Chapter Text
It was always easy to tell if Tony Stark was at the compound. You only had to listen for the sound of ACDC or Black Sabbath or some other rock band blasting through the halls and rooms screaming at you that Tony was working in his lab. Wanda had no idea how he could stand to listen to it, or how he could stand it being so loud. She preferred slower, calmer music, but then she also knew it wasn’t just music to Tony. It was a backdrop for his work, a way to drown out everything else that might distract him so his focus was entirely on one project. In a way, Tony’s ability for singular focus was admirable, other times it was a nuisance. Now was the latter as Wanda tried getting his attention.
“Tony!” she tried calling over the blaring music.
Tony didn’t hear it, too busy as he was twisting holograms around, bouncing data across his screen way too fast for a normal person to read and generally doing far too many things at once.
“Tony!” she called again.
No response. She was tempted to ask FRIDAY to switch the music off, but knew it would be no good. Nobody touched Tony’s music, except for him, and Pepper, and Rhodey, and Happy, and she was pretty sure she’d seen Peter do it as well. Ok, quite a few people could touch his music, but not her. There was nothing for it. She let her energy flow from her fingertips, wrapping a small bolt in a red glow. In one graceful movement, she arced it across the cluttered room so it hit Tony’s shoulder, not hard but hard enough that he would notice. The engineer startled slightly, before turning and seeing her stood in his lab. He flicked his hand and the music shut off. The sudden silence was almost as deafening as the music had been.
“How long have you been standing there?” Tony asked, as though she had interrupted a life or death situation.
Tony always was that way about his work, especially if it was day three of three consecutive days without sleep. How did Pepper manage it?
“I didn’t mean to disturb you but it’s kind of hard to get your attention, what with,” she said, gesturing to the ceiling.
Tony waved it away.
“Ah well, nevermind. To what do I owe this pleasure Ms Maximoff? Or is it Mrs Vision these days, I can never remember” Tony said with his usual air of suave confidence that Wanda only wished she had.
“Vision and I aren’t there yet, but it is about him” she said.
Tony suddenly looked very uncomfortable.
“Is this about how you do the private thing? Because I gotta tell you, I don’t really want to know” he said.
“What? No, it’s not.”
Tony wiped a hand across his forehead dramatically.
“Thank goodness. Though now I’ll admit I am just a tiny bit curious as to how that all works.”
Wanda took a deep breath and steeled herself. She was not going to let Tony Stark get under her skin.
“Stark” she warned.
“Sorry, sorry, you know, motormouth, you need to head me off at the pass. Please, what is it you need about Vision?” Tony asked.
“He’s having troubles with his arm” she said simply.
Now Tony looked confused.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I mean, he was having trouble lifting it above his head, like it just wouldn’t go” she said.
Tony dropped all joking pretences.
“Do you know what could have caused it? Has he been on any missions or anything lately?”
“Not for a while, but his last mission wasn’t combat anyway. I was wondering if you could take a look at him, since you know, he’s not really human” she said the last part while trying not to sound ashamed of that fact.
She wasn’t. She had known Vision was an android since the day she met him, the day he had been ‘born’ for lack of a better term. That hadn’t mattered. It hadn’t stopped her from appreciating him trying to help her during the issue with the Accords, nor from feeling no ill will when they met in Germany on opposing sides of the conflict. In those stolen moments around the world when she’d been on the run, she realised that she loved this man, the vibranium body and mind stone didn’t come into it. She had been devastated to come back and find him still dead, only to be beyond happy when Tony and Shuri announced they’d managed to bring him back in a new body, minus the mind stone. This Vision knew nothing of what had happened with Thanos, but remembered everything else, and Wanda had been happy to get on with her life, maybe find that sense of normalcy they’d both been craving where they could live their lives like everyone else.
“And I’m the closest thing he’ll ever have to a doctor. Sure thing, I’ll take a look” Tony said, completely genuine, with no hint of a joke.
“Thank you” was all she could say to him.
