A note from Chaos, the more awesome of the two: Since you all are reading this chapter, I'm assuming you read the first one (duh) meaning you were all introduced to Order's fabulous OC Callie! I like to think of these first two chapters as almost like a prologue in a sense because it focuses primarily on the two OCs and how they both wind up with SHIELD (though each for different reasons). In this chapter, you meet my OC Liz. As Order so wonderfully stated in the author's note at the beginning of the last chapter: our OCs aren't telling "their" story. You are simply seeing how they see the events that unfold as well as the way it affects not only themselves, but each and every member of SHIELD as well as the Avengers.
Another note from Chaos: Okay, enough with the seriousness since Order is the serious one and I'm the...well..."insane" one in her words. I hope you all enjoy this story! We have so many ideas for not only this, but also for a potential sequal (which obviously won't come around for a long time xD) so we appreciate all reviews that we recieve!
Disclaimer: I would LOVE to say that Order and I are the owners of the Avengers and Marvel but...well...Order tells me not to lie so I can't :/ We don't own either meaning... *insert tears* I don't own Loki either! Such a cruel cruel world *pouts in corner*
Where one person shapes their life by precept and example, there are a thousand who have shaped it by impulse and circumstances. -James Russell Lowell
"Concentrate!"
"I am!" The brunette woman growled from in between gritted teeth, holding back a groan as she further agitated her throbbing shoulder by hitting her mentor's sword away from her before attempting to side step around him in order to put some distance between herself and his sword. However, as she did so, her foot got caught in a small gopher hole that she had managed to step into and, as a result of the momentum she had created, she fell onto her back—narrowly missing slamming her head into the bark of a tree.
"Damn it." She mumbled, the fall having knocked some of the air out of her.
Her mentor and cousin, a tall lean man with neat black hair that held white streaks despite the fact that he was only in his early thirties, arched an eyebrow as he looked down at the woman who had yet to get back up onto her feet. "Are you planning on laying there all day?" He inquired amused, a slight smirk curving his mouth upwards.
The brunette shrugged, a similar smirk curving her own lips upward as well. "I don't see why not. It's not like there's anything better to do."
"Of course there isn't." Stephen rolled his eyes at the twenty one year old, though his amusement was clear upon his face. "It's not as if you still have some training to do or anything, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth Carter, or Liz as she preferred, scoffed at his remark despite the fact that she knew he was indeed right, like always. Her fighting skills and techniques left much to be desired, at least when it came to close range combat. Give her a handful of throwing daggers though and the fight would be over in a matter of seconds.
"You know I can't stand being called that." She muttered, reluctantly forcing herself to get to her feet. The moment she had fallen she knew the sword she had been using had disappeared—just like it always did whenever she lost focus—so she didn't bother to look for it.
Stephen shook his head as he retook an offensive stance with his sword, his brown eyes specked with flecks of gold met her midnight blue ones as he spoke, "And you know that I can't stand it when you lose concentration so easily amidst a duel." His tone wasn't harsh or cruel in the slightest, but it was deadly serious. "If this had been a real fight…" He sighed, his eyes never leaving hers as he gazed at her over his sword. He didn't even have to finish the sentence to convey what he was saying. It was quite simple: lose your focus, lose your life.
Liz's dark blue eyes sparked with annoyance as she held out her hand and a quarterstaff materialized, retorting with clear irritation, "How was I supposed to know some animal dug a hole here of all places?"
"That is why you must be aware of your surroundings, of the very ground right beneath your feet." He didn't make a single move, watching his cousin with an expectant eyebrow raised, waiting for Liz to make the first move. "Remember: focus."
The brunette closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath as she emptied her head of all unimportant things that clouded it until all that was left was instinct and her inherent strategic knowledge. Focus, she ordered herself. Breathe. Set yourself a goal. Something realistic.
Her dark sapphire eyes popped open and she stared at the patiently waiting man with a smirk adorning her face. Her eyes briefly landed on the watch on his wrist, her eyes glittering mischievously. She couldn't beat him, she knew that…
But that didn't mean she didn't know a thing or two.
Stephen's eyes narrowed as his cousin completely disappeared from sight, his eyes flickering around the mountainous area they were fighting in for any sign of her. He let out an annoyed sigh. She never listened, did she? This was supposed to be a magic-less fight, with the exception of calling forth close combat weapons.
