Ch 83 I've come to bargain

"How will they beat Dormammu?" Tony mused.

"They won't." Odinson said cryptically.

A portal opened in Hong Kong as Kaecilius and his Zealots walked towards the Hong Kong Sanctum while the civilians backed off. Inside the Sanctum, Wong picked up the Wand of Watoomb and told the others to choose their weapons wisely. No one would step foot in the Sanctum.

"Good luck." Steve said to him.

Wong walked out and met Kaecilius, who said he was on the wrong side of history as him and his Zealots brandished crystal shards.

"This is gonna be intense." Rhodes said.

Strange returned to a ruined Kamar-Taj via portal, sorrowfully telling him Ancient One was dead. Mordo said she wasn't who he had thought she was. Strange argued she was complicated and Mordo said the Dark Dimension was dangerous and volatile, saying she had called it forbidden for them and had still drawn on its power to live for centuries. Strange argued she had done what she thought was right but Mordo said her transgressions had led the Zealots to Dormammu. Kaecilous was her fault and these were the consequences of her deceptions.

"She plunged her hands into the filth, so that you could keep yours clean!" T'Challa said and all nodded.

"What Kaecilius did is on him, not anyone else." Natasha agreed.

Strange said the London Sanctum had fallen and the New York Sanctum had been attacked twice and they were going to Hong Kong next. Mordo had told him to fight as if his life depended on it and this was that day. He couldn't beat them alone. Strange then opened a portal to Hong Kong and they jumped into it.

"So it begins." Sam said.

But when they arrived, they saw the Sanctum had already fallen and buildings were broken. Fires had broken out, the firefighters were trying to put them out, people were dead, and a dark energy was in the air.

"Is that…?" A horrified Bucky trailed off.

"Yes." Benjamin said and they all paled.

Mordo said they couldn't be stopped but Strange had a way. He activated the Eye of Agamotto and pointed at the charging Kaecilius and Zealots. The green symbols appeared in his hand as the Zealots froze in mid-air. He then started rotating counter-clockwise and they were all sent back where they had come from. The destruction was also slowly undone as the fires went down. He then pointed at Mordo and he was unfrozen as the two ran past the rewound Zealots.

"What the hell man?" Scott said with a dropped jaw as everyone was awed to an entirely new level.

"He has manipulated time perfectly." Thor said, impressed.

"He truly is a Master of the Mystic Arts." Loki said grudgingly.

"That's why he is the Sorcerer Supreme now." Logan noted.

"He did break the laws of nature to win though." Bruce said.

"But for the greater good." Tony pointed out.

Kaecilius and the Zealots used Dark Dimension energy to free themselves.

"Uh-oh!" Hope said as all paled.

They attacked Strange and Mordo as the two fought back while avoiding the rewound debris and undone damage. Strange fought Kaecilius while Mordo fought the other two. He beat them around until he pushed one of them into a reformed building. He then jumped to the top of another reforming building and grabbing the foot of the other, trapped her as well.

"Now that leaves just Kaecilius." Clint said.

Strange and Kaecilius fought as the smoke was undone and Strange pushed him back before Mordo trapped his foot in the Eldritch whip before throwing him into a reformed building, trapping him as well.

"Finally!" Hill said and all clapped at the scene.

"Why do I have a feeling this isn't over?" Thor wondered.

"Because it isn't." Odinson said.

Strange saw a dead Wong but he was revived as well and then Strange pointed at him, unfreezing him too. He agreed that he was breaking laws of nature but Wong told him not to stop now as they ran to the reformed Sanctum to protect it.

"Good thing he is back." Pepper said about Wong and all agreed.

Kaecilius freed himself and with a shockwave, threw them all down as Strange's time spell broke. Mordo got back up to fight as Strange got up and flew into the Dark Dimension. Everyone thought he had gone to surrender to its power.

"What's he doing?" Aunt May wondered.

"He has a plan." Benjamin said.

"Why am I reminded of my plan?" Thor wondered.

"It's kind of the same." Logan said.

