"You can't be serious, Dr. Strange."
"Watch me, and I'll show you how serious I am." Stephen answered as the Cloak of Levitation came swooping down the staircase to rest securely on his shoulders.
"I think he's serious." Wong said to Rhodey. "Go back to the compound. Wait for Stark and let him know what's happening when he returns."
"You sure?" Rhodey said, unsure of the plan. "I can stay and help you with...all of that." He finished, gesturing to all of Stephen.
"I've been dealing with Master Strange for a while now." Wong said calmly. "We will be fine."
"Alright...if you're sure. I'll let you both know as soon as I hear from Tony." Rhodey answered as he grabbed his coat and walked out the front door, shutting it behind him a moment later.
"Wong, I'm-"
"I know, Master Strange." Wong interrupted before Stephen was even able to complete the sentence.
Stephen turned and looked at his friend. Seeing the understanding on his face, Stephen nodded to him before slipping his sling ring onto his hand.
"I'll stay and guard the Sanctum." Wong said as Stephen began rotating his arm, creating a portal.
"Master Strange." He said, bringing Stephen's attention back to him. "Bring her back to us."
Nodding with determination, Stephen stepped through the portal.
Stepping through the portal, Stephen tried to be as quiet as possible. Without Stark's intel, he had no idea what to expect. Making his way through a dark hallway, he knew he needed to remain unseen as long as possible to give himself the best chance at getting out of the prison unscathed.
Walking through a security door, he was shocked to see that not only was the door already wide open, but a guard was lying on the ground next to it, apparently having been knocked out. Quickly coming to the only conclusion possible for such a scenario, Stephen cursed.
Picking up his pace and continuing down the hall, his thoughts were proved correct when he heard the sound of what could only be a scuffle from ahead of him. Catching up to the unknown person quickly, he casually called out to him.
"Well, I have to say, this is quite a surprise, Captain Rogers."
Steve spun at the voice, crouching into a defensive position and ready to fight.
"Dr. Strange?" Steve said, confusion and shock clouding his face.
"I'm assuming Stark sent you?" Stephen asked.
"Yeah….He did." Steve replied, still unsure at the unexpected appearance of the sorcerer. "Why are you here?"
"Hermione is here." Stephen said simply. "So, I'm here to help. What's the plan?" He asked as they continued making their way down the corridor.
"T'Challa has knocked out the cameras, so we just need to get the team and get out. He's waiting in the Quinjet."
"Easy enough." Stephen said as he continued following the other man.
Stephen jogged quietly, watching as his blonde companion quietly took out the random guard the pair came across. Crouching down on the edge of a corner, he glanced down the hallway before turning back to Stephen.
"It's only a matter of time before they realize we're here, even with their cameras out. We're not going to have much time when they-"
The blaring of the alarm rang throughout the compound, alerting everyone within of the presence of intruders.
"...do." Steve finished with a sigh.
"Time to go." Stephen said, jogging by Steve hurriedly.
Taking out several guards with an energy blast, Stephen cleared the way for them. Just as Stephen felt himself growing restless at the time it was taking them to find the team, they wrenched open a door that led them to a larger room.
"Cap!"
Stephen felt his chest tighten at the familiar voice, knowing he was so close to seeing Hermione's face.
"Sam!" Steve replied as the two ran to the cell door. "Give me a sec, Sam, and I'll have you out."
Stephen looked around, the cheers from Clint and Scott fading to the background as he looked for the one person he needed to see. Not seeing her, he turned to Scott's cell door.
"Please stand back, Mr. Lang." Stephen asked before sending an energy blast into the cell door.
"Hey, thanks, Magic-dude!" Scott said jovially as the newly freed group gathered outside of the cells.
"Wait, what's Strange doing here?" Clint asked
"Where's Hermione?!" Stephen asked, knowing he sounded almost hysterical even to his own ears.
"Nevermind." Clint deadpanned.
"They took Hermione and Wanda a few days ago." Sam answered instead. "We don't know where they were taking them, but I know it was down that way."
Tearing down the hallway where Sam had pointed, Stephen quickly turned a corner, only to duck back as a barrage of bullets flew by him.
"Looks like we're going the right way." Scott said with encouragement.
"Can you take them out?" Steve asked the sorcerer.
"Of course." Stephen said as he conjured an energy whip. Stepping out, he quickly downed the two guards and the group moved forward.
Moving to the unconscious men, Clint took a pistol off of each, tossing one to Sam before looking over to Scott.
"No, it's fine." Scott said immediately. "I am probably going to be completely useless in this particular situation anyways."
Seeing the look he received from Steve, he hurried to continue. "I just wanted to be honest." He said with a nervous shrug.
With four of the five of them now armed and ready to fight, the group made quick work of the remaining guards. Clearing the area room by room, Stephen opened a door, only to gasp at the sight.
There were Hermione and Wanda, each laying out on a hospital bed.
Stephen rushed into the room, immediately taking note of the dark bruising that covered Hermione's jaw.
"Scott, watch the door." He heard Steve bark out.
"How bad?" Sam asked quietly as he approached the sorcerer.
"I'm not sure yet." Stephen answered as he continued looking over everything. "Try to see if you can wake her." He commanded over to Clint and Steve, who were looking over Wanda.
