CHAPTER 5
"Do you think this Dr. Strange really can help me?" Romana asks Jean as she gazes at the different buildings flashing by their car window.
"He's our best hope, Romana." Jean answers, her eyes focused on the road. - If he can't help us, God help us all -
"I wish I could have told Kurt where I was going." Romana mutters as she leans back in her seat.
"I'm a telepath, remember?" Jean says with a wry grin. "Logan will tell Kurt where we are going for us." - I only hope he doesn't set Kurt off. who am I kidding? -
They drive on in awkward silence until they enter Greenwich Village and come upon an eccentric looking three-story townhouse. "177a Bleaker Street. this is it." Jean says with relief as they park across the street and walk over. "Amazing." Jean whispers to herself as she picks up on the strong aura of magic and power surrounding the building.
"I don't know, Jean. I don't like this." Romana mutters, a nagging voice in her mind telling her she doesn't want to be here. "Isn't there someone else?"
"He's the best there is, Romana. The Professor even recommended him, and we all have trusted our lives with him before." Jean does her best to provide a reassuring smile, then turns to grasp the brass knocker on the dark cherry wood door.
"The master is expecting you, Madame Grey." Jean jumps as she turns to see that a bald Asian man in a dark green silk shirt and pants has opened the door she was reaching to knock.
"Not used to it happening to you, huh?" Romana jokes in a whisper as she smiles at the peaceful looking man.
Jean regains her composure and smiles. "Thank you."
"Wong, Madame Grey." Wong answers Jean's unspoken question and opens the door further into the townhouse. "Please, enter."
Jean walks into the house with a nod and Romana follows behind, only to be stopped by Wong's hand.
"She may not enter," Wong warns as Romana looks puzzled.
"Why?" Jean asks incredulously. "She is the reason why we are here!"
"She cannot enter, because she cannot enter. Observe." Wong removes his hand and Romana walks to the doorway, only to squish her nose against an invisible barrier. "There is an evil presence in your friend, and evil cannot enter this household. I will have to escort you to the gardens in the back, and you can wait for the doctor there." Wong walks past the two women down the stairs and walks to a path by the side of the house. "If you would both follow me to the gardens, I will retrieve the doctor."
Jean and Romana look at each other and shrug, as if to silently say, "What other choice do we have?" and follow Wong down the path.
The wooded path opens up into a beautiful fenced in garden with large oak trees circled by benches and colorful blooming flowers.
"This is beautiful, Wong! Do you take care of the garden?" Romana asks as she bends down to inhale the fragrance of a peach rose.
"Yes, madam." Wong replies with the slightest hint of a smile. "Taking care of the garden is one of my many duties here. If you would like to have a seat on one of the benches, I will try not to be too long." Jean and Romana sit under the shade of one of the oak trees as Wong walks a short path framed by lilies to the back door of the townhouse.
"Jean." Romana whispers quietly once they are alone.
"What's bothering you, Romana?" Jean asks, although she already can imagine her answer. - Oh nothing, just that I have an unknown occult spell implanted in my brain, I have blackouts, and now I've been called evil -
"Do you think I'm evil?" Romana's voice is almost childlike as she stares at her shoes, bracing herself for the reply.
Jean sighs heavily. "No, Romana. I don't think you are evil, but I do think that something evil is taking advantage of you; I just don't know what."
"Oh." Romana is quiet for a long moment. "Jean?"
"Yes, Romana?"
"Thanks."
They sit in silence for a few moments and Romana's mind drifts as she watches a warm breeze blow the leaves above.
- You shouldn't be here. You need to leave.now! -
Romana shivers and wraps her arms around her chest.
"Are you okay, Romana?" Jean asks as she put her hand on Romana's
shoulder.
"Huh? Oh. just a cold shiver, I guess."
- Jean wouldn't lead me into danger. I trust her. she's my friend -
- Then why wouldn't they let you say goodbye to Kurt? They think you
are dangerous, and they don't trust you! Run away, before it's too
late! -
"No!" Romana whispers harshly as she hugs herself tighter and closes
her eyes.
"Romana?" Jean asks, the look of worry clear on her furrowed brow.
"This time I know, something's wrong. What is it?"
Romana rocks slightly back and forth as she mutters, "It's nothing.
it's nothing. it's. YOU!" She leaps to her feet and stares with the
glowing green light of her eyes at the regal looking man with white
streaks in his hair entering the garden. "It's too late to save her
now, Strange! I will complete my task, and Cthon will again walk this
plane!" Romana growls in a masculine voice not her own.
Strange halts his steps and his eyes widen at the name. He begins to
make small gestures with his right hand as he points towards the
possessed Romana, who also sees the gestures and begins to panic.
"Fereste-te de cãrbunele acoperit!" Romana yells and raises her hand
towards Strange, when suddenly her eyes roll up into her head and she
collapses to the ground, unconscious.
Strange raises an eyebrow in question at Jean, who is crouching by the
bench and focusing intently on Romana. "Your work, I presume?"
Once she knows for sure that Romana is okay, she turns to Strange and
blushes slightly. "Um. yes. I didn't mean to interfere, but I thought
it was the best way to end things peacefully."
"By all means, my dear." Strange replies as Wong appears and lifts the
prone Romana into his arms. "I have the feeling that I am going to
need my magic for a much more dangerous endeavor." He gestures over
Romana and her body glows a faint blue. "Now she may enter my home.
Come, please, for we have much to do, and little time." Strange turns
and walks back into his townhouse followed by Wong with the
unconscious Romana, and a very worried Jean.
