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𝗦𝗜𝗫:        𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗘

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CASSANDRA MASON WAS dressed to kill.

Her stiletto heels clicked against the wooden floor. Each brisk stride echoed through the corridor, announcing her arrival. The woman wore a navy one-shoulder jumpsuit that featured a black textured belt, diamond earrings and a leopard print clutch because she was Cassandra and will always be dressed properly even when the world is already ending.

If she would be asked to describe how she felt at that moment in three words, it would be: powerful, feminine, and poised.

With Run the World by Beyoncé blasting through her earphones, she felt she was ready to take the world by storm.

She patted her high bun, moving her head to the side to feel if it was tightly secured. Actually, she wanted to wear a long gown since they were attending a charity night gala, but then she decided not to for the reason that she needed to roam around the venue and supervise everything. Checking herself at the wall mirror hung on the wall, she smirked at the sight of her striking red lips. Of course, her look would never be complete without that.

A second later, she came down the stairs of the London Sanctum and honestly, she felt like she was in some runway and that thought made her laugh lightly. She let her gaze sweep across the main foyer and her lips curled into a grin when she saw Stephen walking in. He was dressed in the classic three-piece suit she sent to his room that morning. She removed her earphones and paused her music to greet her date for the evening.

"Wow," breathed out Stephen, his eyes sparkling, almost as if they were actually emitting sparks. His suit brought out the beauty of his eyes and she wanted to pat her shoulder for that victory. "You look ravishing."

"Thank you, Stephen. You look very handsome." Her eyes then slid down to his hands and she furrowed her eyebrows when she saw he was wearing black leather gloves. She looked up at him and wordlessly pointed to his hands, silently asking for an explanation.

"Uh, you know, to cover the..." he tried to expound, but then sighed. Cassandra understood what he meant. He wanted to hide the surgery scars that ran down each of his fingers and down the back of both his hands. She slowly entwined their fingers, letting her palm feel the warmth of his leather gloves.

"It's okay, Stephen. I understand." assured she, smiling. "Now, shall we?"

"We should, sweetheart... if you don't want to be late."

Letting out a chuckle, they exited the New York Sanctum and rode a cab to reach Harlem. They directed the driver to drop them at the backdoor of the venue, not wanting to be bombarded by the paparazzi. Cassandra felt Stephen place his hand gently on her lower back as if to guide her and she locked arms with him. They entered the building and the event coordinator grinned at the sight of the grand ballroom in front of her. As soon as she heard the Jazz band playing softly in the background, Cassandra knew everything was going well.

The grand ballroom featured a thirty-foot-high bar, elegant chandeliers and a grand entrance staircase leading from the cocktail area. Balconies overlooked the ballroom, accent of the old-world ambiance. Waiters walked around with champagne and snacks, offering them to the dancing attendees. A French-styled chandelier with whimsical gold leaves occupied most of the ceiling, spitting small amber colored crystals onto the windows. About a hundred beautifully designed round tables were scattered around the wide dancefloor. Cassandra lightly tugged at Stephen's sleeve to bring him to the cocktail bar, but she was stopped by her assistant, Kathy Fawkes.

"Cassandra! Hello!" greeted the short woman, beaming at her. Kathy Fawkes had been her assistant for seven years and she was very loyal and reliable. Whenever Cassandra wasn't available to supervise the event, she would volunteer to manage it herself. That's why the young sorceress adored her very much and why she keeps giving incentives to her because her assistant deserved it very much.

"Kathy! Looks like I do not need to check around too much. You've got everything under control." praised Cassandra, pulling her close to give a cheek hug.

Kathy was dressed formally as well like her. Her hair was twisted into a bun and she was wearing a chic black dress that stopped just above her knees.

"Yeah, everything's perfect! I assure you, you have nothing to worry about too much. You look amazing by the way!" she replied back, her eyes flitting towards Stephen. "And oh, who do we have here? Hello! I'm Kathy Fawkes, Miss Mason's assistant."

