Marvel/DC Comics Presents #6

Dr. Strange/Dr. Fate

Baltimore, Maryland

1968

The night air had a strange chill for a summer night. A lone taxi’s fare stepped out before a brownstone apartment and gauged the area after paying the driver. He stared at the building noticing that even with the street lamp it seemed darker than expected . As the taxi drove away, he walked towards the apartment building. The air felt more peculiar and familiar as he walked up the steps to the front door.

“Something is not right here,” he said to himself then knocked on the door. “I feel...watched.”

A grim faced woman answered the door and partially hid behind it like a shield. “Yes, may I help you?”

“Hello, my name is Dr. Stephen Strange,” he said with a charming smile. “Is this the Reynolds’ residence? I was referred by Dr. Carlos to see a patient of his named Robert. I...”

“No,” she interrupted. “We already have someone to help our son. I’m afraid you came for...”

A hand appeared above her at the door and pulled it open further. “Dr. Strange, I’m sorry, Robert Reynolds, Sr., please come in.” A tall heavy set man with a buzz cut hair style pulled the door open and casually pulled the grim faced woman aside. “Thank you for coming over so quickly. Dr. Carlos said that you could help Robbie with his condition. “He ushered in Dr. Strange as the grim faced woman rushed between them into a nearby room. “Pardon my wife,” Robert said, “We both got separate referrals for Robbie and you both showed up tonight.”

Dr. Strange was curious. “Separate referrals? Someone else is here?”

“Yeah,” Robert said glancing downward and rubbing the back of his head before answering. “My wife...my soon-to-be ex-wife took Robbie to another doctor here in Maryland. I live in New York now and got a referral from my doctor there and here we are.”

“I see,” Dr. Strange said. “I’m going to assume that young Robbie’s condition is unique if Dr. Carlos referred me.”

Robert gave Strange a look of concern. “Doctor, at first I didn’t think it was as bad as Janice said until I came and saw it for myself. My boy was literally walking and crawling up the walls. Up the freaking walls! I tried to stop him from hurting Janice at one point and he pushed me back like I was a rag doll against the wall. I’m a big guy. That’s not normal. Then there’s those moments when his voice changed. He sounded like a grown man.”

“When he spoke in that other voice, what did he say?”

“He spoke mostly in some language I’ve never heard before. When he did speak English, he would say things about me and Janice that he shouldn’t know. Like he was reading our mind and...”

“Aahhhhhhh!” The loud deep bass scream rumbled through the apartment. A mirror near the door was rattled by it.

Robert and Dr. Strange both turned and looked up the stairs in the direction of the scream.

“He’s awake, Robert said with a slight tremor in his voice.

“That was no child’s voice,” Dr. Strange pondering the possibilities of what was there.

“I’ll...I’ll check him. Would you mind waiting in the living room,” Robert asked as he gestured to the room to his right.

Dr. Strange entered the modest living room and noticed Mrs. Reynolds in tears and being comforted by her referral, he assumed. She got up when Strange entered and said nothing as she left the room wiping her tears.

“I would not take offense to Mrs. Reynolds’ behavior to you,” Mrs. Reynolds’ referral said as he rose from the sofa. He was a tall man with an athletic build and piercing eyes. There was a sense that he was far older than his youthful features. “She and Mr. Reynolds are in the midst of a divorce and each are going their own way with their son’s condition. It seems we are caught in the middle. Although I see no reason why we cannot work together. My name is Kent Nelson.”

“Dr. Stephen Strange,” he said as he shook Kent’s hand. As he sat down at a nearby chair, he noticed a large black travel bag near Kent’s feet where he sat. He felt a sense of mystic energy but could not tell if it came from Kent or his bag. Then for an instant he noticed small movement in the bag. “Are you a physician as well?”

“I was for a time during and a little while after The War. Not so much these days unless special cases are brought to my attention. And yourself? Do you have a practice?“

“I was a surgeon once until a car accident forced me to use my knowledge in other ways,” Dr. Strange replied as he glanced down to his hands. “Like yourself, I do make special cases a priority if asked.”

