𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐄𝐍 — the book of cagliostro

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 𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐌𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 regretted agreeing to a spur of the moment training session with Mordo, for the rain was pounding, thunder was rumbling, and streaks of lightning would flash throughout the dark evening sky in sync with their punches.

 Emilia was sopping wet. Both she and Mordo had continued on, even after the rain had begun to slap against their warm skin. Her lips were tinged blue, and her robes were clinging to her in a rather uncomfortable manner. Yet they had continued on, punches and kicks had been thrown whilst droplets flew from them, joining the rippling puddles that splashed beneath their coordinated feet.

 "We are never doing that again," Emilia muttered as she ruffled her hair with a clean, dry towel. She was slowly walking beside her training partner towards the library where Stephen was awaiting Emilia's presence.

 It seemed that he wished for her to suffer in the pouring rain alone whilst he happily read through stained pages and filled his gut with honey and lemon tea, warm and cosy whilst Emilia gathered bruises and water.

 Mordo chuckled, his hands clutching at the towel he'd tossed over his shoulders, "You're the one who could have said stop, and you are the one who insisted on seeing Stephen before we changed."

 "Firstly, you never listen when I say stop, you just punch me instead." Emilia brumbled beneath her breath as she twirled her towel into a thin strip, "Second, I didn't insist, thank you."

 "Oh, no, of course you didn't insist." Mordo responded, a cheeky smile on his lips. Another, more boisterous chuckle reverberated around them as Emilia narrowed her eyes at him.

 "Just what are you implying there, Mordo?" Her hand lashed out, the end of her coiled towel smacked against Mordo's leg, causing the man to jump away to avoid another assault. His laugh boomed as loud as the thunder.

 "Absolutely nothing, dear Emilia," He drawled out, holding the door open for the woman who spun on her heel and once again, offered him a look, "I'm implying nothing."

 Emilia rolled her eyes, and rather than respond, she simply continued on through the library. Mordo however, grinned to himself. The pair of bright students had become far closer; it was impeccably obvious, it had been from the beginning, but for the past weeks it seemed as though their rather tight-knit bond had grown deeper.

 He would often catch the pair exchanging looks, ones that were far different from Emilia rolling her eyes at the former surgeon, and Stephen huffing in response. No, these looks told a different story, and those particular gazes, paired with the slight touches they'd offer one another — without even noticing themselves — was more than enough to convince Mordo that something had spurred such a bond to erupt.

 "Emilia, Master Mordo." Wong greeted the pair, though before Emilia could school her agitated look and offer her own polite greeting to her favourite librarian, a loud whirring sound rang throughout the library. A vibrant green light shone from behind a row of bookcases and without a word being exchanged, the three ran towards the source.

 "Stop!" Mordo cried as he rounded the corner, catching sight of the light source.

 Emilia stopped beside him, eyes blown wide as she looked at Stephen. He stood before the rickety, mahogany desk that was piled with books; though only one was open before him; one she very easily recognised; the Book of Cagliostro. the very book that had once contained the text Kaecillius had stolen and now held above their heads like a bad omen.

 The emerald light that had stolen their attention stemmed from the shining stone hanging around Stephen's neck; the Time Stone. It glistened from the cage it was kept in; The Eye of Agamotto and a glowing green coated their faces. Emilia blinked, utter confusion clouding her eyes as she watched Stephen lower his formerly glowing hands.

 They shook by his side, just as always, and for once, had the decency to feel, or at least look guilty.

 "I was just —" Stephen began, looking at the book in an attempt to avoid Mordo's, Wong's, and most of all, Emilia's eyes. "— I was just doing exactly what it said in the book!"

 Wong did just what Emilia was about to do. Scoff. He shook his head in utter disbelief at the former surgeon who couldn't keep his hands to himself, "And what did the book say about the dangers of performing that ritual?"

 "Yeah, I don't know. I hadn't gotten to that part yet." Stephen muttered beneath his breath, and yet they had all heard him perfectly well.

 "Temporal manipulations can create branches in time. Unstable dimensional openings. Spacious paradoxes! Time loops!" Mordo yelled, his hands waving in the air as his robes fluttered around him, swaying back and forth as the man paced in his utter disbelief and rage, "You want to get stuck reliving the same moment over, and over, forever, or never having existed at all?"

 "They really should put the warnings before that stuff." Stephen shrugged, eyes scanning the book a final time before he flipped it shut, eyes moving to meet Emilia's with a shade of nonchalance that Emilia's eyes twitched at.

 "Will you ever not be an idiot?" Emilia asked him as her head tilted to the side. She made her way towards him, "Your insatiable curiosity could have gotten you killed."

 She jabbed a finger into the centre of his chest, leaning up to meet his eyes, anger swam within them, and her cheeks were flustered at the mere thought of the man using one of the damn Infinity Stones, and the havoc he could have brought upon the world, let alone himself.

 "You weren't manipulating the space-time continuum." Wong joined the two, his hands hastily grabbing the book from the table as he held it tight, disappointment clear in his tone, "You were wrecking it. We do not tamper with natural law. We defend it."

