Broken Things Can Be Mended

Chapter 19

Hello-hello, everyone! I am back, with another chapter. As you might have read, we don't have our dear witch with us in the story anymore. But that doesn't mean things are completely fine now. More trouble is coming our way. Even though, not in this chapter.

Do enjoy Stephen Strange having a few words with his alternate self.

Also, I saw the last episode of What-if 2, and just one question. Why? Why marvel why? I literally cried after that, and am still not over it. Regardless to say, that episode does not exist in my ironstrange universe.

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Stephen Strange had never ever known what his powers could be. He never completely understood at what level he could reach, which potential he could unlock. Of course, he was a genius, a prodigy when came to Mystic Arts, something he had seen many Masters envy about, yet they had respected him for that as well.

Now, as he stood, staring at his alternate self, remembering the form he had taken just a few moments ago, he couldn't help but wonder was that what he could do? He had seen it, with his own two eyes as Strange broke out from whatever restrain he had before completely destroyed the darkest of places in the entire world and killing the most powerful threat they had ever come across in a blink of eye.

A shudder escaped him, a violent one which he knew was felt by Toni as well, who now was supporting him to stand on his feet.

"What are you?" surprisingly, it was Toni who asked, and he hated it, hated to hear the fear in her voice, the fear that was directed at his alternate self. Because right now, all Stephen could see was the monster that he himself had the potential to become.

Strange scoffed, turning his dark eyes to Stephen, as if knowing what he was thinking, before turning back to Toni.

"It does not matter what I am, for right now, I actually won a war for you." He pointed out, rather savagely in his opinion, pointing at the dead witch, and unconscious Maximoff.

"It matters to me." Stephen gritted out, glaring at him, seeing his alternate self, roll his eyes at him.

"You are not going to like, and especially with the trail of thoughts you seem to have. I am pretty sure..."

"Stop making excuses." Stephen cut him, rather sharply, and saw how stiff he was.

"I lost Christine, she died. It was an absolute point. I needed to change that. The only way was to become powerful, more powerful than possible. I did it, reversed the absolute point, ended up losing my reality, and became what I am today." Strange answered, with sharpness that could cut through like a sword.

Stephen couldn't hold back the shock he felt at those words. This Strange, this him, loved Christine so much that he destroyed his whole reality to get her back. Before he could control his impulse, his eyes went to Toni, who was staring at his other self with something akin to pity and horror. She was afraid of him, yet she was feeling empathy for him.

He looked back, to his own self, as the other one stared into his eyes, a look on his face which Stephen could exactly decipher.

It was a look that screamed, wouldn't you do the same for her?

The her in question was Toni, and apparently both of them knew, his soul mate being the only one oblivious. The guilt that churned in his stomach quickly vanished as he thought about the question. Would he not do the same for her?

He remembered how months ago, he was ready to destroy the Time Stone itself, to save Toni from her demise. He grimaced at that. He could do it; he would do it. He was sure, and it made him as fearful of himself as he was of his other self.