“Yes, I see,” Kent replied, with a tone that hinted he saw more than applied. “I don’t see where a surgeon would be needed here though.”

“Well, we can either continue this little dance or we can come forward with who we truly are,” Dr. Strange said calmly. “You’re a sorcerer as well.”

Kent smiled and glanced downward before answering, “Yes and you’re the Ancient One’s star apprentice and prodigy. Did you suspect when you first saw me or when you saw my bag?”

Dr. Strange was a little taken aback that Kent noticed his glancing at his bag, but not let his face react. “There are odd forces at work here. I felt them the moment I arrived here, scanning and sensing all around. I felt more than one at work. Obviously what is afflicting the boy and then there’s you.”

“Not bad for the Sorcerer Supreme’s pupil,” Kent said in an almost mocking tone. “I too felt something as I got here. Something elusive and yet more. I suggest you follow my lead here, Strange. This might be more than you can handle”

Dr. Strange felt a wave of anger in Kent’s words and shift in demeanor and was quick to respond. “I beg your pardon, I...”

Loud yelling from outside the room interrupted the pair. Both took note and went to see what was going on. As they came out to the hallway, they saw Mr. Reynolds stomping up the stairs and slamming a door they could not see. Mrs. Reynolds turned her gaze to the pair and then focused on Dr. Strange. “Your presence is no longer needed, Dr. Strange. We’re going forth with using Mr. Nelson to treat Robbie. I need for you to leave...now!”

“Mrs. Reynolds, I was brought here by your husband...” Strange defensively stated.

“She said you have to leave, buddy,” Kent jumped in. He placed one hand between the two and had his other hand made into a tight fist.

Dr. Strange noticed the fist Kent made and found himself reflexively doing the same. Then it hit him. A sound that wasn’t a sound in the back of his head. It was more like a high-pitch whine that was growing in intensity. He winced a little as he backed away from Mrs. Reynolds and rubbed a space in between his eyes. “Some...something isn’t right here,” he said barely able to put words together. “Do you feel it,” he asked directing his question to Kent.

Kent Nelson started to soften his defensive stance as he closed his eyes and began rubbing the side of his head. “I...I...yes,” he replied trying to find the words as well.

“Aaahhhh!” A scream came from upstairs that shattered the feeling both mages felt. Suddenly the figure of Mr. Reynolds flew backwards and into the wall at the top of the stairs. Then he rolled down the stairs and landed at the feet of those below.

Mrs. Reynolds screamed, “Robert!” She sobbed as she dropped down and cradled her husband.

“Step back,” Kent commanded Mrs. Reynolds as he and Dr. Strange knelt down to check on his unmoving form. He checked his vitals and heard the sounds of moaning coming from him.

“He’s alive,” Dr. Strange said with a breath. “He’s likely to have internal injuries from a fall like that. Call for an ambulance, Mrs. Reynolds. Time is of the essence.”

Mrs. Reynolds ran off as quickly as she could and into a room that had a phone.

Once she was away, both men looked at each other with a serious and grave look. Kent placed his hand above Mr. Reynolds’ head and muttered in an unheard language. Dr. Strange in similar fashion placed his hand above his torso. Their hands glowed as they went slowly back and forth over his body.

“This should lessen the damage and speed up his recovery, “ Kent said.

“The situation is much worse than the outset,” Dr. Strange said as he glanced up at Kent. “We’re dealing with an unknown entity that’s growing in power up there. “

“We need to handle this quickly, “ Kent said.

“Indeed,” Dr. Strange agreed. “The Reynolds are not safe here. Mr. Reynolds’ injuries will require him to be hospitalized. This may be fortunate for us. Mrs. Reynolds will surely go with her husband to the hospital. This will give us time to help her son without her and her husband being harmed further.”

“I’m afraid you’re right,” Kent agreed. “We have only tonight to deal with this creature. I’ll convince her to leave us to her son’s care while she’s gone.”

“Mages! Come face me,” a loud male voice bellowed from upstairs.

To be continued....