox. Meanwhile, a raven, shih tzu puppy, and coyote look at each other and the other two animals before a chorus of various calls erupts forth.  Stephen emerges from his study, wondering what’s going on.*

Stephen (confused):  What the hell…?  *He sees the various animals.*

*The raven attempts to caw but makes some croaking noises that almost sounds like words*

*Stephen attempts to figure out what’s going on, but he already has a suspicion.*

*The coyote looks at him and makes several irritable yips and small growls in an attempt at communication.  The bear slowly rolls onto its feet and faces Stephen.*

Raven (with a lot of difficulty): Shift bad

Stephen:  *With realization of his suspicions*…Do I want to know?  All right, let me see if I can reverse this.  

*He didn’t cover shapeshifting as well before since his specialty is more Eldritch magic.  So, this is new for him.  He tries a couple of basic reversal spells, but they don’t do much of anything.*

*Puppy-Prettywitch runs over to Stephen and starts tugging on his pant leg, trying to get his attention.*

*He looks down at her, trying to figure out which girl this one might be.*

Stephen:  What is it?  Which one are you?

*Puppy-Prettywitch stands up on her hind legs and tries making eldritch tarot cards, but nothing happens. Not because she can’t use magic in animal form, but because she has no thumbs as a dog, which frustrates her, based on her whining.*

*The bear walks over, glances at the library, and then back at Stephen before letting out an annoyed huff.*

Stephen:  Let me try one more thing first.

*The bear stands up on its hind legs, towering over him with a rather irritated expression.  Stephen quickly changes his mind.*

Stephen:  Okay!  I’m going!  I’m going!  *He darts off to the library.*

*The raven caws in amusement before hopping on the ground over to the bear to attempt to climb on.*

*The bear is less than thrilled, but tolerates it.  For now.  Meanwhile, the coyote begins to pace, sniffing around.*

*The fox looks down almost apologetic and sniffs around trying to find something.*

*Puppy-Prettywitch decides to wait for Stephen, trusting he’ll put two and two together soon. So she plops herself down on the floor and sighs, contentedly.*

*The coyote starts grooming itself in the meantime after not having found anything worth eating.  Meanwhile, after being preened on the sensitive part of his ears for a bit too long, the bear lets out an irritable roar, startling the group.*

*Absolutely startled, the raven leaps off and flies towards the library, escaping to go find Stephen.*

*Stephen quickly finds the right spell and sees the raven flying into the library.  He isn’t sure if this will work, but he holds out a forearm to see if it’ll land on him. She takes the bait and clumsily lands on his arm before looking up at him, feathers metaphorically ruffled.*

Stephen:  Okay.  Let’s try you first.  *He places her on a chair.*  Hold still.  

*He attempts the spell and thankfully, this one DID actually go well.  Trix reassumes her human form, shedding a few black feathers as she does. Unfortunately, she was perched on the back of the chair and flails as she falls backwards*

Trix: OH SHIT!

*The Cloak manages to catch her in time.*

Trix: Thanks! Geez, that was really weird.

*It pats her head before jumping back to Stephen’s shoulders.*

Stephen (cautious):  How do you feel now?

Trix (cautiously): Really weird. And terrified of Wong. *Still somewhat dazed* I was a bird.

Stephen:  Any remaining…instincts?

*Trix thinks for a moment before focusing his hair.*

Trix: Other than wanting to fix *gestures at the disheveled look* that, I seem to be good.

*Stephen self-consciously adjusts his hair a bit for a second before getting back to business.*

Stephen:  Okay.  Let’s get everyone else back.  

*He heads to the courtyard with Trix and starts reverting everyone back into human form.  Though the less-experienced creatures do have their animals’ instincts active and it doesn’t exactly help in terms of cooperation.  Everyone does get turned back in a few minutes, thankfully.*

*I absentmindedly scratch at the back of my ear.*

Me:  I think we’re good now.  Thanks, Stephen!  

Prettywitch: Yes, thank you!

Trix: Thanks! 

Blackie: Thank you!

Wong:  Thank you, Strange.  Though next time, look into the library if you run out of ideas.  

Stephen (curled lip):  You’re welcome.

Wong:  …We’ll work on refining Blackie’s techniques to avoid a repeat.

Blackie: I'm really sorry.

Wong (understanding):  Mistakes happen.  We will work on it.  

*Clea finds her way to where everyone is. She’s clearly just woken up; she’s yawning, she’s rubbing sleep from her eye, and her hair is a mess.*

Clea: Good morning everyone. What did I miss?

Stephen:  Erm…nothing too exciting.  Just the girls helping each other with their magic.  A bit of a hiccup, so to speak, but everything’s fine.

*Blackie and the other girls continue to train over the next few weeks.  Trix, Me, and Prettywitch in particular are now studying for our Master’s Trials.  Wong and Stephen are doing their best to encourage us to prepare.*

Mystery Woman: He’s returned…! As I hoped he would someday.

*She hesitates; she wants to go over and introduce herself to him but still isn’t sure. She is Dormammu’s niece, after all. He may suspect she’s here to harm him. Sure, her dreams say otherwise, but she’s not so sure. Dreams are pleasant, but reality?...Well, she knows reality isn’t always that kind. So she decides to lay low for now.*

*The sorcerer continues on his path, feeling the aura of his scheming enemy grow ever closer.  However, he pauses for a moment and looks around, already suspicious.*

Stephen (flatly):  I know you’re back there.  Reveal yourself.  *He’s on the defensive, bracing for a potential attacker.*

*The Mystery Woman is surprised at being called out so quickly.*

Mystery Woman: (Sighs) Goddammit. *She comes out from behind the veil and shows herself to the good doctor.* Hello, Doctor Strange.

Stephen (cautious):  What business do you have on this pathway, Miss?

*He subtly looks her up and down, noting mentally that she looks exactly like the woman from his nighttime visions.*

Mystery Woman: I only intend to help you. Nothing more.

Stephen (cautious):  How can I be sure of that?  *He won’t give any extra details away, wanting to see if he can discern her true intentions.*

*The Mystery Woman starts racking her brain for what she could possibly offer as proof to him. She could take him to Dormammu’s keep, but that may only make him even more suspicious of her. Then it hits her like a dagger to the heart.*

Mystery Woman: *She waves her hand and forms a magic dagger she takes in her hand.* This is The Blade of Mysterium; it is an anti-magic dagger. One strike may either cleave your magic in two, or kill you outright. *She holds it out to Stephen.* I presume this will suffice?

*He takes a step back momentarily to keep out of reach while silently assessing the weapon.  Judging by the energy it gives off, he understands that she’s telling the truth.*

Stephen:  You are willing to part with this?  *He watches her carefully before accepting the dagger.  Stephen sheathes it to be safe, observing her out of the corner of his eye.*  Very well.  I will hold you to your word.  *He decides to see where this goes.  For now.*

Mystery Woman: *She smiles.* Oh thank you!- *Clears her throat.* I mean…thank you.

*Doctor Strange looks at her curiously for a second before awkwardly clearing his own throat.*

Stephen:  Yes…Hmm…I am currently en route to Dormammu’s keep.  Would you guide me, please?  I haven’t much time to waste.

Mystery Woman: *She’s beaming happily.* It would be my pleasure, Doctor. *She floats ahead of him.* Come, you say you’re in a hurry, so…

*He follows her, still on-guard, but deciding to trust her at the moment.*

*In the center of the Dark Dimension, a mysterious being studies the magical connection of universes as it has been acting quite odd in the past year. There is a section of the floating map that he has specifically crossed off, it wasn’t worth the trouble to try and go for it since he did agree to a deal just to get that sorcerer to stop that infernal loop. However, something seems to be growing somewhat near that forbidden universe. A new one perhaps?*

Dormammu: Interesting…

*He summons the map closer and inspects this newer universe. It is absolutely oozing magical energy and almost seems like it’s overflowing with potential. It’s also so new that no one would realize it was even there to begin with and it would be absolutely delicious to absorb into the collective. Something catches his attention though…something…almost familiar. It’s nearly drowned out by the new magic that is forming but it gives him pause. No matter, it’s likely from another world he has already absorbed. Now, he could go feast…*

*The Mystery Woman is in front of Stephen, making her way to Dormammu’s keep. The whole time, she can feel his eyes on her at all times, watching her. Though whether or not he’s intrigued or suspicious, she can’t say for sure. So, she looks back at him, curiously. His eyes are stoic but she can see a hint of intrigue in his blue orbs. So if he is, why not engage in some small talk? Or at least try to.*

Mystery Woman: *She rips her gaze away from him.* I’m surprised you haven’t asked me how I know your name.

Stephen:  At this point, it seems almost par for the course.  Though I AM curious.  How did you find out about me?  *He’s a bit awkward about being directly confronted with this fact, but seems to play it off well.  The sorcerer’s questions are put forth with a curious, albeit cautious tone.  It appears that he is just as curious about her as she is about him.*

Mystery Woman: *She smiles.* I remember when you first came here.

Stephen (mixed emotions, a bit curious and also suspicious):  …You saw me?  Then, why didn’t you intervene back then?  Why help me now?

Mystery Woman: Yes. *She turns to him, arms behind her back and still flying. Her smile is now a bit playful,but mostly nostalgic.* Your magic affected the entire dimension. So, I went to see what all the fuss was about and…well, I showed up just in time to see Dormammu squish you. *She holds back a chuckle at Stephen’s sudden wide-eyed stare.* I was but a mere noblewoman then, not nearly as adept at magic, so I doubt I could’ve helped you. But I…couldn’t tear my eyes away…I was taken with you bravery and nobility. *She turns away to hide the blush on her cheeks. *As for why I’m helping you now…I knew you would return. I kept having dreams of you. Some of them were unpleasant, like seeing you disintegrate. Others showed me that…you would return to this place and do battle with Dormammu, again. I wanted to help however I could.

*Stephen takes a moment to process this information.*  

Stephen (pensive):  Fascinating…What is your name?  *He doesn’t want to give too much extra information just in case, but Prettywitch’s visions, his dreams, and our implied prior knowledge seems to be coalescing in his mind as he speaks with this woman.*

Mystery Woman: *She turns to him and smiles.* Clea…

Stephen (polite):  It’s a pleasure to finally meet you properly, Clea.  *He returns her smile with a well-mannered smile of his own.*

Clea: *Her smiles widens. She even hums a little as her cheeks turn red.* It’s nice to finally meet you, as well… *She senses something.* Come! *She takes his hand and they hide behind a chunk of debris.*

*He follows her direction and listens carefully, attempting to discern what’s going on.  Though he does sense Dormammu’s aura closer now.  They must be nearing his keep.  Clea is true to her word so far, at least.*

Clea: Wait here. *She carefully pokes her head out from the rock and, frightened by what she sees, hides herself again, quickly.* Shit! There’s Mindless Ones about. He must know you’re here.

*Stephen subtly scans the area, noting how many potential enemies are about.  Some, although enveloped in Dormammu’s energy, feel oddly familiar…*

*A group of what used to be people stagger by in familiar robes. Their eyes are completely gone and are just endless voids cracking off where their skin should be. It seems that this has become the fate of the rogue sorcerers who once almost bested Stephen all that time ago. Leading the pack is Stephen’s first enemy: Kaecillus.*

*His stomach drops, recognizing Kaecillus and his Zealots, despite the changes they’re undergone.  The sorcerer does his best to remain stoic in his observations.  Though the horror of what happened to them has made a considerable impact on him.  They made their own choices, but a small part of him still feels guilt for having effectively sentenced them to a fate worse than death.  The sum of the consequences of their combined actions back from when he was a mere Adept presenting itself before him now.*

Stephen (quietly to Clea):  Stay down.  We’ll try to get past them quickly and quietly.  No need to alert Dormammu even further and be even more obvious right now.

Clea: *She nods.* Right…

*She takes his hand again and waits until the Mindless Ones have passed the debris they’re hiding behind. Then they make their way towards the Dread One’s keep.

*The sorcerer is on high alert now, his ears perked and head on a swivel to pay attention to their surroundings.*

*Dormammu has been focused solely on this new universe and has been beginning to gather as many of his mindless ones as possible to pave the way to this new universe. He would gain so many more soon once the siege started. It was a nudge of familiar energy that finally dragged his attention from his project. Not only was it his niece who dared defy him but she had brought that bargainer. 

Dormammu: No matter. I will leave sooner than expected while he is too busy to stop me. 

*He summons a surprise to wait for the sorcerer and hastens his plans so he can leave as soon as possible…*

*Looming just ahead of the pair is Dormammu’s Keep.  Mindless Ones swarm through the gate into the imposing fortress, already mobilizing.*

Clea: Oh Dormammau’s flames! There’s hundreds of them! *She thinks of what to do and decides there’s only one way to fix this…but that would mean revealing her true nature to him…She can’t…No, she must. She can’t bear to watch her Uncle take another planet into himself, not anymore. If it meant the man who inspired her to stand up for her beliefs like she always wanted to would no longer trust her? So be it. She turns to Stephen, sadly.* Let me handle this.

*She lets go of his hand and flies at top speed towards the swarm of Mindless Ones. They see her and immediately begin to make their descent towards her. But Clea doesn’t care; she ignites herself, becoming a woman on fire. Purple fire to be specific. With one, furious battle cry she speeds towards the army and thrusts her arms forward, setting off a powerful explosion akin to a nuclear blast. In an instant, the Mindless Ones are gone.*

*Clea floats there for a moment. She breathes a deep sigh and returns to her normal, human looking form. She turns to Stephen, nervously.*

Clea: Sorry. It was the only way.

*Stephen watches the whole thing unfold and is stunned.  He stares at her, wide-eyed for a second before composing himself.  Although he generally disapproves of killing, it may have been a mercy for these beings, judging by what happened to his former enemies after Dormammu assimilated them into his army all of those years ago.*

Stephen (attempting to remain stoic, but also trying to figure out exactly who Clea really is):  Your attacks…They’re familiar.  Too familiar.  Who are you exactly?  *He wants the full truth.*

Clea: *She bites her lip in worry. Still, she chose to take a risk, didn’t she? She sighs.* I am…Dormammu’s niece; his rightful Heir to his throne…Or at least I was until I defied him, but yes. He is my Uncle…begrudgingly.

Stephen (listening intently):  What made you decide to defy him?  

Clea: *She smiles.* You did.

*He can’t help it as his face flushes red.*

Stephen (awkward):  Erm…Thank you for taking my actions to heart.  *Composing himself quickly, knowing that time is of the essence.*  Anyway, you lead the way since you’re even more familiar with our common enemy.  I will mount the attack as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

Clea: *Inside, she’s surprised he’s flattered and still trusting of her. She’d love to flirt more, since she’s finding his awkwardness to be adorable, but time is of the essence.* Of course, Doctor.

*She flies forward while he follows.*

*They enter the Keep, the path having been cleared by the Faltine woman’s flames. However, a hooded figure in yellow stands at the bottom of the stairs, a familiar mark glowing from the shadows of their hood.*

*Stephen freezes, the sight of this figure a veritable punch to the gut.*

Stephen (quietly, to himself):  No…

Figure in Yellow (sing-singing): Stephen…

Clea: *She raises an eyebrow.* Stephen? *She turns to him.* Do you know this person? 

Stephen:  I did, once.  What feels like an eternity ago…By the Eye of Agamotto, reveal to me the True Sight before us!  *He invokes the Eye amulet around his neck to see through any potential illusions in front of them.  Even without the Time Stone, the Eye itself is a powerful relic that can reveal the truth to its user.*

*Unfortunately, the Eye does nothing.*

*He had been hoping that what he saw was merely an illusion, but his heart sinks further when he realizes that The Ancient One’s soul has, in fact, been taken in by his nemesis.*

*The Ancient One pulls back her hood to reveal that she has been just as affected as the mindless ones. Her eyes are pitch black and the skin on her face is cracked, revealing a void. It seems the mark that is glowing upon her brow is the only way she still has her mind even if her allegiance has shifted in death.*

*Stephen reluctantly readies himself.*

Stephen (quietly, to his former master):  I’m sorry…*He steels himself and initiates the duel.*  BY THE CRIMSON BANDS OF CYTTORAK!  *He casts the binding spell in hopes of incapacitating her.*

*She smirks before easily dodging them*

Ancient One: You have at least gained more of a mastery over the mystic arts versus your hastened graduation. How is Mordo doing these days? *She jumps forward to try and catch him off guard*

*Clea intercepts and throws a fireball at the woman.*

Clea: *Her eyes glow purple and her voice deepens.* You will leave this man alone, harlot. He is under my protection.

*The Ancient One summons her fan shaped mandalas and easily bats away the fireball*

Ancient One (scowling): I have waited far too long for the reign of Stephen Strange and it seems I have wasted too much of my life on someone who could not live up to his true potential.

*Stephen casts the Rings of Raggadorr in an attempt to box her in, refusing to reply.  He doesn’t want to give The Ancient One more fuel.*

*She notices that he hasn’t refuted her and smirks instead.*

Ancient One (mocking): Tell me, did you ever get the hang of this?

*With a sweep of her arm, the room cascades into a kaleidoscope of images of itself as they are sucked into the Mirror Dimension, only it seems a lot more powerful than it is on Earth*

*Having learned his lesson from the last mistake he made involving the Mirror Dimension, Stephen decides to use this cast to his advantage and disorient her with sheer chaos.*

Stephen:  By the Images of Ikonn!  *He gestures and over a dozen duplicates of himself spread wide, surrounding his master, their reflections appearing in every facet of their new location.  They make a coordinated effort to swarm her from every conceivable direction.  To top it off, these multiple Stranges proceed to simultaneously cast the Chains of Krakkan, conjuring meters upon meters of chains, quickly wrapping themselves around her body like a nest of snakes.*

*She lets out a frustrated scream and attempts to fight out of it but it appears she is stuck.*

Ancient One (growling): You should not even be here. The Dread Dormammu has kept to his word. *She is slowly losing her composure as the mark on her forehead begins to glow even more, going from a dark red and slowly turning black and emitting smoke*

Stephen:  I have fulfilled my end of the bargain as well.  Now, his threat to other worlds shall end here.  *He prepares to conjure Dyzakk’s Cage to contain her, his face not triumphant, but hollow.  The mage had never wanted things to end this way between them.*

*She struggles even harder, glaring at Stephen but then smirks. Instantly, the void where her eyes used to be begins to glow a reddish orange as well as her mouth. Three beams of light instantly explode out of her, clearly intent to consume Stephen but at the last second, a golden shield appears in front of him. An orb of golden light seems to be keeping the protection in place. A familiar voice comes from it.*

Golden Orb: Stephen, both you and your girlfriend need to use a purification spell immediately on me.

*Stephen recognizes the voice instantly, albeit a part of him is slightly irked by the teasing.  He barely even knows this woman yet!  That aside, he beckons to Clea.*

Stephen:  Clea, come here and repeat after me.

*Clea is admittedly surprised, but she knows he needs her. So she nods and goes to stand next to him, holding out her hands.*

*He recalls an appropriate spell, guiding Clea through the incantation and gestures.*

Stephen:  Audite Mihi, Ancient Phasmatis, quod succurro is Turbatus Animus.

*He gestures deliberately and precisely, concentrating on the form of the Ancient One bound before them.*

*The blind Ancient One shrieks and hisses in agony as smoke starts to billow out of her as she almost begins to shrink into herself, the chains falling off of her as she shifts into an orb as well. Meanwhile, the golden orb that had shielded Stephen begins to form into her full form, albeit looking like she’s in her astral state. She is unmarked and smirks at what her other self has become.*

*Stephen watches, relief washing over him.*

Stephen (respectfully):  Ancient One.  *He greets her.*

Ancient One (proudly): Stephen. *She turns to him with a wide smile on her face* You’ve grown.

Stephen (taken aback by her words):  Thank you.  *He’s quietly moved.*  I guess this is a more proper goodbye?  

Ancient One: Perhaps. We will speak again, but for now I believe you have more important matters to attend to, Sorcerer Supreme. *She smirks and steps to the side so they can pass*

Stephen:  Thank you for protecting me one last time, Master.  *He bows for once and passes by her respectfully, Clea following him.  As he leaves the room, he glances back curiously.*

*There’s no trace of The Ancient One except for a small shimmer of light where she was once standing, but it could be a trick of the light…*

Stephen:  Clea, continue to lead the way.

Clea: *She nods.* Right.

*They storm their way through the many levels of the Keep, fending off varying shapes and sizes of Mindless Ones.  Stephen binds a large group of them together and flings them into the endless abyss of the dimension.  They float aimlessly away.  Stephen and Clea eventually reach a foreboding-looking door.  Despite his best efforts, Stephen can’t get it open no matter what spells he uses.*

Clea: I’m afraid that won’t work, Doctor. You’ll need to be of faltinian blood to open the door.

Stephen:  Very well.  Do the honors.  *He gestures to the door.*

*They burst through only to find a vast study with the layout of a War Room.  There is a large map of the multiverse lying open on a table in the middle of the chamber, along with bookshelves lining the walls filled with books from the many worlds that the warlord has consumed.  Stephen looks at the map and a flash of dread streaks through him.  His suspicions were confirmed.  Dormammu has targeted OUR unguarded Earth and, judging by the empty study and fading aura, is already on his way there.*

Stephen:  Shit!

Clea: What is it? 

*From outside, a large cheer arises from the remaining mindless ones as their leader has declared their newest target for conquest. Judging from the large amount of energy and the dwindling sounds, it seems Dormammu is finishing transporting his remaining army right now while Stephen has been busy fighting in the keep. Despite Stephen and Clea’s best efforts, it seems the war for Universe-333 is about to unfold.*

Stephen (to Clea):  He has already begun his invasion…

Clea: *She’s silent, completely shocked at the thought of her uncle unleashing his power upon another unsuspecting world. But…* We can stop him.

Strange:  We must find a way.  What do you have in mind?

Clea: I haven’t gotten that far, but I wonder…Are you familiar with the flames of the faltine?

Stephen:  I am, yes.

Clea: I’m not sure if it would work, but if you use that power against Dormammu, learn to engulf yourself in its power, you may stand a better chance against him.

*He thinks for a moment.*

Stephen:  Hmmm…Interesting.  Yes, that may work.  Anything else before we pursue him?

Clea: *She smiles.* Your mentor called you Stephen…Is that your name?

Stephen:  Erm..Yes.  *He figures that they’ve gone this far.  He can begin to let down his guard at least a little bit.  The sorcerer prepares to open a portal to our universe.*  Ready, Clea?

Clea: Of course. Any chance to take to best my “loving” Uncle.

*They hurriedly advance through the portal.*

*The sky is a stormy dark purple as they step through the portal back into our universe. Things are eerily still and way too quiet, as if even the wind and nature itself is holding its breath.*

*Stephen can already sense Dormammu’s presence.*

Stephen:  We need to move.  Now.  *He uses his Cloak of Levitation to fly alongside Clea towards the spot where Dormammu has mounted his invasion force.*

Clea: This is bad! He’s amassed an even greater army than the last universe he invaded. 

*Stephen’s heart sinks even further, as if it had anywhere lower to go.  However, he knows that he has to fight to save our universe or die trying.  He steels himself once more.*

Stephen (bravely):  Then I shall put in my most momentous effort to match his power.  

Clea: Alright. Just be careful; the flames can incinerate you if you aren’t careful.

*He nods.  Meanwhile, they hear a familiar booming voice.  It’s so incredibly potent that it can be felt.  Not only that, but everyone on Earth can hear the voice, not just around them, but within their very skulls.*

Dormammu: Puny humans. I am the Dread Dormammu and this world and universe is now mine. For those who would rather surrender to my forces immediately and spare themselves a horrid death, you have twenty-four earth hours to join me. For those who do not, you will be consumed for the betterment of the Dark Dimension. You have been warned…

Stephen (to Clea):  I must report back my findings and make any additional preparations.  If there is anything else you can think of, I’m ready to listen.

Clea: Not at the moment, no. But I’ll let you know if I think of anything, Stephen.

*Stephen hates having to report back, but this event is beyond the pale.  He needs more backup whether he admits it or not.  So, he portals with Clea back to the Marvel universe.*

*We see a portal open and two figures step out.  Stephen is pale and looks like he’s about to drop some very bad news.*

Stephen (serious):  Girls, our suspicions are confirmed.  Dormammu has mounted an invasion force on your planet and we have a bit less than 24 hours to prepare for battle.  I’m calling for back-up from the Order and readying any potentially useful relics.  *He seems about ready to fall over.  We can tell that he has already been fighting a lot.*

Me (small voice):  No…Our families.  Our friends.  *My voice steadily getting louder as I speak faster*  I know you don’t want us there, but we HAVE to do something.  We HAVE to help!  Please, Stephen!  We can’t let him kill you and everyone else we love!  

*The idea of losing more people has triggered me.  That and knowing that Stephen doesn’t have the Time Stone to help him anymore.  Not to mention that the other Avengers are spread thinly enough between protecting their own world and ours.  I know damn well that Dormammu is on a whole new level, just as bad if not even worse than Thanos.  Thinking about all of this has caused me to spiral.  I’m trying not to completely break down.  My hands are shaking badly as I suck in several labored breaths in a futile attempt to curtail the incoming panic attack.*

Trix (trying to be level headed): Listen, we have 24 hours to evacuate people and to get a plan together. Right now we need to help Stephen before he collapses. 

Prettywitch: Good idea. *She walks over to Stephen and places her arms around his shoulders.* Hey, Stephen. Why don’t you sit down for a bit and relax. We can make some tea.

*Hearing my shouting has gotten Wong’s attention.  He leaves the library at a quick jog to find the girls and Stephen with a new woman clad in purple.  Her energy signature doesn’t seem to match either universe, but it does feel very similar to Dormammu’s.*  

Wong:  So, it is true?  I will gather our forces.  Strange, you rest.  You look dead on your feet.

