𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐒

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ANDREA sat across from the girl named America Chavez with Doctor Strange and Wong by either side of her. They had just saved the kid by killing a monster which was after her and was now explaining the Multiverse to us.

"Look, you need to explain what's going on because quite frankly, we're all a bit confused. Why was that octopus trying to eat you?" Andrea said to Chavez.

The girl in front of them didn't reply. Her mouth was widened slightly as if she was about to drool. Her eyes glued onto The Azure Enchantress (Andrea).

"Stop gazing at Andrea and answer the question." Strange said firmly.

Her cheeks blushed red before she cleared her throat. "That thing was trying to kidnap me." The girl corrected, "It's like a henchman who works for a demon. All we knew is that they wanted to take my power for themselves."

"What power?" Strange asked.

"I can travel the multiverse." America stated as if it was no big deal.

"What?"

"You can physically move from one universe to another?" Wong questioned. America hummed in response.

"How?" Stephen urged for the answer.

"That"s the problem. I don't know how. Can't control it. Only happens when I'm really afraid." She responded.

Andrea crossed her arms and lightly chuckled, "That's bloody helpful." Wong nudged her gently, not tolerating her sarcasm.

"Okay. And did Other Me know how to defeat this demon?" Stephen asked.

"Well, you guys knew of this magical book of pure good that gives a sorcerer whatever they need to defeat their enemy."

"The Book of Vishanti? It's not real. It's a fairy tale. It doesn't exist." Strange shook his head.

"Actually, it does." Wong began, all heads turned to him, "I found out in the book you get when you become Sorcerer Supreme." Andrea rolled her eyes at how he's always bragging that he has a higher role than Stephen now.

"You're not the Sorcerer Supreme?" America curiously questioned.

"No, I'm not the Sorcerer Supreme." Strange said.

"Other You was Sorcerer Supreme of his universe."

"He used to be, but he got blipped for five years." Andrea told, the kid looked confused at what she meant.

"Although it does exist, the Book of Vishanti is said to be unreachable." Wong spoke.

"It is, except, we reached it. Then the demon caught up with us." The girl mainly spoke to Stephen, "I thought you'd protect me...but you didn't."

Stephen's face twisted in realisation, "That was the fight in my dream."

"That wasn't a dream." America aggressively put.

"Prove it." Andrea said.

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WONG grabbed ahold of the blanket and chucked it to the side, uncovering a body full of scratches in its face, a body who looked exactly like Stephen Strange. Andrea felt like throwing up at the sight of a dead body.

"It wasn't a dream." Strange whispered before looking up at Wong and Andrea, "That means...dreams are windows into the lives of our Multiversal selves."

Andrea was taken back by that statement, if that was true, then Asgard wasn't destroyed and Loki was still alive in an universe somewhere. She would still be with Wanda and they would mother Billy and Tommy together.

Andrea knew that Wanda thinks she's dead, she was told it would be better that way and she believed it.

"That was his theory." America pointed to the dead body.

"So, that recurring nightmare where I'm running naked from a clown..." Wong said.

"Somewhere out there, it's real."

"Somewhere out there I had a ponytail." Strange stated.

Andrea didn't want to add onto the chain, not wanting to make the mood suddenly depressing.

Wong and Strange stood up from their position, "There could be more creatures coming for her." The Sorcerer Supreme said.

"The power is dangerous enough in the hands of a kid. Imagine if a real threat acquired it?" Stephen spoke, Andrea gave him a look as America stumbled back.

"Miss Chavez, will you come with us to Kamar- Taj?" He asked, hoping the answer would be yes, "You'll be safe there." He assured.

Her breathing got shaky, "How do I know you won't betray me like he did?"

"I guess you're just gonna have to trust me." Strange answered.

"What do we do with....dead Stephen Strange." Andrea asked, lightly kicking the side of the body.

Clearing his throat, Doctor Strange held his arms out and shifted some rocks before putting the body inside of it then covering it back up.

"That's gonna violate an ordinance." Wong said, Andrea nodded her head agreeing.

"Ah I've buried worse."

"The creature that kill him...did it have the same markings as the octopus?" Wong questioned.

"Runes, they were runes." Andrea replied.

"This isn't sorcery..." Wong began.

"It's witchcraft." Strange finished, both sorcerers now staring at the enchantress (Andrea).

"Don't look at me, I only know as much as you guys do." Andrea held her hands up.

"Do we know anyone who's faced such a thing?"

One person came to mind in particular, she was held in runes but she also made them according to what she's been told. The brunette slowly looked at Stephen to already find him looking at her. He gave Andrea a nod to let her answer the question.

"Wanda."

