First Among Eauals

Disclaimer: Some of the characters within this story were created by the author. Any resemblances between these characters and previously existing characters was unintentional and the author apologizes for any such mistakes.

New York City. The Big Apple. In a small-secluded house lived Earth's defender, its sorcerer supreme. Doctor Stephen Strange, just Doctor Strange to most, sat in his study. This was a night that would forever change his life.

A few blocks away Alexander Reynolds, a humble cat burglar, was in the middle of an ordinary break and enter. He had just stepped through the window of the house when he spied an elaborately carved door. He immediately decided to go there first. When his hand touched the doorknob, it tingled and the room filled with a brilliant red flash. Alexander flung open the door and stumbled inside. When his vision cleared Alexander saw a black trench coat that seemed to call him. He advanced forward and put it on. Instantly his body was wracked with pain and a handful of other items in the room seemed to glow a pale green. Reaching out to touch one he found the glow fade as the item was sucked into him.

"Who are you?" demanded a voice from the open doorway. Alexander turned with a start and saw a man, also glowing green, standing before him. Alexander felt a wave of hunger come over him as he looked at the man and he lunged forward. "Ah, you've donned the coat have you? Well, you're welcome to its curse," the man said as he sidestepped Alexander' feeble attack. The man clapped his hands and a second man, a brute of a man, entered the room. "Tirade. Dispose of him," the man said. Tirade nodded and picked up Alexander. He then hurled him out the door.

Doctor Strange heard his doorbell ring. Normally Wong would have answered it but he was away for the weekend. Stephen called his cloak of levitation and went to the door. "Excuse me, are you Doctor Strange?" inquired a man of seventeen years. "Yes I am," the good doctor replied. "My name's Firebrand. Tomas Firebrand. I heard that you might be able to help me with this special talent of mine," the lad said. "What special talent?" Doctor Strange asked. "You see, I have this branding iron that can fire bolts energy. I think it's mystical or something," Tomas said holding out the iron.

Earth's sorcerer supreme didn't need to cast any spells to determine that the boy was only using the branding iron to channel his own mystical potential. "Perhaps I can help you. Why don't you…? Argh!" Doctor Strange fell to his knees. "What's wrong?" Tomas asked. "A great evil, nearby. Help me to my feet," Strange said. Tomas helped him up and the pair ran down the street where they came across Alexander's body. "The Coat of the Vampire, I thought it had been destroyed years ago," Doctor Strange said, examining the body. He knew from his medical experience that the man wearing the coat would live but that his life would be filled with torment.

With Alexander lying in the other room Doctor Strange and his new apprentice sat in a small library. "So, what is this Coat of the Vampire?" inquired Tomas. Doctor Strange sighed deeply and began.

About thirty years ago there was a vampire known as the Black Fox. Although he was a vampire, he was also a sorcerer of some power. He attempted, with little success, to use magic to "cure" his vampirism. This failed. However, one of his more powerful spells changed his curse. No longer did he need blood to survive, but needed mystical energy. He challenged a rival of mine in combat and failed. It didn't take long before he tried to take my life, but I too was victorious. When we fought though I noticed that it was the coat, not the man, that carried the new curse but it refused to be removed. Realizing I only had one chance I destroyed both man and coat by exposing them both to sunlight. Apparently I was wrong.

Tomas sat gape mouthed at Doctor Strange's words. "You mean that guy is now a magic eating vampire?" he asked. "I'm afraid so. Since the coat cannot be removed, except through death, our only hope is that I can feed him a little energy now and then and help him keep his sanity," Doctor Strange replied. Stephen moved to the next room and sent a mystical bolt of energy into the man. His eyes fluttered open and he gazed at his rescuer.

While Doctor Strange explained the situation to Alexander, Tomas wandered about the mansion. He spied a guest book and flipped through it. He was amazed to see the names of the greatest heroes ever and a few villains. "I sure came to the right place," he thought. "I should come up with some sort of name. Let's see. I carry a branding iron. Wait a second, if Doctor Strange can keep his name, why can't I? I'll just call myself Firebrand!"

"My life is over. How can I live my life as some sort of vampire?" Alexander asked. "Your life isn't over, it has merely been altered," Doctor Strange said. "Altered? I'll say. I'm now a freak. I don't understand why you're helping me, if all you say is true. Surely you're one of those people I'd have to feed off of," Alexander said. "That is a chance I'm willing to take. I'm counting on being able to feed you enough for you to live an otherwise healthy life," Doctor Strange said as calmly as he could, he was indeed concerned that this man might one-day turn on him and try to drain all his energy away.

Meanwhile Tirade had returned to his master's side. "Doctor Strange took the intruder away," he said. "Everything is going as I expected. How else could that young man have entered my most sacred of room? Soon the good doctor will pay for all he has done to me," the master replied.

