SEVENTEEN - A STRANGE REUNION




"This book is useless!" Tony yelled.  He held the spell book up for a moment and then let go of it, the book falling onto the table with a loud bang.  "I can't fucking open it!"

"Well that's bullshit," Killian laughed lightly.  "Ellie's opened it before."  He vaguely motioned to his twin, who was across the room at the other end.

She had a pile of books around her that could possibly hold information on the crystal they were looking for.  There were also books about the Legends of King Arthur, in hopes of finding the place where Morgana could be hiding out.  The family was starting to get antsy.  It's been three and a half weeks since Morgana did her disappearing act, and with no sign of neither the evil ancestor nor the crystal, the family was in edge.  Eliza was only glad her finals would be over next week. That would be one less thing to worry about; one less thing on her shoulders.

Tony and Killian stared at the girl for a moment. Both would be lying if they said they weren't worried for her. Eliza has been throwing herself into her studies as well as trying to get knowledge about the crystal and Morgana, and even some about King Arthur and Merlin. She was trying to get all the knowledge she out get about everything. It almost wasn't healthy. Because she has barely gotten any sleep. Between all the reading and studying, and the visions and nightmares, Eliza's been more sleep deprived than ever. Eventually, Killian looked away from his twin sister, and grabbed the book to look at it. A second later he was easily opening it up, and flipping through the pages.

"Uh, Dad..." He said slowly. Tony looked over at him, away from Eliza, and his eyes widened as Killian lifted the opened book. "You were saying?"

"What the..." He walked up to Killian and grabbed the book. But then suddenly, without Tony even making a move to do so, the book shut. As if it did the action by itself. Tony glanced at Killian with raised eyebrows. "You saw that too, right?" Killian nodded.

Both of them were bewildered. Tony tried to open the book but it wouldn't budge. He handed it the spell book back to his son, who easily opened it without a problem. They passed it back and forth for another moment or two. The two guys were confused at the fact that Tony couldn't open the damn thing but Killian could. Suddenly, Tony grabbed it back from Killian and made his way over to his daughter. He let the book fall out of his hands and onto another, opened book that Eliza had been reading. Eliza opened her mouth to tell the person off, but quickly clamped her mouth shut at seeing her father. She simply gave him an annoyed expression.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Open it," Tony ordered.

Eliza's eyes narrowed slightly but grabbed the book and opened it just like she was told to do. Confusion hit her as Tony grabbed the book, keeping it opened. But then suddenly, it closed by itself. Just like it had earlier when Tony took it from Killian. "Did that thing just close itself or am I that sleep deprived?" She asked, eyes wide.

"Okay, this thing has to be spelled or...or something," Killian sighed. He ran a hand through his already messy hair. "Where'd you get this?"  He picked up the book from his father's hands and inspected the outside of it as if it would give him answers.  Though, all he got was the title of the book.

MERLIN'S BOOK OF SPELLS AND CURSES.

"Some building with random things in it," Eliza leaned back in her wheel chair as she explained, waving a hand lazily.

"Anyone else there? Maybe we can question them."

"Yeah. I already tried, though, when I first found it. He wouldn't say anything so I just threw my sandwich at him and ran off."

"...You threw your sandwich at him?"

"Not the point," Eliza said, shrugging off the looks from her two family members.  Both looks clearly questioned her action as well as found amusement in the situation.  "The point is that some dude had a book Mom wrote!  And I'd like to know why."

"Is there anything about the crystal?" Tony asked.

Eliza shrugged.  "I just looked at the first few pages. I haven't had time to actually exam in the thing."  It was true; she hadn't had time.  "Maybe that Strange dude can help."

"We can't find him!" Killian yelled, frustrated.

Eliza refrained from rolling her eyes at her twin, and simply let out a sigh. She looked up at him from her seat and asked, "What does this man look like? Maybe I can help?"

Killian mumbled something about pulling up a picture, and handed his father the book as he did so.  Tony simply inspected the book as best he could while his son pulled up a picture of Stephen Strange.  Eliza stood up, closed the book she had been reading, and carefully watched Tony.  He seemed clearly frustrated at not being able to open the damn thing.  Soon enough, Killian's phone was being thrusted into Eliza's line of vision, rather close to her face.  She made a noise of surprise and moved her head back so her nose wasn't almost touching the screen.  Slowly, recognized the bearded face.

A smile formed on her lips as she stared at her father and brother.  "I know him," she gladly told them. 

Tony frowned as Killian sputtered at shock, arm lowering the phone from his sister's face.  "What?" They asked at the same time.

