Three hooded figures walk into a courtyard of an old building.
"Why does it look like they're about to perform some ritual?" Tony asked.
In a library, a man locks a book up. A hooded figure appears in the doorway.
"Not creepy at all." Quill said.
Two zealots appear next to the first, the librarian slides the shelf away. More zealots enter the library. Two of them grab the librarian's limbs with magic ropes, he screams.
"Who are those people?" Peggy asked.
"They're zealots." Strange said.
Kaecilius walks up to him and takes his hood off, he takes out two weapons and cuts the librarian's head off. The head falls into the bucket.
Everyone gasped in horror. What the that poor librarian do to warrant that kind of brutality?
"Who the hell is he?" Fury asked.
"His name is Kaecilius."
Kaecilius unlocks a book and takes it then tears one of the pages out. The Ancient One enters and addresses Kaecilius then tells him that the ritual will only bring him sorrow.
"What ritual?" Steve asked, but received no answer.
Kaecilius and the zealots run through a portal and emerge in a city. The ancient one appears behind them and uses magic to warp a building. Kaecilius calls her a hypocrite.
"Why is she a hypocrite?" Rhodey asked.
"You'll find out." Strange said.
The Ancient One jumps onto the side of the building, Kaecilius and the zealots do the same. The Ancient One uses magic to make the building start to fold on itself.
"What the hell?"
Two zealots grab her legs with magic whips. She jumps up and uses magic shields to break them then fights more zealots, she kicks one into the crease of the building. She fights more of the zealots, then the building starts turning.
"Okay this is... kind of trippy." Ned said.
Kaecilius opens a portal and zealots jump through, then he jumps in.
"Damn."
The Ancient One turns the building to how they were and jumps into the street and takes her hood off.
"Where did the zealots and Kaecilius go?" Gamora asked, but received no answer.
'Shining Star' by Earth Wind and Fire starts playing. Strange is washing his hands, then puts on his gloves and surgical mask.
"You're a surgeon?" Howard asked.
"I was...before started studying the mystic arts." Strange answered.
Strange is performing a surgery and subtly dancing to the music.
"Why are you dancing while performing a brain surgery?" Bruce asked.
Strange tells Billy to start the challenge round.
"Challenge round?"
Billy plays a different song. Strange says Billy is messing with him.
Billy says he isn't.
Strange says that the song is 'Feels so Good' by Chuck Mangione and was released in 1977 then tells Billy that he said it would be hard.
Billy says that it was 1978.
"No it wasn't." Strange said in an almost sing-song tone.
Strange says that it charted in 1978 but the album was released in December of 1977.
Billy says that Wikipedia says it was 1977.
"And he trusts Wikipedia?" Tony asked.
Strange tells him to check again.
Everyone snorted.
One of the doctors asks where he stores all of the useless information.
"Well me personally, I have a book of useless information." Peter said.
Strange says that the man charted the top 10 with a flugelhorn and asks why the information is useless.
"Wow."
Strange asks Billy for the status.
Billy says it was released in 1977.
"Poor Billy, he sounded so defeated." Shuri said.
The doctor tells Strange that she hates him.
Strange says it feels so good.
Everyone laughed.
Christine appears in the doorway. The doctor tells Strange that she's got this and he's done his part and they can finish.
Strange walks into the hallway with Christine and asks what it is. Christine hands him her tablet. Strange says it's amazing she kept him alive.
"You didn't need to be so condescending but okay." MJ said.
Strange says the man failed the brain flex test and the apnea reflex test. He tells her that he found the problem and says she left a bullet in the man's head.
"Oh really, I couldn't tell." Natasha said.
Christine says it's impinging on the medalla and she needed a specialist. She says that Nic diagnosed a brain death then says that that doesn't feel right to her.
Strange says they need to run, they run.
"You're gonna go and see what's up with that patient I assume." Coulson said. Strange nodded.
Strange and Christine walk up to the patient. Christine asks Dr. West what he's doing.
Dr. West says that the patient is an organ donor and he's harvesting.
Christine says she didn't agree to that.
Dr. West says he doesn't need her to because they've already called brain death.
