He paused, his gaze sweeping over Daisy's thoughtful face, Wanda's slightly narrowed eyes, the smile Natasha was holding back, Mera's growing confusion, and Diana's face as she finally began to scrutinize the Ancient One.
"That means she's been faking a serious injury all along!"
"For years, she's secretly drawn power from the Evil God Dormammu. She used the Dark Dimension's energy to prolong her life, keeping herself alive and kicking for centuries."
"She's turning evil. We need to keep a close eye on her!"
The Ancient One stood behind him, her hands at her sides. The night wind stirred her saffron robes, and blood still seeped from the wound on her shoulder. Yet her back was straight, and the anger on her face was giving way to something deeper.
This man from the East was more troublesome than she had expected.
What he said wasn't true, but every piece of his "evidence" skirted the edge of the truth. She had indeed lived a long time, used extraordinary means to extend her life, and had dealings with the Dark Dimension.
These were secrets every generation of Sorcerers Supreme at Kamar-Taj had tacitly kept.
But now Yongye had dragged them into the open. Under the scrutiny of five members of The Boys, and before Stephen's shocked and bewildered face, those secrets had all become "evidence of her crimes."
Stephen stood at the edge of the portal, frozen as if lightning had struck him.
His mouth hung open. He looked at the Ancient One, then Yongye, then the five heroines eyeing the Ancient One with suspicion. His mind had gone completely blank.
"Ancient One... did you..."
His voice was dry and shaky, like paper crumpled by the wind. "Did you really... draw on Dormammu's power?"
The Ancient One closed her eyes and took