Who: Brooke & Leonard What: Meeting in the Upside Down When: Monday Where: Upside Down Rating: Lowish just some scariness and sass/bickering like usual with these two. Status: Completed Gdoc
Brooke was trying to figure out what fresh hell was this when she woke up in what looked like her room minus the whole creepy ass vines everywhere. Also somehow it was darker, which made figuring out whatever hour this fucking was. Trying to get up, she brushed her arm against a vine and shuddered at the feel. It had taken her a few tries before she had found herself safely off her bed and her feet on the ground with a few scratches on her arm. There was no way she was going to get to her window, deciding to head down and outside to see if anyone else was stuck here. Oh god, if she was the only one, then she didn’t know what she was going to do. Checking the pockets of her jeans that she passed out in, Brooke sighed at only having keys for a weapon. Not exactly her weapon of choice, but it’d have to do.
Though she had to remember next time to maybe take her keys out before passing out. Either way right now she was content with them because it was really her only option for a weapon. Brooke wasn’t exactly the fighting type; however, she wasn’t about to wander around with nothing to defend herself. Keeping her longest key between her fingers, she stepped over another vine once outside and in the street. “Hello? Is anyone else fucking here?” She asked, looking down to keep track of where she was stepping. What the hell did the dome do this time? She doubted she was the only one here, but now she had to find someone else so she wasn’t dealing with this on her own. The sight of someone familiar caught her attention a bit up ahead of her. “Leonard?” She called, not really thinking maybe something might be around. If it wasn’t Leonard, then maybe it was someone she knew who wouldn’t mind her company. Better than dealing with this nightmare on her own.
Leonard had actually been snuggled into bed with Sara when suddenly he wasn’t anymore. When he reached for the blond and found an empty spot beside him, the thief had jolted awake. Instead of Sara, darkness and lush vegetation greeted his vision. Throwing back the covers, Leonard quickly stood, blue eyes now taking in the full scene and it was creepier than the clown motel. At least there he’d woken up to a hot guy. Here? There was only eerie silence and far too many plants. Thankfully, Leonard always slept fully clothed.
Unarmed and alone, Leonard pushed open the door to Sara’s bedroom and wandered out into the hall. “Hello? Sara? Anyone?” There was no response except for the sound of slithering. A glance behind him gave him all the information he needed to know. The plants were moving and they were making a beeline right for him. The thief took off, racing out of the house and into the empty streets of what looked like a darker version of Madison Valley. Breathing heavy, Leonard took in the empty streets and again the large amount of plants wrapped around everything. It was literally a scene out of one of those apocalyptic shows. What the hell was going on? It was then that he heard a familiar voice calling out to him. Was that Brooke? Was she trapped here too? If so, how many others were too?
Turning, Leonard’s blue eyes landed on the all too familiar face. She looked just as anxious as himself. As she neared, Leonard could see she was wounded too. The thief hurried towards her and quickly covered the distance between them. Once he was close enough, Leonard reached out and gently touched her arm. He wasn’t always into touching, but right now? It felt like a good time.
“Are you alright? It kind of makes you wish for the creepy clown motel again.”
When Brooke saw that the person who she noticed was Leonard and not some stranger, she felt a little bit better about this situation. Oh, she definitely much rather be in her real bed than whatever the hell she had woken up in, but if she had to be stuck in this place, then she was glad to have someone who she trusted down here with her. Was it selfish? Yes, and Brooke could own it just like she could own it. Sometimes she was selfish and this was one of those times. Leonard had become a good friend, and she felt a bit safer to have someone who she trusted. Not that she’d have any problem shanking a stranger with her makeshift weapon if given a reason and Leonard had actually been a stranger.
At the sight of him, she almost hugged him, but she refrained from doing it. Though it was quite obvious how she felt a bit better on seeing him. Glancing at her arm when he touched it, shaking her head as if she only just remembered them. So far it stung but nothing she couldn’t handle, and it was easy enough to push to the back of her thoughts since there was a bigger issue to deal with. Like where the fuck were they? Or even better, how the hell did they got out of here?
“Yeah, I’ve had worse…as long as it only stays like that and I don’t end up dying from some type of vine poisoning,” and now that idea was in her head, waving it off. If she was to die, then so be it, but she wasn’t about to focus on that, especially since it wouldn’t be the first time something or someone tried to kill her. “I’d take that motel again. Or hell, I’d take psycho killers from my world over whatever this is,” she waved one hand, motioning to the creepy place they were in. Turning her attention on him as she looked him over, noticing he didn’t seem to have any scratches or anything.
