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]

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!"

[bookbrawler]

"What? No! I'm not leaving you!" Jacob's tone said that separating was out of the question for him. "Get in the UFO, we can get in the air, they can't get you there!"

...could they? He actually didn't know. But they had so little options right now, other than the ray gun that needed to recharge every so often. And they couldn't keep this up forever.

[luckythief]

Ezekiel doesn't know either but he wants to believe that. Jacob's steely resolve breaks through his scattered thoughts and panic, helps him keep the dangerous pull towards the light in check.

I'm not leaving you!

He came. He's here, to get him out. Ezekiel's feet slowly start moving again, breaking through the paralysis.

"O-okay. ... Remember to swerve."

[bookbrawler]

"Yeah. I will." There's something softer to his voice, as he hits a button on the outside of the UFO to open the door, the ramp extending to the ground. He motions his arm wildly, wanting him to get in first.

"Go! Go, I'll cover you!"

There's a crackle as another tendril reforms from the ground, but Jacob fires wildly at it, disintegrating it before it can get much higher.

[luckythief]

Allowing himself one last glance back at the tendrils and Jake Ezekiel turns around and hurries up the ramp inside. It feels weird being back in here. How long has it been? Probably not that long, or did he lose all track of time? It feels like a lifetime since he and Jake set out on that mission, taking a selfie, having a great time before everything went so utterly, irrevocably wrong. The Expansion. Getting captured by Peter for the first time. Returning, only to have Jake and Flynn gang up on him. Thinking that it can't get worse and then things just got so much worse.

He fires up the engines, running on autopilot now. They need to get out. They need to make things right again.

"Stone! Get in here!"

[bookbrawler]

There's sound of Jacob running desperately up the ramp, shooting out the back of the door like Han Solo, but he misses his last couple of shots as he's already too far inside.

"I'm in! I'm in, the tendril's back! Go!"

There's a flash of white light as a tendril tries to attack the back of the UFO--

[luckythief]

"It's gonna hit us!"

His voice is frantic, a little high-pitched, the panic breaking through again because there's no way they can make it out of here in time. The tendril moves in to strike--

In a sudden, desperate move Ezekiel grabs Stone to shield him. He doesn't know if it will do anything but he has to at least try – maybe if they both get hit by the tendril at the same time it will link his immortality to Jacob, give him some of his energy, help him survive, something, anything, please.

-- and then the tendril vanishes just inches before it can smash into the UFO. Everything around them goes dark.

Ezekiel blinks, slowly raising his head.

"W-what...?"

[bookbrawler]

Jake's pretty sure, at least for one moment, that this is it. His eyes are wide, that tendril's gonna go right through the ship and kill him, and take Ezekiel back, and there's nothing he can do about it--and suddenly Ezekiel is shielding him, and he doesn't have the time to shove him away, you can't do this Jones, you can't--

--and then it's gone, the tendril's gone.

Everything's dark and all Jacob can do is remain frozen, afraid the tendril's just going to rip right through the floor all over again.

"...what just happened?"

[luckythief]

Still clinging to Jacob he looks around, bewilderment on his face. He's too surprised to consider letting go of him, fingers still hooked into his shirt as he glances over to the window. The hanger is quiet and, most notably, dark.

"It's... they're gone. They're all gone."

He doesn't understand. Did Peter stop? But why would he? What reason could he possibly have?

[bookbrawler]

This doesn't make any sense. It's a trick, it has to be. But there's no reason for it, if he's got all this power, he wouldn't need to lure them out of the UFO.

"...Flynn. It was Flynn."

It had to be. He doesn't want to celebrate, not just yet, but there's a ghost of a smile on his face.

"He stopped him!"

[luckythief]

"Flynn?"

That... is better than Peter than the light, Ezekiel has often wished for his cell back, but he can't help crossing his arms and sticking his hands protectively under his shoulders.

"Flynn's here, too? Do you think he... killed him?"

[bookbrawler]

"No, Flynn wouldn't--"

A pause, and he looks at Jones, his eyes wild.

"I forgot to tell you--he's back! Our Flynn's back! Our Flynn! I found him in his mind--long story--but anyway, he's back and--and he wouldn't have killed Peter. Maybe imprison him somehow, I don't know." A pause. "It's possible he might have reached him too."

He's still half expecting an attack, but the lack of one as the seconds pass gives him more confidence.

"We gotta go check on him. You up for it?"

[luckythief]

"Flynn is back? B-but I thought..."

He almost doesn't dare to say it. It's too good to be true, too wonderful to be true. Flynn's alive? The real Flynn? Their Flynn?

"... Yeah! Yeah, I'm up for it, of course I'm up for it!"

[bookbrawler]

"Yeah! I'll tell you all about it when things calm down, but I'm gonna see if I can check on where he is--"

He reaches through their connection again, but it was weird the last few minutes, like Flynn had disappeared completely--there was nothing but a blinding hot white light where the connection had been--and he'd been so focused on Jones he hadn't noticed at all. But now it...seemed like Flynn was back?

