Mobius's portal opened into a lush, verdant world, full of overgrown vines and trees in full bloom. Birdsong burst from the forest around them with unceasing beauty, as if their lives would end if they stopped. The sun shone just as brightly and vividly as it did in Stephen's world. The smell of dead, wet leaves hung in the air, the bouquet of fresh rain and new things growing.
As he got his bearings, Stephen noticed they had landed on broken asphalt, shredded by years of plant life poking through the cracks. It was definitely Earth, a version of it. Off to the side, the remains of telephone poles still hung limply suspended by old wires, becoming nothing more than a makeshift vine trellis. It was a little odd for them to land in such a deserted place, almost apocalyptic, really.
Mobius took a deep breath. "Ah, I never get tired of all this fresh air."
"Much nicer than exhaust fumes and old piss. I forgot how bad New York smells."
"The TVA had kind of a stink to it, too. Like old carpet." Mobius looked around him a bit, then walked the opposite way down the broken pavement. "The tempad dropped us off a little farther than I'd like. This way," he told Stephen, and the doctor followed.
As they walked, it became apparent that the road wasn't getting any better. There were no signs of civilization anywhere, only the natural world that had taken over. They walked past a gas station that trees and bushes had long since claimed. An apple tree sprouted out of the parking lot, and a small herd of deer feasted on the new fruit on it, giving both of them a glance before bounding away.
Stephen couldn't help but feel more and more uneasy. It didn't look like they were going to come upon anyone else at all. There were certainly no cars on this road, not even a glimpse of humanity.
"What happened here, Mobius?" he asked.
"We're not really sure," he said, completely nonchalant. He picked a dogwood flower off of a tree as they walked, and twirled it around in his fingers. "Hard to tell. We had to pick a place to live that supported human life, but was deserted. Just in case," he added, flicking the flower away on the ground.
"In case ... ?"
"In case someone decided to come looking for us." His tone was more serious now. "I thought I understood how the multiverse and the timeline worked, inside and out, but now I'm not so sure. There could be more than one TVA. There could be things or people out there that want us dead. It's scary not knowing. All we can do is live our lives in peace and try not to worry about it."
Stephen wished he had the luxury of not worrying about those things, but his role in the universe seemed to be the exact opposite.
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Strange Nightmares
FanfictionA stranger bursts into Dr. Strange's life begging for help for his dying friend, but can he--or his friend--be trusted? Stephen Strange and Christine Palmer find themselves fighting a battle they barely understand, one that explores the brink of dea...
