"Actually, not to alarm you or anything, but I'm making up the plan as we go," Strange said calmly, "Now come on, and stop wasting time." He started to walk again, keeping up a quick pace that had her jogging again.
Casey wanted to haul back and punch him in the shoulder, but she somehow restrained herself. "Wait, wait, wait, so, what, you just magic-ed your way into the shop without any idea of what you were going to do next?"
"I had an idea, exactly like I have one now. It's just not an elaborate, detailed plan." They took a turn, following the magical GPS system he was using to guide them. "We're going to catch up to Arpath and your grandfather and then proceed to eject Arpath back to his dimension using a vortex. Simple."
"Oh, yeah, so simple." This was insane. This guy was insane, the situation was insane, the evil monster guy was insane. None of this made any sense, and knowing that her only current source of assistance didn't really have a solid plan wasn't at all encouraging. "Can't we call Spider-Man? Or do you know anyone else?"
"What would Spider-Man do, web Arpath to a wall? They deal with a different kind of threat," Strange said as they came to a quiet alley. They slowed down, but he kept striding forward purposefully, the flowing cape giving him an official kind of appearance. Casey walked beside him in her hoodie and ripped blue jeans, looking far less impressive but also less like a cosplayer who had accidentally wandered away from ComicCon. Then again, he must've looked like he was wearing normal clothes to anyone else. "However, I may need your help."
She shook her head. "Like what? I can swing a bat pretty good." Or her crowbar. She did still have that, after all.
"That's not what I had in mind. More like I need you to be bait. I won't let him hurt you, but if he thinks he can, I can spin this in our favor."
Sorry? Ahaha, nope, no way, she wasn't a damsel in distress or anything. She was a A-B average student and excellent softball player type who worked in a sports memorabilia store, and she was a badass. Nothing weak about her, nothing bait-ish. "I think I'd be better off smacking at him with the crowbar."
"We're almost there." Strange stopped by a pair of trashcans and turned toward her. "Crowbars aren't exactly useful weapons against interdimensional monsters. But if you can't do this, it's all right. Maybe I can recreate a look-alike dummy. The likelihood of him falling for it is basically nil, but, you know-"
That bit of doubt made Casey bristle. "Fine. Teach me to be bait, Dumbledore."
He lifted an eyebrow but didn't fuss at her. Maybe they were running out of time for that, which made her more nervous. He held up his right hand, and she noticed his shaking fingers. Huh, not exactly the most steady of hands. Was he nervous too?
Oh geez, was this his first time being a superhero for real? Oh man, they were probably going to die. Not awesome.
He gestured toward her, and she was able to see a shimmering mist cover her, wrapping her up tight even though she couldn't actually feel it. "That'll shield you from his fire if he gets angry. I just need you to go up to that blue door over there and try to get him to come out. You're the one he's really after, so he should leave your grandfather behind when he sees you. I'll set a trap for when he emerges."
Fire? What... "And you really think that's going to work?" Casey asked, brushing at the golden shimmer on her skin. She lifted her glasses for a second, and the shimmer disappeared before reappearing when she lowered her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose.
Strange nodded. "I'd honestly rather not put you in danger, but if I go in first, I'm afraid he might take out his frustration on your grandfather." He looked down at her. "I'll be right behind you, Casey. I won't let anything happen to you."
Her voice trembled a little. "You know, on TV shows when people say that, something always happens. Makes for good angst."
"Good thing this isn't a TV show." He smiled a little, and she gave him a feeble smile back.
"Yeah, guess so." She gripped her crowbar tighter even if it wouldn't do her any good. Gramps needed her. Before she could lose her nerve and running screaming in the other direction, she stepped toward the door, crowbar raised. Now, how exactly did you get a monster dude to come out of his hiding place without killing your grandpa…
Casey started banging on the door with the crowbar. "Hey! You in there! I've got something for your face, right here, right now!"
Nothing.
She slammed the crowbar against the door a few more times. "What, are you scared? That's right, you better be!" Because she was so big and bad, and totally not trembling so much her teeth were chattering.
The door starting glowing red and then melted away, nearly oozing onto Casey's sneakers before she stumbled back. A huge eight-fingered hand wrapped around the smoldering remains of the doorframe. Oh.
Ohhh.
The spell on her glasses let her see Arpath for what he really was, and the sight made her want to scream and throw up and pass out, maybe all at once. It took all of her will power to not jump back further.
"Hello, little Kinmont."
