fiction | Part of the journey is the end

4. What if... Doctor Strange lost his heart instead of his hands?

"We have watched how one moment, one choice, can ripple across space and time, giving birth to new stories, heroes, whole universes," said the Watcher.

"Like Captain Carter," Steve said proudly.

"And like Star-Lord T'Challa," Quill growled.

T'Challa sighed. "I'm not going to take your mother's nickname for you. I'm perfectly happy being the Black Panther."

"But what if it's the wrong choice? What if the best of intentions has very strange consequences?"

"Wrong choice?" Tony said, worried.

"And the Watcher said he wouldn't interfere," Steve added.

In 2016, Stephen Strange got out of his car and opened the door. He was wearing a suit.

Stephen pinched the bridge of his nose. "Strange consequences? How original."

"Evening, handsome," Christine Palmer greeted.

Stephen's face fell, Wong grimaced, and everyone else's eyebrows shot up.

"Who is that?" Wanda grinned. "I can't believe you have a girlfriend and didn't tell us."

"Ex-girlfriend," Stephen stressed.

"...Oh."

"What's her name?" Peter asked.

"Doctor Christine Palmer. She used to work with me at the hospital," Stephen answered.

"This? I just pulled it out of the dryer. Whereas you, stunning."

Stephen furrowed his brows. He didn't ever remember talking to Christine like this. No wonder she dumped him.

"I didn't know Strange was such a smooth-talker," said Clint.

"He's not," said Wong. "Christine broke up with him."

"Wong!" Stephen exclaimed.

"What! She did!" He'd heard all about the Stephen-Christine drama, and also had to sit through Stephen complaining about her new boyfriend.

Thor's shoulders slumped. "Jane broke up with me too."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was a mutual dumping?"

"Of course, it was!" Thor said quickly. "Pft, I'm the one who sent her the letter."

"I didn't mention a letter."

"Pep dumped me too," said Tony. "I'm lucky she took me back."

"Hope sort of dumped me too once I accidentally caused her and Hank to go on the run after Germany," said Scott. "She didn't say we broke up, but it was obvious since she stopped talking to me."

"My ex-girlfriend turned out to be the head of an international criminal organization," Steve helpfully added.

A pause.

Clint looked at his friends incredulously. "Am I the only one here in a stable relationship?"

"You promised me crème brûlée," Christine said, getting inside the car.

Stephen smiled bitterly. "She always did love crème brûlée."

Later, Stephen was driving as he and Christine lovingly bickered about Stephen's speech. She suggested he run up to the stage like a game show contestant.

Everyone snorted. None of them could imagine Stephen doing that.

Stephen tilted his head. He didn't remember his relationship with Christine ever being that easy and carefree. How different was his variant's relationship with Christine?