Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Kamar-Ja
[Third Person's PoV]
Before anyone could comment on the sudden guest, Felix turned to everyone and said, "You can trust her!"
"Please save my mother," Felix pleaded.
The hooded figure raised her hands, causing Felicia's body to levitate off the ground. "Follow me," she said, turning back and walking through the open circle behind her.
Everyone quickly followed, and as Firestar was the last to enter, the portal closed immediately behind her.
They suddenly found themselves in what appeared to be a meditation room with a single pillow in the middle.
The hooded figure went and sat down on the pillow. With a wave of her hand, she conjured a blanket and a pillow gently laying Felicia down to rest her head.
"Who are you?" Nightwing asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. Just because Felix said to trust her didn't mean he should lower his guard and trust her completely, for all he knew she could be a bad person now but change and become better later on.
The woman lowered her hood, revealing her shiny bald head. "I am known as the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme, Master of the Mystic Arts," she said as she placed her hand over Felicia's stomach, right where the wound was, the area slowly darkening and rotting.
Spider-Man didn't say anything. He just sat down next to Felicia, with one leg raised, his arm resting on his knee, and stared at her with a solemn expression, though it wasn't visible through his mask.
The Ancient One quickly performed three hand signals over Felicia's wound before raising her hand as if pulling something out. Green energy appeared around the wound and shot up into her hand. She made a small rotating motion around the energy before holding it at her fingertips and snapping them.
The energy transformed into a green wisp of fire and dissipated into the air. Immediately after the temporal energy was removed, the black around Felicia's wound began to change color as her healing factor kicked in at full force. It went from black to gray, to white, then pink, and finally red as her muscle tissues and damaged organs began to mend and heal.
Her skin followed suit, healing over the wound until all that remained was clear, unblemished skin. The only trace left was the blood that had been expelled from the wound.
With another snap of the Ancient One's fingers, the blood vanished, and the hole in Felicia's suit mended itself. "What a strong healing factor," the Ancient One remarked. "If it weren't for her healing factor, she would've died within seconds."
Hearing this, Spider-Man's fists clenched, while Felix bowed with his fist against his palm. "Thank you, Ms. Ancient One. You have my sincere gratitude."
The Ancient One smiled and nodded, accepting his thanks. The others followed suit, expressing their gratitude, though Spider-Man remained silent, only nodding.
Felicia groaned as she lifted herself up on her elbows. "Why am I always the one getting targeted? Talk about unlucky."
Ghost, Scarlet, and Firestar immediately tackled her in a hug. "Oof!" she exclaimed from the impact.
She glanced teasingly at Nightwing and Spider-Man. "Careful, guys. These lovely ladies seem to like me a lot. I might just take them for myself."
Harry scoffed with a smile, relieved to see Felicia was alright, but Spider-Man remained unusually quiet.
The Ancient One chuckled softly, finding their banter amusing. Felix, however, knelt in front of Felicia, looking down in shame. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't be here. I've put you in danger. Because of my presence, you almost died."
"No, you are meant to be here... This was meant to happen," the Ancient One said with a serious expression, drawing everyone's attention.
"Huh? Are you saying I was supposed to almost die and get stabbed in the gut?" Felicia asked, furrowing her brows.
"Yes and no," the Ancient One replied before turning to Felix. "The young time traveler here is meant to be part of this timeline, along with the villain who followed. This is a fixed moment in time... Time's mechanisms are complicated, but I'll try to explain..."
"Time itself is a paradox. It is both constant and ever-changing, never truly defined," she began.
She first turned to Felix. "Your presence at this point in time is something constant," she then turned to Felicia, "but your survival isn't."
"You didn't have to be the one attacked and injured; it could have been you, or you, or you," she said, gesturing at Felicia before glancing at the others.
Then, facing Felicia again, she added, "Not to mention the possibility of your survival or death. Like I said, it's paradoxical. Some moments in time are so fixed that no matter what you do, they won't change. And then there are moments so flexible that the tiniest influence can alter everything."
