Chapter #9

"That's amazing...no, it's more than amazing. If I'm the R̸͗̔e̸̜̭̋̚c̷̡̃̓̈͝o̸̞͕͕̰̜͂̚r̸̳̲̋̉́͝d̵̻͕̼͍̏͠ĕ̴͒ŝ̸̢̮̟̦̲̜̈́ that you spoke of, then that means the Mirror Dimension is my device, my camera, my records..." Lucas said, understanding the significance of the Mirror Dimension.

"Correct, so you get the gist of it, huh? That also means that the moment you became a 'Recorder' is also the moment you became a Dimensional Ruler, which comes with a lot of perks and dangers," The One-Above-All stated, wearing a grim expression.

"What kind of perks?" Lucas inquired.

"Well, having power over your own dimension, of course. However, others cannot be obtained instantly. Like all normal skills, it requires practice," The One-Above-All explained.

Nodding his head, Lucas and the One-Above-All continued their walk, sightseeing the Dark Dimension.

'I see, so far, I know that my ability is to control mirrors and glasses from the Mirror Dimension,' Lucas mentally made a list of his powers when suddenly the One-Above-All cryptically interrupted him.

"That's only the physical aspect of it..."

"What do yo-" Lucas was abruptly cut off.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out! I've got to go now, my son. I've got a job to do, you see." The One-Above-All said, taking his leave and disappearing through a black space platform that was situated vertically in-between space.

"What the hell?" Lucas muttered, wide-eyed, at the blatant evasion of his question.

However, seconds later, the black space platform reappeared, and the head of the One-Above-All emerged from it.

"By the way, I forgot to tell you, there's only one rule that you 'must' follow, Lucas, and that rule is to 'never' go to the past! The Recorder can never go back to the past. But don't worry, you can go wild in your present and future. Good luck, my son. Excelsior!" With those parting words, the One-Above-All vanished again, and the space platform disappeared with him.

"....Did he just leave me in the Mirror-Dark Dimensio-Ahhhhh!" Lucas was unable to finish his sentence as his body was suddenly pulled towards another wormhole. At the center of it was a small blue planet named Earth. The way Lucas flew home was definitely not a pleasant journey.

[End Third POV]

...

[Peter's POV]

'Because of me, my friend almost got killed...my best friend...' I thought, consumed by guilt, as I watched Lucas lying in his hospital bed, still in a coma.

It had been two weeks since the accident happened. Every day, every night, I blamed myself for what had occurred. It was due to my childishness, ego, and stupidity that my best friend had nearly lost his life.

"Why did you do it?" Uncle Ben's voice echoed in my mind, reminding me of our conversation.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that...Lucas, he...Lucas, I'm sorry..." I mumbled, wiping away the tears that streamed down my face.

Unexpectedly, Uncle Ben embraced me, his voice filled with compassion, as he said, "It's not your fault, Peter."

"What do you mean? It is my fault, Uncle Ben! I was there, I could have helped stop that criminal, but instead, my immaturity got the better of me, almost getting Luke killed." I cried out in frustration and guilt.

"Peter, Peter, listen, I could've died out there, but Lucas saved me, right? It's not about who's right or wrong, Peter. It's not about assigning blame," Uncle Ben explained, comforting me.

"Yes, you made a mistake, Peter, but you're only human. You can't shoulder the weight of the world, including what happened to Luke. Luke made his choice because he had the power to do so, the power to save me," Uncle Ben continued, his words penetrating my troubled mind.

"With great power comes great responsibility, Peter, but sometimes others can also bear those responsibilities. Like what Lucas did for me. When I saw the gun fall out of that man's hand, I felt it was my responsibility to stop him from harming someone's life. And I'm sure that's what Lucas thought when he saved me," Uncle Ben imparted his wisdom.

"What I'm saying is, Peter, it's not about responsibility. It's about the choices and decisions that everyone makes, and Lucas chose to save me. That's not your fault," Uncle Ben's words lifted a burden from my shoulders, and tears streamed down my face as I felt a sense of relief wash over me.

It was a wake-up call. Uncle Ben was right. If Lucas could make such a selfless decision, then I could make my own choices too. And I would start by finding that man.

...

[Lucas' POV]

"Haaaaa! Huff, huff, huff. Fuck, that was quite an experience." I surveyed my surroundings and realized I was in a hospital.

I pulled out the long tube that was stuck in my nose, causing the attached monitor to beep rapidly.

I hadn't expected my importance in this world to be so significant. I thought I was just one of the lucky ones, like in the fanfics I had read. But greater importance also meant greater responsibility.

A few moments later, I heard footsteps outside my room, and the door opened to reveal a group of nurses and a doctor.

"Inform the family about the situation, and call Nurse Selena. I suspect she's at the help desk. I'll take care of this," the doctor instructed one of the nurses before turning his attention to me.

"What's up, kid? It's been a long time since we met, huh?" the doctor greeted me with a friendly smile as he grabbed a chair and took a seat.

"Nice to meet you again, Dr. Strange. I still can't get used to your name, Doc. By the way, why did I just meet you now, considering I often visit my mom here?" I asked, curious about the timing of our encounter.

"I became a medical volunteer for a bit and traveled the world, kid," Dr. Strange explained, taking out his flashlight and examining my eyes.

"I think you're good now. We just need to monitor your health for a month, and if there's nothing wrong with your recovery, you'll be good to go," he reassured me, glancing at my charts and vitals.

He scribbled something on my chart and let out a sigh of relief. "Finally! I managed to repay Aunt Selena," he declared, a sense of gratitude evident in his voice.

"Repay mom?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh...she didn't tell you? She saved my sister from drowning, kid. You've got a great mom. If it weren't for her, I would have become a narcissistic jerk by now. HAHAHAHA!" Dr. Strange revealed, erupting into laughter.

That's why he seemed different from what I had initially thought. My mom had changed him. I just hoped that he would still fulfill his destiny of becoming the Sorcerer Supreme in the next decade. Otherwise, I would have even greater responsibility on my plate.

"You're still a jerk, Stephen. Thankfully, just as you said, you didn't become a narcissistic prick," a feminine voice remarked, teasingly.

Dr. Strange chuckled and said, "Look who's here now. It seems I have to go. I have other patients to take care of." as he took off.

//A/N: Let's start slow! 100 Stones and I'll give y'all a bonus chapter! What do you say? Huh???... Please give me stones. Also, please read my Author's thoughts before this chapter and this chapter!//