Close Calls

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"Morning, Wong."

Ana offered the sorcerer a wave as he made his way into the kitchen where she was making breakfast. He could smell the sweet scent of tea all way from his room. At first, he assumed Stephen was brewing a cup for himself. He raised his eyebrows at the brunette, and sat down behind the table she was preparing food on. Ana set down a cup of tea in front of him, and he lifted the drink up to his lips.

"Hello, Ana. It's good to have you back." He nodded, and sipped the tea. He swished the liquid around in his mouth, before swallowing. "Do I detect honey?" He questioned.

Ana smiled in confirmation, and retrieved a few plates from the overhead cupboards. "Yes, I know how you like your tea. Just like home, right? Anyway, how've you been?" She asked, plating up fruits and pancakes.

"Fine. I've been working on a book." Wong replied, reaching for an apple.

Ana's interest was piqued, and she leaned on the table with her elbows, resting her chin on her closed fist. "Really? What about?"

Stephen walked in, cleanly shaven and dressed in one of his casual outfits. A lighter one than his usual attire. He smiled at Ana when she waved a plate of pancakes in the air, directing him to sit down next to Wong. He had picked up on their conversation before entering the kitchen, and shot Ana a doubtful glance.

"He hasn't said anything to me so I doubt-" Stephen began to say before Wong spoke over him.

"I've been documenting these last few years since you and Stephen have learned the ways of the Mystic Arts. Much has happened between the time since you first arrived at Kamar-Taj and today. There will continue to be more Masters of the Mystic Arts. Then more. And so on. They must know the past, just as you learned it from The Ancient One." Wong said, drinking his tea. "This is good tea."

Ana sent Stephen a smirk. "I guess we know who his favourite is." She then grinned at Wong. "And thank you, I'm glad you like it."

Stephen sent Wong a deadpanned look, raising his hands briefly before letting them slap at his sides. "I'm the one who brings you tea."

Wong didn't look away from his breakfast as he replied. "You only bring me tea when you want something. Like yesterday morning, you used tea as an excuse to barge in and find out what I was up to."

"I was curious!" Stephen argued. "You holed yourself up there for days on end-"

Wong sent Stephen a side glance. "It was only fifteen minutes."

Ana laughed at their bickering, deciding to eat and enjoy the show. She hadn't experienced another memory of her father's since last night, but she had this feeling she would soon. And instead of becoming overwhelmed by the process, she wanted to welcome it.

"These are great." Stephen changed the subject, throwing Ana a thumbs up as he nodded his head at the pancakes.

Ana laughed to herself. "Thank you. I got them from the store around the block."

Stephen paused mid chew and shot her an amused look. Ana and Stephen whipped their heads in Wong's direction when he let out a foreign sound. It almost resembled a human laugh.

"What was that?" Ana questioned as Wong shook his head, calming his laughter down to a quiet chuckle as he enjoyed his breakfast.

"I think he let out a sound of amusement." Stephen answered as they both eyed Wong.

"Stephen, how are your headaches?" Wong asked, ignoring their behaviour.

Ana switched her focus on the Doctor, and waited for his response. "Got another one before coming down. This time, along with the pain... I think there were visions."

Wong put down his fork. "What kind of vision?" He asked. Ana could tell he was worried. She was too.

"The visions... they're not exactly clear." Stephen said slowly, eyes drifting downwards. He wanted to make sense of what he was going through, and try to explain as best he could. "Just something in my mind, something growing closer. A form, a shape, a living thing. Out there." He finished, raising his hand and used his knife to point at the ceiling.

When Ana and Wong raised their eyes to the ceiling, Stephen shook his head. "No, not literally in the ceiling. In space. Another dimension. I'm not sure. I just know it's something drawing nearer to us. And it doesn't have the best of intentions."

Ana crossed her arms. "Well, whatever it is, I'll help take it down."

"But first, we must find out what it is that we'll be dealing with." Wong said after he quietly thought of the next step they should take. "I'll go to Kamar-Taj and search the texts in the library. Maybe they will help."

