[Homeplot 2009] Secret Invasion

[forhawkeye]

Have you ever have a dream that was so vivid, so extraordinarily detailed that, despite the fact it was also so utterly absurd, it somehow didn't make it seem any less real? That's what Tabula Rasa was for me. Months of memories and experiences...all of it the result of a knock to the head.

I never left the invasion.

All around me is chaos. Skrulls and heroes and villains alike, all fighting for control of the planet, and the sound -- oh my God, the sound -- is deafening. I wince as I pull myself up from the ground, absently noting that I'm in full uniform. And why shouldn't I be? I never left the invasion. And so all those people I knew...they were all figments of my imagination. Nate, Serena, Alice, Mikal, Yorick, Remy... I always assumed Felix wasn't real, anyway, so he doesn't come as much of a surprise, but it makes perfect sense, now, how there could possibly be a Tony Stark who hadn't betrayed everyo--

"HAWKEYE, LOOK OUT!" yells Patriot -- Eli -- and he's already running towards me before I have a chance to react. In what feels like slow motion, I turn to see what I'm supposed to be looking out for, but I don't register what it is until after he's shoved me out of the way, and the ground behind us is engulfed in fire, courtesy of a Skrull Human Torch. "What the hell's wrong with you?!" he asks, though the edge of panic in his voice is all too clear, and he grabs me by the shoulders. "Now's not the time to get PTSD -- we haven't even gotten to the 'post' part yet!"

I nod mutely. A few seconds pass before I find my voice again. "I'm fine."

"You don't look it," he says.

A Skrull falls dead beside us. We both turn to see who's responsible, and we're greeted with a loud whoop as a grinning Bullseye pumps his fist in the air and dives back into the fray. I feel like I'm going to be sick. Instead I clear my throat and stand up straight, shoulders back. "I'm fine."

The corners of his mouth quirk upwards in a smile, and he nods approvingly. Well, at least one of us is convinced. I guess that's better than nothing, right? Giving my shoulders one last squeeze, he then takes a step back and nods towards the fight. "Let's get to work."

"Yeah," I say, reaching into my quiver to draw an arrow. "Let's."

Comments

[forhawkeye]

Something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye. This is to be expected, seeing as I'm in the middle of a war and all. There's a lot of light being thrown around -- repulsor blasts and fireballs and flares -- but this...this is completely different. On my way to find out what the hell it is, I jump over the body of one of ours. By the time I turn back to see who it was, they're already gone. What's in front of me, though, is surprising enough that I forget about whoever it was almost immediately. There, looking all the world like a freaking vampiric disco ball is:

"Alice?!"

A Skrull takes advantage of my distraction, kicking me in the back, and I fall to the ground with a grunt. When it comes back to finish the job, I take the opportunity to run it through with my sword. It falls dead beside me, and again I find myself trying not to puke as its blood splatters in my hair.

[asinglechange.livejournal.com]

Wrinkling her nose, Alice focuses on what she does know. That even though these, well these things are well beyond her, giving her a headache and blurring the world around her she can still think faster than anyone else. Thank goodness for the small favour that is having humans around.

Swinging a roundhouse kick at the face of one, she grins in Kate's direction. "Hiya Kate. This is some trip, isn't it?"

It would be better if she could get some food. Of the non-human variety preferably.

[forhawkeye]

"Yeah," I snort, scrambling to my feet, and I'm glad to see at least one of the people I know only from the island can take care of herself. "Welcome to the real world." I punctuate the statement by firing an arrow into the nearest Skrull's head.

[asinglechange.livejournal.com]

"Real world?" Alice repeats, resisting the urge to snort as she back handsprings away from one monster and towards another. Landing on the shoulders lightly and easily, she snaps the thing's neck.

"We can discuss that thing later. What are these things? They smell funny."

[forhawkeye]

They smell awful to me, and I don't even have a crazy vampire nose that can probably smell blood or anything. I land a punch on the Skrull to my left, and follow it quickly with a kick to the one on my right. When they come back to retaliate, I step out of the way and they end up taking out each other for me.

"They're Skrulls," I tell her. "Alien shape shifters."

[asinglechange.livejournal.com]

"Ooh, now that's a new one."

It really is. She knows earth-based shapeshifters who may or may not be werewolves, but alien ones? That is a different thing all together.

"Not exactly friendly, now are they?"

[forhawkeye]

"Some of them are," I say, thinking of Xavin and Teddy -- though he's only half-Skrull. "These ones most definitely aren't."

As if to prove my point, a Skrull chooses that precise moment to fly over us, courtesy of a roundhouse kick from Luke Cage. "See?"

[asinglechange.livejournal.com]

Watching the creature fly over head, Alice nods. Another smell drifts past her and she turns her nose towards it.

"You smell good," she tells Kate, thinking of the light flowery scent that is blended in so well with the scent of warm blood. Delicious. "And I wonder how these guys taste."

[forhawkeye]

I blink.

“We’re in the middle of a war zone, I’m covered in blood that’s both Skrull and my own, and you think now’s a good time to tell me I smell good?” I say dubiously, taking a second to elbow the Skrull behind me in the face before running it through with my sword. “You have weird priorities.”

[asinglechange.livejournal.com]

"I'm practically indestructible." Aside from the whole 'torn to shred and burned thing' but that was kind of minor detail.

"And it just sort of popped into my head. I'm sorry you try to think on an empty stomach."

[forhawkeye]

She's a sparkling vampire who's practically indestructible. Well, there's a relief. At least I won't have to worry about her like I am about Felix.

"...okay, so I need to see if anyone else has landed in the middle of an alien invasion, but please don't eat anyone."

[asinglechange.livejournal.com]

Giving Kate a mock salute, Alice is all smiles as she turns back to dirty work.

"Aye aye, Captain," she says, taking up the fighting stance. This is going to be awesome.