"But you were wrong." Strange said.
Strange says he did it prematurely and says they need to get the patient prepped for suboccipital craniotomy.
Dr. West says he won't let Strange operate on a dead man.
"But he wasn't dead." Strange said.
Strange shows Dr. West the tablet and asks what he sees.
Dr. West says he sees a bullet.
Strange says it's a perfect bullet that's been hardened. He says that bullets are hardened by alloying lead with antimony.
"Another toxic metal inside of a person's body that shouldn't be there. 2 for 2." Bruce said.
Strange says it's a toxic metal and it's leached directly into the cerebral spinal fluid.
Dr. West says it can cause rapid onset central nervous system shut down.
Christine says they need to go.
"Please hurry."
Strange says the patient isn't dead but he's dying and asks Dr. west if he still wants to harvest the organs.
"Anyone ever tell you that you're a bit of an asshole sometimes?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, a few times." Strange said.
Dr. West says he can assist him. Strange tells him no and says that Christine will.
"Yeah, that's fair."
Strange and Christine start performing the surgery. Dr. West watches. Strange removes something. Christine calls for image guidance.
Strange says that they don't have time.
Christine says he can't do it freehand.
Strange says he can and will.
"That's a bad idea." Hank said.
Dr. West tells Strange that this isn't the time for showing off.
"I really don't think that you have much of a leg to stand on right now." Shuri said.
Strange asks about 10 minutes ago when he called the wrong time of death and continues the surgery. He says that the cranial nerves are intact.
Everyone was on the edge of their seats now.
Strange tells Dr. West to cover his watch then pulls the bullet out of the patient's brain.
Sighs of relief were heard. "The son of a bitch did it." Sam said.
"I'll be damned." Steve said.
"Nice work, Doctor." Fury said.
Strange and Christine talk to the patients family. A woman hugs them both.
Everyone smiled.
Christine and Strange are in the hallway. Christine tells Strange that he didn't need to humiliate Dr. West in front of everyone.
Strange says he didn't need to save his patient either but he can't help himself sometimes.
Everyone rolled their eyes.
Christine says that Dr. West is a great doctor.
Strange says Christine came to him.
Christine says she needed a second opinion.
Strange says she had a second opinion but she needed a competent one.
"True." Shuri said.
Christine says that that's a reason he should be her neurosurgeon on call because he would make a difference.
Strange says he can't work in her butcher shop.
"Dude." Rhodey said.
"You might be a bigger dick than Rocket." Quill said.
Strange says he's fusing transected spinal cords and stimulating neurogenesis in the central nervous system. He says that his work will save thousands in years to come. He says that in the ER they get to save a drink idiot with a gun.
"Which is no less important than what you do." May said.
Christine says that in the ER they're only saving lives and there's no fame or CNN interviews.
Everyone laughed. These two were like the doctor versions of Tony and Pepper and it was hilarious.
She says she'll have to stick with Dr. West.
Strange asks if they're sleeping together, when Christine looks confused he says he thought it was implicit in his disgust.
Christine says she has a strict rule against dating colleagues and she calls it the Strange policy.
"She's your Ex?" Happy asked.
"Yeah." Strange sighed.
Strange says he's glad something's named after him. He says he invented a laminectomy procedure and no one seems to want to call it the Strange technique.
Christine says that they invented the procedure.
"Give her 12% of the credit." Pepper joked then stared at Tony.
"You're still on that?" Tony asked.
Strange says he's flattered by her policy.
"I don't think you were supposed to be flattered." Maria said.
"That's the point." Strange said.
He tells her that he's speaking at a neurological society dinner and asks her to come. Christine sarcastically says that another speaking engagement sounds romantic.
"Not exactly and ideal date." Carol said.
Strange says she used to love coming to those with him and says they had fun together.
Christine says that he had fun and says that they weren't about them they were about him.
Strange says that they weren't only about him.
"Are you sure about that?" Peggy asked.
Christine tells him that everything is about him. Strange says that they can hyphenate it and call it the Strange- Palmer technique. Christine says it would be Palmer- Strange.
