The Magic of Marvel

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel.

Chapter 5:

Student Becomes The Master

'Thinking'

"Talking"

"Talking"

- Kamar-Taj -

Time moves differently when living in Kamar-Taj, and I don't mean that because of the Time Stone kept within the Eye of Agamotto either.

What I mean is, that the tranquility in living within such a peaceful environment where your every day is filled with training, eating, and studying quickly becomes a never-ending cycle.

A cycle that will seem to flow far-too-quickly in one second, and then unbelievably slow in the next. The best example is when your head is buried within piles of ancient tomes and scrolls, trying to figure out the best ways to use a new and exciting piece of magic, time becomes the least of your worries.

In fact, it's times that when you wish it would stand still just so you can stay in the moment a little while longer.

But when you're getting an ass-kicking by your Master for the thousandth time in a spar? You start counting down the seconds to when the training will end.

- February 18th, 2013 -

Spinning my quarterstaff around, I barely manage to block the whip-like strikes of Mordo's Staff of the Living Tribunal. The oddly-flexible relic twisting and bending in unnatural angles that allow him to strike at places which are difficult for me to guard. Only by keeping my staff in constant rotation am I able to hold back his fast-paced movements.

"Don't get distracted, Apprentice!" Mordo barks out, drawing back the relic to its normal length as he immediately dashes in to my weakened guard. "You must always be prepared for whatever your enemy may throw at you!"

As if to iterate his point, Mordo suddenly jumps to the side as I bring the quarterstaff down in an overhead strike. The wooden staff barely missing his head as the older man uses his Vaulting Boots of Valtorr to hop on thin air to get around to my open back.

WHACK!

"Ow! Fuck that hurts!" The sudden flair of pain as Mordo clobbers me over the back of my head sends me stumbling to the ground. Panting as my free hand comes up to rub where I was hit, I use the quarterstaff as a crutch to try unsuccessfully to pull myself to my feet. "Did you have to hit me so hard, Master?"

Chuckling at the face I make, Mordo replies with a bit of humor in his tone. "Of course, Apprentice. Pain is one of life's greatest teachers, after all."

Seeing me struggle to get up, he reaches out with a hand to help pull me up. Grabbing my arm as I go to take his in a firm grip, before lifting me off the ground with surprising strength. "…and by now you should be quite wise, with the amount of lessons pain has taught you." He adds with a small smirk.

"Ha. Ha." I grumble jokingly at his humor, returning his smirk with a smile of gratitude. "Thank you for today's lesson, Master Mordo."

Bowing to him in respect, Mordo gives one of his own in return before slapping my shoulder gently. "Now, come! It's already lunch time, and I could go for something different this time."

As a rumble from my stomach reminds me that I foolishly skipped breakfast, I nod along with his idea as we leave the sparring courtyard. "Where should we head to this time?"

In the last three months since becoming Mordo's apprentice, we've come to develop a truly enjoyable routine together. The constant one-on-one's we've had together -whether it be in him teaching me the Mystic Arts, or in our sparring- have taught me a lot about him.

For one thing, he's actually quite a funny and relaxed guy outside of training. In fact, of everyone who likes to go out of Kamar-Taj to get food elsewhere, Mordo is often the first one to suggest it because of how many places he's been. Practically every major city in the world has some restaurant, take-out, or bar that he knows all about and ventures to at least once a week.

And now that I'm his apprentice, he's been taking me along with him on these food excursions.

"I'm thinking some Carne Asada tacos today," He ponders out loud as we make our way down one of the hallways.

All around us, other Novices and Apprentices step to the side and bow respectfully to him as we pass them by. The deep respect that everyone has for the effort he puts into training the younger students, has made him one of the most well-liked Masters in Kamar-Taj; behind only Kaecilius and the Ancient One.

Feeling my stomach rumble loudly at the sound of tacos, I easily agree with the suggestion. "Just as long as they don't add too much hot sauce or other spices to it, Karl. My mouth still feels numb after last week's burritos."

What? I'm about as white as it gets.

Spicy food and white people just don't mix.

"Hahaha fair enough, Ben." He chuckles. Undoubtably remembering how red my face got when I took a large bite of a burrito he bought me, only to find out -to my detriment- that it contained some of the hottest spices there is.

It feels weird to call him by name, and to hear him call me by my first name. But now that we're no longer training, Mordo doesn't feel it necessary to stick with the whole 'Master and Apprentice' thing.

