You can call me Master if you wish
Stephen woke up hours later. He found himself levitating from the ceiling. All the doctor could see was the darkness around him and the metallic floor. He frowned, was confused and felt anxiety slowly creeping up on him as the man finally heard a voice.
”Good morning. I thought you’d never wake up again.”
With effort and in pain, Strange turned his head to look into two cold and inhuman eyes. The creature that was standing right by his side had a dangerous smirk on its lips.
”Who are you?”
”You are not the one to ask questions”, it hissed into Stephen’s ear.
The sorcerer didn’t want to necessarily test his luck right now. Not in the current situation he was hanging in. Quite literally.
”Sorry”, he just mumbled instead and tried organizing his thoughts.
Tried remembering what had happened. Where he could be right now. Who the hell this- thing was. But before he could do anything else, the other snapped and made the doctor crash to the ground. With a groan he tried lifting himself up with a pair of rather shaking and cold hands but his enemy just stepped onto his back and painfully held Strange down and in place.
”My name is Ebony Maw. You can call me Master if you wish.”
Stephen bit his lip. Careful. Don’t say anything offensive. Not now. Push your ego back. He repeated again and again. And really it was the only responsible solution to this problem.
”I cannot believe we have to stand here today. You should have died long time ago. And part of me is tempted to just crush you like a useless and annoying fly. A clueless idiotic failure of nature. But i had to wait for this for way too long. The Sorcerer Supreme.”
By now all Stephen could do was come to terms with the fact that he had to say goodbye to his life. That it would be over before it even properly started right now.
“What did I do to you?”, he coughed out.
”What did I tell you about asking questions?”, Maw shouted as he stamped onto the helpless man on the ground even harder than before.
”Stop!”, he begged.
To be completely honest, Stephen was used to pain. And to being in somewhat horrible situations which appeared to lead him into nothing but death. He was aware that appearing to be weaker and in more pain than you actually are could do nothing but have a positive influence on whatever was happening to you. Being underestimated would work as his advantage. Hopefully.
”Please. Please stop”, he whined.
”Look at you. And you are supposed to be the best of them? The strongest sorcerer to ever wander the earth? You and that little brat you call you sister.”
”W-what?”, Strange asked horrified.
The alien let out a shuddering chuckle as it bowed down, pushing a few hairs behind Stephen’s ear. Then it growled quietly.
”I ripped the magic out of you sister’s dead corpse”
That pushed him over the edge. Stephen could contain himself. With almost everything. But not her. Not Donna.
”She was in our way!”, Maw laughed as the doctor shot up to attack but only to be fixated immediately by magical wires which wrapped themselves around his wrists and ankles.
”Do not trick me, you see who I am, it doesn’t work.”
”You killed her!”
”No. No, no, no. I didn’t kill her. I found a few people to kill her. Both of you in fact. And I only found them for someone else. My Master. The true Sorcerer Supreme.”
”Who? What is the bastards name?! I’ll strangle him with my own fucking hands!”
The other just crossed his arms, clearly being entertained by Stephen’s struggling form.
”I doubt you will.”
”Don’t underestimate me!”
”You will learn about the Master. But- I doubt you will live long enough to give said knowledge to anyone else. His niece took your sister’s place already. And he will take yours.”
Maw clapped twice and the sorcerer heard a few people approach him from behind. He could only make assumptions but he guessed them to be four or five men. Tall. Strong. Determined. Human? He didn’t have enough time to think about who they might be before arms grabbed him, clawed at him, pulled him towards them.
”Goodnight, Stephen”, Ebony Maw teased as one of the men pressed a damp cloth over Strange’s mouth and nose. He struggled for a few more seconds. Then his eyes turned. Then his movements stopped. Then- darkness.