"Thanks. It's nice to know that whether I live or die matters so little in the grand scheme of things," Felicia muttered, displeased.
Felix raised his hand. "Wait, why is my being here so important? That's something I still don't understand, no matter how many times I try to wrap my head around it."
The Ancient One smiled, her gaze shifting back to Felix. "There are several reasons. One of them is that you're the connection that introduces Spider-Man and his team to the mystical and magical side of the world. You're the gateway that opens a new path for them. In this crazy world of ours, there are threats not only in the physical realm but in the metaphysical as well, as you've all seen with the Time Lord."
"Seriously?" Felix asked, surprised at the importance of his role.
The Ancient One nodded, her expression growing serious. "This might come as a surprise to some of you, but we aren't alone in this universe. There are forces out there that could destroy our entire galaxy with a snap of their fingers."
Everyone's eyes widened in shock and horror, except for Felix, who nodded as if he'd already come to terms with it.
"Hold on, let's back up for a second," Ghost-Spider interrupted, waving her hands for the Ancient One to slow down. "You're throwing too much information at us at once, and some of it is seriously freaking me out."
The Ancient One nodded, understanding. "I can see how this information might be overwhelming. I'm more than willing to answer any questions you have."
Ghost-Spider nodded. "Alright, let's start with something simple. I understand you're called the Ancient One, but why?"
"Actually, forgive my rudeness," the Ancient One said, waving her hands to conjure a tea kettle and various cups. She filled each cup with tea, then levitated them to the group. "Tea?"
Seeing how she'd gone out of her way, everyone accepted the tea. She smiled, placing the kettle down and holding her cup delicately in her hands. "Now, where was I? Oh yes... I'm called the Ancient One because I'm over a thousand years old—"
"Pfttt!" Those who had taken a sip of tea spit it out in shock. Nightwing banged on his chest, coughing, before glaring at her. "You totally made us drink first on purpose, didn't you?"
The Ancient One merely sipped her tea calmly, a serene smile on her face. "Next question."
Firestar raised her hand tentatively. "Can I ask it?" Seeing everyone turn to her, she continued. "Where exactly are we? We stepped through this weird portal, but we have no idea where we are."
"Ah, a very good question, Ms. Allen," the Ancient One smiled.
At her words, everyone froze and quickly moved into defensive stances, save for Spider-Man and Felix. Spider-Man quietly lowered his mask just enough to sip his tea, entirely unbothered that she knew their identities.
Firestar's hands began to glow with heat as she narrowed her eyes. "So you know who I am?"
"I know who all of you are—Harry Osborn, Elizabeth Allen, Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy, Felicia Hardy, Felix Parker, and Peter Parker. You may have the ability to shield your identities from technology, but when it comes to the mystical realm, you're all vulnerable. That's precisely why Felix's presence here is so important."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, clearly uncomfortable with how much she knew about them.
The Ancient One stood from her seat. "As for your question, Ms. Allen, we are currently in Nepal, in the Kamar-Taj Sanctum Sanctorum, where I teach and guide those interested in the Mystic Arts."
As she then began walking ahead of everyone, "Come along everyone, I'll give you a proper tour of this place"
Everyone stood up and began following the Ancient One as she went and opened the door. On the other side of the door was a training yard where members were seen battling each other mostly using stick weapons.
"Wait I'm sorry but did you just Nepal?" Ghost asked in shock to find herself so far away from home, "Just how does that portal of yours work? Please tell me there's at least a scientific explanation for it and the answer isn't only 'Because it's Magic'"
Meanwhile Scarlet looked towards Spider-Man with concern, she's always known him to be the most talkative person she knew, always saying what he was thinking, always making a joke.
But ever since they have arrived at the Kamar-Taj neither Spider-Man or Peter Parker have said a single word since they had arrived.
All Scarlet knew was that Felicia's near death experience had affected Peter a whole lot more. However she also knew it affected every single of them as well, Peter was just taking it the hardest.
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