Time's Revenge - Doctor Strange

5 - The Encounter

Doctor Strange quickly ducked behind a rock before Thanos could see him. He couldn't believe his eyes.

It was really him.

And he knew what was going to happen next.

Patiently, he waited behind his hiding place, discreetly eyeing Thanos. Time seemed to slow, and the atmosphere lingered with a growing feeling of anticipation. Maybe he was wrong - maybe they wouldn't come. Then what could he do? He'd read, in the Agamotto Enchiridions - the book that had allowed him to time travel - that the person who went back into the past could only return to the present if the reason for which he reversed time was accomplished. In other words, he could get out only if he successfully stopped Tony from dying.

Suddenly, Stephen's wishes were accomplished when three tall figures emerged from a cave onlooking the crater. Strange recognized them instantly as they stepped into the light - Thor, his hammer gleaming with electricity in the moonlight, Steve, standing proudly with his shield attached to his arm, his eyes challenging and fierce... and Tony.

Seeing him brought a wave of sadness to Stephen. Already his features were a distant memory to Strange, and seeing him was like sighting a ghost. 

"Where are the stones?" Thor asked impatiently. "Somewhere under all this..." responded Tony. Then the three of them spotted Thanos at the same time, and Thor shot his hands up to the sky to summon his thunder. 

"You could not live with your own failure," Thanos smirked. He paused, then continued. "I thought that, by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive."

Memories flooded back to me - feeling myself slowly being torn apart piece by piece, crumbling into thin air, like a whisper in the wind. I remembered no pain - only an immense sadness, like I'd failed myself and everyone I loved. 

I wasn't going to let that happen again.

Thanos continued. "But you've shown me... that's impossible. As long as there are those who remember what was, there will always be those who are unable to accept what can be..." he gazed thoughtfully at the storm clouds above. "That will resist, and fight. But now, I know what I must do." He let those words sink in, letting suspense fill the air.

Then he stood up, and sentenced in a grave tone, "I will shred this universe down to its last haven." Thor readied into combat position. "Then, with the stones you've collected for me," - he smirked - "I will create a new one." He seemed to taste the thought and savor it, like a piece of candy. "I'll team with life, and restore not what was lost, but what has been given. A new age for the universe." He weighed his double-bladed ax in his hand, seemingly anticipating to use it.

"What about those you love?" Steve challenged, clearly thinking, If there is anyone you love.

"Oh, they'll never know," Thanos replied disdainfully, then said, his voice full of menace, "Because you'll never be alive to tell them."

Upon that phrase, Steve, Thor and Tony launched themselves in unison at Thanos, who twirled his ax in his hands, looking almost bored. 

But Strange knew what would happen. As lightning crashed, lasers fused and axes twirled, Stephen told himself, they'll never make it alone. 

The three of them might well have worked as a team, uniting raw aptitudes with technological weapons, they couldn't stand up to Thanos' sheer power. Soon, Thor and Tony were on the ground, unconscious, and Captain was standing, out of strength, face to face with an army. 

"I'll tell you now," Thanos said, "It was nothing personal... but I enjoyed it very much." he mocked. 

But his smile quickly faded when orange sparks appeared out of thin air to Steve's left - and a shimmering portal appeared out of thin air. 

Three shimmering silhouettes emerged out of it, noble and gracious, and stood next to Steve. It was T'Challa, king of Wakanda, and even if Strange already knew that would happen, he couldn't stop himself from feeling a wave of relief. Steve wasn't alone anymore.

But then, another figure emerged out of the portal, and rose into the sky - Stephen noticed a hovering cape, floating behind-

Then realization struck him.

It was himself. A second Stephen Strange had emerged into the scene, something not normally possible, according to quantum physics. And from what he had read in Agamotto's book, the number one rule of time travel was to never allow two versions of the same being encounter in the same place.

So if Stephen wanted to avoid causing a time paradox, he'd have to be cautious.

Author's Note:

Sorry if this chapter's complete crap! I have to admit I was absolutely out of inspiration for this one. I hope I'll get better for the next. Anyways, if you still liked it, don't forget to vote and comment on what you thought! 

Also, I know my last paragraph doesn't make any sense since a time paradox was already created when present-day Nebula encountered her 2014 self. What I'm gonna make up as an excuse (shh) is that causing a time paradox creates a fault in time's continuum (yeah I know, I'm trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about) and prevents people from traveling in time, which doesn't cause a problem for Nebula, who didn't have a project to return to her apocalyptic present, but causes one for Strange, who wants to retrieve Tony and then return to 2019.

Get it? I know you don't, because me neither. 

Anyways, see you around!