Their relationship had come a long way since she’d joined the Avengers. From mutual distrust to something workable for both of them, to hatred on her part to breaking new ground again. It was something she was grateful for, and something she was keen to keep working on.
“Is he here? I can look at him now” Tony asked.
“He’s with Steve in Washington, making sure that Ross’s bill is completely dismantled.”
“Ok, well send him around when he’s back.”
She thanked him again and turned to leave. She had barely taken a pace when the music started blasting again, making her cover her ears until she was out in the cool corridor. She’d send Vision a message to let him know, but until then, she could relax a little it.
Fight! Fight like your life depends on it! Because one day, it might do.
Mordo’s words rang clear in his mind as Strange stepped into the middle of the room, with Billy stood opposite him. The Sanctum was surprising him even now after all this time, showing him a training room when he found he needed one. It was a large open space with wide windows letting in the light. To his right was a door leading to the library and above that a balcony so people could watch if need be. Today, nobody was there. Strange had decided it was long past time that Billy learned to fight. Oh sure, the teen could handle himself, but he felt it best that he know how to fight hand to hand. Strange had just gone along with it when he was trained this way. He’s already been out of what he considered learning magic at all, so how weird could hand to hand combat be? Billy never had that, even after Strange had agreed to train him, but today he would start.
“Conjure a weapon” he said, echoing Mordo in his head.
Billy shook his head slightly, as though he didn’t really see the point in this. But true to form, he did it anyway. Pressing his hands together, he focused. Bright blue energy sparked between his fingertips, forming a long strand. Strange conjured his own weapon, a sword of orange magic, and bore down on Billy. Billy was taken aback, though he countered as best he could. But not good enough as Strange was able to break his magic with ease.
“No fair, I wasn’t ready” Billy said, annoyed.
“You won’t always be ready. You won’t always get the chance to create the perfect defence. Sometimes we have to do what we can with what we have. Now again.”
Billy eyed him with suspicion but did as he was told, again forming a whip. Strange attacked, swinging his sword high. Billy was better prepared. He deflected the blow and swung the strand of energy, hoping to tangle the sword. It worked and they found themselves in a lock.
“Good” Strange said.
His weapon vanished, knocking Billy off balance. Strange was on him in an instant, closing the distance. Billy tried again with his whip, but it was too long. Strange aimed a punch but Billy was able to turn it aside, catching it on his arm. The familiar jolts of pain ran through Strange’s arms at the exertion but he pushed through it, raining more blows on Billy. Billy fought well, ducking and diverting the punches, before kicking at Strange. He conjured a shield, taking the blow and pushing against it. Billy was pushed to the floor, but he shot back to his feet and placed his hands on Strange’s shield. His eyes flashed a bright blue.
“Break the shield” he said.
His voice seemed to ring for a moment, and bright cracks formed, breaking through the lines and pattern of the shield before it exploded in bright sparks. Billy formed a new whip but Strange rose above the room, the Cloak of Levitation billowing around him.
“That’s enough” he said.
Billy’s arms fell to his side, the whip crackling away to nothing.
“What did I do wrong?” he asked.
“I’m trying to teach you to be a Master of the Mystic Arts and you insist on using magic in untempered ways” Strange said.
“What do you mean?” Billy asked with a frown.
Strange landed in front of him.
“Breaking my shield. That wasn’t the Mystic Arts, that was your magic.”
Billy looked at his feet, guilt on his face.
“I’m sorry. I don’t even realise I’m doing it sometimes” he said.
“I know Billy” Strange said, dropping his sharp tone, “that’s why I keep saying you need to use magic the way I’m teaching you.”
Billy’s head shot up.
“I can use magic like you do!”
Strange took a step back and gestured, the request obvious. Billy’s face shone with determination as he traced out the pattern that had become second nature to Strange, the same pattern he’d been shown all those years ago by the Ancient One. Billy’s hands shook. The magic shone, forming the familiar glyph, though it looked as if Billy was gouging the pattern into the air, and to Strange’s disappointment, it was blue, not orange. By the time he finished, Billy looked glad to be done.
