Chapter 7

Stiles sighs as he listens to Scott go on about Allison, yet again, during one of the few times that they managed to get together to grab lunch at the diner. Scott was all excited as Allison was arriving home today and he was being all freaked out that she would not want to get back together, even though she had mentioned them as more than friends and being certain that he could win her back.

"She is supposed to be texting me once she is back home. Her dad was picking her up at the airport at ten" Scott said, for the fourth time, and Stiles rolled his eyes.

"That's great Scott, but have you heard anything more about this so-called Alpha Pack" Stiles pressed and groaned internally at the stubborn look that appeared on Scott's face.

"That's not my problem or yours Stiles. Let Derek deal with it, he's the alpha remember?" Scott complains. Stiles was fairly sure that Scott still hadn't manned up and apologized but there was only so much one guy could do.

"Scott, be smart. There is a pack of nutjob alphas in town who have already attacked Isaac, hurting him badly and you think that just because you are not part of Derek's pack, they will leave you alone?" Stiles scoffed and glared at his friend. "How did that work with Argents not bothering you since you didn't really want to be a werewolf? Let's see…" Stiles sees Scott's resistance building but doesn't stop "your girlfriend kidnapped and repeatedly shot Boyd and Erica. She also freed them afterwards, so happy to give credit where it is due but it doesn't erase her actions" he clarified as Scott was about to protest. "Her mother tried to murder you. Her grandfather threatened to kill your mom unless you helped him force Derek to bite him, which I am betting you still haven't apologized for, knowing that as soon as he did, Gerard was probably going to kill Derek to be an Alpha. Oh, and her dad shot you with an arrow and has threatened everyone, including me, multiple times. I am going be generous and not mention crazy Aunt Katie. Have I missed anything?"

Scott had the grace to look guilty, but Stiles knew that it wouldn't be enough to budge him if Scott had dug in his heels. "I'm not saying you need to join the guy's pack Scott or that he hasn't made his own share of mistakes because that is a whole other conversation, I'm just saying you need to keep informed. Heck, the Argents might even have some info you could get from Allie and Chris that could help everyone. All I am saying is that instead of everyone ignoring each other waiting for the Alphas to attack someone else, maybe we could work together…for a change" he adds sarcastically.

Scott looks annoyed, but Stiles can see his mind working and knows he made an impact so it is time to back off so, dreading what he knows will happen, he asks how long of a drive is it from the airport. Scott does a full 180 degree emotional shift and gets a huge smile on his face as he pulled up his phone to show Stiles the map he already had open. "I figure that she will get home in another hour or so but I'm not sure when she will be able to call" he says looking sad and Stiles groans at the teen's pout.

He is about to try to say something reassuring when Scott gets a text that makes his face light up. "Allison wants me to come to her house for dinner!" he yells happily. He starts babbling and Stiles figures that he's probably forgotten everything they talked about already. Seriously bro, you have to get the ability to think of something…anything…else when Allison is around.

"Great" Stile says weakly. But Scott doesn't notice as he starts talking about what he will say and do. Stiles tunes out when he starts on what flowers to bring and then deciding to make his mom's tres leches cake so he pulls out his phone calls her offering to make it himself but Stiles hears Momma McCall's pleas not to do that. Rule number one – do not let Scott McCall cook. She offers to make it before her shift, she has been dealing with the angsty teen as much if not more than Stiles so she was just as happy to get him out of the house.

The rest of lunch passed in a blur and then Scott was out the door to get ready to see Allison. "He really is exhausting" Stephen mutters and Stiles laughs aloud at the sorcerer's comment, having honestly forgotten that the man was still there.

"Do you think you can manage to get away for a day or so?" the sorcerer asks and Stiles nods before agreeing.

"Dad has two back to back doubles for the next three days. Bunch of the force are out with some bug" Stiles tells the sorcerer. "I told dad I was going to having a gaming marathon with Scott so I wouldn't be around the house much and he won't worry about me" he said with a sigh.

