ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ sᴛᴇᴘʜᴇɴ sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇ

since getting to genosha, stephen had maybe been within the home that erik had granted him (barring tony, as that was erik’s sole condition, not that stephen listened - or tony for that matter). but once he entered, he’d expected to see his fiancé... instead he found the brother of thor. 

“like what you see?“ he asked, watching with a wary gaze, already ready to throw up a defensive spell if need-be. ”actually, the better question towards you loki, is why are you in my home? this isn’t your place and as far as i can tell, your brother is out looking for you -“ he stated, stepping further into the room and ensuring that he wasn’t too far from the exit.

“also, please don’t touch my things -- or those, those belong to tony and i doubt he’d be entirely too happy that you’re in here touching his stuff.“ he gave out a tired sigh as he waved a hand at the god. “please do not make me send you to entirely different dimension again.“

Teddy never knew Doctor Strange as a man who would joke around about alternate dimensions or time travel. After experiencing time travel with Iron Lad and going through star-shaped portals into alternate dimensions with Miss America, he still couldn’t make out the difference with this world. 

He scoffed at the remark about his appearance embracing his alien race, his body receding his green skin and shifting into his original human form to ease any worrying thoughts of anyone passing by. “I was hoping you could help me figure that out.” He stated as he took the other’s hand into his own to help him up from the ground.

“Billy was the one who teleported me here and I have no idea if he even made it to wherever here is with me.” He sighed. “Does M-Day ring any bells?” Maybe there was no Wanda wherever they were. Meaning no M-Day. But that also meant no Billy. But that would at the very least mean he was in an alternate dimension. “Wanda Maximoff? Does she exist?”

when teddy took his hand to help him up, stephen winced a little from the pain, but ultimately smiled at the man in thanks for helping him up. “ah, well, i’m afraid i’m going to need a bit more information,” he paused and assessed the man, giving a brow raise and a nod. “still, i’m not turning you away, i’ll do what i can to help.”

he sighed, realizing that no matter where he was, that a break was not something he was ever truly going to get. not that he absolutely minded, he was happy to help people and to save them if they needed it.

“m-day? yes, i’ve heard about it through someone else,“ he stated, wondering how much teddy knew about it and if stephen needed to rush to protect wanda or not. he froze when he asked directly about wanda, raising his brow and immediately changing his expression. “she does indeed, but she will not be bringing m-day into this world.“

the girls found themselves troubled by idle hands. the initial prospect of everyone’s arrival on genosha felt as though it could be a good thing – their job recruiting was over. yet, they were quick to realize they didn’t know what to do now. down time wasn’t something they’d come across often in their lives.

three sets of heels clicked in unison as the sisters started up the stairs of the palace, only stopping short at the sight of the sorcerer.  two sets of blue eyes narrowed at their sister, hesitation pulling at their hive mind. “let’s go, esme.” she could feel sophie and phoebe’s push, prompting her to turn on her heel to them – eyes flashing a glow of blue as she projected a thought at her sisters, and garnering a look from phoebe that could only be described as offended.

“you two go ahead, he doesn’t need all three of us talking at him. it comes off needy.” by him, she referenced erik. their objective at the moment was… well, to find an objective. something that needed to be done. surely someone on this damn island needed controlling. as the other two went inside, esme eyed the evidently annoyed man. she offered a quiet hum of response before shrugging off her fitted jacket – despite the warm weather here, her sisters still insisted they wore it. what was the point of clones if everyone could pick one out over a scar? esme didn’t care as much about it when the others weren’t around. “i hope you don’t mind if i sit.” she offered, setting her jacket down on the same stair level but a respectable space between them before sitting on it. “we didn’t get an opportunity to talk before when we were stuck in that jungle. i’m esme.”

