Chapter 12: Came the Last Night of Sadness
Thor had looked hesitantly as the wizard and his sister spoke, unsure if he was ready to trust this man just yet. He felt a tug on his jacket, looking up to see Skadi trying to get his attention. She pointed down to his side and saw that an umbrella stand had appeared off to the side of them. Thor smirked, before placing his hammer down into it. The moment he did a gust of wind hit him, flashing the two Asgardians into another room. The man dressed in blue leaned up against a desk, watching the two expectantly waiting for an explanation. Thor was amused, turning to look at the table in front of him. He began to play with the first thing he saw.
"So Earth has wizards now?" Thor questioned, twirling the small straight piece of metal he'd taken at the man. He tried putting it back, but instead knocked all the others resting on the holder down, causing them to crash onto the table and some rolling down onto the floor.
"Must you touch?" Skadi hissed at him, picking one that had rolled towards her up and placing it on the table. She looked at the man apologetically.
"The preferred term is master of the mystic arts, you can leave that now." The man said, completely unamused.
"I prefer wizard," Thor shrugged, needing the last word.
"Thor," Skadi warned before turning to face the man. "I'm sorry about him, my both my brothers are clearly idiots now so if you could just tell us who you are and give us our brother back we'll be on our way."
"My name is Dr. Stephen Strange and unfortunately I can't do that," the man said, making Skadi's smile dropped. He continued, addressing the goddess more than her brother for she was right, her brothers were indeed idiots. "Take a seat."
Another gust of wind hit them, and they were suddenly now sitting on two comfy red chairs, facing Dr. Strange, who Thor now settled that he wasn't a fan of.
"Tea?" The Doctor offered, attempting to be somewhat hospitable.
Skadi accepted it gratefully as it appeared in her hand, all of the affects from the transporting getting to her head along with all the wine she had drank. Her body was still not used to the strong alcohol and never had been drunk before, normal alcohol never doing much of anything for her. She sipped the hot liquid, happy to have something else in her system.
Thor on the other hand, grimaced, staring down at the cup in disgust. He placed the cup down, looking up at the wizard, "I don't drink tea."
"Then what do you drink?" He questioned, not backing down from Thor's rudeness.
"Not tea." Thor said, but soon stared at the cup as it transformed into a beer glass. Thor narrowed his eyes at the liquid unsure if he should drink. He saw Skadi drinking hers and figured if it was poisoned, he'd better go down with her. Taking a long sip, he noted that the glass had begun to fill itself back up.
"So I keep a watch list of individuals and beings from other realms and planets that may be a threat to this world. Your brother, Loki, unfortunately for you is one of those beings." Dr. Strange explained as Thor continued to chug his beer.
Skadi looked at the Doctor sadly, understanding him completely but also knowing that he didn't understand why they had brought him back to Earth in the first place. "Look, Dr. Strange, we understand your concern but he's under our watch, we won't let him do anything. Trust us," Skadi said, trying to smile her way into making him give Loki back to them.
"Look, wizard, we're looking for our father." Thor cut in, ignoring Skadi when she whacked him upside the back of his head after he spoke for interrupting her.
"So," Dr. Strange stared at the two with unamused eyes, "if I were to tell you were Odin was all parties concerned would promptly return to Asgard?"
"Promptly," Thor responded in seconds.
"Great, he's in Norway," Dr. Strange informed them.
Skadi was unsure where that was as was Thor but neither really got a chance to question as the Doctor had already zapped them to a different location. Strange stood before them, reading a book as Skadi and Thor struggled to find their footing and nearly crashed into the other. Strange stated how he was just checking to see if there were any Asgardian modifications he had to make before slamming the book he read shut, clearly eager to get them both out of his house.
Again, they were flung to another part of the house, Thor crashing into a bookcase, his beer still in hand spilling out of the cup, some getting onto Skadi's jacket. She growled, now having to deal with getting that smell off later. The force of the crash against the bookcase caused Thor to rip down one of the shelves as well as he tried getting his footing. Skadi took the beer from his hand, placing it down onto a nearby table.
"Could you stop doing that?" She asked, feeling her stomach reeling.
"Can I-, I need a strand of either one of your hair?" Strange turned to question them, ignoring Skadi's request. "Just one strand of hair."
"Let me make this straight! My hair is something not to be trifled with!" Thor proclaimed, walking towards the wizard, sick of all the nonsense. Before he knew it though the wizard appeared from behind him, ripping a strand of hair out from his long mane. "Ow!"
Thor watched as the wizard took his strand of hair and set it aglow to the same shade of color as the circle that entrapped Loki. For the last time the pair found themselves transporting again, this time Thor falling down a set of stairs while Skadi plumped on her butt on the side of the doctor. She looked up to him in annoyance as he began twirling the line of light around in his fingers. He then used it and formed a giant circle as the pair stood up. Inside the circle was a grassy area which Skadi assumed was this Norway he spoke off.
"He's waiting for you." Dr. Strange announced, motioning towards the circle. "Don't forget your umbrella." The Doctor reminded, pointing to the God of Thunder.
Thor nodded, nearly forgetting he brought it. All the transporting in such a short time span had made his head all foggy. He reached his hand out already hearing the hammer smashing through glasses and other items. Thor smiled sheepishly at the wizard, letting out a soft sorry as Skadi looked more embarrassed than ever. When the umbrella finally reached his hand he smiled widely, dusting off some glass shards from it.
"I also suppose we'll need our brother back." He said, reminding the wizard of something he'd forgotten as well.
"Oh right," Dr. Strange nodded, using his hands to form a circle up above them.
Loki's yells could suddenly be heard, growing louder and louder until his legs and body eventually came into view, crashing down onto the floor from the hole Strange had made appear from above. Skadi winced as he landed with a harsh thug.
"I've been falling for thirty minutes!" Loki shouted, gasping for breath as he stood up.
"You can handle him from here" Dr. Strange looked at Skadi, having more faith in this girl than then her blonde older brother.
"Thank you for your help, Dr. Strange." Skadi said thankfully, reaching out to shake his hand. They shook hands for a moment as Thor looked out into the grassy fields.
"Handle me? Will you?" Loki said offended by some mere mortal treating him with such disrespect. He made his knives appear from his hands, ready to charge at the sorcerer. "You think you're some kind of all-powerful sorcerer? Don't think for one minute you'd stand a chance-,"
"Alright bye-bye!" Dr. Strange had enough of the family, sending the portal zooming at them.
Loki threw himself through the portal, meaning to attack the Master of the Mystic arts, but only landed face first into the dewy grass. Thor and Skadi stood behind him, Thor rolling his eyes at his brother while Skadi stared down and laughed.
"I'm pretty sure he just handled you," Skadi proclaimed, not easing up on her amused smile much to Loki's displeased face.
Loki looked up at her unenthusiastically from her comment before pulling himself up to stand next to her. Strengthening out his suit jacket he looked forward, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand. He was going to give some clever quip back at his sister but instead, the two stood in silence, watching as Thor was the first one to step forward towards the man standing not too far off from them looking off into the ocean and sky. Loki could sense her nervousness and could bet that it rivaled his own. He couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty, the girl, having to go through reuniting with her father once more. With a soft and somewhat comforting smile, Loki wrapped an arm around her waist, gently nudging her forward to catch up to Thor and their father.