Annie, the only woman among the players present, was clearly moved by the tragic love story between Stephen and Christine in the future video.
She was the only one who could truly understand the emotional weight from a woman's perspective.
With genuine emotion in her voice, she said, "Stephen, you've given so much for Christine. She must be the luckiest woman in the world… but you've placed too heavy a burden on this love.
Even if you can carry it, trust me—Christine definitely can't. She would be like me… she'd want you to let go."
Her words weren't just commentary—they came from the heart.
Stephen's expression flickered with conflict, but in the end, he clenched his jaw and remained silent.
Thor let out a deep sigh and gave his reassurance once more: "Listen to me—it's not as hopeless as it seems. We'll help you through this!"
He was clearly worried that this version of Stephen—one who hadn't yet become Doctor Strange—might not be able to withstand the pressure, and might fall into darkness.
On the screen, the future Stephen had already succumbed. He now carried the aura of a true dark sorcerer.
After capturing his other self, the corrupted Stephen didn't attack right away. Instead, he tried to persuade him.
"Wong and the Ancient One? They don't get it. They never knew Christine like we did. But we knew her. We loved her!"
He didn't come in swinging—he came in with words, hoping to win over his counterpart emotionally.
Stephen didn't fully agree. Frowning, he said, "If we bring Christine back… the world will be destroyed."
The corrupted Stephen grew impatient. "You can't lie to me—we're the same! How many nights did we sit in the Sanctum, clutching the Time Stone, knowing we could go back, but lacking the courage? I found that courage. I've spent centuries sacrificing everything for Christine!"
Stephen was momentarily stunned. Even though he knew this darker version of himself had gone mad, he couldn't help being moved by the raw emotion.
He asked quietly, "So can you save her now?"
"No, Stephen. But together, we can."
The corrupted Stephen reached out and grabbed him, and the two were teleported away.
The scene shifted—they were now standing at the very intersection where Christine died, over and over again. A place of heartbreak for both Stephens.
The corrupted Stephen explained his plan: because their souls had been split in two, their power had also been divided. Now, they only needed to merge—
Or rather, he needed to absorb Stephen, just like he'd consumed all those magical beings before.
Once he did that, he would have the strength to break the absolute point in time… and bring Christine back.
But Stephen wasn't convinced. "The Ancient One warned us—if we save Christine, the world will be destroyed!"
The corrupted Stephen snarled, "She doesn't understand. But we do. We love Christine!"
Stephen shouted, unable to contain himself, "This isn't love! Look around you—this is arrogance. This is hubris! We're supposed to bring balance, not destroy everything! That's why we learned magic in the first place!"
In the distance, cities were crumbling. People were vanishing, entire civilizations disintegrating. From a cosmic view, the planet itself was coming apart.
Stephen pleaded with his other self to stop, to let go.
But of course, the corrupted Stephen wasn't going to listen. Words had failed—so now, he attacked.
His mouth and eyes both fired beams of magical energy, just like when he devoured other mystical entities.
But this time… it didn't work.
The beam struck Stephen's face—but bounced off, deflected by shimmering magical runes.
Before being taken, Stephen had joined forces with Wong to cast the protective spell of the Vishanti, a safeguard against his corrupted self's attacks.
Even now, he tried again to reason with him: "Christine is gone. You can't bring her back!"
But it was too late. The corrupted Stephen was too far gone. His response was more ferocious magic.
The two Doctor Stranges launched into a spectacular magical duel—an explosion of glowing symbols, ancient runes, and shifting realities. Each spell more imaginative and dazzling than the last.
Watching this, Deadpool gave a low whistle. "Now that's entertainment! I'm telling you—the animated version of Strange is way cooler than the live-action one. You know why? 'Cause real special effects are hella expensive!"
Everyone ignored him—completely used to his nonsense at this point.
Thor glanced at the silent Stephen beside him and asked, "Which one of you do you want to win this fight?"
Stephen kept his head down, saying nothing.
Annie said softly, "I hope the real Stephen wins… Otherwise, he's going to regret it for the rest of his life. There's no turning back from this."
Stephen finally lifted his head. His voice was hoarse, but steady. "Maybe I took the wrong path… Maybe there's still another way. But no matter what—my goal won't change. I want to be with Christine. I want to live a happy life with her."
Thor sighed deeply. "Yeah… who doesn't? We all want that. But sometimes, you've gotta make a choice."
He said no more, turning back to the screen.
On the screen, the duel between the two Stranges was reaching its climax. And clearly—the corrupted Stephen had the upper hand.
As the saying goes: the darker the turn, the stronger the power. And in this case, it wasn't just a trope—the corrupted Stephen had spent centuries refining his magic.
Using an illusion, he tricked Stephen briefly, then began pummeling him, each strike breaking the glowing protection runes etched into his skin.
By the time Stephen hit the ground, only a single rune remained—on his forehead. He was powerless now, barely able to speak.
"No… you can't do this," he whispered.
"We have to," the corrupted Stephen replied coldly.
He removed the final rune—and opened his mouth once more.
This time, with no protection left, Stephen had no defense. He was devoured. Or more accurately, they fused into one being.
Now, the corrupted Stephen finally possessed enough power to resurrect Christine.
And with no hesitation at all, he activated the Time Stone once again.
____
T/N:
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