Ch 81The Mystic Arts

"Now his training will begin then." Steve said.

"Based on what he could do when I met him, he has come pretty far." Thor said.

"You know this guy?" Tony asked in shock.

"Of course we do." Loki snorted, "Not a big fan."

"Of course you wouldn't be." Odinson said and the two Thors chuckled.

Next day, Ancient One explained how the language of the Mystic Arts was as old as civilization itself. The sorcerers called it 'spells' but he could call it 'programs.' The source code that shaped reality.

"Easier explanation for me to grasp." Tony said.

They harnessed energy drawn from other dimensions in the Multiverse to cast spells, conjure shields and weapons and make magic. As she said that, she made shapes from her power and showed them to Strange before it dissipated.

"Looks very cool." Natasha said and looked awed.

Strange asked even if his hands could do that, he would be waving them in the air and wondered how to get from here to there. Ancient One asked how he could do everything he did and he said it was years of study and practice.

"I'm guessing that's required here too." Rhodes said.

"Yeah it is." Logan said.

Strange later walked through the Sanctum to the library. The librarian was a Chinese bald man who introduced himself as Wong and Strange joked if it was just Wong, like Adele, Aristotle, Drake, Bono or Eminem.

"Guy does have a point." Sam joked and all laughed.

Strange returned some books he had and Wong was surprised he had finished all of them. He then went with Wong to the library who said this section was only for Masters but others could use it at his discretion. He gave Strange Maxim' Primer, asking if he was fluent in Sanskrit and he said he was fluent in Google Translate.

"Who isn't?" Peter asked and everyone laughed.

He then saw the Ancient One's private collection and was told no knowledge in Kamar-Taj was forbidden, only certain practices.

"Let me guess- stringing up and cutting the librarian's head?" Clint asked and the future people nodded.

Strange opened one book and said it had pages missing. Wong said it was the Book of Cagliostro, the study of time. One of the rituals was stolen by a former Master and now Zealot called Kaecilius after he had strung up the previous librarian and cut off his head.

"He doesn't seem very concerned about it." Bucky noted.

"Oh if anyone should be concerned, it's them." Benjamin said.

Now he was guardian and if any volume was stolen from the collection, he'd know and he'd be dead before leaving the compound. Strange joked about overdue fees but got no response and said people used to think him funny. Wong asked if they worked for him.

Everyone laughed as Tony said, "I get it. I finally get it."

Strange said it was lovely to talk to him and thanked him for the books, the horrifying story and the threat on his life. Wong put the Book of Cagliostro back.

Everyone laughed at Strange's joke.

Somewhere else, Kaecilius and the Zealots looked at the ritual on the stolen pages and Kaecilius made a symbol with his dark magic, saying they'd receive the power to destroy the one who betrayed them and the world.

"What are they doing?" Aunt May asked.

"The ritual." Benjamin said.

They all chanted as the ground under the pages warped and the pair of malevolent eyes was seen again.

"What are those?" Pepper wondered.

"Anyone else getting a Sauron/Saruman vibe from the pair of eyes and Kaecilius?" Hill asked and all seemed to nod in agreement. [1]

The entire room seemed to warp as the ritual continued.

"Looks pretty awful." Fury commented.

In the Sanctum, Mordo trained Strange and the others as they manipulated Eldritch magic. Strange did the steps perfectly but couldn't conjure the magic.

"Decent start still." Steve said and all agreed.

Mordo said the Sling Ring was essential to the Mystic Arts and would help them travel to anywhere in the Multiverse as long as they focused and visualized. Strange wore one and once again did the steps perfectly but generated only sparks as Mordo said the clearer the picture, the quicker and easier the gateway would come.

"He just has to believe he can do it." Bruce echoed what the Ancient One had said and all nodded.

Ancient One arrived with Hamir and said she'd like to speak to Strange alone. As the others left, she said it wasn't about his hands, confusing him. Hamir then revealed he didn't have one hand and he still managed to manipulate Eldritch magic perfectly.

"Wow!" Peter said as all simply stared in awe.

"This is just….something else." Wanda said, staring in awe.

He left as Ancient One said they couldn't beat a river into submission and had to surrender to its current to use its power as their own. Strange said it didn't make sense and she said it didn't have to. His intellect had taken him far in life but it wouldn't any further.

"Doesn't look like that to me either." Tony said.

She told him to silence his ego and come with her as she opened a portal. They ended up in Everest to Strange's shock.

