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]

Did... too.

[But they do have to postpone the conversation because suddenly the light flickers and then it is gone and Ezekiel drops to the ground.

He gasps and rolls on his back, irreconcilably torn between relief and dismay because is it really gone? Where did it go? He needs it back, he needs it to come back, he never wants it to come back ever again. He feels empty and small and lonely and it's awful and it's wonderful.]

Having... such a bad day...

[bookbrawler]

[Jake immediately runs over to him, holding the ray gun in one hand and placing it down on the ground temporarily as he looks him over, and offers a hand.]

...well yeah, it kinda looks like it--are you hurt? Are you okay? What the hell has he done to you!?

[luckythief]

[He gladly takes the hand, allowing Jake to pull him up.]

Used me as a... battery.

[His grip around Stone's wrist tightens for a moment.]

You... you came. You're here.

[bookbrawler]

Yeah, I'm here.

[Yeah, they're in mortal danger, but Jake's smiling, he can't believe that actually worked and he's free--now to just not actually, y'know, die, hopefully Quill doesn't come roaring up in here, smashin' them like bugs--

--but he reaches over to clasp Jones on the back in a half-hug, trying to be gentle because he doesn't know if he's in pain--]

Can you walk okay? We gotta find Flynn before Quill comes back, he's gotta know you're free--

[luckythief]

[He's here. He's really here.

Ezekiel returns the half-hug and the gesture is almost too much, he can feel his breath hitching in his throat but he can't break down, not here, not now, not with Peter on the rampage. Instead, he clings to Jake's shoulder, allowing him to steady him.]

... I think so. Yeah.

[bookbrawler]

Okay. Okay, good. We can go this way.

[He doesn't like how Jones sounds right now, but he can't worry about it because there were so many more things to worry about.

He places his foot under the ray gun lying on the ground, and jerks his foot up so it flies into the air and he catches it with his other hand. Pretty sweet, right, Jones? He promises he didn't crack it with that move. He thinks.]

[luckythief]

[Oh God, don't break it. This is exactly why your UFO license got revoked!]

... Hey, you remember that game I was telling you about?

[bookbrawler]

[H e ' s n o t g o i n g t o b r e a k i t , J o n e s.]

...the game? The game you made, about the Light?

[luckythief]

Yeah.

[He pushes at Stone, walking backwards as the tendril fizzles back into existence, slowly reestablishing itself.]

Leeeeeeet's just say we're in it now.

[bookbrawler]

Jake looks behind to see the tendril re-forming, and his heart drops into his stomach. He immediately raises his gun, gripping it with both hands and firing wildly at the tendril as he starts running.

"Two-player game! It's me and you this time! Lead us outta here and I'll keep firin' at this thing!"

[luckythief]

"This way!"

Yeah, you really don't have to tell him twice. Despite the strange, unnatural sense of loss and pull towards the light the thought of getting staked again (or worse – of Jake getting staked and most likely killed) is enough to keep him on his feet and moving alongside his friend, navigating the hallways.

"Please tell me the UFO is functional!"

[bookbrawler]

"I didn't crash it again! Did y'think I crashed it?!"

Jake fires wildly at the tendril as he chases after Jones, keeping close to him and watching his back. But still, he manages to shoot him an incredulous look.

"Where's the confidence, man?!"

[luckythief]

"It crossed my mind! It's a legitimate question? We only get one shot at this!"

Just saying!

"And I'm letting you fire the gun, don't I? That's plenty of confidence!"

[bookbrawler]

"I can't believe you don't trust me to not crash the UFO!"

He fires again and again.

"Well, yeah, but clearly no confidence in me flying! Jeez!"

[luckythief]

"I'm not the one who had his license revoked!"

He's typing away on a gadget on his wrist, opening doors, navigating them back to the hangar.

"Don't fire too much in a row, it needs to recharge!"

[bookbrawler]

"That wasn't even real, that was you, and I'm a perfectly good UFO pilot!" He will go down with this argument, Jones.

He glances down at the gun and shakes it as he's been firing it quite a bit, and looks nervously up at the approaching tendril.

"Then you better pick up the speed, cause that thing isn't letting up!"

[luckythief]

"Well, it's really your fault you forced me to revoke it! And I'm going as fast as I can. In here!"

He's closing the doors behind them; not that it's going to stop the tendril but it might slow it down just a little.

"Where did you park?"

[bookbrawler]

Jake skids to a stop, taking a second to fire at the tendril a couple times before slipping through the door.

"It's not far! It's near one of the side doors, just down that way." He nods towards a corridor that leads to one of the openings. "Didn't want to be too far away."

There's a pause before he starts running again. "You don't have the authority to revoke anything!"

[luckythief]

More running. Ezekiel is still tired and winded from the light and his breath comes out ragged and exhausted. Maybe he should save it.

"You know, you're really not... helping your... case! Arguing just makes me... wonder about your... driving maturity!"

But this is clearly more important.

[bookbrawler]

A look of incredulity. Are they really having this argument now, in this life-or-death situation? Apparently yes.

"My driving maturity!?"

He leads on towards the side door, slowing down slightly to let Ezekiel catch up. He's not sure what that light did to him, but it probably wore him out, the way he's sounding.

"Do you want me to save you or not? Because we could wait around for a better UFO driver to come along?"

[luckythief]

"Oh really! Well, I guess we are so very fortunate that we already have the best UFO driver in the galaxy with us! Me! And I still have my license, in fact it's right..."

His voice trails off with a yelp when another tendril, instead of breaking through the door, shoots up from the ground right next to him. Ezekiel looks up, startled, his steps slowing to a stop. He can feel the sizzling energy so close by, so familiar and why is he running again? He can't run from this. He shouldn't run from this. It's wrong and selfish, the light needs him and those planets need him and it feels very empty in his head without the constant hum and connectedness and maybe he should just...

No, nonono, he can't, he can't, he can't.

"Stone!!"

[bookbrawler]

"Please don't tell me that you made your own UFO license..."

He pauses when he hears the yelp, whirling around and seeing a flash of light suddenly erupt from the ground, shooting up next to Ezekiel. He's just frozen there, what is he--what is he waiting for!?

"JONES!"

Jake fires rapidly at the tendril, his heart pounding in his chest. "Don't you dare touch him!"

[luckythief]

It comes at him quickly, striking, and Ezekiel brings up his arms to shield himself and no, nonono please -- and then Stone's well-aimed shots throw it back, it twitches and flickers, disintegrating inches before his face.

He stands, transfixed for another long second before he slowly puts down his hands, trying to keep them from shaking too much. "I really don't like these things."

[bookbrawler]

Jake is panting, his eyes wide with fear and the horrible thought of Ezekiel getting dragged away again flickers in his mind--and then the thing disintegrates and he can breathe a sigh of relief.

"I hate 'em too. We gotta get out of here, man, put you where those things can't get you." He nods over to the parked UFO close by. "Get in there and maybe it can't get to you!"

[luckythief]

That was close. Too close, and his heart is still hammering in his chest, the panic keeping him in place, making it hard to think. At Stone's suggestion Ezekiel takes a step towards the UFO but stops again.

"... I-I can't. What if they attack it?"

Ezekiel could maybe, probably survive a crash but... could Stone? What if the tendril went after him the next time?

"You gotta get out of here. I can distract them for you!"