"Seriously, why isn't there a Sling Ring anywhere in this place?" Doctor Strange said with obvious irritation, returning to the other two as they now both stood before the Sanctum's circular windows.
"Maybe we just weren't looking in the right places," Robbie suggested.
Celeste hummed thoughtfully. "No, I agree with Stephen. This is a Sanctum—Sling Rings would be among the first items we'd find. Besides, at least one guardian should have remained here in case of emergency."
"When this is all over, I'm going to have to discuss enforcing this with the Ancient One," Stephen complained.
"It's like landlines from decades ago," Robbie commented.
"Why?" the Jedi asked.
"I find this very strange," the Jedi continued. "My homeworld—every location I remember visiting had communication equipment."
Strange sighed. "Well, what do we—"
A distinctive rumbling noise echoed from the foyer. This startled the trio, who quickly rushed to investigate.
They raced to the entrance and witnessed an African-American sorcerer battling—
"Rakghouls!" Robbie yelled, vaulting over the railing to assist the man.
"What the hell are they doing here? I thought they were only attacking Kamar-Taj!" Strange exclaimed in shock.
Robbie roared, his eyes blazing. "Bastard. Muur must be assaulting all the Sanctums."
"Not yet," Celeste shouted, igniting her lightsaber. "Hold on, Master Drumm!"
The man turned to see the Jedi Shadow perform several impressive aerial flips above him before descending to bisect a Rakghoul cleanly.
"Celeste," he breathed in relief. "Thank God you're here."
Drumm glanced back to see Robbie's head transform into the Rider's burning skull, and he headbutted a Rakghoul, incinerating its head completely.
"What brings you here, Celeste?" Drumm asked.
"The London Sanctum fell, and we were sent here. Our only escape route was blocked."
"Where's your Sling Ring?"
"We lost them," Strange revealed awkwardly as he conjured a mystical whip and coiled the rope around a Rakghoul's maw, yanking on his ethereal weapon.
The Rakghoul was pulled down and struck the ground face-first, only to be swiftly eliminated by Celeste moments later.
Meanwhile, Robbie had ensnared a Rakghoul with his flaming chains. Rather than swinging the Sith creature around, he allowed the chains themselves to incinerate it to ash.
Ghost Rider freed his chain whip and unsheathed his twin axes from his back. As he swung them, the blades ignited, helping cleave through the opponent before him. The Spirit of Vengeance continued moving, bringing the other axe into a spinning strike.
Soon, screams erupted from outside the Sanctum.
"Oh no," Strange said loudly, then quickly rushed to the street to witness Rakghouls rampaging through Bleecker Street. "Damn it, they're spreading."
"Hell!" Robbie yelled, charging from the Sanctum to join the doctor.
Instantly, his fiery chains rapidly coiled around the edge of his new axe handle, and he swung it forward.
The axe blade turned molten red, steam rising from it.
The weapon then embedded itself in a particularly large Rakghoul's chest, causing it to shriek loudly in agony.
Robbie gripped the chain tightly and whipped his arm, sending a stream of hellfire racing down the chain toward the attached axe.
The Rakghoul convulsed momentarily before exploding into countless fragments now scattered across the pavement.
Drumm wielded his own mystical implement—simply called the Staff of the Living Tribunal. A fundamental weapon used by most mystics, this staff had been modified by Drumm to better suit his broad frame and elemental affinity, enhanced by his magic.
He slammed his weapon's edge into a Rakghoul's jaw and watched teeth shatter. Then he struck it in the abdomen, knocking it down, and Drumm crushed its skull.
The Master of the New York Sanctum heard windows shattering and people screaming in terror.
He turned to see civilians fleeing for their lives as Rakghouls broke into apartments and the Sanctum itself.
"The Sanctum's been breached!"
"Strange!" Celeste yelled, rushing toward Rakghouls chasing innocent civilians. "Protect the Sanctum. We'll handle things out here."
Stephen appeared conflicted momentarily, watching people run for their lives.
He wanted to help them.
Strange pressed his palms together, summoned his mystical whips, and hurled them at the nearest Rakghouls.
"Robbie!" Strange shouted, throwing them all toward Ghost Rider before rushing into the Sanctum to repel the Rakghouls inside.
Ghost Rider spun around just in time to see nearly a dozen Sith spawns sliding toward him.
Upon closer inspection, the skull appeared to be grinning as he cracked his flaming fist into his blazing palm.
Doctor Strange knew he wouldn't be much assistance to the people outside, so he quickly maneuvered around them and repeated his previous action.
Doctor Strange struggled to fend off the last Rakghouls attacking him. He did his best to block their assault with mystical webs emanating from his hands. The former surgeon was forced to retreat, granting himself better positioning to overcome his opponents.
Fortunately, Ghost Rider's hellfire whip made short work of the Rakghouls pursuing him. Regardless, Doctor Strange needed something to assist him in defending Manhattan.
Returning to the Sanctum, he ascended to where the collection of weapons and artifacts was kept. Surely one could at least help him, though he possessed little weapons experience.
Back outside, Ghost Rider guarded the Sanctum's entrance, preventing more enemies from entering. He pivoted once more and cleaved through another Rakghoul.
Just then, he noticed something in his peripheral vision. Turning, he wasn't alone in witnessing it.
