One Choice Book 2

Part 7

Stephen was sat at his desk trying to find some way of finding the Witch. Like he had been for a while now. His mind was numb. It was easier to focus on the things before him that way. He couldn't think of.. everything else at the moment. He had a problem to fix.

"Strange?" He heard someone call out. Apart of him thought it was Loki. Until he turned and saw Barnes.

"What do you want?"

"Loki's gone." Bucky answers simply.

"What?" Stephen got up in a panic. "What happened?? Where is he?"

"We don't know. All we know is the witch showed up, and next moment he was gone" Buck explains. "Everyone seems to think that Loki is to blame for all of this"
Stephen leaned on the table with both hands, trying to hide his shaking.
"And I found this" Bucky held out a single golden and black cufflink.

"One of his.." Stephen reached out and took it. "So clever..." he murmured the faintest of smiles appearing on his face. "We can find him." He then went to go into the basement not even waiting for Bucky to respond.

"Hey." Bucky went after him. "How are you going to find him with that thing?"   

"It's one of Loki's knives. Transformed into a cufflink. He has the other one." Stephen explains. "They're connected. I can use that connection to find where he is" 

"Well- that's, convenient" Bucky says.

Stephen hummed in response looking around the books. Grabbing a big one and placing it on the table.   
Bucky just watched arms crossed as he leaned in the door way watching as Dr. Strange worked.

"I can feel you staring" Stephen mutters after a while.

"Loki didn't free her." Bucky says.
Stephen froze in place. "At least I'm pretty sure he wouldn't do that. I'm sure you know that as well." he stepped away from the wall.
Again Stephen didn't reply.
"What really happened?" Bucky asks.

"You wouldn't believe me." Stephen says.

"Try me." Bucky says now right in front of the table.

"I did it" Stephen says looking up from the book. "I set her free."

"Why?" Bucky asks with his usual stone cold expression.

"Because I couldn't save Loki and she could. I had to choose between letting her go, or letting Loki die." Stephen says fighting tears once again. "I couldn't just watch him die.. not after bringing him back. Not after working so damn hard to keep him alive!" Stephen snapped. He then fell back into a chair with a sigh. "But in doing so I may have put the entire universe at risk."

"Well then we'll just have to stop her again" Bucky says simply. Stephen looks up at him. "We've stopped her before. We can do it again"

"You're right." Stephen says.

"But Strange?"

"Stephen is fine" he mutters running a shaking hand through his hair.

"Well then Stephen. The minute we get Loki back. You gotta tell him." Bucky says. "He needs to know what you did"

"I know.. but" Stephen hesitates. "If something happens. Tell him for me" 

"You have my word"