Stephen couldn't hear or see anything at the moment. Was he deaf? Had he come back deaf and blind? Or had the Ancient One messed up and sent him to a place where there was just nothing? He didn't want either of those to be true. Wait, he was starting to hear something. He heard...crying? Who was crying? Feeling started to come back to his body and he could feel his upper body being held gently in someone's arms. He felt bruised all over and exhausted. He dared to crack open his eyes and saw that it was Rachael who was holding him and sobbing. A pang went through his heart at the sight.

"Please come back to me," she sobbed. "I can't lose you. You're my best friend."

"You're my best friend, too," Stephen croaked out. He cracked a small smile at Rachael as she looked down at him in shock. "Surprise." 

"Stephen! Oh, thank God!" Rachael hugged Stephen tightly, crying again but this time in relief. "You jerk! You can't do that to me! Were you just laying there and listening to me cry?"

"No, I was dead," Stephen said. "It's...complicated."

"At least you're alive," Rachael ran her hand gently over Stephen's cheek. "I thought I'd never see you again." 

"Careful, angel," Stephen hissed in pain as Rachael touched the area of his head where Kaecilius had struck him. 

"Sorry, sweetheart," Rachael said. "How did you die?"

"Kaecilius hit me hard on the head. He must have done some sort of spell with it, too," Stephen said. "That reminds me, where's Mordo? I need to...talk to him." 

"He and Wong are over there," Rachael nodded to the door of the Sanctum Sanctorum. "They're trying to make a plan."

"Alright, help me stand," Stephen said. 

Rachael gently laid Stephen on the ground before Standing up. Stephen tried to hold his arm up to help her, but it felt like it was asleep. Come to think of it, his whole body felt like it was asleep. Regardless, he powered through it and managed to push himself up onto his legs. He leaned against Rachael and let her walk him to the door of the Sanctum. When Mordo and Wong saw him, they looked like they had seen ghosts. 

"Stephen!" Wong gasped out. "How are you alive?"

"It's complicated," Stephen said. He looked to Mordo. "You. You stood by as I was killed. You could have helped me and you didn't. Why?" Mordo didn't answer. He just stared back at Stephen. "Answer me, Mordo!" 

"Kaecilius put a curse on me so I couldn't move," Mordo explained. "I wanted to help, but I couldn't." 

Stephen opened his mouth to argue, but he knew he couldn't. Mordo's excuse- even if Stephen knew for a fact that he was probably lying- was solid. This man knew what he was doing. Stephen clamped his jaw shut in anger before turning to Wong.

"We have to get to city," he said. 

"Are you even strong enough?" Rachael asked.

"I'll have to be," Stephen said. "Even I'm letting the Cloak do half the work by supporting me, I have to fight."

"Stephen, you were just dead!" Rachael gaped. 

"Yes, and now I'm alive again! If I don't fight, we're doomed!" Stephen said. "There will be plenty of time for rest when this is all over! Now, come on. We're going to the city, and that's final."

Stephen started walking slowly down the street. Rachael and Wong shook their heads at each other and sighed, but followed him. Mordo shrugged and started following them, too. Rachael jogged up to Stephen's side and slid his arm around her shoulders to help him walk. Stephen gave her a questioning look.

"We're in this together," she shrugged. 

"Thank you," Stephen said. 

"Don't mention it," Rachael shrugged.

"I love you," Stephen kissed the top of Rachael's head. 

"I love you, too," Rachael said. "So, how do you propose we get to the city?"

"A portal will be the quickest way," Stephen said. "Can you make one, please? I need to save my strength."

"Of course," Rachael said. She moved her hand carefully and made the sparked circle to the city. Just looking at it made Stephen tired. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I have to. There's no time," Stephen said. He turned to Wong and Mordo. "How many of the civilians have been rescued?"

"We don't know," Wong said. "No one has reported back."

"Right," Stephen sighed. "Hopefully, they're all fine and it's just because there's so many people to rescue," he took a deep breath, "Let's go." 

