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Strange is unusually quiet when Tony gets back to the lab after his meeting with R&D. Normally he has all kinds of thoughts about what SI is working on, even if it hasn’t triggered any memories. He doesn’t know much about engineering—they’ve established that—but he’s extremely intelligent. This time he’s silent.
“Strange?” Tony asks after a couple of minutes.
There’s no response. Tony can’t help a chill. Could Strange… Fade? Die? Whatever happens to a cursed amulet of uncertain origin.
Tony swallows the sudden fear. “You still there?”
“Yes,” Strange says, subdued.
Relief rushes through Tony. “You’re awfully quiet.” Strange doesn’t answer right away. “Something wrong?” Tony prods.
“Leave it,” Strange snaps.
“Hey, I’m trying to help,” Tony protests.
“Leave it.”
“If you remembered something–”
“I used to be human,” Strange shouts, and there’s agony in his voice.
Tony’s mouth snaps shut. He’d suspected.
“You were talking to that engineer about brain implants and I knew how to do it,” Strange says. “Not the theory. Not the procedure. I knew how to perform that surgery physically. I’ve never experienced such a strong association before, I must have—” Strange’s voice chokes off.
I must have done it a hundred times, maybe.
Or I must have loved it.
“Neurosurgeons are a pretty small population,” Tony offers quietly. “We can probably identify you now.”
“Not yet,” Strange says. “I just… I need a minute.”
Tony lays a gentle hand over the amulet even though he knows Strange can’t feel it.