Ian looked in the direction of the sound and saw a beautiful woman behind the glass. He immediately felt that she looked familiar, but his mind and memory were still a little confused, which made it difficult for him to recognize who she was.
'If I remember correctly, she is the great-grandmother of Aisha, Kamala Khan (ie Ms. Marvel). How did I get involved with her?' Ian thought to himself.
"Who are you?" Ian slowly stood up and asked. His body was fine, he just had a slight headache.
"So, you can speak English? And your accent is Britain accent," Aisha said.
"You haven't answered my question yet."
"You can call me Alisha."
"You're lying."
"How do you know?"
"I just know."
"So, do you have the ability to detect lies? Can you read my heartbeat, or do you have some other ability?" Aisha asked.
"You are such a strange person. You clearly know that I am dangerous, and any attempt to limit or deal with me is futile, but you still can't suppress your curiosity. Why is this?" Ian asked.
Aisha was silent for a few minutes, "My name is Aisha."
"That's right," Ian said with a smile. He walked out of the room and came to the glass door of this laboratory/abandoned warehouse, where Aisha was standing. "What year is this year? 2024?"
"No, it's 2002."
Hearing the news, Ian frowned, "Then, how did we meet?"
Aisha hesitated briefly, then told the truth, "It was in 1947, during the partition of India and Pakistan. I was stabbed and fell to the ground dying. Your body suddenly fell not far from me. But the strange thing is that no one can see you except me."
Ian listened tentatively.
"Your body released an energy that healed me, and I've been taking care of your body ever since."
"Just taking care of?"
"Okay, I admit I tried to figure out what you were, but your skin is impenetrable, and every time you're in danger, a shield appears to protect you."
"Danger?"
"Some people know you exist and want to get you."
"Who are those people?"
"Hidden Clan," Aisha replied with a sigh.
"Do they think my body is the key to unlocking their power and returning to Light Dimension?"
"How did you know?"
"I just know."
"You... are right?"
"I don't know about the returning home part, but the energy released from your body does activate my light." Aisha demonstrated by condensing light into a fist.
"Interesting power," Ian observed this strange power/energy called Noor and commented. "You said some people are coming towards me, do you mean there is more than one person?"
"Yes. Several organizations, including S.H.I.E.L.D., have been tracking me over the years."
"Is this why you never went to see your family?" Ian asked, which made Aisha pause.
"Yes. I hope they can live a happy and peaceful life, and my existence will break all this." She had to watch her husband die and her daughter turn into an old woman, while her own appearance remained unchanged due to the activation of the power. However, as long as they can live a fulfilling and long life, she will not regret her decision.
"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble," Ian sighed. He guessed that this must be Morgana's fault, to ensure his safety; she probably cast a powerful mental suggestion spell on this woman to ensure that she would never abandon him.
"I promise I will repay you when I settle down."
"It doesn't matter," Aisha said. "I just want two things: to know who or what you are, and if you can take me home."
"I'm just like you - a person from another dimension," Ian replied, looking directly into her eyes. "And, yes, I can take you home."
"Really?"
"I don't need to lie to you."
"That's right," Aisha nodded. When she thought of being able to go home, she felt mixed emotions, including relief and joy, but also sadness and regret.
"Do you have a place where I can rest?"
Ian followed her into a car, and the two of them drove to a safe place without talking. While driving, he tried to contact Morgana.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm... okay... just... hurt," she replied weakly.
"Don't worry. I'll heal you as soon as possible." It hurt him to see her so weak, especially since he had himself to blame.
After arriving at the destination, Aisha told him that he could use the guest room, and Ian thanked her. Finally alone, he looked at the corner of the room:
"I believe you have seen enough."
The space shattered like a mirror, and a bald woman wearing a yellow robe and a necklace came out. "I have always tried to overestimate your abilities, but you still surprise me."
