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“Thank you for agreeing to this meeting, Deputy Commander,” said Stephen Strange, seating himself at a table in a meeting room at the Joint Counter Terrorist Center in New York.
“It’s my pleasure, Mister Strange,” replied the Deputy Commander, taking a seat opposite him. He held out a hand. “Everett Ross.”
“Pleased to meet you, Deputy Commander Ross,” said Stephen, taking the proffered hand and giving it a firm shake. “And it’s ‘Doctor’, actually.”
Ross’s lips quirked. “Doctor Strange, then,” he said agreeably. “What can I do for you?”
“You’re probably wondering why I asked you for this meeting,” said Stephen. “Well, I’ve been researching magical threats to Earth, and it occurred to me that my research wouldn’t be quite complete if I wasn’t also fully aware of the non-magical threats. And I believe your agency would be helpful to me in that regard. On my part, I can offer information – and advice – about magical dangers.”
Ross nodded, looking unsurprised at this information. “And I believe the New York Sanctum is currently under your protection?”
At Stephen’s surprised look, Ross gave him a sharp smile. “We do our homework, Doctor. I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I let information of that magnitude slip past me.”
Stephen pursed his lips. Interesting. He wasn’t quite sure what kind of person he’d been expecting the Deputy Commander to be, but he liked this man. Liked his intelligence and his no-nonsense attitude, and his open frankness. The fact that he was easy on the eye didn’t hurt, either. Stephen had always appreciated mental acuity and physical beauty in equal magnitude.
Ross leaned forward, clasping his hands together on the table. “Why don’t you tell me how you came to become the protector of the New York Sanctum – and after that I’ll tell you about the recent saga involving Helmut Zemo and HYDRA.”
They talked for a couple of hours, and as they spoke, Stephen was struck again by the sharp mind and strength of character that lay behind Ross’s pleasant exterior. The next time he looked up at the clock, he was surprised to find that it was already almost lunchtime.
“I’d better go,” he said. “Thank you again for your time, Deputy Commander Ross. It’s been a pleasure.”
“The pleasure was all mine. Let’s – ” Ross stopped speaking abruptly, glanced under the table, then gave Stephen a decidedly odd look. “Does it always do that?”
“Does what always do what?” said Stephen, taking a look under the table himself.
One end of his cloak had reached across under the table and was gently stroking Ross’s ankle. For a piece of cloth (magical, but still), it was doing a damned good job of looking pleased with itself.
Stephen winced, horrified. He was still getting used to the fact that the cloak was sentient, and while it was generally helpful and obedient – and truth be told, he was growing pretty fond of it – it did have its moments. Such as this one.
“Stop that,” he told the cloak sternly. It froze momentarily, then, just as Stephen was starting to relax, it reared up, as if sticking out a metaphorical tongue at him, and wrapped itself firmly and possessively around Ross’s ankle.
“Why, you – ” Stephen, indignant, tugged hard on the cloak, but only succeeded in dragging a startled Ross’s foot toward him. He abruptly stopped tugging on the cloak.
“My apologies,” he muttered, embarrassed. “It doesn’t usually do that.”
“Right.” Ross looked a little bemused, but appeared to be fighting back a smile. He cleared his throat. “Well, as I was saying – let’s keep in touch. I think working together would be very beneficial for both of us.”
“Of course,” Stephen agreed. “That’s a good idea.” He stood, forcing his cloak to let Ross’s ankle go or bodily drag the man from the room with them. The cloak wrapped itself sulkily round his ankle as he strode toward the door. Glaring down at it, he opened the door and let himself out of the room with as much dignity as he could.
Behind him, Ross chuckled quietly, eyes crinkling in amusement, then left the room himself.
***
“I’m meeting Deputy Commander Ross again this afternoon,” Stephen told his cloak two weeks later, as it floated up and settled on his shoulders. “Don’t you dare pull that stunt that you did the last time we saw him.”
One end of the high collar on his cloak leaned in and patted him on the cheek. It felt vaguely patronizing.
Stephen sighed.
When he reached the park near the Joint Counter Terrorist Center, he saw Ross waiting for him at the corner of the park, leaning casually against one of the trees. He raised a hand in greeting as Stephen strode over to him.
The moment he got close to Ross, one end of his cloak swung up and wrapped itself around Ross’s wrist affectionately, like an enthusiastic puppy greeting a long-lost friend. Stephen scowled at it deeply, which had absolutely no effect on the cloak.
Ross looked down at the fabric around his wrist.
“Oh, hello,” he said to it, smiling, then looked up and nodded politely at Stephen. “And hello to you too, Doctor Strange.”
Stephen felt a little put out that his cloak was apparently on better terms with this man than he was, then felt rather silly for even thinking such a thought.
“Call me Stephen, please,” he said.
“Then please call me Everett,” replied the other man, leading them over to a nearby coffee stand, where he bought a paper cup of coffee and Stephen bought a similar cup of tea. They settled down on an empty park bench.
“I spoke with Thor,” began Stephen. “He’s brought Loki to Earth.”
