Agent Everett Ross had been awoken from his sleep by an unusually late phone call ringing loudly through his hotel room. Opening his dark blue eyes slowly he turned to look at his phone resting on the table next to his bed. Next to the phone was his digital alarm clock with the time, 02:37, on display in neon green light.

"You've gotta' be kidding me." Everett reluctantly reached for his phone and looked at the I.D. on the screen. Unknown Name. Unknown Number. "Who the hell is this? Has to be a wrong number."

Everett pressed his thumb over the red 'decline call' button and swiped it. The ringing ceased and Everett rolled onto his side to try and fall back asleep. As he closed his eyes his phone rang again.

Picking up his phone hastily he saw the same unknown display and again he declined the call. Just seconds after he set the phone down it buzzed as a text message popped up.

"What's going on?" Everett sat upright in the bed and checked the message on his phone. "Who are you trying to contact?"

Opening the message he read it quickly, his brow furrowing with confusion as he read the enigmatic text.

'We must speak. Please join me. It's very important - S.S.'

"Who is 'S.S'.?" Everett wondered as he contemplated his response. "Shuri?"

'Who is this? What's so important?'

There was a brief pause between the texts as the reply came through.

'A friend. - S.S.'

Everett was getting fed up. Climbing out his bed he changed from his night clothes into a pair of khaki's and a white t-shirt. As he slipped on his black leather jacket he sat down on the edge of the bed to put on his shoes. Opening the drawer of the nightstand he retrieved his gun and checked it to make sure it was loaded properly and that the safety was still on before tucking it into his jacket.

"Alright," Everett prepared his next response. "let's see who this friend is."

'Okay. When do we meet?'

As Everett pressed 'send' he felt a rush of air swirl around him and felt a sudden shift in his weight as he was suddenly transported from one area to another.

"Right now." A deep voice answered as Everett struggled to catch his bearings.

Lowering his phone Everett looked around the room and realized he was no longer sitting in his hotel room. He was sitting in a chair in a dimly lit room illuminated only by a single ray of pale white light beaming down from an unseen source. An ancient wooden coffee table sat in front of Everett and a matching chair to his own sitting on the other side of the table sat as the only furnishing. Numerous glass cases and cabinets held priceless, unidentifiable relics of cultures and histories long since forgotten lined the walls and filled the room with bulky decor.

The entire room seemed to exude a sense of mystical energy and mystery.

Turning his head Everett looked to a large staircase and could see a man standing idle in the middle of the steps. He was tall and seemed to be wearing some type of long cape.

"Who are you?" Everett demanded as he jumped up from where he sat and pocketed his phone with one hand, his other reaching for his gun.

"A friend." The voice repeated before tagging on. "And please put the gun away. It won't do you any good."

Everett pulled the gun from his jacket and pointed it at the stranger. "Not until I get some answers."

"Very well. But don't open fire, I've seen way too many gunshot wounds and I'd prefer not to end up another statistic." He descended the stairs with a simple glide as he floated down from the stairs and onto the floor just a few yards from Everett.

"Who are you? And don't say you're a friend!" Everett nearly yelled as he took aim. "I want a name. Now."

The man stepped forward, his features becoming slightly more illuminated as he stood in the ray of light. "I'm Dr. Stephen Strange."

"Doctor... Stephen Strange." Everett lowered his weapon slowly, his eyes fixed on the man's face with unspoken confusion. "Why does your name sound familiar?"

"It's too complicated to explain right now, but there is something I need to tell you. It's very important, so please listen carefully."

"But first you answer my questions."

"Alright." Dr. Strange walked over to the unoccupied chair opposite Everett and sat down. "What do you want to know?"

"Where am I?"

"The New York Sanctum."

"New York? I was in D.C., how'd I get here?"

"I brought you here."

"How?"

Dr. Strange just sighed and leaned back in his chair. "That part is also complicated, just trust me when-"

"I don't trust anyone."

"Not a bad policy, so let me rephrase." Dr. Strange began again. "Believe me when I tell you that everything you think you know, everything you hold dear is in great danger."

