The Multiversal Road-Trip: Book Five

16

Scott, Beyoncé and Snazzy Boots got back, then Strange started talking about who-knew-what all seriously with his wizard buddies. Loki could have just read their minds, but he didn't feel like being any more confused than he already was. Besides, watching Strange doing magic was always pretty amusing (when he wasn't in danger of dying, clearly) since his face got all animated and he never realised it.

So Scott and him just sat back on their chairs, tilting them back on two legs against the wall behind them. Watching the three of them argue- um, confer, as they put it, was very entertaining. Snazzy Boots was actually the one trying to make peace between Strange and Beyoncé, which was unexpected, but hey ho. Stranger things had happened.

"Do you think they're ever going to actually start this spell?" Scott said after about ten minutes of watching them.

"They don't seem to be in a big hurry do they?" Loki answered, watching Strange tapping the book incessantly.

"I thought we needed to get to Wanda by tomorrow. I mean today. I mean..." Scott sighed. "I don't know anymore. But soon anyway. They're kinda wasting time here."

Loki cleared his throat. "Hey, bozos, Scott says you should get a bloody move on. He's getting bored," he said, raising his voice to catch their attention. He caught their attention alright. All three of them spared him an unimpressed glare before returning their attention to the book. He was used to that. "Don't think that helped," he said to Scott, more quietly.

"Yeah, nah," Scott said, sighing again.

They waited around a bit longer, and Loki even made himself and Scott some magically summoned tea before the wizards in front actually did anything. "Ooh, the show's starting, get comfortable, Scott," Loki said quietly as they got into position and all closed their eyes. Wizards liked doing that. Made no sense to him personally, since he liked to see what he was doing, but eh, everyone was different.

Almost as thought they'd rehearsed it, all three of them started waving their hands around and making magic golden sparks in fancy patterns everywhere. It was like a really complicated lightshow. Completely impractical for stealth reasons, but pretty.

"Oh, look, they're floating," Scott noted as they did, apparently, all start floating. "Do you think they realise they're floating?"

"No, they don't have any idea what their own bodies are doing," Loki said, shaking his head. "I did a bit of work a few hundred years ago on Midgard here in Kamar-Taj, I learned quite a lot of stuff about how their magic works. That's why I know almost as much as Strange."

"Oh, cool," Scott nodded. "So, you can do the spells Strange can too?"

Loki debated that. "I could, I guess, but I never put the effort into learning them. I was only really here for the entertainment back then, and I had my own magic, so I didn't really see the point in learning a different type."

Scott nodded. It was a long nod. He was probably putting off speaking. Or maybe he was mesmerised watching the pretty light show. "So... anyone could learn Stephen's magic then?"

"Yeah, I guess," Loki said, looking at Scott. "Why? You're not thinking about trying it, are you?"

"Hm? Oh, no, no, no, I was just curious," Scott said. "I'm happy with my own abilities as it is. Just, you know, Cassie's always been really interested in magic, so maybe one day she could come here and learn a thing or two. Y'know?"

"You know what, I think she'd love that," Loki nodded. "She's a really great kid. And I'm not even a kid person."

"She is," Scott agreed. "I don't know what I did to deserve her."

"Well, you're pretty great too, y'know," Loki said, awkwardly. He wasn't used to this whole complimenting people thing. He'd never had much practice with Thor. But it seemed to do the trick, because Scott smiled and thanked him anyway. "Oh, look, Strange is talking to himself."

Strange was, indeed, talking to himself. As though he were having a conversation with someone on the other side of this communication thing they were doing. Only on fast forward, apparently. Literally, he was talking so fast Loki could barely decipher what he was saying, so he just stopped trying to. His face was doing that thing where he went all animated again, but it wasn't as funny after what happened earlier.

"You think they're nearly done?" Scott asked, sipping his tea which Loki had forgotten about. "They've been at it a while now."

"I have no clue," Loki shrugged. These kinds of spells could take either seconds or hours, depending on the complexity. Sipping his own tea, he said, "Wizards seem to love messing around and taking ages, don't they?"

"Yep," Scott agreed.

Just at that very moment, Strange, Beyoncé and Snazzy Boots broke the spell and returned to reality, gasping. Uh oh. Gasping meant something was up. They all looked at each other, and in unison, said "Crap."

That meant something was definitely up. Strange never swore, even if it was just "crap".

Loki leant forwards to return the chair to all four legs and walked over. "What happened?" he asked, Scott following. Strange only had to look at him for him to realise. "You've found her?"

"You could say that," Strange said, pulling at his hair. "Oh my God, oh my God... I never, ever thought I'd see that. We need to get there, and fast."

"Woah, hold up, what did you never think you'd see?" Scott interrupted.

Strange looked at them both, hesitating before answering. "I saw myself... well, we aren't too sure, but we think I died. Wanda attacked me – the other me – and then we lost the connection."

"Oh, shit," Loki said, both he and Scott putting a hand to their mouths in shock. If Wanda was attacking Strange, even if it was a different Strange, then she was seriously out of control. No wonder Strange was literally shaking. Slowly lowering his hand, he said, "And you still want to go? You know she could kill all of us if she wanted to?" Even he couldn't make a joke about it this time.

"Well, I don't see how we have much choice in the matter," Strange said, and yes, he started pacing and pulling his hair out. "We kinda have to go, don't we? Because the other me and the Kamar-Taj wizards helping the other me couldn't do a thing to stop her. We might be the only ones who can."

Loki actually heard Scott gulp beside him. "And if we can't?"

Strange stopped pacing and looked at him, stony-faced. "If we can't, I hope we all see each other again in Valhalla."

So he was finally getting his Mythology right. Impeccable timing, as always. "No, we can do this," Loki said. When the other four looked at him confused, he suddenly realised it was probably the most positive thing he'd ever said around them. What he said next was closer to his normal level of optimism – not a lot. "She's not the only powerful one here. There is absolutely no point in overthinking this, since we don't even know what we're going into. If we succeed, great. If not, well, Valhalla's not a bad place to be."

Strange waited a moment before sighing, and relaxing again, preparing himself for what they were about to do. "Let's go. Wong, watch over Mordo will you?"

Beyoncé- Wong nodded and assured him he would, then wished the three of them luck.

Yes, the three of them. Loki almost didn't register it at first. When he did, both he and Wong had identical confused expressions on their faces, like neither of them could quite believe what he'd just said.

But then, Loki supposed, even if they did hate each other, that could be put aside. They were about to attempt the near-impossible after all.

He could use some luck.