Bab 208: Chapter 209 - Doctor Strange: My Soul Has Been Knocked Out!
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"You underestimate yourself," the Ancient One said.
"Do you think you've seen through me? Is that so? But in fact, I've seen through you!" Stephen Strange grew more and more infuriated and couldn't help but point at the Ancient One.
At that moment, the Ancient One suddenly made a move, delivering a slap that landed on Stephen Strange's body. With that slap, a transparent version of Stephen Strange was knocked out of his body and suspended in the air.
Stephen Strange looked at the version of himself being supported by Mordo on the ground, then looked at his transparent, floating body in the air, and was utterly bewildered.
Then, the Ancient One waved her hand, and Stephen Strange's soul returned to his body.
"What did you just do to me?" Stephen Strange hurriedly asked.
"I pushed your soul out of your body," the Ancient One said calmly.
"What did you put in the tea?" Stephen Strange wondered if he was hallucinating, "Naked alkali? Hallucinogens?"
"Just tea," the Ancient One replied, "With a bit of honey."
"What just happened?" Stephen Strange inquired.
"In that moment, you entered a realm of the soul," the Ancient One explained.
"What?" Stephen Strange asked.
"It's where the soul goes when it leaves the body," the Ancient One said.
"Why did you do this to me?" Stephen Strange asked.
"To show you that there's much you don't know," the Ancient One extended her hand and pressed it against Stephen Strange's forehead, "Open your eyes."
Over the next period of time, Stephen Strange experienced things he had never dared to imagine even in his dreams. He soared into the sky, chasing butterflies in the universe, entered strange black holes, disintegrated within them, transformed into light, and traversed the cosmos...
"Teach me," when he returned, he was completely convinced, kneeling on the ground, begging the Ancient One for guidance.
But who said just because you want to learn, others have to teach you?
The Ancient One directly swept Stephen Strange out of the door, leaving the future Sorcerer Supreme in a sorry state, falling onto the road. The two crude wooden doors coldly shut with a resounding "clang."
"No!" Stephen Strange regretted his impulsive behavior, quickly rushing up to knock on the door, "Open the door, please! I'm begging you!"
However, there was no response whatsoever.
And so, Stephen Strange remained outside the door for five hours straight, until the future villain and current good-hearted Mordo went to find the Ancient One.
"Do you think I shouldn't have driven him away?" the Ancient One already knew what Mordo was going to say without him speaking.
"It's been five hours, and he's still waiting outside," Mordo said, "He's quite persistent."
"Stubborn, arrogant, and ambitious," the Ancient One said, "It reminds me of someone."
"He reminds you of Casilius?" Mordo knew who the Ancient One was referring to.
"I don't want another gifted student to be consumed by darkness after entering our order," the Ancient One stated.
"But you haven't lost me," Mordo said, "I desire power to defeat enemies, and you gave me the power to conquer my inner demons. You taught me to follow the natural laws."
"Inner demons cannot be eradicated, Mordo," the Ancient One said, "We have only learned to coexist with them."
"The stolen pages are still with Casilius. If he deciphers their secrets, he could annihilate all of us," Mordo stepped in front of the Ancient One, "The forces of darkness are growing stronger. Perhaps Stephen Strange can help Kamar-Taj overcome this crisis."
"Don't keep me locked outside," outside the door, Stephen Strange continued to wait desperately, "I can't go anywhere now."
Bang!
Suddenly, the door opened, and Mordo led Stephen Strange into a room.
"Take a bath, rest for a while, and if you have time, meditate a bit. The Ancient One will see you later," Mordo lit a candle and handed a small note to Stephen Strange.
Stephen Strange took a look at the note, which contained a string of letters. He couldn't help but ask, "What's this? Is it a spell?"
"That's the WIFI password here. We're not primitive people," Mordo closed the door.
As the room darkened, the video ended at this point.
"This is hilarious! I thought that note from Mordo was some kind of spell, but it turns out to be the WIFI password?" Scott Lang laughed so hard he could barely stand straight.