There had been a reason magic had been outlawed for the duel…
The doctor's eyes flickered to the side and after standing perfectly and completely still for a moment, took a small step to the side—causing Liz to barrel past him, nearly falling once again.
...because, while Liz's grasp of sorcery was well advanced compared to the other initiates and even some of the full members, her ability to focus her full potential was nearly nonexistent as well as her combat skills outside of magic. She blamed her combat skills on her inherent clumsiness that never seemed to go away according to her, but the doctor knew the truth.
Liz caught herself barely by passing all of her weight onto her right leg, causing her to spin around towards where Stephen stood not even three feet away. Just as she spun to face him, she brought the staff up in a diagonal motion from her legs up to her cousin's side, her supposed intent being to slam it into his hip area.
As expected, he brought up his sword at the very last instant and parried the quarterstaff, slight confusion in his eyes as he saw the mischief on his apprentice's face. He knew that look. He had seen it numerous times when the three of them—Liz, April, and himself—were younger.
It spoke only trouble.
He narrowly managed to avoid the unexpected leg that shot up towards his head. His right hand shot out and caught it by the ankle, an eyebrow raised at the shock that was evident on Liz's face. He let go a second later.
"You can do better, Liz." Stephen stated seriously, a small frown on his face. "Though that last kick was quite unexpected," he grudgingly added.
The dark haired female smirked as she flipped back onto her feet. "Haven't you noticed you're missing something, dear cousin?"
Stephen's eyes narrowed slightly at her words, wondering what she could possibly have done now.
Liz held up an antique golden watch between two fingers, a cheeky grin on her face at his reaction. "What happened to 'always being aware of your surroundings'," she mocked lightly as she threw the watch back at him, which he easily caught.
Stephen Strange shook his head good naturedly at the brunette while he slipped the watch back on. "When you rushed at me from the side," He stated, understanding in his eyes.
She nodded and stretched lightly, cracking her neck as she did so.
Before Stephen could reply, Cairo—one of the older initiates—came running towards them. Stephen raised an eyebrow at the dark skinned Egyptian male. "What is it?"
Liz ignored the look Cairo sent her way. The man hated her with a passion, believing that it was him who should have been the Sorcerer Supreme's personal apprentice and not her.
"Director Fury of SHIELD wants you to call him right away." Cairo stated stiffly, huffing slightly from running all the way from the other side of the small mountainous area to the training grounds.
"Director Fury?" The doctor frowned lightly, wondering what the man could possibly want. He had already denied the other's invitation to join the Avengers, claiming there was no way he possibly could while maintaining the position of the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth—a position that required absolute neutrality.
Cairo nodded, his stance portraying his unease. He didn't like the fact that Fury kept trying to get his master to leave.
Liz arched an eyebrow, looking mildly confused. "The Avengers guy? What does old director One-Eye want now?"
Cairo sent a harsh look her way. "I don't see how that is anyone's business but the master's." He spat coldly at the brunette, who remained unaffected by the Egyptian's tone.
Stephen gave the man a sharp warning look that lasted only for a second before looking at his cousin calmly. "We'll continue our sparring match at sunset." That would give the brunette a few hours to work on magic sustainability.
A small smirk curved her lips upward. "Aye aye, sir." It also gave her ample time to tease the Egyptian male, an act that gave her an overwhelming joy. She loved payback.
Stephen saw the mischievous glint in the female's dark blue eyes, arching an eyebrow ever so slightly as he let out a small sigh. "Behave." He ordered her. She simply gave him a wide eyed innocent smile. Holding back a groan, he disappeared, having teleported back to his quarters.
Once the doctor was gone, Liz turned her eyes onto the ill tempered Egyptian, mouthing one word: Payback.
"I've told you before, Fury." The sorcerer remarked as he looked at the figure on the screen with his arms crossed in front of him. "I'm not interested in joining your little group."
Nick Fury looked at the man, annoyance clear in his visible eye. "Let me talk first instead of just assuming I'm asking you to join the Avengers."
Stephen raised an eyebrow lightly, obviously not believing that hadn't been a request the Director was going to ask far. "Oh, so this has nothing to do with me joining them?" He inquired, disbelief obvious.
