Chap 3: The Good Doctor

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"What have you done?" Dr. Strange snaps, his voice raised as he grabs Loki and I by the arm. His grip is like an iron vice as he drags us through the portal and out the other side.

In seconds, all three of us are standing on top of the grand staircase inside the New York City Sanctum Sanctorum. The dark mahogany floor creaks under our combined weight, the room dimly lit from the large skylight behind us. It's evening, probably just a little after eight pm and the sun is beginning to set. Dusk gives the room a hazy feeling and the familiar high ceilings always make me feel like an ant, even though the three of us are all taller than average. The sprawling mansion seems to be empty, and I quickly sneak a glance to see if Master Wong is around. Thankfully, it's just the three of us.

"How was the meeting with the Avengers?" I say politely, pasting on an innocent smile. I'm not really surprised the old man found us so quickly, in fact, I was kind of hoping he would.

Dr. Strange glances over at Loki and shouts, "He's supposed to be dead! Tell me you did not do what I think you did!"

Loki immediately draws his daggers from his sleeves and puffs out his chest, "It's you." He mutters, lunging at Dr. Strange.

With a flick of his wrist and without taking his eyes off mine, Dr. Strange puts Loki in a straight jacket with a wide metal gag covering his mouth.

I scramble for words. Play dumb and be convincing, I remind myself.

"So, as it turns out, Thanos thought he killed him but only managed to knock him unconscious! Loki's been hiding out all this time! Isn't that wild? And now that Thanos is finally defeated, he's come to find his brother! How crazy is that!"

But to my dismay, Strange doesn't seem to buy it.
"Thanos doesn't make mistakes. You used the time machine, didn't you?" He retorts impatiently, pointing an accusing finger at me.

I pause and try to look contrite by staring at the ground and making my voice small. "I just wanted to help Thor. He was so sad all the time."

"So you decided, to pull a stupid and dangerous stunt, using classified technology behind my back in a foolish attempt to rewrite history?" He bellows, his voice reverberating off the hardwood walls.

"I made sure not to change anything else! Besides I can handle myself!" I shout defiantly, struggling to reign in my anger.

"I keep telling you all, I'm stronger than anyone gives me credit for. I could have fought Thanos alongside the Avengers, but you said I wasn't strong enough! You said I wasn't ready! But I proved my strength by going back in time to save Thor's brother! And I fooled Thanos, all without needing anyone else's help!" I add, raising my voice to match his. Not bothering to hold back my contempt.

"Did you even think of the repercussions?!" He shouts back, exasperated.

Suddenly that familiar feeling of being pushed out of my body takes over, and it's as if I'm far away floating above my body and watching from a distance. Distantly, I register the rage that roils through my foreign body and I watch myself let out a pent-up roar.

"OF COURSE, I WAS FUCKING CAREFUL! You must think I am a freaking idiot! People like you have always underestimated me! Well, I have news for you, Thor still thinks Loki's dead and Thanos thought he killed him! Nothing else was changed! I did everything fucking perfectly!"

"You can't cheat death!" The severity of Dr. Strange's tone stops me cold, and
Just like that, my mind snaps back to my body, and I'm in control again.

"But-" I mumble, feeling ashamed in more ways than one.

"Death will know that something was taken from her and will hunt him down until she finds him and devours him!" He adds his voice low and brimming with fury.

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