Sorcerer in the Marvel Universe

Mephisto left exactly as he’d arrived.

With a swirl of black smoke.

Not a single soul followed him back to Hell.

On paper, the Lord of Hell had suffered a disastrous defeat.

His son was dead.

The Contract of San Venganza was gone.

Even the Spirit of Vengeance, one of his most reliable agents, had slipped beyond his grasp.

Unable to exert much of his true power on Earth, Mephisto settled for one venomous curse before disappearing into the smoke.

Strangely...

That bothered Evenson more than the curse itself.

The curse was meaningless.

Mephisto’s behavior wasn’t.

Blackheart had been an expendable pawn from the beginning. He’d been born from one of Mephisto’s passing whims, and his reckless ambition had practically been suicide. A devil like Mephisto wasn’t the type to mourn a son he’d never truly valued.

As for Ghost Rider...

Losing the Spirit of Vengeance was inconvenient, but hardly permanent.

Johnny Blaze could refuse to honor the bargain all he wanted.

Carter Slade had done exactly the same thing over a century ago.

Eventually, the Spirit of Vengeance had drifted away from him and returned to Mephisto, allowing Johnny to become the next Ghost Rider.

Yes, it had taken more than a hundred years.

To a being as ancient as Mephisto, that was little more than a patient afternoon.

The only meaningful loss was the Contract of San Venganza.

Even then...

Only to a point.

If Mephisto truly coveted the contract as desperately as the legends claimed, he never would have allowed it to remain hidden on Earth for over a century. No matter how well Carter Slade concealed it, a Hell Lord could always find his own Rider if he genuinely wished to.

Which meant Mephisto’s actual losses weren’t nearly as severe as they appeared.

So why the performance?

Evenson tapped a finger against his temple.

Was Mephisto really just that petty?

No.

He dismissed the thought almost immediately.

The devil wasn’t generous by any stretch of the imagination, but elegance was woven into his very nature. Even if he’d suffered losses ten times greater than today, he would have remained every inch the refined gentleman while plotting revenge behind a pleasant smile.

Not...

Throwing a tantrum.

Evenson’s eyes narrowed.

I see.

He wanted me to believe he’d reached the end of his rope.

A deliberate display of frustration... so I’d lower my guard.

Then, when the opportunity came... he’d collect everything back with interest.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

Great.

One more ancient schemer to worry about.

Looks like redeeming that contract in the future is going to require a lot more caution.

As for pretending the contract didn’t exist...

Not happening.

Ryan Mercer had permanently lowered several demons’ opinions of Warlock ethics by literally selling pieces of his own soul for gold.

Even so...

There were principles every Warlock lived by.

Once a soul entered your inventory...

There were no refunds.

He wasn’t about to spit it back out now.

Besides...

If everything worked out the way he intended, Mephisto would ultimately receive exactly what he’d bargained for.

A perfectly fair trade.

"...Are you alright?"

Sif’s voice broke his train of thought.

She’d been watching him stand motionless for several minutes, alternating between rubbing his forehead, narrowing his eyes dramatically, and changing expressions every few seconds.

She was beginning to wonder if the battle had damaged his brain.

Evenson blinked.

"Hm? I’m fine."

He hadn’t even noticed the look of concerned pity on her face.

"I’m sorry," he said sincerely. "I dragged you into all of this."

Sif shook her head.

"Protecting Midgard from the forces of Hell is Asgard’s responsibility."

"You don’t need to apologize."

Then she stepped a little closer.

"Besides..."

"Wasn’t this your plan from the beginning?"

Evenson gave an awkward laugh.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Oh?"

She folded her arms.

"You evacuated every civilian from this facility."

"You clearly knew the devil was coming."

"And yet..."

"You left me here while I was unconscious."

She gave him a knowing look.

"I think your intentions are fairly obvious."

"So that’s why I apologized twice."

His grin became even more sheepish.

