"If we don't act soon, I'll have no choice but to bargain with him."
Russell accepted the tea the Ancient One handed him and held the cup without taking a sip. He simply watched the few tea leaves swirling inside, a teasing smile curling his lips.
"There's nothing wrong with bargaining with Dormammu, really."
He brought the cup to his lips and gently blew on the leaves floating on the surface. The lazy note in his voice seemed steeped in the fragrance of tea, unhurried and relaxed, as though they were merely chatting.
"You have the Eye of Agamotto and full access to the Time Stone's power. Even if negotiations fall through, even if he's determined to flip the table, all you have to do is rewind time a little, put him back at the negotiating table, and try again.
"If he flips the table again, rewind it again. Keep doing it until he's sick of it.
"An existence like Dormammu hates repeating something he's already done more than anything. All you need to do is put the prospect of an endless loop of pointless negotiations in front of him.
"I'll bet you a case of Asgard's Aged Mead that by the fourth or fifth loop, he'll accept any terms that aren't too unreasonable."
The Ancient One lifted the cup of warm tea before her and took a sip. After setting it down, she gave a faint smile, like a breeze rippling the surface of a lake.
That smile held a mixture of resignation and appreciation for Russell's habit of treating the gravest cosmic confrontation as a chess match he could replay as often as he liked.
"That's not a bad approach." The Ancient One's voice was steady and clear, every syllable carrying the certainty of something tested time and