...
Time was a fickle thing. An everchanging concept that belied a strange, almost surreal, similarity with mankind itself.
Or perhaps mankind simply grew to behave in a similar manner? As old as she was, she wasn't quite sure which was true.
Attempting to look into, much like attempting to predict one's human nature, tended to give out the same result.
Time generally avoided any scenario it was willing to show. Or rather, it demanded a hefty fee from the observer.
Generally speaking, she made it a point to avoid trying to foresee the future unless absolutely necessary.
Its fickleness came from the fact that depending on whatever wanted scenario she looked towards, the more attempts she made, the less likely it was to come about.
If her first attempt into looking into the future gave her the reassurance she searched for, then the odds of her timeline following it followed the same laws she'd grew up with; that being so long as no attempts by her, or anyone else that knew, went against it, it was likely to follow through. That in itself however was difficult enough to manage, as even the futures she wished for were not perfect by any means.
The true problem, however, arose when the first attempt showed her a path she didn't wish to see. As her only hope of diverting it completely would be to create more branches in the mirror. Yet, the more she created, the harder it would be to force the right branch to take over.
As an example, it had taken her thousands of attempts before she'd seen a path where her disciple, one by the name of Kaecilius, hadn't defected from her Order. That had, including the already unlikely conditions mustered by the laws of reality, made that particular future thousands of times more unlikely to occur. In a sense, she may as well have taken the smallest glimmer of hope that he would stay true to their cause, and shattered it herself.
Far into a branching future, the Sorcerer Supreme meant to succeed her, had made a similar mistake himself.
Doctor Stephen Strange, in another lifetime, had inadvertently made the odds of humanities triumph over the Mad Titan, near infinitely harder; only he'd corrected his mistake by divulging the truth of it all to its savior.
Yet, had fate itself not met the conditions necessary; that been the perfect child been born to convince the savior the world was worth saving, it would've failed.
If Stephen Strange hadn't forced the universe to give him the answer he'd needed, then the team he'd been with could've very well stopped the Mad titan in his tracks themselves.
Until weeks ago, such a future wouldn't have been possible for her to see herself.
And while she ought to have worried given the nature of foresight, she hadn't been, as that future had shown up in the outskirts of the diamond.
Said diamond, was in truth no such thing. Merely a concept of what reality looked like to her whenever she attempted to perceive the possible future that might occur.
Attempting to look into the timeline, after all, was akin to attempting to look through a cut diamond, with a light shown through it. Whatever reality that no longer had any chance of existence, generally appeared outside of it.
Almost as if the very universe itself was taunting the viewer.
Up until weeks ago, most of the timelines she'd seen had been rather common.
Yet now... All she could see was the stranger beside her. The diamond's branching timelines all had one thing in common with them.
The world wanderer currently walking beside her, eyeing the city around them indifferently.
And had that been all that was to it, she would've merely acquainted herself with him, to get an idea of who exactly he might've been...
Except for one thing.
Whenever she'd looked into the futures that held his image...
He'd always looked back at her, amusement dancing in his eyes.
For the first time in her life, the future had spoken back.
And now that she stood beside him... A small part of her understood why.
Reality itself seemed to bend at the knees around him. Whether he knew of the fact or not remained, yet she couldn't help the curiosity burning through her eyes as she took him in. As she took in the glimpses of the worlds he'd been to, of the worlds he'd seen.
For all intents and purposes, he was an enigma of the highest degree.
An enigma that, whose very presence, had altered her fate. Had altered the death she'd been certain of.
Yet, the reason she'd approached him in the first place, was rather simple in truth.
For years she'd watched and wondered. Waited and expected. And above all, dreaded, yet hoped over the future of her disciple.
When the time came, after every guarantee that the terrible outcome she'd seen would occur...
Kaecilius had stayed.
And in response, Dr. Stephen Strange's future had forever turned.
For the man would no longer have a need to visit her.
For fate had decreed him out of her reach.
A fate she'd herself made to undo, for while Kaecilius loyalty was a boon without a doubt...
The only one who could stand up to defeat the darkness that neared ever closer was Strange himself.
Even now, she wondered as to how the man would've accomplished it.
Unfortunately, despite having visited the man herself, he'd shown no interest in learning the Mystic Arts, valuing the stable world he'd lived in, above her own.
The stranger before her, as it were, was the last hope she held of convincing him... For she doubted anyone else could.
"This favor of yours?" The other questioned, earning her attention. "What's it involve exactly?"
She stopped on her feet, right before the high-class building before them.
Strange's home as it were.
"It involves the man who lives in there," She tilted her head upwards.
The stranger quirked an eyebrow at her, before appraising the building before them.
He no doubt wanted to know who-
"I am not breaking Strange's hands if that's what you're asking." The man deadpanned.
And her curiosity only rose, her eyebrows well and truly raised.
Knowing of a potential disciple's desertion was one thing- Perhaps even the great darkness himself... But to know that particular future's timeline to such detail, without having the ability to look into the future itself-
She found herself almost speechless.
She watched as he uncrossed his arms, a hand rubbing the back of his head.
"You want Strange because of Dormammu, right?"
"Could you do it? Convince him otherwise?"
"Without giving him a reason to quit? Probably not..."
She couldn't help the sigh that escaped- Yet, despite the situation at hand, the stranger refused to leave... Perhaps he knew? Of what Stephen had done to stop the demon on his tracks?
"Though... I suppose you could always just do what he did-"
The hope in her heart soared-
"I mean, you know, if all you want to do is make Dormammu back off temporarily? 'cos that's all he really did."
She almost couldn't help the bemusement that filtered her face, for the words spoken told her there were other means-
"I could always help you stop him permanently? You know if you want?"
The breath for a moment almost hitched in her throat, yet the word that escaped her mouth wasn't the one she wished for.
"Why?"
"I really want a Sling Ring?"
"...Not the time-stone?"
For what else would be worth putting oneself against one of the mightiest beings of reality? What else would be worth, presumably, stopping him permanently?
"Eh, I wouldn't say no, but I get the whole 'it's important for the protection of the world' and all that jazz." The stranger remarked, an aloof expression on his face, as he raised both hands to the back of his head. "Though I would appreciate been able to use it a time or two if I ever figure out how to end my cycle."
She had, admittedly enough, thought the future form that had relayed a message to her had been attempting to make a fool out of her... A form of a joke she'd failed to understand... Yet...
"You truly wish to end your immortality?"
"Yup." The man grinned at her.
"...Why?"
"'cos, I am sick and tired of outliving everything I care about."
And it was then and there that she understood what it was about the stranger that showed how dangerous he could truly be...
He was an immortal that never gave up on his humanity.
It was then and there, that she truly believed that he could do it...
He could truly, put an end to Dormammu's reign.
Her expression and mind resolved, she locked eyes with him and asked.
"What would you need to stop him?" She questioned, absolutely serious.
The stranger grinned.
"Access to the Time-stone-"
Unsurprising in truth. What he spoke off would no doubt require the power of an infinity stone to manage.
"-some paper-"
Her expression faltered the slightest. She wasn't entirely keen on a possible ritual of a kind, the dangers of which would no doubt-
No.
If it meant ending him, once and for all...
It would be worth it.
"-and a cow."
She blinked in response.
"I am sorry... Did you just say a cow?"
"Well, I figured you'd still want your beauty treatment going? Cows have udders."
She couldn't help but wonder what it was she was signing herself up for...
"I am... confused, what are you planning to do exactly?"
"I am going to seal Dormammu into a cow." He deadpanned, absolutely serious.
...What?
...
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