Rough Path to Memory Square - Doctor Strange x Reader (Earth 838)

7. The Great Gig In The Sky

A figure is pushed into the hall. You stand tall near the enormously high chair of Mordo. After all, you're still his apprentice. Stephen finally steps into the light and looks around till he spots you.

Mordo steps into the light as well, circling near his chair (and you) like a vulture eyeing a dead body. "Stephen Strange... You are now called before the Illuminati. I, Baron Karl Mordo, The Sorcerer Supreme, hereby..." thankfully he doesn't get to finish as Strange rudely interrupts.

"Karl?" Strange seems to be comically stunned, as if he never knew Mordo's name.

A shield is thrown towards Stephen and you almost jump to save him. "Captain Carter. The First Avenger." Mordo says calmly as if that was a daily occurrence. Fucking show-off.

"Blackagar Boltagon. Keeper of the Terrigen Mists. The Inhuman King." Mordo continues, but more and more Stephen is not impressed by any of the universe Defenders. He makes a joke under his breath, but you fail to hear it.

Mordo points to a woman sitting on the chair, "Captain Marvel. Defender of the Cosmos. And the smartest man alive, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four." Reed appears through that funny portal that you didn't even bother to figure out. Reed greets Strange, but Strange, being himself, makes a remark.

"Fantastic Four? Didn't you guys chart in the sixties?" a half grin escapes your lips, but soon you collect yourself.

"And, of course, you already know our special guest standing here," Mordo comes close to you, accidentally touching your hand with his as he points at you. You don't break eye contact with Stephen, and feeling Mordo's and Peggy's eyes on you, slightly bow your head to Stephen.

"Yeah, we've met. Tea was good by the way" the words come out as a compliment rather than mockery, so a warm feeling fills your chest.

"I'm sorry. Is this a joke to you?" Maria asks, not believing her ears. She always liked to be respected and appreciated, but life has a funny knack of sending people that are testing her patience limits.

"Well, there's a guy over there with a fork on his head, so, yeah. Little bit." He bites back without hesitation.

"Be grateful Black Bolt doesn't engage you in conversation." Of course, Peggy and her big mouth, never explaining to the fullest.

"Why? Does he have bad breath?" as much as you don't want to, you can't control yourself, and a small laugh escapes your lips again. You awkwardly pretend to cough, but a bit too late.

"This Strange is even more arrogant than ours. A real match for y/n, who seems to be fond of your jokes too." Peggy snaps at you.

Strange stays silent, you're clutching your sling ring so hard, it might snap in two.

"He's alive. For now." Maria says in somewhat satisfactory voice. Strange raises an eyebrow.

"Stephen" Reed begins, "your arrival here confuses and destabilizes reality. The larger the footprint you leave behind, the greater the risk of an incursion."

"Incursion? The one you mentioned?" Strange asks you. Everyone is waiting for your answer. You nod. Reed continues.

"An incursion occurs, when the boundary between two universes erodes, and they collide. Destroying one, or both, entirely." you see little wheels spinning in Stephen's head, he's connecting the dots from your story. Now everything makes sense. The names, the terms, everything.

"Your alternate self created the Illuminati, to make difficult decisions that no one else could. Today, we're here to determine what to do with you, and the child." Peggy announces.