Heading Into The Storm

[doubled_speed]

WHO: Tommy Shepherd, Twin Roses Crew (or , OTA anyone heading into the Storm
WHERE: In the Storm
WHAT: Tommy can't help but be a hero; Seeing people who aren't there; Finally collapsing in a cave to wait out the storm.
WHEN: During the Storm
WARNINGS: References to the death of a teammate who was only a teen, possible discussion of his family history.

Storm Watch | Open to Twin Roses Crew or a ship heading into the storm

Agrii need you.

That had been all Tommy had needed to hear to know he was going into the storm. He'd stayed silent on the bridge while the thing had been talking, and once it was done he was gone to the dorms. Tommy stripped the pillow from his bed and then immediately started stuffing what clothes he had in there, as well as other items. Things that will help him get through the storm.

And then he heads to the cargo hold and waits by the hatch.

"You going?" he asks whoever comes close. "To the storm? I mean, that's why we're here. The sooner we fix this shit, the sooner we go home."

And later, once he's bummed a ride on another ship heading into the storm, he has a similar enough question as he waits in their cargo hold.

"You ready for this? It's not going to be easy."


Storm Warning | Anyone in the Storm

This, it turned out, was a bad idea. Tommy hadn't gotten too far into the storm before it happened. Before he could feel the weakness, draining his energy. It almost makes him sick, makes him keel over. He's had this sensation before. The way the 'juvie' he'd been in had devices all over to suppress his powers, radiating the power outwards when he wasn't in the cuffs. There's no strength, no energy, no speed. And he hates it. But he's not a coward, and he keeps moving, at a normal person's pace.

But what stops him are the people. A flash of lightning, a peal of thunder, and there he is. Vision.

"Pops!" Tommy shouts. The Agrii said he was gone, but clearly he wasn't, he was right there. Tommy runs, as fast as any other human, and he can't get there. Can't MAKE IT. No matter how fast he runs, now matter how much he reaches out, he can't catch up. Another strike and there's a voice nearby.

"Speed?"

Cassie. Tommy turns and spins and Vision is gone but there she is, on the ground, crumpled up in pain. Again he's running, and this time he closes the distance. Or nearly does. It's so hard to see, the winds and the water so hard to deal with. But the ground's uneven, and he doesn't see it coming. A crack there and Tommy's foot gets caught and he falls, his hand outstretched. But she isn't there, and the pain is there, so much pain. His ankle is... Tommy just curls up and holds his ankle because it hurts so much.


Storm Shelter

He doesn't even remember getting to the cave. Maybe someone carried him here, maybe he crawled here on the what he now realizes is broken ankle. Or maybe only sprained. But definitely hurt and the pain has Tommy curling up well away from the mouth of the cave. He can't heal as fast, and his bones are clearly weaker than they normally are. But mostly he's just curled up on himself, trying to stay warm despite his soaked through clothing.

He's a coward. He should have been out there, trying to find answers, and instead...

You're a useless boy, you deserve to die out here.

Tommy shudders against the memory of one of the things he'd seen in the storm. And he'd run away as fast as he could. For a given definition of run, since he couldn't get to his feet. But he'd crawled away and the next thing he remembered, he was here.

"I... wanna go home," he whispers, shivering. "I just want to go home to my stupid shitty apartment and my stupid shitty job and all the food I can buy and my favorite blanket. I just... I can't take this anymore."

He's a coward, and he hates it.

Comments

shelter

[seeingscarlet]

"Hey," Wanda says softly, scrambling onto her knees and reaching for him. Apparently she's taken a fall of her own: there's dirt on her clothes and face, a cut on her forehead, and her cheeks are streaked with either tears or the rain (or both). "We're going to get out of here. I promise."

It was a mistake to go after everyone into the storm without her powers, but what else was she supposed to do? And now that she's seen him again, it's going to take something serious - like getting Tommy back to safety on the ship - to get her to leave.

