Doctor Strange #16

"For those about to die part 4"



"Dormammu?" asked Shadak "didn't you tell me that he is your greatest enemy?"

Strange nodded at this as he spoke "indeed, Dormammu's goal is no less then the entire subjugation of every realm in the universe. I fear for the safety of all mankind if we do not put an end to his machinations".

Shadak then looked to Strange as he spoke "sadly since he seems to know we are coming I don't know how we are going to stop his demon horde".

"With skill and a lot of luck" said Strange with a smile.

The followed the path even further down and could see that the doors to the fortress had been opened.

"It would seem that we are expected" said Strange as they continued walking.

Shadak looked to Strange before he spoke "I suppose he's not inviting us in for tea and crumpets".

"Good assessment" said Strange with a chuckle as they approached the fortress.

The fortress was dark and ominous and made Shadak cringe a little as they came up to it's vast set of doors.

"I somehow feel as if we've walked into a Boris Karloff movie" said Shadak.

Strange looked to Shadak "once again, good assessment my friend".

They both took a look around at the inside of this fortress, Dormammu certianly had a taste for the macabre and it certainly had shown in all the torture devices and darkly colored draperies that littered the whole of the fortess.

Shadak and Strange then heard the voice of Dormammu again "welcome my friends, I want you both to look at what will be your funeral pyres, for the two of you will not be leaving here today, well at least not in the way you would like to".

"Do not count yourself victorious yet" said Doctor Strange "remember that while life endures there is always hope".

"Lovely pathos Strange my friend, however I have a demon horde at my command and last I counted you only have your friend Shadak at your side, what could the two of you possibly hope to accomplish here?" said Dormammu with a laugh.

"Much can be accomplished with the conviction of a good heart and the cause of rightousness" said Strange.

Dormammu then laughed again as he spoke "let us see what these traits avail you, I will await your coming in my throne room".

And with that Dormammu's voice faded and was soon no more.

Strange looked to Shadak "I fear that I may have lead you into something we may not return from".

Shadak smiled at Strange as he spoke "no worries doc, I came of my own free will and as I see it we aren't beaten yet, Dormammu's arrogance is his weakness and I'm positive you and I will find a way to use that to our advantage".

Strange nodded at this "still it will be difficult, are you sure you want to continue? I can return you to the world of the living".

Shadak shook his head "doc, I'm in this for the long haul, you've helped me in the past and now I get to help you, it's what friends do".

Strange smiled "yes a friend" he thought to himself. There were not many people Strange could call friend however Shadak was someone upon whom Strange could rely.

Strange and Shadak walked up a flight of stone steps which lead up the tower of the fortress, they both figured this was were Dormammu's throne room would be located as it suited his egotistic need to stand atop everything and everyone.

"So do you have a plan?" asked Shadak to Strange.

"Still thinking on it" said Strange "I'm making this up as I go".

Shadak then smiled at this "that my friend is my favorite type of planning" he said with a laugh.

A quiet sort of chanting was heard by Strange and Shadak as they kept moving up the tower. A chanting which seemed to grow louder as they went up. Strange figured this must be the followers of Dormammu using an ancient rite in order to bring the demons into the realm of the living so that they would be able to possess the bodies of any unsuspecting victim they choosed.

Shadak then looked to Strange "I do not like the sound of that" he said as they neared the top.

Strange then looked back to Shadak as he spoke "nor do I as I fear the hour of mankind's suffering may be upon us even sooner then we thought".

Shadak smiled and looked back at Strange as he spoke "doctor don't get all gloom and doom on me now, your the one who's supposed to be giving me hope".

Both of them then reached the top of the tower and found themselves in a vast room with many a shrine dedicated to Dormammu.

"If we didn't know where we were going well then I'd say we've got one huge tip off now" said Shadak with a chuckle.

"Welcome to what is the scene of your demise" came the voice of Dormammu.

"For you see" said Dormammu "once I have dispatched the two of you there will be nothing to stand in my way, and the earth will belong to me and my hordes".

Both Strange and Shadak stood fast as they looked around for any sign of the Dread Dormammu.

Then suddenly without warning Dormammu appeared in a circle of flame at the far end of the room "over here my eager heroes" he said with a smile.

Strange glared at Dormammu as both Shadak and Strange started to move forward.

"Don't look so angry Strange, once I have complete control over all the earth no one need worry about their boring tedious lives as they will all be hosts to my demons, that should be considered an honor" said Dormammu with a sinister laugh.

Strange and Shadak looked in horror as many of Dormammu's demon's started to come out from a flaming portal and suddenly they were both surrounded by hundreds of them.

"You should take heart Strange" said Dormammu "you two will be the first to be blessed with destruction at the hands of my legions of the damned".

TO BE CONTINUED