"At some point, it might be wise if you told him the truth. I understand that you want to protect him and that is a noble thought, but ignorance is rarely the safest course of action Stiles" Strange reminds him but Stiles refuses to discuss it. He doesn't want his dad involved in this crap, especially with the Alpha Pack on the prowl. Maybe after that.

"The bigger issue is how you are going to pay me back for the cost of the ticket. I had to dip into my college savings account and when my dad discovers that, I am screwed" he instead sasses the sorcerer.

Stiles exits the cab, forking over the last of his cash with a sigh as the cab pulls away leaving him staring at the imposing building. 177A Bleeker Street reads the plaque by the doors and Stiles hefts his backpack and starts up the stairs. Stiles had caught the morning flight out of San Francisco to New York and after landing had caught the cab to Greenwich Village where Dr. Strange apparently lived. "I thought you were a mystic who lived in Tibet or something" Stiles asks as he walks.

"I did for a while but this is the New York Sanctum, one of three around the world that protects the Earth from the forces of darkness and I am its master" Stephen tells him. "Kamar-Taj is where I trained and there is a portal from here to there so we can use it to go there and find what we need. I will be right back" he says as he flies out of Stiles and dives through a giant round window with a strange design on it near the roof.

"Well I guess I will just wait down here then" Stiles mutters as he reaches for the door. Surprised to find it unlocked, he steps in looking around and is impressed by the place. Letting out a whistle he looks at the massive staircase, Stiles wonders if anyone is home.

"Who are you?" a voice demands and Stiles jumps in surprise as he spins around and sees an older man in robes glaring at him. "Intruders are not welcome!" he says in a dangerous voice and Stiles is about to explain when the guy suddenly lights up with power and tosses a mystic whip at him.

Jumping back, Stiles summons his shields and blocks the whip, causing the other man to look both surprised and even unhappier than before. He pulls out a stick with a strange end and points it at Stiles. With his shield up, Stiles is totally surprised when he finds himself flung into the far wall, smacking into it and sliding down to the floor. He looks up and sees the man gesturing with the wand and he concentrates on drawing runes in the air. The sigil he created blending fire and air glows and Stiles starts tossing fireballs at the guy who looks completely stunned, but he has shields too and is able to deflect Stiles attacks.

"Mordo will not claim this place" the guy yells and slams his hands into the ground unleashing a wave of force that sends Stiles flying into the wall. Before he can recover the guy has the stick, now several feet longer, pressing up against his throat. "Surrender boy!" he growls.

"Really Wong? That's how you greet a guest?" Strange's disembodied voice comes from behind them causing both of them to look over in surprise.

"Stephen? Is that you? Where have you been? Why are you astral projecting" the man, Wong apparently, asks the see through sorcerer.

"Yes it's me Wong and please let my young friend up. He pretty much saved my life" Stephen smiles looking at Stiles.

Wong frowns but nods and reaches down to help Stiles stand up. "What is happening?" Wong asks. Stephen and Stiles take turns explaining the situation up to now to Wong who looks angry at Mordo's spell, worried and relieved that Stephen is temporarily safe, and grateful and curious about Stiles, especially when Stephen describes the unique nature of Stiles' spark.

"There are a number of books in Karam-Taj's library about sparks that you probably did not get to read" he mutters to Stephen "but I have not heard of any spark acting that way. I wonder if the mystic field here on Earth has been affected by presence of the Infinity Stones?"

"What are the Infinity Stones?" Stiles asks because (1) they sound pretty amazing and (2) if they can explain his powers, he's all for it.

"The Infinity Stones are the physical manifestation of the six fundamental forces in creation. Over the aeons since the universe formed, they have taken shape and been found in and around the universe, affecting life and creation" Wong tells him. "The Time stone has been on Earth for a number of years in the possession of the Sorcerer Supreme, but the others, well, all but two have been detected on Earth in the last few years."

"Their presence may be tampering with things, but I am not sure how they would affect Stiles that way" Stephen says thinking about the stones. He admits he hasn't spent any real time studying them beyond the Eye of Agamotto and the Time Stone.