All five of them stepped through the portal. They had probably chosen the worst time to do it. As soon as they stepped through, the street started tilting to the left. They all lost their footing and fell, screaming and cursing in panic.

"If I hadn't known any better, I would think you would laugh, Rachael," Mordo yelled to her.

"Really? Do you really have to be an huge jerk when all this is happening?" Rachael snapped back.

"It helps keep my spirits up," Mordo replied. 

"Both of you, stop," Stephen said once the ground had stopped moving crazily. He stood up on his feet. "We need to find Kaecilius."

"Well, my guess is that he's probably at that building that's caving in," Rachael said, pointing. Stephen followed her finger and grinned. There certainly was a building that was folding in on itself. 

"Good eye," he praised. "Mordo, Rachael, come with me. Wong, I want you to help get the civilians get to safety." 

"Yes, Master," Wong said. He started off in one direction, while Stephen, Rachael, and Mordo headed in another. Rachael walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Stephen, while Mordo hung back behind them.

"Stephen, I just remembered," Rachael whispered. "Just before Kaecilius told me that he killed you, that woman who always hangs around with him said something about me being the Sorceress Supreme."

"How would they have known that?" Stephen murmured.

"I don't know, I didn't say anything," Rachael said. "Did you say something?"

"No, never," Stephen said. He sighed.

"Do you think-"

"Yes," Stephen cut Rachael off. "It's definitely him. Mordo has betrayed us. We can't give him any indication that we know, though. We do need his abilities." 

"Good idea," Rachael nodded. "Come on. There isn't much time."

"I don't even know where we are," Stephen said. "Everything is so confusing right now. I don't know how I would set this all right." 

"Let's just focus on getting Kaecilius," Rachael said. 

Stephen nodded and started to walk a little faster, Rachael keeping pace with him. Mordo was left to catch up with them. Stephen looked over his shoulder at him.

"Keep up, Mordo," he called. 

"Stephen, look," Rachael had stopped walking. "There he is."

She was right. Kaecilius was walking away from the building he had just ruined. Stephen took a deep breath and walked forward. Even though he didn't want to do this, he had to face him. 

"Kaecilius!" he yelled. "Turn around and face me!"

Kaecilius whipped around. Shock was written all over his face when he saw that Stephen was alive. Stephen tried to stand as tall as possible. 

"How- I KILLED you!" he said.

"You did. But I never betrayed the Ancient One and will always be loyal to her," Stephen smirked. "Can you say the same?" 

For the first time since Stephen had "met" him, Kaecilius looked uncertain and nervous. Stephen could see quite clearly that the other man was afraid of him. He had good reason to be, too. Stephen had overcome death. But Kaecilius's uncertainty lasted no more than a few seconds before he straightened up.

"Well, come and get me if you're so keen, Sorcerer Supreme," he sneered. 

"Okay, if you say so," Stephen shrugged.

As soon as he took a step towards Kaecilius, the man took off and ran behind a distorted building. Stephen glared at where he had been standing.

"Coward," he spat, giving chase. Mordo and Rachael weren't far behind him. 

When the trio got to the building that Kaecilius had ran behind, they found him...but behind him were about fifty other people. They all had the same markings around their eyes that he did and they were smiling darkly at them. Stephen slid to a stop and Rachael crashed into his back.

"Go back, go back, go back!" Stephen shouted, scrambling to turn around. "There's too many of them, turn around!" 

"Get them," Kaecilius said calmly. 

"Shoot, shoot, shoot!" Stephen hissed under his breath as he sprinted away. 

"Why aren't we fighting them?" Mordo asked. "We can handle them!"

"There are about fifty of them and only three of us!" Stephen said. "We'd be dead in an instant!"

"We should still try! Or are you a coward?" Mordo asked.

