You can't tell me what to do!

By now the rest of the Avengers like Thor and Vision had appeared to join in the matter, as did Dare Devil and Spider-Man when the scene in New York could no longer be ignored. The new arrivals were just as confused as their friends who had been their earlier and were now watching the event unfold. Surrounding the sorcerer supreme as he levitated off the ground with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. The Avengers watched on as the good doctor muttered incantations, allowing arcane runes to encircle around him in concentric circles, the air became turbulent as whatever spell he was casting began to manifest physically.

Seeing Thor land gently behind them, Tony nodded back to the God of Thunder. “Welcome to the light show Thor, what’s the good word?”

“I have returned from Asgard and spoken with my brother Loki, He nor anyone else from the nine realms are responsible for this oddity that has perplexed our mutant friends.” Seeing the Sorcerer Supreme in mid incantation, the Asgardian hero raised an eyebrow. “How… Long has he been doing this?”

“I lost track after a couple of hours.” Answered Spider-Man, his arms crossed as he leaned over to whisper to Dare Devil. “Psst. Wanna get a selfie of Logan Twain over there?”

“A selfie? Really?!” Whispered Dare Devil in disbelief.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun.” Spider-Man snorted under his mask. “He’ll never know, come on.”

Watching the two heroes sneak off to pose in front of Logan with a smart phone, with Spidey and Daredevil making peace signs with the man without fear sticking his tongue out when the camera flash came, Hawkeye leaned in to whisper to Natasha and nod up to the Sorcerer Supreme hard at work in his spell craft. “So… What is he doing again?”

“Why are you asking ME Clint? I don’t know magic.”

The Sorcerer Supreme’s chanting began to increase in volume as did the activity of the runes around him until with a final word, the runes flew out in every direction across the city and Dr. Strange returned to standing on his own two feet.

“There.” Dr. Strange spoken, his demeanor calm and centered. “It is done.”

Before anyone could ask, a chorus of groans and complaints grabbed their attention from where the X-men stood. Finally free of the telepathic hold over them, hundreds of mutants were either on the ground rubbing their ankles or trying to find someplace to sit.

“AH GEEZ! My legs are KILLING me!” Grumbled out Ice Man, stumbled down to the ground to sit and collapse on his back.

“How long have I been standing?” Huffed Dr. McCoy, flat on his back with Forge near him, the man rubbing his good leg to get the blood flowing again.

“Hey!” Spoke up Colossus as he looked to the ballcap where he stood. “There must be hundred dollars here, no?”

Seeing everyone freed of the mental prison, Captain America nodded back to Dr. Strange. “What did you do?”

“I could not break the psychic hold the creature had over our friends. That was impossible. Its reach is infinite and willpower beyond measure. The only way I could free our friends from its grasp was to make them unobtainable.” Spreading his arms out to make emphasis, Dr. Strange continued. “I have cast a complex spell across the entire globe, one that frees all minds of influence and manipulation for an hour.”

Scratching at his head, Hawkeye shrugged. “What?”

“Sigh…” Rubbing the bridge of his nose and brow with a gloved hand, Dr. Strange thought best how to explain. “Right now, everyone here cannot be influenced by anything or anyone anywhere. Not by telepathy, or intimidation, bribery or just simply ****.”

Looking out onto the streets of New York, the Avengers listened as pedestrians threatened, mocked, and brushed off everyone they came across.

“Five Dollars for a coffee? I’m not paying that much.”

“Hey I’m walking here! Don’t you see me walking here?”

“You want something from me? Call the police or my lawyer asshole!”

“You aren’t the king of the road pal!”

Making a face of concern, Natasha shrugged her shoulders and looked back to her friends. “In this city, how can you tell?”

Approaching the now awake and sore Professor X and Magneto sitting on the ground, the two men yawned and looked up to the sorcerer supreme and the Avengers standing behind him.

“Professor… Erik…”

“Yawn… Dr. Stephen Strange, where are we? What has become of us?” Looking down at the robes he was wearing and the green paint on his face, the man was even more confused. “The HELL am I wearing?!”