Stephen clapped his hands. "Great idea! You go and I'll stay here to meditate."

"Good, that should help." Ana said slowly. Something about Stephen seemed off. He anxiously glanced at the two, as if waiting for them to go and do their own thing.

"Ana, I need you to do a few things for me." Stephen took both of her hands in his, and he pulled her around the table to circle in front of him. She peered up at him, suspicious.

"Yeah..."

Just when he went to open his mouth, Ana's phone rang. Usually he would comment how rude it was that someone would call when he was in the middle of something. Ana watched as Stephen eagerly motioned for her to answer, "Aren't you going to get that? You should get that. I could be important." He told her.

Ana took her phone in her hand, and trailed out of the kitchen, keeping her eyes on Stephen. He waved at her then turned to Wong, practically nudging him out of his seat. Ana shook her head, and waved it off as the headaches getting him to act strange. She answered the call, and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Go for Michaels."

"We need to talk. Meet us at Sally's Diner in Queens in ten."

When the line went dead, Ana scrunched her nose up at Nick's sudden, mysterious request.

"Us?"

Ana pushed through the front door of the quiet little corner diner in Queens. She knew the place well since she used to always drop by for Sally's famous burgers when she was in high school. It had been closed down for a few years after the owner's son packed up and moved to Colorado. The windows had been covered in newspaper, creating a dull atmosphere inside. Ana felt nostalgia as she trailed further into the building. As she surveyed the empty, dusty tables where teens and families used to sit and enjoy lunch everyday, she heard rustling in the back kitchen. The doorway that lead to the kitchen was streamed with beads that would jingle any time someone walked through them.

Ana paused when two figures strolled out. "Nick? Maria?" She questioned once their faces were illuminated from the light.

Nick and Maria walked towards the stunned Warrior, sporting small smiles. They hadn't changed a bit. Maria was dressed in a casual outfit with her aviators hanging on the neckline of her shirt. Fury, as always, wore his signature leather coat. Ana let out a chuckle, reaching out to shake her old boss' hand.

"Good to see you, Michaels." Nick nodded.

"It's been a few years." Maria said, offering Ana a hug.

"Well, yeah, I haven't seen much of you guys after the whole Ultron mess. Is it the Accords?" Ana asked.

Nick directed them all to take a seat at a booth. Ana sat across from them as they dove into a small explanation. Maria set her elbows on the table's surface. At first, she glanced at Fury, as if to ask for the opportunity to go first. He bowed his head, and leaned back into the chair. "After the Accords, we knew it wouldn't be smart for either one of us to stick around when we don't exactly agree with what the government had to say about people like you. So, we went underground and did our own thing for a long time." Maria started off.

"Until a mutual friend asked for our help." Nick added, eyeing his old agent.

Ana's lips parted. "Natasha..." She whispered.

"Do you have any idea what she's been up to since Cap broke out the lot who got caught at the airport?" Nick asked, edging forward to fold his arms on the table.

"Not really." Ana replied, looking down at her hands. "I thought they went underground. Changed their appearance to blend in. And when their type of special occasion came up, they'd do what they're good at, and do this world a favor but stopping whatever bad guys had planned."

"Steve, Nat and Sam have stuck together, travelling the globe to take care of threats before they surface on Ross' radar." Maria said, confirming Ana's assumptions. "We've been giving them a hand with equipment and transport, intel on a few operations... but mostly, they've stayed silent and only reached out when they really needed it. So far, they've taken down terrorists who managed to get their hands on Chitauri weapons."

Ana took in the information, nodding along. Then, it hit her. Her eyebrows furrowed as her lips pressed into a thin line. "And what about Wanda?" She questioned in concern. "She's not with Steve?"

"Word is she's been taking time off to spend it with Stark's robot." Nick told her.

Ana chuckled despite herself. "Vision is a synthetic, artificial intelligent android." She corrected. "There's a big difference."

Maria smiled along as Nick shrugged dismissively. Ana then cleared her throat, "How's Clint? Last I heard, he and Scott Lang are under house arrest."