 Emilia huffed and shook her head as she turned her back on the man that made her want to tear out her own hair. It was as though he couldn't go a single day without pushing the rules and boundaries the Ancient One had so deftly put in place for the well-being of everyone.

 "How did you learn to do that?" Mordo asked, his eyes still blown wide from Strange's advanced use of sorcery. "Where did you learn the litany of spells required to even understand it?"

 Stephen raised a single shoulder, "I've got a photographic memory. It's how I got my M.D. and PhD at the same time."

 "What you just did takes more than a good memory. You were born for the mystic arts."

 Emilia, despite her anger and pure disappointment towards the man for repeating past actions ten-fold, had to agree. From the moment Stephen had overcome his arrogance and finally allowed himself to submit control; sorcery came like breathing to him.

 He studied relentlessly, practised every single day and, for once, listened to others when they offered different ways for him to improve. He gained such praise and such skill because he worked hard, it wasn't all completely natural.

 There were still times in which he struggled, for example, the Eldritch whips. He still needed improvement on summoning such a weapon, and he still gave in to his frustration and grew angry when things didn't quite go his way.

 But Stephen was proving to be a formidable sorcerer.

 "And yet, my hands still shake." Stephen almost spat, his eyes dating to his shaking fingers as he held them out.

 The scars on his pale hands were prominent, running along each and every finger, and they still hurt. When practising magic, or even performing menial tasks, sharp pains or a burning sensation would alight along the lengths of his scars, prompting him to drop things or stop in his steps.

 "For now, yes." Wong spoke, prompting a spark of hope to build in Stephen's chest, hope that Emilia so easily recognised before it faded and Stephen shook his head.

 "Not forever?"

 Mordo dropped his eyes to the man's hands, watching as they shook for a moment before meeting Stephen's eyes as he spoke his words with honesty, "We're not prophets."

 "When will you start telling me what we are?" Stephen finally snapped, his voice had grown louder with each word, spurring pink to blossom on his cheeks.

 He looked at the three who had come to him in an attempt to stop him from doing something foolish and sighed, a hand reaching to his temple upon the sight of Emilia shaking her head at him.

 She understood him, somewhat at least, and she truly did understand why he was so eager to proceed with his learning and sorcery; gaining control of his hands, being able to use them with such precision again, that was his end goal.

 His hands and their skill dictated his life, they were his entire career and Emilia understood that. She really did.

 It was hard, dealing with the memories of a career that one not only prospered at but also adored. Emilia missed what she used to do, she missed mixing chemicals with a manic grin that sent Bruce spiralling. She missed almost singeing her own hair and eyebrows as she hovered over an open flame whilst Bruce scurried around the lab to find something for her to tie her hair back with. 

 She missed Bruce too. But she knew he would be okay. He was smart, he was beyond kind, and he had the Avengers now.

 She could only imagine how much Stephen missed what he used to do. They both had a barrier preventing them from returning to their past; Emilia with her lack of control, and Stephen with his hands.

 Whilst Emilia hadn't made peace with the things that had happened, nor made peace with the fact that she held such power in her own palms... She had made peace with the fact that she might not ever return to doing what she once loved so dearly.

 She had power beyond one's imagination, would it not be selfish to hide it away and leave the Avengers to fight off every threat that came to earth? They had friends and families too, they had people they could lose, including themselves.

 Maybe it was the mere thought of watching the news and seeing the words 'Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk, found dead' Or something along those lines that made her feel sorry for the team of heroes that helped the world; they risked their lives with every fight, but either way, she knew she could help people... Eventually.

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 "While heroes like the Avengers protect the world from physical dangers, we sorcerers safeguard it against more mystical threats." Wong began as the group of four strolled into the very room the Sorcerer supreme had decided to allow Stephen inside the walls of the Kamar-Taj. He slowly approached the globe in the centre of the room, and with a touch of a dial or two, it lit up, a vibrant amber coating the view of the world.

 "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." He continued, looking to Stephen to ensure he had the man's attention, for he had only seen the former surgeon offer his undivided attention to the only woman within the room, "The same sorcerer who created the Eye you so recklessly borrowed. Agamotto built three Sanctums in places of power, where great cities now stand."

 Emilia approached one of the three doors within the room, her hand gently resting upon the golden doorknob, "This door leads to the Hong Kong Sanctum," She pointed a finger to the door in the middle, "That door to the New York Sanctum." And finally, she joined them again, her finger outstretched towards the final oak-wood door, " And that one, to the London Sanctum. They all generate a protective shield around the world."

 "The Sanctums protect the world," Mordo picked up from Emilia, nodding towards the woman, "And we sorcerers protect the Sanctums."

 Stephen glossed his eyes over to the two sorcerers and the globe before they finally landed on Emilia; he couldn't help but wonder if every student knew such information, or if Emilia, as ever, was a special case.

 He frowned, recalling Mordo's words, as well as the vague and slightly terrifying words the Ancient One had offered him within his lesson about the Mirror Dimension. There was constant talk of invaders, about having to be protectors, but nobody had ever told him exactly what the sanctums, civilians and the world needed protection from.

