InsaneJournal

Another New Arrival
Who: Ellen Brandt, Doctor Strange
What: Ellen discovers she's not dead, and that the circus is (apparently) in town.
When: Friday morning, at rush hour
Rating/Warnings: YELLOW (Expect some colorful language from Ellen)




Ellen stood in the kitchen doorway of the burning shop with murder on her mind. Tony Stark had fled out the back, injured and wide-eyed with fear. But not so frightened that he hadn't flung a last witticism at her before running. She savored his fear for a moment before she saw--and smelled--the escaping gas. She had just time enough to realize what he'd done before the explosion slapped her like the hand of god--

DISCONTINUITY

--and she staggered back, raising her arms in a futile attempt to shield herself from the blast. No blast came, though someone behind her cursed as she trod on his foot. He pushed rudely past her with another muttered curse and disappeared into the crowd. Ellen blinked, taking in the crowd, struggling to make sense of her situation. She was breathing heavily from the exertions of the battle, her adrenaline-fueled pulse thudding in her ears and fingertips. She trembled like a race horse eager to run, amped up for a fight to the death, but with no opponent.

An instant ago she'd been in Rose Hill, Tennessee. At night, two days before Christmas. Chasing Tony Stark with murderous intent. Now she stood on a bustling sidewalk in broad daylight. Pedestrians streamed past her in both directions, frequently jostling her, none of them dressed for winter. How was that possible?

She turned in place, studying the area. Daylight, but the sky overhead was hemmed in by skyscrapers towering overhead in every direction. Another shock to the system: she recognized midtown Manhattan. How had she gotten here? Even if she'd been rendered unconscious by Stark's IED, she'd have recovered. Or failing that, been rescued by her teammates and brought back to HQ. In no case would she have been abandoned on the streets of Manhattan.

Yet here she was. Something was dreadfully wrong. She felt the first stirrings of panic but squelched them firmly. Remember your training she told herself. Treat this like being lost behind enemy lines. Get out of sight, avoid the authorities, learn what you can, acquire weapons and tools, try to find a way to make contact with your allies.

Ellen took a couple of calming breaths, squared her shoulders and let herself get swept up in the progress of the crowd around her. She'd walk until an opportunity presented itself. Then she'd improvise.