THE APPRENTICE (DOCTOR STRANGE STORY)

37

"It's normal, and that's what's weird," Tony replied "you still have that power thing, right? That's what this means?,"

"I-I don't know, it must be its atoms," Hazel responded "maybe the stone really glued itself into me,"

"Alright, what's going on?," Rhodey cleared the air and sat on the table, everyone surrounding the two.

"Gosh, I hate to tell this story again and again," Hazel sighed out loud

"We didn't exactly tell you everything." Tony began and played with his pen "the time stone was originally broken into two pieces, one with the Doctor and the other with her staff. What makes her a little different is that she's like, connected to the stone,right?,"

"Yep," she confirmed, popping the 'p'. "That's why when Thanos destroyed the time stone, I-,"

"Collapsed," Steve put two and two together "so what happened? How'd he take the stone from you?,"

"I-I had to give it to him," she responded sheepishly "he told me to trust him and told me to give it to him, so I did,"

"So it wasn't his fault completely, was it? It was you're fault, too!," Rocket pointed out "you're out here crying like a baby about your dead teacher when you're the reason why he's dead!,"

"Rabbit!," Thor warned.

Hazel stood up from her seat and left the room without saying a word, sitting down on the balcony.

"Apprentice of Strange,"

"Thor," Hazel acknowledged as he sat down beside her "I'm okay, if that's what you're wondering."

"I know you're not, but that's alright," Thor sighed and took a big sip of beer, then offered some to her. "Beer?,"

"You really let yourself go, huh?," She articulated and gazed at him "drinking all that beer and not taking care of yourself,"

"Well, What can I say? The beer helps, and you, my friend, could use some,"

"Stephen always told me not to eat things for pleasure," She reminisced "of course, he still did it himself but...I guess this is quite necessary, isn't it?"

Hazel took a can and chugged it down without even letting it sit on her tastebuds. Thor was taken aback by her eagerness, but was in complete understanding.

"Y'know, I-I don' know what t'do with myself anymore," She said after her 8th can as the two sobbed quite loudly "d'you know he told me he loves me?,"

"Did you say it back?,"

"Duh!," she slapped his knee. "I know he's not dead-dead, but I feel so alone, y'know?,"

"Yes, I remember when I had to kill my sister and my father died, then my brother died not long after," Thor recalled "its unpleasant,"

"I just want him back!," She cried out and cast out a translucent, hologram like figure of him with her hands. "Look, it's Stephen,"
Hazel stood up from the stone bench they were sitting on and gazed at the figure for what seemed like eternity.
"I never forgot his face," her voice was barely a whisper and tears flowed from her eyes continuously "and everyday I stare at photos of us to make sure I don't, and to make sure he was even real."

"My brother's corpse is scattered around the galaxy," Thor added

"Yeah, sometimes life's like that," She sighed. "You know, he didn't have to leave. He chose to leave! He could've told me and I-I don't care about his stupid plan! No, I do care, but I just- ugh!"

She threw a can of beer at the figure, going through it.
"Asshole! Dick! You're an asshole!" Hazel repeatedly swung at his figure "look at him! Look at him and his stupid cheekbones!,"

"Those are quite prominent cheekbones..."

"Son of a bitch! You asshole! Piece of shit!" She continued, alarming the rest of the avengers and pacing down to their direction.
Steve got ready to fight, thinking Thor and Hazel managed to get in a brawl.

"Hazel, stop! Hazel Wolfe, stop that!," Tony scolded and crossed his arms threateningly.

"What?! It's true, isn't it? Don't you hate him for saving your life? He's an asshole, isn't he? Cocky, arrogant?"

"A little, but the-"

"Don't call him those things! I get to say those things!," blades shot out of her hands unconsciously. She felt herself stiffen when Steve wrapped his arms around her.

"It's gonna be okay, we're gonna get him back." He whispered "you trained for five years, remember?,"

"I lied," Hazel confessed "I-I've only been practicing for 1. The last four years, I was in a pretty bad place. So bad that I couldn't perform spells anymore and I lost all motivation. All those years I tried to get myself together but...I just kept falling back. Wong even had to break my stupid door down. The idea of magic reminds me of him and it was all too painful. It wasn't until I remembered that I promised him, and that was enough motivation for me."