Kamar-Taj – The Himalayas
Arthur stepped through the sparkling orange portal and into the biting cold of the Himalayas.
It was night in New York. The family was finally asleep after an exhausting day of sandcastles, ocean waves, and the sheer chaos of managing a household that now included a Gamma-radiated giant. Banner was back in Vermont, hopefully sleeping without nightmares for the first time in years.
Here, however, the sun was high in the sky. It was noon, and the thin air was sharp and clear.
Arthur walked through the familiar stone courtyard. Trainee sorcerers were practicing their katas in unison, their movements stiff and unsure. None of them noticed the man in the charcoal suit walking past them.
He found the Ancient One in her private tea room, sitting by a low table overlooking the mountains. Two cups were already poured, steam rising in delicate spirals against the backdrop of snow-capped peaks.
"You look terrible, Arthur," she said without looking up, a small smile playing on her lips.
"I feel terrible," Arthur admitted, lowering himself onto the cushion opposite her. "But I'll recover in a few days."
"I sensed Mephisto's presence in New York." Her voice was calm, measured. "Did I miss anything interesting?"
"Quite the show." Arthur wrapped his hands around the warm ceramic cup, savoring the heat. "I expected you to come. We could have watched it together. Shared some popcorn."
"You were already there." She took a sip of her tea, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I trusted you to handle everything."
"Well," Arthur said, exhaling slowly. "Everything is handled."
"So." Her eyes finally met his over the rim of her cup. "What happened?"
—
Arthur told her everything.
The avatar's attack on his family. The Abominations. Elena and Tristan manifesting their powers. The swift defeat of Mephisto's projection on Earth. The Demon Lord's sickening obsession with Tristan. The chase into Hell. The battle in the demon's own domain.
He described the battle in detail. The Arcane Mage State pushed beyond its limits, the cosmic attacks that barely slowed Mephisto down, and the desperation that had driven him to use all his tricks.
The Ancient One listened without interruption, her expression revealing nothing.
"You used the Killing Curse," she said finally.
Arthur nodded. "For the first time. Successfully."
"But it wasn't enough."
"No. He's a Hell Lord in his own domain. Even that couldn't destroy him permanently."
"Indeed," she agreed quietly. "One does not simply kill a concept in its own home."
Arthur sighed, leaning back. "So I settled for imprisonment instead. I used the Space Stone directly. I locked the dimensional coordinates of his entire realm. He's quarantined. Isolated from the multiverse."
The Ancient One went quiet, her gaze drifting to the mountains.
"What do you think?" Arthur asked. "Is the threat over? Is Mephisto truly contained?"
"The Space Stone's work is impressive." She chose her words carefully. "You haven't just locked the door to Hell, Arthur. You've erased it from the cosmic map. Even I cannot sense that dimension anymore. It's as if it simply... ceased to exist."
"But?"
"But there are always possibilities." She turned to face him fully. "The universe is chaotic. There is always a chance. A higher being intervening, a cosmic accident, a natural tear in reality. The lock will hold for a long time, Arthur, but do not assume it is eternal."
"I know," Arthur nodded. "I just need time. A decade, maybe two. By then, my children will be old enough to defend themselves, and I..." He clenched his fist, feeling the phantom echo of the Arcane State. "I will be strong enough to finish him permanently."
"You have a plan?"
"I have a power I haven't fully explored yet." Arthur touched his chest, where the mark lay hidden beneath his shirt. "The Death's Mark. When I used the Killing Curse, it responded. It amplified the spell. There's something there. Some connection to forces I don't fully understand."
The Ancient One's expression grew thoughtful. "The Deathly Hallows."
"Master of Death. Whatever that means." Arthur shook his head. "I've felt the power. Used fragments of it. Even Mephisto seemed terrified of it for a moment. But I don't understand it. Have no idea where to begin"
"You're asking if I have insight."
"Do you?"
The Ancient One was silent for a long moment. When she spoke, her voice was careful, tinged with a respect she rarely showed for mere magic.
"I have walked this earth for a very long time, Arthur," she said softly. "I have learned secrets that would shatter the minds of lesser sorcerers. But regarding the entity known as Death... my knowledge is limited. She is not a being we sorcerers trifle with."
She set her cup down with a soft click.
