CHAPTER FIVE | " HELL'S BELLS AND BUCKETS OF BLOOD "

IT TAKES A STEP BY STEP TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MIGHT COME NEXT.

Patience and cautiousness were the focus points of what was waiting in the glimpses of the near future. Inaudible counting was followed by a pair of stomps. Sooner one of them was left behind. It was very obvious that Stevie wasn't so excited about her private dance lesson. Not only did she step at his foot multiple times, she felt miserable that her bad mood overshadowed his excitement as Nick tried his best to help her out.

"No-no! Forget it! This is so humiliating!" Stevie declared harshly as she slipped on purpose from his hands during the infamous dip her dad was bragging about. She fell on the butterfly bedding. Her hair was tousled, spread like a bunch of sun rays. With hands covering her face, she could finally express her repressed misery.

"Almost! Just hold onto me and you'll be fine. Wanna try again?"

"No! I need you to be honest for a moment. Clearly, I and my partner dancing will never go together. I don't need the reassurance. Just say that I am trash, okay? I'll take it. No play pretend." Stevie's whimpers of annoyance were louder than the song playing in the background.

Nicholas stammered, "I... I would never say that."

"Actually, It's all solely about trust. You need to put all your beliefs in the person that is holding you," he shrugged his shoulders, "you'd be surprised but it took me a while to realize it as well."

Nick anticipated her to ask her about his journey. That would potentially give her the spark she lacked to achieve goals like this but It didn't happen.

"Yeah, trust, clearly don't know her." Stevie blurted out mockingly. She rolled her eyes and then rubbed her face to figure out what she should say next after grasping the fact she acted like a total fool. It was her birthday after all. She wanted everything to be perfect and the actuality of her multi-talented dad asking his impossible daughter to dance was just around the corner. Stevie was so nervous, that she hasn't fully realized that she was messing up this day — a very last day in this universe — for somebody else.

"Listen, Nick, I just want to point out that maybe I am not capable to learn it in such a short time because my mind is all over the place," she sat down to finally look at him as she avoided him for so long, "I am a certified dreamer, not a learner. Duh."

She was beaming as if she got the best idea, "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless I use my amazing abilities a.k.a my writing skills and script that," Stevie waved with the violet journal. The engraved golden butterflies reflected the sunlight. She raised both of their eyebrows in an attempt for that undeniable puppy-eyed look, nevertheless from Nick's discomfited expression, it wasn't so successful.

"Only for my birthday," she specified, "and if you let me, obviously. Which you have to because, sorry not sorry, It's my day. It's my time to own ABBA's Dancing Queen, ya know, I'm young and sweet, only seventeen."

Nick tittered once he realized she quoted half of the song's chorus. The smile lingered but later faded as he shook his head, blankly looking at one of her superhero posters. Surely with power comes responsibility but what if it's something wholly harmless? Nick pondered about it. Withdrawn from the moment, he felt out of place, even more, when his heart unexpectedly galloped.

"It's not like I could zombify dancing," Stevie joked, "Look, all I want to do with my powers is to help others and make them happy. If I could do that at least for a moment, to see the one I love at their greatest, I'd risk it. There's nothing that I can screw up! Even you said so. I know where my powers cross the line. There's not to worry about. Also don't you think that having the knowledge... powers and not being able to use them at all is kinda... well— how to put it...hypocritical?" She burst out with exaggerated gesticulations that froze in mid-air and turned into disappointment. Now the joy was gone. Did she want a lot?

Entering the main hall, nave, of a church, brightened up the mood mainly of Stevie's parents. Ronnie remained irritated although she was supposed to celebrate these precious moments of life. The guests were talking about the wedding, and Stevie's distant family was wishing her the happiest birthday.

"Thanks a lot, Tee-tee," Stevie appreciated all the wishes and compliments on her royal blue dress. The constant talking and dishonest beams reminded Stevie of her liability.

As soon as everyone slowly headed to the pews, she went to Nick who was just silently watching her and her family enjoying this get-together. Stevie wasn't really a wedding lover so she chose the seats at the very back that were assigned to the groom's family.

"Is everything alright?" she questioned soon as she sat down, noticing that she woke him up from a trance, "you don't seem so well."

"Huh? I'm okay," he gulped, "It's-It's nothing. Really. I just didn't expect this many people." Nick sighed with relief. He tried his best to explain what was on his mind, however, he wasn't convincing enough.

"I'm not stupid. You've been all pouty today, Nick. You're literally doing it right now."

"Am I?"

Stevie nodded, "I will join you too if everyone just stops looking at me when they are visibly gossiping, geez."

A demonstration of a simple expression turned down one of the staring contest opponents' alias Stevie's cousins.

"So you've never been to a wedding? Is that why are you acting so strange?"

"It's more likely my anxiety," Nicholas tried to explain one more time, hopefully making his friend realize that it didn't have a deeper meaning. Or at least he didn't want to admit it. The discussion evoked a lot of stress that brought him arrhythmic episodes. His heart was racing without a proper reason. Perhaps it was the hypocrisy she was talking about beforehand.