“why would i mind? i don’t own the stairs,“ he stated albeit a little sarcastically as he turned to open his eyes and to look over at his newly joined friend. still, he gave her a small smile as he sat up to show that he was open to conversation. “ah yes, one third of the triplets - which of you was the one who was hurt?”

he didn’t mean to sound insensitive towards the subject, but they really were quite remarkably identical and well, he wasn’t exactly focusing on names to faces or mannerisms at the time. “and more specifically, i’m glad to see you’re all alright - i’m terribly sorry i couldn’t do more at the time, but i suppose now that we’re all here and stuck, i can offer some small services towards the healthcare of this community.”

after all, stephen was still a medical doctor - even if his hands were primarily useless. “nice to meet you, esme - i’m doctor stephen strange, but you can call me stephen.” he smiled again, sighing as he looked up towards the sky and then back to her. “do you believe people will hate being here on the island and with no way to return home?” he blinked for a moment, feeling his mind being invaded, quickly he began to whisper up a counter-offense - a small, untraceable one, waiting to trap.

it wasn’t normal for her to walk up to people, breaking the ice into a conversation about the world that they were living in. reed had disappeared, so sue was on her own. finding out answers on her own, it was different to say the least. but, it was one her many specialities. the blonde made her way to the front of the capital building, eyes setting on someone that she had just learned about. 

something strange, right? stephen, she thought. he would be able to help her, there was no doubt on that. but, how was she supposed to open the conversation? hello, i know all about you because i study people that i dont know! in case i meet them, so i already know all about them! it was better than nothing, but she also didnt want to scare the guy. 

“sorry,” she mumbled with a small laugh, shaking her head in a bit of disbelief. ‘but are you doctor strange?” 

stephen raised a curious brow, her voice familiar to him but something... yet unknown. opening his eyes, he took a look at her and gave a small smile. “that would be me, yes.” he stated, pushing himself up so that he was in an upright seated position. 

“and who would you be, if i may ask?“ everyone that knew stephen wasn’t guaranteed to be known by him in return. he may have been the sorcerer supreme and could see interdimensionally but that certainly didn’t mean he knew all in that moment of time.

he tilted his head, attempting to get a reading of her just based off of sight, but still he came up with nothing. though he did recognize that she wasn’t at all any part of a threat. “is there anything i can help you with?”

Tony had been wandering the city, familiarising himself with it and quietly assembling a map on his systems while Stephen did whatever wizard-y things he needed to do. Truth to be told, Tony wouldn’t ordinarily have left his fiancé’s side, but Erik Lehnsherr had bee hovering and Tony had gotten the feeling that he was … unwelcome.

So he’d gone for a walk instead, and it had given him the chance to sort out the mishmash of feelings from that… dream dimension or nightmare realm or whateverhaveyou. 

Unfortunately, his wanderings hadn’t really cleared anything up in his mind, apart from the general sense of relief that it hadn’t been real. And that he was still very afraid of the possibility of Stephen losing his mind and going off on a magic bender.

And so when he’d finally found his partner again, he found himself just watching him, studying the familiar lines of his face, enjoying the sight of seeing him at peace – or some semblance of it. 

“Is that any way to greet your  fiancé?” he said, teasing lightly, before bending down to capture his face in his hands, running his thumbs over his cheekbones. “Hi.”

at his words, stephen’s eyes immediately popped open as he turned his head quickly over towards tony. “for any doubt, i didn’t know it was you- if i had known it was you that had approached me tony, i would have greeted you with something far warmer.” he stated, a small frown pulling at the edges of his lips.

still, he softened when tony moved closer and practically melted when the other man cupped his face, fluttering his eyes closed again momentarily when he felt his thumbs tracing his cheekbones.

no one had ever been allowed that close to him, and yet, with tony... it was different, special. smiling, which had become a force of habit with him and tony now, stephen re-opened his eyes and dropped his head down, moving his forehead to press against the other man. “hello,” he replied, his smile still forming on his lips. “what have you been up to?”

Teddy was lost and confused. One second, he and Billy were in space and in the next second, he found himself alone on an island. Magento’s island by the looks of it with the monument of himself towering over its citizens, triggering an eye roll from Teddy. Of all the places to end up, Billy had to teleport them to his grandfather’s island.

Flying over the city, green wings expanded from his back, his eyes scanned the city. He had to recognize someone that could help him, Magneto at the very least if this were his island. Spotting a familiar face, he gently landed down several feet away from him. A small smile crossing his lips.

