#apprentice!reader

The inquisitors were faster than anyone had thought. Both figures in their dark masks and crimson sabers moved through the shadows undetected. The jedi hunters were exactly what you feared. 

You would have only feared them more however if you yourself didn't also have a shadow.

The blade created a high arc over your head, but before it could hit its mark you sidestepped out of the way and brought your own weapon to defend yourself. As fast as the first attack was launched another was closely followed. In the little time you had to react to the onslaught of rage your hand shot off to push the inquisitor's blade away. 

The rule of two had followed into the New Empire it seemed, sparring a glass to the side in the little moment to catch your breath you could afford, Maul seemed to be fairing a little better with his own attacker. The Zabark was leaner than the hunter, also seeming to get out of the way in the knick of time.

The fury pouring off of both individuals was flooding the small room the ambush took place in. It rejuvenated your own spirit to watch someone like your master fight a formidable opponent. Something akin to pride filled your chest for only a moment before reality came crushing back and the unmistakable heat was felt against your face.

A noise close to a growl resonated deep within your throat as your lightsaber made contact again. This time you took the offensive landing devastating hit that would have ended your fight long ago. If this was someone else.

For a split second pain flared in your side, The inquisitor’ s white mask loomed over you for a second- his kick nearly knocking the wind completely out of you. A hand instinctively shot up sending a force back at the assailant, making him stumble for a split second. 

It took more of an effort to get to your feet than you would have liked, but you wouldn't have gone down that easily. Somewhere to the side once again a scream was let out by maul- his fight coming closer to your own.

Within a split second you could see the move the other inquisitor was about to land before it happened, just as quickly a gash was exposed in Maul's leg. The overwhelming presence of the other hunter filled your distracted air. Something sick and vile filled your head and it was much harder to reach for your weapon. 

Your airways slowly began to close, a hand shot up to try and relieve some of the phantom pressure. The saber slipped from your hand, but before it could hit the ground it jerked unnaturally through the air and into the hands of the inquisitor.

“You would have made a disappointing Jedi.” The modulated voice taunted. You knew it was foolish to avert your eyes from him now, but something was pulling you to. The force was pulling you.

Eyes locked with your master. His hilt easily split in half to deflect a low blow aimed for his good leg. Your focus snapped back to the imposing mask as it spoke again. “This fight was lackluster at best.” 

Before he could say more the cool metal of another saber hit your hand. With one clean swipe a cut was landed along the figure's dark cladded side resulting in the grip loosened from your neck. The crimson blade now within your hands shot up and returned to a defensive position in front of you. 

The figure staggered back, but you were not foolish enough to believe this was over, Backing up a few paces yourself, you stopped when the unmistakable presence of Maul filled your periphery/

“I believe we are overdue for an exit.” His smooth voice washed over your ears. Anger wasn't even attempted to be masked within his words. Anything to do with the Emperor seemed to tip Maul into an even worse mood.

Two sides of a single blade shared between a Master and Apprentice. Backs nearly pressed together, deep breath shared between them. The rule of two always fulfilled.

The hunters stalked together, their imposing frames were made to instill fear, but that was a difficult task when you were no longer fighting alone. 

Without a word you understood what Maul wanted you to do immediately. Your half of the lightsaber flew from your hand in a sweeping arch, your master’s own was shut off as now all of his concentration was directed to bringing the building down around you.

You caught it once again, the move only to deter the oncoming attackers for a moment longer, buying enough time.

With a rumble and a cloud of smoke, You and Maull were separated from the Inquisitors. A disgruntled scream was heard from the other side

“They’re going to find a way around.” You spoke out of breath shutting the lightsaber off in your hands. No longer were the two of you bathed in the red light. 

“Then we mustn't stay here and wait for them to become intelligent.” Maul said with almost an air of sarcasm. Taking one step forward, your master’s damaged leg failed to support his weight. Your hands shot out but one his own made a motion to stop you. 

He started for an exit himself, not sparing a glance behind him. Already knowing that you were going to follow. 

