Who: Scott Lang, Dr. Strange What: Scott arrives in an alternate Earth When: today!
It had been two years in Scott's mind since he'd first met Tony Stark at the airport in Berlin and ended up on house arrest because he'd fought with Cap. He hadn't been particularly fond of Stark but now after his five years in the Quantum Realm (which felt like five months to him) and the time they'd all spent together figuring out the Time Heist, he had a different opinion. Tony was brilliant, had been brilliant, Scott reminded himself and while they never would have been best friends, he did consider him a friend. They'd all been through too much. Thanos was gone, the Snap had been reversed but Tony and Natasha had paid the ultimate price and Bruce had suffered injury too.
The memorial service had been touching, practically everyone that had ever known Tony was there it seemed. Scott had come with Hope and her parents, Cassie hadn't been able to come because she had school and she'd never met Tony anyway. After things had ended, people were standing around chatting, there was food and drink and Scott slipped away to use the bathroom. It took him a minute to find it, the house was pretty big considering that Tony called it a cabin, and went inside. Immediately he knew something was wrong.
It was pouring rain and he was sitting flat on his ass on a sidewalk in...Central Park? "What the ever lovin' hell is this?" he said aloud and got to his feel. "Not again. What did I do now?" Scott shouldn't have been surprised. He seemed to end up in the weirdest places without trying and apparently Tony Stark's john was a portal to somewhere.
Dr. Strange was reading a book when a chime sounded in the distance, echoing through the dimly lit rooms of the New York Sanctum. The book snapped shut, seemingly on its own, as he stood up. The cape was already flying through hallways and the doorway, a red swirl moving fitfully before it rested on his shoulders.
He focused on the location and opened a portal, walking out into a...well, it was pouring rain. He had been so engrossed that he hadn't even noticed. Spying a nearby Scott getting drenched and wearing familiar funeral attire, he didn't waste any time. He quickly cast one of the mandala shields over them both, shielding them from the rain. Although it did sizzle a bit whenever a raindrop met a spark.
"Hello, Mr. Lang," Stephen said as he approached, leaving the portal open behind him. After looking through 14,000,605 futures and Scott popping back into existence after 5 years, here was a person who was already used to a whole lot of weird things. "Welcome to a new universe. Did you just come from Stark's funeral?"
Scott couldn’t help but stare at the man who had appeared in front of him. He remembered seeing him just a few minutes ago at the funeral but now they were both here and wait….did he just say new universe? “I did, I was just there and I’m not now,” he looked around him. “I’d make the Toto joke but I’m sure you’ve heard that one before. How did I get here?” For most of his life, Scott would have never believed that a lot of the things he’d experienced in the last few years were possible. Yet they were and he’d actually lived through them.
“So exactly when am I?” he asked. “This is New York, I know that but if it’s a new universe, are we still in the same time zone so to speak? Your name is Strange, right? I mean actually Strage, not that you’re Strange.” Although he kind of was if he could make time portals and travel through them. He’d seen what he’d done when they’d all fought Thanos and it had blown Scott’s mind.
"You're definitely not in Kansas anymore," replied Stephen, his jokes in the same wry and dry tone as usual. "It seems like you've suffered not only a dimensional transference, but a time displacement too. Not uncommon. We've had a couple people show up from the nineteen forties before."
Bestowing that knowledge probably wasn't helping matters.
"Currently, it's twenty-twenty-four. This universe is similar to the one you left. Everyone's getting ready for the onslaught of pumpkin spice flavoring. Major differences is that Stark is alive here. So is Natasha Romanoff. And we didn't kill Thanos, but he lost a hand and we've got the stones."
He tapped a finger against the Eye of Agamotto.
“So same year but different circumstances. Do they know what happened in the timeline that I came from?” Scott didn’t want to put his foot in his mouth and tell Tony that it was good to see him alive. “Too bad pumpkin spice is interdimensional.” he shuddered. In Scott’s opinion, pumpkin spice wasn’t something that should exist in the first place. He didn’t get the fuss.
“So what is happening here? Is Thanos going to attack again or is staying wherever he is?” Thanos being alive here didn’t sound good to him but at least the stones were safe. “Is that why people get pulled here? To help fight Thanos if it becomes necessary?”
"They aren't aware. Only we know, actually. It seems when major events happen there, we are aware of them. Not vice versa.. That's how strong the connection is between these two Earths. Maybe Pumpkin Spice is linked. Which is probably what chewing on a Yankee Candle would taste like."
No thanks. No one in their right mind would want to have a mouth full of waxy air freshener. As for the rest of the questions, Stephen looked like he was thinking things over.
"That might be a good reason why," he mused, brows knitting. He always felt like there were reasons that the same people kept getting pulled back in. Even if it wouldn't stop it happening entirely, having seen it with his own astral eyes. So to speak. "But he hasn't attacked again. He's at a major disadvantage if he does. We're all together here. At the same time."
“I’ll make sure not to put my foot in my mouth,” he said. It was a talent that he had but he’d make sure to keep it in check. “Chewing on a Yankee candle. That’s a good analogy. I’d prefer cinnamon apples or something like that. That seems more like autumn to me. Pumpkins just make me think of Halloween.” Pretty ironic when you considered that he actually owned a suit that turned him into an ant.