“Looks like a bad Halloween costume of Yoda.” Smirked Magneto. “You look ridiculous.”

Snorting, Xavier gave a stiff upper lip and scrunched his forehead. “Strong in the ****, you are not Vader.”

Looking down at his own clothing and noticing he was wearing a Darth Vader helmet, Magneto was beside himself in embarrassment, the look of which made Charles grin in a way he wished he had a camera to capture the moment. Looking back up to Dr. Strange, Xavier’s demeanor straightened.

“Again, can you tell us why we are out here?”

“Why should I tell you?” scowled the sorcerer, just as he got an elbow from Captain America to his left. “Right, right, sorry, the spell…”

Breathing in sharply, Dr. Strange explained the situation.

“A great and terrible presence has taken hold of your island kingdom and expelled you all out here and out of the way. So much depravity, so much madness. I do not know what hovers over your paradise… But it was STRONG enough to ensnare your minds and create a mass exodus of your people.”

“Not ALL our people.” Magneto realised, looking out to all the mutants in the crowd still recuperating from standing for so long. “None of the women are here.”

Looking out into the group, Xavier noticed that along with something else. “Neither is Cyclops.”

“Uhm… Is there a reason I’m dressed like Mark Twain?” Asked Logan, his jacket open with a cigar hanging from the corner of his lip. Nearby Dare Devil and Spider-Man snickered, leaving the Wolverine confused.

Dr. Strange shrugged back to the Wolverine innocently. “Kids did it.”

“Well, I’m not mad… Can I get a light?” He suggested to the cigar in his mouth.

Simply snapping his finger, Dr. Strange lit the end of Wolverine’s cigar, getting a ‘thank you’ from the man while Strange and the Avengers regarded the two leaders of the mutant people.

“I have conjured a spell that should make you and your allies immune to any form of manipulation, but only for an hour, USE this precious time to rescue and take back your home from this… This… Demonic terror.”

“Why should I?” Scoffed Magneto.

“Indeed.” Added Xavier.

Looking back to the Avengers, the lot gave Dr. Strange a knowing look as he shrugged his shoulders in realisation. “Yes, I know. The spell. I’m working on it.”

Sighing in frustration, Dr. Strange breathed in sharply once more, combing his fingers through his hair.

“You MUST face this atrocity! Before it threatens to spill forth from the sanctuary of your island paradise like a tide of madness and carnage. Even NOW I can sense the depravity boiling over, rotting the island to its core. If you do not act now, then all are doomed.”

“Pff… What is in it for us?”

“Why should we do what you tell us?”

His eye twitching, the Sorcerer Supreme grumbled when he heard the Avengers behind him whisper and tried to hold back laughter.

“You must act NOW! Before it is too late!”

“Oh yeah? What’s in it for us?”

Fuming, Any preamble of civility with Dr. Strange fell right out the window when he ruffled up his own hair in frustration and his living cloak riled up, matching his frustration.

“AWW, FUCK THIS!” Raising his hands to conduct a spell, every mutant on the ground or just now recovering from standing for so long found themselves levitating and flung back through the portal back to Krakoa. “GO BACK HOME AND STAY THERE! AND DON’T COME BACK OUT UNTIL YOU SOLVE THIS SHITSTORM!”

Sending everyone back to their paradise island, Dr. Strange breathed through his nostrils, his annoyance plain to see as he glared back at the swirling portal like it was giving him the finger.

“Ahem…”

Snapping his attention to the Avengers behind him, Dr. Strange nearly screamed. “WHAT?”

Seeing Iron Man point to the Sorcerer’s left, Strange looked over to find Logan still standing there, puffing away at his cigar. Seeing the magic user at the ends of his wits, Logan simply took another puff and remained nonplus.

“I’m heading home… But not because you told me to.”

Watching the man under his own pace walk back to the portal and go through it. Dr. Strange finally collapsed to the ground where his cape hugged him like a support blanket.