18
Adrianna had acted weird last night over dinner but nobody noticed most of them were buzzed from all the wine and shots they had done. But then again none of them would have noticed if something was up with her, she was still distant and they couldn't get her to say much.
The next day when they all woke up Natasha, Steve and Sam were the first to be surprised to see the living room cleaned,” Didn't we trash this place last night?” Sam asked he was still a little hungover but was hoping Steve still had some of Thor's magical hangover cure,” Friday who cleaned this mess up?” Natasha asked moving towards their kitchen she needed coffee,” Ms. Santos she was up early. I told her it wasn't necessary but she ignored me.” Steve looked at Sam and Natash confused,” Why would she do that? I'm pretty sure we broke some glass.” Natasha shrugged ever since she came here Adrianna wasn’t keen on talking to any of them but Wanda.
“Friday is Adrianna still up?” Sam asked
“Yes, Mr. Wilson,” Friday answered
“Could you tell her to come up here?” Steve said
“I'm unable to. Ms. Santos is currently not in the building she left after cleaning up.” Friday answered, causing the 3 of them to groan. Again.
“Again Friday, why didn't you wake us up?” Steve asked it seemed that the AI wished for Adrianna to go on her escapism.
“No protocol has been in place,” Friday answered with so much sassiness in the world.
“Did she say where she was going?” Natasha asked
“No Ms. Romanoff, just that she will be back sometime later today.”
“Should we wake up everyone else?” Sam asked Steve and Natasha.
“No. They're too hungover to be of any help. Friday, get some shield agents to look into where Adrianna went, and where she got off and please wake everyone up before our meeting.”
“Are we seriously not going to chase her down? She's a baby!” Sam grimaced regretting his volume,” We can't if we don't know where to look first.” Sam couldn't disagree against Natasha's logic.
Adrianna hadn't been thinking, not really. She should've she knew if she said something they would've helped but she had to do this alone. No, she wanted to do it alone.
So that's how she found herself on the train making her way towards Shady Acres Care home. If she couldn't fix her problems at home anymore then she had to fix the ones that were here in whatever variation of the timeline or unvierse she was in. She should start with Odin she had to, because he was the key to reaching out to Thor but also steering Hela away hopefully from wanting all this power. Adrianna was doubtful about this but one could try.
The care home looked depressing and out of place in the busy Lower Manhattan streets, there wasn't a care home in her Manhattan, it would just be out of place and wrong. The care home kinda had a dark cloud over it even though the sun shined, the place felt and looked dark.
Adrianna sighed going up the two steps pushing the front door open, the home looked homey. Adrianna did not expect that she expected it to look depressing and unkempt but it didn’t well at least the front of it didn’t. She had never been in a care home, so this was her first time. The person at the front desk noticed that she had walked in and watched her curiously as she came to the front desk, the receptionist stood up peering at Adrianna.
“Hey sweetie, are you lost?” Adrianna shook her head,” I’m looking for my grandfather, my mama said he was here.” The receptionist nodded,” Oh really. Did you come here to visit him?” Adrianna nodded sadly again,” I have to see him before we move. Mama’s taking us back to Norway.” Adrianna said as she slung her bookbag off her shoulder digging out the picture of Odin she had printed out before she left. She passed it to the receptionist,” This is him.” The receptionist's face brightens in recognition,” Oliver’s your grandfather?” Adrianna nodded like a 7-year-old would eagerly and doe-eyed.
“Can I see him?” Adrianna put on puppy dog eyes,” Please Mama won’t let me see him, and I want to before- before he dies. That’s why people come here to die, my friend told me so.” The nurse debated chewing her lip before nodding,”Ok but only for 20 minutes next time you have to come with your mommy or daddy.” Adrianna nodded excitedly that her plan had worked, she could integrate Odin for 20 minutes which was less than she had hoped but could still work,” Can I speak to him alone?” Adrianna said as she followed the nurse down the long hallway,”Sure but I'll be back just before your times up.” The nurse answered as she stopped in front of door 119,” Thank you Ms. Melody.’’ Adrianna said as she entered the room,”Grandpa it's me Aria.” Couldn’t give up her real name, Adriana waved at Nurse Melody as she closed the door behind her. When she turned around she almost screamed Odin was sitting in the rocking chair, staring at the tv that was currently on mute.
But he looked at her and smiled. Adrianna every cautiously looked at him as she sat across from him,”Aria you grown! How's your mother?” Adrianna looked at him questioningly whether he was really crazy or did Loki construct a web of lies in his head,” She’s trying to take back the throne Grandpa.” No reaction at all,” Something she would do.” Right.