“Your form has improved, though remaining sloppy at key moments,” Maul spoke, “More stamina training is in order.” Never once could it be just a compliment with him. You met his pace, albeit not very fast, and walked on his right side.

Your gaze shifted to the metal still clasped in your hands. The blade, it seemed, knew this wasn't its rightful owner and created an uneasy feeling deep in the pit of your stomach. You moved to return it to Maul, adding a small comment under your breath. “I lost my saber.”

Your master scoffed, fearing more of a scolding you looked down. A hand swiped the blade from your hand. But nothing else followed.

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Icarus’ tool whirred quietly. Maul sat with a grimace on his face, his eyes and scrunched nose gave the only hint of discomfort not felt by the force. Scorn hovered brooding in the corner, eyes scanning over his brothers in front of him. 

This moment seemed to be not for the average watcher which is what made you feel almost deterred to enter. However the Nightbrother working quietly was the only one to pay you mind and signal for you to enter more. 

Your eyes remained down and you sat next to the Zabrak on the floor. Not a man of many words, one did resonate from Icarus’ mouth. “Watch.”

Paying close attention to the work put in by the other man, the intricacy that went into the prosthetic baffled you. In silence once again Icarus now held out an extra tool to you, hesitating for a moment, you met his sure face, making another glance  up at the man looming above you all Maul did was close his eyes softly. A red finger pointed at the wires he intended for you to mend. 

Imitating the work you just witnessed, Icarus guided you ever so slightly as you took your turn in fixing the leg melted by the inquisitor's saber. The force was calm all around you for the moment, you thank the maker that at least you weren't causing further pain to your master.

The gash was coming together nicely before you spared a glance up at the nightbrother who reassumed the position to fix the leg. You lead back slightly now taking your master in full. 

His eyes were still closed but his hand was outstretched with something held in its grasp.

“My lightsaber!” You exclaimed, going to reach for it. Before swiping the blade back into your hands, Maul whipped it out of the way.

His yellow eyes now peered down at you for a moment before he spoke. 

“Try to take better care of your weapon.” His condescending tone didn't deter you from reaching out again and returning the lightsaber to its rightful place on your hip.

“I will Master.” 

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Taglist:

This is a life Free from destiny Not only what we sow Not only what we show

Life before working with John Kramer was easy. Disappointing, going nowhere, and lonely - but it was easy. (Y/N) got by, making wages she wasn't proud of, but she was "normal". Sure, she did some things here and there that were illegal, but it was life. It was what she had to do. That was, until John found her and put her through one of his games.

Since then, she had a new outlook on her existence, and those around her. Since then, (Y/N) had worked with "Jigsaw", Amanda, Mark, and Lawrence to help people find meaning and a will to live. It wasn't the safest job, but she now had a support system and a reason to live.

This is a life (Every possibility) Free From destiny (I choose you and you choose me)

(Y/N) would be nothing without John, without her new life. She knew that. She believed that. Without his games, life wouldn't mean anything and she would've been forced to watch as time went by and she was left behind. Here, (Y/N) could make a difference. Here, (Y/N) was worth something. So, when John asked (Y/N) to help him with a new game, she was happy to oblige.

Sitting in John's workshop, (Y/N) held in her hands part of an item her mentor had called the "Venus Fly Trap". She personally liked to refer to it as the "Death Mask", but John didn't like the name as it, in his words, "took away the true meaning behind it". Taking a flathead screw driver from off of the table, (Y/N) delicately fiddled with the collar of the machine. One wrong move, and the entire trap would set off.

"We'll need that ready by next Thursday. Will it be done by then, or do you think you may need Amanda to help out a little?" John spoke up. Glancing up at him, (Y/N) noticed that when addressing her he hadn't taken his focus off of his sketch book - simply kept adding more and more ideas for more and more games.

Carefully setting the mask down, (Y/N) took no extra time in responding to the older man. "I should have it done by then. Amanda... I don't need her help. She can work on her projects."