“See? I can do it” he said semi-triumphantly.
Strange nodded.
“Yes indeed, you produced the glyph. But did it really take that much effort?” Strange asked.
Billy looked disappointed as well.
“I don’t know what to tell you. It just doesn’t come as easily to me.”
“Magic isn’t something you can force. Rivers flow where they will and you can only flow with them” Strange said.
Billy chuckled slightly.
“Now that sounds like the Ancient One.”
“Whatever else she may have been, she taught magic to hundreds, maybe thousands, of students, so I’m inclined to believe she knew what she was talking about.”
Billy avoided looking him in the eye.
“I’m sorry. I’ll try harder” he said.
“I know you will.”
Strange reached out a hand to Billy’s shoulder.
“You have a power over magic that is unique among even the Masters. We train because it would be disastrous if left untamed” Strange said.
“It’s not as if I’m the only one who uses magic without training” Billy said.
He walked away but Strange’s curiosity was peeked. Who was he talking about? He followed Billy through the library, Billy shedding the training gear into more comfortable clothes as he walked.
“What do you mean?” Strange asked.
“I mean that if untamed magic is such a concern of yours, then maybe you should be training Wanda as well” Billy explained.
Strange frowned.
“Come on, you mean to tell me that a Master of the Mystic Arts hasn’t noticed?”
“I thought she was just telekinetic” Strange said.
“I guess it looks that way, but when she used her powers on me a few months ago, it felt … familiar, I guess.”
Strange mused. He hadn’t had much to do with Wanda Maximoff, or really any of the Avengers, all that much since Thanos. The first and last time he’d met a large number of them was during the last battle, when they’d thrown everything they had at the purple bastard and he still kept fighting. It was like he couldn’t be stopped, but Strange kept faith in that 1 in over 14 million chance of their victory. And they won. Barely. But they recovered, and the universe had as well, though everyone knew the name Thanos, and knew to fear it. He remembered Wanda’s powers, how the mist like energy had flowed from her fingertips, how her eyes shone a deep red as she did so. It certainly could be magic, or it could just be magic-like telekinesis.
“So? Are you going to ask to train her?” Billy asked.
“I’ll wait and see. Keep my eyes open so to speak” Strange said, “now I believe Wong has a history test he wants you to do.”
Billy groaned and Strange was left with many new thoughts. Could Wanda be trained? What would happen if she wasn’t?
The table whirred as the robotic arms moved systematically over it. Thin veils of light snacked and probed every inch of the figure lying down. It wasn’t strange for Wanda to see people being examined on tables. It was a fairly common sight, especially after particularly difficult missions. However, seeing Vision being examined as such brought back bad memories of things she would rather forget.
Wanda please, we are out of time.
Wanda blinked the thought away. This was different. This was Tony’s table, checking Vision over to see what was wrong. The man himself was stood behind a bank of holographic screens. With each pass of the robotic arms, more data appeared. Tony’s eyes were flicking between each piece, his brow furrowing with each line read. It didn’t bode well, Wanda thought. The machine completed its scans and Vision sat up. Tony casually flicked the screens to one side and approached the table.
“Lift your arm up” he said, almost like a medical doctor.
Vision obliged.
“Have there been any changes? Is it worse than it was, or better?” Tony asked, poking and prodding at Visions shoulder with his own fingers.
“I believe it is slightly better. I have full range of movement, but it feels … stiff, like the joints are seizing up” Vision said, demonstrating the motion.
It did seem slow, and the arm shook slightly as it reached its highest point. Tony frowned even harder, bringing the screens back in front of him and frantically scrolling through the data.
“Is something wrong?” Wanda asked.
Please let nothing be wrong, she thought. But wait, if nothing was wrong, then what had happened to Vision? Why was his arm stiff?
“That would be the million dollar question. See this” Tony said, showing them the screen properly.