Flynn? Can you hear me? Where are you, did you stop Peter? I have Ezekiel!

[cahooted]

At the news of Ezekiel being alright relief and joy trickles through the connection.

Yes, I can hear you. I'm with Peter. I stopped him – the evil him, like you stopped the evil me. He doesn't say how; it's still all a bit much, even thinking about it, so he leaves it at that for now.

Are you with the UFO? We're heading your way.

[bookbrawler]

There's a very loud cheer from Jacob's end, both mentally and out in the real world. He's got questions, of course, but that doesn't matter--nothing matters right now except--

Except that it's over.

YEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHH! Yeah, we're here! That's amazing!

Sorry if it's a little loud on both ends. He turns to Ezekiel, explaining right away--

"Flynn did it! He stopped Peter, he got him to stop being--well, evil--"

[cahooted]

There's an amused ripple coming back in response at Jake's enthusiasm, coupled with affection and happiness.

I couldn't agree more. Sit tight, we're on our way! We're getting the hell out of here.

Ezekiel's eyes are wide in response, like he still can't believe it. "He did? It's... it's over? Are you sure?"

[bookbrawler]

Okay! Okay, we're gonna get it started and ready for you! Please accept all his happiness right back at you, Flynn. After what he's been through, he doesn't think he can contain it.

It's suddenly too much, and he has to pause, holding the wall for a second. He pinches the bridge of his nose, and it's a little embarrassing because he's pretty sure Flynn can probably sense him getting overwhelmed with sheer relief, but this is just a lot.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Jacob sounds thoroughly choked up. "It's over. They're coming here, gotta...gotta start this thing..."

[cahooted]

Flynn exhales, looking over at Peter. "Alright, come on. They're waiting for us at the hangar."

It's over.

"It's over," Ezekiel repeats and he shakes his head like in a daze. The thought is overwhelming, too much and he can see it mirrored in Stone because Stone looks like he's about to just... drop. "Hey... hey. Come on, why don't you sit down?" He pushes Jake on one of the chairs. "I'm gonna jumpstart this thing. I'm the UFO expert anyway."

Besides, it will give him something to do and distract him from the fact that he does not want to see Peter, like at all, ever.

[zunesareawesome]

"...yeah." Peter says shakily, with a smile. Except he's not looking forward to seeing Jones either, because that was...really, really bad and he feels terrible. But he's done as much to Flynn, and Flynn's here, so...he takes a deep breath and walks with him.

Jacob half-collapses in the chair, like he was a puppet with the strings cut. He's astonished at how tired he feels, even though it's a happy sort of tired. He had his autonomy back. He has his life back.

They have Flynn back.

"Okay...just...don't break anything. Please."

[cahooted]

Flynn pats his back amiably and walks with him, dragging his feet. God, he's exhausted. Now that it's really over the fatigue comes crashing down on him and once they're back at the Library he might just sleep for a moth.

"You know what, let's just order in. Chinese and pizza and Indian food, too, and a big box of candy and not move ever again."

Ezekiel takes off a panel and climbs into it, looking at ways to jumpstart the thing. "I think I can manage that. I'm not the one who crashed the UFO..."

[bookbrawler]

"Dude, that would be amazing!? I haven't had takeout in forever?" Well, literally forever in Peter's case, but still. "And earth candy? Oh man, you think we can get peanut M&M's? And Skittles?" Because this is what's important right now. But never moving again sounds like a plan.

Jacob glares from the chair, because-- "It wasn't a crash! It was a hard landing, I swear Jones, we ain't goin' over this again..."

[cahooted]

"Whatever you want. It's all gonna be there." Flynn smiles, leaning maybe a bit too much on Peter there but he knows he can't rest yet. Not until they're at the Library and Jenkins is around to pick up the pieces, until then he just has to keep going. "Reese's pieces too. You know about those? They're so good?"

There's just a silent coming from the vent because-- "A hard landing that sort of crashed the UFO..."

[zunesareawesome]

Peter wraps an arm around Flynn's shoulders in an attempt to help him up just in case he is too tired to go on. He knows it's possible that he could just conjure up a jet-powered chair or something but the thought of using...his powers, using the light frightens him. It's still there, it's all still there and he remembers how easy it was to succumb to thinking like a Celestial, how easy it would be to become him again.

"Uh--yeah, I love Reese's. Like from ET? They're awesome!"

And yet another indignant growl that can be heard even outside the UFO--

"It wasn't a crash! That was not in any way, shape, or form a crash of any kind!"

[cahooted]

"Yeah exactly." He stifles a yawn and slows, when the bickering voices trickle out into the hangar.

"I mean, I could always pull up the damage report from the computer when we're back..."

Flynn's lip twitches with faint amusement. "Well, some things never change, I guess."