Legends Never Die | Peter Parker

The Ancient One

Peter and Carrie stared at the email in shock, looking towards each other slowly. 

"We..." 

"Made it." It took about thirty seconds for them to register, even flicking their eyes back to the email and taking in the pristine signature of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. 

"WE MADE IT!" They started screaming and jumping up and down on the floor, hurriedly scanning the email again before hugging each other tightly. 

"I can't believe we did it." Peter sniffed, burying his face into her shoulder. 

"Are we interrupting something here?" Christine smiled, knocking on the door. 

"You're not going to believe this... but Tony Stark has selected us for the Stark expo!" Carrie revealed to a volley of gasps from Christine, but an undignified snort from Strange. 

"That billionaire who spent half of his inheritance on military weapons before turning into a flying metal tin can?" He sniffed, "You could do better." 

"This is Tony Stark, who's Iron Man! I'm sorry, Stephen, that you don't realise that this is the foundation for the career that Peter and I could gather from this." The young girl responded, folding her arms.

"And...?" 

"And I'm sorry that your arrogant attitude is getting in the way of you having normal emotions. I see why you broke up with him, Christine, I wouldn't want to deal with him either if I were you." Peter choked on air at the savage comment, at which Strange flared his nostrils a little but bit back a retort. 

"Carrie, we're out of milk, so can you walk to the store and grab some?" Christine cut in, knowing that sparks would fly if she didn't intervene. 

"Sure." She replied, grabbing her coat from her closet and slinging it on. 

"S-Should I read through the information sheet?" Peter asked, scratching his head. 

"Yeah, sure, knock yourself out. You can talk me through it when I get back, Professor Parker." Carrie ran down the stairs, pulling on her shoes and grabbing her wallet, heading out into the street. She walked to the market, swiftly buying some milk and heading out. A woman ran past her, screaming, leaving her staring until an entire horde of hysterical people nearly trampled her to death, but she moved out of the way just in time to avoid the stampede. 

"That was random." 

A piece of scaffolding flew above her head, forcing Carrie to duck as it dissolved into gold dust in mid air. 

"I take that back. This is just crazy." When Carrie turned around, five men in ominous red robes were stalking towards a hooded figure in an eye-popping yellow, who raised their hand and swished it towards her, Carrie's mouth opening in a loud scream as something that looked like Strange's ornate useless crystal mirror, only much larger and without a frame, hurtled towards her. Abandoning the milk, she raised my forearms to shield her face, but she went right through it. The buildings shifted and moved, acting like a crusher except for humans, rapidly approaching the men in red cloaks. The person in yellow expertly fended them off with golden fan-things, and then they- 

WHAT?! 

The weapons disappeared! They were using magic! 

The world returned to normal, coming Carrie down as the woman spotted her and widened her eyes, walking towards her. 

"Are you alright, Caroline?" The person, who Carrie now knew was a female, asked. 

"I nearly got my head shaved off by scaffolding and witnessed a supernatural fight. I could be worse." She replied, panting. 

"Deepest apologies about the milk. I'll help you get another. As they walked down the street, many people stared as the woman took off her hood, revealing a bald head that gleamed in the rare New York sun. She had clever and calculating eyes but a benevolent ghost of a smile gracing her lips, making her look like the wisest person Carrie had ever seen. 

"How do you know my name?" 

"I know everyone's names. You are Caroline Palmer, adoptive daughter of Christine Palmer, and you are fifteen years old. I know this because I was the one to leave you on Miss Palmer's doorstep fifteen years ago." Carrie instantly whipped her head round to goggle at the mysterious stranger. 

"You did?" 

"I remember it like it was yesterday. You were in a small crib in my office, the most serene newborn child I'd seen in a while. But you were not safe with me. I had to send you away to someone who could raise you normally and much better than I could, and Christine Palmer was perfect for the role of your adoptive mother. I promised that some day I would find you to tell you your true heritage, name and show you who you really are." 

"Who am I?" 

"Your name is Calypso Whitlock, the only daughter of Elysia and Grant Whitlock, both very powerful sorcerers. Perhaps the most powerful in their time. When they had you, they were about to embark on a mission to defeat Dormammu, a dark being from another dimension who lured the weak and helpless into a promise of eternal life for his own personal gain. They died doing so, and I was the one who was meant to keep you safe. So I kept you in the safest place I could find, hidden in and out of plain sight. You, Calypso, are a soon-to-be Master of the Mystic Arts, if you wish to be." 

Carrie was torn. She couldn't go behind Peter's back and start learning magic, but then again, she felt like it was her calling. 

"I'll do it."