HIATUS

"Agh! Damn it, why can't I do this!", Stephen Strange said in frustration as he kicks the nearest stone he could find. After both he and Christine performed surgery on the woman that landed on his apartment, the two of them were shocked when they saw her all healed and cooking eggs in his kitchen the next day. Stephen immediately questioned her how such a thing was possible. The woman just shrugged Stephen's query and proceeded to arrange the table so that the 3 of them could eat.

Stephen Strange is a man that believes wholeheartedly in science and there was no way he would allow his question to not be answered. As the woman casually ate the eggs that she cooked, Stephen demanded to know how she was able to be cured of all her life-threatening injuries.

FLASHBACK:

The woman looks at Stephen with a calm look on her face and said, "I believe that I was healed by a friend".

Hearing her answer, Christine asked, "Someone was here while we slept?".

"I believe so", the woman said as she took a bite of the scrambled eggs. "Do you happen to have any tea and honey in your kitchen?", the woman asked Stephen.

"Wait! Are you telling me that someone entered my apartment while the 3 of us slept and healed you?", Stephen asked in shock.

"Once again, yes"

"That's cellular regeneration! That's groundbreaking technology! Tell me who is this person so that I could meet him. To be able to cure someone from near death would revolutionize modern medicine in a state never seen before. Think of how many people who are currently suffering from grievous injuries, with cellular technology all of them would be healed", Stephen approaches the woman in front of him, and due to his excitement, he unconsciously grabs one of the arms of the woman and said in an enthusiastic manner, "Please, could I meet this person?".

The woman just smiled and grabs Stephen's arm to release his hold on her and said, "I'm afraid technology was not used in healing me".

"What are you talking about? If it wasn't cellular technology then what could have caused you to have fully recovered in mere hours?", Stephen said with confusion written all over his face.

"There are many things in this universe that technology cannot explain and do", the woman said as she got a bottle of water from Stephen's fridge.

"What does that eve--"

Before Stephen could continue pressing the woman on the matter of her healing, Christine stops him and said, "Let's put your healing on the sidelines for a while, okay?". She then looks at the woman wearing a unique robe-like attire and asked, "Who are you? and why did you suddenly land on Stephen's apartment? And why were you heavily wounded yesterday? Plus if your friend was here last night, why did they not take you?".

Christine had scanned the room the moment she woke up and she realized that everything was cleaned and even the broken window was repaired. All this happened when the 3 of them were asleep yet the woman's friend was able to fix everything without any noise. She found this odd but she decided to focus more on the questions that were of greater importance.

"I have lived for so long that my name is no longer important but my students call me the Ancient One. As for your other question, I was fighting a former student who went rogue and decided that power was the most important thing in his life. The two of us fought for a while but he had proven to be the superior master between the two of us. When I was heavily wounded I immediately made a hastily escape. I didn't know that I would land on your friend, Stephen's apartment. As for my friend not taking me, I don't know the answer to that question", the Ancient One calmly replied.

Before Christine could reply, The Ancient One looks at Stephen Strange and said, "Thank you for not bringing me to a hospital. It would have been problematic if you did".

"You were my patient. I just did what you wanted even though what you wanted was stupid and would have led to your death"

"Luckily everything ended well then", the Ancient One replied with a smile on her face.

The Ancient One then took out a sling ring that was kept in her pocket and said, "Thank you, both of you. If it weren't for the two of you, then I would have died before my friend fully healed me but I need to leave. There are many things that require my attention. The betrayal of one of the Masters is not something I could take lightly".

But before the Ancient One could leave, Christine stops her and asked the Ancient One more follow-up questions, "Are you really part of the group who save New York? How could you do things that are supposedly impossible?".

Ever since the invasion of New York, there was not a single week without the media mentioning the individuals that protected the city and subsequently the planet. Based on the news, the United Nations was still searching for them. They told the people that they only wanted to thank them personally but the more knowledgeable once and even online conspiracy theorists knew that was just an excuse.

