This scene doesn't need any further explanation; everyone knows it's the famous "Doctor Strange hand-breaking incident". Unexpectedly, even the Dream Power Doctor Strange, such a powerful presence, still faces nightmares just like any other Doctor Strange.
But it's actually not so bad, Shiller thought, because if Dream Power Doctor Strange's nightmare were about the Ancient One dying, they might have to fight the Eye Demon. Although Arkham Batman is pretty strong, facing those two old timers who work so well together would be more complicated than saving Doctor Strange at the time of the car crash.
As soon as the car stops, they rush towards it. But on the other side, Erik and Charles also head for the car immediately.
Both groups charge from different directions, and Arkham Batman's side happens to reach the driver's seat. But before even getting there, just from the damage to the car, it's clear that, even aside from the hands, getting him out alive would be a medical miracle.
The car must have crashed head-on with a large vehicle and spun around a few times before hitting a guardrail. Now both A-pillars have broken, and the B-pillar on Strange's side is also broken, compressing the driver's space to barely accommodate half a person.
Arkham Batman stands silent and speechless before the driving seat. He begins to ponder if the Marvel side's world possesses some unknown medical knowledge, otherwise how on earth did Doctor Strange survive in such a condition?
And it is said that after his recovery, he could seek further treatment around the Himalayas. What, does he have a titanium alloy in his lungs? Or did he insert a reactor into his chest?
"Don't just stand there," Shiller said, "Let's save him first."
Arkham Batman definitely knows to save him first, but the problem is that from the looks of this accident, it seems beyond salvation. Even if they manage to extract him, it might just be a heap of parts, for there is visibly no space to house a living person in the cabin. He fears that if he opens the car door, Doctor Strange might appear in a dismantled form, thus leaving him no choice but to take him piece by piece.
But no choice, as they are in a race right now, Charles and Erik have already come around. Arkham Batman has to put his mind to it and stick his hand into the barely existing window slit, pulling hard outward. With a creak, the car door is pulled open.
Then he realizes, Doctor Strange's luck isn't just good. This guy seems to have fallen onto the passenger seat during the first impact and most importantly, his upper body ended up in the space under the passenger seat.
If we're going by this position, then his legs couldn't be saved. But somehow, the airbag, which should have deployed during the first impact, seemed to have deployed only after he fell, successfully protecting his legs.
His chest and head were protected by the vehicle's lower part, and his legs were protected by the airbags, leaving only his hands unprotected, leading to severe injuries, visible as comminuted fractures.
Glancing at it, Shiller probably figured it out; Doctor Strange was likely not wearing a seat belt when driving, and the car's airbag malfunctioned, not deploying at the first moment of impact but rather after a pause. This caused him to tumble sideways, dive under the passenger seat, and the airbag deployed, pinning his legs, with the front seat pressing him like a hotdog sausage.
This odd posture considerably complicated the rescue effort, making it clear that pulling him out wasn't enough. Arkham Batman wanted to use the cutting tools from his battle armor to cut the car's top open, but who could outdo Magneto in handling metal?
The nightmare didn't limit the use of abilities, just disallowed intense power collisions, so when Erik lightly lifted his hand, the car unfolded like it was inflated, almost instantly returning to its original state. The upper part opened like a door, and Doctor Strange floated out.
This should be the time to call an ambulance, but the problem is, they already know that after being sent to the hospital, Doctor Strange couldn't save his hands, which is the root of his nightmare. Sending him to the hospital now wouldn't change the fact that his hands can't be healed, and he likely wouldn't heed either side.
In the previous three dreams, the protagonists were children, but that's different for Strange. He's an adult and was once adored as the "Hand of God". It's completely imaginable how furious he would become after knowing his hands were broken, a level of madness that even Charles couldn't resolve. So the key issue remains the hands.
Once Doctor Strange was placed on the ground, Arkham Batman hurried forward to check his arm situation. Seeing it, he understood it was a series of comminuted fractures, where an area repeatedly fractured multiple times, compressing the bones of a region into powder.
He began to wonder if there's another miracle doctor in Marvel, perhaps "God's Elbow" or something. Otherwise, who performed the surgery allowing such arms only minor hindrance, hardly affecting normal life? By his medical knowledge, even if Hippocrates came today, those arms would need amputation.
"How is it?" Shiller asked. He indeed doesn't know much about orthopedic surgery; he can tell it's severe, but not how severe.