There was a schematic breakdown of Visions arm displayed, with various graphs and charts labelled on it. It didn’t mean much to Wanda.
“Visions arm” was all she could say that wouldn’t make her sound completely stupid.
“Exactly, and a grand total of zero faults” Tony said.
“What?” Wanda said.
“That can’t be right” Vision said.
“But it is. I cannot find anything that would be causing stiffness in a vibranium infused synthetic tissue based android arm, and yet apparently there is, even a blind man could see it” Tony said.
There was silence between the three of them. Worry began to pool in Wanda’s stomach. This must be what it’s like to hear less than good news in a doctor’s office. Tony’s brow was creased more than she’d ever seen it, but then in an instant, it relaxed and Tony was back to his usual above everything demeanour.
“Mind if I send my scans to Shuri? She was the one to actually make the body, she may have put something in that I don’t know about. Who knows?” Tony asked.
They both nodded and left with his assurance that he’d tell them when he heard back from Shuri. As they walked back to their quarters, Wanda couldn’t help but glance at Vision every few seconds. He was still flexing his arm as though trying to work the stiffness out of it. Maybe that was what he needed. Maybe Wanda had jumped the gun by having Tony take a look. Vision had been becoming more and more human. Right after his creation, he’d struggled to express his feelings, and then after he struggled to put them into words. Now, he was just like most people, if slightly naïve about certain things. Maybe becoming more human meant experiencing human aches and pains. But then his body was still synthetic so it should work properly unless there was a fault. The thoughts raged through Wanda’s head so much so she didn’t notice they were passing their door.
“Wanda” Vision said.
Wanda snapped out of it. Vision was holding their door open, concern on his face.
“I’m the one who should be worried about you, not the other way around” she said.
“I’ll always worry about you. And I’m confident that if something is seriously wrong then Mr Stark and the Princess will be able to find it” Vision said.
She sat down on the end of the bed and Vision took the chair opposite. Their room was cosy, filled with small things which Wanda found comforting, that made her think of home. Vision had even added to the décor with his new passion for stargazing. His telescope was set up by the window.
“What are we going to do about dinner?” Vision asked.
“What?” Wanda said, lost in her own thoughts again.
“”Since most of the Avengers are off sit, either at the tower or elsewhere, what are we going to have for dinner?” he asked.
“I don’t know. We’ll have to see what’s in” Wanda said offhandedly.
She was still thinking about what Tony said. A grand total of zero faults. But that couldn’t be right. She felt Vision delicately take her hand.
“Wanda, we cannot let this worry get in the way” he said, his voice reasonable and calm, smoothly disarming her worries, “we must continue doing what we do, whether it be extraordinary like saving lives, or ordinary like having dinner.”
“I guess you’re right” she said with a small smile.
Vision returned her smile with one of his own. The sun was setting, casting the room in a soft orange light. Vision placed a kiss gently on her forehead and she leaned into the touch. Wanda was not one for grand gestures, she’d had enough of big things in her life, and so the little things like this were felt and appreciated so much more. She would have stayed like this forever but there was an urgent knock on the door, jarring them both from the moment.
“Captain Rogers?” Vision said when he answered it, “what can we do for you?”
Steve Rogers was stood in the threshold, dressed in his combat gear with his shield slung over his back. He looked serious.
“There’s a disturbance in town, we’ve been asked if could check it out” he said, all business.
“And you want us for backup?” Wanda asked.
“Steve nodded.
“I don’t mean to disturb you, but everyone else is either unavailable or recovering from missions of their own” he said.
“We understand. When do you need us ready?” Vision asked.
The slowly untying knot in her stomach suddenly clenched tighter again.
“Wait, Vision you can’t!” Wanda said.
Steve frowned at her.
“We don’t know why you’re arms gone stiff. What if going on a mission makes it worse?” Wanda said.
Steve looked to Vision for confirmation.
“I haven’t forgotten, nor have I forgotten the other responsibilities that I have. Wanda, I know you’re worried as nothing like this has happened before, but I don’t want that to interfere” Vision said.
