Billy & Teddy's not so excellent Halloween

[halfscarlet]

For all the anxiety they've had over the past month and doing whatever preparation they can, once the day actually comes, it's almost kind of familiar.

In a terrifying, oh god the world is ending again kind of way.

The only exception is this time, there are no powered heroes to step in to save the day. Cap and Tony can still help, but they're only two people against everyone's deepest fears and nightmares. Two guys and Thor's giant hammer, anyway.

With no powers and a couple month's worth of self-defense classes, Billy feels completely helpless as he and Teddy make their way to the New Atlantis safe zone. Being under a shield and doing nothing while people are in trouble is not their style, but without powers he can't do much to help anyone, let alone keep Teddy safe.

It's his nightmare that will eventually be coming to life today, and there's no way he'll let anything happen to Teddy. Not today, not ever. Not if he can help it, and if that means hiding under a shield for they entire day while everyone else goes off to be heroes, then so be it.

The New Atlantis shield is kind of pretty - much prettier in person than it ever looked on television - and he can hear it coming down and going back up to let people in before they even approach it. Once they're in, once the shield goes back down, a quiet settles around them and Billy relaxes a little.

Comments

[wasafreak]

It's happening, it's all happening, and Teddy can't remember being on higher alert. The shield should make him feel better- it seems to make everyone else feel better, including Billy, and he's grateful for that- but force-fields are something of a specialty of the Fantastic Four, which means they're probably not the biggest threat ever posed to a Super Skrull.

Which means if it finds him there, it won't just be Teddy, it won't even just be Billy, who suffers.

"Do you think they have water?" he asks, hearing himself, knowing he sounds shaken and kind of hollow, but thinking that's... fair. He also knows, without even having thought it through, that he's going to run, because Billy can't protect him and he sure can't protect Billy, except by not being anywhere near him.

[halfscarlet]

"Yeah," Billy says, sounding confident of it even though he has a million similar questions running through his own mind. Water, food, proper shelter for everyone -- but these are all distractions from the real worry plaguing him.

When he looks over at Teddy, Billy knows his own face shows the same anxiety. "They should. We'll be fine in here."

[wasafreak]

Teddy nods, feels sick, runs his hand over his face and then forces himself to look up.

"Could you- Sorry. I'm feeling a little shaky. Could you grab me some, B?" he asks, curling his fingers around Billy's wrist and squeezing a little.

[halfscarlet]

"Yeah, of course," Billy says readily. He doesn't feel entirely relieved to be here just yet, but they're safe. They have to be.

He leans in to give Teddy a brief kiss, and looked him over. "Find somewhere to sit down, okay? I'll come find you."

[wasafreak]

Something in his stomach clenches and he tugs Billy back to press another kiss against the corner of his mouth, into the crease of his cheek. He pulls back nodding, leaving their hands linked for another moment.

"You always do," he says, smiling a little before letting go.

[halfscarlet]

That feels a little more like normal, and Billy gives Teddy a smile. It's kind of hard to ignore everything going on around them, but as long as they keep Teddy safe, things should be fine.

He leans in to give Teddy another brief kiss before heading off to find whoever looked like they were in charge.

[wasafreak]

For a moment, he almost chucks the idea out the window and stays. Maybe the shield will hold, and if it doesn't, maybe Cap and Iron Man will show up and actually be able to take the Skrull down.

He thinks about Billy, though, and the likelihood of him not doing something stupid to protect Teddy, and then he thinks of the ease and the speed with which the Super Skrull killed his mom, and he's off before he can even clearly think about which direction to go in.

He has to get as much distance between them as possible, and keep it that way. Nothing is worth losing Billy.

[halfscarlet]

It takes some time for Billy to figure out what's going on, but he ends up getting some info on what's going on, and some water for Teddy. When he goes back to find Teddy, he doesn't find him right away. He's nowhere to be seen among the small crowd, and Billy even dares to peek in a few of the huts to make sure he isn't missing him somehow.

But he's nowhere to be found, and isn't like Teddy to just disappear like that, except--

Billy's stomach drops, and he lets out a few choice curses. Of course Teddy would disappear if he thought it was the right thing to do, and especially if he thought he'd be saving Billy. But what use is his own safety if he knows Teddy's out and alone without any powers at all? They barely fended off the super skrull with powers and the other Young Avengers and Runaways, Teddy had no chance on his own right now. Which means Billy's nightmares will be coming true just like that, and he can't accept that.

