Ed's POV
The next day
"This is definitely going to be an annoying fight," I muttered.
Right now, I am reviewing the profiles of every major Hellfire Club leader in the meeting room. But one name in particular caught my attention, Selene Gallio, the Black Queen herself.
A crazy old sorceress who's been walking the Earth for nearly seventeen thousand years. A parasite of power who drains the life force of others just to keep her eternal youth. Dangerous doesn't even begin to cover it.
I was confident I could take her down, after all, I can eat magic and the anti-magic sword gave me a solid edge against spellcasters. Still, confidence didn't mean carelessness. Selene had survived entire empires, wars, and gods. I wasn't naive enough to think I was her first opponent with absorption abilities. She's been around too long, fought too many people, and probably buried half of them.
And while I've picked up a bit of arcane knowledge from Johanna, I'm still nowhere near her level. Selene's fought more magic users than I can imagine.
I was lost in thought when my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced at the screen, Sabrina.
"Oh, look who finally decided to call," I said, half-teasing.
"Sorry, Ed, I was busy," Sabrina replied.
"Busy? Try running a superhero team, a company, and a mayoral campaign at the same time," I shot back. "I still managed to check in on you after that whole monster-invasion mess."
"Okay, first of all," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm, "your superhero team basically runs itself with Peggy's help. Ashley handles most of the company stuff. And don't act like I don't know you've got cloning powers now, pretty sure you've got one of your copies campaigning for mayor."
I couldn't help smirking. "Fair point. So what's so important that you finally decided to call?"
"The Ancient One wants to talk," Sabrina said.
That caught my attention instantly.
"What does she want to talk about? And how the hell does she even know about me? Please tell me you didn't tell her, and how did you two even meet her?" I asked.
"Met her during the monster invasion," Sabrina said. "And no, I didn't tell her about you. She already knew. Don't ask me how. I just know she specifically wants to meet you."
"Alright," I said with a sigh. "Send me your location. I'll teleport to you."
"Also," she added, "I mentioned Wanda. The Ancient One agreed to train her, if she comes to Kamar-Taj and shows what she can do. The Ancient One wants to see her potential before deciding to teach her personally. So bring her too."
"Fine. Give me a few minutes," I said.
"Okay," she replied, then hung up.
I slid my phone back into my pocket, my thoughts already racing.
So…the Ancient One knew about me all this time but never interfered. Why now? Why reach out after everything that's happened? It was suspicious, very suspicious, but she could also be a powerful ally. And right now, with Selene on my radar, having the Sorcerer Supreme on my side might be exactly what I needed.
I was about to stand when the air turned cold, cold enough that my breath misted. A familiar chill ran down my spine.
Darkblood materialized beside me, his presence as heavy as always. "Do you have a mission for me?" he asked, voice low and gravelly.
"Yes," I said. "I need you to find every member of a secret organization in Gotham called the Court of Owls. After that, track another group, the League of Shadows. And when you're done, move on to the Hand. I know it's a lot, so take all the time you need. I want names, power levels, fighting capabilities, and most importantly, their locations."
He nodded once, calm and unwavering. "That is indeed a great deal of work… but I can do it."
"Good," I said. "And if you ever feel like you're in danger, any danger at all, you run. Immediately. Come straight to me. Those groups have been around for centuries. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them have made deals with demons."
When Darkblood disappeared, I finally stood and headed toward the lab. I already knew Wanda would be there, with Pietro and Lorna, of course. Like several others on the base, they were curious to see the cloned bodies. Each of them had even volunteered some of their DNA so the AIs could finally have physical forms of their own.
The bodies wouldn't be exact replicas of their donors; I'd modified the genetic code to make each one look distinct while maintaining compatibility. And in case anyone ever wondered who stepped up to help the project, it was Harleen, Annie, Kimiko, Marlize, Ashley (again), Escanor, and Isaac.
Honestly, I was just glad they agreed. Church had practically begged for anyone to help him get a body, and I wish I could have used my DNA for every body, but my power won't let me, I truly cannot clone any of my cells and trust me I have tried
When I entered the lab, I spotted Wanda, Pietro, and Lorna standing near a row of eight glowing cloning pods. The Mahler twins were nearby, carefully monitoring vitals and system stability, making sure nothing went wrong.
As I walked closer, my eyes caught on one pod that was nearly complete: Theta's. His developing body had short blonde hair, and even through the glass, I could tell that when his eyes opened, they'd be blue. Harleen had donated her DNA for his template, which explained the lighter tone in his features. Since Theta's AI personality had the mindset of a teenager, I designed his clone body to match, roughly the same age as Peter and the Runaways.
I glanced around the rest of the lab. Each pod held a different body, one with sleek black hair, another blonde, one with striking red hair (and yeah, I didn't need to guess whose DNA that came from), and several others in earlier stages of development.
Finally, I reached Wanda and the twins. They were standing in front of a particular pod, watching closely. Inside floated the forming body of Church, broad-shouldered, sharp-featured, even in stasis, already managing to look like he was judging the room.
Leave it to an AI to grow a body with a resting "I told you so" face.
"Okay, whose DNA is this again?" Pietro asked, squinting at the pod.
