[center][img]http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/doctor-strange-slice.jpg[/img][/center][hr][color=gray][b]The Sanctum Sanctorum,
Greenwich Village
NY

Two Weeks Ago[/b][/color]

Who would have thought a brownstone in Greenwich Village would have an integral role in safeguarding reality? Strange had probably passed this place hundreds of times and never batted an eyelid at it. Sandwiched between a jazz club and an artisanal bakery, it likely never garnered so much as a second glance from the casual passerby. Yet it housed some of the most lethal mystical weapons in mortal possession and existed as a shield against multiversal incursions. Now it was his home, and he its protector. Two days here and he had yet to scratch the surface. The rooms had a way of changing, almost blending into one, as if their state was constantly in flux.  He suspected that it occupied more space on the inside than the external walls should allow for.  It was yet another mystery to pick away at, he reckoned.

Two days prior the Ancient One had perished. For two days, the Earth had been without a Sorcerer Supreme. It remains unclear what damage had already been caused by this event.

It was only at this precise moment, after much back and forth, that Strange could bring himself to carry out the Ancient One's final request. He made his way into what appeared to be a study. The walls were lined with musty tomes and ancient adornments that reminded him more of the library of Kamar-Taj than of a townhouse in New York. This was a consistent thread that tied all the rooms he had explored so far. He ventured into the room. In the centre of the space sat a large trunk. Strange was drawn to it, as he was to other objects containing mystical energy. He was still getting used to the extra sensory input his training had afforded him. This came to be especially difficult in a place as filled with magical items as the Sanctum Sanctorum. Resting on the trunk was an envelope. On its face it read [i]Strange[/i], etched in faint calligraphy. His brow furrowed some. 

[i]This is it.[/i] He paused, in contemplation.

Having produced a letter opener, he began carefully breaking the seal. He took the letter within with his free hand. Bringing a chair to his side, he tried to make himself comfortable, holding the message up to the light to read it.

[color=667866][i]Dearest Strange,

I hope this message finds you well. As you are no doubt aware, I can not be with you to share this message in person. Circumstances beyond my control have conspired against such luxuries. Please make do with this facsimile.

The Earth suffers each day that the Sorcerer Supreme is not there to watch over it. It is my regret that I will not see your training through to its completion; I hope the contents of this envelope in some small way make up for this failing.[/i][/color]

He felt his eyebrow raise with curiousity, his attention brought back to the envelope. After picking it up, he got a sense of its weight as he raised it into the light. The beam from the ceiling light was broken by a circular shadow. From the envelope he removed a small, polished talisman, its backing coarse and worn. He took the chain in his hand, allowing it to slope through his fingers, taking a second to admire the piece before replacing it on the side. 

[i][color=667866]The Mentor's Stone is a source of vast knowledge. See that it is respected and it will respect you in kind.[/color][/i]

Strange paused at this statement, mulling over this last sentence for a moment.

[i][color=667866]I place this chest and all it contains in your capable hands. Inside, the few trinkets that have found their way into my collection over the centuries. These are artifacts of great power, each affording its user unique abilities. Watch over them, protect them and ensure that should you need them they are in ample condition to return the favour.[/color][/i]

His hands skirted across the large, intricate pattern covering its lid. Any attempt to wrest the container towards his chair was met with fierce resistance, with not so much as a budge in response.

[color=667866][i]You are an honourable man, Stephen, with a hero's heart. I entrust these gifts to you, not to burden you with a purpose but to allow you to see out your own destiny. Prove to me that my confidence in you is well placed. A master can ask for no more than that of his student.

Your friend,
The Ancient One[/i][/color]

As Strange finished the letter, he found himself overcome with silent reflection. He thought back on the last few days. His thoughts carried a lingering sense of regret. Regret at his loss and the compromises he had to make just to get to where he was standing. He couldn't protect one man, the strongest man he knows, on his own. How could he protect a reality made up of billions? How could he take the responsibility on by himself? All his life, Strange had been marred by insecurity and doubt. It is what pushed him to excel at school; what made him a successful doctor; what drew him to Kamar-Taj to begin with. But for the first time in his life, the next stop on his road wasn't clear.

[color=4064a4][b]"Pull yourself together."[/b][/color] He heard himself affirm. He would not allow himself to be ruled by insecurity. He endeavours to see out his current task. 

[color=4064a4][b]"Perhaps the items themselves will present some meaning."[/b][/color] He noted, bringing his hands back to the chest. His hands clasped the lid with the precision of a more able man, his spirit seemingly distracting him from the material discomfort. The top swung back to reveal the contents.

A broken axe. 

A broach.

A blanket? 

After moving the axe to one side, he took the largest item, what seemed to be a cloak, and had a look at it. It was blue in pigment, with an intricate lining. Most surprisingly, the apparently cumbersome appearance was an illusion. In his hands, the item felt weightless. Folding it over on itself, he placed the cloak on the chair. 

[color=4064a4][b]"What about you?"[/b][/color]

The final item was a diamond shaped amulet, decorated with an eye overlaid with a pattern. He noted its familiarity.

[color=4064a4][b]"I know this. If I'm not mistaken this matches the pattern on the skylight,"[/b][/color] he noted, [color=4064a4][b]"A sister item perhaps? But what does it mean?"[/b][/color]

[color=c76414][b]"The symbol to which your refer is the seal of the Vishanti. It is a powerful protective ward."[/b][/color] Strange turned to face the source of the noise. He was not alone.

[color=c76414][b]"Please do not be alarmed."[/b][/color] The stranger reassures. Strange smiled as puzzlement turned to understanding. Even in death the Ancient One had found ways to surprise him. In his head, he began to unpack some of the information he had been given.

[color=4064a4][b]"I gather that you are the mentor of the stone. Am I correct in that assumption?"[/b][/color] He said cautiously.

[color=c76414][b]"The stone and I are one and the same."[/b][/color] He replied, motioning to himself. [color=c76414][b]"Think of this crude manifestation as little more than an interface." [/b][/color]

He had the form of a bald, slender man, bearing robes that matched the intricate detailing found on the talisman itself. He would not have looked out of place at Kamar-Taj, although his overall orange glow might betray that something was not quite right. The illusion was really let down by the face, losing much to the uncanny valley. There was something inhuman about it.

[color=4064a4][b]"The Master requested that I treat you with respect. Allow me to introduce myself..."[/b][/color]

[color=c76414][b]"The Ancient One has informed me of your situation, Doctor Strange,"[/b][/color] he cuts off. [color=c76414][b]"You are in dire need of training."[/b][/color]

[color=4064a4][b]"Is that what I'm to do now? Train? What would you have me call my teacher?"[/b][/color] He asked. The construct appears to pause.

[color=c76414][b]"Wong will suffice."[/b][/color]