《Strange Times》Part 5

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YN had only made it a few steps into the Sanctum before she was enveloped in a bear hug. Knowing that it was Wong, she lifted her arms to return the embrace.

"It's good to see you again," Wong told her, letting go as the others began to exit the portal.

"I'm sorry that it's under these circumstances," YN said as she gave him a pained look.

Wong gave the newly arrived group of people a nod before turning back to YN. "We'll talk later."

YN wanted to talk to him now, but Strange had begun ushering them all up the wide, sweeping staircase to the guest rooms on the third floor. Her desire to speak to her old friend was lost as her eyes wondered over the displays of relics scattered throughout the Sanctum. While she'd been a Master of the Mystic Arts, she'd always wanted to visit the New York Sanctum, and had even entertained the idea of being its protector at some point in her life. Now she was faced with the reminders of her former life as she tried to figure out if it was regret or simply nostalgia that filled her heart with sorrow.

Once she'd dropped off her suitcase in the ornate room she'd been assigned, she headed to the one place she knew she could find her old friend. Although she'd never stepped foot into this building before today, she had no problems locating the library. Not ready to admit that magic still flowed through her, she tried to tell herself that she just had good instincts.

Wong was sitting at a long table with a large book open before him. He didn't look up as she entered, but she was certain that he knew she was there. Taking a seat beside him, she patiently waited for him to acknowledge her.

"Many things have changed since you left," he stated matter-of-factly as he carefully closed the book to meet her gaze.

"Is it true?" She didn't need to elaborate further – Wong knew exactly what she meant.

With a pained look, he nodded his head. "I should have known – we all should have known – but we chose to deny the truth so that we could benefit from her wisdom. Was it wrong? I don't know, and after what happened in Hong Kong with Kaecilius, I'm even more conflicted."

"So Strange really can control the Eye of Agamotto?" she asked.

Wong nodded his head. "Again, is it wrong to manipulate time if it means saving the world?"

YN didn't answer, but she didn't think that Wong had been looking for one when he'd asked the question. They sat in silence for a few moments as YN prepared to ask him about her mentor. Finally unable to ignore it any longer, she asked, "Is there no reasoning with him at all?"

Wong's lips formed a hard line. "When he realized what Strange had done, something within him snapped. To him, it didn't matter that Dormammu had intended to destroy the world – Strange's actions were just as bad as Kaecilius'."

"When do you think he'll. . ."

YN's question was interrupted by the sound of an explosion. Her eyes grew large as a sinking feeling settled in her gut.

"Apparently, now," Wong said as he pushed back from the table and sprang to his feet.

YN was right behind him as they raced through the halls toward the sound of the commotion. As she thought about facing her former mentor in battle, she wished – for the first time in years – that she hadn't given up the use of magic. All of the hand-to-hand combat training in the world was no match for for a Master of the Mystic Arts.

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As she and Wong rushed down the stairs toward the front entrance, the other members of the Avengers joined them. Steve was almost unrecognizable in his stained and battered uniform, his long, shaggy hair flying behind him as he ran. The shock of Nat's blonde hair still threw YN for a loop, but somehow the new look suited her once YN saw her and Steve together. Bucky's hair had grown longer and his beard had filled in during his time in Wakanda, but he hadn't lost the hard glint in his eye as he prepared himself for another battle. Tony and Rhodey were both suited up and had chosen to fly with Vision instead of taking the stairs.

YN looked for Mordo amongst the crowd trying to break past Strange's defenses, but she couldn't see him. Strange looked over his shoulder before giving a decisive nod toward her and Wong. In that moment, she knew that he'd only been holding them off long enough to give everyone time to close ranks before he implemented the next part of his plan. With a flick of his wrists, the world around them became a fractal distortion. She should have known that Strange would want to encase them in a Mirror Dimension to contain the collateral damage, but this would definitely put her new team at a disadvantage.

"What the hell?" Tony shouted as Mordo stepped forward and began to manipulate the ground beneath them.

"Think of it like Inception," YN called out, earning her a few confused looks from the other sorcerers Strange and Wong had enlisted to help them battle Mordo. The sorcerers may not have understood the reference, but the Avengers knew exactly what she was talking about and immediately began to adapt to the rapidly changing surfaces beneath their feet.

Mordo had heard her voice and for a split second had stopped in his tracks. Strange had been waiting for that exact moment – had laid out his entire plan on this exact reaction from his and YN's former mentor. Taking advantage of his surprise, he forced Mordo and the rest of his cohorts out into the street.

Mordo had recovered quickly, but not quickly enough. He'd had the element of surprise on his side in the beginning, but now the tables had turned and he suddenly found himself on the defense. Strange had spent his time following the battle in Hong Kong honing his skills in preparation for this very day and he was anxious to prove himself worthy of being a Master of the Mystic Arts.

Just like Mordo, his small army had recovered and the battle had begun in earnest. YN was struggling to make her way to Mordo, but the ground beneath her was unpredictable and it had been too long since she'd trained in the Mirror Dimension. Out of all of the people in this battle, she was the one at the greatest disadvantage. The Avengers were adapting to the changing topography by using their training, and the other sorcerers were manipulating their surroundings using magic. Every instinct in YN was telling her use magic, and by fighting against that instinct, she was losing focus on her S.H.I.E.L.D. training. She was torn between two worlds, and if she couldn't get herself together soon, she wouldn't make it out of this battle alive.

