Rough Path to Memory Square

A figure is pushed into the hall. You stand tall near the enormously high chair of Mordo. After all, you're still his apprentice. Stephen finally steps into the light and looks around till he spots you.

Mordo steps into the light as well, circling near his chair (and you) like a vulture eyeing a dead body. "Stephen Strange... You are now called before the Illuminati. I, Baron Karl Mordo, The Sorcerer Supreme, hereby..." thankfully he doesn't get to finish as Strange rudely interrupts.

"Karl?" Strange seems to be comically stunned, as if he never knew Mordo's name.

A shield is thrown towards Stephen and you almost jump to save him. "Captain Carter. The First Avenger." Mordo says calmly as if that was a daily occurrence. Fucking show-off.

"Blackagar Boltagon. Keeper of the Terrigen Mists. The Inhuman King." Mordo continues, but more and more Stephen is not impressed by any of the universe Defenders. He makes a joke under his breath, but you fail to hear it.

Mordo points to a woman sitting on the chair, "Captain Marvel. Defender of the Cosmos. And the smartest man alive, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four." Reed appears through that funny portal that you didn't even bother to figure out. Reed greets Strange, but Strange, being himself, makes a remark.

"Fantastic Four? Didn't you guys chart in the sixties?" a half grin escapes your lips, but soon you collect yourself.

"And, of course, you already know our special guest standing here," Mordo comes close to you, accidentally touching your hand with his as he points at you. You don't break eye contact with Stephen, and feeling Mordo's and Peggy's eyes on you, slightly bow your head to Stephen.

"Yeah, we've met. Tea was good by the way" the words come out as a compliment rather than mockery, so a warm feeling fills your chest.

"I'm sorry. Is this a joke to you?" Maria asks, not believing her ears. She always liked to be respected and appreciated, but life has a funny knack of sending people that are testing her patience limits.

"Well, there's a guy over there with a fork on his head, so, yeah. Little bit." He bites back without hesitation.

"Be grateful Black Bolt doesn't engage you in conversation." Of course, Peggy and her big mouth, never explaining to the fullest.

"Why? Does he have bad breath?" as much as you don't want to, you can't control yourself, and a small laugh escapes your lips again. You awkwardly pretend to cough, but a bit too late.

"This Strange is even more arrogant than ours. A real match for y/n, who seems to be fond of your jokes too." Peggy snaps at you.

Strange stays silent, you're clutching your sling ring so hard, it might snap in two.

"He's alive. For now." Maria says in somewhat satisfactory voice. Strange raises an eyebrow.

"Stephen" Reed begins, "your arrival here confuses and destabilizes reality. The larger the footprint you leave behind, the greater the risk of an incursion."

"Incursion? The one you mentioned?" Strange asks you. Everyone is waiting for your answer. You nod. Reed continues.

"An incursion occurs, when the boundary between two universes erodes, and they collide. Destroying one, or both, entirely." you see little wheels spinning in Stephen's head, he's connecting the dots from your story. Now everything makes sense. The names, the terms, everything.

"Your alternate self created the Illuminati, to make difficult decisions that no one else could. Today, we're here to determine what to do with you, and the child." Peggy announces.

"So, before we vote, if you got anything serious to say, now's the time." Maria says standing up. You leave your spot and slowly go behind the chair. They can't do that. They can't kill him and America. You must do something, somehow find a solution. Quickly.

"Yeah, I do. It's incursions you're worried about. Do you seriously think I'm a bigger threat than the Scarlet Witch?" Strange can't believe he stands before the presumably smartest superheroes in this universe and has to say something so stupid.

"Oh, we can handle your witch if she decides to dreamwalk. Or if someone else tries to betray our trust." Oh, you know so well the last sentence is for you. Time is running out.

"No. No, you cannot, not unless you give me the Book of Vishanti." Stephen tries to argue, but unfortunately, the Illuminati are not known for being attentive listeners or fair judges.

"We appreciate your concern, Stephen, but it's not the Scarlet Witch that we fear. From our experience, the greatest danger to the Multiverse, it turns out... is Doctor Strange." Reed says, and you feel like someone is squeezing your heart with cold hands.