Another surprising thing that I've come to learn about him; and another reason why choosing him was the better option over Kaecilius, who requires that all of his Apprentices refer to him as Master.

Coming to a stop at one the intersections that leads off into two different corridors, Mordo glances down at his watch. "Meet back here in 15 minutes? I'll open a portal for us once we're ready."

"Sounds good." Tossing him a wave, I head down the opposite corridor where my room is. The thought of a nice cold shower to get the sweat off, followed by some delicious tacos sounds so good after spending all day getting bruised by Mordo's unorthodox fighting style.

Quickly jumping in and out of the shower, I change into a spare black t-shirt and blue jeans before grabbing my wallet.

Unfortunately, because I'm not at a high enough skill with the Mystic Arts, I haven't yet learned how to use Transmutation to change my robes into regular clothes. Which means I'm stuck with whatever clothes I have the time to pick up on the rare few days off I get from Mordo's teaching.

It turns out that becoming a student at Kamar-Taj comes with a paycheck. Since we're basically considered as interns, the other Masters pay us every week for the efforts we put into our training and studies.

I had wondered how it is that the Masters of the Mystic Arts can not only afford to maintain such a large place as Kamar-Taj, but to also hand out Sling Rings -which are made of solid gold- like it's no big deal.

Turns out the answer is the same reason why the Masters only ever buy robes, even though many of them travel all over the world and blend in with the common populace on a daily basis.

Transmutation.

With enough mastery of Transmutation, some of the more capable Masters of the Mystic Arts can create as much gold and precious gems as they like by simply turning ordinary, everyday objects with the same ease in which they change their clothes.

In other words; after reaching a certain point in my studies, I'll never have to worry about money ever again.

'A wonderful thought for the future. But for now,' I think as I stuff my wallet into my jeans as I grab a jacket from my closet. 'I'll just have to make do with what they pay us each week.'

Hopefully I still have enough to cover our meals today as a way of paying Mordo back for the lesson, because that guy has an endless stomach that consumes food like nothing I've ever seen before.

'Actually, maybe I should let him pay for his own meals this time…last time we went out for tacos, he scarfed down over a dozen on them.'

- Rosarito, Mexico -

Munching down on my third taco, I try not to stare at the pile of ten empty taco wrappers surrounding Mordo as we enjoy a quiet moment on Rosarito beach with barely anyone else around us. The only real noise besides the sound of waves crashing on the beach, is the scraping of utensils on a grill coming from the stand next to us.

The family running taco stand we purchased our lunch from, has apparently known Mordo for quite a while, and greeted us warmly as soon as we arrived. The fact that my Master ordered enough tacos to feed a family of four all for himself got a round of laughs from the older couple, who even commented -shockingly- that he must be on a diet to order so few.

As we enjoy the small moment of peace, off to the side of us I listen in as a tv plays the latest news of what's going on in the world.

"…government officials and everyday, ordinary citizens all across the globe are asking the same question. When we'll see the return of the Avengers?" A news anchor reports, his voice playing over a video of the Chitauri Invasion before zooming in on some of the blurring images with the Avengers in it.

"While the events of May 4th will go down in Earth's history as a momentous day. Many are left wondering where the heroes who saved New York are? Only Tony Stark's Iron Man has been seen in public since then, when he saved the life of the President of the United States from the terrorist known only as 'The Mandarin'."

The images of New York change to show the footage of the US President strung up in the Iron Patriot armor as explosions and Iron Man suits fly around in the background. "…all requests for interviews and comments from Tony Stark, or any of the other Avengers, have been repeatedly rejected by Stark Industries."

Finishing off the last bite of my taco, I crumple up the wrapper and put it off to the side as I continue listening in to the news with half my focus as I think back on everything…

It's been nine months since that fateful day when I arrived, and it's crazy to think how much has gone on in such a short timeframe. Thor is still off in Asgard, Bruce Banner has been supposedly working alongside Tony Stark from time-to-time in between helping out Shield. And Steve Rogers has disappeared into covert missions for Shield alongside Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton.

Luckily, despite the first Avengers movie having happened some months ago, I haven't missed out on any other major events from the movies besides Iron Man 3.

There had been a few whispers at the time from the other Americans studying at Kamar-Taj, who thought about creating a Portal back to the U.S. so they could help out before things got too far. But Stark proved to be every bit the Iron Man from the movies as got to the pier in time to take care of everything before anyone could jump the gun.

