Chapter Text
"What the hell happened to him?!" Tony demanded in quiet panic as they cuddled the sleeping Sorcerer.
"I do not know," Loki said, concerned. "I suspect the bond is forcing him to heal. The markings in the original bond spell wouldn't have let it take him this deeply into sleep unless he both badly needed it and felt safe enough to relax. He took into account our past battles and the need to keep going in a fight when he set up the healing boost. Unfortunately that says some very bad things about it only kicking in for him now. I don't know if he was injured while away or if he was only now willing to surrender to previous injuries of some type."
"His body was fine when we checked it," Tony hissed, quiet so as not to wake Stephen.
"But his spirit could be badly wounded," Loki pointed out. "As could his mind. We simply don't know."
"Oh God," Tony said in realization. "He lost his mentor, was declared in need of execution by his other primary teacher, and fought Dormammu in a time loop until he forced a deal. On top of all that he had a bunch of timelines shoved into his head by the stupid time rock. I don't even know how many he lived through thanks to the stupid rock. I only know that when he came out of it securing me was almost his first priority. What the hell did Dormammu pile on top of all that during their meeting?!"
"Boss, whatever Master Lin told the other Masters has upset them. They are requesting access to Doctor Strange," Friday interrupted.
"Let them in," Loki recommended. "If nothing else they can check him in a different way than I did. My own check might have suffered interference from the bond."
"Send them here, baby girl," Tony ordered.
It didn't take the Masters long to appear in the doorway of their bedroom. Tony and Loki watched them warily from either side of Stephen on the bed. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for him to start to shiver for some reason. Levi perked up and very deliberately lifted him just enough to wrap him up like a burrito before setting him back between Loki and Tony on the bed.
"I want to know what the hell is going on," Tony demanded, his voice low. "If you're here to be a problem you can just leave. If you're here to help then get on with it."
"Master Strange visited Dormammu earlier today," Master Lin said cautiously.
"Yeah, we watched the security footage before the two of you left," Tony grumbled.
"Dormammu made some demands but he also commented on Master Strange's progress in healing and in establishing himself here. The implied status he is expected to reach is... Disconcerting," Master Lin said even more carefully.
"Yeah, the whole future Dark Lord or whatever to match Dormammu thing," Tony sighed. "I'm aware of it. He used it as part of the reason for wanting to meet me as Stephen's fiance. That meeting is when I got the feeling he was playing parent to Stephen. I seriously felt like I was meeting my date's dad before we could go on our first date or something. We came through the portal to the temple courtyard right afterwards. I'm sure you all heard what happened then."
"We have," a Master dressed in a mix of lavender and spring green confirmed.
"The Dark Lord Dormammu doesn't take refusal well and Stephen protected me from him," Master Lin put in. "At the time I thought that nothing had happened beyond him stepping in front of me but... Dormammu demanded to know if I was with him because we were threatening Stephen. If he honestly thought that I was a threat to his latest project in Stephen there is no telling what he might have cast to get me out of the way which could have hit Stephen instead. There were no obvious signals that something was even cast much less hit someone so it is just as possible that Dormammu wouldn't know if it hit him or me."
Loki swore and cast a diagnostic spell. It instantly lit up purple which made everyone pale.
"We have to get it removed by the caster don't we?" Tony asked with dread. "With our luck it can't be anything else unless there is no counter at all."
"Yes," Master Lin sighed.
"We're coming with you this time," Tony ordered. "Loki watch him while I grab my armor. Lin, you're going to take us to him and we're going to fix this. I'll kill you properly afterwards for getting him hurt."
"I understand," Master Lin said glumly. "I went with him as backup originally and I had thought that it was better that he had someone with him than letting him go alone."
Twenty minutes later they all assembled in the living room with Levi floating Stephen along like a stretcher. The walk across the empty planetoid where the Sorcerers set them down was different from the caverns where Tony had first met Dormammu. This time Tony was more focused on saving Stephen than fighting him and he wasn't going to let anyone stop him. The only concession he had made was allowing an environmental protection spell to be placed on him before he got into his new armor. His last one had been destroyed by Rogers.
