[ Sanctum Sanctorum ]

"So, the world is about to forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man."

"Wait—

—everyone? Can some people still know?"

Strange tilted his head, "Eh—that's not how the spell works." He corrected, noticing something wrong. "Do you mind if I could get a strand of your hair?"

"Oh. Is it for the— OW!" Peter flinched, looking behind. Before it disappeared, he got a glimpse of a portal and a hand getting away with a strand of his hair. "I could have done it."

"Apologies," Strange began combining the spell with his hair. "Just stand near me."

"Wait... so... MJ's going to forget everything that we've ever been through?"

Strange looked at him weirdly, "Who's MJ?" Suddenly, a rune appeared on his hand. Even he looked surprised. "Hm..."

Peter began feeling something become empty. It was the thought of not being inside the Sanctum that was filling him. But he didn't have time for that, "Oh... she's my... um. Look—it doesn't matter. Does she really have to forget?"

"It's part of the spell, Peter." Strange waved a sorcerer's ring on top of them, continuing to make more.

"Wait, what about Happy? And about the Avengers? What if they forget me and... what if I don't become an Avenger anymore?!"

"Give me a second..."

"Um, are the walls really supposed to go away?"

The literal Sanctum that they were in moments before were no longer there. It was turning into eternal space—there was miles and miles of emptiness that surrounded them. It was like they were on a rock being swept away by blue solar winds.

"Judging by it, it seems..." Strange sounded unsure.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Peter continued to question the Sorcerer Supreme.

"PARKER... just..."

"I'm just really concerned right now." Peter suddenly had a thought that crossed his mind. "Oh-my-god, Ned! He's my best friend!"

"Stop tampering with the spell." Strange annoyingly reprimanded.

"Look, I think my Aunt May should really know—"

"STOP, TALKING!"

Strange began rotating the runes quickly in a circular motion. Before they knew it, the Sanctum around them began crumbling apart, which would leave both of them stranded on nothingness. Strange was still under the illusion of the spell, barely keeping on.

Peter was trying his best to stay in the circle. However, the current that was pulling apart the building was also pulling him away.

"PARKER! HOLD ON TIGHT!"

"ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE WA—"

"—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

...

——————————————————————

—Nothingness.

That was where they were. In an infinite space. There floated the bodies of Peter Parker and Stephen Strange, along with the altar that they had brought on the ride.

Strange was still meddling with the spell. There were sorcerer rings still around them, floating in circles.

Peter then noticed a strange aura away from them. It looked large, but likely millions of miles away from them. It was scattered, but there seemed to be a clear middle in all of it.

"Um... is this supposed to be happening?"

Peter looked to Strange and realized—

—he was unconscious.

"Oh... crap." Peter began panicking. "Um... is anyone there? Hello?!"

—gination is more important than knowledge.

—at like a butterfly, sting like a bee!

—pens when you're busy making other plans.

—ver is happy will makes others happy too.

Peter flinched. He knew he had heard something, but he wasn't sure where it was coming from. It was like it was surrounding him. He wasn't too sure who it was or what it was, all he knew was that it's there.

"Anyone?! Can you hear me?!"

—m Iron Man.

Peter glanced to the side—it was nothing. Maybe he was hallucinating? Maybe he didn't actually go to the Sanctum Sanctorum. He was probably in his apartment, watching some internet videos.

—This was probably a dream.

—ief, if not love preserving?

—en your eyes!

—tant and proud!

—be what they made you...

—o this all day.

—ry Poppins y'all!

This was definitely a dream. There was no way this was real. A dream is usually very realistic, so this fitted the actual billing of it. So, if somehow, he could find a way to—

"—AAAAAAAAAHHHH—"

"STEPHEN! STEPHEN!"

Strange shook his head; he himself was surprised at the location they were in. He was squinting, looking at their surroundings. It was like he had no clue as to where they were. When he finally realized the situation, he was surprised by Peter.

"Whe—where are we?" Strange was now the one asking questions.

"Shouldn't I be asking that?"

—KANDA FOREVER!

—tain, I'm always angry.

—n't beautiful because it lasts.

—ot even God can stop that now.

—igher, further, faster, baby!

Peter looked to Strange.

"Please tell me you hear that too."

Strange nodded, holding his head, "Yes, Peter, I could hear them too."

Strange looked around, taking in the foreign scenery. Now, he looked calm and collected. It was like he knew the place. Locking onto the runes, he began turning them around again.

"Get ready."

—ou owe me a dance.

—vager never flies solo...

—as an idea.

—eath is not the end.

—YOU CAN UNDO THIS.

Both Peter and Strange glanced to their side, recognizing that subtle voice. It was someone close to them—maybe it's themselves.

—THEN PUNISH ME! Not the world, NOT CHRISTINE!

Peter was already feeling uncomfortable.

"Isn't that—"

Strange was left staring before he snapped out of it, "I'm working on it, Parker!"

The runes were circling faster and faster, too much for the naked eye to catch up with. Now, the line that they saw was now combining, with threads returning into a singular line. It was like it was meant to be there—a perfect puzzle.

Strange let go, letting his work do much of the talking.

"Did you do it?" Peter asked, but garnered no response from Strange.

