The warmth of the coffee in his hands did little to settle the storm in Mark's mind.
He had spent the night staring at his ceiling, thoughts spiraling: You're in the MCU. It's 2013. Stark is alive. S.H.I.E.L.D. is still infected with HYDRA. Thanos is in the shadows. And you… are just a guy.
No suit. No serum. No spider bite. Just decades of fan knowledge—and now, terrifyingly, real knowledge.
He couldn't punch aliens. He couldn't hack like Stark. But there was one avenue—one power system—that could be taught. Learned.
Magic.
The sorcerer route was his best chance at survival—and possibly impact. He remembered it clearly. Kamar-Taj in Nepal. Mordo. Wong. The Ancient One.
And most importantly, the doors to power were open to anyone willing to seek knowledge.
One Week Later – Kathmandu, Nepal
The narrow streets of Kathmandu buzzed with life, the air thick with spice, incense, and scooter fumes. Mark navigated the chaos with one goal etched into every step.
Find Kamar-Taj.
The MCU didn't give exact coordinates. But he remembered the visual cues from Doctor Strange: the wooden sign above an unassuming teal door. The alley near the bakery. He wandered for hours until—
There. Faded script on a wooden panel. A door, cracked open.
He stepped inside.
Kamar-Taj
"Why are you here?" a voice asked from the shadows as the door closed behind him.
Mark turned to see a monk in deep red robes—expression unreadable, presence heavy.
"I… I want to learn," he said. "Not because I want revenge. Not because I'm lost. I just—" He hesitated. "I don't belong in this world. But I think I was sent here for it."
That earned him a pause. Then a slow nod.
"Follow me."
The Ancient One's Chamber
The chamber smelled of sandalwood and fire. There she stood—bald, serene, piercingly aware.
The Ancient One.
"You've come a long way," she said before he could speak. "Not in distance. In existence."
Mark's lips parted in disbelief. "You know."
"Of course I do," she said, approaching. "You are not from this universe. You were not born here. Yet you arrived, fully formed, wearing a face that already exists in other strands of the multiverse."
He swallowed. "Why?"
She smiled—kind, curious. "Because the rules have changed."
Mark frowned. "The TVA? They used to stop this kind of thing."
"They did. But the TVA as you remember it—pruning timelines, hunting variants—that was an illusion of control." Her expression turned wistful. "Loki set it free."
Mark blinked. "So… we're not being watched?"
"We are always being watched," she said cryptically. "But we are no longer restricted."
Then, more gently: "You are not breaking anything by being here. You are now part of the river. You may choose to flow with it… or become the stone that alters its course."
Mark exhaled, the weight on his chest loosening.
"I don't want to fight monsters," he said. "But I want to understand them. Protect people. Help when the time comes."
"Then you have come to the right place."
The Ancient One stepped aside, revealing a long hallway with swirling symbols etched in gold.
"Come," she said. "Let us see how deep your curiosity runs."
Later That Night – Kamar-Taj Rooftop
Mark sat alone under the stars, the wind cool against his face.
He had no costume. No arc reactor. No super-soldier serum.
But for the first time, he felt like he belonged here—not because of who he was, but because of who he could become.
And somewhere in the multiverse, he imagined Loki smiling.