Chapter 2: Strange Introductions
Right so where are we now?
Oh, yeah I met a creepy shopkeeper, got given a weird dream-catcher charm which some weird ninja looking murderer just tried to take from me. I fell through a portal into a twisted version of the city in which I live and oh now a strange bald lady in gold just tugged me through another magic portal and into another weird place that I have never ever seen before in my life.
Yeah…my life is pretty weird at this moment in time.
And it's only going to get weirder still.
Or dare I say it Strange.
Doctor Stephen Strange shivered slightly as he stepped out into the courtyard.
It was the dead of night but the lamps were still burning and a couple of people were walking about on the balconies of the monastery high above him. However, they took no notice of him as he walked below. They obviously had more important things to be worrying about.
Stephen could even see two of them, a master and a pupil working late into the night. Both appeared to be in a martial arts stance with glowing rings sparking off the end of one's fists whilst the other had a smooth ring of energy.
Stephen shook his head as he looked down at his hands.
Both were shaking. Both were hurting.
He quickly turned back to watching the lesson on the balcony.
He seen some weird things in the past twenty-four hours. He'd just been forced through several dimensions with astral projection and forced to see burning mandalas literally formed from nothing in midair by seemingly very human beings.
But nothing could've prepared him for the shock of something bright sparking off close to his shoulder.
Leaping aside he gazed astonished as a sparking whirring ring of energy suddenly materialized and two figures stepped through.
Or rather the woman known as the Ancient One walked through calmly, pulling her fellow traveler through till they stumbled backwards onto their behind.
Through the portal, Strange just caught a glimpse of a man running towards them from what appeared to be a dark twisted city before it shut promptly in his face.
He turned back to the Ancient One who was now leaning over the stranger she had brought, murmuring softly as she smoothed a hand over their back.
"Wha-what j-j-just h-h-happened?" a young voice spluttered and Stephen stared down at the figure in surprise.
It was a girl. A young teenage girl.
She couldn't be older than fifteen or fourteen at most.
Under the grime that covered her she had an innocent looking face, from which bright blue eyes twinkled like a pair of lapis Lazuli. Her hair was blonde, but what with all the matting and the dirt in it he couldn't tell the shade
Her clothes too tattered, oversized, worn consisting of baggy dark jeans, a blue tank top and a faded black hooded sweater with a half vanished golden Nike logo on the front.
She was a pretty little thing he supposed, or at least she would be if she were sufficiently cleaned up. And by sufficiently he meant a lot because by god she smelled of wet dog and desperately needed a bath. And some food, he noted as he took in her pale and very thin wrists.
He couldn't understand why, or indeed how the Ancient One had picked up such a stray, but he wasn't going to ask. Not when the dark form of Mordo suddenly ran into the courtyard and asked the very same thing.
"Finally you have returned. The New York Sanctum is in uproar. Something about Fala's shop on fire and-who is this?"
"Fala took her in for the night just before she was killed. I found her being chased by Kaecilius himself through the mirror dimension." The Ancient One said her voice tinged with sadness as she held the young girl to stand shakily on her feet before leading her forwards to Mordo's grasp.
"Mordo take her to Kai at once. Make sure she is well settled, then join me and the other masters. We must hold council at once. Doctor Strange if you wouldn't mind accompanying them? Maybe keep an eye on her?"
Stephen blinked. Had he been in his right frame of mind he might have scoffed at the idea of having to babysit a teenager, and probably would have voiced such opinions quite vocally.
But then he caught sight of the fear in the girl's face and the way she shook from head to toe, her eyes darting like a frightened rabbit as Mordo gently led her away.
"Uh…sure?" he murmured not liking the knowing way in which the Ancient One's eyes twinkled knowingly as she watched him leave.
"So…." she murmured as sorcerer, doctor and girl finally vanished back into the sanctuary.
"Olivia Summers… this should be interesting…"
Via barely paid much attention to where she was going as the dark man in green (Mordo, she remembered) led her away from the courtyard and into what appeared to be a very old Buddhist (she was just taking a very wild guess) temple.
Her mind was more focused on the other man following them, the one that the weird woman in gold had called Doctor Strange.
Well strange was one way of putting it.
Via bit down on her lip as she chanced a glance at the man who was following her and Mordo at a brisk but cautious pace.
He was tall and had a thin angular face, covered in dark facial hair flecked with grey that most certainly needed a trim. His eyes were sharp but tired, and Via could just see in the corner of her eye, his fists shaking slightly as they swung with each stride.
