1. Maybes Don't Count - Peter Parker
Stephen Strange awoke from nothingness. The Avengers must have done it perfectly according to plan. The last thing he knew, Thanos had snapped, and Stephen was turning into dust. He had witnessed the Guardians do so as well, and knew from his visions that young Peter Parker was a victim as well.
Gathering his surroundings, Stephen knew that five years must have passed. Five years of nothing. For an adult like him, five years is a significant amount of time, but nothing he couldn't get used to. But for a teenager like Peter, five years is a large portion of a lifetime. Speaking of Peter, Stephen limped to the boy, head still screaming in pain from Thanos's attack. It just felt like a few minutes had passed since Stephen had given up the Time Stone...
Peter was laying on the ground. Stephen remembered that as he faded, Peter had collapsed into the arms of his mentor, Tony Stark. Stephen kneeled, supporting the teen into a sitting position. This caused Peter to stir.
"Doctor Strange?" The teen squeaked. "What happened? Oh, I think I must have passed out or something... wait, where is Mr. Stark?"
Stephen sighed and began to explain the ordeal. "We got dusted by Thanos for five years."
"Five years?!" Peter gasped.
"Yes," Stephen murmured softly, nodding. "But thanks to the surviving Avengers, everyone was brought back. But they need our help now. According to the Time Stone, Thanos is attacking Earth. I need to contact Wong to arrange the Sorcerers to transport people to the scene."
Peter gave a worried whimper. Stephen could tell that the teen missed his home and his loved ones. He was a good kid, and didn't deserve to go through what was happening. Stephen found himself caring for Peter as well. He decided to see how the kid was holding up.
"Are you okay?" Stephen asked. "I- I know that this is a lot."
"I guess so," Peter said. The kid attempted to stand up, grimacing in obvious pain. Stephen rushed to Peter's side, checking him all over. Was he hurt? Did nobody notice in the heat of battle? Peter seemed to notice what Strange was doing. The teen spoke up about what was hurting. "When I was fighting Thanos, he threw me. My suit absorbed a lot of the impact, but I landed on my leg." Peter pointed to his right leg.
Stephen, using the instincts of a medical professional, examined the kid's leg. He couldn't see it as it was covered by the suit, and he didn't have time to remove it. Stephen applied pressure to various points of Peter's leg, and when Peter winced at some pressure to the bone, Stephen had some idea of what was happening.
"I think you may have a small fracture on your femur," Stephen explained. "I'm not 100% sure though. This area isn't known for scanning tools. You should't fight."
"Yes I can!" Peter insisted. "I have a healing factor."
"You do?" Stephen asked with a tip to the head. "How strong?"
"I think it'll be better once we leave," Peter said. "But I don't know. It already feels better than it did before; I think it started as a bigger fracture."
Stephen nodded. "It probably was. But 'maybe' isn't good enough for the battle. Here, let me see."
"How are you going to help when we have no supplies?" Peter whimpered.
Stephen gently smiled. "I can make a healing spell. They accelerate the healing process, and I believe that combined with your healing factor, your leg will be better in moments. May I?"
Peter gave a small nod of consent. Stephen closed his eyes and summoned some orange mist, similar to the spell that helped repair New York when Ebony Maw attacked. He focused the mist onto Peter's femur until it absorbed through the armour into the kid's body.
"All done," Stephen announced. Peter thanked the sorcerer in a small voice, and Stephen excused himself to tell Wong about the portals.
When the plan was set. Stephen opened his portal so that the heroes of Titan could reunite with their allies. And Stephen could tell through Peter's movement and expression that his leg had completely healed.
2. Alien Bunk Beds - Tony Stark
Stephen, Tony, and Peter were inside the Q-ship for hours, with little sign of the journey's end. Tony had discovered a cryptic map, and judging by the decreasing size of a red area, the trio was getting close to the destination. The adrenaline following the recent battle, Stephen's rescue, and the subsequent bickering was starting to wear off.
"I'm tired," Peter announced sleepily.
"Let's find a place for us all to rest, then," Tony replied. He walked with Peter for a while, probably trying to find some sort of bedroom in the maze of different areas on the ship. Tony soon returned alone, finding a place to sit next to Stephen.
"Did you find somewhere?" Stephen asked. The two were rarely talking to each other, mainly doing so for Peter's sake. Their mutual intellect, passion, sarcasm, and stubbornness would do nothing but clash, which wasn't needed when the universe was at stake.