"Energy field detected ahead," Friday chirped in Tony's ear just as he caught sight of Dormammu curiously watching them approach.
Tony knew immediately when he caught sight of Stephen being carried by Levi. The glare he whipped out at Master Lin was fierce and, in an odd way, comforting. Tony stepped forward, leaving Stephen mostly with Loki and opened his face plate so that Dormammu could recognize him.
"Stark," Dormammu greeted him, marginally less hostile than his glare indicated.
"You need to remove whatever you hit Stephen with," Tony said bluntly. "He collapsed almost as soon as they got back."
"It was not meant for him," Dormammu admitted. "For a price I will remove it."
"What price?" Tony bit out the demand.
"Who is your third bondmate?" Dormammu asked.
"I am," Loki said, stepping forwards with Stephen still floating at his side.
"...yes, Stephen has chosen well," Dormammu smirked. He rippled his entire being in a sort of basket pattern before letting it fade back into it's more normal movements.
Whatever his actions did it made Stephen gasp awake. He barely managed to sit up in Levi's hold as he broke out into rough coughing and proceeded to hack up a black tar like goo onto the ground. He had almost caught his breath again before throwing up a neon green liquid next to the goo.
"Stephen? Are you alright?" Tony asked as he and Loki fussed over Stephen, not caring about their surroundings.
"You need to be more aware of potentially hostile spells," Loki scolded. "Situational awareness is not only for conventional battles!"
"Prince Loki, he has only been a Master for a month or two and his initial training was... rushed," Master Lin explained.
Loki's head snapped up and stared at the suddenly uncomfortable Master Sorcerers in shock.
"That's right he got into that car wreck almost a year ago, last February," Tony said, remembering with a frown and distracting everyone. "Before that he was the best rising neurosurgeon in the field. I couldn't reach him for a consultation on Rhodey's spine injuries and how it might have affected his brain the way he landed but that was back in July."
"He didn't arrive for training until early April," Master Lin frowned. "All of us had caught the Ancient One watching him at some form of distance at one point or another for over a decade. You mean he truly knew nothing?"
"Yeah, in a few of the other timelines I found out since she was the last guardian of the amulet that she'd been watching me since I was like five," Stephen wheezed, still positioned to throw up again. "Creeped me out at the time but I eventually figured out in those timelines that she actually adopted me somehow. I'm not sure when or why or if she even told anyone since the times I figured it out a protection spell broke and my power surged higher for the next day before it settled again. I usually forgot to mention it to anyone and didn't think much about it since nothing appeared to be different after I generally collapsed exhausted and woke up again. Sometimes it brought the Order running and they were nicer afterwards if I had made them an enemy. It varied."
"We matching any of the good timelines?" Tony asked glibly.
"Nope, as soon as I kidnapped you for the meeting we went way off the reservation. The stupid rock kept laughing at me while I was getting us back to the temple," Stephen said, exhausted. "But then that was obviously the entire point of giving me those timelines. They mostly didn't work. We're supposed to do better than a pyrrhic victory where you make the final sacrifice only for things to rip apart anyways in less than twenty or thirty years. I don't even know how many idiots decided killing Peter was the best idea ever and the kid never used lethal force if he could help it. I'm trying to keep the memories separate but I know you've both caught me slipping."
Loki quickly scooped him up before he could lay back down and held him bridal style against his chest.
"And I love that you treat us as if we weren't new to being bonded to you," Tony said softly. "Loki and I just have to catch up a bit is all. Also, explanations actually help things."
"Sorry," Stephen muttered with a wince, realizing what he had done wrong.
"I didn't realize that he was so new to things," Dormammu rumbled thoughtfully, reminding everyone that he was there. "Stark, have you at least begun training as his bondmate?"
