Do(n't) Fear the Reaper
Still pulling you by the hair, limping horribly, Wanda manages to catch up with the runners - Strange, America and Christine. Strange turns around to back and looks horrified at the scene.
"Run!" you shout to him, but Wanda sends a blow to your stomach, shutting you up for a moment. The pain is unbearable, just like the day you lost your Strange.
"Y/n!" Strange calls back, stopping momentarily, but Christine quickly yanks him back. They begin running again, all you see through the thick curtain of tears is Strange's Cloak swinging on his back. Suddenly, Wanda stops - Christine closed the heavy doors, that are all-things-proof. But nothing is Scarlet-Witch-proof. She uses her full power, breaking the doors and pulling you after her again. You see the outlines of three people again, running, merging into one at times, and your head feels like it's made of stones.
Suddenly, Strange stops and tries to negotiate. "Wanda, let her go."
"You give me what I need, Strange!" she's furious, you can feel the pain in your abdomen intensify with her every word.
"Wanda, please."
"I warned you." Wanda spits out every word clearly, and you finally let out a scream of pain.
Looking at you apologetically, Strange mutters, "Other Wanda, if you're in there, hold your breath."
A huge wave of water comes down on you and Wanda, pushing you both on the ground. The impact is so strong that Wanda let's go of your hair and you roll two steps away from her.
The water's still falling on your heads, and you feel like you're unable to function like a normal human being - ears full of water, you don't hear anything except for the terrible ringing, your nose is burning, lungs are desperately trying to get some oxygen, your whole body's numb and exhausted from the pain. Your vision gets darker and darker with every second, and you feel like your body is not trying to save itself anymore. Your one last brain cell's quick thinking pushes your astral form out of your body. You look down at yourself, a pathetic sight really, God knows, maybe you'll be dead in a minute, but now you gotta catch up and warn Strange. Thankfully, you can speed up as you float weightlessly through the sewers, turning back to see Wanda coming to consciousness. You see Strange, standing right next to the door he needs to open, but he's not doing anything. Why? What's he waiting for. You're finally close enough to show yourself to them - Christine lets out a shriek again, Strange looks at you in shock.
"The watch - the one you always wear - it's the key, hurry up, you don't have much time, she's getting up" you say hurriedly, feeling how your clock is ticking faster.
"Y/n oh my god" America says, eyes teary, she's probably thinking that you're a ghost already.
Strange does what he's told, the doors open, and he sees the most beautiful yet disturbing place in the world. The Gap Junction. On the high column, you see the shiny thing - Book of Vishanti. He turns back to look at your astral form, that's getting clearer and clearer with every breath.
"GO, take the book, I have to return to my body. Save her. " You plead and leave immediately, not wanting to engage into another delaying conversation.
Hastily, you return to your body, taking a deep breath immediately. You look around and see that Wanda has left you to die alone, luckily, Cloaky sat you, so you wouldn't choke on the still flowing water. With all your strength, you send a spell to the top, stopping the waterfall. You see Wanda disappearing behind the next turn, and try to get up. Cloak pushes you slightly and lifts you up a bit.
"Oh, Cloaky." you sigh, grateful for the flying piece of clothing. Feeling your heart beating in your chest, you take a moment to be grateful for being alive. Although the pain in your body told you that being dead would now be the best option.
You reach the main doors to the Gap Junction, and see Strange taking the book of Vishanti in his hands and Wanda angrily getting closer to them.
Adrenaline fills your veins, and you fly out into the open. Christine notices you and tries to distract Wanda, but you don't mess with an angry witch. Soon, she's choking, unable to breathe, gasping for much-needed air, but the invisible hands of Scarlet Witch never let go. Strange tries to save her and drops the book, you hurry to take it, but Wanda sees an opportunity and with one chaos magic ball she sets their only way of winning on fire.
You completely lose your head and attack her from behind, blasting not-so-powerful spells, because of your lack of strength, and Wanda sends you flying towards Strange. You're unable to stop and crash right into him, both rolling away from the huge impact. Christine lets out her final breath and sinks down on the magical floors, eyes open, full of fear and hatred, looking at Wanda. While, you and Strange try to get up, Wanda catches America by her hair and harshly pulls her towards her. Suddenly, America's eyes begin to glow bright blue and a star-shaped portal is opened. You look around, trying to find anything that could save the poor girl, but Wanda's magic shackles you and Strange, you feel like your lungs are being crushed by an impossibly strong hands, and you pass out for a moment.
Meanwhile, Wanda finds her universe and sends America to the real her, finally leaving the body of poor 838 universe's Wanda Maximoff.
You fall and fall, wind in your ears that might still be full of water, strong hands grab you halfway to nowhere, and finally you land on a firm ground, head spinning, you see stars in your eyes for a moment, before a wave of nausea hits you. The hands that were holding tightly onto you finally let go, and you roll a few feet away, getting on your hands and knees, trying not to puke.
"Oh, God, oh God." you hear Strange panting beside you, forehead bleeding from the compact with the stony ground, he sits up and worriedly looks up at you. "You okay?"
You don't answer, focusing hard on your breathing, feeling that if you don't do that, you will never breathe in again. "Y/n?" he calls now more worried, reaching you as quick as his strength lets him. He takes your face, all dirty and smeared with blood in his big, scarred hands, and you avoid his eyes, turning your head to the side. "Are you okay? Can you breathe? Is anything broken?" he lets go of your face and quickly touches your shoulders and arms, checking for any abnormality, until he sees that your side is bleeding. Your Cloak leaves your shoulders, floating a few steps away, allowing Strange to look at you better." Fuck, you're hurt." he rasps, panic taking over him. You're still taking big breaths, finally returning to your body and letting your emotions take over.
"I couldn't stop her." you cry, face distorted by agony. Without any words he pulls you into a hug, you hold on tight onto his robes, as if your whole life depended on the man in front of you. "I wasn't strong enough, it's my fault she took America."
Stephen tries to calm you by saying that you shouldn't blame yourself, but the words of pity just make you sob even more. Pushed tightly to his firm chest, you hear his heart beating frantically in his rib cage, he's now rocking you a bit, like a child, and you pour your heart out.
Words, muffled by the material of his robes reach his ears "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, if I was quicker, I would've given you enough time to use the book." You pull your face away from his chest, but he still doesn't let you out of his grasp. "Oh, God, she killed Christine." you say, tears now flowing down your cheeks uncontrollably.
"Shh, it's okay, it's okay, it's not your fault." he tries to soothe you, fighting his own tears.
"Goddammit, Strange, of course it's my fault!" you hit his chest pathetically. Losing his patience, he shakes your shoulders, trying to bring some sense back into you.
"C'mon, y/n, we gotta go, c'mon," he stands up and pulls you up as well. You finally look around and see a heart-clutching sight of the universe. Dirt and dust all around, dark clouds surrounding the whole place, not letting in one ray of sunshine to get through.
"What the hell happened here?" Strange mutters, astounded.
"This world is almost destroyed." you whisper back, drying your tears with the Cloak, who gladly accept his fate. You rake your brain for an answer and finally find one. "An incursion."
"Incursion?"
"The world is colliding with another, and the other, stronger one is destroying it. I doubt there's anyone alive here. The universe probably lost its greatest protector."
Strange looks at you horrified, through the ripped part of your robes, noticing that the bleeding in your side stopped. "I'm going to find Sanctum. Or what's left from it. There's gotta be a way to get out of here. And you, you stay here. You're hurt."
"No one tells me what to do, and I think you know this better than anyone else" you say, gripping your side and limping away first, leaving Strange standing alone for a moment.