In the following days, Aron traveled almost daily between New York and Kamar-Taj.
When he soon faced Hela in the Underworld, he wasn't sure whether the exorcism system would even work. Just in case, he decided to prepare thoroughly.
First – learn a few advanced magical techniques. And then try again to convince the Ancient One to help him.
"You're here again?"
As soon as he stepped into the Kamar-Taj library, Wong looked at him and sighed.
"You might be wasting your time again today. The Sorcerer Supreme has been avoiding you for a while."
"But Mordo is looking for you, he already knows what happened in the Underworld."
Wong opened the passage toward the section with advanced magic.
"If you want to learn any magic, find it yourself. When you're done reading, return it to its place."
Without giving him the chance to drag him into another mission, Wong quickly left the library.
"Is the Underworld really that terrifying? Everyone keeps running away from me."
Aron was displeased.
Although he never formally joined Kamar-Taj, for some time now he had been acting as a secret mage. And he studied alongside them. Doesn't that mean they're already like family?
Now, when they only need to do him a small favor, everyone ignores him.
"If this doesn't work, I'll go to Asgard and seek out Odin. In any case, he already asked for my help..."
Aron returned one of the magical books he held in his arms back onto the shelf.
In the past few days, he had learned many useful defensive and rescue spells:
Shield of the Seraphim.
Form of the Ekern.
And most importantly – the Mirror Dimension.
All of these spells had one common advantage: they were universal and did not require special energy.
Spells that depended on divine or specific source energy, like the well-known Body of Hoggoth, were useless to him.
That spell required energy from the ancient god Hoggoth, one of the Three Vishanti Lords.
"Even if I fail to defeat Hela, at least I'll be able to get out alive."
Aron rubbed his chin.
Sun Tzu said in The Art of War: "Those skilled in war make themselves invincible first."
For Aron, that meant he must first ensure he can survive, only then venture into the Underworld and face Hela.
That's why he needed the Ancient One's help.
It's her own fault she told everything to Odin...
---
Leaving the library, Aron went straight to the room where the Sorcerer Supreme resided.
When he opened the door, just as Wong had told him, the room was empty.
But the Eye of Agamotto clearly lay on the middle shelf of the meditation room.
"For me?"
A relic of that level left unguarded?
It was obvious that the Ancient One had left this for him.
Aron didn't hesitate.
He took the artifact and left.
Better to go before the Ancient One changed her mind and returned out of nowhere.
Passing through the portal,
Aron returned to the temple in New York.
He touched the Eye of Agamotto which still hung around his neck.
Alright.
Now there was no more room for hesitation. He couldn't stop Hela with words, what followed was action.
With the Eye of Agamotto in his hands, Aron excitedly began experimenting.
Just as Strange did in the movie, Aron found a random fruit, took a few bites, then placed it on the table.
He opened the Eye of Agamotto and used the power of the Time Stone to reverse time.
Exactly like in the movie, a flash of green light enveloped the fruit.
Bite marks quickly disappeared, and the fruit was whole again.
"Hah! Unreal!"
At that moment, Aron suddenly spat out a piece of pulp from his mouth and looked at the fruit.
Untouched. Clean.
As if he never bit into it.
At first, he thought reversing time would also remove what he had eaten, but apparently, the new bite was simply replenished, as if created from nothing.
"No wonder there are constant warnings not to use the Time Stone randomly."
"Newton would be spinning in his grave if he saw this…"
At that moment, just as he was about to take off the Eye, he heard a voice behind him.
"Mr. Aron, is this magic too?"
Wanda.
She had been training for days.
Aron, who knew her power was actually chaos magic, had been teaching her according to the principles of Kamar-Taj, but with adjustments. The difference was enormous.
Kamar-Taj magic was a power you cultivated or borrowed.
Wanda's power came from within, innate, raw.
"Almost," Aron said, turning to her. Then an idea lit up in his mind.
"Wanda… what's your favorite thing to eat? What's your favorite color? Favorite animal? Where do you most like to go out?"
He asked her a whole series of rapid-fire questions.
Wanda was confused, but she answered honestly.
"I love sweets, especially low-calorie shakes… I adore the color red… I love..."
Aron listened carefully and absorbed every word.
Then he activated the Time Stone again.
...
"Mr. Aron, is this magic too?" The same moment repeated.
"Yes," he said with a smile.
"That is also magic."
Then he added innocently: "Wanda, could you do me a favor and go buy something to eat?"
"What should I buy?"
"A smoothie. Any flavor. And another low-calorie nutritional shake. That one's for you."
Wanda was stunned for a moment, her eyes widened.
And then, with a slightly shy expression, she ran out of the temple, confused, but smiling.
Aron watched her with a sly smile on his face.
Now that is the proper use of the Time Stone.
Those who play with time, if they know how, can do anything.
...
New York.
Avengers Tower.
Tony Stark was deeply focused in the lab.
His hands were moving, his eyes glowing, as if something possessed him.
Dr. Bruce Banner stood beside him, worried.
"Tony, you need to rest," he said. "You haven't slept in days. If you keep this up your body will give out."
Tony shook his head.
"I know my limits. Jarvis is monitoring my vital signs in real time."
As he spoke, he took a small white pill and swallowed it.
His latest invention, a substance that keeps the body awake, eliminates fatigue, without causing collapse.
"This gives me exactly what I need."
Banner remained silent, but his facial expression said everything – he wasn't comfortable with it.
Tony then paused, serious.
"Do you remember what we found in Hydra's base?" he asked.