Dr. Strange was chatting with Wong about what to get for lunch, when suddenly something caught his attention. On the into the air projected hologram of the Sanctum, blinking lights at the front door were indicating unusual events. Strange hold up his hand, to stop Wong from talking about sandwiches, and walked towards the circular window right above the entrance. His cloak flew over and landed on his shoulders.
When he looked down to the stairs leading up to the door, he sighed with annoyance. Not that he would have wished for something actually dangerous to happen, but it was the third time this week, that some dipshit teenagers were carrying out their stupid gang fights on his stairs.
"Goddamn it, those kids again", he murmured, and the cloak on his shoulders relaxed.
"You could just use a spell to prevent anyone from setting a foot on those stairs, you know", Wong said.
"Yeah, I know. However, sometimes people do need to actually get in. Remember, like last time when the world was going to end and Stark and his friends showed up here?", Strange said. He already wanted to turn away again from the window and resume the talk about lunch, when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. It was not the usual skirmish between some boys down on the stairs, but now he realized there was a girl, or a young woman, being cornered by five young men. They were shouting and closing in on her, the girl pressing her back against his front door.
"For God's sake", Strange grunted, then he quickly moved his hands. From down in the hallway came a screeching noise, and the sound of a body crashing through the clearance and onto the floor. He moved his hands again, and the door closed again. Strange threw another look through the window, the five man were still outside, looking confused. He smiled.
Strange and Wong walked down the stairs and into the entrance hall. The girl was picking herself up from her fall, looking less confused than Strange had expected. She was small and thin, an almost childish figure, but her face looked like it had seen a lot already. She could have been anywhere between 15 and 30 years old, it was impossible to tell. Her ash blond hair was cut short at the length of her chin, and she was wearing shabby clothes. And she smelt really bad. Like a mixture of garbage and sewer. Strange wrinkled his nose, while he and Wong approached the girl/woman.
"Thanks", she said, knocking off dust from her sweatpants. It was almost comical since there had been more dirt on her clothes before than could be found in the whole Sanctum.
"It's our pleasure", Strange said, and stopped a few steps away from her. Wong waited besides him.
"Those are some fucking bastards out there", she said and nodded towards the door. The distant rumbling of fists knocking against the heavy wood had subsided, the young men outside had apparently given up on attempting to get in as well.
"What was the problem?", Strange asked. The girl frowned.
"In particular or in general?", she asked. Strange sighed.
"Look, we were just trying to help, okay? If you want to fool around, then please do so on the outside, where they are waiting for you", he said. She rolled her eyes.
"Alright, why so serious? I just mean, it was nothing special. They were just trying to get me, that's all", she explained.
"Trying to get you? Why?", Wong asked.
"Because I didn't have the money. So they wanted to get paid in other ways", she said with a shrug.
"In other ways?", Wong asked. Strange wished he hadn't.
"Yes, dumbass. Do I look like I have anything else to give, except from my body?", she said, and pointed with her hands towards herself.
"Alright, enough. What's your name, anyways?", Strange asked, before Wong could ask any further questions.
"Adrasteia, but most people call me Adra", she replied, "And who are you guys?"
"I'm Doctor Stephen Strange, and this is Wong", Strange said. "What kind of name is that, Adra?"
"It's my name. Funny that this question comes from a man who calls himself Strange, wears a cloak like he escaped some fantasy novel, and his friend is called Wong. Just Wong", Adra shot back.
"Yeah, I asked him about that too when we first met", Strange murmured. In the meanwhile, he felt his stomach grumble, and remembered, what had been the plan before their unexpected guest had showed up.
"Anyways, it was nice talking to you, Adra. We're glad we could help you escape those guys, but we were actually getting lunch in a minute", Strange said.
"Thanks for asking, but no thanks", Adra said and smiled.
"We were not asking – never mind, but you need to leave now", Strange said and rubbed his forehead.
"But they're still out there", Adra said and frowned.
"Nope, the stair is empty", Strange said. He had the urge to open the door by magic, but that would have been careless, so he walked towards the entrance and pushed the door open. Indeed, the stairs were empty, and out on the street the daily traffic was flowing.
"They're waiting around the corner", Adra said and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"She's right, I can sense them", Wong said. Strange sighed and shot Wong a meaningful look. His friend did not seem to understand, and shrugged.
"Maybe I could stay here for a few hours? They are not very persistent", Adra asked. Strange exchanged a look with Wong, who just shrugged again, as if to say, Your Sanctum, your choice. Strange sighed for the thousandth time this afternoon, then he said, "Fine, you can wait it out. But you stay in the hall, understand? No walking around and touching stuff. Just the hall". It was a risk, but the girl did not seem to bright anyways.
"You know, I'm eighteen, so you don't have to talk to me like I'm five", Adra said unimpressed, then she walked over to the stairs leading up to the upper floor and sat down on the lowest step.
"Thanks, guys", she said and smiled. Wong did not seem to be too excited about the situation, but he joined Strange, when he walked through the door and out into the street.
"You sure you don't want to at least disguise everything sacred in the Sanctum?", Wong asked, while they were walking towards their regular sandwich shop. Strange snorted.
"You really think she would comprehend anything? Have you looked at that girl? She was probably high and drunk at the same time", he said.
However, when they came back from their lunch, the hall was empty. Strange and Wong ran upstairs, shouting the girl's name. She was nowhere to be found. Until the cloak slightly pulled Strange into a certain direction. And there Adra sat cross-legged on the floor, between the relics in their showcases, and with the Monocle of Perspective on her eye.
