Chapter 127: Fierce Battle

"Are your injuries alright?" Wanda asked from the doorway as she saw Stephen Strange emerge with Christine Palmer.

"Yes. Let's go, we need to head back," Stephen replied while walking.

"This is insane. Where are you going? Can you just tell me the truth?" Christine asked, supporting him.

"How do I put this? A powerful sorcerer who dedicated himself to ancient forces and can even defy the laws of physics wants me dead. I’ve trapped him in Greenwich Village for now, and I need to get back there. I can just step through a portal, which I’ve set up in the utility room," Stephen explained rapidly.

"Fine. I know you don't want to tell me. It's okay..." Christine assumed Stephen was just making up a story.

Stephen opened the door to the utility room, where a glowing golden portal hovered. Wanda led the way through.

"I really have to go, Christine." Stephen touched her face, looked at her deeply for a moment, and then turned to step into the portal.

The portal vanished instantly. Christine stood in the utility room, still dazed; there had been too many astonishing things today. Suddenly, a mop tipped over and hit a metal bucket, the clatter making her jump.

Wanda and Stephen returned to the New York Sanctum, which was already in shambles. They made their way to where Kaecilius had been trapped, but only the magical restraints remained; Kaecilius was nowhere to be seen.

"Wanda? Strange? Are you two alright?" Mordo asked as he arrived in the hall.

"I'm fine. Wanda saved me," Stephen said.

"That Cloak of Levitation? It chose you..." Mordo remarked in surprise, looking at the red cloak on Stephen's shoulders.

"Remarkable. It is quite fickle," the Ancient One added, appearing from the side.

"Kaecilius has escaped. He can fold space and matter at will!" Stephen exclaimed.

"He can fold matter outside of the Mirror Dimension? In the real world?" the Ancient One asked.

"Yes," Stephen nodded.

"How many others are there?" she asked.

"Two. I left one in the desert, and the other was killed by Wanda; the body is in the hall. Master Daniel's remains are in the foyer," Stephen replied. Wanda nodded at the Ancient One.

"He has been taken back to Kamar-Taj. The London Sanctum has fallen," Mordo reported.

"Only the New York and Hong Kong Sanctums remain to defend against the Dark Dimension's invasion. You have defended the New York Sanctum under attack. The master here is dead, and we need a new guardian—that would be you, Master Strange!" the Ancient One continued.

"No, I am Doctor Strange, not Master Strange or Mr. Strange! I took an oath as a doctor to do no harm, and I cannot do this! I became a doctor to save lives, not to take them," Stephen declared loudly.

"You became a doctor primarily to save one life: your own! You are driven by your ego, by your delusions of controlling everything—even death! But no one can control death, not even the great Doctor Stephen Strange," the Ancient One countered.

"Not even Dormammu? He offers eternal life!" Stephen retorted.

"It is our fear of death that gives Dormammu life; he feeds on it," the Ancient One explained.

"And you feed on him! You talk to me about controlling death, but I know how you do it. I’ve read the missing rituals in the Book of Cagliostro," Stephen said, his voice rising with intensity.

"Be very careful what you say next, Doctor!" the Ancient One warned.

"Because you don't like hearing it?" Stephen challenged.

"Because you may not know what you are talking about!" she replied, staring at him.

"What is he talking about?" Mordo and Wanda looked on, confused by the confrontation.

"I’m talking about her infinite lifespan, the reason she does not die—she draws energy from the Dark Dimension to sustain her life!" Stephen revealed.

"That can't be true!" Mordo chuckled, refusing to believe it.

"There are many kinds of energy in the multiverse. Can you be certain the Ancient One is drawing from the Dark Dimension and not another?" Wanda asked.

"I saw the descriptions of those rituals. I know what you’ve done, even if I’m not certain it’s the Dark Dimension," Stephen said, locking eyes with her.

"When they regroup, Kaecilius's zealots will return, and you will need my support," the Ancient One said before turning away, refusing to justify herself.

"She is not who you think she is, and you have no right to say those things. You know nothing of the burden she carries," Mordo said to Stephen.

"Right. And I don't want to know," Stephen replied.

"The Ancient One taught you to wield power, and this is how you repay her? By questioning her? Even if she did draw from the Dark Dimension, so what? Everything she does is to protect the Earth. Without her, where would you be? How are you any different from Kaecilius? Think about it," Wanda spoke up, unable to stomach their ingratitude. She agreed with Arthur that the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj were ungrateful, knowing only how to take.

Stephen and Mordo fell silent, unable to argue.

"If you're afraid, you can leave! The Avengers protect this Earth. If you gained power but don't want the responsibility, just go," Wanda said, looking at Stephen.

"I already protected the New York Sanctum! Isn't that repayment enough?" Stephen countered.

"You saved yourself! You lack conviction. We should kill them before they kill us!" Mordo shouted at Stephen.

Just as the standoff intensified, they heard chanting in the distance and felt a massive surge of magical energy at the entrance.

"They're back!" Mordo lunged toward the door, with Wanda and Stephen following.

In the foyer, Kaecilius and his two followers had coalesced a massive, fiery red sphere of energy, preparing to destroy the Sanctum.

"No time for this, we have to stop them! Now, Strange!" Mordo leaped from the balcony, defying gravity as he charged at them.

Wanda hurled a bolt of red chaos energy at Kaecilius. Seeing the incoming attack, Kaecilius steeled himself and slammed his massive energy sphere toward the floor, determined to destroy the Sanctum regardless of his own safety.

"Strange! Do it!" Mordo shouted while battling the two followers.

At the final, critical moment, Stephen chanted a spell, wrapping the entire New York Sanctum in the Mirror Dimension.

The energy sphere hit the ground, dissipating without causing any damage, while a split second later, Wanda’s chaos energy slammed into Kaecilius, sending him crashing into the wall by the entrance.