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*****
The Ancient One was well-versed in this sort of thing, so she simply ignored Dormammu's bellows.
She channeled her magic, straining to locate Fini. It wasn't until she had expended an amount of energy that even surprised her that she finally pinpointed his general location.
After a moment's hesitation, the Ancient One chose not to open a physical portal. Instead, she projected her soul, traversing countless galaxies in an instant to appear before Fini.
"Master Ancient One!"
Fini, who was currently mid-beatdown of the Red Skull, jumped in surprise. Without a second thought, he blasted the Red Skull away with a stray Explosion Magic before rushing over to the Ancient One, practically wailing:
"You're finally here!"
However, as he got closer and noticed her ethereal form, his heart skipped a beat. He blurted out, "Wait... you're not dead already, are you?"
"Thanks to you, not yet," the Ancient One replied with a small smile, unbothered by his bluntness. She surveyed the bleak landscape of Vormir. "How did you end up here?"
"Because of two stupid rocks!" Fini said through gritted teeth. "Yours was fine—I was just curious—but that other one, the Space Stone... when I went to inspect it, it teleported me here."
A look of surprise crossed the Ancient One's face. She clearly hadn't expected such a turn of events.
"Master, I can't open a portal back," Fini said, quickly turning to her for help. Although the Soul Stone had promised to send him back eventually, relying on one's own people was always more reliable than a cosmic entity.
Hearing this, the Ancient One's brow furrowed and she remained silent. Vormir was simply too far from Earth. Even for her, opening a physical portal across such a distance was incredibly difficult—which was why she had chosen to project her soul instead.
Noticing her expression, Fini grew tense. There was a world of difference between "not wanting to go back" and "not being able to."
"Master... don't tell me even you can't open one?"
"It is... complicated," she admitted. While she didn't give a definitive "no," her expression suggested the problem was far from simple.
Fini let out a long sigh, cursing the Space Stone once more in his heart. "If it's truly impossible, then never mind."
"The Soul Stone promised it would send me back eventually," Fini said, not wanting to put her in a difficult position. Furthermore, the more help he accepted, the more he felt he owed. "And honestly, I was thinking of staying here to train for a bit anyway. I'm in no rush."
The Ancient One looked surprised. She glanced at the Red Skull in the distance, thought for a moment, and then nodded. "This planet is essentially a 'Dead Star,' lacking complex laws of nature. It will indeed make mastering your Ars Magna much easier."
Fini couldn't help but admire her insight. As expected of the Sorcerer Supreme, she saw through his intentions instantly.
"It is not entirely impossible to bring you back, but it would be dangerous."
A portal spanning this many galaxies was something even the Ancient One couldn't guarantee would be stable. She could travel here in soul form because she had mastered that technique through centuries of use, but she couldn't exactly drag Fini's soul back and leave his body rotting on Vormir.
Fini hesitated, then shook his head. "I'll stay here for now. If things get truly desperate, I'll ask for your help again."
Seeing the flicker of worry and guilt on her face, Fini forced a smile. "Really, besides the boredom, it's not so bad here."
"Oh, and could you please find someone to tell my sister? Tell her not to worry. Just say I have some business and can't come back for a while. At most... it'll be six months."
He calculated this based on when Loki was likely to arrive on Earth.
"Also, tell her to handle things at my school," Fini added. He didn't want to come home only to find out he'd been expelled for truancy.
"She is at Kamar-Taj right now. I will tell her shortly," the Ancient One nodded. She looked at Fini and sighed softly. "I am truly sorry."
"Master, don't be like that. This has nothing to do with you; I was just too careless."
Fini never imagined the Space Stone would actually teleport him. In his worst-case scenarios, he had expected a fallout with Nick Fury or a battle with S.H.I.E.L.D., not a trip across the universe.
In truth, if Fini really wanted to get back now, there was another way: have the Ancient One find the Space Stone at S.H.I.E.L.D., activate it, and then have the Soul Stone use that tether to send him back.
However, the Ancient One was still human. Fini wasn't sure if she could handle the Space Stone's raw energy without being harmed. He decided to hold that request as a last resort. He could also wait for Nick Fury's scientists to activate it, but that essentially meant waiting for Loki's invasion.
"I will continue to look for a solution. Be careful," she said.
The Ancient One was not one for indecision. She had lived a long time and seen many partings. Even if Fini were to die, she would grieve, but she would recover.
"I will," Fini nodded.
As the Ancient One's figure vanished, he let out a melancholy sigh. Ultimately, true strength had to come from oneself. If he were strong enough, he could go wherever he pleased without waiting for a rescue.
"Was that your teacher? Also from Earth?"
The Red Skull, who had been observing silently from a distance, finally approached after the Ancient One had left. Being a wraith himself, he could sense the terrifying power of her soul more clearly than anyone.
"Yeah. The Sorcerer Supreme of Earth."
Fini nodded, shaking off his thoughts. It was time to get back to work. Compared to others, his path to power was simple: keep fighting.
The Red Skull looked at the brooding Fini and couldn't help but lament inwardly. How on earth did Hydra manage to grow and thrive on a planet as terrifying as Earth?
---
*"ANCIENT ONE!!!"*
On her way back, she faintly heard Dormammu's roar again. I suppose I did 'borrow' quite a bit of energy this time, she thought. She decided she'd stay inside and keep a low profile for a while.
Once back in her physical body, she sought out Skye as Fini had requested.
"I have found him, but due to certain circumstances, I cannot bring him back immediately."
The Ancient One looked at Skye apologetically. "Fini asked me to tell you not to worry. He will be back in six months at the latest. He also needs your help handling things at his school."
"Six months?!"
Skye was stunned. She rushed toward the Ancient One, her voice frantic. "Sorcerer Supreme, where is he? Why can't I reach him by phone?"
"Please don't lie to me... did something happen to him?"
As she spoke, Skye's voice broke. She couldn't imagine how she would explain this to their parents if anything happened to Fini.
"Don't worry, he is safe," the Ancient One said, walking over to pat Skye's head to calm her down. "He is currently trapped on a very distant planet. That is why he cannot be reached and why he cannot return just yet."
"You mean... he's not even on Earth?"
If the person standing before her hadn't been the Sorcerer Supreme—Fini's highly respected teacher—Skye would have thought she was being pranked.
(End of Chapter)