章 33: Encounter with the Ancient One
Kara (POV)
The stars were scattered across the night sky, a vast, mesmerizing canvas beyond my living room window. I sat in the middle of the room, assembling an ominous black sphere, its metallic surface catching reflections from the room's lights. Every so often, I glanced up, letting my gaze drift outside before focusing back on the intricate work in my hands.
When I secured the final piece, a spark of satisfaction lit up my eyes. "Finally, it's done!"
"Chirp!" Ava flitted in, its projection glimmering as a holographic map illuminated the space between us. My brow furrowed as I took it in, the docks in Hell's Kitchen blazing red. "Hell's Kitchen tonight, huh?" I muttered with a hint of sarcasm. "Gangsters and their seedy waterfront deals—guess the escape route by sea never goes out of style."
Ava chirped in response, almost as if agreeing with me. Normally, I'd ignore small-time gang turf wars, but the online chatter had been intriguing lately: Ulysses Klaue was rumored to be planning a deal at the docks, and vibranium was likely in play. As for the buyer, their identity remained a mystery.
I slipped into a black combat suit, the form-fitting fabric a perfect blend of flexibility and protection, studying my reflection—a figure cloaked in darkness...a Robin-esque mask with red eyes… a bit theatrical, don't you think?"
"Trying to pass as a normal unpowered individual doesn't mean I can't look good while doing so!" I said with a grin, before I slipped into the shadows, ready to finally get my hands on some vibranium.
...
I stood on the dock's watchtower, feeling the rusted metal groan beneath my weight. Down below, a bunch of gangsters were crowded around some graffiti-covered shipping containers, their figures fading in and out under the flickering light of an old floodlight.
But just as I was about to act, I heard, "What a beautiful view!" a voice commented softly.
"Huh?" I jumped, immediately dropping into a battle stance. Someone had managed to sneak up on me. My eyes quickly caught the bright orange outfit and the shiny bald head.
"Wait... is that... the Ancient One?" I couldn't hide my surprise. How was it possible that I ran into the Ancient One here?
The Ancient One spoke, her voice carrying a hint of surprise. "You recognize me? That's odd. I'm sure we've never met."
Still in shock, I struggled to find the right words. "Well... it's hard not to recognize you. You're the guardian of the Time Stone, you mess with time, and I know about it. This is kind of a joke, right?"
A small smile tugged at the Ancient One's lips. "So, how did we cross paths? We shouldn't have met before. Are you from another dimension?"
My mind raced as I struggled to come up with a response. "Uh, it's complicated," I started, then sighed. "Forget it! 'Ancient One'... doesn't sound right. Doesn't feel good calling a woman 'Ancient One,'" I mumbled. "Ms. Sorceress, you got part of it right... I'm from another dimension, but not like this one. Beyond the Multiverse, there's a Megaverse, and beyond that, an Omniverse. I don't know exactly where I'm from, but I existed in a place where this universe and others like it were just stories. That's how I know you."
"Interesting," the Ancient One said, intrigued. "You've shared that much. What more should I know?"
"Well," I thought, "you could tell me why you're suddenly here messing up my mission."
"I could, but if you really know me, you already have an idea of why, don't you?" the Ancient One said with a smile.
I raised an eyebrow. "Can you read minds? No... I said that out loud, didn't I? Damn, I thought I was past that stage!"
"You did!" The Ancient One kept smiling, but my unease only grew.
"Well, you know I don't mean any harm to Earth, right? You've got the Time Stone, so...?" I shot back, trying to steer the conversation.
"Yes, I do," the Ancient One said, her voice calm, though her eyes still held curiosity.
I raised an eyebrow. "Can you explain more? Your silence is making this conversation awkward. Or maybe it's just messing with my responses..." I glanced away, trying to play it cool like I was admiring the view. If it weren't such a weird situation, I might've whistled.
My nerves pushed me to keep going. "I ended up in this universe by accident when my planet exploded. The blast messed up our teleportation, and we ended up here."
"Knowing what I do about the future, I started preparing for Thanos' plans. I went on a training journey and when I tried to come back I ended up in the past, where I had to fight Red Skull after another teleportation screw-up."
"I get it," the Ancient One said with a smile. "You're not having much luck with teleportation." But her smile didn't help me feel any better.
A long silence fell between us, and I felt the weight of my thoughts. I didn't want to make an enemy of the Ancient One. What if I ended up trapped in the Dark Dimension... or worse?
Finally, the Ancient One's voice broke the silence, her tone sharp with curiosity. "Your explanation helps me understand your situation. What I'm curious about now, though, is if you have a specific goal to change things, or is that just my interpretation? What really puzzles me is how you know so much about the future of this universe. Even with so many universes, how could one plane give you a god-like view of them all? Just how much do you really know?"
"Truly, not much. I have only a partial understanding of future events; this universe does not align perfectly with what I know," I admitted.
"You're probably aware that my time is limited as well." The Ancient One turned, her gaze falling on the thugs below before returning to the young woman beside her.
"Just enough, Ms. Sorceress. The future can always be changed."
The Ancient One cast a sidelong glance at Kara, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Indeed!"
General (POV)
For a while now, the Ancient One had sensed an anomaly. Her attention zeroed in on Kara as soon as she appeared—a presence that wasn't originally part of this timeline.
