Broken Things Can Be Mended

Chapter 10

"I need a picture of the place." Stephen spoke and Vision handed him a tablet which had the picture of the place, perhaps taken by the Satellites. He nodded, giving the tablet back to Vision, before moving his hands in circle opening the portal. He was about to step in before he was suddenly reminded of a very minute detail he missed.

He turned back, looking at the pair. Vision was staring at the portal with fascination, as he looked at Stephen for permission. Stephen gave a nod and Vision moved forward, stepping through the portal. Stephen then turned to Toni, who was staring at the portal apprehensively.

"It is perfectly safe, Toni, I can assure you that." His voice was soft, and Toni's head snapped towards him. She frowned heavily at his words. It was like he knew her views on these damned holes in air, and the idea itself scared her. This wasn't supposed to happen, no one was supposed to know!

"Whatever you mean, Dr Strange." The edge in her voice disheartened him, but he knew this would be the same way he would react if someone suddenly appeared in his life, knowing his worst fears. So, he didn't continue the argument further, but took a deep breath and offered his hand to her.

If Toni was shocked by his actions, she didn't show. Instead, her mind replayed his words from earlier.

Perhaps its my master plan to win your trust, Toni.

What if it really was just a master plan? What if this was all just a ploy? She didn't know that, but what she knew was that something was coming, something far bigger than New York. And Stephen was honestly the first one who not only believed her but was ready to take necessary actions to stop it. He disclosed his entire order, their possession of Time Stone to her, just in hopes to save the universe.

Toni found that she didn't like this conflict going on inside her. She gave a last glance to the portal, before looking at the hand she was offered. For a moment, she decided to gulp her pain and just cross the portal, without accepting Stephen's hand.

But some part of her didn't like the idea at all. That some part, which was nothing but a useless blood pumping organ, it was asking her to just take the hand for once. And Toni, despite what her brain was yelling at her, moved her hand forward.

The moment their hands touched, Toni felt current rushing in her body like her powers were finally set free. The gasp she heard, and the look Stephen held, it clearly indicated her eyes were blue right now. Toni wanted to retract her hand, to take it back from his grasp, but instead, she firmed her hold, as if her actions weren't her own. She felt the scars that were brushing against her skin, and refrained from looking at them, instead stared at Stephen who quickly jerked his head aside, making Toni frown. What happened?

Stephen felt the mystical energy inside him jerk at the contact. The sensation of contact made his magic rush in his body like blood. But apparently, he wasn't the only one feeling the effects. Toni's eyes shone blue as her powers reacted to the contact in a similar way as Stephen's. Stephen knew it was the soul bond, reacting to their first contact which was willed by both of them, and the thought alone was enough to send him near a cardiac arrest with the way his heart was pumping aloud. But all that giddiness, all that sensation, it all vanished when Stephen felt a thumb brushing on his scars. And the realization that he forgot his gloves hit him like a slap. Stephen jerked his head aside when he realized that Toni could feel his scars now, and he didn't know what to make of it. He wanted to remove his hand from her hold, wanted to run from there at that point, just wanted to vanish from there.

At that moment, he felt as if he was naked, his worst memories, his worst past, now was in the hand of someone he loved, someone whom he wanted to protect from that darkness lingering in his scars.