Time.
Space.
Reality.
It's more than a linear path. It's a prism of endless possibility. Where a single choice can branch out into infinite realities, creating alternate worlds from the ones you know.
I am the Watcher.
I am your guide through these vast new realities. Follow me and ponder the question...
What if?
We have watched how one moment, one choice, can ripple across space and time, giving birth to new stories, heroes, whole universes. But what if it's the wrong choice? What if the best of intentions has very strange consequences?
Stephen Strange drives up to the apartment building in his Lamborghini then stops and parks. He gets out of the car then goes over to the passenger side, opens the door and stands by it. "Evening, handsome." The (h/c) woman greets as she walks out wearing a beautiful dark blue gown and her hair was up in a bun with some strands of hair dangling in curls over her face.
"This?" Strange asked as he gestures to his suit. "I just pulled it out of the dryer. Whereas you, stunning." He said to her, smiling. His eyes shining with love and adoration for the woman standing in front of him. "I'm only going for dessert. You promised me crème brûlée." She teases and Strange chuckles as she gets into the car.
"I suspect we can do a little better than that." Strange said to her and she chuckles. "Hmm...we'll see." She said, with a knowing smile at him and a glint of mischief in her (e/c) eyes, as he shuts the door and gets into the driver's seat.
In this universe, (y/n) (l/n) didn't become a sorcerer. The night her parents were killed, she was staying at a friend's house that night. The next day, she was informed of their deaths and was put into foster care days later.
She was adopted and, as she grew up, she decided she wanted to become a doctor. She wanted to help people and do everything in her power to keep people from feeling the loss she felt.
It was here where she met Stephen Strange. And, unknowingly, her fate was sealed.
Flashback
(Y/n) was running through the halls as fast as she could as she looks for the person she trusted most. "Christine!" She calls out and her friend, Christine, turns around to face her.
"(Y/n)? What's wrong?" She asked, worried. (Y/n) stops and then shows her the x-rays on her tablet. "We have a problem. GSW." She replied and Christine looks at it and sees a bullet in the patient's brain. "Apneic, failed the brain stem test...and the apnea reflex test. It's impinging on the medulla. Nick diagnosed brain death. Something about that doesn't feel right to me." (y/n) said as she places her hands on her hips, shaking her head slightly.
"I think I know someone who can help." Christine said and she starts to run while (y/n) follows her. The two girls run down the hall until Christine stops in front of a surgery room door. She looks through the window and waves at someone on the other side of the door, and gestures for them to come out.
The door opens and out walks a tall man with short dark brown hair and gray eyes. He starts to talk to Christine while (y/n) couldn't help but be taken aback at how handsome he was. She continued to stare at him but shook her head when Christine said her name.
"Doctor (l/n) was the one who brought it." She said and (y/n) gives an embarrassed smile as the man looks over at her. "Well, I never knew Christine would have a wonderful associate such as yourself." He compliments her and she gives a shy smile. "Just...trying to do my job." She said then he holds his hand out to her. "Doctor Stephen Strange." He introduced and (y/n) takes his hand.
"Oh, so you're the famous Doctor Strange, I've heard so much about." She said and Strange gives her a smile. "Well, as much as I would love to continue this conversation, we have a patient to save." She said. "Right!" Strange said and the three run just in time before Nick could take the patient to become an organ donor.
After they got the patient into the surgery room, (y/n) watched on and was impressed with how skilled Strange was. She was even more impressed with how successful the surgery went and immediately became intrigued with Strange.
After the surgery was done, Strange was congratulated by a few nurses, including Christine, when (y/n) comes up to him. "That was pretty impressive, Doctor." She said as he turns to face her. "Please, call me Stephen. And it's always a pleasure to help." He said and (y/n) felt her cheeks heat up.
"And you are fantastic." She said then quickly bites her lips. "What?" Strange asked her and (y/n) quickly fixes her wording. "Job! I mean you have done a fantastic job. We would’ve lost the patient if it weren’t for you, Doctor Strange!”
Strange chuckles at this before he says. "I'm sure that is what you meant." (Y/n) looks over at him, shocked, as her face turns red. "Look, I hate to cut this short but I have to go but...maybe...we could talk some more over coffee?" He asked and she looks at him and a small smile appears. "Is this how you treat all of your coworkers?" She asked and he laughs.
"No, actually." He said.
"Oh, so I'm the special one." She teased and he gives a chuckle to this. "We'll see..." he said and her smile grows bigger.