"I'm Dr. Stephen Strange."

"My date for this evening." added Cassandra, winking. She leant her head against his shoulder and placed her hand above his chest, patting it.

"Oh, wait, I've heard about you! I'm so sorry about your accident. I'm glad you're doing well now, doctor."

"Thank you, Miss Fawkes."

"Oh, please, call me Kathy. Wait, here," Her assistant eagerly handed her a bluetooth earpiece. Cassandra took the gadget and inserted it on her ear, pressing its button to activate it. "We'll just communicate from time to time to check on everything, Cass."

The young brunette touched her assistant's arm, thanking her and appreciating her efforts. Not sooner than later, Kathy excused herself to check on the audiovisual team and Cassandra shared a glance to her partner for the evening, asking if she could leave him for a while since she needed to accompany her assistant. Stephen understood and let her go, sitting on one of the bar stools.

It was like a switch was turned on and a different side of Cassandra was activated. Focused and resolute, she made her way to each member of her event management team, asking them for updates about their situations. So far, there was no problem arising. The event coordinator felt assured that everything will go smoothly as planned.

Except that in a few minutes, it won't.

She returned to Stephen after talking with the stage manager. The young woman then raised an eyebrow when she saw him conversing with another woman. She was laughing loudly at something he said and left soon after. Within two long strides, Cassandra reached Stephen, wrapping her hand on his shoulder.

"She's pretty." She commented, leaning against him.

"Yeah, but my eyes are set on one person only tonight."

"And who's that?"

"Obviously, you."

Cassandra shook her head, glancing down straight at the floor to hide the flush in her cheeks. Stephen twirled in his stool to face her, his eyes fixed on her. He craned his neck since she remained standing.

"Come on, let's dance."

"No, wait, Stephen -- "

But, it was too late. Stephen had already brought her to the dance floor and he rested his gloved hand on her back while holding her close to him. Cassandra followed suit by placing her hand on his upper arm. The second they started moving, most of her jitters melted in the joint swells of music and pleasure. The sorceress felt right in his arms, and he caught in hers, the steps flowing between them like sighs slipping against a silk pillow. Her breaths, short and trembling, brushed his coat, and she saw the laughter glitter in his eyes when this happened.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No, I just, uhm," Cassandra bit her bottom lip, craning her neck to meet his gaze. "I haven't danced like this for quite some time."

He nodded and the two continued to sway slowly, matching the beat of the background music. Stephen's burning gaze made her lower her stare a little since her heart began to race. She then swallowed. There was a question lingering on the tip of her tongue. She had been wanting to ask him about it ever since they met again. Biting her bottom lip, she questioned, "Did you regret what happened between us?"

She watched Stephen raise his eyebrow, perhaps a bit baffled about her inquiry. "No, and I won't ever regret it. I only regretted that I did not think to get your number." he answered. "You?"

"No." admitted she. "I only regretted drinking... even though I only consumed two glasses. I don't regret meeting you and that thing that occurred between us. I won't ever."

He nodded and both went silent, just staring at one another. "You want to know something?" Stephen mumbled, still keeping his eyes on her.

She hummed.

"That night at the bar... that wasn't the first time I saw you."

Cassandra lifted her gaze, curious.

"I already saw you at this café not far from my university. You were alone that day, busy writing in your journal." He continued swaying her, keeping her close to him. "Your hair was up in a bun and your eyes looked like they were ready to cut through steel. I wanted to approach you, but I was called by my professor that time."

She locked eyes with him. Stephen's blue eyes were ocean-strong, swimming with warm sun-lit currents. Suddenly, she felt the temperature around her drop and became aware of how close his body was to hers. There was a sense of heat between from being close, but not touching.

"You had a confident glow that day, a radiance so mesmerizing that I thought, 'God, if you're real, even though I know you aren't, thank you for creating this beautiful woman in front of me.'"

