Sorcerer in the Marvel Universe

"So..." Sif looked from the headless Destroyer to the unconscious Johnny Blaze, then back to Evenson. "...That was your idea of an honorable duel?"

The Destroyer lay motionless, its head pierced clean through by Evenson’s Chaos Bolt.

Johnny wasn’t in much better shape.

After having the Hellfire forcibly stripped from him, he’d reverted to human form just in time to absorb a point-blank blast from the Destroyer’s disintegration beam. Whether he was alive or dead wasn’t immediately obvious.

As for Evenson...

Aside from breathing heavily, he looked almost untouched.

The corruption itself hadn’t cost him much. Once he’d figured out how fel interacted with the Spirit of Vengeance, contaminating Ghost Rider had become almost routine. Extracting every trace of corrupted Hellfire, compressing it into a single Chaos Bolt, and threading that shot through the Destroyer’s open visor...

That had nearly emptied his reserves.

Still.

Worth it.

Sif remained unconvinced.

The duel she’d imagined involved clashing blades, roaring battle cries, and glorious feats of valor.

Instead she’d watched one combatant quietly manipulate both sides until one killed the other before finishing the survivor himself.

If she had to summarize Evenson’s fighting style...

It was alarmingly underhanded.

"Absolutely," Evenson replied after catching his breath. He sat down on a chunk of broken concrete with complete confidence. "Allow me to explain."

"First, I threw down the Mak’gora banner."

"Second, I loudly issued the formal challenge. Loud enough that both participants could clearly hear it."

"Third, neither of them voiced any objection within twenty seconds."

He spread his hands.

"So both procedurally and ceremonially, everything was perfectly legitimate."

"This was an honorable duel."

Sif frowned.

Something about that argument felt deeply wrong.

Unfortunately...

She couldn’t quite identify where.

She was one of the more level-headed warriors among Thor’s companions, but verbal sparring wasn’t exactly an Asgardian specialty.

After a long silence, she sighed.

"If we ever fight side by side..."

"I will never let you stand behind me."

Watching Evenson casually eliminate whoever happened to be on the front line had been... educational.

Evenson merely smiled.

That’s because your tactical awareness isn’t there yet.

Back when I’d been raiding in World of Warcraft, if melee DPS got caught in my area-of-effect spells, that was considered a learning opportunity.

Nobody complained.

Well...

Nobody who stayed alive long enough to complain.

Leaving Sif to reconsider her life choices, Evenson walked over to Johnny and gave him two firm kicks in the ribs.

"You dead?"

Johnny coughed violently before opening one eye.

"I don’t... think so."

"Congratulations."

Evenson crouched beside him.

"You might actually be the least successful Ghost Rider in history."

"You got played by the very demon you were supposed to stop."

"I handled almost your entire mission."

"I saved your girlfriend."

"And I even cleaned up..." He gestured toward the Destroyer’s smoking remains. "...that."

Johnny rolled his eyes.

"Thanks, I guess."

Then he added dryly, "Your methods are... a little extreme."

You saved Roxanne... then used me as bait while I was human.

If I could stand up right now, I’d punch you.

"I did try to fight alongside you," Evenson reminded him.

"You attacked me first."

Johnny grimaced.

"...Fair."

He remembered swinging that flaming chain the instant Evenson approached.

"I wasn’t exactly myself."

"I understand."

Evenson nodded seriously before leaning closer.

"But remember something."

"You owe me."

"A very large favor."

Johnny didn’t argue.

"You’re right."

Then he hesitated.

"...But the one who owes you is me."

He tapped his own chest.

"The Rider isn’t like that."

"It doesn’t believe in favors."

"And let’s be honest..."

"It isn’t me you’re interested in."

Evenson nodded.

"Correct."

Johnny Blaze was an excellent motorcycle stunt rider.

Useful.

Just...

Not to him.

The Spirit of Vengeance, however?

That was a different story entirely.

"I know the Rider hates people like me."

"Honestly, I think it considers me a walking crime against creation."

"But after I’ve beaten it twice..."

He smiled faintly.

"...it should start learning some manners."

The first time they’d fought, Ghost Rider had forced Evenson to exhaust nearly everything he had before finally falling.

This time...

The battle had ended almost instantly.

The ambush certainly helped, but the result probably wouldn’t have changed much even in a direct fight.

Fel energy was simply too effective against the Spirit of Vengeance.

"And besides..."

Evenson’s smile turned strangely mysterious.

"No one escapes a debt they owe me."

Johnny opened his mouth to respond.

Evenson cut him off first.

"If you’re capable of standing, do it."

"We’ve got company."

Johnny blinked.

"Company?"

He glanced around the abandoned facility.

"More people from the base?"

Evenson looked toward a nearby patch of darkness.

"We just completed a contract."

"It would be rude if the client didn’t inspect the finished product."

A low chuckle echoed through the shadows.

"Heh... heh..."

A man emerged slowly, leaning on a crystal skull cane.

Mephisto.

"As perceptive as ever."

"If I weren’t," Evenson replied calmly, "I’d have died a long time ago."

Mephisto nodded.

That fit perfectly with his image of Evenson.

