Changing Hearts

Chapter 5

"Mommy, please don't leave me!" the little girl cried as she wrapped both arms around her mother's waist in an attempt for her not to leave her behind. The woman shot her daughter a cold gaze before she used one strong hand to punch the little girl in the gut, sending her stumbling backwards into the grass. The elderly woman stared horrified and ran towards the little girl, clutching her sobbing form and holding onto her tightly. "Katyana! How could you be so cruel to your daughter?! What kind of mother are you?!"

"That thing is not my daughter," the little girl's mother, Katyana, glaring at her. "I did not give birth to the spawn of Satan."

The little girl's eyes widened as her mother got into the van and sped off down the driveway, never looking back and ignoring her daughter's desperate pleas.

Remi gasped as her eyes shot open and she rose up from her bed. She rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand before taking a look at the small alarm clock on her dresser, reading exactly 11:00 AM. Realizing she was late for practice, Remi scurried out of bed and towards her closet, shuffling through her clothes until she found a random pair of white and light grey robes. She hastily adjusted them before grabbing the same pair of rope sandals she usually reached for and tied the ties over her ankles and knees. She was almost ready to head out for another day with the Ancient One and Mordo but not before stopping dead in her tracks. Turning back on her heels, she hurried towards her dresser drawers and moved some stuff aside before she grabbed two pairs of random cotton gauze wrap. She pealed the tape away and wrapped both over her forearms and the palms of her hands before heading out of her room.

"Ah, Miss Ramirez," a voice caught her off her tracks. Turning around, she saw Mordo come striding towards her.

"Good morning, Master Mordo," Remi scratched the back of her head nervously.

"I was just about to come wake you. You're running late," Mordo crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the young woman. Remi cringed and sighed sadly. Shaking his head disapprovingly, he led Remi down the hallway and towards the training grounds.

Stephen Strange was finishing training with a random student when he saw Mordo and an all too familiar young woman walk towards him. Excusing himself, he walked away from the young boy and met up with them. "What's up, guys?" he asked casually.

"I have assigned Miss Ramirez to train you today, Stephen," Mordo said.

"Please call me Doctor Stephen," the neurosurgeon had to completely remind the Ancient One and him to call him by his proper title. Remi just scoffed and rolled her eyes as Mordo shot Stephen a warning glance before walking to the young man Stephen had been training with. Looking back, Stephen saw Remi just standing there like a statue and walked closer to her.

"What are we doing today?" he asked.

"You…" Remi started and tightened the bandages she had around her forearms. "You are going to show me your fighting skills today. I trust you took my advice and built up your strength."

Stephen eyed her with confidence and rolled up one of his sleeves, flexing her one of his biceps. Remi should not have been amused, but she could not help but stare at his well-built arms. The veins coursed up to his shoulders, and for a neurosurgeon, she was surprised that he was able to build up his muscles for the short time he was here. Before she knew it, a crimson flush began to spread across her nose and cheeks. She also stared at his face. She never had a really good chance to get a good look at Stephen's physique, but it was shockingly enticing and intriguing for her. However, he still had the same old scraggily and messy beard, something that threw her off.

"What are you staring at?" Stephen asked as Remi realized she had not been staring directly into his face. Shaking her head and clearing her throat, she ignored the question and got into a fighting stance, with the doctor doing the same thing. Stephen copied her pose and moved in equal steps with her as they crossed their legs in movement, walking around in a circle.

"Come at me," Remi said. "I give you the honors."

Stephen smirked and ran towards Remi, both hands folding behind his back. Remi ran right back at him and they clashed once more. Stephen blocked the punches Remi had made towards his face and stomach, grabbing her arms and deflecting her movements. She got into a sitting position and tried to kick his feet underneath him, but Stephen jumped into the air and rose one foot hard against her face, causing her to yelp and skidding across the ground. Stephen lowered his foot and watched her get to her feet. Remi felt the right side of her face and notice a small dribble of blood that came from a cut on her lower lip. Her golden amber eyes widened and her dark yellow pupils reddened, sending Stephen a dangerous glare. Balling her hands into two fists, she sprinted towards the bewildered doctor.

Stephen prepared himself and watched Remi throw punches at him. She was not letting down and getting heavier and faster each movement, sending Stephen wobbling and dodging. He found it quite funny and entertaining at first, but the more she went after him, the more uneasy and unfocused he was becoming. He saw her uncurl her fingers and her right palmed flattened, a bright yellow beginning to pulsate to and fro between her fingertips. Stephen gasped and immediately grabbed her right hand before she could make the killer blow. Remi stopped dead in her tracks. Her head darted up and met Stephen's light blue eyes. She tried to free her right hand but Stephen used this opportunity to painfully twist it around her back, causing her to cry and as she felt her arm pin against the base of her spine. Stephen rose one leg and kicked her to the ground, pinning her beneath his foot but still kept a strong hold on her right arm. Remi growled as she felt her face hit the dirt.

"Impossible! How have you managed to build up your strength so quickly?!" Remi groaned as Stephen pinned her harder to the ground.

"Don't be fooled, pretty lady," Stephen chuckled cockily. Groaning, Remi tried to force herself onto her feet, but felt Stephen's hold was harder to escape from. "Guess I'm the stronger one now! That makes you a small fry!"

This did it for Remi. Sucking in a breath through clinched teeth, she closed her amber eyes and began to ponder the best results to break free. Stephen looked at her and advised her to surrender, but before he could say anything, his words stopped dead. A couple of students who were fighting against each other slowed their movements until all the commotion was completely silent on the training ground.