Stephen:  I don’t have time for any of that.  

Wong:  Yes, you do.  You cannot fight anything if you’re barely running on fumes.  *He’s stern.*

Trix: Honestly Stephen, this is what having us, Wong, and the rest of the Order is for. This is absolutely scary but we have to keep calm. *Her resolve is stronger*

Me (attempting to ground myself, but still shaking very badly):  Y-Yeah…Please.  Rest so you can be at y-your b-best strength...  *I have sweat stains starting to form and try to sit down, but instead, faint.  My astral form emerges involuntarily and I just stare at my empty body in horror.  I try to get back in, but can’t, waving my arms through myself ineffectually.*

Ancient One (out of nowhere): Calm yourself, Apprentice. You’re winding yourself up too much to think.

*My astral form lets out a squeak of surprise.*

Me (astral form):  How long were you here?  I-I didn’t s-see you in Kamar-Taj the entire time I’ve been training here.  *Her appearance has at least shocked me out of my panic attack.*

Ancient One (amused): I had prior engagements unfortunately, not of my own choosing mind you. Stephen was able to assist in pulling myself back together as it were. Now I am here to help you do the same as your freak out has started up his fear of lack of control. *She glances over at Stephen*

*I look ashamed of myself, but also still incredibly worried.  If I wasn’t in an astral form at the moment, I probably would have thrown up.*

Ancient One: I see you follow in your master’s footsteps in that you must learn to let go. Alas, I lack the ability to send you to Everest but there are more important things afoot. *She floats over to Stephen and gestures at him* In order to help him, you must focus on the present and address things one at a time and breathe.

Me (quietly):  I know that everyone’s got dead people…I try to remember that…I have 11 of them.  Buried 11 of them.  This applies to everyone, but I don’t know how many more I personally can take…

Ancient One: And yet, the universe decided to bestow upon you the gift to shift the veil of death. You are luckier than most because you are incapable of truly losing anyone now if you choose to see it that way.

Me:  I suppose that’s a way of looking at it, yeah…I nearly died several times myself.  Stephen was hypothesizing that my repeated near-death experiences have something to do with it.

Ancient One (smirks): He would. He’s rather logical that way. I can sense you are very similar so let me ask you this: if you’re going to help him, what will you do next? Of course saving innocents is always prioritized but what will you do? How can you…pull yourself together *she smiles to herself* to help the people you care about so deeply?

Me:  I suppose the best move would be to track down some of the relics that he’s looking for and maybe a few tomes.  Work while he rests so things are ready ahead of time.

Ancient One: Good. He’s diligent enough to know where your people are, all of them, so trust that they will be safe. You need to focus on solving the bigger picture so the smaller details are solved in the tidal wave of change. Now you just have to commit. *In a very familiar move, she pushes Steward back into her body*

*I shudder back into consciousness, the tears from earlier still staining my face.  Though I’m suddenly calmer and more back to my old self.*

Me (not giving anything away, but with resolve):  Stephen, you can go ahead and rest.  I’ll gather some appropriate tomes and relics.  They’ll be ready as soon as you’re awake again.

*Stephen looks confused and concerned.*

Stephen:  Steward, what just happened?  

Trix (shocked): Are you- okay? Did you just pass out?!

Prettywitch: Yeah, you looked like you zoned out there for a minute.

*Wong gives me a weird look, wondering silently about the sudden mood change after that brief collapse.*

Me:  Y-Yeah…I kinda do that now when I get overly stressed.  I just involuntarily astral-projected.  Sorry for scaring you.  *I shift uneasily.*

Trix: Okay… *She’s confused but things have been weirder lately* It looks like you’re getting better at it then…

Prettywitch: I’ll say!

*I grin sheepishly at them.*

*Wong makes a suspicious noise.  He’s not sure exactly what’s going on, but seems to think I’m hiding something.*

Stephen:  …If you’re sure that you’re okay, then fine.  *He’s wary, but seeing as everyone is urging him to rest, he reluctantly acquiesces, heading to his quarters.  To be honest, he’s just as anxious, if not even more so than we are, but he can’t bring himself to admit that.  The situation is bad enough without multiple people teetering on the brink.  He knows that failure isn’t an option here and he needs to get control of the situation before it gets even worse.*

Trix (realizing just who is also here):  Hey Stephen, who’s this? *she grins*

*He pauses just as he was about to exit the doorway of the courtyard.*

Stephen:  Eh?  *He makes an awkward realization*  Ah, yes!  *He briskly walks back over for a moment.*  Clea, these are my apprentices; Steward, Prettywitch, and Trix.  The man you see wearing the elaborate robes is Wong, Kamar-Taj’s librarian.  This complex you see around you is Kamar-Taj itself, the main headquarters of the Order.  Welcome to Earth-616.  

Clea: *She waves, sweetly.* It’s nice to meet all of you.

Trix: Hi Clea! Horrible circumstances to meet in, but absolutely glad to meet you!

Me (polite):  Hello, Clea.  Nice to finally meet you.

Prettywitch: Clea! *She wraps her in a big, tight hug.* Oh! It’s so nice to finally meet you!

Clea: *She chuckles, awkwardly.* Likewise… *She pats Prettywitch’s head affectionately, anyway. So as to indicate she’s not offended.*

Wong:  We will get better acquainted with Clea while you rest, Strange.  Now go.  *He’s firm.*

*Stephen shoots him an annoyed, but resigned look as he retreats to his quarters.*

Me (composed):  Okay.  Guys, let’s organize.  Trix, stand by and I’ll forward info about some relics that may be helpful to Stephen in this fight.  I’ll look for the appropriate tomes.  Prettywitch, relay between Trix and me so we can keep everyone updated on who has what.  Wong, if you have any advice, please help us in any way possible.

Trix (serious): Got it!

*Whatever happened when I fainted, I seem to have really squared up and stepped back in as leader.*

*We agree to our roles and split up to work efficiently, gathering info and relics.  I’m still worried sick, but I know it won’t help.  Instead, I drive myself to work even harder to purge that fear from my mind temporarily.*

Wong (checking on Trix):  How is your control over your abilities now?  Are you holding up decently?

Trix: I’m doing a lot better, especially with reading. It’s hearing a lot of different languages at once that can trip me up but I feel like I have to build up a tolerance for it.

Wong:  Good.  Now, what relics are you currently searching for?  I can point you in the right direction.

Trix: Honestly, I am not as familiar with specific relics like the others are because they know more of the specific magic to this world and I knew more of what was in the movies and I couldn’t study in here because y’know. *she points at her head* I think what I’m looking for is something that can either give Stephen a power boost without significant drawbacks or something to keep his stamina up. *She turns to Wong* I don’t want Stephen to die again to Dormammu. It was bad enough to see it and just think he was a character. I’m honestly terrified that Dormammu is real knowing just what he’s capable of.

Wong:  Judging by your friend’s reaction, I can see that you all know of him.  Here.  *He turns to a dusty old cabinet and opens it.  There is a pair of glaives inside.*  The Pincers of Power.  These are effective against a being from the Dark Dimension.  They are a known weapon used in duels there.  Bring them to the courtyard.  

*Her eyes light up*

Trix: I have a question. *She picks up the glaives* Is there some way to boost a relic’s power, even temporarily? I know we’re able to transfer our energy to Stephen though that spell was actually from our world. Could that work for relics as well?

Wong:  Energy, yes.  Relics…I am not sure.  We have not recovered any relics from your world to determine whether or not they are compatible.  As for energy transfers from you three to our relics, it seems to work better between living beings.  Now is not the best time to take such risks.  If it fails now, then there will not be a way to undo it, nor time to save your universe.

Trix: Fair enough. *She turns to go to the courtyard but looks back over her shoulder* Can I come back and look for useful spells too?

Wong:  You may.  

*I’m rooting through more books and reference materials, looking for anything that might be remotely useful.*

Ancient One (curious): What exactly are you searching for?

Me:  I remember the Book of Cagliostro and the rituals contained therein…Does it have a counterpart?  Anything that counteracts its rituals?  A tome that has spells that can neutralize magic based from the Dark Dimension?

Ancient One (frowns): If there was, it would be in the possession of Dormammu in his Keep. That type of knowledge is guarded well, hence why the Book of Cagliostro was so safeguarded. As for spells to counter the magic from the Dark Dimension, I would begin with anything pertaining to introducing new things to someone who hasn’t experienced things before such as when Stephen introduced the concept of time. My memory is muddled from my time in the dark dimension so I am not of much help at the moment as I still collect myself.

*I listen intently and hear a few key details, remembering what Stephen and Clea reported to us earlier.  A devious grin, filled with chipped and cracked teeth spreads across my face.  It’s clear that a scheme is beginning to hatch.*

Ancient One (smirks): Ah, I see now why Wong and Stephen are dealing with a handful along with your friends. I’m curious as to how you solve the riddle of defeating an undetectable enemy though it does seem more likely now more than ever.

Me (purring slightly):  Admittedly, during our last rescue plan for my friend Trix, I helped in the heist and blew up the protective runes in a witch’s cabin…with said witch still inside.  It was…an experience.

Ancient One (curious): A witch? They don’t reveal themselves often. 

Me:  Stephen was admittedly a bit concerned when he learned about my lockpicking and experience with explosives.  That and the taser trap setup…That aside, I should check notes with Clea to confirm a few things to get this potential plan underway.

*The Ancient One hums in agreement and floats off further into the library*

*I let her be and scurry off to find Clea.*

Me:  Clea!  Erm, mind if I ask a few questions?  I need a bit of info for a plan.

Clea: Oh, certainly.

Me:  Thank you.  Okay, Dormammu is NOT currently in his Keep, right?

Clea: No; he is currently in your world and has given it a day's time before he launches his assault.

Me:  You and Stephen also dealt with most of his guards there?  Are there many left protecting the Keep?

Clea: Probably not; whatever Mindless Ones Dormammu had left he probably took them with him to your earth.

Me:  Okay, good to know…Hmmm…Do you know where he keeps any books?

Clea: *She cups her face, thoughtfully.* Now that you mention it, Dormammu does have a study deep in his keep. There’s tons of archival knowledge and magics in there. 

*My grin widens.*

Me:  Perfect, perfect…Do you know how to get in?

Clea: I don’t know, he never let me in. Hell, all of my best spies couldn’t even get in.

Me (my grin fades):  Crud.  Okay, we’ll have to think of something.  A way to bypass the locks, perhaps.  Do you remember anything more about it?

Clea: I glimpsed it once when I was a child; I remember it being a circular room with a desk in the middle surrounded by shelves of books and scrolls dating back to the old days.

Prettywitch: So it’s basically a book nerd’s reading room?

Clea: *Stares at her, confused.* I don't know what you mean by “nerd” but yes, it is a reading.

Prettywitch: Hmmm, I wonder…Clea, would you be interested in performing a heist.

Clea: What? To raid my uncle’s study…? Well, we do need a way to beat him. *She shrugs.* I say it’s worth a shot.

Prettywitch: Yes!

Trix (walking back into the library): Wait- did you just say we’re doing a heist?! *She gets excited before her mood drops again* There’s no way we’re going to be allowed to sneak out to Dormammu’s literal house to steal from him. We’re going to give Stephen an aneurism.

Prettywitch: Well, we don’t necessarily have to tell him.

Clea: *She grins.* Normally, I’d protest but Stephen does seem to be under a lot of stress. It’s probably better for him to stay here for now.

Prettywitch: Exactly! He can be a mother hen later!

Clea: Mother hen…?

Prettywitch: I’ll explain later.

Trix: Basically he worries about us. Constantly. Which is nice, of course, but it can be overwhelming.

Clea: *She giggles.* That’s cute! *She blushes a little.*

*While we’re talking, Wong suddenly appears behind us.*

Wong: Why did my ‘they are planning something incredibly stupid’ sense start acting up? One would have thought you three would have learned by now. *He frowns at us.*

Me:  Well…It didn’t necessarily fail last time.  Though we had help.  *I look sheepishly at him, reminding him of the rescue mission we did for Trix.*

PrettyWitch: It was my idea!

Trix: I just got here but I want to heist! I’ve never heisted before!

*Wong looks at us disapprovingly.*

Wong:  After all of what you have experienced, you ladies still have such a cavalier attitude about this?

Trix: Y’know, that’s pretty interesting you say that because you go out and do a lot of your own fighting despite everything that’s happened.

*Prettywitch and I realize what she’s implying and look back at Wong, amused.*

Wong (abruptly cutting Trix off, knowing that Clea is literally right there):  What I do in my spare time is nobody else’s business.  *He gives Trix a look and subtly slips her $100 with an expression indicating for her to shut up.*

Trix: *she grins and pockets the $100* We’ll talk later.

Wong:  *He sighs.*  Besides what you remember from those comics and movies, which have spotty accuracy at best, by the way, do any of you know anything about the perils within the Dark Dimension?

Trix (disappointed): No…

Wong (gruff):  Then you three will need at least one responsible sorcerer to keep you in one piece.  Normally, I do not advocate for such reckless practices, but these are extenuating circumstances.  I will accompany you.

Me:  Hmm…Well, I suppose if we’re going to rob the Dread Dormammu, we should call someone else in with some experience in heists.  *I give the other two women a knowing look and pull out my phone.*

*I call Scott.*

Me (on the phone):  Hey, Scott.  We have a really intense heist in the works.  Do you want in?

Scott (on the phone):  Wait, you mean now!?

Me (on the phone):  Yeah.  This evil interdimensional warlord named Dormammu’s trying to consume our home universe and already sent an invasion force there.  He’s super-powerful and tried to wipe out Stephen several times.  Succeeded too, but the Time Stone brought him back while it still existed.  Complicated story.  Anyway, since he isn’t home, we’re planning to raid his place for anything that could be used to counter him because we’re low on the right tools to defend our home.  Can you help us out or are you busy?  It’s okay if you are, but if you at least had any advice, we’d love to hear it.

Scott (on the phone): Well, that’s great, but…(Looks over at Hope setting up the Twister gameboard) I kinda already made plans with someone…

Me (on the phone):  Okay.  Well, thanks anyway.  We’ll try to figure something out.  Sorry for disturbing you!

Scott (on the phone): No! Wait! Let me talk to Hope, alright?

Me (on the phone):  You sure?  We don’t wanna intrude.

Scott (on the phone): Yeah. I’m sure she’ll understand-

Hope: Scott? (He looks at her.) Everything okay?

Scott: (He thinks it over for a moment.) I’m gonna put you on hold. (He presses the hold button and puts on his best “charm the pants off of face” on.) So, long story short-

Hope: Your friends need you, don’t they?

Scott: (Is silent for a moment.) Well…yeah, basically. 

Hope: (She smiles and gets up.) Alright, let’s go.

Scott: Wait, really!? But what about-

Hope: I know you, it’ll eat away at you for the rest of the night now let’s go. 

Scott: Huh? Okay. (He presses the hold button, again.) We’ll be there in an hour. (he hangs up and grins at Hope as they make their way to the lab.) So, I guess Date Night’s now Heist Night, huh?

Hope: (She rolls her eyes, mildly annoyed.) Oh, don’t start.

(Scott laughs.)

*When Scott hangs up, I look at Trix and Prettywitch.*

Me:  He’s in.  Judging by the “We’ll be there in an hour”, I think we might meet Hope.

Trix: This heist is going to be awesome.

Prettywitch: Nice.

Clea: Are you sure this is a good idea? The Dark Dimension is perilous enough for magic users, let alone two ordinary humans,

Wong:  Hence, why I will accompany the group.  I will keep you all out of trouble.  All of you, stay close to me and/or Clea when we go.

Me:  Yes, Sir.

Trix: Don’t worry, you can’t get rid of us! *She smiles but plans on sticking close to Wong*

Prettywitch: Yeah, you’re pretty much stuck with us at this point, dude.

Me:  Clea, can you sketch out a rough map of the Keep so we know where we’re going?

Clea: Certainly. (She levitates a pen from the desk to her hand and, with one stroke bursts forth a lovely drawing of her Uncle’s Keep. Clea taps the drawing so it becomes see-through.) Alright, so the keep is located here, in the upper left wing. Dormammu always has Mindless Ones roaming about, guarding it, so we’ll need to find another way in. (She smiles.) Fortunately, I know another way in. (She points down to the room just underneath the Keep.) Dormammus’ palace has many hidden rooms and corridors within it in case of invasion, we can use them and the catacombs below the Keep to conceal ourselves.

*I listen intently, taking notes on my small notepad that I keep in my purse.  I use it for stuff I want to keep private since it doesn’t get saved to the cloud that way and I can destroy the evidence more easily.*

Me:  Will the Mindless Ones automatically alert Dormammu if they somehow detect us?  *I want to cover everything just in case.*

Clea: Yes. Though how long it will take for Dormammu to travel from one dimension to another I can’t say.

Me:  Destroying them would silence them before they can alert him or no?

Clea: Yes, but it would be impossible to silence all of them before Dormammu comes back.  

Me:  How good is their eyesight?  *I’m hoping that maybe shrinking will help so they can’t see us.*

Clea: From what I know they can see, but their vision seems to be impaired somewhat. So long as we don’t get too close to any of them, we should be good.

Me (satisfied):  Good.  *I take note of this.*

Wong:  I will run some final checks on equipment.  Stay put.  *He goes to get the Sing Rings and some other supplies.*

Trix: Could a backup plan for when Stephen goes after Dormammu is to draw him back into the Dark Dimension as a trap using the Mindless Ones ‘catching’ one of us sneaking in?

Me:  Possibly.  If Plan A fails.

Clea: It would still be risky. It would work, though.

Trix: We could look into spells that could create an illusion of us so we wouldn’t put ourselves in the line of fire but it’d be good to have a backup plan.

Me:  Smart.  *I grin.*

Trix (whispering): I just don’t want Wong or Stephen to kill us for drawing attention to ourselves. Also, Dormammu is terrifying.

*I shrug in agreement.*

*I subtly peer around for a second just to see if The Ancient One is around listening or watching.*

*The Ancient One reveals herself to the entire group and is looking as calm and collected as always*

Ancient One: You have some pretty clever ideas to give as many opportunities for success to Stephen as possible.

*I’m surprised that she decided to greet the group and take a step back to give her some respectable space.*

Me:  Guys, meet The Ancient One.  She’s been with me for a few hours now.  From what I know, Stephen helped her back in the Dark Dimension earlier.  *I give her a respectful bow now that she’s showing herself.  I figure it’s the polite thing to do.*

Trix (surprised): Oh! Hello! It’s an honor! *she quickly slips into a bow*

Prettywitch: Uh…Yeah; nice to meet you.

Me (respectful):  Do you have any other advice for us?

Ancient One: Stay close to one another. It is incredibly easy to be drawn in by the Dark Dimension. Especially where Dormammu holds the most power. Other than that, rob him blind. *She smiles a serene smile*

Me (grinning):  I like your style, Ancient One.

Ancient One (bobbing her head in acknowledgement): Not many of the masters did, unfortunately. Good luck to all of you. *She disappears once more*

*Wong comes back, his eyes narrow when he sees the looks on our faces.*

Wong (suspicious):  …What are you doing?

Trix (rather dumbfounded): Rewriting my worldview. Again. But apparently we received a blessing of good faith.

Prettywitch: (starts snickering.)

Me:  It’s unlikely that you’d believe this one.

Wong:  Try me.  

Trix: Ghost of The Ancient One showed up and advised us to “rob Dormammu blind”. Then disappeared again. Oh yeah and to not wander off.

*Wong gives us all a hard stare before sighing and shaking his head.*

Wong (resigned):  Well, she will reveal herself to me if she sees fit.  

*In the meantime, we see Scott and Hope walking into the courtyard.*

Scott: Hey guys! Hope we’re not too late.

Prettywitch: Actually, we were just discussing how we were gonna get in.

Me:  Yeah.  Clea here drew up a map of the Keep and gave us some really good information.  *I give an introductory gesture for Scott and Hope to meet her.*

Clea: Nice to meet you. I’m Clea.

Scott: Clea, huh? Well, I’m Scott and this is my partner, Hope.

Hope: Nice to meet you.

Me:  *Polite*  Thank you both for coming out on such short notice, by the way.  Sorry for interrupting things.  *Getting to business*  Here’s the info we have so far.  *I show them the notes.*

Scott: So, we’re dealing with a heist inside of a fortress? That’s gonna be an interesting challenge.

Hope: Is this on earth, or in another universe?

Clea: Other dimension, actually.

Me:  Since the guards have poor eyesight and there might be some gaps to squeeze through, we thought it would be a good idea to ask you guys for your expertise on this heist.  We need to break into the library here.  *I point on the map.*  It’s well-protected and holds a bunch of books and tools we could use to counter Dormammu.  *We show them both the map Clea drew.*

Scott: That should work fine. Do you know if these guys have any weaknesses?

Hope: Something that’ll help us in case we’re in a bind.

Me:  Besides the bad eyesight thing?  Hmmm…

Clea: Well, they are slow. (She grins.) We’d still need to plan accordingly though.

Prettywitch: Why?  Is it because they can overpower you if it’s a group of them?

Clea: Yes.

Wong:  We will need to use stealth, then.

Me:  Anything else to know or should we get going?

Clea: Just one thing; keep your guard up at all times in the Dark Dimension and follow my lead. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to hide, you hide. Is that clear?

Me:  Yes, Clea.  Got it.

Trix: Absolutely!

Prettywitch: Of course.

Clea: (She smiles.) Good.

Me:  Ready, Scott and Hope?

Scott: Yup!

Hope: Yup!

*Wong opens a portal into the Dark Dimension and we head in.  Seeing as this is the first time in the Dark Dimension for most of the group, with the exceptions of Wong and Clea, it’s rather disorienting.  Gravity is wonky.  Things are either floating or seem to have their own gravity fields.  Even the colors and light here have different properties.  It seems both fast and sluggish simultaneously seeing as there is an absence of time here.  Not only that, but some objects appear to be organic that shouldn’t be or inorganic yet alive.  It takes a moment for the group to get their bearings.*

Me (green around the gills):  Ergh…Trippy…

Trix: Okay, this is simultaneously awesome and terrifying at the same time. 

Prettywitch: No kidding…

Scott: God! It feels like we’re back in the Quantum Realm.

Hope: I don’t know; Quantum Realm at least had some science to it. This? I don’t think we can make heads or tails of this place.

Wong: Stay close.  Even with the absence of most of his Mindless Ones, Dormammu has eyes and enforcers everywhere.

Clea: Exactly. Now follow my lead! We don’t have much time.

*The group follows Clea closely towards the Keep.  I use a mixture of manually pushing/pulling myself along with objects and some rudimentary telekinesis since we’ve been learning those abilities in our sorcery training.*

*Scott finds himself having some issues floating through the gravity of the Dark Dimension and so resorts to breast-stroking his way towards the Keep.*

*Hope uses her wings to fly through the empty space. She chuckles at Scott’s swimming, finding it amusing.*

*Prettywitch is initially floating but upon seeing that Scott has taken up swimming, she decides she’d rather do that and begins kicking her legs like she’s in water.*

*Trix decides to use a different approach and floats with occasional magical pushes forward and acts as if it’s like space gravity. It seems to be doing well and occasionally uses objects floating by to push off of*

Trix: God, I’m so jealous of Stephen and the Cloak right now.

Prettywitch: I’m not! 

Me:  Definitely would have been nice to have Levi.  It would help with movement here.

*An odd, spiky-looking being passes by.  Whatever it is, it appears to have multiple primitive eyes on its many stalks surrounding its body.*

Clea: Quick! Everyone, hide behind that rock formation!

*The various group members do so.  Though it’s quite awkward to move still.*

*It pauses and there is a…sniffing noise?  Though we can’t see the thing’s nose at all, if it even has one.  There is an ominous humming noise for a second before it makes a small, satisfied-sounding chirp and continues on its way.*

Trix (puzzled but whispering): Why did that thing look familiar for some reason?

Wong:  You don’t want to know, trust me.

Me (realizing in horror):  Oh God…I recognize those eyes.  They’re in the fridge back in Kamar-Taj’s kitchen…

Trix: Welp. I’m crossing those off the menu. Forever. I want to know nothing about our diet now. I don’t even check calories on normal food, I’m not looking for more info for magic food either.

Prettywitch: Yeah, me neither! What the fuck!?

Clea: *She’s confused.* You mean you’ve actually eaten these creatures before?

Me (disgusted):  Apparently.

Trix: Wong, what the fuck?!

Wong (matter-of-factly):  It is necessary for us sorcerers to take in magical energy and have internal stores…If there was another way, I would much prefer a tuna melt.

Scott: Yeah, but should’ve told them where these things came from! 

Clea: The Ant-man is right, Wong! They’re still in training for Vishanti’s sake!

Wong:  The initial transition was jarring enough.  I was planning to tell them eventually.

Ancient One (appearing only to Steward): Oh. Oops, I may have made a miscalculation and didn’t realize how it may have affected how Kamar-Taj was run.

*I give her a horrified look.*

Me (flatly):  WHAT.

Trix (startled): What?!

Ancient One: I may have started eating delicacies from other dimensions over the centuries and the kitchen tried to find things for my palate. I didn’t realize the rest of the sorcerers ate it as well as regular meals though if I was doing it and ending up powerful…

*I just listen numbly and stare at her, shaking my head.*

*Since I’m currently the only one who can see and hear The Ancient One at the moment, I appear to simply be staring at thin air with a “WTF” expression on my face.*

Wong:  What is it?

