Edward looked in the direction of the voice and saw a beautiful woman behind a glass. He immediately felt she looked familiar, but his mind and memory were still a little chaotic, making it harder for him to recognize.
‘If I remember correctly, she’s Aisha, the great-grandmother of Kamala Khan, who became Ms. Marvels. How did I get in contact with her?’ thought Edward.
“Who are you?” asked Edward, slowly rising. His body was fine, but he had a slight headache.
“So, you can speak English? And your accent, that’s British,” said Aisha Aisha.
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“You can call me Alisha.”
“That’s a lie.”
“And how would you know?”
“I just do.”This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com
“So, you have the ability to detect lies? Can you read my heartbeat, or is it something else?” asked Aisha.
“You’re a weird person. You obviously know I’m dangerous, and any effort to restrain or deal with me is useless, yet you cannot resist your curiosity. Why is that?” asked Edward.
Aisha was silent for a few minutes, “My name is Aisha.”
“Now, we’re getting somewhere,” said Edward with a smile. He walked out of the room to where Aisha was outside of the glass door of this laboratory/abandoned warehouse.
“What year is it? Is it still the 1940s?”
“No, it’s 2002.”
After hearing this news, Edward frowned, “Then, how did you and I meet?”
Aisha hesitated briefly before telling the truth, “It was the year 1947 during the Indian Partition. I was dying on the floor due to a stabbed wound when your body suddenly crashed near me. Oddly, though, no one except me could see you.”
Edward listened tentatively.
“Your body released an energy that healed me, and I have been caring for your body since then.”
“Just caring?”
“Alright, I admit I tried to understand what you were, but your skin was impregnable, and a shield would appear to protect you every time you were in danger.”
“Danger?”
“Some people came to know of your existence and wished to acquire you.”
“Who are those people?”
“The Clandestine,” replied Aisha with a sigh.
“Do they think my body was the key to unlocking their powers and returning to the Noor Dimension?”
“How do you know?”
“I just do.”
“You’re...right?”
“Earth is protected from any dimensional invaders, yet there are people, like your friend Aisha, who successfully enter. Do you know why?”
“Cause and effect,” replied Edward. “These people will eventually have a positive effect on Earth, so their presence is allowed.”
“Yes; that’s the brilliance of the protection Agomotto left Earth,” nodded the Ancient One. “Since you can enter, the Earth must need you in some capacity.”
Edward grunted under his breath, deciding not to comment on these words. “So, to what do I owe this visit? Something tells me you did not come just to observe me.”
“I have an offer for you,” said the Ancient One.
“Which is?”
“Become the Sorcerer Supreme.”
Edward looked at her, his mouth slightly opened, “I have to admit I did not expect this.” He thought of many possibilities, but this. “Why?”
“You are the perfect fit.”
“That’s not a good reason, especially since I am a foreigner, and you do not know anything about me.”
The Ancient One paused briefly, “I have never been able to see past the year 2016, which is my death, until you showed up.” She sighed deeply. “I saw the future, and it’s bleak. After trying countless possibilities, the only way I found to protect this earth and this timeline is by making you the Sorcerer Supreme.”
“What exactly did you see?” asked Edward with a frown; he did not think the events of Endgame or any variants of it would scare her.
“You’ll know if you accept my offer.”
Edward wanted to roll his eyes, “What happens if I refuse?”
“I’ll banish you from entering Earth.”
“Isn’t that a little harsh?”
“The amount of energy inside your body is so immense that even if a small portion leaks, the planet will be destroyed. Now that you’re conscious, I cannot take the risk.”
“You don’t trust me, but you want me to become the Sorcerer Supreme,” said Edward. “How does that work?”
“You must take a binding oath to become the Sorcerer Supreme,” the Ancient One explained. “By then, I will be reassured.”
Edward grunted. He had come to this place to learn Karma Taj Magic and even get his hands on the Time Stone, but he had to weigh the gains and losses.
“Do you understand what it means for me to be the Sorcerer Supreme? I’m the kind of person that does whatever is necessary to achieve the goal?”
“That’s why I chose you,” replied the Ancient One. “We need this kind of ruthlessness and cruelty to survive what’s coming.”
“You seem to know me?” said Edward.
“I talked to a potential future of yourself.” For the first time in her life, the Ancient One encountered an anomaly while trying to see a person’s future as that person noticed her actions and talked with her across time.
“I see,” said Edward, guessing what had happened. He was tempted by the offer, mostly because of the Akashic Record Title of [Sorcerer Supreme] and since it was the fastest way to get his hands on the Time Stone. Lastly, this world was his training ground for the upcoming war, so he’s prepared to challenge himself.
“Tell me the binding oath I must make.”
“No problem,” the Ancient One told him the oath she prepared. It was nothing harsh, mostly about taking his position seriously, not succumbing to foreign dimensional beings, and not abandoning his positions when things get difficult.
“Give me three days, and I’ll give you an answer,” said Edward.
“As you wish.”