DAWN. ❪ Stephen Strange ❫ ✓

fifteen

Stephen walked outside the room to look for Aries. She was sitting on the floor with her head tucked between her knees. He bent down and pat her head. She looked up. She had been crying.

"Hey, we need to go," he whispered. "Our job's not over."

"I want it to be over," she whispered.

"I know, I know. Me too. Once this is all over, I'll take you out. We can go to that boba place you like."

She sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "Okay."

He helped her up and created a portal. Together, hand in hand, they crossed the threshold and the portal closed. They were now back at Kamar-Taj. Stephen bent down beside a dead man to feel his pulse. When he found none, he stood straight up. They walked into the artifact room where Kaecilius was once apprehended. Now, he was gone.

"Strange!" Mordo exclaimed from the other side of the room. "You're okay!"

"A relative term, but yeah. I'm okay," Stephen replied.

He wrapped an arm around Aries's shoulder and pulled her in closer. She leaned her head against his shoulder.

"The Cloak of Levitation. It came to you," Mordo stated.

"No minor feat. It's a fickle thing," the Ancient One responded as she entered the room.

"He's escaped," Stephen stated.

"Kaecilius?" Mordo asked.

"Yeah, he can fold space and matter at will."

"He folds matter outside the Mirror Dimension? In the real world?" the Ancient One asked. "How many more?"

"Two. I stranded one in the desert," Stephen replied. 

"And the other?"

"His body's in the hallway. Master Drumm was in the foyer."

"He's been taken back to Kamar-Taj," Mordo added. 

"The London Sanctum has fallen. Only New York and Hong Kong remain now to shield us from the Dark Dimension," said the Ancient One. "You defended the New York Sanctum from attack. With its Master gone, it needs another... Master Strange."

"No," Stephen defied. "It is Doctor Strange. Not Master Strange, not Mr. Strange - Doctor Strange. When I became a doctor, I swore an oath to do no harm. And I have just killed a man! I'm not doing that again. I became a doctor to save lives, not take them!"

"You became a doctor to save one life above all others - Your own," the Ancient One said.

Stephen scoffed. "Still seeing through me, are you?" 

"I see what I've always seen. Your overinflated ego," the Ancient One retorted. "You want to go back to the delusion that you can control anything, even death, which no one can control. Not even the great Doctor Stephen Strange."

"Not even Dormammu? He offers immortality," Stephen retaliated.

"It's our fear of death that gives Dormammu life. He feeds off it," the Ancient One explained.

"Like you feed off him?" Stephen retorted. "You talk to me about controlling death. Well, I know how you do it. I've seen the missing rituals from The Book of Cagliostro."

"Measure your next words very carefully, Doctor."

"Because you might not like them?" Stephen mocked.

"Stephen," Aries whispered, causing him to look down at her. She shook her head. "Don't."

"Because you may not know of what you speak," the Ancient One corrected.

"What is he talking about?" Mordo asked.

"I'm talking about her long life. The source of her immortality. She draws power from the Dark Dimension to stay alive," Stephen revealed.

"That's not true," Mordo whispered.

"I've seen the rituals and worked them out. I know how you do it," Stephen specified.

"Once they regroup, the zealots will be back. You'll need reinforcements," the Ancient One interrupted as she walked away.

Mordo walked after her, but stopped to look at Stephen.

"She is not who you think she is," Stephen scolded.

"You do not have the right to say that! You have no idea of the responsibility that rests upon her shoulders," Mordo defended.

"No, and I don't want to know!" Stephen exclaimed.

"You're a coward," Mordo scolded.

"Why? Because I'm not a killer?" Stephen snarked.

"These zealots will snuff us all out, and you can't muster the strength to snuff them out first?" Mordo interjected.

"What do you think I just did?" Stephen asked.

"You saved your own life!" Mordo bellowed. "And then whined about it like the baby you are!"

Stephen scoffed. "When you would have done it so easily?"

"You've no idea of the things I've done! And the answer is yes - without hesitation," Mordo answered.

"Even if there's another way?"

"There is no other way!" Mordo snapped.

"You lack imagination," Stephen retorted.

"No, Stephen, you lack a spine."

Their argument was cut short when they heard noise coming outside. They all looked out.

"They're back," Mordo stated, running off.

"Stay here, Aries," Stephen commanded.

"What? No, I want to help," she retorted.

"You'd be helping me by staying here. I can't risk your safety."

"Why not?"

He pursed his lips for a moment, then said, "Because I love you."

Then, he ran off.

"Wait - but - like - like as a friend or...?" Aries called out.