“All the same, everyone needs time to recover when they’re injured. You can still be useful Vision, you can coordinate from here” Steve said, before turning to Wanda, “suit up and be ready in five.”
The air seemed to crackle with a furious intensity, sending sparks down Strange’s spine. This place has known magic, and dangerous magic at that. From the outside, it looked like a normal tenement building, if slightly run down. Upon entering, Strange and Billy found it uncomfortably deserted. There was not a sign of life. The lights flickered, casting long shadows on the wall. Billy looked unnerved, and Strange didn’t blame him. Around every corner, behind every door, he was expecting all manner of weird things to jump out and attack them. This building should have been full of people, so where was everyone?
“I don’t like this” Billy said under his breath.
“Brave heart Billy” Strange said.
They made their way up the stairs, checking each floor as they went. They didn’t know where this had started, so they had to be sure. Each floor was much the same: charged atmosphere and disturbing lack of people.
“What do you think happened?” Billy asked on the fourth floor.
“I’m not sure, but this was definitely magic” he said.
“And the people? Are they dead?”
“Let’s hope not” Strange said.
A creak had them both jumping into action, Strange conjuring shields and Billy holding crackling lightning in his hands. It came from beyond the door to the stairwell, from where they had just been. Strange and Billy exchanged readying look and inched forward. The door was pushed open carefully and they were met not by the fangs and claws of some horrifying creature, but the shield of Captain America leading the charge. The man so named was not far behind, gripping it tightly, with Wanda bringing up the rear.
“Stand down Captain, it’s only us” Strange said, dropping his shields.
Steve lowered the shield and surveyed them both.
“Strange. Billy” he said in greeting.
Billy and Wanda exchanged a small wave.
“What are you doing here?” Steve asked them.
“What are you doing here?” Strange asked more pointedly.
Steve looked as though he was considering pressing his own question but thought better of it, dropping his shield to his side.
“We got reports of a strange disturbance and were asked to check it out. You?”
“Pretty much the same, except we weren’t asked” Strange said.
“We’ve checked the top three floors and couldn’t find anyone” Wanda said.
She too looked uncomfortable like Billy.
“There should have been over eighty people in this building. Where did they go?” Steve said, his eyes boring into Strange as though answers should be readily presenting themselves.
“No idea, but we’ve still got three more floors to check” Strange said.
“But we’ve already…” Steve said.
“With all due respect Captain, you don’t know what you’re looking for. Whatever this is, it’s magic, I can feel it” Strange said.
And I’m guessing so can you, Strange thought, watching Wanda. She seemed a lot more reserved than Billy had described her as being, her eyes constantly darting around in a way that Steve’s weren’t. Strange understood the feeling. Together, they moved to the floor above. Strange pushed open the door to the floor and knew immediately this was it.
“Watch your step” he warned, cautiously moving into the corridor.
Billy followed and shuddered.
“You can feel that?” Strange asked.
“It’s like a really creepy guy’s whispering in my ear” he said, shuddering again.
“What is it?” Wanda asked.
Steve looked between the three, confused.
“That, Wanda, is magic. Raw and unchecked. Whoever did this had no idea what they were doing.”
It was easy now to find the source, he only had to follow the feeling, ignoring the prickling in his skin and shaking in his hands that he was too proud to admit wasn’t entirely due to their damage. The ominous feeling led them to one of the apartments.
“I think I know what happened to the people” Strange said as he pushed open the door.
Inside, the apartment seemed normal, but looking closer, the air seemed wrong. It was strangely shifted and distorted, very visible lines ran through it like broken glass.
“Is that?” Billy asked.
“The Mirror dimension. Someone ripped open a portal to the Mirror dimension” Strange said.