 "From what, exactly?" He finally asked, tearing his eyes from Emilia before settling them on Mordo, shielding his hesitation on finding an answer to his question.

 Emilia had caught it, of course, she didn't miss much when it came to the man, for to her, he was an open book that very small children could read with utter ease. Yet to many others, he was a complex man; it baffled her, in all honesty.

 He hid his heart and kindness behind his ego, frustration and arrogance,  his incessant need to fix things, and Emilia knew exactly when he did so, though that, perhaps, was due to the fact that Stephen allowed her to see such things.

 He often relaxed in her presence; most of his tension vanished from his shoulders and jaw. His eyes would lighten and the lines around them would slowly fade. He smiled more, much more, and it was a sight that Emilia had found herself growing fond of.

 "Other-dimensional beginnings that threaten our universe" Mordo concluded for the man, his brows furrowing upon seeing Stephen nod rather than scoff like he so often did.

 Stephen sighed, "Like Dormammu?"

 "Where did you learn that name?"

 "Just read it in The Book of Cagliostro. Why?"

 Emilia stepped towards the globe in the centre of the room, her fingers twisting the dials to make the amber shields of Agamotto disappear from view, leaving only the earth to softly spin above them. The Ancient One, Mordo and Wong had shown her time and time again how to use the device, it could display a number of things, but the primary use was to check that the shields were correctly defending their world.

 "Dormammu dwells in the Dark Dimension, beyond time."

 Wong kept his eyes on the globe, watching as the shields faded away into nothing, giving the impression that the world was defenceless before he slowly looked to Stephen, "He is the cosmic conqueror, the destroyer of worlds. A being of infinite power and endless hunger, on a quest to invade every universe and bring all worlds into his Dark Dimension. And he hungers for Earth most of all."

 "The pages that Kaecilius stole..." Stephen uttered beneath his breath, his brows pinching together. He'd caught a small glimpse of what they'd said before the trio in front of him had bounded in.

 "A ritual to contact Dormammu and draw power from the Dark Dimension."

 Stephen looked at Emilia, and as ever, her eyes were already on his own. He swallowed, eyes glancing from her to his shaking hands, and his shoulders slumped, "Uh... okay. Okay. I... time-out. I... I came here to heal my hands, not to fight in some mystical war."

 "Stephen..." Emilia muttered softly, compassion in her tone as she watched the man she'd come to care for greatly, stare at his hands in disgust.

 It was understandable that the man wished to stay as far from a fight as possible, who knows what the former surgeon would have seen when the Avengers had caused destruction and harm whilst saving the world; just how many people did he operate on? How many people would have died within the very hospital in which he had once worked?

 So for him to turn away at the mere thought or suggestion that he'd be the very one to potentially cause the harm, well it made sense he'd say no.

 Emilia had the same thought, at first, but that was before she realized that she could save so many more people than she could potentially harm, and that was all Emilia wanted to do. Her parents saved people, housed them, fed them, did whatever they could to make sure people could live and thrive, no matter the colour of their skin, no matter who they chose to love, and no matter what their background was.

 And Emilia wanted to be just like them.

 So she said nothing further to try and sway his mind.

 They stood in silence for a moment before the sound of bells clouded their senses. Emilia swallowed harshly as she looked to the doors that led to the sanctums; she, Mordo and Wong waited for mere seconds before the door to the London sanctum swung open, revealing a petrified young man.

 He sprinted through the door as fast as his legs would allow him, words of warning died on his tongue, fizzling out like a dying ember as a spear seemingly made of glass split through his chest. The tip was. covered in crimson as his face paled and he finally slumped forwards with blank eyes.

 "Kaecilius!" Wong called out as the man from his past stepped through the sanctum's door, a crooked smirk dusting his chapped lips.

 Emilia paled, her steps taking her backwards as she watched the man she had heard so much about, summon a ball of energy in the palm of his hand, not a single look of concentration, as though he simply didn't need it. It glowed ferociously, a blanket of blinding yellow coated them and the very ground they all stumbled upon.

 Mordo threw his arm out, willing for any weapon made of amber sparks to aid him in whichever battle was to unfold, only for  Kaecilius to throw forth the energy he had gathered in his palm; it pulsated as it shot forwards before it finally exploded. The blast was powerful and flung everyone backwards with ease.

 Mordo hit the ground with a heavy thud, Wong not too far from him did the same, and Emilia had just enough time to see Stephen fly through the door that led to the New York sanctum before she too, hit the wall with force enough to make her vision black.

 A groan left her split lip as she landed on the ground feeling a warm trickle at the back of her head, and from various throbbing places on her face. Her vision swam, black slowly overtaking the picture of Kaecilius' victorious grin before finally, her eyes slipped shut.

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18-09-2021

sorry for that late upload, i know i usually update on tuesdays, but i honestly completely forgot! anyway, i hope you all enjoyed, please don't forget to interact via following, commenting and voting; don't be a ghost reader, they are genuinely the WORST!