"It seems like Mordo and Stephen have a good relationship. He was there during the Battle of Dormammu. So, why wasn't he around during the fight against Thanos? And instead, we got that Asian guy named Wong?" Clint Barton noticed the change in Strange's partners, "Did he die in battle?"
"Perhaps he fell in battle," Steve Rogers said, "The world of sorcerers isn't without its dangers. We've seen that with the likes of Kaecilius and his followers."
"Ever since this question came up, I've been wondering...," Nick Fury began to speak, "Now that we know the location of Kamar-Taj, what if we send more people there? Could we have more sorcerers in the future?"
"I don't think it would make much sense," Tony Stark disagreed. "Learning these arts isn't something just anyone can do. It undoubtedly has strict requirements, such as a certain aptitude. We've also seen that Kamar-Taj isn't located in some remote area; it's in a bustling city. And from their willingness to help others, like with Pangborn, we can assume they're not stingy in assisting people. If magic were so easy to learn, all those who know about them would flock there to learn."
"But what if among the people we send, there's someone as naturally gifted as Stephen?" Nick Fury suggested. "What if we end up with another powerful sorcerer like Doctor Strange?"
"Fury, you're being a bit too optimistic," Steve Rogers remarked. "Having one Stephen is a stroke of luck for this era. You're thinking about having a second one?"
"Cap's right," Loki chimed in. "Have you not considered that the reason the Ancient One died was to make way for Stephen?"
"What do you mean?" Phil Coulson asked.
"What I mean is, sorcerers of Stephen's caliber, there can only be one in an era," Loki explained. "Since Stephen emerged, the Ancient One had to die. And if another sorcerer of the same caliber emerges in the future, Stephen would have to die."
"Do you have any evidence for this?" Nick Fury wasn't convinced.
"Not at all," Loki replied, "Just throwing out an idea."
[The second question begins. Please be prepared.]
[How did Ant-Man Scott Lang defeat Yellowjacket Darren Cross?]
[A: Shrunk down to molecular level, entered Yellowjacket's suit, and sabotaged it from the inside.]
[B: Used a ping pong paddle to bat the shrunken Darren Cross onto a lampshade, electrocuting him.]
[C: Enlarged a tank from a keychain, and ran over Darren Cross.]
[D: Controlled countless ants to devour Darren Cross.]
[Answering correctly rewards you with "Beast Speech," the ability to communicate with animals. Answering incorrectly deducts one year from your lifespan.]
"Darren Cross? He's the head of Pym Technologies, right?" Scott Lang recognized Cross, as he was quite famous.
"Yellowjacket, just from the nickname, it's similar to Wasp. It's clear that it's related to Hank Pym," Nick Fury said, "It's definitely Darren Cross."
"Pym Technologies, the company named after Hank Pym himself. So, how come the head of the family isn't Hank Pym, but this Darren Cross?" Steve Rogers asked.
"Like Jobs, he got kicked out of his own company," Nick Fury explained.
"He must have been quite a failure as a person," Scott Lang remarked.
"He was indeed a failure," Nick Fury continued, "Initially, Darren tried to oust Hank from the company through a vote. You know who cast the decisive vote? The chairwoman of Pym Technologies, Hank Pym's daughter, who later became Wasp, Hope."
"Darren Cross was once very close to Hank Pym, even considering him as a father figure. But his 'children' betrayed him," Phil Coulson said, "As a scientist, Hank Pym was successful, but in other aspects, he was a complete failure."
"Is option B serious?" Stephen Strange pointed to option B, "Whether it's Yellowjacket or Wasp, they both have similar powers to Ant-Man. So, someone with these abilities gets electrocuted and killed by being hit with a ping pong paddle on a lampshade? Isn't that a bit too ridiculous?"
"It might sound ridiculous, but logically, it's possible," Steve Rogers explained, "Given that Scott's suit can change size at will, if he seizes the opportunity when Yellowjacket shrinks and bats him with a ping pong paddle, sending him flying into a lampshade, it's entirely plausible."
"Does option C mean carrying a tank around on a keychain?" Bucky Barnes found this idea quite fantastical, "Someone actually walks around with a tank in their pocket?"
