Paragons Vol 2

Issue 21- Talons

"This is the consequence

of your actions."

--Amira Khalil

One Year Ago,

The Home of Doctor Stephen Strange

Amira bit her lip as she examined the objects that lined the shelves of a bookcase; amulets and vases and mirrors and others of the sort. If she had been anywhere else she would have assumed they were just as mundane as they looked, but she wasn't just anywhere else. She was also fairly certain the feeling she had in her stomach wasn't just a conjuration of her own mind.

   She could feel the darkness in these objects.

   "I apologise for my decor," came a voice and her eyes turned to the man dressed in a fine suit that walked down the stairs, a warm smile behind his goatee. "They do have a tendency to make people feel... uneasy. I'd say you come to ignore it with time, but that would be a lie."

   "Mr... Dr Strange," she said as she turned to him and gave a small bow. "Thank you for seeing me."

   He chuckled. "Most people don't bow, Miss Khalil."

   "S-sorry," she muttered and glanced him over. "I thought you'd be-"

   "More dressed up? Usually I would be, always fun to put on a bit of an act for my guests. Play up some of the mystique of it all. I wouldn't dare insult your intelligence that way. Especially not given why you want to talk."

   He ushered her through into another room where a table with two chairs and a tea set awaited them. Once she was seated he poured them both a cup and sat down.

   "You want to ask me about the White Eagle Order?"

   She took a sip then thought for a moment. "Yeah, but not really."

   Strange cocked an eyebrow.

   "I want to ask if you know anything about their leader or... things he may have done."

   He glanced over her face. "Mathew Simons."

   "So you do know him?"

   "In a sense, though not as well as you might be hoping. The White Eagles are magically adjacent, but for all their creeds and mission statements they have never truly had a large impact on the world. I know his name more from rumour. He was 'forcefully recruited' by Osborn, was he not?"

   "Yeah. Not so sure it was so forceful now though."

   "You believe he wanted to be there?"

   "I dunno, he just... He acts like everything he does is part of some master plan. Maybe it's all just a ploy to make me feel stupid and helpless, but I'm scared he may be right."

   Strange took a sip of tea then stroked his goatee. "I don't suppose the name Charles Durand means anything to you?"

   She shook her head and drank more of her own tea.

   He took a breath. "Not surprised. He was a French politician, mostly involved in relations with the UK. It was well known, much to his personal shame, that his younger wife was infertile. Naturally questions arose when they suddenly had a child, a young girl. Publicly he claimed they adopted the child in the UK, no reporters could find anything to back up his claim. But he was a terrible person and quickly gave them all something else to focus on."