Taipan // Doctor Strange

Chapter 6

I decided to upload this a day early because I already have the next three chapters done, and I feel a little disconnected when I don't even remember what goes on in them 😂

This is about 800 words over my 2000 goal, so I hope you enjoy the extra-ness!!!

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The two zealots attacked at the same time; releasing shouts of intimidation as they attempted to strike at me. To be honest, a part of me was hoping that I would surprise myself and be some form of unleashed ninja.

That dream, as well as my confidence with the snakes, was shattered the moment the woman's fist met my cheek with a force I couldn't have imagined. My right shoulder met the ground with the momentum of the punch, a painful experience to say the least.

Drawing my hand quickly upward, a Taipan shot off the ground and wrapped itself around her two wrists; I watched for a moment as she struggled before the second, a man, attacked again. I was able to dodge a few of his moves while still on the floor- feeling the wisp of his leg touching the tip of my ear in one of his movements. "Why'd you follow me?" I found myself asking as I swept my leg beneath the attacker, watching him stumble back just soon enough for me to look and see the woman slicing my snake into golden shards that disintegrated.

And then there was one.

I stood, a gulp sliding down my throat as I found myself in the same position as we had started, only now I had one snake.

Another kick flew to my gut, and my distraction of fear allowed it to meet its target as I felt the wall meet my back with such ferocity that I thought I was going to vomit. The lack of speaking they did set me more on edge, almost as though I was in the presence of things other than humans.

I felt another impact beneath my chin, snapping my head upward and slamming it against the cement I leaned on. My eyesight went black and my mind swam for a moment, maybe a minute- the next thing I knew was that the entire building was beginning to turn, and the zealots, as well as myself, rolled from wall to wall as if ragdolls stuck in a trunk.

I became dizzy trying to comprehend what was up and what was down- becoming aware of my mind's capacity for such matters as this. Luckily, the movements of the dimensions were slow enough to react to, so I was able to slide from wall to wall while still managing to stay away from the people who were also trying to handle themselves at the moment.

Just as I was becoming accustomed to the tosses, and the zealots were too, we were thrown completely upside down, and slammed onto the ceiling, I think. My bones jarred as I hit its surface, a wave of strong pain radiating through my limbs.

The two enemies were rising again, slowly- they had experienced the same fall as me. I sat up quickly, drew my hands together and performed the movements to re-conjure the other snake. Then, and without hesitation, I shot my hands forward; the opportunity to watch as my snakes sunk their poisoned teeth into the backs of the zealot's neck was satisfying, in a way, as my tense muscles relaxed at the sight of their slumping bodies.

It seemed that this new world refused to give me a break; it immediately began to move again, only now the structure opened entirely, and my eyes squinted at the abrupt gray light I was greeted with from the clouded sky. The piece of surface I was sitting on, I couldn't tell if it was a wall, a floor, or a ceiling, broke off from the rest of itself and began floating upward. I watched as the two bodies rose with me, my snakes slinking between their limbs in a frantic manner that reflected my mental state.

I took the time to get rid of them, afraid that they may again try to attack someone just because of how I felt.

The sight around me was daunting. The world looked as though origami, folded into millions of shapes and yet still appearing to be functioning. Cars drove around corners where they should have just fallen off, buildings hung upside down as people walked with their feet remaining intact with the sidewalks.