It was quite the coincidence—both teams actually chose option B, and when the answer was revealed, they became fellow sufferers. But because Team B buzzed in too quickly, they lost an extra four points, taking the bigger hit.
Naturally, this gave Pietro a reason to lash out. "See, Stephen? Your stubbornness cost us—and dragged us down with you!"
Stephen Strange couldn't hide the look of surprise on his face. He shook his head and gave a helpless smile. "Wanda is still just one person..."
Peter blinked his wide eyes. "But wasn't Thanos also one person when he beat the Avengers?"
"No, Thanos led a massive army—and had a lot of powerful allies."
Stephen was still baffled. Ever since the Ancient One founded Kamar-Taj, it had been invaded by outside forces before, but it had stood strong for centuries.
Now under his watch, the Sorcerer Supreme gets wiped out—by one woman?
Wait a second... if he remembered the future video correctly, Wong was the Sorcerer Supreme. So the blame wasn't entirely on him...
The only one feeling good in the Eternal Space right now was Pietro. When the question first came up, he'd been a bit worried about his sister.
After all, he'd seen firsthand in the future footage just how powerful Doctor Strange could be—even the ruler of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu, had to retreat in front of him.
No matter how strong Wanda was, it was still one against many. Of course, as her brother, he worried. But now that the answer had been revealed—even though they'd lost points—he was still thrilled.
'My sister is incredible!' Pietro thought.
Once the quiz ended, the screen began playing the next part of the future footage. The scene showed an ancient-style building perched atop a mountain—this was the holy land of the sorcerers: Kamar-Taj.
Inside the grand hall, Stephen looked troubled as he explained his encounter with Wanda to Wong and America. "Wanda's gone missing. She has the Darkhold... and it's corrupted her."
They were about to face the Scarlet Witch.
Wong's expression was grim. "The Scarlet Witch possesses unimaginable power. She can reshape reality with her imagination. Some prophecies even claim she could rule the universe—or destroy it."
Stephen had to face the harsh truth: he was about to cross blades with a former ally. He said solemnly, "She once took control of an entire town. If she gets her hands on America's powers, she could enslave the entire multiverse."
America stared at him. "So when you went to ask for her help, you told her I was here—and now she wants to kill me?"
Stephen looked a little embarrassed and nodded. "Yes."
Still, it wasn't really his fault. Before he went, how could he have imagined that the mastermind behind it all was an old friend?
It was a massive misunderstanding—and now he had to deal with the fallout.
Wong, the current Sorcerer Supreme, began making preparations. He ordered the alarm bells to be rung—they had to fortify Kamar-Taj before Wanda arrived!
Soon, the hidden power of Kamar-Taj was revealed. As the deep chime echoed through the compound, one sorcerer after another picked up their weapons and took up defensive positions. Unlike the guns and bombs of the modern world, their weapons were mostly cold steel—long blades, bows, and arrows.
Of course, even a fool could tell that these "ordinary" weapons held secret powers.
Meanwhile, portals began lighting up around the sanctum, reminiscent of the scene when they fought Thanos—though not quite as grand. Still, Kamar-Taj's influence among the magical community was strong. Many sorcerers from around the world responded to the call and came to lend their aid.
In no time, the once-serene Kamar-Taj became a hive of activity, filled with tense energy.
Outside the video, Peter was wide-eyed. "Wow... I didn't know there were so many sorcerers in the world!"
Stephen shrugged. "If I remember correctly, during the battle with Thanos in that future video, you saw quite a few Kamar-Taj sorcerers too. Don't you remember?"
"Uh... I only remember you doing flood control..." Peter scratched his head. Seeing Stephen's unimpressed expression, he quickly made a hand gesture. "I mean, back then, the internet was full of videos of you controlling water, so that's what stuck with me—and everyone else."
'Flood control? Seriously? Are you trying to say I just slacked off the whole time?'
Stephen let out a long sigh. After this round of questions, he'd really have to think hard about what to do about Wanda...
With mixed feelings, he kept watching the footage. On screen, the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj were ready for battle. In the distance, a mass of dark clouds began rolling in—a sign of the coming threat.
In the blink of an eye, the dark clouds engulfed the entire sanctuary. The clouds parted, revealing a scarlet glow—and out floated the Scarlet Witch. She didn't even need a cloak to fly.
Wong, clearly nervous, looked at Stephen. "Try talking to her. The fate of the multiverse is in your hands."
Of course, if they could avoid a fight, that would be best.
But Wanda had already come this far—there was no turning back. Stephen approached her to negotiate, but after just a few words, he realized she couldn't be reasoned with.
"Wanda, I understand why you're angry—but there's a price to pay."
"I blew up Vision's head—and for what? Don't talk to me about sacrifice!"
Wanda even tried to tempt him: if she could get America's power, she would send Stephen to a universe where he could be with Christine.
Clearly, she knew all about Stephen's past—she knew he still couldn't let go of Christine, even though in this universe, she was already married to someone else.
Stephen, of course, refused. The negotiation completely broke down.
Now completely consumed by obsession, Wanda didn't hold back against her former comrade. She raised her hand and fired a surge of scarlet energy.
But before the attack could hit Stephen, a golden shield flared to life in front of him—completely blocking the blast.
The shield wasn't his doing—it came from the other sorcerers. Positioned all around the sanctuary, they had combined their powers to create a powerful defense barrier around Kamar-Taj. Just as Stephen had said earlier—this wasn't just about him anymore. Wanda was fighting the entire sanctum.
The massive golden shield glowed like an impenetrable turtle shell, protecting the entire compound. At first, Wanda struggled to break through—but soon, she came up with a new plan...
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T/N:
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