The Ancient One descended the stairs with her gaze never leaving the golden gem in Satoru's hand.
"I suspected you wouldn't return empty-handed," she said, her eyes drifting from the golden gem to Satoru's smug face. "Though carrying an infinity stone so casually... even for you, that is bold. What do you intend to do with it?"
Before Satoru could crack a joke about using it as a disco ball, Wong's jaw finally dropped.
He looked between the two of them, his eyes wide with a realization that made his skin go pale.
"Wait," Wong stammered, stepping away from the scrolls. "An Infinity Stone? Like... like the one Master Cagliostro described? The same kind of fundamental power that the Eye of Agamotto houses?"
Satoru gave a lazy nod, while the Ancient One offered a small, solemn tilt of her head. Wong looked like he wanted to scream and faint at the same time.
"Relax, Wong," Satoru chirped, pocketing the stone. "It's perfectly safe. To answer your question, Ancient One... I have some uses for it."
The Ancient One chuckled softly, a sound like wind chimes in a temple. "I'm guessing you intend to use the Stone's vast computational and psychic depth to find a remedy for the drawback of your Nihility technique?"
Satoru's lopsided grin didn't falter, but his silence was confirmation enough. "Nothing gets past you, does it?" He then paused, his expression shifting as he raised a suspicious brow at her. "Which brings me to my next point. You sent me on this little field trip saying I'd find what I was seeking by helping the Avengers. Now that the toaster is scrapped and the city is... well, gone... was this the prize? This rock?"
The Ancient One walked past him toward the window, looking out at the sunset painting the New York skyline in shades of bruised purple and gold. She didn't answer immediately.
"You told me I would find what I seek," Satoru pressed, leaning forward on the velvet sofa. "Is the Stone the answer?"
She turned back to him, a mysterious, frustratingly peaceful smile playing on her lips. "I don't know, Satoru. I cannot read your future as I do others. You are a variable that did not exist until you arrived; you are a ripple that changes the pond. I only saw possibilities."
She began to walk toward the tea set in the corner. "Just because your task for the Avengers is finished doesn't mean your journey has ended. You might have already encountered what you seek without realizing it, or perhaps it hasn't appeared yet. Who knows? Only you will be able to recognize it when the time is right."
Satoru stared at her for a long moment, trying to find a lie in her eyes, but there was nothing but that annoying depth of a thousand years. He groaned and slumped back onto the sofa.
"Cryptic as always," Satoru muttered, taking another bite of his cronut. "I'm starting to think you just wanted me out of the house for the weekend."
"The tea is almost ready," was all she said to that, before she turned around to do other things. "Also, please don't misuse the stone, Satoru."
Satoru watched the Ancient One disappear into the adjoining room, the soft rustle of her robes fading into the silence of the library.
He tossed the remaining bit of his cronut into his mouth and chewed slowly.
"Misuse it? She makes it sound like I'm going to use it as a paperweight," Satoru muttered, he's intending to use it for something much more interesting and productive than that, okay?
He shifted his weight on the velvet sofa and turned his gaze towards Wong.
"So," Satoru chirped, his voice cutting through Wong's silent brooding. "Not that I'm not happy to see your face, but why are you in the New York Sanctum anyway? Shouldn't you be back in Hong Kong teaching your students?"
"You're one to talk," Wong let out a sharp, irritated breath. "Kaecilius is currently in Kamar-Taj for a consultation with Master Hamir. I've been stationed here to oversee the Sanctum while the New York masters are away."
"Speaking of masters," Satoru continued, leaning back and resting his arms over the sofa's headrest. "Where's Mordo? I figured he'd be the one breathing down my neck about 'proper sanctum etiquette' by now. He's usually pretty attached to this place."
Wong's expression shifted, the irritation giving way to something more somber and guarded. He adjusted his stance, looking away from Satoru toward the rows of ancient texts.
"Mordo has been... distant," Wong replied, his tone noticeably more serious. "He has spent a great deal of time in the private archives while you were away. Even going so far as neglecting his duties."
Satoru's eyes widened behind his bandages. He sat up straighter, the cronut paper discarded as he looked at Wong, wanting to hear about this gossip in particular.
"Neglecting his duties?" Satoru repeated, a chuckle escaping him. "Are we speaking about the same Mordo? The guy who treats the Sanctum's rulebook like it's holy scripture? That doesn't sound like him at all. I figured if the world ended, he'd still be here polishing the relics and complaining about my posture."