"Palmer- Strange sounds better and it's in alphabetical order which makes it even better." Peter said.
Strange shaves and straightens his bowtie. He opens a drawer of watches that are spinning.
Everyone started laughing. "That is probably the most pretentious thing I've ever seen." Clint said.
He picks one and puts it on. He leaves and starts driving.
"Maybe you should slow down." Steve said.
He gets a phone call from Billy. He answers it and asks what Billy has for him.
Billy says he has a 35 year old Air Force Colonel who crushed his lower spine in experimental armor.
"Is he talking about what happened to me?" Rhodey asked.
"Possibly." Strange said. "I never found out exactly who it was."
Strange says he could help but 50 other people could too and tells Billy to find something worth his time.
"Dude."
Billy says he has a 68 year old woman with an advanced brain stem glioma.
Strange asks if Billy wants him to screw up his perfect record.
Billy says he has a 22 year old woman with an electronic implant in her brain to control schizophrenia who was struck by lightning.
"Wow."
Strange says that sounds interesting and asks Billy to send the X-rays. Strange glances at the pictures. The car crashes and spins off the road.
Strange closed his eyes and turned his head away from the screen.
The car tumbles down the hill and lands in some water.
"Holy shit!" Everyone exclaimed.
A few people wanted to lecture Strange about unsafe driving but knew that this was not the time for that.
Strange is on a gurney, he's disoriented. His hands are wrapped up. He gets wheeled into a room.
Later, he wakes up. Christine is next to him, she tells him that it's going to be okay. Strange looks at the pins in his hands.
"Oh god."
Strange asks what they did.
"Saved your life." Vision said.
Christine says they rushed him in a chopper but it took a while to find him and the golden hours for nerve damage went by when he was in the car.
Strange closed his eyes and looked down.
Strange asks what they did.
Christine says that there's 11 stainless steel pins in his bones and says he has multiple torn ligaments and severe nerve damage in both hands.
Everyone in the room felt sympathy for Strange. "Your nerve damage... can it be corrected?" Steve asked.
"No." Strange sighed.
She tells him he was on the table for 11 hours and says that no one could've done better. Strange says that he could have.
The irony of the situation was not lost on Strange. Of course he would give himself in injury that only he could hope to fix.
Strange looks at the x-rays of his hands while Christine shaves his face.
Later, a nurse removes the bandages. Strange's hands shake. Dr. West tells him to give his body time to heal.
Strange tells Dr. West that he's ruined him.
"He saved your life." Peggy corrected. "You should be grateful."
"I know... but I didn't see it that way then." Strange said.
Strange is in a meeting with some doctors. He asks how long until he can take-
A doctor cuts him off and tells him that the tissue is still healing.
Strange tells him to speed it up. He says to pass a stent down the brachial artery into the radial artery.
"Could that actually work?" Gamora asked.
A doctor says that it's experimental and expensive but it's possible.
Strange says that's all he needs.
Later, Strange is wheeled into another room for surgery.
A few people looked at the screen hopefully, wondering if the surgery would work.
Strange is in physical therapy. The therapist tells him to lift his arm and show him his strength. Strange tries to open his fingers, but groans in pain.
Everyone cringed.
Strange says that it's useless.
The therapist says it's not useless and tells Strange that he can do it.
Strange asks if he's ever known someone with nerve damage that severe to do this and recover, and calls him 'bachelor's degree.'
"Do you just insult everyone you meet?" Sam asked.
The therapist says he knew one guy who did. He says that the man broke his back in a factory accident and was paralyzed.
"Damn."
He says that his leg wasted away and there was pain in his shoulder from the wheelchair and came in 3 times a week then stopped coming one day. He says he thought the man was dead then says he saw the man walks by him on the street a few years later.
"Wait walked?" Bruce asked. "That can't be possible."
Strange asks for the man's file.
The therapist says it'll take a while to pull it from the archive but it'll be worth it of it proves Strange's arrogant ass wrong.
Everyone chuckled at that. "Yeah... I get that." Pepper said.
Strange washes his hands and tries to shave. He gives up and drops the razor.
Strange sighed, remembering how hopeless he felt during that time.