"Everest?" Clint asked as all looked at its beauty with wide eyes. They had seen it in pictures but never in real life. Still hadn't technically.

"It is beautiful." Vision said, having respect for those who had climbed it.

She said a person would last 13 minutes before suffering permanent damage but he'd suffer within the first 2 minutes as she disappeared into a portal, telling him to surrender.

"She just left him there?" Scott asked in shock.

"I think there's a reason for that." Hope said.

Strange was in shock as Ancient One and Mordo stood together. Mordo wanted to go and get him but she stopped him. Strange tried to open a portal but only sparks were made. He then took a deep breath and tried again.

"You need to believe." Bruce said again.

As Ancient One and Mordo stood, a portal opened and Strange fell out of it, still shivering while they watched with smiles.

Everyone clapped at that as T'Challa said, "Looks like he believed after all."

Some days later, Strange shaved and then walked to the library and asked Wong for a book on Astral Projection but was told he wasn't ready for it. Strange told Wong to try him, calling him 'Beyonce.' He got no response and said Wong would have heard of her as she is a huge star.

"I have. Not a big fan. Just not my kind of music." Tony said.

Strange asked for the book but was refused. Later, Wong was given earphones by Strange with which he listened to Beyonce's music while a portal opened behind him and a hand took a book just before he could notice. It happened again and the third time, Strange took the book he was reading, shocking him.

No one could stop themselves from doubling down in laughter as Sam said, "And he's still alive."

Strange later lay on the bed while his Astral Form read a book.

"He is advancing really fast." Steve said as all watched, impressed.

"Better than me certainly." Scott joked and all chuckled.

Later, Ancient One told Strange how he had begged her to teach him and now questioned every lesson, preferring to teach himself. He said she had told him to open his eyes and now he was made to blindly follow ever rule that made no sense. Ancient One asked about the rule of conjuring gateways in the library and he was shocked Wong had told her about it. Ancient One said he was advancing quickly and needed a safe space to practice his skills. She then warped the space in front of them.

"What is that?" Aunt May wondered again.

"Just watch." Benjamin said.

"Pretty impressive." Logan said.

The two walked into the space and it was the same room, except no one was in the room. Ancient One said it was the Mirror Dimension, ever present but undetected and the real world was unaffected by everything that happened in it. They used it to train and surveil and even contain threats. He wouldn't want to be stuck here without his Sling Ring. Strange asked about threats and she warped the entire place, saying learning of the infinite Multiverse meant leaning of Infinite threats and he'd run in terror if she told him everything he didn't know.

"Wow! Just wow!" Natasha said, with everyone looking impressed by the Mirror Dimension.

"This truly is a different and interesting branch of magic." Thor said.

"Yes it is." Odinson agreed.

"And very powerful too." Loki said.

Later, Strange trained with Mordo and asked how Ancient the Ancient One was. Mordo said no one knew the age of the Sorcerer Supreme, only that she was Celtic and didn't talk about her past. She was steadfast yet unpredictable, merciless yet kind.

"That is a very accurate description." Steve said and all agreed.

They trained as Mordo asked him to trust his teacher and not lose his way like Kaecilius. Strange was put in a chokehold as Mordo said Kaecilius had lost everyone he loved and was a broken man when he had first arrived in search of answers. He was brilliant but proud and headstrong, questioning Ancient One and rejecting their teaching. Strange elbowed Mordo and he let go. Kaecilius had left Kamar-Taj and his disciples followed him like sheep seduced by false doctrine. He had stolen the forbidden ritual. Strange asked what it did but was refused any more questions.

"Something pretty bad I'm sure." Scott said.

Strange asked what Mordo was holding and he joked it was another question before saying it was a relic as some magic was too powerful to be sustained and was stored in relics. This was the staff of the Living Tribunal.

"Which means no one can mess with that thing." Loki said.

"Oh absolutely not." Thor agreed.

Mordo talked about more relics, revealing his boots were too. Strange asked when he'd get his own one and Mordo said when the relic decided he was ready. Strange conjured a weapon to block attacks as Mordo fought, telling him to fight like his life depended on it. He conjured platforms and kicked Strange down, saying one day it might.

"Not wrong about that, bub." Logan said.

Strange later tried to e-mail Christine but stopped and walked to the library while it ran. He opened the Book of Cagliostro and saw a page on the Eye of Agamotto. He saw it was there and put it on, deciding to use it as he ate a bit of an apple.

"Now your questions will be answered." Odinson said, "Most of them."

Strange followed the steps and the Eye opened, emanating a green light.

