Magic Mania: Book One

11

Both of them had different methods of waiting for the others to arrive. Stephen kept pacing up and down the hallway, or checking the time every 5 seconds, or practising random spells. Loki spent most of the time mimicking Strange, or throwing sticks for the magic cloak.

Stephen suspected Loki was trying to make him feel a little less stressed by mimicking him. A few times he'd transformed into other Avengers to make him laugh, or did over-exaggerated versions of his hand movements when he did spells with accompanying sound effects. Strange was quite grateful – anything to distract him from their upcoming mission was welcomed by him.

At 10 minutes to 11, someone rang the doorbell outside. Strange quickly walked over to it, knowing he probably looked stupid trying not to run or look too excited. Loki and the cloak wandered over too, and when Stephen opened the door he was greeted by a young lady with pale ginger hair and a big smile on her face.

It was Wanda Maximoff.

"Hi, Doctor Strange," she said, shaking his hand. "I got your email."

"Good. Make yourself comfortable; when our other new recruit arrives I'll tell you everything," Stephen smiled. "You want some tea?"

"Well, I can't say no to tea," she smiled. Then she noticed Loki, who was feeling a bit awkward, with the cloak bringing him a stick it had found from the Sanctum somewhere. Wanda turned to Strange and mumbled, "So... who's...?"

Stephen, getting her meaning, remembered it would be a good idea to introduce them. "Oh, sorry you two. Wanda, this is Loki. Loki, this is Wanda. Here's your tea Wanda."

"Hi," Loki said, with a small smile and a wave. "Wow, this is awkward."

Wanda took her tea and asked, "So, um, Loki, aren't you the brother of Thor?"

Loki crossed his arms. "That's not my only title. It's Loki Odinson, prince of Asgard, rightful king of Jotunheim, God of Mischief and Magic. And you're Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, right?"

Wanda's eyes narrowed slightly over the rim of her teacup. "How do you know about that?"

Loki made a theatrical explosion motion with his hands and, hands still raised, said, "I read your mind."

"No, really, how did you know?" Wanda asked, whilst Stephen looked at them like he was watching the strangest game of tennis ever.

Loki let his hands fall dramatically. "No, seriously, I read your mind. I read them all the time, don't I, Strange?"

"You do?" asked Stephen, who genuinely had no idea.

Loki sighed and shook his head like he was surrounded by idiots. "Yes, I do." He turned back to Wanda. "But surely you knew that already? With your mind-reading skills and everything."

"This is so strange," Wanda said, with a hesitant laugh. "I've never had a conversation with someone else who can read minds before. Oh, no pun intended by the way."

"Well, I'd be a pretty rubbish God of Magic if I couldn't read minds, wouldn't I?"

At that moment, the doorbell rang for a second time. Stephen nearly jumped over to answer it, which made both Loki and Wanda have to fight to keep a straight face. Strange opened the door for the second time to find... no-one. Just the rain splattering against the doorstep. Nothing was on the doorstep but a single ant, crawling across it as though seeking shelter from the rain.

Unfortunately, Strange knew exactly who the ant actually was.

"So... you chose the invisible man?" asked Loki, peering out the door. He looked down. "Or did you choose the ant?"

"I chose what's on the ant," Strange explained, and Wanda seemed to understand, but Loki raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Oh, gods, Stephen," murmured Wanda, so quietly they could barely hear her.

All of a sudden, as though he'd materialised out of nowhere, a man popped up from the step, wearing a red and black motorcycle suit with an odd-looking helmet. Only Loki jumped, Strange and Wanda had both been expecting it. As if his sudden appearance wasn't weird enough, the man took off his helmet and said a very jolly, "Hi!"

Stephen attempted a smile. "Hello, Scott."