What should they do now? Strange wracked his brain, trying to find a solution. He’d used the Mirror dimension many times before, he understood how it worked. You could open a portal to it like a tear, to either go to it willingly or to otherwise force someone else to go there. But those kinds of portals faded fairly quickly after there are made, the undetected nature of the dimension sealing off the access. For it to remain like this, whoever made the portal hadn’t understood what they were doing.
“But this room was empty when we checked it” Wanda said under her breath.
“Then you were lucky” Strange said, “somebody was messing around with the Mirror dimension and practically tore a hole in it, pulling everyone in the building into the Mirror dimension.”
“Can we get them back?” Steve asked.
“With any luck” Strange said.
He stepped confidently into the room, rhythmically moving his hands, the cracks and lines fading as he did so. The ominous feeling subsided slightly as well.
“What are you doing? I thought we were getting the people back!” Wanda said.
“We will, but if this isn’t fixed then it’ll only keep causing problems.”
After only a few minutes more, the apartment was returned to its normal state. Only now did Strange realise that the Mirror dimension wasn’t the only thing wrong here. The furniture was dishevelled, with suspicious slashes burned into it. Photo frames were smashed with the glass strewn over the floor. Mirror dimension aside, Strange thought, something happened here.
“Must have been a hell of a party” Billy said, “we should ask them when they get back.”
“Speaking of which” Strange said “I’ll need your help.”
“What?”
“You and I both know there are dangers in the Mirror dimension. We need to get them out now.”
“Ok, and how do we do that?”
“The teleportation spell you use to get around…”
“Because you won’t let me have a sling ring” Billy muttered.
“…we’ll use that. I’ll guide you to them then you can bring them out.”
“But you told me I shouldn’t use my magic like that” Billy said.
It’s good to hear he’s taken my words to heart, Strange thought, if only it was in a less serious situation.
“I said you needed to be careful so you don’t lose control, but you won’t because I will be there guiding you every step of the way.”
He held out his hand. Billy took a deep breath and clasped it with his own.
“Focus your breathing. Let your spirit move freely” Strange said.
It was as if the world around them desaturated, the sounds growing slightly muted and the colours slightly dull.
“Move to the Mirror dimension. Find the people.”
Strange could feel Billy’s spirit, still well within the confines of his body, shift. All Strange needed to be was a guiding hand. The Mirror dimension was all around them, one only needed to focus, and know what to look for, to find it.
“I feel them” Billy said.
“Then focus, and bring them back.”
Billy’s grip on Strange’s hand tightened. He muttered under his breath, a habit he claimed helped him focus on what he wanted. Energy sparked from Billy’s body, dancing in the air around them for a brief moment before streaming off through the building. Steve and Wanda jumped in surprise. Billy’s breathing increased in pace but he did not stop his muttering. Come on Billy, Strange thought, just a bit more. The magic coming from Billy pooled near the torn up sofa before there was a blinding flash. He heard two thuds, followed by many more throughout the building as the people were returned.
“Billy!”
Billy practically collapsed into him, exhausted by the exertion. Strange held onto him and eased him to the ground. Wanda rushed to his side, examining him and making sure he was alright. Steve also rushed to someone, the person who lay next to the couch. She was in a crumpled heap on the floor, her muscles twitching and spasming slightly as she tried pushing herself up.
“It’s ok, I’ve got you. You’re safe” he said to her.
The woman, who had been close to panic, calmed slightly when she saw Captain America.
“What happened here?” Strange asked her.
The woman pointed as best she could to the corner of the room by the front door, and very croakily said “him” before passing out. Strange followed her finger and saw someone else, another person who had been returned by Billy. They were hooded so he could not see their face, and braced against the wall. Strange knew that Billy’s teleportation took a bit of getting used to, so he wasn’t surprised to see the person recovering. There was something about them that was familiar that he couldn’t quite place. Steve immediately stood, projecting a mighty aura of authority.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
The person said nothing. Completely ignoring the imposing figure of Captain America, he inched his way to the door.
“I said who are you? What are your intentions here?” Steve demanded again, closing the distance to the person and grabbing their arm.