"What's happening?" Pepper asked as all looked in awe.

"Just watch." Benjamin said.

Strange's hands formed green symbols too as he rotated clockwise. The apple now looked like it had been eaten fully. He then rotated counter-clockwise and the apple was back to its uneaten state.

"Oh my!" Tony said as all gasped in surprise.

"That is new." T'Challa said.

Strange rotated clockwise again and the apple was rotten. He rotated counter-clockwise and it was fresh again.

"That has to be an Infinity Stone!" Thor said.

"Right you are." Odinson said.

"So they had one this entire time?" Steve asked.

"Yes. And kept it safe." Benjamin said.

He then did the same thing on the Book of Cagliostro, conjuring illusions of the missing pages and reading about Dormammu and the Dark Dimension. The space in front of him was warped as Mordo and Wong arrived, stopping him. Strange said he was doing what was said in the book and was told about the part which warned of the dangers. Strange said he hadn't gotten to that yet.

"Just like me." Tony said and all chuckled.

Mordo said temporal manipulations could create branches in time, unstable dimensional openings, spacious paradoxes and time loops. He could relive the same moment over and over again or never exist at all.

"Anyone else's head hurts?" Scott asked.

"Mine does." Bruce said.

Strange said they should put warnings as Wong said curiosity could have killed him. He wasn't manipulating space-time continuum but wrecking it. He shouldn't tamper with natural law but defend it. Mordo asked where he had learnt the spells to do that. Strange said he had photographic memory and that was how he had got his M.D. and Ph.D. at the same time.

"Wow!" Tony of all people said. Everyone was impressed.

Mordo said this required more than a good memory and he was born for the Mystic Arts.

"That is true." Odinson agreed.

Strange said his hands still shook and was told they may not one day. Strange asked what they were. Wong led him to the room which had a model of the world and said, "While heroes like the Avengers protect the world from physical dangers, we sorcerers safeguard it against more mystical threats."

"They do make some exceptions though." Logan said.

The model glowed with energy as Wong said, "The Ancient One is the latest in a long line of Sorcerers Supreme going back thousands of years to the father of the mystic arts, the mighty Agamotto. The same sorcerer who created the eye you so recklessly borrowed. Agamotto built 3 Sanctums in places of power, where great cities now stand." He pointed at doors and said, "That door leads to the Hong Kong Sanctum, that door to the New York Sanctum. That one, to the London Sanctum." The model glowed and Wong said, "Together, the Sanctums generate a protective shield around our world. The Sanctums protect the world, and we sorcerers protect the Sanctums."

"A well-connected network." Hope noted.

"Damn right!" Fury said. Even he didn't know about everything.

Strange asked from what and Wong said other-dimensional beings. Strange mentioned Dormammu and was told he was the Cosmic Conqueror who dwelled in the Dark Dimension beyond time. He was the destroyer of worlds, a being of infinite power and endless hunger on a quest to invade every Universe and bring them to the Dark Dimension. He hungered for Earth the most. A model of the Dark Dimension was shown as well.

"My God!" Steve said as all looked in horror.

"He is too powerful for anyone." Hill said.

"Even for me right now." Thor said.

"He is a being of endless power." Benjamin said.

"The only one who can beat him is someone who wields all 6 Infinity Stones." Odinson said.

Strange realized the stolen pages were a ritual to contact Dormammu and draw power from the Dark Dimension. He laughed nervously and said he was out as he was here to heal his hands, not fight in a mystical war. Suddenly, a bell rang and Wong realized the London Sanctum was under attack. A Master ran through the magical gateway but was struck down by Kaecilius.

"Shit!" Sam said as all gasped.

"He had to come in the moment." Tony said.

Kaecilius caused a blast and debris fell down, separating Strange from the others. He got up and staggered out into the streets of New York to his own shock. The sign said 177A Bleecker Street.

"So he's in the New York Sanctum now." Rhodes said.

"No shit Sherlock." Tony said.

Strange went inside, calling out to others and saw a red cape.

"Where have I seen that before?" Clint said and all recognized it.

Strange saw waves outside and pressed a button, changing it to a desert.

"Wow!" Peter said while all stared in awe.

Strange walked around, looking at the relics. The ground beneath warped and he watched as Kaecilius and Zealots arrived. Master Daniel tried to defend it as they all conjured shards. He fought them for a while but was eventually cut down just as Strange shouted at them to stop.

Everyone flinched at Kaecilius' brutality.