"Impossible," Celeste whispered in horror, staring at the portal with dread.
Drumm stood beside her, tense and prepared. They watched as Kaecilius and his five zealots emerged through the gateway.
The fallen sorcerer first acknowledged Drumm.
"Daniel," Kaecilius greeted warmly. "I see you've become Master of this Sanctum."
Drumm clenched the Staff of the Living Tribunal tightly.
Kaecilius glanced back at the rampaging Rakghouls, then turned to address two zealots on his left.
"Order them to stand down. I don't want any interference here."
Both nodded and departed.
"You say that, yet we stand before you," Celeste declared, straightening and summoning a mystical blade with her free hand.
Kaecilius narrowed his eyes, studying the Jedi momentarily until recognition dawned on his face.
"Ah, that's right—what are you called?" Kaecilius asked. "A Jedi Knight, correct?"
"And now a Master of the Mystic Arts," Celeste said, adopting a combat stance against Kaecilius, with Drumm mirroring her.
Ghost Rider stepped forward to stand beside them, his menacing presence causing the other two zealots to temporarily retreat while their master remained unwavering.
"It's unfortunate you followed her," Kaecilius chided. He pressed his palms together, pointed his fingers toward each other, and created a spatial fragment that warped the space surrounding it.
His two students replicated the technique and swiftly engaged their three opponents.
Drumm battled a male zealot while Ghost Rider confronted a female zealot.
Celeste clashed with Kaecilius, their weapons emitting sparks of energy as they dueled.
Dormammu's disciple forced her back, extending a hand to the ground and spinning in a circle.
Instantly the entire surface began moving and transforming. A moment later, the whole world around them appeared to become a shifting kaleidoscope.
"Behold my master's power," Kaecilius boasted.
Ghost Rider attempted whipping his chain at Kaecilius, but it was swiftly deflected by the female zealot, who knocked him backward into a moving building.
"Robbie!" Celeste yelled, turning just in time to block her opponent's powerful strike.
She flew high into the air and crashed back into the New York Sanctum.
As Drumm found himself on the defensive, the male zealot attacked relentlessly, each blow accompanied by wisps of dark energy flowing from his weapon.
The two combatants fought their way to the Sanctum's foyer, where Doctor Strange returned, now wearing a flowing red cape despite several scratches on his body.
He arrived just in time to witness Drumm being double-teamed by Kaecilius and his follower.
The student seized Daniel's staff, which appeared to disintegrate into floating glass shards.
Then Kaecilius's hand glowed purple and crimson before slamming into the Master's chest.
Doctor Strange heard ribs cracking and leaped onto the railing futilely.
Drumm collapsed, bleeding profusely.
"Ugh," Doctor Strange turned his head to see Celeste clutching her side, wincing in pain.
"Morn." He approached her and helped her sit, leaning against the wall, before facing Kaecilius.
The former Master studied Doctor Strange with curiosity. "I didn't see you before my departure. You must be new. Who are you, Mister..."
"Doctor. Doctor Strange," Strange corrected.
Kaecilius actually paused at the name. "Mister Doctor?"
"It's Strange," Doctor Strange clarified.
The corrupted sorcerer seemed to find brief amusement in this. "Perhaps. Who am I to judge?"
He then hurled his dimensional fragment at Doctor Strange, who hastily blocked it.
The female zealot entered the foyer and immediately spotted her companion running along the wall to reach Doctor Strange and Celeste. She quickly joined him.
Doctor Strange gritted his teeth and re-summoned his mystical whip to repel the male zealot while Celeste waited for the female zealot to approach at the optimal moment.
After the woman leaped from the wall, Celeste extended her hand and unleashed a magically-enhanced Force push that sent Dormammu's follower flying.
Doctor Strange carried her on his back as they retreated, with three dark magic users pursuing them.
Doctor Strange ran toward the corridor with three windows leading across the planet. Dormammu's master follower extended his arms in their direction, hands crossed.
The corridor began shifting, twisting, and contorting.
Doctor Strange lost his footing and nearly fell with Celeste on his back, but recovered quickly as the cape he wore kept them both airborne.
He then lowered Celeste to her feet. She physically maneuvered from his grasp so she could reignite her lightsaber.
With this advantage, Doctor Strange resumed fighting by summoning mystical whips to attack. He even managed to ensnare the spatial debris summoned by his opponent, though they now played tug-of-war.
Doctor Strange focused on maintaining his grip. The female zealot leaped airborne, prepared to drop her dimensional fragment on Celeste, when something seized her mid-air.
She looked down in horror at a molten chain wrapped securely around her waist.
The female zealot could only scream as she was dragged into Ghost Rider's waiting grasp.
She struggled and writhed, attempting to escape the burning skull while trying to break free.
"You," the Rider's voice emerged completely demonic, barely recognizable beyond Robbie's. "Guilty. Look into my eyes. Your soul is stained with innocent blood. Time to feel their pain."
The female zealot could only struggle futilely as she literally felt her soul begin experiencing a searing pressure.
She attempted escaping her body through astral projection but found herself trapped within her own form.
"You're not going anywhere," Ghost Rider said menacingly. "Feel their pain!"
The young woman slowly began moaning in agony before transitioning to pure, utter screaming as every wrongdoing she'd committed—especially in recent weeks—began literally burning her soul.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda
You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~