Cosmic Awareness

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Bucky woke up to the sound of fluttering. It was quiet, but enough for him to open his eyes. At first, he couldn't remember where he was. The events of last night still had him in a buzzed state. He could practically feel Ana in his arms with the taste of her lips lingering on his mouth. He didn't have to reach out far across the single bed to know she wasn't beside him. He raised his upper body from the mattress by angling his elbows underneath him. He reached up to rub his eyes with his right hand and frowned when he noticed Ana sitting crossed legged in front of the open window. The curtains were waving due to the air that filled the room.

"Ana?" Came Bucky's groggy call.

When she didn't respond to his voice, Bucky stood up and approached her, frown deepening when he noticed her eyes were closed. He looked down at her hands, finding that she had mystic runes rotating around her forearms. He then straightened up and realised what she was doing. Ana was meditating. The sorcerer way. He remembered when she told him about it. Ana would tell him it was a great chance to clear her head and relax. Bucky was well aware of the stress and pressure she had gone through to get to her father, so seeing her like this wasn't worrying him. In fact, he was glad she took time to focus on herself for a change. He leaned down and pressed a kiss on her head, not noticing the corners of her lips turn up gently.

Ana's Astral form hovered outside her open window and she smiled at Bucky as he strolled outside the room, calling for Marcus. She breathed in deeply and turned around to face the morning sun, exhaling slowly to help her nerves untether. She was well overdue for this. To allow her soul to be apart from her body. She felt a lot calmer outside the confines of her physical form. In her Astral body, she didn't feel the constant dull pain from her still healing wounds and scrapes. She enjoyed the feel of the wind that travelled through her. She liked to think it took some of her inferior thoughts and sensations with it. With a wide grin, Ana launched her weightless form into the air, reaching for the clouds. No one could hear the sound of her pure laughter as she weaved left and right along the way up. If they did, they would see the carefree woman with the stars in her sights.

Ana's arms were situated forward, guiding the rest of her body as she flew towards the sky. When she was high enough, Ana came to a stop and closed her eyes. She let her arms fall to her sides and dove backwards, breathing out at the wonderful sensation of free falling. Ana felt it was just as good as flying. She was getting further from the clouds, closer to the ground. Closer to reality.

The Astral Dimension was usually a quiet place. A peaceful place. It blocked out the constant noise and disturbance from the real world. The mystical plane should be tranquil. Composed. But, as Ana positioned her hands behind her head to further enjoy descending, she felt a ripple. It urged her to face the direction of the Sanctum Sanctorum. She could make out Greenwich Village to her right. Even at this height miles above ground, she found the Sanctum. The Window of Worlds reflected the sunlight in a way that told her it saw her too. And that it knew. The Sanctum felt what Ana was feeling.

Ana paused mid air and listened for the ripple. For the interruption in the otherwise uninterrupted dimension. Her head tilted upwards when an invisible force guided her focus to the stars. Ana frowned. What was it? What was the universe trying to tell her? When the ripple found her Astral form once again, it had become more distinguished. Less hazy. Enough for her to know it shouldn't be ignored.

When the universe calls, the Warrior has no choice but to answer, Ana thought to herself.

Ana's ears perked up when she could hear Bucky call her name. She frowned when he sounded frantic. "And when Bucky calls, Ana's gotta get her ass back to the real world."

Stephen Strange was meditating in front of the Anomaly Rue in the Sanctum Sanctorum.

Eyes closed and legs crossed, arms extended and back straight. His body wouldn't move, but his Astral form was soaring. He hadn't been focusing well these past few days. His mind was on Ana. He hadn't heard from her ever since she left for Wakanda. Even though she would send him text updates on what she was up to, he couldn't help but feel worried. Her belongings were still in her room at the Sanctum, untouched and seemingly abandoned. Stephen knew Ana would disappear without a word for days, even weeks, and she would return sometimes wounded, but alive. Her frequent space travels were enough to drive him mad. Stephen understood she wanted to explore more of the cosmic side of her, but there were uncountable threats lurking in the stars. Thankfully, he could still sense her presence. It had been closer than the day before. But there was something else. Something he couldn't comprehend. Ana was still Ana, but there was something new to her. Next to her. With her. It didn't feel like Thor, or Loki. It felt a lot more stronger. Older.