From what I can recall of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is slowly becoming less and less as time goes on, the only big thing happening in 2013 is the Convergence. It's not until next year when things really start kicking into gear with the whole Winter Soldier movie.

As things stand, I need to pick up the pace is I want to meet my deadline in 9 months. While my skills in combat have seen a remarkable improvement under Mordo's teaching -especially with my quarterstaff-, I've yet to make any significant breakthroughs in the Mystic Arts.

"Hey Karl," Breaking the comfortable silence we've been enjoying, I turn my head to the older dark-skinned man as I ask. "The Ancient One told you about my plans to leave Kamar-Taj when the Convergence arrives, right?"

Wiping his mouth as his hand pulls a taco away from his face, Mordo nods. "Yes, Ben. She has made me aware of it…though, I do not know why?"

"There's something I've got to do." I reply, turning back to watch the waves as I vaguely share some of my plans with him. It's best I don't reveal too much, just to be safe. "Something that will likely pull me away from Kamar-Taj, and perhaps even Earth itself, for a while."

"Ah!" He grins as if a lightbulb has suddenly gone off in his head. "You wish to take up the same travels which some of the other Masters of the Mystic Arts have pursued at one time or another."

"Kind of…" I reply, making a 'so-so' gesture with my hand. "More like there's a chance for me to grow beyond my limits, and the Convergence provides me with the perfect chance to do it."

Honestly, the whole Thor: The Dark World timeline is rife with opportunity to grow stronger. Even if I can't really steal the Reality Stone out from under everyone; as long as I can make sure that Jane gets sucked into the portal that leads directly to the Aether and beyond Heimdall's sight, Thor will come running in a panic to find her.

And when people panic, they tend to do things they would normally be more cautious about.

Like taking a suddenly Aether-possessed Jane, and a strange Sorcerer who knows what's going on, back to Asgard.

"I see…" Mordo stares at me with a searching look before turning to watch the waves with me. "And why are you telling me this?"

…why am I telling him this?

"Because, you've treated me kindly ever since I arrived at Kamar-Taj." Truthfully, it's because the way he treats our training like a military instructor reminds me so much of the few childhood memories of my father, that I've grown rather used to having him around. "And I don't want you to think that my leaving has anything to do with our training."

Allowing that rather heartfelt comment to settle, Mordo asks another question. "Do you think you'll be ready in time to take the Master's exam before the Convergence arrives?"

What I'm about to say next will likely cause me more than a bit of pain and suffering. But if it gets me to where I need to be in time, then I have to do it.

"That depends," I reply, turning to face him with a grin. "Are you going to keep taking it easy on me? At the rate you're training me, I'm more likely to be as old as the Ancient One before I'll be ready to take the Master's exam."

Even if my words are said in good humor and not at all as a diss to his teaching style, the fire I can see growing in his eyes as he smirks proves that it's done exactly what I needed it to do.

"…oh really?" He practically growls with faux-anger. Standing up as he finishes the taco in his hand with a single bite, Mordo crosses his arms over his chest as he stares down at me. "It seems I have been going too soft on you, if you're able to say such things to my face with confidence."

That's more like it. I need him to bring his best, and push me further than this current pace we're at will take me.

I know I can't reach Doctor Strange levels, or even Mordo's level in the amount of time we have left. But with enough pressure from him, and increased efforts on my part, then things might just turn out okay.

Standing up to face him, I cross my own arms in challenge as we stare each other down. "Then let's do something about it…Master Mordo."

As he grabs a Sling Ring from the pocket of his pants, Mordo makes a simple gesture that transforms our normal clothes into perfect replicas of the robes we were wearing earlier. "As you wish…Apprentice Magnusson."

- September 21st, 2013 -

Panting like crazy as I sprint for my life through the deserts of Egypt, I mentally reprimand myself for ever thinking it was a good idea to taunt Mordo into picking up my training all those months ago.

'Oh yeah, taunt your Master, Ben. Really make him push your skills to the limits, Ben! GREAT IDEA BEN!'

Over the last seven months since that day by the taco stand, Mordo has made it his mission to personally throw every difficult challenge my way as he can.

Everything from demanding more out of our martial arts and weapons sparring, to expecting me to master spells that border or even cross into a Master's skill level, to testing my knowledge of every single relic the Masters of the Mystic Arts have collected over the centuries.

