Christine Supreme AU

[drpalmer]

In all the infinite universes, there was sure to be one in which Stephen Strange didn't survive his car accident, and in this, particular version of such an event, Christine had been with him. It had been a different path that led her to magic. The universe needed a new sorcerer, be it Stephen or someone else.

She had trained and devoted herself to the mystical arts just as she had devoted herself to medicine. Healing magic and defensive spells came most naturally for her, it was in her blood to help. In this universe Christine Palmer became an incredible power, she saved countless lives.

Of course, she had never truly stopped mourning Stephen, but she carried on and fought in his memory.

When the walls between universes started to crack it was as if a call was put out for all the Sorcerers in every universe to find ways to help repair the cracks.

Something was coming and she could feel it. She was pacing around the Sanctum, whatever was on the way was going to come here, of that she was certain.

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[mysticaldoctor]

Doctor Stephen Strange had lost his heart at one point, and what followed was a shattering - thankfully, only his universe - if one could be thankful for his crystalline prison. It at least taught him some things - that perhaps he couldn't ... fix everything, nor should he have tried.

No one else from his world existed anymore. Hadn't for a long time. A long time in a meaningless, timeless place.

Until things felt... very very wrong. The orb he was watching disappeared from his hands, and he suddenly appeared instead in a Sanctum that reminded him very much of - things he had imagined if he could go back.

He forgot that in the shadows, his appearance was quite frightening, but he felt her, sensed her presence, and an odd, distorted voice said... "Christine?"

[drpalmer]

Christine had seen enough dark creatures to not be frightened by whatever had just appeared. Of course she's put up a cursory shield in front of her, at least until she can assess the threat.

But then there is that voice, familar though it sounded as if it hadn't been used in years.

And she knew despite only seeing a shadowy form that was distorted and seemed to be many creatures at once.

"Stephen?"

[mysticaldoctor]

The third eye and the darker shadows disappeared, but - not entirely. They were out of the field of vision, yes - but not gone.
A smile - a genuine one crossed his thin face.

"Christine Palmer, Sorcerer Supreme."
He knew how this worked - he died in the accident... perhaps that was the right thing - the thing that should have happened... the thing he tried to ... make happen at first.

He felt a bit ashamed of his obvious appearance, but it stayed under wraps as long as he didn't actively move too much, and created too many shadows.

"It's not just your universe but multiple that are breaking, even though we know very little of the multiverse." His voice still sounded - not quite right.

[drpalmer]

She could see him a bit better, the shield dropping away. The critical thing is protecting the universe, this one, and all the others.

But she's going to need a moment before she can care about anything else. It's been years since she buried her Stephen. While she knew this wasn't him; she was still faced with a Stephen Strange, and one who needed her.

"I could feel it, I knew someone would show up here." Her feet are carrying her towards him, she should be more hesitant. "Are you Sorcerer Supreme in your universe?"

[mysticaldoctor]

"At one point, I think - it's been... quite some time. It's not just me that will show up, but - there's multiple... versions - in multiple forms of broken reality." It was complicated. "Not just me may show up here."

He hesitated briefly. "My Christine died, and it was an Absolute Point I sought to break, wouldn't listen to reason."

It felt odd to hear the noises of the Sanctum, of things moving... in his world, there was none of that. There was only silence. "My universe melted into nothingness and the vastness of space." He notices she's coming closer.

[drpalmer]

"Very dangerous" She nods, "surely a lot of fighting to come."

She is a bit worried about it, but reality can wait a few more minutes before breaking.

"My Stephen died. I thought about doing the same thing. Trying to change time."

She makes it to be just a step or two from him.

"You've been alone?"

[mysticaldoctor]

"Yes, or - watching over a certain pocket universe which involves two very determined beings fighting for Infinity Stones."

He seems to accept this. "Don't... try and change it. He - your Stephen. He wouldn't want that. The books said not to but only a being of immense power could do such things."

His eyes shifted, slightly - only a fraction, in a manner that didn't really resemble human - perhaps lizard or something multidimensional. "I suppose a being of power could also figure out how to repair the cracks."

She's close, ever so close. "I-I know you're not - her..." his voice broke entirely and he didn't bother saying the apology he'd said many times in that place. He didn't break into tears though, just sort of existed in that space, stunned.

[drpalmer]

"So there was something at least?" She aches for him, the nightmare it must have been to be alone.

"I know. I set up a little space in the mirror dimension to just go talk to him when I'm nervous."

There was something different in his movements, and the reference of a book, of immense power. This Stephen had broken a universe trying to save her.

"I'm not. And you aren't him. But God it feels so good to see you." It's going to be her that starts to cry, she's always been prone to tears when she's overwhelmed about something, and this is overwhelming.

[mysticaldoctor]

"You ... talk to him?" That arrogant young man that was overly confident and wanted to fix everything on his terms. He felt touched by this, oddly. She's crying and he's not sure how to react or what he ought to do...

A few tentacles reached curiously in her direction, and he tried to control it, as though frightened of the being's essence. "Sorry - you'd think I'd know how to control it entirely - being in a crystalline world with just myself for company."

He did want to confirm the others he didn't talk to - that no there wasn't 'something'.

[drpalmer]

"It's stupid, I know, but when you miss someone, there has to be something to get you through."

Since she started in the mystical arts she's gotten a lot less jumpy, and the tentacles don't scare her like they probably should.

A tentative hand touches one as it reaches for her.

"You consumed magical entities." She had read about it, a way to gain power, though the book had been lax in explaining the cost of such magic.

She can't even fathom how powerful he must be.

