No-One But You (The Mystic Consultant) - Part 2

Chapter 69: Sorcerer Supreme (Part 9)

So… Bucky Barnes, Wade Wilson, Ezekiel Stane and Wong were just sitting around a random chess table. Wong gathered more chairs for them, and he tossed Wade's hula hoop off the side of the cliff.

The vibe at the Kamar taj was pretty chill, so Bucky cracked open his case of cigarettes. Remember, he purchased an entire case before he met Stephen Strange for lunch.. The Winter Soldier didn't say shit to anyone about it, because the brooding man had more than a few things on his mind. He lit up that cigarette and inhaled the smoke, then all of a sudden the vibe around him drastically changed.

Loud sounds of protest emerged and a bunch of noise suddenly filled the space.

Wade Wilson said he was anti-cancer, and Wong said some shit about putting the cigarette out. The only person who didn't comment was Ezekiel, but that was expected. Bucky stared at the "White Jackal" for a long while, but he wasn't sure why. Oh yeah, he was looking at the person who was supposed to be leading their crew.

S.H.I.E.L.D. placed Ezekiel in charge of a special team that consisted of Bucky, Natasha, Clint Barton, Wade Wilson and also Victor Strange. That "team" was kind of all over the place in that moment, but whatever. Bucky didn't care either way, and he always told himself that Ezekiel was harmless.

Harmless was probably the wrong word, but Bucky never pegged the guy to be as evil as his annoying father. Anyway, the somber brunette kept his thoughts brewing and his cigarette burning, and he was unaware that another person quietly entered the one-sided conversation. Wade and Wong were united in protest, and their argument strengthened once Donna Strange decided to join in.

"I thought you quit?"

Bucky just about choked when he heard Donna's voice. He actually coughed up half a lung after she spoke, because the conversation he almost had with Stephen was in his thoughts. He did quit smoking a while ago, back when Donna lived with him. Bucky gradually picked the habit back up after some time.

The Winter Soldier recovered from the shock, then he tossed his lit cigarette off toward some bush. That sparked an even louder reaction from Wong and Wade, but Bucky didn't care. He didn't even look at Donna either, because he figured she was dressed up like some buddha freak. Bucky was technically dumped that morning, so the man's mood was low, and his behavior was turning sour.

He didn't know why Stephen decided to dump him off at the Kamar taj, and thoughts emerged again about why he was there. Bucky didn't understand why the Strange family kept him around, so he sulked on it. YEAH, Bucky Barnes sulked, and he didn't give a shit about anyone seeing it. Donna noticed she was being ignored, so the young woman put her focus in another direction.

"Hello, Ezekiel.."

She took a moment to really look at the person who was currently there for her brother. They were never properly introduced, but Donna was very aware of their relationship. The Jackal brought his focus up to Donna Strange, but he remained silent. She was standing amongst the group wearing casual clothing.

Ezekiel studied the common resemblance that was spread between Victor and his siblings. Each member of the Strange family had a unique look to them, and they all had raven dark hair. Donna's hair was long, and in a way… she actually resembled Stephen. The two older siblings could have been fraternal twins or something. Ezekiel found it interesting.

He concluded that Victor looked more like their mother. His facial features were softer, and his eyes held a different shape. Stephen and Donna had sharp eyes and they towered like their father. The characteristics filled Ezekiel's thoughts, and he realized that he didn't respond. Donna took note of where Ezekiel's attention suddenly went.

He looked toward Wade Wilson for some sort of comfort, or possibly some sort of guidance on how to respond. Holy shit. Donna's soul dropped down to her feet.

Those feet were covered and accessorized with an expensive, sensible and comfortable pair of Jimmy Choo low top sneakers. Those sneakers were made of white calf leather, champagne metallic lace ups, and they cost her a pretty penny.

The pretty shoes caught Bucky's eye after a while. He was determinednotto look at the fake dojo person Donna Strange was pretending to be, but his thoughts on that altered after he caught a glimpse of her shoes. The brooding brunette noticed that she actually looked, normal. She looked…

Christ. Bucky Barnes regrouped his mind from taking his thought any further, and he forced his focus out toward the horizon once again.

The quiet moment was… interesting, and Donna Strange wasn't sure how to take Ezekiel's reaction. She smiled through it, and she moved on from it all with all the grace she could muster. Victor's relationship was his business, but obviously… he had a lot of work ahead of him. Working on his role as the Sorcerer Supreme was more important, so Donna let it all go.

She moved her focus more toward the training grounds of the Kamar taj, because she could feel a pool of energy whipping its way around the center of it. Donna felt the energy of both her brothers, so she told everyone that Victor was coming back.

Wait what? Wong, Bucky, Wade and Ezekiel looked over where Donna was pointing. They couldn't pick up on their energy in that moment, but they weren't blind. They could see something was brewing around the training grounds. The wind was even picking up speed. Crazy shit. Bucky contemplated the chaos happening in that moment, but he also took a second to look over at Stephen's sister.

…

Christ again, because Bucky thought it was too soon to start looking over in that direction. The pain he felt from Natasha was way too fresh, and her vicious stab wounds were way too deep. Bucky's heart and soul was in pain, and he was having a hard time being present.

A welcomed distraction emerged, because Victor Strange appeared in the middle of the training grounds. He appeared with his older brother standing right there in front of him. The brothers were looking down at something that was attached to Victor's chest. Bucky couldn't really make out all the details, but the whole group sort of assembled down in the training pit.

Eventually, Bucky Barnes saw Steve Rogers… and Tony.

Then Donna, Ezekiel, and everyone else gathered around the Strange spectacle, but the somber brunette chose to remain in the same exact place.

Chapter: END

Thanks for reading.