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.

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[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.