Chapter 7
Loki knew that Strange was struggling. Grappling with the trauma of so many different realities, each competing for the total domination of his mind. If the situation was not so dire, Loki would never execute the plan he was about to put into place.
Strange needed an outlet, by bottling up everything inside he was preventing himself from getting past the pain. Once he managed to release the contents of his mind he would finally be able to face the time stone once more and use it to view the original time branch. From there a plan could be formulated to get everything back on track.
But first, Loki had to get his hands a little dirty.
Opening up to Stark about his children had been a painful, but necessary step. After which, Loki would have to slowly insinuate that it was Strange’s fault that Stark couldn’t be with his daughter. It wasn’t that hard, as subconsciously, Stark himself was trying to find somebody to blame. He had already more or less focused his attention on Strange. All it took was a couple words here and there and the idea was left finalized in the back of Stark’s mind, ready to leap forward at any moment. From what Loki could tell, Stark was prone to blazes of searing rage that burnt hot and quick. It was exactly what may be needed to get a rise out of Strange.
Yes. What he was doing was absolutely deplorable. In fact, it was outright monstrous and reprehensible. But it was also necessary.
Yet, for some reason, that logic only helped to unsettle Loki more.
He was not one to beat a man when he was down, no matter what others may believe. And Strange was most definitely down.
With a soft exhale, Loki prepared the final stages of his plan. Trickster, Manipulator, Monster.
He should not feel guilty, and yet, when he saw Strange walk in, deep bags underneath his eyes, hands cramping and mind a million realities away he could not help it.
But he was Loki, god of chaos, mischief and fire. It was in his very nature to cause discord.
Coward. Betrayer. Deceiver.
Yet he still felt so very, very guilty.
Stephen wandered into the kitchen, only to find Stark already there. Loki drifted closer in his astral body, enhancing the spell that prevented Stephen from picking up on his magic.
“Strange. I didn’t think I’d see you here.”
Tony started off the conversation with a mocking drawl that obviously ticked Strange off.
“It’s a communal kitchen, Stark. Why wouldn’t I be here?”
“I don’t know. I thought that you just might want to avoid meeting the man who you sentenced to death. Whose daughter you sentenced to a life without her father.”
Stephen winced, wringing his scarred hands before him. Softly he murmured his response.
“I’m sorry. It was the only way.”
Stark shot up, eyes smoldering. “Was it? Was it really the only way? Or was it just the best way for you? Hmm? Was my life—my daughter's happiness—a reasonable sacrifice so that you could live your best life? Is that the lie you tell yourself to get through the day?”
“I—I—please Stark—”
“What? What do you want to say? Nothing can make up for what you did to my family. What you did to me. Nothing.”
“—I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t make up for anything but I’m so very sorry—”
Stephen broke off with a heaving sob. In his astral form, Loki sighed. He had really not wanted to do this.
Stark shook his head, “I can’t forgive you for what you did, Strange.”
“I—I know. I’m sorry.”
Here it comes—
Stark, apparently finished with the conversation, stood up. Before he left he threw out one last, final blow. The last few words that would snip the string that was holding everything together.
“You better help me fix this, Strange. Or else you’ll forever hold the burden of Morgan’s suffering. I’ll make sure of it.”
The room descended into silence as Stark walked away. Loki watched sympathetically as Stephen’s breathing became harsher. The minute Stark was far enough to not be able to hear, Stephen let out a full body shudder, both hands grasping his head.
“Argh—”
And he lost control.
Loki’s eyes widened as he noticed what was about to happen.
Oh shit.
There was no other way to describe it. Strange just… exploded.
Magic came pouring out of every opening. Leaking from his ears, eyes, nose and mouth. It was unlike his usual, warm orange. Instead it was a midnight black, smeared with inky red. Stephen whimpered softly as the room filled with it, vibrating with power. Anything that it came in contact with started to fizzle and melt.
In his astral form, Loki backed away. He had not expected such a visceral reaction. Perhaps he had underestimated just how affected Strange had been by all those visions.
Now unable to see Stephen, masked as he was by the smog, Loki flinched back as seidr screamed. The sorcery that was leaking from Strange felt insidious and wrong.
He could not risk being touched by it.
Within a moment, Loki transported himself back to his body in the bedchamber the Ancient One had prepared for him.
However, before he had left, Loki had glimpsed a flash of green, at odds with the black mist around it.
Loki had a bad feeling about this.
———o0o———
After the Ancient One had left, Stephen had been unable to stop thinking about the time stone.
In the end he had decided to go back to the eye and take it with him. Perhaps then, with the object of his ire around his neck, he would be able to muster enough courage to face what he had seen.
And so, feeling absolutely wretched, he had made his way into the kitchen, the eye hidden within the folds of his robes.
But then he had seen Stark and everything had gone to hell.
It was reasonable that Stark would lash out, and after everything that Stephen had done he should’ve been able to take it. It was what he deserved.
But as Stark kept talking, the checks he had in place within his mind had come loose. All those realities where he had lived together with Tony and Morgan shot forward, followed shortly after by all those in which they had died—GriefSorrowLossI’mSoSorry.
The barrage had continued until his mind could take no more and just—snapped.
He didn’t ask for this. He didn’t ask to make the tough call. He didn’t ask to determine the fate of all those people. How was it fair that he got blamed for something he hadn’t even wanted in the first place?
Around his neck, the Eye of Agamotto opened and the time stone gleamed like it never had before. A vague burning filled every nerve and caused him to collapse to his knees as some sort of black—something—escaped from his body.
The next moment, he fell unconscious.
———o0o———
“Is he going to wake up soon? You know how much I dislike waiting Time.”
“He’s a baseline human. Give him a break.”
“Humans are so weak. Remind me why we’re using him again?”
“Because he’s the best person for the job. Trust me, I know it.”
“Well, he’d be better than Tivan. That guy was an idiot.”
“Agreed.”
Stephen regained his senses slowly. There was something different. He felt relaxed. As if he had gotten years of rest. There was no more pain inside his head, nor in his hands. It was as if the car accident had never happened.
“Ooooh! Time! Time! Look, your human is waking up—Isn’t he so cute?”
Stephen propped himself up on his elbows and looked towards where the voices were coming from. There were six people standing side by side exuding an ethereal aura. They were each different colors, from their hair all the way to the tips of their toes.
Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Purple.
The Infinity Stones.
“Ah, he’s a sharp one. He’s already figured out what we are.”
“That doesn’t mean much Space. We are all obviously colored differently than what a mortal would be accustomed to. It’s not that much of a leap of logic when you have not encountered many other alien species.”
“Oh, but Soul, you forget my keeper has viewed many alternate futures. He is not a mere mortal.”
“You’re all idiots. How about we don’t waste any more time and actually pay attention to the human? We don’t want him to be too confused.”
Stephen got up to his feet, shocked to find all the infinity stones in one place taking on a humanoid form. They were majestic, with no clear gender or creed. The only differentiation between each stone was their style of clothing and overall color.
The yellow figure stepped forward.
“Welcome Stephen Strange. I am Soul and we are here to grant you and yours a second chance.”
Well. Fuck.