John nodded and gave a quick hum of approval. "Alright," he muttered as he got up from his chair, "Lawrence will have him sedated and prepared for his game Friday morning, so we need it to be ready to go - nothing wrong with it. His test has to be fair."

(Y/N) watched as he started to walk past her. She had planned to keep silent; do her job and let him leave. Sadly, her mouth had other plans. "Who is it this time? Being tested, I mean..."

John stopped, seemingly thinking about the question before answering. "Michael Marks." he told her. "But, he isn't what you should worry about. Just focus on the mask." John smiled at his apprentice, gave her a pat on the shoulder, and continued his way away from her.

So, she did just as he asked. Just like she was supposed to do. Grabbing the collar, (Y/N) muttered measurements to herself in the empty room, beginning to continue the build that would inevitably either save a man, or destroy him.

Not only what we sow (Every space and every time) Not only what we show (Now we know) This is a light (Many lives that could've been) Free from entropy (Entangled for eternity)

He hadn't survived. It was as simple as that. Michael Marks hadn't had it in him to save himself, resulting in his death, and the new job that (Y/N) was tasked.

"John... I don't know about this." she muttered to the man. In her hands was a file, much like the others she had received of participants John wanted her to kidnap. This was different, though. This was a kid. "I mean, he's 17, John. He's not even the one being tested!"

"His father needs to be." John spoke calmly. "He doesn't appreciate his son's life, and he uses his position as a cop to ruin others'."

"That's not Daniel's fault!" she cried out.

Raising his voice, John yelled back at her argument. "He will be put in the gas house, just like the others! Now, go collect him for me. Do it, or I'll have Mark do it for you, and take you off of the next few games. You have to trust me, (Y/N)! You either trust me, or you are not fit to be testing with the rest of us!"

Glaring at him, (Y/N) placed the file down on the table and replaced the space in her hand with the pig mask. "He's a kid, John." her voice wavered as she tried to reason with him.

John stepped forward, placing both hands on the girl's shoulders. "His father needs to be tested, and if that is by almost losing his son, then so be it. Amanda will be with him the entire time - you know this. Daniel will be as okay as he can be." The pity in his eyes only caused (Y/N)'s throat to close up more. Guilt, anger, fear, and a vast number of more emotions surged through her body, but she knew she couldn't let him down. She couldn't mess up John's game. She couldn't give him a reason to throw her away. She couldn't lose John.

Not only hands and toes Not only what we've known We find This life Somehow Alright

Leaning forwards, (Y/N) let his arms move from her shoulders, to around the red and black robe she was wearing. Her shaky hands grasped at the front of his shirt, not daring to let go. Small and gasp-filled sobs escaped her throat as he hugged her, trying to give her some sort of comfort before she had to go get the boy.

"It'll be okay. He'll be okay." he muttered.

This is a life Slow and sudden miracles View of other worlds from our window sills With the weight of eternity

Clawing off the pig mask, (Y/N)'s screams and cries finally escaped her. She threw it to the side, letting it hit a random item somewhere in the house John had chosen for the trap. Her hair was a mess, mascara ran down her cheeks, and she was physically exhausted. Leaning down, her gloved hands lifted up the limp body of the boy, and she continued her walk over to the corner of the room, maneuvering him so he wouldn't touch any of the others. After leaning him against the wall, (Y/N) paused, using one of her hands to press back part of his hair. "I'm sorry..." she gasped. "I'm so sorry, Daniel."

(Y/N) had felt guilty enough before but feeling him fight back and hearing his cries and pleas had only caused her emotional distress to skyrocket. Leaving him here didn't feel like he was going into a test like any of the others, it felt as if she was personally responsible for what could be his death. (Y/N) hated that feeling.

(Y/N)'s cries and apologies were quickly cut short by the feeling of a soft hand on her shoulder. Glancing back through teary eyes, she could make out Amanda's figure. "I'll be there for him the entire time. He won't get hurt under my watch, I promise." she took her pinky finger and wrapped it around (Y/N)'s while speaking. "Now, I think it'd be your best bet to go back to John and the others. They're waiting, y'know."