Present Day
"Just let me hear it. Come on, I know you prepared something. You wouldn't just wing it. It's just me." (y/n) begs Strange as they drive down a curvy road. "Okay. Uh..." Strange said then he clears throat. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, fellow doctors..." he starts to recite but then (y/n) groans. "No. No. Stop. I'm already asleep." She said, sarcastically. "Come on, cut the preamble. Just get straight to the heart of it."
"But all I said was, Good evening." Strange said, confused.. "I think you should just rush the podium like a contestant on The Price is Right. Screaming and high-fiving, and cheering, and something crazy." (Y/n) suggests and Strange laughs. "Price is what?" He asked with a chuckle. "My God, you need to watch more TV." She teases and Strange scoffs a laugh.
"We need to celebrate this." she said. "We are." said Strange as they come up to a large truck. "You performed a radical hemispherectomy. Successfully." (Y/n) said. "Well, that was the plan." Strange said. "Yeah, well, I would call that quite remarkable." (Y/n) said and Strange chuckles. "Well, I would say the same about you." He said as he looks over at her and (y/n) smiles. At that moment, Strange moves over to the other lane to go pass the truck.
He accelerates but then a car starts coming towards them. "Stephen!" (Y/n) gasps and Strange slams on the breaks and turns back to the original lane before the car could hit them. He slows down as the car honks at them, aggressively.
(Y/n) catches her breath and places her hand on her chest as Strange turns to her. "We're okay. You're okay." He said, calming her down as he places a hand on her shoulder. She sighs but the relief is short lived as tires screech behind them and the car hits them in the rear-end of the car.
The car spins a few times before going off the cliff and flipping a few times until it finally stops at the bottom. Strange gasps then his breathing began to tremble in shock. He realized he was okay but he looked over at (y/n) and noticed she wasn't moving and her eyes closed. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no. (y/n)." he said, scared, as he reaches to her and tries to wake her up. "Come on! (y/n)!" he cries but she doesn't respond.
Everything was blur after that and the next thing he knew, he was standing over at an open grave site as they put (y/n)'s casket down into it.
In this universe, Stephen Strange didn't lose his hands...but his heart. Grief-stricken, Strange sought answers across the world and in the mystic arts.
"The Eye of Agamotto, cradle of the temporal singularity discovered by Cagliostro, manipulation and alteration of timelines." Strange said as he reads one of the books as he looks at the Eye of Agamotto, intrigued. "Time travel." He mutters before he takes it and starts to test it out.
After testing out the time manipulation on an apple, Strange smiles a bit to himself until Wong and the Ancient One comes in. "What are you doing? Tinkering with time can weaken the very fabric of the universe." Wong informs him as they stand either side of him. "We protect reality. We don't threaten it." Ancient One warns him.
And when the threat came and The Ancient One was lost, Stephen Strange stood tall. The man of science became the Sorcerer Supreme.
Strange was in the Dark Dimension and before him was the giant face of Dormammu, the ruler of this place. "Dormammu, I've come to bargain." Strange said, firmly.
Yet despite all he'd gained, Stephen Strange could not let go of the past.
Strange sits in a chair in the Sanctum as the rain pours outside and hits against the window. He brings up the glass of whiskey to his lips and takes a sip, letting the cold liquid run down his throat. He sets the glass down on his left arm rest then looks over to the right arm rest.
He stares at the Eye of Agamotto for a few moments before his eyes darts toward the little black box next to it. He picks it up then flips the lid open, revealing a diamond ring inside.
Flashback
(y/n) chuckles as she walks up to Strange, wearing nothing but one of his white T-shirts. "Sorry, but this is now my favorite T-shirt." She said as she spins around. Strange laughs as he walks up to her and takes her hands in his and pulls her towards him.
"Then I'm gonna have to take it back." He said, in a low teasing voice, and (y/n) giggles. "Hmm, I'd like to see you try." She whispers as she leans up to him and the two share a loving kiss.
Present Day
Strange was so lost in his memories that he didn't notice Wong walking up next to his chair. "Oh! I see we switched to the cheap stuff." Wong said as he notices the glass of whiskey. Then he noticed the ring box in Strange's hand.
"How long has it been?" he asked and Strange sighs. "Two years, tonight." Strange replied, sadly. "And the ring?" Wong asked. "Was gonna ask her to marry me that night." Strange said as he closes the lid on the box and sets it aside then he picks up the Eye of Agamotto.
"What are you doing up?" he asked Wong. "Ah, needed the little sorcerer's room. What are you doing?" Wong replied as Strange stares at the amulet. Wong watches him, suspiciously. "Hmm...Well, I'm going to start the kettle. I suggest you join me before you do something reckless." he said, warningly, before he turns and walks away.