"Hello, Sorcerer Supreme," Ian said while looking her up and down, assessing her strength. As a mage, the only energy in her body is her life energy, which means she looks like an ordinary person. However, according to her performance in <What If...?...?>, she once tore the entire timeline apart in the fourth episode, showing the strength of Tier 10. In other words, her strength fluctuates between level 0 and Tier 10.
According to Ian's analysis, she was not the only one to experience such a huge fluctuation in power. A knife or a bullet might have killed Scarlet Witch, but instead she destroyed Mind Stone - an item belonging to Tier 10. She successfully destroyed Darkhold in all timelines, a feat of Tier 11.
Thor (Thor)'s strength fluctuates between Tier 3 and Tier 5, but he resisted the impact of the neutron star, which is a feat of Tier 7. It is precisely because of this fluctuation that it is difficult to determine the true strength of certain individuals in this world.
"Do you know me?" The Ancient One asked.
"I imagine you are well-known in the world of magic and mysticism."
"It seems you know some things," The Ancient One nodded.
"Something tells me intuitively that you have been spying on me since I landed on Earth in 1947."
"Yes," she answered bluntly.
"So, why didn't you take action?" Ian was very interested in the answer and asked.
"The Earth is protected from any dimensional invaders, yet some people, like your friend Aisha, have successfully entered here. Do you know why?"
"Causation," Ian replied. "These people will ultimately have a positive impact on the planet, so their existence is allowed."
"That's right; this is the beauty of the protection mechanism Agamotto left to the earth," The Ancient One nodded. "Since you can enter, the earth must need you to some extent."
Ian mumbled in a low voice and decided not to comment on these words. "So, why did you come to me this time? My intuition tells me that you are not just observing me."
"I have a proposition for you," The Ancient One said.
"What proposal?"
"Become Sorcerer Supreme."
Ian looked at her, his mouth slightly opened, "I must admit, I didn't expect this." He thought about many possibilities, but never thought about this. "Why?"
"You are the perfect choice."
"That's not a good reason, especially since I'm a foreigner and you know nothing about me."
The Ancient One paused briefly, "Until you appeared, I had never been able to see the future after 2016 (the year of my death)." She sighed deeply. "I saw the future, and it was bleak. After trying countless possibilities, I found that the only way to protect this earth and this dimension is to hand over this important task to you."
"What exactly did you see?" Ian asked with a frown; he didn't think the events in <Endgame> or any of its variations could scare her.
"You'll know if you accept my offer."
Ian always wanted to turn to Byakugan, "What if I refuse?"
"I will ban you from Earth."
"Isn't that a little too harsh?"
"The energy contained in your body is extremely huge. Even if only a small part is leaked, this planet will be destroyed. Since you are awake now, I can't take this risk."
"You don't trust me, but you want me to be Sorcerer Supreme," Ian said. "This doesn't make sense?"
"You have to take a binding oath to become Sorcerer Supreme," The Ancient One explained. "At that point, I can feel relieved."
Ian snorted. He came here to learn the magic of Kamar-Taj, and even wanted to get Time Stone, but he had to weigh the pros and cons.
"Do you understand what it means for me to be Sorcerer Supreme? I am the kind of person who will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals?"
"That's why I chose you," The Ancient One replied. "We need this ruthlessness in order to survive the coming disaster."
"You seem to know me very well?" Ian said.
"I talked with a possible existence in your future." This was the first time in the Ancient One's life that she encountered an anomaly when trying to observe a person's future, because that person noticed her actions and talked to her across time.
Ian thought for three minutes. Kamar-Taj had many magics and spells at his disposal; this was an excellent way to get Time Stone. Finally, this world was his training ground for the coming war, so he was ready to challenge himself.
"Tell me what binding oath I must make."
"No problem," The Ancient One told him the oath she had prepared. It wasn't too harsh, it was mainly about taking your responsibilities seriously, not giving in to extradimensional creatures, and not leaving your post without permission when encountering difficulties.
"Give me three days and I will give you an answer," Ian said.
"As you wish."