Taylor hummed as she walked through the crowds of Napal, her arms laden with groceries. She had decided after the events of Ultron to take some time for herself. She returned to Kamar-Taj taking up a teacher's position offered to her by the Ancient one, she also needed to inform the Ancient One of the Infinity Stones appearances.
She wore a dark blue long sleeved scooped neck fitted shirt that reached just below her hips in front and reached down to her knees in back, a loose dark brown belt with a bronze buckle, a Mahogany brown leather long sleeved half jacket, a pair of brown tights, dark brown fingerless leather gloves, a pair of brown leather boots, and her ever present spear strapped to her back.
She had also grown out her hair so that it reached her shoulders parted on the left side and was now her natural blonde color like her mother's having not colored it for a while. She stopped in front of Kamar-Taj eyeing the man slumped against the doors, taking in the rather sad sight before her.
"Don't shut me out. I've nowhere else to go." He looked like an utter desperate wreck and she guessed that his hands were the source of his troubles, as well as the reason he was here. They shook, were covered in surgical scars, and looked horribly painful.
"Hello." Taylor said gently as kneeled down in front of him. The man wearily looked up at her, his eyes widening slightly. "Can I help you?"
"You're The Mage." He said in surprise, and Taylor let out a huff rolling her eyes.
"I always hated that name." Taylor winced with a grimace, mentally cursing Tony, his stupid imagination, and his big mouth. "Are you ok? You look…horrible."
"You're one of them." He said in a strained voice.
"Them?" Taylor cocked her head to the side.
"A sorceress, right? One of them?" He questioned. "I saw the clips of you fighting, it was like what she did."
"Perhaps." Taylor hummed, eyeing his rumpled appearance. "What are you doing out here?"
"I was expelled from the premises." He said bitterly.
"Oh….don't take it personally, the Ancient One is just more cautious of late." Taylor nodded taking a seat next to him and rummaging through one of her bags. She took out an apple and some bread offering it to him. "Who brought you here?"
"Mordo." He replied taking the food in his shaking hand with a thankful nod before he started to eat.
"Well if Mordo brought you then more than likely he's arguing for you right now." Taylor said with a smile.
"It's been five hours, I don't think he's winning." He grumbled.
"You've been out here for five hours begging to get back in." She said sensing his vanity as well as his desperation, but there was something else about him, something undoubtedly good.
"I need…help." He sighed tiredly, casting a disdainful look to his hands.
"I see." Taylor hummed thoughtfully before holding out her hand. "My name's Taylor Quill. Rather be called that than Mage if you don't mind."
"Dr. Stephen Strange." Strange shook her hand.
"Really?" Taylor said in realization. "I heard about you, neurosurgery right?"
"Yeah." He said finishing up the apple and Taylor let out a low appreciative whistle. "At least I was…" He held up his shaking hands. "…until this."
"I'm sorry, I heard about the accident." Taylor said with a wince of sympathy. "I actually had a friend that was going to see you for his back, Colonel Rhodes." Taylor frowned sadly, recalling her hurt friend. "An experimental training accident injured his spine."
"Oh…" Strange looked down, remembering the phone call before his accident. He actually felt a small twinge of guilt knowing that he was not going to take the man's case and now he was sitting next to one of his friends. "I'm…I'm sorry."
"It's ok, he's getting the help he needs and Tony has all sorts of ideas on how to help him. He'll be up and about in no time." Taylor said tilting her head back to look up at the sky. "I actually offered to bring him here, but he declined, said he didn't want that kind of knowledge. Well that and I'm not exactly simpatico with the government, been dodging the accords and all that." Taylor shrugged with a sigh then changed the subject back to him. "So you came here to be healed right? I mean that is the reason most people come here, that and knowledge sometimes."
"Yes, I came to be healed." Stephen nodded eyeing the girl before him. "What brought you here?"
"Loss." Taylor clasped her hands together fiddling with her thumbs.
"Loss?" Stephen echoed ininterest. "Loss of what?"
"A later time perhaps." Taylor avoided, looking away from Strange.
"There might not be a later time." He hung his head again.
"Oh don't be that way, I'm sure she'll help you." Taylor clapped him on his shoulder.
"I had hoped she would, I used up everything I had left to come here, if she can't help me I'll have nothing." Strange said, his whole body tense. Taylor eyed him for a moment before standing to her feet, bags in hand with a firm nod of her head as she came to a decision.
"Don't give up just yet Strange, I'll be right back." Taylor slipped into the building dropping of her groceries on the way to the Ancient One. She was directed to the gate room where the sanctums were connected to Kamartaj.
"You think I'm wrong to cast him out?" She heard the Ancient one say.
"5 hours later, he's still on your doorstep." Mordo commented. "There's a strength to him."
"Stubbornness, arrogance, ambition..." She listed off as she moved her fingers over the podium controlling the globe that made up the area above their heads. "I've seen it all before."
"He reminds you of Kaecilius?" Taylor commented as she walked into the room, nodding to Mordo before greeting the Ancient One with a respectful bow.
"I cannot lead another gifted student to power, only to lose him to the darkness." The Ancient One replied resolutely.