At first, the Ancient One suspected an evil sorcerer who had made a deal with demons, leveraging the power of interdimensional deities to prepare for their future arrival on Earth. However, through her temporal probing, she discovered that Kara shared the same soul signature as Angelikí Vasílissa, another anomaly who had suddenly appeared in the past, in the 1940s. Understanding the dangers involved in altering the timeline, she closely followed Angelikí's exploits as she became a member of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, observing her actions to see what she was up to. Angelikí seemed to know the timeline, carefully keeping her changes to a minimum. After her involvement in the Second World War, she disappeared again—well, the actual Angelikí/Kara did, but she left clones behind.
Observing Kara's actions in the past and the present, the Ancient One had come to understand that Kara leaned toward the side of order. What further convinced her was the amount of magical energy Kara possessed, which seemed to be hers alone. An individual with that kind of power could have caused immense damage in the past, yet Kara chose not to. It crossed her mind that perhaps Kara didn't know how to wield her magic, but closer inspection revealed that she was deliberately restraining its use.
The Ancient One's intrigue was genuine. She contemplated taking Kara under her wing, molding her to eventually inherit the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme for the next generation. Yet a hint of hesitation lingered. Was Kara's character as steadfast as Doctor Strange's, not just in terms of power but also in facing moral dilemmas?
Then there was the mystery of Kara's origin. Her soul—a perplexing blend of age and youth—seemed to have lived across multiple iterations without truly lasting. Her cycle of rebirth only deepened the enigma, revealing her familiarity with defying death. And how much did Kara truly know about the future?
..
Having gained some understanding of the young woman's nature and character, the Ancient One made a decision.
"Would you be interested in joining me for a visit to Kamar-Taj? The Ancient One smiled at Kara. In her heart, Kara was still just a child.
"Ah, can I not go? Kara asked tentatively, she didn't outright dismiss the idea of paying a visit to Kamar-Taj, but she had the idea that the Ancient One wanted to groom her or something, not to mention she was in the middle of a mission and she had plans, now wasn't really the time to go wonder in Kamar-Taj or something.
Another thing popped up in her mind, "What if I never return from that Kamar-Taj? Even though the Ancient One seems friendly and approachable now, I am still nominally the Goddess of the Underworld in another universe. Wouldn't it be like walking straight into a lion's den?"
"Why?" the Ancient one asked curiously. You appear quite wary of me. Has something terrible occurred? The Ancient One mused for a moment: "Could it be that dark energy she possesses, she fears I might perceive her as a threat to Earth.
"Kara, you're aware of that, aren't you?"
The Ancient One fixed her gaze on Kara, a hint of bitterness in her expression. She had gained the gift of immortality from Dormammu, a truth concealed from her disciples—especially Mordo, who would never approve of such an act. And then there was Kaecilius, who had become increasingly obsessed with obtaining powerful magic.
However, the Ancient One couldn't evade this course of action. For years, no suitable successor had emerged. The only one even remotely suitable was still years away from maturing, meaning the Ancient One had to persevere for at least another five years. It was a heavy burden, almost akin to impending retirement.
Upon encountering a candidate as fitting as Stephen Strange, the Ancient One resolved to assess Kara's potential. If Kara proved herself a worthy candidate, it could potentially hasten the Ancient One's retirement!
Kara was indeed on the right track, the Ancient One's mind was consumed by thoughts of finding a successor and potentially retiring earlier than anticipated, she wanted to groom Kara for her position.
Kara (POV)
I lowered my head, thinking carefully about answering the Ancient One's question. Clearly, she didn't mind that I'd inherited Hades' power, which was a relief. As for my current plans, I could let a clone take over. The clone, though, would be limited to reinforcement magecraft—restricted at that—and it would have to rely on the Shadow Dimension to avoid disintegrating from a lack of magical energy. This problem had been nagging at me, a solution still out of reach.
So far, I'd learned that my clones had incomplete souls and degraded magic circuits, and they didn't seem to inherit my Kryptonian traits. Sure, a clone was as strong as I was right after creation, but it would progressively weaken over time. And if it tried using more magical energy than its body could handle, it would eventually disintegrate. The Shadow Dimension, though, could stabilize it almost immediately.
The more I thought it over, the more I realized that keeping the Ancient One on my good side could be useful. She was a powerhouse in this universe, and honestly, I wasn't sure I could take her on right now even if I had to.
"Um, about that, Ms. Sorceress," I started, scratching my cheek. "My hesitation… well, I may have an idea about what you're planning, and I don't see myself fitting into it. The second issue—the dark power I have—doesn't seem to be a problem, and lastly, I'm kind of in the middle of something."
"I am aware," the Ancient One chuckled, her expression showing she knew exactly what I was getting at. "Maybe you'll change your mind. Besides, don't you have your clones for your current task?"
"Nothing can be hidden from you," I replied with a nervous chuckle.
The Ancient One's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I assure you, I don't make a habit of spying on people. Well, since you're on board, let's go to Kamar-Taj now to continue our discussion. The tea there is renowned for its exquisite flavor."
"Uh, sure," I agreed, though part of me was still skeptical. "Anyway, Sarah, come out." From my shadows, an identical figure to me emerged. Sarah waved awkwardly at the Ancient One before trying to hide behind my massive figure?
"Interesting," the Ancient One murmured, "an energy construct with a hint of consciousness."
"Yeah, she is my latest clone," I explained, glancing at Sarah. "They tend to have different personalities. Sarah here is fake timid—and a bit of a handful, if not just plainly mental," I added, giving her a look that said, Behave. "Oh, and Ava, I am leaving you to Sarah." I turned back to the Ancient One. "I'm ready."
"Well then, let's go," she said, snapping her fingers to open a fiery portal that revealed Kamar-Taj on the other side.
I sighed, bracing myself. "Here's hoping I don't end up in the future, the past, or some alternate reality," I muttered, stepping through the portal.
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