Chapter 7
Wong had finally gotten time to meditate.
He slept first, ate, and exercised away the terror he had felt when he'd opened the door to the sight of Stephen hoarsely wailing. His friend had always held things in and if he had to let them out, he'd always done so alone, quietly. Wong's alternate had sometimes heard a muffled, whimpering sound that he had thought to be one of the relics, but now he was beginning to wonder.
He'd also cried at Wong's offer of friendship. He'd questioned it, looking very lost as he did, as if it was hard to believe that someone would want to be friends with him...Wong had needed to hit something and as soon as he'd gotten the time, had spent a good few hours in one of the practice areas refining his repertoire of destructive spells. Master Arzhel, their current specialist in destructive magic, had been so impressed she asked him to come teach her next class.
He'd agreed without thinking.
Now, his mind was clear. He could sink into himself and sort out both sets of memories.
The past was easy. His life had been mostly the same. His alternate didn't have the cat he'd found when he was six and that had disappeared when he was nine, but the major details were the same. He'd come to the temple young, had grown up there, and started actually practicing magic when he was twenty. He'd gained his mastery when he was twenty-five and had created the magical equivalent of a search engine for the library.
The present was, of course, different.
Aside from being Kamar-Taj's librarian, he was teaching higher-level defensive magic. The subtle kind one could layer over clothing, buildings, even people, unseen and unfelt until it was needed. He'd need to recreate some of his alternate's spells, especially the permanent concealment ward that fueled itself with the energy of the dimension the ward was currently in. Hopefully, it would be strong enough to conceal more than one infinity stone.
Wong inhaled and exhaled slowly, bringing his mind back from its wandering.
The Stephen he'd met seemed very different than the one his alternate had known. That Stephen had been determined. He'd taken every option to keep America safe, to help even as he paid the price. He'd been stubborn too. Wong had seen him fight sleep many times just to finish another page of his book. It was adorable as much as it was frustrating. One of the reading rooms in the Sanctum had been very close to Wong's bedroom and Stephen had a tendency to hum to himself as he read, loudly.
He listened to Wong and always took him seriously. Wong's alternate self had told Stephen about so many made up spells and Stephen had always gone looking for them in the Sanctum's library. Eventually, before he started to look in the other libraries, Wong's alternate had to tell him they were made up. Stephen would just sigh upon hearing they didn't exist and take revenge by hiding Wong's current favorite tea blend. Stephen was good at hiding things and often Wong had to bribe the Cloak of Levitation by allowing it to borrow his laptop. What the Cloak did with it, Wong didn't want to know and the Cloak always erased the browser history after. He found it best not to question the Cloak's abilities or knowledge.
Stephen gave Wong music too, songs he knew Wong would like. He complained about them, but that didn't stop Wong from finding new songs on his playlist that he knew he didn't add. He'd also caught Stephen humming them as he read sometimes. Once, he'd even caught Stephen singing Cake By The Ocean as he danced with the Cloak.
He smiled at the memory. The smile slipped as he thought about the Stephen he'd met yesterday.
He hadn't been anything like the one his alternate had known. Instead, Wong had met a tired, broken man. He seemed fragile in a way the Stephen in his alternate self's memories hadn't. And the way that man had looked at him...unabashed joy that quickly crumpled into grief, guilt and a devastation that had sent a sharp stab of pain through Wong's heart. Wong could still feel it, a dull ache that stuck with him. He wanted to see that joy return.
He wanted to meet the man he had gotten to know in the dreams, but the Stephen he'd met didn't seem to be it.
He exhaled, forcefully.
No. He had gotten to meet that man. This Stephen was still the man from the memories. Wong was just finally seeing all the hurt that lay underneath. His alternate had gotten glimpses before.
A tiredness in his body when someone had mentioned Dormammu, the covered fragility in his eyes when Wong had asked him how he was after they had rescued America, the way he'd clutched his arm when the wind blew through him...this was the dam vanishing and everything spilling out. It would take time for him to regain that side of himself. This was still his friend and Wong would be there now that he knew. That joy Wong had seen would return. He would make sure of it.
He took a few deep breaths and let the conclusion, and his path forward, settle into his bones before moving on.
The future was unknown. Stephen being here changed things and, if Wong suspected correctly, he had the entire set of stones with him. That flash of red had been obvious and Wong had examined him with his other senses after Stephen had fallen asleep from exhaustion.
Stephen had been covered in a shade of orange different that the dimensional energies they used. The orange had been interwoven with strands of yellow, red, purple, and underneath it all lay a blanket of green. There had been no blue, but Space's powers probably wouldn't have helped in keeping Stephen intact. Wong suspected they were holding his soul together. He had gotten glimpses of hollow, gaping voids underneath the colors, and souls didn't normally look like that.
Wong shivered. Reforging the anchors of the universe, drawing upon the scattered parts of infinity. That would have had consequences and none of them would have been good.
You suspect correctly. The voice was in his head, gentle but rattling his skeleton all the same. Wong could sense a weight, a presence focused on him. It wasn't enough to be overwhelming, but it had a very tangible weight. It was like noticing something that had always been there, but was being brought into focus for the first time.
Wong opened his eyes and immediately startled backward, having to catch himself with a hand before he fell over. Floating right in front of him was a glowing yellow stone. Mind.
Stephen is safe. Mind said immediately before Wong's surprise could turn into anything else. It turned to alarm anyway. Safe didn't always mean well.
You know he is not.