Strange stares at the Eye of Agamotto then clenched his hand around it until he finally made up his mind. He knows he shouldn't do it but...he couldn't take it anymore. He puts the Eye around his neck and activates the time travel spell.
Next thing he knows, he's back in that fateful night. He was in the suit and standing in front of his Lamborghini. And his breath hitches in his chest once he sees (y/n) walking towards him, looking beautiful as ever.
"Evening, handsome." She greets him but he was stunned. "Uh..." he stammers and she raises an eyebrow. "Something wrong?" She asked him and he quickly recovers from his shock. "I, uh, I think I might have just had a mild cardiac event." He jokes.
"A heart attack, Doctor? Well, buck up, Strange. You promised me crème brûlée." (Y/n) said as Strange leads her in the car. "Say the word, (y/n), and I will give you the world." Strange said and she chuckles and smiles, warmly, at him as he shuts the door.
"Oh, let me hear it. Come on, I know you prepared an acceptance speech for tonight." (y/n) begs him as he drives down the familiar curvy roads. "I haven't. I'm gonna wing it. I'm gonna run up to the podium like a game show contestant. Cheers and screams, high-fives." Strange said and (y/n) laughs.
"Seriously? Are you teasing me?" she asked and he chuckles. "Okay. No, you said it. You have to do it now." she said. "Only if you're by my side." Strange said as they come up to a large truck. "Wait a sec. Have you ever even seen a game show?" (y/n) asked as he flips on the turning signal. "There's a first time for everything." he said and (y/n) laughs again. He passes the truck then goes back on the main lane.
He looks over at (y/n) and see a stunned look on her face. "What?" He asked. "I don't know. You're being delightful." She said then she places a hand on his leg. "I must owe someone a muffin basket for this personality shift." She said. "Maybe...Maybe you make me happy." Strange said and she giggles again. "Well, this is shaping up to be a night to remember." She said.
Suddenly, a car hits them in the back and the Lamborghini spins out of control and off of the cliff again and crashed down. Strange wakes up and shakes his head then turns to see (y/n) was dead. "No, no, no! Not again." he shouts and he shakes her shoulder. "No! (Y/n)!" He cries then he starts to breathe heavily. He looks down at the Eye and inhales sharply before he activates it and goes back just minutes ago.
"Evening, handsome." (y/n) greets him. "Your chariot awaits." he said as he opens the door and lets her in. Minutes later he drives on and doesn't take the normal turn like he was supposed to. "Oh, we missed our turn. Isn't the bridge that way?" (y/n) asked as she points out the window. "Taking a different route." Strange said and he looks at her as she gives him a confused look.
"It's okay. We'll be fine." he assured but then they hear a roar of an engine and a horn. (Y/n) turns to her window and sees a truck coming and she lets out a gasp. "Stephen!" she screams and the truck crashes into them.
"You're getting an award. This whole party is for you." (y/n) said, confused. "Let's stay in. We'll order pizza and crème brûlée." Strange tells her and she shakes her head. "Oh, no. I am not getting grease on this dress, okay? We'll go, we'll dance. I promise you, we will have a good time." she assures him and they drive off.
Later, they were dancing and everything seemed to go perfect. He looks down at her and she smiles but then her smile falters. He furrows his brow at this as she gasps and places a hand in her chest before she collapses in his arms. "No." He whispers, distraught.
"Oh, pizza. You're a genius." (Y/n) said to him as they sit in a restaurant and eat a pizza. He smiles at her as she continues to eat her slice. But then a door opens and a man walks in. Strange looks up and sees that the man pulls out a gun and aims it at (y/n).
It seemed no matter what did it seemed she would always die so he decided not to show up. He knows it would break her heart but as long as she was alive and safe, he was alright with that. If she made it, he would make up an excuse of why he didn't show up.
He was sitting at the bar and was drinking the whiskey when he noticed the news on the TV behind the bar. "We're hearing reports of numerous casualties, including the death of one Dr. (y/n) (l/n). (Y/n), an emergency and trauma specialist..." the reporter said and Strange looks down in despair.
"Stephen. Something wrong?" (Y/n) asked him as he stands in front of his car. "Why does this keep happening? Aren't we allowed to be happy?" He asked, his breathing trembling, as he places hand on her cheek. She gives him a concerned look before she looks down at his other hand that was holding the keys.
"Maybe I should drive. Yeah?" she asked as she takes the keys from him and she goes to the driver's side.
