One | Steve Rogers

41

" What?"

" The multiverse, Stephen. M-u-l-t-i--"

" What about the multiverse, Lauren?"

" It's real?"

" Yes, apparently so."

" Infinite realities?"

" Yes."

Lauren's chest rises and falls with every breath she takes. Her head tilts downwards to face Stephen while he still stands on the stairs with his red cloak resting on his shoulders.

" So that means... that Steve... is alive?" She asks with the smallest sliver of hope lacing her voice as her eyes flicker to gage his reactions.

And Stephen looks back at her, his eyes soft but his brow strong.

" Not it our universe," He answers.

" In our universe," Lauren repeats, " That doesn't mean he's dead in another universe."

She can see it in his eyes. She can see that she's right, but he won't admit it. And for the first time in a long time, she feels like she could have her happily ever after.

" Even if you could travel through the multiverse... he wouldn't be your Steve," He says, " Infinite realities, infinite Steve's, infinite you's."

Lauren only focuses on one part of his words. Infinite Steve's.

" If I could travel the multiverse..." She trails as she takes one step down so their eyes are at the same level, " How would I do it?"

" I don't know," Stephen answers honestly.

" Isn't the Sorcerer Supreme all powerful?"

" You'd have to ask Wong."

Lauren's breath remains at a calm and steady pace despite feeling her impatience growing by the second.

" He's out there somewhere," She whispers, her face neutral and void of any emotions, " My husband is alive somewhere in the multiverse... and you expect me to do nothing about it?"

Stephen pauses to think over what he wants to say, decided to pick his words carefully for he really does not wish to escalate this situation.

" It's dangerous."

" So am I."

He takes a deep breath.

" Lauren... as much as I feel for you, I really do... it can't be done," Stephen states.

" Then why don't I believe you?" She questions as the temperature in the freezing room begins to rise.

The rice surrounding the sanctum forms droplets of water that drip down the walls and down to the floor, making it even more slippery than before. The ice surrounding Stephen's feet turns into a puddle of water that soak his boots, but he doesn't dare break eye contact.

" I'm sorry," He sighs, " But what you're thinking isn't possible."

" How do you know what I'm thinking?" Lauren ponders as she tilts her head, her eyes fading from green to a golden glow, " You can't read my mind..." her eyes flicker back and forth between his right and left as she whispers, " But I can read yours."

Before Stephen can react or put up any form of defense, her powers attack his mind. She's able to seep into his brain, see what he sees and hears what he thinks. She combs through it as if it were a field of grass, or rather a maze, trying to find what she's looking for. She ignores his longing for her, and ignores his yearning for Christine, for it's irrelevant. He feels a headache from the invasion of privacy, which turns into a migraine and leads to a searing pain, as if is head is being melted with a flame. But she doesn't stop, if anything, it encourages her to keep searching. Stephen musters up some level of strength and uses it to fortify his mind. He flushes her out with a harrowing scream, but not before she finds one key piece of information. Stephen falls to his knees, the wind knocked out of him and a thin layer of sweat coating his body as he places his hands on the dripping, melting stairs.