PEACE OUT

By Anthony Crute

Doctor Strange was gone, he had left days ago and Wong was becoming worried. Strange was travelling across dimensions but he should have returned by now. Wong sat for many hours a day meditating on his master’s whereabouts and bringing him home safely.

Wong was however not alone, Jack White sat smoking a cigarette in the corner of Strange’s study. The ash was sporadically dabbed into an ashtray, which rested on the arm of the red chair he sat in. He was reading one of Doctor Strange’s books… non-magical of course. Jack White was a New York cop, he had first met Doctor Strange when he was having a few problems with a poltergeist and then approached him to get help with a murder of the magical kind.

Jack White was scared and had come to the one place he could feel safe with what he had seen. “Dammit Jack pull it together, you’re a cop for Christ’s sake what are you doing running to a magician whenever you find something you can’t deal with,” he thought as he watched the meditating Wong. The thought had occurred to him repeatedly in the past two days since he had arrived at the home of Doctor Strange seeking help to find him gone. The only thought that crossed his mind more was “Why you Jack… why is it always you that comes up against this crap.”

“Thank god Rich is visiting his parents… what are you thinking Jack?” he questioned himself,, he was now just moving his eyes over the words on the page as he was lost in his own thoughts and not taking any of the book in. “If Rich wasn’t away in LA for a couple of months you would never have taken this stupid job… undercover with a cult… A CULT! What were you thinking?” Rich’s father had taken ill and Rich had flown out to take care of his father and comfort his mother.

Jack White was a grizzled 60-year-old detective in the body of a 30 year old but he was still open to introspection and kicking himself when he’s down. Jack ran his non-cigarette hand through his black hair and looked down at the oriental robe he had borrowed from a wardrobe and decided he needed to get his life back together.

Jack watched as Wong slowly stood to his feet and stared at the circle in the centre of the room, he watched nervously as if he was anticipating something. Jack sat forward, he could feel something like electricity in the air during a thunderstorm then he could see it.

Small bolts of power crackled in the air followed by larger ones over and over again until they were connecting like a large net of power. Jack tore his eyes up to Wong who was still standing silently. In his meditative state, Wong was able to brush near dimensions with his consciousness and he could sense the arrival of Doctor Strange being imminent.

The air ripped with a small explosion and in a split second, a figure spilled through the whole in the air. The pile of rags lay still for a second before a hand shot through a gap and motioned to close the portal he had just fallen through.

The room was now deathly silent, the silence even more pronounced because of the storm in a teacup that had preceded it. “Wong,” said Strange quietly. “I may require a cup of tea if you please.”

Strange moved and flipped his cloak from over his head and very slowly made his way to his knees where he groaned before pushing himself to his feet. It was only now Jack realised that Strange was older than he had thought. Strange stretched his back and groaned before looking over at Jack.

“Good morning Jack,” smiled Strange weakly, he seemed to be in pain. He seemed not even a bit surprised by the man’s presence, in his line of work absolutely nothing surprised you anymore.

“It’s 3.30 in the afternoon actually,” said Jack with a shrug as he nodded to the clock behind him. Doctor Strange acknowledged the clock and nodded.

“I’ve been in some timeless dimensions recently, it’s still the same year as I left isn’t it? …plus the robe threw me off… is that mine?” Doctor Strange seemed quite weird and full of questions. Jack was thrown off by the current temperament of the man he had come to expect to be so calm.

“Yes… I, uh, borrowed it; I’ve been here a few days. Wong tells me you left not long before I arrived.” Jack moved the last sentence through his head to make sure he had answered all of Strange’s questions.

“Days? It’s been weeks for me… which is why I need a bath and a cup of tea before I deal with your latest magical mishap… I assume this isn’t a social visit.” Strange was removing his cloak and then his boots as he spoke. He discarded them idly, his cloak floated gently across the room to where it hung itself up while his boots just collapsed in a pile.

“Yeah, I’ve got a real problem with a cu…” began Jack before the hand of Strange silenced him.

“I’m sure if you have time to sit here for days in my house apparel and read Mary Shelley I have time to bathe without the world ending?” He raised an eyebrow to Jack. Jack had the feeling if he said it was important Strange would forgo his bath but to be honest he had waited a few days an hour or so longer could not hurt.

A little later…

Strange reclined in his bath slipping slowly beneath the water until he was completely covered. The warm water felt marvellous on his skin and aching body, in the past few weeks he would have given anything for this bath. Strange pushed his head and torso upwards by pushing against the end of the bath with his feet. He was Sorcerer Supreme most powerful magician in the universe whose job it was to protect it.