The more he tried to decipher the new presence, the more his mind strained. Sweat lined the skin on his forehead as he released a soft grunt. His eyes then snapped open the second his Astral form entered his physical body. Then, a loud bang. It came from the ground floor. Wong yelled Stephen's name, and in an instant, Stephen appeared above him with the Cloak of Levitation flowing behind his back. His feet met with the ground and he stared at the downed Cauldron of the Cosmos. Usually, the mystical object remained upright at all times. Nothing could get it to tip over. There hadn't been an earthquake. Wong hadn't decided to start breaking things. So, what made the Cosmic Cauldron fall?

Wong hadn't teared his eyes away from the cauldron. He was grateful it hadn't shattered to pieces. It would've signified a horrible occurrence. Although, as he lowered his body to inspect it further, he found that the fall gave the cauldron an odd fissure. Stephen, unaware of what it meant, shrugged his shoulders at Wong's behaviour. "You need some superglue?" He questioned.

Wong narrowed his eyes at the doctor. "No. Something as simple as glue couldn't fix this. This is a sign. A warning." He informed Stephen, propping the Cauldron of the Cosmos upright once again.

Stephen suppressed a laugh. "A warning that we shouldn't keep it next to the staircase?"

Wong wasn't in the mood for Stephen's antics. "What were you doing during your meditation?"

Stephen lowered his eyes. He contemplated lying, but Wong would see right through it. "Looking for Ana."

Wong straightened up his robes and sent Stephen a nod. "How is she?" He asked, curious to know where his fellow sorcerer had gone.

"I think she's somewhere in the city. But there was something else... something I couldn't exactly get a handle on when the cauldron fell over. You do know how meditation works, right? It usually requires a little bit of uninterrupted peace." Stephen remarked.

Wong rolled his eyes. "And yet, somehow, I imagine you'll get over it. You may have noticed in your more frequent travels through the Astral Dimension that there's a foreboding air surrounding the Sanctums as of late." He told Stephen, having felt the disruption himself recently. He turned on his feet and walked off. Stephen, having lived with the man for a couple years now, knew he was supposed to follow. He sighed to himself and kept in step with Wong.

"Since I met you, I've lived in a constant state of foreboding, Wong." Stephen deadpanned.

"Interesting to note, then, how far it is you've come since we met after your introduction to the Ancient Once at Kamar-Taj and your studies in the Mystic Arts where you grew to understand the significants of the Multiverse and the mystical powers we safeguard this world against." Wong commented, stepping in the library on the first floor with Stephen beside him. He sent the surgeon a look before dropping his gaze to the Eye of Agamotto that hung around his neck. "Some of those lessons, as I recall, came right in the nick of time."

Stephen's mind travelled back to the day he, Wong, Mordo and Ana battled against Kaecilius. "Well, by my estimation, if I hadn't learned how to use the Eye of Agamotto's ability to reverse time and stop Kaecilius and his Zealots, we would've been screwed in China."

Wong allowed himself to smirk at the memory. "And Ana wouldn't have gotten her free dumplings and noodle soup after."

Stephen chuckled fondly, recalling how happy she had been at the sight of food. "She's a special girl."

Ana's hand rubbed her temples as she followed Bucky down the staircase. She had forgotten about the effects of a sudden withdrawal from the Astral Dimension could do to the mind. When she made it back to her physical form, Bucky had told her about Marc's unusual behaviour. When the metal armed solider left Ana to find her father, he stumbled upon a concerning scene. Marcus was in the backyard, pacing back and forth with his head in his hands. Bucky was willing to talk to Marcus about what was going through his head, to try and help him calm down. It was working if only for a few minutes. Bucky could see the change in Marc's eyes. They were losing focus. They were getting teary. Marc was having a difficult time with his sense of reality. What was real and what wasn't.