Even as I wish I could take back what I said after suffering countless bruises and sleepless nights, the rate at which my growth improved eventually reached a point where Mordo felt I was ready to take on the next vital step towards becoming a Master.

Live training.

And by that, I mean taking me along with him as Mordo went out to deal with some of the interdimensional threats that would pop up from time to time.

As is the case now.

Earlier this morning, Mordo stopped our training to tell me that we had another mission to go on. Claiming that the Ancient One detected a few arrivals from the Dark Dimension using the Orb of Agamotto; the device built by the founder of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, which monitors the entire planet for any potential threats crossing over into our dimension.

Unfortunately, my Master decided to play another of his tricks, and gave me a smaller count on the number of arrivals than was actually reported. One of his attempts to force me into using "critical thinking" as I try not to get killed during a situation I haven't had time to prepare for.

In this case, it's a large group of zombie-like creatures with humanoid bodies whose skin looks like it's mummified, and the flesh is blackened to the point of looking like it's been burnt.

But the most worrying thing about them, besides the mental images of zombie flicks that their appearances invoke, is the glowing purple marks on their forehead.

The Mark of Dormammu.

Meaning that these aren't just any interdimensional threats, these are Dormammu's Mindless Ones. Former living beings who once sought out his Dark Dimension in the hopes of drawing power from it, only for the bastard himself to take control of their bodies and destroy their minds.

Leaving behind nothing more than empty shells who can only do what their puppet master orders.

And to add to the fun of this little excursion, Mordo decided to snatch my Sling Ring and leave me to deal with them on my own as he watches safely from a distance. 'Sometimes he can be a real bastard.'

For most enemies we're sent to deal with, sending them into the Mirror Dimension and trapping them there to all eternity is one of the simplest -and easiest- solutions. But to do that, I'd need to have a Sling Ring.

VOOM!

Barely dodging a beam of dark purple energy as it soars over my right shoulder, I curse my Master and the Ancient One for going along with Mordo's mad plan as I try to stay alive. 'Oh, and did you know that the Mindless Ones can shoot blasts of Dark Dimensional energy through their marks?...No? NEITHER DID I!'

"This is BULLSHIT!" I scream, forcing my legs to keep moving through the difficult terrain as the sound of multiple dark dimension beams fire all around me. Each beam striking a sand dune and causing explosions of glass as the power behind their attacks superheat the sand. 'At least their aim is terrible.'

Figuring I've given myself enough room to cast some magic before they can descend upon me like it's World War Z, I turn around to face the horde of twenty sprinting Mindless Ones.

'Time to return the favor, assholes.' Moving my hands in a way I've done countless times in study; I grin as the warm sensation of Eldritch energy courses through my body. 'Bolts of Balthakk!'

Slamming my hands into the sand, three large tendrils of fiery-orange energy spring from the ground. Moving like horizontal bolts of lightning, the eldritch spell bounces off the sand dunes and races to meet the enemy head on as the Mindless Ones charge up another attack.

As soon as the Bolts of Balthakk reach them, only one of the Mindless Ones gets off a blast before an explosion covers the area.

Shifting to the side as the blast of dark dimension energy misses me by a foot, I quickly begin moving my hands as small holographic bands of eldritch energy appear around my wrists. 'Winds of Watoomb!'

Sending a blast of orange wind to blow away the smoke created by my attack, I barely have time to celebrate what I count to be the destruction of over half the Mindless Ones, before the remaining half return fire with a single synchronized attack consisting of ten beams of purple energy.

'SHIT!'

Acting on instinct, my arms cross in front of me in the Wakandan salute as the two pieces of leather wrapped around my arms begin to glow orange with magic symbols.

In an instant, the vambraces flare up before a large fiery-orange dome of eldritch energy springs to life around me.

BOOM!

Feeling the power behind their attack, I continue putting as much Eldritch energy into the relics as I can. 'They're no Cloak of Levitation, but these things sure do come in handy…'

- Flashback -

A few months into my training as Mordo's apprentice, training has been going at a far faster pace than it was before thanks to the library's full contents now being opened to me. With access to every book available, and my growing list of languages that I can at least read, so much information was now at my fingertips.

Probably the biggest hurdle that I needed to get through in order to step up my skills with the Mystic Arts, required learning how to use Astral Projection. That way I could pull a Strange and continue studying books in Astral from while my body rests in the physical world.

Mordo seemed to understand what I was after fairly quickly, and helped walk me through the steps.

