"Sebastian tomorrow is the start of summer break. When school kicks back in September we will be juniors. College apps are going to creep up fast."
Sean said.
Midtown School of Science and Technology ran on a four year system. So Sean's comment was not laced with stress. His face lit up with excitement for the summer ahead. Not worry.
Sebastian grinned.
"Your dad went to a top university right? With his connections I bet applying will be a breeze for you."
They laughed and chatted as they left school. Splitting up at the gate. Sean had a party to hit. While Sebastian was headed to the New York Sanctum. He had made a breakthrough with a potion yesterday. He just needed to keep tinkering to finish it.
It had been almost five months since the showdown with the Dark Cult. And the dimensional rift in Latveria. Since then Sebastian had been laser focused on working with Kamar Taj's mages. Swapping out potion ingredients to create a version that worked in this world. They had finally found a promising lead.
At home Sebastian showered and changed. He grabbed his sling ring. With a quick gesture he opened a portal. He stepped into Kamar Taj's magic training courtyard.
Using the sling ring was second nature now. Five months ago fresh off the Latveria mission Sebastian had fumbled for just two hours before opening a shaky portal. Two hours to get the hang of portal magic? The Ancient One had practically glowed with praise for his talent.
Kaecilius and Mordo and Daniel were floored by his skill. Though not all in a good way. Mordo especially had grown distant. Barely nodding when they crossed paths. A hint of jealousy in his eyes. Daniel was not much warmer. Kaecilius though had clicked with Sebastian. They had gotten tight. Almost like buddies. Which made Sebastian wonder if he had a knack for attracting future bad guys.
He waved to a few Kamar Taj mages who greeted him. He headed straight to a lab inside the compound. Kaecilius was there leading four other mages in an experiment. The blood poison potion Sebastian had been obsessed with for months.
This potion could flush out toxins from the body and blood. Perfect for tackling Tony Stark's palladium poisoning. Sebastian was confident it could slow or even stop the poisoning's spread. Until Tony cooked up a new element to replace the palladium in his arc reactor.
"Kaecilius how is it going?"
Sebastian asked.
Kaecilius not one for formalities got straight to the point now that they were cool.
"Sebastian it is looking good. The mix we prepped should sub in for that ancient ingredient you mentioned. We just need to nail the measurements. We can start brewing the blood poison potion."
"Sweet!"
Sebastian said while pumped.
"I am jumping in. Let us get this done ASAP."
"Deal."
Kaecilius replied.
They dove into the final experiments working until nightfall. Sebastian eventually stepped away saying goodbye to Kaecilius. He was stoked to head home for dinner with his mom Alisha. Who was rarely back early.
But as he reached the training courtyard where portals could be opened freely he spotted the Ancient One waiting for him.
"Ancient One you are here for me?"
Sebastian asked surprised.
She turned and nodded.
"Yes Sebastian I have been waiting for you."
Her serious tone made Sebastian straighten up.
"What is up Ancient One?"
"I have thought long and hard. I have made a decision. I am offering you two paths to choose from. You can also choose neither. That is your call."
She said.
"Two paths? Lay it out for me."
Sebastian said while curious but focused.
"Of course. That is why I am here."
She gestured to a nearby pavilion. They sat down.
"Sebastian here is the first option. Join Kamar Taj for real. Become one of us. In return I will open up all of Kamar Taj's magic for you to learn. No limits."
Sebastian's jaw nearly dropped. All of Kamar Taj's magic? That was the kind of offer he would barely dare dream about. Afraid he would wake up. It was real though sitting right in front of him.
Before he could process the Ancient One continued.
"The second option. Become Kamar Taj's eternal ally. When we need help you would do your best to pitch in. As long as it does not put your life at risk. In exchange you can learn most of our magic. Everything except the core spells in The Book of Vishanti. But you would need to trade knowledge for knowledge. An equal exchange."
The Book of Vishanti. The ultimate magic tome packed with the world's top white and defensive spells. The heart of Kamar Taj's power. Sebastian was dying to peek inside. But tying himself to Kamar Taj full time? That gave him pause.
"You do not have to decide now Sebastian. Go home. Think it over."
The Ancient One said.
Sebastian shook his head. His mind already made up.
"No need Ancient One. I know my answer."
She raised an eyebrow. Her face serious but warm.
"Tell me your choice. Whatever it is."
