34 CHAPTER 34

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The Ancient One circled me, her eyes giving a long scrutinising look, index fingers pressed to her lips, "You are very symmetrical.."

Emily in my arms, I frowned, how was I supposed to answer that? "Thanks?"

"Never seen such symmetry in the mystical arts, it's rather vexing," The Ancient one added, a rather hard to read smile on her face, in fact, now that I think about it, every expression coming from her is rather difficult to understand on some level. "But enough about that, you must have a reason to be here, everyone has one."

"I do," I nodded.

"Follow me, Mr. Walker," The Ancient one smiled, her eyes closing into two thin lines, before she started walking, with me close behind, while I wondered, how did she know about me.

"You know me?" I inquired, my eyes on her as I did so.

"On a surface level," She answered, making no stop on her walk, "I know bits and such, nothing personal I assure you,"

Deciding it was best to take that answer, I nodded as I continued following her through the house into an empty room with two chairs and a teapot.

Looking at me, she took a seat pouring some hot delicious tea into a cup, and with a smile offered, "Would you like some?"

At her offer, I nodded, taking a seat on the only empty chair as she served me the cup of tea she had graciously offered. "Now," she said, handing me the cup, "What is it that you want,"

"You don't know?" I asked.

Taking a sip from her cup, she smiled, this time a less friendly smile, "I have an idea, considering your upbringing, but I would like to hear it from you, the source, so to speak." she finished, putting her empty tea cup on the table in front of her.

Blinking, I looked at the table that two seconds ago hadn't been there in surprise, before I replied, "I want to learn some things from you, if possible."

Unconvince with my answer, the Ancient One looked at me, her gaze piercing beyond the corners of my soul as she asked, "Is that truly all?" 

"I suppose… the reason behind… all of this, is eliminating a threat that will never stop hunting me." If she knew about my upbringing here, there was no point of lying.

"Hydra, is it?" The Ancient One asked, her eyes on mine.

"Yes," I nodded.

"Why?" The Ancient One inquired.

Why? Because I would never be allowed to rest until they were dead, "Because as long as they… think I belong to them, I will never be truly free."

"You could," The Ancient One replied, a faint smile appearing on her face. 

"Could what?" I muttered in confusion.

"You could be free, even without killing them," She finished with a small chuckle, standing up from her chair as she did so. "The question is… would you want to be free with them existing?"

"Well, let's operate under the assumption I could be free without killing them," I sighed, "I still would like to… erase them, they hurt others… and do things, things that will forever haunt me, haunt her." I muttered looking at Emily.

"I see," The Ancient One nodded, "Very well then, when can you start?"

I looked at her, perplexed with what was going on, by how the conversation was moving, I expected her to… kick me out, "You… don't find my quest morally incorrect?"

"I am not in a position to judge you, nor your goals, I do think you need to heal and mend the wounds they inflicted upon your being, but healing can't be forced, it happens naturally," The Ancient One said, her eyes on me. "You are the master of your own destiny, Mr. Walker, I am but a passenger you have invited, besides, in a way, your goals align with what we stand for, protecting the world, though, we usually focus on mystical threats, but we can't all face dark gods and demons can we?" she winked.

Was… was that a joke, "I'm sorry… It's just you are the first person not to… well, have a strong reaction to my goal, most either look at me like I am crazy, while some share my vision with anger," like Erik, he hated Hydra.

"Well, that's them," The Ancient One smiled, "All I do is help people heal, I help them to find a way to heal themselves, most find such help in the Mystic Arts, and I am happy to help,"

Nodding at her answer, I reminded myself she was one to always have a motive behind her actions, she was old, older than I could imagine, meaning she had experience playing the game, but… as people say, you scratch my back, I scratch yours.

"So, when do you want to start? Mr. Walker," The Ancient One asked again.

"Right away," I answered with a smile.

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[The Ancient One - POV]

Symmetry in the mystic arts was an impossibility, mana was free of such things, yet, there he was, a magically symmetrical being, it was as if his body was a computer perfectly regulating the mystical energies of his body in a vexingly perfect way, in all my years, I had never witnessed such a… thing, and I had witnessed many things.

Perhaps this was why I had seen him fighting alongside Dr. Strange during my visions of the future.

"Alright, as I see you already have so… rudimentary training in the mystic arts, I will start you with this," I said, tossing him a sling ring, teleporting his daughter to a room.

"Where is Emily," Alex asked, his tone holding a growl.

"I had a room made for her, yours is next door, now," Smiling, I opened a portal to the Sahara Desert, and pushed him inside tossing him a scroll with the information how to open a portal like he had requested, normally I wouldn't do such a thing, throwing him a scroll and such, but his readings were so symmetrical I felt like this was the best way to teach him, instead of expecting him to sweat on reflect. "Show me how much knowledge you have, and how you can use it." With that said, I walked through the portal back to my office, taking a seat only to hear.

"I'll be honest with you, I already learned what I wanted…" He… learned the portal, immediately. How fascinating.