MORDO LEAD THEM to his quarters. The room was lit but only candles and a couple of hanging light fixtures. They all sat down and gave the sorcerer a brief rundown on how they showed up.

"And you're quite formidable too it seems. A multiversal traveler." Mordo told America. "Well, thank the stars you brought Doctor Strange and Wiccan to safety."

"What all this with Wiccan? You mentioned my evolution?" Y/N asked.

"You are still Specter in your universe, is that right?" Mordo asked.

"Right."

He looked at Strange. "Is he a sorcerer?"

"No." He answered.

"Then that's the difference between our world and yours." Mordo began to explain, which garnered a side-eye from Y/N toward Strange.

He started to explain. "After the Superhuman Civil War, Y/N and Wanda Maximoff had to look for a place to seek refuge. It was either going on the run with Margaret Carter and her band of fugitives...or hiding in the Sanctum. They ended up choosing the latter."

Mordo continued. "It was then when Y/N took up the offer of learning the mystic arts under our Stephen Strange. He mastered the arts rather quickly, right on time with Thanos's invasion. Thanks to the efforts of the Sorcerer Supreme, the Wiccan, and other forces, the Titan was defeated."

"Wow." Y/N breathed out. "That's pretty badass."

"You mentioned the other Stephen Strange. Is he here?" Stephen asked.

"He is currently away, hence why I'm in charge of the Sanctum right now."

A lady came in with a tray of tea. She placed it down and began to pour some.

"Well, I'm going to need something from him. Our Wanda has the ability to conjure demons and monsters to attack America in other universes." Strange explained.

Mordo leaned forward, seemingly intrigued. "So she has the Darkhold?"

"You know of the Darkhold?" Y/N asked.

"Yes. We have a Darkhold in this universe too. I got it here in this sanctum. We would never risk a weapon that dangerous falling into the wrong hands."

Strange picked up the cup and muttered before taking a sip. "Damn right."

"If your Darkhold is anything like ours, I'm afraid she can do far worse than just summon monsters to come after you here."

Y/N and America drank their tea. The teenager looked at Mordo.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"There is a spell contained within those pages..." A gust of wind came into the room and blew out all the candles. Y/N figured it was for dramatic effect as he explained.

"Corrosive to the soul. A desecration of reality itself. Dream walking. A dream-walking sorcerer projects their own consciousness from their universe into another. Possessing the body of an alternate self. They may puppeteer this unholy doppelgänger and pursue their enemies from afar..."

"The possession is not a permanent link between realities, but in the fleeting time they dream walk, they can do irreparable damage to the universe they invade. So it may not be a demon that you face...it may be the Scarlet Witch."

"Why didn't she do that to begin with?" America asked.

"Because that was her being reasonable." Strange admitted then turned to Mordo. "What do you know of the Book of Vashanti?"

"The Darkhold's antithesis? It can give a sorcerer the power they need to vanquish their enemy."

"Well, I think we're gonna need it."

Mordo chuckled. "Only the Sorcerer Supreme knows where it is located."

"Great." Stephen said and stood up. "Then I'm gonna need to speak with my other–"

Suddenly, the sorcerer felt woozy. Y/N looked at him and noticed his expression, then began to feel a similar effect.

"I am sorry, my friends." Mordo said. "But I hope you out of all people understand that it is not Wanda Maximoff who threatens reality...it's the three of you."

America felt dizzy as well. "What was in that tea?"

The teenager quickly passed out. Y/N let the cup fall out of his hands and it spilled on the rug before he slumped off his seat. Strange was still trying to balance himself.

"You son of a bitch..." Strange muttered.

He dropped the cup he was holding and it shattered. Stephen fell to the floor and eyed a glowing green container holding a familiar-looking type of grain. They were used to incapacitate normal and super-powered beings instantly.

"The Sands of Nisanti." He slurred before passing out.

Mordo looked at the trio. "I'm only acting as you would."

As he walked away, Strange one final time before passing out.

"She's coming."

• • •

IN THE SAME UNIVERSE, Wanda was at home with her children. The triplets were on the sofa watching television and having just finished their dessert.

"Okay, sweeties, time for bed." She said.

"Aww." Vivian droned.

"Can we have a little more ice cream?" Tommy asked.

"Please." Billy added.

"Please. Please." They all said in unison.

"Don't make me the bad guy. Come on, bedtime." Wanda said.

"Okay." They said and handed their mom the bowls.

"You know who's the best? 2003 Tigers!" Billy continued the conversation he was having with his siblings.

"Man, they suck!" Tommy replied. "Every team you say sucks."

"They don't suck!"

"Did you look at their record backward?" Vivian asked.

"I bet you did, doofus!" Tommy said

"You're a doofus too!"

"Triple infinity doofus."

"Infinity infinity googolplex quadruple doofus."

The two tried to one-up each other's insults while Vivian rolled her eyes at her brothers' antics. She continued to watch the remainder of the cartoon on the television.

Wanda held the bowls and walked toward the kitchen. She passed by the fridge, looking at the family photos on it. She had her eyes on one that included her late husband, Y/N, and a soft smile formed on her face.

