The Tower was quiet the kind of stillness that hummed just beneath the surface, alive with hidden motion.
In the med bay, Vision stood sentinel beside the Casket of Ancient Winters. For two hours he did not move, his gaze steady, golden light reflecting off frost. Loki's vitals held firm slow, steady, suspended between life and something older.
When Vision was certain the Casket had taken over the healing process, he finally stepped back. "Maintain full lockdown," he instructed softly.
"Confirmed, Vision," Friday replied.
He lingered a moment longer, watching the pulse of soft blue light through the crystalline shell. "Rest well, Sliver Tongue," he murmured. "You've earned some truth."
Then he phased upward, leaving the med bay in silence.
Stephen Wakes
Six hours later, Stephen Strange woke in the guest suite of Tony Stark's penthouse. For a few seconds, disorientation gripped him, the silence instead of wind through monastery courtyards, the faint warmth of air conditioner instead of Kamar-Taj dawn.
"Good morning, Doctor," Friday greeted gently. "You're in Sir's private penthouse. You've slept six hours and fourteen minutes. That's impressive, given the circumstances."
Strange exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Status?"
"Loki remains stable within the Casket," she answered. "Healing continues. No external fluctuations detected. Temperature normalized. Sir is still asleep."
"How long?"
"Almost nine hours. If he passes fifteen, he'll beat his personal best."
A ghost of a smile touched Strange's lips. "Then let's keep things quiet let's not ruin his streak."
He stood, smoothing his robes. "I'll check on our patient."
The med bay's light dimmed as he entered, the containment field casting long golden shadows across steel and frost. The Casket pulsed steadily in the center, a slow, patient rhythm.
Strange circled it, scanning with both instruments and magic. Each pulse of blue energy corresponded to a faint shimmer in Loki's vitals heart rate, neural flicker, restorative surges.
"He's healing," Strange murmured, half to himself. "Slowly, but deliberately. The Casket's doing what I hoped it would be reinforcing his Jotunn structure, mending the fractures left by Odin's suppression."
Friday's voice chimed softly through the intercom. "Should I log that as a recovery prognosis, Doctor?"
"Yes," he replied. "Estimated… undetermined. But tell Stark when he wakes that Loki's holding his own."
"Understood."
Strange rested a hand lightly against the containment barrier, closing his eyes briefly. "Hang in there, Loki. You're not done yet."
The Casket pulsed once faint but distinct as if in response.
Strange inclined his head slightly. "Noted."
Then he turned and made his way back upstairs.
The Scholar at Work
Back in the penthouse Stephen informed Friday that he was leaving then immediate portaled away.
Moments later, a portal in Tony's living room flared open and Stephen stepped through, arms full of books. Dozens of them hovered behind him in neat orbit, glowing faintly in the tower's low light.
Friday's holographic form appeared beside the couch, hands folded politely. "Welcome back, Doctor. Shall I clear a room for your study?"
"Here's fine," he said, setting the tomes in a wide circle on the floor. "Easier for your boss to find when he wakes."
He sat cross-legged, the books opening themselves one by one. Golden sigils bloomed above the pages like translucent diagrams. His fingers moved through the air, shaping rune formations that flickered and dissolved as he studied them.
Friday watched in silence for several minutes before curiosity got the better of her. "Doctor… what are you doing?"
"Testing a theory," he replied without looking up. "Trying to refine a warding seal for dual-realm energy stabilization. These are only projections no power, just structure. Safer this way."
"So, you're… drawing spell equations," she summarized.
He smiled faintly. "Exactly. The magical equivalent of sketching a formula before you build the product."
Friday sounded genuinely intrigued. "Fascinating. If you'd let me, I could map the patterns for comparison later."
"That would be fine," he said warmly. "You have quite the curious mind, Friday."
"Thank you, Doctor," she replied. "I learn from the best."
Her tone held a fondness that made Dr. Strange glance toward the hallway where Tony Stark still slept, finally at peace.
Strange exhaled, a quiet smile ghosting across his face. "Yes," he murmured. "You really do."
The Tower settled again into its rhythm: Tony sleeping deeper than he had in months and Dr. Strange surrounded by ancient knowledge.