"So..." Tony stared at the group of exhausted, battle-worn heroes scattered around the foyer of the New York Sanctum, his usual confident demeanor replaced by genuine bewilderment. "I've seen some seriously weird stuff in my time. Aliens, gods, time travel, you name it. But I'm pretty sure I've never experienced anything quite like that before."
It was an undeniably awkward scene—eight figure who had no connection to the mystic arts standing in the sacred halls of the Sanctum Sanctorum, still processing what they'd just witnessed.
"Welcome to our world," Ghost Rider said bluntly, leaning against one of the ancient pillars with his arms crossed, the flames around his skull flickering with residual anger.
"You know," Iron Fist said thoughtfully, his voice carrying the measured tone of someone trying to process the impossible, "my time in K'un-Lun taught me about other dimensions and planes of existence. But even the teachings of the Immortal Iron Fist didn't describe anything like what we just experienced."
"My daughter is never going to believe this," White Tiger muttered, retracting his mask to reveal Hector Ayala's exhausted face.
"My family definitely would," Shuri countered, her Wakandan pragmatism helping her adapt to the supernatural more quickly than the others.
Luke Cage cleared his throat and gestured toward the four enhanced individuals. "Okay, I have to ask—who exactly are you people? I've definitely never seen magic like this before."
"We are sorcerers," Mordo answered simply, his voice still heavy with grief over the Ancient One's death. "We channel energy from this dimension and others to create what you call magic."
"What about you?" Hawkeye asked, nodding toward Ghost Rider. "You don't exactly fit the wizard stereotype."
Ghost Rider shrugged. "My power comes from bonding with a Spirit of Vengeance—a demon of divine retribution."
"Okay then," Hawkeye replied dryly, clearly deciding not to dig deeper into that particular rabbit hole.
"I must not have had enough to drink today," Jessica Jones muttered, somehow producing a brown paper bag from her jacket and pulling out a can of beer. "Otherwise I wouldn't be having hallucinations this vivid."
"Seriously?" She-Hulk asked in annoyed disbelief.
"Do you just carry that with you everywhere?" Iron Fist asked suspiciously. "Or is that some kind of magic too?"
"No, when we got out of that funhouse mirror dimension, I made a quick stop at the nearest bodega," Jessica said, downing half the beer in one gulp. "What? It's been a really weird day."
"We have bigger problems to deal with," Celeste said impatiently, her Jedi training keeping her focused despite the chaos.
"Like what exactly?" Tony couldn't help but ask, his engineer's mind still trying to categorize and understand everything he'd witnessed.
Strange enough, although the question was reasonable, Doctor Strange found himself irritated by Tony's casual attitude—especially so soon after losing the Ancient One less than an hour ago.
He walked directly up to the billionaire and fixed him with an intense stare.
"Like protecting you," Strange said, his voice carrying a challenging edge that surprised everyone present.
Not expecting such a confrontational response, Tony bristled. For a moment, the two men glared at each other, the tension in the room ratcheting up several degrees before the others intervened.
"Hey," Celeste said sharply, her lightsaber hilt appearing in her hand—not ignited, but clearly a warning. "We have more important things to focus on right now."
"She's right," Ghost Rider added. "Two of the three Sanctums have been attacked. London has fallen, this one barely held against their assault, the Ancient One is dead, and Hong Kong is next on their list."
"What does that mean exactly?" White Tiger asked. "Are we looking at some kind of apocalypse scenario?"
"Yes," Strange said flatly, finally breaking his staring contest with Tony. "If we don't stop Dormammu from breaking through, this entire dimension will be consumed."
"So what's the plan?" Hawkeye asked immediately, his practical nature cutting through the tension.
When everyone stared at him in surprise, he shrugged. "What? You just told us we're dealing with the end of the world. That's exactly why the Avengers exist—to make sure that doesn't happen."
"While we appreciate your attitude and willingness to help," Mordo said firmly, "under these circumstances, it would be best for all of you to remain here in New York."
"I'm sorry, what?" Tony's head tilted slightly, his expression shifting from confusion to indignation.
"Look, this isn't your area of expertise," Ghost Rider replied bluntly. "We're sorcerers—we handle mystical threats. This is what we've trained for our entire lives."
"Dormammu is exactly the kind of entity our order was created to oppose," Mordo added. "We need the eight of you to stay in New York and protect the Sanctum while we're gone."
"And why exactly should we listen to you?" Jessica asked provocatively, crossing her arms in a gesture that radiated defiance.
"Because Karnes Muur was still in that Mirror Dimension when we escaped," Strange replied. "He's a separate threat from Dormammu and Kaecilius."
"Who the hell is Karnes Muur?" She-Hulk asked.
Celeste quickly gestured with both hands, creating a shimmering holographic projection of the Sith Lord in all his corrupted glory—multiple eyes, clawed hands, and an aura of malevolent power.
"He's a Sith Lord from my galaxy," Celeste explained. "Someone you all need to be extremely careful around. While we're dealing with Dormammu in Hong Kong, Muur represents a completely separate threat. He's consumed by an insatiable hunger for power, and he'll try to absorb the abilities of anyone he encounters."
"Plus, you saw those nightmare creatures with the teeth, right?" Ghost Rider asked. "He can summon entire armies of those things." He snapped his fingers for emphasis. "Having eight standing guard here could make all the difference."
The heroes in the Sanctum fell silent, clearly debating among themselves what their next move should be.
"We need to leave now," Strange said urgently. "Every second we waste here is another second Hong Kong moves closer to falling."
"Our friends and colleagues are counting on us," Celeste added, rising from where she'd been sitting on the steps of the foyer. "We'll explain everything in more detail when we return... if we return."
Mordo simply nodded silently, his grief over the Ancient One's death clearly warring with his determination to protect the world she had died defending.
"Let's go," Celeste announced, raising her hands and beginning to trace a circle in the air with her sling ring.
A portal sparked to life, showing glimpses of Hong Kong's skyline on the other side. The four mystic defenders stepped through without hesitation, and the portal snapped shut behind them, leaving the Avengers alone in the Sanctum with nothing but questions and the weight of an impossible responsibility.