Me:  …The Ancient One literally started doing it to try delicacies from other dimensions.  Becoming powerful from it was apparently a side-effect and the other sorcerers just copied her.  *I look about ready to explode, but am containing myself.*

*Trix holds her head in her hands, lamenting the fact that they had to eat all that because of a misunderstanding*

Wong:  Then, does it actually treat magic-induced fatigue or have our remedies been incorrect the entire time?  *He’s surprised and more than a little irritated.*

Ancient One (sheepishly): Placebo effect perhaps? It was never really truly studied or at least by myself because I did not know that was the reason everyone else ate it. Either way, now is not the time to converse, you must get to the Keep!

*I forward her message to the group, seething quietly.*

Me (quiet and serenely to her, but with an icy tone):  We’ll have to discuss this more later.

*We get back to business and reach the Keep.  The group follows Clea.  It’s suspiciously quiet and empty.*

Wong (on-guard):  I don’t like this.  It cannot be this easy to infiltrate Dormammu’s Keep.

Clea: No, it’s not. Something’s definitely wrong… *She magics a dagger into her hand, just in case.*

Trix (hopeful): Maybe it’s because he took most of his forces to our world and you and Stephen took out a lot more before?

*Someone in the group steps on a tile and it sinks down slightly, suddenly triggering two walls of enchanted flames on either side of the hallway we’re in.  They begin to close in on us.*

Clea: Wong, throw up a shield!

*Wong casts the Shield of the Seraphim to protect the group.*

*Clea assumes her full faltine form and pushes the walls back.*

*There is a rumbling noise as the flames cease their advance before the floor opens up underneath everyone.*

*Hope activates her wings.*

*Wong releases his shield spell and quickly casts a levitation spell.  Though he can only hold it for so long.  Any sorcerer can levitate, but the constant concentration and fight with gravity wears one down quickly.*

*Clea straightens her posture to levitate.*

*I attempt to use telekinesis again since we haven’t learned advanced levitation spells quite yet.  A vein throbs in my temple from the strain.*

*Scott throws two shrinking discs towards Prettywitch and Trix, shrinking them. Then he shrinks himself and whistles for AnToinette, who comes soaring towards her friend. He mounts her and picks up the girls.*

Scott: Everybody okay?

Prettywitch: I think so…Thanks, Scott. That was awesome.

Trix (dazed): I think so! I was not expecting that…thanks!

*I can’t speak.  Concentrating too hard.*

Wong:  I am going to release my levitation spell and conjure some platforms.  Aim for those and we can get back up.  

*Beads of sweat are beginning to form on his forehead as he continues to cast.  Wong falls a few feet before he can cast the platform spell, but they provide enough of a ledge to help the group members back up.  When I stop concentrating, I fall onto a platform and almost slip, but manage to stabilize enough to get up.  Though thanks to the strain from telekinesis, I feel like my head is about to split in half.  Wong is composed, but is clearly working hard to help everyone up.  The walls of flame, although no longer moving, are still active.*

Trix: Okay, guess it’s trial by literal fire then. 

Scott: Hold on a second! I just need to make us big again…*He adjusts the belt and the three of them, and AnToinette are regular sized, again.* Okay, NOW you can go!

Trix (slightly dazed): Yeah, that feels weird. But let’s try this out!

*She conjures two decently sized crystal mandala shields on either side, blocking the fire for the moment*

Trix (strained): We gotta go!

Clea: Right! *She flies down and points towards the right.* This way! *She notices Trix running for her life and flies down to scoop her up in her arms.* 

*Wong maintains the platform spell as the group jumps back onto the hallway path to the right.*

Me (gulping down air from the sprint):  Everyone good?

*The crystal shields finally shatter apart into melted pieces*

Trix (panting): That didn’t go the way I thought it would but hey the shields held! *is doubled over but gives a thumbs up*

*Wong gives a short nod.  He’s covered in sweat, but remains calm.*

Prettywitch: You gonna be alright Wong?

Wong:  Yes.  We need to keep going.

Scott: Yeah, this place is starting to give me the creeps.

Hope: Lead the way, Clea.

Clea: Right. *She walks over to the wall.* There should be a door to the secret passageway here, but I can’t remember where it is.

Me:  Lemme try something.  Guys, hold me up.  *I’m going to astral-project to try and peer through the wall.*

Prettywitch: Okay. *She gets behind Steward.*

*I take a few deep breaths to get into a meditative state and then push my astral form out of my body.  Now that I’ve had it happen a few times involuntarily, read about it, and watched the more experienced sorcerers do it, I’ve picked up on the technique.  My empty body collapses and I peer through the wall that Clea is looking at.*

*Beyond the wall are about fifteen Mindless Ones, including the contingent originally from Earth-616, still being led by Kaecillius. They are merely standing there, blankly staring ahead at the wall Steward is peeking through.*

*I withdraw my head quickly and get back into my body with a shuddering gasp.*

Me:  I think we’re heading in the right direction.  There are around 15 Mindless Ones on the other side of that wall.  Some of them, I’m pretty sure are Kaecillius and his group of Zealots.

Wong:  Did you see any other passageways into the chamber?

Me:  It had two doors, but both are being watched.  Maybe we could shrink and sneak by since they can’t see well?  Provided we find the way in.

Scott: Yeah, that’s probably our best shot. *He starts pulling out the discs.* Alright everybody, just stand still for a moment. *He starts chucking the discs at everyone, shrinking his teammates, then himself.*

Clea: *She’s looking at herself and her surroundings.* This feels so strange.

Scott: Eh, you get used to it after awhile.

Trix: Does feeling woozy get better after a while as well or is that what fruit is for? *She’s feeling the effects but tries to shake it off*

Me (leaning against Trix to prop her up):  Lead the way, Clea.  The door is somewhere around here, right?

Clea: I’m pretty sure. *She floats up from where she was standing, still weirded out by, and fascinated by being so small. She begins looking for the lever and finds it quickly.* Oh, there it is. *She uses her strength as well as magic to open the door. * Follow me. *She flies into the passageway.*

*We follow, the herd of Mindless Ones and Zealots looming ominously before us.*

*Wong watches them carefully before gesturing for the group to quietly move forward, staying under objects or in shadows to be harder to see.*

*Like an army of toy soldiers, the group suddenly stands at attention. Scanning for threats, something has clearly caught their notice.*

*We quietly scamper under a cabinet to see if they calm down, watching carefully from our hiding spot.*

*After a very long couple of moments, the Mindless Ones seem to settle, relaxing into a more dormant state. With the previous traps being set off and no survivors coming through, it seems they believe the intruders have been taken care of. Slowly, they begin to shuffle out to join the rest of the ranks headed to Earth 333*

*As soon as they leave, we scamper through the rest of the hallway, checking for anything else that might be lurking around.*

Me (whispering to Clea):  Almost there?

Clea (whispering back): Yes. We should be approaching the doors soon.

*We follow her, picking up the pace.  Mercifully, we’re too small to set off other traps.  We do pass by several others and with our size, we can actually see the triggers.  We finally reach the doors, which are sealed with wards and a cursed-looking lock.*

Me:  Any ideas?

Prettywitch: I think I do. *She conjures the Cardcaptor Sakura staff, again. Then she conjures the Create Card.* (Whispering) Allow me to write something that will help me bypass the magic wards upon this door. Create! *The card activates and becomes a tiny book for Prettywitch to use, complete with a pen.* Day 1, I found myself walking inside Dormammu’s Keep inside the Dark Dimension till I found his study. I really wanted to go in,but I don’t know the spells for these wards! I wish I could just make them burn or rot away or something.

*The wards glow brightly.  Prettywitch’s book and pen burst into flames, wholly destroyed.  She can feel the conjured items burn away in her hands and her own energy reduce significantly from pouring her concentration into the conjuration.  The wards do dim considerably, weakened enough for Clea to finish them off.  However, then there’s the matter of the lock itself.  There is a whole different spell on it.*

Wong:  Hmm…*He looks at the lock.*  By the Omnipotent Oshtur, may the curse on this lock be broken!  *He casts at it and the lock zaps him right back, burning his fingers.*

Clea: Let me try. *She throws a burst of faltine magic at it; nothing. She pouts.* (whispering) Why must this be so convoluted!?

Me:  Hmmm…This is probably a very dumb idea, but lemme see…

*I pull out my lockpicks and try to jimmy the lock.  The tools get melted immediately and I drop them because they’ve started to glow red-hot.*

Me (quietly):  Wait…IDEA!  By the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon…*I conjure some disembodied tendrils of ice and apply them to the lock.  They hiss and steam, but go inside.  I manage to undo the mechanism, weakening the curse.*

Wong (gritting his teeth subtly from pain):  I will try again.  *He casts his spell again, neutralizing what’s left of the curse on the lock.  Though he grunts as he pulls back, the rest of his hands burnt.*

Prettywitch: Here, let me try healing that. *She takes one of Wong’s hands in hers and massages it for a bit, trying to focus on wanting to heal Wong’s hands. She manages to get a small glow, but it’s still weak. It does seem to have worked for the moment.

*The older sorcerer clenches his teeth quietly, but the skin goes from second-degree burns to first-degree.  His hands are angry and red, but Wong can at least move his fingers again.*

Wong (to Prettywitch):  Thank you.

Prettywitch: *She beams.* You’re welcome.

Clea: *Smiles.* Not bad at all. You still have a long way to go, obviously, but you managed to remove enough damage that Wong can have use of his hands, again.

Prettywitch: Really!? That’s great! *Everyone shushes her, as she said it a bit louder than was necessary. She blushes, embarrassed.* (whispering) Sorry, that’s great!

*We are restored to normal size and look around Dormammu’s study.*

Me:  Okay.  As The Ancient One said, let’s rob him blind.  *I take off my backpack and open it wide for us to start cramming tomes and relics in.*

Trix: *She takes as much as she can grab with the bags she brought along. She’s extra careful before grabbing things to make sure they aren’t a trap or immediately harmful first*

*Wong can’t really grab anything, but he can still gesture to levitate several books off of the shelves for the group to take.  We ransack the study and check to see if there’s anything left that might be worth stealing.*

Clea: *She looks over at her Uncle’s table and makes a devilish grin. She flies up and checks if he’s reading any scrolls at the moment. Luckily, he was. So she rolls it up (more like kicks it into rolling up) and grabs it.* Okay, that’s the last thing I could find, now let’s go before someone sees us.

*I hoist the bag up.  Though it’s far too heavy for me to properly get it up and onto my back.  The seams are straining.*

*Clea creates a second bag for Steward to put stuff in.*

Me:  Thanks, Clea.

*I put half of the materials in the other bag and pick it up, letting one of the other group members carry the second bag.*

Me:  Can we portal out or should we actually leave the Keep?

Clea: We should be able to.

*Wong opens a portal back to Kamar-Taj and we sprint through.  The normal gravity, light, and other physics being both comforting and disorienting.*

Me:  How much time do we have left?

Trix: I honestly don’t know, going in there fucked up my watch profoundly. *She stares mournfully as the watch seems to be moving backwards*

*As we re-enter the courtyard, Stephen is walking over.  He looks at us with a mixture of suspicion and confusion.*

Stephen:  What were all of you doing?  

*He notices Wong holding his hands close to his body, silently nursing the remaining burns.*

Trix (freezes): Bonding?

Scott: Yeah. The girls called us up, said they needed a break and so we took them out shopping.

Hope: And to get their nails done. You know how it is.

Stephen (not believing them at all):  …and how did Wong burn his hands?

Wong (annoyed):  We gathered some useful tomes and relics for the battle.  That is all.  

Trix (trying to deflect): Hey, so did you know we don’t have to actually eat the creepy magic food? Apparently the Ancient One kinda messed that one up for everyone else by accident and didn’t realize it! *Trying to change the subject*

*Stephen glares for a moment and notices the bags.*

Stephen (putting two and two together now that he’s actually rested):  You went on a heist in the Dark Dimension, didn’t you?  

Me (knowing we’re caught):  Well, damn…Look, we found some material that could be useful.

Stephen:  I can’t trust any of you at all, can I?

Ancient One (appearing to everyone): You say that as if you wouldn’t have done the same thing if you had the chance.

Stephen (startled):  *Jumping back*  You advised them, then?

Ancient One:  Slightly. Wong took point however your apprentices truly did prove themselves. I was merely asked how they could help you and I suggested knowledge would be the key. *She smirks* I believe your apprentices seem to be amused by the fact that I approved of robbing him blind.

*He looks at her and then our group, softening slightly.*

Stephen (gruff, but reluctantly proud):  Don’t think that I approve of you sneaking around behind my back, but I’m grateful that you found the right books.  I’ll look them over and see what I can use.

*He accepts the bags full of tomes and relics from us.*

Stephen:  Oh, and Wong, go to the sickbay.  I know those burns are painful.  

*Wong acquiesces, leaving us with Clea, Scott, and Hope.*

Me (to the trio):  Thanks for helping us.

Trix: Yeah, we can’t let our self-sacrificing friend and mentor kill himself for our world so thanks for helping us help him!

Prettywitch: Yeah, we couldn’t have done it without you guys.

Clea: Oh, don’t worry about it.

Scott: Yeah, you guys are stuck with us, like it or not.

Hope: Besides, it was definitely a different Date Night.

Stephen:  Now you all get some rest.  It looks like you went to Hell and back.  *He glances at our disheveled and tired appearances.*  I’ll review the material and update everyone on what can be used in this fight.  *He turns to leave, but turns for a second.*  Thank you.  *He gives us a nod before dragging our plunder to the library.*

Prettywitch: Maybe we can pool our money together and start a small ad campaign for recruitment. I mean after what happened recently, people are bound to believe in magic at least a little bit more.

Me:  True.  Once the Sanctums and our version of Kamar-Taj are up and running, we can start recruitment.  What do you think, Tr-

*I pause and look scared for a moment.  There’s also a familiar feeling of nausea washing over me, as though I’m in a dangerous situation in an area filled with spirits.  After a few seconds, I look at Prettywitch and Trix.*

Me (hesitant):  Did either of you feel something just now?

Trix (frowning): I didn’t…

PrettyWitch: I felt something faint. 

Me:  Wanna describe it?  *I don’t want to skew Prettywitch’s perspective and want to know exactly what’s going on.*

Prettywitch: I felt like…a wave of unease washed over me, like I could feel that something was coming.

Me:  Weird.  I felt as though a bunch of distressed souls all just cried out at once…

Trix (concerned): That’s really not good. *She pauses before standing up* Let’s go get Stephen’s opinion on this if something is going on.

Me (shaken):  Yeah…I think he’s in New York.  Let’s head to the Rotunda of Gateways to get over there.

*We get up and use the active portal to the New York Sanctum.  Stephen is currently watching the Orb of Agamotto, looking perplexed.*

Trix: Hey Stephen, we think something weird is going on. Something just affected Steward and PrettyWitch.

Stephen (looking up at us):  I sensed it as well.  It’s not in your universe or ours…I’ll have to do some more scanning to pinpoint it.

Clea: Good morning, Stephen… *She’s wearing his Colombia U sweater and rubbing sleep from her eye.*

Stephen (preoccupied):  Good morning.

*Trix glances over at Steward and PrettyWitch and is trying not to make an excited face and play it calm at the fact that it’s finally happening.*

*I’m indifferent, more focused on the matter at hand than the romantic happenings.  Stephen is currently concentrating.  After a few minutes of silence, it seems he has it figured out.*

Stephen:  It’s a distress call, much like the one I had sent out to Wong while I was trapped in your universe.  From universe…Hmmm…196971.

Me:  Do we check it out, then?

Stephen:  …You three DO need mission experience, but I should come along to make sure you stay safe.

Trix: Oooo first official missions in our mastery. *She’s smiling despite the internal worry.*

Prettywitch: Oh, I’m down for that!

Me:  Looks like we have to gear up.  Oh.  Hi, Clea, by the way.  *I’m polite as usual.*

Clea: *She waves.* Hello. So, what’s going on?

Trix: Apparently a distress call from a different universe that we’re going to check out..

Clea: Really? *She smirks.* Stephen, dear, would mind if I tag along?

Stephen:  Actually, Clea, I cannot leave the Sanctum unguarded.  Out of all of the choices I may have, I shall entrust you with this sacred duty.  *He’s sincere, showing his trust in her.*

Clea: *Her eyes turn, starry.* Oh, Stephen! *She smiles playfully and wraps her arms around him.* And to think, I was about to tease you for locking me in here by myself.

*He blushes deeply.*

*I go about my business, letting them have their moment as I quickly open a small portal to grab my gear from.*

Trix (coyly): I’m glad you both get along so well. *She then gets serious before using a small portal to grab her small go-bag.*

*Stephen is still a bit pink in the cheeks.*

Stephen:  Erm…That aside, I’ll open the portal.  Multiversal travel is finicky.  So, I should do it until you three get a better grasp of the technique.

Me:  All right.  Let’s go.

Trix: Ready!

Prettywitch: Let’s do this!

Clea: You girls have fun! *She turns to Stephen, sweetly.* See you later, my love. *She gives a sweet peck on the lips.*

Stephen (awkwardly):  Thank you, dear.

Clea: *Giggles.*You’re welcome. Have fun.

Me (to seemingly nobody in particular):  You there, Ancient One?  *It seems I do check from time to time and I’ve been seen conversing with her and other spirits on occasion.  More of a casual conversation since I figure it’s probably lonely existing as a ghost.  That and I do want her around for help since things do tend to be chaotic around us.*

*The image of The Ancient One flickers into view for a moment before it flickers out again, like static.*

*I relax slightly, knowing she’s there.  It seems that Stephen is a bit calmer too.  At first, I don’t really notice the quick flicker since I’m currently preoccupied with the mission.  Though since I saw The Ancient One there, I assume it’s fine.  Stephen opens the portal and we walk through.*

*It’s a dark and stormy night wherever we have ended up. Dead trees line the old dirt path we stand on which leads to a set of open iron gates.*

Trix: Well, this seems ominous.

Me:  …Did we just land in an old-school horror movie or novel?

PrettyWitch: …Well, at least it’s not the Overlook Hotel…

Stephen:   …Stay close, girls.

*We head up the path towards the gates when a building comes into view. The house looks like a mixture of brand new and ancient. Four white pillars stand imposingly at the entryway like sentries, reaching up two stories. There is a wrap-around porch on both levels of the two outdoor accessible floors. It is all trimmed in an elegant green metal trim that seems rather familiar in style. The plants on the grounds were trimmed to perfection despite the signs that the place seems abandoned.*

Trix (in awe): Oh my god I know where we are.

Me (curling my lip):  Really?  A real Haunted Mansion?  Like the Disney ride?  *I’m amused at the seeming-goofiness of the situation.*

Trix (growing more and more excited): You don’t understand, I know everything about the Mansions. From names of the ghosts to how they designed the wallpaper. This is so incredibly COOL! *This is probably the most excited she has ever admitted being.*

Prettywitch: *Giggles.* It’s nice to see you’re so enthusiastic about this, hun.

Stephen (looking at Trix curiously):  You’re probably the biggest Disney fan out of the three of you, eh?

Trix: I sold my soul to the Mouse years ago. *She pauses for dramatic effect before grinning.* I worked at Disney World for a year and have been a lifelong fan. If there’s anything I know the most about it’s probably Disney and the intricacies of their storytelling through so many different mediums. I always wanted to be a storyteller and it fascinated me. *She starts walking forward again to enter the gates because she wants to investigate despite the fact she would normally be terrified.*

Me:  I’m more of a casual fan.  I appreciate their history and work, but don’t like their business practices much.  I actually boycotted them for a while after they bought Marvel, but seeing as it’s not gonna change anytime soon and I love Marvel, I came crawling back.  Used to live near Disneyland and visited regularly before the Marvel thing.  Then, I stopped for a while.  I eventually resumed visiting, but it takes a while to save up.  They’re super-expensive now.

Trix (She turns back to the group): Yeah, the upper management is absolutely horrible and I have many comments about them, but honestly working for them was my first taste of creating magic. It was as simple as making a little girl smile from a good deed and Disney, at least before the pandemic, usually brought out the good in people and let kindness thrive. Just little acts of kindness were usually the true act of magic in our world before, y’know *She shrugs*

Prettywitch: I love Disney but I fear for the company’s future as well as Marvel’s. Luckily, there’s a shareholders meeting coming up which looks to be a huge ass executive bloodbath. *She smiles maniacally…until she notices her friends staring at her with some genuine concern. Her smile slowly fades.* Too much…?

*I smirk and subtly give her a thumbs-up, indicating that I lowkey support the corporate “dethroning”, as it may be.*

Trix: I’m all for it. I’m for the lower branches of the tree, the people who actually make the magic. Not counting the money.

Me:  Yes, please.  They deserve far better than they get.

Trix:…we could absolutely try and get away with creating our own magic getaway vacation spot to fund our Order… *She grins, bringing up the previous conversation.*

*Stephen’s been listening to all of this and silently agrees to most of it.  Though when it comes to the “magical getaway”, he raises an eyebrow dubiously.*

Me:  Yessss...As long as we make sure that the workers are all treated well, paid decently, and have good benefits in the long-run.  *I notice Stephen’s face and quickly change the subject.*  Anyway, we should keep going.  Wanna lead the way, Trix?

*With a salute, Trix continues leading the way up to the gates. It is exactly the same as the parks but seems…off. She steps through.*

Me (smartass as I get ready to walk through the gate):  Maybe they’re just having a problem with their Doombug-*I shudder as I pass through, going pale.  Sweat begins to bead on my face and I look sick.  My aura also seems diminished.*  Eugh…What IS this?

*Stephen follows closely and goes to check on me.*

Stephen:  What’s wrong?  

Me:  I feel weaker and nauseous.  It’s kinda muggy here, right?  

Stephen:  A bit, but let me see.  *He feels my forehead and checks a few things.  Whatever this is, it isn’t from germs.  He makes a disconcerted noise.*    

PrettyWitch: What’s wrong? *When he doesn’t answer her, she crosses the threshold and feels that same, faint feeling she did before. She ignores it though.* Stephen, what’s wrong with Steward?

Stephen:  There’s something about the energy of this place affecting her.  I should get her out of here.

*As he says that, the iron gates snap shut behind us.*

Prettywitch: Shit!

Stephen:  We can still get out.  Here.  *He uses his Sling Ring to attempt to make a portal.*

*There are a few sparks, but the attempt fails.*

Stephen (irritated):  Shit, not again…

Trix (frowning): There was a distress signal, though. This could be related to that…

*Prettywitch pulls out her tarot deck and asks the cards what kind of spirit it is that they’re up against. She pulls The Moon, inverted.*

Prettywitch: *She sees the card and, knowing it’s meaning, shudders.* Oh, we’re fucked, aren’t we?

Me (deadpan):  So, it was a trap.  Wonderful.

Trix: I guess we just have to keep going then. *She’s more cautious now, but something doesn’t seem right about this.*

*The group walks up to the porch before heading up the stairs to the front door. Trix reaches for the handle but it opens on its own.*

Trix: That figures.

*Stephen steps defensively up front.*

Stephen:  I’ll take a look first, girls.

*The entryway is almost lackluster as it appears normal at first glance. Gunmetal colored patterned wallpaper and rich wood accents tastefully highlight the cobweb-filled chandelier in the center of the room. It seems to be lit with actual candles and yet there is no sign of life in the room. There is a small table near the front door that holds a vase of dead roses.*

*There are two doorways across from him: one directly in front of him and one to the wall on his left. On the right wall, there is a fireplace with glowing embers still in the hearth. The most curious thing, however, is a painted portrait of what seems to be Stephen himself above the fireplace.*

*Since we see him looking around and unharmed after a while, we follow him in.  I look up and notice the portrait.*

Me:  Interesting choice in location, there, Alternate-Stephen…

Trix: So we’re probably dealing with another version of Stephen then. Great. *She looks over at our Stephen* Sorry, but our track record with other you’s doesn’t seem to be the best. At least at first and that’s not counting the ones we know exist from our media.

Stephen:  No offense taken.

*I creep slightly closer to him to both keep an eye on him, but also now there’s a chill in the air.  His Cloak subtly wraps around me.*

Prettywitch: Let me see if I can figure out which pathway to take.  *She cleanses her tarot deck and decides to use a simple, one card spread, asking the cards if the right passageway is safe? She pulls The Chariot.* Hmmm. Apparently, the right passageway is safe, according to the cards. Let’s just hope they’re right.

Trix (curious): Let’s go then. I think I have an idea of what might show up…

Prettywitch: *She nods.* Yeah, me too…

Me:  Mm’kay.  *I go along with it, conserving my energy.  I figure I’ll need it.  In addition, I’m semi-meditating while still paying attention so I can keep a level head to assess the situation.*

*They head in through the door opposite of where they entered. The room they enter into is a dead end. It is an octagonal room that is rather small, about the same size of the foyer they were just in. Dark wood paneling reaches up about eight feet high on all of the walls and at each intersection of the walls, a wooden gargoyle is perched, each holding a lit candle in each hand. They peer down menacingly at the group.  Above the paneling is striped wallpaper in reds, yellows, and greens.*

*On every other wall there is a painting. One features a young brunette woman in a pink ballet outfit with a pink parasol. The next, a gruff looking man in a bowler hat with his arms crossed in frustration. After that, an old woman with her grey hair pulled up in a bun, a maroon shawl was held on her shoulders by a cameo brooch, and she held a red rose in her hands. Finally, the last painting was of an official-looking bald man standing proudly holding one edge of his black jacket with a red sash underneath and he held documents in his other hand. As we fully enter the room, the door shuts behind us with a click and it seemingly melts into the wall.*

Me (turning to look at the disappearing door):  Hmmm…Should’ve known this version would have an extra trick up its sleeve.  

Trix (confused): But there’s something missing…where’s the Ghost Host?

*I shrug.*

PrettyWitch: Uhhh…Beats me.

Stephen:  The Ghost Host?  So, this theme park of yours had gimmicky rides that looked like this and had some sort of narrator?