"Hey, are you okay? Do you wanna talk? Maybe put on some music?" (y/n) asked him as he sits in the passenger seat. He turns and looks at her and takes his time to stare at her before he responds. "I only want you. You're the only thing that matters." He mutters, sadly, and he noticed a light behind them coming closer. He closes his eyes and waits for the impact and it came. The car spins around and crashes down the cliff.
Once it stopped, Strange realized that he was still alive but (y/n) was dead. He climbed out of the car and stands out on the middle of the highway. He looks at his crashed car then he falls to his knees.
He starts to breath heavily until he screams out in grief, anger, frustration and heartbreak. Then he leans forward as he starts to cry.
But then a bright blue light shines and he raises his head and sees an opening to a portal and a figure floats out if it. "Good evening, Dr. Strange. Are you having car trouble?" A familiar voice asked and the light disappear, revealing it to be The Ancient One.
"Why are you here?" Strange grunts. "To help you. This is where it starts for you. With the death of Dr. (Y/n) (l/n). So overwhelmed by loss, you will seek answers in the mystic arts." The Ancient One said. "In me. Help me bring her back." Strange begs her. "I'm sorry, but I can't. No one can. Her death is an Absolute Point in time." The Ancient One said.
"Absolute?" Strange asked, confused. "Unchangeable. Unmovable. Without her death, you would never have defeated Dormammu and become the Sorcerer Supreme, and the guardian of the Eye of Agamotto. If you erase her death, you never start your journey." The Ancient One replied.
"I'm creating a paradox." Strange corrects as he stands up. "You're risking the universe. You cannot reverse an Absolute Point." the Ancient One said. "Nothing is impossible. You taught me that. I only require more power." Strange said as he walks up to her. "The greatest sorcerers of the past could not reverse an Absolute Point." The Ancient One tells him as she places a hand on his shoulder.
"You don't know that. Books have been lost. Libraries destroyed." Strange said as he shrugs off her hand and turns away. "Stop torturing yourself, Stephen. There is no hope here. (Y/n) is gone. You cannot save her." said the Ancient One, firmly.
Strange glares at her then looks down at the Eye of Agamotto. "No." he growls and he starts to activate it. "Stephen, this path only leads to darkness and the end of this reality. Please do not do this, or I will be forced to stop you." She said as she gets into a stance and summons some shields.
"You'd have to find me first." Strange growls. He starts up the time travel and Ancient One moves her hands then fires a beam at him.
The next thing Strange knew, he was in some sort of jungle. He gets up then looks down at his chest but saw no damage beside a burn mark on his shirt. "Whew." He muttes then looks over and saw someone standing some feet away from him. "Uh, excuse me. Hello, excuse me. I'm looking for the Lost Library of Cagliostro." He said but the figure doesn't respond.
"Library? Hello? You know, books? Reading? Knowledge?" Strange asked but the man turns and walks away. "Hey. Hey! I'm talking here. Where are you going?" Strange said then he sighs and follows after the man.
After sometime, Strange hears some water running then seconds later he comes up to a temple. "Hmm, no door. Clever." Strange mutters then he makes a portal and he goes through it to the inside of the temple. He stands in an empty room with no lights besides the sunlight. "Hello? Anyone home?" He calls out and he walks out but then some symbols appeared on the floor.
He bends down and looks at the symbol then picks up some loose gravel and tosses them, making them disintegrate. "Hmm, quite the welcome." Strange mutters and he waves his hand and the symbol disappears.
He walks out on the floor then more symbols appear then they appear front of him. He looks at them but then the floor beneath his feet disappear and he falls through. He screams as he falls until he hits solid ground.
He breathes, heavily, just as he hears someone laughing. "You have to be the strangest-dressed sorcerer I've ever seen." The voice said and Strange looks over and sees the man he saw earlier. He was an African American man with two different colored eyes.
"Uh..." Strange said before he clears throat. "Yeah, it's Armani. I've come here for Sorcerer Cagliostro. According to legend, he knew how to break an Absolute Point in time. Where can I find Cagliostro?" Strange asked. "Well, maybe here, maybe there. Maybe nowhere." the man said, shrugging, and Strange groans. "Wonderful. You're cryptic. Please tell me you're not Cagliostro." He said and the man chuckles.
"The name's O'Bengh, librarian for the books of Cagliostro. Come, this way, Sorcerer Armani." O'Bengh said as he turns and walks. "No, it's Strange." Strange tries to correct. "Not any stranger than any other name in this world." O'Bengh said and the two walked on.
