Time | Doctor Strange

Chapter Ten

The Ancient-One moved swiftly, dodging the disciples' moves like an absolute badass. (She really is). Those two compared nothing to her, they were unmatched against the woman.

Kacibrel had fought against Mordo so hard, she waisted all of her energy, now was fighting against the need for sleep that she didn't want to happen.

Kaecilius joined in on the fight but even he had a difficult time fighting against her. The male disciple was thrown far to the side in pain, the female now fighting alongside her master, The Zealot. The Ancient-One fought back, dodging their moves, sweeping Kaecilius' legs out from underneath him. He fell to the stone floor and quickly rolled out of the way, he took his hand, slamming it down onto the stone, causing it to rippled like a wave underneath the Sorcerer Supreme. However, it did little in effect towards the woman, she paused his move and countered back using the same move, in which Kaecilius was carried away to the other end of the fighting platform forcibly.

Kaecilius stood to his feet, he grew frustrated having looked to his right he conjured within his brain a brilliant idea, to others it was terrible.  The female goon did her best to distract the Sorcerer Supreme but was forced back, now the male was on the attack. Kaecilius equipped his sling ring and stormed over to the fighting pair.

The Ancient-One was ready to decapitate her foe, but Kaecilius was already on top of them. He took his mystic blade, driving it deep into his disciple's back so far it punctured through his abdomen, piercing the Ancient-One's on the other side. A gasp left her mouth,  her breath hitched in her throat. 

His sword dissipated, Kaecilius threw his follower to the side, landing a swift kick to the Sorcerer Supreme's stomach. He timed it perfectly, the portal that he had summoned lined up with his shot, the Ancient-One went flying back, swallowed by the gateway. Dr. Strange and Master Mordo watched in fear then chased after the woman, jumping through the portal. 

The Ancient-One fell from the sky, her body crashing into a glass awning attached to a building below her, her body soon coming in contact with the hard concrete below. Mordo and Stephen made it to the ground safely, thanks to their relics, rushing to the Ancient-One's aid. Kacibrel saw it all, what her father had done, and seeing the one she loved, the person who cared about her the most, now covered in their own blood, and wounds. Mordo held the child close as she wept. Stephen had to do something, an idea dinged in his brain.

([{~~~}])

The soft sound of wheels shaking, and boots stomping down on the floor illuminated the hospital hall with sound. Stephen gripped onto a hospital bed pushing it down the hall, its contents were the Ancient-One.

"Christine!" shouted Strange. His ex-lover gave an exaggerated sigh, "Are you kidding me?" before looking over at the man, clearly not expecting the sight she saw at all. "Oh, my God."

They finally reached each other, " It's not fibrillation. She has a stunned myocardium." Stephen informed. Nurses flooded around them rushing her to an operating theater as fast as they could, Christine spoke up, "Neurogenic?" she asked, Dr. Strange gave a rasped "Yes".

Once in the operation room, everyone began to do their jobs without a second thought, Stephen placed latex cloves over his hand, he was thinking ahead of himself, grabbing one of the surgical tools off of the table. He looked down at his hand, it shook, having looked around he spotted his rival. Stephen, no matter how much he didn't want to, had to. "Nic?" he asked, the man turned to his attention, Stephen handed over the tool saying "We need to relieve the pressure on her brain."

"She's still dropping" informed a man, "We're losing her!" Christine yelled. Stephen through orders at them, "We need to increase her oxygen!" A nurse pointed out the dilation of the Ancient-One's pupils. Dr. Strang knew what the Sorcerer Supreme was doing, he stood still forcing himself into his astral form, his body slowly began to fall back in slow motion.

"What are you doing?" he asked, spotting the Sorcerer's astral form go through walls. He followed after, "Come on, your dying!" The two ended up on one of the overlooks outside of the break room. "You have to return to your body now. You don't have time." pleaded the man.

"Time is relative." she spoke, "Your body hasn't even hit the floor yet." Lightning slowly streaked across the sky, the Ancient-One continued, "I've spent so many years... peering through time... looking at this exact moment. But I can't see past it. I've prevented countless terrible futures. And after each one there's always another. And they all lead here... but never further.

"You think this is where you die?" asked Stephen. The Ancient-One dodged his question, "You wonder what I see in your future?"

"No." he said, she looked at him giving a smile, Stephen looked down, "Yes." he admitted. "I never saw your future. Only its possibilities. You have such a capacity for goodness. You always excelled... but not because you craved success... but because of your fear of failure." Stephen spoke this time, "That's what made me a good doctor." then went back to the Ancient-One, "It's precisely what kept you from greatness. Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all."

"Which is?" asked the doctor. The Ancient-One turned to him, "It's not about you" she said, "When you first came to me you asked me how I was able to heal Jonathan Pangborn. I didn't. He channels dimensional energy directly into his own body." It all began to make sense for Strange, "He uses magic to walk?" he murmured softly. "Constantly." the Ancient-One said as a matter of fact, "He had a choice... to return to his own life... or to serve something greater than himself."

Stephen began to think, "So I could have my hands back again?" he asked, "My old life?"

"You could." suggested the woman, "And the world would be all the lesser for it." the truth began to spill from her mouth, "I've hated drawing power from the Dark Dimension. But as you well know sometimes one must break the rules in order to serve the greater good." 

"Mordo won't see it that way." spoke Strange, the Ancient-One started again, "Mordo's soul is rigid and unmovable forged by the fires of his youth. He needs your flexibility just as you need his strength. Only together do you stand a chance of stopping Dormammu."

Stephen gave a sigh, "I'm not ready." they paused then the Ancient-one spoke up, "No one ever is. We don't get to choose our time." She grabbed his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, "Death is what gives life meaning. To know your days are numbered. Your time is short. You'd think after all this time, I'd be ready. But look at me. Stretching one moment out into a thousand just so that I can watch the snow."

(this scene isn't part of the movie)  
The Ancient-One looked at Stephen, "Don't ever let Kaecilius get to his daughter. He is not the same man she knew long ago... he'll force her to follow Dormammu's teaching, to make her join his side." Dr. Strange felt her give his hand a squeeze, "Kacibrel is very fond of you, and now, after what had happened, I think she prefers you over her own father. Promise me Strange." Stephen gave a nod, his eyes meeting her once more, "I promise"
([{~~~}])

Thunder rumbled, lightning rippling across the dark sky. Her hand left him, The Ancient-One was gone— dead.