Carefully she brushes some of his damp hair back from his forehead. She may not have her powers to help him, but she's made do with less several lifetimes ago. "Where does it hurt?"

[doubled_speed]

At least... at least he got to know that Wanda was safe. That didn't mean much in the face of the pain. The ankle he doesn't dare reach for.

"I don't... I..." He looks at her, then quickly looks away. Only normal human quickly. Trying to hide the tears stinging in his eyes. "My ankle, it's bad."

Swelling. He doesn't dare take his shoe off.

storm warning

[wearingthestars]

Billy's not sure how exactly he wound up on his own, but the storm is disorienting, and he keeps seeing things, leading him astray until he's hardly sure which way he's come from.

He thinks he hears a familiar voice over the storm, and he squints into the distance, murmuring more spells under his breath that refuse to work as he hurries towards it. "Tommy?" he calls. That was Tommy, wasn't it? Was it more tricks?

"Tomm-" he nearly trips over, and his brow immediately creases with concern, stooping try and figure out how to help. "Tommy-" He touches his shoulder- and yes- he's real. Billy could cry with relief. "What happened? Are you okay?"

[doubled_speed]

The voice is... something. Familiar. Tommy, in the mud and wet, shivers against the storm still pounding him. Everything keeps happening. People keep... they keep talking. So fake, so wrong. And yet there he is. A hand on his shoulder, and a familiar voice.

Billy.

"I'm hurt," Tommy hisses out. He hasn't been hurt like this in a long time. "I can't... I can't stand."

[wearingthestars]

Billy winces in sympathy, and tries to keep his head, giving a nod, and reaching almost instinctively as though to cast a spell before pausing. That won't work.

"It's okay-" he tries to reassure, putting on a brief smile for him as he tries to approach from a different angle, "Um...we'll- I'll get you somewhere out of the rain, and I can...um...I can fix it, don't worry." He hopes he sounds like he knows what he's doing. He's trying. "Is it just the one ankle?"

[doubled_speed]

"I don't know. It hurts. It hurts a lot," Tommy winces. His bones were too strong. It should NEVER have happened. Because his bones are too strong. "I can't walk. Billy, I can't..."

There's panic in his voice. More than any visions here could give him. More than the pain allows for. He's a speedster. His legs were EVERYTHING.

[wearingthestars]

"Shhh- hey- hey, it's okay-" Billy attempts to soothe, trying to hold Tommy's gaze, "Breathe- okay? I'm going to figure this out. I promise. You're going to be okay. I know it hurts, I know you're scared just breathe."

He pushes back some of Tommy's damp hair from his face, and tries to channel his parents. They always seemed to know what they were doing, and to say. "I need to get you out of the rain first though."

[doubled_speed]

Hurts. Scares him. And breathing isn't that easy. The pain is keeping his chest tight. And it's terrifying. His eyes flash with pain. And he doesn't bother to shy away from the touch, which he wants to.

"The rain is too heavy. Can't find anything."

[wearingthestars]

Billy reaches to catch hold of one of Tommy's hands, wishes desperately his magic would work- just for a moment, just enough to let him take away his pain.

"I'll find something." He sounds reasonably sure, despite having no way to know if he can keep that promise. They have to try. They can't just stay here.

"I can carry you- or...if you want to lean on me, we can try it that way-" he offers, knowing Tommy doesn't like to give over control or look weak.

[doubled_speed]

"You can't carry me," Tommy dismisses. He knows his brother, knows his strength. It's less than Tommy's. And damn it hurts. Which means there is only one option.

"Yeah, uh, we can try to walk."

This is one situation where he can't DENY he is weak.

[wearingthestars]

Yeah, carrying was...last resort sort of option, and would definitely have been a struggle.

"Okay. We'll go as slow as you need, okay? Just say if you need a break or anything."

God, he hates this. Without his powers he feels so...helpless. He just wants to make everything okay. Why can't he make everything okay?

"Here, lean on me, I'll help you up-"

[doubled_speed]

The storm was strong enough that it was probably going to cause them problems. But he offers his arm. Just help him up. And then they might manage things properly.

