It's the Final Countdown

[wearingthestars]

WHO: Billy, The Remembers, OTA
WHERE: Billy's City
WHAT: Kidnapping, and Final Showdown
WHEN: Event End
WARNINGS: TBD


Billynapping

It was nice to have a routine, and in a city like this, it could be hard to keep one, the ever changing landscape of hero vs. villain could make things difficult to predict. But this one was still going strong. Billy rode his bike through the streets, making sure to stop for his usual offering of donuts, before continuing on to the comic stand.

He offered a wave towards Peter, busy with a small group of kids, and went to lock up his bike so he could browse, holding the bag in his teeth so he could stoop on the pavement and struggle with the finicky key.


Shadow Monster

This was not good. This was a serious threat to this world where the Shadow had come to enjoy it's free reign.

The Darkness swooped in oozing and spreading like mist, its shape ill defined and ever changing, shielding Billy and attempting to drive away anyone who would try to get near. It spread up through the sky, spreading it's reach and calling out to those it had infected to come protect this world, whatever the cost.

Billy appeared to have no sway over the creature, looking just as surprised as frightened as the rest of them, though the Shadow clearly was determined to isolate him him, whether he wanted it or not.

Comments

[wearingthestars]

Almost immediately Billy was reaching back, feet moving to close the distance despite his teary eyes as he took his brothers hands.

He didn't want to remember. Why couldn't they just be happy here? Why couldn't they just pretend?

"I'm not-" he insisted weakly, "I don't have powers."

[doubled_speed]

No, Billy. You don't get to do this. Tommy grabs those hands once they're close and he holds his brother in a far too tight grip.

"Wiccan, Billy fucking Kaplan, don't you DARE pull a Mom! I won't do this. I won't let you stand by in your pain and give us the House of M all over again. We're not Maximoffs, and we're not going to make their mistakes unless you're ready for someone to fucking crush me with a fucking boulder, and we're fresh out of father figures for that."

[wearingthestars]

He flinched, and for all his denial there was clearly recognition in those eyes. Billy knew that story, much as he was trying to fight it.

"I can't- please- don't make me go back- Tommy- please. They wouldn't stop- I couldn't- it hurt too much, please-"

[doubled_speed]

Oh Billy. Tommy pulled his brother closer, into his arms, holding him. The fingers of one hand came up to curl into Billy's hair. He's holding his brother, because how else do they get through this?

"He wouldn't want this, Billy. Teddy would never want this. That's what this is about, right? Like how Mom did it when we died. People suffered for that, Billy. David lost his friends and his school and his powers because of something like this. You promised, you made me promise you'd never do this.

Billy, this can't happen.

[wearingthestars]

"I didn't mean to, I swear- I didn't-" Billy explained, burying his face against Tommy's shoulder. "They wouldn't stop, I didn't know what else to do- I just wanted it to stop."

The Shadow stilled abruptly, and looked to Billy, its shape starting to shrink down from the shapeless mass it had become.

[doubled_speed]

Wouldn't stop? Tommy's eyes glance around, trying to find what the 'they' was. He frowned. But it was happening anyway, and he wanted to make it stop. He wanted it to stop for Billy's sake. But he wanted the lies to be gone too.

Maybe if they left he could be free of this. OF the memories. Of the perfect life that wasn't his.

"But is this really better, Billy? Whatever 'they' did, I'll make it stop. I'm your brother, I'm your protector. I'm not going to let you get hurt, not anymore. I refuse. That's what your older brother makes me. Your protector. Let me save you, once you save us. Because these lies won't make anyone truly happy."

[wearingthestars]

The they wasn't here. But Billy couldn't find the words to explain, lifting his head and taking in the damage that had been done. He swallowed thickly and gave a hesitant nod. It wasn't fair to keep them here.

The Shadow approached calmly, returned to its true form= an inky black starscape in the shape of the one it had come from.

"...You promise it'll be okay?"

[doubled_speed]

An inky black starscape, huh? Tommy looks to it and sighs. Was it a manifestation of how Billy saw his powers? He didn't know.

"I swear to you, on all three of the lives I've lived with you, that I'll find you. I'll save you. Please let me be free."

[wearingthestars]

His face twisted with guilt, and Billy nodded, pulling away. He approached the Shadow and they reached for one another.

All at once Billy and the Shadow became one, and Billy blinked in horror. The screens and billboards that had been lit up with the Agrii’s message flickered and flashed with fragments of the memories Billy had been subjected to, and a broken scream tore the world apart.