Trix: Yes, he was the narrator of the ride. *As she speaks, the walls begin their metamorphosis, the paintings stretching and revealing their full images* See, this is The haunted house people think of in our universe when they think of a haunted house. Like this same exact effect happens and it’s this whole history of it taking a decade to build but the thing is, this place is acting just like the ride, but what happened to the host? 

*The room has stretched to its full length. The lights flicker out and the ceiling is revealed to have disappeared and a corpse hangs from the rafters, illuminated by a lightning strike outside before the lights come on again and the ceiling is back to normal.* 

Trix: See, that’s supposed to be his body which is clearly still there…and is horrifying now because it’s actually real here, but something is wrong.

Me (unperturbed, accustomed to being around the dead):  Maybe we have to restore him to his position or something?

Stephen:  The spirits of this place feel weakened.  In turmoil.

PrettyWitch: I mean…possibly? I confess, I don’t know much about The Haunted Mansion, so I’m stumped.

Trix: Basically, we have to keep going until we find Leota’s room. We aren’t supposed to actually see any spirits until she does her spell. She’s a medium and psychic who died and now resides in her crystal ball. That’s who we should try and find. *She turns to the wall that has the painting of the ballerina and knocks on the wall, revealing a door that opens. She turns back to the group and grins* I hoped that would work the same.

Me (realizing something):  Whoa, wait a sec, guys.  *I concentrate for a moment, attempting to sense something…anything.*

Prettywitch: Anything? 

Me (unnerved):  …No.  I can’t even feel The Ancient One or any of the other spirits who were with me.  It’s completely silent.  Can’t see or hear anyone at all…The only thing we have going for us is I don’t detect any soul eaters.  So, they’re not behind this.  Guys…spirit-wise, I’m blind here.

Trix (unnerved): Well that’s terrifying.

Stephen (firm):  We do NOT leave anyone’s line of sight, understood?

*I nod quietly.*

*Trix frowns but nods as well.*

Prettywitch: Agreed. 

*We move forward into the next hallway. It has a wall of paintings on the right hand side while windows cover the wall on the left. Curiously, the paintings seem to be completely normal.*

*Trix frowns.*

Trix: Those aren’t right either. They’re…for lack of a better term, lifeless compared to what they’re supposed to be.

*I scan every once and a while to determine if I can detect ANY remote flicker of spiritual energy.*

Pretywitch: I’m gonna keep an eye out, just in case. *She summons a magic rapier.*

*Stephen keeps a sharp eye out, scanning for traps.*

*We continue forward despite the oddities. There’s a lingering energy in the air, powerful but almost…wrong in a way at the moment. We finally happen upon a stairwell and start to walk up them. It’s only when we’ve been climbing for two minutes with no end in sight and the walls have shifted to darkness that we truly realize what’s going on.*

*I cough wetly, vaporous ichor beginning to flow from my nose and eyes.  I wipe at my mouth with a tissue.  Ectoplasm.*

Stephen (worried):  Whatever is generating this energy, we need to find it quickly.  

*He senses something else…leylines.  There’s a moment of realization dawning in his face.  The energy, the architecture…*

Stephen:  This place isn’t just a haunted mansion, it’s a Sanctum.  Its energy is being catastrophically altered.  That’s why there was a distress signal!  *He isn’t really shouting, but his revelation is obvious.*

Trix (horrified): That’s why there was a portrait of you at the front! You’re the Master of the Sanctum! But how the hell is this a Sanctum? *She goes up a couple steps and watches as her hair suddenly stands on end and she lets out a yelp as she suddenly falls…upwards?*

*The Cloak swoops off of Stephen to stop Trix’s fall.  It returns her to the group.*

Me (garbled from the leaking ectoplasm):  *Blows nose again*  Okay…The gravity here seems to work on Mirror Dimension logic.  We should probably toss something small forward to see which way each gravitational field goes so we can advance safely.

Trix (realization): That’s probably the best solution…but this shouldn’t be in here. This is from the Florida version, not California like the rest of the house is… *She looks over at Stephen.* Each mansion has some similarities but they also have some significant differences as well. This is the mirrored staircase. 

Stephen:  Every Sanctum is unique.  Also, since our universe was slightly different from the visions your universe had of it, perhaps this one is similar.  Regardless, I strongly suspect that whatever is altering this Sanctum’s energy is a powerful relic…One that really shouldn’t have been placed here.  As for the other me…I don’t know where to start.

Prettywitch: Well, maybe the house did something to compromise him.

Trix: He might be trapped in here somewhere.

Me:  Possibly.  I don’t know whether or not I imagined it, but I thought I heard his voice mingled in with the others when I detected that distress call.

Trix: That’s concerning.

Stephen:  I’ll go first.  Levi will help me navigate these stairs.  Follow me when I say it’s safe and the Cloak will help you girls along when needed.  *He steps forward and cautiously begins to negotiate the stairway.*

*It’s slow going, but we cautiously make our way up the stairway. It takes about ten minutes before we finally reach the top. It leads into the beginnings of a hallway.*

PrettyWitch: Okay, which way now?

*My eyes are streaming now.  So, it’s hard for me to see.  Stephen helps guide me.*

Trix: Okay, so if my guess is right, we’re going to be going into the endless hallways. So long as we pick the right path we should be fine. We just need to keep moving. *She glances over at Steward, concerned.*

Me (wiping my eyes):  Trix, you know the most about this place.  You lead.  Everyone link arms so nobody gets separated.  *I blindly reach out to try and find and grasp her with one arm while my other arm stays anchored to Stephen.*

*Trix grabs her arm and links up. Prettywitch does the same but to Stephen so we’re in a chain.*

Trix: Okay, we’ve got this!

*It’s a decently long trek as it seems the Mansion is pretty defensive right now. Occasionally, we will spot a floating candelabra that points us in the correct direction to go. It’s almost ten minutes before we finally make it to a larger hallway filled with identical doors. They are silent.*

Trix (unnerved): I know where we are, it just seems like the ghosts aren’t around. Up ahead as soon as we come across a grandfather clock, the next door should be Leota’s.

Stephen:  The relic should be close by, if Steward’s reaction is any indication.

PrettyWitch: I think you’re right.

*I’m quiet, just trying to get through this now.*

*Trix leads the group down the hallway only to be confused when it leads to a different room entirely.*

Trix (stunned): I absolutely wasn’t expecting this here *she gestures around at the room* but it looks like we found the library. Another room that normally isn’t in this particular mansion.

*There's a nasty hacking sound as I spit up more ectoplasm.  Then, I take in a gulp of air.*

Me (relieved):  Well, at least it’s getting further away from whatever THAT is…*I’m still in bad shape, but I look a little less likely to drop now.*

Prettywitch: *She places her hand on Steward’s shoulder and gives her a smile that says, “You’ll be okay.”* 

Stephen:  How many other rooms do you know of, Trix?

Trix: The other room that might be here that wouldn’t match this mansion would be the music room. Other than that? Leota’s parlor, the ballroom, the attic, and the graveyard. I hope to god that Constance isn’t in the attic…

Stephen:  Who’s Constance?

Trix (wincing): She’s known as The Bride. She had 5 husbands because after each marriage she would- *she mimics slitting her throat*  her current husband before finding another man to marry and move up the social ladder. She has a hatchet and likes to behead people.

Stephen (sarcastic):  Charming.

Trix: I mean her last name is Hatchaway… *She smirks*

Me:  If it comes to that…Wait, let me test something out.  In my physical body, I’m hindered.  Think it might help if I…step out?  

Trix: If this thing is affecting spirits then wouldn’t it, y’know, hit harder?

PrettyWitch: Yeah, I’m with her. Wouldn’t that put you at greater risk?

Me:  Maybe, but I sense that we finally have company…*I look relieved and look in the direction of Leota’s Parlor.*

*Trix looks around at the library longingly before she focuses on the mission.* 

Trix: Let’s get there first before you start exploring because Stephen might actually kill you if you attempt to astral project now and he can dispose of the body easily here.

Me (morbidly amused):  Har har.

Stephen (giving me a look):  Don’t even try it.

Me (shrinking at his glare):  Okay!  Okay!

Prettywitch: Alright, let’s go.

*With one last longing look at the library, Trix leads the way out. They pass through a music room with a piano then the next room is the atrium which seems to be set up for a wake. A coffin is propped up and the normally loud person in there is completely silent. He isn’t pushing up against the nailed lid. Finally, they reach the grandfather clock and the door that leads to Leota’s parlor.*

*I scan again, sensing some promising signatures.  They don’t feel hostile.  So, I reach out.  My energy is still limited, but I give it my best shot.*

Me (in a meditative trance as I reach out to any spirits in the area):  I reach out to the spirits who dwell here as a friend.  I am accompanied by my companions and master.  We mean no harm and seek to help rid this place of the corrupting influence that diminished your presence here.  Please reveal yourselves and we will help you in any way that we can.  *I’m sincere.*

*There’s a considering pause before the door slowly creaks open, allowing us access. After we scurry in, the door closes behind us and we find ourselves staring at a round table with a large crystal ball sitting in the middle of it. Within the crystal ball floats the head of the great Madam Leota who looks astonished to see us, particularly Stephen.*

Leota: I could have sworn the emergency shields went up but how did you three get here? *She becomes annoyed* Stephen, what did you do? You disappear for days and show back up here looking completely different!

Stephen (taken aback):  I think you may have the wrong Stephen.  I was escorting the girls here on a rescue mission.  We received a distress signal from your universe and came to investigate.  The gate on your perimeter sent up a series of wards that cut off our exit.

Me (faintly):  Prettywitch, our Stephen, and I detected the energy signature from here…Also, I’m quite sure that your Stephen’s voice was intermingled with the others when I heard the cry for help.  *Currently, I’m recovering my energy since using my abilities took a lot out of me in this condition.  There is still a little bit of ectoplasm leaking from my eyes, nose, and mouth; but not as severely as before.  I’m unsure how to go about this yet since I suspect that this version of Stephen is still around, but want to apologize for the abrupt announcement to Madam Leota.  Still, I do my best.*

Leota (startled): Oh, apologies. Everything in the Mansion has been upended lately and being effectively trapped again has me on edge. *She squints at Steward.* My dear, you wouldn’t happen to be a medium, would you? *She glances over at PrettyWitch as well and her face brightens.* Oh my, and a psychic as well! It seems the Mansion asked for help from the right people.

Me:  I am.  I’ve gotten into the practice of helping troubled and lost spirits whenever I come across them.

Prettywitch: Yeah. And i’m slowly learning to hone my abilities to see the future.

Leota: A wonderful practice to take on, very respectable. -response to Prettywitch- Once this mess is solved, I simply must see what skills you possess. I would love to pass on skills to the next generation of mediums and psychics. What are your names? And yes, I don’t need your full names. What shall I refer to you as?

Me:  Steward.

PrettyWitch: And I’m Prettywitch.

Leota (smiling): A pleasure to meet you both.*She finally looks over at Trix and Stephen.* I know him, unfortunately, so who might you be, dear?

Trix (slightly nervous): I’m Trix

Stephen (dreading the response, but curious):  Unfortunately?  What did this version of me do?

Leota (deadpan): Agreed to court me. Stephen has been missing for three days.

Me:  Hmm.  The Stephens’ signatures are all rather similar.  Maybe I can “lock on” to it and track him down?

Leota: He said he was going to check up on the wards in the graveyard the last time I saw him. That was when the Mansion began to rebel and started to… *She frowns* it has started to lose its magic.

Stephen:  Do you remember anything happening right before all of this started?  Maybe someone came in who wasn’t supposed to or a relic was misplaced?

*Leota frowns in thought and her crystal ball begins to float around the room as she muses to herself.*

Leota (distractedly): Wong had brought a number of the apprentices from that sorcerer school over with the relics we are meant to protect. *She turns back to the group* We keep safe the items that can easily harm the living *She continues to roam after clarifying* and the sorcerers are still in the process of finding and moving everything. They had been gone for about a day when a few of our regular ghosts disappeared and some of the monitoring spells failed. Then everything began to get worse…

Me:  Harming the living…So, this version of Stephen is…?

*Before Leota can respond, the entire room begins to shake and rattle as if a strong earthquake has hit.*

Trix (started and trying to keep her balance): What’s going on?!

*I reflexively duck under the table and grab Trix to bring her down with me, gesturing for Prettywitch and Stephen to get down too, covering the back of my head and neck until the shaking stops.*

*Stephen checks on all of us and looks around for debris before getting up.*

Stephen:  We need to hurry up and figure this out.  If a Sanctum loses its magic, not only does it bring down a part of Earth’s protective barrier, but it could release a wave of dangerous magical energy from the relics contained within it.

Trix: But what about- *She turns back to Leota but during the earthquake it seems her crystal ball has been shattered and the ghost has disappeared* Oh…oh no.

PrettyWitch: Oh my God! Where did she go!?

Me (quietly):  She’s with me.  Don’t worry.  *I have my hand on some of the shards.*

Trix (concerned): I know we’re on a mission to save the Mansion, but it just feels like this hits…harder since I love this place so much even if I always thought it was just a ride and a labor of love from the imagineers…

Me (gently):  I know.  The good news is, Leota isn’t gone and that crystal ball can be replaced.  It’s not great, but not irreversible.  Now, let’s get our butts in gear to sort this out.  *I’m determined.*

PrettyWitch: Okay. So what should we do in the meantime?

Stephen:  We’ll check the remaining areas for this version of me.  That should solve at least part of the problem.

Trix: She mentioned he was in the graveyard. If we go down to the ballroom, there should be a hearse crashed through the wall that we can use to get out to the back easier.

Me:  Lead the way.

*We carefully make our way out of Leota’s parlor through the other door and down a dark hallway. The floor is covered in additional dust and debris but things seem to be steady for now. It’s not long until we’re on the balcony above the ballroom looking down.*

Trix: We may need to jump down because I don’t know how to get down there otherwise and I don’t want to risk doing a portal in an unstable Sanctum.

Stephen:  I’ll go down first and Levi will help you.

Trix: Works for me! *She smiles weakly at him.*

Prettywitch: Okay.

Me:  Ok.  *I’m still weakened.  So, I don’t want to risk trying and failing to cast a levitation spell to break my fall.*

*Stephen descends down into the empty ballroom before sending Levi up to escort each of us down. Luckily, everything goes to plan. We squeeze past the hearse and into the large graveyard that takes up the entirety of the back part of the property. It is eerily quiet.*

Trix (nervous): I’m almost more scared of this place without the ghosts… *She looks around.* Now we just need to find this Stephen. Luckily I think I have an idea to help. *She crafts a spell and it manifests into a teal butterfly which remains perched on her finger.* A tracking spell but adjusted to look for the Stephen with the same energy as this universe. *She releases the butterfly before turning to the group.* Now we just need to be on our guard.

Stephen (proud of Trix):  Clever girl.

PrettyWitch: I’ll say! That was awesome!

Me:  Nice.  Will do.  *I give Trix a small smile.*

Trix (grinning): Thanks! 

*The butterfly meanders around the graveyard.  After around ten minutes, it lands on a headstone.*

*Stephen goes over to look at it.  He gets an odd look on his face and turns to us.*

Stephen:  Well, Steward, it seems your hunch was correct.

*I wander over and look.  Despite us not knowing this variant, I still feel a bit sad about it.  Though I’m quiet and just gently pat our Stephen’s shoulder in a silent condolence.  Our Stephen knows that I’m subtly trying to comfort both him and myself and looks at me.*

Stephen (reassuringly):  Don’t worry, Steward.  I’m not planning to go anywhere for a while.  

Prettywitch: *She smiles.* Don’t worry, we know.

Trix: So… this Stephen ran the Sanctum then died?

Familiar Voice: Actually, the opposite.

*Rising from his grave is the ghostly image of Stephen Strange. Almost a mirror copy of our Stephen despite there is no recognition in his face other than for his duplicate.*

Ghost Stephen: I see you received the summons, though I was expecting Wong other than someone from a different universe.

Me (focusing on the mission because I’m worried about the potential fall of the Sanctum):  Not sure how it happened either, but do you have any ideas of which relic might be causing this problem?  Madam Leota told us that a group of apprentices left some here before things started going wrong.  *I have Madam Leota’s dormant spirit with me.*

*Ghost Stephen glows brighter for a moment at the mention of Leota before focusing on the problem at hand.*

Ghost Stephen: I had cataloged the relics we were receiving and had gone to visit Leota after her meditation. I was initially going to head out here to check on the residents when something caught the Mansion’s attention in the relic room. I only got a glimpse of it: a silver cylinder of sorts that was just laying on the ground. I couldn’t get closer before the Mansion yanked me out and I haven’t been able to enter again since. I felt incredibly weak after getting close, however, and have been spending time in my grave trying to recharge my energy. 

Trix: I’m glad the Mansion was able to save you.

Prettywitch: Yeah, same. *Internally, she can’t help worrying; this Stephen seems to be having similar reactions to the relic as Steward is.*

Me:  Unfortunately, that relic weakened me and Leota as well.  I’ll release her here where it’s safe so she isn’t subjected to more of that relic’s energy field.  *I do so, her dormant spirit floating forth from my body.*

*Ghost Stephen rushes forward to cradle her up to him, incredibly worried that she is still seemingly asleep.*

Ghost Stephen: We need to get her to her resting space. Come.

*He floats away quickly, clearly expecting us to follow.*

*We follow him.  Meanwhile, our Stephen follows us while silently thinking about what this silver cylinder relic could be.*

*As we reach a small headstone with a copper face that looks like Leota decorating it, Ghost Stephen finally stops and allows Leota to drift out of his arms and into the ground below. He floats there for a moment, in quiet contemplation, before turning back to us with relief clear on his face.

Ghost Stephen: Thank you, for saving Leota. She’s…very special to me and has made my afterlife worth living…other than protecting our reality of course. Is there anything else you need to know? I can tell you the layout of the Mansion-

Trix (interrupting): Oh, I know that. *She blushes when Ghost Stephen stares directly at her.* In my universe this place is actually based on a theme park ride. You weren’t in it but everyone else here was. The house layout is the same at least for the most part.

*Ghost Stephen is clearly intrigued but decides to focus on the situation at hand.*

Ghost Stephen: Anything else? Weapons just in case?

616-Stephen:  How do we access the relic room?  

Ghost Stephen: You need a portal to access it. It’s completely closed off from anyone stumbling across it accidentally. It’s why we were chosen to host them other than Kamar-Taj or the other three sanctums. I can open the portal but it will have to be quick.

Trix (interrupting): Wait, how are you even able to do magic as a ghost?

PrettyWitch: Yeah, that’s a good question.

Me:  Honestly, knowing about this might help.  None of us can make any portals here right now.

Ghost Stephen: Ahhh. The Mansion is reacting the way it was trained to when the relic room is under attack. It restricts portal access first to everyone except the Sanctum Master, then if the attack continues, it shuts down access to the wards and closes everything as a precaution. Some of those relics are intensely horrible and this is supposed to keep thieves or rogue sorcerers from escaping with anything. As for magic… *He smirks* …there are perks to learning necromancy in that it isn’t like the stereotypical meaning of the art. It is using the energy beyond the veil of death in order to do magic. Leota taught me before I died when I was trying to break the curse on the Mansion. It allowed me to continue using the mystic arts despite being in my astral form and eventually just as my soul after death. I have dedicated myself to learning all I can about it so I can train others and keep the art alive without the stigma it carries now.

Me:  If it’s not too much trouble, provided we get things sorted out, would you mind teaching me a bit?  It might help expand my skillset as a medium.

Ghost Stephen (nodding): Of course. Anything to help an apprentice of mine… I’m assuming. *He glances over at 616-Stephen for confirmation*

*616-Stephen nods.*

616-Stephen:  Yes.  The girls are my apprentices.  Our version of Wong also took part of the responsibility by training Trix.

Ghost Stephen: I see. *He looks us over.* And which one of you is Trix?

*Trix perks up and gives a little wave.*

Trix: Hi! That’s me! Honestly, other versions of you have recognized us so I guess we assumed you knew us as well.

PrettyWitch: Yeah. But it is the multiverse, so odds are we’ll run into Stephens who never met our group.

Me:  There was also a bit of a run-in with a different version of you a while back.  Anyway, now that we have the information, any other questions, guys?

Trix: No, not now. Not when we have to keep the Mansion from breaking.

Prettywitch: Oh right! The mansion!

Me:  Then, we should get a move on.  *I turn to Ghost Stephen.*  Could you please open the portal, then?

616-Stephen:  First, you stay here.  That relic was damaging you enough without even being in the same room.

*I give a half-hearted glare, wanting to help more, but knowing he’s right.*

Ghost Stephen: If anything, I can take the time to show you how to start conjuring a spiritual weapon while they’re working. *He summons a rather large two handed spiritual battle axe* It can be handy.

Me:  All right.  *I turn to Trix, Prettywitch, and 616-Stephen.*  PLEASE, be safe and get back here in one piece, okay?

Trix: Got it!

PrettyWitch: Of course.

616-Stephen (with resolve):  We will.

*With that, Ghost Stephen opens a portal. Rather than the usual golden sparks, it is more of an inky teal color with occasional sparks appearing from it. A rather full room awaits us on the other side and 616-Stephen, PrettyWitch, and Trix all quickly step inside before the portal closes once more.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

616-Stephen:  Okay, a silver cylindrical relic.  Each of us should take one third of the room and start looking, but don’t touch ANYTHING.

Trix (on guard): Got it.

Prettywitch: *Nods.* Right.

*It’s a decently sized room, slightly larger than the foyer of the New York Sanctum. Various relics are on display however they are scattered about the floor, some hanging onto their displays by a thread as the floorboards expand and contract below them. The same could be said for the walls and ceiling. Where it expands, the walls come apart at the seams and only pitch blackness resides beyond. It almost seems like the Mansion is …breathing, or rather wheezing as it is under attack.*

Trix (horrified as she looks around): This is very bad.

Prettywitch: Ummm…Why does it look like the mansion is breathing?

*We turn to Stephen for answers.*

616-Stephen:  Every Sanctum is infused with magic and due to how much energy is present from the spells, relics, and leylines, they tend to gain a “life” of their own.  They often have a rudimentary sentience that grows with age.  *He glances around, looking for any potential leads.  There’s too much energy present in this room for his detection spells to work effectively.*

Prettywitch: *The moment she hears that, she reaches for her deck and cleanses it.* Yeah…I’m just gonna consult the cards on this one. *Once she’s finished, she shuffles the deck again and asks the cards, “In what part of the room is the relic we’re looking for?”. She pulls Judgement (Past), Four of Pentacles (Present), and Five of Wands (Future)* Huh? *She’s not sure what that could mean, at first. Then, she remembers that she too has been sensing the relic. She closes her eyes and feels for it. It takes a few seconds, until she finally feels a mild sense of nausea overcome her. She clasps her head and moans…and opens her eyes. Sure enough, she can see a blue outline signifying the relic.* Hey, guys!? I think I found it!

*Stephen looks at her.*  

616-Stephen:  Lead the way.  *He’s cautious, but hopeful.  It seems he has grown to trust us.*

Prettywitch: *She beams.* You got it, Doc! *She points to a huge pile of nicnacs in the corner where, in the center, she can see the relic’s outline, clear as day.* There it is! Let’s go. *She walks slowly towards the pile and motions them to follow her.*

*As PrettyWitch steps forward, the floorboards underneath her suddenly contract and she is pulled about five feet away from Stephen and Trix while a gaping void in the floor remains.*

Prettywitch: What the fuck!?

Trix (worried): Are you okay?!

Prettywitch: Yeah, I’m alright.

*616-Stephen maintains his balance and uses his Cloak to glide over to Prettywitch.*

616-Stephen:  I’ve got you.  Point me in the right direction and I’ll get the relic out.  You’ve practiced your levitation techniques, right?

Prettywitch: Uh…Not really. *She points ahead.* That pile right in front of us, see the blue outline in the center?

616-Stephen (concerned):  Okay.  Levi, take Prettywitch back to Trix.  

*The Cloak carefully puts Stephen down and grabs Prettywitch, placing her safely next to Trix.  Meanwhile, Stephen heads towards the pile.*

*A glow of light catches his attention. On his right is a mirror covered in various runes and languages. In the right light, the markings almost seem to glow. There’s something about the relic that seems odd and this relic doesn’t exist in his universe so he isn’t quite sure what it does. Meanwhile, the room returns to normal as the floorboards expand again.*

*He can’t help but look as his eye is drawn to the light.  As he glances at the mirror, he notices the runes and engravings.  They’re beyond fascinating and he feels compelled to keep looking.  Stephen’s common sense kicks in and he shakes his head, tearing his eyes away from the mirror, suspicious of the dangerous relic.  Out of an abundance of caution since he knows they have no time to lose, he conjures a sheet and telekinetically drapes it over the mirror to cover it.  With that out of the way, he proceeds forward.*

*Trix and PrettyWitch follow slowly behind him, cautious of the various relics and of the room itself. Suddenly, the floor rumbles again and the room shudders, causing various relics to scatter about, one of which is a crown that falls right into Stephen.*

*By reflex, Stephen catches it, but unfortunately that’s all the Crown needed.  He has an irresistible urge to put it on and as he dons the Crown, he feels all of his worries and concerns melt away into bliss. On the outside, Prettywitch and Trix see the Sorcerer Supreme giggling and clapping his hands like a child.*

Trix: Fuck. *She turns to Prettywitch* You go for the relic so the Mansion doesn’t come crashing down around us and I’ll help Stephen.

Prettywitch: *Nods* Good idea! *She dashes for the relic.*

*Trix creeps forward and carefully maneuvers around some missing parts of the floor before reaching Stephen. A wave of aura tries to influence her but she quickly raises her mental shields and fortifies them, exactly like she did during her trial. Now she just has to get the crown off of Stephen without touching it.*

Trix (overly pleasant): Hey Stephen, whatcha doing?

