Trick 117: Mordo's Personal Collection?!

She sat down, petting Ace as Mordo served tea, saying "And you're quite formidable too, it seems. A Multiversal traveler." Ace perked his ears and meowed, turning over, showing his belly as the girl smiled happily, scratching him.

Ace laid his head back, looking at the man up and down, listening as Mordo added "Well, thank the stars you brought Doctor Strange to safety." Ace looked at Strange, piecing things together.

Different Universe.

This Stephen Strange seems to be from another universe as well, but not Ace's universe. Perhaps he was also from a different time as well. Ace had no idea who Thanos was, so he could only assume that it must be someone in the future.

Most likely a dimensional threat, after all, from Ace's perspective Kamar-Taj never interfered in normal events. Only ones that threatened their reality.

Strange replied "Well, just 'cause we jumped ship doesn't mean we're safe. Our Wanda has the ability to conjure demons and monsters to attack America from different Universes."

Ace frowned deeply, Wanda… He had a feeling her powers were too dangerous, but to attack someone in another dimension, that was exaggerating a bit…

Mordo leaned forward and said "So she has the Darkhold?" Ace looked at Mordo, he didn't know what the Darkhold was… Might've left before he figured it out.

He sighed in his mind, he needed to go back to Kamar-Taj sooner or later, he was just embarrassed and ashamed that he turned his back on the Ancient One… He was a bit sad about it now…

Strange leaned forward and picked up a tea cup, saying "Oh, you know of the Darkhold?" Mordo nodded and replied "Oh, yes. We have a Darkhold in this universe, too. I guard it here in this Sanctum. We would never risk a weapon that dangerous falling into the wrong hands."

Strange raised the tea cup to his lips, saying "Damn right." Mordo continued "But if your Darkhold is anything like ours, I'm afraid she can do far worse than just summon monsters to come after you here."

America looked at Mordo while sipping from the tea and scratching Ace, "What do you mean?" Mordo looked at her as Strange sipped his tea as well, replying "There is a spell contained within those pages…"

The lights went out and Ace frowned sightly, staring at Mordo as he continued "... corrosive to the soul, a desecration of reality itself… Dreamwalking. A Dreamwalking sorcerer projects their own consciousness from their universe into another possessing the body of an alternate self. They may puppeteer this unholy doppelganger and pursue their enemies from afar. The possession is not a permanent link between realities. But in the fleeting time they may Dreamwalk, they can do irreparable damage to the universe they invade."

He looked at Strange and added, "So it may not be a demon that you face. It may be the Scarlet Witch." America looked confused and asked "Why didn't she do that to begin with?"

Strange replied with a frown "Because that was her being reasonable." before turning to Mordo, asking "What do you know of the Book of Vishanti?" Mordo chuckled, replying "The Darkhold's antithesis? It can give a Sorcerer whatever power to vanish their enemy."

Strange nodded and stood up, saying "I need your help to get me to it." before swaying on the spot. Ace frowned and absorbed all the information, so Wanda is using the Darkhold for malicious purposes here… This Stephen Strange fellow wants to beat her with the Book of Vishanti.

Ace assumed that these were magical tomes… However the problem was that he had never seen this so-called Darkhold, nor had he heard of the Book of Vishanti. He had heard the Ancient One speak of the Vishanti before, but only once.

America slumped over and Ace hissed, jumping to the ground and running away as Mordo waved, "Begone with you, animal!" Ace hissed at him and ran into the Sanctum as Mordo sighed, saying "Leave it. I will deal with it later. It's just a cat."

Ace curled his lips and climbed up the steps of the Sanctum according to his memory.

He came to the artifact room and walked by the shelves, looking at everything.

He passed by a row and looked at the three artifacts that were tapping against the glass to get to him. He smiled and pressed his paws on the glass, saying "My old friends, are you well?"

The Pages of Fate, Loom of Fate, and Box of Darkness tapped on the glass as though replying to him. Ace muttered "We're already going to steal the Darkhold… Might as well… " before grinning a cat's grin, "Wanna come with me, little ones?"

The artifacts started smashing the glass and Ace's eyes glowed.

The glass disappeared and the artifacts smashed into him, flying around him. Ace smiled and the glass reappeared as he said "Now be good and get into my bag." the three artifacts disappeared and Ace ran off into another room, chuckling.

However, he noticed that the cloak was missing.

At any rate, he came to another staircase and ran up it, coming to a private library. His eyes lit up and he hopped onto the desk, searching around. There was a window in the room and Ace saw a bunch of Ultron bots taking America and Strange away.

Ace was glad that he put a little magic on America when she fell over. Otherwise he would've lost them.

He returned to rummaging, making it look like he was going ham on some papers, doing cat things, just in case someone walked in. Then it would be less suspicious.

He turned to a bookshelf but he couldn't find the Darkhold.

He thought to himself, where would HE hide such a tome?

He turned to the desk and pulled on a drawer.

There it was!

Of course books are meant for study. What kind of book is meant to rot away? Doesn't make sense.

Just kidding…

Ace didn't even know what it looked like, he was mostly going off feeling. The Darkhold is apparently very evil, right? So it should give off a slightly evil vibe, a little evil looking. Ace closed the drawer and rifled through the bookshelves.

Astral Projection, The 9 Dimensions and You, I fell in love with another Sorcerer Supreme what do I do, How to kill your mortal enemy 10 foolproof methods, MorDOs and MorDONTs: an autobiography, The Sorcerer and the Village Girl, How to train your servant, Fire spells: Everything you need to know, Morgan LeFay's Compendium…

Ace threw all the books to the ground and spat, complaining "What the fuck, man?! Are you the Sorcerer Supreme or a teenage girl!?" he pressed on Morgan LeFay's Compendium, The 9 Dimensions and You, and the Fire Spells books, making them disappear as he continued looking.

Ace's face turned more and more sullen as he went through maybe 47 Magical Romance Drama novels before there was finally some content!

Benefits of Taoism on your sex life…

Ace smashed his head into the bookcase, saying "Oh my god! I'm gonna shoot myself!" the books fell to the ground and clattered around, however the bookcase shook!

Ace looked up and was stunned, muttering "Am I in a mystery novel right now?" the bookcase slid over and revealed a pedestal with a black janky book floating over it. Ace was stunned and slapped his face with his paw, muttering "Mordo… I'm starting to think there was a better reason for you not being a Sorcerer Supreme Candidate…"

He leapt onto the Pedestal and looked at the book, suddenly there were whispers in his mind, telling him to do vile and evil things. However, Ace shook his head and muttered "God, will you shut up… Just a book, honestly…" he slapped the book and it disappeared.

Ace jumped back down and the door handle started making sounds. He froze and turned to the window, jumping at it. He passed right through the window as it rippled behind him.

A servant walked in and saw the mess before shouting "The Darkhold! Notify the Sorcerer Supreme! Quickly! There's a thief!"

Ace landed on the ground and chuckled as he ran off, turning to smoke as he shot into the sky, flying away from the Sanctum through buildings before jumping on his broom and riding it away, following the mark on America.

He sat on his broom in his cat form, shooting across the sky.