Stephen Strange notices the mark only after the Wanda debacle.

The white star on his palm looks like a tattoo. The star nearly encompasses his palm and it turns out he isn't the only one who has it.

America Chavez has it as well.

They have a matching pair.

"It's a soul mark," America informs him later on, when she sees the mark on his hand. "It means that my life is tied to yours. I am indebted to you now after you saved me multiple times."

"This is the first time I've heard about Soul Marks," Stephen remarks, looking troubled. "Can you tell me more about it, America?"

The girl looks uncertain but she does what he asks of her.

"I've heard about them in other universes I encounter. Some of the Soul Bonds are different from the others. Some pairs are paired as friends for life, other times its only familial relationship, but most of the time its romantic pairing. And I suspect that our souls become bound when you save me Stephen." The girl explains to him.

"And what does this Soul Bond entail for us, kid?" Stephen inquires.

The girl hesitates at first, but answers his question in the end.

"Most of the time, people with soul bonds like ours end up together. Perhaps that is going to happen in the future for us too." America says to him as she flushes scarlet.

Stephen Strange stares at her in stunned silence. Aghast and perturbed at the thought of the two of them together.

"That can't be it! You are just a kid!" Stephen declares, appearing scandalized at the possibility of ending up with her.

"I'm not going to be a kid forever, Stephen." America replies, looking suddenly shy while she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear.

There is a short pause as Stephen tries to digest the implication of America's words.

"In my eyes, you will always be a kid, America." Stephen states resolutely. "And no one is going to convince me otherwise."

Stephen watches as the girl simply shrugs her shoulders and says, "If you say so, Stephen."

He regards the girl for a moment before he asks her, "Why don't you look disturb at the possibility of ending up with me?"

The scarlet flush on the girl's face deepens and Stephen secretly finds the look adorable.

"First of all, it's because I find you admirable and I won't mind being with a man that I admire. Second, you saved my life multiple times. So I owe you my life. And third, since I'm now your soulmate, at the very least I will try my best to make you happy no matter what. That's going to be my next priority after I find my mothers," America confesses to him.

Stephen can only gaze at the girl in shock after her admission. He can't help but feel nearly out of his depth when it comes to the girl's statement. So he can only stand there in complete silence.

"I may be sixteen years old right now, but one day I will grow into an awesome woman that I'm destined to be. Just you watch, Stephen. You'll be eating your words when I'm older," America tells him with a look of determination on her face.

"You're not going to change my mind, kid." Stephen says to her just as determined as her. "You will remain my ward and nothing more."

"I will consider it as a challenge to convince you of our destiny, Stephen." America remarks, smiling cheekily at him.

Stephen snorts and says to her, "You'll have to do more than convince me, kid, because I will never change my opinions once my mind is set."

"We'll see," the girl responds in obvious amusement.

"We shall see indeed," Stephen nods his head, his jaw set.

There is no way in hell that he and her are going to end together. That's what Stephen thought as he left America to her own devices afterward.

She is my ward and will remain so in the foreseeable future, Stephen thinks adamantly as he leaves for the New York Sanctum.


AN: I'm into Ward-Guardian relationship and Age Difference. So its not a surprise that I come up with this idea. Please don't kill me!