No-One But You (The Zephyr Endeavor) - Part 2
Chapter 71: Battleworld (Part 1)
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Battleworld, Battleworld, Battleworld…
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That word was all the rage, and it was currently on the minds of everyone in the damn multiverse and beyond. Stephen Strange was the main man dealing with it, and honestly… the word was haunting him like you wouldn't believe.
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Now, putting all complaints aside, Doctor Victor Von Doom had a bigggg friggen ego… okay… probably the biggest ego in Earth Dimension 3000-21. Stephen reflected on that as he ventured with his family to a planet called Latverion.
After the Strange family arrived and settled into their "accommodations"… the FORMER Sorcerer Supreme took note of the overall appearance of that space. Doom's domain was known to suprisingly flourish. Just like Doom's country Latveria, his planet Latverion screamed out a vibe that was calm, peaceful, harmonious… which was, interesting.
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Anyway… the family man was put in charge of "hosting" Doom's massive social gathering… remember? AND it was set to take place on the SAME EXACT DAY as Ezekiel Stane's weekly Surveillant Council meeting. Doctor Doom gave everyone a week to prepare for his battle-themed event, and the dawn of the day was fastly approaching.
Stephen was there in the flesh the day before, and he was being escorted all around Latverion. A tour of that beautiful world was welcomed… and the former Sorcerer Supreme was happy to see most of his family there beside him. Clea Strange had barely left his side for undisclosed reasons, along with his daughter Sofia.
Victor Strange was there beside him as well, but his sister Donna remained at the Sanctum Sanctorum.
She had a wedding to plan, if you recall, and she was currently moving her life around once again. The girl was busy relocating back into "Bucky's" apartment in Brooklyn, so her presence in Latverion wasn't necessary. She also told Stephen that she needed a break from the "constant" Ezekiel Stane drama as well, but that information didn't need to spread…
Oh, Ezekiel's drama was far from over… and Stephen knew that firsthand.
He caught a glimpse of what lies ahead when he finally reached the main stage of Doom's elliptical amphitheatre. It had elements of the famous Colosseum found in Rome… but, of course, it had Victor Von Doom's taste and sense of flair.
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"I appreciate your participation, Doctor Strange, and it's wonderful to see the bulk of your growing family in person."
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Doom was there in the flesh as well, and he proudly looked over his work. The man had taken the concept of the "Stark Expo" and expanded on it for all to see. His reconstructed and reimagined version of "Battleworld" was designed to operate as a multi-dimensional wide competition of the mind, body, and spirit.
Stephen was actually into it, and he gave Doom a warm smile after he heard his remark. He caught the man looking at Clea and Sofia for a moment, then Doom's focus switched over to the newest embodiment of the Sorcerer Supreme. Victor Strange was, how old? Victor Von Doom had to wonder…
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"How old are you, young man?"
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Huh? Say WHAa? Victor's spazztastic mind was a billion miles away, because his friendly bird-boy boyfriend told him that he had to head back and do something for S.H.I.E.L.D. Clint Barton wasn't there beside him for a change, and the baby Sorcerer Supreme wasn't used to that.
Soooooo much had happened in what, a week? It was almost a week, or whatever, and thoughts about what happened between them consumed his young mind. The "other" Victor asked him how old he was, and Victor Strange responded with a puzzled expression. Uhhhh…. Good question?
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"I'm… I just turned twenty not too long ago, but… I'm not really sure what month it is."
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"Days, months, and the concept of minutes won't matter to you, eventually. Those sentiments will subside in your soul… once you truly embrace your role as the Sorcerer Supreme."
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Doom had served as the Sorcerer Supreme before as well, so he understood the confusion and devastation that comes along with believing you are "losing" your sense of time.
Uhhhh, baby Victor didn't expect that friendly sounding response. When speaking for the realm of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Doom was kinda sorta placed in the "villain" category.
He was technically a "bad guy"… right? But, the baby Strange weirdly felt at ease with what he said. He thought more about his interesting Romani accent for a sec, then the guy moved the subject back to what they were accomplishing there in Latverion.
Doom had this big plan in his mind to kill three birds with one stone, but he didn't necessarily share that information with Stephen at all.
Doom also didn't care about his thoughts breaking through the mental barriers that were put in place by Charles Xavier and that ridiculous Surveillant Council. The ruler of Latveria wanted his thoughts to reach the mind that supposedly belonged to Ezekiel Stane, because a conversation between them needed to take place.
Their conversation was about to happen too, and Stephen Strange saw it coming…
Ezekiel's silent presence is what made Doom suddenly stop his grand explanation. He was telling Stephen's family all about the elements of magic that were going to be showcased as well.
Battleworld was explained to be a space for all magic users to collaborate, learn, and compete… and that notion included conjurers, seers, sorcerers, and all the other types of mythical beings.
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"I'll explain more this evening. Something's just come up that requires my full attention..."
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Doom physically turned his back on Stephen Strange and his lovely family, because his focus locked onto that silent target.
Ezekiel Stane was closer than most would think, and the former Sorcerer Supreme watched as Doom's presence just up and slipped away. The ruler of Latveria vanished from their conversation, then his body broke into an area that was silent, and shockingly white.
It felt like he entered some sort of white void that behaved in the opposite manner of a black hole. It was an interesting void for sure, because the source of that void was finally ready to talk…
Ezekiel was there in that bright white void, but he appeared before his "psycho private tutor" only as Zephyr.
Doom took notice of Zephyr as soon as he moved. There was no trace of that filthy mongrel beside him as well, so Doom gave an unseen smile beneath his mask.
Chapter: END
Thanks for reading.