From Marc's perspective, Bucky's face was changing. It was turning into someone else. Someone from his past. Someone from the stars. A friend. A brother. He was screaming at Marcus without sound. He was trying to warn him about something. The future. The incoming. The man was desperate. He needed help. The red star on his gold helmet was dripping with blood. His suit was torn and damaged. He was hurt. All Marcus could do was stand there, wide eyed and completely still. His body was having a hard time registering the fact that his mind was lightyears away. He didn't remember it ever being this painful. He blamed his fractured mind. His past was melding with his present too fast and too soon. When Bucky had left his side, he couldn't move. He wanted to scream for help just as his friends in the stars had. He was worried it was too late. Marcus was afraid that the warning was decades old, that it was just his past catching up to him. But the more he saw his friend, the more he tried to figure out what he was seeing, he realised how real it was.

Marcus needed to go home.

The corners of Ana's lips turned upside down when she saw her father. Marcus seemed to be caught in some sort of cosmic aura. She didn't know what it meant or what it was doing to him. Judging by the look of terror in his eyes, Ana knew Marcus wasn't enjoying any of it. Without thinking about the possible consequences of breaking through the cosmic aura, Ana stormed towards Marcus with a slight plan. Though, before she could grip his hand and yank him free, he let out a groan and collapsed on his own. Bucky thought it would be best if he stood back, away from the explosive man. He watched on as Ana knelt beside her father and tapped the side of his face.

Ana lightly nudged Marc's cheek, feeling just how warm he was to the touch. "What the hell was that?" She asked him, tone strict and forward. She wanted to know why this was happening to him and how long it would go on. She needed to know if there was any way she could help him out of it. Help him come to terms with all of it. Ana wanted her father feel safe. But him and his constant side effects are getting in the way of that wish.

Marcus sat up and rubbed his flaming head. He didn't know how to explain it to her. He didn't fully understand any of it either. With a deep breath, Marc lifted his eyes so he could look into Ana's and said, "I think... I think it's my Cosmic Awareness."

Ana frowned. "What does that mean exactly?"

"The Awareness is a very powerful thing." Marcus began to say. The words that left his mouth were followed by more and more knowledge of the Awareness with every passing second his mind pondered over it. His memories were becoming clearer. "Too powerful. It allows me to sense disturbances and changes within the cosmic ether on a universal scale. I used it sparingly in the past. I paced myself with it. Too much of it could make anyone go insane. I thought... I thought it was taken from me. That I'd lost it. But it turns out it was just dormant for all these years, and when it came back..." He whispered softly, replaying the scene he witnessed seconds ago, "It damn near cost me my own mind. Again."

Bucky spoke up before he could stop himself. "You're a strange guy, Marcus." He mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Marc breathed out a chuckle despite Ana's offended expression. "You have no idea, James." He remarked.

Ana helped her father to his feet when he gestured for her to take his hands. "This can't be a coincidence. First the Astral Dimension is giving me a weird vibe then this happens..." Ana trailed off and glanced at Marc, "Tell me, what did you see?"

Marc tilted his head. How the hell was he going to talk them through what he saw? An idea popped into his head and he nervously chuckled. "Uh, any of you guys seen Star Wars?" He asked.

Bucky rolled his eyes whereas Ana instantly grinned. "Only about a million times." She stated.

"In the Last Jedi, when Rey's on Ahch-To with Luke, she communicates with Kylo Ren through the Force. Right? She sees him and talks to him as if they're in the same room." Marcus begins to explain.

Ana was surprised how easy it was to understand.

Bucky, on the other hand, was undeniably lost.

Ana squinted. "Wait, when did you see the Last Jedi?" She asked, having known it recently came out in theatres.

Marcus shrugged. "Fury took me to see it once in Vancouver." He said simply.

Ana wasn't convinced.