"Ancient One I will be Kamar Taj's ally. As long as it does not mess with my freedom or safety or goals. I love this place but I have got my own path to follow. I am sorry but I cannot join Kamar Taj full time."
Sebastian said.
The Ancient One's face flickered with regret. But she quickly stood. She shook Sebastian's hand.
"I am sorry Kamar Taj will not have you as a full member Sebastian. But your talent is undeniable. On behalf of Kamar Taj I welcome you as our ally. Here is to helping each other out in the future."
Sebastian smiled.
"I am stoked to be Kamar Taj's ally. I have got amazing mentors here. Plus friends and teammates I really vibe with. I am all in for this partnership."
He wanted to make his enthusiasm clear. Showing the Ancient One he was committed would set the stage for smooth teamwork and learning.
"From now on Sebastian Kamar Taj's library is open to you. You can trade knowledge for the books and spells inside. Or take on missions for us to earn access. There is an old saying in China. Even siblings settle accounts in business. Let us stick to fair trades to keep our friendship solid."
She said.
"Totally agree. I am all about equivalent exchange. It is my thing. I will stick to it. I am sure our friendship will stay tight."
Sebastian replied.
"Perfect. It is settled. If I am around you know where to find me. If I am not Daniel will handle knowledge trades while I am gone."
The Ancient One said.
Sebastian and the Ancient One did not haggle over what counted as equivalent knowledge. They were not the type to nickel and dime. Deep ongoing exchanges like this worked best when both sides played fair long term. Being petty would only mess up their vibe. Neither was that shortsighted.
With their deal locked in Sebastian said goodbye. He slipped on his sling ring. He opened a portal. He stepped onto the roof of his New York apartment building. Taking a deep breath of the crisp night air. The city sparkled below. He turned and headed downstairs to his place.
His talk with the Ancient One had eaten up some time. When he got home Alisha was already there. Sharon her cousin was with her. Since Sharon stopped snooping around Sebastian's room months ago she had been chill. At their place she was just family. Not a SHIELD agent or whatever they were calling it now after the rebrand.
Dinner with Alisha was always awesome. Sharon made it lively. After eating Sharon stepped on the scale groaning at her weight creeping up for the first time in forever. But she shrugged it off diving into the desserts she had brought.
"I will just double my workouts. Got to enjoy the sweets first."
She said while grinning.
"Mom Sharon I am done. Heading to my room."
Sebastian said.
"Hang on sweetie. There is a package for you on your desk. Check it out."
Alisha called.
Sebastian paused confused. He did not recall ordering anything. But packages could come from anywhere. He nodded and waved goodnight to Alisha and Sharon. He went to his room.
On his desk was a thin envelope. He tore it open. Finding flyers and a ticket to the Stark Industries Expo. A slip of paper with a phone number. Flipping it over he read a handwritten note.
You did not give me your number so here is mine. Tony Stark.
Sebastian smirked. Tony had sniffed him out. Honestly if Sharon and SHIELD had pegged him it was not a shock that Tony smarter than most had too. New York was crawling with cameras. Every pedestrian's phone was basically a spy cam. For SHIELD or Tony digging up his identity was not exactly rocket science.
From the start Sebastian had only hidden his identity to keep random people off his trail. Buy time before groups like SHIELD or Hydra caught on. Now with his wand and Kamar Taj's alliance and some solid magic under his belt he had enough juice to protect himself. No need to stress about secrecy like before. Especially since hiding was pointless now.
He had hesitated only a moment before dialing the number Tony left. The phone barely rang once before it connected. Tony's voice crackled through.
"Oh the speed of this courier is really bad. I feel that Stark Company can develop this easily. Also I am glad you called me mysterious mage."
"How do you know it was me?"
As soon as the words slipped out Sebastian cringed. Letting out a helpless sigh. He muttered to himself.
Idiot.
Before continuing.
"Okay you can find my address. Of course my phone number."
"Haha of course. However although I can check your phone number it would be a little disrespectful and impolite to interrupt like this. If you are just an ordinary man that is fine. But you are not an ordinary person are you? I do not want to be cursed by you or something. Oh yes you should be able to curse right?"
Tony said.
"I do not know about curse type magic but if you want to see it."
Before Sebastian could finish Tony coughed lightly and interrupted.
"Okay stop talking nonsense. Let us get to the point quickly and talk about business."