THIS IS A SAD EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE GETS FAR TOO INTO FANDOMS FOR THEIR OWN GOOD. IN THIS CASE, DOCTOR STRANGE AND TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2K12. I DO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR WRITING IT, JUST FOR THE FACT THAT I'M TAKING YOU ALL WITH ME. HOPE Y'ALL CAN STAND MY UTTER INSANITY. HONESTLY, LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS TOO FAR-FETCHED, OKAY? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE. I WANT TO KNOW. I WON'T GET MAD, I SWEAR.
OH, AND BE HONEST; WHO HONESTLY THINKS DORMAMMU WILL KEEP HIS WORD? I MEAN, SERIOUSLY? HE'S RULER OF THE DARK DIMENSION FOR A REASON, PEOPLE!
GOD BLESS AND GOOD DAY!
~THE LUPINE SOJOURNER
There are days, like today, for example, that I completely hate being an Adult Mutant Kunoichi Wolf! Most of the time, we battle Kraang droids (not a problem) and Foot soldiers/bots (only very slightly more of a problem). Either that, or mutants. I can handle that. That's okay.
But, every once in a while, we get...something like this. I don't even know what it is, but it wants me dead and I, obviously, would rather it not succeed. So here I am, running for my life across rooftops in an attempt to lose this mysterious pursuer. Another barbed crystal spear thuds into an air conditioning unit beside me and I flinch, but don't lessen my pace. I have to get out of here. I have to shake this thing, or beat it down.
There's only one problem; that thing destroyed my weapons. I tried slicing it with my tomahawks, but they melted right in my hands. My machete stupidly went the same route seconds later. I had throwing stars and knives, but I knew they would be even less effective against the monster behind me. Once again, I have to ask myself (though I have no answers) what this thing is. It appears to be comprised of smoke and purple-tinted light, humaniod in shape, with a bar of pure purple light in place of eyes, but...I hit it. My weapons landed a blow before they melted. So it is solid, I would think, but am too scared to attempt to strike it with my fists as it floated (yes, floated) along, as if it were not in a hurry, as if it had all the time in the world. It could not speak, merely unleash a painfully high-pitched keel that almost made my ears bleed when I eluded it yet again. Almost as if it were in...pain, experiencing frustration. Despite the odd phenomenon, I had to deal with this thing, despite having zero idea on how. It phased through anything I leapt over or sprinted around, resulting in it nearly catching me several times, and didn't seem to even notice the things I threw at it in desperation, melting them without any apparent effort or thought. I was getting tired, sloppy and unfocused, I knew it. I just had to keep on running, thinking, scheming, and-
FRICK! I mistimed a step and stumbled, hurdling over the edge of a rooftop and toward a dumpster, my attacker gliding along toward me. I knew I was dead, either from impact or—argh! That thing just...AH! It stabbed me! I pulled the crystaline dagger from my shoulder, feeling even more drained than normal, like...like the thing I pulled from my shoulder had taken more than blood from me. Wincing, I manage to angle myself so I will absolutely land on my back in the dumpster, and I can only watch as the smoky fingers, hardly more than tendrils, reach ever closer...I'm going to die. I'm going to be found, mangled and who knows what else in this dumpster.
But then, just as I resign myself to my doom, I land harshly on my back on a solid something not-a-dumpster and there's that horrid screeching, made all the more terrible at it's proximity and increased volume. I open my eyes and see the thing struggling with what appears to be a rope of flame around it's neck. I happen to look down and see a large glowing circle under me. I stand shakily, trying to catch my breath as a man in what appears to be blue jedi-esque robes and a billowing scarlet cape whips the creature back into the wall, face screwed in disgust and concentration, one hand holding the whip,the other with a smaller version of the circle I'm standing on just beyond the reach of his fingertips, hand facing me. He didn't move from his position, but there was nothing holding him up that I could see. I briefly wonder about how he's floating, but then the circle flickers out in a small shower of sparks as the thing attacks my rescuer, knocking him a few feet backwards. We fall to the alley, me fortunately landing as I had planned in the dumpster, the man simply...stopping and hovering in mid-air, grappling with the creature, his cloak flapping wildly as if in intense wind. It almost seemed to be attacking the thing, but that was impossible.
Wasn't it?
"Are you hurt?" The man asks tightly between grunts, sending the creature back with a spinning golden circle. I take a breath to steady myself before replying, having gotten out of the dumpster to help.
"I'll be fine. Thank you." just as soon as the world stops spinning. I add inwardly and I hear more than see his nod and grunt of acknowledgement before taking a step forward to help, the world firm beneath my feet again.
"Stay back!" The man barks, brow quirking at the sight of me for a moment before whipping the creature across the purple-light-eyes. "There's nothing you can do!" I huff, but stay where I am, mesmerized by the fight before me.
"Are you sure? I know how to fight, you know!" The man rolls his eyes.
"Yes, I'm sure. Please move back." I take a few steps toward the dumpster just as the guys flips the creature over his head with the whip, sending it into the concrete alley floor with a solid boom. He then makes a series of inexplicable gestures, conjuring another circle and the creature explodes into a pile of swirling black ash, the purple light gone. He then turns. I'm leaning against the dumpster again for support, but try and hide that fact. He comes over and sees the blood drops across the garbage bags and other trash, leading up to me. "Did it stab you?" He asks, gently turning me around. I'm too drained to resist, but I nod. He curses and I hear his hands moving, and see the alley light up with an almost blue light. Instantly, the pain in my shoulder vanishes and I am felt warm and comforted. I shake myself and the feeling subsides a little. "Is that better?"