Tony nodded, and told Stephen of some "alien bunk beds" that he found. There were enough for at least ten people in the room; it was probably for an army or a team. The two sat in some more silence before Stephen decided to break it.
"Thank you for rescuing me," Stephen murmured, feeling a bit tired himself.
Tony grinned. "It was mostly the kid, you know, using the power of Aliens or something." Stephen couldn't help but smirk at the comment. "But it was the right thing to do. Besides, I don't want to know what they can do with that chaos emerald."
"Chaos emerald?" Strange echoed.
Tony sighed. "Another thing Peter kept on saying. When I explained to him that Infinity Stones were, he instantly started talking to me about how Sonic has the same things."
Stephen chuckled before continuing with the conversation. "It wasn't the pain that was breaking me. Those needles are able to be so precise that they can target and stimulate individual neurons. They are meant for advanced neurosurgery. When I was still a surgeon we were experimenting with much more basic and less precise forms. I even had an experimental surgery myself with them." Stephen took a breath. Why was he telling a stranger about his life? This was a mistake. But still, he had already stepped into the rabbit hole; he had to complete the journey.
"Why did you have the surgery?" Tony asked. "Was it because of magic issues?"
"Not everything in my life is related to magic!" Stephen snapped before apologizing. He explained to Tony his injury, his desperation to continue working in neurosurgery, and how getting into the mystic arts was only supposed to be a last resort for a miracle cure.
"So the 'Doctor' part of your name isn't for show?" Tony asked.
"Um... no." Stephen said, exasperated.
Tony stared at Stephen, who was growing uncomfortable by the deliberately intense prolonged eye contact for seemingly no reason. Then, the Avenger spoke up. "I'm not doing well. This whole Thanos thing is making me very panicky. I didn't have the best time last time they attacked New York. Every time I see the map, that we are getting closer to wherever the destination is, I spiral more and more. I almost died last time on my own planet! I have so much that I just can't leave behind! Not again..."
Stephen saw Tony's muscles become more and more tense. He was shaking and his breathing was getting faster and faster. His heart rate was almost certainly spiking as well. The Avenger repeatedly tried opening his mouth to say something more, but Stephen could tell that nothing could come out. Stephen gently put his hand on Tony's shoulder, and was surprised when he accepted the gesture.
"It's okay to be afraid," Stephen assured. "But listen- it's easier said than understood, but listen- we have no other option. We don't want Earth attacked more- not that we can go there anyways- as you said. We are going to encounter Thanos. It will be terrifying and it will be dangerous. But we need to stay calm. Our heads must be clear. So whatever you need to do to get your head cleared, do it now."
After a few minutes of saying comforting words to Tony, Stephen noticed the Avenger's breathing start to level out. Tony wiped his tears, and thanked the sorcerer for the help.
"No problem," Stephen said. "I think we should get some rest. Where are those 'alien bunk beds'?"
3. Monsters of the Dark Web - Wong
Stephen was sitting on his couch, reading a book about interdimensional ghosts. It was very captivating, and explained common theories about alleged ghost sightings possibly being lost beings from the astral plane or elsewhere, and how different realms are more connected than an ordinary person may believe. Stephen had already learned a bit about this topic when being educated on different dimensions by the Ancient One, but was excited to dive deeper when Wong had given him the book while visiting Kamar-Taj.
Speaking of Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme had been away more frequently than usual. Yes, Wong had various responsibilities to attend to, but as a former Sorcerer Supreme himself, Stephen knew that Wong couldn't possibly be away as much as he was. Stephen didn't think of it; Wong was his own person, with his own priorities. Perhaps he was attending events, or running his own errands. It wasn't Stephen's place to judge... until it was.
Wong portaled into the living room while Stephen had started reading a new chapter of his book. Irritated that his session was interrupted, Stephen closed the book. Luckily, he would remember which page he was on, as was the norm for those with good memories like him. Stephen looked up at Wong and his expression changed from irritation to concern. Wong had a bruise on his head that was quickly developing into a black eye, along with some wounds on his cheek and neck that looked like they were caused by huge nails or claws. Why would a simple meeting with Master Hamir devolve into a battle? Unless Wong went somewhere else recklessly and alone, which Stephen couldn't imagine, seeing how he was the one notorious for making said reckless decisions. Before Wong's portal closed, Stephen saw what looked like an underground fighting ring.