Slowly nodding, (Y/N) took one last look at the boy before walking to the other side of the room and retrieving their mask. She then moved to the door, gave Amanda a sad smile, and shut the door. As she walked away from the room, (Y/N) could still hear every mechanism whirring, getting the gun and locks in place for when the game began. There was no going back - she had done it. She had done it for John, just as he had instructed her. Once again she had followed his orders, as if it was the only thing she could do anymore.

At the speed of light This is a life

(Y/N) stood next to John, watching the police flood into the room. She had been chosen to wait with him. She had been chosen to help from his side of the game.

He chose her.

Watching as each officer raised their weapon and let out yells, (Y/N) simply smiled. As much as it hurt, John was right. They had to be tested, and she would be the one to watch everything go down with him.

“Qēlossās.” A low voice said, making you jolt, and nearly knock over the candle by your elbow.

Prince Aemond appeared from the shadows, dressed in simple trousers and a linen nightshirt, his hair was loose, and to your surprise he was not wearing his eye patch.

The sapphire that replaced his eye sparkled in the low light, and you couldn’t decide if it was more improper to stare at it, or the smooth muscles of his chest that were exposed by his nightshirt.

“The night sky is dark but filled with stars. A line from the Great Valyrian book of Poetry, if I am not mistaken?” He stepped up to the table and leaned down, scanning all the books you had laid open.

You bowed your head. “You are not, my prince.” You started to gather your things, and he held up a hand to stop you.

“Why do you flee? Surely my face is not so hideous you cannot stand to remain in my presence for a moment longer.”

“No—that is not my reasoning at all, I merely assumed you wished to be alone.”

“Umbagon.” He said, the word rolling off his tongue such in a way that sent shivers down your spine.

“I am ashamed to say I only know the one line, and a few other basics.” You admitted, still trying to gather all your notes.

“It means stay.” He sat in the chair beside yours, and you sat down as well. “Might I inquire as to why you’re attempting to learn Valyrian?”

“It is the language many of the books in our great library are written in, and I wish to organize them without needing to bother a member of the royal family.” You answered, keeping your eyes on your hands, not daring to face the prince.

“And your studies are going well?”

Your shoulders slumped. “I do not understand why I cannot grasp the language. The written word is my love and my forte, it is why I worked so hard to serve here.” You glanced up at the rows and rows of books. “This is the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.”

Aemond hummed and read over your notes. “I see what the problem is.”

You perked up, and for a moment you could have sworn there was a slight smile on the prince’s lips. “You do? Please, tell me.”

“You need a teacher.” He said.

You slumped once more. “The very reason I decided to teach myself was so that I would not bother any members of the royal family.”

He stood. “I consider it a challenge, not a bother.”

You looked up at him. “You would teach me?”

“I’ve grown bored as of late, perhaps this will serve as entertainment.”

You stood in a rush, curtsying. “My prince, I cannot thank you enough, I promise I will be a diligent student.”

From then on you and the prince would meet every night, and as the nights progressed, so did you handle on Valyrian.

“Se skoros iksis aōha udligon naejot bisa?” He asked, pointing to a line of poetry. And what is your answer to this?

“Even the moon herself envies your beauty?” You scrunched your nose. “I think I would find it too flowery for a proper response.”

“Perhaps you need to hear it, to understand the depth?” He turned your chair, so you were facing him, and held your hand in his. “Sesīr se hūra ziry envies aōha gevives.” The words were like silk, his voice low and calm, his violet eye focused solely on you.

You felt your face heat up, and you stuttered out an answer. “Yn se vēzos envies ao.” And the sun envies you.

Aemond’s thumb was absentmindedly caressing your skin, as he searched his mind for another phrase. “Māzigon sōvegon va zaldrīzes arlī lēda nyke.” Come ride dragon back with me.

“Iksan zūgagon zaldrīzoti.” You said. I am afraid of dragons.

He chuckled. “There is nothing to fear from Vhagar.”