The person twisted in his grip, slamming their palm into the centre of Steve’s chest. He collapsed immediately, unconscious.
“Steve!” Wanda cried, blasting energy at them.
The person conjured a shield, easily deflecting it. This person was a Master of the Mystic Arts. But who? The sudden quick motion had shifted the hood, knocking it back, letting Strange see the persons face clearly, and his heart sank. He knew who it was. He was a darker skinned man with short black hair, but it was the eyes, the eyes that burned with a stoic resolution that Strange knew most. The last he’d seen them, they were filled with disgust and distrust, walking away from him in Hong Kong.
“Mordo?”
“Strange.”
The two stared each other down. Strange inched closer.
“What happened here Mordo? Where did you go? We were worried about you” he said.
“I do not need your concern Strange” Mordo said, flashing his eyes over Billy and Wanda, “still leading others down your dangerous path I see.”
“Mordo, what are you doing here?” Strange asked.
The deadly calm that Mordo exuded was putting him on edge.
“Cleaning house” Mordo said before he lunged at him.
Strange was frozen in shock. Mordo was attacking him! Mordo’s clawed hand was wreathed in red energy, holding it in place before it struck his abdomen. Wanda had protected him. She blasted Mordo back into the wall, but he wrenched himself from her grip. Billy groaned and stumbled to his feet, still shaky. Mordo took in the three of them.
“This isn’t over Strange” he said.
He was fast. From beneath his cloak, he drew a short wooden staff, the Staff of the Living Tribunal, and swung it hard, once up into the roof and once down to the floor. Each impact came with a burst of magic. The ceiling crumbled and fell. Wanda whipped her hands up and caught the rubble. The floor cracked and splintered, threatening to fall. Strange hurried and cast a spell, keeping it together. The shaking sent Billy sprawling to the ground. Wanda gently laid the ceiling down to one side as Strange finished his spell and repaired the floor.
“Who was that? What did he do to Steve?” Wanda demanded.
Steve? Steve! Strange hurried over to the fallen soldier and examined him closely. He was unconscious but seemed otherwise unhurt.
“It’s like he’s still here, but not in his body. I don’t understand” Wanda said.
Her eyes were glowing red, obviously trying to read Steve. So he was thill there, but not in his body, Strange thought, I need to check. He entered the astral plane and watched his body begin its slow fall to the ground.
“Doctor Strange!” Steve called.
The Captain’s astral body was floating a short distance away, pinwheeling through the air. The astral Steve was flailing its arms and legs, making Strange think of that movie he’d seen about space and zero gravity.
“Relax Captain, I’ve got you” he said.
He guided Steve’s astral body back to his physical form and then re-entered his own body. Steve burst back to consciousness, springing to his feet ready for a fight.
“What the hell was that?” Steve asked.
“That was Mordo. Pushing out your astral form was a simple easy way to take you off the board” Strange said, hoping his clinical tone would mask the rampaging questions in his mind. What on Earth was Mordo doing here?
“Who’s Mordo?” Steve asked, Wanda also looking expectantly.
He caught Billy’s eye.
“An old friend. I have no idea what he was doing here, before you ask.”
Steve didn’t seem satisfied with this answer.
“Is it over? The magical disturbance or whatever it was?” Wanda asked.
“You tell me” Strange said.
This was more for his own curiosity than anything else. He could feel that it was over, the tear into the Mirror dimension was closed, the people were returned, but if Wanda could feel it too then that meant that Billy was right and she was using magic. Wanda closed her eyes and focused, before breathing a sigh of relief.
“I think so.”
Strange smiled. She could definitely feel the magic, so her powers were also magic.
“So it’s over?” Wanda asked, eyebrow raised.
“Yes. Have you ever considered learning to harness your powers?” Strange asked.
Wanda’s eyebrow remained raised, her confusion obvious.
“Of course, how do you think I got to where I am now?”
“I mean properly harness it, learn it properly” Strange said.
“He means your powers are magical and he wants to teach you” Billy said.