"Is that a threat?" Everett snipped as he resisted the urge to raise his gun again.

"It's a warning. Again, I'm a friend."

Everett studied Dr. Strange's face and determined that the man in fact speaking truthfully. Pocketing his gun he leaned back in his own chair and readied himself to listen to everything Dr. Strange had to offer.

"Okay. I'm listening."

"Good." Dr. Strange cleared his throat and sat up straight in his chair. "In a painfully short amount of time there will be a massive attack against the Earth. An attack that cannot be prevented and one that will devastate this planet."

Everett just gave Dr. Strange an odd look, he didn't say a word and listened intently.

"The forces at work are all connected and the people you consider allies could be in danger as well."

"How's that?"

"In time a massive team will come together to try and stand up to his attack and protect the world. The team will brought together for a mutual cause though their primary interests will differ. And it's important that you do everything you can in your power to ensure that these allies are given ever possible advantage that there is to offer."

"Why me? What makes me so special?"

"Because you claim you don't trust anyone and yet you're willing to listen and to give chances. This is a crucial state of mind that can either guarantee success or guarantee failure."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Keep your faith in your friends." Dr. Strange stated firmly. "In time you will come to know me as an ally as well and so I've taken this opportunity to plant the idea into your subconscious now and to help build a bridge of familiarity between us. It's important that the Avengers be permitted to act without any interference or hindrance. You have the power to do this."

"And... why should I believe you? How do I know that this isn't some elaborate ploy so you can try to get sensitive information from me or those I consider allies."

Leaning forward Dr. Strange let a sly smirk slip onto his face. "Your name is Everett Kenneth Ross. You had been charged with the task of obtaining vibranium from a known, and now deceased terrorist in South Korea when a certain King of Wakanda interfered."

Everett's eyes widened slightly with surprise at Dr. Strange's revelation. The events in Korea had been kept secret, he hadn't told anyone of T'Challa or the Wakandan people during the botched sting at the illegal casino.

"When the terrorist had been arrested his cohorts had attacked the building to allow him to escape, in the process you took a bullet to your spine while protecting a Wakandan ally."

Everett couldn't prevent himself from wincing slightly and shifting his shoulders. The bullet had pierced his spine just below his shoulders and there were times where he could swear he could still feel the bullet wound.

"You were saved by King T'Challa who allowed his advanced technology to save your life and in return you two gained a mutual trust and alliance which has resulted in Wakanda willingly opening its borders and technology to the rest of the world."

Everett stared blankly at Dr. Strange for a few seconds before finally speaking up. "How do you know about that?"

"I'm the Sorcerer Supreme. It's my business to know about the delicate balance of peace and war constantly being waged around the world, and even more so when unique weapons and artifacts are being used. Not to mention your posture is indicative of a lingering pain in ones spine after suffering severe physical trauma."

"And I'm just supposed to take your word for this?" Everett crossed his arms defiantly. "That there is some major catastrophe on the horizon and an elite team of super powered and extraordinary people with major issues are going to ban together and save the entire world; you know all of this is going to happen and yet you, an admitted supposed 'sorcerer supreme' can't do anything but I can?"

"It's hard to believe, yes, but everything I've told you is accurate and inevitable. I will play my part when the times comes and it's important that you do the same."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Everett was open minded but still wisely cautious.

"You can't." Dr. Strange admitted honestly. "But you can trust yourself. Please, heed my warning and listen to your instincts. You'll know what I mean the time comes."

"Alright, I'll keep this in mind." Everett unfolded his arms and heavily pressed a hand to his tired eyes. "Now how do I-"

A swirl of wind and shifting of his weight startled Everett. Dropping his hand he realized he was laying on his back in his bed in his hotel room once again. He reached for his phone but there was no logged information about previous text messages or unanswered phone calls.

"What the hell?" The time on the clock displayed 02:38. "What kind of dream was that?"

Everett rubbed his hand over his face and realized that his jacket was on. Throwing off his covers he saw that he was dressed in the clothes had been wearing when he met Dr. Strange. Even his gun was in tucked away inside his jacket pocket.

"It was a dream... wasn't it?"

-The End