[A/N]: I've been loving all the comments and discussions lately. They've been super motivating and really keep me going. Since we hit the 350 Power Stone goal, here's your bonus chapter. Let's aim for 500 next!
Jay surfaced from sleep, his body feeling strangely light. The familiar stone walls of his Kamar-Taj room greeted him. Evening sunlight streamed through the narrow window. He checked the small clock on his bedside table and bolted upright.
"Aw man, I nearly missed Christmas!"
He'd been out for almost sixteen hours. Yet instead of feeling drained, he felt cleaner. Like someone had scrubbed away months of grime from his soul.
Jay padded barefoot to his door. Students clustered in small groups throughout the hallway, and the moment they saw him, conversations stopped dead.
Where before there had been polite nods and casual waves, now there was something else. A few younger students pressed themselves against the walls as he passed. Others stared.
"Is that really him? Again?" someone whispered in Mandarin.
"I knew him being a non-sorcerer was a lie!"
"Did you see the footage? An entire country healed in minutes..."
Jay kept walking. The Ancient One's meditation hall sat at the end of the corridor. He found her cross-legged with a steaming cup of tea.
"Merry Christmas, Teacher!" Jay dropped into a respectful bow, grinning. "So what did I miss while I was out?"
The Ancient One took a slow sip. "We don't celebrate Christmas here, but I prepared this special tea blend for your recovery." She gestured to a second cup waiting on the low table.
Jay's face fell into an exaggerated pout. "What? No gift? It's Christmas!"
Her lips twitched. "My gift was not beating you senseless for that theatrical display in Latveria."
A shiver ran down Jay's spine. "Sorry, Teacher. Your gift is very much appreciated."
The Ancient One smiled. "You're certainly in better spirits after your rest."
Jay settled into lotus position and tried the tea. It was surprisingly sweet, with herbal notes that warmed him from the inside out. "I feel lighter, you know? Way lighter. Whoever said that stuff about revenge eating you up from inside was full of it. Sometimes you just need to let it all out."
The Ancient One's eye twitched. "That was me who said that."
Jay froze mid-sip. A rolled newspaper materialized from thin air, whistling past his ear.
"Your reflexes have improved considerably," she noted with approval.
They traded more light banter over tea. Gradually the Ancient One's expression grew serious. "Jay, your display in Latveria was far too public. Such demonstrations attract attention from demon lords and mystical entities that prefer to remain unnoticed."
Jay nodded. 'I figured as much. My Rivalry and Challenger drawbacks have been working overtime since I got here. This was bound to happen eventually.'
"You understand what you've set in motion?"
"I do." Jay set down his teacup and met her eyes directly. "Teacher, I'm planning to continue my world tour soon, but before I leave, there's something we need to discuss."
The seriousness in his voice made the Ancient One straighten. She waved her hand. The walls shifted into mirrored surfaces that stretched into infinity.
"In the Mirror Dimension, we can speak without fear of being overheard."
Jay leaned forward. "What are you planning to do about Master Kaecilius?"
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"Come on, we both know exactly what I'm talking about. Him discovering your longevity secret and his pact with Dormammu. The whole dark dimension corruption that turns him into your enemy."
The Ancient One closed her eyes. When she opened them, Jay saw true weariness.
"You outsiders and your mysterious sources of information," she sighed. "Yes, he will likely follow that path. But those events must happen to push Strange toward his destiny as the greatest of us."
Jay's hands hit the table hard enough to make their teacups jump. "Destiny? Fate? Didn't you tell me that my arrival eliminated any fixed timeline? Then why accept this?"
"Because I'm tired, Jay." Her voice carried the weight of centuries. "I've spent lifetimes moving from crisis to crisis. Battling dimension lords, dark sorcerers, and false gods. Managing Kamar-Taj, training students, holding the barriers between worlds."
She gestured at their infinite reflections. "Do you know what it's like to watch every student you care about grow old and die while you remain unchanged? To bury generation after generation of people you've come to love?"
Jay's anger deflated. But he wasn't ready to give up. "What about Kaecilius, though? He's been teaching me. He's someone I actually respect. I can't just stand by and watch him fall to darkness."