616-Stephen (giddy):  Hi, Trix!  I feel great!  *He goes over to hug her.*

Trix (wary of the relic but trying to distract): Hey! I just thought of a game we haven’t played before. Want to try it? I don’t know if they have it in your universe. It’s called Simon Says.

616-Stephen (cheery):  Yeah, I’ve heard of it.  Sure!  

Trix: Okay, so the rules are you have to do whatever Simon, which I’m going to be, tells you to do but only if I say Simon Says first, okay?

616-Stephen:  Okay!  *He doesn’t seem to have a care in the world right now.*

*Before Trix can do the first round, another earthquake hits and the room begins to shake again.*

*Prettywitch meanwhile, continues running for the relic before getting hit with another wave of nausea. This one, more intense, like she ate too much chocolate for breakfast. BUt she has no time to be sick and pushes forward. When it becomes too much, she creates a shield that wraps around her body, encasing her in a pink glow, or sorts and walks towards the relic.*

Prettywitch: Alright, let’s end this… *The floor rumbles around her again.* Now…? 

Trix (slightly panicking): Simon Says don’t fall into the void! *The floor has disappeared next to her and she rights herself after a moment of unbalance.*

616-Stephen (oblivious):  Wheeeeee!  *He hops onto a stable set of planks.  The Cloak hovers nearby, concerned.*

Trix (shouting): Simon Says hold your crown above your head! *She’s panicking but trying not to show it*

616-Stephen (blissful):  Okay, but I’m not gonna lose it!~  

*As soon as he obeys and lifts up the Crown, the Cloak quickly yanks it out of his grasp and hurls it into the void.  Stephen lets out a startled yelp and turns, ready to scream at his relic until his eyes refocus and his expression of bliss goes from surprise to betrayal to horror.*

616-Stephen (coming to his senses):  What did I do?!  *The Cloak has resumed its proper place on his shoulders, keeping him steady.*  

Trix (relieved): Oh thank the Vishanti. *She breathes out a sigh of relief and the floor rights itself once again and Trix finds herself next to Stephen and hugs him.* A relic, a crown, landed on you and you just- *she gestures wildly* zoned out and started acting like a kid. Luckily Levi and I managed to trick you into getting the crown vulnerable.

*He accepts the hug from Trix and pats his Cloak in silent thanks to both of them.  Then, he quickly focuses on Prettywitch, watching to make sure she’s okay.*

*The shield seems to be holding well for Prettywitch as she advances, however a relic nearby begins to rattle and begin to move on its own. Trix yelps and rushes over between Prettywitch and the relic as green smokey magic reaches out, catching Trix instead of its intended target. The relic appears to be an old spinning wheel, its wheel now spinning faster and faster as a green glow appears in her eyes. She slowly advances forward with a handle outstretched towards the spindle.*

*Stephen summons the Hand of Hoggoth, grabbing Trix and pulling her back from the spinning wheel, attempting to get her out of range of the dangerous relic.*

Prettywitch: *Growls.* Dammit! We don’t have time for this!- *That’s when it hits her; time! She can stop time and get the relic. She chuckles.* Can’t believe I didn’t think of that sooner. *She goes to form the sealing wand and Time Card…only to remember what Stephen has been trying to teach her and stops. That just leaves her with one question; how can she make time magic her own. She starts snapping while thinking…until looking at her poised fingers gives her an idea. She smirks.* Well, no one will say this ain’t creative.

*Prettywitch taps her foot and snaps her fingers simultaneously. When this happens, the room becomes encased in a gold glow where everything and everyone has frozen in place. Satisfied, she takes a moment to admire her handiwork and turns back to face the relic.*

*Next, Prettywitch calls upon the Crimson Bands of Cyttorakk, mimicking the movements of her mentor as she throws the bands at the relic. She tightens the bands to secure its grasp and, with a quick gesture, she makes the bands bounce back to her with the relic in its tendrils.*

*Her last act is to encase the relic in a protective bubble for now.*

Prettywitch: *Smiling.* Not bad if I do say so myself. *Then she looks around and is reminded that she stopped time, so she taps her foot and snaps her fingers again, resuming time.*

*The room shudders one last time in relief before it finally settles. The heavy aura of distress is finally receding as the Mansion settles after the threat has been contained. Everything is calming down, except for Trix whose mind is still ensnared by the spinning wheel. Her face is blank as she is held by the Hand of Hoggoth, arm attempting to extend still.*

616-Stephen:  Nope.  Not having any of that.  *He maintains the Hand’s Grip and looks at the spinning wheel, using telekinesis to jam a dowel into the spokes, stopping its movements. The glow finally recedes from Trix’s eyes.*

Trix (drowsy): Did we win?

616-Stephen:  Yes.  Now we need to send that thing to this universe’s Wong.  He’ll know how to deal with it.  *He releases Trix when she’s back next to him.*

*Trix wearily turns to PrettyWitch*

Trix: Great job tracking that thing down. What is it anyway?

Prettywitch: This! Uh…I don’t know, your guess is as good as mine. Kinda looks like a Kalidescope, though.

616-Stephen (looking at it):  That’s a flashlight and it’s still on.  Turning it off would probably ensure that it won’t collapse the Sanctum if the bubble breaks.

Trix (baffled): I know it’s a relic, but how the hell did a flashlight manage to do all this?!  *She gestures around the room.*

616-Stephen:  No idea, but if the lockdown spells have lifted, let’s send it to their Kamar-Taj and make sure their Wong turns it off.

*Trix takes the hint and opens a portal to this universe’s Kamar-Taj. It seems to have worked.*

Prettywitch: *She peeks into the portal and sees the grand staircase.* Hello!?...Anyone home!?

*There’s no answer for a moment before 196971-Wong suddenly appears in front of the portal.*

196971 Wong: Who are you and why are you trespassing? *He spots 616-Stephen and blanches. Then he realizes exactly where we are.* What happened?

616-Stephen (coolly):  A misplaced relic almost collapsed this Sanctum.  Your Stephen and the Sanctum sent out a distress call, which we picked up in our universe.  We went in to extract it since that relic’s energy weakened not only your version of Stephen, but all of the other spirits present and the Sanctum itself.

*196971 Wong frowns and invites them into Kamar-Taj, away from the other deadly relics.*

196971 Wong: We have been in the process of connecting the New Orleans Sanctum to the various network wards across the world as it has been a few months since it has become a Sanctum. Unfortunately that means we were too absorbed in our work to realize the danger that was occurring. *He turns to PrettyWitch who has the relic floating next to her.* May I ask what relic caused this?

Prettywitch: Well, to be honest…we were kinda hoping you could tell us that. We don’t have anything like this in either of our worlds, as far as we know.

*196971 Wong raises an eyebrow at 616-Stephen at the ‘worlds’ comment but inspects the relic in the bubble with a frown.*

196971 Wong: We do not have any records to my knowledge of this relic. *He activates some identification spells around the bubble to try and gain more information.* It seems that it should not harm the living. It seems particularly geared towards combating things beyond the veil. We would not have willingly or knowingly brought it to the New Orleans Sanctum.

616-Stephen (unamused):  Precisely.  

196971 Wong (deadpan): We will do research on it of course, and store it properly and investigate how it came to exist in the forbidden relic room.

616-Stephen:  …and hopefully more thoroughly inspect relics before they’re placed into Sanctums to prevent further incidents.

196971 Wong: Naturally. *He eyes 616-Stephen* I’m assuming you became Sorcerer Supreme in your universe?

616-Stephen:  I did, yes.  Also, I had intended to send some new Masters on their first missions to deal with this, but elected to come with them just in case.  It seems that it was the right call.  This relic almost incapacitated one of them, poisoned the other one, and the threatened Sanctum’s relics and reactions nearly killed the four of us.

*Trix nudges 616-Stephen slightly.*

Trix: I know it was a bad move to have all those in there but I think you already explained the severity of what happened. It seems like it was an accident gone wrong…

196971 Wong: No, he’s right to scold me for not doing my due diligence. Our mistake should not have caused visitors to nearly meet their demise and nearly take out our fledgling Sanctum. *He bows to all four of us* I apologize for my actions and the actions of Kamar-Taj. *As he straightens, he frowns.* You mentioned four of you, is your last member alright?

*616-Stephen calms a bit.*

616-Stephen:  She’s still on the New Orleans Sanctum grounds with your Stephen.  While she recovers, your Stephen agreed to teach her some of his techniques.  *He looks at 196971 Wong calmly, clearly having forgiven him.*

PrettyWitch: Oh yeah, what do you want us to do with this relic in the meantime?

196971 Wong: We turn it off and drop it off in the library for cataloging before going to check on Stephen- *He glances at 616-Stephen* -my universe’s Stephen after that. *He comes to a realization.* I must apologize once more. I do not know your names. I am Wong.

*616-Stephen gently nudges Trix and Prettywitch to let them introduce themselves.*

Prettywitch: Oh! I’m Prettywitch.

Trix: I’m Trix! Another version of you actually helped train me. I’m going to eventually be our universe’s librarian since the three of us are actually from a different universe from this Stephen but magic just recently got introduced into our universe! *At this point she’s babbling. It’s been a long day.*

*196971 Wong stares at PrettyWitch and Trix for a moment before nodding with a hum.*

196971 Wong: Nice to meet you. Come. *He leads the group to the library.*

Trix (while walking): So why do you suddenly have an extra Sanctum?

196971 Wong: It was not intended. Stephen was on a mission to the mansion when the cloak pulled me from what I was doing to drag me back there. Stephen was trying to break a curse on the grounds but nearly killed himself on his first attempt. He forgoed treatment in order to stick to the terms of the wager with the party responsible for the curse and managed to break it at the cost of his life. The Mansion was gifted to him and due to its positioning and Stephen’s lack of desire to pass on, we decided that creating a Sanctum focused entirely on the other side of the veil would be advantageous.

616-Stephen:  I see.  It’s a logical conclusion.  *He nods in agreement.  In addition, he privately thinks about the scenario that his counterpart went through with empathy.*

Prettywitch: Yeah, but I wonder if it might be better to have a human sanctum master on the grounds, too. That way, the sanctum doesn’t fall into disarray like it did here.

*They enter the library.*

196971 Wong: We did consider it, however the Mansion is not meant to truly house the living anymore, with one exception. The Groundskeeper is typically on hand just in case. He was also affected by the curse since he was a child and somehow does not need everything we would to survive. Clearly we need another way for him to contact us, just in case.

*We reach a relic containment area and 196971 Wong gestures to Prettywitch.*

Prettywitch: *She holds it out to him.* Here you go.

*He takes the relic, turns it off, and stores it. Then he creates a portal to the graveyard where they left Ghost Stephen and Steward only to find Steward’s body laying in a casket with an old decrepit man about to put the lid on it.*

*616-Stephen freezes in horror.  His heart skips several beats as he goes pale.*

616-Stephen:  What in the name of Ostur happened here?!

*I twitch and let in a gasp of air before sitting bolt-upright in the coffin.  Then, I quickly turn my head to look at the Groundskeeper in shock.*

Me (almost screechy in my flurry of adrenaline):  EXCUSE ME!  I STILL HAVE A PULSE!  

196971 Wong (unamused): We’ve been over this plenty of times, just because someone is unconscious doesn’t mean they’re dead. *Clearly this has happened numerous times before.*

Groundskeeper (rather rattled): I’ve told you that I can handle ghosts but zombies are where I draw the line Master Wong. *He turns to Steward.* Apologies Miss! *He helps her out of the coffin.*

*I look at him, still bug-eyed, before shifting my glance towards the group.*

Me (slowly settling down):  Okay…You’re all okay…Good….*I pause to catch my breath.*

Trix: Some close calls with some relics but nothing we couldn’t handle! *She glances at 616-Stephen.*

616-Stephen:  Yes, we’re fine…*He’s clutching his chest as his heart rate finally starts to go back to normal.*

PrettyWitch: I think the better question is are you okay?

Me:  I’m better.  I’m guessing that the rest of the symptoms lifted once you guys extracted the relic.  Still feeling pretty drained, but I have all of my faculties back.  Plus, quite a bit more.  *I smirk.*

*Ghost Stephen materializes next to Steward.*

Ghost Stephen: I am finally back to full strength and Leota should be waking up soon as well. *He glances over at Steward and smirks as well.* I took the time to show Steward some tricks of the trade, as it were, since there was little else we could do and I would like to help train the next generation of mediums and necromancers. *He turns to PrettyWitch* Leota would absolutely love to talk to you about your psychic abilities. She’s been wanting me to find her an apprentice for ages and though it would only be for a very short time, this would appease her. 

Prettywitch: *She gets starry-eyed.* Really!? *She looks at her Stephen and gives him puppy dog eyes.*

616-Stephen:  Provided that you don’t nearly get buried alive or otherwise, fine.  *He doesn’t want to cheat Prettywitch out of an opportunity to learn.*

Prettywitch: Yes! *She traps her Stephen in a bear hug.* Thank you, Stephen!

616-Stephen:  Ack!  Yes, yes…I want you girls to learn as much as you can and keep an open mind so you can continue to learn throughout your lives.  This is a chance that shouldn’t be passed up.

Trix (hopeful): *She turns to Ghost Stephen* Does this mean I could possibly have permission to look through the library while the specialty training is going on? I’m sure you want to teach Steward some more things too!

Ghost Stephen (amused): Yes, so long as your version of me stays with you. I will chaperone Steward while Leota has PrettyWitch. As much as I love the Mansion, I am fully aware of the dangers it can pose to the living despite it not actively trying to kill anyone anymore. 

196971 Wong: I will begin to personally sort through the relics once more to make sure everything is in order and will not harm anyone else.

Trix (sheepishly): You will be one short. One ended up in the void when the Mansion was falling apart in the relic room…

616-Stephen:  It was a crown of sorts with deleterious mental effects.  

196971 Wong: Ah, yes. The world will not be at a loss with the demise of the Crown of Fools.

Trix (trying not to laugh): The Crown of Fools?

*616-Stephen gives Trix a look.*

196971 Wong: Yes, it was a rather insidious relic. Very tricky to manage. Too bad it…fell in the void. *He gives us a look before opening a portal back to Kamar-Taj.* It was a pleasure to meet you all. *And with that, he closes the portal and the five of us stand there, the Groundskeeper having snuck off while Wong was talking.*

Trix (turning to Stephen with a look): So you’ll chaperone me?

616-Stephen (smoothly):  I will.

*Trix turns back to Ghost Stephen with a grin.*

Trix: Then it’s settled! Special tutoring for all of us!

Ghost Stephen: Let’s get started then.

*We end up spending three days at New Orleans Sanctum, still lovingly referred to as The Mansion by its residents.*

*I learn to summon spirit-based weapons, open portals, and use spells while astral-projecting.  This includes a specialized type of portal for spirits.  I also check on the ghosts who were with me before the incident started.  When I realize they aren’t there, I get worried until Ghost Stephen lets me know that they’re most likely waiting for me in the 616-universe.*

*Prettywitch learns to start channeling psychic energy so that she can not only improve her tarot reading, but that it will allow her to eventually call upon her future vision at will. Leota also was delighted to teach her a number of her original spells from her grimoire.*

*Meanwhile, Trix has been, with Ghost Stephen’s permission, making copies of all of the books in the library so she can peruse everything when she has more time. She picks up certain things here and there and spends her Stephen-mandated breaks dragging 616-Stephen around so she can ask the various residents of the Mansion questions she has always wondered and finally gets to meet the Ghost Host, a lovely man who was originally named Sebastian Gore.*

*616-Stephen keeps an eye on Trix, making sure that she stays safe and takes regular breaks.  He listens to what’s going on and also checks on me and Prettywitch periodically to ensure that there are no further incidents.  Though he does have to drag Trix back to rest for the night a few times.*

*Finally, the time has arrived for us to go back to 616.*

Ghost Stephen: You’re welcome back anytime whether it be for knowledge, visiting for a friendly chat, or to explore the Mansion more. We're always haunting the place. *He smirks. A noticeable difference between the two Stephen’s is Ghost Stephen’s very morbid humor and a deliberate and frequent use of puns.*

Trix (exhausted but smiling): Thank you again! For everything! *She has enchanted at least five bags to hold the entirety of the library for her to bring back.*

Me:  Thank you, Sir.  *I give him a smile.*

PrettyWitch: Yes, thank you.

616-Stephen:  Thank you for your hospitality and sharing your knowledge with us.  We’ll be going now.

Leota (coy): Don’t stay away too long! It’s always a pleasure staring at two Stephen Strange’s.

*As we leave through a portal, Ghost Stephen is both blushing a bright blue while whispering loudly to Leota who grins at us. As the portal closes behind us, we find ourselves back at 616-Kamar-Taj. Exhausted, covered in cobwebs, but alive.*

*I notice that the ghost of The Ancient One has sensed our arrival and she has already appeared at my side.*

Ancient One (appearing to everyone): It seems you have gone on quite the adventure… *She looks Steward up and down before looking at the rest of us.* It’s a shame we didn’t know where you were to know where your new chapter began… *She’s rather formal at the moment.*

*I cringe, recognizing the tone and bow in apology.*

Me (earnest):  My sincere apologies.  I didn’t know that you and the other spirits wouldn’t be able to follow me.  *I stare at the floor.*

*The Ancient One stares at her for a moment before nodding.*

Ancient One: See that it doesn’t happen again. *She stares at Stephen.*

*Stephen withers under her stare.*

Stephen:  I’ll be sure of it.  *He bows as well.*

Ancient One (finally smiling): Good. *She disappears to the group, nodding at Steward as she heads further into Kamar-Taj.*

*I’m quiet.  Meanwhile, the other spirits reform and join me again.  Hearing the conversation of familiar voices in the courtyard, Wong comes out in a huff.*

Wong (growling):  I’ve been scanning for you for four days.  Where have you been?  *It’s clearly anger born of worry.*

Trix (holding up the giant bags): Saved another universe’s Sanctum and I brought you back an entire ghost library! *She grins at him*

*Wong glares at each of us and then his eyes settle on Trix before he sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.*

Wong (weary):  While it was a worthwhile endeavor, please for Vishanti’s sake, don’t disappear like that without warning us and leaving some information for us to be able to find you…

Trix: Come on, we can all get tea while we tell you about this ghostly fourth sanctum that got established and how PrettyWitch was a badass and saved the day.

PrettyWitch: *Blushes.* Well, I wouldn’t call myself a badass but yeah, I rocked!!! *Then she remembers something.* Oh yeah! Stephen, we should totally invite Clea to tea! I’m sure she’d love to catch up with us.

Stephen:  Erm…Sure.  *He flushes a bit.  He DID miss her.*

Stephen (disturbed at what I just said):  …Mental manipulation.  Agatha must have used Trix’s magical signature as a conduit since you four have different energy signatures than the wards and other spells in our universe.

Scott: I have no idea what any of that means.

*Prettywitch snickers, unable to keep herself from finding Lang adorable in a moment of crisis.*

Stephen (snippy):  So, are you going to call the meeting or not?  *He’s getting agitated due to being worried about Trix.  If Scott won’t call the meeting, then he will.*

Scott: Hey, take it easy, Stephen. I never said I wouldn’t. Besides, I still owe you one for showing up at Cassie’s birthday party. *He pulls out his communicator and hits the emergency meeting button installed on it.* Alright, see you guys in an hour. 

*He goes to find the remaining Avengers currently present on the campus.*

*Stephen doesn’t leave our side.  Though he does end up pacing agitatedly after a while as we wait.  After an hour, we enter the conference room with Scott and Peter.  Tony and Steve have already come in.  They had switched places with Rhodey and Sam a few days back to rest while other heroes tend to stabilizing our universe.*

*Fury is sitting at the head of the table with a deadpan look on his face and glances at Stephen and the girls.*

Fury (sarcastically): So, how did magical protective custody turn out? I see you’re down a person.

Stephen (coldly, trying not to lose his temper):  Still better than your option.  There would have been more of them missing and sooner without the wards.

Scott: Yeah, about that. You lost one of them?

Peter: “Lost one of them?” You can really lose people inside Kamar-Taj? *He looks between Scott and Stephen, slightly anxious as he’s been inside the temple before*

Tony: *He sighs tiredly* I don’t think he means Stephen misplaced them, kid. The Purple Witch of the West clearly got her claws on her.

Peter: *His eyes widen and he stiffens in his panic, too concerned to worry about being embarrassed* What? She did? Who did she take? Are they okay?

Steve (stern and concerned):  How did this happen?  

Stephen (trying to be patient):  Agatha bypassed our magic by using the girls’ energy as a conduit.  It’s similar to…Hmm…What Stark would say a VPN is on a computer.  She used it to manipulate Trix into opening the door and breaking the wards.  Then, Agatha abducted her before anyone could do anything to stop her.  From what we saw, Agatha is holding Trix hostage within an enchanted crystal and has threatened to kill her if any of our trained sorcerers follow her.

*Steve listens.  He doesn’t really understand it, but he lets Stephen talk.*

Scott: So, it’s basically a firewall breach but with magic.

Tony: Goddammit… *He rubs a hand down his face and shifts in agitation* And how certain are we that she’s actually crazy enough to go through with that threat? Could it be a simple bluff?

*Stephen nods at Scott affirmatively.  He then looks grimly at Tony.*

Me (tense):  She DID try to bump Tear, Prettywitch, and me off in the tunnels.  Said something about “hopefully your corpses will contain enough useful residual energy.”

Stephen:  Agatha carrying through on her threat is very possible.  She appears to want information and to…experiment on one of the girls…It is highly likely that once she gets what she wants, she…*He cuts off, clearly dreading what could happen.*

Peter: *He rushes to interject, eager to pull the adults from such dark endings* But we can still find Trix then, right? If Agatha did, then so could you and Mr. Wong. And we can plan an extraction together. Not to be mean or anything but…*He winces at Stephen*...sorcerers don’t tend to expect tech to be used against them. The Stark tech only continues to work because you’ve helped improve it with magic and…stuff.

Stephen (at this point, he’s willing to take any help he can get):  We COULD locate them, but Wong and I cannot follow…Peter does raise a good point in that regard, I suppose.  *He appears to be silently mulling something over.*

Fury: So we’re dealing with yet another magic user who loves to mess around in people’s heads and doesn’t hesitate to retaliate? This is the third one in a decade. You better have solutions for this breach in defenses for us mere mortals. *He’s still annoyed at being snubbed at the last meeting* Let alone that woman was the one who shared the most information and I doubt she’s had training to not share information through torture. If she knows this much about everything and has been captured, she’s a liability at this point.

Stephen (irritated):  Just like SHIELD is doing with the Ten Rings?  How is the current situation with HYDRA, by the way? 

*Fury looks unimpressed but doesn’t push more on the issue for now*

Me:  Tear, Prettywitch, and I are still novices.  Our signatures are still rather weak and Agatha bragged about finding us by sensing a “dead zone”.  So, since she probably isn’t in one of those areas, our signatures are more easily concealed.  We want in on this rescue mission.  *I’m firm*

Steve:  Well…Do you girls have any non-magical skills that could help?

Me (coolly):  We’ve been receiving martial arts training, as well as with some melee weapons.  Before coming here, I had advanced fencing training and some mixed martial arts from my dad since he’s a Marine.  Prettywitch has some prior training too.  Also, I can pick locks, make small explosive rigs, wire some objects to shock people, tie several strong knots, and a few other things.

*Stephen looks back at me and raises an eyebrow.  I hadn’t mentioned any of that before.  Despite this, he isn’t reassured and hates having to essentially sit back while all of this is happening.  The Sorcerer Supreme is also highly aware of Wong’s own agitation.  Neither of them like where this is going.*

*Steve is taken aback by this and more than a little suspicious of me after I admit to these things.*

Tony: *He waves a hand at Steward, palm facing up* Sounds like the basic Avenger skill set to me. Any of you know how to shoot a gun?

Me:  I don’t, unfortunately.  Can use a recurve bow and crossbow.  That’s it.

Prettywitch: *I shy my gaze away.* I don’t have any melee training, sadly. I am a pretty good swimmer, though.

Tear: *I meekly raise a hand* I can. Dad kept a shotgun in the house in case of intruders when I was younger…and I’ve had some weird boyfriends who thought shooting ranges made for cool dates… *I cross my arms and look away, clearly embarrassed*

Tony: Right, I don’t know why I’m surprised anymore. I can help equip them with a few things, for protection mainly. Maybe Rhodey can be convinced to do so as well. I don’t have any full suits, custom or otherwise. I don’t exactly run a leasing program.

Scott: I can probably help modify goggles for night vision.

Fury (grimacing): So what happens if more of you get captured then?

Stephen:  I was thinking the same thing, honestly.  However, I also know that these three won’t sit quietly either…Seeing as they’re hell-bent on participating in this rescue, we think it’s best that they do so while we can keep an eye on them to prevent more of them being captured.  *He still has an intense expression on his face.*

Scott: *Raises his hand to volunteer.* I can go with them.

Stephen:  Okay.  *He’s still not as familiar with Scott as the others, but his skills seem appropriate and Scott did help them defeat Thanos.  So, Stephen agrees to this as he continues to ponder.*

Prettywitch: So…does that mean we shrink down?

Scott: Yeah, but the problem is trying to convince Hank to let me use the Pym particles on a bunch of kids. He’s still pretty mad about me and Hope joining the Avengers. 

Fury (deadpan): You don’t think a multiversal threat that can manipulate and destroy anyone she comes across isn’t a compelling enough argument? 

Me:  We’re all in our 20’s and 30’s.  So, that might help a bit if he’s aware that we can understand the risks.

Scott: Okay. You have met Hank, right? Quick to anger, made a Hydra agent eat a table? He’s not exactly known for being chill under pressure. Believe me, I know!