He refused to use his powers multiple times hence his existence caused only damage.

"Well, surprisingly, I've been to one before. Which was a big mistake now that I'm thinking about it, cause everything after that went downhill," Nick expressed heavily, sensing the speeding of the throb of a heart.

Dizziness correlated till the pounding ceased.

The out-of-body sensation returned. Lightheaded he approached the void, the daunting vast of endlessness as soon as the surroundings dissipated. The place was airless yet he could breathe. Overwhelming but numb. The silence became noisy. The gates shattered. The Multiverse is in irrecoverable danger. Whispers rustled and echoed through the infinite multi-dimensional space. You're out of time. Streamlets of voices upheaved and disrupt his common sense. The end is approaching. He listened to the invisible flows gradually strangling him, wanting to gasp for help.

He fought the rigidness of his muscles. Avenge us. Just a conjured flicker of a dark mass from his hand settled the havoc. A murk concealed the ear-splitting murmurs. His heartbeat damped down. It was quiet.

The nothingness was immersed with a flicker in front of his eyes. It was a silhouette passing by. Nick held his breath. A high-pitched shrieking resounded pierced his ears. Like a streak the defaced figure collided with him. Screaming, stretching out in a second to run through the skin of the forearms he was covering himself with. Claws sharp like razors were bloodied, tasting the bloodshed that sputtered. Nicholas.

"Nicholas!"

Stevie grabbed and squeezed his hand in a delirium, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah... I'm fine," He exclaimed, breaking out of the softest grip as he realized that he was back in the reality. His eyes were looking for blood dripping down on the shirt he borrowed from Stevie's dad earlier, "Shouldn't I be?"

"You tell me," Stevie nodded forward at the man that entered. She could recognize the grayed-out slicked streaks, perfect posture, and serious expression from anywhere. Being this close to Doctor Strange, the sorcerer that worked with other heroes flushed her face.

"Oh god."

"Isn't it crazy that he went to the wedding of his ex?" Stevie bragged, holding a glass of non-alcoholic champagne. The weddings sealed vows and everyone headed to the after-party venue to celebrate the newlyweds more casually. In the church everyone tried to be the best of themselves, meanwhile here they could potentially unleash the party animal living inside of them. Which Stevie did as well. Immediately as the music started to play, the seventeen-year-old took dad's hand and was the one who confidently ask him for a dance. Now she was taking a bit of a rest, stalking the Earth's mightiest hero.

"Been there done that," Nick shrugged. He stared at this universe's Stephen Strange.

"You didn't! That is like so lame," she interrupted him, not seeing an expression that would prove her wrong but he was somewhat honest, "you did? Is that why you depicted it being a mess? Makes sense now. Still lame tho." She chuckled and sipped the pink fizzy drink.

"I went because she used to be my best friend. Asal took care of me when I was at my lowest. I went because I was— I am still thankful for what she did for me... Am I over-sharing?" Nick questioned as the girl on his right went quiet too quickly for nothing.

"Nope. I kinda appreciated that," Stevie assured him.

She sipped again and ended up coughing, finally understanding her wrongs, "Besides I'm sorry about what happened in the morning. I was wrong. You're the one who gave me the confidence to hit the dance floor with my dad, not the journal. I just wanted you to know that before you leave..."

Nick was definitely surprised because his mouth was left open for a moment, or at least that is a reaction that Stevie wanted to see. He smiled, "Don't worry about it. In fact, I am not leaving."

"Really?! Wait why?"

Nicholas looked around. Guests were happily sharing their voices. The chatters were louder than the classical music playing in the background. Children were running around, disappearing in the corridors after accidentally bumping into adults, and laughing when their parents scolded them.

"Okay but don't freak out."

Stevie nodded.

"It's not about my universe anymore, the entire Multiverse is in danger," distress could be heard in his voice, "Plus I believe he might know something I don't." He looked at Stephen who was happily drinking a martini.

Stevie needed a moment to calm down. This was her chance to be better. Her hand wandered into the bag, and right away she put the glass of champagne on the table behind them. The golden butterflies scintillated, pen clicked, "Alright. I'm ready."

"Write down everything we'll be talking about, okay? We're not the main characters, he is."

"Got it."

They headed to the bar, however, their paths divided. Stevie sat at the nearest table, meanwhile, Nick was taking his time with the approach, eyeing for Stevie to start a new paragraph.

Nicholas walked to Stephen Strange and started negotiating.

The boy was suspiciously quiet when came near to him. He leaned his forearm against the elevated counter. Perhaps he was finding the right words to use, as he abstained from the conversation till Doctor Strange finally spoke, "Today isn't about me so no autographs nor photos."

Stephen annoyed, left the finished glass and headed to the dancefloor.

Hearing Nick's doubtful sigh made Stevie rip the page in the journal to have them start over. The lined paper was torn into million pieces and a rainbow blast restarted the scene, with everyone at their starting positions.

Nick approached the man at the bar firmly.