He doesn't even think about leaving; Billy tucks his backpack away and heads toward the edge of the shield, ducking out when it goes up briefly to let a few people in. He doesn't really know where to start, but he takes off down the path, hoping there'll be some kind of sign. Anything, to show him where Teddy's gone.

[just_dance_it]

In the long, long list of stupid shit that Maxxie's done in his life, starting out this day with an early trip to the beach is stupidest. But when he started out that morning with head down and a joint at his lips, it had been too early for the shit to really have hit the fan.

Then all hell broke loose, and he's been trying to get back to the safety of the Compound ever since. He's not doing so well. He's not equipped for this shit. He is not a superhero or a knight or a soldier or even particularly good in a fist fight. Mostly it's just been dodging behind trees (and once or twice climbing them) to avoid whatever horror movie star is coming down the path. It's slow going, but he's too fucking scared to try to run. Jurassic Park keeps popping into his head, with that line about how the really bad dinosaurs see movement? It's stupid, but it's sticking and won't go away.

Eventually, he knows his luck has to run out, but he honestly thinks it's gonna be a zombie or a dragon or something, not some dude who looks like an angry cross between a human and a lizard.

Maxxie freezes like a deer in the headlights. They stare at each other for exactly half a second before Maxxie takes off, running as fast as his legs can carry him in the opposite direction. Fingers far stronger than a human's clamp down on the back of his neck and suddenly Maxxie's feet are off the ground, legs still pumping in a useless run that's getting him nowhere. He curses and struggles while the green guy looks him over with a creepy, calculating stare.

"Wrong pink monkey," the thing grunts unhappily, then tosses -- literally tosses -- Maxxie off to the side. He lands on a rock and a tree root, one pounding into his side and the other dinging his head. The ground isn't soft either, but compared to the shock and fear and pain, that doesn't matter. He only just manages to unsteadily drag himself toward a bush, hoping that he won't be seen, not realizing that the angry green dude has already forgotten about him.

[halfscarlet]

Billy doesn't really know where he's going, but he thinks he knows exactly what Teddy's thinking. So he strikes away from the compound and away from people, choosing to go down one way on the boardwalk simply by intuition.

It doesn't take him long to figure out he's on the right track, a realization that has his stomach turning when he finds Maxxie on the ground. Billy jogs over to him immediately, and he knows right away the Skrull must have thought Maxxie was Teddy, if only for a moment. Skrulls weren't too great at the whole 'all humans look alike' thing.

"Maxxie! Oh my God, are you okay?"

[just_dance_it]

His head hurts so badly that Maxxie can't form a response to Billy's question. It's a really simple question with a really obvious answer, but all Maxxie wants to do is curl up and hug the ground.

"Mnn," he groans, holding his sides. "Island sucks."

[halfscarlet]

As Billy looks Maxxie over for any obvious outer injuries - nothing's gushing blood, but the way he's holding himself doesn't look good - it occurs to him that he's done this way too many times in his life.

"Can you try sitting up? We should get you to the clinic. Who did this to you?" Or what, he should probably ask. Who knows what the hell is running around in the jungle right now.

[just_dance_it]

Even though it feels like every part of him hurts like hell right now, Maxxie knows he's not that bad off. Nothing's broken. He's not bleeding. He can make sense of the words Billy's saying. He can even deduce that staying sharp and looking out for monsters is more important than grumbling about his pain. It just takes him a second.

"Green. Lizard. Dude," he says, unsure what to call the fucker. "Where's Teddy?" he asks as he manages to get to his knees.

Billy's there. Teddy has to be near, too. Unless something happened.

[halfscarlet]

"Green lizard...oh." To a Skrull, Maxxie would probably look just like Teddy until he got close enough, and he can't help but feel like this is all his fault. They're all his nightmares come to life, and he gets why Teddy went off on his own, because Maxxie getting hurt should absolutely not happen.

"That was-- that was my fault," Billy admits. There isn't quite defeat in his voice, but he has none of the confidence he might otherwise have if he still had his powers. "Green lizard guy is my nightmare, and he's hunting Teddy. He ran off on his own cause he's stupid and thinks drawing the Skrull away will keep it from hurting anyone, but that obviously isn't happening."

