Chapter Text
Stephen used to love attending every bougie event in Manhattan: the Met Gala, museum openings, swanky dinner parties, charity events—it didn't matter—as long as he got to wear a tux and receive accolades as one of the most gifted surgeons of the decade. He also loved being a surgeon. He loved the high salary, but most of all, he loved being the only one within 1,000 miles who could perform surgery.
There was a thrill in being called into the ER for surgery on a patient who was considered a lost cause, only to turn around and ensure the patient lived. He didn't love the hugs from happy family members, but that punch of dopamine was a high no amount of synthetic chemicals could reproduce.
After the accident, he loved swanky events a little less. No longer was he a world-renowned surgeon, but his work as a sorcerer earned him the title of Avenger and Sorcerer Supreme - at least until Thanos came along and snapped everyone out of existence. Stephen had to admit he was a little salty about losing his title on a technicality after literally saving the universe. Still, he could do nothing about it short of killing Wong.
And he couldn't really do that, no matter how often he thought about it.
No, really, he couldn't.
At that moment, though, it wasn't Wong's demise Stephen had been thinking about; it was Tony Stark's. The man oozed charm and charisma, and as much as Stephen had tried to avoid attending the latest gala, a masqué with a theme of heroes and villains, Stark had somehow charmed his way into getting Stephen to say yes.
Years ago, he'd have readily agreed, but after his accident, after Thanos, after… everything, he had no desire to be around… people. He especially had no desire to be around happy people who seemed hell-bent on ignoring everything from the last five years. The world was in shambles, and there he was, partying with a bunch of rich people.
What was the point?
Sighing, Stephen motioned for another drink, stronger than the last. Maybe if he was drunk, he could get through the rest of the party without dropping people into a portal to nowhere.
"Such a large sigh for a lively party," a voice said to his left. He looked over and blinked at the absolutely stunning woman standing beside him with a smirk on her lips. The most captivating green eyes stared at him through a gold filigree mask with small horns curving over her head.
It took a few seconds for his brain to come back online. Clearing his throat, Stephen answered, "It wasn't my idea to come here. I did it for a friend."
"Ah yes, Tony Stark," the woman nodded knowingly. "He can be quite… persuasive." She sounded no more enthused about being at the party than Stephen felt. Then again, she had mentioned it was fun. At his confused look, she chuckled, and for a moment, Stephen wondered if she could read his mind. "Well, I can't say I'm displeased at the attention I've been receiving, but there are so many other things I could have been doing." She shrugged an elegant jewel-studded shoulder and signaled for a drink. "Gin Martini, two olives."
While they waited for their drinks, Stephen took the opportunity to look at the woman. Behind the mask, her green eyes sparkled with mischief that Stephen found alluring. Her dress could be either hero or villain, Stephen wasn't sure, but with the horns, he was leaning towards villain, which should have made him pause but only made him want to know more.
Her evening gown was a gauzy, sheer dark green material that clung to her body and flared out gradually to hang just shy of the floor. At the shoulders and forearms were crystals in several shades of gold that reminded Stephen of armor, vambraces, and shoulder pads. There was thicker material in a chevron pattern that started just above her breasts until just above her navel before picking up again at her hips and flowing down in an asymmetrical pattern to mid-thigh.
The dress had a completely open back, but from the shoulders was another swatch of gauzy fabric that looked like a cape. Stephen realized that the effect was supposed to simulate armor, and there was something strangely familiar about it.
He was pulled out of his musings when the woman spoke again. "So," she said, sipping her drink, "how did the Sorcerer Supreme get roped into attendance? It doesn't appear to be your scene."
"Ex," Stephen corrected, "and same, Tony Stark." He paused, looking around the room. The other Avengers were all present, or at least most of them. Natasha Romanov was sadly no longer with them, and Clint Barton tried to distance himself from being an Avenger; Stephen couldn't really blame him, all things considered. Captain America was in a corner wearing a tux that looked like a stylized version of his uniform, with Barnes and Wilson beside him. Thor was regaling a group of women about his latest feats and being king of New Asgard, and Tony Stark was in the center of a group, his mechanical arm flashing in the room's lights.
"For a man who'd nearly died, he looks remarkably unphased," the woman said. "Though, somehow, the scars and metal arm make him look distinguished."
Stephen snorted a laugh into his drink. "I thought he was going to return to his cabin, but apparently, once the world was back, he came back too." He paused before adding, "Fake it til you make it, I guess." Stephen shrugged and turned his attention back to the woman; she really did look alarmingly familiar. "I'm sorry, have we met before? You have- you seem very familiar."
Before the woman could answer, a boisterous laugh echoed around the room, drawing their attention. Stephen and the woman turned to see Thor laughing loudly and slapping Rogers on the back. The captain smiled sheepishly and ducked his head as Thor continued speaking loudly, unaware of those around him.
The woman sighed and shook her head. "I don't think my king quite understands how boisterous he is," she paused, then muttered under her breath, "or how annoying he can be."
Stephen glanced at her, then back at Thor. "You're Asgardian then," it wasn't a question. "How are you enjoying Earth?"
"More than I suspected I would," she answered with a smile. "So much literature to consume, food to eat, theater to see. Even your cinemas are entertaining at times, and I particularly love the internet."
Stephen laughed and nodded. "Yes, the internet can be an interesting place to lose yourself."
"Oh yes," she agreed with a glint in her eye. "I believe you call it "trolling"? I do so enjoy being a troll to idiots who do not have the slightest clue how tiny this little blue marble truly is." Her expression softened, "but there is also remarkable creativity to be found. Your," she paused frowning, "the clock application, with the videos?" She paused again, still frowning, then shook her head and shrugged, "Well, that one is full of ridiculousness and creativity. I enjoy both."
