The Soulmate Initiative: Book 2

8. I have been falling for 30 minutes!

LOCATION: NEW YORK

The pair arrive on Earth, Lavina now as herself, wearing a black dress, boots and matching lipstick, and Tasia wearing trainers, jeans and a hoodie, an umbrella in one hand and her butt length hair in a low ponytail. Lavina notices "Your hair has gotten much longer." "Yours has grown a bit too." "I got it cut just the other day." The pair glance around, they're in a city. They turn around to see a building being demolished, a sign saying 'Shady Acres care home'. They both cross their arms over their chests, in sync "I swear I left him right here." "Right here on the sidewalk, or right there where the building is being demolished? Great planning." "How was I supposed to know? Can't see into the future, I'm not a witch." "No? Then why do you dress like one?" "Hey!" Before they can say anything more to each other, two teenage girls come up to Tasia "Just ask her." "Hi. Would you mind taking a picture with us?" Lavina rolls her eyes and Tasia moves closer to them "Oh, sure." The girls start giggling, while Tasia says "Start figuring out where he is." She smiles for the photograph.

Suddenly a golden ring of light starts forming around Lavina's feet, Tasia takes a step backwards "What's this? What are are doing?" Lavina looks to Tasia, in mild panic "This isn't me." She yelps as she suddenly gets sucked into the ground. The golden ring disappears and a piece of card takes its place, Tasia steps towards it and pokes it with her umbrella, whispering "Lavina?" She picks up the card '177A Bleecker St'. She finds the address and thumps on the door. She's suddenly teleported into a dimly lit room "Tasia Odinsdottir-" Tasia turns to a deep voice, a figure hovering in front of a huge round window. He floats over, his red cape fluttering behind him. Tasia points her umbrella threateningly at him, as he lands a few steps in front of her, he eyes the umbrella as he says "-Goddess of thunder. You can put down the umbrella." Tasia looks to her side to see an umbrella rack, so slips it in. As soon as she does, she is teleported again, this time into a better lit room, she turns to see the man behind her. She starts fiddling with things on a table, as she thinks over what's just happened "So, Earth has, uh…" She looks at the man's attire "...wizards now?" "The preferred term is Master of the mystic arts. You can leave that now." She stops touching things.

"Alright, wizard. Who are you? Why should I care?" "My name is Doctor Stephen Strange and I have some questions for you. Take a seat." She is teleported again, but this time not only into another room, but into a chair "Tea?" Suddenly there's a mug in her hand "I don't drink tea." "What do you drink?" "Not tea." She smiles and it transforms into a very large glass of alcohol, which she stares at, in wonder "So, I keep a watch list of individuals and beings from other realms that may be a threat to this world." Tasia takes a sip of the alcohol and decides she likes it, so she starts to very quickly drink it "Your adopted sister, Lavina, is one of those beings." Tasia pauses drinking for a moment "She doesn't do that anymore." Her eyes light up as her half glass, fills back up. Doctor Strange leans forward "Around the Avengers, she is less of a worry, but here with you, I've noticed you tend to let her off easy. Rather than returning to the Avengers, you arrived in the city, why bring her here?" "We're looking for my father." "So, if I were to tell you where Odin was, all parties concerned would promptly return to Asgard?" "Promptly." "Great! I'll help you." 

"If you knew where he was, why didn't you call me?" "I have to tell you, he was adamant that he not be disturbed. Your father said he had chosen to remain in exile." "Hmm… Alright, well, my father is no longer in exile. So if you could just… So if you could tell me where he is, I can take him home." She takes a sip of her drink "Gladly. He's in Norway." Tasia gets teleported yet again, this time into a standing position in a library, a bit of drink spills on the floor and she frowns. Doctor Strange looks through a book "I'm just seeing whether this incantation requires any Asgardian modifications." Tasia steadies herself against a bookcase "Nope." 

He slams the book shut and Tasia gets teleported again, this time she spills more of her drink and has to lean quite heavily against a bookcase. Doctor Strange looks at something in front of him and shakes his head "Oh, we don't need that." Then Tasia is teleported very quickly, spilling even more of her drink and breaking a shelf from the bookcase, all the books tumbling to her feet. Tasia sighs heavily and steps over the books, she puts the glass down and shakily walks over to Doctor Strange "Will you stop doing that?" He looks up from a book, looking nervously at Tasia "I-I need just one strand of your hair." Tasia stands tall, her chin in the air, as she continues to approach him "Let me explain something, my hair is not to be meddled with. Argh!" He teleports behind her and pulls a piece of hair from Tasia's head, he turns it glowing gold. 

Tasia gets teleported onto a staircase and tumbles down several steps. As Doctor Strange creates a portal, Tasia gets to her feet and dusts herself off "We could have just walked." Doctor Strange indicates to the portal, where a grassy field can be seen through it "He's waiting for you." Tasia sighs heavily "Alright." "Don't forget your umbrella." "Oh, yes." She holds out her hand, there's a lot of crashing as Mjolnir makes her way towards the pair, Tasia smirks "Sorry." Once in her hand, she smiles "There you go." She brushes glass shards off the umbrella." "I suppose I'll need my sister back." "Oh, yeah, right." He conjures a portal in the ceiling, Lavina's screaming can be heard, she falls through the portal and slams into the floor. She sucks in a breath and flips her hair back "I have been falling for 30 minutes!" She has to catch her breath before she can even get to her feet.

Doctor Strange backs up a little and says to Tasia "You can handle her from here." "Yes. Of course." He lets out a little breath, but doesn't take his eyes off Lavina, as Tasia shakes his hand very tightly "Thank you very much for your help." "Good luck." Lavina, now on her feet, stalks towards Doctor Strange "Handle me? Who are you?" She conjures two daggers and snarls, Tasia holds up a hand in front of her sister "Vina." But all of her attention is on the man "You think you're some kind of sorcerer? Don't think for one minute, you second rate-" Doctor Strange's eyes widen "Alright." He quickly throws the portal at them "Bye bye."