"Theory only but I got my hands on a book about you. That's why I figured your honor wouldn't let him die from something you didn't even want to hit him with," Tony answered honestly. "It isn't the same thing we would normally view as honor but it is a personal code of conduct. It took Stephen some effort to get me to read the first beginners book but I did read it and the Masters that stay with us on guard rotation tutor me. I haven't actually cast anything yet though."
"Acceptable progress," Dormammu mused.
"No," Stephen scowled at Dormammu from his position in Loki's arms.
"You have guards already. Adding more should be no challenge," Dormammu pointed out reasonably.
"I don't want your zealots following after me!" Stephen protested. "They probably hate me since I came and fought you after fighting them. I don't need to be constantly watching my back just because you ordered them to follow me around."
"Calm down, Stephen," Loki sighed. "We're lucky that Thor didn't think to send anyone as servants or guards as it is since the bonding counts as a full marriage on Asgard and I am next in line after Thor."
"Loki, if you think I would risk them near us without confirming that they weren't among those who hurt you on Asgard then you aren't paying attention," Stephen scowled. "Asgard has tried three times already and I redirected the Bifrost. It's part of why I slept those days so deeply that you couldn't wake me for breakfast. I'm not going to put up with someone threatening one of my bondmates in our home!"
"I told you it was either Stephen being foolish or Loki pulling a prank," the Master in pale blues smirked at the other two. He smugly collected several coins from each of them accompanied by the sound of groans, having won the ongoing bet.
"Would that also be why Friday informed me of a suddenly disappearing package that Rogers sent me back in July?" Tony asked pointedly. Stephen flushed and refused to answer.
"Well this is potentially joining my range of nightmares. Hopefully it won't be tinged with Red like some of the others," Tony sighed. The sudden frozen silence had him looking up in confusion at the horrified faces of practically everyone.
"Guys? What's going on?" Tony asked slowly.
"You just described signs of fighting a mental invasion even if it was only somewhat successful," Dormammu said, humming thoughtfully. "The fact that you were able to notice and identify a specific color attached to the altered or induced experience is exceptionally difficult for even those experienced with mental magics. It is also usually enough to drive the target insane or kill them to have that level of focused power aimed at them while resisting so heavily. I believe the best translation of the effects for your language is Mind Rape. How long has this been occuring and has Stephen been exposed to it?"
"Uh, just under a year, something like ten months at full power but growing increasingly weaker since late June. So more than a year and three quarters total? I'm pretty sure it's attached to someone specific that I know but she's got people protecting her and claiming I'm lying or harassing her. Stephen hasn't been near her and he wasn't actually in the room the few times a weaker version showed up while he was in the same building," Tony said slowly. "Why?"
"Maximoff, shit," Stephen concluded, palling at the realization and obviously remembering something from a different timeline. "She went insane after things stabilized in the timelines after you died. She used the Darkhold and tried to steal her own children from her alternates by ripping power out of a child she chased across something like twenty different universes. She destroyed Kamar-Taj single handedly and nearly killed me more than once. Only Wong and I survived to keep protecting the child she hunted for her powers."
"Stephen, how many world ending threats have you faced or will face within five years of getting your power up?" Tony asked slowly.
"Discounting the five years I was technically temporarily dead in certain timelines? Uh, twelve to twenty," Stephen offered somewhat sheepishly. He felt Loki's grip on him tighten protectively.
"And how many times did you ask for help before it blew up in your face?" Tony asked neutrally. Stephen didn't answer.
"In how many of these were you named Sorcerer Supreme for any amount of time?" Master Lin asked carefully.
"All of them," Stephen admitted with a wince. "Wong was usually picked as my replacement when I was temporarily dead along with half of the universe."
"Okay, Dormammu would you be adverse to letting us practice here in your dimension? If nothing else making him train his combat skills with and without us next to him should help Stephen stay alive longer," Tony requested. "You've already indicated that you want him to live long enough to become your peer after all."