*Fury just stares at him and then sighs.*

Fury (resigned): Strange, I would say to send one of your…apprentices along with Lang to convince Pym with the sob story but I have the feeling you’ll go feral if I even attempted to suggest that.

*Stephen turns to Fury with a look that all but confirms that fact.*

Prettywitch: Don’t worry, Fury. Stephen won't have a problem with it…because he’ll be coming with us. Won’t you, Stephen?

Stephen (displeased, but reluctantly agreeing to it):  Fine.  Though Wong will be keeping an eye on the rest of you.  None of you are to leave our sight.  Understood?  *He’s firm*

Me:  Yes, sir.

Tear: Promise we’ll behave. We don’t want to cause you or Wong any more trouble.

Prettywitch: Ditto.

Fury: Keep us updated on your progress and next steps. This witch has the potential to do a hell of a lot of harm if she gets the bright idea to step out of the shadows for once.

Tony: Pete and I will touch base with Rhodey and Wong, see what kind of equipment we can provide for you all. We’ll strategize and form a plan with Cap once you return. It’ll be easier if we know what we’ll have to our disposal.

Steve:  We’ll hold the fort over here and alert you if there are any additional developments in the meantime.

Scott: I’ll let Hank know you guys are coming.

Stephen:  Okay, so which one of you is coming with me to speak with Hank Pym?

Me:  I’ll go.  I can be diplomatic if needed.

Prettywitch: Tear and I can stay here in case they need an extra hand.