They walk up to this door and O'Bengh opens it and reveals a large room with a tree in the middle and several bookshelves of books. "The lost books." Strange whispers in awe. "How long will you be staying here?" O'Bengh asked him. "As long as it takes." Strange replied and O'Bengh shrugs and leaves
"Okay." Strange mutters and he waves his hands and the books fly out of the shelves and towards him. "Transmutation, telekinesis, teleportation. Interesting." Strange mutters as he looks through the titles of the books. "Time manipulation. Bingo." He said when one book came up to him and he grabs it.
"The power required to break an Absolute Point in time is immense, and nigh impossible to obtain." He reads then he scoffs. "Yeah, no doy." He said then he reads the next paragraph. "A-ha! Gain the power through the absorption of other beings." He reads then smirks with intrigue. "Absorption?" He said, curiously.
Later, he made some symbol in the floor and sighs. "Here we go." He said and he summons up a portal and several large tentacles appear and Strange was taken aback. "Whoa! Uh..." he said then clears his throat as the creature growls.
"My name is Dr. Stephen Strange. I brought you here because I need to borrow your powers." he said as one of the tentacles wraps around his ankel. "Do you mind sharing a tentacle or two? Please?" He asked and the creature yanks him up and flings him around until he blacks out.
Flashback
Strange groans as he starts to open his eyes. He heard some thumping noise and it took him a moment to realize that it was music that was playing.
He sits up and rubs his eyes then looks next to him to see an empty spot. He puts two and two together and gets up. He walks out of the room and down the hall as he follows the music.
Workin' hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win
Some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on, and on, and on
He stops at the doorway to the kitchen and leans against it as he watches the scene before him. (Y/n) was mixing up some pancake mix as she bobs her head and was lip-syncing to the song.
He smiles and watches her as he started to think how lucky he was to be with her. He couldn't believe a woman like her was with him and he felt this warmth flow through his chest and in his heart. He had never felt this way to anyone before, no woman he had been with ever had this effect on him but the moment he met her...she was different.
She still hadn't notice him so he pushes himself off of the doorway and walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. She gasps and jumps at this then she looks over her shoulder at him and lets out a sigh of relief as Strange let's out a deep chuckle.
"Stephen! Don't scare me like that again." She said. "I'm sorry, I was enjoying the show." He teased and she elbows his side. He laughs again then kiss the top of her head then her cheek. "I'm sorry." He said before he starts kissing her neck. "No you're not." She said and she could feel his smile as he kisses her neck.
The song ends and a different song comes on through the speakers.
When your legs don't work like they used to before
And I can't sweep you off of your feet
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks
And darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70
And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23
And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
"Interesting song choices you have." Strange said and (y/n) smiles. "Well, I'm an interesting person." She jokes and Strange takes the whisk out of her hand and turns her around to face him. "Stephen..." she said as he takes her right hand in his left and places his right hand on her waist and the two started to dance.
She giggles and the two dance along to the song as the two stare into each other's eyes as the song continues.
So honey now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
Maybe we found love right where we are
The couple wrap their arms around each other, Strange's arms around her waist and (y/n)'s arms around his neck, as they let this moment play out. "I love you." Strange said then the two gasp at this. This was the first time Strange had said those words since they started dating.
(Y/n)'s eyes were wide in shock while Strange felt nervous and scared, wondering if he said this too soon. But that was washed away when (y/n) smiles and a tear runs down her cheek. "I love you too." She said and the two share a kiss as Strange holds her close to him, afraid she'd disappear if he let go.
Present Day
Strange wakes up and sees that he had bandages around his chest then looks over just as O'Bengh placed a wet cloth on his forehead. "What happened?" Strange asked, groggy. "Mystic beings do not bargain. Their powers are not meant for man." O'Bengh replied.
"The Library isn't enough. Those beings have what I need." Strange said, firmly. "Is she worth the pain?" O'Bengh asked him and Strange turns his head to him. "A man does not suffer like this for his own glory." O'Bengh said. "Every moment of it." Strange said and O'Bengh stands up and turns to him. "There is a fine line between devotion and delusion. Love can break more than your heart. It can shatter your mind." O'Bengh said.
"Uh-huh. And in which book did you read that?" Strange asked him and O'Bengh chuckles. "No book, Armani. Life taught me." O'Bengh said then he turns and walks away while Sttange thinks.
"Mmm, maybe O'Bengh's right. If they won't surrender their power, I'll take it." Strange said as he is back in the library and has the symbol on the floor. "Let's start small." He said and he summons up a being and what comes up was a gnome that growls and jumps around.
A bright light bursts out of Strange's eyes and mouth as he opens them wide. The light grabs the gnome and starts to pull the creature to Strange, the creature begins to panic and tries to get away but it is too late...Strange had absorbed him.