I have to admit, it was kind of freaky to move around like a ghost. In my Astral form, I could fly through walls and move about like there's not gravity. While Kamar-Taj has barriers and protective magical shields to keep out anyone trying to see into the building, the outside world is left completely open to anyone who wishes to roam wherever they please.

There hasn't been a lot of time for me to it to explore the world, but I figure it'll come in handy once I'm away from Kamar-Taj. Right now, with access to studying almost 24-7 thanks to this new cheat, my skills have improved enough that Mordo feels I'm ready to search for my very own Relic.

"Some magic is too powerful to sustain, so we imbue objects with it. Allowing them to take the strain that we cannot." Mordo explains as we walk through the Hong Kong Sanctum's portal. "You already know of my Vaulting Boots of Valtorr, and the Staff of the Living Tribunal that I wield so often in our training sessions."

Feeling a twinge of phantom pain in my arm where he had landed a solid strike with said relic earlier today, Mordo smirks knowingly as I rub at the spot with a friendly glare.

"There are many relics kept within our Sanctums…and today, we will see if any of them choose you."

Nodding along as I try not to chuckle at the thought of 'the wand chooses the wizard' metaphor Mordo's unintentionally used, he leads me through the Sanctum as my eyes move back and forth between glass cases displaying relics of various make, shape, and ability.

"And how will I know if one of them chooses me?" I ask after passing by the eighth relic that hasn't reacted to my presence.

As if to keep from spoiling the mystery, Mordo simply replies with, "You will know."

Rolling my eyes, I continue moving throughout the Hong Kong Sanctum at a sedate pace. Seeing that I can't do anything to expedite the process, I merely enjoy the chance to look at all of the relics created centuries ago.

'There's the Wand of Watoom,' I glance down at the foot-long metal instrument, the handle twisted in a spiral pattern that ends with two-horned skull on both ends. A powerful relic that my studies reveal can absorb, redirect, and amplify energy. 'And there's the shattered pieces of the Staff of One, the Golden Gauntlets of Gamorr, the Ivory Idol of Ikonn…'

Relic after power relic stayed exactly where it was set, never once showing any signs of reacting to me or having chosen me to be its wielder like Mordo said it would. While the uses and strength of each relic varied widely -as did they're histories- none gave the slightest inclination that they were the one I was looking for.

Eventually, after reaching the last few cases of relics before we moved onto one of the other Sanctums, what I hoped would happen finally came true.

As I'm walking past an open case displaying a few of the smaller relics, a pair of leather arm-like wraps suddenly jump into the air and latch themselves onto my forearms.

"What the-…" Blinking in surprise at the sudden movement, I bring my arms up to look at the new additions as Mordo -having watched it all happen- walks over with a bright smile on his face.

"Ah! The Vambraces of Vishanti," He explains as I move my arms around experimentally, testing the weight and feel of the relic. "A rather powerful relic, and one that will prove most useful to you later on."

I know exactly what he means by them being powerful.

The Vambraces of Vishanti are a relic created centuries ago -before the Ancient One's time- by a Wakandan Sorcerer Supreme who caught a glimpse of Wakanda's future through the Eye of Agamotto, and tried to recreate a portable version of the barrier that protects the country.

Using the Eldritch energies drawn from the Vishanti Dimension, the vambraces are able to create a powerful protective shield that is similar to the spell all Mystic Arts users learn to create.

Only, instead of requiring the hand motions necessary to create the Shield of the Seraphim, or even wait for the energy to be drawn from the dimension, the relic is able to do all of that on its own in a split second. And going a step further, the relic actually manipulates the shield into becoming a protective dome instead of the standard wall.

Thereby, granting its wielder a life-saving way to create protective shields that can block multi-directional attacks.

"And they're incredibly light…" I mumble more to myself, feeling the almost feather-like weight of the thick leather wraps on my arms.

Admiring the runes and magic symbols faintly etched into the material, I grin as I channel Eldritch energy into them, causing the symbols of like up in an orange glow before crossing my arms in front of me as I remember the text said I should. A nod from the creator of the relic to his home country's salute, and the only motion necessary to create a large bubble-like shield around my body.

"Oh, hell yes!"

- Flashback End -

Struggling to keep the shield up by funneling more eldritch energy into the vambraces, I mentally thank the creator of these relics for their excellent craftsmanship. Because if it wasn't for them, I would have never been able to create as strong a shield on my own that was fast enough to intercept all of their attacks.

