𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 — the bill comes due

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 "𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃." 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 the first words uttered as Stephen and Emilia, side by side, advanced through the portal Emilia had summoned and planted their slackened figures opposite Mordo who was still occupied amongst the rubble within the Kamar-Taj.

 Stephen's words almost made Emilia flinch, her fingers curved inwards, and her throat bobbed as she swallowed... But Mordo remained unmoved. Emilia could feel the resentment that riddled her friend's bones, and the feeling made her stomach churn.

 His face stayed as it had been, stoic, even at the mention of his own mentor's death. Someone he had stood beside for so many years... And yet he didn't even blink. The hypocrisy, the lies and the betrayal were all too much for the man.

 Emilia knew Mordo well, she knew how profoundly his loyalties ran. He had devoted his life, power and counsel to the Ancient One during his years, and to be compensated with betrayal... Emilia knew it had cut him as deeply as a freshly sharpened sword; the wound was raw and festering, that much was apparent from the scowl that abruptly erupted on his face.

 "You were right." Mordo yielded, his tone filled with nothing but bitterness as his lip curled in distaste, "She wasn't who I thought she was."

 Emilia turned away, her fingers intertwining behind her back whilst Stephen took a step closer to the man who had spouted such a sour tone, "She was complicated."

 A scoff shortly followed as Mordo's lips dragged upwards and into a cynical simper. Rubble disintegrated beneath his apathetic steps, dust rolled and parted as the flowing material of his robes trembled around him, "Complicated? The Dark Dimension is volatile. Dangerous. What if it overtook her? She taught us that it was forbidden, and all the while she drew on its power to steal and conquer centuries of life." The man allowed a humourless laugh to echo around him, "Emilia, tell me, do you so easily see past her lies? Can you so simply brush away her actions, tell me you aren't that foolish."

 Emilia could scarcely bring herself to face him. She had just witnessed the one person who wasn't afraid of her, die. She had lived through the misery of watching as yet another person departed from her life, and she was certain she couldn't handle it again.

 Yes. Emilia understood Mordo, she truly did. But she couldn't bring herself to feel the same way, she was disappointed, hurt even, but she trusted her teacher and she trusted the judgments she had made, no matter their price or source.

 "Mordo..." Emilia breathed. Her voice was hoarse as though she had spent the day screaming, her bones throbbed far more than they did following her sparring sessions. She wished the day was over. "I... I don't think she should have done it, or she should have told us, or... I don't know... But does it really matter right now?"

 "The bill comes due, Emilia," Mordo spoke lowly as he brought his dark eyes to meet her own. Her eyes were shrouded in black with bags resided beneath them, and a sickly red had etched at the edges of her scleras, a clear indicator of her former tears. "Your beloved mentor's transgressions were what drew the zealots to Dormammu. Kaecilius was her fault. Now here we are, forced to suffer and clean after the consequences of her deception. A world on fire."

 A chill ran down Emilia's spine, and it didn't go unnoticed by Stephen. Even he was torn. Torn between allowing the disappointment of his mentors' betrayal smoulder and grow into bitterness, or simply quash it. The Ancient One had done what she thought was best, and whilst that was by no means an excuse for the consequences that had come from her actions, Stephen did understand it.

 People made mistakes... Granted they didn't often stem from the Dark Dimension, yet Stephen truly believed that the Ancient One had done what she did with the best of intents; he had to believe that.

 Trembling fingers sought out Emilia's, it was like second nature to bring their scarred hands together — his own would cease their shaking within her grip, and Emilia's cold skin would warm beneath his touch.

 "The London Sanctum has fallen." Stephen finally muttered, his voice thick from the dust that still swirled around them from the rubble, "New York has been attacked, twice, we all know where they'll be going next."

 Emilia's eyes fell shut as her head dipped. The day was seemingly lasting an eternity, it had been filled with destruction, death, and the cold, hard truth. Yet it still continued on with a looming threat that had the world in its clutches.

 Hong-Kong was the last of the Sanctums and there was no doubt in Emilia's mind that Kaecilius and his followers would already be wreaking havoc on Dormammu's behalf. She could only imagine the state that would become of the bustling streets, the people that would be harmed, the building that would become nothing but broken bricks on the ground.

 Stephen locked eyes with Mordo, and he fought the urge to recoil upon what he found staring back at him, "You once told me to fight as though my life depended on it because one day, it might. Well, today is that day. We all have to fight, otherwise there's no way we can defeat them."

