"Doctor Strange? Is that your super hero name or are you actually a doctor who's surname is Strange?"

Loki and Wanda had walked through Strange's portal and were now following him through this new place they'd entered.

"I'm a Doctor, Loki. My surname is Strange, yes, it's weird. Yours isn't any weirder." Strange replied to the god's question.

"And why do you need us?" Wanda asked.

"Well, for one, the both of you are supposed to be dead."

"Excuse me?"
"Sounds right."

Wanda and Loki replied to him.

Strange turned to them as he walked.

"And we've had a bit of an incident recently, regarding a... Version-"

"Variant?" Loki asked.

"Yeah that. And now I need to figure out why the two of you are here considering I watched you, Wanda, die in front of me, and I haven't sensed you here since before Ragnarok, plus your brother claims that you're dead." Strange said, pointing at Loki after he finished.

"You've seen Thor?" Loki asked.

"Yes."

"Any idea where he is now?"

"Last I heard of him, he was going off with a team of heros I know nothing about. They call themselves The Guardians."

"Of course." Loki rolled his eyes.

They walked out of the hall that they'd been walking through for a good few minutes and out into an open area.

Wanda's eyes widened as she looked at the damage that this place had been through.

The walls were collapsed on themselves and there wasn't anyone around. It looked like the place had been blown up then hit with a tornado.

"What happened here?" She asked.

"You did." Stephen replied.

"What?"

"Or the variant, as you call it, did this." He said, crossing his arms.

He stopped walking and he turned around to face Wanda and Loki.

Wanda noticed the stare he had on her and she took a small step back.

"You do know that wasn't me, right? I haven't been on Earth in who knows how long." She said.

Orange sparks appeared on the ground and Wanda and Loki both looked down. A circle started forming under Loki's legs and Wanda took a step away. Loki held out his arms a touch, as if to keep from losing balance.

"Doctor, what is this?" He asked, glaring at Strange.

Strange didn't reply.

Loki's head cocked and two daggers formed in his hand, but before he could use them, the ground below him opened up and he let out a shout as he fell down. The portal shut and Wanda's eyes widened before magic spawned in her hands.

"Stephen, what the hell are you doing?" She asked, readying for a fight.

"I'm clarifying something." He replied.

More portals began opening around the two and Wanda looked around, hints of fear in her eyes. Her hands were in fists as red magic swarmed her fingers.

She looked back at Strange, staring him dead in the eyes, trying to read his mind to figure out what was going on.

He clearly noticed.

"I have magic protecting my mind, nice try." He stated.

Wanda opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, orange rope like magical items shot out from the many portals that surrounded the two and grabbed at Wanda.

The red magic left her hands on impact and she let out a gasp as the magic went to hold her captive.

Her arms were yanked behind her and she struggled to stay standing.

"You're making a mistake, Stephen. Where is Loki?" She demanded, struggling to get her arms free from the ropes.

"You're not the one who needs to be asking questions. What are you doing back here?" He asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I've been running through different apocalypses and dealing with the so-called time police ever since Thanos snapped his fingers!"

"And how am I supposed to believe that?"

Wanda's head tilted and her eyes glowed red.

"I don't care if you believe me, that's the truth. Now I am telling you to give me back Loki and we'll be on our merry way."

"I can't do that."

"Where is he?"

"Falling, currently. He's fine."

"And why should I believe you when you currently have me tied up for no reason!?"

"No reason? You, or if you're correct, a variant of you tried to kill me and a child less than a week ago, and now you're showing up again with the God of Mischief. I think I have plenty reason."

"It was a variant of me! I don't even know who this ‘child’ is! And why would I harm an innocent child!? I'm not a monster. Who are you talking about?"

Wanda's head had straightened back up but her eyes were still red. The magic was the only thing keeping her standing while being forced down by all these magical ropes.

"A young girl who has great power. Your 'variant' was trying to use her to get to a different universe." Strange stated, walking closer to Wanda.