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BLOSSOM trees were planted all across the land with the small cabin built in the middle. The grass was light and short as boots treaded across it. Wanda had isolated herself there ever since WestView happened. Stephen Strange went to go see the red-head, Andrea wanted to accompany, to reunite with Wanda again but Strange refused, he thought that it would only make things worse.

"Apples, right?" Stephen announced himself as Wanda cut off a branch.

"Eventually." She replied, handing him a branch.

Smelling it, he hummed. "Smells..."

"Sweet." Wanda finished for him.

"I was gonna say real."

"Oh, it's all very real, thanks. I've put the magic behind me."

"So I can see." Stephen gestured his surroundings.

"Well, I knew soon or later you'd show up, wanting to discuss what happened at WestView." Wanda's voice didn't seem to have any happiness in it at all, Stephen became shocked at the mention of the town she had enslaved. "I made mistakes, and people were hurt..."

"But you put things right in the end, and that was never in doubt. I'm not here to talk about WestView." The sorcerer spoke.

"Then what are you here for?" Wanda asked.

"We need your help."

A sly smile flashed on Wanda's face before she put the tree branch in a wooden box and they began walking.

"With what?" She asked.

"What do you know about the Multiverse?" Strange questioned.

"The Multiverse. Vis had his theories. He believed it was real, and dangerous." Wanda explained.

"Well, he was right about both." He confirmed, "We found a girl who can somehow travel across it, but she's being pursued."

"Pursued by who?" Wanda asked intriguingly.

"Some kind of demon. One that covets her powers for itself. We've taken her to Kamar- Taj and we've got our defences, but we could use an avenger."

"There are other avengers."

"Yeah, but given the choice between the archer with the mohawk and several bug-themed crime fighters, or one of the most powerful magic-wielders on the planet...it's an easy call." Stephen said, Wanda chuckled. "Come to Karmar- Taj. It'll get you back on the lunch box." He tried persuading.

The red-head thought for a second before opening her mouth, "What if you brought America here?"

"Here?" He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Yeah. I know what it's like to be on your own, hunted for abilities you never wanted, and I can protect her." As Wanda spoke, Stephen discontinued walking with her, his head hung low in disappointment of the woman in front of him. Soon enough, Wanda realised what she had said, "You never told me her name, did you?"

"No."

"You know, the Hex was the easy part." She began, "The lying, not so much."

Wanda flicked her hands in the air gently, red hues of power coming from her hands as it entered the sky. Everything surrounding them had turned into a dark red, the trees were dead and Wanda was now in her Scarlet Witch outfit...along with the DarkHold.

"The DarkHold." Stephen's heart skipped a beat at the sight of it at the witch's side.

"You're familiar with the DarkHold?" Wanda questioned, her voice returning to normal, as if she was her true self.

"I know it's the Book of the Damned and that it corrupts everything and everyone that it touches." Him referring to his surroundings then the woman in front of him, "I wonder what it's done to you."

"The DarkHold only showed me the truth. Everything I lost can be mine again." Wanda said.

"What do you want with America? What do you want with the Multiverse?" Stephen questioned, worried for the answers.

"I'm going to leave this reality and go to one where I can be with my children, Andrea."

Deciding to ignore the mention of Andrea, he said "Wanda, your children aren't real. You created them using magic."

"That's what every mother does." She smirked before speaking again, now trailing towards Stephen, "If you knew, there was a universe where you were happy wouldn't you want to go there?"

"I am happy." He lied.

"I know better than most what self-deception looks like." The Scarlet Witch spoke.

"What you're doing is a flagrant violation of every natural law, and if you take that child's power, she won't survive." Stephen raised his voice.

"I don't relish hurting anyone, Stephen. But she's not a child. She's a supernatural being. Such raw power could wreak havoc on this and other worlds. Her sacrifice..." Wanda paused for a moment after circling around the man, "would be for the greater good."

"We'll you can kiss the lunchbox goodbye 'cause that's the kind of justification our enemies use."

"Is it the one you used, when you gave Thanos the Time Stone?"

There was a small silence between them, Wanda knowing she had hit a point with him.

"That was a war, and I did what I had to do." He stated.

"You break the rules and become a here. I do it, and I become the enemy. That doesn't seem fair." Whispering the last part.

"What would Andrea think of this?" Stephen asked out of the blue.

Wanda backed up slightly, her eyes turning to sadness before back to normal. Him know knowing he hit a point with her seeing as though she thinks she's dead.

When Strange realised he wasn't going to get an answer he asked, "What happens now?"

Wanda lifted her mood, "Return to Kamar- Taj and prepare to hand over America Chavez by sundown. Peacefully. After that...you'll never see me again."

Sucking the Book of the Damned into the witch, she walked away until stopping when Stephen said, "And if we don't."

"Then it won't be Wanda who comes for her. It will be the Scarlet Witch."

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