Interlude: Baldy again

TAO was walking casually to her office. It was a normal day for her, the reality isn’t threatened in any way today, and she has some time to rest. But when she entered her office, she saw a man just near the window, leaning against the wall.

TAO sighed as she saw who it was.

“Mr. Smith, how can I help you?” she questioned calmly, but inside, she was feeling nervous.

“Nervous are you?” Pluto chuckled. “You didn’t see me coming?”

TAO was a bit annoyed that he had guessed why she was nervous in the first place. “Please Mr. Smith, sit, and speak your mind.”

“Feisty today?” Pluto shook his head in amusement and sat down on the chair in front of TAO’s desk.

“What do you want, Mr. Smith?”

“What? Let’s chat first, Boudica, how’ve you been?”

“I am spectacular.” TAO forced a smile. “How have you been, Mr. Smith?”

“Mostly just bored.” Pluto shrugged. “Nothing to do really except painting, I’m not the CEO of Smith Enterprises anymore, though I still hold full control over it, I don’t really do anything about it though, just occasionally tell the CEO to invest here and there, like that guy, Bill Gates.”

“You certainly have used the power of the time stone, Mr. Smith.” TAO stated casually. “Anyway, enough talking, why are you here?”

Pluto smiled, and he leaned towards the desk. “Do you know… about a book called the Darkhold?”

TAO frowned instantly. “No, Mr. Smith, I will not tell you where it is.”

“But you do know it, right?” questioned Pluto. “You tore off a page from it after all.”

“The Darkhold is one of the most dangerous artefact in the universe, Mr. Smith, I cannot tell you where it is.”

“Then it must be in the possession of someone, right? It’s definitely not you…”

“The ones who held it right now cannot use it properly, hence, it is safe.” TAO stated. “The Darkhold corrupts you, Mr. Smith, I suggest you dismiss the idea of using it.”

“I am a synthetic being, Boudica, I will probably not get corrupted.”

“When you have free will, you can be corrupted, no matter what your body is made of Mr. Smith.” TAO refuted. “Cthon, the demon who wrote the Darkhold, is more powerful than you think. Chaos Magic is a deadly force.”

“You mean this magic?” Pluto’s eyes then turned red, and the desk in front of him suddenly slammed to the side, scaring the shit out of TAO.

“What?” TAO stepped back. “How do you–”

“I’m not the Scarlet witch if you’re asking that.” Pluto hummed. “I need a spell in that book, the spell to warp reality itself. The book that he gave me doesn’t have it, for good reason I suppose…”

“He? I don’t understand Mr. Smith, why do you need to warp reality itself?”

“It’s none of your business.”

TAO shook her head. “I cannot tell you Mr. Smith, I’m sorry, but you will have to face the might of the sorcerers if you want to take it. It is a dangerous chance if you want to take the Darkhold for yourself.”

TAO summoned her magic as sorcerers suddenly portal to the room, preparing to fight.

Pluto sighed as he massaged his head. “Sorry, that’s a bit too far I guess…” Pluto said. “Fine, don’t tell me the Darkhold then, but, can you help me retrieve another artefact?”

TAO frowned, and unsummoned her magic shield. “What is it?”

“The book of Vishanti.” said Pluto, surprising TAO. “I’m sure you’ve heard it. I can’t travel between the Multiverse, or else Arishem from other realities might target my head, maybe you can.”

TAO shook her head. “I cannot travel through the lands in between the universes, Mr. Smith, that is beyond my capabilities.”

“Thought so.” Pluto hummed. “Well, looks like I have to gather some Celestial’s semen now, anyway, sorry for disturbing you Boudica, bye.”

Pluto then quickly disappeared, leaving the group of sorcerers confused.

“Supreme one, who was that?” An apprentice by the name of Wong asked.

“It depends on his mood,” said TAO calmly. “Today, he might be a friend, tomorrow, he might be an enemy.”

“Then shouldn’t we—”

“Banish that thought, apprentice Wong.” said TAO quickly. “He has seen humanity since the start of it all, the good, the bad, the ugly. It is natural for him to act like he is right now. Like mother nature, we should let him be.”

“So he’s more ancient than you?” Wong questioned.

TAO looked at Wong with a deadpan look, and walked away from the scene, leaving a confused Wong alone.