Clock application? Stephen didn't know what that was, but he wasn't well-versed in social media outside of Linked In. He was sure Wong would know; he had every social media platform in the history of forever. "I've never done much on social media," he admitted with a shrug.
"Oh, there is so much you can do," she sounded excited, and the way her eyes glinted made Stephen's insides clench. He wanted to learn more about her life in Asgard and on Earth. Anything to keep her talking. "Stories, videos, images, just talking to random strangers about nothing important. So much to do, so much to see and experience."
Stephen was captivated by how she lit up when she talked about her new experiences and how much she loved the internet. Her eyes sparkled, and a faint rosy hue stole across her cheeks. Stephen leaned in just a touch before he caught himself, wondering what the hell he was doing. He had just met the woman and didn't even know her name. To cover his awkward movement, Stephen grabbed his drink and sipped before asking, "What types of movies or even theater are your favorites?"
The woman grinned, and if possible, her eyes lit up even more. "I have found musicals to be great fun. I recently attended a production of Wicked about a magically inclined woman who was ostracized by those around her for simply being different. The music was compelling, and the story quite captivating." She paused to sip at her martini, "I also saw what was called a revival of an older play, Hello Dolly. It was also enjoyable and lively. The characters are over the top and fun, and the music memorable."
Stephen nodded. "I grew up listening to the music from Hello Dolly. My mother was very much into musicals, whether play or movie and played them constantly." He hadn't been to a play in years and lived in New York City, the world's musical capital. He should remedy that situation some time and see if Christine would be interested in seeing a play with him. Not as a date, of course, but he still considered her a great friend. "What about movies?" he finally asked.
"I like anything that centers around magic," she laughed, then added, "usually very bad magic. I recently finished all seven Harry Potter books and watched the eight movies. The magic is so terrible… I loved it very much."
Well, that piqued Stephen's curiosity even more. She was an Asgardian who embraced Earth living and knew magic. He wondered if she was a sorceress. He couldn't sense anything, which was strange but not completely unheard of. Many could mask their energy levels; Wong could; Stephen, of course, could, and the woman was not from Earth.
"You like magic then?" He asked, very much interested in the answer.
"Fishing, Doctor? That seems beneath you," she teased. "You could ask me what you really want to know."
She was incredibly intriguing, and Stephen was enjoying himself so much more than he'd thought he would when he walked into the party. "Alright. Are you a sorcerer? If so, why can't I feel your magical energy?"
The woman's smile grew wider. "That, my dear Doctor, is something you'll have to figure out, isn't it?" She winked and threw back the rest of her drink; Stephen raised an eyebrow. "Well, this has been enjoyable, but I must be taking my king home before he brings the entire building down upon our heads with his stomping about like an ogre." She gave him a small smile and slid from the seat. Stephen couldn't help watching how her hips swayed as she walked away.
Stephen had so many questions and was surprised to find himself wishing she hadn't gone. He doubted the woman was Thor's new queen, but she seemed overly familiar with him, so a noble, at least, maybe part of Thor's new advisory council.
Stephen was too deep in thought to notice Tony Stark's approach. "Who'd have thought I'd be thinking Thor's sibling was hot," Tony said in lieu of a greeting. Stephen nearly jumped. He looked between Tony and the woman he'd been speaking with before she and Thor disappeared into the crowd and, he assumed, out the door. Seconds later, there was a flash outside as the Bifrost carried the two back to New Asgard.
"What?" Stephen asked unintelligently.
Tony laughed. "The lady you were talking to. You know who that is, right?" Stephen frowned. He was sure he hadn't met any Asgardians other than Loki and Thor, and he was quite pleased about that. He didn't need any more magically inclined tricksters showing up at his doorstep.
Earth being his doorstep.
Again, Tony laughed and patted him on the shoulder. He ordered a whisky and waited for it to be poured before sitting. The smirk rubbed Stephen entirely the wrong way. "So you really have no idea who you were talking to. She didn't introduce herself?"
"Well, after she said 'my king,' I gathered she was Asgardian, but no, she never gave me her name." Stephen paused, then added, "Although she did seem to know me, which … is strange."
Tony's lips quirked, and Stephen wanted to smack him upside the head. Yes, yes, his name was Strange, hilarious. He rolled his eyes, making Tony laugh. "Well, yeah, I guess she's Asgardian. That was Loki." Stephen frowned. "Yeah, I couldn't believe it when Thor told me. But yep, Loki. Trickster extraordinaire, destroyer of New York, and the entire reason I'm still alive. Can't really hold a grudge, all things considered. Pepper sent him an Edible Arrangement." He chucked and shrugged his mechanical shoulder.
"But that was a woman," Stephen answered stupidly. A very attractive woman with the greenest eyes he'd ever seen, and cheekbones he was sure could cut glass. She was stunning and intelligent, which was surprising given the crowd. "Last I checked, Loki was a man."
"Yeah," Tony shrugged again, "something about being a shapeshifter. Genderfluid. I dunno. Thor said it had been a while since he'd seen her like that. But yeah, no, that was Loki."
Stephen frowned again, watching Tony slide off the stool and disappear into the crowd. Since Thor had taken his leave, Stephen figured it wasn't too early to do the same and conjured a portal to take him back to the Sanctum.
Loki was back on Earth, but Stephen hadn't felt any magical signature that felt anything like him. Why hadn't Thor told him? He knew that Stephen kept tabs on magic users who could pose a threat to Earth. And if Tony knew, which apparently he did, why hadn't he warned Stephen. Did Wong know?
Sighing, Stephen flopped down in his comfortable chair in front of the fire. Levi rubbed at his cheek in a sense of comfort that made the sorcerer smile. With it being midnight or six am in New Asgard, Stephen could do nothing until morning. But come morning, Stephen was determined to get answers.