xp_logs | Doug and Doctor Strange

Backdated to Tuesday night. Immediately after getting stitched up and let out of the Medlab upon returning from Asgard, Doug runs into Doctor Strange. Strange siphons off most of the power buzzing through Doug, and Doug tentatively asks if there's something he can do with the rest. They settle on levitation, and head up to the flyer's platform a little later. Doug is a bit emotional, Strange is rather boyish, and a good time is had by all.

Doug rubbed a hand over the scar on his chest and giggled slightly. If he wasn't feeling so _good_, he'd probably be worried about the fact that he couldn't stop giggling. It was almost like he was drunk. Except that was silly, because he hadn't had anything to drink since at least the night before...he wandered slowly out of the Medlab, wondering where his parents and Angie were. Doc McCoy had looked worried, but some stitches and a short transfusion, along with a promise to take it easy for a little while, had been all that were really required.

Doug didn't manage to wander far before he encountered a tall, bookish looking man with dark hair. The man was neatly dressed in a dark grey suit, and he looked down at the giggling boy with a mixture of amusement and concern. "You must be Douglas," he said evenly. "And I believe you have something that doesn't belong to you."

Another giggle escaped from Doug's lips at the raised eyebrow the man was giving him. He'd heard about this guy, if he could just concentrate enough to remember...oh, that's right! His face brightened with a smile. "Doctor Strange, right? Amanda's talked about you."

"That would be me," Strange replied, taking Doug's arm firmly but gently and steering him towards what looked like an empty examination room. "I'm a magic user too. I'm here to help you, if you'll consent."

Somewhere in the back of his head, Doug had become increasingly worried by what the levels of magic in his body might be doing. He hoped that Doctor Strange could recognize that, past all of the uncontrollable giggling and such. He allowed himself to be directed towards the examanation room.

"It's a rush, isn't it? The magic, I mean." Strange smiled, and Doug couldn't imagine this extremely tightly-buttoned professor type ever having anything close to what he was feeling now, but he nodded any way. "Especially in the untrained. And I think Amanda may have given you a little more than required. More than enough, in fact, judging from your current state." He indicated Doug should sit down on the exam table.

Doug stifled a giggle, which came out as a sort of half-snicker. "Didn't really know how much power I'd need for the spell, so she probably erred on the side of too much. Plus, seemed like there was a lot of magical energy in Asgard to absorb," Doug said, pleased that he'd managed to concentrate his thought processes enough to carry on a conversation without wandering off into 'ooh, shiny!' land.

"Don't worry, she's not in trouble. Far from it." Strange looked at the slightly-vibrating young man before him and shook his head. "And now I think it would be best to remove what's left, before you start chasing imaginary butterflies or something." He lay his hand on Doug's head, closing his eyes and concentrating. "This may feel a trifle odd," he murmured, lifting his hand away. A stream of brightly-coloured, sparkling energy followed his hand, pouring out of Doug and collecting on Strange's upturned hand until he had a roughly spherical mass the size of a softball. "There, that should be an improvement, I think, although you may feel some fatigue."

'Some fatigue' was a bit of an understatement. Doug suddenly felt every bump and bruise he had taken in the past few weeks in Asgard, and he was especially aware of the throbbing scar over his heart. Leaning back heavily on his hands, he heaved a ragged sigh. "Just a bit, yeah. Though at least I can hold a conversation without having a fit of the giggles or going all ADD now," he said. "So it kinda balances out, I think." He paused for a moment. "Still feeling a little bit of a buzz, though," he said.

"You will, for several days. Besides the levels of magic you were given, the spell itself seems to have been quite a powerful one." Strange gave Doug a keen look, checking him over both physically and mystically. His energies were still all over the place, and would be for a while. "It's an experience, feeling that kind of power."

Doug nodded slowly. "It was almost impossible to concentrate," he said. "Even more so than when I was having my problem with the cicadas, it was so hard to stay focused. But everyone was counting on me, and I'm just glad we all got home safe," he finished.

"The concentration is where the training comes in - channelling the power is simple, relatively speaking, but it's not letting it carry you away and focussing on the task at hand that's important." Strange patted him on the shoulder with the hand that wasn't full of glowy ball of energy. "Amanda has to work twice as hard at that part, since her mutation makes the rest far too easy. Still, you did well, both of you. Ms Wisdom and I are proud, to say the least - we were another week away from finding a way to bring you all back."

Doug winced, doing math in his head. "Doc McCoy told me about the time dilation effect. Would have been _another_ four months for us, and not all of us were in the best situations, from what I've heard everyone talk about." Granted, Doug had more than enjoyed his life as a skald, but it was very good to be back in familiar surroundings.

"Yes, and believe me, no-one regrets that more than I do," Strange said, genuine sorrow in his voice. "Loki did his best to keep you from us. But he didn't reckon on the resourcefulness of his 'victims'."