 Without waiting for an answer, Stephen turned on his heel. The fabric of his cloak brushed against Emilia's arm, as though offering a gentle gesture of reassurance. The former surgeon brought his shaking hand into the air, and with such simple movements he had once had trouble mastering, a portal came to fruition. The golden glow of the sparks reflected in their eyes, making them seem far brighter than they were.

 Emilia hated the sight that came to life on the other side of the portal; people were screaming out in terror, they were running like ants from a boot. The city was crumbling.

 Emilia, with Stephen by her side and Mordo following swiftly behind, stepped through the portal with lips agape — she stared at the terror and chaos that had already unfolded. Fire had erupted and wrapped its amber flames around buildings, devouring them with all its might... The sight made Emilia's skin crawl, the mere heat of the flames was enough to make her heart thud faster.

 A fire hydrant spouted jets of water onto the street, and the crystalline liquid simply continued to trickle forth through the rubble, without a shred of hindrance. Cars were crooked; those that were once parked along the sides of the street were now dented, scrapes crawled along the metal as though a beast had swiped their claws against the paint. 

 Emilia's arms immediately reached out as a stumbling woman bumped into her, fear in her eyes and tears dusting the apples of her cheeks. Emilia steadied her, yet the woman paid no mind as she continued onwards, running for her life as the city she had once prospered in, fell apart around her.

 Embers twirled around them like fireflies, droplets of water rushed to cling to their skin, and dust, mixed with debris, threatened to choke them.

 Each of them brought their gazes towards the Sanctum... Or what was left of it, that is. The darkened sky that had been illuminated with streaks of purple, blue and scarlet swirled around the remains of the fallen Sanctum, sweeping up the bricks that had once stood proudly.

 "The Sanctum has already fallen..." Stephen breathed, watching as the sky grew brighter and tore away at the remains of the Sanctum.

 Emilia had never seen anything like it. The atmosphere was a tornado of colours, each one intertwining with another as they all fought against the buildings, roads and people of Hong Kong. It was destruction incarnate, and it kept growing.

 "The Dark Dimension." Mordo swallowed, a pit growing in his stomach as his eyes focused on the very sight that he had been warned of for years. From the moment he had been taught of the Dark Dimension and the chaos it caused, he'd hoped he would never have to witness it... And now he stood beside just two companions as it tore away at an entire city. "Dormammu is coming."

 There, just ahead of them, peeking through the flickering flames that threatened to consume the city, stood Kaecilius and his followers. The man stood tall, his head held high as his beady, dark eyes surveyed the damage he had brought to the world, the damage he had offered up to Dormammu.

 "Nothing can stop him. It's too late." Mordo finished, defeat causing his eyes to slip shut as he shook his head.

 Blistering heat continued to swell as the flames that ravaged the city continued to grow and spread. The water that rattled the damaged fire hydrant continued to spray and soak the ground... And the rippling clouds of colour that crawled above their heads continued to swirl and suppurate; growing and growing with each passing second like a parasite.

 Emilia's brows furrowed and her lips curled for a moment before she blinked, passing her eye line towards the item that was still hanging around Stephen's neck. Mordo would hate the suggestion, for it disregarded the very laws of nature, of the universe... But the only way they could save the city, and the entire world, was to reverse the damage that had already been done.

 A tick passed, silence encasing them as they watched Kaecilius step closer and closer, there was no other choice.

 Emilia lightly grasped the dirtied robe that covered Stephen's arms, gaining his attention immediately, "There is one way." Her light touch parted from his arm as she nodded towards the Eye of Agamotto.

 Stephen held her stare for a moment, hands twitching by his side. The flames seemingly parted like a crowd of feverish people, allowing Kaecilius to step forth, it would take the man mere seconds to reach them, and to kill them if Stephen didn't act soon. Thus, the man swallowed and sucked in a large breath, resisting the urge to cough and splutter as dust and soot weaved through his throat.

 Just as the book had once told him, Stephen rose his hands into the air, a single ember sizzling at his already marred skin. His middle fingers came to touch his thumbs, and with a sweeping gesture, a vibrant emerald green shone on his chest.

 Kaecilius scowled at the light, "No." He seethed as he surged forth; a plume of dust left where he once stood.

 Emilia recoiled as Stephen twisted his hands, a small replication of the Tao Mandala erupted at his fingertips. With a single swift movement, Emilia and Mordo were able to watch as Stephen reversed time. Kaecilius, with a space shard in his hand, was forced backwards, retracing the former steps he had taken towards their group.

