An Imaginary Throne // Doctor Strange // Far From Home

Chapter Nine // we've got her

CASEY KAECILIUS jerks awake.

Sitting up straight, she stares at her surroundings, scouring the air for some semblance of familiarity.

She finds none.

Pale moonlight streams in through a cracked window, illuminating dry straw and rusty garden tools. Rain drips from a hole in the tin roof, forming an odious puddle of mud by her side which she aptly avoids. Fighting to stay calm, Casey runs her hands through her hair, pressing her palms against her cramped neck. Her entire body feels stiffened and a splintering headache rages on in her mind. Give a round of applause to karma for that one. Dropping her arms to the floor, she rises to her feet.

It's then that she remembers the Serpent Crown and her hands fly to her head as if the weapon will still be there. Of course, it isn't and she has no idea where it could have gone. She only hopes no one took it in her sleep. How long was she unconscious for anyway? The floor is empty and the only other object in her possession is a sling ring, hooked onto her belt with red twine. It could come in handy but if she was actually in a different universe, projecting a scene that isn't there could pose other risks.

Casey groans.

The journey here was supposed to be the hard part. Now all she has to do is find Quentin Beck (miraculously) and transport him safely back to her reality...by some means, she hadn't yet conceived.

Easy, right?

Nope.

The barn doors slam open and she jumps by instinct. A moment later she realises it was only the wind but that doesn't numb her nerves as she walks toward the exit, blood charged with fear.

From what she can see, she's on a farm range. The night sky twinkles above her and without having to compete with artificial light, the stars appear to sparkle brighter than ever. If she wasn't so damn scared, she would have smiled.

One thing is for certain, this isn't New York.

It's sprinkling and small drops of rain cling to her body like dew to a leaf. She's not sure what she's looking for but her eyes roam the horizon until they land on a well-lit building in the distance. It's positioned so her gaze naturally gravitates toward it plus it's the only structure in sight that seems occupied so her decision to travel there is an easy one.

Soon enough she's walking through a quaint, quiet town. There are only a few people about and though tall light posts deck the streets they have for some reason been turned off, swamping the place in shadows. Casey considers talking to one of the strangers but doesn't want to attract any more attention than necessary so she keeps her head down and rushes down the sidewalk. The same rationale doesn't stop her from casting a warming spell through. The cold has been biting through her clothes for ages now and what's the point of magic if you don't use it? That would be like buying new China then storing it in a cabinet for "special occasions", and while Casey is a lot of things, she's definitely not a middle-aged mother.

Eyes fixated on the pavement, Casey almost misses the fast approaching shadow coming toward her moments before someone collides into her shoulder, sending her sprawling forward. She slams face-first into an open metal barrel and both her and the object tumble to the ground. Ash spews from the container, dressing her skin in a cloud of dust but her offender carries on as if nothing had happened. To her disgust, not a single passer-by helps out or even seems to notice the scuffle.

Sticking up her middle finger at the receding blur, Casey climbs to her feet. Her attempt to wipe away the ash is unsuccessful and when some of the particles contact her eyes, she gives up.

Life hates her.

What feels like another hour passes before Casey reaches her destination. As the manor comes into focus, it begins to look completely different. The mammoth structure is fenced in by a wide stone wall, topped with spikes and there is only one visible entrance. The area around the building is devoid of people but for two heavily armed guards.

Casey stays out of view, watching silently as a blue pick up truck pulls into the residence. A man inside waves some ID at a glass monitor on the left wall and the gates subsequently wind open, creaking gently. She smiles at the sight, mind whirring as it calculates a way in. Whether the effort will profit her, she has no idea yet but something about this location assures her it will.

It just feels right.

Except it's only until a few hours later that the next vehicle arrives. A few hours which feel like days to Casey who hasn't been able to breathe since she got here.

When the unmarked white van brakes by the entrance, she glances toward the guards on patrol. Mentally clocking the seconds, she casts an illusion a few metres away. As both suited men raise their weapons at what appears to be a man dressed in red and gold body armour, Casey sneaks towards the building.

Up close, the monitor is more high-tech than she expected so she's glad she doesn't have to worry about it too much. When the gates open to let in the van, she sneaks in after it, her heart pounding. Grateful for the cover of night, she presses herself against the inner wall and watches the vehicle recede underground. For a second she almost forgets about the guards until she hears the buzzing of an active radio outside. Snapping her fingers to dissipate the illusion, she waits for a few anxious moments before letting a grin burst across her face. Slightly euphoric, she stares up at the towering establishment, too preoccupied with the adrenaline rushing her veins to notice the beeping motion detector by the gate.

But while she misses it, he doesn't.

The hooded man outside notices everything.

Including the way the manor's bio metric camera had buzzed green when she stepped before it. Including the sound of its dull, automated voice saying four shocking words.

"Adria Beck," It had said in dry mechanical tones, "Access accepted."

It had been so quiet, Casey herself hadn't heard it but he who had access to every electronic nook and cranny of this establishment had recorded everything.

The man slides up the sleeve of his navy robes, exposing a small clip-on mic that he activates with a tap of his thumb. Glancing once more at the sandstone wall, he raises the device to his slightly upturned lips and speaks in hushed tones.

"It seems you were right. It's her, she's inside."

He keeps his eyes trained on the silver gates, swiping back his hood to reveal a mess of cropped brown curls. His earpiece crackles to life, channeling a deep male voice through the speaker.

"We've got her."

a/n

Bit of a shorter chapter but at least it's out there, right?

IK it sucks to ask but pls vote and if you like this fanfiction don't hesitate to shout it out <3