"That's your perspective. But preventing his fall would rob Earth of its destined Sorcerer Supreme. Strange requires those exact trials to become who he needs to be."
Frustration flashed across Jay's features. "I'm not giving up on either of you. Just give me time to think of something. I'm drawing a blank right now, but there has to be another way."
The Ancient One's laugh was warm, almost maternal. "If you can devise a solution that satisfies all the necessary conditions, I'll listen."
The Mirror Dimension faded. Within minutes, they'd moved to Kamar-Taj's main courtyard, where the other masters and most of the students had gathered. It looked like an impromptu farewell ceremony.
Jay bowed deeply to the assembled crowd. "Thank you all for everything. I've learned more here than I ever expected."
As Jay walked toward the ancient gates, the students called out their goodbyes in a dozen languages. He was almost teleporting out when Wong's voice cut through the crowd.
"Wait! You still haven't given me Max's contact information! How am I supposed to get more of those pizzas?"
Jay was already disappearing in a flash of blue energy, leaving Wong looking bereft and the other masters trying not to laugh.
The familiar warehouse came into focus around him. The inner circle was waiting, and their faces lit up the moment he appeared.
"Well, look who's back," Maria said, pulling him into a hug. "Our very own miracle worker."
"The Christmas Angel himself," Linda added, squeezing him tight.
Max clapped him on the back. "Dude, that broadcast was insane. You actually called Doom a cuck on live TV!"
Bobby's weathered face showed concern beneath his smile. "You feeling alright, kid? That was one hell of a light show you put on over there."
Jay's grin was the most carefree he'd worn in months. "Better than I have in ages, Bobby. Nothing like giving the perfect gift right on time."
Christmas Day in the warehouse felt different than anything Jay had experienced. Bobby had found a gorgeous eight-foot tree. Linda had gone completely overboard decorating it. Professional-grade ornaments, perfectly matched ribbon, and enough twinkling lights to power a small town. The thing looked like it belonged in a department store window.
Max had outdone himself in the kitchen. A magazine-perfect turkey sat at the center of a table loaded with sides that belonged in a five-star restaurant.
"Seriously, Max," Jay said around a mouthful of the best stuffing he'd ever tasted, "what's your secret?"
Max just grinned. "A magician never reveals his tricks."
"You mean a chef," Maria corrected.
"Same difference. Both create magic."
The gifts they exchanged were simple but meaningful. Bobby gave Jay a leather journal "for writing down all the crazy stuff that happens to you." Linda had knitted him a scarf in midnight blue, softer than anything he'd ever owned. Maria's gift was a stylish backpack. Max presented him with a collection of spice blends in small glass jars, "so maybe you can cook something decent for once." Old Tom handed him a battered Zippo lighter with bullet marks. "Saved my ass in 'Nam more times than I can count. Your turn to carry it."
Jay's gifts were more personal. He'd brought back treasures from his travels. A hand-forged mini-katana letter opener from Kyoto for Bobby, still sharp enough to be useful. For Linda, silk fabric from a tiny shop in Seoul that shimmered like water. Maria received a set of Tibetan healing stones that the monks had blessed, smooth and warm. Max got rare spices from a merchant in Kathmandu who'd sworn they could make even cardboard taste like heaven. For Old Tom, a bottle of rice wine that had been aging in a monastery for thirty years. "The monks said it was for someone who'd earned their peace."
"Picked these up cause they reminded me of you guys," he explained with a grin.
Old Tom wiped his eyes and blamed it on the eggnog, but everyone knew better.
The warmth of being surrounded by people who genuinely cared beat any superpower he'd ever gained.
As the party wound down and Jay mentioned his New Year plans, Bobby's expression shifted.
"Actually, kid, the Fantastic Four called. They're throwing a New Year's party and Sue's been asking me to invite you. Says they want to clear the air properly, face to face."
Jay's body went rigid. His jaw clenched. He looked away. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Jay..."
"They chose to believe Doom over me. A dictator who'd tried to kill them multiple times." His voice was tight, controlled. "Why should I put myself through that again?"
Bobby moved closer. "Because you need people on your side, kid. Real people. Friends. Not just allies or business contacts." He paused. "After everything you revealed in Latveria, you think the governments out there are just going to leave you alone? You need friends who'll stand with you when things get ugly."