"We've kept in touch with Barton, and he's alright. He's with his family." Nick began. "Though I can't say I've kept tabs on Lang."

"I feel horrible about their situation." Ana revealed. "They both have families and they were sucked into our drama. Now, they're paying a price and it's entirely our fault. Nick, if there's a chance you can get information on Lang's whereabouts, I'd really like to pay him a visit and apologise in person."

"You got it, Michaels." Nick raised a hand and rested his chin on his closed fist. "So, space? How'd that go?"

Maria's eyes widened significantly at his bluntness. She switched her focus on Ana who deflated with a heavy sigh. Ana threw her head back and looked at the ceiling silently, before reluctantly facing them. "I should tell you how amazing it is up there, but from what I've seen, it's a dark place to be." She told them grimly. "Before I left for space a few weeks ago, I was being hunted down because I am my father's daughter. It led me on a... weird path filled with unbelievable obstacles. I met up with Thor and Loki, found Hulk on a planet, fought as a gladiator in this arena to stay alive, saved the universe by destroying Asgard because Thor's sister — by the way, Thor had a sister he never knew about — the Goddess of Death, Hela, wanted to take over all of the Nine Realms. Before I could get on a ship carrying the last of the Asgardians, I let go and fell into an abyss. I must've gone through a wormhole because not so long after, I ended up falling to Earth. I was taken to Wakanda by a... fisherman, and took refuge there until most of me was healed. Fast forward to arriving back in New York, and here I am."

Nick and Maria stare at Ana, almost as if they couldn't believe their own ears. When she casually crossed her arms, awaiting their response, they blinked for the first time since she started talking. "How many times have you saved the universe?" Maria asked.

"To be honest, I lost count." Ana shrugged. "I'm getting pretty good at it though."

"You found your father." Nick said it as a statement, nodding his head along. Something about his tone made Ana squint at him. He didn't sound intrigued like she thought he would be. She waved it off when he inclined his head, and shook her head.

"No, he's dead." Ana said. "I was enlightened by many, many people on who he was before he fell to Earth. People up there think I'm dead too and that's a good thing because I don't have to worry about space assassins trying to find me and tearing through all of New York when they can't. Dad pissed off some pretty scary things, I'll tell you that."

"I'm sorry we could never really learn much about him with S.H.I.E.L.D." Nick apologised, though it didn't sound sincere. Maria shot him a look of uncertainty when Ana lowered her head to rub her eyes. Maria gave Fury a stern shake of her head, assessing the look on his own face. He had his guard down, but this wasn't the time to start spilling sensitive information.

Ana raised her head and gave him a gentle smile. She hadn't registered his misleading apology. "It's fine. I probably wouldn't have handled it as well as I am now. Now, I've got a better understanding of who I am and where I come from. Being a rookie agent with a past in space, I was gonna need some serious therapy. And imagine if aliens got word I was on Earth, and invaded us. We would've had to deal with an alien invasion before New York, without the Avengers." She chuckled.

"Right." Nick cleared his throat. He avoided her gaze for a few seconds, before relaxing into a smile. "Look, the reason I called you was because I have something very important to tell you."

"What is it?" Ana asked, leaning forward.

The second Nick opened his mouth to respond, a familiar crackling noise behind Ana made her turn around. Wong had made a portal and jumped through it, landing in the closed off diner. Ana's eyes narrowed at his alarmed expression. "What happened?"

"It's Stephen." Wong panted.

Nick and Maria were staring at Wong and the golden circle behind him, unsure of how to take it. Ana slid out off the booth and sent them both fleeting grins. "Sorry, guys, we'll have to finish this conversation another time. We should do this more often!" She exclaimed as she followed Wong into the portal. When it closed, and the diner was short one more person, Nick looked at Maria when she swivelled on her spot and stood up.

"You told me before she got here that you wouldn't tell her anything." Maria muttered, turning around to face him with her arms folded over her chest. She knew this sort of information would change Ana, although she wasn't sure if it would be a good or bad change. Nick slid out of the booth and settled in front of Maria. He lifted a shoulder,

"Ana's gonna find out, and she gonna find out real soon."