Marcus sighed. "Okay, Fury got me a bootlegged version on DVD." He corrected. "It had Chinese subtitles but otherwise totally watchable."

Ana thought that was more like Fury and motioned for Marcus to continue. "Anyway, what I saw, or at least what I think I saw, was my friend — Richard Rider. He looked like he was hurt. He was screaming at me, trying to get me to listen. But I couldn't hear a thing. It was like the universe was on mute. I could make out explosions in the space behind me through the reflections on his helmet. I could feel the heat of fire surrounding me. Only it didn't feel like fire, it felt more... powerful. Despite all of that, all that I saw, I've got this feeling like it wasn't real. At least not as real as you two. There might be a chance that it all happened when I didn't have the Awareness. When I was on Earth, without my powers. If that's true, blue blazes I hope it isn't, then something terrible has already happened to him, and I wasn't there to help him out of it. I wasn't there for Rich." Marc's voice went quieter and softer by the time he finished speaking. His eyes began to tear up at the reality of him leaving so much behind for so long.

Ana breathed out, finding what her father had shared to be upsetting, and wrapped her arms around him when he buried his face in his hands. She looked at Bucky over Marc's shoulder and saw that he was affected by his words also. He gave Ana a sympathetic look, digging his hands into his pockets before approaching the two. Ana licked her lips and looked up at nothing in particular, already feeling her eyes sting with unshed tears. Right now, Ana wanted nothing more than getting her father back to the man he used to be. Seeing him like this was breaking her spirit. She hated it and she wanted it to stop. If it took her having to scream at the stars for it to end, she'd do it a thousand times over. Hell, she'd do anything for the people she loved to be safe and happy.

"I'm sorry, Marcus. I'm so sorry this is happening to you."

Wong had his hands behind his back as his eyes skimmed over the spines of each book on the third shelf in the library. He was standing at the section closest to the doors. He knew he wouldn't find what he was looking for in front of him, but Stephen's Cloak of Levitation was occupying the space in front of the bracket he was supposed to be at. Strange was sprawled across the crimson sofa in the centre of the room, yellow-gloved hands folded on his chest as he stared at the ceiling. Wong was in the middle of explaining the mystical balance that had to be maintained and how the Eye of Agamotto was one such facet of that cosmic balance.

"So, you're saying there are five more of these?" Stephen asked Wong, looking down at the amulet on his chest.

Wong picked out a book and opened it up to the index page. "Ana said she lost this one." He hummed.

Stephen's gaze flickered towards the book in Wong's hands and shook his head. "Yeah, the Sanctum likes to play tricks on her. I found it on the ceiling of her room." He informed him dismissively. He wanted to get back to the topic at play. "Let's get back to the cosmic balance subject. There's five more Infinity Stones?"

Wong placed the book back in it's rightful place and faced Stephen. "Yet again, your memory serves you well. But you must not confuse knowledge with enlightenment."

"Fair enough, why don't you enlighten me?" Stephen mused, sitting up.

"While Agamotto wielded the Time Stone out of necessity in order to protect out dimension, there are those who have sought out other Stones purely in the pursuit of their own lust for power. In World War Two, Johann Schmidt, the man known as the Red Skull, obtained an object referred to as the Tesseract, which in actuality was an object of containment for what we know to be the Space Stone." Wong explained. "Schmidt went on to build Hydra into the most formidable force the world had ever seen. With it's Tesseract-powered technology, it almost gave them the war. Thankfully, the Allied Forces had a secret weapon of their own."

Stephen decided to take over, having heard this part of history many times. "And Captain America stopped Red Skull from unleashing the destructive power of the Tesseract upon the world and sacrificed himself so that others wouldn't try to follow in the Red Skull's footsteps. I know. I remember Ana telling me this story six times — twice on the Fourth of July."

Wong sat across Stephen on a seperate armchair. "She was also there when the Battle of New York happened. Remember that?" He rose a brow.

Stephen shrugged. "Then why isn't she here?"