The next day I was up early, I could not sleep well last night, I had insomnia and when I finally couldn't sleep it was not pretty.
The nightmare started with the Chitauri invasion. It felt like I was there again, fighting for my life with civilians all dead around me. Buildings burned, screams echoed through the streets, and the sky was torn open by the portal above New York with more and more enemies invading earth.
But what was worse was that all the Avengers were dead.
Steve lay motionless beneath shattered concrete with his broken shield. Thor's hammer rested uselessly beside him. Iron Man's armour was broken and dark, the arc reactor no longer glowing. Natasha. Clint. Banner. All of them were dead.
The portal widened, stretching impossibly large, and a massive silhouette stepped through it. A giant Thanos descended slowly. He looked down at me.
"You caused this," he said, his voice booming across all of New York, echoing through my bones. "This wasn't supposed to happen. It was all your fault."
He raised his hand.
He was wearing his gauntlet, which was full of infinity stones.
Thanos snapped his fingers.
I screamed in despair, running desperately towards him, trying to reach him, to stop him, but it was already too late. People turned to dust mid-scream. The city vanished piece by piece. The life of an entire universe erased
And still, I could not stay dead.
The scene shifted, this time I was inside my home in the Stranger Things universe. However, I still was not safe. I was in the Upside Down version of my house.
The lights inside my room started flickering. I followed them, running toward the living room. Then I suddenly stopped, paralysed. A scream full of anguish, anger, and despair escaped me as I sank to the floor.
Vecna stood in front of me, surrounded by the corpses of my family.
In my anger, I tried to use my powers against him. My nose started bleeding, but nothing happened. I did not have powers in my dreams. I was just a normal person again, like I had been before.
I was helpless as Vecna started walking toward me, slow and predatory. I began floating, unable to move, like a puppet controlled by him. His hand caressed my face, staking his claim over me.
"You couldn't save them. You are not powerful enough to save anyone. You are too weak," Vecna declared as he closed his hand.
He murdered me brutally, breaking my bones one by one, blood streaming from my eyes like his other victims.
I was shaken awake by my mother. Still screaming, trying to fight against the arms holding me down.
At first, I did not understand where I was. My chest felt tight, my breath uneven, as if I were still trapped in the nightmare. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt, and my hands were trembling uncontrollably.
It took a few seconds for reality to sink in and I stop screaming.
I was in my bed.
Not New York.
Not the Upside Down.
My family was there. Alive.
My parents were sitting on either side of me, holding me as if I might disappear if they let go. Lucas was at the foot of the bed, his hands resting on my leg, rubbing slow, awkward circles, unsure of what else to do but remiding me that he was there.
Their faces were filled with fear. Concern. They were trying to help but didn't know what was happening nor how to fix it.
I realised then that I was still shaking violently, the remnants of the nightmare clinging to me. My throat burned and my eyes stung. It was all so real. I was crying, all of that was terrifying.
My mother whispered my name, over and over, grounding me. My father pulled me closer, his arms firm and protective.
I swallowed hard and forced out a single word, the only explanation I could give.
"Nightmare."
No one pushed me to say more.
We stayed like that for a long time, clinging to each other. Eventually, the tension in my body eased. My breathing slowed. I finally could relax.
By the end, all four of us had fallen asleep crowded together in my bed, tangled under the blankets.
I did not dream again that night.
By the time I woke up the this morning, they had already left my bed.
I lay there, staring at the ceiling, contemplating my existence. Just my presence could change everything. The events would not happen according to the original timeline anymore, no more guaranteed win. This was not a film anymore where the protagonist's luck would make them win against all odds. There was a risk that more people could die, that I could doom everyone.
But with my knowledge, I could also save so many people by preventing their deaths.
I could not just sit back and leave everything up to fate. There was too much at stake.
I needed to protect my family.
I needed to protect everyone.
I had to try to save as many people as I could.
But to do that, I needed to survive in both worlds.
I needed to be strong enough to fight all the threats that would come my way. I had to prepare for Thanos and Vecna if I wanted a chance of winning.
The immediate threat was Vecna.
Season one was almost starting. I had two months until the sixth of November of 1983, the day Will disappeared and everything began.
I started thinking about what I could do. Plan A. Plan B. Plan C. I needed contingency plans, like Batman. I had to be prepared for every possible outcome.
For that, I needed to return to the Marvel universe, where I could learn and collect resources. Even a few pieces of technology could help, considering how advanced the Marvel universe was compared to the normal 1980s. It would also be extremely important to learn how to fight properly and train my telekinesis.
Fortunately, I had made a few new friends who could help me.
With some things temporarily decided, I got out of bed and headed toward the kitchen for breakfast. My mother stood there preparing food for me, since my brother and father had already left.
She did not comment on what happened the night before. She was clearly worried but did not want to bring it up, afraid of triggering me again. I noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She had probably been awake most of the night.
I only managed to say "good morning" before sitting down to eat in silence. The guilt was consuming me. It felt like a knot pulled tight in my stomach, making it impossible to sit still.
I am sorry, Mom. I cannot ease your worries.
I cannot explain what happened to me or the burden I carry now. It is too dangerous for you all to know. I died once, and I am terrified that I might die again. But even if I have to carry this alone, I will keep you safe.
Yeah, I would save everyone, even at the cost of myself.