"Regarding this, there was indeed a detail in a previous video," Clint Barton said, "When Scott infiltrated Hank Pym's house to steal, there was a keychain on his desk with a tank pendant."
"There's evidence in the video? So, should we go with option C?" Scott Lang asked.
"What kind of evidence is that?" Tony Stark said, "The video only showed a tank pendant. What does that prove? Maybe the pendant is just a toy tank. And even if it's a real tank, it doesn't mean you drove it. Let me ask you this, can you drive a tank?"
"No, I can't," Scott Lang slapped his forehead, "So, we can rule out that option. Of course, in the future, there's a possibility I'll learn how to drive a tank. But that possibility is extremely small, and I have no reason to learn how to drive a tank."
"Option D, controlling ants, we've seen it in that zombie universe. Under Wasp's control, swarms of ants turned the zombified Stephen into a skeleton. It left a deep impression on me," Natasha Romanoff said, "If Scott can do the same, then he would have another ace up his sleeve."
"Even if I could control ants like Wasp, I wouldn't do something like that," Scott Lang said, "That would be too cruel, even for me. I'm not that twisted."
"It's indeed quite twisted," Stephen Strange shuddered as he remembered being devoured by ants, "I agree."
"I think option A is the most likely. It's the battle style that best fits this ability. I used the same approach to infiltrate Tony's armor during the airport battle," Scott Lang said, "I choose A!"
"Correct answer! Reward granted!"
"This ability suits me quite well," Scott Lang shrugged. "Now, I'm the most perceptive 'observer.' Nothing in this world can escape my senses, whether it flies in the sky, runs on the ground, or swims in the water – they're all within my awareness."
"I don't know if the original you could do what Wasp did with controlling ants, but now you should be able to," Nick Fury said.
"Can I?" Scott Lang expressed doubt, "I can only communicate with them, not control them. I can't make them obey me."
"Manipulating ants isn't exclusively Wasp's domain; Hank Pym can do it too, with the help of certain technological instruments," Nick Fury explained. "Although I don't know the specifics, I have some understanding. The key is communication, communicating with the ants."
"In that case, Scott should be even better at it than they are," Clint Barton said, "Although I don't know how Hank Pym communicates with ants, Scott is probably more efficient."
After discussing for a while, the space started playing the video.
"I've always suspected that you've hidden your suit somewhere. So, here's the question: who's the new Ant-Man?" At the beginning of the video, Darren Cross was questioning Hank Pym, "Who's the one my revered mentor trusts more than me?"
"Scott Lang!" Before Hank Pym could answer, Darren Cross announced the answer himself, "A warrior who challenged the company and paid the price, losing his family and his only daughter. He's your best choice, Hank."
At this point, Scott Lang, wearing the Ant-Man suit, had shrunk down to a very small size and was trapped in a transparent glass case.
"He escaped from prison without leaving a trace. Then he miraculously disappeared. Although he's now broke, he's offered me the Ant-Man suit," Darren Cross placed the shrunken Yellowjacket suit into a suitcase, "Only this suit can counter my invention."
Scott Lang was banging on the glass case, jumping around like a flea, but he couldn't escape.
It seems that Darren Cross had captured him and trapped him in that transparent case.
"Darren, don't do this," Hank Pym spoke up, "If you sell the suit to these people, the world will be thrown into chaos."
"I've already sold it, and at double the price, all thanks to you," Darren Cross said, "Infiltrating the Avengers' base wasn't an easy task. Quick information spread is to thank for that."
"I'll sell the Yellowjacket suit to them, but I'll keep the particles for myself," Darren Cross took out a vial of yellow particles and showed it to one of the buyers, "The suit doesn't run on diesel. If you want the energy, you'll have to buy it from me."
"What do you call a person who possesses the most powerful weapon in the world?" Darren Cross walked up to Hank Pym and asked.
"The most powerful person," Hank Pym replied.
"Are you proud of me?" Darren Cross said with some satisfaction.