You smiled at him, fond exasperation coloring your voice. He’d tried many times to convince you to join him on Vhagar and each time you said no. “You are her rider, of course you have nothing to fear, but I do.”

You shifted in your seat, noticing he still held your hand.

He’d been doing this more of late, holding your hand, brushing your cheek, complimenting you in Common and High Valyrian.

It sent a giddy warmth through your veins, and gave you a fluttering thing of hope in your chest that you feared could be squashed at any moment.

His eye followed your gaze, and he dropped your hand, reaching for the book of pastry recipes you’d pulled as well. “That is enough Valyrian for tonight, you were to explain the intricacies of latticework on pies, I believe.”

“Ah, yes, it is not as simple as many believe.”

This had been your exchange, Aemond taught you High Valyrian, and you taught him about pastries… Which seemed an uneven exchange to you, but you yearned for that attentive look he fixed you with, so you never voiced your worries aloud.

“Jaelan daor tolie yn ao.” He whispered, almost more to himself than to you. I want no other but you.

You tilted your head in confusion. “My apologies, I did not catch that.”

“I am excited to learn more about your pies.” He said, calmly, tapping one long finger on the painted image of an apple pie.

For some reason you felt as if he was lying, but pushed it away and focused on the recipe book.

You found it odd that the next night, Aemond was late. You waited for him, anxiously adjusting your notes, tapping on the covers of various books, eyes flickering to the doors every other moment. Finally, after an hour had passed you sighed, and gathered your things, before tucking them on the shelf you and Aemond had commandeered for your nightly lessons.

Walking through the aisles, you headed out of the library intent on retiring to your chambers, heart heavy as doubt wormed your way into your mind.

Perhaps the prince had gotten bored of you. Or did not wish to waste his time teaching a girl from a small house, when there were plenty of ladies from much more powerful families vying for his attention. Tears began to slid down your face, and you bit your lip to keep from making any noise. You were a fool to think he would be truly interested in you.

“Lady y/n?” Aemond’s voice stopped you in your tracks.

He was flushed and disheveled, his chest rising and falling at a rapid pace.

“Prince Aemond? Did you run here?” You raised an eyebrow, biting back a laugh.

He took your hands in his, expression earnest and apologetic. “My apologies for being late, I had to get rid of a particularly enthusiastic lady and her equally enthused mother.”

You had forgotten that the queen was bringing in ladies for Aemond to consider marrying. “Well, if you need to tend to your duties, I understand.”

He shook his head, eye scanning your face. “You were crying?”

You gave him a watery smile. “No, I was yawning.”

“Iksā gevie yn iā quba pirtirys.” He said, releasing one of your hands, his calloused fingers wiping away your tears. You are beautiful, but you are a bad liar.

“Se iksā iā dārilaros, aōha ābrazȳrys kessa daor hae īlva meeting bisa ñuhoso.” You replied, realizing your time together must end if either of you were to marry well. And you are a prince, your wife will not like us meeting this way.

Aemond pressed your hand to his lips. “My wife will find no grievance in our meeting if she happens to be you.”

“You wish to marry me?” You could hear your heart pounding in your ear, surely this was a jest.

“Avy jorrāelan; nyke jaelagon naejot dīnagon ao.” He whispered, pressing soft kisses to each of your knuckles, his eye watching your face for a reaction. I love you; I wish to marry you.

“Yes, kesan dīnagon ao.” You smiled, throwing your arms around his neck, and pulling him down to kiss him.

His hands gripped your waist, his hair falling across your skin like water. His heated lips claiming you as his own, pulling you deeper and deeper until you were breathless and giggling, basking in the warmth of your soon-to-be husband.

"Why so serious?" you joked, trying to lighten the mood after a particularly grueling training session. Stephen simply stared at them blankly.

"I do not understand that reference," he said, deadpan.

You groaned inwardly. This was going to be a long apprenticeship.

As you spent more time together, you found that Stephen was quite a stick-in-the-mud. He took everything so seriously, and it was rare that he ever cracked a smile. So, you decided to make it your mission to loosen him up a bit. You started leaving jokes and puns lying around the sanctum, hoping to coax a smile out of him.

