Disclaimer - I don't, and have never claimed to, own Marvel or its Intellectual Property. This is all just so that I can take my maladaptive daydreaming and turn it into something so that it does not ruin the rest of my day.
DoorMan #83
Ta-Lo [February 18, 2008]
–Jin'Ya–
He watched as the girl, woefully ignorant about Bast's manipulation, flew back to her own country, probably thinking that her thoughts of bringing Colin, especially in his vulnerable state, to Wakanda was her idea.
Shaking her head, he closed the micro portal and flew down to the most important room in Ta-Lo, as of now.
"Took care of her, did you?" Were the first words that the Red Matron spoke to him as they were both stationed near Colin, to protect him at all times though it was doubtful that anyone would dare attack him here but they could never be too careful, especially since they did not manage to track down the true threat to Colin, the Vampire empowered by Hell, the one being on this planet, who could freely track down Colin and attack him anywhere, without any restraints whatsoever.
He nodded as his gaze went to Colin's unconscious form. It had been almost two days since Colin forced himself through that portal, and even in that time, his injuries had barely begun healing. The wounds themselves were mostly cauterized due to the high amount of energy running through Colin but the sheer damage done to his internal organs was not something anyone could survive.
Colin too would have been dead, if not now then in a few years, if he did not have a near constant amount of Chi being pumped into his body, into his cells that have since adapted themselves to take in copious amounts of Chi, essentially disregarding cell aging as they almost violently reproduce in order to heal the body, ignoring any energy costs since they had uninterrupted access to the best source of lifeforce in the world.
His hands, they were the worst affected. His entire body was subjected to that energy but his hands were fried from inside out. It was a minor miracle that the boy was able to hold on long enough to open the portal. The Cosmic energy also blew away any spatial locks that might have existed in that plane, allowing Colin to barely open that portal.
He just wondered exactly what was going through the mind of–
Both him and the Red Matron tensed as twin auras of red and purple surged through the room, carefully safeguarding Colin's vulnerable form as they stared at a corner of the room. A moment after, orange and red sparks bled together to form a gaping hole in reality, through which the Ancient One stepped through.
Speak of the Devil, and the Devil shall appear.
The funny thing was that there were many beings on the planet, and in dimensions adjacent to the planet who would overwhelmingly agree with his statement of the Ancient One being a Devil.
After all, to them, she was not a human, she did not fear, she did not cower, she did not flinch from genocide and if it came to it, would gladly engineer one if it meant safeguarding the planet. She had become a mostly unfeeling engine for the past century or so, depending completely on the Infinity Stone around her neck, aiding her immensely in her quest to maintain order, for as long as she was alive.
Still, despite knowing it was her, he did not let down his guard, maintaining his energy within the room and more importantly, around Colin, just in case he needed to flee.
"Prove it." He said as the Ancient One gazed at him and after a tense moment, her left hand rose up and snapped its fingers, creating an immense pressure in the room as for the split second that the Ancient One donned the Mantle of the VIshanti, their combined auras were blown away out of the room.
It was a split second, too fast for anyone else to catch but he relaxed, knowing that it was the Ancient One as no one else had the Mantle of the Vishanti, and even if someone else became the Sorcerer Supreme, there was no guarantee they would even be offered the Mantle from the VIshanti, let alone master it over the centuries.
No, he was firmly of the opinion that Kamar Taj as a whole was going to undergo a vast weakening once the all powerful Ancient One left. After all, the bigger the giant, the larger the shadow, or that's what the humans say these days.
Shaking his head, he addressed the Ancient One who was currently running diagnostic spells over Colin's prone form, "So, what exactly happened here? You forbid me from helping Colin, did you see this happening?"
There was silence in the room for a moment, as the Ancient One silently did her job. He could observe Colin's breathing easing as some of the Ancient One's spells did something to heal some of his internal organs. Yet, his hands remained the same, as the spells washed over them, breaking as soon as they touched Colin's hands.
Finally, after casting a spell that created a protective dome over Colin, the Ancient One turned to him, "No, I did not know what would happen in the space beyond Ta-Lo, as we know it. All I knew was that Colin would make it out of there, in one piece, learning something very important both about himself and his powers, whilst uncovering something that even the Eye refused to show me."
"So, you used him." The Red Matron remarked, and he found himself agreeing. There was no reason to send Colin to deal with foes beyond his ken if the Ancient One herself had gone to great lengths in strong arming most beings on the planet from approaching him in the first place.
"I don't expect you to understand or agree with my decisions. Once Colin is awake, I will explain myself to him. Know this, however, that Colin's actions have unlocked a new horizon for him, a new path that might just pave the way for the planet's, and dare I say, the galaxy's salvation."
Saying her piece, she faded from view as she used one of her signature teleportation spells, using the Old Ways of the Nine Realms to travel freely, without much in the way of blockades.
"So," The Red Matron said as she leaned against the protective dome around Colin, "How long do you think I'll have to stick around? Those bastards didn't take the bait, and instead sent a puppet."
"For as long as the threat remains unresolved, you will dedicate the majority of your time to protecting Colin, that's what the agreement says." He declared and exited the room, satisfied with the protective arrangements done by the Ancient One.
_____xx_____
[Two days Later]
–Colin Baxter–
His eyes fluttered open, pain being the first feeling spreading throughout his body as a pained groan escaped his dry throat.
The very next moment, a steady stream of floating water entered his mouth as he greedily slurped on the water, his throat aching from however long he had been out. The pain was still there, he could feel it but compared to the haunting nightmare that was the pain he felt when the Blue Door closed? It was almost trivial in comparison.
He felt the familiar telekinetic hold of Jin'Ya around his body as he was moved into an upright position, his eyes finally adjusting to the bright light around him, as he saw that he was in a room with Jin'Ya, the Red Matron, and the Village Chief who looked like he had aged decades since he last saw him.
"How," he croaked out, "How long was I out?"
"Almost four days," The village chief said as he stepped forward, actually having to use a stick to walk and he could see that it was not just for show as the man's legs and hands trembled ever so slightly as he walked forward.
Whatever explanation he expected from the man, he did not expect the man to actually bow his head to him. He tried to get up, using his hands, only to hiss in pain as red hot pain shot up his nerves.
He finally looked down and his eyes widened at the state of his arms. Before he could voice out his question, the village chief spoke.
"I thank you, Lifegiver, for allowing our village to exist for one more day, for not letting my mistake wipe out my ancestors' work."
He shot a confused, as well as pained, look at Jin'Ya who immediately opened their mental link and sent in a ton of information. Information that he processed nearly instantly as he had mostly healed by now, with only his hands being in the terrible state they were now.
"No," He whispered, "Not like this." His voice cracked as he saw the broken, drained form of Ying Nan, lying near the seal as the Demon beyond the Seal sucked her soul, strengthening himself.
His head bowed, as he spoke, to someone who was within the room and yet, invisible and undetectable to everyone, "How dare you? How could you?"
For he knew that Ancient One was in the room, with all of them, waiting to justify her crimes, committed on the basis of the fucking Time Stone.
God, he was coming to hate that stupid piece of rock.
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