State of Emergency

“Through scrying I have found the trio has taken the Sanctum and transformed it into a hellish nightmare.” Wanda also known as the Scarlet Witch announced to her mass of heroes. Xavier and Jean, leaders of the X-men, Iron man and Hawkeye representatives from the Avengers. The newer group known as the Hellfire Collective was lead by Emma Frost and Minx a newer hero. Sue and Reed from the fantastic four. Namor, and countless others representing their own group stood in the hall. “The trio seem to be Doctor Strange now practicing dark corruptive magic calling himself the Sinister Strange. And a mutant woman now known as Black Majik. They serve some being that is shrouding itself. The ego oozing out reached for me as I watched.”

There were quiet murmurs.

Wanda held out a hand and silence fell. With Majik and Strange gone rouge it would be enough for some of us to join forces to take them down. Possibly find a way to free them of this influence. However I felt just a fraction of this presence and I believe it to be outside our normal conventions. Perhaps from another reality entirely. This makes it dangerous.”

Reed rubbed his chin, “The very presence it has here in a different reality is risk alone. The more he changes the less rooted our reality becomes. The longer he stays the more our reality begins to blend with him or his home. Time is our biggest enemy.”

“I don’t think running in blindly favours us either, unfortunately,” Xavier mused. “I know Magik well and the reputation for Stephen speaks for itself. For something to change then so suddenly without warning. Any failure could just be adding pieces in its favour.”

Wanda stepped forward, “I have a plan. But…it requires many of us to make decisions we will not be proud of. Others may need to be put in risky and very sacrificial situations. This doesn’t come without a cost.”

Clint Barton was shaky and fidgeting, “Then out with it Wanda! Natasha is missing. She went to investigate some strange presence. She might be in trouble!”

Wanda frowned, “I tried my spells I tried my powers. Magic seems to be futile against anything tainted by the presence. Only having a minor pitiful effect regardless of power. However we can create what is called an Arcane Cosmos Chamber. The Cosmos Chamber essentially is a ritual to lock a location in space and time elsewhere until it is broken.”

“So we send people we know to a time prison?” Namor frowned, “I guess some of us have solved our problems this way before.”

Xavier sighed, “Normally I would be the first to oppose leaving those two with that thing. But if time is the resource in our conflict and information is our weapon then we need as much as either as we can get.”

Reed nodded and ignored a very upset Sue, “It is the only logical choice.”

Wanda noticed silent disagreement. Emma and Minx walked out of the hall. A few others began muttering. She sighed, “I need a specific book from an old library in the ruins of Alz’Ederra. It is located in a underwater cave in Egypt. Once I have this I will just need a distraction and protection as I cast the ritual. I will not be able to defend myself. My spells are useless.”

“Under water sounds like fate to me,” Namor flexed, “I will retrieve the book.”

Xavier frowned, “Not without assistance. I will send Storm and Gambit.”

Sue stepped forward, “If I may be allowed to speak for myself without being spoken for by my husband…I think you all are foolish. We know extremely little but our solution defies our only knowledge. We plan on using the very thing it seems to resist. However if all of you are so keen on trying then I will go as well. I can at least help the less aquatic members out.”

Reed whispered to her but Sue walked away. “I will send Johnny as well.”

Tony frowned, “I won’t lie…I agree with Sue. I will not be partaking in this suicide mission lead by the strongest person able to fuck us but the weakest able to fuck them. Pardon the language. We will be looking for our missing members and looking into a potential scientific solution. Maybe a mcgufffin even! We love those!”

The room was split. A team science and a team magic. Wanda knew they’d be stronger but deep down she feared exactly what Sue had said.