"How do you feel?" inquired Doctor Strange. "Better, the hunger is gone. I think I can manage to look at you without thinking of you as a snack," Alexander said. "Believe me, were you ever able to drain all my mystical energy you would find me more than just a snack," Doctor Strange replied with a chuckle. "Come, I'll introduce you to my other guest,"

Firebrand was sitting in the study when Doctor Strange and a revitalized Alexander entered the room. "I've been thinking. If this guy's going to be working with us, or living with us anyway, he should have some sort of super hero type name. I was thinking of something along the lines of Cloak of Darkness or the Count. Hey, how about the Mystic Vampire?" said Firebrand. Alexander gave a slight laugh. "The Mystic Vampire, how appropriate," he said. "Alexander, this is my new apprentice, Tomas Firebrand. Tomas, this is Alexander," said Doctor Strange. "Pleased to meet you. I actually prefer just Firebrand. My code name," said Firebrand. "I will show you two to your rooms and retire for the evening," said Stephen Strange.

When their master had gone to bed Firebrand and the Mystic Vampire decided to explore a little. "Look at all this stuff. This guy's loaded!" Firebrand exclaimed. "I wonder how much of this stuff I could sell?" Mystic Vampire mused. Firebrand looked at him sharply. "Don't even think about it. Doctor Strange is the most powerful man on the planet. He could probably do half a dozen things to you before you blinked," he said. The Mystic Vampire chuckled softly, "I wouldn't dream of doing anything to harm our good doctor. After all he's done for me?" he said. "Good," Firebrand said as he went to his room.

Doctor Strange's sleep was fitful. He tossed and turned on his bed but couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong. Trusting in his instincts he called his cloak of levitation to him and got up. He sent his ethereal self out and explored the mansion. Firebrand was asleep. Alexander was reading a tome by the fire. The rest of the mansion was otherwise clear. Extending his senses outward he noted that all his wards preventing evil from approaching without his notice were still in place. He slid back into his corporeal shell and went to the kitchen.

The Mystic Vampire heard Doctor Strange's actions and felt the coat he wore tingle. It lusted for energy, the energy of Earth's sorcerer supreme. He shook his head violently and tried to concentrate on the book before him, it was a history text with an entry on the Coat of the Vampire. He felt himself standing and walking into the kitchen. Doctor Strange acknowledged his presence and looked around in the fridge. So it was that his back was to Alexander when his newly grown fangs and claws sank into Doctor Strange's body.

"The time has come Tirade. Everything goes as I'd hoped. Let us go," the master said quietly. Tirade grunted and opened the door.

Doctor Strange collapsed forward into the fridge, overturning a carton of milk. Mystic Vampire screamed as pure power coursed through his veins, filling him completely with energy and then some.

Firebrand was awakened by the cry and threw off his bed covers. He grabbed his branding iron and dashed down the stairs three at a time until he reached the kitchen. "What have you done to him?" he asked. Mystic Vampire's eyes seemed to crackle with life. "He's not dead. I felt an overwhelming need to drain him, to absorb all the energy I could from his body. I'm sorry, I don't know why I did it," he explained. "But I do. It's the curse of the coat. I know how it hungers for energy. I knew that someday it would bring Doctor Strange to his knees. But the work cannot be left half done, it must be finished. Tirade, kill them all," the master said. Lightning sprung from Tirade's fingers and blazed a path toward the lifeless doctor. Firebrand stepped in its path and took the bolt in the chest.

Firebrand was perhaps the most surprised at what happened. The lightning should have killed him but seemed to enter his body and be rechannelled as a blast of concussive force. Tirade was thrown backwards into the street. Firebrand pursued.

Mystic Vampire stood face to face with the strange man. "Who are you?" he asked. "My name is the Black Fox. I used to wear that coat. Then, Doctor Strange killed me. But, you cannot kill a vampire for good, except through a special spell that I have learned," the man replied. Mystic Vampire felt the coat give a shudder. "Kartok, Maenole, Gruwoel," began Black Fox. Mystic Vampire could feel his body being torn asunder. Instinctively he lunged forward, disrupting Black Fox's concentration, and thus the spell. His claws found Black Fox's chest and sank in to the knuckles. He soon found the still beating heart of the ex-vampire and yanked it out.

Firebrand examined the body of Tirade. He would survive, though he'd never be the same again. Already he could hear police cars in the distance. He'd have a lot of explaining to do. It would be best if Doctor Strange were awake to prevent any murder charges.

Mystic Vampire squeezed the heart and felt the blood ooze down his fingers. He then turned his attention to Doctor Strange and found, to his shock, the doctor standing by the doorway. "How did you?" Mystic Vampire stammered. "Illusion. At the last minute I transported myself elsewhere. You drained an illusion, albeit a very powerful one, with substance," Doctor Strange explained. "My offer still stands. You are welcome to stay here as long as you wish. In return for aiding me, I will provide you with the mystical energy you need to survive." Mystic Vampire thought for a moment. "I will accept your offer. Thank you," he said. "Well Tomas," Doctor Strange said, seeing his apprentice entering the room, "it looks like we have ourselves a new companion. Come, let's call it a night."

And on this day, the Mystic Knights were born.

The Sorcerer Supreme has written this for me, and after a difficult job (putting up the Miscellaneous page), it's finally up. He had to keep reminding me, but it's finally up. I hope you enjoyed it. Give him your comments at doctor_pride@yahoo.com.