His wet hand moved forward to the bar across the bath which had the sponge and soap on it, the bar also had his cup of tea which he brought to his lips and sipped slowly before putting it down and sitting back again with a sigh.

He dunked himself one last time before he began to actually clean himself. He had been in there long enough and it would be rude to make Jack wait any longer.

Strange’s study…

Jack sat in a chair; he had changed into his own pants and a white T-shirt. He rested on the small table, which lay, between his chair and another, which he assumed, would be Strange’s seat. He looked around at the ornately decorated study, which was like the several of Strange’s studies he had actually been in was lined with books and old paintings.

Jack wondered why he felt like a kid sitting outside the principal’s office when the double doors at the end of the study flew open and in walked Strange followed by Wong. Strange was wearing a long blue robe, which sported the same symbol his tunic usually did. Wong followed in his usual manner of Asian dress carrying a silver tray on which was a pot of tea and a pair of cups.

Wong placed the tray down and bowed before exiting the room. Jack had noticed Wong was a little peculiar; he was an intelligent man Jack was in no two minds about that. He also if he had not missed the mark was probably Doctor Strange’s closest friend and looked to the man almost like a father but when in his company he was the stereotypical manservant and barely spoke unless spoken too. Jack did however smile a little the last few times they had met and Wong and Strange had a small bantering session.

“Tea?” offered Strange as he raised the pot to pour his tea. Jack noticed his hand shaking and for the first time noticed how old and shaky Doctor Strange’s hands looked. Jack shook his hand and Strange lowered the pot after he had poured his own. Jack watched as Strange flexed his hands a few times as if he was in pain. “You sure, Green tea has a wonderful anti-oxidizing agent… good for what ails you?”

Jack shook his head again. “Won’t do a thing for what ails me.” Jack lit his cigarette without even thinking to ask if it was okay and inhaled. Strange slid his saucer towards him to use as an ashtray. He would usually protest about smoking in his domicile since he had kicked the habit but he would allow it to slide this once.

“Jack always with the weight of the world on your shoulders, you’re a young man what could possibly be so wrong?”

“Have you ever heard of the church of happiness?” Jack blew smoke into the air and flicked his ash into the fine china saucer.

“No, but they do sound like a pleasant bunch,” Strange smiled.

“That’s putting it mildly, new agers all about peace and love,” Jack sat forward in his chair and leaned on the table to look at Strange closely.

“Ah peace and love, we need more of that in this world,” Strange smiled. “Nothing new about that though, crystals, hallucinogenic drugs, free love… been around long before the human race. It just took us a while to rediscover them.”

“You’re getting me away from my point,” said Jack, he inhaled and blew smoke again. It was a filthy habit and he knew it but he needed the nicotine. “I joined this church, undercover work… well not really undercover, they knew who I am and knew I was a cop… sometimes even think they knew what I was doing there but they still let me in… and I mean they let me in. Anything I wanted to know they would tell me, beliefs, information on members. etc etc etc.”

“Most unusual for a cult isn’t it?”

Jack nodded.

“Why were the New York City police force so interested in this cult in the first place?” queried Strange.

“We like to keep track of anyone who can cause a problem, groups of these guys have been preaching their message in Times Square, Central Park, Ground Zero… everywhere,” Jack looked at Strange who looked like he was weighing something up in his mind.

“Religious hatred? Inciting terrorism?” Strange was trying to get a picture of who these people are before he even questioned what it had to do with him.

“No… as I said, peace and love. These guys are like uber Christians, turn the other cheek, understanding, give away everything you do not need… they are the perfect Christians except without Christ. They believe we are all divine bodies of good energy and everyone just need a little help to realise this. When we do we can banish all war, all negative feelings… they think they can cure all diseases with this good will power.”

“Quite frightening,” deadpanned Doctor Strange. “I can see why this would prompt a full scale terror alert.”

Jack smiled weakly at Doctor Strange’s attempt to point out the paranoia of the police. “Were you aware that Islam means love?”

Doctor Strange nodded.

“It doesn’t stop a few extremists trying to ruin it for everyone…. we were being cautious that’s all.”

“I’m still unsure what exactly you want me to do, Jack,” Strange took another drink of his tea and looked at Jack square in the eyes, Jack was usually most direct but he was being evasive and refused to looks Strange in the eye.

Jack sighed and began to speak…

Days ago…

Jack sat in the steel folding chair; he was surrounded by others much like himself, ‘The Pilgrims.’ The pilgrims was the moniker given to those who had shown a marked interest in the teachings of the church but had not yet truly joined, those who were just interested.