Strange shuts his eyes and mouth, shakes his head the turns to the book next to him.
"All right, what's next?" He asked and he summoned the next creature which was a large bug with a cape. "Nice cape." Strange compliments and he waves his finger and the cape flies off of the bug and onto his shoulders. "But I draw the line at bugs." Strange said and he sends the bug back and in comes another creature, which he absorbs.
"More." Strange growls and he kept going and going with this as more and more different beings and creature were summoned, only for him to absorb them to gain more power. Then he collapses and takes a break.
He's on the wrong path. I could warn him, intervene, but the fate of his universe is not worth risking the safety of all others. Besides, I doubt he'd listen.
Strange was breathing heavily but then looks around the room. "Hello? Who's there?" He asked but no reply so he shakes his head and goes back to the task at hand.
Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, months turned into years as Strange kept going through every dimension and pull out a powerful being and absorbing them until finally, he was ready.
"Time to meet an old friend." he says and he summons up the tentacle monster again. "Hello again and goodbye." Strange said as he waves his hand and the spell cuts off some tentacles and he absorbs those as well. Once he was done, he cracks his neck and smiles.
He goes into another room, only to see O'Bengh laying in the bed and looking much older. "O'Bengh, what happened to you?" Strange asked him as O'Bengh coughs. "Time, Sorcerer Armani." O'Bengh coughs and Strange looks down at the Eye of Agamotto but O'Bengh raises his hand to him.
"Put that away." He said and Strange looks at him, confused and worried. "You used magic to remain frozen for centuries. I chose to live." O'Bengh informs. "But I can reverse this. You will live longer, forever." Strange pleads and the old man shakes his head.
"Hush! Even in our world...Death is part of the plan." O'Bengh coughs. "I can't accept that." Strange said in a shaky voice and O'Bengh chuckles. "I know, I know. But maybe the other Strange will." He said and Strange raises an eyebrow at this.
"Other?" he asked, confused. "Can't you see? You are only half a man, living half a life." O'Bengh said.
It was true. He wasn't alone. He wasn't even the only Dr. Strange in this universe.
"Well, I'm going to start the kettle. I suggest you join me before you do something reckless." Wong tells Stephen before he walks off. Stephen looks down at the Eye of Agamotto then at the ringbox before he sighs, deeply.
"Um, you're right. Enough living in the past for one evening." He said as he sets them on the arm of the chair and walks away. He goes to the front door of the Sanctum and walks outside when he is taken aback by what he sees.
It seemed that the buildings and some of the people in the street were starting to disappear into inky masses. "What was in that whiskey?" He asked himself when a bright blue light appears behind him.
He turns to it and gets into a stance when a figure comes out. Then the figure comes into view and it was the Ancient One. "Hello, Stephen." She greets and he stands there confused. "No...Wait a minute. You're..."
"Dead? Yes!" she said, finishing his sentence.
"So, this must be..."
"A psychic impression sent through a splinter in reality? Yes. Just think of me as an echo." She said, finishing his sentence again, as she walks around him. "Huh. Well, I was gonna say that this must be the end of the world." Stephen said and she chuckles. "That, too. You always were a perceptive one. But I fear we don't have much time." She warns.
"Then who's causing this?" Stephen asked. "Well, you are." She replied. "How?" Stephen asked, confused again. "When Dr. Strange, you, used The Eye and vanished into the past, I couldn't follow. I drew upon the power of the Dark Dimension to split the timeline, to split you. Allowing for two of your possible timelines to occur in one universe." She explains.
"Two timelines? I doubt that's the simplest or smartest thing to do." said Stephen. "Exceedingly dangerous, actually." she said, nodding. "And now I have an evil twin?" Stephen asked. "More like misguided. If the other Strange succeeds in reversing an Absolute Point in our universe..." she said and Stephen turns to her. "You mean saving (y/n)." he said.
"You cannot save her, Stephen. The resulting temporal paradox will destroy this universe. Our time is running out. I fear the only sorcerer strong enough to stop Dr. Strange is...you, Dr. Strange." She said before she disappears.
"Okay. Wait. So...the fabric of reality is breaking, and only you can stop it because you are causing it." Wong said, trying to understand it. "Let's be honest, we've been through weirder." Stephen said as Wong, who is close to disappearing too, begins to do some spells.
"But do you want to stop him? Weren't you in love with this (y/n)?" Wong asked and Stephen looks down, sadly. "I...I think I have to." He said then he looks over at Wong. "At the very least, to save you." He said and Wong smiles at this before he summons up some runes.