The monster wasn't enormous, but it wasn't his size that made him terrifying. He seemed to be carved entirely out of magma, his skin cracking and oozing, covered in gaping wounds that seeped lava. His eyes were black sockets with bits of glinting flame embedded deep down near the roots. A long tail like a scorpion's but more mobile whipped over his head, and the venom that dripped out of the scythe-like point seared the ground when it fell.
"Looking for this, child?" The tail wound back inside the door, and when it reappeared, her grandpa was wrapped in the thick coils, the venom-laced point hovering near his neck.
Fear shot through Casey like she had grabbed an electric fence, and she lowered the crowbar. "Don't hurt him."
"Now who's the scared one?" the monster asked, taking a step toward her. "Can you see me as I am? Has your talent awakened?" The asphalt beneath him crackled and bubbled, melting at the touch of his bare feet. "Come to me, child, and I'll let the old man go."
Her grandpa was the only family member she had left in the world. She couldn't let anything happen to him, not if she could help it. Plus she had the fire protection spell from Strange, so that had to mean something, right? Where was he, anyways? "You promise?"
"Would you like to make a bargain?" The suggestion sounded more frightening than anything he had said yet.
"Casey, get…out of here," her grandpa said, struggling to speak as the coils of the monster's tail wrap tighter around him. "Don't—" He cried out as the stinger came closer to his neck, almost brushing his skin. His shirt sizzled where a bit of the venom dripped onto his chest.
The space demon grinned. "Bargain or no bargain?"
Her jaw tight with anger and helplessness, Casey tossed the crowbar to the ground and held up her hands. "Let him go, and we can talk."
"As you wish." Arpath's tail loosened suddenly, and Gramps dropped to the ground. Casey held out a hand to him, wanting him to come to her.
"Casey, move!" It was Strange's voice, finally. Didn't have to tell her twice. Casey leaped toward her grandpa and grabbed his hand, pulling him to the side as light and power surged past the two of them. They rolled on the ground, and Casey shielded her grandpa as Arpath roared, releasing a stream of lava from his mouth right at the sorcerer. At the same time, a golden net seemed to reached out and trap Arpath, keeping him in place.
"Strange!" she yelled as the man disappeared under the torrent of lava. She was wide-eyed when he reappeared a second later, bending down to haul both her and her grandfather to their feet.
"Time for you to go," he said, moving his hands so that a flashy circle appeared behind them. He motioned for them to go in.
"You one of them magic types?" Gramps asked Strange, looking him up and down, "The real deal? Like my boy was?"
"Yes," Strange said, "But we can chat later, after I deal with this...mess." He motioned back to where Arpath was struggling with the golden net, ripping through each strand.
Gramps looked at Casey and then back at Strange. "You can't. Ain't nothing you can do about him. Only us Kinmonts can do anything now. We've got the right blood for binding him."
"I'm not sure what you're talking about but I can assure you, I can handle this," Strange said.
"No, you can't, you smartass," Gramps said and then put his hand on Strange's arm. "Look, you take care of her. Teach her what she needs to know. Keep her safe, or so help me, I'll come back and haunt you."
"Sir? Whatever you're planning, let's rethink this."
"There isn't time. He won't stop until he gets her, and while you seem strong, I can't take the chance he'll get past you. You both need time."
"Gramps?" Casey said, staring at him, "Come on, let's go."
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Love you, kid. I can't do much, but I'm gonna buy you a couple years. Learn a lot, okay?"
"Wha—no!" She screamed as he suddenly ran from them, his hands making a symbol in the air while he yelled something in a language she had never heard before. Casey started to go after him, but at the same time, the bonds on Arpath's net broke and he lunged for Gramps. Light exploded from space where they met and it rushed at them in a wave. Casey was barely aware of Strange grabbing her and pulling his cloak over both on them, his back turned toward the explosion.
When the light faded, she shoved him away, staring at where her grandfather had been. There was a symbol burned onto the ground, a square with markings in the middle of it, but her grandpa was gone. So was Arpath.
Somewhere deep inside her, she knew that her grandpa wasn't coming back, and that she was reason he was gone. He had saved her, he had protected her, like he always did.
Tears flowed down her face as she sat down on the street, the strength gone out of her legs. A warm weight settled on her shoulders and something soft and gentle brushed her cheek and then covered her head like a hood. The cloak. Stephen had put his cloak around her. She cried harder, pulling the cloak over her eyes so she wouldn't have to see the empty space in her life.