"True, but the Space Stone was here and behind the attack on New York by those aliens. The Mind Stone was involved with Ultron and the Avengers and the Reality Stone was part of the Convergence when the dark elves attacked England" Wong reminded his fellow sorcerer.

"So only the Soul Stone and the Power Stone remain unaccounted for and I have heard that a human of Earth actually wielded the Power Stone for a bit" Stephen finished.

"So what does this have to do with anything?" Stiles asks totally confused by the path the other two have taken.

"There are some suggestions that the six disciplines of magic are in fact associated with the six Infinity Stones somehow. There is no real evidence, it is just a theory that several sorcerers have developed" Wong confesses sheepishly but Stiles still doesn't see it and tells them that.

"The Soul Stone aligns with Necromancy obviously, as it is associated with spirits and what exists beyond the corporeal. The Reality Stone aligns with Sorcery since we reshape reality to our desires. The Space Stone aligns with Druids as it is about connections within the physical world. The Mind Stone aligns with Witches as their magics are imposed by will. Magecraft is Power harnessed into a physical form, much like the Power Stone while the Time Stone aligns with Alchemy's connection with change, or alteration, through entropy" Stephen explains to Stiles.

"That's really stretching things" Stiles finally comments with a skeptical glance after considering Stephen's explanation. "I mean how would rocks on the other side of the universe affect us?"

"Indirectly at best" Wong tells him with a smile. "As I said, it could mean nothing or at least nothing that would help us today, but it might be worth checking out. But more importantly, how do we stop Mordo and get you in your body?" he asks looking at Stephen.

"We go to Kamar-Taj and research" Stephen says simply and Wong nods leading them to a set of massive doors. Stiles watches the man manipulate a globe by the doors that then open and Stiles can feel the hum of power that flows over him when they do and he shudders. They step through, Stephen hovering alongside and suddenly Stiles feels the temperature drop.

"Welcome to Kamar-Taj" Wong says leading them from the room and Stiles can see out a window at what must be Himalayas in the distance. He is halfway around the world! "The Majestic Library is over here" he says to Stiles who stumbles after him until they walk into a library of magic tomes, grimoires, spellbooks, and journals and Stiles almost squeals in delight. Stephen takes off down one row while Wong looks at Stiles and smiles. "So…books about sparks" he says and leads the teen on.

Stiles was surprised when Wong came back and told him that he needed to eat and rest. Blinking at the man Stiles was confused before he looked at his phone and realized that he had been reading for over eight hours straight, and that was after the flight to New York and his body was definitely reaching the end of its reserves. Nodding slowly, Stiles pulled himself up and followed the other man to a small room where a bowl of rice and vegetables were waiting for him along with a pot of fragrant tea. Stiles wolfed down the food and after his second cup of tea, he found that he could barely keep his eyes open and he crawled onto the bed before passing out.

Waking up Stiles was surprised by two things; one he felt really good, surprisingly good, and his mind was clear and he was eager to get up and get back to the library. He stood up as the door opened and a young man walked in with a tray with some more tea and food. The man nodded pleasantly and left quickly without saying a word. Lifting the lid he saw a porridge, several pieces of fruit, and a piece of bread with honey. Smiling he ate quickly and had finished just as his door opened again and he smiled seeing Wong. "Morning!" he said happily. "I found some great stuff that is amazing and some more that I haven't got to yet, so I am ready to get back!"

"Come. You need to spend some time outside the library" Wong told him and walked out leaving Stiles with no choice but to follow after the man trying to protest.

"Stiles, you need to take care of your body as much as your mind" Stephen said surprising the teen who hadn't realized he was back. "Besides, I asked Wong to teach you something I think you will really enjoy" he said and Stiles could hear the repressed amusement. So he straightened his shoulders and followed Wong into a courtyard that was filled with others all doing a mix of martial arts and meditation. Wong got him positioned and the two of them spent nearly an hour going through the poses and Stiles realized that this was what his books were trying to teach him and Wong was a much better teacher about this than Stephen was.

"You pick it up quickly" Wong told the teen as they drank fresh water after taking a pause from the training.

