And the stars look very different today...

[zunesareawesome]

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.

Comments

[luckythief]

"Mechanic? Ezekiel Jones is SO much more than just a mere mechanic! You two don't even know what to supervise! You have no idea what to do about this thing!"

He gestures back agitatedly at the UFO and brings up his arm to fend off the ball.

"You need me!"

[bookbrawler]

"This thing? I know more about this thing than you!" He jabs a finger at the UFO. He also does not know more about this thing than him.

He stops mid throw of another ball.

That's right.

"...I do need you." He looks down at the crumpled up sandpaper, and clenches it. "And you let me down."

[luckythief]

I do need you. The way Jake says it makes him freeze up because that... hurts.

And you let me down.

"I didn't!"

He looks away, trying to fight down the sudden storm of emotions threatening to swell up inside. "I... I didn't."

[bookbrawler]

Jake looks so sad for a moment, his brows furrowing. He halfheartedly points at him with one hand, before letting his arm drop.

"...and then you keep doing that."

[luckythief]

It's not fair. This isn't FAIR, not fair, it isn't fair that he's doing these unspeakable things to him and then looks at him like that. Like Ezekiel is the bad guy here. Like he disappointed him.

"Stone, I--" He's at a loss what to say because this isn't an argument that he can win, he knows. Whatever Flynn has done to him, it's like talking to a brick wall when it comes to his alleged treason.

Maybe he did let him down. By not keeping the tattoo immunity secret, by not hitting Flynn harder, by screwing up his attempt to save Jake from his clutches.

His shoulders slump. "I'm sorry."

[bookbrawler]

Well, at least he finally, finally said I'm sorry. Jacob looks and sounds the slightest bit calmer.

"Yeah, well. I wish you hadn't done it."

The hatred feels so wrong. It's Jones' fault he feels this way. If he hadn't done it...things could be back to what passed for normal. Flynn wasn't so bad. Jones would be free and...

"I wish I knew why you'd done it."

[luckythief]

Saying sorry leaves a sour taste in his mouth but it seems to have some kind of effect. He drops his gaze, staring at the floor.

"... I thought it would help us. I thought I could help you."

That much is true. He shakes his head. "I didn't mean to make things worse."

[bookbrawler]

The cognitive dissonance is giving him a headache. He winces and runs a temple.

He should hate Jones. He should--

--but he was trying to help--

No, he's lying--

--but he was trying to help me--

"You...you're lying again." It's his only defense. "You're--you always put yourself first!"

[luckythief]

"Then why would I stick around all this time? If these don't work on me?" He beckons at the tattoos.

"I wasn't just gonna leave you. I was looking for a way to get them off of you."

So maybe Peter had nothing to do with that but it looks like he's reaching Stone somewhat and Ezekiel presses on. "You hated them, remember? I was just... trying to get the curse broken."

There's a pause. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want Flynn to know. You couldn't betray him so I thought if you knew then he'd know, too, and he'd stop me."

[bookbrawler]

His head really hurts. What Jones is saying makes sense, perfect logical sense, but it also can't make sense because he hates Jones and if he hates him then none of this can be true, right?

"You...you're plottin' something else," he waves a hand at Jones, holding his head, wincing. "That's...you're lying. You have to be."

[luckythief]

"I'm not."

This is... new and he suddenly feels a small surge of hope. Maybe he can break through to Stone after all? "It's Flynn who's lying to you. He's done something to you, like the tattoos."

[bookbrawler]

Flynn? He's done something?

The pendant. What if this...what he's feeling is from the pendant?!

"No--no, you're just tryin' to turn me against him!"

His head is pounding--he's trying not to let Jones' words sink in--they made so much sense--

"I can't trust you!"

[luckythief]

"Then don't!"

Ezekiel spreads his arms again. "But come on, Stone, this isn't you! I know you like all this brawly fistfighting stuff but you don't... you don't hurt people. You don't like hurting people!"

He lets his hands fall back down. "You're... you're a good guy. And you're right, you're a better person than I am. You don't have to trust me, but please, you have to believe me."

[bookbrawler]

He doesn't. He doesn't like hurting people and what he'd done to Jones sits in his gut, like poison, seeping coldly into his veins.

"I d-don't..."

He sounds genuinely distressed. He's being torn in two, and he can't reconcile both halves.

"I shouldn't believe you. You're about to pull a fast one and I'm not falling for it."

[luckythief]

"How could I possibly do that? I'm under Flynn's magic just the same as you are." He holds up his hands. "This time for real!"

Somewhere else Flynn is watching curiously but with growing annoyance the effects of the exchange. He's tempted to lift the healing spell and end Jones' ridiculous attempts right then and there but then the thief would know he's on the right track.