Everyone on the planet now knew that aliens are real and countries around the globe were trying to strengthen themselves to protect their interests. Getting those groups in their control is one way of securing their power in a world getting weirder by the day.

"One of the groups that help save New York is known as the Masters of the Mystic Arts and I am their leader, the current Sorcerer Supreme. As for our power, you can say that we use energy to perform feats that seem to be impossible. We hold magic in our hands".

"Magic?", Stephen replied with an amused look on his face. "You got to be lying. You have superior technology and that's why you and your so-called students could perform those things. And it is also the reason why you are suddenly healed within just a few hours!".

The Ancient One calmly replied, "You have only viewed the world through a keyhole. It has served you well in your life but the universe is much more than you believe it to be".

"Huh! And you're saying that the only way to truly view the universe is by this energy you call magic! Listen up lady, chakras, energy, or any other baloney name you make up are only use to exploit the weak-minded", Strange then stretches out his hand and exclaimed "We are made of matter and nothing more. We're just another tiny momentary speck within an indifferent universe!".

"There are so much you don't know", the Ancient One said as she approaches Strange.

"Really now", Strange replied with sarcasm oozing from his voice.

Then without warning the Ancient One quickly presses her thumb in Stephen's forehead and said, "Open your eye".

"AH!"

Stephen suddenly found himself falling in a narrow path. He saw things he thought were impossible. He saw the entire planet as if he was falling through literal space itself. He saw a world where up is down and left was right. He saw a place filled with numerous hands trying to grab hold of him. He saw numerous things, all of which were too hard for him to explain.  Somethings were extremely beautiful that it made his eyes open to true beauty and others that were incredibly scary that would give adults nightmares as they sleep. It was certainly one of the moments of his life that he won't ever forget.

Throughout this 'trip', he could vaguely hear the screaming of Christine in the background but he could not see her. Wherever he was, Christine was not present. It didn't take long for Strange to want to learn from the woman in front of him. He was literally being shown an aspect of the universe that only selected individuals knew about. Who is he to deny that it was genuine. A veil has been lifted from his eyes and he wanted to learn more. He knew that if he did not explore this world in front of him then he would certainly regret it for the rest of his life.

"Teach me!", Strange stated as he drops to his knees.

BACK TO PRESENT:

Stephen looks at the ocean in the distance and tried to calm himself from the frustration that he was feeling. After a while, he glances at his side and he could see Christine easily conjuring a sword in her hand, something Strange found incredibly hard to do. While Christine could conjure things easily, he was always frustrated due to his inability to do so, this made him annoyed at his slow progress.

Just like him, after being teleported through multiple dimensions, Christine also wanted to learn. They couldn't let this chance pass them by. On that day, the two of them resign from their positions as doctors shocking the hospital they work for. The hospital wanted Strange to stay so they offered him a 50% raise but he immediately declined their offer without any thought.

And since that day the two of them had been training on a remote island. The island was also surrounded by a green-like dome. He and Christine wanted to know where they were and what the dome was for but the Ancient One was always mute about that. The two of them just decided to not mind it and focus on their training.

In the distance, the Ancient One could see the frustrated Stephen Strange. She had been teaching the two of them nonstop. An oral lesson in the morning and night while practical teachings in the afternoon. She could not return to Kamar Taj due to her channeling the power of the time stone on the island. As of right now, weeks on the island were only a few hours in real-time.

"agh"

She touches her stomach and she could feel a dark power slowly killing her. The injury was inflicted on her during her battle with Zhang Wei.  It was an injury that she nor Ethan could heal. In fact, Ethan could not even detect it, perhaps he could only detect it when he was in his space sage form but even with that form, she knew that he was powerless to heal her.

It wasn't a coincidence that she landed in Strange's apartment. Everything she did until now were all done on purpose. She saw that Strange would be a powerful Sorcerer Supreme, even more powerful than her. She wanted to make Strange her successor before she dies and hopefully Strange will live up to her high expectations.