Retracting his wings, he made his way over to the sorcerer. “Doctor Strange.” He addressed the other. “It’s Teddy or Hulkling. Billy’s–” Boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend? Friend? It was complicated. He cleared his throat trying to skim past the accidental slip of the tongue at mentioning Billy. “Have you seen Billy around?”

whoever it was that had approached him knew his name and the sorcerer opened an eye at the unrecognizable voice. sitting up, he groaned and moved to get a better look of the guy. nope, no recollection. “uh....” stephen started, frowning at the mention of billy and teddy. obviously the man knew him - and thought he knew who billy or teddy was.

“no,“ he said slowly, sitting up and frowning, “i’m afraid i don’t know you, your moniker of hulkling, or billy--“ he sighed, bringing his hands up to rub at his face before pausing -- sensing something disturbing and raising his brow, abruptly turning to look at the man. “teddy, you said? yes, of course you did - i didn’t forget, i was just being polite.“

he sat closer and held up a hand to the man before letting out an exhale,  “you’re not from around here, are you? and i’m not just talking about your race either,” his interest had piqued and he smiled politely at him. “which is it? time travel or alternate dimension?”

Tony was…

… was in the sanctum, apparently. He thought he’d been at the Compound, but the Compound was gone, wasn’t it? So of course he was at the sanctum. In the tea room, specifically. 

And Stephen–

Stephen was screaming.

Panic gripped him as he spun, yelling for his fiancé. He heard the sound of running footsteps before Stephen appeared, his eyes wild. Tony took a step forward, worried that he was hurt, when some instinct held him back.

There was blood on Stephen’s hands. 

It dripped off them, and Tony somehow knew that it wasn’t Stephen’s own blood. And the look in his eyes. 

“What have you done?” he whispered. “What–”

He was so busy staring at Stephen’s face that he completely missed looking at his hands. A moment later, pain seared through him and the taste of blood filled his mouth. It was weird (strange, a part of his mind cackled hysterically), because he was fairly certain that the blade had gone through his stomach not his lungs, but –

oh 

 g 

o 

d

The pain hit him and he doubled forward, and then Stephen pulled the blade out.

Blood went everywhere, and Stephen – Stephen was smiling and smearing the blood over Tony’s face and Tony knew, he just knew that the thing he’d feared, the nightmare that lurked at the corner of his mind – it had happened.

Stephen Strange, sorcerer supreme, had finally succumbed to the demons in his mind.

“Oh god, Steggy,” he choked out, as Stephen flashed back to sanity and apologised and all Tony could hear was ‘Help me, help me, Tony, –end this’

“I can’t–” he screamed, but Stephen was suffering and mad, insanity lighting those beautiful eyes and this was what absolute power did oh my god Stephen, I love you–

Power surged through his reactor, almost like a last, dying pulse, and the nanites moved. The unibeam cannon formed around his reactor–

Fired.

Cut a hole right through Stephen’s chest and all Tony could do was laugh and cry, hysteria and mental and physical agony the most awful of combinations in his veins. 

Shot through the heart– and you’re to blame

You give love…

He fell to his knees and screamed. 

there was too much going on, a surge of panic, a surge of fear - darkness, pain, blood. stephen gasped when the last thing he saw was the white-light of the unibeam aimed towards him and...

gone.

no, not gone -- he was back in the sanctum, this time he was upstairs in his bedroom. their bedroom. turning his head at the sound of tony’s screams, stephen immediately rushed out of the room and down the stairs - rushing his way towards the tea room where he...

what was going on!?

blinking at tony, stephen tilted his head at him and frowned, “tony, it’s me-it’s alright i’m alive i’m--” but he stopped when he took notice of his hands - he was in his astral form....but how?! he hadn’t put himself in it so.... what?

sensing danger, stephen stepped back and whirled around, forcing himself back and towards their bedroom to search for his body, except.... it wasn’t there. when he turned to face the door, he suddenly found himself back in the tea room, looking down at his mangled body and tony kneeling over it.

