Avengers: Zero to Infinity

Chapter 2

"Strange?" "Stephen?"

The voices of the two brothers that Strange was speaking to just two weeks ago were now echoing in his ears, like drumsticks to his eardrums. The magician appeared behind them, and the two brothers only found out about his arrival when they heard the sound of magic Closing the portal behind him, Strange walked towards Thor and Loki, who were standing beside one another as they stood close to the window showing the starry space outside the ship.

The both of them were looking back at him, surprised by his unexpected presence. Of course, this wasn't the first time Strange has seen this scene, for he has visited this ship countless times already.

"Hello, there. We meet again." Strange spoke in a monotone form of a voice.

"How'd you find us?" Thor asked, confused.

Strange shrugged his shoulders and blankly spoke. "Magic."

Lies. The truth was that Strange knew that the both of them were at the Statesman simply because... in another world where Thor and Strange met, the thunderer had told him all about the ship and how it ended.

Loki then turned around his entire body and now Strange could see his full Sakaarian clothing. He was holding the novel that he borrowed from Strange two weeks ago on his right hand. But Strange felt hurt, because Loki looked so... happy. And to think that happiness was going to be snatched away from him soon.

The god of mischief began walking towards Strange, still holding the book on his right hand, and still wearing that same bright shining smile. The sound of his footsteps hitting the spaceship's floor echoed throughout the room. Thor also turned his body around, allowing Strange to see his new look. Loki stopped moving after his feet got close to Strange's, and while looking at the doctor in the eye, he bent his right arm and handed the book over to Strange.

"I dominated you mortals in the beginning, but I guess I was mistaken." Loki spoke. "Do you mind if I borrow more of your books?"

"Not at all." Strange replied. "Come to the mansion if you want to read more Midgardian books."

"Thank you so much." Loki said as Strange held the book in his hands once again.

Loki's smile looked so... ecstatic. He looked so ecstatic because he didn't know what destiny had in store for him. He looked so ecstatic because he wasn't aware of the time loops at all. To think that he finally got his happiness, only for it to be taken away from him. And with one infinity gauntlet, all of the past happy days were gone.

"I'm fully aware that the both of us had met just a few weeks ago, but..." Loki rubbed his two hands together, indicating that he was nervous. "How do I say this...? I guess I kind of felt... connected to you. I felt like... that wasn't the first time we've met, like we've known each other for a long time. You know, déjà vu? I don't know. It just occurred to me... Hey, is something wrong?"

Loki seemed to have noticed that Strange wasn't looking very well at all. He was supposed to say 'it just occurred to me that you and I have met before', but he stopped mid-sentence. Could this be something that rewrote the script? But at the same time, it could be just because the main role—Strange—didn't do what he was supposed to do... so one of the actors in the play questioned him about it, displeasing the directors, known as destiny.

And displeasing the directors comes with consequences, so it's possible that their upcoming and arriving destiny could be even worse than the previous time loops. In other worlds, half of the team died. But maybe in this world, because they displeased the directors, then maybe everyone would die. But that happened in other worlds, too. Sometimes it was Thor who killed the remaining survivors of the infinity war after his mind had snapped, but in other times it was Tony. Then Okoye. Then Steve. And Strange soon realized that those who suffer from grief and loss would eventually lose their minds.