It took a while, but finally, one day when you told him a particularly bad "Why did the tomato turn red?" joke, Stephen's mouth twitched into a small smile.

"I see what you are doing, Y/n," he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "You think you can change me with your jokes, but I am a sorcerer, not a comedian."

"Ah come on, Stephen, lighten up a bit, will ya?" you replied. "Humour is a powerful tool, trust me."

"I'll consider it," he said, with a slight roll of his eyes.

And thus began your inside joke of bad jokes.

But your attempts at humour really paid off when you found yourselves on a mission to stop a rogue sorcerer who threatened to destroy the city. You and Stephen had been cornered by the sorcerer and his minions, and things were looking grim.

That was when you remembered the "disintegration and reassembly" spell, and decided to put your own spin on it. You turned to Stephen and shouted "Let's give them a taste of our own medicine! A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!"

To your surprise, Stephen caught on and replied "I'll handle the sugar, you handle the medicine!"

With that, you unleashed a flurry of spells and jokes, causing the rogue sorcerer and his minions to flee in confusion and laughter. You and Stephen high-fived each other as you finished saving the city.

"I have to admit, Y/n, that was quite a clever move," Stephen said, still trying to hide a smile.

"See? I told you humour is powerful. We make quite a team," you replied, grinning.

From then on, Stephen couldn't help but to find your sense of humour as a refreshing change of pace and it became a staple in your training and missions. You continued to face down all kinds of threats to the world, but now you had a secret weapon: laughter, that saved your lives from the most dire of situations, and allowed you both to always come out victorious, together as master and apprentice.

A/N Hope you enjoyed!

Taglist! lemme know if you wanted to be added or removed!

Everything: @thewaithfuckingannoyme @evelyn-kingsley

Strange wasn’t exactly... thrilled to have you as an apprentice to begin with... but it was Wong’s orders

and Wong’s words were final. you both knew that.

Strange made it very clear when you first started learning things from him that this wasn’t going to last long if he had a say in it, and it did seem to be going that way... for a long time

each tiny mistake or accidental slip up was enough for Strange to go running to Wong and demand that you be removed from him, but Wong refused every single time without fail

it stayed this way for a long time, you even went to Wong yourself one night to ask if he would separate you and Strange, because you knew you were making his life hard

then, in an odd twist of events, you saved Strange’s life, risking your own in the process

and he finally realised that you were just a scared kid who had powers they didn’t understand

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you’d saved Strange’s life when he was fighting an unknown creature, it had somehow made its way to earth, and was attacking New York

you’d been told to stay away, but you saw that Wong was tied up fighting the creature and then Strange was being lifted off of the concrete–

Wong tried to stop you, calling out your name, but you were already running towards the creature in a blind panic

you might not care much for Strange on the surface, but he had taught you some valuable lessons and shown you things you’d never seen before, so you felt inclined to try and help

your powers were seriously out of control at the best of times, but somehow you concentrated it enough that you scared the creature off with a few well aimed blasts

you also angered it, so once it had retreated, it started coming back

and it was looking directly at you.

it nearly had you, and if you hadn’t managed to slide underneath it and then take cover under a car... no one wanted to think about the consequences, not even Strange

Strange had then quickly opened up the mirror dimension, Wong grabbed and pushed you (rather ungracefully) through a portal to safety in the New York sanctum, and there you waited for their safe return

the lecture you’d received was a long and boring one from Wong, but Strange only had good things to say when it was all over with