Fury glared at him before letting out an angry sigh. "Not exactly. Let me explain before you start interrupting me," He said the last part sharply when the other opened his mouth to reply.
Stephen looked slightly amused, spreading his arms out as he said, "Proceed."
"I'm so glad I have your permission, doctor." He growled sarcastically before regaining control over himself and saying stiffly, "Nineteen hours ago, SHIELD satellites picked up an inter-dimensional rift over the Amazon. Since then, we have at least four other confirmed reports of similar incidents." The man's face was deadly serious as he spoke. "Beijing, Istanbul, New Delhi, and most recently Los Angeles."
The amusement on Stephen's face had died away and he was now listening with rapt attention, his arms crossed once again with a serious expression on his face. "All highly populated area," he said slowly, a small frown on his lips. "All except the Amazon…"
"Exactly. Radars picked up faint deposits of magic residue at each of the sites, which is why SHIELD is asking for your assistance with this matter. After all, who better to turn to for incidents involving magic than the Sorcerer Supreme himself." The man's tone was slightly mocking at the end of it, though he didn't mean it disrespectfully.
Stephen sighed as he stood up straight, uncrossing his arms as he looked the man straight in the eye. "I'll see what I can do. However, my options are limited if the cause is not of Earth. Unfortunately, my own neutrality cannot be jeopardized."
Fury scowled at him. "Who cares about remaining neutral if millions of lives are in danger?"
His face hardened as he replied, "Someone who has to stay in control otherwise billions of lives will be endangered. I am currently the only sorcerer on Earth capable of being the Sorcerer Supreme, and I'm not saying that arrogantly. I might not be the most powerful out of them all, but I am the only one who understands the need of remaining neutral. A balance must be maintained in order for life on Earth to thrive. I can only intervene as a last resort, if the actual existence of this world is threatened, which," He added sharply before the other could argue, "has yet to be proven."
It was obvious by now that Fury was angry. It was almost as if his anger was tangible. "According to our database, a relative of yours by the name of Elizabeth Carter has accrued quite a criminal record for someone only at the age of twenty one…"
The doctor visibly stiffened at the thinly veiled threat, his eyes narrowing as he clenched the edge of his desk tightly to maintain his control. The only time he ever came close to losing his calm and control was when someone close to him was endangered. "Are you seriously threatening me, Director Fury?" His tone was low, a sure sign of his anger that was brimming just below. His eyes were hard and held no traces of their former warmth as he looked at the man.
Nick Fury wasn't an idiot. There was no way someone could be in such a high position as his without possessing at least a modicum of intelligence. He only used threats as a last resort. However, the man could instantly tell that, in Doctor Strange's mind, he had crossed the line by far. He knew that he would have to backtrack quickly if he didn't wish to gain the doctor as an enemy, something that SHIELD definitely could not afford to happen. Especially considering the man made numerous monetary donations toward the financing of SHIELD every so often. They couldn't afford to lose any financial backing.
"No, I'm not, Doctor Strange." He told the man after taking a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "However, SHIELD is desperate. We cannot let another incident like the one that occurred in New York happen again…you are our only hope."
Stephen took a deep breath as well as he calmed himself. It was never smart to speak when not in control of yourself. "As I told you before, I will see what I can do. I will call you back in a few hours with my decision." He ended the transmission before the other could reply. He sat down in his chair behind his desk and laid his head in his hands on the desk, his eyes closed. He agreed that SHIELD did need someone with experience in sorcery…but as he had previously stated to Fury, that someone could not be him. He would have to pick someone to go in his place.
If he was to go by control and power, then Cairo would be the most likely candidate for the job. However…he wasn't entirely too sure or keen on placing such trust in the Egyptian.
He sighed and raised his head. His eyes stared at the small frame resting on his desk that contained a picture of him, April, and Liz…taken before April's illness had been discovered. With a gentle finger, he lightly caressed the sides of the picture, his brows furrowed in thought.
"What to do…What to do…."
Liz stared up at the color changing sky from her place laying on her back in the grass while waiting for her cousin to come. He was running late. Unusual for him, but she didn't mind the wait.
Silently, she mused that it had been almost four and a half years since the man had saved her from the hellhole she had been living in. For that alone, her cousin had obtained her undying, never ending loyalty (not that he hadn't already had it, but still).