“tony, something is very wrong here. none of this seems real, tony, snap out of it!“ and with that, Stephen made his presence known.

wong would have known how bad it was getting for stephen, he’d used his own energy fields, something that most sorcerers under the craft of the mystic arts knew not to do - it would kill them if they used too much, and yet....

sighing, he sat at the steps of the capital building, leaning against them and enjoying the peace and quiet that had been afforded to him. closing his eyes, he sensed the approach of someone near by, raising his brow he continued to wait patiently for a response or a verbal approach before finally speaking; “yes? what is it?”

wanda half expected him to laugh when she realized he noticed her near-hug – but instead he closed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her. the show of affection startled her but she welcomed it graciously, returning his hug. for the first time since lagos, she knew she was safe and understood – and she tried to memorize that feeling, the warmth and comfort that came from it, knowing she couldn’t store it to think of whenever she wanted but wishing she could anyway. “you’re a good man, stephen strange,” she said when they separated, and hoped he understood that his small act of kindness meant more to her than he could’ve known.

at first, wanda couldn’t pin exactly why she felt such great comfort in stephen’s words; he spoke highly of her in a way that would typically make her uncomfortable, but when he finished talking and held her eye contact, it felt like a warm release of pent up anxiety. like she’d been waiting for someone to say it. it took until he was on to the next sentence that she realized what it was that struck her – he didn’t talk about her like a monster, or a thing. he didn’t talk like he expected her to become one. her mutation was a part of her very being, and when people feared their powers, they feared her – even her friends and family. so few of them considered it as a real opportunity to do something good. to protect rather than destroy. she’d begun to realize that even vision hadn’t seen or understood that.

“thank you,” she said quietly and smiled. the longer she spent here, the more confident she began to feel – in her powers and in herself. “wong is a sorcerer like you, right?” she asked, and shrugged off her jacket, letting it hang down at her elbows. “if we’re right – if something is happening – the more of us we have, the better.” she could feel herself getting excited – a funny thing, since what they were facing could be annihilation… but the idea of working with two of the best magic users in the universe, of being able to actually help something rather than hinder it – she was finally starting to feel like she might really, one day, be worthy of the title of hero.

“when the stone in vision’s head was at rest, to me it felt like… like a pulse, almost, a heartbeat,”  she explained, starting a small pace in front of the library shelves. she moved her hands as she spoke, a gentle red light of energy surrounding them and weaving through her fingers. “at first i thought it was him, until i felt this. because that’s not what’s happening with the reality stone right now.” she stopped, sighed, looked back to the sorcerer supreme. “as powerful as they are, an infinity stone won’t really do anything unless it’s under the influence of something or someone, right? so it has to mean that someone has it. and that someone is not one of us.”

with everything that was going on, she didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing. she knew that, if she’d gotten to the reality stone after the destruction of the compound and the school – she might have done something catastrophic, too. she’d have tried to change everything, to fix it. but she knew, even as she considered that option, that the other side would be thinking the same thing. she kept that thought to herself, trying to avoid the bias of the situation. and besides, it didn’t make sense. the friends of humanity were just that. humans. normal, average humans. “in its pure, unharnessed form, an infinity stone is too much for any regular being to handle. it would tear them apart.”

When Wanda told him that he was a good man, Stephen merely smiled. He’d been called many things in his life, but good wasn’t necessarily at the top of the list. Arrogant? Yes. Stubborn? Certainly, but the only way good would have been related to him was if it was intended to be about his work. And for that, he wasn’t even good, he was excellent. He fixed her with a curious gaze, happy that the hug had given her some needed affection and comfort. He hadn’t realized that what he’d said to her could have helped -- because the truth to him was that he really did see a woman with an extraordinary gift.

Wanda was not her powers, and they were not her. She was Wanda, and he wasn’t going to hold her to anything but herself. “Yes, Wong helped train me, he’s also my best friend.” He smiled, thinking about the man in kind thoughts before turning to focus back onto the conversation. “I couldn’t agree more, and Wong is quite the expert on the Infinity Stones, he’s dedicated most of his life as a Sorcerer to study them.” He coughed, shifting a bit as he listened to what she had to say.