The fridge had spaces reserved for each child if they ever wanted to stick a picture or drawing on it. There would've been enough room for four...but Y/N passed before they can conceive another.

Suddenly, Wanda heard creaking in the kitchen. After the noise it was quiet, but then the hanging light fixture started to sway back and forth as it flickered.

A draft came in as she walked. Wanda didn't know if this was really happening or if it was all in her head. A picture frame including her suddenly looked back which caused Wanda to immediately turn away.

The wind blew the bowls out of her hands and they shattered against the wall. She started to feel pressure in her head and gasped at the feeling. She fell forward but caught herself by the sink, breathing heavily.

Little things would start to move on the counter, from the peas on her children's plates and the cup of water nearby started rippling. She looked up and out the window...where she suddenly was face to face with the reflection of the Scarlet Witch.

Immediately, she went inside her variant. The woman squirmed and groaned until she stood still and closed her eyes. She then opened them, the red hue present for a second before reverting to their original emerald color.

The Scarlet Witch's dream walking was successful and she was possessing the body of her variant. Prepared to look for America, she made her way to the back door...but a voice called out.

"Mom?"

She stopped. Hearing their voice again...not in a dream...but in the same room as her, brought her a sense of elation. She was even too afraid to look as she thought it'd all just end up being a dream again and snap back to reality.

"Yes, sweetheart?" She spoke in her Sokovian accent.

"Where are you going?" Vivian asked.

"Just...to take out the trash."

"Can we show you something?" Tommy called out.

Wanda slowly turned, seeing her children in the living room looking back at her.

"Come on."

"Hurry."

"Come on, it's important."

"Mom!"

"You'll like it."

She walked over to the sofa, seeing the faces of her two sons and daughter. Billy started to speak.

"Okay. So, Mom, listen to this."

"Let me start it." Tommy said.

"No, I wanna start it."

"No, I want to!"

"Ladies first." Vivian argued.

"That's not fair." Billy butted.

They all started to argue, but Wanda stopped them amidst her awe.

"Why don't you all start it...whatever...it is together."

"Okay." The siblings said, then got ready to begin.

The trio sang a song about ice cream and how they wanted one last bowl before bed. In their off-key tones, they even added how good children they've been in an attempt to convince their mother.

Wanda let out a breathy laugh as she got closer to her children. They smiled at her as the redhead rubbed the top of Billy's head.

"That was amazing." She began. "I'm sure your father would love it as well."

Their happy expressions softened. Wanda noticed this and Vivian looked down.

"Dad always did love when we sang." Tommy said.

The use of past tense confused Wanda. Unbeknownst to her original self, Y/N was dead in the universe she was in.

"What do you mean–"

The dream walk abruptly stopped and the levitating Scarlet Witch fell to the floor. Sara, Wong's partner, had snuck into the area where she was having the seance and destroyed the Darkhold. Unfortunately, she died doing so as the flames erupting from the book engulfed the sorceress.

Within Wanda's mind, she would flicker through the doppelgänger's universe and the one she was in. Her variant also fell and her children went to go help.

"Mom!"

"What happened?"

Tommy tried helping her up. "Are you okay?"

The Scarlet Witch got on her knees and looked up, seeing the fading figures of her children. She tried to hold on to them.

"Billy, Tommy, Viv." She breathed out.

They ultimately dissipated and she was fully back in her own universe. She looked back at the charred remains of Sara and went over to pick up the book.

"No...no...no!" She panted as the book crumbled in her hands.

Wanda dropped the charred remains. Suddenly, voices in her head began to speak.

"Find the spells."

"Discover them."

"The sorcerer knows."

She turned around and glared at the restrained Wong, who stared back at her. She undid the crimson bindings and lifted him in the air. She threw him out of the temple and walked over to the beaten sorcerer.

"I need the Darkhold spells. You are the Sorcerer Supreme. Tell me what you know." She demanded.

Wong spat out blood and glared at her. "You'll have to kill me, witch."

"Not you." She shook her head and looked at the rubble behind him. "Them."

She lifted four injured sorcerers out of the rubble and held them with her powers. The crimson energy wrapping them began to crush them and they writhed in pain.

"Wanda, stop." Wong pleaded as he looked back at his students. "Wanda, please!"

She wasn't listening. Rintrah let out a yell as he continued being crushed. Wong finally gave in.

"The Darkhold was a copy!"

"A copy?" She asked.

"Legend speaks of a mountain with original spells you seek carved within its walls. It's there the Darkhold was transcribed."

Wanda eased the sorcerers back down as Wong concluded the revelation.

"Mount Wundagore."

"Wundagore?" Wanda breathed out.

"No one has survived the journey."

Wanda used her powers to pull a sling ring off the fingers of a dead magic user. She flung it at Wong who deftly caught it. The witch looked directly at him.

"Perhaps we will be the exception."

• • •

DOCTOR STRANGE WAS awakened by a faint banging sound. He opened his eyes and slowly got up. Looking to his right, he saw Y/N up and leaning against the glass encasement they were in.

