Doctor Strange, after receiving the memory infusion from Professor X, practically experienced firsthand how his counterpart in Universe 838 was killed by Black Bolt's sonic scream.
When he snapped back to reality, his expression turned grim. He couldn't accept that another version of himself had fallen so far.
He couldn't help but question the Illuminati: "If the Doctor Strange of this universe turned dark and fell, then why did you build a statue for him? Why portray him as a hero who sacrificed himself to save the universe?"
Captain Carter replied simply, "The world needs heroes."
Just then, they sensed an external intrusion into the building.
Stephen Strange said calmly, "She's here."
After learning that Wanda had become a dream-walking witch, he knew she would eventually come for him. The Illuminati's judgment had already been delayed for too long.
Captain Carter pulled up the building's surveillance feed and saw that Wanda had already broken in and was fighting a group of robots!
The Illuminati's headquarters was mainly guarded by robotic soldiers. These units were clearly well-equipped for combat—but in front of the Scarlet Witch, they were utterly insignificant, being torn apart like paper.
Outside the screen, Tony rested his chin on his hand, thoughtfully watching the scene of Wanda battling the robots. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "Ha! Looks like in Universe 838, my plan actually worked!"
"What?" Pepper looked at him, confused.
Tony shrugged. "Remember Ultron? In that future video we saw during the quiz game, I had planned to use the Ultron Program to better defend Earth. Even if the Avengers retired, we could reduce casualties. Look—those robots fighting Wanda, don't they look a lot like Ultron drones?"
Pepper stared at the screen for a while, then shook her head. "Really? I can't tell."
Most men are fascinated by robots and mechs, and Tony, who designed armor and robots himself, was even more so—hence why he noticed the detail.
Most women, on the other hand, aren't too interested in mechanical things. It's like how most men can't tell different lipstick shades apart. To Pepper, all robots looked the same—she couldn't tell if they were Ultron or not.
But Tony firmly believed his theory. "My Ultron Program must have succeeded in Universe 838. That's why the Illuminati has so many robotic soldiers. And that's why Wanda could retire and live a peaceful life at home with her two kids. It all adds up."
Pepper thought about it and found it reasonable, then asked curiously, "If there's a version of you in Universe 838, why didn't you join the Illuminati?"
"Maybe... I died fighting Thanos?" Tony replied casually.
He didn't care much about his own death. But something else bothered him. Clenching his teeth, he growled, "I don't get it. In a universe where I exist, why is he considered 'the smartest man alive'? Why is it Mister Fantastic?!"
Tony, proud and maybe a little arrogant, couldn't stand being outshone in his area of expertise—not even by an alternate version of himself.
Pepper sighed and shook her head, offering him some comforting, albeit empty, words—like soothing a sulking child—until Tony finally cooled down.
While the two were chatting away, the video on the screen paused. A new question popped up:
[Can the Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff, defeat the Illuminati?]
[A: Yes
B: No]
Outside the screen, Peter scratched his head. "Didn't we already answer a question like this?" He glanced sideways at Stephen Strange.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten. A similar question had just been asked—whether Wanda could take down Kamar-Taj. The answer was clear: she had stormed in solo and overwhelmed the sorcerers' sanctuary.
Stephen noticed Peter's glance and chuckled. "We all saw it—Wanda's terrifyingly powerful. Honestly? I'm leaning toward picking A."
Pietro responded oddly, "Didn't you say the Illuminati was stronger than the Avengers? They even defeated Thanos!"
Stephen shrugged. "But Wanda single-handedly wiped out Kamar-Taj."
In his mind, Kamar-Taj was on par with the Avengers or the Illuminati. Who's stronger is up for debate, but the difference wasn't huge.
And he genuinely believed it—if Wanda could solo Kamar-Taj, then what chance did the Illuminati have?
Just like in the video, when facing their judgment, he repeatedly insisted that only by obtaining the Book of Vishanti could he stop Wanda.
Truth be told, no matter the universe, Stephen Strange was always a proud man. Captain Carter's assessment of him was spot-on.
Surprisingly, Pietro—who should've had complete faith in Wanda—wasn't so sure. He felt B might be the right answer.
Thanos had left a deep impression on him. The Avengers had paid a steep price to beat him.
Meanwhile, the Illuminati only lost one member—Doctor Strange, and he died at their own hands. In other words, they defeated Thanos without suffering major losses.
This record alone made the Illuminati seem more powerful than the Avengers, at least to Pietro and many others. If Wanda could take them down solo, wouldn't that make her more terrifying than Thanos?
Pietro hesitated. At first, he completely trusted his sister. Even after she walked on dark path, he stood by her. But now… the version of her in the video felt so unfamiliar—so much so that even he… felt a little afraid.
Stephen seemed to sense his inner conflict and said solemnly, "Let's go with A. Pietro, you're Wanda's family. You don't want her turning into a female version of Thanos, do you? That's not the Wanda you know. So when you go back, talk to her."
"Talk to her?" Pietro instinctively pushed back. "You want me to be like you? Stop trusting my sister and treat her like some world-ending witch?"
"That's exactly the problem… You guys stopped trusting us, so of course, you wouldn't listen to what we had to say. But Wanda still trusts you. You're the one person she's willing to hear out. And don't overthink it. Look—I've fallen too.
I've come to understand that no one should be arrogant enough to believe they're purely good. Even someone like Clark or Steve could fall. Wanda and I—we're not exceptions. Get it?"
Pietro nodded slowly, deep in thought.
______
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