The sun had dipped below the horizon while she'd been in the library with Wong, so the street lamps and the light spilling from the windows of the buildings surrounding them were the only illumination they had. The sorcerers were creating their own light with the bright orange sparks that erupted every time they used their magic, but this battle was one fraught with darkness and both sides were struggling with this new obstacle.

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Nat had seen YN scrambling to find her rhythm and had made her way through the contorted maze the world had suddenly become to reach her. YN had felt her friend's presence beside her and a wave of calm flooded her system. She pushed down the urge to resort to magic and instead focused all of her energy on the skills and maneuvers Nat had taught her over the years. With her friend by her side, she was finally able to fight her way towards Mordo. She wasn't sure why, but she felt as though if she could just get to him that he would stop and listen to reason before it was too late.

As she and Nat battled their way toward Strange and Mordo, YN sensed the other members of the Avengers flanking them as they began to push Mordo's sorcerers back. Her team may not have magic, but they were skilled fighters and with the help of Strange's sorcerers, Mordo and his army were no match for them.

"Mordo," YN called out once she was close enough to him.

Her former mentor turned toward the sound of her voice. Strange wasted no time once he saw his opening and turned the full force of his magic upon Mordo. YN stopped and watched as her old friend was rendered immobile. She heard, more than saw, the battle around her begin to end. With their leader unable to defend them, his group of followers were quickly subdued by Wong and the other sorcerers fighting on their side.

"You shouldn't be here," Mordo snarled as he glared at his former student. "You abandoned the Mystic Arts long ago."

"I'm not using magic, or didn't you notice that?" she asked as she spread her hands wide. "You're the one who's abandoned the Mystic Arts. Ridding the world of sorcerers is only going to make it more susceptible to the dangers of the Multiverse."

"You're wrong," he said as he turned back toward Strange. "It would be better to allow the Earth to be destroyed than to allow this charlatan to alter the natural course. There's a reason why the Eye of Agamotto is forbidden."

Strange gave Mordo a sad look as YN took a step toward the two men. "Evil doesn't play by the rules, Mordo. You know that."

His face twisted with rage as he glared at his former students. "So you would have us stoop to their level?"

"Saving lives requires one to take calculated risks," Strange said. "Trust me, I understand that more than most."

"All you understand is your own arrogance," Mordo said.

YN shook her head in defeat as she turned to Strange. "What will you do with him now?"

Strange continued to hold him within a magical vice, but YN could tell that he was expending more energy than he dared to admit, even to himself. He half-turned to signal Wong and the rest of the Masters to help him contain Mordo, but Mordo had also seen Strange's struggle. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he broke free of Strange's hold and made a move toward the Eye.

The world seemed to move in slow motion for YN. One second, Mordo had been held imprisoned by Strange's magic, and the next he was lunging for the glowing green pendant hanging from the other man's neck. YN wasn't sure what would happen if Mordo got his hand on the Eye, but she knew that he was the last person on Earth who needed to be in possession of it. Instinctively she reached out to try to stop Mordo, but it was as though she was moving through quicksand. Helplessly she watched as Mordo's hand wrapped around the Eye. Strange had reacted by pulling away, but he was too late. YN watched in horror as the chain holding the pendant snapped in two, but just as Mordo tightened his grasp on the Eye, a repulsor blast hit his wrist.

Writhing in pain, Mordo's grip on the Eye loosened and the pendant began to fall to the ground. The glass encasing the green stone shattered causing the stone to begin bouncing across the pavement. YN started to call out for everyone to move away, but her voice was caught in her throat. She watched as the stone bounced toward the group of Avengers around her and panic welled up within her as she saw Barnes reach out to catch it.

"No," she screamed, her voice finally coming back to her. Without thinking, she lunged toward Barnes to stop him. She grabbed his arm, but she was too late – he'd already wrapped the fingers of his right hand around the stone.

With a blinding flash of green light, YN was propelled backward through the air. The force of the blast coupled with the impact on the hard pavement beneath her forced all of the air from her lungs. She lay motionless for a few moments as she struggled to catch her breath. Finally able to draw air into her lungs, she rolled over onto her side with a groan of pain.

The street around her was empty except for Barnes lying a few yards away from her. She could tell that the blast had knocked the wind out of him as well. Everything around them was eerily peaceful and YN couldn't understand what had happened. Where was everyone?

Struggling to her feet, she slowly turned a full circle, but somehow they were the only two people on the deserted street. She looked back toward the Sanctum to find it completely dark. Walking up the short flight of stairs, she tried the door, but it was locked. Completely confused, she began to pound on the door, but it was as if no one was there.

"YN," Barnes said from behind her.

She turned around, hoping that he'd found some clue as to what had happened to them, but he was simply standing on the sidewalk holding a wind-battered newspaper. "What?"

Holding out the paper toward her, he said, "I think you need to see this."

With her brows knitted in confusion, she grabbed the paper from him and began scanning the print. The headline read "Soviet and Britain Sign War and Peace Pact; Molotoff and Roosevelt Plan for 2D Front; Army Fliers Blasted Two Fleets Off Midway." Even more confused than before, she looked back up at the top of the paper. The newspaper fluttered free from her grasp as she looked back up to meet Barnes' equally confused eyes. "We're in 1942?"

___________________

Author's Note: Thank you for reading Part 5 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it! It didn't take long for Mordo to show up! Did you enjoy the battle? It seems like the Reader and Bucky have somehow found themselves in 1942? Guess Bucky shouldn't have touched the Time Stone! What do you think is going to happen now? I look forward to your comments and please consider voting if you enjoyed this part!

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