The Soulmate Initiative: Book 2

14. Losing a soulmate

LOCATION: THANOS' SHIP 2014

Nebula grunts as she hits the floor, being beaten by past Nebula, who stands over her "You're weak." "I'm you." For that she gets a punch in the face. Past Nebula takes the time traveling device off her hand and looks at it closely. Past Gamora walks over and past Nebula walks away. Nebula talks quietly to her sister "You could stop this. You know you want to. Did you see what happens in the future?" Past Gamora doesn't say anything, so Nebula continues "Thanos finds the Soul stone. You wanna know how he does that? You wanna know what he does to you?" Past Nebula walks back over and stops beside her sister, then kicking Nebula in the head "That's enough." She pulls out a knife and leans close to Nebula "You disgust me. But that doesn't mean you're useless." She uses the knife to remove an orange section of metal from Nebula's head, which is different to hers. Past Nebula approaches Thanos and gives him the capsule of particles found on Nebula. She has also placed the orange strip on her head, after removing her blue one there "How do I look?"

LOCATION: VORMIR 2014

Nian and Lavina, who took off the device to disguise her to save power as soon as they were onboard, finally arrive at their destination and Nian comments "Wow. Under different circumstances... this would be totally awesome." The pair land and run towards the only structure on the planet, which is atop a mountain. As they climb, snow falls on them and it gets slippery. Lavina groans "I bet the rabbit didn't have to climb a mountain." "He looks more like a raccoon, but he's technically not either." They both hear an eerie voice "Welcome." Lavina draws her daggers, one of them being the one from the past, and Nian draws a gun. They see a cloaked figure floating towards them "Nazar. Son of Ivan. Lavina. Daughter of Laufey." The pair cautiously approach and Nian asks "Who are you?" "Consider me a guide to you and to all who seek the Soul stone." "Oh, good. You tell us where it is, then we'll be on our way." The figure steps closer, revealing that he is the Red Skull "If only it were that easy." He leads them to a cliff edge, they keep their guard up "What you seek lies in front of you." They both peer over the edge, to just see a rocky side of the mountain "As does what you fear." Lavina takes a breath "The stone's down there." "For one of you. For the other... In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange." The pair look at each other, as he continues "A soul for a soul." The pair step away from the edge, Lavina sits down as Nian starts pacing "Maybe he's making this shit up." "No. I don't think so. Thanos left here with the stone, without his daughter. That's not a coincidence." "Yeah." "Whatever it takes." After a moment Nian stops walking and stares at the cliff edge "Whatever it takes." Lavina quickly looks at him and stands up "If we don't get that stone billions of people stay dead." "Yeah. Then I guess we both know who it's gotta be." "I guess we do." But what they don't realise is that they both mean themselves.

Nian takes Lavina's hand and Lavina's appearance changes to human/Asgardian, he then pulls her in for a kiss. He doesn't expect the passion he gets from Lavina. When they pull away, Lavina narrows her green eyes up at Nian "I'm starting to think we mean different people here, Nian." "For the last five years, I've been trying to do one thing. Get to right here. That's all it's been about, bringing everybody back." "No, don't you get all decent on me now." "What, you think I wanna do it? I'm trying to save your life." "Yeah, well. I don't want you to. How's that? Nian, you know I've done. You know what I am." "I don't judge people on their worst mistakes, or their parentage." "Look after my Sleipnir." The pair fight, neither wanting to lose the other, Lavina doesn't have her powers, but they are both incredibly skilled at fighting. Nian uses his widow bites on Lavina and makes a run for the edge, but Lavina forces herself up and tackles Nian to the edge right before he can fall. She's laying over his side, right at the edge. The pair lock eyes and Lavina kicks off the rocky surface, Nian reaches out a hand and grabs her. She's dangling off the edge, Nian now laying on his front barely on the edge. Lavina looks up at him "You have to let go." "No." "You have to. Someone has to go back, someone has to take the stone back to the others, to bring everyone home. It has to be you. You need to let me go." Lavina slips through Nian's fingertips and falls to her death. Nian cries as he stares over the edge at his dead soulmate, he feels the loss stabbing at his heart.

Suddenly, he's not at the edge and looking down anymore. He's laying in a shallow lake, he sits up and opens his hand to see a glowing orange stone. He starts sobbing and hold the stone close to his heart.