Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your continued support, for all of you that have read, followed, favorited, and reviewed this work and spread the word to your friends. Follow me on Twitter RileyBergBooks for continued updates.
%
It Began with a Goodbye
by Riley Berg
%
Chapter Eight
I can feel the awkwardness rolling off Strange Friday morning, when I finally find him; he was already up when I woke. I note that he is wearing the Cloak despite being indoors and off-duty, as it were.
"What is the matter?"
He looks up, startled from his studies.
"What?"
"What. Is. The. Matter?"
He looks at me blankly for a moment, before exhaling loudly. "Just recovering from yesterday."
"Recovering?"
"Well, that was… I'm not sure what that was."
I laugh lightly. "I suppose you are not quite as immersed in the world of extraordinary people as might have been an advisable prerequisite to that experience, but you did well."
"You would have been better off spending the day with your friends without having to cater to an outsider."
"But by bringing you, you are no longer an outsider," I counter. A thought occurs to me. "It was awkward for you to walk into a group that had so much history?"
He nods. I nod.
"It is often that way. And then when there is no one that has known them longer than you have, there is something new that has happened since last you saw them, and you are still in the dark, as they say. That is why friendship—true friendship—is so great; little things like having met only five minutes ago or having not seen each other in twenty years matter not."
After a long pause, Strange asks, "How did you meet?"
I smile and sit down in front of him. "I used to work with SHIELD," Strange raises his eyebrows, "before it fell apart, of course. I would sometimes be called upon to contact those that manifested superhuman abilities. Determine if they were friend or foe. Offer education, training, or employment at SHIELD. Those types of things. That is how I met those four. That is, in fact, how I met Charles as well. And, like it did with Charles, something… clicked between us, and we became friends. Later when I was working in New York and needed a place to stay, they took me in, and that furthered our friendship. Sue and Reed were not married then, so I was willing to let Sue… provide me with rejuvenation. So, yes, we have quite a history together. But they are not my only friends and I am not their only friend, and newcomers are always welcome, so long as they can keep from staring at Ben," I finish. "Now, are you ready to start your lessons?" But I do not know what to teach—or, rather, how to teach it.
But Strange nods, so I am obliged. I spend a moment thinking.
"I am going to tell you something that few Masters know. Mother knew it. And Wong, who has taken a more scholarly approach to the Arts,"—do not take me wrong, you do not want to get in a fight with him, either—"also knows this, or some of it. But as far as I am aware, no one else does. Except me, of course."
I pause for a moment, forming my thoughts.
"Earth is not the only life-giving world in this universe, nor are humans the only species." This is not a secret, but it is an introduction to the secrets I will tell. "Other peoples have long foretold the upheaval of the universe at this time, the threats from many different directions, according to their varying abilities to See. My…"—well, he already knows who my mother was—"father's people, whom I know only as the Overseers, saw one of those threats: the Dark Dimension. But they were also gifted with the ability and insight to battle against him.
"Sorcery comes naturally to my father's race. Humans have to shed their disbelief and misconceptions and learn how to draw out the power, but my father's people cannot not have the power. They sent emissaries, for lack of a better word, to other worlds, to teach their peoples how to use sorcery for the protection and defense of those worlds.
"This world, for a reason I admit I do not know, is highly valued by several destructive forces, Dormammu included. Despite being relatively undeveloped technologically and having its sorcerers confined to living in secret rather than teaching to all, Earth is like a magnet for greatness, both evil and good.
"Humans were taught to use sorcery in exchange for dedicating themselves to the protection of this world. I believe that has already been made clear to you, and that you have already chosen your path. And if that is the path you have chosen, then I will do all in my power to increase your knowledge, understanding, and ability."
Because you have the makings of a Sorcerer Supreme. And this world may one day have to depend on you. Again.
Strange looks at his hands almost regretfully (and I imagine the Cloak clings a little closer to him), but he nods. He could learn to heal them, and he knows it. I do not believe it is impossible for him to heal them and help protect the world, but I trust Mother had a good reason for making him choose, and until I see otherwise, I will follow her path on this matter.
"I said that I did not know if you could learn, but not because of your capabilities. Rather, because of my potential inabilities. As I have already eluded to, I am not human. Not fully. My abilities come from both my human and my other—let us call it Overseer—half. I do not know if some of the things I do, some of the things you want to learn, are just the way my Overseer half works and thus impossible for a human such as yourself to imitate. I am telling you this so that, if it proves true, you understand it is not your fault. But until that happens, if that happens, I want you to forget it. Do not doubt your abilities just because you are human. As I know you have already discovered, belief is a very important factor in learning.
"In addition, I…" I pause, uncertain how to explain how someone with my level of ability is at the same time new in my studies and inexperienced as a teacher. "Well, I am going to tell you a story. When I was young, I did not distinguish between right and wrong. I was more interested in instant gratification, as they call it these days, and sometimes the… high that accompanies power. I used my abilities for satisfaction and manipulation. Mother eventually convinced me to leave my father's house, which had influenced me to be that way, but even in a new setting, I continued in my selfish ways. Eventually—a long, long eventually—I realized the error of my ways. I ceased to do so, but instead of turning my powers to good, I ceased using them altogether." Except for a few exercises to help me relieve the pressure of having powers and not using them, but saying that would require even more explanation. "So I spent a long time not only without learning and improving, but even regressing from lack of practice. Only relatively recently did I decide to acknowledge that I needed to do something, but even then, I refused to use my powers. I have been a student of the Arts for only a little longer than you if one takes into consideration only my recent studies rather than the experiences of my youth."
I see an expression on Strange's face that reads something like "Your youth? You're still in your youth."
"I am older than I look, I suppose I should say. Older than you, certainly. Older than anyone you have ever met, most likely."
He looks as if he does not believe me, but there is little I can do about that.
"Because I am so young in the Arts and have no experience as a teacher, I am afraid you will have to have just as much patience with me as I will need with you. And a history lesson is all the lesson you are getting today. I need to plan."
%%%
I try to send Strange to Kamar-Taj on Saturday for study or training, or even spending time with his friends there. He replies with, "I don't have friends," but remains silent when I inquire whether or not Wong is his friend as I had assumed. Accepting that I am unsuccessful, I suggest he go out in New York for the same purpose. He replies with the same answer. With a sigh, I accept that Strange wants to be a hermit today.
I spend a day holed up in my dormitory room, figuring out how I might begin to teach him. I have never taught anyone before. I know how Mother taught her students, but she was teaching somewhat different subject matter.
By the time I stumble upon a promising idea, Strange is at my door with supper.
"Takeout again? There is a reason that novices are taught how to make a proper cup of tea," I sigh.
Strange ignores my comment. I get up.
"You are supposed to be able to feed yourself," I continue. "And others. You know, as Sanctum Master you can ask a novice to live and study here and take on some of the menial chores."
Strange continues to ignore me as he hands me my share of the food.
"We can at least eat at the table," I try.
He accepts that, though we have to clear off the table first. An idea occurs to me.
"As Sanctum Master—"
Strange gives me a silencing look that would send an intimidated shiver down my spine if I were not, well, me.
"What?" I ask, annoyed.
"Our deal is that you teach me, not tell me what to do," he replies with equal annoyance.
I scoff. "I was not telling you what to do! I was just about to say that, since the maintenance of the Sanctum is one of the areas you oversee as its Master, we can use the needed repairs and tidying and cleaning as practice for your skills."
He does not say it, but I can see "Oh" written all over his face.