Jack glanced around the room, over the past few weeks he had gotten to know several of the other pilgrims while at least knowing the basics about others. They came in all shapes and sizes from accountants to lapsed Catholics to drug addicts. One or two of those who had lead a less than perfect life informed Jack over his tutelage time that he himself had busted them on at least one occasion but that was their old life before they found the light.

Two men and a woman walked on stage with a small round of applause, even Jack clapped a little. He hated to admit it… made him feel stupid for not realising it before but some if not most of what these guys said made sense. Positive regard for fellow man, kindness, tolerance and peace among a massive number of similar ideas prized above all else… someone falls you help them up. Over the past few weeks he grew to think of this as not being a cult, there were no all-powerful leader or money requests, no promises of paradise or an all-powerful god.

The people on stage were dressed in relaxed but smart clothing, no robes or golden staffs or anything Jack would have thought as culty. He glanced around at the faces of those who surrounded him, it was obvious to tell by the smiles and straight faces some had taken the lessons onboard more than others and were ready to sign up officially without this final chance.

“Hey, how is everyone?” began the blonde tallest man known as Mike. Not the holy one or anything stupid, which would raise flags just Mike. There was a murmur of response from the crowd.

“Right, we all know why we are here, we’ve talked about all of our teachings and answered of your questions as best we can so this is to try and show the light to the few of you who are still unsure one way or another… these are the big guns,” joked Janine to a slight laugh.

“Could we have a volunteer from the audience?” questioned Sidney. He was shorter than Mike and Janine, a little older, and balder but he had a warm smile that contrasted with his pointed face.

One of the over-eager members of the audience quickly bounced up from the middle and moved down to the stage. The place was relaxed and free-flowing like that with people doing what they felt, this made Jack a little more relaxed. He was expecting a plant in the audience but to have them picked by one of the three on stage would have made more sense.

Janine, Mike and Sidney welcomed the skinny woman on stage. Her name was Michelle, an ex-drug addict and bulimic which explained her bones poking through her skin. Three weeks with the church and she’d stopped throwing up and was eating normally.

The three motioned at a folding chair on the stage that Michelle sat in; Mike moved behind her and then pulled from his belt a gun. Jack’s hands moved for his own, he had just came off shift so he still had his piece holstered on his side but by the time he moved and got to his feet it was two late. Michelle had had the back of her head blown out.

“Warning, the first three rows will get wet,” flashed through Jack’s mind before he began to shout. “Okay, hands up… drop the weapon and hands up!”

Mike responded instantly by releasing his grip on his gun and letting it move to the floor. Jack moved quickly towards the stage keeping the three covered with his weapon. He stepped carefully around the large bloodstain which had flowed and still flowed from the gaping head wound of the corpse formerly known as Michelle.

Janine and Sidney suddenly moved forward. “Freeze!” screamed Jack to the two. “I will shoot you where you stand!”

“Shoot then, Jack… shoot but please let us have a chance,” spoke Mike. Jack’s gun moved to cover him, Janine and Sidney kept moving to the corpse. Jack wanted to speak, tell them to get back but his voice was frozen.

The two grabbed Michelle and shifted her into an upright position from where she had slumped. Her face was missing and glop poured to the flour as she moved. Jack suddenly noticed the audience was deathly silent; they were either in shock or were expecting this to go somewhere.

The two placed their hands over her face, closed their eyes and began to hum a low tune. Their hands slowly began to glow. Jack could scarcely believe his eyes as the glow of light intensified until their was a brilliant flash.

Michelle sat upright instantly and inhaled deeply. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as he breathed deeply. “It was beautiful” she gasped. Janine hugged her.

Jack was suddenly aware of hand holding him tightly. He turned his hand to face several members of the crowd who were trying to wrestle him from his feet. “Stop!” commanded Mike. He looked to Jack. “Do you still want to shoot us?”

Jack slowly lowered his gun and then broke free from the grasp of the fellow pilgrims before leaping from the stage and dashing through the crowd. He felt several hands grasp at him or the thunder of footsteps behind him and then he heard Mike’s voice. “Let him leave, it is not our way to stop him.”

Present…

“I came straight here,” Jack was still obviously shaken by his story.

Strange nodded slowly and stood to his feet. “I’ll get my things, prepare yourself and wait at the door.” Strange was the most commanding man he had ever met.

In only a few moments Jack was ready and waiting and Strange joined him almost instantly. He was dressed in a similar manner to what Jack had seen him in before, his blue tunic, red cloak and large golden amulet. He held in his hand a gun. “This is for you.”