As the Mindless Ones' attacks finally begin to let up, they take off sprinting towards me as I keep the shield up in preparation. Waiting for them to get close enough while I continually feed more eldritch energy into the protective dome.

'Wait for it…wait for it…' Once the ten enemies are close enough that I can make out the details on their emaciated faced, I grin back at them as they run straight into my trap. 'NOW!'

Forcing the energy that's been poured into the shield outwards, I uncross my arms and throw them out wide as the fiery-orange protective dome explodes.

BOOM!

A massive detonation of condensed eldritch energy releases itself as a rapidly expanding shockwave that tosses the charging Mindless Ones back. Of the ten that survived my earlier attack, three are close enough to the blast that their corpse-like bodies disintegrate on contact.

The last seven tumble end-over-end in the air before slamming into the sand. The mindless puppets of Dormammu releasing a terrible, inhuman scream as they impact the dunes hard enough to have broken every bone in an average human's body.

Instead, it barely even slows their withered husk bodies down as they waste not a moment's time before standing back up.

With my latest attack having mostly failed, I fall back on a less taxing spell as I clap my hands together, quickly conjuring a staff of eldritch energy before leaping out of the crater that the explosion created.

"RAGH!" A Mindless One shouts as it leaps at me as soon as I land outside the crater, only to be met head-on with the tip of a fiery-orange staff that burns straight through its withered head.

'One done, six left.'

Pulling the staff back closer to my body, I spin the eldritch construct to build momentum before twisting around to strike another husk that tries sneaking up behind me. The solid CRACK of the staff's body shattering a Mindless One's skull is almost immediately drowned out by the ominous charging up of another blast from my left.

'Rings of Raggadorr!' Using one of the few spells that I can cast with a single hand, I create a single Tao Mandala in front of my closed left fist while driving the eldritch staff in my right hand through the stomach one of another husk.

And not a moment too soon, as the common-place spell does exactly what it's supposed to do; suppressing a single enemy's ability to use their powers. Not the handiest of spells against multiple enemies, but it does the job in cancelling the Mindless One's blast.

With the attack stopped, the momentary lull in fighting allows me time to race across the short distance between us. The sand slowing my speed just enough for the creature to let loose a ear-piercing scream before I silence it with a horizontal swing of the staff to the side of its head. 'Three more.'

Turning to the last three as they begin to circle me, I realize they're about to try and attack from multiple directions. 'Three on one isn't fair…let's even those odds.'

Releasing the eldritch staff construct and causing it to lose form as it disappears, I use my now freed hands to cast one of the few spells I haven't gotten completely mastered yet, but am far enough along to use in this situation. 'Images of Ikkon!'

As the spell begins to work, I feel a rush of eldritch magic leave my body and split into two separate directions at the same time as two perfect duplicates of myself appear before moving to cover my unprotected back.

A master of this spell can create over a dozen duplicates of themselves, whereas I can only create two during combat with any degree of certainty that the spell will hold. With each duplicate only needed a single strike to destroy them, the Images of Ikkon is a rather risky spell to call on for aid when surrounded by enemies.

Luckily, the two I can make are more than enough to handle the last of these guys.

With a feeling of renewed energy at the thought of this excursion finally coming to an end, I conjure another eldritch staff as my duplicates copy my movements and create their own.

Now sufficiently armed, as one we get into a fighting stance in preparation for the three Mindless Ones' inevitable charge.

Moments later, the withered husks -that were likely once humanoid beings who delved too deep into the Dark Dimension- lunge at us like feral animals. Screams and spit flying from their hollowed mouths as the burning Marks of Dormammu on their forehead urge them into motion.

Sadly for them, the Mindless Ones are only a real problem to a trained Mystic Arts user when they're gathered together in groups and can outnumber the Sorcerer. Which means, with my duplicates now evening the odds…

…it's not even a contest.

In synchronized movements, I and my duplicates intercept the Mindless Ones' attack with a solid cross strike of our staffs that smashes their skulls and burns through the rest of their blackened, decayed flesh like a hot knife through butter.

"Finally…" I sigh in relief as the adrenaline begins to fade. The duplicates copy my movements in ending our conjured staffs before I remember to dispel them, leaving me alone to begin wiping the deluge of sweat that the combat and heat have created.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

"Well done, Apprentice!"