"America Chavez? The girl who was considerably a myth in the Darkhold? Even if I was to go after her, it would be pointless because I have a device that allows me to go anywhere at any time!"

Strange paused, his eyes narrowing after Wanda mentioned the name of the girl.

"What device?" He asked.

"Loki has it. It's called a Tempad, it creates these things called time doors. I got it from the Time Police that I've been dealing with." Wanda said.

"Oh of course, Loki has it. Why am I not surprised?"

Behind her, what Strange couldn't see, was her hands slowly glowing with red magic. The wizard wasn't listening to her and the one person she actually wanted to be with was currently plummeting to who knows where and she needed to get out of these stupid ropes.

"Yes. Loki has it, and I would like to have him back, where is he?" Wanda asked, her tone becoming not very gentle.

"What else do you know about America?" He asked, ignoring her question.

"I don't know much, I didn't read much on her, I don't even know where the Darkhold is anymore!"

"It's destroyed, your welcome, in every universe thanks to your variation."

"Then why are you mad!?"

"Because she killed many-"

Before Strange could finish his sentence, Wanda let out a blast of magic shoot from her body that blew off the orange ropes that were holding her. Even though the magic passed through Strange, it made no harm towards him.

Wanda then let out a shout and casted a large, magical shield around the two, knocking off the new magic ropes that the sorcerers were throwing at her.

"Give me your hand, Stephen." She ordered, extending her arm to him.

"Why should I?" He replied.

He'd taking a defensive stance, as if he were waiting for Wanda to attack, but that attack never came.

"The spell only works if we make contact. I'm going to show you what I've been doing so you believe me." Wanda stated, her tone a bit harsh towards the end.

She hated that he didn't seem to trust her. She'd met him, what, five minutes ago? And it already seemed like he hated her.

Strange hesitated, but he stepped closer to her and held out his hand, which she took.

Wanda closed her eyes and red magic flowed from her free hand and shot into both of their minds.

Strange was no longer in Wanda's magic bubble, he felt like a spirit almost. He could barely feel his own body, only his hand and his head.

"What is this?" He asked.

"Quiet." Wanda instructed.

If Strange could give a glare, he didn't know if his face was even visible, he would've.

The area around him was red and cloudy. He couldn't see Wanda but he was sure she could see him. This felt very one sided.

Suddenly, the red clouds lit up into color and began showing images. Strange looked up and watched as the images formed into a projection, a video almost.

It showed him illusions of Wanda, Loki, and a blond girl he didn't recognize running around. First they were on a pink planet, mostly fighting, then they were in rooms that held them captive like cells. Then they were in a blue room with clouds on the floor and Strange watched the blond girl throw a knife at a creature he didn't recognize.

More images flashed around, showing him a lot of stuff that seemed to happen in the spand of a few days, but he never saw anyone sleep.

The images ended with him seeing Loki use a device, the Tempad assumingly, to create a time door, then the images went away.

Then Strange felt his mind being opened, Wanda was entering it. He wasn't really able to stop her since they were already in a connected magical loop, and he didn't want to mess up her concentration and be stuck in her mind, if that could even happen.

Witch magic was something he didn't understand fully. They could move things around without touching them and they could also take over the world if they chose too.

The red cloudy area became an orangish, dark room. Images began flashing through his mind again, only this time they were memories.

Wanda was watching what he'd been explaining to her, about how the variant of Wanda had been trying to take America Chavez's power for herself.

He watched over the scene where his fellow sorcerer's, his friends, were murdered by the witch. He watched how he was sent through a star shaped portal with the child that was America, then he watched how he had to fight Mordo in the Illuminati universe. Images flashed through until it ended with Strange watching the Wanda variant get crushed under large rocks in a temple that had been forged for the Scarlet Witch.

Quite a lot in the spand of a few days.

Wanda's eyes opened.