Stephen:  Okay.  Tear, PrettyWitch, stay with Wong and the Avengers.  Scott, Steward, and I will be back shortly.  *He opens a portal and sends the two girls back to Wong at Kamar-Taj alongside Tony and Peter.  Then, he opens a new portal to Hank Pym’s office once Scott finishes his notification.*

~~~~~

*Agatha is happily bustling about her lair as she starts getting preparations together for her  guest of honor. She has taken off the crystal necklace and it is floating above the onyx slab table in the center of the room. Compared to how it looked back at Kamar-Taj as a dark eggplant color, now it is cycling between a light violet and a bright orange.*

Agatha: Now my dear, you truly are something interesting. Completely different kind of magic just popping up like a weed out of nowhere. That and you and your friends seem to know way more than you let on… *she stops moving and turns to the necklace* Let’s start off easy… *she whispers a spell and purple smoke blows out of her lips and circles the necklace before it seems to be pulling something out of it. Finally, a violet and orange orb emerges from the crystal and begins to shape into a translucent form…*

Agatha: Alrighty, we never got formally introduced. My name is Agatha Harkness and you ruined my plans. Who are you supposed to be?

*Trix is floating about a foot above the necklace, seemingly tethered the crystal like a ball and chain. She is groggy and confused but takes a moment to realize where she is and just who is in front of her.*

Trix (out of it): Oh! It’s you! I love you, you’re one of my favorites! I was supposed to know something about you right now…damn I’m still useless… *she seems to shrink into herself for a bit*

Agatha: I’m glad that you could finally meet me then! Tell me- what’s been your favorite thing you know me from. *She’s slightly confused but isn’t going to let a chance like this go to waste*

*Trix is looking like she would fall over to the ground if she had a body at the moment but tries to focus on Agatha.*

Trix: You were in Wandavision. You had a catchy theme song and everything and almost won… *She starts to piecing together in her mind what’s going on and physically recoils when she looks down to find the situation she’s found herself in* Oh. We’re in that part now, huh.

Agatha (puzzled): I’m rather curious about you. Like how exactly you knew about my plans. Is it that seer friend of yours? It’s written all over her magic that she’s clairvoyant, same for the medium. It was you and that other one that were trickier to whittle down. But you’re still aware of details without your little group around as well. *She frowns and brings her hand up to her mouth in thought*

Trix: Listen, I just like to keep up with some of the more important magic users! It’s why I’m such a fan of you! *She’s trying not to get nervous but she has no idea what sort of spells that Agatha has going on. It’s better for her to tell the truth than get caught in a lie*

Agatha *She begins circling the table, looking up at Trix*: So, are you a witch then? Is this the Sorcerer Supreme’s attempts at an experiment? Combining witchcraft and the mystic arts to make up for the loss of their infinity stone? *She frowns to herself*

Trix: I mean, I don’t know what his plans are- they kinda just grabbed us from our home and suddenly we were being trained! 

Agatha *She hums*: So, why the different magical signatures then? I know what their goody-two-shoes ‘mystic arts’ looks like and I have seen nearly every form of witchcraft on this earth and yet four women show up out of nowhere with an entirely new one. 

Trix: I don’t kn- *She hisses in pain as her form begins to glitch out with magical sparks. Agatha smiles*

Agatha (cheerfully): You know, props to you for making it this long without lying to me. I was looking forward to a light show but you’ve only given me some $5 sparklers. *She laughs* Not that I’m complaining but I thought you’d make this more fun.  *She comes closer to the crystal and stares up intently at her* Now that you are starting to learn the consequences, why don’t we try that again?

Trix (nervous): Okay! Okay, I’ll tell you everything I know about what’s going on. But I want to know some things too. For every question I answer, you teach me something new about witchcraft. Where I’m from we didn’t have witchcraft like yours and when I found out about you, I was fascinated! Please? *She’s trying to be as convincing as possible*

*Agatha stares at her seriously for a moment before letting out a laugh and backing off and Trix lets out a small silent sigh of relief*

Agatha: I respect the hustle, kid. I really do. You’re lucky I want to learn your secrets today because lessons with Auntie Agatha don't normally come cheap. Fine, I’ll play this game so long as you tell me everything you know about what’s going on. Otherwise, I might get a bit clumsy and drop that crystal on the ground and Humpty Dumpty isn’t going to get put back together again…

*Agatha gives her a sharp grin and Trix smiles weakly back in response. She’s going to have to think on her feet to get out of this and honestly, she might have just made a deal with the devil.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Stephen, Scott, and I arrive in Hank Pym’s office and wait for the man to come in.*

Hank (coming into his office briskly): Stephen! It’s been awhile; good to see you. I take it this is one of the girls you mentioned, Scott?

Scott: Yup.

*Stephen greets Hank politely.*

Stephen:  Hello, Hank.  

*I watch the conversation start and give a meek wave, a bit shy around the older man.*

Me (polite):  Hello, Dr. Pym.  I’m Steward.  

Hank: It’s nice to meet you, Steward. I’ve heard a little about your situation from Scott and I’m eager to learn more. (He holds his hand out to Steward for her to shake it and, noticing she’s hesitant, smiles.) It’s okay, I don’t bite.

Scott: Isn’t that what you said to Peter the other day before you chewed him out for…(He sees Hank slowly turning to give him the death glare.) You know, you’re right. I’m shutting up now.

Hank: Thank you. (Turns back to Steward.) Anyway, I look forward to helping you.

*Stephen gives me a gentle nudge to snap me out of the shyness.  I’m slightly startled, but look back at Hank.*

Me:  Thank you.  *I reach out to shake his hand, keeping it professional with a small smile of my own before getting serious.*  Erm…Unfortunately, one of us, Trix, has been abducted by a witch and we need some non-magical means to slip past her detection.  We were hoping that we could borrow some of your equipment for the rescue mission if that’s okay.  *I’m still slightly cautious, but figure that Hank would appreciate a direct and honest approach.*  I also figured that maybe if things work out, then you might be curious about interdimensional energy and travel.  So…Maybe if we can get the mess sorted out, you could visit our universe.  The differences in quantum energy between universes could be interesting.  *I offer this, speaking from scientist to scientist.*

Hank: Well that depends…(Turns to Scott) Will you be there with them?

Scott: Yeah, of course.

Hank: (Turns back to Steward) Then you’ve got yourself a deal. (He motions for the trio to follow him and they do.)

Scott: Wow. I actually thought it would take awhile to convince you.

Hank: If you’re with them, there’s less of a chance of something going wrong. Just…try to keep it under the radar. I don’t need the FBI on my ass…again.

Scott: (Sigh) You’re just never gonna let go, are you?

Hank: You had me on the run for the Government for two years!

Scott: Oh, right! Cause you were living so uncomfortably!

Hank: And you weren’t?

Scott: (He’s realizing he has no argument for them.) Point taken.

*Stephen watches everything unfold quietly, slightly amused by the bickering.*

(They step into Hank’s lab.)

*I’m intrigued, glancing around curiously.  Though I’m also being careful not to touch anything.*

Hank: So, tell me a little bit about this witch.

Stephen:  Her name is Agatha Harkness and she practices Dark Magic.  Her original goal was to corrupt Wanda Maximoff with the Darkhold, but the girls informed us about it and we managed to stop her.  As retaliation, Harkness went after the girls.  Wong and I attempted to keep them in protective custody until she could be captured, however something went wrong.

Me:  Agatha essentially used our different magical signatures as a conduit to get past Stephen and Wong’s wards and manipulated Trix into opening the door.  She basically forced Trix into a mental breakdown.  Tear, PrettyWitch, and I tried to stop her, but it happened so quickly…As soon as the door was opened, it broke Stephen and Wong’s wards and Trix disappeared in a puff of smoke.  *I speak grimly.*

*Stephen looks at me empathetically, the truth of the matter on how Agatha got to us finally starting to sink in.*

Hank: A magical bypass…Well, I’ve got something that should work. Although it is experimental. (He pulls out what looks like a regular old press-on tattoo.) This is the Achilles Tendon; it’s meant to neutralize incoming frequencies and disruptions without your opponent knowing.

Me:  So, it’s effectively a wearable signal jammer so she can’t interfere with any of us during the rescue?

Hank: Exactly. I’m not exactly sure how powerful it will be against magic, but I’m sure that’s something you can help with, Stephen.

Stephen:  I can.  Do you have an extra one for me to reverse-engineer?

Hank: I do. (He tosses it Stephen’s way.)

*Stephen catches it.  As he does, his expression lightens.  It appears he has multiple ideas.*

Stephen:  Great.  *He nods at Hank gratefully*  I’ll get to work on it.  

Hank: Good. I’ll set you up with some more discs, Scott can show you how to use them when you get back to the compound.

Me: Thank you, Sir.

Hank: Don’t mention it. Good luck.

Me (slight smile):  Heh…If the lab is still reasonably intact and my boss lets me, maybe I can let you and Tony check it out.  I’m in biomedical science, but it still could be interesting.  *I’m showing gratitude*

Hank: (Chuckles) I’d like that.

Stephen:  We’ll report back to the compound for now.  Thanks, Hank.  We’ll keep you updated.  *His trademark smirk is beginning to reappear.*

Hank: You’re welcome.

Scott: Oh yeah, Hank? Would you mind texting Hope and let her know I’m gonna be running late tonight?

Hank: Text her yourself, she and Janet are out having a spa day.

Scott: Oh yeah…Hope mentioned something out that…now that I remember.

*After he texts Hope, we accept the tech from Hank and portal back to the Avengers Compound.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Trix is beaten and battered as she hisses in pain, landing hard on unfamiliar ground. As she looks around, she seems startled as she finds a landscape made up of orange and purple, the colors swirling together like a lava lamp. She has no idea how she got there, as the last thing she remembered was Agatha’s crazed eyes. Trix hadn’t given up any important information (in her eyes) yet, but had dragged the conversation along until the witch grew tired of waiting for a relevant answer and went straight to torture instead.*

Unknown Voice: I don’t know why you think that trying to outsmart a centuries old magic user is a good idea. Especially when trapped like this.

*Trix whips around to look behind her and it almost seems like halfway through the dreamscape, someone painted a line down between the halves and smothered it in green. The most surprising thing is the black haired person sitting casually on the ground, looking up at her unamused.*

Trix: I can’t tell her something important but I have to keep her distracted long enough for the rescue team to show up. Wait- *she frowns* can I not lie in here as well?

*The man sighs and stands up, revealing a very tall figure. He wanders up to the split and just stares at her. Trix merely stares back at him as she begins to recognize him*

Man: We’re in the astral plains. We’re essentially spirits here with no physical body so that leads to being unable to lie. Unfortunately the witch has extra compulsions on the crystals…

Trix: You-you’re Loki! *she is absolutely starstruck and Loki looks confused*

Loki: You know of me? I’m not even in my usual manner of dress. *He frowns and looks down at himself. He is wearing khakis and a white button up shirt. The tie is almost shredded and there’s no jacket to be found.*

Trix: You’re the one who had to deal with the TVA! Fuck, how did you end up in here? *She’s exhausted but realizing who’s there with her is giving Trix a second wind*

Loki (frowning): How…how do you know about the TVA?

Trix: Long story short, I know about what the sacred timeline is and how the multiverse was broken open by Sylvie killing the One Who Remained. *She glances around* Agatha can’t hear us here, can she?

Loki: No. We would have to be pulled out in order for us to be spied on. The one saving grace of this spell to be honest. *He stares at Trix closer* You’re not another version of me, are you? Because the female presenting ones seem to be a bit more successful in their murdering plans.

Trix (smiles weakly): No, I’m not a Loki however my nickname is based off of you. Well, it’s a nickname of a username…Trickstress turned into Trix and…y’know- *She can’t help but ramble and her body begins to tremble with both nerves and exhaustion*

Loki (gently): A pleasure to meet you then, Trix. Apologies for the terrible living conditions. Clearly you were important enough to be trapped in this torture session. *He smiles at her gently, seemingly aware she’s at her limit*

Trix: Oh no, I’m no one special. My friends are amazing and can do incredible things! I’m just the expendable one who faints whenever I come across something in a different language. *She wanders over to the border and knocks on the invisible wall before plopping down on the ground.* I just had to promise Agatha that I would tell her everything I know about what’s going on…

Loki (deep in thought): No, you’re clearly important enough to render this *he gestures wildly at their surroundings* punishment.

Trix: You mentioned we were in the astral plains…how exactly are we here?

Loki: *He sits down again, staring at Trix* This is typically used by mages to their particularly tricky or uncooperative opponents. The body is transformed and crystallized, revealing the deepest parts of one’s soul. In your case it’s the violet and orange around you. Mine matches my magic. *He gestures at his surroundings* In the same way that our body would normally house our spirit, the crystal prison that our body becomes gives others almost complete power over our souls. Such as being unable to lie. *He looks annoyed at that.*

*Trix looks around at their surroundings with a bit more hesitancy*

Trix: So you’re saying it’s pointless to try and escape?

Loki (shrugs): You mentioned having assistance so you’ve already started to stall. The only way you’re getting out of here is by outside help, a good opportunity, and luck.

Trix *confused*: Why do you say that like you’re not getting out?

Loki: I’m not a good person. I am acutely aware of that fact, especially after everything that happened after New York. No one knows that I’m here and they likely wouldn’t save me otherwise. *He isn’t upset at any of this, but states it as fact*

Trix: I would absolutely help you and the others would as well, especially after they know what’s going on. *She attempts to scoot closer to the barrier* Don’t give up on yourself yet!

Loki (smirking): I could say the same for you. You don’t seem to have a high opinion of yourself at all.

*Trix frowns and curls into herself*

Trix: So, the long story short is that my friends and I are from a universe where everything about your universe, from the ‘Sacred Timeline’ is media. Stories that were fictional and we bonded over our love of those stories. Then Stephen *she blinks a moment* Doctor Strange is what he’s formally known as and now is Sorcerer Supreme here, accidentally ended up in our universe. Our universe kinda broke and now magic is becoming real, we all got new powers but mine keeps being overwhelming, and we were brought here to try and train so we can survive and thrive at home. *Trix is rambling at this point but Loki is listening intently* The others are all able to fight, even at a beginner level, have amazing abilities like being able to talk to spirits, or advanced healing, and even foresight! I’m only able to read and understand languages but it’s just so frustrating because my brain can’t handle it! I am horrible at fighting too and injuries freak me out. I honestly shouldn’t have come, I don’t contribute much…

Loki (frowning): No, you will. You might not be able to now but you will eventually. In Asgard, you weren’t highly regarded if you weren’t a warrior. I decided to learn how to be a politician and a scholar. You don’t need everyone on the same path and same skills. *He crouches down next to me on his side of the barrier* I’m guessing I’m a character in these stories you talked about, yes?

Trix: Yeah… *finally starting to pull slightly out of the depression*

Loki (slightly frustrated but trying to be motivational): You likely know my whole story then. Even the parts from my ‘true path’ and know more than I. Yes?

*Trix nods*

Trix: Yeah, you’ve always been one of my absolute favorites. You’ve always somehow been able to get through any situation even when it’s seemed impossible.

Loki (grinning): Ah, good. Then let me become your instructor in the School of Loki. You shall be my first disciple. 

*He’s trying to goad her into a smile and is pleased when she lightly giggles in response*

Loki: Consider this an early repayment of gratitude for your dedication to both getting me out of here as well as your dedication to my story, as it were. *He sits down next to me on his side of the barrier*  First, we’re going to get you prepared to be summoned back to Agatha as I am fairly sure you haven’t been trained in how to withstand torture and interrogation, yes?

Trix: Yeah, not part of my curriculum when going to school.

Loki: Honestly, it should be. Anyway: you promised her that you would tell her everything that you know. In this, you will not lie. We are unable to at the moment.

Trix (realizing): I completely forgot about that-

Loki (slightly exasperated): Which is why I believe you about your origins and why I can’t train you as I’d like. Anyways: let’s begin-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Stephen returns with Scott, me, and the tech in tow.*

Stephen:  Okay.  I’ll let Wong and the others know how it went.  Also, I have another idea.  We’ll discuss it once everyone is back.

*Stephen messages the Avengers to update them and then communicates with Wong.  As soon as the older sorcerer knows that things are okay, he portals Tear, Prettywitch, and the two Avengers back to the Compound to join me and the others.  A few minutes later, the rest of the Avengers assemble to begin formulating their strategy to deal with Agatha.* 

Me (small smile):  It worked out.  We have the tech.  Also, Hank wants to visit our world later on when stuff calms down.  If stuff calms down, anyway…

Tear: I’m sure it will. Tony managed to get in touch with Rhodey. He said Matt and Jen had finally made some progress in giving SHIELD and the Avengers proper authority over disaster zones.

Me:  That’s great news!  *I brighten up slightly.  Though still worried about Trix.*

Prettywitch: It’s about damn time. *She says this with a smile.*

Steve (giving a small congratulation before getting down to business):  That’s some excellent work over there.  Now to the problem at hand.  How do we locate and capture Agatha Harkness?  Also, how do we make sure she doesn’t have Trix on her?  We need to make sure we get her out safely as quickly as possible. 

Stephen:  Wong and I have already traced her location to a remote cabin in the middle of the October Mountain wilderness near Salem, Massachusetts.  That part wasn’t difficult.  Hank gave the team some wearable signal jammers and I’m going to attempt to modify them so that Harkness’ spells won’t work on anyone wearing them.  Also, I think I found a workaround for the witch’s defenses so that Wong and I can provide additional aid.

Tony: *He sends Stephen a look, genuinely impressed* So you’ll give us the Sorcerer Supreme’s version of protective charms? Sounds like we got lucky with our cereal box.

Stephen:  Technically speaking.  *He gives Tony a wry look.*

Steve:  Okay.  That’ll work as an effective defense.  What else do we need to be on the lookout for when confronting this witch?

Stephen:  She’ll most likely have several traps and wards up.  Judging by the fact that she uses Dark Magic, those wards and magical triggers for the traps will be in the form of runes.  Not all of them are visible to non-magic users.  However, the girls will be able to see them.  We did get them to that stage of their training before it was interrupted.  Anyway, most trap spells are triggered by anything larger than an insect.  As for the wards, all of the runes have to be taken out at once or they stay up.  Beyond that, be careful of any potential entities or brainwashed mortals that she might use as pawns.  

Tony: Alright, so we’ll do extensive recon. We had already determined we cannot go in, guns blazing, while Trix is still a hostage, so our strategy cannot change. *He types away at a holographic keyboard being projected from his wristwatch and finally flips his hand forward, tossing the resulting hologram to hover where everyone can easily see it. It is a terrain map of the mountain Stephen mentioned.* This is where Atom Ant and his tiny army come in. With the Pym Tech, I can equip you with scanners and beacons to help us locate these runes.

Scott: *Raises an eyebrow at Tony’s nickname.* Atom Ant?

Stephen (stepping forward quickly):  Our first priority should be to locate Agatha within her lair and confirm that Trix’s crystal is present and undamaged.  *He’s still quite livid about the situation and worried sick about Trix, but containing himself as best he can.*  Once we do, the crystal needs to be secured and taken out of Harkness’ reach.  Then, the runes must be destroyed to break the wards.  Wong and I should be able to portal to the ensuing battle as soon as Trix’s crystal is secured and the wards are down.  *The sorcerer seethes with determination.*

Scott: Hey, don’t worry, Doc. We’ll get her back. 

Steve (reassuring the sorcerer): Precisely, Stephen.  We’ll ensure that Trix gets freed safely and help the other girls through this mission.  Scott, could you please brief the team on how to use the discs Dr. Pym provided?

Scott: Sure. *He holds up two discs for everyone to see.* Alright, so there’s two different discs. Red shrinks, blue grows. Now, the way you use them is pretty simple; all you gotta do is throw them at the object or person you wanna shrink or enlarge and…bam! *He throws a red disc at Fury’s coffee cup, which shrinks.*

*The entire group listens intently to him, asking questions to be sure that everyone has the facts straight.  Scott has each person do a dry run of what to do so the risk of anything going wrong from misuse is minimized.  I’m nervous, but hiding it well.  I’ve never been in this kind of fight before.  However, my main priority is getting Trix back.  So, I listen well, answer the questions, do the drills, and stay composed.  Steve watches all of us intently.*

Steve:  If we feel confident in these drills, then we need to address how to properly disable and capture Agatha.  Stephen, any advice?

Stephen:  Magic takes focus and concentration.  If she’s too preoccupied with defending herself, then she won’t be able to hit back as effectively.  Also, most incantations have to be spoken and the proper gestures need to be made.  If you can somehow silence her and prevent her from using her hands, she can’t cast.

Me:  Tony, if you have some spare supplies, I can make some small charges and connect the detonators so they all go off at once to take down the runes.  Do you mind?  Oh!  Also, maybe some clamps, a couple of wires, and the power supply from a taser.  I’ve got an idea…*I have a slightly nasty-looking smirk at the last bit, but notice his look.*  Don’t worry.  It’s nothing lethal.  Basically, if she tries to open her door, she’ll get shocked.  It could provide an opening for a second or two while she’s stunned.

Tony: *He lifts his eyebrows at Stephen, slightly amused.* She’s devious. *He turns back to Steward and gives his consent with a small flick of his fingers.* You can grab what you need from any of the shared labs in the Compound. And I may not have any extra suits just waiting for grabs, but I do have plenty of explosives. FRIDAY can easily time the detonations. So if Mother Goose doesn’t object, you can be responsible for setting them up.

Stephen (looking at me):  Are you sure you know what you’re doing?

Me:  I do. 

*He sighs.* 

Stephen:  Please be careful and don’t blow yourself or anyone else up.

Me:  I won’t.  I’ve worked with explosive charges before.  *I have a toothy grin.  The small chips and slight cracks on my teeth are not reassuring.*

Stephen (resigned):  Do I want to know?

Me (chipper):  Probably not!

*Stephen reluctantly allows me to perform my tasks.  Though he IS hovering nearby as he works on enchanting Hank’s devices.* 

Steve:  When we have Trix’s crystal located, we’ll have to secure it quickly before Agatha can damage it.  If we can disable her quickly, then we should be able to go in and recover it without too many complications.  However, if she’s wearing or holding it, we’ll have to make sure we incapacitate her carefully without giving her an opening to make a move on the crystal.

Peter: *He sits up eagerly and lifts a hand as if they are in class.* Oh! I could easily steal it back from her if I get a clear shot at it. *He turns and shrugs at PrettyWitch, who is standing closest.* It worked when I once stole Cap’s shield.

Steve:  Admittedly, that was an effective move.

Tony: *He frowns, unsure.* I don’t think I want you anywhere near the witch, Underoos.

Steve: *Approaching the subject gently, but firmly.  He’s trying to be tactful.  Though he understands why Tony is so protective of Peter.  Even then, he also sees how much Peter has grown.*  Tony, as young as Peter is, he did help us save the universe.  Maybe it’s time that he helps more on missions if he’s willing.

Tony: *His eyes flash dangerously as he whips around to face Steve with a scandalized look.* Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware his guardianship had passed from May Parker to Steve Rogers.

*Steve puts his hands up and steps back, letting Tony speak his part.  He’s not looking for a fight.*

Stephen (stepping in):  I’ve finished my modifications on the “Achilles Tendon” devices that Hank provided.  They should ensure that everyone on this rescue mission is well-protected.  *He emphasizes the last part while looking at Tony, who looks about to explode at Steve.*

Tony: *He drags his eyes away from Steve to meet the sorcerer’s. His angry glare remains if only to hide the sheer fear in his eyes.* Can you promise me that?

Peter (meekly): I trust Doctor Strange…

Stephen (solemn):  I promise.  Everyone there will be wearing the devices, including my apprentices.  They will provide the best protection I can possibly give while unable to be there myself.  *He’s deadly serious*

Scott: *He notices the tension in the room and decides to do something about it.* Ah, great! Hank’s gonna be thrilled. *He takes the devices from Stephen and looks at Steve & Tony.* Well, come on. Let’s go. *He makes his way towards the door.* 

Tony: *He sighs and turns to Peter, pointing a scolding finger at him.* You stick close to the girls and listen to your Spidey Sense, no matter how little a tingle you feel. Got it?

Peter: *He grins, happy he got his way in the end* Got it. Just stop saying tingle.

Tony: *He pivots to point that same finger at the three women.* And that goes for you three as well. Out there, you all listen to Cap or you listen to me. No questions asked. The last thing I need is Mother Supreme haunting my ass if anything happens to any of you.

Me:  Aye, sir.  *I give Tony a serious nod.*

Tear: *She links elbows with Peter and gives both Tony and Stephen a nod.* We’ll keep each other safe.

Prettywitch:  Exactly! You two’ve got nothing to worry about.

Steve:  Okay, any more questions?  If not, then suit up.  We’re moving out in T minus 5 minutes.  Make sure everyone has everything they need. 

*Within 5 minutes, Steve, Peter, Tony, Scott, and the three women are suited up and ready for action, each person donning a modified Achilles Tendon device to block Agatha’s spells.  They use a Quinjet to get close to the location.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*There’s no way to track the passage of time while in the astral plains, however Trix has been summoned by Agatha four times so far. Each has been harder than the last and she comes back wounded each time. This was one of the longer sessions so far.*

Loki (looking concerned at Trix): That one seemed to be a harsh session, are you alright?

Trix (laying on the ground and spasming in pain): I asked too many questions that time and I think she was getting less forgiving of my stalling. *She groans in pain and lays there for a while. Despite being in her astral form, she looks beaten and bloody.*

*Loki does a spell and a large leather bound book appears before him, floating in place right around his chest*

Loki: Let’s not waste your sacrifices then. Show me what she taught you. 

*Much to Trix’s initial surprise when he first did so, Loki is able to use magic in the astral plains and has been slowly teaching Trix to do so as well when she isn’t too burnt out. He has been collecting all of the knowledge she’s been drawing out of Agatha in a grimoire he had summoned. He slowly taught her to cast spells to show what the runes looked like in light. While Loki’s was green, Trix’s was orange.*

Trix: It was warding this time. It looked like the runes she has up in her lair. I know a little bit about runes from my world but hers are different, unsurprisingly. They looked like these-

*She casts from where she’s laying on the ground and six orange runes float above her. Loki makes a noise of acknowledgement and begins to write them down. Trix begins to explain how Agatha described each one and what each one meant and how they interact with each other.*

Trix: I recognize them from the show. She went more in depth in them here of course versus the show but they’re meant to keep people from performing magic. ‘In a given space, only the witch that cast the runes can perform her magic’ she had said in the show. Agatha didn’t say that here, only explaining the details of each one. I’m doubtful she would have taught me this if she knew that I know what they do. *She pauses a moment before looking over at Loki* I think this may be what we need to stop her.

Loki (nodding): I think you’re right. I recognize some of these but covens are notoriously picky about who they share their knowledge with. Even the names of them weren’t recorded, at least until now. They’re a superstitious lot. They believe names have power but that simply isn’t true. An old wives’ tale. 

*Trix cranes her head back at him and smiles briefly*

Trix: I’m glad we have it now. I’m running out of things to tell her before I get to the parts I do not want her to know. I already shared that we know what we do from stories that were passed down over decades. Agatha is convinced we live in some sort of coven that has the ability to determine prophecies and she seems way too interested. She keeps asking about where I came from and giving my exact city name isn’t working anymore. I think she went to investigate our city in this universe but didn’t find anything. She’s going to ask even more clarifying questions soon and I’m going to run out of ways I can stall without revealing what’s actually going on. *She starts pacing and it’s incredibly easy to slip into the beginnings of an anxiety attack due to Agatha’s manipulations*

Loki: *closes the book and makes it disappear. He looks at me with a gentle smile* You’re doing very well, Trix. The wounds on your soul are starting to pile up but you are being incredibly strong. We’ll get out of this soon. For now, rest and heal as I tell you more stories about my oaf of a brother and how I got him out of another stupid situation when we were younger. Then we can worry about appeasing the witch.

*Trix just lets out a small smile as she closes her eyes and just listens to him weave a tale meant to calm her down and make her laugh*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*As Trix endures her captivity and befriends Loki, the team proceeds to close in on Agatha’s lair.*

Fury: So we need to set up protective custody then… *looks at the others* I’m assuming you don’t want to do so here.

Tony: *Scoffs* Please, SHIELD cannot even stop any sort of portals from opening inside their premises. You really think you can fight against a four-hundred-year-old crazed witch? It’ll be a bloodbath, Fury.

Steve (worried, but also having a nasty feeling about what might happen):  We might need to close the interdimensional portal in case Agatha decides to try and take hostages from your home world.

Tony: *He points at Steve, seconding his concern* Your families are still safe for now, and we’ll work to ensure they remain so. But it’s never a dumb idea to take precautions.

Stephen:  Kamar-Taj is a magical stronghold.  We can conceal the girls there and our sorcerers can defend the place.

Wong:  I will alert our forces.

Tony: You’ll need backup.

Fury: I need as much information on this rogue as possible if she can do this amount of damage. Get the ladies to safety then we’re going to have a chat. *he looks even sterner than before*

Stephen:  I’ll provide the info.  Girls, go with Wong.

Tear: Wha–? Right now? Stephen, you’re literally bleeding on Fury’s white floor. Both you and Wong should be back at Kamar-Taj too.

Stephen:  It’s better if we make sure you’re all off the playing field as quickly as possible.  If we hide you now and fortify Kamar-Taj, it’ll be harder for Agatha to find and get to you.  Don’t worry about me.  We’ve both had worse.  Go.

Trix: *looks at the others* I think we might’ve fucked shit up in a different way than we expected.

*I nod at Trix numbly.*

PrettyWitch: Ah, don’t say that. How could we have known?

Wong:  Come.  I will lead you to the safest chambers of Kamar-Taj.  

*He beckons us and we follow him through the portal as Stephen stays back to brief Fury, Tony, and Steve.  The mystical compound is swarming with activity as the sorcerers fortify the place.  Wong leads us deeper and deeper into the buildings.  It truly is enormous and seems to burrow into the very stone beneath the mountains.  We have to stay close to keep up with him.  Otherwise, we would easily be lost in the labyrinth of chambers and corridors*

Trix: This is starting to feel eerily familiar and I swear to god we are getting rid of any reflective surfaces because I am not about that scary bullshit. *she’s incredibly nervous and fidgeting but is trying to at least act brave*

Me (grasping at straws):  We all remember at least our basic shield spells and a couple of offensive ones, right?

Tear: …Are sorcerers allowed to carry guns? Shotguns usually work against those that just refuse to die.

Me:  Honestly, I have no idea.  Unless we catch her off-guard, I don’t think it would help much.

PrettyWitch: We’re gonna die, aren’t we!?

Wong:  I will personally see to it that there will be no way for Agatha to get through.

*We eventually reach a small room nestled within several other rooms, each one giving off its own peculiar energy.  Putting two and two together, we realize that we’re passing through several layers of magical wards.  The room itself is small and well-lit with no mirrors.  It has a couple of bunk beds, some emergency supplies, and a radio.  There is also a sink, chemical toilet, and a shower curtain for modesty and hygiene purposes.  Otherwise, there isn’t much to minimize any risk of the room’s integrity becoming compromised.*

Me (sincere, in case I don’t get to say it again):  Thank you, Wong.  Also, extend our thanks to Stephen, the Avengers, and everyone else working so hard to protect and help us and our home world.  Please do your best to get out of this in one piece.  We really do look up to and care about you all.  *I’m grim, scared, and trying to stay composed.  Though I really am terrified that this might be the last time we see someone.*

Trix: Yeah, we greatly appreciate everything you’ve all done for us and our universe. I just wish we didn’t make this so difficult for you all. *she continues to fidget and honestly feels incredibly guilty for what’s going on since she’s the one who explained what was going on in Westview*

Tear: Yeah, please be very careful. When we first met Stephen, we never expected any of you to be so kind and supportive. We’ll never be able to repay you how much you’ve done for us.

PrettyWitch: I’m not sure what else to add but thank you, Wong for everything you’ve done for us. It’s been an honor to meet you. Stephen is truly lucky to have you for a friend.

Wong (surprisingly gentle):  We are simply performing our duties.  Thank you for helping Stephen and for being cooperative and kind.  We shall meet again.  *He says the last part to reassure us.  Even then, seeing as there is an afterlife, he isn’t exactly lying if things go badly.*

Trix: *she kind of inches closer to Wong* Depending on how things might go, can we at least have a hug from one of our best teachers? *makes puppy dog eyes at Wong*

Wong (sighing):  Very well.  Then, I must go back and finish preparations.  After I shut this door, stay here and do not leave until either Stephen or I come get you.  Do not open the door from the inside under any circumstance.  Understood?

Me (shakily):  Yes, sir.

Trix: Absolutely! *she absolutely takes advantage of this rare opportunity and goes for a bear hug because not only is it Wong, she is genuinely terrified*

*I’m still shy, but join in the hug.  After all, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do this again.*

Tear: *I quickly join the group hug* We love you, Wong. Please don’t let Stephen do anything stupid.

PrettyWitch: *She joins in the hug, too.*

*After we let go of him, he gives us a respectful nod and shuts us into the room together.  Now, we wait.*

Trix: Guys, I honestly feel really horrible that we accidentally kicked off Multiverse of Madness. Hell, us jumping universes to escape crazy monsters should have been our first clue. *she flops onto the nearest bunk bed face first and groans loudly into the pillow*

Tear: Not one of our brightest moments, in hindsight…

Me (grim):  It seems the timeline was going to progress in one way or another…I said plenty as well.  All of this to avert it and now look…

PrettyWitch: Hey, don’t be like that. If it didn’t happen this way, it would’ve happened another way. 

Trix: *she sits back up on the bed* I mean, it’s either better or worse that it’s Agatha. Better in that she isn’t as instantly powerful as Wanda. Bad in that she knows the darkhold and her magic so well over the centuries and we don’t know exactly what she’s capable of. Coven of Chaos didn’t even have leaks yet. She isn’t like the comics either.

Me:  How long before you think she’ll find out?  

Trix: I give us a week, tops. If even that long. With a lot of the major superheroes disappearing at once it might raise red flags that something is up.

Tear: I’d give it less than that. If she’s really studied the Darkhold for centuries, then she must be well versed in the existence of alternate universes already. Actually getting to visit the multiverse rather than dreamwalking must be really tempting for her.

PrettyWitch: I hadn’t even thought of that.

Me (peering at the “bathroom”):  At least the sink has a matte finish…Small mercies.

Trix: I miss our Chupacabra.

*The sorcerers have fortified Kamar-Taj.  It’s a long, tense wait.  Yet, it seems, the attack never came.  At least, it doesn’t seem like it.  If anything, this apparent calm only makes Stephen and Wong feel even worse.  They know something is coming, but have no idea when or how.  Several days pass.  Caution fatigue is beginning to take root in the guards’ forces.  A few of the more skeptical members of the Order are starting to become complacent.  Meanwhile, in our sanctuary; we’re cooped up, wracked with guilt over what’s happening, and beginning to get on each others’ nerves thanks to being stuck in one room together with no real privacy or way out.*

*I’m currently sitting on my bed with my headphones on since they were in my purse.  I’m playing music in an attempt to distract myself and tune out from everything.  With what’s going on and the helplessness we’re experiencing, I’ve begun to disassociate as a defense mechanism.  It feels like the only way to stay remotely calm right now.  I’m numb and have been partially blaming myself for not seeing this coming.*

*Prettywitch is beside herself. On the one hand, she’s terrified. On the other, she feels a sense of calm, like somehow this will all work out. Unfortunately, it’s the fear that keeps coming back to her, like an endless feedback loop. She does have one idea forming in her head that’s positive, one that might help them and their friends.*

*Trix has been doing her best to practice meditating the past few days and seems to be having a better time of it. She has been getting more and more paranoid that she is bothering the others by doing anything so she tries to stay as inconspicuous as possible and is barely talking or eating at this point.*

*Tear has spent most of her time sketching to pass the time and studying from the spellbooks Wong allowed them to bring in with them. Her bout of insomnia returned with a vengeance, but the longest things stay quiet outside in the temple the more confident she feels that Wong and Stephen have had plenty of time to heal, strategize, and set their defenses. She has kept relatively quiet so as to not aggravate the others, who seem to be getting antsy after being holed up for so many days.*

*While we take refuge, Agatha has been plotting from the shadows.  She has slowly managed to compromise some of the more complacent and skeptical guards, until she is finally ready to strike. She subtly nudges them towards leaving their posts for a break.  While she has an opening, she slips in, all the while, mentally scanning for any anomalous magical signatures.  Deep below the complex, she detects 4 magical signatures that are slightly “off”.  Bingo.  She locks onto the girls and enters the lower levels, taking care not to cast anything yet to avoid detection.  Once she’s within a reasonable range to affect us and remain hidden, she conceals herself and begins to concentrate, using our own magical energy as a conduit to mentally penetrate our sanctuary.  While doing this, she looks for a weakness.  Any weakness will do.*

