Hey ! So, this is the first time I post something I wrote about HellDoctor... I hoped you’ll like it. For information, I blend comics/MCU/Series about John and Stephen so If you don’t have the references, that may be normal. I just had an idea after an episode of Legends of Tomorrow, and I did it my way. I also translated it from French - because I’m French - so sorry in advance for any errors. Hope you’ll like it !
It must have been a month since Stephen hasn't gone out. He couldn't rally tell actually, he didn't count. It has just been a while. He was the Sorcerer Supreme, yes he had duties, things to handle, yet… He has just stayed locked up in his room, or on the second floor for at least a month. But sometimes, just not to bother and escape Wong, he took the passage of the windows, to be alone.
The Doctor just wanted to be alone. Once again. And today, he was lonely as well, in a forest but he had no idea where precisely. Few meters behind him, a window was opened, leading right back to the Sanctum.
He had been sitting here for hours, his gaze fixed at some point. He often did that. Maybe too often. What had happened so that the great Stephen Strange stayed like this, forgetting his duties, and even his needs ? Well, something happened a month ago. And this had been too much.
He couldn't even meditate. His mind wasn't focused at all. Even with the cures Wong had been giving him, he just couldn't do it. He bearly sleept either. Even if he was immune to Nightmare's power, at some point, he saw horrible images in his mind, endlessly, when he was trying to sleep. So he was bearly sleeping, and stayed occupied just not to see thoses images.
But he had to go back.. Wong would surely wonder where he was at some point. The forest was calm, there was a peaceful atmosphere. There was nothing except a windbreak, that made the leaves move, only the sound of nature could be heard…
Stephen got up hardly, then he headed himself to the Sanctum's window. Nothing would made him forget. Nothing. Maybe he was doomed to stay like this… Maybe he was just doomed. He got back, closing the window behind him and then changed the view of the windows with the mecanism next to them. The forest became a mountain.
He had in mind to go back and lie down, but first he wanted to go in the little library to took some grimoire. If he was lucky, he might read it until he falls asleep… Or he would stay awake. When he entered the room, he noticed his collegue wasn't there. At least, that was good point, he wouldn't have to listen to whatever he had to say, of feel that judgment in his eyes, telling him to pull himself together. Stephen just couldn't do it.
Then, he walked in front of a mirror as he was heading to a shelf but… He stopped. Had he just dreamt or he had really seen a figure in the mirror, that wasn't him ? As he hesitated, he got back in front of the mirror, and he froze.
Indeed, he wasn't seeing his reflection. This person, he thought he would never see her again, and seeing her in this mirror broke his heart. The object wasn't an artefact though… So why was Stephen Strange looking at John Constantine's reflection in the mirror ?
" John ? " He gently said, getting closer from the mirror.
He couldn' have mistaken, it really was his lover in front of him. But he couldn't be there. Stephen knew it couldn't be possible… Whatever this was his soul or his spirit.
The one who was in the mirror looked exactly as the brit, excep he wasn't wearing his famous trench-coat. The man had his hands in his pockets and look at the Sorcerer Supreme for a moment before he smiled.
" Ha.…You really believed it didn't you ? I knew you'd love to see him again.."
The look Stephen had showed immediatly that he was lost. He should have known, this wasn't the one he had loved. And yet, he only had one question in mind.
" Who--"
" Take a guess Sorcerer Supreme."
He didn't take long to guess actually. Yes, he had many ennemies… But few knew who had been John Constantine for him, and less knew what had happened to him. Stephen took bearly a second to deduce, and as he was sure he took a serious tone to answer.
This seemed to be the good answer because the blond man started to laugh, and that wasn't one laugh Stephen knew. This one was evil, mocking, cold. The reflection kept a smirk on his face.
" Not bad this form is it ? I knew I could reach you like this…"
" If you want to speak to me, do it with your real form."
" But this is kind of my real form don't you agree ? I'm a real nightmare like this…"
The Doctor blew slowly, as he stared his opponant in his eyes.
" John's not my nightmare."