“Way to flatten my setup Billy.”
“Well you were taking forever.”
“Magic? My powers aren’t magic” Wanda said firmly.
“You could feel the disturbance here, just like Billy and me. You have a connection to the dimensional energies that the Masters of the Mystic Arts harness to use magic. Yes, your powers are magic” Strange said.
“Avengers!” Steve called, stopping the conversation in its tracks, “ we have a building full of people who need our help, and this Mordo is still in the wind.”
“Right” Strange said, “everybody should be back where they belong unharmed, and Mordo will stay in the wind until he wants to come out again.”
This was true. Strange had tried looking for him, to seek his advice about certain matters but had been unable to find him. He drew out a card and handed it to Wanda.
“Please think about it, then give me a call. I think it would be best for all of us if you were in full control of your powers” he said.
He pulled on his sling ring and gestured for Billy. The portal opened. With a nod to the Captain and Wanda, he stepped through back to the Sanctum, with Billy following right behind him. He was still a little wobbly on his feet, but Strange wasn’t too worried. Billy would bounce back from this, he always did. Billy hobbled to a window and Strange joined him, looking out into the street beyond bathed in the light of the lamps. The world hadn’t stopped turning because of one small magical disaster, and Strange would see to it that it never did. The outside was quiet, a black van driving past was the only thing on the road.
“Do you think she’ll do it?” Billy asked.
“You know her better than me. What do you think?” Strange said.
Billy took a deep breath and shrugged. He didn’t know, and Strange didn’t either. Still, he’s made the offer. The ball was in her court now.
“What troubles you Strange?”
Strange was stood with Wong before the Windows of the World. Strange found them calming, listening to the waves crashing in the middle of the Pacific, the faint beats of the Amazon, the unending still of the Sahara desert, the world at peace, a reminder of what he had to protect. Whenever he found his mind troubled, he would look out of them. Not that he would admit to having a troubled mind, but then he wasn’t fooling anyone. Wong waiting patiently, knowing full well he would get his answers soon. Strange sighed.
“It’s Mordo.”
“What about him?”
“He was there at the tenement block, right in the middle of whatever that was.”
“You’re thinking that he caused the tear to the Mirror dimension?” Wong asked.
“I’d like to think that Mordo would be smart enough to realise that’s a bad idea” Strange said, sighing again.
“Then what is wrong?” Wong asked.
“There were signs of a fight. Something went sown in that apartment and it led to a huge rip in the skin of reality” Strange said.
The pounding waves were becoming too much, so Strange turned the dial. The window changed to show a quiet rural street with a car or two occasionally passing.
“Mordo may have turned his back on the Masters, but he was adamant about preserving natural law. He knows the limits and would be devout about not crossing them” Wong said calmly.
“I wouldn’t know, he didn’t exactly say much” Strange said.
He turned and walked away from the Windows of the World. The layout of the Sanctum was incredibly flexible, leading him back to the library via a quicker route than one would expect. Strange didn’t bat an eye. The Sanctum often reacted to thoughts and feelings, taking people to the rooms they needed to go to, which wasn’t always where they wanted to be.
“If Mordo is walking down a dangerous path, should we inform the Masters?” Wong asked.
Strange thought for a moment.
“No, we’ll see what happens. For all we know, Mordo got caught up trying to stop whatever caused the tear in the first place” Strange said.
“If that’s the case, let’s hope he did” Wong said.
Strange felt his phone buzz in his pocket. It was an unknown number, but Strange had a hunch.
“This is Doctor Stephen Strange, how may I help you?” he said, reciting his old greeting from his surgeons practice.
The formality usually worked to throw off any cold callers.
“Doctor, it’s Wanda. I’ve thought about it like you said.”
“And?”
“I’ll do it. When do you want to start?”
Strange smiled.
“As soon as possible.”
Mordo’s words echoed again in his head. Leading others down your dangerous path. But this wasn’t a dangerous path. It was a safer path. Strange was sure of it.