Xavier appears, a fancy entrance as always. "We should tell him the truth."

Mordo introduces the man, "Our final member... Professor Charles Xavier."

Strange looks at you emerging from the tall chair. "What truth?" he asks.

"How really our Strange died."

You take a deep breath, looking Black Bolt in the eyes. He can't handle the broken look on your face and focuses on Stephen instead. You know exactly what Xavier is showing him. The moment on Titan. When right after they beat Thanos, Strange fell to his knees, face dirty, fingertips black from the Darkhold. You run to him, clutching your bloody side. The pain is unbearable, but love blinds your eyes and gives a short moment filled with adrenaline. You reach Stephen and fall to your knees as well, your blood smeared hands reaching his.

"You did it, Stephen. We won, we won." You breathe out, not even able to talk above the level of whisper.

His eyes are tearing up, he smiles, looking at you, the black fingers touch your cheek. "You're hurt, darling." is all he says.

"It's okay, baby, you'll patch me up, yeah? Let's go home, I hate this planet." you smile, hiding how hurt you actually are.

"I'm not going back, love. I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I have to do it. I can't hurt you or anyone else on Earth anymore. I- I was selfish." a tear rolls down his cheek, silently falling on the ground.

"No, don't say that, please, let's go home, drop whatever crazy idea you have right now. Please." you beg, gripping his shoulders with all your strength.

"God, y/n, you're not listening! I destroyed a universe, I killed people, I'm too dangerous to be kept alive!" he shouts, making you flinch. It was not him but the Darkhold talking, you were sure of that.

"Go. Go home. And please don't, don't try to stop me. Don't mourn for me. I don't deserve your love, you were too good for me anyway." he's crying as the harsh words leave his mouth. You don't care and pull him closer, kissing him. The kiss is mixed with dirt, tears, love, regret and an impossible weight of guilt.

"Stephen. Please. I love you." you say the last pathetic thing that could stop him. Unfortunately, that's not enough. These simple words are never enough.

With a push to your chest, a gust of strong wind takes you away from him and with bloody knees you appear somewhere next to Reed. He's quick to take you into his arms, so you won't run back to your lover.

"I'm ready. Do it." Stephen says, looking at Black Bolt. With teary eyes, he steps before Stephen and waits a moment longer.

"DO IT" Stephen shouts again, looking you in the eyes and silently mouthing "I love you, y/n."

A deafening sound shakes the whole planet, but even though the sound, your broken cry is heard. You can't see through the tears, the air is not reaching your lungs anymore. You're ready to welcome death now, you've got nothing left in this universe.

The scene ends for Stephen. The whole hall is silent, you're fighting back your tears, but the apologetic look from Charles is your breaking point. Your breathing is erratic and hurried. The lack of oxygen makes your head spin impossibly fast. You grab your chest and go farther from everyone's eyes.

"Come on, she might be having a panic attack, let me help, I'm a doctor" Strange says worried about your state, but Maria puts him back into his place once again.
"Was a doctor. Don't forget that. And y/n? She's gonna be fine, she's stronger than you think, intruder."

"Do you even have feelings? You machines." he spits out the venomous insult.

Strange remembers what he saw outside the Sanctum and asks, "That statue... what about the statue? You built a statue. Why?"

"The world needs heroes. We made a difficult choice because we knew what our Strange was capable of. Or, perhaps, every Doctor Strange is capable of." Peggy answers.

Before anyone can say or do anything else, a blaring alarm deafens everyone's ears.
"The building's been breached." Reed announces as if no one fucking heard the alarm.

"No shit, genius." you hear from Strange and honestly? You're on the same page.

"Status report, all sentries." Peggy says.

"She's headed for the child. We have to go." Maria stands up and leaves with Carter hot on her heels.

"Watch him. We'll vote on our return. And Y/n don't do anything stupid." Peggy threatens you, but you just flip her off. Black Bolt runs after them as well.

"Stephen, should you manage to escape this chamber, you must guide America Chavez." Charles says, surprising everyone who's left in the hall.

"What the hell are you saying?" Mordo says flabbergasted.

