Chapter Text
Stephen remembers how adrenaline is just as good of a pain reliever as any other over-the-counter medication. He didn't have time to reflect on the horrors he'd witnessed once he was quite literally dropped out of his visions. They had to prepare to fight Thanos, after all. "Take the fight to him," as Tony had put it. So they did. They fought Thanos, but they would lose. Stephen knew that because it's what had to happen.
Stephen remembers how five years had passed in a blink, and they were once again fighting Thanos. They won, but at a price. Everyone mourned Tony Stark, and he was no exception. But Tony wasn't the only one who died... oh no, there was much more blood on Stephen's hands. Natasha had to be sacrificed for the Soul Stone, countless Wakandans, Ravagers, and even his fellow Sorcerers had died alongside their brothers and sisters. A funeral was held in Kamar-Taj for their fallen members the next night. It was beautiful in a devastating way. Magic filled the air like the Northern Lights, amber sparks dancing through the air as the deceased were giving their final farewell. Stephen knew that because he was one of them, millions of lifetimes ago.
Stephen remembers how soon after that came Tony Stark's funeral. He, with Wong at his side, watched the wreath float down the lake's current. He had tried to talk to the other Avengers, but they shut him down. They had disregarded his gift, this one outcome, without accounting for what it'd cost him. The bill comes due, always.
Stephen knows that, too.