Chasing the tesseract

Chapter 4

When I arrive at the training grounds the next day, I find them deserted. Not a single soul is around so I decide to start warming up. I grab some strapping from one of the nearby rooms and wrap my hands up before grabbing a punching bag. After hanging it up, I begin attacking it with all my force, letting out my anger on it.

After several minutes, the punching bag goes flying to the ground as I kick it. Sweat drips down my forehead as my heart pounds. That felt good. I go to pick the punching bag up and as I'm hanging it back up I notice someone stood in the shadows under the building. He stands there, his arms crossed as he watches me hang the bag up and begin punching it again. This time, I go even harder, kicking it with more force and sending it even further backwards.

"Please be careful with that. It's almost as ancient as I am." I turn to find the Ancient One stood a few feet from me. Looking towards the building, I notice the man from before has disappeared. The Ancient One follows my gaze, looking towards the building before turning back to me. "Abi? Is everything okay?" Drawing my attention away from the building, I turn back to the Ancient One, my eyebrows drawn together.

"Did you see someone stood there when you came in?" I point to where the man was stood and watch as the Ancient One turns to where I'm pointing, "A man stood watching me perhaps?" The Ancient One turns back to me, a worried expression on her face.

"I didn't see anyone Abi. Maybe you're seeing things." Embarassed, I look down at the floor, trying not to make eye contact. I was sure there was someone stood there just moments ago. I saw him with my own two eyes. "I'm sure it's nothing to be worried about though." I look up at her and force a smile.

"Yeah I'm sure you're right." I lie before going to get my drink from my bag. Whilst I do so, I notice Stephen enter the grounds. He's wearing a burgundy training outfit and trainers. He actually looks pretty good in it. My eyes trace the outlines of his body, all the way from his legs up to his face. Whilst I'm looking him up and down, I don't notice that Mordo has snuck up behind me.

"Why don't you just ask him out?" I jump slightly, turning to face Mordo. A smirk is on his face as he stands not far from me, watching as Stephen talks to the ancient one. I glare at him as he begins to chuckle.

"Ask him out?" I say, my voice shaky. I clear my throat before continuing, "Why would I do that?" Mordo raises his eyebrows at me before raising his hand and touching his chin. Mirroring his movements, I take my own hand and put it to my chin.

"You got a bit of drool." he chuckles as I drop my hand, glaring even harder at him. "You clearly like him so what's stopping you?" We both turn to where Stephen is talking to the Ancient One whilst strapping up his wrists, ready for training me. Sensing our gazes on him, he turns to face us, our eyes locking. Suddenly, Mordo bursts out laughing besides me, breaking the stare between me and Stephen.

"I don't like him Mordo." I hiss as I turn away from Stephen. "I hate the guy." Mordo rolls his eyes as we walk over to Stephen and the Ancient One. "I would never even consider him as a friend, yet alone date him." And that is the truth.

"Whatever you say Abi. Whatever you say." he mutters as he walks away from me, a smirk plastered on his face.

"So just how easy should I go on you?" Stephen comes to meet me in the centre of the grounds. He walks around me, taking his place on the other side of me as we both ready ourselves for training. He has a smirk on his face as he looks at me. I can see he already thinks he's going to win. How fun it will be to see that smirk wiped off his face.

"Don't underestimate Abi." shouts the Ancient One from behind me, "She's a very skilled fighter." I turn around, smiling at her before turning back to Stephen, my face serious.

"I even beat Kaecilius quite a few times." I smirk at him and he smirks back.

"Yeah well so did I." he chuckles, the smirk growing as he studies my face. I really have met my match haven't I?

"I didn't have the help of an infinity stone though did I?" The smirk is wiped from his face and is replaced by a death stare. If looks could kill, I would be dead right now. Biting my lip to stop myself from laughing, I look him in the eyes, challenging him to come up with a comeback for that. He looks down at the ground, breaking eye contact as he mumbles something I can't quite hear.

"Well, let's get started with training instead of standing around talking." He shuffles in his position, steadying himself so that he's in a strong position. He uses his magic to create a weapon. Before he can react, I leap through the air, launching myself at him whilst pulling out my own choice of weapon- a staff. He swiftly raises his weapon, catching the blow from my staff above his head. I land on the ground and he smirks at me, "Is that all you've got?" Anger bubbles inside me and I leap into the air once again. This time, I leap to the side of Stephen who is taken aback by my sudden change of tactic. Using this to my advantage, I knock him to the floor with a punch to the jaw. He rolls into the dust on the floor before groaning as he rubs his jaw.

"Maybe if you weren't so arrogant all the time you would've won." I look down at him as he looks up at me, his face covered in a mixture of shock and embarrassment. Mordo and the Ancient One come across and join us.

"I hate you." he grunts through his teeth.

"The feeling is mutual." I laugh, turning to Mordo and Ancient One.

"Now that," Mordo points back and forth between me and Stephen, "was entertaining." He laughs as I turn back to see Stephen glaring at me. Extending my arm, I offer him my hand in an attempt to help him to his feet but as soon as our hands collide, my breath is knocked from me as a storm of images flash through my head.

A little girl who looks like Stephen runs through a hall, holding someone's hand who I can't quite see. Then the image changes, the same little girl but this time, she is laid on the floor, laughing as Stephen tickles her. Once again the image shifts, this time showing me Stephen stood shirtless in a room, checking his face in the mirror. A shift of image reveals a new picture of Stephen leaning in to a kiss. Then, the most horrifying image yet flashes into my head. He sits on a rock, his face cut and bleeding. Suddenly, he begins to fade, turning to dust and blowing away in the wind. The image shifts again, revealing Stephen being tortured. Some sort of glowing stick is jammed into his cheek as he cries out in pain. His screams grow distant as yet another picture flashes in my mind briefly. Stephen drops to his knee as a single tear falls from his face. The image fades as it is replaced by a new one. This time, Stephen is walking in a dark universe, the Dark Dimension by the looks of it. For the final time, the picture shifts, showing Stephen sat in a library, staring at something or perhaps someone out of my view.

My breath comes back into my body as I am pulled back to reality. Stephen is no longer on the floor, he now stands inches from me as he looks at me, a worried expression on his face. I begin to shake as panic invades my body. I push away Stephen's hand on my shoulder as I begin to walk away.

"I need to go." I mumble, my voice shaking as I run from the grounds, heading straight for my room. Grabbing my bag as I go, I ignore the others behind me, my only focus to get out of here and as far away from Stephen as I can.

"It's happened again." says the Ancient One as she watches me run off.

"What's happened?" questions Stephen, worried he did something wrong.

"Abi just saw your future."