Trick 132: Getting Strange with Stephen

A few minutes later

Stephen came to Ace and asked "Are you-" Ace cut him off, saying "Who was it." Stephen was silent and Ace added "Who killed my mother." as he looked at Stephen, who frowned saying "Come with me."

He made a portal and returned to Kamar-Taj.

Ace walked through the portal and came to the sanctum bridge room. It was in ruins, Ace looked around indifferently as the casket disappeared. He waved his hand gently as the ruined room went in reverse, fixing itself magically as Stephen looked around in wonder, asking "What spell is that?"

Ace ignored him, looking at Mordo, who turned around frowning "You." Ace replied simply "Mordo." Mordo snorted and Stephen felt like a third wheel, saying "Hold on a second, let me get this straight."

He pointed at Ace and said "You're from Kamar-Taj? The previous Sorcerer Supreme successor?" Mordo snorted, adding "Not capable of leading Kamar-Taj in the Mystic Arts, he ran away to join the 'Avengers'. How's that working out for you, hm?"

Ace looked at him and said "My patience is very thin, Mordo. I wouldn't test it." Mordo smiled and asked "Why? Because of the Ancient One? She's the reason why we're all in this mess to begin with! She lied!"

Ace grabbed Mordo's robes and smashed him into the wall, shouting "Don't talk bad about her! Everything she's done for you! If it weren't for her, you wouldn't even be here!" Mordo retorted angrily "She taught us it was forbidden to interact with the Dark Dimension! All the while drawing on its power to steal centuries of life!"

Ace lifted him up and roared "She used the power for good! You insufferable pig! She sheltered you! Saved you from your own demons! And this is how you repay her!? You disgusting gremlin!" he raised a fist and Stephen held him back, saying "Enough. Calm down."

Ace grit his teeth and tossed Mordo to the side as he coughed "Her transgressions led the Zealots to Dormam-" Ace turned and took a step, kicking Mordo into the stone wall! Stephen ran over and looked at Ace, shouting "Are you deaf!? I said calm down!"

Ace retorted "I'm not going to sit here and let him slander the Ancient One anymore. What do you know of the Dark Dimension? We use magic from the Aether produced by all dimensions from infinite universes, she took from the source, we use the stragglers. To turn to Dormammu as these so-called 'Zealots' have done is akin to betraying the human race for another species."

He pointed at Mordo and added, "She stole from the Dark Dimension, she didn't turn to it! The agony she was in must've been unimaginable to all of us! Who are you to slander her? A pathetic and greedy rat is what you are!"

Stephen helped Mordo up as he wiped his lips, looking at Ace, retorting "Oh, is that so? You think YOU KNOW what I AM?! DO YOU!? And what are you?! A Saint to us all! Isn't that right!?" Ace shouted "I left to do good!"

Mordo pointed at him, shouting "YOU LEFT BECAUSE YOU COULD NOT BE THE HERO!" Ace frowned, muttering "You're wrong." Mordo continued shouting "You turned your back on all of US! Do not stand on your moral high ground and preach to me! You know nothing of what I've done! You know nothing of what I've suffered! I trusted the Ancient One! Listened to all her teachings! And I was faced with BETRAYAL!"

Ace shouted back, clenching his fists "In the face of the greater good, what are your petty slights?! The only thing I regret was leaving the Ancient One alone with you! Who knows, maybe you even-" Mordo held out his artifact, pointing it at Ace, saying "Choose your next words very carefully, Saint. You may not like the outcome."

Ace curled his lips as he opened his mouth, but Stephen stood in between them saying "Can we argue later?! The Hong Kong Sanctum is in danger as we speak! Dormammu can invade at any moment! You know what? I'm going to fight Kaecillius. If you two want to join me, you're more than welcome, otherwise you can sit here as Dormammu invades our world."

As he made a portal and walked into it, leaving it open.

Ace looked at Mordo and said "We're not done." before going through the portal as Mordo frowned, following him.

The three saw the Hong Kong sanctum completely overtaken by the Dark Dimension and Mordo said "It's too late… Oh god…" Stephen frowned "Not yet." as he opened the Eye of Agamotto.

Ace looked over and saw Kaecillius, walking in front of Stephen, whipping his arm out as he said "You'll pay, Kaecillius." Kaecillius pulled an invisible spike from his hands, saying "Not likely."

Ace grabbed onto his staff and stomped on the ground in front of him, winding back. A stone pillar smashed into Kaecillius' back and sent him flying towards Ace, who gripped his staff like a baseball bat, swinging it and nailing Kaecillius in the head, sending him flying through a building!

The streets and rubble started reversing to what they were before they were destroyed and Ace turned to the other two Zealots, swinging his staff at them. A massive flaming snake lunged at them as they cast spells at it.

Ace pointed at the snake with his staff as he turned to Kaecillius, the snake turned purple and hissed, growing larger, coiling around buildings, attacking the Zealots.