He was wearing all white, the cloth cut in similar tunic and pants style to Mordo's own green clothes. Despite the fear of her bizarre and terrifying situation Via couldn't help but feel embarrassed as she glanced down at her own grubby shoes, which were so worn that they were literally hanging by threads as she was led down a set of stairs and into a room lined with beds.
Beside one of them at the far wall an elderly man of Asian descent and a younger woman who looked just like him, both wearing red robes, were busy tending to a teenage boy lying in repose on the bed before them.
"It's always the younger ones. Reckless, the lot of them." the man shook his head ignoring the woman rolling her eyes with fondness at him.
"Well you can't say he wasn't eager to learn"
"You say eagerness but I say it was definitely more impatience. Ah Master Mordo is there anything I can help you with." The old man clipped as he caught sight of the new visitors.
"I do believe you can Kai." Mordo nodded with a small smile as he gently pushed Via by the shoulders to stand in front of him.
"Ah…Another stray then" The old man Kai smirked as he stepped forwards took in the girl's haggard appearance and then to Stephen who stiffened under that gaze. "And two of them. The Ancient One must be in a good mood."
"Actually she is very worried and waiting to hold council to which I must attend." Mordo corrected holding the girl steady as she flinched away from Kai's imperious gaze.
"Then I shall do what I can at once. It does not do to keep the Ancient One waiting. Yue!" Kai barked and the woman, Yue came rushing forwards at once.
"Yes Father?"
"This girl will be under your charge for tonight. Tend to any injuries, then bathe, clothe and feed her and make sure she gets rest. Mister Strange, if you would follow me."
"It's Doctor. Doctor Stephen Strange" Stephen grunted automatically only to scowl as Kai waved him off.
"Of course. Now come here and sit down boy"
As she was being led away, Via couldn't help but smirk slightly as Stephen grumbled something under his breath.
It had been a long time since someone had called him a boy. Heck it had been forever since anyone had treated him like a child (not including the Ancient One). Needless to say, he wasn't enjoying it as he was forced to sit down on a medical bed and show his scarred shaking hands to the old man.
"Tch! You've been straining these too much too soon" Kai grumbled as he carefully examined the longest of the scars that went along the back of Stephen's left middle finger, making him wince.
"Nerve damage is extensive. The pain must be excruciating; I'm just surprised you haven't voluntarily chosen to amputate them. But then again it's difficult to let your hands go as a surgeon"
"how did you-" Stephen spluttered in surprise and then shook his head with a snort "Tch! Never mind, I'm sure telepathy comes with the mystic job description"
"Hardly" Kai rolled his eyes "Telepathy is a skill only the masters can attain and even then, it takes years for them to master before they can peruse others minds at will. But where some choose to read minds in their free time, I prefer to read medical journals."
Stephen's eyebrows rose as the old man held up a familiar looking but rather old edition of one of World Medical Association journals on which his own face smirked back from the cover, clean, sharply dressed and smug.
The sight made his gut churn uncomfortably and he averted his eyes away as if the sight of the text burned him, only to hiss as his hands were turned over again.
He vaguely wondered how the kid was faring and if she was going through as much torture as him.
Then he figured that anything was probably better than whatever had just happened to her.
He sighed.
This was going to be a long wait.
"So Fala has passed the Web of Asibikaashi onto this girl?"
"it would appear so Mordo" the Ancient one muttered to her charge as both him and her strode away from the meeting.
"Any particular reason as to why she would do such a thing? She's just a child-"
"So were you when I first took you in" The Ancient One cut across him softly but firmly, her hands twisting about the folding fan in her grip. "But there is one thing in this child that I have not yet seen in many of our other young students"
"And that is?"
"Power. Lots of raw power" the Ancient one's lips pursed into a thin line. "and what's more someone's placed a seal on it to keep it from showing. But now that she's been thrust into this life I'm afraid it won't last long. She was able to sense Kaesilius's magic when he destroyed Fala, even though it was supposed to remain hidden in the mirror dimension."
"But that could also have been because she was wearing the Web of Asibikaashi" Mordo reasoned "I've read it sometimes allows its bearer to sense mystic energies and forces even in the different planes of existence."
"If you had read further then you'd have also noted that the Web of Asibikaashi only grants its powers to those it deems worthy. And those that it chooses are often very powerful beings. The fact that Kaesilius was after it only proves that either he was trying to recruit Fala or-"
"Or take the Web for his own" Mordo nodded with understanding "So he's amassing an army, or at least he's expanding his artillery of relics and that can only mean one thing"
"He plans to go ahead with the ritual" the Ancient One clipped, her face turning stony "It will be a while before he can acquire the power necessary to evoke such an incantation. But even so we must remain vigilant"
"Yes we must"
Y'know people don't usually tell you that to get somewhere great you must go through a lot of pain sometimes.