“I have my own weapon should we need it,” said Jack as he patted his holster.

“This one is better, you hold in your hand a very special weapon… Hitler’s handgun. This gun never runs out of bullets and one hit is enough to kill anything… anything,” repeated Strange to hammer his point across.

Jack looked at the weapon before exchanging it for his own weapon.

A little later…

It was not long before Jack, Wong and Doctor Strange found themselves standing outside of the church, which looked to Jack very much like a soup kitchen. “This place is seeped in magical energy. It is however well shielded which is why I never sensed its presence before.”

“What, you didn’t believe me?” questioned Jack. A shiver ran up and down his spine like a child on a flight of stairs, he had a great sense of foreboding but an excitement to be back in the place.

“Those not experienced with magic can often be tricked or mistake other powers for real magic,” Strange told Jack without apology that he did not know anything and then started up the stairs of the place.

The building Strange saw was very different, the building’s walls and steps glowed a powerful white colour while the building itself rose into the air topped with ornate patterns and spirals on the massive towers which were eclipsed by clouds.

Strange’s hand grabbed the door handle and swung the door open, he opened it as if it was his right to do so… Jack was beginning to think it really was.

Mike, Janine and Sidney stood on the other side of the door and greeted the three with huge beaming smiles. Doctor Strange and Jack stepped through the door, which then suddenly slammed shut with Wong on the other side. Jack and Doctor Strange could hear a faint banging but it seemed farther away then it should have.

“What is the meaning of this?” Strange’s finger jabbed towards the door. Jack was not even looking at the argument; his eyes were surveying the giant hall in which they stood. The high-decorated ceilings were like something from an alien Sistine chapel.

“You are welcome in our home, Doctor Strange. But it would be foolish of us to allow to many inside our home that wish to do us harm,” said Mike with a nod and a huge smile.

“You aren’t human,” said Strange as he examined the three as if it was a matter of fact and not a question, “and unless I am mistaken you are one being.”

The three smiled and held hands, there was a building of light intensity until Jack and Doctor Strange could not see, and then it faded to a reasonable level. In the hall before them stood one single being who shone with white energy, it had no discernable form other than a glowing shimmer of energy but you could tell when it looked or addressed you.

Doctor Strange regarded the creature as he began to walk, the globule of energy shifted. Jack was sure it was trying to face Strange… the two completely ignored Jack. “Commune with us,” commanded the energy.

Doctor Strange glanced at Jack for a second before stepping forth into the energy. Jack stared at the energy and Strange as they seemed to merge into a single entity. His hand moved to his gun, he was sure this was why he had been given it. To take them both down should anything go wrong. He was unsure if they would ever split and if they did what exactly would come out in Strange’s place.

Doctor Strange quickly dropped out of the energy and to his knees. Jack moved the gun from the energy to Doctor Strange and back over and over again… he was unprepared for this situation. “Doc?”

“Yes I am here… you may lower your weapon Jack,” Doctor Strange motioned with his hand as he stood to his feet. He moved to stand next to Jack and face against the globule of energy which did not move and it did not speak.

“What’s the word, Doc?” Jack’s gun was covering the ball of energy. He did not know why but he believed that this was the real Doctor Strange, he wondered for a second if the Doc could actually even be possessed but pushed the thought to the side to focus on the being.

“There intentions are truly honourable. They wish to do exactly as they say, they are here to usher in a new age. They bring peace and love.” Strange didn’t even look at Jack as he spoke, he just continued to stare at the energy being.

“What do they want with us in return?” Jack had been a cop long enough not to trust anyone with an offer seemingly as good as the one Strange just put forward.

“Nothing, absolutely nothing. They are beings whose only wish is to bring happiness, they travel from world to world, universe to universe spreading their joy. Their expertise is practically unknown in this dimension, sickness, waste, pollution and yes even death can be wiped out within one generation because of them.” Strange looked at Jack and smiled, Jack had almost completely lowered his gun. “That’s not even half of it, with their teachings hate, jealousy, prejudice and who knows what else can be wiped out almost instantly.”

Jack’s gun moved to one hand and pointed at the floor as he took a normal stance, his head turned away from Strange as if he felt horrific for ever doubting the creature. That was directly against its teachings.

Strange’s hand suddenly jerked out and fired a blast of energy at the creature. The words he had been speaking suddenly were pushed to his lips as he screamed them, Jack couldn’t understand a sound of it and wasn’t even sure they were words or just emotions. The creature screamed.

“What are you doing Doc? I thought you said they were on the level?” Jack’s gun moved back to the creature.

“They are,” Strange then shifted back to his spell and pushed forward.

