Work Text:
The sky, once blue and cloudless, now held hidden by a thick, vast cape of gray tormentous clouds. Never before has Kane Matsumoto seen such dread being felt throughout the Kamar-Taj since his arrival. He was aware of the dangers he’ll face, every single student who joined the Masters of the Mystic Arts were, and he vowed to train as much as his body would allow him. Yet, now staring in preparation above him, as a scarlet-colored figure withdrew from the shadows, he wasn’t sure he felt prepared. Something in his conscious told him he’ll die today.
In the corner of his eye, he took a glimpse of famed Avenger, Stephen Strange, fly past him. Matsumoto has heard stories of Doctor Strange, how he’s fought with the group of superheroes the Avengers, how he fought multiple world-threatening villains such as Kaecilius and his zealots, Dormammu, and Thanos, as well as somehow being involved with the sky opening up earlier in New York and the remodeled Statue of Liberty’s destruction. Most new coming students would like to think they will save Earth from the next threat, yet Matsumoto knew better. He knew people like Strange are only fortunate by sheer luck. Luck that life has taught him already he doesn’t have.
It seemed hours have passed since Strange went up to meet this new threat. Some of the men and women around him began wondering what the next move was, what was the witch’s intention. From what he could remember, their main objective is protect Kamar-Taj, yet not knowing what for nor why she would destroy it. He unclenched and clenched his fist, feeling them ache in preparation, and continued to squint at the magic users high in the sky. He could scarcely make out Strange backing out in possible backla-
“DEFENSIVE POSITIONS! NOW!” Sorcerer Supreme Wong yelled out in controlled panic. Fear and adrenaline infested Matsumoto’s mind, causing him to instantly conjure up two magic shields, one in one hand extended towards the sky, the other hand back to protect his face area. The sounds of sizzling and sparking of the shields filled the practice yard. The archers standing high in the top of the Kamar-Taj buildings pulling their bowstrings back.
Continuing squinting, he saw how the witch threw a crimson force of energy, only for it to shatter as it made contact with the invisible field sent by the hand shields. “HOLD, HOLD, HOLD!” The young sorcerer in training could hear as, with every ounce of willpower, he held the shield’s shape, gritting his teeth as an inexplicable force drained him. It was exhausting, frustrating, and all she threw was a force ball. It was only a brief moment of deconcentration when he noticed it wasn’t a force ball she threw; it was a force beam. Many students held tightly, gritting their teeth and sweating profusely, while the witch held a beam with seemingly relative ease. Archers still held their bows back, men with bastons clenched the grip of their weapons as Strange elevated back down and walked back to Wong, saying something Matsumoto could not hear.
The young trainee could faintly hear Wong yell once more, “REINFORCE THE SHIELD! REINFORCE THE SHIELD!” Immediately, at this command, many more sorcerers came to activate their shields, as the witch flew around sending more balls and beams of red energy around the training grounds of the temple. As more and more shields were conjured, more violent and sporadic the witch’s attacks were, sending energy around like firecrackers. Every contact it made with the shield sent red sparks and force. Matsumoto grit his teeth so hard, he felt as if he were to shatter them. Red and orange flew around the sky like fireworks, and for a split second he almost thought of it as beautiful, before realizing the stakes at hand. The energy that came from holding the shields was intense and he felt his life being drained with every blast that came from the sky.
“SORCERERS! FORTIFY YOUR MINDS!” At the sound of Wong shouting this command, Matsumoto could notice that the blast from the witch stopped. It was happening so fast, all these orders, all these blasts, all of these-
Another person clashed into him, causing his to break him concentration and shield and fall. When he turned back, he saw his fellow sorcerer run, breaking even more shields as he ran. Many tried to stand back to reform, but Matsumoto saw the witch. Death had a certain color, and the color was the deepest of red. The witch formed a tremendous ball of scarlet force and send it down with fury, crashing onto the yard, sending rocky debris everywhere. Immediately, he covered his face, feeling brick hit his head, causing it to scratch and ache. Faintly, he uncovered them with his arms to see his fellow trainees and sorcerers, some on the ground, unconscious. It took the blood spilling immediately to make him realize they weren’t unconscious.
“The shield is down. The shield is down!”
Up in the sky, Matsumoto could glare and only glare in utter terror as the scarlet monstrosity in the sky coming down. Multiple of the archers sent magic-enforced arrows towards her, as a portal opened up to reveal other sorcerers with a dragon cannon. “FIRE!” he could hear a woman’s voice yell as someone pulled a trigger from behind the cannon and sent a powerful force of orange magic towards the witch, causing her to fall backwards. Conjuring a personal shield, he saw around him, chaos and magic firepower aimed at the red menace in the sky. Looking ever-so closer, he noticed how the witch drew more red force from her arms and he didn’t notice the cannon tower being destroyed until he heard the scream of dying men from that direction.
He noticed the cannon floating, held up with pulsing scarlet magic, and he turned his back and fleeing as soon as the words “TAKE COVER!” were spewed. Immediately thereafter, another explosion, this one much closer, occurred, sending bigger debris flying everywhere, killing multiple more people.
Uncovering his eyes once more, he audibly hissed as he felt his face with his finger. A gashing scar opened from his forehead down around his left eye ending at the bottom of his chin. He bleed profusely, staggering and struggling to stand, for a shattered piece of rock entered his upper thigh. He collapsed, only being able to watch as the witch send even more powerful and violent blast of scarlet energy around the temple. Entire sections were absolutely wiped. Many archers who sent magic arrows were met with those same arrows flying back towards them, taking out multiple by the second.
“FALL BACK!” He could hear a terrified voice call, maybe it was Strange, maybe it was a dying trainee. It all happened so fast, absolutely nothing remained aside from bloody and roasted corpses and debris of destroyed towers and courtyard. With every ounce of willpower left in him, he used his magic to draw out the rock, screaming in utter pain before being worried the witch will hear and end him.
When it came out, the piece wasn’t as big as it felt, but it still went deep, possibly even scratching a bone. He’s heard and seen the sorcerer’s magic cure many injuries, but he wasn't sure if he’ll live to get remedies. Blood from his face covered his left eye’s sight, making him drowsy. Any force he had to conjure up magic left him. Dragging his bleeding leg, he limped away from the bloody mess, only to find another. Death and destruction were everywhere; red was all his eye saw.
Matsumoto saw as entire ground foundations laid to waste; entire sections gone to violent ruble. The Kamar-Taj was left shattered, and fright held him in place as the witch came down in a vicious flurry of scarlet. The bleeding sorcerer fell backwards, hitting his back with a piece of rock, causing his already suffering body to ache even more. He could vaguely hear the sounds of an archer dying, trying to crawl towards safety before the witch sent a force of red towards him, leaving his body nothing but ash in the wind.
He didn’t want to die. Kane Matsumoto didn’t want the scarlet witch to end him like she ended the archer. He didn’t want her to end him like she ended his friends, colleagues, acquaintances. His eye was in pain and blood continued to seep his leather clothes. Fire, orange and red, emerged everywhere. The umber-colored yard was painted in red. He saw as the witch walked towards the entrance of the temple, where all the other sorcerers, where Strange, the man who supposedly save Earth so many times was, where, Matsumoto knew, he would die.
Scarlet red was the last thing he saw before Kane Matsumoto succumbed to his injuries, dying near the steps of the entrance, where the other sorcerers were in refuge.