Marvel: Incursio

Liam stood at the top of the stairs and looked down as the trapdoor stopped moving with a click, now completely open.

'Why can't I sense a dimensional tear down there?' Liam wondered, his body tense.

He stared down the stairs, debating on what his next move would be.

'I have a bad feeling about this,' he thought, his instincts warning him not to go down there no matter what.

'But at the same time, if whatever is down there had bad intentions towards me, it would have likely attacked me the first time it sensed me.'

Despite his doubts, Liam thought it would be wiser to back off for now and contact the Ancient One.

'A creature like this would have needed many years to get here, so I doubt it'll suddenly attack Wakanda,' Liam reasoned, slowly taking a few steps back. 'And just in case it decides to attack, it's wiser to have the Ancient One on standby.'

As Liam backed away, he saw thick purple smoke began rising from the underground tunnel. Without hesitation, he turned and dashed away, feeling the danger coming from whatever that smoke was.

'Fuck,' Liam thought. 'This is bad.'

He no longer cared whether he got caught sneaking around Wakanda. He knew that if he had to fight that creature without having learned the mirror dimension spell, depending on its strength, he would either level the entirety of Wakanda or be smashed to pieces in seconds.

Liam glanced behind him and saw the smoke rapidly closing in. Taking another powerful step, he propelled himself forward at full speed, but the smoke was even faster than him. In just two seconds, it had almost reached him.

Then, as he prepared to take another step, the purple smoke engulfed him. The smoke was filled with dense dimensional energy, cutting off his sight completely.

'Shit, not good,' Liam thought, feeling his surroundings distort in the thick fog.

He tried to keep moving, dashing to the sides, but no matter which direction he went, he remained trapped within the purple haze. It felt like he was sinking deeper into a void, unable to escape.

Liam struggled for what felt like minutes when, suddenly, the smoke vanished.

'What the fuck is this?' Liam thought, confused.

He scanned his surroundings, his body tense and ready to react. The landscape around him had completely changed. He now stood in a large area of long yellow grass, tall acacia trees scattered across the land, and above him, a dark purple sky mixed with streaks of blue and yellow light.

Liam wasted no time, knowing that he had likely landed in another dimension. He quickly raised his sling ring and tried to open a portal. The golden circle of energy formed in front of him, and he immediately leaped towards it. However, just as he was about to step through, the purple smoke returned, blocking his path.

He was thrown back, landing hard on the ground. Quickly recovering, he scanned the area again. Finding nothing, he turned his eyes towards the smoke that had yet to disappear. As it began to fade, a small black panther with glowing golden eyes emerged from it.

'Oh,' Liam thought, everything clicking into place at once. 'Is that Goddess Bast?'

Wary, Liam held Neontote in front of him, remaining in a ready stance as he observed the panther. Neither of them moved and were observing each other carefully from distance.

The black panther let out a roar. Yet, what Liam heard was not a roar, but an old voice resonating directly into his ears. At the same time, dimensional energy surged around him, making him prepare for the worst.

"I am Bast, protector and god of the Wakandan people," the voice declared, its tone filled with anger.

Liam felt an immense pressure bearing down on him, concentrated entirely on his body. The sheer force was enough to pulverize an ordinary human in seconds. Despite wearing Incursio, he still found it difficult to move under the massive weight.

"You are no Wakandan. You use magic and wear strange armor. Despite not being one of my people, you introduced them to a threat they did not need to know about," the voice continued, seething with fury. "Tell me, why have you come where you do not belong?"

The overwhelming pressure made it difficult for Liam to think straight, as most of his energy was spent just trying to stay upright. Even so, he knew he couldn't back down. If he said something the Panther Goddess disliked, she would likely kill him anyway.

"I didn't introduce them to a threat," Liam answered. "That threat already existed. I just made sure they knew about it before it was too late and the barrier broke completely."

"They did not need to be involved in this," Bast's voice echoed. "I would have taken them to the Ancestral Plane once the barrier fell, allowing them to live peaceful, long-lasting lives free from conflict."

The answer surprised Liam but also made him frustrated. He hadn't expected this reasoning from the Panther Goddess—it seemed cowardly compared to the Wakandans' usual way of life. And more than that, he was frustrated by how simple she thought over her decision.

"So you would have had them abandon the rest of the world and flee their home, which they have built for generations?" Liam asked calmly, without showing his frustration.

Bast's golden eyes flashed dangerously as the pressure on him intensified.

"Watch your tongue, sorcerer," she warned. "Wakanda's people are mine to protect. Their traditions will live on in the Ancestral Plane, and their homes can be rebuilt easily."

"And what about the rest of the world?" Liam asked, gritting his teeth. "If this dimension is invaded, every living being will be wiped out."

"The world has its own gods and protectors. My duty is to Wakanda, my people," Bast answered, her tone clear but threatening. ''They are far more important to me than anything else.''