Billy closes his eyes and shakes his head. "I'll help you get to the clinic."

[just_dance_it]

Maxxie nearly argues that it’s not Billy’s fault at all, but the other boy’s tongue is faster than Maxxie’s brain right now. The explanation is out before Maxxie can even form words and he’s left now in dumb awe of the stupidity of his friends.

How do any superheroes survive if they’re all this dumb? Super powers aren’t a perk; they’re a necessity for survival.

He shakes his head, then freezes and shuts his eyes when the world tilts a little too much. Right. Head injury. Brilliant.

“You’ve got to get to Ted before he really does get its attention,” he says. Much as Maxxie would like an escort back to the clinic, Teddy’s out there asking for trouble and Max is pretty good at dodging it. Usually. “Do you know where he could be?”

[halfscarlet]

Billy winces at the obvious pain Maxxie is in, and as much as he wants to take off and keep looking for Teddy, he stays where he is. Maxxie needs help and he isn't going to leave him hurt where anyone or anything can just walk by.

"No idea," Billy replies. He tries not to let the beginnings of despair creep in. It's a pretty sizable island with a hell of a lot happening already, how is he going to find Teddy before it's too late? "But I'm going to look."

[apoorupbringing]

"No!" Chase said loudly, absently incinerating a swath of foliage in front of him so he had a hole to run through.

"I need you to explain it again, because I'm pretty sure you're dressed up like a spider!"

The day had not been going smoothly. Jessica had been an unexpectedly helpful addition to the Wading-Through-The-Jungle-Helping-Unarmed-Civilians festivities, except she was in a Spider costume.

[notaparker]

"I had spider-powers! What was I going to dress up as, a bunny?" Poor choice of example, poor choice of example. "Because that just seems like it'd be confusing."

Why am I cursed? I am pretty sure I'm cursed at this point. Doc Strange or whoever was throwing out curses and one landed on me, and it means I cannot keep anyone unaware of my secret identity for more than five minutes. I should take refuge in the fact that it's apparently genetic, but I don't really. Feels like I should be able to correct certain mistakes, but, nope.

Really hoping for someone to interrupt this by being punchable soon.

[just_dance_it]

This day has taken so many weird fucking turns already that Maxxie doesn't even react when Chase and Jess saunter onto the scene, one with some kind of glove gun and one talking about spider-powers. While in a spider costume.

"...Hey, guys," Maxxie says, sounding as wrung out as he feels, and weakly waves a hand.

[halfscarlet]

Knowing Jess is Spider-Woman in her world is a completely different thing from actually seeing her all dressed up and in the act. Billy only wishes he had the time to appreciate seeing another superhero in costume, something he hasn't seen in a while.

"We need help," Billy says, not even bothering with greetings. He knows they'd understand. "Maxxie needs to be taken to the clinic."

[apoorupbringing]

Chase frowned, changing direction to beeline directly over to the pair. He glanced Billy over, to make sure he wasn't hurt or bleeding and ignoring it, then started looking Maxxie over.

"What the hell happened? You okay, man?"

[notaparker]

"I know we're all teenagers and, like screw the rules or whatever, but c'mon," I say, wincing as I look Maxxie over. "There are really too many people running around out here. I recognize the hypocricy. Uh, do you want me to get the other arm, or..."

Man, I wish I had a way to easily flag the hover ambulance. Kind of ridiculous that I built it and can't get it here.

"...someone could run for a call-box?"

[just_dance_it]

"I can walk," Maxxie insists. He aches and his head hurts, but nothing's wrong with his legs (thank God). Having someone try to half-carry him sounds more painful than moving on his own.

"You can call me a dumbass later," he adds to Jess. "First you've gotta keep Teddy away from that lizard."

He just kind of assumes that, since everyone around him has got something weird going for him or her, that they'll understand what the hell he's saying.

[halfscarlet]

"Skrull," Billy corrects unhappily. "The Skrull that tried to kill him and Xavin in New York," he elaborates, for Chase's benefit.

He begins to help Maxxie up, and glances at Chase. They've fought Skrulls together, the Young Avengers and the Runaways, but it's different without powers. He doesn't know how Chase does it, even if he does have fistigons and a dinosaur who does anything he asks.