"And that’s why I told you twice..."

"It was my duty."

She smiled.

"Besides, you helped Thor."

"I won’t forget that."

Evenson placed a hand dramatically over his heart.

"Your generosity is deeply appreciated."

He looked toward the eastern horizon.

The first rays of dawn were beginning to break across the sky.

"I think it’s time we left."

"Left?"

Sif looked around.

"Where?"

"This was only a temporary base."

Evenson gestured toward the abandoned facility.

"A distinguished guest like you should be welcomed properly."

"Our headquarters is much more comfortable."

Sif hesitated.

"I should stay here."

"I need to wait for Thor."

"Think about it."

Evenson snapped his fingers, and the Black Scythe rolled obediently toward them.

"If Thor won, then the fighting in Asgard is already over."

"But the Bifrost hasn’t appeared."

"Something must have prevented him from coming."

"The Rainbow Bridge may have been damaged during the battle."

"So..."

"You’ll probably be stranded here for a while."

Sif reluctantly nodded.

The explanation made sense.

"But if I leave..."

"What if Thor comes looking for me?"

Evenson stared at her.

"...Heimdall operates the Bifrost."

"The man can literally see across the Nine Realms."

"No matter where you are on Earth, he can open the bridge beside you."

He couldn’t help thinking that romance really did strange things to otherwise intelligent people.

Sif sighed.

"...Fair enough."

Evenson opened the passenger door for her.

As she climbed inside, he asked casually,

"You’re worried that spending too much time apart will hurt your relationship with Thor."

She didn’t answer.

She didn’t have to.

Her expression said enough.

Evenson started the engine.

"I actually think some distance might help."

Sif turned sharply toward him.

"Help?"

She’d only taken her eyes off Thor for a few days.

In that time, he’d already met Jane Foster.

If they stayed apart even longer...

"I’ve noticed something."

Evenson guided the vehicle onto the highway.

"You’ve always stayed at Thor’s side."

"You’ve followed his lead."

"Agreed with him."

"Supported every decision."

He glanced at her.

"And where has that gotten you?"

Sif looked down.

Nowhere.

If it had worked...

There wouldn’t be another woman occupying Thor’s thoughts.

"It isn’t surprising."

Evenson’s voice softened.

"No one falls in love with their own shadow."

She froze.

"You need to become your own person."

"Not an extension of him."

"Not someone who simply echoes his choices."

"He has to notice you."

"Otherwise..."

He shrugged.

"Even after his human romance ends someday, you’ll still struggle to reach the place in his heart you want."

Sif sat quietly for several moments.

Finally...

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

Evenson smiled faintly.

"I’ve already told you."

"I’m rooting for you."

After a short silence, he brushed a hand through his hair.

"Actually... there’s something I’d like to ask."

"I meant to bring it up last night."

"But events got... complicated."

"What is it?"

Sif answered readily.

"If it’s within my power, I’ll help."

"I’d like to visit Asgard."

His eyes gleamed with unmistakable anticipation.

"As a private individual."

"No political agenda."

"No diplomatic mission."

"Just... a personal visit."

Sif considered the request carefully.

"Asgard doesn’t normally welcome outsiders."

"But..."

"You’re Thor’s friend."

"And you’ve helped him."

"I believe the Allfather would permit it."

"That’s all I needed to hear."

Satisfied, Evenson accelerated onto the open road.

Once they reached the highway, he called Phil Coulson, who was still stationed in the nearby town, instructing S.H.I.E.L.D. to return and clean up the aftermath before driving toward headquarters.

They hadn’t traveled even two miles before flashing lights appeared behind them.

A traffic officer waved them to the shoulder.

"Morning."

"We’re conducting DUI checks."

He leaned toward the driver’s window.

"Sir, I’d like you to step out and blow into the breathalyzer."

Evenson stared blankly.

...

Last night had been... busy.

Had he actually been drinking?

He honestly couldn’t remember.

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