Strange flew and did something with the Eye of Agamotto. He then stopped as he saw the pair of malevolent eyes and a horrifying, powerful face in front of him.

Everyone paled as Wanda said, "Oh no!"

"Even from the recording his power is visible." Vision said.

"Few can mess with him." Odinson said.

"Dormammu! I've come to bargain." Strange said. "You've come to die. Your world is now my world, like all worlds." Several projectiles were fired at Strange who defended himself with Tao Mandalas. Dormammu fired a purple beam from his mouth and Strange tried to defend but it obliterated him.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Clint said as everyone watched in horror.

"How is he still alive then?" Scott wondered.

Suddenly, time rewound and Strange returned, "Dormammu! I've come to bargain." Dormammu sneered, "You've come to die. Your world is now my world, like all worlds." He then asked, "What is this? An illusion?" Strange said, "No. This is real."

"It's the Eye of Agamotto." Tony realized as all stared wide-eyed.

"Mordo mentioned about reliving the same moment earlier." Bruce recalled.

"So that is what he is doing." Steve said.

"To save everyone." Fury said and all felt their respect for Strange grow a lot.

"Good." Dormammu said as Strange was killed by two big projectiles.

Everyone flinched as Peter asked, "He's gonna keep this up forever?"

"I'm afraid so." Benjamin said.

"Dormammu! I've come to bargain." Strange said as he arrived again, shocking Dormammu. He said, "Just as you gave Kaecilius powers from your dimension, I've brought a little power from mine. This is time. An endless looped time." Dormammu angrily killed him with a smash.

"He is going to die infinite times just to keep Earth safe." T'Challa said respectfully.

Strange appeared again, "Dormammu! I've come to bargain." Dormammu said, "You cannot do this forever." Strange said, "Actually, I can. This is how things are now. You and me, trapped in this moment, endlessly." Dormammu pointed out, "Then you will spend eternity dying." Strange said, "Yeah. But everyone on Earth will live." Dormammu said, "But you will suffer." Strange said in a resigned voice, "Pain is an old friend." Dormammu angrily obliterated him.

Everyone looked at Strange in sympathy and felt their respect for him grow even more.

Strange kept returning with "Dormammu! I've come to bargain." He was killed many times by projectiles, strangling or obliteration but he kept coming back. He was on the ground later as Dormammu said, "You will never win." Strange staggered up and said, "No...But I can lose. Again, and again, and again, and again, forever. And that makes you my prisoner."

"That was the plan." Steve realized and all smirked as he said, "How many times did Strange have to die?"

"Probably billions." Odinson said and the respect for him increased.

Dormammu asked him to make it stop and he said, "No. I've come to bargain." Dormammu finally asked what he wanted.

"For him to leave Earth alone." Tony realized.

"That was risky, brave and smart." Hope said and all nodded in agreement.

"Take your zealots from the Earth. End your assault on my world. Never come back. Do it, and I'll break the loop." Strange told him.

"So it took only one Infinity Stone to beat him." Tony noted.

"Nope. To annoy him enough to leave." Benjamin pointed out.

Back on the ground, Mordo and Wong got up again as the former asked Strange to fight. Kaecilius commented on the Dark Dimension like he had before when Strange landed behind them. Mordo and Wong walked up to him as he said he had made a bargain. And then, Kaecilius and the Zealots were covered by Dark Energy and pulled away with Dormammu who transformed them into Mindless Ones.

"Dasvidaniya." Natasha said and all laughed at that.

"Hasta la vista, baby." Tony said and all laughed more.

Strange joked how he should have read the whole book as the warnings came after spells and Wong burst out laughing.

Everyone in the room burst out laughing as well as Rhodes said, "I like this guy."

"I had no idea he laughed." Tony said.

Strange used the Eye of Agamotto to restore the Sanctum and unfroze everyone.

"Everything's back to normal." Bruce said and all nodded.

Mordo said they had violated natural law and there will be consequences. "I will follow his path no longer." He said and walked away.

"So he just left?" Tony asked as all looked in shock.

"Much worse." Benjamin said.

"He became a bad guy." Logan said.

