Enemy of My Enemy

Quicksilver stood on a deserted grassland, staring at the sun as if lost in thought.

He was dressed like a beggar, his face smeared with dirt. It was fair to say that he had no idea where he was.

The portal Mordo had opened had sent Quicksilver here. Quicksilver had no idea how to get back. Perhaps this was already another country, like... China?

Quicksilver stood there helplessly, with no idea which direction he should go.

Just then, a portal opened.

Mordo emerged from it.

Two hours earlier.

Mordo stood atop Mount Everest, looking out over the snow-covered landscape. Ancient One had once sent him here as well, though he had not been as bedraggled as Doctor Strange.

As he gazed at the snowy scenery, the endless snow-capped mountains seemed like laws unto themselves. He wondered how he could reduce the number of Earth's laws. That way, perhaps Earth's enemies would not come. Perhaps Earth could be a little more peaceful.

"I never imagined Ancient One would do something like this. I never expected things to end this way. I never dared to think about it. Whenever there were signs of it, I would find something else to do and forget about it. That was why I always trusted you." Mordo recalled Ancient One's teachings, recalled the moment she died. He did not know how he was supposed to feel now.

To him, Ancient One's death might have been a form of acknowledgment. Ancient One was a sinner; she had accepted Dormammu's power. Her death was the punishment Ancient One deserved for her sins.

Mordo believed that both Doctor Strange and Ancient One had disrupted Earth's laws, especially Doctor Strange. He had actually used the Eye of Agamotto to alter time. Mordo had originally believed it was a power meant to fight Dormammu, but in the end, it was far more terrifying than Dormammu. Perhaps it was the existence of things like this that had drawn others' attention to Earth.

Therefore, Mordo believed there were too many sorcerers, some of whom were draining Earth's energy. He also believed there were too many objects like the Eye of Agamotto, things that would attract disaster.

He looked at the endless snow-covered mountains as the wind scattered flurries through the air. His gaze grew distant as he took it all in.

It was as though he were mourning someone.

Ancient One.

Doctor Strange had Wang return first. He could already sense Ancient One's presence, but he did not want to fight. He wanted to keep Mordo from falling further into darkness, so he feared Wang might get in the way and sent him back to the Sanctum.

Wang looked at Doctor Strange and said, "You wouldn't let me leave earlier. Why are you telling me to go now?"

"Maybe I hadn't thought it through yet." Doctor Strange sensed Mordo's location, then strode away. Wang vanished into a portal as well.

The wind swept up the snow. The snowfall was not heavy, but it still stung when it struck their faces.

As Mordo's eyes grew distant, he saw a familiar figure. That cloak, especially, was so familiar...

"How did you know I was here?" Mordo opened his eyes. They were no longer unfocused, but filled with reproach and fighting spirit. Looking at Doctor Strange, he said, "What is it about these snowy mountains that makes you so attached to them?"

"You already know the answer, so why ask?" Doctor Strange looked at Mordo. "Ancient One once brought me here. She taught me how to cultivate magic. She taught me how to keep my mind clear. Mordo, I want to say that Ancient One was not what you think she was."

Mordo nodded, though it looked perfunctory. "Yes, now you've achieved fame and success. And me? I was the one who always believed in Ancient One, only to discover in the end that she had been deceiving me. You once doubted her, and I stopped you. But what about now? Now you're the one who can't see it."

Mordo looked at Doctor Strange's Eye of Agamotto. "With a divine artifact like that, I suppose you've fallen into a craving for power too. You've been blinded by power!"

Doctor Strange shook his head. "That isn't how it is. Mordo, you have to believe me."

"I won't believe you. You're just like Ancient One, doing things no one knows about. You put on a righteous front, but in truth, you're nothing more than beasts. The more power you pry into, the more trouble you bring. Don't you understand that?"

Doctor Strange fell silent before Mordo's words. To some extent, Mordo was right. Doctor Strange had even thought the same way before. Back then, he could not understand why Ancient One had borrowed Dormammu's power, nor could he understand why no one had used the Eye of Agamotto.

But now, he understood the reason behind it. Mordo was simply wrong. His starting point had been good, but in the end, he had strayed from the path.

"You're right, but that doesn't mean you're completely right. Power is meant to protect Earth. What if someone invades Earth and we have no power to fight back? You may know of Asgard, but do you know Thor truly exists? Even someone like Thor agrees that the greater the power, the stronger the protection. Why can't you understand that now?"

The more Mordo listened to Doctor Strange, the angrier he became. The victor becomes king, and the loser is condemned!

The Boots of Valtorr shone with a crimson-gold light around Mordo's feet. He rose into the air and engaged Doctor Strange in battle.

Spells burst across the snowy mountains. Not even the mountains could conceal that dazzling power. Doctor Strange watched Mordo charge at him, and the circular spell in his hand easily blocked Mordo's attack.

At the same time, Mordo kicked Doctor Strange in the abdomen. Combined with the impact of the Boots of Valtorr, it sent Doctor Strange tumbling down the mountain. However, the Cloak of Levitation quickly pulled Doctor Strange back up. Spells continuously formed in Doctor Strange's hands, but no matter what, he still did not want to fight Mordo. He said, "I won't attack you. I want you to understand that you're wrong."

Mordo did not waste words. The spell in his hand transformed into a staff and instantly struck at Doctor Strange. Doctor Strange knew Mordo was no match for him now, so he covered his hand with a protective spell and directly caught Mordo's magical staff. He said to Mordo, "Turn back."

"You're the one who should turn back! The farther you go, the more wrong you become, the farther you stray!" Mordo formed another staff in his left hand, and the two staffs attacked Doctor Strange in turn.

They fought in midair as crimson-gold light flashed continuously, driving back the surrounding snow.

At that moment, Mordo's Boots of Valtorr propelled him straight at Doctor Strange. The staffs in his hands merged into one, and the force behind it was unimaginable.

Doctor Strange retreated again and again. "Even if you believe that, then what about the Avengers? Will you make enemies of them too?"

"They've already done more than enough. We have more and more enemies, and yet there are simply too many of them!"

Mordo stared intently at Doctor Strange while considering his words.

Yes, if he fought alone like this, one day he would surely stumble into disaster.

Suddenly, he thought of Quicksilver, who had come to speak with him that day. Perhaps... the enemy of his enemy was his friend.

While Doctor Strange was not paying attention, Mordo instantly opened a portal and disappeared from Doctor Strange's sight.

The snow finally settled.