"If you seek answers about Death, do not look to Kamar-Taj. Look to the people who glorify battle and the end of life. Ask Odin. Or consult the forbidden archives of Asgard. They have dealt with cosmic entities far longer than humanity has."
"I will," Arthur promised.
The tension in the room began to bleed away. The crisis was over. The world was safe. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, just two titans of Earth enjoying a quiet morning tea.
"Have you looked into the future recently?" Arthur asked suddenly.
The Ancient One paused mid-sip. "I stopped looking a long time ago. The possibilities... they are a burden. I've learned to trust the flow of time rather than trying to steer the river."
Arthur was quiet for a moment. "You seem very at peace with that."
"I am." She glanced at him. "You, however, seem very interested in what I've seen."
"There is one fate I really badly want to change," Arthur admitted, looking her in the eye.
The Ancient One didn't pretend to misunderstand. She simply looked at him with those ancient, knowing eyes that had seen centuries come and go.
"Arthur," she said, her voice firm but gentle. "Don't."
"Why?" Arthur leaned forward, earnestness coloring his tone. "You don't have to die. You can retire. Choose a successor, pack a bag, go live on a beach somewhere. You've earned it."
"And do what?" She smiled, a sad, weary expression that made her look her age for once. "I have lived a fulfilling life, Arthur. I have seen empires rise and fall. I have held back the dark for centuries. For some people... death is not a tragedy. It is freedom."
"You can be free without dying."
"I don't want to fade away, Arthur," she said softly. "I don't want to wither in a hospital bed or lose my mind to time. I hope to die in a meaningful way. To give my end purpose." She reached across the table and patted his hand. "Do not rob me of my choice."
Arthur stared at her. The woman who had taught him so much. Who had guided him through some of the most difficult years of his life. He hated it, but he understood.
"Fine," he sighed, the fight leaving him. "I won't go meddling."
"Thank you."
They sat in silence for a while, watching the students in the courtyard below. Masters circled among them, correcting stances, adjusting grips.
"How are the children?" the Ancient One asked eventually.
Arthur smiled, grateful for the change of subject. "Growing too fast. Elena is desperate to learn magic properly now that she's had her first semi-controlled burst. Tristan has adopted a nine-foot green rage monster as his new best friend."
"The Hulk." A genuine hint of amusement entered her voice. "An interesting choice of playmate."
"He's surprisingly gentle with the kids. Banner, on the other hand, is a mess. Years of trauma and self-hatred to work through."
"Will you help him?"
"I've pointed him in the right direction. The rest is up to him." Arthur shrugged. "I'm more invested in keeping Hulk happy, honestly. Tristan would never forgive me if his giant friend disappeared."
The Ancient One laughed softly. It was a rare sound, light and unburdened, and Arthur treasured it.
They talked for hours after that. Not about battles or prophecies or cosmic threats. Just talking. About Arthur's strange collection of friends and the Ancient One's most promising students. About the state of the world and the small joys that made life worth living. About old memories and shared jokes.
It felt like catching up with an old friend. Because that's what they were, Arthur realized. Beneath all the titles and power and responsibility, they were just two people who cared about each other.
Eventually, the sun began its descent toward the mountain peaks, casting long shadows across the snow.
"I should get back," Arthur said, rising to his feet.
"Of course." The Ancient One stood as well. "Thank you for visiting, Arthur. And for telling me about Mephisto. It eases my mind to know he won't be playing his games on this planet anymore."
"Eases my mind too."
He was about to open a portal when the Ancient One spoke again.
"Arthur. There's someone waiting for you outside."
Arthur paused. His senses extended outward, touching the familiar magical signatures of Kamar-Taj.
One stood out. Dark. Bitter. Conflicted.
"Kaecilius," Arthur said flatly.
"He has been... drifting," the Ancient One said, her expression clouding slightly. "Perhaps you can offer him something I cannot."
Arthur sighed.
"Fine." He rolled his shoulders, preparing himself for a very different kind of conversation.
He had a pretty good idea what Kaecilius wanted to discuss. He glanced back at the Ancient One and caught the glint in her eyes. It seemed that even though she didn't want Arthur meddling in her fate, she wouldn't mind him meddling in someone else's.
Well. He didn't mind trying.