"Oh no!" Steve sighed.

"Strange had to eventually kill him to stop him." Odinson said, "He was stealing Mystical Energy from other Sorcerers to empower himself."

"Can't believe he fell that hard." Bucky said.

"Well, believe it." Loki said, gesturing to himself.

Strange returned to Kamar-Taj and his Cloak went off as the Eye of Agamotto was put back where it belonged. Wong said it was a wise choice as he'd wear the Eye only when he'd mastered its powers. Until then, he shouldn't wear an Infinity Stone in the streets.

"I called it!" Thor said and all chuckled.

"The Time Stone." Odinson said, "One of the most powerful ones."

"We can see that." Tony said, "Not to be messed with."

They looked at the model as Wong said word of Ancient One's death would spread through the Multiverse and Earth would have no Sorcerer Supreme to defend so they'd have to be ready.

"Now they got the best man for the job." Steve said and all nodded.

Strange placed the Cloak of Levitation back on his shoulders and walked to the New York Sanctum through the magical gateway, looking down at the city. He wore his broken watch as well with shaking hands. But he was no longer that man. He was a Master of the Mystic Arts and Protector of the New York Sanctum.

Everyone clapped as Thor said, "And another hero is born."

"A very annoying one." Loki grunted and both the Thors chuckled.

"So, Earth has wizards now, huh?" A voice asked. "Tea?" Strange asked someone. "I don't drink tea." Thor, who was his guest, said as he held up the cup he had.

"Look who it is." Loki said.

"So Point Break is back in these things." Tony said and all clapped.

"Thank you." Thor said.

"What do you drink?" Strange asked. "Not tea." Thor said and beer appeared.

"Could have just said that." Natasha said.

"So, I keep a watchlist of individuals and beings from other realms that may be a threat to this world." Strange said, "Your adopted brother, Loki, is one of those beings." Thor drank and saw his beer had refilled, "A worthy inclusion."

"Thank you." Loki said and all burst into laughter.

"Yeah." Strange said, "So, why bring him here to New York?" Thor said, "That's a long story. A family drama, that kind of thing, but... we're looking for my father."

"So you've found out by now then." Steve said.

"Oh yes I have." Thor told him.

"Very unpleasant." Loki said.

"To be honest, you deserved it." Odinson said.

"Oh, okay. So, if you've found Odin, you all will return to Asgard, probably?" Strange asked. "Oh, yes. Probably." Thor said. "Alright." Strange got up, "Let me help you." The screen went black.

"And then the truth will be out." Scott said.

"One more scene." Benjamin said.

Pangborn was working in his factory when Mordo arrived in a hood. Pangborn recognized him as Mordo said they had bought him to Kamar-Taj on a stretcher and now he could walk.

"This isn't good." Tony said.

"Nope." Logan agreed.

Mordo said true purpose of a sorcerer was to twist things and steal power like Pangborn had. Pangborn said he didn't steal anything and the power was his. Mordo said power had a purpose. Pangborn attacked but Mordo dodged and drew out his Mystic Energy, making Pangborn paraplegic again.

"Shit!" Sam said and all paled.

"What has happened to him?" Steve mused.

"He has fallen." T'Challa said, "Just like W'Kabi."

Pangborn asked why Mordo was doing this and Mordo said, "Because I see at long last was wrong with the world. Too many sorcerers." The screen went black.

"And you are the worst one." Loki sneered.

"Ancient One said you could only live above your demons. And he has fallen back down to his demons." Thor said and all agreed.

"We have to tell Strange about this when we get back." Steve said and all nodded in agreement.

"This was…enlightening." Fury of all people said.

"I agree." Natasha said.

"So what's next?" Clint asked.

"Thor again." Benjamin said.

"Is it boring?" Thor asked.

"No. It is actually one of the best." Logan said, "We had a great time with this one."

"Because I got humiliated." Odinson said.

"No. Because you were a badass." Benjamin said, "Okay. Both."

"And this time both of you were great in it." Logan said to Thor and Loki who smirked.

"Well then, put it on!" Peter said and Logan started the recording.