An Imaginary Throne // Doctor Strange // Far From Home

Chapter Fourteen // so much for sticking the landing

"YOU'RE THE only one that can kill him."

Casey can't stop thinking of Eli's dying words as they move through the dilapidated warehouse When they had worked their way to the courtyard earlier- and scurried away the moment they noticed how many guards were on patrol outside -she'd seen the place was never a mansion at all. Everything she'd seen, everything she'd felt had been an illusion. With the addition of magic, BARF was practically infallible.

They move across the lobby, staying silent so they can focus on detecting any presence of magic nearby. They had been searching and hiding for nearly an hour yet Kaecilius refused to show himself.

"He could have left." Casey says, crossing her arms and coming to a stop by what looks like an empty pantry.

"No." Strange replies, sounding tired. When he realises she isn't following him, he grabs her hand and tugs her forward, "We need to keep moving."

"We're walking in circles. This is ridiculous. Kaecilius is...he's a showman. He's hardly subtle. If he were here, we would've found him by the noise alone or he would've found us." She stops abruptly, pulling her hand free.

"He's here." He calls over his shoulder, "Besides, it's not like we can just leave."

"How can you be so sure? By now, he could be on the other side of the planet or in the town down the street but we'll never know if we spend the rest of our lives walking through this lobby." She looks at him pointedly and, feeling the glare on his back, Stephen faces her with unease.

Realising anyone could spot them from the upper levels, he ushers her into a darkened space beneath one of the spiral staircases.

"To prove his loyalty, Kaecilius has to make a blood sacrifice. The Adria of this universe is dead and she had no siblings so, even though you're from another world, he needs you. That's why he has to come back and when he does, we'll kill him."

"Yeah? He has an army. We have what, sass? Good cheekbones?"

Strange scoffs, "There's only one material capable of destroying the crown. Bark of the Methuselah tree. Lucky for us, Kaecilius needs it to perform the sacrifice."

Casey sighs, biting her lip, "So we're betting our lives on a stick. One that he might not even have."

"Mmm technically we're betting the universe on a stick. And he will."

Casey clenches her jaw, hands jittery with adrenaline, "Okay. Okay, then I'll turn myself in. If you're right and you better be, the guards will take me to him. I'll distract him and you find this twig, destroy the crown, come back for me. We'll handle the aftermath together. So long as we stick to the plan, we'll be fine. I just...wish you told me this earlier"

"You trust me this much?" Strange asks and Casey smiles to herself, nudging him with her shoulder.

"I think you know the answer to that."

"Wow," He says, expression darkening, "You never learn do you?"

Casey stiffens, materializing a dagger behind her back, "What."

Strange's eyes widen when he sees it and he raises his hands with a laugh,  "Woah, I was kidding. Sorry, too soon?" He says, stepping back.

After a moment of wariness she rolls her eyes, smacking him roughly on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I deserved that." He says as she sheathes the blade. Exhaling softly, she places a hand against his cheek, her expression growing serious.

"Look if it ever comes between me and the crown. You-"