"I'm not a coward!" Stephen said. "But I am sensible, and-"

Stephen was cut off as something crashed into his back and knocked him down. He wasn't surprised to see that it was one of Kaecilius's followers. He was trying to stab Stephen with what looked like a glass dagger. Stephen held the man above him with one hand while he desperately tried to make a shield with the other.

"Come on, come on," he muttered, doing the motions with one hand. It didn't work. He needed both hands to make a shield. 

Another spell that he knew, however, would do the trick. He curled his fingers and then waved his hand around for a moment before unclenching his fingers and then thrusting his hand up. The man flew off of Stephen, screaming as he was propelled into the air. Stephen stood up and brushed himself off. He turned around and saw Mordo fighting three of the Kaecilius's followers. Rachael was also fighting three of them. Stephen stuck two hands out to each side.

"By the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak!" he yelled. 

Red bands flew out of Stephen's hands and tied themselves around all six of his enemies. Mordo and Rachael both looked surprised for a moment before looking back at Stephen. He smiled tiredly at them as they walked up to them.

"I was handling them!" Mordo said. 

"You're welcome," Stephen said sarcastically.

"Thank you, Stephen," Rachael said. 

"I have a feeling that's not the extent of how many there are," Stephen said. "Only seven chased us, but there were about fifty."

"If there's at least fifty, how bad is the damage?" Rachael murmured.

"I don't know," Stephen said. He noticed a distorted building that looked fairly easy to get onto. "Should we climb up there and check?"

"It couldn't hurt," Mordo shrugged. 

"We're going to have to fly up," Stephen said.

"I can't fly," Rachael pointed out. 

"Alright, come here," Stephen said, picking Rachael up. He looked back at Mordo.

"I'll use my magic, thanks," he said. 

"Let's go, then," Stephen said. "Up!"

The Cloak of Levitation obeyed Stephen's command immediately and started to carry him and Rachael up. Stephen chuckled as he felt Rachael tighten her hold on him. 

"Don't worry, I'm not going to drop you," he assured. 

"I'm actually really scared of heights," Rachael confessed. 

"Oops, I let go," Stephen removed one hand from Rachael's back.

"Stephen!" Rachael screamed in panic, while Stephen laughed and wrapped his arm back around her. "You jerk! That wasn't funny!" 

"Sorry," Stephen apologized. "Don't worry, darling. I'm never going to let anything bad happen to you." 

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Steve," Rachael said as they landed. "Now, put me down. I've had enough flying for one day." 

Stephen obeyed Rachael's wishes and set her down. Mordo landed gracefully beside them after a moment. Stephen jogged to the edge of the building and his eyes widened at the sight of how much destruction and distortion there was. Buildings were in shapes that he'd never seen them in before. Streets were at all sorts of odd angles and cars were falling off of them. Stephen hoped that there weren't any people in them. 

"Oh, my God..." he breathed.

How on Earth was he going to fix this?

----------------------

I just had a brilliant idea. So, I'm getting to the point where when I go to family parties everyone (meaning my extended family who I never see) will start asking if I have a boyfriend. I've decided that I'm going to try and find the most normal, casual pictures of Benedict Cumberbatch I can and when they ask, I'm going to say yes and watch them freak out when they realize (think) I'm dating a 40 year old man and my parents are okay with it (my mom is in on the joke).

Haha.

Here's some good ones:

I just hope my family who actually knows who he is (the people I actually see fairly often) don't spoil it.

I'm doing such a bad job with Rachael. While Stephen's out kicking butt she's just...there. Ugh. This was without a doubt the worst chapter I have ever written. It rivals the first five chapters of my Severus Snape fanfiction. I'm sorry that I'm just dragging the battle out. I want to hit 25 chapters so I think the final part of the battle will be the next chapter and then some happy fluff for the final chapter and the epilogue. THEN THE MOVIE IS OUT AND WE CAN ALL LOOK AT HOW WRONG I WAS ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN YAY! 

Today's Doctor Strange meme is:

BUT WAIT LOOK THERE'S MORE.

Boom. I bet you weren't expecting that, now, were you?