Strange looked at him, nodding.

—er, comes great responsibility.

—ot my policy.

—ot die a monster!

—mises are meant to be broken.

—ou 'gotta pay the price!

—ove will always be the ones to pay.

—am Spid—

Peter was already freaking out. There was a burning pain being engraved into his chest, feeling as if there were layers being formed on him. His thoughts were filled with memories that were never his—but felt like they were.

Strange looked onto this danger and did one thing: nothing.

"—AHHH!" Peter screamed holding onto his chest.

"Almost there, Parker." He said calmly, as if the hurting teenager was not in front of him.

"—HEL—AHHHHHH!!!"

"Just hold on." Strange assured with a monotonous tone. "This is it. It's almost over..."

"—AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

——————————————————————

—And with a blink of an eye, they were back.

"Ow... ow—god, that hurts." Peter grasped onto his shirt, trying to tend to the numbing pain in his chest. "Ow... what just happened?"

"Damn it." Strange disappointedly muttered. He began staring at the still burning rune on the altar.

"Did it work?"

"..."

Peter saw that Strange was scared. His eyes were wide open, as if...

"Um... did the world forget?"

"No, they didn't forget, Parker." Strange placed his shaking hand on his face.

They were silent. In the moment, Peter didn't know how to feel. Even the most powerful sorcerer can't help him solve his problem.

Was this how he was going to live the rest of his life—despised by the public eye? It couldn't be. He's not going to live a life of being known as Spider-Man. He's not going to allow it. It was now or never.

"Um, I know I'm not a sorcerer or anything, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't a make-everyone-forget spell."

"You're right," Strange blurted angrily, "You're not."

"But I'm just..." He shrugged, "I'm not sure if you were trying to help me or not?"

Strange paused, looking at him menacingly. "Do you think I would conduct such a spell without any hesitation? You are dangerously wrong, Parker."

"But all I asked was for a make-everyone-forget spell, sir." Peter gulped, "I don't know if I was getting what I wished."

Strange leaned to him, making sure he took note. "Then be careful of what you wish for, Parker."

"..."

Peter wasn't sure where this was coming from. He was very helpful earlier, but was more shut off now. It felt like there was something bothering him. He wasn't just going to stop intruding there.

"So you're admitting that it wasn't the spell I was asking for?"

"Are you trying to start something with the Master of the Sacred Arts?"

"I—I just can't continue living like this. My friends and family, they're all suffering from me. Because of me. It's... —you wouldn't understand."

"You must be mistaking me for something else then."

"T—the problem is—"

"STOP. NO, the problem is you; trying to live two different lives. The more you do it, the more dangerous it becomes."

"..."

Strange sighed, knowing none of this would make Peter understand. Instead, he decided to break what he was trying to hold back since earlier.

"Look, Peter, this is something you and I know nothing about. We tampered with the stability of space and time."

"So..." Peter was looking down, feeling betrayed by him. "What spell was it?"

"There is something out there. There's something dangerous coming. Stronger than anything we've ever faced; much worst than what Thanos has ever done."

Peter disagreed with his facial expression, not believing him. "No... no. There's nothing worse than him."

"I wish that was the case, Peter; but it isn't. I don't know who's coming or when they'll come... but I don't know if we'll be able to handle it at the current station we're in."

"Where are they coming from?" Peter looked to Strange, who only confirmed his suspicion. "There's a Multiverse?"

"The Multiverse is a concept about which we know frighteningly little; and it's going to be our demise if we don't start finding ways in preventing it. I will not rest until I find a way of stopping it."

"Well..." Peter stood brave, "then I can help, sir."

"No." Strange answered immediately, "I don't want to be babysitting while the fate of our universe is in play."

"I'm old enough. I can actually be at your side and fight this. We can end this no—"

"PETER!" Strange furiously looked at him. "I've led people their death; too many times. If you die..."

"I won't."

"We don't know that."

" I promise that I won't."

"And that's a promise I'm not willing to take," Strange approached Peter, locking eyes with him. "I'm not risking our chances to stop a Multiversal threat on a kid; do you underst—"

—A blue crack.

Suddenly, just behind them, there were fractures within reality. As if their world was made of glass, slowly, the wall they were facing was forming blue crevices. It looked like it was going to break at any time.

Peter was confused. What was this occurrence about and why was it happening there.

"Peter, it's best you visit some other time." Strange commented, eyes still fixated on the cracking wall.

"Wh—but—"

"Buh-bye."

Before Peter could react, a portal went through him, teleporting him as far away as he could. Strange, now alone in the basement of the Sanctum Sanctorum, casted the Mirror Dimension. Foreseeing that only destruction will come, he readied himself.

The cracks of the wall became much more evident, as portals began opening one by one. It was upsetting for Strange, as he vigorously wanted to find people that can help him prevent a Multiversal outbreak—Guardians of the Multiverse per se.

But now, he had no idea what he had unleashed on his own realm. And now, he had to pay for it.

This was the beginning.

The Multiverse had broken out into Earth 199999.

On cue, one distinct voice echoed throughout the halls of the Sanctum—or rather, a laugh.

"And who the hell are you?"