The Soulmate Initiative: Book 2

4. It worked

LOCATION: AVENGERS MANSION

The Avengers, now with Rocket, Nebula and Ashley's help, are making a platform that will work like Scott's van. Ashley, who's carrying some materials towards it, asks Rocket, who's working underneath the platform "Ratchet, how's it going?" "It's Rocket. Take it easy. You're only a genius on Earth, lady." Regina, Nebula and Scott are working on a suit, Penelope walks in and comments on it "Time travel suit, not bad." As Regina tries to put the particle capsules into their slot, Scott stops her "Be careful." "I'm being careful." "These are Pym Particles, alright? And ever since Hank Pym got snapped out of existence, this is it. This is what we have. We're not making any more." Penelope uses a hushed voice "Scott, calm down." "Sorry. We've got enough for one round trip for 10 of us. That's it. No do overs. Plus two test runs." He tries to put the capsule in his suitcase, but due to his stress, he activates it, he immediately shrinks and sizes back up. He lets out a scream of frustration, then calmly says "One test run. Alright." He takes a deep breath "I'm not ready for this." "I'm game." They look over to the doorway, to see Lavina, looking human/Asgardian "I'll do it." Regina asks "Where'd the blue and the horns go?" While Scott whispers to Nebula "Who's that?" Lavina explains "Ashley made this device-" She shows her wrist "She's been working on it a while and finally got it to work, but it doesn't work for long and it's very uncomfortable. So I'll only be wearing it for this."

They get her into a suit and Regina explains how it's going to work "Now, Vina you're gonna feel a little discombobulated from the chronoshift. Don't worry about it." Lavina looks to Regina "If we can do this, if we can actually go back in time..." Regine nods encouragingly "Then couldn't I just find baby Thanos-" She holds out her hand in front of herself "-grab him by the neck-" Their eyes widen as she stares intently at her hand "-and squeeze his purple neck-" Then she snaps her fist closed and smiles "-until it snaps?" Regina blinks "First if all, that's horrible." Lavina glares at her "He did it to me, just not as a baby." Regina ignores that "And secondly, time doesn't work that way. Changing the past doesn't change the future." Scott tells them how he thinks it should work "Look, we go back, we get the stones before Thanos gets them. Thanos doesn't have the stones. Problem solved." Penelope nods "Bingo." But Nebula crushes their dreams "That's not how it works." Penelope shrugs "Well, that's what I heard." Regina asks "Wait, by who? Who told you that?" "Star Trek, Terminator, Timecop, Time After Time." Scott joins in "Quantum Leap, Wrinkle In Time, Somewhere In Time." Then Lavina says the one time travel movie she's been shown, by Candice "Hot Tub Time Machine." Scott continues "Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure." Penelope shrugs "Basically any movie that deals with time travel. This is known." Regina shakes her head "I don't know why everyone believes that, but that isn't true. Think about it, if you travel to the past, that past becomes your future. And your former present becomes the past. Which can't now be changed by your new future." Nebula chimes in "Exactly." Scott looks devastated "So Back To The Future in a bunch of bullshit?"

Everyone but Prisha, Lucy and little Frigga, are gathered at the platform, Lavina standing in the centre "Alright, Vina. We're going in three, two, one." And she gets sucked downwards into the platform. She falls through the Quantum Realm and roars in pain when she lands on solid ground.

LOCATION: STARK TOWER

She retracts her helmet and catches her breath, she then looks around at where she is. She's standing on the landing platform on the Avengers Tower, but when Chitauri zoom by her, she realises that she's back in 2012. She hears clanging and looks down to see herself and Tasia fighting closely. Lavina's watch beeps and quickly increases its speed, she quickly grabs one of her past daggers, which is at her feet. Then she gets sucked back into the Quantum Realm.

LOCATION: AVENGERS MANSION

When Lavina arrives back on the platform, she's on her knees, breathing heavily. Her soulmates run over to her, Nian taking Lavina's face in her hands "Hey. Hey, look at me. You okay?" He helps Lavina to her feet. Lavina looks around at everyone, her eyes wide, her breathing still not settled "Yeah. Yeah." Nian takes a step back to give Lavina some space, she takes a deep breath "It worked." She holds up the dagger to show them. The device on her wrist stops working and her Jotun appearance returns, causing Scott to jump back with wide eyes. Lavina looks to Ashley and confirms "It worked."