"What is going on here, Wong? Did something happen?" Stephen asked, standing up to examine his friend's injuries.
"Nice to see you too," Wong muttered, clearly trying to act fine. "I had an... insightful battle with a monster."
Stephen narrowed his eyes. Wong was usually more detailed when talking about battles and opponents, sometimes to seek Stephen's advice, sometimes to have an excuse to explain something to him. "What monster? Where from? Should we worry?"
"No," Wong responded. "I chose to fight him."
"Why on earth would you choose to fight a monster?!" Stephen demanded. This was exactly the kind of thing Wong would tell him off for! "Don't you know the magical energy you wasted? What if the monster was-- he? Do you know this 'monster'?" After taking a breath, Stephen apologized for his snapping. He was very concerned for Wong and was worried about the monster's true motives. But Stephen had to admit that he trusted Wong's judgement more than his own for the most part.
Stephen took a look at Wong's bruise. Wong explained how it was from a punch in the face, but how he had a durability spell that soften the impact. Stephen noticed that besides the bleeding from the internal wound, there were no signs of damage to anything else. Wong was also behaving well cognitively, so a concussion didn't seem likely. "That is a pretty nasty punch," Stephen concluded. "I can get a heating pad to reduce any inflammation from the bruise. But about those scratches..." Stephen saw that the scratches on Wong's cheek and neck weren't deep enough to need stitches. Just some large bandages would do. Stephen asked the Cloak to get bandages from behind a bathroom mirror, and it quickly provided the necessary supplies. Carefully and with Wong helping to guide his hands, Stephen also disinfected the scratches with neosporin before applying the bandages.
When Stephen had finished treating Wong's wounds, the two sat down on the couch. Stephen had thanked Wong again for the book, and was talking about what he had read. But he also had questions about the monster.
"I am morbidly curious, but who were you fighting? Please say it was legal," Stephen pleaded.
"I was fighting Emil Blonsky, that guy who attacked New York and was stopped by Banner," Wong explained.
"Isn't he in prison?" Stephen asked.
Wong smiled as he casually dropped onto Stephen that not only was he illegally breaking Blonsky out of solitary confinement, but he was also sparring with the man's Abomination form in some underground fight ring in China that streamed on the Dark Web. Stephen opened his mouth but before he could let out a sound, Wong said one last thing:
"You know I was just going to use a healing spell to take care of this anyways, right?"
4. Pizza Solves Everything - America Chavez
"How was class today?" Stephen asked. A month had passed since America Chavez landed into his universe. She wasn't officially a student at Kamar-Taj, nor was she anyone's apprentice. But she had nowhere else to go, so she stayed and attended classes every once in a while. Most of them were about practicing mindfulness, or honing in on portal powers. Both Stephen and America hoped that learning about the more traditional portals would have transferrable skills into multiversal ones.
However, America was interested in combat classes. She had learned basic defence skills out of necessity throughout the multiverse, but after the fiasco with Wanda, Stephen wanted America to be more prepared in the future, and she had decided to learn basic fighting as a result.
"Alright. It went on a bit longer than usual, though," America sighed. "The teacher lost track of time and so Rintrah and I fought for an extra ten minutes!"
"Rintrah?" Stephen asked. Rintrah was Wong's apprentice, and although shy, was very eager to learn and meet fellow sorcerers. Stephen was happy that Rintrah and America were hanging out in training. America had helped Rintrah get out of his shell, and Rintrah showed America the ins and outs of Kamar-Taj. But Stephen was uneasy about America fighting a literal minotaur. Still, Rintrah was a gentle giant, so things should be fine.
"Yeah," America confirmed. "He taught me how to use some sparring relics, and I got to make a lot of sparkles."
Stephen smiled. He was happy about the girl's progress, and how she was very proud of herself. He knew that America didn't intend to become a fully-fledged sorcerer, but she needed the confidence boost. But he couldn't help to notice that America was looking a bit pale. Did she overwork herself? "Hey, kid, did you overdo it with the magic?" Stephen asked.
"You can do that?" America asked.
Stephen nodded. "Magical exhaustion," he explained. "Your body can only handle so much magic at a time. It comes at a cost. That's why I was so ill after using the Darkhold. It wasn't the dark magic, but the sheer amount of energy I used for the magic."
America thought for a bit. "Makes sense," she said. "Is it worse when you don't do it a lot?"