"I have a friend who was trying to teach me, but I couldn't really focus too well or very easily, but you are a great teacher" he said sincerely. "I feel like I made more progress in the last hour than I have in weeks on my own" he admitted.

"That is why the teacher exists" Wong says ponderously and Stiles refrains from laughing when Stephen suggests it was more pompous than ponderous. "But I believe you will enjoy this" he smiles and pulls out a box and opening it Stiles looks in and sees a number of strange rings and confirming with Wong, he takes one.

"This is a sling ring. It allows you to manipulate space by creating portals or doors" Wong begins as Stiles' mind is flooded with information from Stephen and Stiles realizes that this is one of the things they came for and when he sees what it can do, he is totally psyched about it.

Wong appears slightly annoyed when Stiles creates a portal on his first try, surprising several of the others before Wong narrows his eyes. "Perhaps you should allow the youth to find his own path Master Strange" he says and Stiles feels the sorcerer laugh as he leaves Stiles' body.

"Just trying to help" he says unashamedly. "But if you don't need me, I will continue my research" he says before disappearing.

"Try again" Wong instructed and Stiles found that while he remembered what Stephen showed him, it was definitely harder without the Sorcerer guiding his hands.

About two hours later and Stiles was dancing around like his feet were on fire he was so excited. He was managing to make portals on his own and he had even gone with Wong to Hong Kong, and then to the Taj Mahal before they returned to the courtyard. "Enjoying yourself?" Stephen asked sounding smug.

"This is amazing. Wong said he is willing to continue working with me and that I can keep the ring so I can visit him in New York and from there I can visit the library!" he told the sorcerer with enthusiasm.

"Very good. I have the basic elements for what we need to break Mordo's spell, I just need to contemplate and work out how to bring it all together. Shall we return to your home?" Stephen asks and Stiles realizes that he has been gone for a while.

"Only problem is I don't have enough cash to get my car out of airport parking. Could I create a portal and drive it out?" he asks looking very mischievous as he is obviously thinking of other uses for that spell.

"Actually we need to go to New York first. I need to grab something from the sanctum and then you can portal us to the airport to grab your jeep" Stephen tells him and Stiles sighs in agreement. He guesses he can use the 'emergency credit card' his dad gave him though that will raise more questions. They go through the sanctum doors, and Stiles learns from Wong that the London sanctum was destroyed by some bad guys a bit ago but is currently being rebuilt. They are back in New York when Stephen and Wong leave Stiles to explore the artifact display room. He is walking around and notices three windows that appear to all look out at different locations even though they are next to each other so he thinks they must be like video screens but when he sticks his hand out towards the one showing icebergs he can feel the freezing air and he pulls back quickly.

"We can also use these to travel" Stephen startles Stiles pointing at the windows as Wong walks up and hands Stiles an envelope. "This should cover the plane ticket, parking and then some."

Stiles opens the envelope and gasps at the amount of money in there. It is easily four times what he spent. He starts sputtering when Stephen cuts him off and says to consider it a donation to his college fund and his continued magical education and as a thank you for all the help. He also suggests that the teen get some work done on the jeep but Stiles pretends not to hear any disparagement about his beloved Roscoe.

It is amazing how fast time flies as Stiles drives past the 'Welcome to Beacon Hills' sign as he heads for home. In the last few hours he has been in India, Hong Kong, Nepal, New York, and is now back in Beacon Hills. He is so loving magic!

"Stiles, I need to focus on creating this spell, but I am worried about you" Stephen says causing Stiles to look up from his book with a confused expression.

"What do you mean? I thought I had been doing pretty well with all of this" Stiles asks his mentor feeling a hint of betrayal.

"You have my young friend and that's the problem" Stephen smiles at the confused look on the teen's face. "You have been picking things up very quickly and I am concerned that you will attract the wrong kind of attention, attention you are not ready to deal with quite yet. We are almost ready with the spell that will allow me to reclaim my body and then I will have to leave deal with other situations and I won't be there to help you" Stephen explains and Stiles relaxes at the man's words.

"So what should I do? I haven't seen anything in my readings. Although I have to admit most of my studying has been about Sorcery, Witchcraft, and a bit of Alchemy. Wong had some suggestions for finding materials about Necromancy and Magecraft but I haven't found much yet" Stiles admits.

