THE APPRENTICE (DOCTOR STRANGE STORY)

32

The tension in the air was incredibly thick and massive, Hazel felt everyone's eyes boring into her.

"Didn't think about that, did you, Thanos?," She mocked, standing up despite the pain. "What are you gonna do with half a stone?,"

"You promised me the stone, not half of it," Thanos looked at Strange, then back to Iron Man "And half of the stone wasn't the deal,"

"Hazel, give him the stone!," Stephen yelled firmly, making her whip her head towards him. He had a firm look on his face, but so did she.

"Tony, you're an incredible person, but no. I swore an oath to protect the time stone with my life, and that's what I'm going to do." She straightened herself up with the upmost intensity.

"Listen to me-,"

"So you'd rather have me die than him?," Hazel interrupted Stephen. She turned to him and urged herself to not break down. "I told you, remember? The stone's a part of me. If I lose it, then what do you think might happen?,"

"I-I don't- don't make this hard for me!" He seethed "you know that-"

"Stop." Thanos lifted his hand and everyone turned to him. He looked to Hazel and walked closer to her, inches away. "You've displayed so many admirable traits today, you almost remind me of someone. That's why I'm going to keep you, take you with me,"

"What?! No!," Hazel's face twisted in absolute disgust and horror, then stepped back. "I-,"

"You're not taking her anywhere," Stephen stepped in front of Hazel before she could even speak. His fists and jaw were clenched with the look of murder in his eyes. "I promised you the stone and that's it! You don't get to take her as a rebound after you've murdered your daughter for power. She's off limits!,"

"And this is coming from someone who'd rather see her die than Stark," he scoffed "you don't have the right-,"

"-but I do." She said from behind Strange with a look of determination. "I trust you." She put a hand on Strange's shoulder and Thanos watched them, melting with envy.

Hazel turned the amulet into the staff, and stared at it in its glory. She felt the feeling of the wood in her hands one last time and picked up the emerald around the stone. She pressed it against her forehead and crushed it with her hands, revealing the other half of the stone.

Watching the stone fly away to his gauntlet was like watching a part of her given away. It was mortifying, to say the least, and she let a tear fall from her eye.

As soon as the stone made contact with the other, a feeling punched her in the face. Hazel instantly fell on the floor, pressure around her skull and the rest of her bones surging. It was like all her bones were breaking themselves, and every single nerve in her body was aching. Her eyes glowed green for one last time, and so did her body.

"Hazel!," Stephen cried and knelt beside her, not knowing what to do. He could only watch to see what would happen, because to his luck, he didn't see this in the future. "Hazel, please, I-I'm so sorry,"

He tried to shake her to see what would happen, but it only made the pain worse for her. It was almost like she was glitching, blinking on and off. Stephen didn't know what to do; it was hen that he felt powerless. The only thing he could do was hold her in his arms- he felt like a monster.

"Wait! S-stop, give-," He lost everyone ounce of self control but was stopped when he felt a pinch on his leg. Hazel grabbed onto it as if to stop him, and slowly returned back into normal.

"No," Hazel said "don't. I trust you." She looked at Stephens and a huge weight was lifted off of his body.

"One to go." He smiled smugly, making Quill wake up and scream in rage. He fired his guns at him, the alien not even responding. "And you're coming with me,"