“What about you? Are you okay?”
“I wouldn’t joke about that. It could be a thing here.” Of course Leonard hoped it wasn’t because a poisoned Brook me wasn’t going to be good for either of them. They needed to find a way out of here and either of them being injured would just slow them down. Not that Leonard would abandon her. He liked Brooke and considered her a friend. Besides, he was pretty sure Sara would kick his ass if he did that.
“You and me both. I’m okay. No injuries.” Yet. Leonard had a feeling they would need to fight their way out of here. It was one of those rare situations in Madison Valley where he wished he had his cold gun. Right now, Leonard felt vulnerable.
“We should probably start walking. See if we can find anything in the buildings along the way. Maybe head north.” He wasn’t sure it was going to lead them to a way out, but his guess, his hope was that this was a portal and that there was a way out.
“It could, but I’d rather make some jokes than start to stress myself out with worry. Won’t be productive at all if I go down that route, especially when I have been cut so if it’s true, then I’ll be finding out,” she pointed out. Brooke refused to start freaking out or overthinking the whole thing until they were out of this mess. Then her brain could go off the deep end if it decided; however, until they were back in Madison, she was determined to keep her head on as straight as could be.
Brooke fought the urge to add yet, knowing it would help no one by adding that to the conversation. “Did the dome grant some niceness in your direction by sending you down with anything?” If it did, then Brooke figured it was small. Then again, she also was thinking about her luck and figured she was the only one with even a hint of a possible weapon and she was pretty sure keys weren’t going to do much damage.
It was a plan and that was better than standing here where something or someone might end up getting them. Also, she wasn’t about to stand here alone so she was very much on board with this idea. “Speaking of, where did you wake up and what was around? Did it look like the version you knew in Madison or no?” She asked, looking around for anything or anyone that might be lurking around them somewhere. Brooke could talk and pay attention. The talking also kept her mind busy and didn’t allow it to wander into places that it shouldn’t.
“No, the Dome didn’t see fit to gift me with nearly anything as deadly as your keys,” Leonard replied smoothly. Though, with his near genius level intellect, Leonard didn’t necessarily need a weapon. His brain operated on strategy. While he didn’t think the creatures would be won over by his easy charms, he knew he would be able to outsmart them if nothing else.
Given that Leonard didn’t want to be a sitting duck, he started moving north and gestured for Brooke to follow after him. “I woke up in what looked like Sara’s place, but there was no Sara. Not anyone,” Leonard replied as he walked. His blue eyes scanned the area, keeping a look out for any of those creatures or slithering plants. “And it was coated in vines.” Leonard knew there was a reason he hated plants.
“What about you? What was it like where you woke up?” He guessed it would be in a place located in Madison Valley, but just a darker, more sinister version. This whole place seemed to be just a shadow of what the real town was.
“Don’t be talking bad about my weapon cause you’re jealous or I might use them on you,” she warned in a joking tone, holding up the hand with the keys as if daring him to challenge her. Brooke would only do it if given a reason like him turning out to be a psycho killer. Nope, one person was enough for a lifetime on taking that spot. But she trusted Leonard and knew she didn’t need to worry. If she did get into any trouble, Brooke trusted him more to help her than a stranger who might bail on her.
Staying in the spot she had been standing in, Brooke glanced south to check behind them and make sure nothing was lurking in the shadows. Turning on her feet, she followed Leonard and kept an eye on things while listening to him talk. Knowing he was most likely doing the same thing considering what she did know about him. “As much as it’s tempting to give a sarcastic answer,” she admitted because it had come to mind for only a minute before telling herself no, “it was pretty much the same and how I got the cuts. I woke up in my room with it looking like I fell down a dark hole to hell with the way this place looks,” she shuddered because this place gave her the creeps. It felt like a really bad horror movie or hell with the way the sky looked all reddish like. “My bed was covered in vines and when trying to get up, the injury happened. I’m glad I didn’t fall asleep in heels because I can handle pretty much anything in heels. Probably not this and I’d either get hurt or end up dead.”
Not the way she’d be wanting to go. Brooke could only imagine what might be said if that was how her story ended. Plus she might not get to have fun flirting with the person she may or may not be interested in. “If we ended up here, then there has to be a way out. A portal of some kind somewhere in this place that allows us to go back into the Madison we know,” she was saying it more to herself than to him, but was saying it in a normal tone in case he wanted to chime in with anything.
