revivalproject | I didn't mean for it to happen

WHO: Billy, Tommy, Bucky/The Soldier, OTA
WHERE: Temba, YA House
WHAT: The aftermath
WHEN: Early June
WARNINGS: TBD

The Return & What Follows (for Tommy)

Billy screamed, and the world dissolved. The Shadow had shielded him from the worst of it, assaulted by those memories in a non stop barrage for however long they were in there, but now he remembered it all. He dimly registered he was back in his calibration room, hoping he'd managed to release the others before he collapsed heavily onto the floor. He shouldn't have been able to perform that level of magic here. And whatever had allowed it abruptly cut it off with his return, utterly drained from the experience.

He was unconscious, in and out of nightmares for days before he finally jolted awake in a cold sweat, practically tumbling from the bed in his race to the bathroom to retch.

What had he done?

Avoidance [OTA]

Even after he awoke, Billy didn't want to leave the house. He was ashamed and scared, and used the excuse of resting for far longer than was true.

A few faces managed to hunt him down there, and it wasn't like Billy could turn them away, eventually relenting and breaking down a few of those barriers.

After that it was a little easier to venture out. It took a few smaller outing before he was able to get as far as the Hospital, but there at least he could focus on work.

(For Bucky/The Soldier)

Billy knew he probably wanted to stay hidden away as much as he did right now, but after what they'd been through together in the other world, he trusted the man to help him with this. Tommy and the others would refuse, but he was confident Bucky would understand. And he needed to apologize.

His magic was still weak, but it led him to the general location where he was meant to be. Billy couldn't quite meet his eye when he found him, swallowing thickly and looking uncomfortable.

"...Hey. Could we talk?"

Apology- Network- Text

I can't begin to make up for what I put you all through this last month. I had no right, and I'm so sorry you all got caught up in this mess.

I know that doesn't begin to make it right.

They did something to me. Like Calibrations...but worse. I don't know how. And I'm not trying to make excuses for what I did but- I'm scared they'll do it again. To any of us. I thought people should know.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He shakes his head, looking apologetic.]

No. Not really. Whoever's actually in charge...maybe? It felt the same as when we're forced to go to the ships, or...to calibrations.

[A small frown appears and he tilts his head up inquisitively.]

I'm not familiar with calibrations. But it seems I don't need to tell you how unpleasant and disconcerting it is to be compelled. Up until now, I thought it was the Agrii compelling people. You think this wasn't them?

Well the Agrii said they were trying to stop it, so... [He shrugs uncertainly] Either it was someone else, or they were lying?

Well that's entirely possible, isn't it? I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not exactly given to trusting a bunch of aliens that kidnapped me and dumped me in what amounts to a labor camp, but with less supervision.

...

Sorry. I don't - I don't mean to take it out on you.

[He rubs his forehead tiredly]

So you were only partially behind this whole......thing. And someone else compelled you to do it. You don't think it was the Agrii. Who else do we know of who has the psychic power to compel others like that?

No it-...it's fair.

Some of the people who were here from before think it's the Atroma? I think. They ran the Drift Fleet, and we think they also might've been messing with the Agrii, but there's other people who can probably explain better than me.

Atroma. I've heard the name, but that's all. What is a drift fleet? Sounds ominous.

[He's just realising how out-of-the-loop he is and it isn't going over well.]

They were the people from before. The Atroma kidnapped them and...I think ran some kind of tv show? That's where the ships came from, and some of the people, there's not many of them left now.

[He makes a face]

A television show?! Alright. [He holds his hands up and shakes his head] How long ago was that, d'you know? Or can you tell me who here was around at that time?

[Yeah, that's the common reaction]

I think so. Um...I'm not sure exactly. I've been here for...at least two years now, so before that. I think the people left from the Drift Fleet are Wanda, the Soldier,...Keith and Lance?

[Drake frowns at hearing that Billy's been here for two years, but doesn't say anything about it. When Billy names names, however, he writes them down on an unseen scrap of paper, punctuating it with a sharp little stab of the pen before he rips the page out, folds it up, and tucks it into one of his vest pockets.]

Right. Thank you.

[Now he leans forward, looking serious and...maybe a little anxious.]

I need to run some tests. Find out what your baseline is versus what happened, whether any energy readings recorded will differ from those at the time of the event, that sort of thing. Will you be available?

Tests?

[Billy glances off screen with a frown to make sure Tommy hasn't heard that word. He would not react well.]

Um...I could be. What would you do?

[ Drake looks visibly relieved, even if the smile he offers is a little awkward. ]

Well not a lot, I'm afraid. I'm a bit short of diagnostic instruments here, and I'm still exploring the research building to see what useable equipment might be around and what it does; hopefully I don't...I don't know, transport myself into a sun or something ridiculous.

What I do have,

[ He holds up a finger proudly as he tilts the screen to show off the probe he purchased on Coruscant and has been tinkering with ever since. It looks a bit like this, only more rough and slapped together, with treads instead of wheels, and it has a few extra instruments affixed to it. ]

is this. It's a M.A.L.P.! Sort of. My own version, anyway. Mobile All-terrain Laboratory Platform. I bought it on Coruscant and've been working on it to make it more versatile. It was mostly for sample analysis, you know, chemical and metallurgical makeup, air quality, limited environmental monitoring, that sort of thing. I've taken a couple of the more redundant instruments off and added a camera and microphone and a radiation assessment detector.

There's a couple more instruments around that could be useful, but what'd honestly be best in this situation is a medical team. My expertise is in studying technology, not people. I'll find out what I can, but if you know of an EKG machine just lying around, that'd be helpful. And perhaps someone who knows how to use it.

With what I've got, though. Just taking readings and interpreting them.

[Well that looks kind of terrifying. At least until Drake starts explain it.]

I don't think we have anything like that at the hospital. At least nothing operational. I could to magic something up, but I assume you don't want me testing myself...

[Drake offers him a wry smile]

Too right. Wouldn't exactly be a blind test, would it? That's all right. My tablet can pick up a variety of energy signatures as well. Although it is a bit boggling that the hospital doesn't have working imaging equipment. Something else to put on the list, I suppose.

I didn't mean for it to happen

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