Chapter 143: The Meeting

After spending three days absorbing energy on the ocean floor, Arthur finally had a faint, usable reserve of power within him—enough for his current needs.

Lying on the jagged rocks, Arthur suddenly opened his eyes. He had to leave this hellish place; the temperature was so high he felt like he was being roasted alive. He shot rapidly toward the surface and broke through the water, finally able to fly freely again. He found an uninhabited island and landed on the beach.

Arthur plucked two coconuts from a tree, cracked them open, and drank the milk to replenish his sugar levels. He hadn't eaten in three days and was starting to feel the hunger. Standing in the woods, he closed his eyes and chanted a spell. An ancient blue symbol manifested above his head, and a magic circle appeared beneath his feet. The energy in his body was finally capable of connecting to the dimensional array to perform a multiverse summoning ritual.

In an instant, a massive surge of energy flooded into Arthur, as he drew power from the Water Dimension to replenish his body.

Far away, at the New York Sanctum, Stephen Strange jolted awake from his meditation. He looked up at the sky through the glass above. He sensed a tremendous magical energy converging to the south. What was happening? Had someone summoned Dormammu again? He decided to investigate.

Wanda, who had been searching the ocean for a day, also felt the magical fluctuation. "Found you!" Sensing the familiar water-element magic, she joyfully burst through the surface and flew rapidly toward the source.

Arthur stopped the ritual once his body was fully charged. He opened his eyes, the blue glow within them slowly fading back to their normal state. He suddenly sensed something and looked toward the distance. He saw a red figure rapidly enlarging; someone was coming, and it was someone he knew very well.

The red figure flew straight to him and threw herself into his arms, the sheer momentum knocking Arthur down onto the sand.

"Wanda? How did you get here?" Arthur stared at her in a daze. Wasn't she at the Avengers compound with Vision? Why was she suddenly here? But seeing her attire, Arthur understood. "Is it really you, Wanda? Did you come to this universe, too?" Arthur hugged her tightly.

"I was so worried when you went missing. It was Stephen Strange who helped me come here to find you. I was so afraid of losing you..." Wanda began to cry as she spoke.

"It’s okay, I’m here now..." Arthur held her close, stroking her golden hair to comfort her.

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt." A portal opened beside them, and Stephen Strange stepped through, looking at Arthur and Wanda, who were huddled together on the ground.

"Stephen? You came too?" Arthur asked in surprise.

"I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I am indeed Dr. Stephen Strange, but I don't know you!" Strange replied.

"How did you get here, Stephen?" Wanda greeted him.

"So, he is the friend you were looking for?" Strange asked, looking at Wanda. Wanda nodded, pulling away from Arthur’s embrace, feeling a bit embarrassed as she wiped her tears.

"Was that you performing the magic energy ritual just now?" Strange scrutinized Arthur from head to toe.

"It was," Arthur replied.

"Did you draw energy from the Dark Dimension? That is an incredibly dangerous practice," Strange warned.

"No, the energy of the Dark Dimension is useless to me beyond granting longevity. I was drawing from the Water Dimension," Arthur shook his head.

"The Water Dimension? How did you find it?" Strange became immediately interested.

"After I learned how to traverse the multiverse from the Ancient One, I explored various universes. I eventually discovered the Water Dimension and left a dimensional energy-gathering array there, allowing me to draw energy from it indefinitely," Arthur explained.

"You are truly a magic genius! To think of such a method," Strange marveled.

"I wouldn't dare call myself a genius in your presence. Let’s get acquainted; my name is Eon Arthur." Arthur extended his hand.

"I am Dr. Stephen Strange," Strange said, shaking Arthur’s hand.

"When do you plan on returning to your universe?" Strange asked.

"I think I’ll stay and play for a few days. It’s not often I find such an interesting place," Arthur replied.

"I advise you not to disrupt the timeline of this universe or intervene in the conflicts of others. Unexpected consequences will arise if you do," Strange said earnestly.

"The Ancient One already warned me. I’m just looking around; I won't cause any trouble," Arthur replied.

"I hope so. I won't disturb your reunion further. Farewell!" Strange stepped back into his portal and returned to the New York Sanctum to resume his meditation.

Arthur and Wanda were left alone, gazing at each other.

"I'm hungry," Wanda said; she hadn't eaten or rested since arriving in this universe.

"Me too. How about we go to New York for some Brazilian barbecue? That place Tony Stark loves," Arthur suggested.

"Sounds great!" Wanda replied happily. Arthur took her hand and opened a portal, intending to step through.

"Wait!" Wanda pulled out a baseball cap and a mask to cover her face.

"Right, you're a superstar in this universe now. Should we hold a concert?" Arthur joked. Wanda blushed and playfully swatted his shoulder.

"Let's go." Taking Arthur’s arm, they stepped through the portal and appeared above a beach in New York. Arthur flew with Wanda toward the city. When they reached an empty road, countless red particles suddenly flew from Arthur’s body like sand, condensing into a red gem. A yellow gem flew from Arthur’s forehead, and both landed in his palm. He lifted his right hand, revealing a golden gauntlet covered in fine cracks.

Arthur placed the stones back into their slots. He raised his fist, and a beam of red energy shot toward the ground, manifesting a red Ferrari out of thin air, just like a scene from a video game.

"Get in!" Arthur opened the door for Wanda. She sat down, and he took the driver's seat. He started the engine and drove her toward the Brazilian barbecue restaurant in New York.

"...James Buchanan Barnes, the suspect in the Vienna UN bombing, has escaped custody today. Also missing are Avengers Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson..."

Eating their meal, Arthur and Wanda heard the news playing on the television.

"This world is so different from ours. There isn't even a version of you here," Wanda said while eating.

"That's normal. Even stranger things happen in other parts of the multiverse," Arthur said dismissively, focusing on his food.

"Steve Rogers and Sam seem to be in trouble," Wanda noted.

"Well, how should I put it? The Avengers of this world are about to fall apart," Arthur replied.

"Fall apart? Why?" Wanda asked, confused.

"Because the UN has proposed an accord to regulate all Avengers on Earth. Steve Rogers and others disagree, so the team is destined to shatter," Arthur explained.

"Will something like that happen in our world?" Wanda asked with concern. Although this world was different, the general developments were similar.

"Maybe. If it does, we won't care about the UN. We'll just move headquarters to Wakanda. I can't be bothered with anything other than world-ending threats; I'll let them sort themselves out," Arthur said.

Wanda nodded; she supported whatever decision Arthur made.