"What's happened?"

Ana's heart rate went through the roof when she was all of a sudden overcome with a sense of urgency. Wong's request for her to get back to the Sanctum was vague, but she knew it couldn't be good. The portal closed behind them, and Wong circled around, stopping in front of Ana with his hands anxiously clenching.

"He sent me on a wild goose chase to the library." Wong told her. "He wanted us both out of the way. Perhaps, to do something foolish."

"Where is he?" Ana asked, walking past Wong to search the Sanctum for her friend. "Stephen!" She called, her voice bouncing off the walls and filling the house.

"He's in the Rotunda." Wong revealed. Ana looked at him over her shoulder as he joined her at the staircase. "I saw him on a mountaintop, meditating. Whatever he's up to, we have to trust that he's up to the task."

Ana visibly calmed from Wong's words, and hopped off the staircase, before sitting down on the second step. "Why can't Stephen just ask for help instead of pushing us away?" She questioned, putting her head in her hands. "He knows we're his closest friends."

"I assume his ego won't let him." Wong replied, sitting beside her. Ana raised her head, and glanced at the sorcerer. "Though, I guess he perceives it as trying to protect us from whatever is going on with him."

Ana let out a heavy exhale, nodding. When a pair of footsteps sounded, their heads whipped in the direction of the Rotunda of Gateways. They shared a look, and darted to their feet, running towards the Rotunda in hopes of seeing Stephen. Doctor Strange exited the door that led to the snowy mountaintop, brushing off the white flakes of ice from his shoulders as he turned the dial near the window, switching the visual of the mountaintop to a grassy meadow. When he turned, he was surprised to see both Wong and Ana stand a few feet in front of him, both of them sporting looks of frustration with hints of relief.

"You're back." Wong stated.

"Yes, I am." Stephen replied. "You know, I was actually-"

Ana interrupted him. "Meditating. Yeah, we know." She said. She wanted to reprimand him on his decision to get them out of the way, but stopped herself when she noticed Stephen raise his hands to cradle him warm head. He was experiencing another headache.

"Weren't you supposed to be in Kamar-Taj, reading up on our threat? I didn't think anyone would be here." Stephen said, eyes flickering in Ana's direction.

"Wild goose chase." Wong repeated from his conversation with Ana earlier. "You knew I wouldn't find anything there."

"I did." Stephen sighed. Ana realised his tone matched Nick's when he apologised minutes ago. He didn't sound sorry. That pushed her to think, to look back onto Fury's behaviour and wonder why he acted that way.

"Why did you lie?" Wong asked, stepping forward as Stephen placed his hands on his hips.

"I wasn't sure what would happen when I was on that mountaintop meditating. Wasn't sure what might... follow me back through the glass. I didn't want you or Ana here in case something did." Stephen answered.

"We're here to help." Ana countered, approaching him. She raised her index finger and poked his shoulder. "Wong and I are with you all the way, Stephen. You should know by now that if you need anything, you can always count on us to be there and help you."

"I know, you're my friends." Stephen added, placing his hands on Ana's shoulders when he sensed her frustration building. She was worried sick for his wellbeing, and he was moved she cared so much. "I know this. And it's because of that I had to make sure you would be okay. If anything happened to me, I'd need you two to do something about it." He said, gazing down at Ana with a tender smile.

"I'll never let anything happen to you." Ana declared strongly.

Wong shook his head, realising there was something else Stephen had to say. "Well, what did you learn?"

Stephen traced a circle in the air behind them, and pointed at the portal.

"Come on, I'll show you."

"And we're back here because...?"

Wong looked to Stephen as the doctor brushed past Ana and himself, walking towards a shelf on the far end of the library. Ana couldn't help the smile that spread across her face when she realised she was back in the place where she was taught how to master the Mystic Arts. That was when she mentally noted to collect another Sling Ring to replace the one that was stolen on Sanctuary-2.