Doctor Strange #13

"For those about to die part 1"



Doctor Stephen Strange had spent the day caring for a woman who had come to him with fresh bruises and cuts. Marks that indicated to Strange that this woman was a victim of domestic abuse.

Doctor Strange looked to the woman "I will only ask you once as I do not want to bring up bad memories however has someone been doing this to you?"

The woman looked to Strange with tears in her eyes and he automatically knew that it was true. "I am so terribly sorry" he said to her "I can offer you protection if you need it, you can trust me".

She wiped the tears from her face before speaking "Oh Doctor it's my father, he used to be such a loving and decent man, however I have noticed these past few weeks that it's as if something else has taken the man. He acts as if he is a completely different person and I am at my wits end".

Doctor Strange then looked to her "Do not worry, I will help you, my assistant Wong will aid you and I will go and see if I can determine the cause of your fathers recent behavior".

"Please Doctor be careful, his strength is almost inhuman, I fear for your safety" the Woman said to him.

Strange looked to her "according to your chart you are Jenny Caston and your father is a Martin Caston, does your father live at the address you provided?"

Jenny nodded at Strange "please for your sake Doctor if he seems like he's getting violent I implore you to leave".

"Do not worry" said Strange "as I said I am only going there to gather the information that I require, I already have a feeling I may know the cause of your fathers behavior".

Strange then walked over to his new friend Shadak (*see issues 8 thru 12*) "do you have experience with demon possession?" he asked.

Shadak nodded "we do have a form of it where I am from"

"Good" said Strange "I'm going to need your skills on this one as if I fear is true it will take more then the might of one sorcerer to take care of this".

Shadak nodded "or as the saying goes two heads are better then one, am I right?"

"Exactly" laughed Strange.

Shadak then rubbed his chin "but demon possession Doctor, do you really believe something that sinister is afoot?"

"If what I believe is true, then we haven't a moment to lose" said Strange as they both made their way out of the Sanctum Sanctorum.

Strange felt an unusual sense of foreboding as they approached the address that he had read from the chart, it felt as if the home itself was telling all to stay away or be destroyed. This only confirmed to Strange that they needed to do something quickly.

"This place gives me the creeps" said Shadak as they approached the house.

"That is the intention of the creature inside, he wishes to feed on the fear of all those that come across his path" said Strange.

Shadak looked to Strange "So in other words he's some kind of fear eater?"

Strange nodded at this "most demons powers are made all the more potent by the fear they create in others".

They then made their way into the home and took a look around. Strange spotted an old man sitting quietly in the corner on a soft rocking chair. "Do I have the pleasure of addressing Martin Caston?" Strange asked.

The old man then turned around in the rocking chair and Strange could tell from the way his face looked that this man was no longer human as his face had become a twisted demonized version of itself.

"Martin Caston no longer occupies this vessel, in fact as of 5 minutes ago I Damaron am the sole occupant of this fleshly body" the old man said through his twisted and sharp teeth.

Strange and Shadak stood agast at the site before them. "It's just as a feared" said Strange "the demon has taken control of the old mans body and the only way to get him back to his old self is to find the spell that transformed him in the first place".

The demon then laughed at them both "HAHAHAHAHA you do not have the power required Doctor, you or your friend, for the power that was granted to me is beyond the reckoning of the both of you".

Strange looked to the demon "that remains to be seen, for you see in my experience nothing is impossible, if you do not have an answer it simply means you do not understand the question".

The demon once again laughed "HAHAHAHAHA go on, try in vain Doctor, it will be worth watching you waste away in the effort and then when your power is gone I shall enjoy taking the life from your body".

"No" said Shadak "as long as he has me our powers combined should be more than sufficiant".

The demon then stood and and smiled at them both "ah it is so great to feast on the power of the dilusional, for you two must be insane if you think you can defeat me or my master".

Strange then braced himself for an attack "you will not find Doctor Strange lacking this day, I am the protector of mankind from the dark forces such as you, I swear I will use every last bit of my strength to make sure you do not continue to plague them".

Shadak also took up a defensive stance "and you will not be alone Doctor for as long as I am able I will aid you in your noble quest".

The demon smiled "then both of you shall perish together" and with that the demon sent out a bolt of energy at both Strange and Shadak. It hit them both with a force that boggled the mind, however the both of them held fast and were able to block the attack combining their efforts to make a magical shield.

"You only waste your energy" said the demon "you may as well conform yourself to the death that awaits you".

"That is something I cannot do" said Strange "no matter what the obstacle I will stand as a pillar of all that is good in this world".

However both Strange and Shadak had no idea how much longer they could hold out for the amount of energy they were using to keep up the barrier was draining their power very quickly. And almost as if in answer to that question the barrier then began to break.

The demon then laughed "HAHAHAHAHAHA take one last look around, for it will be the last the two of you will see of this world".

Strange had to wonder if the demon was right as it seemed they would lose if they didn't think of something quick.

TO BE CONTINUED