Xavier continues, looking at Stephen. "Save the girl, and get to the Book of Vishanti. Go on, y/n, do what you gotta do."

"Now we're talking." you smile and change the color of your robes back to bright blue.

"What, you have the book here? Wha-" Strange says, feeling a bit betrayed, if they gave him the book earlier, he would have already found a spell to stop Wanda.

"Yes. You built a way point. Along with Miss y/l/n." Charles confesses, making Mordo more and more angry.

"Charles. We cannot trust him! " Mordo exclaims. "You remember what happened."

"I believe we can. Just 'cause someone stumbles and loses their way, doesn't mean they're lost forever. We will see what kind of Doctor Strange you are." Charles waves to you, and soon you're going down the stairs to Stephen.

"Thank you." is all Stephen manages to utter, feeling beyond grateful that some Illuminati members can still think clearly.

"I trust you." you whisper, trying to unlock his handcuffs with a key you stole on your way to the hall, but unfortunately it doesn't fit. "What? It's the right one" you say frustrated, now trying everything you can think of. Those damned Sands of Nisanti are pissing you off.

"I've switched the keys, y/n, I knew I couldn't trust you either." Mordo says from above, pissing you off even more.

"You fucker, if you let them die, I'll make sure you'll never forget that until the day you die! The blood of an innocent child will be ON YOUR HANDS!" the emotions take over you and Strange catches your wrist before you go up and kill Mordo yourself.

"Shh, calm down. Please, we can fight her together, just take me to the Book of Vishanti so that we can save your universe. " Strange tries to compromise, but fails.

"You are in no position to give orders. My vote will conclude these proceedings when they return." Mordo answers.

You look at the screen on the wall and see that Wanda is destroying the ultron bots with just a flick of her fingers. Oh, you are so fucked. "They're not coming back, you idiot. Give me the key."

"No. Leave the building, y/n, and wait for me at the Sanctum."

"Are you fucked in the head?" you exclaim, not believing the words that are leaving his mouth.
"Look at her, she's at full power, we can't stop The Scarlet Witch".

"You dare to oppose to the Sorcerer Supreme?"

"You were never my Sorcerer Supreme." you spit, angered.

Strange watches the encounter amazed, no one ever stood up to him with such passion.

"Enough of this foolishness, this man is sentenced to die." he points at Strange and you, finally angered enough, send a blast of magic Mordo's way. Xavier silently disappears, leaving everything in your hands.

"I've had enough of your bullshit, Mordo, enough of the humiliation since you took over Stephen at the Sanctum. You arrogant twat, free him right now, or you'll end up six feet underground."

Strange tries to gaslight Mordo into something by playing with his nerves, "You just cast your vote now to kill your friends. Not that that ever bothered you before. You know, you hated me where I came from. I bet secretly, "my brother", you hated me here too. You must've been so jealous. Do you know what? I bet you were thrilled when you heard I've been corrupted, hell, you probably gave me the Darkhold to begin with, and lied to everyone that your Wanda gave it away willingly."

Damn he's good. And not exactly lying, either. You send another blow towards Mordo, and he's rolling a couple of feet away. You quickly turn to Stephen and grab his arm.

"I'm gonna do something absolutely mad, please don't judge" you say and pull his wrists towards you.

"What? " Strange manages to say before a red sword-like thing appears in your hands and in a blink you literally chop off the handcuffs, and with a thud they fall down.

"Chaos magic? Y/n, what does that mean?" Strange asks, absolutely stunned.

"It means that I'm saving your ass, Strange" you grin and with a swift move block an attack from Mordo.
Now free, Stephen makes a shield before the two of you as well.

"You hypocrite! You traitor!" Mordo shouts, swinging the magical sword left and right, almost cutting your shoulder.

"Shut up!" you shout back, completely losing your patience. "Go, Stephen, save the girl!"

"No, I can't leave you!" he summons magical shackles, and they squeeze around Mordo's whole body, limiting his actions.

You quickly run to him and swing your fist towards Mordo's face. A loud crack is heard, and his nose soon becomes bloody.
"Phew, that felt good" you exclaim and run back towards the door, grabbing Strange on your way.

"Come, we gotta hurry."