"Hermione." He said fervently as he began touching her brow gently. "Come on, sweetheart. You've got to open your eyes for me." He continued as he began taking out her IV.
Seeing her eyes begin to flutter, Stephen encouraged her. "That's right. Open those eyes for me, Hermione. It's time to go home, now." He rattled on.
"These collars," Steve began, raising his voice as he looked over to Stephen from his place beside Wanda's bed. "Clint says they carry an electric shock. Can you get them off without setting them off?"
"No." Stephen said, studying the collar. "Not safely, at least. I might hurt them more." Looking up at Steve, he continued. "You're going to have to pry them off."
Clint agreed as Steve sighed in resignation.
"Let's get these jackets off of them first. Strange, if you'll take care of the tubes over here?"
Nodding, Stephen quickly began unhooking Wanda from the machines while the others began removing their jackets.
"It's time to start wrapping this up, guys." Scott called from the doorway nervously. "I think our time is almost up!"
"Alright, let's do this." Steve said before grabbing the collar wrapped around Wanda's throat.
The scream that tore through the room could have woken the dead as Steve strained against the offending instrument. Finally wrenching it open, he tossed it to the side. Stephen gasped, finding the skin underneath the collar had been burned into an open wound, oozing trickles of blood with the distinct odor of charred flesh. Clint quickly scooped the younger woman in his arms, picking her up and cradling her gently, even as his face was that of a demon demanding retribution.
Knowing what was coming, Stephen looked over to Hermione, gasping as his gray eyes locked onto brown. He rushed to her side, even as Steve grabbed hold of the collar around her throat.
"I'm here, Hermione." Stephen said, desperately hoping he sounded comforting. "I'm right here. We are going home, I promise. Just keep your eyes on me." He pleaded.
He would have sworn that the scream that tore from her throat almost killed him, but the wound left underneath the collar filled him with a white hot rage that brought him new life. Everything in him demanded blood-soaked revenge.
Brushing her hair back from her face gently, he immediately turned to the group.
"T'Challa will be waiting with the Quinjet." Steve said to the group. "We should be out in three minutes."
"With all due respect, Captain. Hermione and I are not coming with you."
Steve turned to Stephen with narrowed eyes. "We don't have time for this, Doctor. They'll be on top of us at any minute. You need to fall in line."
"I'm sorry, but I don't answer to you in any way, shape, or form. Hermione is under MY protection now. Not Stark's, and definitely not yours. She didn't choose this. You and Stark did. Hell, you forced them ALL into this with your idiotic bickering."
Turning, he quickly rotated his hand, creating a portal there in the room.
Seeing Steve beginning to advance on them, he quickly hit him in the chest with an energy blast, knocking him firmly into the opposite wall.
"I apologize. I must have not been clear." Stephen said, his volume rising with his growing anger. "Hermione and I will NOT be joining you on your little trip to God-knows-where. So either you leave us be, or I will put your ridiculous ass through the wall."
Seeing that Steve didn't seem inclined to try to stop them again, Stephen picked up Hermione and turned to the rest of the group, who looked more than a little shocked.
"I wish you all the best." He said simply.
"Bye, Magic-dude!" Scott said from the door.
Stepping through the portal, his boots hit the floor of the Sanctum a moment later. Turning and closing the portal behind him, he called out loudly.
"Wong!"
Wong appeared almost immediately as Stephen began climbing the stairs with as much haste as he could while carrying Hermione.
"I'm taking her to my room."
The two men quickly got Hermione settled into bed as they began taking inventory of her multiple injuries.
"Hermione." Stephen called, trying to get her to open her eyes again. "Come on, sweetheart. Open those eyes for me again. I know you can do it."
Seeing her eyes flutter once again, he continued encouraging her.
"That's it! Keep them open for me. Can you speak for me?"
She grimaced in pain as she opened her mouth.
"Hurts." She rasped before shutting her eyes once more.
"I know, I know." He murmured before turning back to Wong. "I'm going to check her over. Will you bring the healing texts from the library?"
Falling into doctor mode, Stephen began quickly checking her over, taking note in his mind of her injuries as he went.
"Master Strange." Wong called from the hallway.
Stephen looked up to see Wong standing in the doorway.
"We may have a slight problem."
"What the hell is going on, here?"
Shocked to see Tony Stark standing in their Sanctum, Stephen immediately stood.
"Hermione is supposed to be with Cap on her way into hiding, not still here in New York!" He said angrily at Stephen as he walked over to her bedside and began looking her over.
"And you were supposed to give me their location after you discovered the prison, but you didn't." Stephen retorted.
Tony threw up his hands and scoffed. "She would have been SAFE with them." He argued. "She can't be safe while she is still in New York."
Stephen was shaking in anger, now. "She is safe with ME, here in this Sanctum. No one knows we're here, and no one saw me during the breakout. She stays here until she tells me otherwise." He finished with an air of finality.
Tony sighed heavily before picking up Hermione's hand gently. "How bad is she?"
"She has a long road ahead of her." Stephen said simply. "We can do a lot with the healing texts we have on hand, but we are also going to need some traditional equipment…"
"Give me a list." Tony interrupted. "I'll have it delivered before the end of the day."
A heavy silence settled over the men as they looked down at the resting woman.
"Will she be alright?" Tony asked quietly.
"She has to be." Stephen answered after a moment.