Even in the midst of a creepy, dark Madison Valley, Leonard could not help the smirk that formed at Brooke’s sarcastic comment. Oh, it was expected and one reason he liked being around her. She had a mouth on her that could potentially rival his own, rumored golden tongue. Turning, Leonard faced Brooke and, reaching out, grabbed her wrist gently before plucking the keys easily from her fingers. Leonard dangled them in front of her, the keys jingling in his fingers, and shiny despite the darkness.
“I think you should be more worried about me using them on you,” he replied, but his tone was teasing and after a few seconds more, he turned her wrist, and dropped them into her palm. “I’m sure you already know you should probably aim for the eyes with those.” The thief released her and turned his attention back to the direction they were going.
The two started walking again and Leonard listened to Brooke’s story. So, she woke up pretty much the same way he did except for being buried in vines. “It’s a good thing you didn’t wake up in heels. I have a feeling you’d be kicking them off if we run into any creatures around here. I know it’d probably make you cry worse than a monster catching you if you ruined yourself a pair of designer heels.” Leonard was joking for the most part. He was aware of how serious Brooke took her fashion.
Portal. Brooke was talking to herself, but Leonard had picked up on that one important word. Yes, if this was a portal then there had to be a way out. The two of them simply had to find it. In this instance, would splitting up be the better option? He didn’t like the idea of leaving Brooke alone even with her killer keyes in hand. Still, it might be the best chance they had at finding the exit.
Leonard paused and turned to Brooke, arms folded on his chest. “Let’s operate on the assumption that this is a portal. That means there is a way out obviously. We just have to find it. Now, the worst-best idea is to split up because we cover more ground. However, it also leaves us vulnerable to attacks.” Normally, Leonard delegated orders; he did not ask for opinions. However, Brooke was certainly not one of his lackeys and the thief did respect her opinion, no matter how much sarcasm was bound to drip from her response.
“So, what do you think?”
When he grabbed her wrist gently, Brooke eyed him with a ‘watch it’ type of look. He was lucky that she had him on her trusted list or she’d probably slap him or stomp on his foot hard for grabbing her wrist. Only people she knew and trusted could get away with shit like that. Anyone else touched her and that would be a whole different story. Didn’t mean she wasn’t going to give him a hard time, he just wasn’t going to end up in pain from it. “I’m not a baby that gets distracted by the shiny,” she threw in a sassy little smirk, rolling her eyes.
“Yes, well you should be feeling lucky that I like Sara and she likes you or I’d probably have slapped you by now.” Brooke could say it, knowing Leonard would know she was lying. She liked him as well and he hadn’t earned a slap…yet. Not that he would, but Brooke had to amuse herself and keep him wondering just a bit. “Yes…” she almost replied with a dad but that was weird considering how she said she’d fuck him, shaking her head with a disgusted look on her face rather than finishing the statement. “Nope, backing off that path. But yes, I know or I knee them in the balls. It works wonders just as a warning if you try to cross me.” Brooke fixed her keys again back the way they were before continuing on in the direction they were going.
Brooke made a face at him, but she would be upset about ruining any of her shoes or being in danger because of her shoes. At least, she was in sneakers so it made things a bit easier when it came to footwear. “Who said I’d be ruining a pair of heels? I just trip you and then my heels and I are safe. Or I use the heel as a weapon. The type I have can be dangerous all on their own if it’s needed. Not that I want to be sticking my heel into anything or anyone to protect myself, but I’ll do it if it’s my life or the shoes on the line.” Brooke may love her shoes and her fashion; however, she would do what was needed to survive. After everything back home, she wasn’t one to back down from a fight or go down without one whether it was human or not. Brooke just preferred to avoid all that if it was possible.
Brooke was still walking and almost walked right into him because she was keeping her eyes on what was around them. “A little heads up next time before stopping,” she told him, poking him with one of her keys into his side as if she was giving him a warning. Brooke was glad he didn’t try to bark out orders since that was never going to fly with her. She did what she wanted and no one was ever going to tell her what to do. At least, she grew somewhat out of the stage of doing the exact opposite of what was said to be a bitch. “Have you never watched a horror movie? As one of my friends would say splitting up is just asking to be murdered. While the idea does sound like one of the better options, we would be leaving us a prime target to whatever is wandering around. With someone not watching our back and we don’t even know what is down here. For all we know, it could be a fast fucker that will catch us off our guard.” Brooke had no idea, and she was hoping there was no fast fucker to worry about. A slow asshole would be much better in her mind.
