Chapter 10: Chapter Ten:
The world around Eleven was quiet for the first time in what felt like an eternity. The echoes of the battle in the Negative Zone still rang faintly in her mind, but now, all she could hear was the steady hum of the Sanctum Sanctorum. She sat cross-legged on a thick rug in one of the many chambers Strange had designated as a temporary safe haven, staring at the flickering light of a single candle in front of her.
Her hands rested in her lap, her fingers trembling faintly from the aftermath of wielding so much power. She had barely slept since returning from the battle. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Kang's face, his words etched into her mind: You belong to me. You were made to lose.
"I can still feel him," she whispered.
Wanda sat nearby, her legs tucked beneath her as she leaned against a low wall. She didn't speak right away, giving Eleven the space to process. The faint red glow of her magic flickered between her fingers as she absentmindedly practiced small conjurations—a flower blooming, petals turning to embers, fading away.
"You're stronger than he thinks," Wanda said eventually, her voice soft but steady. "Stronger than even you think."
Eleven shook her head, her gaze fixed on the candle. "He's still out there. I didn't stop him. He'll come back."
"Maybe," Wanda admitted. She leaned forward slightly, her crimson magic dissipating. "But when he does, you'll be ready."
Eleven didn't reply. Her chest ached with doubt. She had faced so many battles before—against monsters, soldiers, herself—but Kang wasn't like anything she'd ever fought. He didn't just want to hurt her; he wanted to take her apart, piece by piece.
"I don't know who I am anymore," Eleven said, her voice cracking. She blinked rapidly, trying to push back the tears threatening to fall. "In Hawkins, I knew. I was a friend. A daughter. But here… I'm just… this."
She held up her hands, faint traces of blue energy flickering across her fingertips. "I don't even know if this is mine."
Wanda moved closer, her presence warm and grounding. "That's what Kang wants you to believe. He wants you to think you're just a tool—a weapon for him to use. But you're not."
"How do you know?" Eleven asked, her voice trembling.
Wanda smiled faintly, her eyes softening. "Because I've been where you are. I've felt like a weapon. I've felt like I didn't belong. And it almost broke me."
Eleven finally looked at her, the raw emotion in her eyes mirrored in Wanda's.
"You'll find your place," Wanda said gently. "And until then, you're not alone."
Scene Break: The Avengers Assemble
In the Sanctum's main chamber, Strange stood at the head of a long table surrounded by holographic projections of multiversal anomalies. The rest of the team—Carol, Sam, Peter, Rocket, and now Bruce Banner—watched in silence as Strange explained the situation.
"Kang's retreat was strategic," Strange said, his hands moving through the projections to highlight key points. "The rift we collapsed wasn't his only anchor. He's been laying groundwork across multiple dimensions, each tethered to a specific point of instability."
"And Eleven's connection to the Upside Down makes her the most important piece," Sam said, crossing his arms. "He's using her to keep those tethers active."
"Exactly," Strange replied. "Which means our next step is twofold. We need to sever the remaining tethers and prepare for his return."
Rocket huffed, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, great plan, except we don't know where those tethers are, do we?"
Carol smirked faintly. "That's where you come in, genius."
Rocket rolled his eyes but pulled out a handheld scanner. "I've been analyzing the energy signature from the Negative Zone rift. It's messy, but it's enough to give us a starting point."
He tapped a button, and a new hologram appeared—an expansive map of the multiverse. Several points of light glowed faintly across the grid, each marked with a pulsating red ring.
"There," Rocket said, pointing to the largest cluster. "Kang's spreading his reach. Most of these are weak, barely holding together. But this one—" He jabbed at the brightest point, which flickered ominously. "This one's bad news."
Strange frowned. "That's the Quantum Realm. If Kang's established a foothold there, it means he's accelerating his plans."
"What happens if he stabilizes it?" Peter asked, leaning forward.
Strange's expression darkened. "Then he won't need Eleven anymore. He'll have enough power to rewrite the multiverse without her."
A tense silence fell over the room. Eleven lingered in the doorway, listening quietly. Her hands balled into fists as she processed Strange's words. For all their efforts, Kang was still one step ahead, and she was still the key to his plans.
"Then we stop him," Sam said, breaking the silence. "We hit the Quantum Realm hard, take out his anchor, and make sure he doesn't come back."
"It's not that simple," Bruce interjected. "If we destabilize the anchor without containing it properly, it could cause a ripple effect through the multiverse. We'd be trading one catastrophe for another."
"We'll figure it out," Carol said firmly. "We always do."
Eleven stepped into the room, her presence drawing everyone's attention. She hesitated under their gazes but forced herself to speak.
"Take me with you," she said, her voice steady despite the knot in her stomach.
Strange shook his head. "You're not ready—"
"I have to be," Eleven interrupted. Her gaze swept over the team, her jaw set. "He's doing this because of me. If I stay here, he'll just keep coming. I can help. I have to."
Wanda stepped up beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She's right. She's stronger than she knows."
Strange looked at Wanda, then back at Eleven. His expression softened slightly, though the concern in his eyes remained. "If you come, you need to stay focused. No distractions, no hesitation."
"I won't," Eleven said, her voice firm.
Rocket snorted. "Great. Another kid on the team. Because that worked out so well the last time."
Peter raised a hand. "Hey, I resemble that comment."
"Enough," Sam said, his voice cutting through the banter. He turned to Eleven, his expression serious but not unkind. "You sure about this?"
Eleven nodded. "I'm sure."
Sam gave her a small nod in return. "Then let's get to work."
Scene Break: Kang's Fortress
Kang stood in the heart of his sprawling fortress, his hands resting lightly on the edge of a glowing console. The multiverse shimmered before him, a web of infinite possibilities stretching out into eternity. His expression was calm, but his eyes burned with a quiet intensity.
"She's coming," Kang murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just as I planned."
The dark-haired figure beside him—one of his temporal enforcers—frowned. "You're letting her grow stronger. Why? She's becoming a threat."
Kang smiled faintly, his gaze distant. "A threat only to herself. The stronger she becomes, the closer she draws the multiverse to the breaking point."
He gestured toward the glowing map, his hand sweeping over the pulsing points of instability.
"When the tethers collapse, so will she. And when she falls…" His smile widened, sharp and cold. "The multiverse will be mine."