"Mmm. The Guardian Vishanti heavy-duty protection spell." Wong said and he sent the runes over to Stephen and they land on his face, acting like a shield. "Knowing me, I'll need it." Stephen said. "How would you find him?" Wong asked him.
At that moment, they hear a noise and the place starts to shake. "He's found me." Stephen said then there was a red circle with runes in it appear around him. "Oh, that's not great." Wong notes. "Nope, it's not." Stephen agrees then he is pulled down. "Good luck!" Wong yells as Stephen falls through the blackness, screaming.
Finally, he lands on solid ground then gets up and looks around. "Hello?" He calls out and he hears the wind blowing. "Hello?" He calls out again, his voice echoing. Then he hears some noises, almost like a growl, and he could just make out a figure in the darkness.
"Where am I?" he asked. "The question is, when are you?" A voice asked and Strange walks up to Stephen. His clothes were dark and his cape was black and purple with some gold linings on it. Strange's skin was gray and he had dark circles around his eyes. Stephen was taken aback by his counterpart's appearance.
"Do not be frightened, old friend, for we are one and the same." Strange said. "What happened to you?" Stephen asked him, concerned. "I needed you alone. No need for Wong or The Ancient One. They wouldn't understand. They never knew her. We knew her. We loved her." Strange said.
"You can't bring her back. The world out there is breaking." Stephen warns and Strange glares at him. "Don't you dare lie to me. I am you!" He yells then he lets out a roar and Stephen could see shadows of the creatures Strange had absorb coming out of him before Strange calms down and starts to breath heavily.
"How many nights did we sit in the Sanctum Sanctorum, Time Stone in the palm of our hand, knowing we could go back, gathering the courage? Well, I had the courage. I spent centuries, sacrificed everything for (y/n)." Strange said as he goes up to Stephen. "And now can you save her?" Stephen asked him.
"No, Stephen." Strange said then he grabs Stephen's arm. "We can." He said and he transports Stephen back to that night of the accident. The two men were standing on the road and Strange walks up to the crashed car.
"Our powers are diluted, split between us. But once we become whole again, we can save her." Strange said. "We can't." Stephen said and Strange scoffs. "You don't believe it's possible. But you will see." he growls. "The Ancient One warned us. If we save (y/n), we destroy the world." Stephen said and Strange grits his teeth then turns to Stephen.
"I told you, she doesn't understand. We love (y/n)." He said as he places a hand on Stephen's shoulder. But Stephen bats his hand off of his shoulder as he takes a step back. "This isn't love. Look at this. This is arrogance. This is our need to fix everything. It's what drove us to study the mystic arts in the first place." Stephen explains.
"And look where we are." Strange said.
"Deranged." Stephen said, plainly.
"I will be whole again." Strange said.
"No. Your marbles are long gone. The world, however, still stands a chance." Stephen said and Strange glares at him again then tries to use the absorption spell but it doesn't work thanks to the protection. "You can't save her. She's dead." Stephen said and Strange throws a couple of magic discs at him but Stephen blocks it.
Strange floats up and throws some more magic discs at him buy Stephen blocks them again. "You need to let go." Stephen pleads to his twin. "I've gone too far to turn back now." Strange growls and then he flies straight to Stephen and breaks through his protection shield, grabbing him around his neck.
He slams Stephen up against a wall but the protection spell zaps Strange and makes him fly back a few feet. Stephen starts to run and throws a couple of spells at him then, once he gets close to him, uses the Crimson Bands of C'yttork on Strange and wraps it around him.
Strange uses a spell and zaps Stephen to stop him from putting the bands around him. He gets up then slams down on the ground, making a ripple effect on the ground, and then some serpent creatures come towards Stephen. Stephen floats up and kills the creatures then uses the bands again to wrap around Strange.
Strange commands his cloak to attack Stephen and the cloak flies right at him and grabs his head but Stephen's cloak comes off and fights the other cloak, making Stephen fall. He then uses his sling ring and summons a portal and have him land on the ground safely. The two Stranges' duel until Strange gets the upper hand and summons the bands on Stephen and anchors him to the ground.
Then he blasts Stephen and his protection spell slowly starts to peel away. The cloaks kept fighting until the red cloak noticed that Stephen was in trouble. It gets around its evil twin and goes to Strange and wraps around his arms.
Strange growls then uses his strength and a spell to rip the Cloak of Levitation apart as Stephen recovers then blasts Strange with a spell. There was an explosion and Strange seemed to be gone. Stephen takes a breath when a white ball of light appears and floats up.
