001- I WANT to know what's going on?

[wearingthestars]

Who: Billy Kaplan and OPEN
What: Exploring the power plant, the hotel, and being sick
When: First few days on Agra 10
Where: The power plant, and the hotel
Warnings: N/A will edit as needed.



The Power Plant

Because of course Billy Kaplan would immediately head away from safety and towards possible danger. Not that the weird squirrel like things are proving too much of a hazard, but he is getting pretty far from town. The path isn't too difficult to manage, but he does have the advantage of floating lazily over any fallen debris or dangers.

His feet return to the ground as he finds the power plant, head tilting curiously as he sets out to explore. There's a bunch of tools, and some strange crystal things, none of which seem of much use until he find the data point. He hesitates a moment before giving into the urge to touch it, shivering at the strange sensation and the sudden knowledge that follows.


The Hotel

Despite how run down everything is, Billy feels wrong about approaching the stores as a means of shelter. Of course, the hotel practically screams 'you-might-get-murdered-here' but beggars can't be chooser, and he's reasons maybe they'll actually be some kind of bed. His magic isn't working so great, the less he has the conjure up the better.

He tries to get handle on the layout, exploring a few floors before finding a room that seems to be more or less empty. Of people or animals that is. What it is full of is debris. Trash, broken furniture, some stuff he doesn't want to examine too closely.

While he's still got a bit of light to work with he tries to clear the worst of it out.


The Contagion

It's slow to hit him, but Billy eventually has to admit he isn't feeling great, and it's not just his powers being weaker than usual. He's hot, and sore, and increasingly paranoid, which makes it rather difficult to get him to listen to reason and stay put.

He keeps leaving his room, too sick to make it anywhere in particular but sure he needs to get out of there, suspicious of anyone who tries to approach him.

[OOC: Fine with brackets or prose, as well as present or past tense, reply how you prefer and I will match. If you want to plot stuff out first feel free to pm me here, or hit me up on plurk @
silversomber ]

Comments

[doubled_speed]

Tommy shrugs, which of course shifts Billy too. Whoops.

“Don’t be stupid. Guy has a fate. You both do. You’re like, lucky. Purpose to move toward.”

Not everyone does. And their worrywart sleeves will manage it.

[wearingthestars]

"Nnn-" Billy clings a little tighter as he's shifted, frowning at the mention of fate. Fate's great, but knowing it is scary and confusing as hell.

"You do too."

[doubled_speed]

Thing is, it's worth it to have some idea of where you're going. Tommy just makes it day by day.

"What? Growing things in the green house? Sure, whatever. I'm heading up a few floors, that cool?"

[wearingthestars]

"Could be. If that's what you want to be." Billy maybe or may not have some idea of what awaits Tommy, given his whole brief glimpse into his future power. But he's very much of the belief that knowing what's coming only makes things worse. It's for Tommy to figure out on his own.

He nods though. Up seems safe. "Not too fast-"

[doubled_speed]

Hey, provided Billy hasn't had a future glimpse into Tommy's powers, it doesn't matter, right? Right.

"Yeah, I don't want you being sick."

Strength he can use with almost no strain. Speed? Nah. He's saving that for emergencies. So Billy gets more or less normal human pace as Tommy walks him out of the room and carries him toward the stairs.

[wearingthestars]

If he has he's not telling.

Billy relaxes a little. Normally he'd be worried about being too heavy, but he knows Tommy is way stronger than him, between him and Teddy's he's gotten kind of used to being shuttled about from time to time.

"I could walk-" He does at least give the cursory offer, though he doubts Tommy'll put him down. Probably a good call. He might wander off again.

[doubled_speed]

Not even going to happen. Because he KNOWS Billy will wander off. And Tommy isn't letting that happen. So he just heads up and up and up.

"You're going to be carried, because I hate wasting energy searching."

[wearingthestars]

That at least gets a brief guilty look. They're stranded on some alien planet, energy is something they don't have in great supply, and Billy's paranoia is costing more than just his own.

"Sorry," he mumbles, eyelids feeling heavier as they walk.

[doubled_speed]

"Don't worry about it. You'd do the same for me. Except don't. Because you'd have to fly, and I hate flying."

Because he'd rather move under his own power thanks. But, seeing his brother start to, well, MAYBE nod off? Tommy may add a very light rocking to his carrying of Billy. Like he's trying to get the world's largest infant to sleep. Listen, it MIGHT work.

