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It takes Tony weeks, but he tracks down Stephen Strange. Well, not to an address, but he’s narrowed it down to a reasonable sized area of Kathmandu, and that’s enough for Tony to go looking in person.
He doesn’t tell Pepper or Rhodey that he’s going. If they knew, they’d be worried. Flying halfway around the world chasing a dream looks like unstable behavior. Tony knows that. But he doesn’t feel unstable. After weeks of seeing the man go about his day every night, it almost feels like he knows Strange. More than that, Strange’s steady, determined progress in learning magic carries with it an odd kind of tension. Not in Strange’s daily activities, but in the fabric of the dream itself.
Tony doesn’t intend to be on the sidelines when whatever is driving that tension shows up.
In the morning, Tony makes coffee and heads down to the lab to say goodbye to the bots. He’s there maybe ten minutes when a circle of orange sparks flares into existence.
Tony knows those sparks. He’s dreamed of them.
The portal opens and Doctor Stephen Strange steps through. “Doctor Strange,” Tony greets him.
He nods. “Mister Stark. I thought I’d save you a flight.”
“I take it you’ve also been dreaming of me,” Tony says.
“I have. Apparently, we share some kind of soul connection.”
Tony hums thoughtfully. That makes sense, as much as magic ever makes sense. “And where did that connection come from?” he asks. “Because I get the feeling it’s about a lot more than hooking us up with a new buddy.”
“I don’t know yet,” Strange admits. “But we could find out.” He holds out a hand. “Are you willing to put your trust in me?”
Tony eyes the portal warily.
Strange waits.
Tony takes his hand.