For me, just simply getting clean was darn painful.
True I had managed to scrub my own skin raw from head to foot, but my hair was a completely different matter. Literally it took that Yue woman a good solid half hour just to get the first scrubbing of shampoo in.
Eventually I solved half the problem by cutting most of the ends off, leaving me with just enough to cover my ears and head. I could tell Yue wasn't happy with me, but so what?
Hair is hair. It would grow back eventually…even if it meant me looking like I was half a blonde poodle for a while.
Anyways enough about my hair problems and onto the rest of my "settling in".
Once I was cleaned I was given a new set of clothes to wear. White, like that Doctor Strange guy.
Seriously who calls themselves Doctor Strange. If my last name was Strange I wouldn't waste any time changing it to something different unless I craved being the butt of so many jokes, especially if I was at school.
Anyways back onto me and my getting dressed.
So yeah I wasn't allowed to keep my other clothes and was told they'd be thrown away at once.
They did however let me keep that weird dreamcatcher and my bracelets.
Oh yeah, totally forgot to mention those.
I have a pair of gold bracelets, or at least it's one bracelet that can be split into two separate ones. Both are flat and engraved with strange markings, and end with the heads and tails of dragons. When the bracelets are combined, they look like they're biting each other's tails.
Yeah pretty cool.
I've got no idea where they came from because neither have any markings to show the manufacturer. According to my file back at the orphanage, they were with me since I was left on the doorstep, when the stupid matron decided to keep them tucked away and sell them…eventually. Y'know it's kinda odd she always said she'd give them away, but she couldn't even stand to touch them or look at them for some reason, not that I see why because I think they're kinda pretty.
Anyways I managed to sneak them back out when…well I'll leave that story for another time because right now I sense someone strange is on the move.
Oh, yeah…I'm bringing out the Strange jokes big time (pun totally intended).
Stephen watched, half amused, half disgusted as the young girl before him roughly shoveled down spoonful after spoonful of food with an almost dog like enthusiasm.
He didn't think he'd ever see a human being so ravenous for food.
Especially a girl. Not that he didn't believe there were females with extraordinary appetites, but it still was a surprising sight to see the young teenage blonde before him manage to pack away nearly three large helpings of thick hearty chicken stew.
Then again she's not exactly at the peak of health
His inner doctor winced as he caught sight of the scrawny wrists that peeked out from under a pair of strange dragon shaped bracelets.
Where the girl had gotten them from he had no idea. His head was sneering that she must have stolen them, but even as he looked at the tokens he felt unease.
Though shining gold there was something about the bracelets that made him want to recoil. It was as if something was forcing him to be pushed back and not just him but everyone in the room.
No. No normal human being would ever want those bracelets no matter how beautiful they appeared.
He was distracted from his dark thoughts by the sounds of the girl as she tried to cover up a small belch.
"Sorry" she mumbled, her cheeks flushing dark as he spared her a look of mild disdain that quickly turned into a small frown.
"When was the last time you ate kid?"
"Three days ago, not counting the tea I had earlier" she muttered as she took a swig of water.
"Do you often get much food wherever you're from? Or is it…um…are you from-"
He trailed off and the girl set down her spoon with a small scowl.
"Okay first off, the name's Via, like Vee-ah, and not kid. Second, don't start with all the pity crap tones with me, because I've frankly heard enough of that to last me a lifetime and thirdly I come from New York just like you so there's no need to talk to me like I'm some foreigner from another planet."
So much for trying
Stephen now scowled too though more with frustration and scorn.
He was trying to be delicate about the situation.
He had never been good with younger people or kids, and often never liked to deal with them. He never had much patience to begin with and being stuck in a room with one who had just been traumatized by teleporting through dimensions to escape what appeared to be murder was certainly not something he was equipped to handle, world famous neurosurgeon or not.
It was with every amount of self-restraint that he reigned in his frustrations to only a sneer.
"Listen here, kid I'm not from New York I'm from Nebraska. I studied medicine in New York-"
"Oh wow, you studied medicine in New York City." Via hissed with venom. "And let me guess, mommy and daddy paid the bills to get you in"
"Actually I got in on a scholarship. And while we're on the topic of parents where are yours and why aren't you in a rush to get back to them?"
"Listen, just because you think you've got privilege doesn't mean you get to lord it over others" Via snapped as she set her food aside. "I bet you only saw the patients that would get you the big cash rolling in"
Stephen gripped the arm of his seat so hard that his fingers ached with the hurt. But he didn't let it deter him.