*Trix is trying to meditate but as the days have gone by, intrusive thoughts can’t help but creep into her mind. Why is she even here if she’s just a liability? The others are already a lot better while she falls over at someone talking or even just a book. She frowns as her thoughts get even darker. Were the others just putting up with her since she could be dangerous to herself? She was just a tag-along after all and couldn’t even pull off spells that weren’t defensive. Wong and Stephen probably pitied her and put in the token effort so that she didn’t kill herself accidentally. At these thoughts, Trix’s eyes shoot open and her lip quivers as she tries not to react. She doesn’t want to bother the others after all. She would be annoyed with her too. Trix scrambles to her feet and begins to pace the room, unable to stay still but hating herself for needing to do so.*

*I notice Trix’s pacing, but don’t react much more than simply looking up to watch her silently, my music still on.  My expression is as empty and emotionless as it has been for the past couple of days.*

Prettywitch: You okay, Trix? You don’t look so good.

Trix: *she just sort of whines quietly for a moment before pausing and just grabbing at her hair* Yes- yes I’m fine. Don’t worry about it- just…ah. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m the least of anyone’s problems here. *She starts to get aggravated again and begins biting at her lip enough to draw blood*

Tear: *I look up from a sketch of Wong I’ve been working on, curious over the commotion* Are you feeling claustrophobic?

*I silently put my headphones away to listen.*

Me (plainly):  You’re biting your lip.

Trix: *her eyes are wide and slightly crazed* It’s fine! It’ll heal! There are much more important things to worry about right now. Besides, it’s not that bad! You guys don’t have to worry about me at all! *she laughs slightly but it dies off awkwardly as she realizes the others are still staring at her*

Tear: You say that as if worrying is an activity that could actually accomplish something. It’s not as if us caring about you will make us unproductive.

Me (offering, though not feeling anything):  Music?  *I offer my headphones.*

Trix: *getting a bit more worked up* No no no no, if the headphones are helping you I don’t want to take that away! I’m not worth the trouble. You focus on feeling better and if you need me to do anything I can help! *mutters to herself and starts pacing again* it’s not like I’m worth doing something over anyway, I might as well keep myself useful… *she gets stuck in her own spiraling thoughts again and keeps pacing*

Me:  Mm’kay.  *I watch Trix for a while before my eyes unfocus and I stare blankly into the middle distance.*

Tear: *I tilt my head to the side, thinking* Here, I do need some help. Could you please quiz me on how to draw these transmutation circles? I can’t really do it alone.

*Trix is too lost in her thoughts to respond but sits down next to Tear and begins absent-mindedly looking through the notes* 

Prettywitch: *Taps Steward’s shoulder to get her attention while the others are distracted.* Hey. You think we should call Stephen and Wong about Trix? I know we’re all freaked out, but…I think something might seriously be wrong with her.

Me (emotionless):  How?  No cell signal below all of the rock and any spellcasting won’t make it past the wards.

Prettywitch: Oh. Right. *She places her chin in her hand to think.* Well, what if we tried telepathy? That’s gotta work.

Me:  I guess.  We haven’t touched it much yet, but it’s worth a shot.  *I shrug*

Prettywitch: Awesome! Okay, let me try. *She places her fingers on her temples and starts rubbing them.* Stephen Strange! Stephen Strange! Portal to girls! Portal to girls!

Trix: *she starts flinching uncontrollably and grips her head as her thoughts begin to spiral even more. She drops Tear’s notes and shoots back to her feet to get some distance between them. She leans up against the wall and slides down it as she begins to hyperventilate* I don’t even know why everyone is even bothering! *she laughs and begins to rock back and forth* I’m not worth it! I’m the weak link! You would all be further along and safer without me here! I just happened to stumble into all of this because I happened to see Stephen back at the house originally like a creeper! Now you all have to deal with me! *she is becoming more and more unhinged as she is falling deeper into a pit of depression and anxiety*

Me (slowly starting to return to reality):  Trix…?  N-No, it’s not like that.  You’re fine.  We’ve all got strengths and weaknesses.  *I’m finally starting to look concerned.*

Tear: *I put my work aside and stand up but don’t crowd Trix. I’m clearly alarmed now, but I keep my stance and tone kind* I know impostor syndrome can feel overwhelming sometimes. We’ve all been there. What brought these thoughts up right now?

*Meanwhile, PrettyWitch doesn’t feel or hear any answer.  It’s uncertain if the message went through or not.*

Trix: *her eyes are almost glazed over at this point* It’s always been the truth! I’ve just been a coward No- I refuse to bring you all down with me. You’re going to save the universe! I’m just going to faint when I see a book or go anywhere outside! The last things that I love I can’t even do anymore! I can’t do this anymore! *she scrambles to her feet* Agatha probably isn’t even coming anymore and this is just a test to see if we can handle ourselves like this! Well, surprise surprise: I failed again! I give up! I’m done! *she marches over to the door and begins to open it*

Me (snapping back to paying full attention):  Whoa whoa!  Wait.  WAIT.  *I get up quickly to try and stop her.*

PrettyWitch: Trix, don’t!

Tear: Trix, you’re not yourself! *I jerk her arm back from the doorknob and attempt to drag her away from the door, but an unexpected scratch to the cheek makes me instinctually drop my grip on her*

Trix: *she yanks open the door and it’s almost like opening a door outside in negative degree weather in her brain. An absolute cacophony of noise of hundreds of voices crashes into her mind and she doesn’t have her mental barriers up, too wound up from both her own thoughts and the onslaught of negative thoughts and intentions that have been weaving themselves into her head. Trix’s eyes roll back into her head as she collapses but disappears into a cloud of purple smoke before she hits the ground.*

Prettywitch: *She starts running towards Trix.* You wanna get killed!? Get back in here, you boob!

*I’m at the threshold of the door and dive over to try and catch Trix, but her body disappears into purple smoke.  I fall flat on my face, through the smoke, and am stunned for a half second. All around us, the dainty ringing of bells signals the breaking of a seal.*  

Me (realizing what just happened):  Oh God…*I look back at the outer walls of the room.  The wards are gone, having been broken by the opening of the door.*  

Tear: Wong’s spell… *I pale to a ghostly white in horror, still holding a hand to my stinging cheek*

PrettyWitch: *She takes a deep breath, trying not to panic.* Fuck! We’re boned, aren’t we?

Me:  She knows where we are…and the wards are broken…She has Trix…I’d say yes.  *I have a big “well, fuck!” expression plastered across my face.*

Prettywitch: So what do you think we should do? 

Me (grim):  Head up, I suppose.  That’s the only place we have backup.  Agatha will need Trix alive to really get any info, I’m sure.  So, if we can get to Stephen and Wong in time, we can figure out a way to get her back.

Tear: Wait. Wong and probably even Stephen must have been alerted when the spell broke. If they make their way down here and we move to look for them, we might end up missing each other.

Me:  Though it also took a long time to get down here in the first place.  If Agatha wants to snag or kill another one of us, she could very well have plenty of time to do it.  More if she messed with the hallways.  If we stay put, we’re sitting ducks.  If we leave, we might run into each other or at least be less of an easy target.  Dead if we do, dead if we don’t.  Might as well try to find them.

Prettywitch: *Smirks at Steward.* You took the words right out of my mouth. Alright, let’s go! *She runs out of the room.*

*We follow PrettyWitch.  There are already several corridors that open up to our chamber, each just as dark and foreboding.  Compared to our brightly-lit area, the hallways are pitch-black.*

Me:  Crap…Do we remember which way?

Tear: It’s been over a week! And these corridors definitely looked different when they were lit up on our way down.

Prettywitch: I think we take a right first? I can’t remember. 

Tear: That is if Agatha really hasn’t been able to overcome Kamar-Taj’s magic…

Me:  True.  Though with all of the sorcerers here, plus the Sorcerer Supreme AND the ex-Sorcerer Supreme, maybe that part is less likely.  She probably had to sneak in and probe through.  Let’s put it to a vote.  Everyone point at which way to go on the count of three.  One.  Two.  Three!

*We choose our respective corridors.  Two out of the three of us chose the northeast corridor.*

Me:  Guess it’s that way…Are we all comfortable with this?

Prettywitch: Yeah.

Tear: I don’t think we have much of a choice, anyway.

*We head into the dark hallway.  It’s cold and damp like a cave.  Since we’re still novices, we end up using our cell phone lights to shine a path.*

Tear: This is really bringing back bad memories, oh lord. *I hunch over slightly, tense as flashbacks of the mine Steward, Stephen and I visited come rushing back to the forefront of my thoughts*

Me (grim):  Yep…Everyone stay close and be careful, okay?  *I get in front of us protectively.*

*Meanwhile, at the surface, Stephen and Wong have detected the wards’ failures and rush to re-enter the basement.  However, they’re stopped by a handful of frenzied guards.*

Guard (staring wide-eyed at the two of them):  CONTACT!  TO YOUR STATIONS!  GO!  GO!  GO!

*He starts casting offensive spells at them.  Both sorcerers immediately put up their shields at the escalating barrage of trigger-happy guards.  Their eyes are wide and glazed over, indicating that they’re in the throes of panic.*

Wong:  Snap out of it!  *He barks as he telekinetically slams one of them against a pillar to stun them, hoping the sudden jolt will wake them up from whatever spell Agatha has them under.*

Stephen (snarky, but rushed):  I don’t think they’re going to have a breakthrough anytime soon!

*There’s a cackle of laughter before Agatha appears in a cloud of smoke between Stephen and Wong*

Agatha: Come on, they’re just doing their jobs! Clearly I am a very serious threat and have impersonated you to try and sneak down to where you have the girls! *she grins*

*Wong grunts as a particularly powerful group of spells gets barely deflected by his shields.  The guards are clearly not holding back.  Stephen ends up having to intervene and portals one of them on top of the others.*

Agatha: If anything you should be proud they’re trained so well and following your initial orders! You sorcerers are always so loyal *she sneers before disappearing again, reappearing behind the group of crazed sorcerers*

*While the group is untangling themselves after landing on each other, Stephen attempts to ensnare Agatha using the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak.  No time for banter.  He has novices to protect.*

*Agatha disappears into smoke as the bands hit where she just was. She reappears a couple feet to the right with a mocking shocked look*

Agatha: Wow, so rude. I’ve always heard you were a great conversationalist but I guess mama bear has to go protect his cubs. Too bad you’re already missing one. *she laughs again and disappears a final time, the smoke trailing into the entrance of the caves*

*Wong and Stephen exchange a stony look of dread and rush into the caves to find us.*

*Meanwhile, Tear, Prettywitch, and I are fumbling through the dark with no idea where to go when a cackle cuts through the darkness.*

Agatha’s voice: You know, your mama bear would have hid you better if he didn’t make a dead spot for me to find. Almost like an X marking the spot. *she sounds amused and her voice is echoing around them, not coming from any particular spot* For baby magic users, you’re certainly interesting, especially being adopted by Camp Sorcerer and the Avengers right away. You would have loved me as a teacher! In fact, let’s start with lesson one: How to survive. 

*The hallway we’re in rumbles and it begins to shift like a Rubik’s cube. We fall against each other and onto the new “floor.”*

Me (landing roughly):  OOF.

Prettywitch: Well, that’s just great! Now what are we gonna do!?

Tear: If she’s really powerful enough to be altering reality outside of the Mirror Dimension, then I don’t think there’s much we can do.

Agatha’s Voice: Y’know, I’ve never had acolytes before. I haven’t even been in a coven in ages. If you agree to tell me what you know, I’ll teach you everything that I know. Fair’s fair, ladies!

Me (angry):  Unless you return our version of Trix to us healthy, alive, and sane; that’ll only be in your dreams!

*A cloud of purple smoke appears directly in front of me and I’m suddenly staring into Agatha’s amused face.*

Agatha: No can do, sweetums. I can’t promise that because unfortunately she’s already broken. It’s why I wouldn’t mind a new gal pal or two. My new toy isn’t in mint condition anymore, but I suppose that’s my own fault. *she glides backwards into the darkness* Those wards were pesky to get through, and I had to use a bit more power than normal. Bad things tend to happen when you overpower a spell… *she visibly disappears but is still lingering in the hallway*

PrettyWitch: Jesus Christ, does she ever shut up!?

Tear: Even if she’s not bluffing, why do villains always think we’ll believe anything they say?

*I angrily throw a rock in Agatha’s direction.  Seeing as we’re not strong enough to continuously use magic yet, it’s the best I can do at long range.  Admittedly, I’m also just angry at this point.*

Agatha’s Voice: It’s entirely up to you whether you believe me or not. Not my funeral. Although if you don’t want to hear me talk anymore, I have plenty else to keep you busy.

*As she speaks, multiple pillars of purple smoke begin to form and begins to reveal classic horror movie monsters such as Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Mummy*

Agatha’s Voice: You’ll have to forgive me but I’m still in a bit of a TV mood from Westview before you meddling kids decided to send the wizard cops on me. *she sounds genuinely grumpy*

Me (raising an eyebrow):  Really?  I’ve seen scarier episodes of Scooby-Doo…*I scoff, unimpressed.*

Tear: *I quickly move my hands up to cover my mouth and nose* Ugh, she could have done without the smell though.

Agatha’s Voice: Sounds like you have it handled then. *She sounds amused and absolutely knows something the girls don’t* I have to go for now but I’ll check in with you ladies later. Hopefully your corpses keep the latent magical energy signature to study… *her presence seems to disappear but the three monsters begin to advance on the girls*

*Agatha’s tone raises some alarm bells in my mind.*

Me (quickly):  …We should choose another way.  Now.

Tear: What way? We are literally standing on the ceiling!

PrettyWitch: I don’t know! Let’s go back and take a left! 

*As we turn to race back down the corridor, we’re stopped by Dracula blocking the way.*

Me:  Crap…Wait a minute…*I grin widely for a second.*  Bye-bye!~

*I open a portal and move it to sweep up Frankenstein and the Mummy, dropping them out in the middle of the Mojave Desert before closing.  Though that large, mobile portal cast took a lot out of me.  Now, I have to take some time to recover before I can do anything like that again.  So, now there’s Agatha’s version of Dracula in all of his cheesy, cartoonish glory.*

Dracula (dramatic):  I VANT BLOOD!

Tear: Is this supposed to be scary? It feels like this bat is just offensive…

Prettywitch: *Her eyes widen.* Wait, is it…?

Me:  Don’t make eye contact, guys!  Hypnosis!

*The vampire turns into a bat and attempts to dive at me.  I duck, unable to use any magic at the moment.*

Tear: Quick, close your eyes! *I quickly perform one of the many spellcasting motions Wong first taught us. The golden spell thrums with energy in front of me before it releases a blinding flash of real sunlight. I’m unable to sustain it for long, but I hope it was enough against the cartoon villain.*

*Prettywitch and I shut our eyes as soon as Tear warns us. The bat screeches in agony as the light causes it to begin to burn and smoke.  It rapidly bursts into flames before falling into a pile of ashes.*

*Meanwhile, Stephen and Wong have descended into the next few levels of the Kamar-Taj dungeons.  The corridors are shifting and they know it.  Stephen orders Kamar-Taj to keep the remaining girls safely away from Agatha.*

*Agatha is still lurking around the labyrinth, however, she gets more and more frustrated as even her shadows are having trouble making it through the constantly shifting paths. Ever since the wards dropped it had been a free-for-all and while she isn’t tired, Agatha is getting more frustrated at being thwarted by essentially a home alert system. She recalls her shadows in order to track down at least one of the girls.*

Wong (low voice, to Stephen):  Stay alert, I sense Harkness’ presence.

*Stephen nods in acknowledgement, orbs of magical light drifting around the pair to keep the corridor illuminated as they descend.*

*It’s faint at first, but purple smoke begins to roll down the floor of the halls the deeper they go into the corridors. The air becomes more oppressive and heavy while the two sorcerers get the feeling they’re being watched*

Agatha’s Voice: Y’know, we can all walk away from this peacefully without getting hurt if I’m allowed out of here. No tricks, no mess.

*As she talks, Agatha emerges from the shadows with her arms outstretched in a ‘what can you do’ motion and a cocky smile on her face.*

Stephen (growling):  As if you’d keep your word.  You took a hostage.  *He glares at her, poised for a fight if needed.*

Agatha (trying not to laugh): And she’s physically unharmed! I just need a little insurance to get out of here and my own little baby sorcerer to learn about. Her magic and her friends are so…delicious. I just can’t help but want to know more. *she grins* Call it a favor for preventing me from stopping the rise of the Scarlet Witch. 

*Wong steps forward, keeping his cool.*

Wong:  You know as well as we do that the Scarlet Witch is a multiverse-level threat.  *While Wong is talking, Stephen subtly attempts to scan the area for any traces of one of the girls in an abnormal location.*

Agatha (scoffing): And you goodie-two-shoes sorcerers wouldn’t have had to deal with her if I was just allowed to take care of it myself. Wanda Maximoff is a ticking time bomb of PTSD and magic. She was isolated and I was working on it but nooooo. *she makes a disgusted face at the men*

Stephen (dripping with sarcasm, knowing how it would have played out):  Sure.  You had it handled…

*She turns to him, her mood flipping like a switch so she’s serious once more*

Agatha: See, that’s the interesting thing. You weren’t supposed to know what was going on. You got a sneak peek at the spoilers with no Time Stone. It just so happens that four baby sorcerers with no history here happen to appear out of nowhere after the Sorcerer Supreme in training had disappeared? Oh, that is an absolute gold mine and honey. I am feeling like a settler in 1850’s California.

*While Agatha monologues, Stephen feels something faint, but familiar.  One of the girls is here.  Somewhere…Stephen glares at her, seemingly looking up and down her person suspiciously.*

Agatha (coy): Why Doctor Strange, at least ask a lady to dinner first! *She then frowns* Since it looks like we aren’t going to do this the easy way, let’s do this the hard way!

*She gathers two orbs of purple smokey magic and fires them at the sorcerers and almost seems to flood the hallway with energy before she launches forward to attack.*

*Deeper in the tunnels, we hear the rumbling of the dungeon again and suddenly the entire corridor lurches; twisting, bending, rising, falling, closing, and opening in several directions.  In the flurry, Tear, Prettywitch, and I get separated from each other.  It feels like we’re falling back down into the abyss.  Despite the event only lasting a few seconds, it feels like it will never stop.  Then, as suddenly as it begins, it stops.  It’s silent and the hallways look as though absolutely nothing happened.  Yet, there we are, lost and alone in the dark.*

*Prettywitch is surrounded by pitch-black with no sounds or signs of her friends.  She was knocked over while the corridor shifted.  So, she can at least feel the cold, hard floor underneath her.*

Prettywitch: Where am I…? *She looks around to see if she can see anything else. Nothing. Just pitch, dark blackness as far as her eyes can see. She sighs and gets up.* Well, let’s see if I can find an exit.

*She gets up and decides to create some light. She thrusts out her hand and thinks of conjuring a small, fluorescent orb to hold in her hand. It works, though just barely.*

Prettywitch: *She raised an eyebrow.* Hmmm…Close enough, I guess.

*There is a faint sound, barely audible.  It seems to be coming from just out of range of the light.  It’s too hard to make it out.*

Prettywitch: *She turns.* Who’s there? *She thrusts the ball up in the direction she heard the sound coming from. Nothing. She pouts.* Okay, this is starting to get annoying! *She sighs.* Why can’t I magic a deck of Clow Cards and a wand into my hand!? That’d be so much better, right now!

*The sound is back, slightly louder, but muffled.  It’s still soft so she has to strain to listen. It seems to be coming from the left-hand corridor.  The sound appears to be a male voice.  Maybe Stephen or Wong?  It’s hard to say.*

Voice (muffled and distant):  Girls!  Girls!

Prettywitch: *She gasps* Wong!? Stephen!? Is that you? *She moves forward, cautiously.*

*It goes quiet again for a moment.  Then, she hears it again, very slightly clearer.*

Voice:  Help!

*She jumps, scared at the voice. She catches her breath and moves forward slightly, again.*

Voice (just beyond her sight):  Please.  Come here.

*She’s still not convinced.*

Prettywitch: Not until you tell me who you are.

Voice:  Show me your face.  Are you the witch?  *As she listens more, there is something “off” about it.*

Prettywitch: What do you mean?

Voice:  It is dangerous here.  Step forth and reveal yourself, mage.

Prettywitch: *She remains firm in her resolve.* Not until you tell me who you are!

Voice (weakening):  Please…*It sounds almost like one of the men in pain.*

Prettywitch: *She rolls her eyes. Clearly, this was getting her nowhere. So, she slowly walks a little bit closer, hoping to see something but prepping herself to run. Just in case.*

*There is a faint, alluring glow at the end of the corridor.  It’s…compellingly interesting.*

*She decides to take one final step forward. If she likes what she sees? Great! If not…? Well, she’ll cross that bridge when she gets there. She holds the ball up higher to get a better view.*

*The glow of her ball seems to diminish the tantalizing glow of whatever is at the end of the corridor.  Somehow, it seems to want her to keep moving forward.  What could be there?  The curiosity is starting to play on her mind.*

Prettywitch: *Shakes her head.* Yeah, I’m running. *She starts running the other way.*

*She runs, but it doesn’t seem like she’s going anywhere.  The floor seems to move with her, attempting to drag her towards the even-more compelling and intensifying glow behind her.*

Prettywitch: *Whines terrified.* What do I do!!!!? Why can’t I just have a magic staff or something…Hey, wait a minute. That’s it! *She gets up, wobbling a bit from the force of the floor moving, and presses her hands together to create a magic weapon. Her weapon? The bird wand from Cardcaptor Sakura. She gets starry-eyed.* Hey, it worked! *Until she notices one of the wings is fading in and out like a blinking light.* Sort of. Oh, whatever! *Next, she creates a magic construct in the form of a Clow Card; The Light Card, specifically. She twirls the wand in her hand and holds the card out with the other.* Reveal to me the path that will take me to my salvation! Light! *She taps the card and it activates. Unlike the anime & manga, where it takes the form of a beautiful woman in white, it merely creates a ray that shows her which way to go. She smiles.* Thank you! *She starts to run in that direction.*

*Prettywitch breaks free of the moving floor by changing direction quickly.  After the adrenaline rush wears off, she feels exhaustion hit her like a wall.  Her limbs feel like they’re made of wet cement and the ray of light begins to fade.  It takes a massive amount of concentration to keep it visible.  She has exhausted her magical energy with such a strong cast.  Though it was commendable for a novice.*

Prettywitch: *She stops to catch her breath.* Curse me for a novice…I forgot I’m not used to exerting this much energy. Oh wait…I am a novice!... *She looks up at the road ahead of her.* Well, the light was clearly pointing me in that direction, so I’ll just keep heading that way. *She takes one, long stride forward…only to nearly fall over from exhaustion.* You know what? I’ll just walk the rest of the way. *She begins walking in the direction the light told her to go.*

*Meanwhile, somewhere else within the labyrinth, I get back up after being sent tumbling down a short staircase.*

Me (grumbling):  Ow…

*I listen for the others and attempt to look around.  It’s silent and pitch-black.*

Me (grumpily):  Wonderful…

*I turn the light on my phone for now to save magical energy in case I need it and pick a direction to go.  I stick to the right wall to follow so I can at least orient myself that way.  In the chaos, I dropped my spiritual shield.  Yet, the clingy ghost who follows me doesn’t snark at me the way he usually does.  It’s more or a stony silence on my end, but the ghost seems…resigned.*

Ghost:  Look, could you please talk to me or even look at me again?  I feel like I’m back to being completely invisible.

*I ignore him.*

Ghost:  I’m sorry, okay?  I’m a huge dick!  I was bored!

Me (bitter):  Are you, though?  *Referring to his apology.  Words are cheap, after all.  He didn’t seem sincere to me.*

Ghost:  What do you want from me, woman?!

Me:  I don’t want anything from you.  Just leave me alone.

*He sighs*

Ghost:  You know damn well that I can’t at this point.  I bound myself to you.  Look, if you don’t get out of here, we’ll be stuck together forever.  Can we call it a truce?

Me:  Fine…

Ghost:  …Do you wanna at least learn my name?

Me: Don’t push it.  *I sigh, knowing I should at least try to be diplomatic*  Fine.  What’s your name?

Ghost:  Barry.  

Me (neutral):  Cool.  So, any ideas?

Barry:  Well, the traps down here and that witch can’t exactly kill me, right?  Lemme scout ahead and warn you about anything coming up.

Me:  Mm’kay…

*I don’t completely trust him, but he’s been around me long enough.  That and I did notice he never actually tried to possess me.  He seemed to threaten it before, but when I think about it, that was probably just his idea of a crappy joke.  Barry glides ahead, fading into the darkness.  I continue to follow the corridor.*

Voice: Help me!

*I look towards the voice, straining to figure out who it is.  For now, I stay silent, paranoid that Agatha might be disguised or trying to lure me.  So, I freeze and stay quiet.  After a moment, I whisper quietly.*

Me (whispering):  Barry, are you back?  Who or what is that?

Voice: Help me!

Voice: No! Help me!

*I don’t recognize the voice and cautiously inch away from it, getting more paranoid.*

Voice: What’s the matter?

Voice: Scared?

Voice: Stop it!

Voice: No! You stop it!

*I get a weird look and turn to move the opposite direction of the voices.  Arguing or not, I’m not touching this.*

Voice: Stop it!

Voice: You have to!

Voice: No. Run!

Voice: What’s the matter?

Voice: I can’t take this!

*There are now hundreds and hundreds of voices I can hear. Some are benevolent, others sadistic, and some just sound crazy. It doesn’t really matter though. They’re all starting to overlap into one, unending ball of sounds.*

Me:  Sorry, Barry.  *I raise my spiritual barrier and concentrate as hard as I can to try and block the tide of voices as I run away from wherever the voices seem to be coming from.  Though it feels like my brain is filling with static from the cacophony.*

*I can still hear the voices. They seem to not only be following me, but getting louder, too. Like they’re in my ear. At least that’s what it feels like.*

*I’m starting to get a headache and know it’ll get worse if this keeps up.  This is driving me crazy and I can barely hear myself think.  So, I stop and whirl around towards the voices.*

Me:  FINE.  What do you all want?!  I’m just trying to find my friends and get out of here.  I’ll be out of your business in a short while if you either help me or leave me alone!  Otherwise, do we really wanna deal with each other for all of eternity, huh?!  Well?  Can we talk this out like civilized entities or not?

*There’s no talking for a moment or two. Then the voices start talking again, this time they’re all saying different expressions that amount to, “Okay.” *

Me (calming slightly):  Okay.  Good.  Since the corridors keep shifting, I’m trying to get my bearings well enough to move in a specific direction.  Do any of you know which way two other women my age went?  There is also an older woman, a witch, named Agatha Harkness trying to kill us.  She kidnapped our fourth friend and we don’t know where she put her.  Lastly, we tried to call Wong and Stephen to help us, but none of us know if they’re down here.  We’re all trying to find each other, capture Agatha, and get our friend back.  If we succeed, we won’t have to be down here any longer and we’ll be out of your hair, provided the witch hasn’t hidden our friend in here.

*The apparitions all start talking again, simultaneously…answering all of her questions at once.*

*I cringe in pain.*

Me (rubbing my temples):  Maybe one at a time.  I can’t make anything out.  If you guys have a leader or chosen representative, can I please talk to them?

*The apparitions answer, “Yes,” all at once.*

Me (cringing slightly again at the noise):  Okay.  I’m listening.  *I’m being polite since they seem cooperative.*

Representative: Yes. What would you like to know?

Me:  Which way are my friends located so I can go the right direction?

Representative: Ah, yes. Your friends should be located just west of this wing.

Me:  Thank you.  Did you happen to see where Agatha Harkness took our kidnapped friend?

Representative: Your friend is with Agatha.

Me:  Crud…Okay.  Last question so I don’t bother you too much.  Are Stephen and Wong down here too?  I’ll let you be after this question.  *I’m being polite to avoid bothering them.*

Representative: Yes. They are on the top level of Kamar-Taj’s tunnels, battling the witch Agatha as we speak.

Me:  Okay.  Well, thank you.  I’ll leave you alone now.  *I nod and attempt to head west.  I’m still a bit suspicious of them, but will proceed cautiously.*

*After a minute or two of walking away, I hear a more familiar voice.*

Barry (tinged with sarcasm):  Kudos on actually negotiating with people instead of jumping straight to the offensive, I guess.  *Raising an eyebrow*  By the way, you know you’re not going west, right?  Jesus, how did you manage to survive this long anyway?  

*He’s grumbling, but attempting to be helpful in his own way.  Barry directs me west, drifting at his usual position just behind my shoulder.  He knows that hovering so close annoys me.  At this point, I let him, attempting to get along with him since he’s actually being helpful instead of trying to troll me or pick another fight.  I change direction to properly head west.*

Me:  So…The Nirvana t-shirt…You like them?

Barry (humoring me):  Yeah.  Kurt Cobain is a genius!

Me (uneasy):  Erm…Was…

Barry:  What?!  

*We converse as we travel.  I have to gently break the news to him and we discuss the late musician’s memory as well as major historical events since the 1990’s.  Seeing as we’ve been stuck together for weeks and he has seen what we’ve all recently been through, despite his many arguments with me, we finally inch closer to a mutual understanding.  Although we don’t exactly see eye to eye with each other, we’ve at least agreed to converse with one another and try to be more empathetic.  It’s a step in the right direction.  A subtle, but nice thing I notice is that he’s giving me personal space after our chat.*

*Tear finds herself alone in the dark, having been separated from the group.  She has landed hard on the ground and it’s pitch-black.  There are no traces of anyone else around her.*

Tear: Oookay, this is getting scary… *I use my phone’s torchlight to illuminate the tunnel. I feel so close to building a shrine to Tony, Stephen, and Peter for having updated our tech to work in their universe* Steward? PrettyWitch? Are you guys there? *I whisper loudly, not really confident to call outloud in case I end up attracting anything other than my friends. I try my best to look down at both ends of the hallway, but there’s not even a breeze to help me choose which way to head toward.*

___

*I hear different sets of footsteps approaching and freeze, anticipating a potential trap.  While silently watching, I see a dim light in the distance down the corridor.  It seems to be getting bigger and bigger.  I stay in the shadows just in case.*

Prettywitch: Steward!? Is that you? - Wait! Just so I know, tell me something about me only you would know.

Me (emerging quietly from my patch of shadows):  First off, I think we may be in a deadlock.  How do I know you’re not just trying to get info from me about my friends?  

*I’m staying neutral in every aspect in an attempt to conceal details in case this is a disguised enemy.  Meanwhile, my eyes never leave her, watching carefully.*

Prettywitch: *She considers this.* Fair point. In that case, let me tell you about how I got out of the trap I was in; I basically conjured up the staff from Cardcaptor Sakura and made a construct of the Light Card…Does that sound like something I would do? *She smiles awkwardly, mostly because she’s afraid Steward won’t believe her.*

*I think for a moment.*

Me:  Okay…Sounds like you.  

Barry:  That IS Prettywitch, o Paranoid One.  *He’s still a smartass, but a helpful one, at least.*

*I give him a look.*

Me:  If you’re sure…Okay.  *I relax slightly.*  I’m glad you’re alive and made it here, Prettywitch.  I ended up swarmed by spirits and thankfully, they were just guarding the place.  So, I was able to talk them down and ask for directions.

Prettywitch: *Breathes a sigh of relief.* Thank Vishanti! Have you run into Tear, by any chance?

Me:  Not yet, unfortunately.  We should look for her.

Prettywitch: Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go. *Turns to face the hall for a moment, then looks back at Steward.* You know the way by any chance?

Me:  Unfortunately, not.

Barry:  Maybe go back and ask again.

Me:  I’ve bothered that group of spirits enough, I think.

Barry:  You forgot the way back to them already, didn’t you?

*I glare at him silently, though he IS right.*

Prettywitch: Well, let’s just go along the paths and use markers. That way, we know which halls we’ve gone down.

Me:  Good idea.  Want to pick a passage to start at?

Prettywitch: Okay. Let’s go….*She points to the right.* that way! *She magics a black marker into her hand and draws the Sanctum window on the wall.  She puts the cap back on the marker and smiles at her handiwork.* There! That should work.

*There is a faint, disagreeable rumble through the complex’s tunnels, but nothing shifts.  It feels almost like the building is displeased with something.*

Me (looking around nervously):  Erm…Let’s go.

Prettywitch: Good idea.

*The trio make their way down the right corridor.*

*Sooner than expected, we spot Tear heading down one of the other hallways and call out to her, hoping that it’s the real her and not a fake.*

Me (stern, but hopeful):  Okay.  Show us that it’s really you, Tear…Qilong.  *I say the name at the end to indicate to her that it’s really me.  Qilong was the name of the deceased miner whose log we found at the bottom of the mine all of those months ago with Stephen.*

Tear: *I brighten up, immediately recognizing the reason why Steward would even think of that name. Reassured, I don’t hesitate to show my own proof.* Okay, so… When people think “tanks” they will most often think about the classic German Panzers or the cute little Somua S35, which was actually one of the best by 1940. But most won’t remember that it was actually the English who begun experimenting with the idea of tanks back in the Great War as a way to combat trench warfare. In fact, they were first designed in 1915 but were first deployed until 1916 during the Battle of the Somme when…

Prettywitch: *She looks at Steward.* Yeah, it’s her.

Tear: *I’m panting slightly by the end of my eager rant* I don’t think Agatha would have much need to know all of that as a witch, right?

Me (curling my lip, mildly amused):  No.

*We all chuckle slightly and can’t help but relax.*

Me:  Thank goodness…Okay, let’s get out of here.  Stephen and Wong are probably looking for us by now.

Tear: So you guys haven’t heard from them either? I was hoping Kamar-Taj had been attempting to bring us closer to them…

*I shake my head.*

Prettywitch: Well, we’re just gonna have to keep going. We’ll find our way back…eventually.

Me:  Think we should mark this location as an indicator of our path?

Prettywitch: You know it! *She gets out the marker again and draws the Sanctum window, again.* Alright, let’s go!

*There’s the irritable rumble again, but no shift.*

Me (unnerved):  Erm…Maybe Kamar-Taj doesn’t like it…

Prettywitch: *She shrugs.* Eh! We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

Tear: Or maybe Agatha could still be trying to control it? Can buildings feel pain?

Me:  Honestly, I have no idea.  Which way should we go, then?  *I’m getting worried again.*

Prettywitch: Well, we went right before…let’s go left, this time.

*We continue on our way, speeding up a bit.  After all, we do need to alert the more experienced sorcerers and get help to rescue Trix.*

*All of a sudden, a blur of purple seems to whiz forward from the darkness of the hallway in front of us and it materializes to reveal, Agatha who is first shocked but then delighted to have run into us.*

Agatha: Well, well, well! What a sight for sore and slightly battered eyes. Some baby sorcerers who wouldn’t disobey mom and sneak out from being grounded!

Me (snarling):  Says the traitor to her own coven!  *At this point, seeing her has re-ignited my anger.*

Prettywitch: *Groans* Oh great! The crazy lady’s back. Hallelujah!

Agatha (raising an eyebrow): Wow, did this place fuck you up too or are you just happy to see me? *her hands ignite with smokey purple magic* If you want to find out firsthand what happened to them, keep talking.

*I look about ready to explode, but then we hear more running footsteps approaching.  Stephen and Wong burst into the corridor and look shocked to see us there.  Stephen notices that Agatha is about to curse me and is about ready to cast a protective shield in front of us.*

Stephen (glancing at us and then Agatha):  How did you get-?  Never mind!  Girls, get back!  

Agatha: Didn’t you hear? Your ducklings left the nest directly into my waiting arms. It’s not like we’re not familiar at this point. *She sneers at the girls* 

*I glare icily right back at the witch.  The tension is palpable.*

*Agatha’s necklace starts to glow faintly, immediately catching her attention and her face pales. It is flickering between dark purple, light purple, and hints of orange*

Agatha (cooing to it): Now now, that’s a bit too much excitement for you today. I’m going to make sure we get home. *She pats it and the flickers fade away*

*Stephen notices and turns pale, knowingly.*

Me (quietly):  Trix…

*Agatha looks smugly at Stephen*

Agatha: Now then: you have your children to attend to and now I have mine. Though, that could easily change if you decide to follow me *she lifts the crystal of the necklace slightly* so if you don’t mind, toodle-loo! *she disappears into a cloud of purple smoke and peals of laughter before finally vanishing*

Tear: No, Trix!

Me (practically spitting in fury):  That bitch…

Prettywitch: Let’s go after her! We can probably trace her magic trail or something.

Wong (protectively):  No.  You three have been in enough danger as it is.  How in the multiverse did any of you make it this far out of the labyrinth?

Prettywitch: Magic Sharpie…*She smiles awkwardly at Wong.* Anyway, the point is, we’ve got bigger fish to fry than me graffiting the walls.

*Kamar-Taj makes a low, disgruntled noise.  Wong raises an eyebrow, biting back a sharp reprimand.  However, they have more pressing matters at the moment.*

Stephen:  We can’t follow her.  Our own magical signatures are too obvious.  She would shatter Trix’s crystal before we got anywhere remotely close to them.  If Agatha shatters it, Trix dies.   

Prettywitch: Okay. Then what do you propose we do?

Me:  How would we evade detection?

Stephen:  I’m sorry, “we”? Haven’t the three of you gotten in enough trouble?  *He’s trying to keep us safe, his eyes flashing a warning at our group.*

Prettywitch: *Now she’s angry.* Don’t get snippy with us! We want to help our friend.

Tear: *I throw my arms out in disbelief* You say that as if we sought out Agatha and delivered an RSVP for Kamar-Taj. We sat there, stuck in that room, for one week! *I stomp my foot and point back at the dark hallways. My voice starts raising, even if I never thought I’d dare to stand against Stephen and Wong of all people* We did everything you asked, and that woman still found us. How are we at fault for that? How is Trix at fault for that? *My voice breaks at the thought of Trix and my eyes quickly well up, but I swallow thickly and refuse to think about what she could be going through*

*I glare at Stephen in a deadly silence.*

*Stephen huffs frustratedly.*  

Stephen:  *Angrily*  I know!  *He immediately regrets his outburst and calms down again, being sincere in his words.*  I’m sorry.  However, we’re not about to let more of you endanger yourselves further.

Me (adamantly staring the two masters down):  Don’t think we’re just going to keep sitting here.  *My tone is icy, a cold rage blatantly obvious.*

*Stephen and Wong stare us all down for a moment and when none of us backs off, Wong sighs.*

Wong:  Fine…but if you are going to do this, then you will do so correctly to avoid further harm.  *He’s stern.*

Stephen:  We’ll have to report this to the other Avengers first.  Come on.  *He ushers us over so he can portal everyone to the Campus.*