Mentors and Masters

(Black Cats apartment the day after the incident.)

Waking up relaxed and reflexed, The Black Cat, AKA Felicia Hardy, grinned sleepily as she got up and got ready for her day. Dressed in nothing more than an oversized shirt that barely covers her rear and a pair of black panties, the cat themed thief makes her morning coffee and grins as she thinks about her most recent… acquisition.

Recently the Museum of Natural History had moved a priceless gem into their medieval section due to it belonging to some rich guy. She honestly didn't care so much as who owned it as long as it is now hers. Walking over to a rather boring picture of a bowl of fruit, she carefully takes it off its hook to reveal a carefully hidden safe.

Putting in the combination, the Black Cat nearly licked her lips in anticipation as she opened it up.

Except… It was gone.

All that was left was a picture of an annoyingly grinning goblin head (Think the Goblin Flag from Marvel comics)

"That…. Insufferable…" She can barely find the words as she fumes at her turn of luck.

On the other side of town, a very specific gem laid back on its pedestal, no one the wiser that it had been missing in the first place.

/

It had been three months since I had found out that Harry was Hobgoblin and we had been training every day since then. I taught him the ins and outs of everything I knew. Piloting the Glider, throwing and catching Razorbats (He is going to have scars from that, but it was worth it I think), building pumpkin bombs out of spare parts, How to disarm a regular bomb, how to fight armed and unarmed, how to take a hit and get back up swinging, hacking computers, everything I thought he may need, I tried to teach him.

He quickly went from hero worshiping me to hating my guts, but as long as he lived, I didn't care.

I wasn't the only one to teach him though, I had Spider-Man come in and play a game of tag with Harry. Harry had to dodge, Spidey had to tag him.

Spidey often won those games.

Besides that however, Peter would teach him chemistry and stealth along with a few other subjects when I wasn't available. It helped that he knew his identity from when they fought Conners, so that took away a bit of the awkwardness.

"Ugh…" Harry groaned from his spot on the floor. Right now we were training in unarmed combat. He had overextended during a punch, I simply grabbed him and flipped him over my shoulder onto the ground.

"Again." I say simply as I simply stand there and wait for him to get up and attack. It may sound harsh, but he needs to learn how to get up after a hit. He needs to learn that no matter what there is someone better, and he needs to learn how sometimes, you can't just stop and take a break.

Groaning as he gets to his feet, he gets in a basic karate stance and tries again. He was sweating like a pig, his bare chest heaving as he tries to get enough air into his exhausted body. We were both only wearing a pair of workout pants during this exercise. On the bright side though, he had gone from scrawny seventeen years old to more of a swimmers build. He also had more stamina and endurance compared to when he started. We had been practicing for three hours at this point and he was still going, about to collapse maybe, but still going.

This lesson was made into a form of game, (What? I like games more than regular training) if he can hit me successfully three times without me blocking or throwing him somewhere, he gets a break and I tell him a story of one of my fights. If he can't hit me three times, then he has to go again. Five fails and I start hitting back.

Feigning a hit to the face, he ducks around me and tries to hit my side. Sidestepping, I swat his hand aside and grab his leg as he tries to kick me. Using my hand as a springboard of sorts, he leaps up with his other leg and actually manages to kick my cheek with his heel.

Holding my cheek in shock, I laugh.

"You're getting better. I will admit that." I say with a chuckle.

"Come on… It's been three months since you started training me and I can barely hit you!" he groans as he grabs some water, chugging it as if he hadn't had a drink in days.

"And the only reason you can't hit me is because I've been training for over two years. You've been training every day for three months. That is impressive." I of course didn't say anything about the Oz formula or the fact I had actually prepared for this in various ways since birth. I didn't want him to be jealous of me or anything for being more powerful. Not only that, but I want to make sure he is ready for the Oz formula before he even knows I used it.

That said, even if I gave him the Oz formula, I won't give him the Extremis. That would simply be too much power in his hands.

Manipulative? Yeah. Is it necessary? Yeah.

"You have already mastered the weapons training I've given you, I've upgraded your suit, and you are already much better than the average thug on the street in skill. I'd say you are ready for your first patrol. "I tell him once he had rested a bit. And I had, His new suit looked almost identical to Phil Urich's comic version of the Hobgoblin suit, but without the wings, it uses an Adamantine mesh weave instead of the normal armor to allow more maneuverability and speed in comparison to my regular or heavy armor. His Glider looks like a sleeker version of Normans when he was the green goblin, but instead of silver it was a dark grey, almost black metallic color giving it a dark sheen. His mask was also enhanced to be much more useful instead of his chosen half face mask and goggles. This version looked nearly the same, but with a few upgrades. The half face mask covers his nose, mouth, and chin; it also had an air purifier that would completely wipe out any toxin or drug used against him. His goggles has thermal vision, night vision, a HUD, a comm unit, and a connection to my personal computer system allowing him to detect crime, call for help, or look up various enemies or criminals he may face.

"Really?!" He grins.