Rather he let the pain burn through him and charge him with enough energy to spit out:
"At least I earned my money honestly. I wouldn't be surprised if you stole those two gold things from a foster home you stayed in"
"Care to repeat that again old man?" Via snarled and now Stephen could see the fire burn in those bright blue eyes.
He opened his mouth to retort only to stop as he heard a soft cough from behind him.
Both he and Via wheeled about to see Mordo standing there, arms folded and smirking with amusement as he looked upon them from the infirmary door.
"Oh please don't stop on my account" he chuckled at their surprise. "Your insults whilst crude, are quite entertaining"
"I'm sure" Via clipped quickly picking her food back up and beginning to chomp on it again. This time however she ate slower and made to turn away from Stephen who rolled his eyes as he made to stand up.
"Going somewhere doctor?" Mordo quirked a brow.
"Yeah my rooms. As you can see the brat obviously doesn't need a babysitter anymore." Stephen scowled deeper still as he glowered at the back of the short head of blonde curls before striding out the door and out of sight.
Mordo shook his head, but did not argue or make to stop the Doctor. Instead he looked to Via, who looked back to face him her face strained, pale and tense.
"The Ancient One will see you in the morning when you are rested. She is interested to hear your version of tonight's events"
"And then what will happen?" she asked, her tones far quieter than what she had uttered in Stephen's presence.
"You will most likely stay here in Kamar-Taj under our protection. Unless there is somewhere else you are needed?" Mordo prompted gently.
There was a pause as Via quietly shook her head, her face set save for her lip which trembled ever so slightly as she murmured.
"No…no here is okay."
"Very well then. Masters Kai and Yue are almost finished talking with the Ancient One and then they'll come check in on you before you go to sleep. Seeing as Doctor Strange is no longer available, would you like me to sit with-"
"NO!" Via snapped only to quickly shut her mouth and wince as she whispered "S-Sorry. I-I meant no thanks. I'm okay. In fact, I'd rather be alone for five minutes. Collect my thoughts and all."
"Very well then." Mordo nodded and turned to leave, jaw clenching uncomfortably as he heard the first sniffle through the closing door behind him.
"So?" a shadow asked softly from a few meters away.
"She is…scared. Frightened by what she's experienced. It will certainly be a while before she warms up to anybody here" Mordo said as the Ancient One came into view, her pale face calm and contemplative.
"An interesting choice of words, considering there were definitely some sparks flying between her and the doctor."
"Yes, but if they add any more heat to their arguments I fear that they may burn down this sanctuary" Mordo snorted hollowly.
The Ancient One only smirked.
"Not all fires are violent and destructive Mordo. They just need the right fuel to burn as they should."
"And if they do not, then what? He is arrogant, headstrong and impatient and she is fearful, cynical and abnormally powerful."
"Perhaps." The Ancient one nodded quietly. "But something tells me that these two souls are far more alike than even they understand. Who knows, perhaps all they need is the right push in the right direction,"
"And that direction would be?" Mordo asked, eyebrows raised but the Ancient one only shrugged.
"That old friend, is for them to realize for themselves. But rest assured that when they do discover it, both will finally begin to heal one another"
"Or destroy each other" Mordo muttered darkly.
"Maybe. Maybe not. But when it comes we'll know"
The Ancient One smirked as in her mind's eye she saw both Doctor and girl settle in for the night in their beds, both scowling but both more peaceful than either had ever been for a very long time.
Yeah so that was how I met Doctor Stephen Strange.
And it was surprisingly one of the most normal things that had happened to me that day.
Seriously.
I am not joking.
That was like the most ordinary thing in a day filled with strange ladies, a murderous sorcerer and finding out in general that magic does in fact exist (even though I can't learn it at Hogwarts), that had happened to me all that day.
And it would perhaps be one of the few ordinary things to happen to me for a very long time.
So savor it while it lasts guys, because from here on out everything gets absolutely, positively bizarre.
FuzzyBeta:
hey guys me again. so yeah that was chapter 2.
Yeah it was a bit of a rocky start between Via and Strange.
At this point in time Strange is still the arrogant bitter man he was at the start and not yet the wiser and more understanding sorcerer supreme, just as Via is still very much a kid with very bad social skills and emotional control. This being the case, I figured that in a more realistic situation neither would be easy to get along with and would each be as prickly as a cactus. (lol i can just imagine Doctor Strange, Cactus Supreme, prickly goatee and all XD).
Anyways hope you guys enjoyed and review if you want more.
P.S. Special thanks for the current reviewers, especially Alayna Wood's one about the grammer.it's always nice to get constructive tips from other fellow readers/writers, especially when it helps you write better stories.