"It's not too late to turn back, Darren, it's not too late," Hank Pym tried to persuade him.
"It's too late, it's been too late for a long time," Darren Cross nodded, and someone immediately pulled out a gun and aimed it at Hank Pym.
"Daren, what are you doing?" Hope Van Dyne asked.
"He couldn't take care of you, and he couldn't take care of me," Darren Cross said.
"You're not that kind of person," Hope Van Dyne said, "Those particles are affecting the chemical reactions in your brain."
"You're right. I'm going to kill him myself." After some persuasion, Darren Cross brought the gun forward, ready to send Hank Pym to meet his maker.
Bang!
Hope Van Dyne used her elbow to knock one person down and grabbed a gun, pointing it at Darren Cross. She said, word by word, "Put down your gun."
"That night I went to his house, intending to kill him, but you were there too," Darren Cross said.
"You're sick. I can help you, as long as you put the gun down," Hope Van Dyne said.
"I wasn't ready to kill you at that time, but now I am," Darren Cross turned his head and looked at Hope Van Dyne.
"Put down your gun! Now!" Hope Van Dyne shouted.
"You've chosen the wrong side, Hope." Darren Cross was about to shoot, but after pulling the trigger twice, the gun didn't fire. It turned out that under Hope Van Dyne's control, several ants had crawled to the firing pin, preventing it from striking, thus rendering the gun useless.
Not only that, ants climbed onto Darren Cross's hand and began crawling towards him. He quickly threw the gun away, took off his coat, and grabbed the suitcase containing the Yellowjacket suit before fleeing.
"Dad, can you move?" Hope Van Dyne finally had a moment to check on Hank Pym's condition.
"We need to get him out of here," Scott Lang told Hope Van Dyne.
"Go retrieve the Yellowjacket suit," Hope Van Dyne said to Scott Lang.
Scott Lang obediently rushed out to engage in a fight with the armed personnel outside.
"The explosives are set. We need to find a way to leave this place quickly," Hope Van Dyne helped Hank Pym sit up.
"Don't worry, I won't die, and neither will you," Hank Pym took out a keychain with a tank pendant on it, "This is not a keychain."
"The situation down here is chaotic, with multiple gunshots..." Below the building, police officer Paxton was reporting the situation when suddenly a tank descended from the sky, leaving him astonished, "And another tank."
Meanwhile, Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne managed to escape. However, Scott Lang ended up riding flying ants onto Darren Cross's aircraft. In desperation, Darren Cross also put on the Yellowjacket suit.
As the two fought on the plane, they eventually tumbled into an open suitcase and fell out of the aircraft.
Inside the suitcase, they continued their battle.
Scott Lang pressed down on the home button of his iPhone and lunged at Darren Cross, intending to strike him. However, he accidentally activated Siri on the phone.
"I'm going to make you crumble to dust!" Darren Cross yelled, and Siri immediately responded, "Now playing 'Crumble to Dust' by Healing Band."
Then, the catchy music started playing.
The song didn't play for long, as the suitcase fell into a swimming pool.
Near the pool, a group of people were playing ping-pong. They all stopped when they heard the sound of an object falling into the water and looked towards the surface.
Splash!
Suddenly, a large splash of water erupted as Darren Cross, wearing the Yellowjacket suit, burst out of the water and flew towards the people on the shore.
"Call the police!" One person attempted to grab their phone from the table to call the police, but the Yellowjacket suit immediately fired a few blue energy beams, obliterating the table.
"Ah!"
Shouting in fear, the people quickly fled.
Splash!
Water splashed again as Scott Lang jumped out of the water, tackled Darren Cross aside. Darren Cross shrunk in mid-air and landed safely, while Scott Lang also shrank, but Darren Cross quickly pressed him down on the ground. After a couple of punches, he picked him up and threw him into the night sky.
Scott Lang returned to normal size in the air and barely managed to land without injuring himself.
Before he could get up, Darren Cross flew towards him. Scott Lang grabbed a ping-pong paddle from the ground and swung it backhandedly, sending Darren Cross flying into a nearby lampshade, rendering him unconscious.
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