"That, if you are young, and if you don't know how to control how much energy you spend," Stephen answered. "It's like running. If you haven't ran a marathon, you will be exhausted if you do. Same if you don't know how to run efficiently. Since you fit a lot of this..."
"Yeah, I probably did overdo it," America admitted. "What do I do?"
Stephen walked with America beside him. "In severe cases, one would faint or be very ill. But you have a minor case, it seems. Just like sore legs after a run. Probably some rest is what you need, and water... lots of it."
America had gone to her room in the living quarters. Stephen had to finish some business with other Sanctum masters about extra security in case of another severe magical threat. It had been their first time seeing Stephen back at work after the Darkhold's destruction, and were happy to see that he was doing well. The meeting was also productive, and the council had decided to increase the magical shields that the Sanctums provided.
Before Stephen would start work in New York, though, he had to check on America. He knew that she'd be fine on her own, but he knew from experience that someone's first time experiencing magical exhaustion, no matter how mild, could often be confusing. The first time Stephen had gone through it, he had lost the sense of taste on one side of his tongue. He had gained it back after a few hours, but the sudden onset of that loss of sense after an already intense battle was something he'd never forget.
Stephen walked to the living quarters, weaving through hallways until he made it to America's room. He gently knocked on her door, while also announcing that it was indeed himself at the door. America told him to come in, and so he opened the door.
America, as advised by Stephen, had a few water bottles with her, with one almost being completely gone. She had a blanket over her back, as a mild fever was quite a common occurrence with even the most mild forms of magical exhaustion.
"I have a surprise for you," Stephen announced to America.
Smiling, America asked, "What is it?"
"The meeting had pizza," Stephen said. He had grabbed two slices- one for himself and one for America. With America sitting on her bed and Stephen sitting at her desk, the two ate their pizza and talked about their past few weeks at Kamar-Taj. The conversation then shifted into logistics about magical exhaustion. Stephen had to commend America for always being inquisitive. Stephen shared the loss of taste fiasco.
"Does it get any more odd?" America asked.
Stephen grinned at what he was about to say. "Don't tell this to Wong, but one time after a huge battle with a demon from the seventeenth dimension, I got it so bad that the only thing I could eat was Funfetti cake. So, Cloak and I made one. Wong thought it was a surprise cake and I just went with it. To this day we make Funfetti for every single party or event!"
America laughed and Stephen did too. He could tell that the kid was feeling better. It really had been just a mild case.
5. The Joy of Healing All Those Need Help - The Dog
New York may be loud and chaotic, but it had nothing on Kathmandu. Ever since Stephen had landed, he couldn't have a break. The city was bustling all the time, but instead of flashing lights everywhere, it was just the sheer amount of people. The streets were always crowded and people assumed he was a stupid tourist, and tried to get him to buy some tourist trap crap. He had been walking for days, sleeping in whatever fleabags were available. When Stephen would ask people where Kamar-Taj was, they either waved a general direction or gave him a blank stare. The place had to be real, right? If Pangborn could walk again, it had to be!
Stephen had been instructed to walk though alleyways to possibly get a shortcut to other parts of town. If he were to find people who lived close to Kamar-Taj, then they surely must know what it is! If Stephen's neighbourhood had a miracle place then of course he would know of it as soon as he walked by. He turned from the busy and loud main street to a small alleyway that was pretty much empty save for the occasional person zooming by.
Still, the alley was as much a maze as the rest of this place. Every deviation of the alley was either someone's home pathway, or to a dumpster or parking lot. Other spaces were the back entrances to various homes or businesses. And some businesses were only accessible from the alleys! This particular alley must've be pretty underground or insignificant, as barely anyone could be seen. Stephen couldn't ask anyone for help. It was just him, until he heard a bark.
Stephen looked up and saw a dog limping towards him. It must have had some break or sprain, as its front paw was held up. The dog whimpered, clearly needing help as well. Stephen may not be a neurosurgeon anymore, but he was a doctor, and it was his duty to help anyone, including an innocent dog like this one. Stephen kneeled and the dog and called at it.
"Hey," Stephen said gently. "Come here."
The dog limped to Stephen, glad that someone could help. "Hey," Stephen repeated. The dog put its injured paw on Stephen's hand. "Look at you!" Stephen murmured. He tried to give the dog a comforting stroke on the chin, but it was a bit too shy for that, it seemed, moving its face away.
