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

[cahooted]

"Anytime."

He holds him for a long moment, closing his eyes against the onslaught of emotions and guilt, then draws in a deep breath.

"What do you say we go and get our thief back?" And kick some Celestial ass. "I think it's about time."

[bookbrawler]

When he lets go, he nods and takes a step back. So much fear and hope and anger and pain and compassion. He doesn't blame him, not at all, but it's gonna be a long time before he can come to terms with this. If he ever does.

"I say let's go and get our thief back."

Sheer, confident determination in his voice, even if he's still afraid. Afraid for all of them.

[cahooted]

"That's the spirit."

Flynn smiles and nods, glad he doesn't have to face Peter alone. "It's about time we end this once and for all, come on."

And he'll lead the way. There's quite a few things to prepare before they can mount the UFO.