"Perhaps another time loop," Dormammu said thoughtfully. "I know of a few others who are thoroughly bored with having no one to match them. Between us we could easily change up combat styles so that he doesn't over specialize in one area or another. It would be too soon to employ right now but there are a fair number of possibilities."
"Please don't make me go through that tactic again. It worked if you look at it as a ruthless training technique but it is fairly traumatizing. Not to mention that I used it as a desperate last resort in the first place," Stephen begged, closing his eyes as he fought not to sink into a flashback of the fight.
"As Asgard's First Mage, the equivalent of your Sorcerer Supreme, I'm putting my foot down," Loki said firmly. "Not only is it too soon but the risks he took in the first place were horrifying. It worked but let us not repeat it. We are done here so let us return."
"Certainly, little mage, but the Sorcerers aside from Stephen stay," Dormammu said, openly amused.
"Uh, why?" Tony demanded suspiciously.
"They have allowed Stephen to get hurt and are not bonded loyally to him as vassals," Dormammu said as if it was obvious along with the unspoken implications.
"Don't," Stephen ordered firmly. "I don't have anyone like that nor has anyone chosen me to lead anything. I don't take slaves and I've never had any servants. They had no obligation to me in the first place and it was my own choice to step in front of Master Lin during our last discussion."
"So you would see them dead instead?" Dormammu asked mildly.
"Damn you. No, I wouldn't see them dead or the zealots either if that's the alternative," Stephen cursed as he slumped defeated in Loki's grip.
"What is this? Magical pokemon?" Tony muttered but didn't actually object.
"If you think I'm going to quietly bow to him you are sorely mistaken," the Master in light blues growled.
"You won't have a choice," the voice of Kaecilius sounded out from behind them, making the group of six realize they had been surrounded.
Loki cursed softly and, despite carrying Stephen, put himself back to back with Tony. Tony's face plate snapped shut as he powered up his repulsors. Spells were immediately in the hands of the three Masters as they formed up around the three bonded.
"You weren't going to let me leave again without them were you?" Stephen asked, resigned.
"No, I wasn't," Dormammu confirmed with a smirk. "Your group can not fight like this. The spell I lifted from you will keep you weakened for another week. My Sorcerers are more numerous and even if your godling set you down to join the fight your other bondmate could not hold them away from you. If you fight and lose all of you are mine to do with as I please. You would not be allowed to return in a timely manner and it is doubtful that I would allow any but your bondmates to survive for long. I have plans for you and crippling you or your bondmates would be inconvenient."
"So what? They take a magic loyalty oath and we can go?" Tony demanded incredulously.
"I'm afraid that option is no longer on the table," Kaecilius scowled. "Please surrender peacefully."
"You've been distracting us since you lifted the spell," Stephen concluded, shutting hus eyes in pained understanding. "Not just gathering and offering information peacefully. You were waiting for them to get here so that you could keep us or enforce something on us."
"I may have been willing to wait before but I didn't know how young you were in your power," Dormammu pointed out, amused. "The talent you showed is more than reason enough."
"Oh boy," Tony muttered.
"If I surrender will you let them go?" Stephen demanded harshly. The way Loki gripped him and Tony made a noise of protest he knew they wouldn't let him just surrender but he had to try to save them.
"No," Dormammu said bluntly. "But I will allow you to try to protect them as we proceed. Your bondmates wouldn't have left you anyway."
"What deal would you have us strike then?" Loki demanded sharply, having obviously picked up on something the rest of them had missed.
"Clever trickster godling," Dormammu boomed in laughter. "What deal would you offer for my consideration that would make releasing any of you worth the risk?"
"You showed jealousy when he mentioned the adoption. What if Stephen allowed you to also adopt him? Or I? Or Tony? Would that suffice?" Loki asked swiftly.
Everyone froze at the proposed suggestion, waiting with baited breath for the Dark Lord to answer.