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there were many reasons for you becoming Strange’s apprentice, one being that you were practically a loose cannon

you held immense power, for what reason no one knew, but you were on earth and that meant you were under the protection of the Masters of the Mystic Arts

they kept you well hidden from the governments of earth, and if they ever came knocking, they soon forgot why

in terms of your powers before meeting Strange and Wong, you had been reckless and not aware of the potential consequences, and after meeting them you were scared of your powers and held them back

you had been perfectly happy to be savagely fighting Thanos and his army, retrieving the Infinity Stones and being on a large battlefield surrounded by enemies, but now you realised that you needed to gain some control

your powers were wild by nature it seemed, and you didn’t exactly want to control them, because that meant you did less damage in battle

less damage when fighting meant that you appeared weaker, that was how you saw it

no one was more against becoming an apprentice than you, after seeing Tony’s sacrifice and knowing that Nat would never come back, you just didn’t want to be controlled like that

but, Wong had strongly insisted after seeing your potential on the battlefield against Thanos and his army, and eventually you realised that you needed some guidance

to be honest, neither you or Strange had completely agreed to the whole thing, Wong just kind of pushed you together hoping for the best.

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most days, Strange had you studying some ancient book or cataloguing the library, again

a lot of the time, you felt like a glorified housekeeper.

you had a long list of chores to complete each day before anything else could even be considered in terms of training

Strange insisted that doing several chores at once meant you learned better focus and coordination, you just saw it as child labour

on the rare occasion that Strange trusted you to partake in something practical and physical, it often went entirely wrong :(

neither of you quite fully got over the ‘teapot incident’ now that you think about it…

the teapot incident was widely known but rarely spoken about.

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after some months, you were permitted to start using your magic around the New York Sanctum

BUT only in small amounts, per Wong’s strict set of instructions

your magic was not the same as Strange’s… no one quite understood what it was, so he was trying to discipline you into controlling it

and it was proving useful, although some days were much harder than others

a prime example being the day that you woke up and chose violence, purely because of your mood, and ended up getting into quite the argument with Strange over a recent practical experiment that ended badly

the infamous argument saw the New York sanctum empty of sorcerers in mere minutes

it was characterised by a lot of broken furniture and hoarse shouting and loud swearing

whenever you thought you’d said enough, another thing popped into your head and you started shouting again

“AND YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE, STRANGE?” became an overused phrase that day

Strange had just argued back, lowkey throwing insults around too, which only angered you more

Wong had just returned from a mission overseas when the argument began

and when he opened the portal and saw the state of the place, he stepped back through and said to himself

“I’ll come back later.”

Strange was the one to stop arguing first, much to your surprise, and he locked himself in his room to let you calm down 

and stop himself from going “AND ANOTHER THING–”

but peace was finally made when Strange ordered a lot of pizza

like a lot

you made your apologies whilst watching cheesy chick flicks, and Strange promised to try harder with his patience and understanding your position as a scared teeanger with immense power at their fingertips

you felt like the good days were very good, when they came around 

you loved them like nothing else, and on those days, Strange looked at you as if he was… proud, almost.

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in the present day, you’ve discovered that your powers may be able to access something Strange has been fixated on for a long time

he likes to call it the ‘multiverse’, but you think it’s a big lie

you were debating this late one night with Strange as you let cheesy chick flicks play in the background, and Strange told you to try and access the multiverse

when you stubbornly refused, he hit you with:

“oh come on, if you say it can’t possibly exist, then you won’t be able to reach it, will you? so there’s no reason why you can’t try.”

he had you there, either you tried to access it and prove him wrong by finding nothing, or you accept that it existed and did nothing

you couldn’t stand to see him sat there all smug, so you got up from the stiff antique sofa, determined to prove him totally wrong

you had moderate control over your powers now, sometimes using large amounts tired you out and that’s when things would go wrong

but you weren’t going to need much to prove Strange wrong.

you closed your eyes, searching through the earth, finding nothing, and you were about to turn to Steven in triumph when you saw it

another you.

you were watching yourself in an entirely different universe and you had no idea how. you opened your eyes, heart hammering in your chest, sweat on your face, and looked at Strange with wide eyes.

“are there other versions of us in the multiverse?” you asked, weakly.