Her eyes were drawn to his lips and Cassandra felt heat rise again to her cheeks. Stephen really did know how to make a woman swoon for him. They paused in their dancing and just stared at one another. Her breathing grew rapid as the tension between them thickened. She couldn't think straight and just could feel this gravitating pull towards him. She felt her heart pick up its pace and gripped onto Stephen's arm to steady herself.

If hearts could explode, hers could detonate now.

"Stephen, I..." She slowly pulled him down to her height, closing her eyes to feel his lips on hers.

And then, gunshots were fired.

Cassandra and Stephen immediately pulled each other down, frantically glancing around to see where the shots came from. Everybody else scrambled for the closest cover. Soon, a round of bullets fire from the entrance and bloodcurdling screams coming from the guests were heard. It was a mass shooting. The event coordinator pressed the button in her earpiece. "What the hell is happening?!" She yelled. "Talk to me! Where's the security?"

"All dead! The active shooters are in the reception area!"

"Shit!" cursed Cassandra, now pulling up Stephen from their spot. She motioned for him to move forward. "Initiate the ALICE protocol now!"

"Got it!"

This wasn't the first time they encountered something like this. Several years ago, a group of robbers showed up to one of their events and held them all hostage. She apprehended the attackers by casting a spell that temporarily froze them for a few minutes, but that was easier to do since they were in her line of sight. She also had to do the spell somewhere no one would see because no one from her team knew that she dabbled in the mystic arts. This is why Cassandra and her team practiced the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) emergency protocol in case they encounter another active shooter incident.

Seconds later, alarms started blaring through the room. There was nothing else in the sorceress' mind now, but to keep Stephen safe from harm. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she was now relied heavily on her instincts. Stephen wrapped his arm around her waist and led them both behind the cocktail bar, hiding under it. It was then that Cassandra recalled that she placed her purse inside a locker near the kitchen of the building. Her Sling Ring was inside it, something she really needed to get Stephen and herself out of the chaos.

Cassandra spoke once again in the intercom. "At least, how many are there?"

This time, it was Kathy who replied. "About... ten and they all have rifles. First responders are on their way now, Cass. Many of the guests and our team have evacuated the building."

Rounds whizzed past their heads and peppered the ground. "Get down!" She dragged her companion down further. The gunshots echoed deafeningly in the confines of the ballroom and Cassandra saw a man not far from them stagger and fall, clutching his neck. "Okay, I can't just stay here and watch them murder innocent people. I have to do something, but I have to get you out of here first, Stephen."

"Cassie, what are you -- "

Cassandra didn't give him the time to finish his question for she struck her hand to her chest, pushing her astral body out of her physical form. Looking around, she nodded when she noticed that time relative to the Material Plane was slowed down to a crawl. That meant she had ample time to grab her Sling Ring inside her purse. She glided across the ballroom and phased through the walls, searching for her locker.

Once she found her metal cabinet, she passed her hand through it and her bag, taking her Sling Ring. Not all objects in the Material Plane can be grasped, but because the mystical object buzzed with magical energy, she was able to get it.

Returning to her body, she gasped and before her head could hit the floor, Stephen pulled her back. Her mind was still alert of everything and she shut her eyes when she heard the screams of the guests and the gunshots that followed. The brunette immediately slipped on her Sling Ring and focused on opening a gateway to the training grounds of Kamar-Taj. At this point, she didn't care anymore if anyone saw her open a portal.

A half-circle of amber sparks began to materialize in front of Stephen and Cassandra when one of the male attackers advanced to their spot.

"There are two more in here!" he alerted his group, pointing his pistol directly at her and Stephen. "Get up!"

Cassandra and Stephen raised their hands in surrender and stood up. Unbeknownst to the shooter, the brunette already had a plan in her mind. "No! Don't!" She cried out, shifting her body to her right and just as she predicted, the man before her turned as well, giving her the chance to grab his head and slam it on the counter top. He slid down to the floor, unconscious and his gun fell beside her.

