Young Writers Society

A/N: This is absolute garbage and didn't end how I'd like it to, but please let me know your thoughts about all of this so far. I feel as if it gets pretty slow here, but it'll pick up in the next part hopefully.

The next few hours passed in a blur for Wong. It was an excruciating time for him personally as he patiently waited, followed, and received orders from Strange and Ancient One as they fluttered about, so deep in sync that they often forgot there was anything around them besides the task at hand. Unfortunately for Wong, that also included him for much of the time. So, the sorcerer was let out of the loop on what exactly the Ancient One's plan entailed, nor how they were going to achieve it. He had to admit that the idea of meeting Thanos face-to-face in any fashion or dimension didn't excite him by any means. But, for now, he knew so little that he couldn't make any comment other than that.

Wong was not a fan of knowing so little.

The exception to all of this was the tidbit of knowledge Strange offered him as they were prepping a dimensional jump. Wong was so utterly used to this magic by this point that he was no longer fazed by their series of preparations. Instead, while they were busy, Wong busied himself asking a flurry of questions directed to Strange and the Ancient One, and no one in general. Voicing his thoughts in the form of questions helped him comprehend them further than just mulling them over in his internal dialogue.

One of those questions happened to be Wong wondering what exactly was the place they met at, and that transitioned to him asking about the place they're jumping to and speculating on what it could be. It was a rather long episode of rambling that, if it were Wong hearing it from any other person he'd be annoyed beyond relief.

Strange finally cut in, leading him to the dimensional rift as the Ancient One slipped through. He smiled slightly. "I know this is all just a lot to absorb, Wong, but rest assured that we are going to try our upmost to avenge what happened to your universe."

Wong scoffed. "You're starting to sound like Tony Stark."

"I am going to pretend you didn't say that, old friend. But, Tony is a man always looking to the future, but we are part of an organization that focuses on the past. I think we could benefit from his way of thinking sometimes." He halted them right before the rift. "Don't ever let him hear those words come out of my mouth again. His ego can barely fit in his tower as it stands." He gestured to the dimensional portal. "You have so many questions right now, I'm sure, but it would take far too long for me to explain everything to you in a fashion that would satisfy your hunger for knowledge.

"However! I feel as though I should give a bit of backstory to the dimension we're about to enter. This is a dimension that acts as a gathering place for Sorcerer Supremes from many different dimensions. It's a dimension tapped directly into the same source of power we use for any of our magic. I tell you this because, well, you'll see once we get through."

They stepped through dimensions together, and the world warped around Wong, heightening his senses.

They entered a land of silver mountains and cascading red waterfalls. A pristine city of gold and bronze brick adorned the tallest mountain. Forests of exotic auburn flora graced the land. "I wonder if the Strange from my universe knew about this place?" Wong asked, glancing around the dimension, he mouth agape.

"Well, I'm not sure anyone would know. Personal information here is kept to a minimum to avoid altering a Sorcerer Supreme's notion of what they truly value for themselves. It's hard enough seeing basically clones of yourself with completely different lives, backstories, thoughts, emotions... It's all humbling and mind-numbing, even for a Sorcerer Supreme." He shrugged lightly. "Then again, if you knew your universe number, we might have been able to find some information about him here. We have an impressive library here."

Wong shook his head. "Before just now, I had no idea there was a numbered catalog regarding universes. I was never privy to that kind of information."

Strange nodded. "Few are. Welcome to the club, as they say."

Several Sorcerer Supremes carved out a silver mountain with their magic, shaping it into a bunker door. They slipped past the door, Wong assumed to hollow out the inside of the mountain. Several Sorcerers in front of him initiated a complex series of spells to warp a cave floor into a trap that melded with the floor almost instantaneously after it was finished.

Some of these people he had seen before, in his universe. Some he had only heard of from history books. Some he had trained in the Mystic Arts, only to hand them off to another Master and try their luck with them because Wong deduced that they had no inherent talent or skill or, in some cases, patience to be an adept sorcerer. Seeing them there, as a Sorcerer Supreme in their home dimension, humbled him immensely. He wondered if there was a chance he would ever see them again to apologize and offer his services as a master again.

He noticed The Ancient One ahead of them convene with a group of Sorcerer Supremes. All of them had an aura of intensity around them. Maybe there was an unofficial hierarchy here. Strange patted him on the back and joined the group. Wong stayed behind him to observe the group. Strange shook the hand of a Sorcerer Wong didn't know the name of and turned to... Kaecilius.

Wong bit back any remarks he thought. Those two trusted him, and he was the Sorcerer Supreme of whatever dimension he lived in. So, Wong kept his reservedness to himself.

Wong turned away from their discussion, no longer able to stand the sight of the three of them together. But, his vision resided on someone familiar to him, and he tasted bile in his throat.

Standing not too far from him, her shoulder resting on a boulder and chatting with two other people was Erica, the initiate Wong had seen vanish from his own universe. She noticed him just standing there and nodded to him, smiling.

Wong backed up and inched back to the rift they entered through, which had now closed. His closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. Here she was in the flesh, but that wasn't the same Erica from his universe. No, that Erica was dead. And so will Wong be, sooner or later. No matter what happened from this plan of the Ancient One's, Wong would not be there to see its outcome. In the back of his head, he was keeping track of the progress of the... infestation devouring his body. No matter how he tried to avoid it, that was just how his mind operated. He only had around twelve hours or so before a vital organ was erased completely, or his heart stopped.

Sometimes, Wong was not a fan of knowing things.