“Do you really want to risk not having someone to cover your back? Yes, the sticking together might take longer and I get stuck looking at your face,” Brooke couldn’t help the little comment that she had to slide in, “but we know if one of us is attacked that we’re not on our own.” Both plans had positives and negatives; however, they didn’t really have the time to stand around and argue about the different sides to the two different plans.
“So, while you took the very long way around to get there, you’re saying it’s a bad idea.” Which Leonard already pointed out himself. He knew that splitting up had its negatives. Still, the pull to cover more ground was very tempting to Leonard too. The best case scenario was they both found the portal together, but Leonard didn’t operate on best case scenarios. He always operated on the assumption things would go badly.
Her comment made him chuckle. “You should be grateful to be stuck looking at my face. This face is the face of your savior should one of those ‘fast fuckers’ shows up.” And no, Leonard was hoping there wasn’t any fast fuckers around here either. He was in shape, but running from a supernatural anything was difficult no matter what shape you were in as a human.
“So, we stick together then,” Leonard replied. “Let’s keep moving. Maybe we can find some water, food, and shelter.” The thief didn’t think there would be any of the former, but at least there were buildings to take shelter in if necessary.
“Keep your keys and heels at the ready, princess. You never know what we’re going to run into.” Leonard started moving, this time walker slower so that Brooke could keep up with him. While he didn’t think she’d make good on her threat to slap him, he felt better about her walking next to him so he could keep an eye on her.
“You’re really asking for me to use my keys on you rather than what might be around here,” she teased, turning the keys in her hand in the direction of him as if she was really going to stab him with one. “For your information, I was working out aloud to see if there was any possible way that splitting up could work, thank you very much!” Brooke told him, fixing her keys back in her hand before continuing. “By doing that, I may have just figured out a way that we could maybe split up,” she replied, making it very clear it was only a maybe at the moment. Brooke glanced over her shoulder, double checking that nothing was trying to sneak up from behind to get them. “As we see, there are places from back in our world around here. I don’t know about where you were, but in my room, there were a few items I know from my own room. Covered in vines, but still. Maybe we can find in one of the stores some better weapons or even walkies to stay in touch. No way am I going off on my own without something better than keys.” Brooke wasn’t sure if they’d find anything, but they could hit the stores more likely to have something such as the outdoors shop or Walmart. If not, then they stuck to staying together.
Brooke knew covering more ground was the better option; however, the only way she’d even think about that idea was if they found something better than keys for a weapon. If she could find a sword or a knife or something with a very pointy end, then she’d be a very happy girl. Not that she didn’t mind the company; however, Brooke did not want to be here any longer than was needed.
“If I had heels, then I’d have them ready in one hand, my keys in the other. But sadly, I have no sharp heels so keys is all you get for protection.” Brooke rolled her eyes at the princess' comment, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. “Shouldn’t you be the princess? All damsel in distress and I’m the one with the weapon who might have to protect you?” Brooke knew Leonard would be fine and could handle herself. Better than she would; however, she was never going to go down without a fight whether it was from an individual or a monster. Still, she couldn’t help but give him a hard time, then again princess was better than calling her a nun. A loud noise off in the distance, drew her attention, not wanting to come across whatever or whoever that noise came from.
She really didn’t stop, did she? Leonard shook his head and paused to look at her. “If we spot a store, we’ll go in and see if we can find anything useful, including a weapon for you. Until then, keep your keys out of any of my appendages and at the ready in case we actually do come across something that can kill us.”
Speaking of something that could kill them. Leonard’s ears picked up on the loud noise off in the distance. That did not sound good. The sound chilled the thief to the bone and not in the good way he liked. Maybe locating that shelter would be the first stop. Whatever made that sound would require weapons to stop. Leonard had no doubt about that.
“Okay, let’s keep going. Stay close to me. I know you can handle yourself, Brooke, but I’m not kidding. Stay close to me. Whatever made that noise might be coming this way and we need to obviously get the hell out of here before it does.” Though never one to make touch a priority (unless it involved Sara), Leonard reached out to take Brooke’s hand anyway and pulled her against him.
Blue eyes trained ahead, the thief relaxed some when he spotted a huge building in the distance. It looked similar to Walmart.
“I think I see Walmart ahead. Let’s go. We can upgrade you to a steak knife at least.”