Getting a clear visual of the other members of the group that attacked the event, Cassandra retracted her hands back and mumbled an enchantment, her eyes glowing amber as she did so. Throwing her right forward, a fiery mandala band appeared around her wrist and all at the same time, the shooters were thrown off their feet, their bodies hitting the walls. They all slid down to the ground, knocked out cold.

She counted the shooters and realized there were only five, meaning the other half was still around. She picked up the gun near her and gripped Stephen's arm. His eyes were still wide, a sign he was still a bit shocked by the event earlier.

"Stephen -- "

Cassandra heard the click of a gun to his right. Tilting her head, she saw a man aim his gun at the former neurosurgeon. Her mind and body reacted immediately to the threat by pushing Stephen behind her, her own hand raising the firearm she picked up.

The man fired his gun and the bullet grazed her right arm, making her cry out in pain and collapse on Stephen's front, but she pulled the trigger and shot their assailant's shoulder twice. The man fell to the ground and Cassandra jumped back up, cradling her wound. It felt like a butane torch passed over her skin once, but she didn't feel anything more than that. She thought it was because the adrenaline in her system minimized the pain associated with it. Being grazed by a bullet was different from being sliced by a knife or a sword -- which she had already experienced several times by the way, since it really burned.

"Cassie!"

"I'm fine!" She shouted, tossing the firearm on the counter top. Despite the pain she felt, she raised her hands to conjure a portal. "You have to leave."

"No, I'm not going anywhere!" Stephen was frantic, his eyes full of concern and worry. "You're coming with me! You almost got shot!"

"I said, I'm fine!" She argued. "You have to get out of here now! Go!"

The man had no idea that Cassandra was protecting him. Keeping him alive and well was her priority as of this moment. That was all her mind was telling her. "Stephen, please, I have to stay here and make sure everyone's alright. For sure, I have to give a police statement about this. I need you to be in the compound right now."

Stephen being Stephen was about to retaliate and prove he was a really stubborn man when she felt another presence come up behind her and she unhesitatingly elbowed their throat.

At that exact moment too, the first responders barged in the venue, guns aimed high and steady. "Freeze! Don't move! Hands in the air!"

"We're not with them." tiredly uttered Cassandra, raising her hands in surrender. In her peripheral vision, she saw Stephen step forward and put his hands behind his head.

"My name is Dr. Stephen Strange and my partner here -- the event organizer of this charitable affair, is in need of immediate medical attention. She has a second-degree abrasion on her left brachium hic et nunc. I need sterilized tweezers, bandage, Bacitracin or Aquaphor -- if you don't have the former and gauze, STAT!"

The police officers furrowed their eyebrows in confusion and turned their heads towards her.

"I got grazed by a bullet." Cassandra deadpanned.

"OUCH! THAT HURTS!"

The sorceress hissed, feeling a searing pain roll across her body in waves. The adrenaline had finally wore off and she felt the pain of her graze wound in multitudes. It felt like someone took a red hot piece of metal and laid it against her arm. It took everything in her not to scream in agony. There was only little amount of blood oozing out of the wound, but it still hurt.

Actually, minutes before this, Cassandra relentlessly searched for her team members because she suddenly lost contact with all of them inside. Even when Stephen advised her to sit down and relax, she defiantly stood by the entrance of the building and waited for each of them to come out. The woman wanted to make sure they were all well and safe. At the first sight of her team and her assistant exiting the doors, Cassandra dashed and hugged them all, internally thanking the gods. Her mood was soon dampened though when she heard that three of the guests were injured and one... passed away due to blood loss. She then told her assistant to contact the family members of the guest and send some assistance if they need it.

Now, Stephen, despite the shaking of his fingers, applied the topical antibiotic ointment with careful precision. Cassandra tried to jerk her arm away from his grasp, but he stopped her by pushing her back. "Can you just hold still, Cassie? You're making it hard for me to cover your abrasion."

