THE APPRENTICE (DOCTOR STRANGE STORY)

34

The sight of Tony reuniting with Pepper and Nebula with Rocket lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. A sad smile was plastered on her face, that dropped when she realized: she was all alone.
Hazel walked behind them, trailing behind them as quietly as possible to make her presence unknown.

"New blood, huh?," A friendly and gentle voice asked from beside her as they entered the tower. She looked to her right and saw Captain America giving her a small smile.

"Yeah," Hazel was absentminded when she answered. It was her first time seeing the avengers, all the more being in their base. It was all a big rollercoaster. "Yeah, I-I guess so,"

"What's your name, kid?," He asked as everyone got settled in. Tony immediately got himself attended to.

"Hazel." she replied and looked down at her shoes. Never did she think she had to feel so alienated and uncomfortable again in her life, but there she was.

Everyone was gazing at her, staring at her like a shiny new toy and a ticking bomb all at once. It wasn't because they needed to intimidate her, but it was mostly because of how out of place she looked.

For one, she was a complete and total stranger to everyone in there. Next, she was a teenager. Lastly, she was still wearing her tunics.

"Two newbies," Black widow replied and stood up from her seat. "Natasha,"

"Rhodey, and that's Thor
Steve Rodgers, that's pepper
Carol
Hey, I'm Bruce if you remember
Rocket," They all introduced themselves and each other to the newbies. Hazel stared at them in curiosity and awe, noticing the thick tension.

"So how exactly did you end up with Tony?," Natasha asked her. Hazel tried to force a smile on her face.

"I-I erm...I was with someone. We went to space together to try and stop Thanos," Hazel noticed Thor's eyes squinted at the sound of his name. "W-we were the only ones left,"

Her eyes subconsciously started to get glassy and her voice shaky, capturing the interest of everyone in the room.

"So you're also a warrior then?," Steve asked and gave her a smile "there's no need to feel all shy, we're all like family here,"

"I-I'm...i was a sorcerer-,"

"-a what now?," Rhodey interrupted "as in- as in a magic sorcerer? As in Harry Potter?,"

"A little bit, I guess to put it simply." Steve Rogers stood up in complete and utter fascination and disbelief, stepping closer to her "I was..."

"Was?," Carol raises an eyebrow "what happened? Did it die down after Thanos?,"

"N-no, he erm...he tried to take me with him and my sling ring went away with him when I got away. It was supposed to help me do magic," She explained "I know it sounds like I'm making it up-,"

"Well you're here, aren't you?," Natasha tilted her head "Tony must've seen something to let you fight with him,"

"How would you have done it?," Steve asked "what's the most basic spell, and how would you have done it?,"

"Well, I could get you to astroproject," she thought out loud. "But I can't anymore, that's the thing. I'm done for, just a useless pile of mash,"

"Cmon, just do it!," Steve put a smile on his face "cmon now, just for fun, is all,"

"Okay." Hazel shrugged and nodded. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind, gathered her chi and gave Steve's chest a push.

Steve asked her to do it for the fun, to cheer her up seeing that she was incredibly down. However, he found himself floating in mid air, leaving figures of himself as his body slowly dropped to the floor.

Everyone, including Hazel was caught off guard, jaws dropping to the floor.

"What the hell in the world is that?!," Rhodey stressed in complete disbelief.

"That's some trippy shit, man!," Rocket rubbed his eyes as Thor stoke a few glances at the situation.

"I-I thought you said-,"

"I thought so, too," Hazel cut Natasha off absentmindedly "how could I be doing this?,"

"Maybe you really do have a ring on you?," Rocket suggested

"No, I'd have to wear it-" Hazel's eyes grew wide at an epiphany she had. "Agamotto- He-He was right! That's why my wounds heal so quickly, I almost forgot! I've got magic in my blood,"

"And you only remember that now?," Rocket asked in an exhausted manner. "Knowing you guys could've starved to death?!,"

"I didn't know! I-I don't know." She looked down on her shoes in disappointment. She once again had forgotten what strange what taught her. "In theory, it would work but I've never done it without a ring,"

"Is anyone else here confused as hell?," the raccoon continues "so you're magical who thinks she can't do magic and won't do magic, and magic is real?,"

"Doctor Stephen Strange," Thor blurted out. Everyone's heads whipped to him, Hazel's blood running cold. "That's the man, hm? He's "him", right?"

"H-how did-"

"He helped me find my father, not too long ago, kind man, intelligent man," Thor reminisced and stood up

"You were the "god business" he said he was taking care of!," she gasped "y-you know him!,"

"So what she's saying is true then?," Steve asked

"Isn't astroprojecting you true enough, or do you want me to open your eye?," Hazel remarked, making Carol and Thor smirk.

"I take it he's dead, too?,"

Hazel's smug expression immediately disintegrated at his bluntness.

"I-I don't think they're actually dead," she shook her head "I think they're somewhere in the soul stone or something like that-"

"-look, kid, they're dead!-,"

"They won't stay dead!," Hazel bursted "Now knowing that I can still do magic, I'm stopping at nothing to make sure I'm going to see Stephen agai-ow!"

Hazel fell to the floor, her body landing in a large thud. The sorcerer's eyes glowed green once again, the familiar pain filling her body.

"It's happening again, isn't it?," Tony panted and ran to the living room, where everyone surrounded her "What-What happened?,"

"She can still do magic," Nebula filled him in "She just suddenly started going like that, like the last time,"

"What can we do to help?," Steve asked in panic "you're gonna have to help us help you here, kid, we'll need answers,"

"Tony, the stone!" Hazel managed to pant out before her eyes completely shut and her mind completely blacked out.

"This is bad,"