Turning to the sound of Master Mordo's voice -and clapping- coming from over my shoulder, I'm not surprised to see him standing there in his typical green robes and a proud expression on his face.

What I am surprised by, and more than a little confused to see, is the other figure standing there next to him…"Ancient One? What are you doing here?"

"Did Mordo not tell you?" She asks with an amused smile on her face, glancing at Mordo's smirking face before shaking her head lightly. "I guess not…To answer your question, I'm here to oversee your Master's exam."

"…my what?"

"You're Master's Exam," Mordo pipes in, looking all too pleased with himself at pulling a fast one over me. "I've heard you mentioning several times that you plan on taking it eventually, and you've been more than ready to take the exam after everything I've taught you and through your own studies."

Shrugging with a smile, he adds. "So I thought I'd help things along."

"But…" I hesitate mid-sentence as my brain finally starts to catch up. "Isn't the exam supposed to be like one I took to become an Apprentice? This doesn't feel like I've been tested at all."

Seeing the confusion on my face and deciding to clear things up herself before Mordo can cause any more confusion at my expense, and his enjoyment, the Ancient One explains.

"It takes more than reciting knowledge from books, and displaying spells in a controlled, risk-free room to become a Master."

Motioning to the destroyed bodies of the Mindless Ones and the craters my spells have created, she continues. "Only through using what you've learned in a true life-or-death situation, where you are pushed to the very limits of what you can do, does one prove themselves capable of bearing the title of Master of the Mystic Arts."

Turning away from the destruction I've caused to the surrounding desert, the Ancient One gives me a proud smile that matches the one on Mordo's face. "And based on everything I've just witness…congratulations are in order, Ben!"

"Or should I say, Master Magnusson."

And just like that…after 16 long months of heavy studies and relentless sparring, I've finally achieved the rank of Master.

Not a moment too soon either, because the Convergence is only 2 months away and I need to make sure everything is ready for my departure.

But for right now, I'm going to enjoy this moment. "Who's up for tacos?"

- October 3rd, 2013 -

Slowly putting on the last of my new Master's robes, I stand back a bit to get a good look at them in my room's mirror.

The color I ended up choosing is a rather nice light-grey that reminds me of the white robes I used to wear as a Novice. The idea being that they'll serve as an ever-present reminder of just how far I've come, and yet how little I know compared to the limitless knowledge that's out there in the universe.

Maybe it's a little dumb, but I like it. And the color is one I haven't seen any of the other Masters' wear, which seems to be a common theme amongst them to all choose a different color, despite it not being written anyone that you have to wear a unique color.

"They fit you well…" Mordo utters as he steps through the open door. "To think that not long ago you were just a Novice, struggling to create your first gateway with a Sling Ring."

The small chuckle we share at that rather fond memory helps create a rather light, if somber, mood between us as the memory of how awed I was to do my first bit of real magic plays itself over in my mind. 'It seems almost like a lifetime ago.'

"Speaking of which," He mumbles more to himself as a sudden thought strikes him. "I forgot to give this back to you after your Master's exam."

Reaching into the sash of his robes, Mordo hands me back my Sling Ring. The small relic of gold metal is a welcome sight after having been stuck with just eating whatever is made in the kitchens.

Rice, meat, fruits, and vegetables are great…but it gets tiring eating them day in and day out.

Taking it out of his hands, I stuff it into my own sash that's wrapped in such a way as to create a small pocket for things like this. "Thank you, Master Mordo."

"Please," He smiles, chuckling as he waves my thanks off. "You are no longer my apprentice. Now, we are equals. And as equals, you have every right to call me by my name."

"In that case, thank you Karl."

Acquiescing to him, I reply with an easy grin despite how odd it feels to call him that. After spending a year under his tutelage, referring to him and the other Masters by their titles has been ingrained in me. So to suddenly switch to calling them all by their proper names is a little weird. 'At least I don't have to call Ancient One anything else.'

As if having heard my thoughts, Mordo 'Karl' says. "That's not the only reason why I'm here. The Ancient One would like a word with you."

"Thanks for telling me," I reply before motioning for us to leave my small room.

Walking down the corridor and passing by several new Novices and Apprentices -who are now bowing respectfully to me as well as to Mordo- I turn to him as soon as we reach an open courtyard. "What's say after I finish speaking with the Ancient One, you and I go get some carne asada tacos again from that taco shack? For old time's sake."

"That sounds wonderful." He replies happily, accepting my offer without a moment's hesitation. If there's one thing I know about him after all this time, it's that Mordo will never say no to food.