"The problem is that you are developing well with Sorcery and the other domains Stiles, you are becoming stronger daily especially in the in-between magics and it is becoming more and more evident in your aura and others who are gifted will be able to sense it and you will be a target. Normally this probably would not be an issue if you were anywhere else, but Beacon Hills seems to draw some powerful forces here and I am concerned that once here, they will be drawn to you. You and those close to you" Stephen adds cautiously.

It only takes Stiles a few moments to get what he means "You mean my dad?" he asks and sees the serious expression on the sorcerer's face.

"If your father's life or well-being was at risk, would you be able to resist either sacrificing yourself or submitting to another in order to save him?" Stephen tries to take it easy on the teen but with his father still ignorant, he knows he has to push.

"So what do we do?" Stiles says finally giving in to the inevitable.

"I have a few ideas" Stephen says happily and Stiles looks at the man suspiciously. The first thing that they do is rework the 'blanket' spell he used to hide his magic when they went into that shop. Stiles enchants his watch to not only create the blanket around him, but to also diffuse the appearance of his magic by blending his aura with the natural magical ambiance of the area. The result is that Stiles appears simply to have a very minor gift, barely useful for anything other than using basic magics like mountain ash. One annoying side effect is that in order to do that, everywhere he goes becomes a bit more magical than before so it will be noticeable to others. Stephen hopes that Beacon Hills' naturally magical atmosphere will help with this as will Stiles not using active magics without taking precautions to mask the effects.

Next they place wards on the Stilinski house to protect Stiles and his father. He inscribes runes and sigils that sink his magic into the very earth where it joins with the ley lines running through the town. Unlike other places, his house will not appear any different than anywhere else in town even though he is there. Since the lines are already quite potent in Beacon Hills, the addition of Stiles magic becomes basically undetectable to others, kind of like someone trying to use a flashlight at high noon. While warding the house to hide his magic, Stiles adds a several additional protections including those against fire and physical damage. He considers adding ones to prevent supernaturals but that would keep out the pack if they ever show up. Also if someone like Peter tried to get in and failed, he would definitely know it was Stiles' handiwork and the teen was not ready to deal with that quite yet. Strange assures him that with some time and study, he should be able to create more complex sigils that will recognize friends versus foes and protect them accordingly.

Stiles also manages to get his dad's badge for long enough to to weave some protections on it as well. He adds a protection spell as well as one that should make it difficult for him to be targeted to hopefully keep him from being shot. Stiles then decides to add a rune to protect the core of father's identity, he is so tied in to his role as sheriff, that the rune should prevent anything like a wolf bite from taking effect as well as warding off any kind of possession. He can't make it so his dad is invulnerable, but his work should turn something fatal into merely a wound instead. Stiles also decides to start preparing some weapons for his dad once he is in the know. Wolfsbane bullets are great against werewolves, but there are other things out there and if have to face them too then they will need other tools so he starts creating a list of ideas and starts by using some of his dad's extra bullets to make 'special' ammo.

The last thing he does is a suggestion Wong gave him during his training and that is the one he likes the best. It's a spell that covers him and amplifies what a person already expects to see/sense when they encounter Stiles. If someone believes that he is weak and useless, then they are 'encouraged' to ingore any evidence that counters that idea. It won't hold up if someone sees him using his magic, but in a general encounter? It should work. Wong suggests that Stiles place the charm on a leather wrist band to keep anyone from figuring it out and it's unlikely someone would remove it like they would a phone or jewelry. Camouflage is his goal and he thinks he's got it down.

"Stiles! I've got it!" Stephen yells excitedly startling Stiles. They have been back for nearly two days after their visit to Kamar-Taj and the sorcerer has been consumed by the spell he was working on whenever he and Stiles were not working on the wards and sigils. "I know how to break Mordo's spell" he says as he slips inside Stiles who suddenly sees the spell and smiles.

"Time to get your body back!" Stiles grins and focuses on his ring and opens a portal and steps through.