“Suggesting that the Stone had a pulse means that there is a possibility that they’re all actually... alive.“ He whispered the last word, casting his gaze down to the floor with a determined look of concern and apprehension. Stephen watched from the corner of his eyes with impression as she wielded her magic - or rather had it dance around her fingertips. “That’s quite true, which is highly concerning - we are going to have to scry, which will require the three of us--we don’t and won’t know where the Stone is, but if you can feel it, and I can feel it, then it’s surely to be on Earth.“

It was troublesome and he was worried. But he didn’t want Wanda to know just how badly he was worried about all of this. “I only know of one man who was able to hold the Power Stone in his bare hand, albeit it was for a short time and he claims he is half celestial, but.... it means it’s not impossible.” He turned to face her, “I hear Wong coming, I’ll introduce the two of you and then we can get to work.”

The spell... something had gone wrong, something dark, something that he wasn’t able to control. It scared him, downright nearly sent the Sorcerer into a panic -- where was Wong? Where was Wanda? Both of them had been with him, the three of them pushing a spell, that was admittedly treacherous and highly volatile to begin with, to try to save the world. Had they failed?  Had they instead ended the world? God, he hoped not, after all, he’d never be able to forgive himself for it.

But then it hit him, his hands began to shake harder than they had in a long time, the pain soaring back through as if the car accident had just happened. Crying out in pain, Stephen nearly bent over, desperately holding his hands out before him as he steadied himself on his knees. “To-Tony!” He yelled, pushing himself to his feet, stumbling as he did so and charging his way through the empty Sanctum.

Stopping just short of the entrance to the tea room, he spotted his fiancé, standing in the center of the room and looking upon him with a fixed state of fear and betrayal. “Tony?” he asked, his tone growing more concerned as he stepped forward. “What’s going on? Are you al-” but before he could finish the sentence, Tony spat up dark, rich blood from his mouth and stared at him. A weight appeared in his hands, and with widened, fearful eyes, the Sorcerer looked down to see that he’d somehow conjured his magical blade and cut it right through Tony Stark.

“What? No, no--this isn’t... what!?“ dropping the blade, he lurched forward to catch Tony in his arms. “I’m sorry, I didn’t-- I don’t know how, oh God, Tony please... I’m sorry.“

Lorna stepped inside further at his invitation, reassured that she wasn’t interrupting any time he needed alone. Her lips curved into a smile at his words. “Yeah, we really can’t let you think too much, it’s just not safe.” She teased, knowing that he was joking but there was something to it that she found herself able to identify with regardless. A quiet hum escaped her before she sat down in the empty seat offered to her. “Ever get the feeling your mind is your own worst enemy?” She mused out loud, casting him a quick glance.

Her eyes moved around the plethora of books, appreciative of the offer. She’d never been much the studious type, always an action taker, but with the strains of the world today, it felt more necessary. Her head nodded appreciatively in response before hearing the second half of his statement. Lorna pressed her lips together, mulling over how she wanted to broach the subject further. “I should feel worse about the people that died because I took down that building… it’s a weird though, because I don’t? They were terrible people doing terrible things and wouldn’t have hesitated to kill us. Soldiers in war doesn’t hesitate to shoot because that could mean death, why should we?”

She hesitated, knowing she came dangerously close to sounding like her father. That was her problem. “What bother’s me… is that I could do it without really trying. I killed before – there was a scientist that experiment on mutants, pumped them full of drugs until they were dependent and brainwashed and sent them to kill the people they cared about. I ripped the engine out of his plane when it was in the air – but I tried to do that, I knew what I was doing. To cause that much death without really trying, it’s different? Now I’m on the news, top wanted lists. When I was little, I’d see the news calling my father a monster, now they say it about me and I don’t know how I’ll explain that to Dawn one day.” She took a deep inhale of breath, realizing how much she’d gone on. “I’m sorry, I just… unloaded a lot I didn’t realize I’d been keeping in.”

A dry laugh escaped from Stephen as he looked up at Lorna with a smirk. “No, my tendencies for over-thinking happen to end quite badly for anyone involved, including myself.” He laughed again, watching her with curious, fixed eyes. Still, her question made him pause for the moment, thinking it over. “Yes, a lot of the time.”