- Romana. what happened to you? And even worse. how do I tell Kurt? -
"Do you think this Dr. Strange really can help me?" Romana asks Jean as she gazes at the different buildings flashing by their car window.
"He's our best hope, Romana." Jean answers, her eyes focused on the road. - If he can't help us, God help us all -
"I wish I could have told Kurt where I was going." Romana mutters as she leans back in her seat.
"I'm a telepath, remember?" Jean says with a wry grin. "Logan will tell Kurt where we are going for us." - I only hope he doesn't set Kurt off. who am I kidding? -
They drive on in awkward silence until they enter Greenwich Village and come upon an eccentric looking three-story townhouse. "177a Bleaker Street. this is it." Jean says with relief as they park across the street and walk over. "Amazing." Jean whispers to herself as she picks up on the strong aura of magic and power surrounding the building.
"I don't know, Jean. I don't like this." Romana mutters, a nagging voice in her mind telling her she doesn't want to be here. "Isn't there someone else?"
"He's the best there is, Romana. The Professor even recommended him, and we all have trusted our lives with him before." Jean does her best to provide a reassuring smile, then turns to grasp the brass knocker on the dark cherry wood door.
"The master is expecting you, Madame Grey." Jean jumps as she turns to see that a bald Asian man in a dark green silk shirt and pants has opened the door she was reaching to knock.
"Not used to it happening to you, huh?" Romana jokes in a whisper as she smiles at the peaceful looking man.
Jean regains her composure and smiles. "Thank you."
"Wong, Madame Grey." Wong answers Jean's unspoken question and opens the door further into the townhouse. "Please, enter."
Jean walks into the house with a nod and Romana follows behind, only to be stopped by Wong's hand.
"She may not enter," Wong warns as Romana looks puzzled.
"Why?" Jean asks incredulously. "She is the reason why we are here!"
"She cannot enter, because she cannot enter. Observe." Wong removes his hand and Romana walks to the doorway, only to squish her nose against an invisible barrier. "There is an evil presence in your friend, and evil cannot enter this household. I will have to escort you to the gardens in the back, and you can wait for the doctor there." Wong walks past the two women down the stairs and walks to a path by the side of the house. "If you would both follow me to the gardens, I will retrieve the doctor."
Jean and Romana look at each other and shrug, as if to silently say, "What other choice do we have?" and follow Wong down the path.
The wooded path opens up into a beautiful fenced in garden with large oak trees circled by benches and colorful blooming flowers.
"This is beautiful, Wong! Do you take care of the garden?" Romana asks as she bends down to inhale the fragrance of a peach rose.
"Yes, madam." Wong replies with the slightest hint of a smile. "Taking care of the garden is one of my many duties here. If you would like to have a seat on one of the benches, I will try not to be too long." Jean and Romana sit under the shade of one of the oak trees as Wong walks a short path framed by lilies to the back door of the townhouse.
"Jean." Romana whispers quietly once they are alone.
"What's bothering you, Romana?" Jean asks, although she already can imagine her answer. - Oh nothing, just that I have an unknown occult spell implanted in my brain, I have blackouts, and now I've been called evil -
"Do you think I'm evil?" Romana's voice is almost childlike as she stares at her shoes, bracing herself for the reply.
Jean sighs heavily. "No, Romana. I don't think you are evil, but I do think that something evil is taking advantage of you; I just don't know what."
"Oh." Romana is quiet for a long moment. "Jean?"
"Yes, Romana?"
"Thanks."
They sit in silence for a few moments and Romana's mind drifts as she watches a warm breeze blow the leaves above.
- You shouldn't be here. You need to leave.now! -
Romana shivers and wraps her arms around her chest.
"Are you okay, Romana?" Jean asks as she put her hand on Romana's
shoulder.
"Huh? Oh. just a cold shiver, I guess."
- Jean wouldn't lead me into danger. I trust her. she's my friend -
- Then why wouldn't they let you say goodbye to Kurt? They think you
are dangerous, and they don't trust you! Run away, before it's too
late! -
"No!" Romana whispers harshly as she hugs herself tighter and closes
her eyes.
"Romana?" Jean asks, the look of worry clear on her furrowed brow.
"This time I know, something's wrong. What is it?"
Romana rocks slightly back and forth as she mutters, "It's nothing.
it's nothing. it's. YOU!" She leaps to her feet and stares with the
glowing green light of her eyes at the regal looking man with white
streaks in his hair entering the garden. "It's too late to save her
now, Strange! I will complete my task, and Cthon will again walk this
plane!" Romana growls in a masculine voice not her own.
Strange halts his steps and his eyes widen at the name. He begins to
make small gestures with his right hand as he points towards the
possessed Romana, who also sees the gestures and begins to panic.
"Fereste-te de cãrbunele acoperit!" Romana yells and raises her hand
towards Strange, when suddenly her eyes roll up into her head and she
collapses to the ground, unconscious.
Strange raises an eyebrow in question at Jean, who is crouching by the
bench and focusing intently on Romana. "Your work, I presume?"
Once she knows for sure that Romana is okay, she turns to Strange and
blushes slightly. "Um. yes. I didn't mean to interfere, but I thought
it was the best way to end things peacefully."
"By all means, my dear." Strange replies as Wong appears and lifts the
prone Romana into his arms. "I have the feeling that I am going to
need my magic for a much more dangerous endeavor." He gestures over
Romana and her body glows a faint blue. "Now she may enter my home.
Come, please, for we have much to do, and little time." Strange turns
and walks back into his townhouse followed by Wong with the
unconscious Romana, and a very worried Jean.
- Romana. what happened to you? And even worse. how do I tell Kurt? -