"Uh…Remi?" She appeared not to have heard his concerned and scared voice. Remi's eyes shot open and Stephen could see her arms begin to glow from underneath the tightly wrapped bandages around her forearms. Blue ripples of bright light began to pulsate around her body and Stephen could see the tips of her fingers begin to curl into tight fists. He quickly scrambled off her and dropped her arm, backing away and getting into another fighting stance, his knees slightly bent forward and his back arched with his elbows bent and his hands balled into fists. He observed Remi as she slowly got to her feet, the blue ripples of light only growing brighter and stronger. The students, Stephen, even Mordo himself had stopped dead in their tracks and saw the scene forming in front of them.

A strong gust of wind suddenly burst through the air, the trees leaves shooting right off and into the sky. Remi's arms rose into the air flat to her sides, the white cotton bandages around her arms dissolving off her arms and burning up. Her hair that was pinned up in a usual bun suddenly unwrapped itself until her hair was flying out in all ends. She twirled her hands up and curled her fingers inward, blue orbs of electricity buzzing around the back of her hands and in her palms. She rose in the air until she was about ten feet off the ground, knees bent at her sides and her arms flat outward in front of her. She did a complete 180 degree turned and faced Stephen with a look so evil it could burn his skin right off until he was nothing but a skeleton that had been out in the heat for hours.

An aghast Stephen saw her and began to back away. Markings that almost looked like henna ink started to snake their way around Remi's arms, starting at the base of the forearms and wiring around until they stopped at the back of her hands and across her palms. The same mosaic diamond design appeared around her eyes, giving her the appearance of a tribal woman. Her chest rose up and down with each deep breath she took, inhaling through her mouth and out her nose. Her teeth gritted and her eyes were narrowed so tightly she felt her eyebrows were going to rip themselves off the base of her forehead. A sinister chuckle escaped her lips and her lips cracked in a smile, giving her the appearance as if she were not even the real Remi Ramirez.

"Now you will see how strong I REALLY AM!" Remi shouted as a loud ghostly laugh echoed through the air.

"This is not good! We have to stop this!" Mordo informed Stephen and ran towards Remi. He quickly grabbed the Staff of the Living Tribunal from his back and swung it in the air at Remi, but she managed to grab it with her left hand and tug at it hard, sending Mordo flying towards her until she caught him by the collar of his shirt.

"Foolish man! You dare take on a GOD?!" Remi eyed him filled with rage. Mordo struggled to free himself until she rose in the air and flew downward with such force. The sound of crumbling debris followed soon after. As the dust cleared, Stephen could not believe what he had just seen. Mordo was pinned underneath Remi's foot, half of his robes were torn and his face was covered in blood, cuts, and bruises.

"Remi…stop…" Mordo gurgled, but Remi grabbed him by the collar again and chuckled sinisterly. "You cannot stop the darkness, Mordo. Say goodbye!"

"Remi, no!" Stephen ran after her, but she swung her free hand out and a huge gust of wind set Stephen flying against a pillar. "You are useless to me, dog!"

"Remi!" a loud woman's voice interrupted. The Ancient One came walking briskly towards the girl who held Mordo by the collar of his shirt, but before Remi could fight back, the Ancient One cupped her chin and put her thumb to her forehead. Saying a chant in a language Stephen could not recognize, everything suddenly came to a halt. The markings around Remi's forearms and eyes suddenly pulsated yellow instead of blue. Remi's body began to shake and she screamed in pain, making her drop Mordo and backing away from the Ancient One.

Remi grabbed at her head and dug her fingernails into her temples, raking down until the sides of her face were bleeding. She clawed at her head until she doubled over onto her side, rolling around screaming in pain. The markings snaked upward and the marking around her face uncoiled around her eyes until they disappeared. Gasping and breathing uncontrollably, Remi clung to the ground until her convulsions ceased. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body went still, absolutely still. Her fingers uncurled and her hands and fingers laid flat out against the ground.

Stephen saw Mordo weakly rise to his feet as he held his side, staring at the Ancient One who walked towards Remi's still body. Her green eyes were wide with horror and she bent down to the ground, caressing Remi's cheek. She quickly retracted her hand and ordered two healers to bring Remi and Mordo to the healing chambers, a man and woman dressed in dark blue and white robes hurried past Stephen. The man carried Remi bridal style and the woman wrapped Mordo's left arm around her shoulders to support his weight.

"Stephen," the Ancient One turned towards a bewildered and shocked doctor. "Come with me."

"Her pulse is steadying," Stephen told the Ancient One as he put two fingers to the right side of Remi's throat. The Ancient One sighed with relief as she covered her eyes with her right hand. "What happened out there? What was that?!"

"Remi's dark power is growing stronger," Mordo groaned as he came limping towards the pair at Remi's bedside. Both of his arms were bandaged and his left eye had been swollen shut from a cut of debris. More bandages were wrapped around his abdomen and his forehead.

"It can only mean one thing. Kaecilius has deciphered Dormammu's spells."

"Kaecilius? Dormammu? What is going on?!" Stephen demanded as he glared at the two.

"Stephen," Mordo closed his eyes sadly. "It is time you learned the truth about Remi Ramirez."

To Be Continued

Another chapter is up and ready to go! It's a little bit shorter than the last one, but it was the best I could think of. Hope you all enjoyed it!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Winter break is ending and college is starting up again. Updates are going to be slowing down until then. Sorry everyone, but outside from Fanfiction, I'm pretty busy!

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