But he knew that she’d come to him for more than just speaking about how the mind can work - and when she opened her mouth and began to really tell him what was going on inside of her head, he merely nodded sagely before sighing. “Morality is a fickle thing, I’ve killed once in my life, I never want to do it again.” He paused, reflecting, “but I had to justify it in the fact that if I hadn’t, that man would have killed me.” Another pause, “my self-preservation ruled out.”

He knew it wasn’t likely comforting to hear, but he hoped that a little bit of what he said would have at least been relatable for her. “Which is my fine roundabout way of saying that no, I don’t think it’s wrong that you feel little or no remorse for their deaths - they were terrible people and... they would have killed you.” A small smile played at his lips, “self-preservation at it’s finest.”

But once more, Stephen listened to what Lorna had to say and held his thoughts until she was finished speaking. “You’re not a monster, Lorna - understand that, you’re not. Those times that you’ve killed, it was for the name of your safety or the safety of others - wars and deaths within wars have been done for less.”  He sighed and leaned forward, extending his shaking hand to cover hers. “Listen to me, I condemn killing for myself, but I understand morally in the grey-areas that it is something that can be unavoidable. Lorna, I promise you that the Sanctum will always protect you and that you will never be seen as a monster here.”

Emma took a seat across from Stephen, glad he was being oh-so-welcoming. “I have to say, I don’t think your sentient building likes me.” she mused. “It’s quite alright, I’m sure even the X-men don’t fully trust me. I’ve grown used to it.” Leaning back in the chair, she scowled when he mentioned the witch’s name.

“Yes, the one and only Black Queen of the Hellfire Club, Selene Gallio.” she growled, venom dripping from her tone. She looked away at Stephen’s next question, her mask faltering for a moment.“You and I have a certain little red haired mutant girl in common. Jean Grey? She’s my student. I hear Selene killed her while she was inside the Soul Stone on that little rescue mission Stark put together.” She figured that would pique his interest. Did he even know she was one of the certified good guys now? Or had he missed that part?

“But to answer your question, yes. Children. Teenagers.” she wondered how much she should tell Stephen, but shrugged it off. She’d tell him enough. “She’s the reason I left the Hellfire Club. She wants me dead as much as I want her dead. She did something six years ago that caused the building I was hosting a party in to explode. My students and those in attendance died. I was the only survivor. When the X-men found me, well… I joined them and have been with them ever since. Became a teacher at Xavier’s little school.” she cracked a smile. “Turning over a new leaf, if you will. Although sometimes being a hero is rather dull.”

She didn’t let him know how relieved she was to hear he was going to help her. “So, Doctor, where do we begin on this little mission to take her down?” she asked. “And I do hope that you know that when I say I want to take her down, I mean permanently. No locking her in some other dimension to be haunted by everything she’s done. I want her dead. Out of my life. Out of my students’ lives. And out of your life. Permanently.”

“She’s not a fan of many people, tends to play tricks on even more - trust me, my Sanctum has her moments.“ He shrugged, sighing a bit and looking Emma over with a glance, “Trust is something everyone holds dearly, I wouldn’t take it personally if you didn’t earn it from everyone.”

He raised his brow at the vehement hatred that Emma gave towards Selene, yes he didn’t like the Black Queen either, but it was on an entirely different level for the woman before him. He wondered if she had more against her in her past than she was letting on. “Yes, Jean told me - and something happened to bring her back, Selene deserves her magic stripped from her and left in a dimensional exile for it.”

He wasn’t about to propose murder, it wasn’t in his moral code -  but he was happy to see Selene be depowered and proven useless. Still, he flinched and ultimately grimaced at her story about her students. “I am... very sorry to hear that,” he stated, giving her a neutral expression, finding that expressing sympathy would seem less than genuine, even if he meant it genuinely.

“I will help you, but I do not kill and I will not kill her, so if you wish her dead, then that is entirely on your prerogative Miss Frost, but that is when I will depart from our alliance.“ He stated, standing up to offer his hand, “We can discuss details on what to and how to track her down, but for now-- I believe a crisis is on our hands.“ He’d picked up a mental sound of explosions - something bad had happened at the Avenger’s Compound, “you should check your school, I can open you a portal.“

“Milk would be perfect.” He mumbles, following the sorcerer supreme around the huge area. He would have been distracted by amazement if he wasn’t so determined to learn and put an end to the worrying that happens in the back of his mind all the time. Of course, Stephen’s answer wasn’t really a surprise. Scott wasn’t expecting to change how the world worked. Some things just had to happen. Scott nods in understanding, taking a long drink of his coffee. This was going to be a lot to take in.