Strange sat up, hooked on your words

“yes, there would be, in theory. why?” he asked, as you looked around the room as if you’d just seen a ghost of a famous celebrity

“I think... I just saw me, but different.” you swallowed to control your breathing before closing your eyes again and holding out your hands to try and feel for anything unusual

there, it felt like... a bump beneath wallpaper, a splinter in a plank of wood, a loose tooth...

you grabbed onto it, and spontaneously opened up what could only be described as a portal to several other universes that neither of you recognised, or knew what to do with

Strange shot out of his seat, pulling you away from the portal you had opened, before starting to get closer himself

an almighty screech from one of the universes that made the entire sanctum tremble scared you, and with one hasty flick of your hand the portal closed,

like it was never there

Strange turned to look at you, an unreadable look on his pale face

“I am not doing that again.” you whispered.

“oh, you’re doing that again kid.”

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after the ‘multiverse portal incident’, which you had both kept deathly quiet and top secret, Strange started training you differently

he was teaching you aggressive tactics, he started emphasising speed and power rather than taking it slow and steady by studying the opponent first

when you finally questioned him, he vehemently denied that the portal incident had anything to do with the sudden change in training

but you knew better than that.

you spoke to Wong one night, against your better judgement, and let him in on what you’d pulled off randomly one night

in truth, since opening that multiverse portal, you hadn’t been able to pull it off again

you’d tried, in secret, late at night when Strange and Wong were out of the sanctum

but there was nothing. you couldn’t even see that other version of yourself anymore

you hoped they weren’t hurt, or worse

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Wong then suddenly removed you from Strange, denying you any communication with him until it was deemed ‘safe’

“what on earth do you mean ‘safe’? is he in danger?” you asked, desperately trying to understand what Wong’s motivations were

“something... unexplained has been going on recently, and until I can rule out the multiverse as a cause, you will stay here. you are not to reach out to Strange under any circumstances, am I being fully understood?” Wong was deadly serious, and you found yourself agreeing silently

you were confined to Kamar-Taj from that day onwards, and you regretted ever telling Wong of that night, because you found that being ripped apart from Stephen had hurt more than you expected it to.

each night you tried desperately to make a portal to Strange, but Wong had you in a room that seemed to heavily dampen your magic

there were always guards outside of your door, listening, too

you felt like a prisoner, even though you knew that wasn’t what Wong intended to do

eventually, you gave up on trying to reach Strange, and he wasn’t exactly making much of an effort to reach you

that made you sad, really sad, and you started spending more and more time in bed than around Kamar-Taj with your personal guards getting fresh air

Wong didn’t even notice your absence, only your guards did, but they weren’t allowed inside of your room unless you were in imminent danger so they couldn’t help

until Wong let you speak to Strange again, you didn’t know what else you were waiting for

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days seemed to melt into one big thing, you struggled to find motivation or interest in anything the longer it went on, like a broken record. you found yourself reminiscing your precious time with Stephen, your mentor, your only true friend in this world. if only you hadn’t opened that stupid multiverse portal... if there was a way to undo that night, you would, in a heartbeat, reverse it all. you’d simply let Stephen be right and refuse to even entertain the idea of accessing the theoretical multiverse. you closed your eyes, and felt sleep approaching, when the sky darkened outside. curious at something actually happening at Kamar-Taj for once, you watched the windows with drooping eyes. you didn’t make the move to get out of bed though, that was too much right now. you felt a strange energy filling the grounds of Kamar-Taj, something you had encountered once before but not for a long time. now you were feeling something. you walked over to the windows, pressing your face right up against the wood, and saw the Scarlet Witch. she must’ve seen you too, because her head tilted ever so slightly in your direction, before you backed away from the window and fell onto the bed. why was she here? no one had heard from her since... Westview, was it? you couldn’t really recall, you didn’t know her well enough, but Wong and Strange might know her. there had to be a reasonable explanation to her being here. you found your bedroom door unlocked, thankfully, but your personal guards were nowhere to be seen. that wasn’t right, they were normally here all the time, day and night, like a pesky fly in summertime. you had only just made it down the hallway when the sounds of battle from outside reached your ears, and you froze. the Scarlet Witch was attacking Kamar-Taj, and you had absolutely no idea what to do about it without Strange here. ✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