Chapter 4: Introduction to Mystic Arts

"Huh?" Pietro blinked, his brow furrowing as he tried to make sense of Mordo's explanation.

"Something confusing you?" Mordo asked, noticing the puzzled look.

"Not exactly," Pietro replied, his tone thoughtful. "But I do have a question."

"Go ahead," Mordo encouraged, curiosity piqued.

"You said that to use magic, we need to harness energy from different dimensions throughout the Multiverse," Pietro began.

"That's correct," Mordo confirmed. "But why do you ask?"

Pietro hesitated for a moment before continuing, "What about the energy within oneself? Wouldn't that be safer than tapping into the unknown energies of distant dimensions?"

Mordo smiled, clearly impressed by the insight. "You raise a valid point. Using one's own energy is indeed safer, but it comes with limitations. It's weaker, less potent than what we can draw from other dimensions."

Pietro nodded, absorbing the information. "So, what kind of dimensions do sorcerers typically draw from?"

"Most commonly from the Vishanti," Mordo replied, his tone instructive.

"Hmm, I see," Pietro murmured, filing the knowledge away.

"That concludes your introduction to magic," Mordo said, shifting gears. "But now it's time for something more hands-on. Let's head to the combat class."

Pietro fell into step beside him as they walked toward the training area. "How long did it take you to become a master?" he asked.

"A few years," Mordo answered, his voice carrying the weight of experience.

When they arrived at the combat grounds, Mordo turned to him. "Draw your gladius."

Pietro obliged but couldn't help but offer a warning. "Master Mordo, with all due respect, I'm unbeatable."

Mordo raised an eyebrow, amused by Pietro's confidence. "You seem very sure of yourself. What makes you say that?"

Pietro opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, he noticed Mordo moving toward him, slow and deliberate. Pietro sighed inwardly, seeing through the tactic. 'He thinks he can catch me off guard,' he thought.

In one swift motion, Pietro drew one of his gladius and held the blade inches from Mordo's neck, stopping him in his tracks.

Mordo's eyes widened in surprise at Pietro's reflexes. He tried to shift, to move away, but Pietro was always one step ahead, the blade hovering just a breath away from his skin no matter where he turned.

"How are you doing this?" Mordo asked, astonishment clear in his voice.

Pietro grinned, lowering the blade. "I have superspeed. It's not just about running fast—every part of me operates at a heightened speed. My reactions, my thoughts, everything moves quicker."

"But where does such power come from?" Mordo asked, still grappling with what he'd just witnessed.

Pietro's expression darkened slightly. "Let's just say I was experimented on... with an Infinity Stone." He paused, the memory flickering in his eyes before he shook it off. "Speaking of which, I should probably see the Ancient One before I forget."

And with that, he vanished in a blur, leaving Mordo standing there, dumbfounded. "Experimented... with an Infinity Stone?" he muttered to himself, trying to process the implications.

Pietro zipped through the halls of Kamar-Taj, the scepter in hand, searching for the Ancient One. Despite his speed, she seemed to be nowhere in sight. Frustration began to creep in as he muttered, "Where is the Ancient One?"

Suddenly, a hand gently patted his shoulder. Pietro reacted instinctively, moving several steps away in a flash, only to see the Ancient One standing calmly behind him. He quickly returned to her side, a sheepish smile on his face.

She gave him a knowing smile, her eyes twinkling as she noticed the scepter he held out to her. "Here, Ancient One. I think you should take care of this Infinity Stone," Pietro said, handing it over.

The Ancient One's surprise was brief, replaced by a serene acceptance. She carefully took the scepter from him, her mind already considering where it could be safely hidden. "Thank you, Pietro."

"How was your training with Mordo?" she asked, her smile warm and encouraging.

"It went well," Pietro replied with a grin. "But I should get back to it. We can talk more later!" And just like that, he was gone again, rushing back toward the training grounds.

The Ancient One watched him disappear, a slight smile playing on her lips before she turned back to her duties, heading to the Mirror Dimension to continue Wanda's training.

Pietro skidded to a halt right in front of Mordo, creating a gust of wind that nearly knocked the sorcerer off balance. "Alright, let's continue," Pietro said, his enthusiasm infectious.

Mordo sighed, already sensing that training Pietro was going to be a unique challenge. 'This one is going to be a handful,' he thought to himself, but despite the exasperation, there was a glimmer of admiration in his eyes.

