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Stephen Strange Meta-Fic Sequel - Chapter 12: Dormammu

Here we gooooo!~ Interdimensional weirdness abound! Also, our cast of characters has expanded. ;-)

TRIGGER WARNING: Portrayal of a panic attack, general adventure scary situations, burn injury on hands

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Chapter 12: Dormammu

*Stephen Strange drifts through a familiar dimension, though he certainly wishes that he was anywhere else. As he floats through with his Cloak in tow, the sorcerer eventually comes to a twisting, convoluted path emerging from the void. He touches down to investigate. Stephen looks around and sees the usual floating interdimensional debris, along with the occasional Mindless One probing the Ruler of the Dark Dimension’s force field for weaknesses. Various multicolored objects lazily drift about, as though in a light breeze, despite there being no wind currents to speak of in this accursed place. He ventures upside-down through a swirling archway, paying no heed to the directionless gravity. All the while, a life form resembling a cross between a giant flatworm and a rabbit swims through the endless expanse nearby. Stephen senses that he’s being watched and is on alert. Though the mage cannot quite place who or what this being is yet.*

*Turns out Stephen is being watched, but not by anyone dangerous. Rather, it is a woman dressed from head to toe in purple. Her silver hair floats around her as she gazes up at the man, clearly intrigued by him.

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.*

***To be continued.***

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