Dr. Strange; The Worlds Are Under Siege

Chapter 5: Bann Billy Bones!

Aoric stumbled onto his feet and stood behind Strange as the skeleton rose from the wooden chair. It stared at Aoric and Stephen with a blank expression, as its face was a skeleton. It couldn't really express things with facial reactions.

"Holy--!" Aoric almost swore in shock.

"Odd..." Stephen muttered silently, slightly surprised but mostly curious.

"Strangers in the house!" Billy yelled at the top of his lungs-- err.. "Leave! Now!" He pointed out of the closet with his bony finger.

"Bann Billy Bones, we need your help." Strange did not move and instead explained his and Aoric's presence.

"MY Help?!" The Bann laughed again and bent backward slightly. "Boy, you must be shit outta luck if you are coming to me for help!"

"P-pretty much." Aoric muttered sarcastically, earning a nudge from Strange.

"I read great things about you and your powers in a book." Stephen attempted to stroke the man's very large ego. "We could use your assistance in defeating a--"

Bones interrupted loudly "-Get out! Get out, now!"

Bones put his arms forward and began to push Aoric and Stephen out of the closet. Both men were surprised and stumbled backward a bit upon making contact with Billy. The Bann continued muttering "get," as he pushed them out a few feet. 

"Whoa! C'mon, man! Hear us out-!" Aoric tried resisting the pushes and even tried reasoning with the skeleton.

"I am not a simple man!" Bones announced. He stopped at the doorway and put his hands down. "I am beyond humanity. Beyond your trivial matters!" He pointed at himself in grace.

"Despite that," Stephen's cool voice turned grim, "I doubt you can handle and survive the destruction of the world."

Bones paused for a moment. He looked frozen in place, even as his hands slid down to his side. Almost like a sad kid.

"Destruction? Of… this world?" He questioned in a surprisingly quiet voice.

Strange and Aphelion take a glance at each other. They immediately look back at Billy and nod in affirmation.

"Damn it!" Bones shouted, slightly spooking Aoric. "Tis not I causing this destruction! If not me, then who?"

Both men are plowed by surprise. Both of them opened their mouths to say something but neither of them could form a word. They couldn't string any words together to properly convey their emotions. Shock, horror? They were thoroughly flabbergasted. Billy continued to banter and rage about the end of the world not being his fault. Aoric and Stephen slowly turned their heads to look at each other again. With the moment that Billy was not paying attention to them, they opted to turn around and help themselves out of the apartment.

They began descending the stair steps. "Well?" Aoric began, disappointed. "That was a bust."

"No kidding." Stephen scoffed with the same emotion laced into his words. "The books never mention his maniacal personality."

"Could've saved us some time if it had." Aphelion's frustrated tone became obvious. "Who else is on the list?" They got back onto the sidewalk and continued down it.

"Cylo Marrik and Maggie Kavinski." Stephen responded with a significantly calmer tone-- a neutral one. "A warlock and witch."

"Were their personalities listed, by chance?" Aoric asked with a slight chuckle.

Stephen shook his head."Nope. Another roll of the die. Cylo is around 200-years-old and a hermit." The information was not very hopeful and Stephen's casual tone did not help. "Hasn't been seen in years. However, I was able to locate him a few years back."

"So you've met him?" Aoric looked at Stephen quizzically. 

"No. I just know where he is." Stephen looked over at Aoric and noticed his weird look towards Strange. "It was an assignment while I was learning the mystic arts."

Aoric raised an eyebrow. "You have to admit, Strange, that's kinda creepy."

Stephen chuckled and nodded a bit. "Okay, yeah. Maybe a little." He admitted, shaking his hands at his side slightly.

"What're we waiting for?" Aoric clapped his hands together and began rubbing them vigorously. "Let's head on over."

"Just hang on a moment, I have to focus." Strange calmed Aoric.

Aoric groans a bit, clearly impatient. Both continue walking while Strange raises his hands and opens a portal. The moment they could see through it, they both noticed the amount of green on the other side. Aoric and Stephen walked through it-- the moment they were through, the portal closed-- and identified what the green was. Several trees, bushes, weeds, and grass taking over the area. Both of them stop walking and take in the environment in awe.

"I know you said he's a hermit, but damn." Aoric took small steps around and looked at the tall trees. "Where the hell even are we?"

"Northern edge of Canada. Only dense forests. We need to hurry." Stephen looked and sounded serious. He began walking again.

"Yeah, no shit." Aoric rolled his eyes and followed Stephen.

"I mean, it'll be night soon." Stephen dismissed the entity threatening to destroy the world. "It gets colder here."

"Shit. Alright." Aoric seemed more worried about the temperature as well.

Both Aphelion and Stephen continued walking through the forest. Strange took some turns, but nothing drastic. Aoric follows him, their pathing being mostly of a straight line. Many of the tree roots and thick bushes threatened to trip Aoric, but he managed to avoid falling each time.

After about 5 minutes of complaining (mostly from Aoric), they found sight of a wooden cabin in the distance.
"Finally." Aoric, out of breath, commented.

Stephen scoffs and they both rush to the cabin. As they get closer, Aoric slows down and displays more and more discomfort. His face scrunches up and his eyes squint tightly, almost as though someone were shining a bright lamp into his eyes. Strange reaches the porch and notices that Aoric is falling behind, only slightly. He turns back and sees Aoric's face. At this point, Aoric also has his hand up to try and block out the house.

"What're you doing? Why are you doing that?" Stephen questioned quickly and even pointed at Aphelion.

"It's really fucking bright!" Aoric complained, finally reaching Stephen.

Stephen was about to make a comment about Aoric's insistent complaining. He stopped, though. In Aoric's blue lensed glasses, Stephen could see the reflection of the wooden cabin. Except, instead of the reflection of the old wood, Strange could see neon shapes and distortions on the walls.

"Perhaps you can see the mystical energy radiating off of his home." He reasoned, turning back to face the front door.

"I wish I wouldn't." Aoric grumbled.

They approach the front door. Aoric is looking down with his eyes squinted. He could see the bottom of the door. Right as Aoric raised his hand to knock on the door, it clicked and opened. The door creaked open unnaturally.

"Again, Strange?" Aoric turned to face Stephen-- except all Aoric could see was Strange's boots. "I think this is called a repeated offense."

"That…" Stephen muttered to Aoric, a bit freaked out. "That wasn't me."