Reaching to a bundle of wood for a makeshift splint, Stephen continued talking to the dog. "I've got a friend who goes for your type," he remarked, thinking of how Animal Control would have gotten this dog already back in New York. Stephen picked up a piece of wood, reassuring the dog by saying "good boy" before using the leverage of his knee to split the wood in half- it needed to be a good size for a dog's leg. If a splint was too big, it could cut the dog.
"It's all right, don't be afraid," Stephen murmured as he put the splint against the dog's leg. It was the right size, perfect for the injury. All Stephen needed to do was wrap it somehow. Scrambling through the maps and cash in his backpack, Stephen found some medical supplies. They were mostly bandages for his hands, but he had some to spare. Carefully wrapping the splint, Stephen didn't notice the hooded figure that had been following him. The dog continued to whimper; it clearly didn't enjoy its paw being touched.
When Stephen finished, he let go of the dog's leg. The dog gave Stephen's nose a grateful lick, and gave his good paw as thanks, as if it was shaking Stephen's hand. "Oh, yeah. Shaking my hand now? Wait 'till you get the bill," Stephen joked. "How's your insurance, huh?" The dog limped away with a prancing gait.
Stephen may be lost and half a world away from his hospital, but he was a doctor first and foremost. The world could fail him as much as it wanted, but Stephen couldn't fail a fellow injured being that also had no help. To the dog, Stephen had been the miracle it needed. Would Kamar-Taj be the same for him?
+ 1. I Am Happy Because Everyone Loves Me - Christine
"Can you hear me?"
Stephen opened his heavy eyes, not knowing where he was. As the light of the room cleared from a blurry haze, so did his memories. The last think Stephen knew, he was returned to his home universe after using the Darkhold. After seeing that America and Wong were alright, Stephen must have blacked out on the way down Mount Wundagore. It made sense, as the Darkhold used up a lot of magical energy. Not to mention the dark magic messing with his body as well. As Stephen's eyes focused more, he recognized Christine. Not the Christine from 838, but his version of her. What was she doing here? Didn't she have a husband to go on a honeymoon with? Stephen tried to open his mouth, but it was impossibly hard.
"It's been three days since the wedding. I wanted to call Wong to see what had happened, and when I learned how ill you were, I had to help." Christine explained. "After saving the wedding, it was the least I could do. Charlie agreed."
Stephen sarcastically furrowed his eyebrows at the mention of Charlie.
Christine continued. "Wong says that you have severe magical exhaustion, and some sort of bodily corruption. I don't really know what to do, but I thought I'd stop by. I brought some medicines from the hospital to help with any pain you may have."
"Thanks," Stephen mumbled. He wanted to say more, but his mouth wouldn't let him.
A few- hours? Days?- later, Stephen found himself awake again. He felt a little stronger, and was able to weakly sit up, using pillows to support him. This time he was alone, and it was dark. His Cloak was on his lap, and upon seeing that its person was awake, flew away to probably alert someone. To Stephen's surprise, Christine was the one to check on him.
"What are you still doing here?" Stephen asked weakly but genuinely.
"It's only been a few hours," Christine chuckled. "Besides, Wong had an emergency meeting. He didn't want you to be alone. It seems like you have some strength back, that's good."
Stephen nodded. He still felt so awful. Everything hurt, especially his hands. He was burning from a high fever caused by his body freaking out from the Darkhold's overuse. Every movement, small sound, or new feeling was painful due to headaches and an inability to regulate. Stephen tried his best to explain his condition, but had to catch his breath once in a while. Christine was ever so understanding, and gave him the medicine that she had mentioned.
Christine also microwaved some soup that Wong had made. As per usual, the soup was one of the best things Stephen had the pleasure to eat. He didn't know Wong's secret, but that man was a food genius when it came to soups. In another life, Wong would have been the host of a world-famous soup kitchen.
It was another hour until Wong portalled back to the Sanctum. Both sorcerers thanked Christine for caring for Stephen, and she left to continue her honeymoon with Charlie. Wong had also brought some get-well-soon gifts that America and Rintrah had arranged other sorcerers to make. There were cards, chocolates, drawings, and more. Stephen's phone had also been filled with well wishes from fellow heroes.
It was hard to believe that just under a decade ago- only four years for him thanks to Thanos- Stephen had nothing. Nobody. Everyone he had was either dead or pushed away. But now he had so many people he cared. Stephen was very happy. No matter what the world had for him next, Stephen would not face it alone.