A Strange Turn of Events

He Said He Was Allowed Back Here

"St-"

"Shh.."

He puts a hand in front of my face and I quirk a brow. We were currently in the library, back in the Masters Only Section. He said he was allowed back here, but the way he's acting... he's trying to hide.

"Wong?"

Strange calls out, his voice absorbed partially by the soft bindings of the many tomes upon the shelves, and the carpet on the slightly dusty floor. He takes out a red fruit from his robe and shines it on his sleeve while he listens for any sound in the library.

No response. Just before I offer to go find the librarian for him, Stephen looks almost giddy as he grabs the Book of Cagliostro. I watch him with bright fascination. This was against the rules, and I love it!

For a while he's just flipping through the pages of the book, eyes trained on the words I was proud to know I could read... sorta. Of course Strange understands it completely, that's just who he is.

He takes a bite of his apple before pausing, seemingly something piqued his interest.

It's when he grabs a strange necklace that I get really curious.

"What is that?"

I whisper. He looks over at me, smirking as he realizes I have no intention of stopping him.

"The Eye of Agamotto."

As he talks, a smirk curves his features and I find myself enjoying the expression a little to much. I remain quiet, content to watch as Stephen opens the eye and begins to weave a spell that results in a green rune around his arm. He aims his attention to the apple sans a chunk he relieved from it a minute ago. My eyes narrow, watching closely as Strange moves his hand, and the apple gets another bite mark in it.

"?!"

Strange looks at me. Oops, he must need to concentrate.

"Sorry"

I mutter, but to my surprise he just grins.

"Want to see what else we can do?"

I beam back at him, nodding enthusiastically. He keeps moving his hand and soon the apple is just a core. Reversing the spin, it takes only moments until the fruit is completely full. His brow curves, creating a core again before pulling further, watching it brown and decay. Fascination flickers and the apple is back in it's former 1-bite state, set aside. He turns the book to the space missing pages.

"Are you-?"

I'm cut off as he moves his hand, yellowed parchment fading to life back into the binding. A foreboding rune sitting on the span and Stephen immediately begins to read. His lips forming the words but only letting a few pass through.

"Dormammu... The dark dimension.... Eternal life?"

Right before I ask I'm startled by a crystal wall appearing behind the book.

"Strange?! Are you doing that?"

I only notice after the words leave my mouth that I've hidden behind the male and cleaved to him.

"No I'm-"

"STOP!!"

Wong and Mordo rush past my view and the crystal wall dissolves, green rune fazing out to sparks around Stephen's arm that I'd grabbed onto. When did I do that? I quickly retract, oops.

"Tampering with the continuum
of probability is forbidden!"

Wong lectures. Stephen is quick to respond.

"I was following the book exactly."

"And what did the book say about the dangers of performing that ritual?"

Strange pauses,

:Steph..:

He confirms my suspicions with a sheepish expression.

"Yeah, I don't know. I hadn't
gotten to that part yet."

Of course we were all to eagerly informed of what Stephen neglected to read.

"Temporal manipulations can create branches in time. Unstable dimensional openings. Spacial paradoxes! Time loops!!! You want to get stuck reliving the same moment over, and over, forever, or never having existed at all?"

Strange looks genuinely startled, but manages to remain sarcastic, somehow. Goodness I love this man. Woah, where did that come from?!

"They really should put the warnings before the spell."

"Your curiosity could have gotten you killed. You weren't manipulating the space-time continuum, you were breaking it."

"How did you learn to do that?"

Mordo questions, drawing Strange's gaze.

"Hm?"

"Where did you learn the litany of spells required to even understand it?"

Steph is quick to reply.

"I've got a photographic memory. It's how I got my M.D. and Ph.D. at the same time."

His tone is matter-of-fact. Such a practiced explanation, but there is pride in it. Pride I'm happy to hear. Mordo speaks up.

"What you just did takes more than a good memory. You were born for the mystic arts."

Strange chuckles bitterly.

"And yet, my hands still shake."

I visibly wince.

"For now."

I interject. Stephen turns to me with a grim expression and forced smile.

"Thanks, but I don't think-"

"She's not entirely wrong"

Wong shrugs. Stephen's face perks up, a flicker of hope crossing his eyes.

"You mean maybe?"

"We're not prophets."

The hope is instantly replaced with frustration.

"When are you going to start telling me what we are ?"

I poke Strange in the side, but the masters look between each other before nodding. Mordo is the one who speaks.

"No, you should know. This way."