Stephen began to check Stark’s vitals. His pulse was concerningly slow and his breathing was shallower than Stephen liked, but not alarming. Stephen understood, though, what his past self had meant when he’d written that Stark looked half dead. He was as pale as a corpse.
Stark stirred approximately two minutes after he’d collapsed, though Stephen’s watch had stopped when the Ancient One had put them in a stasis state, so he couldn’t be sure. Stark’s eyes opened slowly and he groaned.
Stephen helped him sit up.
“Stephen?” Stark said, smile strangely brilliant for someone who looked half-dead. Relief filled Stark’s face before something like agony crossed his face and he curled over. “Shit. That hurts. Wong didn’t say this would hurt. It’s not supposed to hurt.”
Wong? The librarian who Stephen had a great deal of fun aggravating?
“What hurts?” Stephen asked. “Do you have any impact pain from hitting the ground?” Stephen had kept Stark from hitting his head, but that wasn’t a guarantee.
Stark shook his head, looking up with pain lining his face. He pressed his hand to his chest, grimacing. “I feel like I’m being ripped apart,” he said, voice curt with pain. Stark shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. Hate to say it, Merlin, but I need your help.”
Those were the exact words the past Stephen had written down. “That’s what you said last time,” Stephen said. “Except apparently I was the wrong Stephen.”
Stark stared at him, eyes wide. “What?” he demanded, voice sharp. “You’re not supposed to remember. Fuck.”
“I don’t remember,” Stephen said. “I wrote it down after you disappeared and before I forgot.”
Stark stared at him. “Fuck,” he repeated. “Of course you did. I should have known you would have done something like that; that’s exactly what you would do.”
Stephen had clearly somehow screwed up. “What does any of that mean?”
Stark grimaced, rubbing his chest. “You altered the past of my present, which means time is slowly ripping me apart.”
What? Stephen swore. “I’m killing you?” he asked, voice coming out hoarsely.
“It’s not your fault,” Stark said instantly. “Stephen, don’t for a minute think this is your fault. I didn’t warn you.” The rush of reassurance did very little to help Stephen feel better. “I was rushed.” Stark continued. “I’d passed out. I—” He froze jerking away from Stephen to check his watch-like thing. He let out a breath of relief before he looked around until he’d spotted the Ancient One. “I’m going to guess the time stasis is you?” he asked.
“Doctor Strange had informed me of your potential arrival,” the Ancient One agreed. “It was quite fortunate you arrived while I was present.”
“Time shift,” Stark muttered. “Fuck. Fuck. I still exist, so the timeline hasn’t completely shattered apart. Time is flexible. But, ripple effects, it’s going to keep shifting, and then…”
Stephen felt sick. He’d done this. If he hadn’t written that page, then Stark wouldn’t be being ripped apart and the timeline in danger of shattering. But how was Stephen supposed to have known?
“That is something I may be able to help with,” the Ancient One said, a note to her voice that made Stephen think she wasn’t actually surprised by this. Why hadn’t she warned him? Though he supposed there was nothing he could have done to fix it at this point. “But first we must address whatever it is that brought you back into the past.”
Stark sighed, looking back at Stephen. “The Book of Vishanti.”
The words meant nothing to Stephen, but the Ancient One stiffened, eyes widening slightly. “Doctor Strange found it? It has not been seen in our universe since the time of Agamotto.”
Stark rubbed his chest again. “That’s because Stephen hid the entrance to the Junction Gap from our universe in the streams of time. It was necessary at the time to keep it safe from… that doesn’t matter. But it meant that no one can find it. Not without the key. But no one knows what the key is, because Stephen wasn’t supposed to die.” Agony lined his voice.
Stephen’s heart tripped at the confirmation that he was dead. “What happened to me?” he asked.
Stark winced, which made Stephen think he hadn’t meant to say that. “No one knows,” he admitted. “The only reason we know you are dead is because…” Stark took a deep breath. “I felt it.”
“Felt?”
Stark sighed. “We’re bonded. Psychically. Magically. A soul bond. It almost killed me. Wong’s honestly not sure how I survived, but my guess is you did something to protect me from the backlash.” Stark shrugged. “But that’s the reason I’m the one trying to find you through time, because our bond means I’m drawn to you, even through time.”
“But why?” Stephen asked. “Why find me?”
“Because the future is screwed right now. We need the Book of Vishanti if earth’ going to survive, especially now that we’ve lost you. No one in Kamar-Taj matched you in power levels and—”
“What?” Stephen asked. “No. I can barely—”
Stark just smiled at him, soft and sad but also strangely adoring. “You’ll be the best, Stephen. That’s why I’m here. We need the key so we can get into the gap junction and find the Book of Vishanti, and the only person who can find it at any point in the timeline is you.”
I know I'm paraphrasing, please don't come for me.
This moment is somewhat inspired by a scene in @rookanis-de-riva fanfic for me (adults only). I've always wanted to do a kneeling moment for Lucanis and I had the beginnings of a vision, but sometimes someone else's spark, completes your thought. It's why I love collaborating, so thank you for that Arthur!
Yes the second panel is reuse of an old image, because I have been busy : D! Mostly with Romantasy book stuff that you can find on my insta~