Strange is on a call with a doctor. The doctor says he looked at Strange's research and read the papers he sent and says that it's not going to work and says he doesn't think Strange realizes how severe the damage is.
"I realized, I was just very desperate." Strange said.
The doctor says that what Strange wants from him is impossible and says he has his own reputation to consider and says he can't help and he hangs up. Strange throws the tablet on the ground.
Everyone flinched at Strange's outburst.
Christine walks in and asks if the doctor won't help.
Strange stands up and calls the doctor a hack. He says there's a procedure in Tokyo and they culture donor stem cells, harvest them and 3d print a scaffold and says he could get a loan of 200,000.
'He's getting desperate.' People thought to themselves.
Christine says that he's always spent money as fast as he makes it but now he's spending money he doesn't have.
"Desperate men do desperate things." Loki said.
Christine says it might be time to consider stopping.
Strange says that now is the time not to stop because he isn't getting better.
Christine says that this isn't medecine anymore it's mania and tells him that some things can't be fixed.
"She's right." Natasha said.
"I know that." Strange said.
Strange says that life without his work-
Christine cuts him off and says it's still life.
"Listen to her." Bruce said.
Christine tells him that there are other things that could give his life meaning.
Strange asks if she means her.
"That was uncalled for." Hope muttered.
Christine says that this is the part where he apologizes.
Strange says that this is the part where she leaves.
"Don't push her away now, man." Scott said.
Christine says she can't watch him do this to himself anymore.
Strange asks if it's too difficult for her.
Christine says it is and says it breaks her heart to see him this way.
Pepper was reminded of her fight with Tony 4 years ago. 'You're going to kill yourself, Tony. I'm not going to be a part of it.'
Strange tells her not to pity him.
Christine says she isn't.
Strange asks why she's there with cheese and wine like they're old friends going for a picnic then tells Christine that they aren't friends and they were barely lovers.
"I know you're angry, but she didn't deserve that." Wanda said.
He says that she loves a sob story and asks if that's what he is to her 'Poor Stephen Strange, charity case.' And says he's another dreg of humanity for her to work on and patch up then send back into the world. Then says that she cares so much. Christine leaves.
"Why did you shove her away like that?" Valkyrie asked. "She cared about you and only wanted to help."
Stephen opens a package that reveals a file with a sticky note that reads 'I told you so.'
Everyone laughed. "I'm sure his physical therapist is very pleased with himself." Rhodey said.
Men are playing basketball. Someone makes a shot and high-fives his team. Strange walks up to them and greets Jonathan and says that he has a c7-c8 spinal cord injury.
Jonathan asks who he is.
Strange says Jonathan was paralyzed from the chest down with partial paralysis in both hands.
"You just walked up to this dude and recited his injury to him, gotta say man, that's kinda strange." Sam said.
"Well then I guess I'm living up to my name." Strange said.
Jonathan says he doesn't know him.
Strange introduces himself and says he was a neurosurgeon.
Jonathan says he does know him and says he came into Strange's office but Strange refused to see him and he never got past his assistant.
"This isn't going very well." Clint said.
Strange says he was untreatable. Jonathan makes a comment about there not being any glory for Strange because of it.
Strange cringed, knowing that Jonathan was partially right about that.
Strange says Jonathan came back from a place there was no way back from and says he's trying to find his own way back.
Jonathan says he'd given up on his body and thought his mind's the only thing he had left and he should try to elevate that.
"Makes sense, compensate for what you don't have and all that." Bucky said.
Jonathan says he sat with gurus and sacred women and strangers carried him to mountaintops to see holy men.
A few people looked skeptical, after hearing that.
Jonathan says he found his teacher and his mind was elevated and his spirit deepened.
"How does this explain how his body healed?" Bruce asked.
Strange says his body healed.
Jonathan confirms and says that there were deeper secrets to learn there but he didn't have the strength to receive them.
"What secrets?"
Jonathan says he chose to settle for his miracle and come home. He tells Strange that the place he's looking for is called Kamar Taj and says that the cost is high.
Strange asks how much.
Jonathan says he isn't talking about money and wishes Strange luck.