It had been a lot to take in when Jean had spoken to him about it. That day was overwhelming, the first day in months that they spoke, first time he realized she didn’t actually die in the snap but jumped in and was just staying away from him. He had never felt so helpless or angry, but he was also so relieved when she had returned. What he knew was so little, and he had just learned to push it away so it didn’t eat at him but it did.

“I know that it’s an ancient being that’s taken a liking to Jean as its host. I know it’s this strong entity that could destroy planets. I know it bothers Jean.” To what extent he didn’t know, and it was probably better that way anyway. He was already worried sick without even knowing the extent of it all. 

“What is it really?”

“Alright,“ Stephen nodded his head, waving a hand and apparating a glass of milk for Scott, floating it over to the younger man. The Sorcerer nodded his head as Scott relayed to him everything that he currently knew about the ancient being that was currently possessing his girlfriend.

It was unfortunate and Stephen wished he could do more to help - or at the very least, eradicate the create and cease it from ever harming anyone else again. Jean wasn’t the first to be targeted and he was very certain that she wouldn’t be the last.

“Well,“ Stephen started, mulling it over in his mind and then sighing, “it’s an ancient, sentient, cosmic being that is much akin to a parasite. It feeds from its host, uses them, and essentially gives them unlimited power.“ He held up a hand, “but that is me saying that I know Jean is powerful on her own, but this creature can kill through a glance made by your girlfriend’s eyes. It’s old, it’s dark, and it is waiting to make an appearance, Jean needs to control her abilities and never unleash them to their full potential until this thing releases her.“

at first wanda expected him to turn her away – for which she could almost understand. the sanctum, his home, was slowly becoming a mad house. mutants from genosha came and went, and she wondered if he worried that its location would go public like the compound’s or the school’s. she doubted that, though – nobody, not even professor x, could hide something as well as the sorcerer supreme could hide the sanctum sanctorum. needless to say,  his warm welcome was a relief – she felt as though a physical weight had been lifted off her chest and made it easier to breathe.

“thank you,” wanda said quietly, and even smiled. she didn’t do so much of that lately, and even though it felt misplaced during the times, it felt good – almost like . a release.

for the briefest of moments, wanda thought that he was opening his arms in a gesture for a hug – and with everything that had been going on, with the friends of humanity and meeting her father and feeling an infinity stone, she had half a mind to take him up on it. it was rare for someone to show that kind of affection towards her, and she always forgot how much she craved it until it was presented – she took the smallest of steps towards him, arm lifted halfway at her side before she realized that it wasn’t his intention at all. she dropped her hand and cleared her throat, hoping he hadn’t noticed, and trying to hide the slight sadness that she’d been wrong.

“the infinity stones,” wanda said finally, and bit her bottom lip. “i mean – before we were all in the soul stone, before thanos snapped his fingers… i destroyed one. the mind stone. i’m not really sure how i did it. i didn’t even know i could.” and she wasn’t sure that she could do it again. it was the only time she’d exhibited that level of power – the ability to destroy an infinity stone and hold thanos. she wondered if it had been situational – a result of extreme emotion. she wanted to be able to tap into that again without the pain and anger that came with it. pain and anger made her feel unstable.

“and before then, i could feel it. in vision’s head, i felt the stone.” at the time she’d believed it just to be him – hadn’t realized quite how much of him had come from that infinity stone. she shook her head. “i can feel another one. a different one. and…”

wanda pressed her lips together, unsure how to explain the shift she felt, the sharp pain in her head. but if anyone was going to believe her about this and actually help her with it, it was stephen strange.

“i think reality is stirring.”

It took Stephen a delayed moment and a half to realize that Wanda had thought he’d opened his arms for a hug and then ultimately dropped the idea when she hesitated. Mentally slapping himself, he inwardly sighed before taking the step forward and dragging her into an (albeit) awkward embrace - though it soon turned into a genuine one of comfort.