[mysticaldoctor]

He wasn't expecting that. "Yes. I tried bargaining first, as it worked before - didn't work this time, so - consumed with the desire for the power necessary for my quest - I consumed by force. Wealth of knowledge that comes with it, but it does tend to make one a bit... er - not exactly stable."

The matter at hand was they ought to close the breaks in the current reality, which required protection.

[drpalmer]

As much as she wants to know everything about it, there really are more pressing matters at hand.

"We ought to try and repair the cracks. Then I can ask you all the questions I've got on my mind. Seem fair?"

It's funny how instinctive it is to be Palmer and Strange again, they always did work really well together.

[mysticaldoctor]

"Fair. I would graft in these bigger cracks here, very carefully, maybe from the ends of timelines, would do the least damage.

These smaller ones, will be a lot like the old days," he said it with some fondness, moving with several limbs to knit a few smaller cracks back together. "You'll need this." His hand cast glowing rune armor in her direction. "Protection spell. You're welcome."

The additional limbs seemed to move independently, though he clearly had some control. He probably wouldn't feel alright doing this around many others.

[drpalmer]

"Thanks." Being in tune to the same magics means she can feel the strength of that protection, it's very strong stuff and she briefly wonders how long it took him to gain this much power.

He had such a grace with casting that she feels like an acolyte watching for a moment in awe before she's able to follow his lead to start patching the cracks from the edges.

They won't be able to fix it completely but it will buy them the time they need to figure out stronger spells.

[mysticaldoctor]

He nods briefly, knitting together smaller cracks with magic with one side of his body, it looked like tentacles and dragon claws, sealing it if possible.

He studied some of the patchwork and cast a few runes in the direction of them.

"Well, some timelines will be shorter. Better than them ending entirely." In a non-linear kind of thinking.

One tentacle waved in the wind, and he grabbed his wrist to control it.

"That's mainly a temporary fix, it also ought to be done on the other side."
He wondered if his crystalline prison was still there. It wasn't large, and could have been eaten by temporal energy.

[drpalmer]

They cast well together, it's nearly funny how quickly they work together again.

"It gives us time to figure out a better option. And if what I felt was right then others of us; weird, or whoever the Sorcerers are in those universes should have felt it too."

If timelines are collapsing as it is, his tiny little space likely wouldn't survive long. But he is in a world without a Stephen Strange, so that's probably workable. Things are already a mess.

"How long did it take you to get so much power?"

[mysticaldoctor]

"Centuries. I-I paused time, to enable me to do so. I don't... belong here exactly." But he wonders if the Watcher won't interfere with this one - just this once.

"There was some temporal energy in my universe, so perhaps that will assist in holding, rather than breaking apart. He also thinks of the bubble which he was supposed to have - and where that might have gone, tumbling into the void of space.

[drpalmer]

"And you used to say I was too young for you when we were surgeons."

At least she expects that was a thing he had said as well. The multiverse is weird like that.

"We will have to go check out all of the forbidden tomes." There's a little smile "as if I haven't looked at them already."

Tell Christine a book is off limits and she won't rest until she can read it.

[mysticaldoctor]

He looks a little surprised and amused. "Knowledge isn't forbidden. Try the Library of Cagliostro. Beyond Study of Time and How to Contact Dormammu and draw power from the Dark Dimension. Also that - extra-dimensional beings can't quite properly exist in... not their own universe, and since I destroyed mine... I expect at some point I just - will cease to exist."

He sounds a bit resigned to this, as though that were the fate he had sentenced himself to - that the Watcher could not, would not, interfere.

[drpalmer]

"I've not ventured to that library yet."

She closes the space between them, her hand resting immediately on his chest.

"Would it be very selfish of me to keep you here? Between the two of us, we can figure something out."

She's not ready to lose Stephen again.

[mysticaldoctor]

The man sighed and closed his eyes. "Yes, and it would be very selfish of me to make it possible for me to stay here." He felt her, she wasn't quite the same, and losing her Stephen had hurt her -but not broken her mind entirely.

That's why she wanted him to stay.
"I'm sure we could figure something that not all of the universe would break around us." And if it did, would it matter?

She was so close. "Christine, I've missed you."

[drpalmer]

She knows he's not the same, but there is enough similarity to still have that same draw to him. They've both suffered.

"Maybe if we fix the multiverse, the universe will see fit to give us a little comfort."

She wants to hug him, she aches for a hug.

"I've missed you too. I know I'm not her, and you're not him, but you don't feel so unfamiliar."

[mysticaldoctor]

He hugs her and the creatures join in. It's mostly still Stephen, but it's a lot of creatures of power thrown in too.

"Maybe." It felt like a very long time ago he asked if they were allowed to be happy, because that was all he wanted. He didn't want to hope, the only hope he had for too long was that he could fix it and have her back - and then possibly do penance by being isolated.

It's been a long time since anyone ... wanted to be this close.
"Christine." He knows he's repeating her name like an idiot, but it seems to be almost all he felt like saying.

[drpalmer]

When he hugs her she releases a sigh she didn't know she was holding in. She feels the creatures as well, she isn't scared of them.

"Stephen." She rests her face under his chin, hugging him tight. They've held off destruction for at least a moment so she's going to enjoy this little bit of contact.

"I haven't had more than a polite hug in so long."

[mysticaldoctor]

"It's been sometime... I have forgotten." Now it's his turn to cry, but at least she is holding him. One of the creatures sobs aloud, but he doesn't try to hold it back.

After all it's a part of him that was driven so far to ... get her back.
"I'm ... sorry," he murmured, knowing the apology wasn't meant for her, exactly. But ... Christine is Christine. She'll probably understand.