Present
The memory faded as the Ancient One's attack intensified. She gestured, and the fractured buildings of the Mirror Dimension responded, walls becoming weapons, gravity shifting directions.
"Warm-up's over," she announced. "Shall we escalate?"
Arthur grinned, rising into the air. "Thought you'd never ask."
Magic surged through him as he conjured a pack of ethereal wolves that bounded across the twisted architecture toward her.
The Ancient One simply smiled, manipulating the dimension itself. Buildings folded like origami, crushing his constructs between impossible geometries.
Undeterred, Arthur summoned hundreds of birds that attacked from every angle. She stood serene amid the storm of talons and beaks, then swept her arms in a graceful circle. Golden light pulsed outward, transforming his birds into cherry blossoms that drifted harmlessly down.
"My turn," she said.
Space compressed around Arthur. He barely apparated away before reality tried to fold him in half. She pursued with energy projectiles that tracked his movements, forcing him to apparate continuously to avoid being overwhelmed.
She did not stop, creating duplicates of herself that attacked from multiple angles simultaneously. Arthur had to apparate continuously to evade the golden boomerangs and swords thrown at him from every direction.
But Arthur was not one to just defend. He conjured a massive wave of water that surged toward her. The Ancient One casually slashed through it, creating a gap that let the water pass harmlessly by.
Arthur apparated behind the wave, lifting the water skyward with a gesture. The liquid twisted into countless icicles that froze mid-air. Without hesitation, he launched them at the Ancient One.
She regarded the incoming barrage calmly. At the last moment, a golden mandala materialized before her, absorbing the impact. The icicles shattered harmlessly against the barrier.
The battle continued, neither gaining a decisive advantage. Arthur's spells met the Ancient One's portals and dimensional manipulation, while her attacks couldn't pin down his constant apparition.
"Excellent," she said, pausing her assault. "You've improved considerably. Against Mephisto on Earth, you wouldn't need to fear him—he would need to fear you."
"I'm not that good," Arthur protested. "I haven't landed a single clean hit."
"If you bested me after mere months of training, I'd be doing my centuries of experience a grave disservice," she replied with a subtle smile. "Your next step is integration. Stop treating your powers as separate systems. Combine wizarding magic with mystic arts. Create something uniquely yours. Only then will you surpass me."
Arthur nodded, understanding. He let both powers flow simultaneously, apparating while opening portals, sending spells through dimensional gateways to attack from unexpected angles.
The Ancient One flowed through his assault like water, each movement perfectly timed to place her between his attacks. She didn't block or deflect—she simply wasn't where his strikes landed.
The stalemate continued until the Ancient One's expression sharpened.She manipulated the Mirror Dimension to compress the space, leaving Arthur no room to escape. Then, in the confined area, she came at him with full force, still as elegant as ever.
Arthur defended desperately, barely dodging or deflecting her strikes. His mind was full of doubts.
How had the future Kaecilius ever defeated her? Despite all his powers, he still hadn't landed a hit on her, while Kaecilius had managed to kill her with only a few zealots to help.
Had age caught up to her?
As the thought crossed his mind, Arthur felt a chill.
The Ancient One smiled knowingly. "Were you thinking something unflattering? Perhaps I should truly get serious now."
Just as Arthur braced for a thorough beating, a gong resonated from nowhere.
"Time's up," the Ancient One announced, her intensity evaporating. "Well done. Same time next week?"
With a gesture, the Mirror Dimension restored itself, London's streets returning to their proper configuration and Arthur sighed in relief. He had avoided a beating.
As reality settled, three robed figures became visible. Arthur already knew they were there—the Ancient One had told him beforehand that she wanted the most talented trainees at Kamar-Taj to observe what a true battle looked like.
The apprentices were Mordo, Wong, and a smirking Kaecilius.
Kaecilius stepped forward, lips curled into his usual smug grin. "Impressive, Hayes. Though I noticed you've plateaued. I'll surpass you soon enough."
Arthur raised an eyebrow, his reply dry. "Bold words from someone still wearing trainee robes. Save the confidence for when you become a master."
"You aren't a master yourself," Kaecilius shot back.
Arthur shrugged. "Had I stayed, I would've achieved it long ago. What's your excuse?"
Kaecilius's eyes narrowed. "Just wait. I'll earn my mastery soon—then I'll challenge you properly."
But Arthur ignored him and turned towards the other two trainees. Mordo and Wong, both significant figures in the timeline he remembered, apparently joining Kamar-Taj after his departure.
"I hope you two don't adopt his bad habits," Arthur said. "Stay calm. Don't overreach."
Mordo inclined his head politely. "Discipline is the foundation of strength. That much, I believe." He paused, then added, "If I may ask—when you fought, you seemed to cast without the gestures and movements we're taught are essential. How?"
"The gestures are training wheels," Arthur explained. "They help you visualize the dimensional manipulation you're attempting. Once you truly understand what you're doing—once you can feel the dimensional energy itself—the movements become optional. Though they still help with precision for complex workings."
Wong leaned forward with interest. "And that defensive technique where you redirected the Ancient One's energy bolts—was that a wizarding shield charm or a mystic arts reflection?"
"Both, actually." Arthur held up a hand, demonstrating with a small shimmer of magic. "Protego creates a barrier, but mystic arts let you shape dimensional space. Combine them and you get a shield that doesn't just block—it redirects along dimensional folds. Much more powerful."
"Fascinating," Wong murmured, clearly filing the information away.
After a few more minutes—Mordo inquiring about combining magical systems, Wong asking about specific defensive techniques—Arthur took his leave.
—
Back at Hayes Manor, Winky waited with her usual post-training supplies.
"Master is unharmed?" She held bandages and healing potions. "The robed one usually leaves marks."
"Do you sound disappointed because you enjoy patching me up, or because you've prepared all this for nothing?" Arthur asked, rotating his shoulder.
"Winky bought new bandages. Extra absorbent," she said accusingly. "Now they go to waste."
"My apologies for not bleeding enough for you."
Winky huffed. "Master should just stop letting people hit him for fun."
"It's training, not fun."
"Looks same to Winky. Master runs to people to get beaten up, Winky could do that here."
"That's... not the same thing at all."
"Is too. Winky even knows more painful spots."
—
That evening, Arthur sat in his study, deep in meditation. He'd been trying for weeks to sense the ambient magical field directly, to understand how he'd wielded Ancient Magic against Mephisto. So far, nothing but frustration.
Pop.
"Master," Winky appeared, holding something. "This thing is making noise. Winky doesn't know what it is."
Arthur opened his eyes and froze. In Winky's hands was the Kree suit he'd taken during the Captain Marvel incident, its communication array blinking.
Someone was calling him. And there was only one person in the universe who had his frequency.