revivalproject | Guess who's back?

WHO: Billy Kaplan, Soldier, Tommy Shepherd, Tony Stark
WHERE: The Cabin, TBD, The University
WHAT: Billy's back
WHEN: Early April
WARNINGS: TBD

Soldier

To Billy it felt as though no time had passed, brow scrunched like he was trying to recall a strange dream that was all ready escaping him. He wasn't on the ship. The air didn't have the same chill they'd left behind. It's not all together new for him. He's had these gaps before, and so has Soldier, but something about this one feels strange for a reason he can't parse.

He sits up, and when he calls out his voice is hoarse from disuse.

"Soldier?" he tries tentatively, pushing to climb out of bed. His legs feel unused to supporting his weight, and he tries not to listen to that voice of fear that lives in his mind and wonders what may have happened here in his absence.

Tommy

He knows he could message Tommy and a fraction of a second later he would be bowled over by his brother, but he thinks it may be less jarring if he finds him in person. He has a mental checklist- the Diner, the Greenhouses, where ever Hargrove is. And once he spies him he braces for the impact he's sure to follow, offering an apologetic smile.

Tony

His room in the University seemed to have been cleared out, Billy sitting on the bed after his brief inspection. There was little doubt Tony would have seen him come on one or more of the cameras, and Billy waited, an impish smile curling on his lips when he was proved right.

"So, which one of you stole all my stuff?" he teased fondly, head ducking in bashful apology for making them all worry so long.

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"Seems like something he would do. Always making trouble, that guy." Billy laughed, and rose from the bed, insistent on claiming the hug he was due.

"I miss anything else, or was that the highlight of my absence?" he asked, hugging the man tight.

While Tony tensed, looking guarded as Billy made his weightless approach, and kept his arm braced where he could stay grounded, he couldn't stop himself from leaning in to meet the hug, wrapping his free arm around Billy's shoulders where he could squeeze him in return and keep him there where Tony could safely mumble an answer. "You know, the usual," he said. "We all just wait for you when you're not around, it wasn't much different." After a beat, while patting Billy's hair down fussily, he did admit, "The Agrii are moving in, they're coming to the city, and the ship got some much needed maintenance done, we've got more access to information and navigation to get you out of this place. You weren't supposed to come back."

"Heh, yeah, that sounds about right. Center of the universe and all that," he quipped with an amused hum.

His brows creased momentarily with the news, not sure how he felt about all that, but he dismissed Tony's worry. "And miss all the fun? Nah, I need to see how it all ends, I'm not going anywhere. Not for long anyways. Promise."

That wasn't exactly the right answer, getting people home was the goal even if that meant one at a time, but it was still the one that made Tony give a wan smile, then take his opportunity to kiss Billy's temple before encouraging him back to a safe distance that wouldn't get Tony killed should someone else come along the hall. "You've seen your brother?" he had to ask, tipping his head to encourage Billy to go do that immediately if he hadn't.

"Yeah," he assured, bowing his head and smoothing his hair back. "It didn't mess him up too much, did it?" he asked with a wince, well aware of how emotional his brother had been at his return. "Hoped with that guy he's got and the friends and stuff he might be okay if I...ya know." Disappeared without warning.

"Of course not," Tony promised, and flicked a wrist with a roll of his eyes in a searching gesture, "Gave him time to get to know himself a little. Meditate. You should try it, maybe he'll give you some tips, if that doesn't, maybe, ruin the point."

The idea of Tommy meditating made Billy snort, though maybe that wasn't giving him credit enough. He probably could manage, just not in typical speed.

"So, hey- did Cayde find everything in here?" he asked, gaze flicking to the mattress where his hidden comics were missing.

With a grimace, Tony sucked a breath through his teeth, following Billy's gaze then raising his eyebrows meaningfully. "You know how he is," he said, "Made a beeline for the most embarrassing stuff. Couldn't be stopped. Honestly, that one's kind of on you, keeping it under the bed is asking for it to be found."

"Could've been worse. I keep the real embarrassing stuff in a pocket dimension," Billy teased with shy grin,

"You looked after everyone, right? No big news while I was gone?"

Billy wasn't going to be allowed to start that then play at coy, making Tony raise a hand in defense like he had never heard such language and insist, "I don't need to know what you call it, that's between you and the gals at the bar." Then he used the hand to make a sweeping gesture of invitation, for Billy to head back in and maybe start taking account of what he thought was missing, because Tony certainly hadn't, and he wasn't about to volunteer what Tommy or the Soldier had ended up with in case they wanted to say otherwise. That could be between them and Billy.

"No flesh-eating spiders fell out of the sky or anything, if that's what your asking," he reported. "The storm problem might genuinely have been solved, after a fashion. I couldn't empirically tell you if it's because of what we found underground, or because someone wants us convinced that the Agrii moving to the surface is a fine idea." He tossed a shoulder, like it wasn't a terribly pressing distinction, and promised, "I'll find out when you guys go."

There was a snort of laughter and Billy rolled his eyes, passing back into the room.

"There's always time," he said, glancing at the ceiling like he half expected them to start tumbling down now that the idea had been spoken into the universe. But luckily only one of them possessed that power.

"And where are we supposed to be going without you?"

One of them should have possessed that power. Billy's look up made Tony's heart drop anxiously, his focus going vacant while he tried to plan for the flesh-eating spider invasion that he had just willed into existence. The moon hadn't ever screamed before he said it, either.

It took him a second to realized Billy had asked him a question, and he had to clear his throat before he started, "Well, uh--The ships. Since we can navigate, we're going to--well, the party line is, you're going to find the Agrii home world. I'm assuming you're just getting out of dodge."

Guess who's back?

you :3

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