Arkham Batman shook his head, utterly clueless where to start. He approached, placing his hand on Doctor Strange's arm, with a glimmer of magic light flashing in his eyes. He wished to use his magic ability to restore Doctor Strange's arm but found it utterly impossible.
His magic power couldn't sense anything there; let alone repairing bones and flesh, he couldn't even feel Doctor Strange's soul. This situation was extremely peculiar, and Arkham Batman was momentarily at a loss.
But Charles, who was standing beside and staring intently at Arkham Batman, seemed to have thought of something. He glanced at Erik. Erik said, "If you can't do anything, I'll just take him to the hospital."
Constantine also stepped forward to check Doctor Strange's condition. He had many clever little gadgets there, which might come in handy. But after his examination, he found he had no solution either. Since they were helpless on this side, they could only leave it to the other side. After all, if this round doesn't conclude with a victory or defeat, they can't proceed to the next dream, and they can't waste time here together.
Erik directly took Doctor Strange to the hospital. Thanks to Charles's abilities, Doctor Strange floated in through the air, and no one had any objections.
Shiller had been contemplating all the way. When he saw Doctor Strange enter the hospital, he somewhat understood and then said, "I'm afraid we're destined to lose this round."
Arkham Batman looked at him, and Shiller said, "Think about it. They have three people, and we have four. In a best-of-seven contest, this is quite unfair. Because rescuing the protagonist in a nightmare depends on the understanding of the protagonist and the nightmare environment. Naturally, the more informed teammates, the better. We outnumber them, which is inherently unfair."
"But they proposed it," Arkham Batman said. "So, you think there are some hidden rules favorable to them."
"Yes, for example, they might have a guaranteed win, meaning they are assured at least one point, which makes things fairer."
"So this round is their guarantee?"
Shiller nodded and said, "The matter of Doctor Strange's broken hand reeks of coincidence everywhere. First of all, from the appearance of the car, it's evident that the cockpit was severely hit, likely by a large truck. How could a sedan withstand a large truck, no matter how sturdy?"
Everyone looked at Jack. Jack shook his head and said, "How could it be? The only thing that could withstand a large truck might be the Batmobile. In our universe, there's no Batmobile. I've never met a match on the road when driving."
"Exactly," Shiller said. "For such severe impact, his head was unscathed and happened to be bumped under the passenger seat. Isn't that very strange?"
"And the airbag, it just deployed a second or two late, not only giving him time to crawl under the seat but also conveniently protecting his legs. If it were a broken leg instead, that would have been a big problem."
Arkham Batman naturally understood that without the airbag's protection, the blood loss from the femoral artery alone could have ended Doctor Strange's life in a very short time. Even during the car's spin, he might've already lost too much blood.
"Do you think someone might have intervened in the accident?" Constantine asked.
Shiller nodded and then gave more examples. He said, "His behavior after recovery was also abnormal. How many normal people would, after experiencing such a major accident, knowing their body might not have recovered, still go to Tibet? Many places there don't even have public transportation; you have to drive. Wouldn't he have psychological shadows?"
In this way, the matter of Doctor Strange indeed seemed bizarre everywhere. One part was how coincidentally the accident occurred, and the other was his abnormal actions after the accident.
Stephen Strange is an American. Wanting to go to Tibet, apart from having to apply for a visa, requires many documents, which is a hassle. Secondly, after entering Tibet, he certainly can't go on foot throughout; he must take some transport, and all these require documentation. Moreover, neither planes nor trains can reach the foot of the Himalayan Mountains. To get there, he either drives himself or walks. His physique absolutely couldn't allow for trekking in the Tibetan area, and cycling would be hard, so driving is his only option.
There are roads there, but they are not in good condition. To truly reach the foot of the mountains, there's a very difficult path. If the timing is bad, you might spend three days driving and two and a half days pushing the car. Could an American, who just had major surgery and ventured into a foreign country alone, do this single-handedly? If it were that easy, the area wouldn't be a no man's land.
Moreover, Shiller knew more—from Doctor Strange's age, when he entered Tibet, China was still not that open, and Tibet was even more closed. If he came a few years earlier, he would have needed a recommendation letter. During that era, a foreigner planning to venture into China's interior would be lucky not to be arrested, let alone come and go as they please?
"Then who directed this accident?" Constantine asked, somewhat puzzled. "Although he is a doctor, he's quite brilliant. It shouldn't be to the extent of offending someone to this level, right?"
"I fear the person who orchestrated this accident isn't someone he offended. Quite the opposite, they are someone who saved him."