American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

"Frank, why are you here?" Doctor Stephen Strange looked at the intruding Punisher with some confusion. Though he was a bit puzzled, he waved his hand, letting the teapot automatically pour tea.

"We're not friends, we don't even have a similar interests. We should not have any intersection at all."

"I don't want to be your friend, Doc, but you really should spend some money on a TV—the outside world is completely out of control. Don't tell me you're unaware of it." The Punisher walked straight up to Doctor Strange, speaking harshly.

"The outside?" Doctor Strange asked, stunned, with a flash of confusion in his eyes. However, he quickly adjusted. "What are you talking about? Everything here is normal."

"Normal?!" Hearing this, the Punisher instantly lost his temper. He abruptly raised his gun, aiming at Doctor Strange's head. "Alright, I'm not a brain doctor, but I wouldn't mind being one, using this thing to fix your brain!"

The Punisher and Doctor Strange were old acquaintances, having handled many cases together. Back when the Punisher was active in the New York gang wars, he had encountered all sorts of demons.

Those gangsters, fighting for territory, didn't care about science. As long as it brought powerful strength, they dared to touch any taboo. Because of this, Doctor Strange, who dealt with various supernatural events, had quite a few encounters with the heroes of Hell's Kitchen, including the Punisher. With his ruthless actions and decisiveness, the Punisher left a deep impression on Doctor Strange.

"Calm down, calm down, Frank. You're confusing me. I'm a doctor; I need to see the patient to make a reasonable diagnosis. I still don't know what we're dealing with." Doctor Strange raised his hands, signaling the Punisher to relax a bit.

Seeing Stephen's current state, the Punisher's heart sank to the bottom. But fortunately, things hadn't reached the most difficult point yet. After a moment's pause, the Punisher withdrew his gun, speaking coldly. "If you want to see the patient, then you'd better look in the mirror. You're already terminally ill, Stephen."

Hearing this, Doctor Strange's gaze immediately froze.

"How bad is it?" Putting away his usual nonchalance, Doctor Strange's expression became serious.

"Worse than ever. We've lost too many people." The Punisher sighed deeply, his burly figure reflected in the candlelight, appearing incredibly desolate. "The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and those spider people—half of the heroes have already fallen."

"How is that possible?!" Doctor Strange suddenly stood up, scrutinizing the Punisher before speaking uncertainly. "Wait, are you sure you didn't come back from some apocalyptic future?"

"I told you, you should look in the mirror, Doc." The Punisher took out his phone, pulled up the latest news, and slapped it in front of Doctor Strange.

"Take a good look. Look at these."

Bang!

The Punisher, holding a submachine gun, kicked open the door of the Sanctum Sanctorum. The loud noise echoed in the hall, causing Doctor Strange to pause his reading.

"Frank, a rare guest indeed. How do you have time to come here?" Doctor Strange put down his magic book, slowly turning to look at the Punisher at the door.

Throwing the book casually on the table, Doctor Strange kept his gaze fixed on the angry Punisher.

"Frank, why are you here?"

Though puzzled, Doctor Strange still raised his hand. Immediately, the teapot on the table floated up, filling the cup with tea.

Suddenly!

Doctor Strange's hand stopped in mid-air. His eyelids twitched involuntarily, a flash of confusion in his cloudy eyes.

"Doc, you really should spend some money on a TV. The outside world is completely out of control. Don't tell me you're unaware of it!" The Punisher's interruption didn't affect Doctor Strange. He strode up to Doctor Strange, speaking harshly.

Doctor Strange ignored the Punisher's words, seeming to enter another world, his spirit somewhat dazed.

Seeing Doctor Strange like this, the Punisher became even more furious. He directly pushed Doctor Strange's shoulder, speaking. "I'm talking to you, Stephen, do you hear—"

The Punisher swallowed the rest of his words because he found Doctor Strange's body had no strength, collapsing directly onto the sofa. This startled the Punisher.

"Hey, are you okay?" Frowning, the Punisher raised his gun, aiming it straight at Doctor Strange's head.

The atmosphere around them instantly fell silent, the entire Sanctum Sanctorum as still as death.

After an unknown amount of time, Doctor Strange's eyes regained clarity, the layer of muddiness gone. He slowly raised his head, looking heavily at the Punisher.

"What's wrong with you?" The Punisher still held his gun aimed.

"I just looked in the mirror." Doctor Strange's mouth moved, saying an inexplicable sentence.

But the Punisher frowned. He didn't understand what Strange's words meant, nor what Strange was trying to convey. But he knew that when this old mystic started speaking in riddles, it meant things were seriously wrong.

"How bad is it?" The Punisher's face turned serious.

"Worse than ever." Doctor Strange stood up, his mind fully clear. He also sensed something subtly altering his reason and perception.

"It seems I don't need to blow up your brain. That's good news; I don't want to lose another friend." The Punisher lowered his gun, though still pointing it in Doctor Strange's direction.

Doctor Strange, however, showed a bitter smile. "Things are different now, Frank. Since we last met, my control over magic has greatly diminished. Magic is a complex thing; I can't perceive those magical dimensions anymore."

"So? Without those magical dimensions, the great Sorcerer Supreme can't use magic?" The Punisher spoke coldly.

"Not entirely. My abilities just can't handle high-level magic anymore. Even if magic exists, it should remain in artifacts." Doctor Strange's face was somber. After a moment of silence, he muttered. "If not, I wouldn't have been completely unaware of that force's invasion."

Seeing the desolate Doctor Strange, the Punisher clenched his fists tightly. He might not understand magic, but he knew Stephen Strange well. It was hard to imagine this arrogant, obsessive, highly controlling guy showing such an expression. This expression made the Punisher extremely angry. Watching Doctor Strange, who had hidden himself in the shadows, the Punisher felt this guy had a problem with his thoughts.

"Stephen Strange, known as the master of magic, the famous Sorcerer Supreme, who has fought Dormammu multiple times, defeated Dracula and destroyed the entire vampire race, crossed hell several times, and witnessed the emergence and rebirth of reality at the river of life."

The Punisher loudly recounted Doctor Strange's past achievements. "What, all the bragging you did before doesn't count now? Stephen! Don't tell me I found the wrong person!"

"You didn't find the wrong person."

Doctor Strange spoke up. "But to solve this problem, we have to be prepared to burn our bridges."

Saying this, Doctor Strange went to the bookshelf, returned the magic book to its original place, and then, to the Punisher's astonishment, took down a huge axe from the wall.

"You. You prepared an axe?" The Punisher was stunned.

"Any problem with that?" Doctor Strange turned his head.

"None at all."

The Punisher's mouth curled into a grim smile.

"I also think a 'flying carpet' or a 'staff' won't solve this problem."

...….

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