[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

[oscaroscaroscar.livejournal.com]

"Language," Felix chastised, looking up from where he was examining the arrow. It seemed straightforward enough, at least. "Alright, I think I can handle all that," he said, poking the tiny device at his collar and taking a deep breath to steady himself. It looked like it was time for Felix 'the Rock' Unger to make his comeback. Skrulls bad, everyone else good, he could do this!

"Good luck, Kate. Stay safe," he said, deathly serious all of a sudden.

[forhawkeye]

He tells me good luck, and I wish I was closer to my father. I'm the first to admit I grew up too fast, but the fact remains that I'm still a Young Avenger. I'm just a kid. A kid with Olympic-caliber training, mind you, but still a kid.

My mom would have cared that her daughter was in the middle of a war. She's dead. My dad -- who's very much alive -- is too busy running his company to even notice.

So Felix -- this absolutely insane guy who I'm convinced isn't even real half the time -- tells me good luck, and I know it's more support than my own father would give me. I press my lips together in an effort to keep it together -- more for his sake than for mine -- and I'm suddenly really grateful for my sunglasses. Then, making sure I'm not about to get stabbed with my own arrow, I lean in to give him a hug.

"I will," I promise, pulling away, and I nod. "I still have that microwave oven to show you, remember?"

[oscaroscaroscar.livejournal.com]

Slightly taken aback, Felix gave her a few firm pats on the back as she hugged him, willing himself not to well up. Being in some semblance of New York had him missing his family more than ever, and he was just as worried about Kate as he was for himself (perhaps unwisely), and his full nickname back in the Army may have technically been 'the Rock with a Heart,' but there was a time and a place for these things. Now was the time for action! Or avoiding it as much as physically possible.

"Right," he nodded, giving her a determined smile as he promised, "I'll be holding you to that, too. I'll make some of my famous chicken cardarelli, you'll love it!"

[forhawkeye]

"I'm sure I will," I say, managing a smile, hesitating one last second before I finally turn away. "Stay safe," I call out, and then it's back into the fray.

I need to see if there are any others, and then I need to find Wiccan.