Chapter 48: Crossing Realities

At 177A Bleecker Street, Max, Wanda, Pietro, Yelena, and the X-Men—Wolverine, Beast, Illyana Rasputin, Colossus, Kitty Pryde, and Storm—were greeted by Mordo, who stood at the threshold with his usual stern expression. The sorcerer glanced at the group before focusing his gaze on Max, his discontent evident.

"Sorcerer Supreme has tasked me with teaching you the portal spell," Mordo said in a calm but guarded tone. He extended his hand, offering Max a Sling Ring. "I am not thrilled about an outsider being granted this knowledge, or this tool. It's not strictly against our rules, but in my opinion, it's unwise." His tone grew colder as he handed over the ring, his reluctance clear.

Max took the ring and nodded, respectful but unfazed by Mordo's displeasure. With years of magical experience from his time in the Harry Potter universe, Max quickly adapted to the mystical arts of this reality. As Mordo demonstrated the movements and focus required to summon a portal, Max absorbed the process in minutes, his muscle memory recalling wandless magic from his previous life. The sling ring, despite being new, felt oddly familiar in his hands.

Mordo watched Max closely, his frown deepening as he saw how quickly Max mastered the spell. "I see you've already had experience with magic from another world," Mordo muttered under his breath, clearly disapproving.

After successfully creating several portals, Max turned to the group. His eyes landed on Wanda, who had been quietly watching him. "Wanda," Max began, "I'm going to the X-Men's universe to deal with the N'Garai situation. But I think you should stay behind."

Wanda's brows furrowed, clearly unhappy with the suggestion. "Stay behind? Why?" she demanded. "You've been preparing machines to deal with this problem, haven't you? I can help."

Max sighed, knowing it would be hard to convince her. "It's because of your connection to the Flickering Realms," Max explained. "Your powers tap into something deep and unpredictable. If we face anything related to the N'Garai, that connection could make things worse. It's too dangerous."

Wanda crossed her arms, clearly still unwilling to relent. "I don't care about the danger. I'm coming with you."

Max paused, then sighed, realizing that reasoning wouldn't work. "Alright, how about this?" he asked, leaning forward slightly. "I'll owe you a favor if you stay. Something personal, anything you want."

Wanda raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Anything?"

Max nodded. "Anything."

After a few tense moments of silence, Wanda finally sighed in resignation. "Fine," she relented, "but remember, you owe me."

Max smiled softly. "I'll keep my word."

Satisfied, Wanda stepped back, though her eyes lingered on Max, her trust in him evident.

Turning his attention to the task at hand, Max called Tony. "Hey, Tony, we're ready to go to the X-Men's universe. You want to join?"

Tony's voice buzzed through the phone with excitement. "Of course, just tell me where to meet you."

Max opened a portal with a swift motion, the shimmering ring leading directly to Tony's living room in Stark Tower. A moment later, Tony, Bruce Banner, and Steve Rogers stepped through the portal, looking mildly impressed.

"This never gets old," Tony commented, stepping forward and observing the Sling Ring in Max's hand. "That thing is pretty neat."

Bruce gave a small wave. "Before we go, though," he added thoughtfully, "did you ask Thor to stay on Earth a little longer? He could've helped with the trip to the X-Men's universe."

Max shook his head. "Thor and Loki are already back in Asgard. But trust me, with the machines I've prepared, we should be fine."

Tony chuckled, "Yeah, I'm sure Thor would have enjoyed another family reunion with Loki."

Steve, meanwhile, had walked over to greet the X-Men. He shook hands with Wolverine and the others, introducing himself. The air between them was friendly but tense, considering they were still strangers despite the common threat they faced.

Max turned to Yelena, who had been watching the exchange in silence. "Yelena," he said gently, "I need you to stay here with Wanda. I want you to go over some information about my fleet and other assets with her. It'll help."

Yelena frowned, clearly displeased. "Why am I staying behind? I can handle myself."

Max smiled reassuringly. "I know you can. But I've got enough backup with the X-Men, Tony, Bruce, and Steve. And I'll need you to keep things organized here."

With a sigh, Yelena reluctantly agreed. "Fine," she said, though her gaze lingered on Wanda, who gave her a small nod.

Finally, Max gathered the group. Illyana stepped forward, holding out her hand to Max. "We'll use me as the medium to open the portal between universes," she said, her voice steady.

With Illyana's help, Max summoned the Sling Ring's power once more, this time using Illyana's innate connection to open a larger portal between their universe and the X-Men's. A swirling vortex of energy formed in front of them, pulsing with interdimensional energy.

As they prepared to step through, Tony made one last quip. "You know, for all the tech you have, Max, even your Stargates can't do this kind of stuff, huh?"

Max chuckled, waving Tony off. "Stargates weren't designed for inter-universe travel. They could, theoretically, but that's a whole different level of complication. Besides, they're built for stable travel across time and space within a universe."

Bruce's curiosity was piqued. "You said they could travel through time too? How does that even work?"

Max nodded. "If you push them against their programming and meet a few... complicated requirements, it's possible. But, trust me, playing with time is a bad idea."

Steve raised an eyebrow, clearly uneasy with the notion. "I'm with Max on that one. Time travel is something you don't mess around with."

Max smirked at Steve's seriousness but said nothing as they stepped through the portal together.

They emerged on the other side in the ruins of Times Square, New York. The once-bustling city was now a wasteland, the streets torn apart, and the buildings crumbled under the weight of destruction. Ash and debris filled the air as the group stood amidst the ruins.

Max turned to the X-Men, his expression grave. "Where can I get access to the machine that helps detect and suppress the mutant gene?" he asked.

Storm, standing tall among the wreckage, regarded Max carefully. "Why do you need it now? What are you planning?"

Max glanced at the decimated city around him. "Worst-case scenario, the key to saving this Earth lies in the hands of a possessed mutant. We need to be prepared."

Beast stepped forward, his calm demeanor a contrast to the chaos surrounding them. "I have a version of the machine back at the X-Mansion. It's older but should suffice."

Max nodded. "Good. Then let's move. That's our target."

While the others prepared to head toward the mansion, Mordo stepped aside, casting his own spells to detect the presence of any sorcerers in this reality. His expression darkened as he realized there were none. "Strange," he muttered under his breath. "This world is devoid of the mystical arts."

Meanwhile, Tony and Bruce pulled out sensors of their own, scanning the area for differences between this universe and their own. As they worked, Bruce marveled at the subtle shifts in energy signatures, while Tony looked excited by the potential.