"You should've just let the paramedics do this instead."

"I want to do this myself because I can." Stephen retorted, finishing applying the ointment.

Cassandra shook her head. Earlier, the neurosurgeon insisted to the EMT that he could treat her all by himself, assuring them that he was very much capable. That's why she was now being nursed by Stephen at the back of the ambulance and honestly, she liked it very much. One of the paramedics behind them wrapped a blanket around her companion's shoulders, making him frown, but he thanked them politely for it.

"I don't understand why they keep putting this blanket on me. I'm not in shock." complained Stephen under his breath, making Cassandra laugh despite of the pain. "Oh, you think this is funny?"

"I think it's adorable."

"Well, I'm glad you find this adorable because I don't."

"You're such a child."

Cassandra noticed their close proximity and looked up to him. His eyebrows were furrowed together again as he pressed the gauze to her wound, covering it. She felt his gentle yet firm fingers touch her skin and it felt oddly right. Her eyes darted to the scars and stitches that marred each of his fingers just as he patted the tapes of the gauze. His fingers were long and narrow, his ankles slightly wider than the actual limb of his fingers. They ended with wide, round fingernails, which optically lengthen them even more.

"Don't look at them." uttered Stephen, his tone becoming defensive and if Cassandra wasn't wrong, she even heard a bit of insecurity in his voice.

His eyes pierced right through her and Cassandra's visage softened. She placed her hand above his own hand, letting the tip of her finger trace one of his scars. "Hey, it's okay. There's nothing you should be ashamed -- "

Stephen sighed, retracting his hands to put them above his lap. He stared at them for a while, observing. "These scars... they remind me how I could've done better that night, Cassie. That I should've known better. Now, I've lost everything. I've lost everything I've worked hard for." he confessed, clasping his hands together. It was like Cassandra was seeing the Stephen she met for the second time. Broken and defeated.

She reached out to touch his arm. "Losing everything you have worked for all your life can be paralyzing, but it isn't the end of the world, Stephen."

"You don't understand. Without my hands, without my job, I'm nothing. I'm-I'm useless."

Stephen had a lot to be proud of. His successful studies, his many doctorates, his talent in the operating theatre... and he owed it all exclusively to his skillful and talented fingers. Cassandra sighed and placed her hands on each sides of his face, turning his head to face her. She locked gazes with him. "You're not useless." The sorceress emphasized. "Just because you lost control of your hands doesn't mean you're useless, Stephen. There is more to life than success. There are other things that can give your life meaning."

Stephen was about to speak up when she cut him off. "And no, before you go saying, 'like what? like love?' No, not love." She stressed. "Perhaps... a different way of saving lives." She took his hands in hers, raising them.

"And what way is that?"

"I don't know. I have no idea." She lied. "But, what I do know is that sometimes there is meaning to be found in the pain. Losing control of your hands doesn't have to be the end, Stephen, it could be a new beginning."

Stephen was silent, only maintaining eye contact with her as she explained. Cassandra tenderly ran the pads of her fingers over his scars and cuts. Yes, they weren't pretty, no scars are, but they weren't as revolting as he made them out to be. It actually showed he was a fighter. The man suddenly leant his head on her shoulder as if he just surrendered. His hands gripped her arms and she wrapped her hands around him.

It was then that she realized the amount of trust he had with her. They only truly knew each other for weeks, but he often told her everything. That made her smile and she planted a soft kiss on the side of his head.

"I'll always be here for you, Stephen." She assured. "When you're lost and losing faith, I will be your saving grace." added she inside her mind, holding him close.

That's when she felt the odd feeling rise in her chest again. There it was again, the feeling that she had no choice in her life. That she was nothing more than his guardian, his companion in life. Cassandra couldn't help but think if this was all she'll ever be. What was really her purpose in life? Could she be more than this?

And does she really have control over her life? Or does fate control it?

another messy chapter brought to you by me #lmao send help- i think i don't know how to write anymore lol