Frostbite

Nine

Bruce immediately went for the doors that led directly into the sanctum, missing the woman in brightly colored robes across the rooftop. Looking at her, I knew it was the Ancient One. My excitement peaked at the chance to meet Stephen's mentor, the woman everyone had been so fond of.

As Bruce reached for the handle, she spoke up, "I'd be careful going that way. We just had the floors waxed."

"I'm looking for Doctor Strange."

My eyes drifted to the Eye of Agamotto that hung around her neck. We didn't need to see Stephen; we needed to get it from her. Oh boy.

"You're about... five years too early. Stephen Strange is currently performing surgery about twenty blocks that way. What do you want from him?" she inquired curiously.

"We need to borrow the time stone, actually," I admitted, approaching her slowly. She gazed at me with a hint of a smile across her defined face. Her eyes lingered on my untraditional robes, realizing I was one of them.

"Ah! I'm afraid not," she told us softly, the warning clear.

"Sorry, but we weren't asking," Bruce replied, stepping up to her.

"Bruce-" I tried to warn him, knowing what she would do.

"You don't wanna do this."

"Ah, you're right, I don't. But we need that stone, and we don't have time to-"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence because she pushed his astral form out of his body. His enormous body thudded to the ground, his astral form turning to look at me in horror. I pursed my lips as I made eye contact with him. If it were other circumstances... I'd be cackling at his expression.

"Now, who are you?" she turned to me inquisitively. I took a deep breath before I spoke.

"I'm Stephen's pupil, Melanie Stark. He taught me how to master the Mystic Arts. I came to Kamar-Taj not too long after, well- your death."

"Uh- Mel-"

I waved my hand at him dismissively, taking the time to move his body with magic. It settled in a chair, a hat covering his peaceful face.

"I know of my death," she told him, which Stephen had mentioned to me once, "Just not what occurs after."

I stepped closer, hoping to convince her, "It's an honor to meet you and I mean no disrespect, but we have to have that stone. The universe depends on it."

She shook her head, pacing around the small space. Apparently, the Chitauri had caught on to steer clear of this area, because none could be seen as we spoke.

"Please, please!" Bruce begged, trailing after her like a lost puppy.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you. If I give up the time stone to help your reality, I'm dooming my own."

Bruce stopped saying, "With all due respect, I'm not sure the science really supports that."

The Ancient One splayed her fingers forward, a golden stream flowing between the three of us. The six infinity stones circled it.

"The infinity stones create what you experience as the flow of time. Remove one stone and that flow splits," she explained, flicking the time stone from the projection, causing a black stream to branch off, "Now, this may benefit your reality, but my new one... not so much. In this new branched reality, without our chief weapon against the forces of darkness, our world will be overrun. Millions will suffer. So, tell me, Doctor, can your science prevent all that?"