Batman, Captain America, and the others had grown accustomed to treating the Quiz game as a wake-up call, especially when it touched upon the future of their respective worlds. It often revealed hidden dangers and potential troubles they could address in advance.
In the previous rounds of the Quiz game, the Marvel world hadn't been heavily involved. But this time was different. Wanda's future video had clearly identified a dangerous figure—Agatha the Witch!
Magic and sorcery had always been well-concealed. Even with the emergence of the Sorcerer Supreme and Kamar-Taj, the sanctuary of magicians, most people living in a modern technological society had never encountered the mysteries of magic or sorcery.
Only through the future revealed in the Quiz game did they realize that beneath the seemingly normal and peaceful world lay countless secrets.
Agatha was undoubtedly a dangerous individual—ambitious and capable.
But most importantly, she seemed like a catalyst or perhaps a guide.
After watching Wanda's future video, Bruce had a strong premonition: Agatha appeared to be there specifically to push Wanda into becoming the Scarlet Witch. Her purpose was to deliver the Darkhold to Wanda, triggering her transformation into the Scarlet Witch.
From Batman's perspective, Wanda—or more precisely, the Scarlet Witch—was clearly far more dangerous than Agatha.
He had asked Stephen Strange to investigate the Darkhold and Agatha before the current Quiz game ended, and they had made some progress.
Doctor Strange had returned to Kamar-Taj, combed through numerous ancient texts, and even consulted with the Ancient One. Coupled with his extensive knowledge gained from interactions with other Sorcerer Supremes across different dimensions, he provided Bruce with a detailed explanation: the Darkhold was a demonic book capable of corrupting the minds of its readers, leading them down a dark path. The prophecy of the Scarlet Witch, at least in some parallel worlds, had indeed come true.
"You know, I once won a round of the Quiz game and gained the opportunity to learn from Sorcerer Supremes in other parallel universes," Strange had told Bruce with grave seriousness. "I won't lie—some of them had already fallen, including alternate versions of me. They'd read the Darkhold…"
At the time, Strange had warned Batman with utter seriousness: no one could resist the corruption of the Darkhold—not himself, and certainly not Wanda.
Thus, they needed to do everything they could to prevent Wanda from accessing the Darkhold and find a way to destroy it completely, so that this demonic book could no longer harm the world.
This led Bruce Wayne to pose a particularly weighty question to Wanda: "Tell me, Wanda, do you want the Darkhold?"
He locked eyes with her, scrutinizing her like a detective interrogating a suspect. But by now, Wanda and the others were used to Bruce's mannerisms.
Batman often gave others a "you're a suspect" kind of look. While it could be annoying, no one could deny that the Dark Knight had resolved countless problems for them. His exceptional talent for planning was even grudgingly acknowledged by someone as proud as Tony Stark. They trusted him.
Wanda's lips curved into a cryptic smile as she met Bruce's gaze without flinching. "If I said I wasn't interested, would you believe me? Fine, I'll admit it—I do have some interest in magic…"
Stephen Strange interrupted her, his tone serious. "You can come to Kamar-Taj to study magic. Everyone has seen your potential, and the Ancient One herself is willing to guide you. I'd say there's no one on Earth right now who understands magic and sorcery better than she does."
Strange had already discussed the matter with Bruce, Captain America, and others. They'd agreed to send Wanda to Kamar-Taj, which also aligned with the Ancient One's wishes.
When Tony heard this, he raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "I remember the Ancient One can foresee the future. Forget about Thanos for a second—both the Scarlet Witch and the Darkhold fall squarely in the realm of magic. Doesn't she care about them at all?"
Since the Quiz game began, Tony had interacted with the Ancient One more than most Avengers. He'd even heard her mention "future events" on occasion.
As the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One was responsible for safeguarding Earth, particularly against threats from the magical realm, such as incursions from the Dark Dimension. In the past, she had used the Time Stone to glimpse into the future.
She had seen the various crises Earth would face and the rise of the Avengers, as well as Strange's potential. With that, she had felt comfortable "retiring."
But now, it seemed like her retirement had a touch of irresponsibility.
Setting aside the devastation Thanos brought to Earth, both the Scarlet Witch and the Darkhold were massive threats. The former could be dealt with by the Avengers on a physical level, but the latter was directly tied to the Sorcerer Supreme's duties. Had the Ancient One not foreseen the Scarlet Witch's future?
Strange shrugged. "The Time Stone isn't omnipotent, Tony. Don't assume the Sorcerer Supreme knows everything.
"Besides, with the Quiz game interfering, the future has become completely chaotic…
"The good news, though, is that our world is now more stable than before. Don't ask why. Just know that our universe is less prone to invasions from alternate worlds than it used to be.
"Back to the point—Wanda, if you're interested in magic, you really should visit Kamar-Taj. It's an incredible place."
Wanda's lips curved into a faint smile as she nodded and shook her head at the same time. "I'll go, but not now. Give me some time, alright? I just redeemed a book of advanced sorcery. For now, I just want to find a quiet place to study… By the way, what about Peter's problem?"
Tony smirked and patted the bashful young Peter on the shoulder. "Peter, Peter… I'm starting to think you're the protagonist of this Quiz game. I can't believe how many versions of you I've met! Oh, I just had a brilliant idea—what if we made a football team out of all the Spideys in their pajamas?"
Peter rolled his eyes. "That's the worst idea ever." Then he turned to Bruce. "Mr. Wayne, could you send me to the other version of me? I want to help him."
Tony chimed in, "We should start numbering the Spider-Men. Just using names is too confusing… Alright, Peter, you're number one. The one still in school is number two. The newbie from the last Quiz game is number three. And we'll do the same for the Bruces. How does that sound?"
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