However, everything suddenly went back in time as Kaecillius came flying back and Ace returned to his spot, connecting his staff with Kaecillius' head.

Stephen flicked his hand at Ace, who became immune to the effects, just as he sent Kaecillius flying again. He looked back at Strange, who nodded at him, while turning back the time around them, fixing everything as he said "We get a second chance- Woah!"

A car flew right over Strange's head and returned to where it was before.

Ace turned to see Kaecillius standing up with a bloody gash on his forehead, saying "I thought it would hurt more." Ace replied "I had more in it the first time." as he turned his staff to vambraces, floating in the air, pulling his hands apart as screeching purple lighting appeared in between them, "This should hurt quite a bit."

His eyes were fully purple as he grabbed the lightning and flicked it in his hands.

Kaecillius raised his arms up and waved them in the air, a dark barrier protected him as flashes of lightning blasted from Ace's hands, slapping against the barrier, making cracks.

Kaecillius said "This?! What is this magic?!" Ace looked at him indifferently, "Never listen to the Ancient One? Magic is endless." as he clapped his hands together before spreading his arms out wide!

Light blasted everything around him, crackling off the buildings and shooting into the sky as the dark clouds rumbled, Kaecillius looked up and Ace said with a whisper "Smite him."

Kaecillius' eyes widened as he waved his arms quickly, throwing up a dozen magic barriers above him. The clouds opened and a massive pillar of lightning fell on top of him, smashing through his barriers one by one.

Ace snapped his fingers and cards flew out from behind him, sticking into the ground around Kaecillius, the ground under him lit up and chains shot out, wrapping around his arms and legs, pulling them back as Ace looked down at him, turning his wrist and pointing up with two fingers.

Kaecillius roared as the ground under him crackled suddenly, a pillar of light exploding up from under him! All his barriers shattered and the pillar of lightning crashed down as Ace pressed out, a runic barrier appearing around Kaecillius.

There was a hiss and a crackle before the space inside the barrier exploded into a bright light.

The Zealots watched in horror and awe while Strange looked up at the Dark Dimension, he frowned and remembered something as Wong appeared from the rubble, saying in shock "Strange?! Ace?! Oh no, the Dark Dimension… It's over!"

Strange retorted "It's never over!" as he flew into the Dark Dimension.

The barrier around Kaecillius disappeared and Ace waved the smoke away, revealing a charred Kaecillius, kneeling with chains holding him down. Ace floated over and grabbed Kaecillius' neck, saying "Were you happy when you killed her?"

Kaecillius coughed out blood, replying in a raspy voice "She lied… Saved knowledge for herself… She deserved it…" Ace frowned and squeezed, shouting "You!" before pressing his lips together, calming down, replying "You're wrong! You were swayed by fantasies from Dormammu! You killed her! You killed your own teacher!"

Wong shouted "Strange!? Ace?! Oh no, the Dark Dimension… It's over!"

The barrier around Kaecillius disappeared and Ace waved the smoke away, revealing a charred Kaecillius, kneeling with chains holding him down. Ace floated over and grabbed Kaecillius' neck, saying "Were you happy when you killed her?"

Kaecillius coughed out blood, replying in a raspy voice "She lied… Saved knowledge for herself… She dese-" before he was cut off by Strange, who floated down saying "Not quite."

Ace looked at him and Strange smiled at Kaecillius, "You wanted knowledge? Dormammu did promise you, didn't he?" Kaecillius' wounds recovered and he looked at his hands, saying "What is this?!"

Ace frowned and Strange looked up, replying "It's what you wanted. Eternal life as the One. It's all the knowledge you could ever know… but you're not gonna like it." Kaecillius and the rest of the Zealots floated in the air and slowly turned to shadow demon beings, flying into the Dark Dimension unwillingly.

Strange watched them go and added, "You know, you should've stolen the whole book because the warnings come after the spells." he turned to Ace and asked "You weren't gonna…"

Ace frowned and replied "I was close… I wanted to, but I probably wouldn't have." Strange let out a breath and smiled happily "Good. She wouldn't've wanted that." Ace flashed a smile before returning to indifference as Wong laughed, "That was a good one, Strange. Hahaha!"

Strange and Ace looked at him strangely before Strange reverted time to before the Sanctum was attacked.

Wong let out a breath and said "We did it." as he walked to the Sanctum, smiling at Ace, "Nice to have you back, Mr. Avenger." Ace rolled his eyes and stayed silent.

Suddenly, Mordo scoffed, "Yes, we did it…" The three turned to him as he looked at them, continuing "By also violating the natural law." Strange said "Look around you, it's over."

Mordo chuckled "You still think there will be no consequences, Strange? No price to pay? We broke our rules, just like her." Ace clenched his fist and Wong held his shoulder, shaking his head as Mordo went on, "The bill comes due. Always! A reckoning. I will follow this path no longer."

Mordo scoffed and looked at three as he backed away, before turning around and walking away down the street.

Ace let go of his fists, watching Mordo leave.