'Now to see what the Ancient One wants…'

Entering the office of the Sorcerer Supreme, the soft sounds of conversation between Novices and Apprentices coming in through the open windows and the smell of food being made in Kamar-Taj's kitchens fills the air.

I'm not exactly sure what it is about the Ancient One's office, but the atmosphere always feels far more serene than it should be with how busy the city just outside the walls is.

"Ah, Ben! I see Karl finally found you," She greets me pleasantly with a cup of freshly-brewed tea. The faint whiff of honey amidst chamomile a soothing blend that she typically serves when more sensitive topics come up. "I was hoping we could have one last 'meeting of the minds' as they say, before your departure."

"Sure," I shrug. Taking a small sip of the tea as we move over to the low table with only pillows to act as our chairs, I groan as several muscles ache in protest at the low seating; a reminder of the battle against the Mindless Ones over a week ago.

As soon as we get comfortable on the pillows, I place the cup of tea on the table between as I ask. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to make sure that you have everything you need, and that you've prepared yourself for what lies ahead." Taking a small sip of tea, she gives a pleased hum at the taste before continuing. "Interfering with possible futures, or in your case probably futures, runs the risk of creating circumstances beyond your ability to predict."

"Throwing in just one Infinity Stone into the mix, let alone your plans for two of them…is no small undertaking."

True; a lot of what I've got in mind is mostly a bare-bones plan with a lot of room for things to go wrong, but that's precisely why I haven't tried to plan everything down to the littlest detail. In situations like these, I need to keep enough flexibility in my plans for when something inevitably goes wrong.

Because I'm -thankfully- not foolish or arrogant enough to believe that nothing will go wrong, and that my plans will go exactly as I expect them to.

"I think I've got everything ready. Most of the things I need can be purchased later on down the road, and based on what I've been able to track down has shown everything to be going according to plan."

By that I mean I've been using astral projection alongside my Sling Ring to spy on Jane Foster and her studies of the oncoming Convergence. And yes, Jane Foster looks exactly like Natalie Portman in this world…which I may, or may not have fanboyed over.

From what I've been able to piece together of my memories from the movie and what her and Darcy's plans are, the day in which she ends up becoming the host for the Aether will be on November 9th; just over one month from now. Which leaves just enough time to get the last few moments of training in that I need before heading into the Marvel Universe.

"And have you given thought to how it is you're going to explain your appearance?" The Ancient One asks knowingly, smirking slightly at the confused look on my face. "Appearing out of thin air can make others…cautious. Perhaps you can find some way of inserting yourself into the upcoming events that won't bring about as much suspicion, thereby allowing things to progress more smoothly."

In other words, she's saying that my plan of just opening a portal to Jane right as she gets dragged to the Aether is both terrible, and likely to see me not getting a ride to Asgard.

'But what are my other options?' I can't exactly just walk up to them and ask to tag along as they discover the abandoned building where the plot starts off at…'Or can I?'

I did see Darcy post a recent ad looking for an unpaid intern on my scouting trip. Which would put me right in the thick of it all, and keep any of them from getting to upset when they find out who I really am and why I'm really there.

And no, it's not because I want to spend more time around the Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings lookalikes…I swear. That's just a bonus.

Seeing the proverbial lightbulb go off in my head, the Ancient One nods with a satisfied look on her face as she goes back to drinking her tea. Allowing the rest of our time together to be spent in silence as I mentally rework my plans to include the new change.

After thanking her for the tip, and finishing my slightly-cold tea in a few quick sips, I leave her office and quickly make my way over to the courtyard where Mordo is waiting with a portal already created.

Now that the serious stuff is over with, I've been dying to get something to eat all day; and the thought of any more Kamar-Taj meals practically turns my stomach. Which means it's time to chow down on some delicious carne asada tacos!

'…I'm starting to sound like Mordo.'

…Meh, who cares. It's food.

- END -

Author Notes:

And that's Chapter 5!

This is most likely the last time Kamar-Taj will be shown in the story, at least until the events of the Doctor Strange movie start. But that won't be until after a large number of other movie plotlines are covered.

The spells Ben uses and their abilities are all based on the MCU, not the comics which have different appearances and effects.

Also, writing the Convergence as being every millennia is a typo on my part. I meant it to say five millennia.

Hope you all are still liking it so far! Thanks for checking out my story.