Maya Stark

Chapter 147: Who is he?

Getting off the roof was easy enough, but seeing New York covered in flowers and plants was extremely trippy. The three of us walk quickly toward the road right as the light turns red: Strange and I start walking into the street. We both back up just as quickly as a car comes speeding toward us.

'They go on red?' Strange asked.

'Rule number one of Multiverse travel? You don't know anything,' America said.

We wait for a second until the ready to walk sign turns red itself.

'Right. It's red.' Strange and I start walking. 'So, what's rule number two? America?'

I look around but can't find her. 'America?'

'Rule number two?' America said, showing up behind us. I jump and clutch my chest as we turn to her. 'Find food. Preferably pizza. Pizza balls.'

We start walking up the street as she takes a bite of the pizza balls. I shake my head slightly as I try to calm myself. I feel like we are being watched. We're always being watched.

'How'd you pay for that?' Strange asked.

'It was free. Food's free in most universes, actually. It's weird you guys have to pay for it.'

'Hey. You didn't pay for that,' some guy near a stand said.

'Crap,' America said. 'Maybe it's not free here.'

'Pizza Poppa always gets paid,' the guy said.

'Alright, Pizza Poppa,' Strange said. 'Relax, she's just a kid.'

'Relax yourself there, Doctor Strange. Where did you get this cape from anyway?' Pizza Poppa touches Strange's cloak. 'Oh, that feels authentic.'

'It's not a cape, it's a cloak. And I suggest you let go.'

'You took this whole suit from the Strange Museum, didn't ya?'

'Strange museum?' I scoff.

'You're a taker. Why don't you take some mustard, huh?!'

Pizza Poppa threatens Strange with a bottle of mustard but before anything can happen, Strange's hand is going up and the guy's hand freezes. Strange flicks his wrist and the guy squirts himself with the mustard. Again, Strange flicks his wrist and the guy starts punching himself in the face. My mouth falls open as a shocked laugh escapes. Strange walks away like it's not big deal.

'Come on,' he said. 'It's not permanent.'

'Is it gonna stop in a few minutes?' I ask, as America and I jog to catch up with him.

'About three weeks.'

I shake my head and scoff as we continue to walk towards the Sanctum. This New York was increasingly more beautiful than ours. It was calm and serene. That's rare.

'Those universes we went through,' Strange starts, 'were we paint in one of them?'

'Yeah,' America nodded. 'You don't wanna get stuck in there. It's really hard to eat.'

'How many universes have you been through?'

'Seventy-Two? Seventy-Three, counting this one.'

'That's...' Strange turns to her. 'That's a lot.'

Suddenly I hear a click from below Strange. Uh oh, land mine.

'Memory lane,' an automatic voice says while showing a picture on the screen across from us. Okay, not land mine 'Replay your significant memories, now in a discounted price. We remember, so you don't forget.'