Chapter 185 Chapter 0185: Convergence of Earths
It's just that the Mirror Dimension has been much weaker for a while now."
"Since when?" Wong asked, his vigilance still there, "And when did you notice it?"
"It happened with the Convergence of Earths," Strange finally gave a term to the event that brought forty different versions of the same planet into this reality, "At the same time as when The Ancient One turned to dust after leaving me her mantle."
"That explains how this witch was so easily able to break through the fabric of the Mirror Dimension," Wong nodded, "But it still doesn't explain your ability to influence reality so easily in the dimension."
"I'm getting to it." Strange said, "It's because Dormamu doesn't exist anymore that I'm able to exercise so much control over the weakened Mirror Dimension."
"What?" Wong couldn't believe it, "A Dimensional ruler, especially one as strong as that of the Dark Dimension just disappeared. Are you serious?" He asked.
"It's better that I just show you…" Strange said, "The Ancient One had me hide a lot of information when she appointed me as the Sorcerer Supreme. Mostly so that the other masters don't lose their conviction."
Before Wong could say anything, Strange cast a portal in front of himself and Wong to take them back to Kamar Taj. Before they could move, they heard the loud sound of thrusters.
"I seem to have missed something…" Tony's voice rang through the snowy mountains as he flew to Strange and Wong and floated in front of them. His helmet flowed along his head and entered his collar, the nanoparticles going into their storage unit as Tony faced the two of them, "Nice outfits." He complimented.
"Thank you," Wong nodded, making Tony smile weirdly.
"He's being sarcastic, Wong." Strange said, "Mr. Stark. What brings you here?" He asked after turning to Tony.
"I know." Wong said, "The best way to deal with sarcasm is to take it at face value," He advised Strange.
His words left Strange speechless as Tony chuckled, "You seem more fun than this guy." He said to Wong while pointing to Strange before turning to the man himself, "As for your question, I came here to check out that ominously glowing structure of rocks. It's been releasing a familiar energy signature for a while now." He pointed at the structure that was still pulsating with red as if calling someone, or something.
Strange frowned when he looked at it. This was the main reason that he and Wong had come here with an entire army of sorcerers. They had consequently met with Agatha, but their original purpose was to examine the energy beacon that kept pulsating.
They had assumed that the energy release was due to Harkness and now that she was suppressed, it would stop, but that didn't seem to be the case. Wong looked at the energy pulsating through the dilapidated temple and asked Strange, "Should we call Ms. Maximoff to take a look? She's our best option for this, considering her expertise."
"You know Wanda?" Tony seemed surprised.
"Yes, she is a Master of the Mystic Arts," Wong nodded, "One of our best if I am to add."
"I have so many questions." Tony shook his head, "What's with this floating sculpture?" He asked while pointing to Agatha and the floating Darkhold behind her, both frozen in time, "Very lifelike, may I add." He chuckled.
"None of your business," Strange said, "These matters are under the jurisdiction of the Sorcerers of Kamar Taj. You may return to your usual thing, whatever it is that you do."
"And what is your jurisdiction, exactly?" Tony asked, "Making balloon animals and setting up circus shows?"
That made Strange's brow twitch, "Protecting your reality, douchebag."
"Do tell, how has that been going?" Tony asked with a scoff, "Cause I can't help but see a slew of planets all around us that seem eerily similar to our own."
That made Strange stiffen, "We're working on it." He brushed it off.
"You're not doing a very good job of it." Tony said, "Now stand down and explain. Or I'll make you explain." Tony's repulsors powered up and his helmet formed over his head once again as he pointed his repulsors at Strange and Wong.
"Are you threatening me?" Strange asked with a raised brow as if he'd just heard the most amusing thing ever.
"Stand down," Tony said, and crescent arcs came out of his back. They floated at his sides and powered up similar repulsors that pointed at Strange and Wong, "Last warning."
Strange smiled derisively, "Big mistake." He said and the distinct sound of the Mirror Dimension overlapping over reality was heard.
"Is it?" Before Strange could ask anything, his eyes widened as he felt the Mirror Dimension being attacked by a huge energy surge from the outside. Before he could even react, it shattered and he saw a beam of blue light assaulting him and Wong.