"Really." I reply. "Unfortunately it won't be with me."

"What? But why?" he asks. Shocked and a little disappointed at not going with me. He may not be hero worshiping me anymore, but he still looked up to me a bit.

"What do you know about Magic, Harry?" I ask suddenly.

"Magic? Like Harry Potter? What's that got to do with anything?"

"It has to do with Everything. Magic is real, and I intend to learn it and later, if you show aptitude for it, I would teach you." I try explaining. "When I went to New Mexico for a business trip, I met up with a few Asgardian gods. Thor in particular and I had to help him fight an animated suit of indestructible armor. We won, but I was near useless in the fight. I don't want to be useless again." I say. When I first started training him, I wouldn't have told him that, but now I knew he was ready.

"How long will it take?" He asks me.

"Anywhere from a few months to a year, maybe longer." I said. "I had already set everything up with Greer and I will call every night. I will do the big business meetings through the computer, and you can take over my nightly patrols. If you need help though, call Spider-Man. He can and will help you."

Honestly I had no idea how long it would take. Strange did his training in what appeared to be a few months to a year with intensive study. I would still have to run Oscorp (Not as much since I was leaving Greer in charge except for the big decisions) and I would still have to virtually take meetings. That would cut down on study time and actual training, That said I have Oz formula enhanced recall on my side and the helpful ability to forgo sleep for days on end, so who knows?

"I… OK. Be careful." He says simply as we both go take our showers to clean up from the workout.

Next Stop? Kathmandu.

/

Kathmandu was one of Nepals largest cities, so it was rather lucky I had already found the general area Kamar Taj was.

The only issue was that I didn't know where it was exactly, hence why I was asking the locals where it was and hoping a passing wizard happened to hear me.

"Kamar Taj?" I ask another local. The tenth one yet.

"Damn it…" I mutter. Wearing a pair of jeans, a button up work shirt open up over a simple green Tshirt, and a pair of Steel toed boots, I looked rather different than my usual look in suits and ties or armor. My choice in outfit drew a few strange looks as it would normally not keep away the cold weather, but the Extremis was keeping me warm.

"Kamar Taj?" I ask another local.

Another big fat no.

Leaning up against a wall, I rub my face in frustration. So far none of these damned locals knew anything! Sliding down the brick wall, I land on my butt and simply sit. I needed a break anyway and if I was lucky, a sorcerer would come by and ask if I was looking for Kamar Taj or not. Maybe I had to get beat up by thugs like Dr. Strange did?

"I hear you are looking for Kamar Taj?"

Speak of the devil and he shall come.

Looking up, I spot a familiar green cloaked sorcerer looking down at me.

"I am." I reply. Better not mess with him, he will turn evil later after all. He's got a stick up hir rear so big it would take more than just me to tug it out.

"Very well. Come with me."

Getting up and chasing after him, he quickly bought me to a familiar doorway. We had to go through several shortcuts, a marketplace, and I was sure we had at some point gotten turned around, but we made it.

Leading me inside the same room he took Strange, he leaves me with a simple introduction and a nod.

"The Ancient One."

Walking inside the room curiously, I see the same one armed master that Strange thought was the Ancient one. They probably do this to all their new recruits I realize.

"Mr. Osborn." The real Ancient one greets me, pouring a cup of tea.

"Dr. Osborn actually. My friends and family call me Alex though." I comment as I take a sip. This is some pretty good tea…

"Of course." She replies. "Now. Why are you here? I must admit I find myself at a loss at your presence."

"I'd say most girls feel that way around me." I joke to relieve tension. "As to why I'm here, I want power, power to defend those I care about."

"Why?"

At this point the other Master just got up. Nodding at him in acknowledgement, I look back at the Ancient one and smirk.

"So you are the Ancient One? I admit, I was expecting someone a little more… Ancient? However, I must thank you for seeing me."

She just looks at me in slight surprise befor simply smiling. "You are very welcome."

Mordo, who had until that point simply stood at the door nodded and smiled. "The Ancient One."

"Thank you Master Mordo, Thank you Master Hamir." She said before turning back to me.

"This is good tea." I comment. As I take another sip. She was simply watching me as I sip her tea.

"You, Dr. Osborn, are a mystery." She says suddenly.

"How so?"

"I have the gift of foresight, I can see someone's entire life from the moment of conception to the moment they breath their last. Yet I can not see your life. I know nothing about you at all. Your power, your dreams, nothing." She tells me as she stirs the tea. "Why?"

"No idea." I lie. I actually had a couple ideas, but they would require further testing. One is the idea that I am not technically supposed to be here in the first place considering I never officially existed in the original Timeline and therefore I am essentially a non entity. Second theory is because I am theoretically unkillable due to the extremis Oz mixture (I need to find a better name for that.) she can therefore not sense my death. Unfortunately that doesn't explain why she cannot see my birth.

"You seem rather calm considering you can't see my life?" I question.

"I like solving mysteries." She says. "Are you prepared to be taught the mystic arts?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." I say as I drink the rest of my tea.