THE APPRENTICE (DOCTOR STRANGE STORY)

19

"They checked around the monastery, no sign of him. I'd like to think he isn't at the New York Sanctum, so he isn't there, too." Wong reported as they walked around the streets of New York city, not caring for a bit if anyone was looking at them

"Well, obviously he isn't there, why would he? do you expect him to have maybe stopped by the monastery for a quick detour and the sanctum for some tea with Hazel?" He ridiculed, a little out of breath, and his voice shaky because of the pace he was walking in "Good news, I need good news, oh gosh- why are they such idiots?"

"Perhaps Gyor has maybe run away for good. There's no sign of him anywhere, he hasn't attacked anyone, so maybe he only wanted freedom from the cell" Wong flicked his eyes to Stephen, who ran a hand along his hair in frustration

"No, that guy's insane. Don't you remember his episodes? You know what, he's probably possessed" Strange assumed, stopping in his tracks and making Wong do the same "I'm keeping an eye open for him, but I don't think he's that much of a threat. Dormamu's gone, so there's no way he could be summoning him. As of now, he's only a missing convict, but tell everyone at the monastery to keep watch"

"I will." Wong nodded slowly, walking the opposite direction of Strange, who was on his way to the New York Sanctum, his pace quick and speedy, almost jogging

Strange reached out for the doorknob and pulled it back, but stumbled a little when he felt that door was a little too submissive. His eyes flickered to Hazel, who was on presumably on her way outside, opening the door. Her eyes rounded as he saw his stern face, lines appearing on his eyebrows and his mouth ready to yell

"I thought I told you, to stay! in! side!" Strange fumed as he poked her in the chest repeatedly with each word, causing Hazel to stumble back into the sanctum "Do you never listen?! Are you asking to get killed?! Do you just not care?! i cant believe this- i cant believe how stubborn and hard headed you are!"

"but-"

"No damn buts!" he interrupted, his cheeks flustered with a little bit of red and his breathing heavy. He was in absolute disbelief; he specifically told her not to go outside but found her on the way out. It was like she was doing it on purpose! "I'm sick and tired of your stubbornness, and you just don't respect me for one bit, do you?! You don't listen to a word i say, because you don't care!-"

"listen to me!" Hazel boombed, her eyes flickering to a glowing green, and aa wave of power surging around the place, leaving him taken aback by her reaction "of course i respect you! I respect you so much!"

"Then why did you do it?!"

"Because the staff is a fake!" she reasoned, making Strange drop his face and narrow his eyes "I think the night we woke up, he replaced the staff with a fake one." her face was tense and pink, frustrated and restless

"How would you know?" he slowly asked, trying to understand her situation.

"When you were gone, I tried practicing some spells, and none of them worked. At first i thought it was normal, but then as i progressed, I realised it was extremely non reactive. Remember when you said the eye worked on you the first time?" she asked, and watched him nod "It wasn't doing anything. The first time i held it, it reacted a lot. But since that night, it always felt so different. It's a fake."

"Give it to me" Hazel handed him the staff that he snatched from her hand, investigating it thoroughly and humming "it doesn't look like a fake"

"Well, yeah, that's the point," she sassed, snatching it back from him as he watched her throw it aside lazily

"That's not what I meant," he started "he has the staff, he worked on this. Hazel, he's going to go after you"

"What?" She knitted her brows as her lips curled up "but he already got the staff! Why would he be after me if he already had what he wanted?"

"Again, it's a fickle object, really fickle. Your face was literally on the book" he started, leaning in closer to her "imagine it's like the cloak or the eye; what do you do to get rid of its loyalty?"

"Oh" She said flatly "well, what do we do?"

"There's no we, cause you're not gonna do anything. Wong and I are gonna have this covered. Now I'm telling you, under any circumstances-"

"Why won't you let me come?" She tilted her head, her eyes hiding a hint of annoyance "it's my fight, anyways! Do you not think I can do it? Why would you do it for me?-"

"Look, this is just...a major thing" he sighed "can you trust me with this?"

Hazel looked at his eyes, bringing back a ton of memories. The two never failed each other, and they have been able to form an unbreakable bond. She trusted him, and he did too, and they both knew that.

"I do," she slowly nodded and rubbed her neck "but I think it's better if the two of us did it together. I'm never gonna learn this way."

"No, see, that's where you're wrong," he tutted and adjusted his cloak "you already have learned. But...I-If something happens, that's on me."

"And lately, I've been feeling the same, for some reason." She played with her feet, her eyes glued to the floor and she scratched her head "Fine, go without me."

Strange smiled slightly and gave her a stiff nod. He brought out his hands and made a golden ring of light, stepping inside of it, while Hazel watched him take on the matter.