"Christine…" Strange's voice trembled violently.
He didn't care where this place was, nor did he care what was different about this World.
He only knew that she was here.
"Christine, it really is you." Strange's eyes were red, and his gaze locked firmly onto her face, afraid that if he blinked even once, the scene before him would shatter like bubbles.
"I wandered in endless darkness, just to take one more look at you."
Strange stepped closer, his voice low, carrying a longing that had been suppressed for countless days and nights.
"I'm sorry, Christine. I messed everything up."
"You look… terrible." Christine took half a step back and looked at him warily. "You shouldn't be here."
Strange didn't mind her shrinking back, and eagerly poured his heart out: "In my Universe, that car crash took you away. I survived, but my soul died with you that day. I searched through every possibility and flipped through the most forbidden magic, just to be able to look at you one more time."
He closed his eyes in pain.
"I know saying this might be meaningless now, but I have to tell you. I love you! I love you, Christine. In a World without you, every second I feel like a walking corpse."
He raised his hand, wanting to touch her cheek, but stopped midway in the air, seemingly afraid that this was merely a fragile phantom that would shatter at a touch.
Christine listened quietly.
She looked at Strange's unreserved love and guilt, and her eyes moistened unconsciously.
She had once truly loved Stephen Strange of this Universe.
They also had countless wonderful memories, and they used to be the perfect partners in everyone's eyes.
But in the end, they still headed toward a breakup.
Those were days filled with passion yet also filled with exhaustion.
Stephen was talented, yet also arrogant and conceited.
His extremely stubborn character flaw of having to control everything was like a double-edged sword, wounding others and wounding her as well.
In their relationship, Stephen was used to making unilateral decisions.
He always thought that only he was the most correct, and only he could resolve all crises.
Whether it was medical dilemmas or trivial matters in life, he refused to compromise.
He always had to be the one holding the knife.
He couldn't learn to let go of control, couldn't let go and trust others.
This condescending desire for control ultimately pushed Christine further and further away, until the two completely parted ways.
But the Stephen before her... was different.
In this Stephen's eyes, there was none of that aloof arrogance, only endless remorse and humble love.
Christine's heart suddenly twitched in pain.
If her Stephen had once been able to open his heart to her so unreservedly like this, would they not have reached that point?
However, reason quickly triumphed over emotion.
As the chief Multiverse researcher of the Bast Foundation, she was well aware of the dangers of the Multiverse, and even more aware of what kind of devastating disaster Stephen Strange of her own Universe had once brought.
Therefore, Christine maintained an extremely high level of vigilance toward any Multiverse Strange variants.
She shoved Strange's chest, pulling a distance between the two of them.
"Back off." Christine put on a cold face and said, "Calm down, Dr. Strange."
Strange froze for a moment, obediently stepping back two paces.
Christine looked him up and down with an indifferent gaze.
"Listen, no matter what you experienced in your Universe, I am not the Christine you know. Put away your overly emotional act."
Strange opened his mouth wanting to retort, but Christine directly interrupted him.
"I'll listen to your explanation later. But right now, you must come with me to the Bast Foundation for investigation and interrogation."
"You entered this Universe without authorization, which violates our Universe's security protocols."
While speaking, Christine's hand had already quietly felt for the communicator at her waist.
She was ready at any time to press the emergency call button to seek armed support from the Illuminati.
Because according to Christine's understanding of Strange, this man was arbitrary, arrogant, and never accepted anyone's arrangements.
Faced with forced investigation and detention, he was very likely to flip out or even make drastic moves.
She stared closely at Strange's movements.
But Strange's reaction made her movements come to a complete halt.
"Oh, alright. Alright, my Christine."
Strange nodded without hesitation, the joyful smile on his face unchanged.
As he spoke, he obediently raised both hands, making a posture of surrender.
"Wherever you say we go is fine. As long as you are there, I am willing to go anywhere."
She had originally prepared to face Strange's iconic sarcasm and resistance.
But this man's obedience threw her off balance.
Is this really Stephen Strange?
That Sorcerer Supreme who always had to control everything had actually handed over the initiative so easily?
She suppressed the shock in her heart and pressed the control panel on her wrist.
A sci-fi-textured silver flying car descended from high altitude, stopping by the side of the street.
"Get in the car," Christine said with a commanding tone.
Strange had no complaints and obediently sat inside.
The flying car rose into the air, steadily shuttling between skyscrapers covered in green vines.
Not long after, the flying car landed on the exclusive landing pad of the Bast Foundation building.
As soon as they stepped inside the building, a neat and uniform sound of mechanical footsteps came from all around.
More than a dozen silver-white Ultron robots surged out from both sides of the corridor, immediately surrounding Strange tightly.
They raised the energy weapons on their arms, muzzles pointing straight at Strange's vital points, as if they would open fire immediately should he make any unusual moves.
The interior of the building was very spacious, with only a small number of Zhenren (Immortal) researchers operating holographic panels in the distance, while the vast majority of security and daily management work was maintained by these Ultron robots.
Facing the pitch-black muzzles, Strange didn't care in the least.
He didn't even look at those robots once, his gaze never leaving Christine's back for a moment.
"Please follow me." Christine walked ahead without turning her head.
The Ultron robots marched with uniform strides, escorting Strange through the long corridor.
Along the way, Strange completely ignored the grim atmosphere around him. Looking at Christine's profile, he began to actively strike up a conversation.
"Do you remember our first date?"
"At that Italian restaurant called 'Vito'. You wore a black evening gown. I was so nervous back then I almost spilled red wine on your dress."
Christine's pace paused imperceptibly.
"I kept rambling on and on to you about neurosurgical operation cases back then, thinking that would make me look very professional. But in reality, I was just afraid that once it got quiet, you would find out my palms were entirely covered in sweat. That was the best night of my life…"
Christine's brow twitched slightly.
"Later I proactively walked over, using the excuse of needing to discuss a patient's condition." Strange chuckled softly. "I actually just wanted to get closer to you and smell the scent in your hair."
"Shut up," Christine interrupted coldly.
Strange immediately shut his mouth, made a zipper-pulling motion across his lips, and nodded obediently.
But the love in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
Christine's inner heart, however, was as complex as having upset a spice cabinet.
Every single detail he spoke out was identical to the ones in her memory.
Is this really Stephen from another Universe?
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