He was relieved to hear that Thanos hadn’t attacked again. Maybe that was a good sign. “True. How many of us are there? Also, can you come and go between here and there?” Probably not since he knew from experience that you could be in two places at the same time or rather in two different times. He’d seen that when they’d travelled to 2014.
Stephen didn't nod a lot. He stared a lot, regularly, sometimes in disbelief. But in this, he nodded. More than once. Pumpkin Spice was a travesty. If he could remove it from the timeline without any repercussions, he would. But it was so insidious and pervasive, that there was no telling what the repercussions of doing that might be. He didn't want another planet devouring megalomaniac to show up angry over the lack of pumpkin spice latte.
"About twenty of us," he replied. "It seems as though we're stuck here until whatever it is that brought us here, takes us back. There's only one of us in each universe at a time, so apparently it balances out by having us take the place of our counterpart here, and reverting back to that other version of us when we leave. Minus all of the knowledge of being in an alternate universe, of course. Less chance of a paradox occuring. Or the universe putting it's proverbial foot in its mouth."
“And it’ll feel like we’ve never left to everyone at home,” he shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. “Okay then, I guess I’m in. Or more exactly, what do I need to do. Just…..live?” In an alternate universe. Which was pretty cool when you thought about it although so far it didn’t look any different from the one he was used to.
“Are there any big differences I need to know about. Other than dead people being not dead and the Snap didn’t happen. I kind of missed that but I was stuck in my own alternate reality.” And coming back to find out what had happened had taken a good while to get used to but driving that old van across the country had given him a lot of time to think.
"That's right. No time will be lost over there. Also, living would be advisable," Dr. Strange said, as though offering a medical professional's opinion on how to deal with a chronic illness.
He thought over all the things that had happened, and that Scott should know about. There was a laundry list, but more than they could cover, and he promptly turned to open a portal into the new Avenger's Tower as he explained.
"We have most of the stones, so we're tasked with guarding them," he started, "minus the Mind Stone, which Wanda destroyed. That was about six years ago, so there's no way to reverse time that far and bring it back. Another snap won't be happening. Or snappening."
There was a pause and he cleared his throat a little, walking through the now open portal into what looked like a modern apartment corridor.
"This is the new Avengers Tower," he told Scott as he turned around, waiting for him to follow. "You just missed Hope, who disappeared recently. It happens at random, without warning or control. So make the most of what you have here, while you have it."
Scott hadn’t want to ask about Hope but he had wondered if she was here. The fact that she wasn’t was disappointing but maybe she’d come back. “This is a nice place,” he said, looking around. “I never saw the old one but it looks comfortable. Do I have to get a job?” It wasn’t a problem but if he needed to go job hunting, it would be nice to know. “So I guess everything is provided for us in the apartments? Since I only have what I’ve got on my back and my phone which I’m guessing doesn’t work here.”
Stark truly hadn't spared any expense, right down to the artwork on the walls and a fern nearby in a decorative wall nook. He stopped next to a door that was marked as room number 2.
"You're on floor thirty-eight," Stephen explained, pulling a welcome package out of a pocket dimension and offering it to Scott. "If you're willing to help out during threats, that's enough to get access to an Avengers expense account. Your personal phone should still work, and everything's provided. A new Starkphone, laptop, keycard for the door, expense card, log in information. Friday doesn't visually monitor anyone in their rooms, but you can ask her to have things delivered or for directions. Like Alexa."
He thought for a moment, considering that there may be something that Scott might want to do.
"If your other self was at work and suddenly disappeared, you may want to call and let them know that you're away. On Avengers business. I...don't really know what you do on a regular basis. For work."
He said that last bit while slightly squinty.
“I was at Stark’s funeral actually,” he said quietly. Which seemed surreal now that he was in a place where Stark wasn’t dead. “And I was working with Hank Pym’s family helping them research the Quantum Realm so me blipping out wouldn’t phaze them. Sometimes that just happens.” Thankfully they hadn’t had any more problems with getting back and forth. Then it hit him. “Cassie. My daughter. I need to call her, she’ll wonder if I don’t come over after the funeral. Yeah, there are a couple of people I need to talk to back there.” Scott’s circle of friends was rather small but after being in prison and then on house arrest for two years, it wasn’t as if he had much of a social life. There was Luis though, he should call him.
“Okay then. Sounds like I’m set. I’m willing to help out whenever you need me. I have my suit with me so that won’t be a problem.” It still blew his mind that he could carry it with him even though he’d been around nanotechnology by now that it shouldn’t have. “So I just go about my life and that’s it pretty much? And the others here, you said they know we’re in another world except for Tony and Natasha? Sorry if I’m asking the same questions more than once. It’ a lot to process.”
"Tony and Natasha know about what happened to them," Stephen said, not at all bothered about answering questions. It's what he did. When he was able to answer them, that is. There were some things that didn't seem to have answers.
"It's all right," he assured Scott, giving him the package. "It is a lot to process and it's stressful. You can choose to help out as an Avenger if you want. Open this packet. Order a pizza. Call your daughter, or whoever else you need to call, and say you were called for a mission. Then try to get some rest. This is like the world we all know for the most part."
He hoped that was comforting. Even if only a little bit.