The ache in Wong's heart spread to his lungs, drew his throat tight. He wanted to get up and check on Stephen, but it would be impolite, and dangerous, to leave Mind alone. Wong tried to breathe in and loosen the tightness in himself. It didn't work.
He is healing. Mind said. But it is....-
Mind seemed at a loss for words. Wong felt his his pulse roaring in his ears.
Difficult, Mind said eventually. He needs more help than we can give.
Wong's heart stopped. His breath stilled and his mind blanked. What did Mind mean? What hurt could be so deep that even the infinity stones couldn't help? No. He refused to believe Stephen couldn't be helped.
It hurts. Mind said and there was something in its voice that sounded very much like pain. We do not know how to fix it without remaking him completely.
Wong's heart restarted back into its normal pace and he let out a breath, the tension running out. Of course. That made more sense. The stones were sentient, but they weren't human. Of course they wouldn't know how to help.
Yes. We are....
Another pause. Wong wondered how the stones normally communicated. Had they ever used words before this? Had there even been a need to speak with another? Why were they doing so now? It almost seemed like they cared.
He is ours. Mind said. We do not want to break him.
Theirs? What did that mean? What would they do to him? Wong didn't think it would be anything damaging, not with how Mind appeared to be asking for help. There was a bit of awe bubbling up underneath the confusion. The stones seemed to care. How had Stephen managed that?
He knew the answer immediately. By being himself. Stephen, once one got past the ego, arrogance, and everything else that made up his defenses, was easy to care for. Wong's alternate had gotten to know him remarkably well in the five years they'd known each other and had grown to care very quickly.
The more difficult thing, as Wong's alternate had found, was to take care of him. Stephen resisted any overt attempts and more than once Wong's alternate had found himself slipping painkillers into his tea. Stephen probably knew what he was doing, but he'd drunk the tea anyway.
You knew him once. Mind said, interrupting his thoughts. Will you take care of him?
Will you help us take care of him, is what Mind didn't say, but Wong heard it nonetheless.
"Yes." Wong said without needing to think about it. "I will help you."
It would take all of them, him, the stones, the Ancient One, and, possibly, the entire temple. More than four billion timelines, an entire century filled with nothing but death - Wong wasn't sure how he knew that, but he did-, a destroyed universe, and plenty of other hurts that they didn't yet know about. Stephen would need all the help they could find for him.
Wong needed to get back to him. He didn't want to let Stephen out of his sight. Bad things would happen if he did. His alternate had and Stephen had turned to dust for five years, had nearly gotten himself and the Cloak eaten, had nearly been sacrificed to summon a demon lord from the fifteenth dimension...there were too many incidents to count. Wong could never leave him alone. He would never leave him alone again.
He got to his feet, straightened his robes, and steadied his breathing. Then, he took a step forward and found himself in his bedroom. He blinked away the afterimage of blue and found the Ancient One sitting on his bed and reading one of his books. Her other was stroking through Stephen's hair.
He was asleep and, from what little Wong could see, looked paler than before. His head was pressed against the Ancient One's thigh and he was covered in Wong's favorite blanket. Wong loved the softness of it and it was perfect for the cold nights in winter.
He stepped forward quickly, fear rushing through him in a great wave, and started to open his mouth only to have the Ancient One put her book down and press a finger to her lips. Wong paused to take her in. The Ancient One didn't look particularly worried, though there was still some sadness in her eyes. There was a faint air of relaxation around her, though Wong got the impression that it was somewhat forced. The fear ebbed, settling back into the ever-present unease he had been feeling all week.
He nodded in return and the Ancient One picked up the book again. It was one of the Choose Your Own Adventure novels he'd found in a secondhand bookstore. He thought he'd lost it.
He sat down next to her and watched as Mind floated down to settle in the hollow of Stephen's collarbone. His breath caught. Normally, one could not touch an infinity stone with their bare skin without taking significant damage. He'd heard a story of one of Master Agamotto's apprentices getting a severe burn on their fingers when they'd tried to pick the Time Stone up. It was the reason why it was stored in the Eye of Agamotto and never touched directly. But here Mind was, touching Stephen's bare throat and Stephen was completely unharmed.
Wong slumped, relief flooding him. Mind was right. They really didn't want to hurt him. They really did care.
Tears pricked his eyes and he suppressed the sob that tried to rise in his throat. He didn't want to wake his friend up. The man never seemed to sleep as much as he needed to and it had been an exhausting few days.
"It is never easy to see a friend in pain," the Ancient One said quietly.
Wong nodded, afraid of crying the moment he opened his mouth. He linked his hands together and tried to breathe.
"Mind asked me for help." He whispered eventually, voice breaking. "How do I do that?"
His alternate had tried, but it hadn't seemed to work. Stephen had brushed off his efforts and had turned that care back on him. His alternate had often found himself sidestepping questions about his own well-being whenever he'd questioned Stephen about his.
"You be yourself," the Ancient One replied. "Kind, understanding, patient, and -" her eyes flicked down to where Wong's hand was touching Stephen's side- "perhaps a bit more physically affectionate....I suspect he needs it."
She was right. Wong couldn't forget the way Stephen had relaxed into his hug and calmed quicker than Wong thought he would. He looked at her, at the quiet confidence in her gaze.
"Okay."
The Ancient One smiled at him, though the sadness remained. She put down the book and used her free hand to tug him close. Wong didn't resist, leaning into her.
"Neither of you will be alone in this," she murmured, using her free hand to stroke his back. "That is a promise."