Instead, Flynn reaches out to Stone, soothing some of the distress by turning Ezekiel's logic against him; things have been so much better until the thief brought all this up, he's the one causing Jake such distress right now. Again.

But they are on the right track, look how they had been working together up to that point, having a good time. If they can just make it permanent maybe they can be friends again, eventually. Once this nasty, manipulative side of Jones is driven out, once he learns his place.

Stone and Flynn just need to make him see that he can't keep doing this.

Tell him you believe him. Give him hope.

[bookbrawler]

"I know, I know, but--"

Flynn's influence hits him--well, more like slowly sneaks through into his mind. He's suddenly feeling...better, his distress soothed by Flynn, because seriously, look what Jones is doing to him! Look at this, it's all his fault.

But maybe? Maybe they can be friends again? A bloom of hope appears and Jake latches onto it--they can get there, he's sure of it.

Yeah. They just need to fix this. Fix him.

"...okay. Okay, yeah, you're right. I...I believe you."

[luckythief]

"You do?"

That catches Ezekiel off-guard but immediately his eyes widen with excitement. "Alright! Alright, that's great. We just, we can figure this out. We just need to find a way to free you from the tattoos. And whatever else he's done to you."

His heart is suddenly beating wildly in his chest. Did he really do it? Of course he did. He's Ezekiel Jones. Of course he's better than Flynn's stupid magic.

See? That's how he works. Flynn, on the other hand, is relaxing and leaning back. Sometimes Jones really makes it too easy for him. Now he's trying to rope you into his schemes. Maybe even steal your pendant. Always up to his usual tricks. How about we play him this time instead?

[bookbrawler]

"Yeah, I do."

He's listening to Flynn though, his eyes narrowing slightly even as he speaks those positive words.

Jones. He's never going to get over this betrayal. Even though...maybe someday he could think of him as a real friend again, even if he could never really trust him again.

Oh yeah. I'm not gonna let him get away with this. He thinks he can play me? Think again.

[luckythief]

That's the spirit. We can do this. You can do this. Get your friend back.

Ezekiel, in the meantime, tilts his head at the narrowing of his eyes. But that's probably just the influence Stone is fighting. He needs to keep going!

"I knew you could do it! We... we should get out of here. Get you away from his influence."

That... might get him away from Flynn's healing magic too, but he's willing to take that chance. They'd find a way to fix his hands later. They had to. If only he could get Stone out of his clutches first...

"We should go to the reading room. There's gotta be something against the tattoos in there. I bet that's where Flynn even got the idea."

[bookbrawler]

Encouraged, Jacob puts a little more into this act. He nods, trying to match Jones' enthusiasm.

"You think it's proximity based?" He doesn't think the pendant works that way anyway, but he's not so sure he wants to find out. Flynn's been so good to him, and it's not like he'd ever want the pendant to stop working. He loved that thing.

"Okay, sure, let's go to the reading room. These tattoos are a pain. Pun intended."

[luckythief]

It's a little too good to be true but Ezekiel is so desperate and worn-down from the past days at this point that he ignores the little voice inside his head that's telling him to exercise caution. "Might be. It's definitely one thing we could try but yeah, reading room sounds good. Maybe we'll find out something about the tattoos in a... magic tattoo book."

He's pretty sure they have a magic tattoo book. Why wouldn't they have a magic tattoo book?

"Let's go!" He shoves the toolbox closed with his foot and leads the way, excitement getting the better of him.

[bookbrawler]

"Makes sense to me."

There probably was a whole section on magical tattoos.

He follows carefully, without the same excitement, watching his actions carefully.

Oh, Jones, if you only knew...

[luckythief]

"Should check the internet and my databases, too. That will probably go a lot faster than dusting off the tomes."

He babbles on excitedly, grabbing one of his computers along the way and already bringing up the reading room's search mask.

"Put all the data in here, that should tell us where to look immediately..."

[bookbrawler]

Jacob's taking his good ol' time, dragging his feet quite literally, as he walks next to Jones, keeping the fake enthusiasm on his face. He's far more confident than he was earlier, those doubts had all but faded away.

He's confident in Flynn, and confident that they can get rid of what's keeping him from being friends with Jones again.

"...yeah, that'll probably be faster." An understanding nod.

[luckythief]

"Of course it will be faster. I programmed it."

His fingers are dancing over the keyboard and a second later, a list of publications pops up on the screen. "Gonna find it all, hang on, ah! Back there."

Ezekiel points to one of the shelves and hurries over there, pulling out books to go through.

Do you see it? Flynn's voice interjects, watching the scene with interest and gleeful anticipation. Do you understand what's keeping him from being your friend?