Wong reacted quickly and created a shield to protect himself and Strange from the pure burst of energy that was able to attack the Mirror Dimension through space, "Strange!" He shouted, wanting the Sorcerer Supreme to support him in blocking the attack.
"Friday, turn off the Sword of Damocles," Tony said with a tone that had hints of smugness. As the beam died down, Wong huffed as his magic circle flickered out of existence. Tony asked Strange, "You ready to talk now?"
"Ahem, Mr. Stark." Wong interjected before Doctor Strange in his infinite arrogance could escalate the conflict further, "If I may ask, can you give us a few minutes?" He said, "There's something that I need to talk about with my…boss," He had significant hesitation when he referred to Strange as his boss.
"The sculpture stays," Tony said while pointing to Agatha.
"Sure, we just need to talk about something first, we'll be right back," Wong said before almost pushing Strange through a portal that led to Kamar Taj, leaving the time-frozen Agatha floating in mid-air.
"How peculiar…" Tony didn't care about the portals that they used. His focus was on the woman who was frozen in time, "Friday, replay the fight…" Tony said and a screen appeared in front of his face showing the moment right before Strange and the sorcerers intercepted Agatha. He saw how they pulled her into what could only be described as another dimension. He fast-forwarded the video until he saw how the woman's raw power broke through a seemingly empty crack in space. Then he saw the green stone in the necklace that Strange was wearing and the aura that spread from it, freezing Agatha in time.
"Analyse that stone, Friday," Tony said with a frown, finding it familiar yet completely different.
…
"How can you manipulate reality within the Mirror Dimension to such an extent?" Wong asked Strange with a suppressed yet furious tone, "It's impossible to do such a thing without channeling the Dark Dimension's energy. You are putting everything in jeopardy and inviting Dormamu into our home, through the defenses of our sanctums."
"Relax," Doctor Strange shrugged Wong's concerns off, "Do you know why she died in the first place?" He asked, "The Ancient One," He clarified.
"Kaecilius used a forbidden ritual that attacked her." He said, "Her retaliation got rid of him and his followers, but the backlash was too intense and her body got contaminated with the energy of the Dark Dimension, corroding and killing her."
"You never doubted her for a second, huh?" Strange asked with a slight scoff.
"What's there to doubt? The signs were all there. The masters examined the remnant energy themselves. Not to mention poor Mordo who got caught in the crossfire and died an untimely death." Wong said.
"Really?" Strange asked, "No doubts? Just believe what she shows? No questions about her long lifespan? Nothing?"
That made Wong shut up as he went into his thoughts.
Seeing Wong's silence, Strange continued, "The Dark Dimension's energy that you sensed from her remains wasn't from the ritual that Kaecilius used. It was from her own rituals that she cast to pull energy from the Dark Dimension to empower herself and sustain her lifespan," He said, "And what happens when the entity that she's pulling all that energy to sustain herself from disappears? Ashes."
"I need a moment…" Wong found it hard to accept the info bomb that Strange had just dumped on him, "And you knew all along?" He asked incredulously.
"Of course not." He shrugged, "I had to ask questions and find answers on my own. I got nothing but a last-minute astral realm conversation where she told me about her gripes with dying at such an unexpected time."
"Of course you did…" Wong mumbled, "So you can manipulate the Mirror Dimension because you can pull energy from the Dark Dimension without alerting Dormamu?"
"First off, Dormamu, he doesn't exist anymore — This is the third time I've told you this, stop ignoring it. And no, I'm not pulling anything from the Dark Dimension. The rulers of all dimensions have disappeared, leaving them easy to manipulate and exploit since there is no authority controlling those dimensions anymore." Strange explained.
"I see…" Wong took a sharp breath when he realized the implications of the dimensional rulers disappearing, "So there is no need for the sanctums anymore…" He trailed off, "Without the rulers attempting to encroach on the material world, the other inhabitants are too weak to breach through…"
"Exactly why I didn't go around telling everyone about my findings. It's best we let things continue while making subtle changes to the system." Strange said.
"What changes?" Wong asked.
"You know…" Strange shrugged and gestured to the sky, "Protecting ourselves from the users of the mystic art that are on the other planets. Maybe prevent them from portalling to this planet. Those kinds of things."
***
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