A demon-affiliated sorcerer who lacked caution wouldn’t survive long before offending something far more dangerous than himself.

"Well," Evenson said, pointing toward Blackheart’s corpse, "our agreement has been fulfilled."

"I delivered your son."

"And as a complimentary service..."

"I even got Carter Slade killed."

"No need to thank me."

"Excellent."

Mephisto smiled with obvious satisfaction.

"Very excellent."

"In that case, our business is concluded."

Evenson turned to leave.

"Wait."

Mephisto’s voice stopped him.

"Where is the Contract of San Venganza?"

Without turning around, Evenson answered calmly.

"I don’t remember that being part of our agreement."

After a brief pause, he looked back over his shoulder.

"But I’ll tell you anyway."

"Thor found it."

"He decided the contract was too dangerous to remain on Earth."

"So he took it back to Asgard."

Mephisto narrowed his eyes.

"Really?"

Frankly...

He found it easier to believe Evenson had hidden the contract for himself.

Evenson immediately pulled Sif forward.

"She can confirm it."

Mephisto looked her over.

"And who is she?"

"Lady Sif of Asgard."

"...And?"

"I assumed you’d recognize someone who’s one of Prince Thor’s closest companions."

Evenson smiled.

"Very close."

Recognition dawned in Mephisto’s eyes.

He finally remembered exactly who Sif was.

One of Odin’s most trusted warriors.

A woman widely believed to be the future queen of Asgard.

Her words carried weight.

Sif stepped forward before Mephisto could speak again.

"Listen carefully, demon."

She had no idea whether Thor had actually taken the contract.

She hadn’t even been conscious when he’d left Earth.

But none of that mattered.

Midgard belonged under Asgard’s protection.

She would not allow a devil to dictate terms here.

"Prince Thor personally carried your corrupt contract back to Asgard."

"It has likely already been destroyed."

"And hear this warning."

"If you ever return to Midgard to spread chaos again..."

"You will answer to Asgard."

Mephisto merely smiled.

"I am Mephisto."

"The ruler of Hell."

"Have you considered the consequences of threatening me?"

"Such words could start a war between Hell and Asgard."

His tone remained almost conversational.

"But tell me..."

"Can you truly speak for Asgard... little girl?"

To Mephisto, Sif was exactly that.

Young.

Talented.

Important, perhaps.

But hardly someone authorized to declare war on behalf of Odin.

He wanted to see whether she would flinch.

She didn’t.

"Asgard does not fear war."

Her answer came without hesitation.

Whether she possessed that authority or not...

Backing down was unthinkable.

Mephisto remained unfazed.

"And would Odin agree?"

"Asgard has just survived an... unfortunate incident."

He glanced meaningfully toward the ruined Destroyer.

"You’ve suffered losses."

"Creating another powerful enemy hardly seems wise."

"Or," Evenson interrupted, "it could be the wisest thing possible."

Both turned toward him.

"Asgard has just emerged from internal conflict."

"The obvious strategy is recovery."

"Rebuild."

"Stabilize."

"Strengthen alliances."

He smiled faintly.

"But history offers another option."

"A successful external war."

Understanding flashed across Mephisto’s face.

Of course.

A victorious campaign would unite the Nine Realms behind the throne, silence political dissent, and prove that Asgard remained every bit as powerful despite its recent turmoil.

If Hell chose this exact moment to provoke them...

It would be handing Asgard the perfect opportunity.

Mephisto wasn’t afraid of war.

He simply had no interest in fighting one that benefited only his enemy.

His mind immediately began weaving connections.

Perhaps Thor hadn’t taken the Contract of San Venganza because it was evil.

Perhaps he’d taken it as bait.

An excuse to lure Hell into making the first move.

What an elaborate scheme...

Unfortunately for Mephisto...

Thor had never thought that far ahead.

"I’ll let the matter rest."

Mephisto abandoned the subject entirely.

Instead, he turned toward Johnny.

"Return the Spirit of Vengeance."

"Our contract is complete."

Johnny answered without the slightest hesitation.

"No."

"I’ll keep this power."

"And from now on..."

"I’ll use it to hunt you."

"If I were you..."

"I’d stay in Hell."

Far above them, the battle on Asgard had also reached its conclusion.

Thor stood before the shattered remains of the Bifrost, staring silently into space.

Something...

Something important had slipped his mind.

Then it hit him.

"Sif."

He winced.

She was still on Earth.

With the Rainbow Bridge destroyed, retrieving her would have to wait.

He nodded to himself.

Problem identified.

Then another nagging feeling surfaced.

I’m forgetting something else...

He frowned.

Couldn’t remember.

Must not have been important.

As he turned toward the palace, he suddenly remembered the ancient scroll Evenson had entrusted to him before they parted.

Curious, he unrolled it.

The message inside read:

To Prince Thor.

If you’re reading this before returning to Earth for Lady Sif, then something has probably prevented you from coming sooner.

When you do come back...

Please reimburse me for her living expenses.

Food is on the house.

The alcohol isn’t.

Thor stared at the letter.

His eye twitched.

Then another.

"..."

The palace echoed with an indignant roar.

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