Times were very trying in that moment and Stephen knew that any sort of positive comfort given was to be cherished. Plus, given the woman’s heritage and her father, Stephen was certain that she didn’t get enough affection. Pulling back, he smiled at her, gently patting her shoulders and stepping away. “Of course,” he responded to her thank you, happy to help her in any way that he could.

Intrigue, however, quickly filled his mind as he rose a brow at her explanation about being able to destroy an infinity stone. “You held Thanos back and destroyed the Mind Stone?” He asked, repeated - completely impressed and in wonder at her. “That’s amazing--” but her words about not knowing how she really did it, and the underlying fear of lack of control did worry him. More for her own health and less for anyone else.

“I will do whatever I can to aid you in helping you with your control on your abilities. Wanda, you are powerful and you’re magnificent -- learning to harness your powers will ensure that no one harm you or your loved ones again.“ He whispered, having a full set of belief in her that she would use her abilities for positive matters. But as soon as she brought up feeling the stone, Stephen gave a glance down to his own before nodding.

“I understand that, I can feel and hear mine--“ he paused, hesitated when she dropped the heaviness that she felt another, as he did too. “The Reality Stone-“ he stated almost at the same time she said her piece about reality stirring. “It’s worrying, and we should find it--I will train you with what I know and together we can hunt for the stone, I will also be asking Wong for assistance, if you don’t mind?“

“Let me guess - the ring started vibrating, and it started to tickle or itch, and you thought you were reacting to it? Remind me to check on that too, I don’t want it to be uncomfortable,” Tony grinned, giving Stephen a quick peck on the lips. 

Sighing, he turned his attention back to the wreckage, when Stephen mentioned the school. “The school?” he asked. “Xavier’s place? They bombed that too?” Concern mingled with pure anger and a twinge of guilt. “It must be in retaliation for what we did.” Gritting his teeth, he narrowed his eyes and looked around. “Are there people helping out at the school? FRI, scan the news networks and send me all relevant updates, and establish contact with anyone at the school if you can. Direct search and rescue drones.”

The orders came automatically - he was barely even paying attention to them, his focus stuck on the surroundings, when the import of Stephen’s words sank in. “Shit, yeah - we can’t just take them to any old hospital.” Glancing over at his fiancé, he nodded. “Yeah, we’d better call Christine. Good idea.” Bitterly, he glanced at the wreckage of what used to be the medical wing of the Compound. 

“We’d better see if any of my stuff is salvageable– hey!” He jerked back when Stephen started probing at his ribs. “Wait, you can do that? Healing spells?” Thinking quickly, he shook his head. “I’ve fought with worse - the suit will stabilise it. It’s not slicing up my lungs or anything. If you can do healing magic, you’re going to need to save it to help the others.” 

On impulse, he grabbed Stephen and dragged him in for a long kiss. His ribs did start aching when he broke away for air, but he had all of zero regrets. 

“Yes... that is exactly what I thought-“ he admitted, ducking his head away in slight embarrassment. In hindsight, Stephen should have known better and should have considered all of the possibilities before pocketing the ring. “But yes, I’ll have you look it over and teach me everything later.”

It was almost as if he’d used the Time Stone to check the future when Tony’s reaction to the school being attacked played out exactly how he’d foreseen it. “Yes, it’s completely a wreck, there isn’t much left except for what was underground and even then, Tony, I’m sorry but I don’t believe that--” he stopped himself and sighed, “students and staff have been killed in the process, children.”

His heart actually ached for the lives that were lost - an anger that boiled beneath the surface for him as well. Waiting in patient silence, Stephen watched as Tony diverted some of his aid to help at Xavier’s. “I will send for her immediately.” He stated, mentally adding to his list of what he needed to do.

Ignoring his protests, Stephen continued to assess his ribs. “Yes, of course I can, I’m still a doctor, I learned those almost within the first month of me becoming a sorcerer,” his tone was flat almost annoyed, an attempt to hide his fear and worry. Standing straight to his full height, he tightened his jaw and stared his fiancé down. “Tony, I have an unlimited amount of energy to pull from, I can handle a small healing spell on you. So, stay still and let me do this, alright?”