[wearingthestars]

"You do?" Billy sounds genuinely surprised, though still in danger of drifting off. Flying to him is just about the most nature state he's every experienced. Maybe that's why it's one of the first bits of magic he mastered without needing to chant.

And if he ever discovers Tommy had to rock him to sleep he might just master the art of disappearing next.

[doubled_speed]

"Of course I do. I'm a speedster, Billy. Except for blowing things up, I need something to PUSH AGAINST for my powers to matter."

Even he's not fast enough to run through the air.

"I live with your floating discs when I need to because I know you wouldn't let me fall."

[wearingthestars]

"Mm." Billy's never really thought about that before, and he gives a soft hum of understanding. His lips curl softly knowing Tommy trusts him to keep him aloft though, and he wonders idly if he might enjoy it more if he had more control, like when he when Cap the power to fly alongside him. Some how he's never done that with anyone else.

"Never," he promises, and he guesses it's a lot like how he'll let Tommy speed him about despite how it upsets his stomach. He trusts him to keep him safe.

[doubled_speed]

Probably easier to only focus on giving just one person self-sustained flight than a whole group. Less people to watch out for. Less drain on the system or some stuff. Granted, Billy's probably more powerful now.

Tommy, though, respects the trust Billy gives him back. If he'd known how readily Billy had trusted him to catch up when their Uncle Pietro had grabbed him, he would have probably been able to fly that day.

"And Kate probably has some sort of net arrow to catch us, just in case."

[wearingthestars]

Considerably more powerful now. Not in this moment, but maybe if when he's feeling better...

"An arrow for everything." Honestly. What doesn't she have an arrow for? It's uncanny. He lets his eyes stay closed for a while, listening to the too quick hum of Tommy's pulse. "...Thanks for taking care of me."

[doubled_speed]

So far as he knows, she doesn't have a boomerang arrow, so there is that.

"We're brothers, Billy. I'm always going to be here for you. Besides, it's not like we could have Mom nurse you without telling her our secret."

Which would be bad.

[wearingthestars]

Billy feels a flush of guilt at that, given his recent and repeated failures to be there for Tommy when he needs him.

"...Don't think Vision will tell her?" he asks.

[doubled_speed]

"No," Tommy admits as he gets up to the next floor and rounds the corner to keep going. "I made him promise. It... it should be us. One of us. I just don't know how. I didn't mean to tell him."

It's all so complicated.

[wearingthestars]

"Not as easy without all the Doom stuff..." Billy tries to joke, but there's a flash of guilt that follows, thoughts turning to Cassie and Jonas. Nothing about that adventure had been easy.

"We have time to plan it out."

[doubled_speed]

Flash of guilt for Billy, completely dark and broken look for Tommy. Cassie was... Jonas too. They were the ones he could connect to better. They didn't push. Everything hurt, so much.

"There's no plan to make this better. They aren't our family, B. We're what we've got."

Yeah, because pushing people away ever helps.

[wearingthestars]

Billy presses his cheek against Tommy apologetically. Apart from finally finding Wanda, it was a whole mess of horrible, and all his fault.

"They are about as much as the ones back home."

[doubled_speed]

"No," Tommy counters, voice firm. "That isn't true. Because back home they still wanted us. They still both wanted us to exist. We existed to them back there. Here we're strangers."

[wearingthestars]

"Mm..." Billy frowns, not in the best state to argue, though he does note softly- "...We were strangers a few years ago."

[doubled_speed]

Strangers. It makes Tommy sick to think about it. No one wanted him back then. And now, he's got friends and people he cares about. And who care about him. But why did he have to make such a good point?

"I don't want to be strangers with him. Or her. But I don't know how to do this. Have family. You're like... my friend. And everything else spreads from that."

[wearingthestars]

"We did okay." He knows it doesn't mean it will always end up that way. There could be plenty of disappointment ahead if they open themselves up, but there's really no other way.

"Family's a lot like friends. They piss you off but you love them anyway. You just have to...let yourself try and see."

[doubled_speed]

Alright then. He'll try. Another floor, another twisted corner, and he's up on the eighth now. It's a long staircase and he's so tired. But it's worth it.

"You don't get to be friends with your parents."