"I have friends," Jay protested weakly.
"You have us, yeah. But we're not scientists. We're not public heroes with international recognition. The Fantastic Four have legitimacy in ways we don't." Bobby's hand landed on Jay's shoulder. "And more than that, they were your friends once. People you cared about. Don't you think they deserve a chance to make things right?"
Jay was silent.
"They invited Domino too," Bobby added quietly. "Sue specifically asked for her to come."
Jay's resistance wavered. His hand moved to his necklace, where he kept Domino's lucky quarter.
"I don't know if I can just forgive them, Bobby. What they said that night, it hurt."
"I'm not asking you to forgive them. Not yet. I'm asking you to hear them out. Let them apologize properly." Bobby squeezed his shoulder. "Because kid, I've watched you these past few months. You've been carrying the weight of the world alone. That's not sustainable. You're going to break eventually if you don't let people in."
Jay closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, there was still apprehension, but also reluctant acceptance.
"Yeah," he said finally. "Yeah, I guess it's time to deal with that situation."
The next morning, Jay announced he wanted to go shopping to prepare for the party. Max immediately grabbed his arm.
"Are you insane? After that broadcast, you'll be mobbed the second you step outside."
Jay's grin turned mischievous. "Actually, I've been thinking of something for exactly that problem."
He closed his eyes and reached deep into his polarity powers. Light and shadow began to dance around him. After several hours of intense concentration and letting his Adaptive Power Perk mould the power, something remarkable happened.
Jay appeared to transform completely. Not physically, but the light and shadows around him bent and twisted until he looked like an entirely different person.
"Holy crap," Max breathed. "Is that an actual mirage?"
"Pretty much. By manipulating light and shadows, I can project any appearance I want. Perfect camouflage."
The warehouse erupted in amazed reactions that quickly turned into requests.
"Do Tony Stark!" Maria practically bounced in place.
Jay shifted seamlessly into Tony's likeness, complete with the signature smirk. "I am Iron Man," he said in perfect mimicry of the voice.
"Johnny Depp! Do Jack Sparrow!" Linda squealed.
The transformation was flawless, right down to the swaggering posture and mysterious smile.
Max was vibrating with excitement. "Can you do Anime? Do Edward Elric!"
Jay became the Fullmetal Alchemist in an instant, red coat and golden hair perfectly rendered. "Who are you calling a pipsqueak?!" he quoted in Edward's indignant voice.
"Ichigo from Bleach!"
Orange spiky hair and a fierce scowl appeared. Jay even manifested a glowing light construct shaped like Zangetsu across his back.
"Naruto! Do the Rasengan!"
Blonde hair and whisker marks materialized as Jay held out his hand with a swirling ball of light and dark energy. "Believe it, dattebayo!"
Everyone was laughing and applauding, the mood absolutely perfect.
Then Old Tom cleared his throat from his corner chair. Everyone recognized that dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Hehe," Tom chuckled in a way that sounded suspiciously familiar. "You know, purely for research purposes, could you perhaps demonstrate Tsunade?"
The warehouse went dead silent.
Maria's fork froze halfway to her mouth. "Thomas Richardson, I know you did NOT just..."
Linda's knuckles cracked like gunshots. "After Jay got made you that nice gift, you absolute goblin!"
Bobby looked up from his turkey. "Tom, buddy, read the room."
Max was already pushing his chair back. "Nope, not getting caught in this crossfire."
Tom giggled like he'd just peeped through bathroom windows, hands up defensively. "It's educational! Think of the applications!"
"APPLICATIONS MY ASS!" both women roared.
Tom went down, chair and all.
Jay nearly choked on his eggnog. "Old man, I draw the line at being your personal peep show."
"But the things we could have tested about..." Tom wheezed from the floor, one leg still twitching.
"That's IT!" Linda shrieked, grabbing Tom by his collar and shaking him up.
When the chaos died down, Jay shifted his appearance to that of an unremarkable man in his thirties. Forgettable features, average build, the kind of face that disappears in a crowd.
"Perfect," he said. "Who's ready for the last shopping spree of the year?"
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