"Kimiko's," Wanda answered flatly.
"Thought so," Pietro said, nodding. "But… is it racist to say I thought he'd look more Asian?"
Wanda groaned. "She's Japanese, you idiot."
Pietro blinked. "Wait, does that make what I said racist or…?"
"Probably," Lorna sighed. "Let's just keep this between us and never, ever say anything like that again."
"Okay…" Pietro muttered.
"Hey, Wanda. Need to talk to you," I said from behind them.
All three of them jumped like I'd fired a gun. They spun around fast, eyes wide.
"Ed! How long have you been standing there?" Pietro asked.
"Long enough to hear you being racist," I said, keeping a straight face.
Pietro froze, eyes widening in panic. "I swear I'm not racist! I didn't mean it like that, I'm just, stupid!"
I cracked a grin. "Relax, I'm just messing with you. Anyway, I need to talk to your sister real quick."
Wanda stiffened immediately. "Shit. You found out about the girls' night out trip, didn't you?" she said, sounding way too nervous.
"The what?" I blinked.
"Nothing!" she said way too fast, already trying to change the subject.
"We're having that conversation later," I warned.
"Anyway," I continued, "the reason I wanted to talk to you, Sabrina called. She's with a group of sorcerers, and their leader wants to train you."
Wanda blinked. "Okay."
"Okay?" I repeated.
"What?" she said innocently.
"You're not even going to ask how or why? You're just treating this like it's a normal Tuesday?"
She smirked. "First off, it's Thursday. Second, you really think this surprises me? There's a dragon living on the island, talking animals walking around, and I saw you talking to a floating map that sings. You've officially run out of ways to shock me."
"Challenge accepted," I said with a grin. "Come on, Sabrina sent me her location."
Wanda sighed but took my hand, and with a flash of light, we teleported.
We appeared in a vast courtyard surrounded by robed figures. The air shimmered with ancient energy, and runes glowed faintly beneath our feet. It definitely screamed mystical order of sorcerers.
Naturally, the moment we appeared, every sorcerer in sight went into defense mode, hands raised, spells charging, forming a wide circle around us.
"Great," I muttered. "This feels like Gotham all over again. I really need to start knocking."
Before things got out of hand, a calm, commanding voice cut through the tension.
"Everyone stand down. They are our guests."
Wanda and I turned toward the voice. Sabrina stood near a bald woman in flowing robes, the Ancient One herself.
Instantly, every sorcerer lowered their spells and stepped aside.
"Edward Valtheris," the Ancient One said, her tone even but unmistakably powerful. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."
I gave a polite nod. "Pleasure's mine. Though I have no idea how you already know about me."
A faint smile crossed her lips. "Oh, I believe you have a few guesses. Come, we have much to discuss."
All of us were seated in the Ancient One's private chamber, sipping tea that was, honestly, really good.
"Wow, Sabrina," I said, leaning back in my chair. "Now I get why you took so long to call me. If I had tea like this, I'd keep it to myself too. And those robes, you're pulling them off."
I was trying to lighten the mood. The tea was great, sure, but the air in the room was thick with tension.
Sabrina smirked. "Please. I can rock anything. And Wanda, it's good to see you again. Annie told me you girls had a pretty wild night out."
Wanda immediately made a frantic shush gesture, glaring at her.
"...Right," I said. "We are definitely having that conversation later. But for now, let's get to the real reason we're here. I want to know how you know about me."
The Ancient One's calm, knowing eyes met mine. "You don't need the answer to that question," she said evenly. "Because I know you already know it."
I arched a brow. "Cryptic, are we?"
A faint smirk crossed her face. "It's more fun that way. But tell me, how do you think I know of you?"
I sighed. "My guess? The Time Stone. You've seen multiple futures."
"Correct," she said simply.
"Then I'm guessing you're not surprised I know about the Infinity Stones," I said. "You've already seen I have knowledge of other multiverses."
"Yes," she replied. "In fact, I've seen multiple versions of this conversation taking place."
I leaned forward slightly. "Alright, then I'll cut to the chase, you want to be allies, don't you?"
"Yes," she said.
"Okay. Can you teach me magic?" I asked.
"I will personally teach you some fundamentals," the Ancient One replied. "But most of your training will be under Mordo. I'll have my hands full with the Scarlet Witch."
She turned her gaze directly toward Wanda.
"What?" Wanda asked, confused.
"You have no idea the power you possess," the Ancient One said calmly. "The Scarlet Witch has the potential to surpass even the Sorcerer Supreme. You have the ability to alter reality itself, if you are properly trained."
"I can't be that powerful," Wanda said, shaking her head.
"But you are," Sabrina said softly.
We all looked at her.
Wanda frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"I've felt it," Sabrina said. "Ever since I met you. The power inside you, it's unlike anything I've ever sensed. I've taught you a few tricks, sure, but our magic isn't the same. The Ancient One is far better equipped to train you. She can help you unlock your full potential."
For once, Wanda didn't argue. She just looked down at her tea, the faintest flicker of unease, and maybe wonder, in her eyes.
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AN: this was supposed to release sooner but I fall asleep, work just been killing me.