The Flames of Amarra - DR STRANGE x OC - COMPLETE

THE END OF AN ERA

The Sanctums needed protection. Without the Time Stone and the Sorcerer Supreme, the Earth would be the first stop for any being who wanted to attack it. Billions of lives were worth more than one. 

Nora understood that pretty well, but it didn’t stop her from hanging up on Wong, feeling angrier than ever. 

Everything around her was only adding to her anger. The media, who were still camping in front of her parents’ house. The Avengers, who decided to break up the band when their planet needed it the most. Herself, for being useless and trusting Stark when she should just have burned everything. All of it. 

She sat back at the table, alone with the Colonel. He seemed okay. And he didn’t mind that she was in the worst mood ever. Or maybe he did and he wasn’t saying anything for fear that she might burn the place down. 

“The sorcerers are protecting Earth,” she said. 

“Looking for your friend ?”

“That’s your job. Their job is to keep Earth safe without the Time Stone and the Sorcerer Supreme. I don’t think you could handle it if something other than Thanos and his children came to pick up a fight,” she explained. 

“What’s yours ?”

Nora laughed and looked at him. “I’m just a librarian.”

“I know.” He pushed a file towards her and she briefly looked at her name written on it. “There’s no mention of fire anywhere until today. And we’re very good at digging.”

“I've been careful,” she scoffed. She nodded in the screens’ direction. “Anything new ?”

“Where is Tony Stark, is the Hulk really back, what do the aliens want, is there a secret society of people doing magic, why would a disabled neurosurgeon be in a fight involving magic and aliens, who’s that girl who can burn a whole street without even flinching,” he recited. 

She rubbed her hands over her face and sighed. “What did I do…”

Rhodes muted the news and crossed his arms. “So. What’s your story ?”

“What do you mean ?”

“I know a good bunch of people. They all have a story. What’s yours ?” he asked, a brow raised at her. 

“I put on a ring and then poof, fire. How’s that ?”

“Not enough. How long have you had it ?”

“Almost 15 years.”

He looked at her with wide eyes. “You've been hiding for 15 years ! How ?”

“Easy when you don’t get involved in anything. You just do nothing,” she scoffed. 

“That’s what I don’t get,” he said. “You’ve been successfully hiding for 15 years, and you said yourself that you didn’t care about protecting the world. Why did you do that ?” he asked, pointing at the screens behind him. 

“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” she said in a quiet voice. “Doesn’t mean I have to protect people I know nothing about. Today, someone I care about was in trouble. And I panicked,” she scoffed. 

He stayed silent for a moment, until he seemed to have a divine revelation and slammed his hand on the table. “Ever been to Canada ?”

Nora laughed. “Once.”

“They sent me to have a look at a fire. Everything burned. Trees, snow, ice, even water. You ?” She looked down at the table and nodded. “What happened ? I didn’t find anything and they just closed the case.”