"Today isn't about me so no autographs nor photos." they both said at the same time which made Stephen's eyes abruptly widened. He let go of the martini glass and place it on the bar, looking at the boy pensively, shockingly examining his face.

"How did you know what I was going to say?"

"I'll explain but I need you to ask you something first—" Nick hesitantly glanced at Stevie, unsure of this debate's direction.

"Huh, that's odd."

"W-what?"

"I swear I've seen you before."

"We met at the doorway, yeah, at the doorway. Well— I... I was just wondering if you could answer a few questions about the Multiverse. If that's possible?" The sentence slipped out of Nicholas' tongue. He was looking at Doctor Strange that almost spat out the residues of the liquid.

Stephen's eyes darted and squinted afterward, signaling to not talk about topics like that around normies. He reexamined one more time. He remembered the sad yet curious eyes but from where?

"Aren't you too small for these kinds of questions, Nicky?" A voice entwined with experiences and worries resounded in the room. Stephen Strange's silver hair glittered with wisdom as he struggled to take a better look at the encyclopedia his son was holding. He couldn't read very well yet, still, that didn't stop him from browsing the pages with pictures. Little Nicholas was in the phase in which he was interested in dinosaurs and the emergence of the world. He didn't understand the origin but he was constantly wondering if there are somewhere in the vast cosmos people just like them.

"But mommy says the outside is never-ending," the boy insisted, not even understanding what his mom had told him. There were things he wanted to know but were out of reach.

"She's right. Never-ending and untold. There could be many believably better worlds but I and mommy would always choose this one because you're the only one, the world we care about."

Stephen exhaled, perceiving his boy's watery eyes, "But if it's truly the case, I'll tell you when you'll be a little older."

He ruffled his son's hair with a smile and then placed down the glass of milk.

"Your drink sir," the man behind the counter informed the sorcerer.

Stephen picked up the beverage he ordered again and guzzled away his thoughts. That wasn't the only image from a dream that ran in front of his eyes. He recalled the picture of that little boy's ear pressed against his chest, listening to his dream-selves heart. That was forever inscribed in his mind. Nonetheless, that was only a dream, wasn't it? Nicholas had already grown up. Was it the right time to tell him? It didn't make any sense, only if the dream theory was right, just like the crazy cat lady claimed.

Nick seemed mesmerized, eagerly waiting for his answer, "So?"

"I'm sorry, kid. There's nothing I can say about that, you have to figure it out yourself."

A surge of prismatic light wiped the scene from Stephen's and others' minds except for the ones who orchestrated it. Stevie gathered all the crumpled paper pieces and put them into her handbag in a hurry. She grabbed the journal and followed Nick that appeared more frustrated than normally, meanwhile, the wizard was finally talking to Christine, taking fate into his hands.

"What was I even thinking?" He mumbled.

"You talked to Doctor freaking Stephen Strange!" She continued to share her excitement. She hopped gladly, nearly knocking down the waiter doing their job. "I dunno why but I always got these arrogant vibes from him. Like the I'm the superior-to-everyone type of a dude. So like him knowing his number one fan is like a big plus."

"Stevie! I am not his fan, just like you are when it comes to Sam Wilson. That superior-to-everyone dude, that Stephen Strange is the reason he didn't say a thing. But my Stephen, my dad would. He would know. He would remember—"

Excited yelling cut off Nicholas' unprepared speech.

"Me. . ."

Stevie had no idea what to say. She was confused, and stunned. It made sense now. They resembled each other too well. How come she didn't notice? By opening a mouth, she craved to express her notions, unfortunately, she was stopped by cheers.

People were rushing onto the balcony, pushing others to tag along with them. Stevie willingly joined the fuss. The guests were pointing at a beast with tentacles, Gargantos, rummaging the streets. It looked like superheroes had no time for rest and the sorcerer was one of them. The red cloak of levitation fluttered during the fight, following Doctor Strange's gracious moves.

Evidently, a hero in action was way more interesting than paying respect to the hero that died protecting the universe Nicholas once called home. As homesick as he was Nick stepped closer to the balcony but leaned against the wall far away from people, scanning his friend that was too thrilled for a monster demolishing the vehicles. Stevie was about to take a few recordings just like others, however, she quickly changed her mind.

"Shouldn't we— I mean... you go help them?" Stevie queried, thinking Nick was right behind her, sadly, she stumbled across one of her cousins.

"Look where you're going, Eric," she muttered angrily as she was pushed to the balcony's railing. She bounced off the cold metal and returned to Nicholas who watched the sorcerer and an unknown girl from a distance.

The building shuddered.

"What was that?"

Both of them looked upward, dazed since a shadow overcast the sun out of nowhere. The cheers transformed into wailing. An ashy-skinned creature dangled on a stone ledge, swaying over a group on the balcony, loudly snarling. It jumped. Stevie gasped with a sharp scream till the creature knocked her to the ground, and broke through the railing with her.

"I've got you!" Nicholas grasped her hand at the very last second.