“Odin I need you to break free from Loki’s spell.’’
“Odin? Loki? I remember reading you those myths. Playing out the battles. It was fun.”
“I don’t- I’m not. What the hell are you talking about?”
“Do not curse, it's unbecoming for such a young girl.”
“Are-” Adrianna sighed frustrated but she couldn't scream at the man who didn’t remember a single thing that was actually about his life or the fact that he was a literal god.
“I don’t know if you’ll remember but I’m trying to get in contact with Thor and I can't ask Heimdall because Loki fired him.” Adrianna explained as she held up pictures of the respecting men hoping that it would jog or shake something in the spell Loki has woven.
“It’s a shame, Heim is good at his job.” Was he playing with her,”I’m sorry are you shitting me? Is-” Maybe he knew everyone from his old life but not the true concept,” Grandpa. Uncle has gone off grid again and I need to speak to him. How can I talk to him?” Adrianna tried it and she hoped that it would work,”If your Uncle needs to be found. You have to call him. Send him a letter.” Right because there was mail in space.
“Odin. If you're in there you need to snap out of this Hela - you need to apologize or something she's going to destroy Asgard. Your people, they'll die hundreds and all for nothing. I can’t fix that, you need to fix that.” Adrianna emphasized
“You and your Norwegian myth. Always so obsessed. You can not fix anything that was not broken by you. You can’t fix a vase shattered before your time.” Adrianna looked at him confused. Was Odin here or was he not. It was like he was here and then the strings of the spell were pulling him back in.
Adrianna was going to try again when there was a knock on the door and she sighed, slinging her backpack back on her shoulders before standing up and going to the door,”Times up.” Adrianna nodded, waving at Odin before leaving the room Nurse Melody trailing behind her.
“Thank you for letting me see him. Have a good day Ms. Melody.” Adrianna said quickly as she made her way out the front door and ran down the streets and kept running until she hit the train station. Adrianna was panting as she crawled under the turnstile. The next train was 4 minutes away and she would only have to be on in for 4 stops before getting off at Bleecker st.
It took her 10 minutes to find 177A Bleecker St, at first she hesitated and she didn’t know who would responded plus it was 12pm. Adrianna knocked and got no respondes which was typical. She didn’t think if she was a magic wizard she would open the door either.
“Hello? Miss Ancient One? Mr. Wong?” Adrianna knocked again harsher this time,”Hello I know someone in here.” Before Adriana could knock again she felt herself being pulled through the other side of the door and she almost fell as she tried to regain her footing. When she looked around she saw that they had an array of items, many in glass cases. She wondered what they did,”They’re very dangerous. That's why they’re behind glass.” Adriana jumped hand going to her chest as she turned and looked at the Ancient One.
“Hi.” Adrianna squeaked out as she took a step away from the artifacts,”I was expecting you.” Adrianna frowned, confused,”I don’t think I made an appointment.” The Ancient one chuckled as she signaled for Adrianna to follow her into what looked like their living room or foyer,” I’ve seen you many times. You were always bound to come here one way or another.” Adrianna perked up as the Ancient one magics up a sandwich and juice.
“Thank you. But why would you ever see me?”
“You already know what lies ahead. The universes that exist and in many of them you and many others not of this world come in and help or try to.”
“So I was destined to come here no matter what I could've done to prevent being here?”
“You were. One of the many few. I don’t know why, you just were.”
“Do I ever go home?”
“That is something I can’t answer.”
“Right.”
“Odin is why you're here. You can’t help him, he must do it on his own.”
“Okay.” It was silent. Adrianna thought she would have more to say but she found the words, speeches gone,”Why me? I’m not special. And they’re sending me away.” The Ancient one gave nothing as Adrianna looked at her.
“ You don’t need to be special. I don’t have an answer to why you were chosen, just that you or others come here and changed things.”
“I think being special is a requirement. It’s why they're sending me away because I’m not that valuable. Just a kid who knows some things.” Adrianna answered disagreeing with the Ancient one as she put her sandwich down.
“Not everyone is special.”
“Yes but they’re worth something or super smart. I’m not smart. I don’t bring anything to the table.”
“You speak many languages. I think that makes you special enough and in time you'll realize your value.”
“For good or for worse?”
“It depends on the things you do with the time you have.” Adrianna looked at the Ancient one alarmed,”I'm gonna die?” Seeing the alarm and panic in the girl's eyes the Ancient one backtracks,”No sorry. I mean on the thing that’ll happen in the future.” Adrianna didn’t respond but she did pick her sandwich back up content with the half ass answer and even more questions spinning in her head.