Mordo decided to wrap up the combat training, recognizing that Pietro needed time to process everything. He assigned him some homework, advising him to dive deeper into the mystic arts. With that in mind, Pietro made his way to the library, eager to start. However, when he cracked open the first book, he realized it was written in Sanskrit.

"Seriously?" Pietro sighed, running a hand through his hair. "There's got to be a language spell around here somewhere."

Determined, he approached the guardian of the library, a stern-looking man who seemed to know the location of every book by heart. "Excuse me, do you have any books on language spells or something similar?" Pietro asked.

The librarian, who introduced himself as Ezra Khan, nodded thoughtfully. "We do, actually. Give me a moment." He disappeared into the maze of shelves, leaving Pietro alone.

Pietro, never one to stay still for long, started tapping his fingers on the table. The rhythm grew more complex until he was practically drumming with his hands, losing himself in the beat.

"Here it is," Ezra said, returning with a book in hand.

Pietro snapped out of his trance, a bit embarrassed. "Sorry about that. Thanks, though," he said, taking the book. He offered his hand. "I'm Pietro Maximoff."

"Ezra Khan," the librarian replied with a smile, shaking his hand.

Pietro grabbed the two books and headed back to his room, ready to dig in. As he settled in and opened the book on language spells, his enthusiasm quickly faded. It wasn't a spellbook at all—it was just a dictionary.

"That fucker," Pietro muttered, rolling his eyes. "Well, guess I'll just have to study the old-fashioned way."

With a resigned sigh, he cracked open the dictionary and began deciphering the text in the book Mordo had recommended, Introduction to the Mystic Arts. Pietro's speed allowed him to fly through the pages in minutes, but he quickly realized that skimming wasn't going to cut it. The information didn't stick.

So he started again, reading slowly this time. Over and over, he combed through the text, jotting down notes, and repeating the process until his desk was covered in hastily written papers. By the time he'd read through the book over a hundred times, he finally felt like he was getting somewhere.

But when he glanced at the clock, he was stunned to see that night had already fallen. Time had slipped away from him, and he was exhausted. With a groan, Pietro pushed the books aside and decided to get some much-needed sleep, his mind buzzing with new knowledge and the promise of more challenges to come.

Time slipped by unnoticed until a knock at the door roused Pietro from his sleep. Mordo's voice cut through the silence. "Get up, Pietro. It's time."

Pietro groggily opened his eyes, the exhaustion from a night of intense study still weighing on him. With a quick glance to his left, he sprang into action, washing up and donning his new clothes in a flash. By the time he opened the door, he looked as ready as he could be, despite the fatigue lingering in his eyes.

"Let's go," he said, stifling a yawn.

Mordo observed how swiftly Pietro had pulled himself together and gave a small nod of approval. Without a word, he turned and began walking down the corridor, with Pietro close on his heels.

"What's on the agenda today?" Pietro asked, his curiosity outweighing his weariness.

"It's time for your Mystic Arts class," Mordo replied.

Despite his exhaustion, Pietro couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement.

As they walked, Mordo glanced at Pietro. "Did you finish the homework I assigned?"

"I did," Pietro said, his voice steady with the confidence of someone who'd put in the work.

"Good," Mordo said. "Let me test your understanding as we walk. In your opinion, does the Mystic Arts have flaws?"

Pietro thought for a moment. "Of course, it does," he finally answered.

Mordo raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

"If it were flawless, it would mean it couldn't evolve or advance. Perfection breeds stagnation," Pietro said.

Mordo nodded, impressed with Pietro's insight. He decided to leave the questioning there as they neared the practice area. The time for talking was over; now it was time to see how Pietro would perform.

When they arrived, Mordo moved to speak with another Master, leaving Pietro to take in the scene. He watched as the other sorcerers practiced, their hands weaving intricate patterns in the air, drawing upon the energies that fueled their magic.

The Master who had been speaking with Mordo approached Pietro. "So, you're Master Mordo's disciple. Join the others. Don't worry if you can't perform the Mystic Arts yet."

"I'll do my best," Pietro replied, stepping into the group. He took a spot beside another student, carefully observing their movements.

The student glanced at Pietro, slightly puzzled by his intense focus. But within moments, Pietro had memorized the sequence and was moving in perfect sync, his sharp mind and quick reflexes allowing him to keep pace effortlessly.

As he followed the others, Pietro could feel the energy around him—subtle, elusive, but undeniably present.