"I fell. The ground was uneven and I couldn't... I didn't react fast enough."

[wearingthestars]

It takes a bit of maneuvering, but Billy tries to bear the brunt of Tommy's weight as they work their way to getting him up, taking a moment to be sure he's properly supported so they can keep any weight off his injured foot. This is definitely not best practice, but they don't have much choice here.

"It's okay- people fall. I can fix it. Once my powers are- once they're back. You'll be fine."

[doubled_speed]

At the very least, Billy's a good height for it.

"I don't fall," Tommy protests. But at least... he's not alone in how his body is failing him right now. And he hates it. "I feel so weak."

[wearingthestars]

"...I know," Billy acknowledges. He can't exactly imagine what it's like to be in Tommy's exact, but he has some idea of how it feels to be powerless.

"You're not weak, you're just...human." For the moment.

[doubled_speed]

"I don't want to be human. Being a mutant is all I have," he groans and he rolls onto his stomach to get his good leg under him. That will make it easier to stand.

[seeingscarlet]

She feels so almost-useless right now. All she's got is the limited first aid she's absorbed among the Avengers (which is not much, since her powers can usually fix most things) and the kind of basic street knowledge that comes with precious little access to real doctors.

She squeezes his shoulder gently in an attempt to comfort him. She has to be the strong one now. "Do you remember what happened?"

[doubled_speed]

"I tripped," Tommy mumbles, his hand itching toward his ankle. bUt he doesn't reach. Doesn't touch. Can't touch. No, don't touch, it could make it worse.

"I couldn't react in time. I was chasing them. Cassie. But she's gone. She's dead."

[wearingthestars]

Billy keeps a hand on him to help steady and offer support where he can, and he nods understandingly.

"I know. We'll...I'm sure when we get back, we'll be back to normal."

[doubled_speed]

"I'll still have a broken ankle. Won't be able to run."

But with Billy's help he gets up on one leg, the injured one held behind him.

[wearingthestars]

"Literal magic brother. I can fix it." Probably. Maybe. He's not sure actually. Back home no problem. But he still says it as though it's a certainty.

"Okay, we'll go slow. Let's try a few steps, see how it feels," he encourages, shifting to better support Tommy's weight.

[doubled_speed]

Certainty isn't something he much knows how to deal with. Because this is an uncertain world and uncertain time.

Steps? You kidding? Tommy has to hop. There is NO WAY he can handle putting actual weight on it.

[wearingthestars]

Well steps sounds kinder. And this is definitely going to be slow going, but at least it's something. Billy nods encouragingly, moving slowly.

"Have you ever broken anything before? Or sprained anything?"

[doubled_speed]

The winds are harsh, the rain horrid. But there you are.

"Not since I was a child. Pre-mutation."

And never anything like this.

storm warning; i'm ready for pain

[hulkintraining]

Teddy sees Tommy racing off on his own and it's all he can do to try and keep up with him. Even de-powered, Tommy is a sprinter and quick on his feet, and all Teddy can do is lumber after. The fact that he can barely see a few feet ahead of him as the storm rages around them doesn't make things any easier.

He keeps his eyes trained to Tommy's back as best he can, doing his best to fight back the voices whispering in his ear. 'Teddy. Please look at me.'

He can make her out in the corner of his eye, standing proud against the storm. Her blonde hair bright against a dark backdrop. Ignore her. She's not real. She's never real. Teddy nearly catches up with Tommy when another voice nearly sends him to his knees.

No. Nonono.

"Cassie."

He sees her right as Tommy turns, heading in her direction. Maybe if he'd been paying more attention he could have warned him to watch his step. To look down. But he's staring right at her when Tommy goes down, and he almost misses it. Almost.

"TOMMY!" He's rushing forward, falling to his knees next to the other boy. "Hey, Tommy, it's me. Are you okay? Can you stand?" The way he's gripping his ankle doesn't look good, but Teddy can carry him if he needs to.