Doug grinned, a bit more naturally this time. "That he didn't," he responded. "So, will the remaining magical energy dissipate, or am I going to need to do something to get rid of it?" he asked, curious.

"No need to do anything - you'll feel slightly odd for a few days, but it should wear off without any ill-effects." Strange pondered the energy resting in his hand. "Actually, I believe I might have a use for this. Will you excuse me? I need to go see Ms Wisdom. And I'm sure you have family members who would be more than pleased to see you in one piece."

Doug looked rather disappointed. "You mean I can't do anything with it?" he asked. "I know it's not much power left, but maybe a little conjuration or something? Make a rose out of thin air for Angie or something, maybe..." he trailed off, then got a slightly nervous look on his face. "What about levitation? I know Amanda used a spell to be able to do that once. I've always wanted to be able to fly," he admitted quietly. "I've always been kind of jealous of Sam and Warren. I know it's probably not enough power left to actually fly, but..." he shrugged, his expression a mixture of hope and worry.

Strange paused in the act of leaving, an almost sympathetic expression crossing his face. "Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt, and it would burn the magic out of your system faster," he began. He gave Doug a conspiratorial wink. "I was the same, when I started. Come by the guest room they've given me in an hour or two, and I'll have the spell for you."

Doug heaved a sigh of relief at the sympathetic expression, and nodded seriously. "Will do," he said.

***

An hour later there was a soft, almost nervous tap at the door. Strange looked up, an uncharacteristically boyish grin on his face as he finished transcribing a basic levitation spell from one of the books he'd brought with him. "Come in, Doug," he called.

Doug had pretty much done nothing but fidget during the short amount of time that he had spent with his parents, constantly checking the time. He'd come up a bit early, but had ridden tight herd on his eagerness and waited until exactly an hour had passed before knocking on the door. He entered slowly, hands stuffed in his pockets and a hesitant expression on his face.

Strange rose to meet him. "I believe there's a flyer's platform, or something of the like?" he asked. "Wouldn't do to have you bumping your head on the ceiling now, would it?"

Doug grinned more naturally. "Yeah, and I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be using it." He waited for Strange to gather a few things and close the door behind him, then quickly led him to the platform.

It was a wonderfully balmy summer's evening, and Strange seemed far more relaxed up here than he had been in days. "Here's the spell," he said, giving Doug the piece of paper. He held up a hand as Doug seized it eagerly. "First things first. Magic wouldn't be magic without the funny-smelling herbs." He reached into his suit jacket pocket, pulling out a small plastic baggie of inderminate herbal bits crushed together. "Think of it as pixie-dust," he said, sprinkling a good couple of pinches over Doug's head.

"Peter Pan I'm not," Doug said. "And I, for one, am very glad that all of the Lost Boys and Girls, myself included, found our way home again." He smiled and read the piece of paper several times, fixing the pronunciation in his mind. He knew from a little bit of talking to Amanda that a mispronounced word could have drastic consequences on a spell. Then, when he was ready, he slowly began to incant. Finishing the spell, he opened his eyes slowly. "Don't feel different," he said slowly, then looked down at his feet. Which were several inches off the ground.

Strange chuckled at Doug's expression. "If it wasn't for the fact you have no innate magical ability of your own, I'd be tempted to take you on as an apprentice," he said. "Concentrate on lifting higher, and you will. I won't let anything happen to you."

Doug grinned, and with an expression of concentration, began to float slowly higher. A few tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes and the grin got a little shaky, but it was obvious he was still extremely happy. "Today has been the best day of my life," he said solemnly. "And I'm never complaining about having the most passive power in the mansion and feeling useless every again."

"Words are the most powerful thing out there," Strange told him seriously. "And you're far from useless. Now, how about something a little more acrobatic?"

"As long as you're sure I won't run out of juice in midair," Doug replied. "What'd you have in mind?"

"I'd catch you if you did," Strange replied. His expression became almost youthfully gleeful. "How about some loops?"

Doug's expression was one of awe at being able to do the thing he had always wanted to most. He began to understand the joy Warren, Marie, and Sam derived from flying. Concentrating, Doug moved forward slowly, then picked up a bit of speed and attempted a very wobbly loop-the-loop.

"Excellent," Strange said, watching Dog's progress and keeping an eye on his power levels. Another few minutes' worth...

Those few minutes passed in what seemed to be the blink of an eye. At Strange's direction, Doug came in for a landing, stumbling a bit, but recovering quickly. His eyes shone and his smile was wide. "Thank you so much, Doctor Strange. That was...amazing," he said lamely, not sure he could find words for what he was feeling.

"A pleasure, Douglas," Strange replied. He repressed the ure to pat Doug on the shoulder, reminding himself he was merely a guest here. "And a suitable reward for what you did, I believe."

Doug nodded. "I can't wait to tell everyone," he said. With an uncharacteristic hurry, he shook Doctor Strange's hand and went pelting toward the stairs, practically skipping in joy.