"You didn't lose me." Mordo countered with a small smile of admiration toward his teacher. "I wanted the power to defeat my enemies. You gave me the power to defeat my demons." He motioned to Taylor. "Nor did you lose Taylor to her demons, you taught us how to live within the natural law."
"We never lose our demons, Mordo." The Ancient One corrected him. "We only learn to live above them."
"Kaecilius still has the stolen pages." Mordo pressed. "If he deciphers them, he could bring ruin upon us all. There may be dark days ahead."
"Perhaps Kamar-Taj could use a man like Strange." Taylor pointed out rocking on her heels with her hands clasped behind her. The Ancient One sighed causing Taylor to smile over at Mrodo. "I'll go let him in." Taylor went back to the front door flinging it open causing Stephen to fall backwards into the building. Taylor smiled brightly down at him. "Welcome to Kamar-Taj Dr. Strange."
"Thank you." He said from the floor.
-0-
They took Strange down the halls of the temple to the living quarters of their members. They stopped before one of the many doors that led to the different rooms.
"Bath. Rest. Meditate... if you can." Mordu said as he allowed Strange into his new room, lighting some incense for him. "The Ancient One will send for you."
"Here." Taylor held out a slip of paper that said Shamball on it.
"Uh, what's this? My mantra?" Stephen asked taking the paper.
"The Wi-Fi password." Mordo replied with a smirk as Taylor giggled shaking her head. "We're not savages."
"Rest well Strange, should you need anything my room is across the hall and Mordo is down at the end on the right." Taylor said as she and Mordo closed the doors behind themselves leaving Strange to himself.
"You've seemed on edge of late." Mordo commented as they went down the hall to continue their daily duties.
"I can't help it, a lot has happened." Taylor sighed running her hands through her hair then over her face.
"You worry for your friends." He nodded with a frown.
"One half is on the run and the other half is under the United Nations thumb not to mention what happened to Rhodey." Taylor shook her head, gesturing weakly with her hands.
"Your friend did not want to come here to be healed." Mordo said, recalling her mentioning her friend's condition. She had taken a great risk contacting him at all considering her help in the prison raft jail break clearly showing whose side she was on.
"He said he wasn't ready to know the secret of the universe just yet." Taylor chuckled clasping her hands behind her back. "Plus it would be against the accords and he's kind of a stickler for the rules."
"A wise man to know his limits." Mordo smiled, tilting his head slightly.
"Yeah…" Taylor trailed off with a nod.
"There's more." Mordo stated, knowing her to well after all their time together.
"I think…well there's a good chance…" Taylor slowed to a stop, Mordo stopping with her as he looked to her in concern. "Mordo, Peter might still be alive." Taylor looked over to Mordo, her friend's eyes widening at the news. "And I think it's time I went looking for him."
"Off planet?" He asked with raised brows.
"I have connections now and as soon as I've helped you train Strange and get the pages back I'd really like to go looking for him or at least go find out what happened to him." Taylor shrugged starring down at the ground. "I need to know."
"You will be missed." Mordu placed a hand on her shoulder bringing her gaze back up to his.
"I'll miss you as well." Taylor reached up placed her hand over his as she smiled up at him.
-0-
Taylor hummed to herself as she moved around the kitchen making some chamomile tea on the stove, with a dash of Sana root. She had a breakfast buffet all set up in the dining hall for the rest of the students and masters as was her duty along with a few others. Since the food was already done her fellow chefs had gone to eat leaving her in the kitchen on her own. She heard someone entering the kitchen behind her pausing in the doorway. She turned with a smile as she saw the surprised look on Dr. Strange's face.
"Like our Wifi we also like to keep our kitchen up to date." Taylor poured the tea into two mugs as Strange came over to the island in the middle of the kitchen. The kitchen was of rustic design with dark wood accents and stone floors with copper back splashes.
"I see." Strange accepted one of the mugs with a nod.
"This will help with your hands." Taylor nodded to the tea as she also passed him some eggs, toast, and bacon.
"What's in it?" Stephen eyed it.
"Chamomile and Sana root." Taylor took a long sip.
"Sana root?" Stephen echoed.
"It's a special purple flower that grows around here." Taylor replied. "It's called the healing flower."
"I've never heard of it." Strange took a hesitant sip and liking it took a deeper pull.
"I wouldn't expect so, it's very rare and if not prepared right is one of the most deadly fastest acting poisons." Taylor commented off handedly, Strange choking on his tea. "Not to worry Stephen, I know how to prepare it."
"I thought you said it was called the healing flower." Stephen set the mug aside, stretching his hands.
"Well its other name is Mortem." Taylor smiled over the rim of her mug.
"Great." He frowned.
"How do your hands feel?" Taylor asked.
"Better…but they're still shaking." Stephen glared as his shaking limbs.
"Well you can't expect everything to change in a moment." Taylor set her mug aside. "You came here looking for a magic solution, but that is not what magic is."
"Then what is magic?" Stephen asked, his voice sarcastic.
"Energy." Taylor replied cleaning her mug in the sink before making her way for the exit. "Better eat up Strange, you'll need it."