"Morning, Doctor." He said.

In the other cell was America. She kept pounding at the glass and had been for the last few minutes since she's woken up. Once she stopped, she looked at the other two.

"This universe sucks!" She exclaimed.

Strange felt his back for his cloak, but they had confiscated it. He tried to use magic, but the wristbands they put on him disabled the arcane abilities.

"Whatever that is must've nerfed you." Y/N remarked.

Strange noticed he didn't have cuffs. "And you? Can't you phase your way out of this?"

"I've tried. I don't know what it is. But I'm powerless too somehow, even without the cuffs."

Strange sighed and looked out of the glass. He spotted a couple of scientists and knocked.

"Hey, lab coat. Where the hell are we? Look I don't know who you are or what you think you're trying to do, but these situations don't usually work out well for the nameless scientist. So just–"

The redhead scientist turned around and looked at Stephen. He stopped talking and stared at her, in shock at who it was.

Christine Palmer.

"Oh..." Y/N muttered and slowly stepped away.

"Christine?" Strange asked.

"Hello, Stephen."

America also couldn't believe it. "Ay, Dios (Oh, God)."

"Miss Chavez." She greeted and then looked at Specter. "Y/N."

"...hello." He said with an awkward wave. In his world, he didn't even know her and here his variant must've been on a first-name basis with Palmer.

"To answer your question, Stephen, you are in a highly secured research facility. The three of you along with your sentient cloak are under surveillance and testing."

"Testing?" He asked.

"Well, yes, you're visitors from another universe. Your magnetic signatures can be radioactive, you maybe be carrying diseases we just don't have treatments for. Hence these polycarbonate fish bowls."

"So I have you to thank for these, huh?" Strange asked Palmer as he showed his cuffs.

"Yes. I developed those using the Sands of Nisanti. One of 217 Stephen's magical relics."

"217 Stephen? I'm sorry, am I some sort of cyborg here?"

"Our universe is 217. And we've designated yours 727."

Stephen remembered how the runes he used to conjure a portal to the other Spider-Men's universe had designations similar to that.

"Oh. So you must know a lot about the multiverse to have someone naming realities."

"Yes." Christine nodded. "Me. I'm with the Baxter Foundation who specializes in multiversal research."

"So with your research, you found out exactly what to put in these walls to counteract my powers?" Y/N asked as he looked around.

"Well, no." She answered. "You were already powerless when we examined you."

The young man arched a brow. The scientist continued to explain.

"I would hypothesize that your arrival into this universe disabled your abilities. 217 Y/N was already exposed and chosen by the Soul Stone so there's no need for you to be powered. One universe, one stone, one Y/N."

"That makes no sense. I entered another universe just this month and was doing fine."

"Did that universe have a Specter?" She asked.

He recalled his trip in 2014 Peter Parker's universe. He didn't mention him or any other ghostly hero.

"I don't know."

She shrugged. "Then the possibility is that there wasn't."

Y/N sighed and paced around the cell. Christine continued as she made her way to the console.

"Doesn't mean you didn't exist though. Our Stephen has peeked into others. Out of the universes I can recall, my favorite is the one where you bear a star and are a freedom fighter."

"That's...interesting." Y/N replied as he raised a brow.

Christine looked over a couple of the scans on the computer. One was an X-Ray of Stephen's hands.

"Your injuries...they're similar but not identical to my Stephen."

The sorcerer stood quiet for a moment and lowered his head. Once he spoke, he looked at Palmer.

"What...are we to each other in this universe?"

She looked back at Stephen through the glass. "We never figured it out."

Stephen sighed. "Well, that's something we have in common."

She stifled a laugh. Strange kept looking at her and got serious.

"Christine. You gotta let us out of here. Everyone's in real danger. Look, I know you don't know me–"  

"And I don't want to." Palmer interjected. "Whatever I was to you in your universe does not matter."

The man brushed off the statement and crouched down to be at eye level with the scientist.

"Someone from our universe wants that girl, and she's gonna rip this place apart atom by atom until she gets what she wants. So I don't care if you're from the Avengers, or S.H.I.E.L.D, or–"

"Or neither." Mordo spoke as he entered the room. Robots that looked like Ultron entries stood behind him.

Y/N looked at Mordo. "Or what then? HYDRA?"

Mordo had his hands folded in front of them as the sentries stood idly beside him.

"The Illuminati will see you now."

Strange furrowed his brow at Mordo's words. "The Illumawhattee?"

His wristbands self-connected into handcuffs in front of him. The glass encasement opened and he was escorted out along with Y/N. They ended up handcuffing the man as well.

"I thought I didn't need to be restrained." Y/N told Christine.

"If you're like the Y/N we knew, you're still one of the most formidable hand-to-hand combatants in the world." She replied. "Can't take that chance."

Y/N walked forward. Strange stopped and looked at Palmer.

"Don't let anybody hurt that kid." He said, then looked at America through the glass. "It's gonna be okay."

The two heroes were being escorted as Chavez watched her friends leave the room.