THE APPRENTICE (DOCTOR STRANGE STORY)

9

"Hey, kid, wake up" Strange gently shook her leg, making her groan and slowly open her eyes "I'm gonna take you somewhere."

"Where?" She asked as she rubbed her eyes "where are you gonna take me?"

"I'll show you." He said and turned away "bring your stuff, too. Don't forget anything, you won't be staying here anymore."

He shut the door, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Her heart pounded faster, heat rising to her face as she fumbled with her robes; was he sending her away because of what she did?, she pondered was he sending her to prison?!

Shakily, she obliged to his requests and made her way to the entrance of the monastery, her eyes big and hyperaware.

"Come with me." He walked further down the study rooms and into a big one, with a huge, levitating, globe with golden lights at the centre of it. Around it, were doors with different symbols "the avengers protect the world from physical threats, while we protect the world from threats that alter reality."

"Woah" her eyes shone as she investigated the globe "so the avengers don't even know you exist?"

"Not much people know we exist" he corrected "that's what keeps us hidden and sacred- our secrecy."

"But- but why'd you bring me here?" She asked nervously as she eyed the mysterious doors "am I in trouble?"

"No" Strange lied "kind of. You'll be staying at the New York Sanctum with me, since you basically made an enemy for yourself." He opened the doors that lead to the sanctum.

The place was dimly lit, but was getting brighter and brighter the further you went. There were tons of doors, Hazel even spotted ones that lead to the ocean , the desert, and the forest. When they climbed up the stairs, she discovered a ton of relics. The items were scattered around the place, filling every corner; the location itself could be a relic.

"Woah" she smiled, her eyes scanning the entire place "and these are all relics?"

"Yes." He nodded "this is actually where I got my cloak. It came to me when I needed it the most, and stayed."

"Aw," she cooed and stroked the cloak continuously, Strange puzzled by its reaction; it would usually hurt whoever tried to do it. "So this is where you stay?"

"Yes, I'm the master of this place, I'm supposed to defend it from anyone who tries to steal anything" he explained "and you, you're gonna be staying here, or..."

"Or?"

"Or you could...find somewhere else to stay." His eyes flickered to the ground, his lips slowly pulling down "I-I suppose you're capable enough to at least defend yourself; you know the basics. You can go back to your life in New York and, well, you can leave."

Strange tried not to show any emotion, but deep inside, he didn't want her to go. It was like he was releasing a favourite butterfly of his to the wild, and he only wanted her to be happy with what she chooses.

"What are you talking about?" She knitted her brows together "of course I'm gonna stay here, why would I go somewhere else?" She ridiculed, his head whipping to her direction "unless...you want me to? I can- I can leave if you want me to-"

"No, no no, it's fine. You're just fine." He smiled slowly "okay, er...good, good, that's good. You can settle in right there, and there's food downstairs, too. You can walk around the city (if you can walk around in that outfit), but just be back before midnight"

"Okay!" A smile crept up on her face at this. Hazel was happy with how it ended up. She liked the freedom, and she liked how she could stay in New York. She was going to miss the monastery, but she could always come back; it was great to feel attached to the world again.