𝐄𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 | peter parker

xiv. madness

I slowly open my eyes, still accepting the fact of someone slowly stroking my back.

Someone hugging me.

My eyesight was going out of whack, vision blurring and tilting, leaving me unable to speak.

I manage to slowly raise my head, only to see the last person I ever expected to hug me.

"S-sir?" I choke out.

"Should I start my count with how many times I told you not to call me sir?" Doctor Strange questions with a smile, making me sob out a laugh.

My words broke up and everything I could say was little stutters, here and there.

"Let's get you up, slowly" he assures, taking my hand and slowly helping me up.

I look around the place. We were in what seems to be like a cross between somebody's attic and an old-fashioned teashop, with hot vapor coming out of the walls.

"Where are we?" I question, examining the circular trapdoor in the middle of the room, which seemed to be the access to our location.

"The Mirror Dimension" Doctor Strange. "It's is a parallel dimension, making the real world unaffected by what happens here"

I turn my head to look at him, panic in my eyes. "S-so you caused all this?" I exclaim, frustration taking over.

"Irene, if you would listen to me. The Mirror Dimension is a dimension where I'm fully in control" Doctor Strange explains, until he unexpectedly adds. "Except for today"

"What? What do you mean except today? What happend?" I query. "Did I cause something?"

"Your thoughts Irene. Your thoughts. They are consuming the living crap out of you"

"What do you mean?"

"I set down my control for one second" he snarls, his eyebrows scrunching together. "One second. And you took over. Your magic is way stronger than this dimension that you tormented yourself. No one did this to you. You did it for yourself"

"You - hurt - yourself" Doctor Strange hollers between pauses, his jaw clearly tensing. He was breathless with anger.

I stand still in my place, looking fiercely at the man in front of me. "Wait, so, I'm not dead?"

"Of course you're not dead Irene, you have a life to live, you have a lover to go back to" Doctor Strange states, a smile flickering across his face. "It's too early for you to leave just yet. So, are you ready to go back?"

"Sir I - um - can't go back already" I blurt, and he raises an eyebrow. "I need you to teach me how to travel through the multiverse"

"You have the ability to. You just need to believe, Irene, just believe" Doctor Strange confirms, opening a portal and I linger cautiously.

"Your body is now separated from your soul. Walk in, and whenever you're ready, shoot your shot" he flashes a smile and I walk in the portal.

"Thank you Stephen" I mumble as Doctor Strange sends me a nod, closing the gate behind me.

My body is currently laying on Peter's bed, with him taking anxious steps around his messy room.

"This is all my fault" Peter groans to himself, panic taking over him. "I - I shouldn't have let her go to that stupid party. I should've stayed with her the whole time!" he cries out, kicking the clothes on the ground.

He then walks over and crotches over to my height, giving my hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry love" Peter apologizes, his head now resting on my hand.

This has gone too far.

"You stay here" he snaps, tears now streaming down his face. "Stay here for me, please, okay? I can't see more dead bodies. I can't see more people dying. Come back, please"

It's definitely time to go back.