“What?” Jack faltered and turned his head to Strange “They love peace… why are you attacking them?”

“These gifts… peace, harmony, love… are not their’s to give. They are intruders in the realm and must be dealt with,” Strange’s voice was intense and strong. He suddenly felt the barrel of a gun pressed squarely into his head. “Jack please lower your weapon.”

“No,” spat Jack. “Stop what you’re doing… STOP IT!” Jack screamed as he cocked the gun, Doctor Strange continued regardless “Doc don’t make me do this… you know what this gun can do.”

“Jack, please lower your weapon,” Strange’s voice was strong and remained unwavering.

“Give me a reason not to shoot you Doc… anything please. They’re bringing cures for all the diseases… death for God’s sake… they can stop death and you want to get rid of them?” Jack moved his gun closer still to Strange pushing his head to the side. “They can stop hate! Rich and I wont need to be afraid walking down the street… we wont be hated just because we love each other… and you want to stop that? I thought you were one of the good guys?”

“Jack!” barked Strange. “This is not the time to debate your tiny scope of good and evil! These boons the offer come with no strings attached but we are not ready for them… not by a long shot. Have you stopped to think what the cure of all disease and death will do to the population? To the planet we live on? Even if they give us food and a new home will we deserve it?”

Jack bit his lip as he seemed to falter, he was becoming unsure of what to do.

“What about the hate, Jack? What if they get rid of the hate in people’s minds… hate against one another, racism… prejudice? Stop you from being hated? All of the small minded people in the world? I do not agree with their opinions but they are their opinions… their right to hold these opinions. No one or nothing has the right to destroy their opinions.” Strange was practically screaming, Jack breaking his stream of consciousness was making it hard concentrate and the creature was breaking free.

“They’re wrong!” yelled Jack. “It’s wrong to hate… they can do so much for us.”

“Exactly, they can do so much for us… we will have earned nothing, we will have learned nothing!” Strange’s eyes darted between Jack and the creature, the sweat dripped down his head as the strain was incredible. “Jack, make the right decision or I will take it away,” commanded Strange. Jack gritted his teeth.

Jack hesitated. Jack hesitated too long, Strange stopped his incantation and spun instantly knocking Jack’s hand which held the gun with his own palm. He had learned his disarming technique from Wong. Doctor Strange was once a surgeon, a wonderfully skilled surgeon until he had an accident. An accident which changed his life by nearly destroying his hands.

His hands grabbed the gun shakily as his shaking index finger tried to find the finger. He pulled with all his strength as pain ripped through his hands and the gun fired.

Jack slammed his fist into the side of Strange’s face before throwing his full weight against him and driving him to the floor. The creature screamed, Strange glanced up at the creature from his spot on the floor while Jack continued to strike him.

Strange’s hand suddenly flew out sending Jack across the room with a blast of force. Strange began to climb to his feet and stared at the creature which flickered one or two times before vanishing.

Strange heard the hammer of the gun click once more and turned to Jack, Jack was sitting upright pointing the gun at Strange. It was Hitler’s gun.

“I thought you were one of the good guys,” he spat. The tears were rolling down his cheeks freely.

“Good and Evil are but two sides of the coin Jack. I am the edge, I am the balance and thin line between the two.” Strange’s hand was out in an attempt to coax Jack and calm him down. “I am the balance of this universe, the Sorcerer Supreme for all my power is a set of scales… I protect this universe, I protect it from all outside forces both good and evil, anything which does not belong. That being… their kind were from outside of our multiverse… they did not belong!”

Jack tailed Strange with his gun, his mind was racing.

“We were not ready! They did not belong! Despite how much good they could have done or their best intentions they did not belong and we were not ready for them… what I did was neither good nor evil it was just my job! I wish there was another way.”

Jack stared at Strange and lowered his gun, the tears flowed from his face freely as he tilted his head down. Strange looked at him and the gun, he knew it would be safe with Jack for the meanwhile. Strange turned and exited the door behind them.

Wong almost spilled through the door as it opened, he was silent as he regarded Doctor Strange’s state. There was time for questions later and he knew this, now was the time to leave.

Strange stopped at the base of the steps and looked up at the building, with a few motions he sealed the rift between this dimension and wherever the creature had came from.

He climbed slowly into the back seat of his car, Wong closed the door and then climbed into the front. Doctor Strange looked up at the building and then slowly wiped a tear form his face, he thought about the good which the creature could have done. “It was just my job! I wish there was another way!”

Strange ran the words over in his head and they rang true.

“It was just my job! I wish there was another way!”