Stark retracted his mecha and sat across from Strange, leaning back in his chair, one hand resting on the edge of the table. He said, "Maybe he will not truly go mad, nor will he plunge this cosmos into serious danger, because we and this world are his precious treasures. Nevertheless, this doesn't mean that he won't suffer."
"Shiller's intense desire for emotions masks this pain, but I maintain that allowing his mental state to continue to evolve serves no good purpose."
Upon saying these words, Stark sighed, "I always feel powerless when facing Shiller."
"Every failure only heightens my anxiety since I can clearly see my patience being worn down. This means that someday I will give up, but I can't give up on healing Shiller."
Strange just sat across the desk in silence, showing no expression that Stark could discern. Stark did not know if this was an attention deficit symptom that people with Asperger's syndrome exhibit in social interactions.
"I will resolve this," Strange stood up in a gesture of dismissal. Stark sat there gazing up at him, then shook his head after a while.
Stark felt that Strange did not truly understand him, and a wave of pessimistic emotions started to well up in Stark's heart.
Of course, he knew that Strange had the power to prevent Shiller from going mad. Even if he did not succeed, Strange, like him, could travel to the Land of Death and trade other things for Shiller's soul.
But what about next time? Or the time after that? Could everybody prevent Shiller from failing or recover what he had lost, just like Stark and Strange? Did everybody have the patience to save Shiller?
Or to put bluntly, was it even possible?
After a long time, Stark once again felt the tide of irrepressible anxiety drowning him. He felt like he was drifting in the vast ocean, knowing that there is no ship coming to rescue him. But still, he did not want to let this feeling go. He felt that his struggle was all in vain, and he could do nothing about it.
Until Stark left Strange's office, he did not see any emotion on Strange's face. He thought that not everyone was as obsessively concerned as he was.
Most people, including Shiller himself, thought Shiller was doing well, while Stark saw himself as a madman, constantly playing the loathed role obstructing this seemingly smooth path.
After Stark left, Strange still didn't say anything. He just took out his phone and dialed a number, saying,
"Hello, Shiller? I have selected a suitable liver donor. The conditions are quite good. The surgery will probably take place next week. But I am feeling a bit nervous right now. Can I come over to your place?... Okay, I'll see you tonight."
Strange didn't immediately rush to meet Shiller. He first prepared everything for the liver transplant, then met with the head nurse to confirm the schedule for the day of the operation. He even performed two minor surgeries in place of his absent colleague. Not until it was completely dark outside did he finally drive to Arkham Sanatorium.
It seemed that Shiller had just finished dinner. He invited Strange to sit on the single couch in his office, as usual, and brought a pile of psychological assessment surveys. He picked one out and gave it to Strange, saying: "Let's do a stress test first."
Without a word, Strange began to complete the survey. After he finished, Shiller took back the sheet, glanced over it and said, "Mild symptoms of anxiety induced by the stress environment, no big deal."
Next, Shiller observed Strange's eye movement, noticing that his gaze was slightly unfocused. Upon feeling the stiffness of Strange's arm muscles, Shiller frowned, "Your mental state might be affecting your nerve reflexes. It has the potential to affect your performance in the operating room."
"Tony came to see me today." Strange suddenly changed the subject and said, "He mentioned your intention to seek Death, trading your arm to ensure Victor's survival. My physical response is not from anxiety- it's from anger."
Leaning forward, Strange placed his arms on his knees and stared into Shiller's eyes, saying, "I want you to stop."
Shiller's movement paused as he was flipping through the surveys, he raised his head to look at Strange, then lowered his gaze again and asked, "Why?"
"Because you are questioning my surgical skill," Strange said earnestly, "You think the surgery will fail, but this is impossible. I make no mistakes in the operating room. Your safeguard is entirely unnecessary."
"I just hope to have an additional insurance." Shiller continued to flip through the papers in his hand and replied: "I hope you understand."
"I don't understand and I insist that you stop this immediately," Strange kept his gaze firmly fixed on Shiller's eyes.
"Ok then, I will cancel the deal tonight, I suppose..."
"I am not just referring to Victor's matter," Strange immediately cut him off, saying, "but all similar incidents. Those in which you treat us like helpless infants, doubt our capacities and take precautions for everything in advance-- stop all of these actions at once."
Shiller paused his actions. When he looked back at Strange, his normally calm gaze held a new coldness and anger, he replied while keeping his gaze fixed on Strange's eyes,
"You should know I'm helping..."
"But I am not Tony Stark." Strange retorted with his eyes locked onto Shiller's, "Your moral kidnapping does not work on me since I have no morality. I am not persuading you, but informing you; if you don't stop your actions, you will have to pay for them."
"Do you know what you're saying, Stephen Strange?" For the first time, Shiller called Strange by his full name. His tone started to build an icy chill he had never revealed to his friends.
"Of course," Standing up from the chair, Strange walked toward the door. Then he turned back to have a final look at Shiller and said,
"Stark can't cure you because he's weak, but I'm nothing like him. I won't hesitate to pay any price to achieve my goal. I am not bound by morality, so..."
Strange elongated the last syllable, standing straight at the door, slightly lifting his chin to say, "Feel free to give it a try, Shiller."