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Chapter 10
Let The Games Begin
Doctor Strange abruptly woke Merlin up by grabbing him by the back of his coat and yanking him out of his seat.
"Wha-" Merlin started.
"We need to leave," Doctor Strange said, pushing Merlin towards the door. "Now!"
Merlin didn't ask any questions, and they both hurried to the door. Merlin expected for District 3 to be on the other side, but when his feet hit concrete, he found himself someplace he didn't recognize.
"Welcome to New York City," Doctor Strange said. "We need to blend in. Someone was tracking you."
Merlin nodded, too overwhelmed to argue.
It didn't take long to get used to the city. The buildings were larger than anything he'd ever saw, and he constantly felt like they were going to collapse, and it was much louder, but it still was a city much like Camelot.
And much like Camelot, thieves would no doubt target those who looked new here.
Doctor Strange has disguised Merlin's clothes to better fit the time period too, and that was much harder to get used to. His shoes felt oddly shaped, and his shirt was much thinner than anything he'd buy. In his usual life, the shirt couldn't have lasted more than a day or two.
"Where are we headed?" Merlin asked.
"Krispy Kreme," Doctor Strange replied. "I'm about to introduce you to a whole new world."
Morgana and Morgause stepped into the library.
"Whoever was here is long gone," Morgana noted.
Morgause ran her fingers over some of the books. "And very powerful."
"You're not welcome here."
Morgana and Morgause swirled to see a lone man standing behind them, a scowl on his face.
"I am welcome wherever I say I am," Morgause declared.
"Move or we will move you," Morgana added.
"That's not the way it works here."
Morgana smirked and sent a blast of power towards the man.
Surprisingly, the man blocked the magic.
"Your powers are weaker here," the man continued. "You cannot win against a master of the mystic arts."
Morgause shot a pillar of fire, but the man made a circle with his hands and sent the fire someplace else.
The man pushed the circle forward, and Morgana and Morgause ended up someplace different.
Morgana was immediately forced to jump out of the way of a moving machine.
"Now where are we?"
Merlin decided his favorite food was now donuts. It was a shame he couldn't finish his before Doctor Strange was pulling him back to the sanctum.
Wong, who Merlin had only met briefly before, retold his brief skirmish with two magical ladies.
"What did they look like?" Merlin asked.
"One was blonde," Wong described. "The other had solid black hair."
Not a very specific answer, but Merlin knew who they were anyways.
"Are you sure about this?" Doctor Strange asked.
Merlin nodded. "Let's get this out of the way."
Wong summoned the circle - one of the magic techniques Merlin had first learned while studying at the Sanctum - and brought the two girls back.
"Morgana," Doctor Strange said. "Morgause."
"How do you know our names?" Morgana demanded.
And then their eyes fell on Merlin.
"You-"
Doctor Strange held a hand up. "I've brought you two here against my better judgement because your lives are also threatened by our situation."
"Are you asking us for help?" Morgause asked.
"No," Doctor Strange replied. "Nothing more than a truce."
"We did not come here searching for trouble," Morgause replied. She glared at Merlin. "Unlike some people."
"Ah, yes," Doctor Strange said. "I'm aware of your past. From the sound of it, the two of you are fighting to keep a way of life alive. That won't happen if your world dissolves. For now, our goals align."
"And what are you're goals, mister-"
"Doctor. That is, Doctor Strange. My goals are the preservation of peace and life on Earth - my Earth, that is."
Morgause pursed her lips. "It does sound like we have similar goals, Doctor Strange, but I wouldn't trust Merlin."
"And I don't trust you," Merlin added. "Not anymore, at least. But we don't need trust. We just need to promise not to interfere with each other."
Morgana and Morgause exchanged looks.
"We'll talk," Morgause decided.
"Great." Doctor Strange replied. He pushed the portal towards them. "Goodbye."
Morgana and Morgause will return...