Wong hummed silently, his gaze drifting to the floor. "It is unlike him. All I know is that shortly after you left for the Avengers' Tower, he had a long, private audience with the Ancient One in Kamar-Taj. Since then... he has spent his time buried in the restricted sections of the archives."
Satoru's smirk thinned. He knew Mordo's rigid nature better than anyone; if that rigidity was cracking… Well, he doesn't know exactly, guess he doesn't know Mordo that well after all...
"Indifferent, huh?" Satoru muttered, swirling the Mind Stone between his fingers. "Thanks for the info, Wong. Now I've got material to talk back if ever Mordo nitpicks on me again."
Wong didn't seem to want to dwell on the shadow hanging over their fellow master.
Just then, his expression morphed into something interesting. He looked left, then right, ensuring the Ancient One was well out of earshot. He stepped closer to the sofa, setting his duster down on a side table. His voice dropped into a more conspiratorial, almost hushed tone.
"The Club has been looking for you while you were away," Wong said, his face regaining some of its usual stoic mask, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of excitement. "The manager sent word. They have a new 'heavy hitter' from the underworld who's been clearing the brackets. Are you going to fight tonight?"
The Club—the Golden Daggers Club in Macau. An underground cage where magic and martial arts collided for the amusement of the world's elite. And, more importantly, it was where he and Wong made a killing on the side bets.
Years ago when he was but a wee boy, Wong had mentioned the club in passing, curious and bored out of his mind from constantly reading sanskrit and lazing around the temple in Kamar-Taj, he asked about it.
After getting to know about it in detail from him, the rest was history. It became Satoru's favorite place to let off some steam. And, more importantly, it was where he and Wong made a killing on the side bets.
Satoru paused. He thought for a moment.
"Yeah," Satoru grinned, the stone disappearing back into his pocket with a practiced flick. "Sure. My body hasn't really seen some action in Norway and Sokovia, might as well stretch these stiff joints in the club."
"Good," Wong grunted, already mentally calculating the odds. "I'll prep the portal. Try not to destroy the arena this time. I don't want to lose my membership."
Satoru sprawled out on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling as he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, yeah, Wong. I've invited someone to learn sorcery at Kamar-Taj. She should be showing up in a week, or maybe sooner."
Wong paused mid-swipe with his duster, looking back at Satoru with a flat, unimpressed stare. "You invited someone? Without consulting the masters or the Ancient One first? You can't just hand out guest passes to a secret sanctuary. Also, why are you saying that to me?"
"Relax, she's got potential. Plus, if I hadn't intervened she could've lost her brother," Satoru said, dismissing Wong's concerns with a wave of his hand. He pushed himself off the velvet sofa, his throat feeling like sandpaper courtesy of a very sugary cronut. "I'm just giving you a heads-up. If I'm out fetching something or fighting in the pits when she shows up, just... try not to scare her off with your ugly mug. Take care of her for me."
"I am a Master of the Mystic Arts, not a receptionist," Wong grumbled, though he made a mental note of the request.
Satoru started walking toward the kitchen, his boots silent on the stone floor. He stopped in the doorway and looked back over his shoulder. "On another note, how are my students doing in Kamar-Taj? I hope they haven't started a rebellion while I was busy saving the planet."
Wong set his duster down, his expression shifting from irritation to a rare, thoughtful sobriety. "They are doing fine, mostly. Their progress is undeniable."
He paused, leaning against the library table. "Your interdimensional student, however, the new guy, Rintrah, has some real potential. He's clumsy with the finer Eldritch threads, but his raw affinity for spatial manipulation is... commendable."
"You should keep an eye on him. I suspect he'd be a fellow Master one day if he received enough guidance from you."
Satoru let out a low whistle, a playful glint in his hidden eyes. "Rintrah, huh? The big green guy? I knew he had style the moment I saw him. If even you're giving out compliments, Wong, then he really must be something special."
He leaned against the doorframe. "I suppose I can spare a few minutes. I'll go see him."
He finally walked away and headed for the gateway connecting the Sanctum to Kamar-Taj.
...
[Author's Notes]: The following chapters will introduce characters and build up to the next conflict. It'll be messy, but the structure and draft of the storyline I have written is, in my humble opinion, pretty solid.
Also, what do we think of adding Miles Morales into the fic? Before you protest and question, yes, Peter Parker would still be in the fic, there's just something about two Spider-Men swinging around the neighborhood of NYC.
Daily chapter drop (One each): Monday → Sunday.
Powerstone Goal (When including the DCD and this goal is met, there'll be two chapters released when Sunday arrives): 1,000 Powerstones
Advanced chapters & show of support: Patreon.com/Shiriai