A cool breeze blew through and she instinctively tightened the initiate robe she was wearing over her usual clothes around herself, a small shiver passing through her as if thoughts of the past had made them come alive once again.
"Don't worry, Elizabeth. I will never allow them to come near you again."
Her usually bright midnight blue eyes were darker with undecipherable emotions clouding them as her thoughts swept back to that particular memory, the tiniest hint of a smile crossing her face as she remembered the way she had envisioned her cousin at that prior moment in time: a knight in shining armor, despite the harsh things she had said to him in reply to that. Her eyes softened for a brief moment.
The sounds of footsteps snapped her out of her reverie and she jumped onto her feet as she turned to face the doctor. "Took you long enough, you old geezer." She smirked, her arms crossing in front of herself.
Stephen rolled his eyes at the insult. "I didn't realize being ten years older than you made me an old geezer." He retorted, an amused look on his face.
She shrugged lightly, leaning her summoned sword against her shoulder, the smirk still playing upon her face. "Well it does." She moved her sword so that it was resting in front of her as she took an offensive position, though her actions were light as if she wasn't all that serious about sparring. "You ready to continue our training?" She tilted her head at him, her eyes shining with mischief.
"No."
Liz blinked in surprise, her stance dropping as she stared at him with confusion and disbelief. "No?" Her dark eyes examined the other's face curiously, trying to figure out what was going on. A small frown rested on her face where the smirk had previously been.
Stephen nodded, running his hand through his dark hair with a sigh. "What I mean is, is that our duel is being temporarily postponed."
She scrunched her nose up, something she did whenever she was confused or annoyed. In this case, it was because of both. "Why?" Her thoughts raced quietly for a moment as her eyes stayed on the other, noting the seriousness within her cousin's dark eyes. "Does this have anything to do with whatever old One-Eye wanted?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
"In a way…yes." The man looked at the brunette with a small frown as he once again questioned himself on whether this was a good idea or not. Liz was impulsive, stubborn, and often times careless…but then again, behind her impulsivity was a surprising intelligence that few ever saw. She was also someone he trusted fully and completely, despite her questionable choices and decisions.
"Elaborate. Now." Liz ordered, her eyes staring at him with an intense sharpness that further proved that she wasn't as stupid as most believed her to be.
Stephen hesitated for a moment, the frown still on his face. Indecision flickered within his eyes as he regarded his cousin, knowing that she could handle what he was about to ask of her, but his familial ties to her making him not want to put her in potential danger. However, his brain won the argument in the long run. She was a grown woman and therefore he couldn't make decisions for her.
"There have been sites of magical phenomena around the globe…and Fury wishes to have someone on hand who has experience with this sort of thing."
"You can't." Liz told him sharply before he could say anymore, the frown on her face having grown. "You're the Sorcerer Supreme." She knew that her cousin had plenty of duties he had to fulfill on a daily basis in order to keep the balance preserved. He didn't have time for that sort of thing.
"I know I can't…but you can." Stephen told her slowly, his eyes on her face as he watched her reaction.
She blinked, her eyes widening. "Me?" She questioned in disbelief, not sure she had heard right. She would have expected him to pick someone else.
"Yes you." A tiny bit of amusement flashed through his eyes before once again becoming serious. "If you want. This is entirely voluntarily and there's a chance it will be dangerous as well if the source of these phenomena turns out to be hostile. I don't know what all will be entailed within what you will have to do, but…I know you, Liz….and I know you will be able to handle this." His eyes softened a little, though the seriousness within them didn't diminish as he watched her expression carefully. "The choice is entirely yours as I said. I will still train you, except the training will be different than what we've been currently doing due to the distance…Do you want this?"
Most people would seriously contemplate such a decision, weigh the pros against the cons in order to figure out if such a job was worth all of the risks that would surely come about from it. They would know that, despite the doctor's words, the 'chance' of it being dangerous was relatively high. However, Elizabeth Carter wasn't most people. She was the type to jump headlong into something without bothering to waste time thinking over the consequences.
Which is why Stephen was unsurprised with the answer she gave.
"Duh."
AN: Thanks for reading ^~^ Hope you all liked it! Reviews would be awesome so, you know, ^^ review if you have time :D Muchas gracias~!
xoxo Chaos