Everett grimaced. “Yes, I’ve heard. It’s not an ideal situation, but we can’t actually demand that he leave without causing a diplomatic incident between Earth and Asgard. He is still a prince of Asgard, after all.”
“Loki is a significant magical danger to Earth.” Stephen scowled. “But Thor promised he would take Loki and leave Earth once they find Odin, so I told him I’d help them look for him.”
“Hm,” said Everett. “Let me know what I can do to help.” He smiled wryly. “It’s in everyone’s best interests to get Loki back to Asgard as soon as possible.”
Stephen nodded. “Also, I’ve heard some whispers out of Wakanda about a possible disturbance there. What can you tell me about that?”
“Yes, that’s related to the experimental cure the Wakandan scientists are testing on Barnes to reverse HYDRA’s brainwashing,” Everett said, finishing up the last of his coffee. “Apparently some remaining HYDRA cells got wind of it...”
The talk turned, later, to more personal matters, and they passed most of a pleasant afternoon sitting in the park chatting. As Stephen was about to leave, the end of his cloak swung up and waggled itself at Everett in a kind of goodbye wave. Everett didn’t even bother to hide his chuckle this time. “Bye now,” he said to it, then grinned up at Stephen, a twinkle in his eye. “See you again soon, Stephen.”
“See you soon, Everett,” replied Stephen, and found himself looking forward to it.
***
In the months following, Stephen and Everett met four more times, and Stephen got called in as a magical consultant for the Joint Counter Terrorist Center twice. Stephen and Everett developed a strong working relationship, and a pretty close personal relationship too.
His cloak still seemed inordinately fond of Everett, and took every opportunity to let the man know it. No amount of scolding would convince the cloak to desist – fortunately, Everett didn’t seem to mind it very much.
***
Stephen, sitting at his desk in the Sanctum Sanctorum, leaned his head on his hands and sighed. He had just returned from visiting Jonathan Pangborn at the hospital, where the man was recuperating after being abruptly returned to his former paraplegic state. Pangborn had asked the hospital to contact Stephen, and when he’d arrived, had told him about what Mordo had done to him, about how he’d taken Pangborn’s magic from him.
Pangborn, knowing that Stephen had followed his path to Kamar-Taj, had warned him that Mordo might come after him, too, and begged him, tears in his eyes, to find a way to stop Mordo and return Pangborn’s powers to him, to let him walk again. Knowing the debt he owed to Pangborn for leading him to Kamar-Taj in the first place, what else could he have done but agree to try his very best to help?
And now that left him here, sitting in the Sanctum with mixed feelings of disquiet and frustration, and no idea where to even start looking for Mordo. ‘Too many sorcerers,’ Mordo had said to Pangborn. Did he plan to attack Kamar-Taj? With the Ancient One gone and the place in disarray, he could do a lot of damage. Or did he, perhaps, plan to attack Stephen next? Given how angry he’d been about what Stephen – and the Ancient One – had done to protect the Sanctums, it wasn’t inconceivable.
Stephen rubbed at his temples, feeling a little depressed. In the time he’d spent training at Kamar-Taj, he’d come to look on Karl Mordo as both a mentor and a friend, and he’d both liked and respected the man. Hearing what Mordo had done, knowing that they would, going forward, probably be adversaries...
There was a light tapping at his elbow, and he turned to find his cloak floating beside him. One end of it had wrapped itself around his phone, and was holding it up to him hopefully.
“No,” he told the cloak. “I’m not calling him. It’s not like he’d be able to do anything about this.”
The cloak waved the phone at him.
Stephen sighed. “It would make me feel better,” he admitted.
He took the phone and dialed Everett’s number. The cloak floated around him and settled gently onto his shoulders.
***
“It seems,” Stephen said, “that Loki has given Thor the slip.” He and Everett were standing in the hallway of the Sanctum, where Everett had dropped by to bring Stephen a box of his favorite loose-leaf tea and found Stephen about to go out.
Everett nodded, grimacing. “Have you spoken to the Avengers yet?”
“They’ve split up to look for him,” said Stephen. “Thor contacted me. I’m going to try some places that they might not have thought of – places where the magical energy is strong, where someone like Loki would go.”
Everett frowned. “I know your magic is powerful, but so is Loki. It took the entire Avengers team to defeat him the last time he attacked. Be careful, Stephen.”
Stephen raised an eyebrow. “Worried about me?” he teased, smirking.
“Yes,” Everett said frankly, moving closer. Much closer. “I am.”
Stephen blinked at him, taken off-guard by his candidness. Everett’s hand was warm on his arm.
Stephen’s cloak swung gently, then, when Stephen didn’t move, it swung itself all the way round Everett, wrapping itself round both men and effectively tying them together. The end of the cloak peeked up at Stephen over Everett’s shoulder and waggled at him impatiently.
Stephen looked down at Everett, whose startled face was inches from his own. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he said.
“Please do,” said Everett.
Stephen did so, dipping his head to close the few inches between then. Everett’s lips were softer than he’d expected, and he sighed softly into the kiss, eyes slipping shut as Everett’s arms tightened around him.
The cloak settled itself more closely around them, wrapping them in its snug embrace as they kissed.
End.