The Connection They Share

Chapter 1

"You need to open your mind, surrender to the power inside you and making a gateway will come naturally" Strange instructs, I lower my arms and glare at him. "You don't think I've been trying to do that. It doesn't help you brought me to this place that is messing with my head" I burst out and take the device that Strange gave me off my fingers "I can't do magic like you, my powers are completely different from yours" I hold out the ring but he doesn't take it off me. "Everyone can do magic, even those with limits, you just need to surrender" he says glancing at his hands "Besides you came to the sanctum willingly"
I cross my arms letting the ring fall to the floor "I thought we were going to talk then you wouldn't let me go back stating that I must learn something. I had to send a letter to Professor X saying that I won't be coming back any time soon."
He sighs and picks up the ring "Don't lose this"
"You haven't told me what it is only that'll help me"
"This is called a sling ring, it is a vital tool of the masters, you master this you can do anything regarding the mystic arts" he says and hands me the ring back "Now come with me" Strange opens a portal and steps through, I follow but slightly hesitantly.

We come out on a mountain, I clutched my arms as I look over the mountain range "It's beautiful up here" I say, Strange nods "Yes but an average person can only last 30 minutes before suffering permanent loss of function but you'll go into shock after the first two" Wait what? I turn and see Strange leaving but before the portal closes he orders me to surrender. I hate him sometimes. I shiver but immediately start trying to open a portal. After a few tries I kick the snow but that causes my foot to strike a rock, I hop around, bloody rock. I close my eyes and take a deep breath before opening them and holding my arms out. Despite my severe shaking, I slowly rotate my hands as sparks begin to appear, I open my mind letting the image of where I want to be fill my brain and surrendering to the magic flowing through my veins. I stagger forwards before collapsing onto a wooden floor and I look up at Strange. The portal closes behind me and his cloak flies off his shoulders, wrapping itself around me. "I see you finally learned to surrender, it's the same concept for your powers, surrender to gain control." Strange says as he walks up to me. I snuggle more into his cloak, it was very comfortable "I understand but why didn't you let me go back to the mansion, I was doing quite well there"
"Because you're meant to be here. Now I'm giving you the choice on whether or not you want to continue these lessons as well as learn to harness the power of the mystic arts" Strange crouches down in front of me. I thought about how I could perfect both magic and my own power but then I remembered the vision in the cave back on Asgard. I couldn't become like her, she looked evil and I don't want to have my power consume me, I look up at him "No, I don't think I can handle anything else." I say whilst getting up, Strange nods before wrapping a coat firmly around me and sending me on my way. I step outside the sanctum and glance up only now seeing the beauty of the place, I set off down the street but something felt off. I stop and look around but something seemed out of place, my eyes widen at the sight of an orange portal, that looks like a door, opening in front of me. Some people step out in clothes that bare some resemblance to armed police uniforms. I step back as they come towards me but is promptly knocked out from behind.
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"Because you're meant to be here. Now I'm giving you the choice on whether or you want to continue these lessons as well as learn to harness the power of the mystic arts." Strange crouches down in front of me. It would be nice to work on my powers as well as learn something new. I tried to think of any negatives but my mind was strangely blank. "Alright" I say and he helps me of the ground, Strange walks me through the sanctum and stops just outside a room. "This is your room, here's the WiFi password" he hands me a slip of paper "Lessons start at 9am, I'll be waiting in the library for you" I nod as the cloak goes back to Strange and he walks off. I close my door and once I had undressed, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
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"I want you to read these books then come back to me, I will go through some things if you're struggling but I've found that you learn better at your own pace" I nod as Strange explains what was going to happen. "You have access to all the books in the library except those" he points to several bookshelves with books chained to racks. Strange then walks out leaving me with a pile of books and a silent library. Over the next two days I worked through the books, taking in all the information, they were talking about the basics like portal making and protection. They were fairly easy to follow. I handed them to Strange and he gave me a list of books that I should read next. I sigh as I read through them as well, they were the same just slightly more difficult, did Strange not know that I protected a whole city with a giant shield. The only new thing I learnt was how to project multiple images of myself and how to project an image of myself into someone's mind so they can talk to me but no one else will be able to see.

I put down the final book, bored with its same lessons, I get up and take a stroll around the library making sure to stay away from the chained books. I run my fingers along the aged spines and stop at a certain one. I take it out of the bookcase and see from the title it was about Astral Projection, now that sounds interesting. I pick up several books to do with the same subject and take them to my room.
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I had been with Strange for nearly a year and I managed to perfect my astral form and even project myself whilst keeping my physical body awake but I could only do it for a minute before my physical body collapsed or my astral form is drawn back into my body. I gaze out of the large round window on the second floor, technically I wasn't allowed in this room due to the relics that are here but it was a nice view on nights when I can't sleep, like tonight. I take a look around the room and notice a baton like item near to a vase or what I thought was a vase. I walk to towards it and pick it up, it was evenly weighted so that it is easier to hit people and not lose control. I take both ends extending it so it starts to glow, I drop one of the ends and squeal as it whips around, smashing a glass case next to me. I drop the staff and it goes back to its original form. "I see you found the Staff of the Living Tribunal" I whip around at the sound of Strange's voice from the side of me. I pick up the staff and place it back on the shelf "I'm sorry but it was almost calling to me" I say then try to leave but he stops me before I can go anywhere "The Staff is a relic, it chooses who the owner should be. It would be rude to ignore a calling like that, it is one of two in the entire cosmos."
I frown slightly "Who owns the other one?" I ask now taking the baton back into my hands.
"Karl Mordo, a fellow master who separated from the arts after an incident in Hong Kong" Strange replies and walks into the light of the window, I only now realise he is in his pajamas and his cloak, it was a weird combination. "Is that your relic, the cloak" I question curious about the relics. "Yes, the cloak of levitation, it's a good friend and ally in battle" He explains, "You will have chance to work with your relic tomorrow but get to bed" I nod and walk to my room, clutching the staff in my hands.
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I stand in a small but empty courtyard with my staff, Wong told me about this place over breakfast and I thought it would be a great place to practise with my relic. I place both hands on the staff and extend it just like last night, I then move my arm in a downward motion letting go of the left side and the staff whips against the floor. It comes back to a solid staff and I grin, I then whip it to the side when it retracts it grazes my leg. I drop the staff and clutch my leg letting my powers heal the cut, that hurt. I hiss and pick up the baton, I spot a plant pot and swing the staff extending it as I do. It smashes the pot then returns to its original form, I loved this. I aim my swing at another plant pot but I missed and it wrapped itself around the pole and staying there. Well this is new, I pull and the baton releases back to my hand.

I spent the entire day working on what I can do with the baton and even learned how to create a pocket dimension so that I could store the staff away and it always being there when I need it. I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling thinking about how my time at the New York sanctum has been fun even getting my own relic. If only I knew what was going to happen next.