"Yeah!  He's the guy I threw my sandwich at."

Tony and Killian stared Eliza for a second until the father of the twins quickly asked, "Well, can you get us to him?"

+++

Once the three of them had stepped through the portal Eliza had made, father and son were looking around the building in slight awe and curiosity. Eliza simply stood there with the book clutched to her chest, an impatient expression covering her features. She had no idea if Stephen Strange was even in the building. So, their unannounced visit could simply be a waist of time. But they couldn't wait for another day; maybe Doctor Strange knew something or someone. He could at least explain why he has a book that the twins' mother helped with.

Luckily, though, their visit was neither a waist of time nor did the family of three had to wait for the Strange man to make his appearance. He looked as he did before – same out fit, same hair, same everything. The Stark kids and their billionaire father quickly noticed him standing at the top of the stairs at the front of the building. Doctor Strange, after giving the three a once over, started walking down the stairs as he finally spoke up.

"I had a feeling you would be back," he said, "Figured if I can't open the damn thing, neither can you. Although, you took longer than I thought."

Killian and Eliza glanced at one another before looking back at the man. "Actually," Killian started. Stephen's eyes quickly moved from Eliza to him. "She can open the book. So can I."

"What?"

"Welcome to the club of officially confused," Tony muttered under his breath. Then, louder, he said, "You must be Doctor Stephen Strange! You know who I am, most likely, but anyway – I'm Tony Stark, this is Killian and Eliza. We need you to come back with us."

+++

After much persuasion (and maybe a little bit of threatening on Eliza's part), Stephen Strange finally gave in and agreed to go back to Avengers Facility with the three Starks. But not after the twins had to explain what was going on and why they wanted, and possibly needed, the book so much. Leaving out the bit about them being Tony Stark's kids, they explained everything to Strange. The man had agreed to help them out, especially after hearing that some evil ancestor was threatening them until she got what she needed. A good half hour later, the four of them were standing in a room around a table with information about Morgana spread out on pieces of paper. The few things they knew about the Reviving Crystal were also on different sheets of paper, as well as notes about Eliza's visions and nightmares.

Strange let out a sigh through his nose, one hand covering his mouth and his other arm crossed over his chest as he thought.  He was scanning over everything.  Once in a while he used his sorcery to bring papers to him that were farther away.  Killian and Eliza just watched him in curiosity.  Other than their mother, and the occasional uncle that popped up while they were little kids, neither twin knew of another with similar abilities as theirs.  Tony, used to magic being used around him, simply looked through the information.

"Now, you're mother wrote this?" Strange asked as he picked up the book from the table.  He used his hands instead of his magic.

Killian and Eliza nodded in unison.  The younger of the two was the one to speak up, "Actually, she helped.  Edited it or something for Merlin."

Strange nodded, giving a hum of acknowledgement towards Killian.  "Well, I think your mom spelled this thing so only her blood could open it.  AKA you two.  If it was just magical beings, I would be able to open it as well," Strange thought aloud.  He handed the book over to Eliza, who quickly took it and held it in her arms.

"Have you read anything about a Reviving Crystal?" Tony asked.

"Infinity Stones, yes.  Crystal, no."

Eliza rolled her eyes.  She glanced down at the book in her arms and then over to her brother.  They made short eye contact before Killian looked away at to Stephen Strange.  He moved around Eliza to where he was standing closer to the former surgeon.

"Do you know anything?" Killian asked.  His dark eyes were narrowed.  He was getting frustrated that even with another sorcerer they were getting no where.  As were Eliza and Tony.

"I know many things.  Just not anything about the crystal."

Killian rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak but Tony beat him to it.  "Do you recognize the name Amethyst Fagles?" The billionaire asked, setting down a paper he had bene looking over.

Strange frowned as he thought.  The twins and their father all looked at him in waiting.  "I haven't," he finally stated.  "But I could ask a few others to see if they have."  Tony nodded, and mumbled a thanks; Eliza and Killian weren't too happy with his answer, but they couldn't be mad at the guy.  "I'll tell you if I find anything."  And then, Doctor Stephen Strange left the building in a sparking circle, leaving the three Starks to stand there in silence.

"I'll look through the spell book," Eliza muttered.  She quickly turned on her heel and left the room they were in, finding an empty room to sit in.  She was disappointed, yes.  The young college student was hoping that Strange could help them, but it had been another dead end and she was starting to lose hope that they'll find the crystal and everything will be okay.  Eliza glanced down at the book in her hands and sighed, using the last bit of her hope to think that the spell book had some sort of answer for them all.

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