" Isn't he ? I was practically sure I hit a nerve by the reaction you had…"
He made a fake sad face, as Stephen was tightening his fists, no matter how painful it was. This couldn't be compared to that pain, to see one of his terrible foes, looking like his missing lover… Nightmare was, indeed, called that way for a reason. The Sorcerer Supreme at least wanted to look as if everything was normal.
" Get back where you come from."
" Or what, Stephen ?"" Otherwise I send you to Hell, right where you belong."
" Oh.…If you do, do you want me to say hello to your dear John ? "
Strange's fists tightened even more as Nightmare laughed again. And Stephen was doing everything he could to not show that this little trick was making him suffer really hard. His enemy knew. He knew exactly what had happened and he came to laughed at the sorcerer, with John's appearance.
" Oh my.…That must be the first time that I see you showing your emotions. Has the fact that you sent Constantine to Hell changed you ?"
" Stop this."
" Why ? Because it hurts you ? You know, I had to make an alliance with Nergal and I have to say : he'll take good care of him. Well, he'll take care in his way, I mean, by the time he wanted this… But as I'm seeing how much you care about him…"
" Shut up."
" .… I told myself that after a month I could visit you to celebrate this half-victory. If you're lucky you could…"
" I said shut up !"
Actually, Nightmare did stopped talking. But he didn't because Stephen had gaven him the order no. He stopped because he saw the sorcerer's sorrow. The latter had shiny eyes, he was angry… And Nightmare knew he was blaming himself. Guilt was a nightmare he knew very well. And now, he could use it against his worst foe, to torture his mind.
" I was right… John is your nightmare. You sent him to Hell to save the world, and you have to live with it. Considering all his sins, it must be some incredible party down there… And soon, it'll be your turn Stephen Strange."
The sorcerer looked away. It was the first time he acted like this. But it also was the first time since what had occured a month ago, that he was reminded what he had done, furthermore by an enemy.Yes, in order to protect the Earth, Stephen had to send John to Hell. The one he loved. Oh, he knew long before that the exorcist was doomed to it. The sorcerer had just shorten his time on earth, by throwing him through that portal. He didn't have the choice. The world had depended on it. The worst thing was, he hadn't told anything to John at that moment.
Stephen Strange, the only living being who had truly loved John, and who had been loved in return by the latter, had succeeded in what nobody had until now : He had sent John Constantine to Hell, where he was expected. And it has been eating him alive for a month.
" Don't make that face my old enemy. Even if your soul is not complete, you might join him… To see him being tortured because of you. I'll take care of you too. By the meantime… I thought about staying with that appearance. What do you think ?"
" There nothing you can do."
" I swear that-"
" You can't do anything against me right now. And I'll manage to come back in your dream, to make you live this moment again. The one where you doomed John, willingly, because you had prepared it all. I'll make you live you worst nightmare, over, and over…"
Thoses words were too much for Stephen, who didn't want to hear more. His fist almost immediatly crushed the miror, breaking it. John's reflection disapeared, but he heard this crooked laughed once again.
" Enjoy your life Sorcerer Supreme… And, weither you sleep or not… Sweet nightmares !"
The Doctor pulled his fist away from the miror. His fist had some pieces of the miror inside his skin, making him bleed. He moaned in pain, as he squeezed his jaw. He fell on his knees, tired, as he looked up at the miror to check if John's reflection was really gone.
He was alone, once again now. Alone with his sorrow, with his pain, both mental and physical. He lowered his head as he heard again Nightmare's words in his head, and the flashed of the events that occured a month ago come back again. Thoses words were more painful than ever, because he had heard them with the voice of his lover…
He didn't moved, he stayed on the ground, his hand shooked even more than usual. He hasn't been over this for a month. And he'll never get over it. He had lived things, trials… Losses and tragedies… And until now, he had always stood up again. Even if in general he handled this kind of things, or he provoked them. This time was different. He had doomed the one he cared about the most, willingly. Even if, yes, he didn't have the choice, he had done it. And he couldn't even have said good bye to the brit.
Many demons had waited John Constantine's soul. And thanks to his lover, he had joined Hell before it was his time. Now, many demons were waiting for the incomplete and darken soul of Stephen Strange.
discoholicmusic
blakekathryn
theartofmadeline
dededos
vaporwave
origamiaround
romaincrisis