She let go of Stephen and he took a heavy breath as stepped back.

"Now do you trust me?" She asked.

"No, you just entered my mind without permission." He replied.

Wanda rolled her eyes, annoyed at how he wasn't cooperating even though she just gave him access into her mind.

"But I do understand." Strange added. "It wasn't you who did all those things. You don't deserve the blame. However, I don't know if others will be so understanding."

Wanda gave a small sigh, glad she got someone on her side.

Strange held up his arms and made a swinging motion, casting a portal in the air. Loki came falling from it and Wanda's hands shot out, casting magic to catch him.

A Tempad had already broken from him falling like that, she didn't need that to happen again.

The portal that had opened disappeared with red sparks forming around it, as if the red magic was burning it up.

Loki was eased down to the ground and he stood up, glaring at Strange as he brushed off his clothing.

"Where are we?" He asked, pointing at the red magic that surrounded the three.

"A magical shield that, if I take down, will cause a bunch of sorcerer weapons to attack us." Wanda replied simply.

Then she turned back to Strange.

"Tell them I don't intend on harming any of them, please." She begged.

Strange nodded and he casted a portal. Part of him wondered why none of the other magic users, especially Wong, had tried this, but then he realized when the portal disappeared with red sparks.

"Sorry." Wanda said.

She flicked her hand and Strange gave a confused look, then recasted a portal. This time it didn't dissipate.

"Are you two buddies now, or??" Loki asked.

"No, but he doesn't think we're going to murder him. He did before." Wanda replied.

"Why? Fair, but why?"

"Some variant of myself. Apparently my TVA set path was to become a murderer and try to kill a child. I'm very glad I got taken by the TVA with you."

"Oh. Well then."

Strange had exited the shield, and from the outside could see all the sorcerers through their portals throwing the magical ropes, but they only bounced off of the shield that Wanda had set.

At least this Wanda seemed to be on their side, if he had to deal with another corrupted Scarlet Witch, he didn't know if he'd survive this time. This time he wouldn't be able to use the Darkhold to fight back.

Somehow the God of Mischief, who'd previously tried to take over New York, was keeping Wanda from going all evil.

Funny things happen, huh.

Strange went to Wong, using his animate cloak to fly himself up to the portal.

"She's safe, she won't attack us, she doesn't care about taking America's power." He stated.

"How can you be so sure?" Wong asked, his voice loud.

He seemed to dislike Wanda more than Strange, which made sense. She did kind of throw him off a mountain.

"Um.. Kind of hard to explain. I saw into her mind and watched a video of what she's been doing while we were dealing with what she calls a variant."

Wong stared at him like he was the stupidest man on the planet.

"So you believe her because of a spell she did. A spell that she made."

"Yeah."

Wong and Strange stared at each other until Wong gave a sigh.

"She's not leaving here. Who knows what will happen if she gets free and creates another Westview? Watch her."

"Yeah yeah, got it." Strange nodded.

"No. Watch. Her."

Strange gave a nod before casting a portal again, walking into Wanda's shield. She must've known it was him entering because when Wong tried to do it, it was taken over by red sparks that didn't allow him in.

"So I've got good news and bad news, which first?" Strange asked.

"Bad." Wanda gave a sigh.

Loki was standing next to her. He was taller than both Strange and Wanda, but Wanda was shorter than Stephen and the two were like a foot of height difference. In Wanda's mind visions, he looked shorter.

Or maybe Wanda was taller.

"You're stuck here. If you leave, the sorcerer supreme will come after you. Good news, you're in the clear for now, just don't do anything... Crazy, and you'll be good. We can set you two up a room here until you're in the clear to go."

Wanda gave a sigh.

Of course.

Some sorcerer now apparently had her on a leash and she had to make sure not to screw up or an army would be after her.

Amazing.

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My favorite quote of this chapter: "Oh of course, Loki has it. Why am I not surprised?"