 The growing swell of water that gushed onto the ground slowly tricked back through the air. Embers fluttered back from the flames that had erupted from, and bricks, rubble and debris flew past them in a flurry of movements.

 Everything continued to reverse, allowing Stephen to drop his hand and allow the Eye of Agamotto to continue its work. Emilia cast her eyes around in utter awe, watching as the city seemingly pieced itself back together, stitching its own wounds. They had a shot, and though the laws of nature were surely ready to fight back, they had to make their move, or there would be nothing they could do to prevent the world falling at its knees to Dormammu.

 Mordo, however, did not look nearly as impressed as Emilia. The sight to see fallen friends and civilians standing once again, whilst it should have instilled hope into his heart, all it did was remind him of the laws that had been broken. Everything around them was a consequence of the laws the Ancient One had broken, and now they'd soon deal with the consequences following Stephen's actions. 

 The bill comes due.

 Neither Emilia nor Stephen noticed Mordo's internal dilemma, the two of them took off, racing past Kaecilius and his two disciples.

 "We've got a second chance!" Stephen called, without looking back, and after a single, hesitant beat, Mordo finally moved to chase after them.

 They pushed further, unaware of Kaecilius breaking free of the reversal. People were streaming here and there, running backwards as rubbled levitated from the ground, a single man with fright written in his features, slammed into Stephen.

 The force of the collision made the former surgeon twirl, his robes coiling around him, and just as his eyes broadened at the sight of a cluster of metal heading straight for him, Emilia threw her hands up, her lips curved in concentration.

 The metal, despite the spell Stephen had placed, paused mid-air. The mineral trembled, as though trying to follow Stephen's wishes, trying to bring itself back to where it had once belonged, and yet it stayed there, hovering whilst a swell of fading blue simmered around it, fastening it in place.

 Stephen heaved a breath, a relieved sigh falling from his split lip as he nodded his thanks towards Emilia who simply blinked and shook her hands, dropping the metal from her hold. With Stephen safely out of its path, the mass of metal jolted and was forced back to its original position as the effects of the Eye of Agamotto resumed its control.

 Though the two had narrowly avoided Stephen being thoroughly crushed, their small triumph was short-lived, for Kaecilius had seized the opportunity to slam his boots into Stephen, sending him to the dirt.

 Everything around them continued on, blissfully unaware of the fight that had broken out as everything drifted through the air, as the flames that had sprouted throughout the city dimmed into embers, then sparks, and then nothing at all.

 The two grabbed each other by the throat, and before Emilia could so much as take a step, she too was barrelled into by one of Kaecilius' loyal sheep. The woman hurled Emilia to the ground, rubble cutting into her already damaged skin. Blood oozed from the shallow cuts that littered Emilia's hand, and dirt clung to the streaks of red that continued to bleed across her skin.

 The weight on Emilia's chest made it hard to breathe, as did the veil of dust she had inhaled upon her collision with the ground. Even despite the prickling at the back of her throat, and the shrill pain surging through her ribs, Emilia propelled herself to fight.

 With a sudden kick to her attacker's stomach, Emilia was able to sliver out from beneath the woman and primed herself for her fight.

 Bricks and cars surged past them, and by this point, Emilia had lost sight of Stephen and Kaecilius. The two continued to throw punches and kicks, some hitting whilst others were blocked and dodged, but a small twinge pulled the edge of Emilia's lip upwards.

 With an individual step and twirl to her right, Emilia watched as another chunk of concrete flew forth and crashed into her assailant. The force and size of the slab was enough to make a snapping sound ring out upon collision, a sound that made Emilia shudder.

 But her victory was seized nonetheless, and another disciple had been taken down.

 Emilia stood alone, panting as the city restored itself from the ground up. Neon signs were hoisted into the air, reconnecting with whatever building they had perched upon. Bamboo poles rattled against one another as they formed scaffolding around a restaurant that pieced itself together brick by brick.

 The storm above swirled, sending a surge of dust to encapsulate the streets of the city. Everything was hazy, dust clouded Emilia's vision as she tried her best to avoid any unknown pieces of stone or metal that tore through the air, unwilling to halt for anything in its path.

 A shard of metal was narrowly evaded, evident by the ardent sting that blossomed on Emilia's dirtied cheek.

 As another shard sailed past, a shrill pitch following, the dust cloud that had erupted abruptly withered away. The streets of Hong Kong were visible once again, and as Emilia turned, she finally caught sight of Stephen in the nucleus of his battle with Kaecilius.

