makingthisupasigo | And the stars look very different today...

It was a way out. But it wasn't home.

Truthfully, after Norfinbury, anything would be better than that place, but the cold truth was--there was no way to find his own universe out of the endless multiverse, even if Norfinbury's busted technology had worked properly. He was stuck, here, with a megalomaniac Flynn--granted, a Flynn that managed to open up a portal out of there. Maybe that's what it took to get out of Norfinbury.

Or, Peter thought sometimes on bad days, Norfinbury only released you once you became the twisted version of yourself it wanted you to be. A specially-designed virus inflicted on countless worlds.

Besides, he ought to know something about that.

He didn't stay long on earth, he couldn't. Maybe it had something to do with the mystery of how they were revived in Norfinbury, their bodies recreated or cloned or healed, or maybe it was something that was gonna happen to him anyway, but he could feel the Light burning inside him, inside his head almost as soon as he landed. A desperate need to take to the stars. He'd managed to create a ship and took off.

Time passes, and scientists notice something odd about several exoplanets they're monitoring, especially ones marked as 'earth-like' or other planets in zones that could make them potentially habitable. Bright bursts of light and changes in the composition of the atmosphere or surface, it was inexplicable. Possible evidence of intelligent life? If they didn't know any better, especially with the rocky planets that now somehow boasted extreme changes, it was like something was terraforming them.

There was cause for alarm when Mars suddenly turned blue and green a few months later.

Meanwhile, a small blue-and-orange ship that looked suspiciously like a slightly more organic-looking Milano was racing towards the earth.

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Ah, man, he passed out. Oh well. He'd be in plenty of pain later.

Jacob looks at him, still nothing registering on his face. He looks over for Flynn, wondering if he would be proud of what he'd done.

"Got a place to lock him up?"

Flynn tsks, a little disappointed that it's already over but looking quite pleased at the outcome nevertheless. "Now will you look at that. Can't even take his punishment like a man."

He shrugs. "Guess that apology will have to wait. But yeah, I got just the place. Well done."

There's a part of him that's proud that Flynn said well done. After all, Flynn was ensuring that justice would be done, and he was glad to be a part of it.

He bends down to haul Jones up and lean him against himself, not bothering to mind his injuries. He was passed out anyway, and if he was in more pain later? Good.

"All right, jus' lead the way."

Flynn smiles briefly at the way Stone just pulls Jones up. Oh, that's gonna hurt. Too bad the thief is out cold but that's definitely leaving its mark for later.

"This way." Walking ahead he leads Stone to the dungeon cell. "We'll leave him here for now."

Does Jones need medical attention? Flynn doesn't think so.

Jacob dumps Ezekiel unceremoniously on the dungeon cell floor. Does he, in fact, need medical attention?

Probably. But that was Flynn's call to make, not his. What did he care if Jones got help? The pain was supposed to remind him of his treason.

But...well...something felt a little wrong.

"Do...do we need to leave water or food or a blanket or something?"

Flynn looks at him strangely. "How is he gonna drink it?"

Then his face lights up because how is he gonna drink it? Excellent! "You're absolutely right! That's the kind of punishment we need!"

He waves a hand, conjuring up some food and water for Jones after all. "That's gonna make him think twice about betraying Earth."

"I...I didn't exactly mean that, but..."

That wrong feeling seems to be a lot worse.

But Flynn had a point? He guessed? It still seemed to sit strangely in his stomach.

"And a blanket. Don't forget the blanket."

And the stars look very different today...

cw broken bones, broken souls

cw broken bones, broken dreams

cw broken bones, broken spirits

cw broken bones, broken everything

cw broken bones, broken everything x infinity plus one

cw broken bones, that's what you thought

cw broken bones, sobbing