"Yes. Um, so...what was that thing?" The man's expression darkens, his eyes glowering at the remains of the monster before returning to me, scanning me, assessing me.
"An extra-dimensional threat. Sent from the Dark Dimension to lower Earth's defenses." I cock a brow.
"You mean, like surveillance satellites and things like that?" The man smirks for a moment without humor.
"No. I mean the sanctums, havens for Sorcerers across the world." I swallow.
"Okkaay...why was it after me?" I ask. There is a humming from the man, still looking intently at the ashes before us.
"You aren't a Sorceress, are you?" I shake my head.
"No."
"Do you use extra-dimensional energies or portals?"
"Pardon?"
"Sling Rings, Astral Planes, Alternate Realities...that type of thing." I nod.
"I use the Astral Plane when I meditate, but other than that...nope." I then extend my hand in greeting. "By the way, I'm—ow!" The cloak rat-tailed my hand back. I rub the smarting area ruefully. "...Did your cloak just...rat-tail me?" I ask softly, bewildered. The man sighs.
"It's overprotective and territorial. Behave." He admonishes the cloak. I blink. Oh, boy...I choose to disregard that and move forward with the more rational side of the coversation.
"Anyway, I, uh, am Hamato Asami, or just Ami." I introduce. After all, it's only polite once someone takes the time to save you from some unknown threat.
"I am Dr.-er, former Dr.-Steven Strange. I'm also known as just Steve to some." I nod, deciding against trying to shake his hand again. "As I was starting to explain, that thing was called a Mindless One, minion of Dormamu, ruler of the Dark Dimension. They seek out Sorcerors and Sorceresses to exterminate in order to clear a path for their master's conquest."
"But I'm not a Sorceress!" I exclaim hotly, wanting to make that perfectly clear.
"When you use the Astral Plane, you are left with telltale traces of Astral Energy on you, like a beacon for the right spell to trace." Steven explains. "These Mindless Ones trace these kinds of energies. You had enough Astral Energy on you for this one to think you were a Sorceress." I sigh.
"Would have been nice to be able to explain that it had the wrong mutant." I grumble. Mr. Strange hums for a second when I say 'mutant' and I know he had thought I was something else.
"Life is hardly ever fair, and the Dark Dimension is 'unfair's' physical form." Steve retorts. I chuckle a little at that, despite the grim expression on Stephen's face.
"So, are these things kinda like demons, or what?"
"I suppose to some that's the only possible explanation, but no. They are from the Dark Dimension, not Hell. There is a difference." I nod.
"And you and the other Sorcerers block this Door-mam-oo character from taking over the world?"
"He wants to feed off it, add it to his collection, but yes. We Sorcerers stop him and other threats." He then turns to fully face me, eyes scanning me once more. "Now, just what are you? You said 'mutant' a bit back, but..." I swallow. Was this really the time and place? Could I even really trust this guy? He might be delusional, insane, or...
Telling the truth. This entire time, not one trace of deceit had cropped up. I lick my lips.
"Well...I am a female ninja, or kunoichi in Japanese. I am also a wolf mutant, the result of an accident involving extra-terrestrial ooze when I was five." Strange's eyes widened slightly.
"You've been like this since you were five?"
"Yes."
"Who taught you how to...cope?"
"..." I deliberated again. Should I really trust him with this? I sigh. "My father." There. That's enough information. "He, uh...went through a similar mutation. He's a rat." I add, almost subconsciously. I then blink. Why had I told him that much? How could I have been that stupid?! I nearly blew my family's cover!
"Interesting. Well, it appears our business here is concluded. Just got another Mindless One hit nearby. Blasted things are everywhere all of a sudden. Should have known Dormammu wouldn't uphold his end of our bargain." He adds to himself, and I muse that he hadn't meant for me to hear that, so I act like I didn't hear and nod, relieved at the easy end to the conversation. It felt normal, not awkward or forced. Just that...we were done talking. Nothing left to discuss.
Man, had the world gotten weird since we've been back. After the world was sucked into that black hole, and we saved it...things just haven't been the same. It's subtle, but there are differences. A few different villians that I didn't recognize and—what is Steven doing?
He has the first two fingers on each hand up and is spinning one hand around in a loose circle. Just as I am about to ask him about that, a shower of sparks erupts from thin air and expands to a spinning portal that reveals a street on the other side of this strip of buildings. Steve smiles before walking into the portal and vanishing with sputtering sparks the only evidence he'd used magic. Those, too, vanished in seconds. I shook myself. As long as what happened tonight was not the result of some hallucination, I had to let Don and the others know that there were other threats to our world than the ones we deal with on a regular basis.
And that there was a very capable defender on our side. I just kinda hope they don't think I'm crazy. I mean, a Sorceror? Everyone knows (heck, I thought I knew until tonight) that magic and all that junk was not real. Now...I'm intrigued, at least, and curious at most. If the things he faces are anything like what I faced tonight...we're definitely going to need his help.