 To her relief, Mordo promptly accompanied their friend. He brandished The Staff of the Living Tribunal, and with a single whip, the relic coiled around Kaecilius' ankle and tossed him in the direction of Emilia.

 Without much thought, Emilia focused her view on a slab of concrete that was bristling through the atmosphere at breakneck velocity, with a single flick of her digits, it came to a stop, and Kaecilius slammed into it. Emilia propelled her hand out, and the slab of concrete followed. Like a bat and ball, the slab sent Kaecilius hurtling towards the wall of a store that was gradually rebuilding, trapping the crazed man within the bricks that carefully pieced themselves back together.

 The wall enclosed around him, muting his yells stoked by anger. And with a single huff Emilia shifted back to Stephen and Mordo, her shoulders sinking. Each of them was covered in far more wounds, blemishes and blood than when their fight had commenced, but they were enduring, and they were alive.

 Her words came out as a jumbled flutter, "You're both alright?"

 Mordo's head bounced in a nod as he relaxed his hands on his hips, sucking in a breath to set the pace of his beating heart whilst Stephen made his way towards her, a single, wavering hand raising to rest on her cheek, clearing away the fresh trail of blood that had derived from her wounds. 

 "Are you?" He uttered, his voice thick and dry.

 Emilia's smile of reassurance was unsteady, but it was there nonetheless, and it did enough to suppress the distress that had flourished within Stephen's stomach when the two had been divided.

 He hadn't the need to despair, Emilia was proficient on her own, from her commanding punches and sudden kicks to the cinch she had on her abilities. Whilst they may not have been wholly tamed, he had witnessed the ease in which Emilia took authority of objects and swung them to her decree; she was growing stronger, it was evident... Perhaps, within the heat of conflict, her fear had been replaced by an appetite to win and save the city; her desire to save people trumped the dread that perpetually coursed through her veins.

 "Good," Stephen muttered, his fingers loitering down her cheeks, a delicate brush that hadn't yet been shared between the pair. Lingering looks, braided fingers, comfort in the midst of nightmare fueled nights, but never this.

 It was then that a collection of ruins and rubble that had conglomerated by the side of a restaurant lifted, each individual piece soaring back to wherever it originated from. In mere seconds Emilia's heart almost vaulted from her chest; Wong, still ensnared within the reversal spell Stephen had so aptly cast, was relieved from the pile of bricks and stone that he'd been concealed beneath.

 Life spread back to him, blood seeped back into his wounds that swiftly sewed themselves back together. Each piece of rubble that had littered his attire, dusting his maroon robes was lifted, leaving him looking just how Emilia always remembered him; moderately gruff, and yet perpetually reliable and willing to assist others.

 Somewhat hesitantly, Stephen's hands separated from Emilia's bloodied skin; just as the man had previously done for both Emilia and Mordo, his hands alighted in emerald green, gleaming around his twitching fingers as he punctually discharged Wong from his spell. The man in maroon paused. He blinked once, and then again, before directing his line of vision to Stephens' glowing hands.

 Stephen rolled his eyes, the sight all too familiar to each of his companions, "Breaking the laws of nature, yes, I know."

 Wong, despite his normal reluctance to break any and all rules, shrugged. His eyes never deviated from the blinding green glare emitting from both Stephens hands and the amulet bouncing against his chest, "Well, don't stop now."

 The four trailed onward, standing side by side as they watched the formerly devastated city gently reconstruct itself like an extravagant puzzle. The Sanctum stood proud, its emblem clear to each of them as the final piece slotted itself within the eclipsed walls.

 Emilia engulfed a breath, her eyes promptly darting the vapour of colours that continued to surge above their heads, an ever-looming threat. Despite the optimism that flourished within their chests at the mere scene of the Sanctum, a place of protection and allies, each of them knew that the building had a piercing target coated upon its doors; it would be the first place to endure yet another strike.

 Wong voiced such worries, his hushed and hoarse tone setting an ominous shroud around them as they all looked to him, "When the Sanctum is restored, they'll waste no time in attacking once again. We have to protect it, come on!"

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28-10-2021

just three more chapters left for act 1 (this includes the thor ragnarok scene where he visits stephen) and I'm so excited to get into infinity war and endgame! there will be a short hiatus (maybe 2-4 weeks) between act 1 and 2, and a longer one between act 2 and 3; just so i can prewrite and properly plan! 

anyway, i hope you all enjoyed! please remember to vote, comment and follow, and have a good day/night wherever you are <3