He watches it just as a shadow behind him appears and grabs him. Stephen transports them to the mirror dimension and sees that he is in some sort've hell as he looks around. But then he was transported again but into a room and sees (y/n) there.
"It's so good to see you." She chuckles and Stephen gasps.
"(Y/n)?" He sighs.
"Mmm? Stephen, you promised me crème brûlée." she said as she walks up to him. "I know." He mutters and she places a hand on his cheek. "We can be together again. Stephen, I love you." She said with a smile and Stephen smiles back at her but then noticed something happened across her face, like a glitch happened.
"I love you." She said, again, then he started to think about the universe and how it was in danger. "I wish that was true. But you're...You're not her." He said as he backs away from her. Then (y/n) disappears and Strange stands where she stood and he punches Stephen out of the dimension.
The two of them are back in the real world as the two of them fall through the sky. Strange keeps punching Stephen in the face until most of the protection shield is gone just as they land on the ground. "You can't do this." Stephen said, tired. "But we must." Strange said and he reaches out and places a finger on Stephen's forehead. "No. No!" Stephen pleads but too late as Strange gets rid of the protection spell and begins to absorb Stephen.
Finally, his task was complete.
Strange then summons up a spell. He lets out a yell and releases the spell and an explosion happens and the world didn't look like normal, almost like it was in a different dimension. Strange didn't even look human either, he looked like a large monster that was a mixture of all the creatures he had absorbed.
He raises a hand and the car floats up but comes apart with a blue figure in the middle. Strange uses a spell and has the figure come towards him and it forms into (y/n).
"(Y/n)?" Strange said, but his voice was deep and almost demonic sounding. "(Y/n)." Multiple whispers said and (y/n) slowly opens her eyes. Then she looks around. "What? Oh..." she said and Strange leans in and his face was monstrous with many different eyes around his head.
"It's me, (y/n)." He said and (y/n) gasps at this. "Oh, my God. What's happening? What's happening?" She asked, confused and a bit panicked. "I brought you back. I saved you." He tells her.
"No, this is...This...This isn't real! This is..." she said, panicked, as she looks around. "No, this is a nightmare!" She screams and she starts to back away when Strange starts to reach out to her. "No, no! Leave me!" She shouts then a part of her arm was starting to disappear in a inky blob mess. "No. I can fix this." Strange said once he sees her arm starting to disappear.
"Oh, my God! Oh, my God! No! Get away! Don't touch me!" (Y/n) shouts as she backs away from him in fear. "Uh...Uh...(y/n). (Y/n)." He calls out as she backs up to the edge of the cliff which starts to break.
"No!" Strange shouts as he reverts back to his normal self and then used a spell to levitate them up in the air. "This wasn't supposed to happen." He said as (y/n)'s eyes widen in confusion. "Stephen?" She said, confused. She looks around and the world looked like it was starting to collapse.
"Stephen. What is going on?" She asked, panicked, as Strange looks around him. "No!" He shouts then he stretched his arms out and uses a spell to try and keep the world from collapsing.
Then he looks in front of him. "You...You can stop this. Please, fix this." he pleads as the Watcher comes into view. "The same way you fixed (y/n)?" The Watcher asked him and (y/n) gasps. "What?" She said, confused, as she looks up at Strange.
"I was wrong. I..." Strange started to say. "You were warned." The Watcher said, firmly. "I know. But the world! The world shouldn't pay for my arrogance. I read about you. Sensed your presence. You're a god. You can undo this." He pleads. "I'm not a god. And neither are you." The Watcher said.
"Then punish me. Not the world, not (y/n)." Strange said. "Honestly, if I could fix this, if I could punish you instead, I would. But I can't interfere. You, more than anyone else, should understand that meddling with time and events only leads to more destruction." The Watcher said and he disappears. "No. No!" Strange shouts while (y/n) felt fear in her heart. "I didn't mean for this to happen!" Strange shouts and the world collapses around them and he uses one last spell to cover him.
The world was destroyed except for this small bubble that Strange was able to create around him and (y/n). He was on his knees and holding what was left of her and he gives a look of regret to her. "(Y/n). Oh, no." He whispers as he notices how she was almost gone except for her upper body and her head.
"I'm sorry." He said, sadly, and (y/n) looks into his eyes then places a hand on his cheek. "Stephen. What did you do?" She asked, somber and disappointed, and she completely disappears. "No, no, no, no, no." Strange cries then he leans forward, curled up and places his hands over his head and begins to sob. "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry." He cries in regret and sadness.
One life, one choice, one moment can destroy the entire universe.