Kaecilius called him 'Mister' but he said he was 'Doctor' and said he was Strange, though Kaecilius thought he meant 'strange.'

"Okay, that's funny." Tony said as all chuckled.

Strange conjured a weapon to defend himself but Kaecilius warped the landscape and ran up, kicking him off. Strange tried to defend himself from all attacks, pushing some of them back and then ran but Kaecilius warped the landscape to stop him. Strange summoned tao mandalas but one of them flickered and disappeared.

"He is pretty good for a rookie." Bucky noted.

"Mordo said he had been born for this." Steve reminded.

Strange fought them and was thrown around but used an Eldritch whip to throw one back. Kaecilius warped the landscape again, throwing him down. Strange fell into another one and she was thrown out into the desert.

"Never pick a fight with these guys." Bruce said.

"Nope." Steve agreed.

Strange tried to press the button but one Zealot fought and beat him.

"This one is a really skilled man." Natasha noted and all nodded in agreement. [2]

Strange managed to press the button, trapping the Zealot in the desert. He fought and threw another out, changing the location again as Kaecilius arrived to fight. Strange ran and tried to defend himself, picking up a relic but Kaecilius realized he didn't know how to use it.

"Stings, doesn't it?" Peter asked.

Kaecilius disarmed him and smashed him into glass, throwing him in front of the cape. He tried to stab Strange but the cape grabbed his hand.

"What?" Rhodes asked as all looked in shock.

"It is sentient." Odinson said.

"Looks like he found his relic." Steve said and all smirked.

Kaecilius tried to stab again but the cape stopped him so he threw Strange to the other side and down. The cape flew down and soon, Strange flew up with the cape on his back.

"YEAH!" Bruce cheered as all clapped.

"Now he looks like he did yesterday." Natasha said.

Strange threw an Eldritch whip as Kaecilius pulled him to himself and both fell. The cape backed to save him. He ran to an ax but the cape kept stopping him and pulling him back.

Everyone laughed at the funny scene.

Strange saw kind of restraints and threw them at Kaecilius. They trapped him, shutting even his mouth.

Everyone clapped as Scott asked, "Like that, huh?"

"What are those?" Fury asked.

"The Crimson Bands of Cyttorak." Odinson said.

He mumbled so Strange opened his mouth, calling him Mister again. He said he was Doctor Stephen Strange and Kaecilius realized he was an actual doctor.

"I don't think anyone names their kid 'doctor'." Hill said and all nodded.

Kaecilius said all things lived and died, the sun burnt out, the universe grew cold and perished but the Dark Dimension was beyond time. The world won't have to die and take its place alongside others in the Dark Dimension. Strange asked what he would gain from it and he said life everlasting because time was the true enemy and killed everything. Strange asked about the people Kaecilius had killed and he said they were momentary specks within an indifferent universe.

"Keep telling that to yourself to justify the murders." Steve said while all looked disgusted.

Kaecilius said death and time were insults.

"A thing isn't beautiful because it lasts." Vision said and all nodded in agreement.

They would hand over the world to Dormammu. Strange said the Ancient One protected existence. Kaecilius reminded Strange he had come for healing as his hands shook and Kamar-Taj collected broken things. The Ancient One gave them parlor tricks and kept the real magic for herself. He asked if he had wondered how she had lived this long and Strange realized she had used the rituals from the Book of Cagliostro.

"Really?" Tony asked while all were surprised.

"She had a reason." Odinson said.

Kaecilius said the ritual gave him power to overthrow Ancient One and tear down the Sanctums to let the Dark Dimension in. What the Ancient One hoarded, Dormammu gave freely. He was a savior.

"No he isn't." Logan said.

Strange asked Kaecilius to look at his face, saying Dormammu had made him a murderer. Kaecilius laughed and Strange asked if he found it funny. Kaecilius said Strange losing his Sling Ring was funny. He turned around and Lucian Amber hit him with a shard as he arrived from a portal, throwing him down.

"Damn it!" Rhodes said as all gasped.

Strange crawled away as Lucian walked after him. He was about to kill him when the Cloak of Levitation tied itself on his face, throwing him around.

"Nice." Clint said as all found that scene funny.

The Sling Ring fell from Lucian's finger and Strange put it on, opening a portal as he staggered to some kind of storeroom.

"That storeroom…" Bruce trailed off, "He's in a hospital."

"Damn right he is." Logan said.

"I think I know where he is." Fury said.

"Right you are." Odinson said.

"This should be interesting." Tony said as the recording continued.