THE APPRENTICE (DOCTOR STRANGE STORY)

16

"Haze" Strange peered over her bed, trying to wake the sleeping Hazel in front of him. It was 3:22 am, Saturday, when he heard a noise from downstairs.

"Hm-what?" She hummed, half asleep as she rubbed her eyelids in irritation.

"I think someone's downstairs. C'mon" his eyebrows were furrowed, and he was wearing his robes and cloak.
He knew he could handle whatever was coming; he saved the world from a dark lord, for Dormamu's sake! Don't get confused, he knew very well that Hazel was a very capable sorcerer, but it wasn't really for her sake, but his. He can't lose Hazel, he's not going to be able to handle it. Denying her skills, he couldn't ignore the feeling inside him that was nagging him on and on.

"Fine" she sighed, and got up, still wearing her pyjamas. The two searched everywhere, shields at the ready as they walked around the dark sanctum. "Nothing. There's nothing."

"Wait" Stephen hummed as he walked towards the staff, seeing that it was slightly tilted to the right instead of holding up "Someone tried to steal the staff again"

"Probably Gyor again" she assumed as she investigated it closely, her eyes narrowing at it suspiciously "there's something weird about it, though, don't you think?"

"Possibly cause it's usually upright, and now it's just...tilted" he walked around the box, while his head whipped from side to side to look for any possible intruders "we'd know if an intruder damaged the staff, it's just the angle"

"Right, angles." She said hesitantly, crossing her arms and watching Strange come back after he walked around the floor to double check

"Maybe the staff just fell," he started "maybe that's the sound it made, or the person that stole it must've heard us coming here."

"We should guard it," She hummed "I should guard it, actually. You should go and get some rest now, I'll take it from here"

"No, it's my job to protect the sanctum"

"But it's my job to protect the staff" she rebutted "it's fine, I don't think I can get back to bed, anyways. It's no big deal, it's just a few hours, just go"

"Hm," Strange narrowed his eyes and slowly backed away from her, removing his cloak "I am a little sleepy"

"Really? I could hardly tell, I'm touched you're so insistent on you guarding it" She chimed sarcastically "shouldn't we maybe call Wong or something?"

"No, why would we need Wong? I'm the sorcerer supreme" he huffed cockily, dismissive and insulted that she'd think someone else was better than him at his area

"Well, to ask if he escaped"

"He'd be here before Gyor did" he debated "Whatever, look, as long as I'm here, it's all good, okay? That Gyor guy's basically irrelevant now"

Hazel heard his voice echoing around the whole place as she propped herself down the chair where she and Strange would sometimes sit to watch the sanctum.

"I'm going to sleep" he yawned, a thud sounded through the room, while she patiently waited for the sun to rise.

Although she didn't want to hurt Stephen's already huge ego, Hazel was a little bit iffy about the situation at hand. The staff has become a special thing ever since she found out, and the sanctum she had to protect just got way bigger.

"You called Wong?" A hurt and annoyed look flashed in Stephen's face as he jogged down the stairs, watching him investigate the staff

"I just wanted to ask him if he escaped, is all" she shrugged casually while Wong approached the pair with his arms behind his back

"All good, Hazel." He gave her a nod and greeted Strange "Stephen."

"Wong." He nodded, then turned back to the teenager "you don't trust me?" He crossed his arms and knitted his brows, which made her sigh

"I do, it's just that you can't be too sure," she explained, mirroring his body language "sometimes you just have to let go of your ego for the greater good"

"Ugh, please. You sound like the ancient one" he scoffed and grimaced, waving her off

"She does, doesn't she?" Wong had an amused smile on his face "she's also a paradox, like her" he explained, while the two were silent "she's merciless but kind, complicated yet simple, they both like hoods, they both have a disregard for the rules, but it seems to be a trend" he looked to Strange

"Yeah, I see it," he pulled his lips downwards as Hazel wondered about the lady they were comparing her to "do you think she would've liked her or allowed her to come?"

"We may never know." He simply shrugged his shoulders up and down, then shook his head "but it's where it stops, right? The only similarities between the two is that they're both paradoxes?"

"Uh, it better be" Stephen said with a tone, then turned to her, again, with a dominant stance "if you practice any dark magic, Hazel Wolfe, I will...you are gonna be in so much trouble"

"Oh no, I could totally access things like immortality and unlimited power, but I can't, cause I'll be in trouble!" She widened her eyes, her voice mocking and teasing while Wong gave a small chuckle

"Yeah, well, just don't do dark magic"

"Don't you kinda do dark magic? Since you manipulated the time stone and all of that?" She raised a brow

"No, because I used it responsibly," he said in a matter of factly manner that made Wong snort "what?"

"You didn't use it responsibly" He simply answered "You're lucky that you just so happened to be the protector, is all"

"Well, I mean, the warning does come after the spells, who does that? It's basically their fault" Hazel thought out loud, pouting her lips with her hands behind her back while Stephen gazed at her, amused

"I don't like what you're doing to her" Wong gave a 'humph' and left the sanctum, shutting the door behind him and leaving the two alone inside the building once again.