The Ancient One: "You should become the next Sorcerer Supreme."
Bant froze, his expression twisting into something truly bizarre—as if she had just asked him to assassinate the entire Journey to the West cast.
"You must be joking, Master Ancient One. I can't even use magic."
He declined without hesitation.
What was so great about being Sorcerer Supreme?
Not even a dog would take that job.
Sure, the title sounded impressive. But in reality? You'd be chained to the Sanctum, forced to stand guard against dimension-devouring gods, and receive absolutely nothing in return. As for the Time Stone in the Ancient One's possession—Bant didn't care for it in the slightest.
He already had Clock King stored inside his little busted watch, plus X-Superman who transcended time and space. The Time Stone? It was only useful within this universe.
Leave the universe, and it's just a pretty rock.
More importantly, Bant had zero desire to sit in a Sanctum all day creating problems for himself.
"You possess extraordinary magical potential," the Ancient One said earnestly. "If you stayed at Kamar-Taj, you would become our most gifted sorcerer. In fact, the greatest in all of history."
…Huh?
I'm the best?
A strange look slid across Bant's face. For a moment he wondered if she was teasing him—or if literally anyone who walked through the door could be declared "the greatest."
So that raised a question: who actually was the greatest?
Ned (somewhere offscreen): "Definitely not Strange."
"I thought Stephen Strange was supposed to be the most talented…" Bant said.
"He would have been," the Ancient One replied with a nod. She wasn't surprised Bant knew about Strange. She continued calmly, "But then you appeared."
She rose from her seat and circled him slowly.
"Inside you lies immense potential. It is magic, but also something beyond magic. You call it… Tennyson Energy."
"Tennyson Energy?"
Bant blinked.
"…Wait—don't tell me I have Anodite blood?"
In the animated series, both Ben and Gwen Tennyson possessed partial Anodite lineage—beings of pure energy capable of instinctively wielding life-force.
But those with diluted bloodlines found it notoriously difficult to awaken any abilities. Even Ben and Gwen's fathers, both half-Anodite, never unlocked theirs.
The Ancient One shook her head. "No. Your lineage is purely human. But based on your own explanation, every living species possesses Tennyson Energy."
Bant nodded.
That was indeed the case. Hex and Zs'Skayr, though not Anodite beings, could still use magic through the manipulation of Tennyson Energy.
Zs'Skayr, however, could only use spell-artifacts, while Hex had innate talent.
"But in this dimension, Tennyson Energy does not exist," the Ancient One continued, her calm gaze fixed on him. "You are the only being who possesses it, Mr. Parker."
Behind her composed tone was unmistakable fervor.
Bant might see Tennyson Energy as just another superpower. But to the Ancient One? It was a seed—one that could sprout and transform this world.
Here, every sorcerer relied on dimensional entities for power. They had to borrow magic before they could cast it.
But Bant—he could draw power from within.
And release it outward.
He could overturn the entire structure of magic on Earth.
But Bant still refused.
Power was fine. Responsibility that came packaged with it? Absolutely not.
"Maybe I'll change my mind one day," he said, shaking his head. "But right now, I don't plan on wasting time learning magic."
With his busted little watch on his wrist, magic was merely decorative.
The Ancient One didn't push further. She had already expected this outcome, though she had hoped for a miracle.
"I'll send you back."
She opened another portal and watched silently as Bant stepped through.
A few moments later, Baron Mordo approached. Jealousy and shadow dulled his eyes, but he still spoke with respect.
"Master Sorcerer Supreme… what you said earlier—was it true?"
"I couldn't sense even a hint of magical aptitude in him. Yet you claim he would surpass us all…"
"You not sensing it is normal," the Ancient One replied flatly. But her gaze remained fixed on the direction Bant had vanished—even though that space was already empty.
"It's not about talent. He is… exceptional."
She paused, choosing her words carefully.
"Perhaps he could become a new Dimensional God."
—
Back in Queens.
The Ancient One didn't return Bant to Oscorp Tower. She sent him directly home instead.
Diamond War-God form was far too large for the tiny room, but the transformation time limit hit soon enough, and he reverted to normal.
After storing away his serum, his mind drifted straight to Oscorp.
Tonight's battle had nearly obliterated the tower. From the outside it still looked intact, but the interior was wrecked beyond recognition.
"I wonder how badly this will affect Norman…"
If Oscorp collapsed here, it would devastate Norman Osborn.
Originally, Bant wouldn't have cared. But Norman had treated him quite well. Yes, there were ulterior motives—but he had genuinely invested hundreds of millions into Bant.
Bant didn't care if Norman was good or evil. He only cared that Norman had helped him.
"When the equipment arrives and the new lab is ready, I'll fix the genetic defect for Norman and Harry first. It's the least I can do."
Just as he was mulling over the thought, a sudden tingling shot across his scalp. Then came a weak tapping at the window.
He turned—and found Peter slumped against the glass.
He was soaked. His hair clung to his face. He reeked.
"Did you shower in the sewer?"
Bant pinched his nose, deeply offended, but still opened the window.
Peter practically collapsed inside. His limbs were trembling, his whole body drained. He leaned against the wall, gasping.
"Went swimming. Also drank… several mouthfuls. High fecal content…"
He gave a dying thumbs-up.
"Authentic Ganges flavor."
Bant nearly threw him back outside.
But the bloody gash across Peter's chest stopped him.
The sewage was crawling with bacteria. If they didn't disinfect it, infection was almost guaranteed.
Although, with Spider-Man's physique, maybe his immune system would just annihilate the pathogens on its own…
/-\
~ PLEASE! don't forget to leave a REVIEW!
~ +20 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/Its_Zack
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access Patreon normally.)
/-\
~# Keep the chapters coming - Support with Power Stones!
~# Every 50 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter