Chapter 47: Ch. 46: The Ancient One
"So, you've chosen to grace me with your presence, Sorcerer Supreme?" Jon's voice echoed in the repair shop, his words directed at the bald woman standing before him.
Her identity was unmistakable. She was the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, the guardian of Earth for seven centuries, a figure who instilled fear in the hearts of the lords of all dimensions.
The Ancient One remained silent, her face impassive. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a portal, from which emerged Mordo, recently imprisoned by Jon in the mirror dimension.
"Master!" Mordo's voice was filled with reverence as he caught sight of the Ancient One. He bowed deeply, his respect for her evident.
"Proceed," the Ancient One commanded, her voice soft yet commanding, resonating with an authority that was impossible to ignore.
"As you wish," Mordo replied, his voice filled with deference. He led the other two mages into the portal, disappearing from sight.
The Ancient One turned her gaze to Jon, her eyes filled with an unreadable expression. With another wave of her hand, the surroundings blurred and morphed, transforming into a simple, austere hall.
"Please, take a seat, Ghost Rider, and... the soul that does not belong to this world." The Ancient One's voice was calm as she gestured towards a chair. She prepared a cup of tea for Jon, her face adorned with a serene smile.
"What is it that you wish to discuss?" Jon asked, his voice direct and to the point as he took a seat opposite her.
"Firstly, I must apologize for my disciple's actions. He misunderstood my instructions, believing your power to be derived from the dark dimension," the Ancient One said, her voice filled with sincerity.
"You should have foreseen this," Jon retorted, his voice laced with a hint of accusation. He knew the Ancient One had the ability to observe the future using the Eye of Agamotto, the time stone, and had used this power to protect Earth from harm.
"I apologize, but I usually do not concern myself with such trivial matters," the Ancient One replied, her voice filled with amusement. She was implying that she only focused on events that posed a significant threat to Earth, and did not bother with minor disturbances.
The Ancient One took a sip of her tea, her movements graceful and deliberate. She placed the teacup back on the table and waved her hand, conjuring a curtain of light in front of Jon.
The light curtain revealed a room, within which a man was bound to a bed, his body writhing in a futile attempt to free himself. His eyes were wild, his mouth spewing incoherent words as if he was on the brink of madness.
Jon's eyes narrowed as he recognized the man. "This man... is he the thug who attempted to assassinate Chris?" He remembered the man from the incident at the time square, where he had used the Penance Stare in his human form to subdue him. The man had been left half-mad, his soul damaged, and had been confined to a mental institution.
Jon was puzzled as to why the Ancient One was showing him this. He turned to her, his eyes filled with questions, but she remained silent, gesturing for him to continue watching.
The man's struggles grew more frantic, his words becoming more disjointed. "The devil...it's a devil...get out of the way...stay away from me... ..Get out~!" His voice echoed in the room, a chilling testament to his torment.
However, the scene that unfolded next caused Jon's face to darken further. The man, in the midst of his frenzied shouting, suddenly spewed flames from his mouth. The flames rapidly engulfed his body, his screams echoing in the room as he writhed in agony. Eventually, his struggles ceased, leaving behind nothing but ashes.
"This is..."
"Do not fret, S.H.I.E.L.D. has taken care of this matter," the Ancient One reassured him, her voice soft. "Agent Coulson, in particular, has been instrumental in this."
Jon exhaled a sigh of relief. It was clear that S.H.I.E.L.D. had discovered his secret, but he felt a sense of gratitude towards Coulson for helping him suppress the incident. Although he was unsure of Coulson's motives, he was certain they weren't malicious.
"This incident occurred over a month ago," the Ancient One continued. "At the time, you were still struggling to control the power of the Ghost Rider. You used the Penance Stare on him without transforming, which damaged his soul and drove him to madness. He was confined to a mental institution, and a few days later, the hellfire you had planted within him consumed him."
Jon gasped, taken aback by the revelation. He had acted out of desperation at the time and hadn't anticipated such a severe consequence. He was grateful to Coulson for helping him cover up the incident.
"You didn't come me here to hold me accountable for this minor incident, did you?" Jon asked. The Ancient One had previously stated that she didn't concern herself with minor issues. The death of an unknown killer was a trivial matter, one that even S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't bother with. It seemed unlikely that the Ancient One would interrogate him for such a reason.
"So, you consider a death to be a trivial matter?" the Ancient One queried.
"Heh! At least I didn't draw my power from the dark dimension!" Jon retorted, his words laced with sarcasm. He was clearly criticizing the Ancient One for drawing power from the dark dimension. Having seen the movie, Jon was unafraid of revealing each other's secrets.
The Ancient One merely smiled, choosing not to engage in the argument. She waved her hand, dismissing the light curtain, and continued, "The power of the Ghost Rider has not been seen in this world for decades. Your recent actions, using this power to kill numerous individuals, have set off a chain reaction."
Jon frowned, his attention focused on the Ancient One's words.
"Firstly, the gangsters you killed were associated with a local gang boss, Parker Robbins, who wields the power of Dormammu. The reason they kidnapped Chris was to uncover who was protecting him, and to expose you," the Ancient One explained.
Jon nodded in understanding. It now made sense why Hood's gang had targeted Chris, who was otherwise uninvolved.
However, he was familiar with the villain Parker Robbins. He was a minor character in the comics, hardly significant enough to warrant the Ancient One's attention.
"Simultaneously, your actions have drawn the attention of another formidable individual," the Ancient One added, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jon swallowed hard. If the Ancient One described someone as formidable, they must truly be a force to be reckoned with.
Or perhaps, the Ancient One was referring to someone who posed a significant threat to Jon himself?
"Your power, derived from Hell and bearing a striking resemblance to dark magic, has caught the attention of a witch who dabbles in the dark arts. Her name is Agatha Harkness!" the Ancient One revealed.
"What?!" Jon exclaimed, taken aback by the revelation.
Agatha Harkness was a name he recognized all too well. She was the antagonist in Marvel's recent series, "WandaVision". She had been on a relentless quest for the elusive Chaos Magic. Why would she suddenly take an interest in the power of the Ghost Rider?
"Agatha, one of the most powerful witches on Earth?" Jon echoed, his voice filled with disbelief. "But hasn't she been in pursuit of Chaos Magic? Why would she suddenly take an interest in my power?"
The Ancient One shook her head, her expression solemn. "She is not solely interested in Chaos Magic. Her interest lies in any power that is documented in the Darkhold," she clarified.
The Darkhold, a book of forbidden knowledge, was known to contain information about the most potent and dangerous forms of magic. It was a tome that many feared, and rightfully so. The revelation that Agatha Harkness was interested in any power mentioned within its pages was a cause for concern. It meant that Jon, as the Ghost Rider, was now a target for one of the most powerful witches on Earth.
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