"Bucky, I really don't think we should have agreed to Tony's request."
Sitting in Captain America's office in Avengers Tower, Steve Rogers looked at Bucky with a calm, almost wistful expression.
Bucky looked composed on the surface, but Steve knew better.
Out of the two of them, Bucky was the one under the most pressure.
Because no matter what, Bucky couldn't refuse this task.
He was the one who had killed Tony's parents.
Both of them knew that while Bucky had been controlled, that wasn't the core of the issue for Tony.
The core was simple.
You did it.
Since you did it, why wouldn't I kill you first, then go after the person who controlled you?
That was Tony's most likely logic.
And now, even though Tony had given them a task that was absurd and borderline insulting, Bucky had no real choice but to accept it.
Helping Tony steal the Pym particles was the only way to avoid Bucky's certain death.
Of course, if this was exposed, it would also earn them the hostility of the other Avengers.
One wrong step, and the Avengers might collapse entirely.
But if they refused Tony and told the others, the outcome was already decided.
Tony would kill Bucky.
And Steve would die too.
That was an ending neither of them could accept.
And once this matter was exposed, the Avengers would split, or even disband.
There was no other possibility.
Tony Stark wasn't the kind of man who truly cared about the Avengers.
He had mages backing him.
With those mages as support, Steve and Bucky wouldn't even be able to run if they wanted to.
They didn't fully understand what methods mages possessed.
But one thing was certain.
Mages were far more reliable than satellites.
"Actually, this isn't without a solution," Bucky said with a sigh as he packed his things. "I'll steal the Pym particles, and you report me. That way-"
"Shut up."
Steve cut him off immediately, his expression calm but firm.
"That's impossible, Bucky. You know it's absolutely impossible."
Steve understood exactly what Bucky meant.
It was simple.
If Bucky acted alone and Steve reported him, Steve would be completely uninvolved.
No one would know why Bucky stole the Pym particles.
In the end, Bucky would bear everything himself, and the problem would be resolved.
But Steve would never allow that.
No matter what, he wouldn't let something like that happen right in front of him.
Bucky looked at Steve, feeling both helpless and touched.
This really was the best plan he could think of.
But Steve had no intention of accepting it.
His temperament hadn't changed at all.
Bucky still remembered how, back when Steve was weak, almost every kid in their Brooklyn neighborhood had beaten him up.
And yet, he had never given in.
"Honestly, you're not suited to be a soldier," Bucky sighed. "Sometimes, letting go of what you should let go of benefits you, me, and everyone."
"Maybe," Steve nodded seriously, to Bucky's surprise.
"I've always believed that victory gained through meaningless sacrifice is unacceptable. So is anything that challenges my beliefs and bottom line."
"I joined the army for one reason."
"I hate bullies."
"And I hate people who kill the innocent."
"Save the speech," Bucky laughed, bright and unrestrained. "You really haven't changed."
"But tell me, doesn't this cross your bottom line this time?"
"Or is it that you want to see whether Tony Stark can actually succeed?"
"Maybe," Steve sighed.
"I still owe a promise."
"And maybe there's nothing I can do."
"But I want to see it through."
Strange looked at himself in the mirror.
His beard was completely shaved.
His hair had been forcibly restyled.
He looked noticeably younger, especially dressed in clothes with a strong British style.
But none of that mattered.
What mattered was his hands.
They had fully recovered.
That familiar nimble sensation told Strange that his hands had essentially returned to peak condition.
He also knew exactly who had done this.
That exceptionally young sorcerer.
"If he can give it to you, he can take it back just as easily."
Strange was very clear about that.
Because of this, he didn't feel arrogant or complacent about his recovery.
If anything, he felt more reverent.
From dinner the previous night, Strange had learned the name of this place.
Kamar-Taj London Sanctum.
It sounded strange.
But any place called a Sanctum was obviously not simple.
Last night, Strange had also gotten a good look at the people stationed there.
There were two non-mages.
One was a quiet doorman named Jason.
This man was extremely capable.
Strange was certain he had a military background.
Jason also felt oddly familiar, perhaps because they both spoke American English.
The other was a woman.
She wasn't quiet at all.
Her name was Cassandra, which sounded distinctly Athenian.
Strange had no intention of provoking her.
She seemed... violent.
As for everyone else.
They were mages.
The mage in charge of daily operations was a Black man named Dennis.
There was a girl who clearly had a crush on the Sanctum Protector, calling Noah "Senior Brother" all day.
Her name was Lily.
Lily also had an impressive background.
Strange learned from the apprentice who took him to get a haircut that her father had once been the Sanctum Protector's professor.
There was also another girl who looked extremely cautious, almost like a high school student.
Her name was Wanda.
She didn't seem ordinary either.
Her father was a friend of the Sanctum Protector.
After learning all of this, Strange was left speechless.
How many well-connected people were packed into this place?
Aside from them, there was also a gentle and exceptionally elegant woman.
Strange learned that she was the Sanctum Protector's sister.
The two of them had grown up together since childhood.
That alone was enough to make Strange pay close attention.
This was someone he absolutely could not offend.
And then there was one more mage in the Sanctum who was equally untouchable.
The Asian man who had been with the Sanctum Protector yesterday.
His name was Wang.
Strange remembered it clearly.
From what he had learned, Wang was also a legend.
He and the Sanctum Protector had been classmates, taught by the same master.
Their relationship had lasted more than twenty years.
Wang was powerful and talented.
The reason he stayed here was simple.
He was willing to help the Protector, who was constantly overwhelmed by work and rarely had time to manage the Sanctum.
"In short, he just likes wandering around."
Strange summarized silently.
He didn't dare say it out loud.
Beyond these mages were the apprentices.
The one who had taken him shopping and cut his hair yesterday was among them.
They were all children who, like the Sanctum Protector, had grown up in an orphanage.
Even more interestingly, they all came from the same orphanage.
These apprentices were the Protector's most loyal supporters.
Strange tightened his coat and adjusted his scarf again.
Honestly, the outfit made him uncomfortable.
But it was the Sanctum Protector's request.
So he complied.
As for the Sanctum Protector's name, Strange knew it very well.
He had been startled when he first heard it.
Noah Finir.
Even in the ordinary world, that name wasn't unfamiliar.
Because he was the protagonist of the three movies Strange had watched yesterday.
When Strange realized this, he briefly wondered if the sense of familiarity he felt came from those films.
But then the apprentice guiding him had spoken with open admiration.
"Those were things from when the Protector was young. But actually, he did something even more incredible."
"He led all the wizards from the world's Ministries of Magic to fight the aliens that invaded Earth."
Strange raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? So many wizards participated. What did Lord Finir do?"
"He personally led all the mages into battle."
"And in the end, he used Dragonborn magic to wipe out all the aliens."
"Wipe out?" Strange paused. "Wait. He was that giant dragon?"
Strange was completely stunned.
Only then did he truly understand what kind of existence his mentor was.
Swallowing, Strange turned away from the mirror.
Because today-
Was his first lesson.
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